#I’m and idiot and I meant to list credit at the bottom of the post but it totally slipped my mind

[blouisparadise]

Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of July. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) Jealousy, Jealousy | Not Rated | 1163 words 

Harry gets jealous when James Corden hold his Louis in his lap and pets him on the Late Late Show. He shows Louis who he belongs to and takes care of him.

2) The X-Factor Judge | Explicit | 1635 words 

Harry watches the X-Factor and gets jealous about Brendan jumping on Louis. When Louis gets home Harry reminds him whom he belongs to. 

3) Didn’t Know You Had It In You | Explicit | 1807 words 

Harry sleeptalks and reveals his kinks which Louis is more than happy to try out.

4) Mine | Explicit | 1979 words 

"So you been single for a while now?" Louis gulped as the vibrator slowed down sending a thankful look to Harry before glancing back at the interview who was looking at him with great interest,

"Uhhh yeah," he replied keeping his answer short and brief. He straightened his back shuffling slightly on his chair as the vibrator shifted inside of him hitting his prostate causing him to let out a small gasp as grimaced at the interviewer who just grinned back. She must be an excellent actress or just stupidly oblivious.

5) In The Moment | Explicit | 2611 words 

Note: This is part 2 of this series.

Where it's their first time and Harry is being all fluffy and encouraging Louis to say his name and other dirty stuff?

6) Salvation Under My Breath | Not Rated | 2858 words 

Louis is pregnant...

...and Horny

7) The Sight of You Brings Forth a Peace In Me | Mature | 3254 words

Louis loses inspiration and goes on a nature walk to find some. The inspiration takes shape in the form of Harry. 

8) Put Your Sweet Lips On My Lips | Explicit | 3435 words 

Note: Part one of this fic is #23 on this list. 

Adjusting to one another’s life came as naturally as the sun rising in the morning and brightening the sky, chasing away the darkness that had dared to lurk in its absence. They did not side step each other, did not second guess their instincts once they were finally together. It was the crash of roaring waves - reckless in their paths - but upon meeting had unified into calm waters in the vast sea.

Living with Harry was like a breath of fresh air. In all his years, Louis had never felt alive. He supposed there was some credit to be given to how devoted Harry was to him. The man would rather step in a raging fire than let him suffer even a trace amount of agony.

9) Fuck U (Even) Betta | Explicit | 3568 words 

Note: This is the sequel to this fic.

Harry had sensed Louis was getting antsy all day, prodding and poking at Harry’s psyche like a game of mental whack-a-mole, trying to find that one thing that would flip the switch and push Harry over the edge. Even after all these years Louis still thinks he can get a rise, that he can in any way control the scenario. He couldn’t be more wrong.

10) We Act Like Nothing Is Wrong To Avoid What’s In Front of Us | Mature | 4179 words 

Louis sends nudes meant for Harry to the wrong person on accident. Harry finds out. Rough sex ensues.

11) Love's First Bite | Explicit | 6135 words 

Note: The pairing in this fic is Louis/Zayn.

For Zayn, love was never a part of life’s equation, not when you’re considered a lowly vampire while working in the Vampire’s royalty club, Love’s First Bite. He’s bitter and resentful and sees no point in looking into his past or future. But when Zayn saves a human named Louis, it all changes. He finds something special in him and, more importantly, someone worth giving up everything he holds dear.

12) Your Blueberry Eyes | Mature | 6154 words 

Louis tattoos and Harry falls for blues.

13) Blow Me Away | Explicit | 6471 words 

Louis likes giving blow jobs.

He doesn't exactly get off on it – he's been with people who properly loved it, and he's not quite that into it – but he doesn't mind the feel or the taste and he really, really likes watching his partner lose it, so getting down on his knees regularly is a no brainer.

Which is why it's a bit frustrating that every time he does, Liam hauls him back up again.

14) Thank You For This Prom Night | Not Rated | 6554 words 

Note: This is part 3 of this series.

It's Prom Night. Stuff happens.

15) Can We Make It Anymore Obvious? | Explicit | 6628 words 

Five times the boys accidentally walked in on Harry & Louis plus one time they did it on purpose.

16) It's The Way You Love (I Gotta Give It Back To You) | Explicit | 8153 words 

Stretching, Louis finally pulled the duvet aside and let his feet fall onto the plush rug at his feet. Louis lived for soft, comfortable, plush things. From the fairy lights and fake plants to his plush robe and thick socks, everything in Louis’ little one bedroom apartment was carefully catered to his whimsical and soft aesthetic.

17) My Eyes Want You More Than A Melody | Explicit | 8315 words 

Harry’s brain is short-circuiting at an absolutely awful time, the more expressive side of him is falling to pieces for some reason. The only responses he can give are venerated vibrations and nods, the feeling of Louis’ sweaty skin sliping him further into nothingness. Lightly dewy thighs, so muscular and plush— his lips feel just the same, so dangerously soft, a devious intention lying behind it all. “You’d do anything for me,” Louis mumbles, teeth tugging on Harry’s bottom lip, eyes dragging from his sinfully pink mouth when he lets it go to his hooded green eyes. “Isn't that right, daddy?” Harry whimpers— something that’s so foreign to him— but nods, trailing his hands up his shaved thighs, fingertips passing the hem of the dress.

18) Running Is Different Than Going | Explicit | 9018 words 

Note: The pairing is Louis/OMC.

On the run, the last thing Michael expects from a stranger is help. Louis offers him everything he needs so he can keep running, but makes it harder than ever to continue doing so.

19) Quarantine, Baby! | Teen & Up | 9615 words 

Note: There is no smut, but it contains mpreg Louis, so we’ve included it in this monthly roundup. 

When Harry and Louis get a little too bored in quarantine, they turn to each other for some x-rated entertainment. Then, what starts as a COVID-scare, turns out to be something completely different.

20) Effervescent Horizons | Not Rated | 10676 words 

Note: This is part 6 of this series. There is also no smut, but it contains mentions of bottom Louis, so we’ve included it in this monthly roundup. 

They go to college together!

21) Moments | Explicit | 10726 words 

Looking back, Louis should’ve known that the universe likes to fuck with idiots like him who think they’ve got it all sorted.

Looking back, he should’ve known that the minute he relaxed and let his guard down, when he thought things were going smoothly, that’s when it would hit him.

Looking back, he should’ve known to be on the lookout for a curveball.

He just hadn’t accounted for that curveball to have long legs, green eyes, and dimples; a curveball named Harry Styles.

22) The Blood Is Rare (And Sweet As Cherry Wine) | Explicit | 14270 words 

Note: The sequel to this fic is #8 on this list. 

"Officer, I see you're giving away my secrets already," Harry said as he entered the room.

"It's hardly a secret," Louis accepted the delicate glass, cutting a glance at the man when the underlying scent hit him, "A little early to indulge in such things, isn't it?"

"You've had a long morning, I'm sure. Merely looking after your health, Officer," Harry smiled.

"You don't need to concern yourself with that."

"Someone has to."

23) Violent Delights | Not Rated | 76174 words 

Prince Harry is arranged to mate Princess Charlotte, but first he must spend a month completing courting traditions which ends in a mating ceremony. When he arrives to the Tomlinson castle, he finds the forbidden North wing holds that which the family has worked hard to keep secret. Mainly: the sickly sweet Prince Louis, who’s rare gender has forced his family to keep him locked away for his own protection.

24) Truth Behind Golden Eyes | Explicit | 228727 words 

Louis is a royal servant born with magic in a kingdom where his sole existence is outlawed with a war he has no idea he has a part in upon him. Harry is the prince on whom the burden of mending a broken kingdom falls upon and he might be willing to risk it all for a simple servant if only he admitted it to himself.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

[heloisedaphnebrightmore]

Prompt list!

Below you can find a list of prompts you can send to me to write a fic around when my requests will be open or when I am having a sleepover. 

Prompt categories are;

Fluff prompts

Sarcastic/Fun/Spicy prompts

Angst prompts

Some of the prompts are my own, but most of them are collected from different people. 

I have put the credit on the bottom of the list with their original post and account. 

Fluff prompts:

“You smell really nice.”

“I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.”

“Would it be all right if I borrowed your sweater? It smells like you.”

“Did... did you just kiss me?”

"Isn't the view beautiful?"

A: “Why are you wearing my sweater?” B: “Because it smells like you.”

"Stop looking at me like that!"

“If you steal the blankets, I am going to put my cold feet on you.”

A: “Is that my shirt?” B: “You mean our shirt?”

“You’re quite comfy.”

“Your bed hair is really adorable.”

“Aw, you’re blushing.”

“Uh oh, I know that look. What do you want?”

“I like the way your hand fits in mine.”

“There’s something in the corner of your lips... can I?”

A: “Do I look weird?” B: “No, like... It’s just, I can’t believe you’re actually wearing my clothes.”

“I can’t get over how a few months ago I wanted to learn your name and now you’re having breakfast with me in my sweater.”

“You are so beautiful — So fucking beautiful. “

“It’s not a double date. We’re just third and fourth wheeling.”

"Quick, kiss me!"

A: “You should probably go home.” B: “But I’m already home.”

“I just want to see you happy.”

“I couldn’t get you out of my mind.”

“Laughing suits you.”

“I told you to take care of yourself.”

"You look better in my clothes than I do."

“You take the bed you need it more than me.”

“Now I know where half my wardrobe went.”

“You’re not hurting me, you’re not heavy. I’ve got you, love.”

A: “I’m such a mess.” B: “I love it when you’re a mess!”

“I can’t think around you.”

“Stop moving! I’m going to have to start counting all over again!”

“Can you please stop biting your lip…it’s distracting.”

“Why are you naked?”

"How mad would you be if I kissed you?"

“Please stop rolling your shirt sleeves up, it’s terribly distracting”

“Are you going to kiss me or what?”

“Can I hug you? Just for a second.”

“How blind can you be not to see that I have liked you since forever?”

A: “You owe me.” B: “Fine, whatever you’d like.”

“I hate how much I want you.”

“I think… I think I like you.”

“The world could be on fire and I’d still be happy as long as i’m with you.”

"Did I just say that out loud?"

“You are all I can think of and it drives me crazy.”

Sarcastic/Fun/Spicy prompts:

“Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?”

“And you wonder why you’re still single.”

“She may seem like lollipops and rainbows, but I bet behind closed doors she’s latex and whips.”

“I don’t have enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel.”

A: “Somebody’s cranky.” B: “Somebody needs to shut up.”

“I’m going to hit/punch you so hard, it’ll make your ancestors dizzy.”

“I already know that I’m going to hell. At this point it’s really ‘go big or go home’.”

A: “Why should we date?” B: “Because we are attracted to each other.” A: “I am attracted to pie, but I do not feel the need to date pie.”

“Sarcasm is the body’s natural reaction to stupidity.”

“Excuse me. I have to go make a scene.”

A: “You’re questioning my methods.” B: “I’m not questioning it I’m saying it’s stupid.”

“You couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions.”

A: “I didn’t do it!” B: “Then why are you laughing?” A: “Because whoever did it is a freaking genius.”

“I didn’t mean it like that! Stop making everything I say dirty!”

“Darling I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen.”

A: “You make no sense to me.” B: “Welcome to my life.”

“As beautiful as you look, all I want to do is rip that dress off right now.”

“Hold on. You’re telling me that you want to go out to the creepy woods in the middle of the night on a full moon? Really? Really? Think before you answer.”

A: “You come here often?” B: “Well considering I work here, yes.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“You are so drunk.”

“We only have one room left for the night…”

“Hello Ms./Mr. Grumpy.”

A: “Can we keep him/her?” B: “S/he is not an animal.”

“Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?”

“I’d punch you, but that’d ruin that pretty little face of yours.”

A: “Where have you been all my life?” B: “Hiding from you”

“I will have you know, boobs proved that men can focus on two things at once.”

A: “So, it’s a date?” B: “Nope. not a date”

“If you keep stuttering, I will think that you might like me.”

“I had a dream about you last night. I’d tell you what happened, but it’s way too inappropriate.”

A: “It’s because I’m so attractive isn’t it?” B: “I say this and I cannot stress this enough. I find you completely repulsive.”

“I was just wondering how long it’s going to be before you realise, I like you and admit that you like me back.”

A: “You’re an idiot.” B: “But I’m your idiot.”

“Sorry, is that supposed to impress me?”

“Are you trying to turn me on right now or are you really just that oblivious?”

“That was the prettiest sound I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m never going to finish this if you keep doing that.”

“I’m a little drunk and a little horny.”

“My eyes are up here!”

“Do you find it sexy when girls make the first move, or should I wait for you to do it yourself?”

“I may or may not have left some... marks.”

“I’m going to ruin that pretty makeup.”

“I thought your laugh was the prettiest sound in the world. I was wrong, it’s your moans.”

“Are you planning on kissing me today or we are waiting for something?”

Angst prompts:

“I love you! Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“We both know that I should walk away, but I can’t.”

“Don’t ask her out again, please… You’re killing me, every single time you do that.”

“What happened to us?”

“Love isn’t supposed to hurt this badly.”

“You said you needed space. I let you move out, I let you go out with your friends without me, I even met you once a week to give you space and you’re still unsure. I’m starting to think that an entire universe apart wouldn’t be enough space for you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not what you signed up for.”

“Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to see me like this.”

“I don’t think you understand how much you hurt me.”

“Aren’t you even going to cry?”

“Find somebody else to kiss your ass.”

“I don’t know who you are anymore.”

“How long are going to pretend that everything is okay?”

“Just leave me alone.”

“Can we please pretend I never said that?”

“When I said I loved you, I meant it.”

“Is there any part of you, deep down, that might love me back?”

“We agreed this was just physical!”

“I don’t want to feel this. I want to be numb.”

“There’s just no pleasing you, is there?”

“Maybe they were right, you never did change.”

A: “Don’t look at me like that.” B: “Like what?” A: “Like you still love me.”

“Move out of my way before I make you.”

A: “They warned me about this.” B: “About what?” A: “You.”

“I can’t keep playing pretend.”

“Can I at least tell my side of the story?”

“I didn’t know where else to go.”

“I wish I’d never met you.”

“Stop sending me mixed signals.”

“I don’t think you understand how much you hurt me.”

“I thought you liked me.”

“Get out.”

“Can’t you listen for one second?”

“Were you just playing with my feelings?”

“I trusted you. I feel so dumb.”

“What am I in your life? Because as of lately I feel as though I’ve been nothing to you.”

“Is she really just a friend?”

“I hope you are happy, you won.”

“I wish I could believe you.”

“Is your image really more important than us?”

“I’m scared.”

“Am I not important to you anymore?”

“How could you let them say that about me?”

“Why didn’t you fight for us?”

“Just leave me alone.”

Credits: 

[x] by @blisfvll 

[x] by @marauder-exe 

[x] by @kaiiton 

[x] by @writings-of-a-hufflepuff 

[x] by @moanlightlust 

[x] by @slytherinsqueen 

[jay-and-dean]

Same 3/4 Same names

By Roonyxx and Jay-and-dean

Pairings : AU Dean x reader, Dean x reader

Summary : Two Deans… What could go wrong ?

Serie Warnings : Smut, Angst, hurt (and jealous) Dean, hurt AU Dean, hurt reader… hurt everyone. Swearing, Alcohol. (15.13 kinda spoilers ?)

Wordcount : 3.3k

Note : This is a collaboration beetween both of us. We can’t both edit the same post, so we decided we would post 1 chapter/2 each. So if you want to read chapter 4, it will be edited on @roonyxx​ ‘s blog… TOMORROW.

We both worked as much on this story and it’s the result of both our brains but also both our hearts.

Please, if you want to show love for this story, don’t forget we were together in this.

Part 1 : Same eyes

Part 2 : Different hearts

Roonyxx Masterlist

Jay’s Masterlist

_________________________________

3. Same names

           Y/n was curled up on one of Dean’s comfy armchairs, holding her knees against herself, warming her hands around her cup of coffee. And she was just doing nothing. 

           At least she looked like she was doing nothing, because in her head, she was listing her faults. One by one, hurting herself with everything she could have done better, differently or not have done at all.  

           She had spent nights crying over the man she loved, as he was out with some girl named Lucy or Vicky or anything, was it that bad to finally find some comfort in a man’s arms ?

           Yes it was. Because that was not any man she slept with. 

           And as using her best friend’s double to satisfy her needs was not enough, she had hurt another Dean too. She could remember his face clearly, his voice when he said he loved her, and she was starting to understand why he knew her body even better than she did herself. How he kissed her and touched her… And thinking he knew everything about her made her shiver. 

“Can I come in ?” Dean’s voice echoed softly and she jumped a little.

She was so far in her thoughts that it took a second for her to come back and turn her tired eyes on him. 

His tall shape in the door frame was one of the thing she always loved the most, seeing him come to her, to say goodnight, to ask her if the researches were giving something, to offer something to eat… Whatever the reason was, everytime he appeared at the door like this, it was like the sun was coming through the clouds.

She was far from knowing how nervous it always made him. After all these years, he was still wondering if he would bother her, if she needed space or to be alone for a while ; if she was tired of the boorish men she lived with sometimes. He had never had a woman at home before (Lisa was different, it was her house, it was her life, and the whole situation couldn’t be compared), and a woman he loved like that...

He was wrong. He was wrong each time he thought she would rather him not showing up, he was wrong each time he persuaded himself that she was better without him… But he didn’t know she was just waiting for him most of the time, and so he was nervous.

That precise moment was way worse though. He was terrified. 

Terrified of his own feelings, of what he would find on her, a new hickey, a scratch mark… Because everything that reminded him that his other him had had her was like a stab in the guts. And he will see the mark of his elbow on her face. Hurting her was his worst nightmare. He was also terrified of what she was going to say; of what he was thinking so loud but never wanted to let it slip.

Don’t push her away, his alternate version had said. Do not let our own self wallowing bullshit stop from being with her. But Dean didn’t think of this as self wallowing, just truth, he wasn’t ready to understand how much she needed him yet. So he kept thinking he needed to be a better friend to her, apologize for his drunk behavior and hitting her accidentally. But not once he came close to convincing himself he should try to change their relationship to something romantic.  

He was damaged and all, dangerous and cursed. That’s how Dean Winchester pictured himself.

“This room is yours” she shrugged. “I can leave if you want.”

“Leave ? No !” he shook his head, coming in hesitantly. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Dean…” she started, not feeling like she deserved any apology.

But he came closer, sat on the edge of the other chair, turned to her, and didn’t let her speak.

“No, really. I… I acted like a dick” he looked down at his open palms. “I drank too much and… my behavior was…” he rubbed his face. “I was really rude and… hurtful. And I punched you.”

“You didn’t punch me, I came too close to your elbow” she smiled softly, trying to ease his obvious guilt. 

“No” he grunted. “I was being violent and I was drunk… There’s no excuse for that.” 

She tightened her grip around her coffee mug, what was her excuse ?

“You were hurt” she stated, hoping he would somehow explain why he was that hurt. 

“Yeah well, no reason to make you go through all this.”

The second he said he was indeed hurt, her heart sank a little lower in her belly. She knew it, just, hearing him admit she had caused him pain was barely bearable to her. 

           She bit her cheek and nodded, not finding her next words.

“I… I shouldn’t have talked to you like this, drank like an idiot and leave you and Sam with strangers” he continued. “And I shouldn’t have fought with him… especially if… you like him.”

“Like him ?” she half strangled on her coffee sip. “Dean… I think you misunderstood. We…”

The word we felt like a stab in Dean’s chest but he didn’t move a muscle, patiently waiting for her to break his heart.  

“We had both our reasons to… get intimate” she said with shame. “But that was one time, I’m not the woman he wants, and I don’t want more with him.”

“Sam is making them IDs and a giving them a credit card. They will leave, are you… disappointed ?” he dared asking though his teeth.

“No” she said sincerely, but the pain she felt for him since she knew his loss gave a sad tone to her answer. “I…” she started, her breath short in her lungs crushed with shame and guilt. “I would have gone crazy if you… or Sam… had slept with someone looking exactly like me. It’s your body. It’s…” she swallowed the tears, looking in the bottom of her mug. “It’s your intimacy.”

He sighed. She was right, he hates that, but not for the intimacy reasons... At least it was really not what was hurting that much. 

“It’s not that” he mumbled sincerely.

But when she lifted her wet eyes on him to encourage him to say more, he became silent again and she knew she could wait a lifetime, he would just not say another word about that.

“I’m so confused” she admitted. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Do you know… His girlfriend…” she started and he moved a little on his seat.

“That he was engaged to… the you from his world ? Yeah… Sam told me.”

“I’m so selfish” she slightly whined, playing with her mug. “He was so hurt Dean… If you had seen his eyes, he’s broken and…”

“And I punched him in the face…” he whispered, feeling actually bad for hurting the other him for the first time. “He… He talked a little to me. He is really…” 

He couldn’t finish his sentence. In love ? That was too painful to say. 

“I get why he did it…” he sighed. “It was kinda selfish of him, but why would you call yourself selfish ?”

She looked down, she couldn’t just tell him she had jumped on his double because she couldn’t resist an occasion to feel him, his lips on hers, his hands on her skin... to fulfil her deepest desires.

“He had… Something I wanted” she looked down, that sounded even worse.

“Oh ?“ he raised his eyebrows, having no idea what she was talking about.

Maybe she had a physical need, a kinky desire ? Maybe she just needed tenderness or to feel desired and beautiful… Dean couldn’t deny that his alternate him was good at making her feel special.

“But it wasn’t… real” she sighed. 

Of course it was very real, but the fleeting illusion of having her Dean was not. Because love is not about having and the body is just a part of it anyway ; the other Dean looked like him, but he never lived what Dean lived, what made him, and they didn’t have that history she had with the man looking at her. They never sneaked out of the motel room to the pool at night together, he never cried the loss of his father in her arms after he had to crush that damn pearl.... But as he couldn’t know all those thoughts in her mind, he grew more confused.

“Dean I…” she caught his attention, tears fighting her voice. “I’m really sorry I… feel like crap.”

I feel like crap. That was the kind of things you only said to your closest friends, because it was different from I screwed up or I regret. I feel like crap, was either a confession of self-hate or a call for help. 

Y/n and Dean had a relationship where this thing could be said, he already did, and now was her turn…

“You know, I really over reacted, Y/n, please don’t feel bad because I can’t handle some... things in me” he avoided the word feeling, but put a hand on her knee. 

“It’s not you, Dean, really. I c-can’t get rid of the idea that I abused your intimacy…”

He frowned. Intimacy was a complicated concept for him. Since possession and Hell, since Michael, the integrity of his body -a body that had been cut, burned, shattered, boiled, skinned, stabbed… a body that had been used to kill, torture, threaten…- had never really been respected, and the fact that, without even touching him, she felt that bad for that, made him love her more.

She had always been the only one trying to figure out how he could live the horrors going on, how he could feel, asking the right questions, even if he rarely answered them…

“You abused nothing” he cut her. “That’s how messed up our world is, if I had a twin brother, this idea wouldn’t even come to your mind.”

That was different because in her head she knew that she had undressed the other Dean to see him.

“I shouldn’t have asked him to kiss me” she continued and Dean’s stomach contracted. “If I had knew what it meant for him, how painful…”

“He’s a grown up” Dean stated. “He makes his own choices, and to be honest, I still think he kinda used you.”

“No Dean…” she sighed.

She had understood the other Dean. Paradoxically, it was in their own selfish use of one another that they had found each other, and a bond made of respect and empathy had grown between them. But she couldn’t explain that… To anyone.

           Sam appeared at the door with a sigh. His eyes laid on Dean’s hand on her thigh and it warmed him.

“Everything is ready” he stated and stayed in the door frame for a second, waiting for an answer.

As Y/n didn’t talk, her eyes back on her coffee mug, Dean gave his brother one of these looks that meant a lot of things. This one was saying “It’s complicated but, we will be here in a moment, just give her a minute.” Sam, of course, understood what his brother told him without a word and left.

“I think we should say goodbye” Dean murmured with a heartache, still hating that she looked so sad when it came to his other self.

His hand on her thigh gave a little squeeze and she dared touching his hand for a second, her index finger gently rubbing a freckle here.

“Yes” she just stated.

           She got up, still clinging to the cup in her hands like it could hold her back. Dean followed her silently as she walked to the library, he could see she was a little tense.

           The Sams and alternate universe Dean were in the war room, bags on the table, standing a little awkwardly. Y/n looked at them, their tall frames and charisma invading the room. Sam and his double were facing each other and even Dean looked small next to those giant men. And Dean wasn’t a short man, far from it. 

           They were talking about Hunter Corp, alternate universe John Winchester’s operation. Sam seemed to want to know everything about it, and until the last minute with them, he would keep asking questions about how people dealt with knowing the truth, how financers worked, how hunting was organized. He needed to know if such an operation was making a true difference. But in the end, Y/n thought, their world had disappeared and not this one. 

She didn’t dare walking to that other Dean right away, staying a few feet away.

           His hair were back to being brushed flat on his head, giving him a cute nice-guy look, he was wearing his white shirt and sand coat again, those bracelets she really liked at his wrist. And when he saw her, a soft smile appeared on his face. 

           This little move of his lips was a sign of their new complicity, it was sincerely friendly, and in the same time filled by the emotions of seeing the face of the woman he loved, and that’s how she understood it. 

But her Dean didn’t, a burning jealousy still squeezing his heart. He reached to her from behind and flattened his palm on her lower back softly, just to remind her he was still here.

           She turned to him for a second, searching his green eyes, and noticing that scar on his chin that the other, fancier Dean didn’t have. She loved this scar, she loved every scars on his body and on his heart, even if she would give her life for him to get more.  

“Thank you” she told him earning a light smile.

She was thanking him for being him, and he thought she did for supporting him.

Then she walked to the other men in the room, letting her fingers graze the familiar map-table.

“It was a pleasure meeting another Y/n, a really nice one” said man-bun Sam with an unreadable look. 

Y/n couldn’t help but glimpse at Sam, her own regular friend Sam before she answered, like it could help her keeping her mind clear. And, as usual, it did. The smart compassionate light in his hazel pupils eased her still half-panicked half-confused brain and she could answer.

“It was really nice meeting you too. Where are you going ?”

“Brazil” alternate Sam nodded. “But we still have to find a way to fix our world, and without our trained hunters and equipment, if it is even possible.”

“I really hope it is” she bit her lip, doubting it was like everyone did, but wasn’t it the essence of a Winchester to try the impossible ?

“Did Sam gave you phones ?” she asked and her friend nodded. “If you need me to help with research or anything…”

Both tall hazel eyed hunter looked down for a second in a creepily synchronized expression of light embarrassment. 

“I think…” Man-bun Sam said with that smile that only he mastered, that very polite and soft, but also very slightly irritated smile of his. “I think it’s better if we don’t stay too much in touch, Y/n, Sam...” he posed, evidently disturbed by the use of his own name. “Gave us names and tips, we will do just fine. My… brother needs to move on.” He ended a little lower.

She bit the inside of her cheek and sighed.

“Of course” she stated with all the dignity she could find in herself, even if she felt accused, unable to distinguish her own feeling of guilt from what the man was actually insinuating.

But his next words warmed her heart a little. 

“Thank you for being so understanding. You really are, in any universe, someone noble despite what dad used to claim.”

For a second, there was a hesitation, alternate universe Sam moved his arms, like he wanted to hug her, just like Sam always did, and like this Sam probably used to do. He had lost her too, and if she was this important to Dean… she must have been really important to his brother too.

But he didn’t hug her, and just put a hand on her arm kindly.

His brother, however, he hugged her the second she walked to him, wrapping his suede covered arms around her.

“You stay cautious, Love” he said letting go when his double’s eyes darken. “Especially with demons…” 

“I know…” she said sadly. “I will.”

“Y/n…” he let out in a sigh, taking a few steps back, taking her with him.

He didn’t took her to another room, and she would probably not have followed him anyway, but just a few feet away, so that his whispers wouldn’t be heard if he kept them low. 

“Did you talk to him ?” he murmured, searching her face.

“I… Listen…” she tried but he let out a sigh.

“You listen, his feelings seem to be an issue for him, at least talking about it, even to himself” he whispered, getting a little closer to be discreet. “But you have to talk to him, believe me.”

“Dean…” saying that, she looked back to see the man they were talking about. “You and your Y/n, it’s not Dean and me, he doesn’t…”

“He doesn’t what ?” he cut her, shaking his head a little in disapproval. “You… You’re a lot like him actually.”

She lifted her eyes to dive in his, her face stern, she didn’t know what that meant, but be like the man she admired the most could only be a good thing.

“He needs you” he insisted a little louder and she hushed him.

“He doesn’t, you don’t know him.”

“Don’t I ?” asked.

This question was confusing, who did understand Dean better ? Someone who knew everything he had been through, or someone that didn’t but was… She frowned and cleared her throat. She needed to change the subject. Make things right as much as she could, forget about all this to get back to be the best friend possible.

“I’m sorry” she stated. “I feel like I have made things a lot worse, salt on the wound.”

“You didn’t. You’re not allowed to feel bad about it, okay ?” he took her hand, not noticing that this world Dean was looking at them, clenching his jaw, frustrated that he couldn’t hear them. “You gave me closure and I am just grateful. I will be okay…”

She smiled weakly at him and nodded. 

“Dean” his brother rushed him a little, already holding his bag. 

“Yes…”

She turned and gave the men waiting a shy smile, ready to join them, but he walked in front of her, looked at her in the eyes and bent to hug her once more, not letting go so quickly this time. As she hugged back, she looked above his shoulder to Dean watching them.

“Y/n and I were not just engaged” he murmured in her ears, making her shiver. She kept her eyes on the man she loved, he was staring back with his hands in his pockets. “We were… are soulmates. It’s not a way of speaking, Fate told us, Cupid confirmed.” 

Her pupils dilated and Dean noticed it. 

The man holding her finally let go.

“Goodbye Y/n” he smiled and reached her face to wipe a tear she hadn’t even noticed.

“Goodbye Dean.”

           And he left, they left. Escorted by her Dean, they took the metal stairs as she stayed frozen playing his words again and again in her head.

Part 4 will be edited (tomorrow) in @roonyxx​‘s blog

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[its-pronounced-quoassoint]

Power Rangers AU-Chapter 3

Pairings: romantic Logicality, Prinxiety, Demus, Remile

This Chapter Features: YouTuber!Patton, Patton centric story line

This Chapter Warnings: crying, angst, mentions of dead characters, reluctantcy, sympathetic Remus

Credit for this AU goes to @when-day-met-the-knight (specifically this post).

If you would like to be added to the taglist for this fic please let me know in reply! 

First Previous Next

Chapter 3-Pink

Patton kept a diary. When he was younger he would stay up late at night, using pens to write in composition notebooks. Assigning different colors to different days of the week, doodling in the margins, dating every page in the top right corner, and taking time to think of a title for each day. At the bottom of every page Patton would rate how well the day was on a scale of one to five and doodle a little face that showed how he felt. 

Keeping a diary was one of the few constants in Patton's life. After so much change and heartbreak, holding on to something, as silly as diary keeping, made Patton’s time a little more enjoyable.

When he received his first phone, Patton decided that a digital diary would be more convenient. He downloaded a simple note taking app, and began writing about his day there. 

The advantage to a digital diary was he could write wherever he wanted. Patton sat on the bus to school, typing fervently. It was their first day back since the last attack and he had not gotten enough homework done as he would have liked. Patton was letting out some feelings onto his phone and listening to the chatter of the kids around him. 

Patton is very aware of the fact that many of them were staring at him in awe. Especially the middle schoolers. Typically his audience on YouTube was middle schoolers. He knew having a few million subscribers got him attention and Patton had accepted that attention as part of his everyday life. It meant nothing to him now. A sort of bitter exchange. He didn’t feel the nervousness he used to when people approached him for pictures. The right feelings he got when young minds randomly appeared next to him and wanted to ask about being a YouTuber. However, that also meant he didn’t get the rush of happiness when some small kid praised or thanked him. He didn’t really feel that delighted feeling of pride anymore. 

Patton typed on his phone until the bus pulled up to the high school. Patton stepped off the bus after almost tripping over several small kids in the bus isle. He began rolling up to the school, warm humid air hitting him. It had rained horribly the day before and him, along with several other fluffy haired people, were feeling the affects. 

Patton opened the doors for a few high schoolers behind him and walked in. Heading for his locker immediately. After gathering his things Patton began taking his bag to his first hour.

“Hey Pat.” The familiar voice of Naomi, one of his close friends, greeted him.

“Hey Mi.” Patton smiled at her, moving a little in the hall so she could walk next to him.

“How was break?” 

“Ugh, did not get any homework for Leed’s class done.” Patton rolled his eyes. “But, ya know, got some editing finished.”

“Well, I don’t think the teachers honesty expect us to have gotten anything done.” Naomi tried to soothe him. 

“Yeah.” Patton sighed. They stepped into their shared first hour and continued to talk. A few more friends walked in and began talking with them, but Patton dropped away from them quickly. 

He never felt particularly attached to the people in his school. It was hit or miss with people you talked to. Patton was very aware of his social standing as ‘the most popular person in high school’, but he attributed that to his YouTube channel’s success. It wasn’t like he didn’t have friends. He certainly had people wanting to be his friend. However, it was never the type of connection that Patton would see on tv. No best friend sleepovers, skipping class together, eating cookies late at night while watching Netflix. Patton wasn’t proud of the fact that he didn’t have a close friend like that, but he figured he should take what he gets.

Besides, he still had friends.

Lunch was an easy time for Patton. He typically sat with Naomi in the library. Sure that’s not what one would expect from a popular socialite like Patton, but the cafeteria was simply too loud. Hectic and scary were adjectives Patton often described lunch as. He didn’t eat much at lunch either. He never really ate much. There wasn’t a lot of time to eat. 

Patton often spent his time listening to his friends’ problems, studying, doing something for the array of clubs he was in, or editing for YouTube. There wasn’t much time for anything else, but that was okay. Patton enjoyed doing all of those-besides studying-so it wasn’t like he missed anything. There was nothing to miss when he didn’t know of much else he could do.

Mondays were usually not the favorite day of the week for any student, never mind any person. However, they were Patton’s favorite. Why? Well, Mondays after school, Patton got to go down to the freshman biology teacher’s room and run the QSA at his school. He loved the QSA. He had been going since 8th grade, when he couldn’t technically go because he wasn’t in high school. 

However, he dedicated a lot of time to the QSA and had become the president of the club in junior year. He was elated to be in it and was able to get together a team to spread the word about it and set up fun activities. It was one of the only things about school that Patton documented in his YouTube videos.

Patton didn’t like to talk about school too much for fear of it interfering with him graduating, but he was able to take videos of everything that happened with QSA. Much to the delight of his viewers.

Patton sat anxiously in 6th hour, awaiting the final bell that meant he could head down to the club room. Sadly though, sixth hour was just getting under way, so he would have to wait.

“Welcome back to sixth hour!” Patton’s calc teacher, Mrs. Ryans began. “I know school only had been a few weeks in when the attacks hit, and it essentially feels like the next semester, but we’ll be doing a small project!”

The class cheered a little. Projects for her class were typically easier than usual class work. She would often pair up students to work on it together, making it all the easier on Patton. Usually Mrs. Ryans paired Patton with Logan, who was more than happy to help Patton on the project. Patton loved partnering with Logan, he was understanding of Patton’s schedule and never got frustrated with Patton’s inability to meet in order to work on the project. Though Patton had heard he was quite the opposite with other partners in different classes.

“So, I didn’t really have the time nor the care to make a list of partners, so, your table partners will do for this.” Mrs. Ryans sighed.

Patton met Logan’s eye with a disappointed look and shrugged. Logan returned the sentiment before looking toward Remus next to him. Logan smacked the snickering idiot.

Patton turned to his table partner Dee and gave him a warm smile that was met with a side smile, reserved for Patton alone. 

“Donnie can you pass out the papers?” Mrs. Ryans asked.

“Sure!” Donnie smiled and stood, grabbing the stack of papers that explained the assignment.

“Mrs. Ryans! Dee and I need to be partners.” Kayley Holt said a few rows behind Patton. 

“Uh, no.” Mrs. Ryans trailed off giving Kayley a questioning look.

“But we have to be. We have co-dependency anxiety and we’re both super anxious without each other! We have to be partners.” Kayley demanded.

Patton looked over to Dee who held a blank expression rivaling Lady Gaga’s ‘poker face’. Patton could tell he was not happy with the arrangement Kayley was trying to pull.

“You know what Kayley, I know you’re lying to me about this so don’t even try and pull this stunt again, but fine, you and Dee can be partners. Just don’t whine when you two both get Cs on the assignment cause you didn’t work.” Mrs. Ryans pointed at Kayley. Then pointed at her table partner. “Roman, you’ll pair with Patton.”

Patton smiled over at Roman who dramatically smiled back. 

“This will be due on Friday and I expect it typed, nothing handwritten! Heck knows you people write in hieroglyphics.” Mrs. Ryans dismissively waved her hand. “You will have Thursday in class to work on it if you need but if you don’t you can just have this as a free hour.”

Patton received the paper and began reading over the project. Dee and Roman switched places and the two dove into the work. Dividing it between themselves and scheduling times to meet to work on it.

“Are you free tonight after QSA?” Roman asked.

“Yeah, you?” 

“Mhm. I don’t think Logan or Remus have anything going on either. We can all kinda work on it together at my place.” Roman turned to where Logan and Remus sat across the room. “Logan! Remus! Come here.” 

Logan and Remus turned to Roman who was waving them over enthusiastically. The two look at each other before Logan shrugged and began walking their way. Logan and Remus sat down across from Patton and Roman, the four began talking about going to the twins’ home after QSA to work on the project.

“Well what am I supposed to do while you three are in your club?”  Remus asked

“You can come if you want. We’re doing some stuff for the underclassmen for homecoming.” Patton told Remus.

“I though they called off Homecoming.” Roman looked at Pat.

“Well, they did,” Patton trailed off. “but the freshmen on the QSA group chat were so upset, I mean I couldn’t let them be so disappointed.” 

“What did you do? Pay ‘em off?” Remus whispered.

“What?! No!” Patton whispered back. Not fully knowing why he was whispering, so he stopped. “I just argued to the superintendent that they deserved a Homecoming.” 

“How? He never changes his mind.” Roman smiled.

“Well, I mean, I’m good at convincing people, I guess.” Patton shrugged. “But yeah, homecoming is back on.” 

“None of us go to homecoming though.” Roman pointed out.

“Yeah, but the freshmen and sophomores like going and some juniors go and I know I don’t have time to go, but they deserve some fun. The town’s ten pm curfew doesn’t exactly give any kids the chance to hang out with their friends like normal teenagers.” Patton explained.

“Well, it’s nice for you to do something for them. Having experiences with their friends, like homecoming, will make it all the easier to deal the trauma of the attacks.” Logan finally said.

“Thank you Logan.” Patton nodded. “Now, is that all settled. We just head to your place after QSA?”

“Yep.” Roman nodded.

Patton smiled at him and began texting his foster mother the plan. Class ended a while after that and the four began their walk to the science wing of the school. Heading to Mr. Travis’s-the QSA faculty advisor-room. The room was already full of kids from every grade. Eager freshmen were talking nervously to their friends while the other two seniors looked around commenting on how they were used to it by now. 

“Hey guys!” Patton said as he entered.

“Patton!” Jana, a sophomore, squeaked when he entered. “I passed the project!”

“I knew you would! You’ve gotta stop doubting yourself.” Patton congratulated her.

“I know, I know.” She giggled. “Camera?” Jana put out her hands expectantly.

“Here!” Patton walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out the camera he used for filiming. He handed it to Jana who giddily heded over to  tripod and began setting up eqquipment. "Okay everyone, before I begin with what we're doing today can we set up the tables into one long table?"

The group got up from their chairs, still chatting, and began arranging the tables the way Patton had asked. Once done helping, Patton walked to the 'head' of their make-shift table and sat down. Jana started up the cameras and sound and Patton began. 

"Homecoming is back on, which means another year of having to find a date, dress nice, and so on. So, what I’ve decided to do, is spend this week, next week, and however much longer making flower crowns.” Patton announced. “I know it’s a little childish, but pride flag flower crowns are so much fun to make and afterward you get really good at them”

“I love it.” Cami, one of the juniors said. 

“Thanks Cami.” Patton smiled. “Make some for yourself, make some for our friends, make pride flag ones, make any color ones, doesn’t matter, just use all the flowers. I printed out a bunch of instructions on different types of crowns and other jewelry you can make with the flowers. Just have fun with it!”

Mr. Travis entered the room with loads of flowers in his hand and his daughter trailing behind, also carrying many flowers. 

“Here we are.” He grunted, setting them down. 

“Thanks Mr. Travis.” Patton smiled. “Let’s get started!”

The club dispersed into groups and began making crowns, chatting with their friends, and goofing around. Patton was pulled over to a group of sophomores and freshmen who wanted to talk. 

He looked over to see Logan, Roman, and Remus talking quietly while making the crowns. Patton smiled, even Remus was making a pride flag flower crown. 

After some time he walked over to Logan, Roman, and Remus. The three stopped talking quickly and focused a little too intensely on the flower crowns. 

QSA ended far too quickly for Patton’s liking, but he and the three others left for Roman’s house soon. They talked the whole way, mainly Remus, and were very quickly entering the home. 

Patton and Roman went to the living room and lazily began talking about the project. Logan and Remus went to the dining room and Logan attempted to make progress while Remus threw Cheetos in the air and tried to catch them in his mouth. 

Patton looked around the house. It was huge. Large eggshell white walls and intimidating furnishings. It barely looked lived in. 

“Hey Roman,” Patton started, “can you point me to the bathroom?”

“Yeah sure, the closest one is just down that hallway.” Roman pointed to a dark hallway. “I’m pretty sure it’s on the right. You’ll find it.”

“Thanks.” Patton smiled. 

He got up and headed that way, not quite sure what he was doing. He didn’t need to go to the bathroom, but something about the house felt so familiar. He had to find out why. Why did being in the home feel off yet inviting. It didn’t make any sense. Patton has always been good at feelings. Knowing what they are in him and observing them in others. This though, this was different. 

Patton walked down the hallway toward a door, feeling the pull even more intensely. Every step was pulling him forward. Why was it so familiar?

Patton opened the door and stepped into an extremely dark room. Patton’s eyes could barely adjust. Without realizing it he had entered the room and was running his hand along the objects in the room. The feeling grew to an overwhelming point and Patton tried to pull away and go back to the living room, but to no avail. Then something grabbed him. It wrapped around his wrist and tightened into a perfect fit. Patton was finally able to pull his hand back and looked at the thing on his wrist. 

A bracelet. Glowing pink and swirling around his wrist. 

Patton screamed. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Patton continued. He just stared at the bracelet in horror trying to get it off him as fast as possible. 

Patton distantly heard Logan call his name. Pounding footsteps headed his way and the lights around him were flipped on.

Patton barely noticed, he just focused on tearing the bracelet off of him. 

“Patton?!” Logan yelled for his attention. 

“Get it off, get it off, oh please just get this thing off of me.” Patton cried out. 

“What?” Roman started, but stopped when Patton turned and showed them the bracelet. “Oh.”

“Please just get it off, please, please,” Patton suddenly stopped, staring at Remus. “You-you’re-“

“Remus!“ Roman chided, noticing the mace he had in his hand.

“What? We didn’t know why Patton was screaming! It could have been a minion.”

“Jeez Remus.” Roman shook his head. 

“You’re the Green Ranger?” Patton asked shakily. “Which one are you Logan?”

“I-uh blue.” Logan hurried out an answer. 

“Logan! You can’t just tell every pretty boy you’re the Blue Ranger!” Roman smacked Logan on the shoulder.

“I’m not!” Logan’s face turned a bright red.

“Oh this is a disaster.” Roman sighed.

“I know.” Logan looked away.

“Look, I don’t care! I won’t tell anyone, I promise! You can trust me! Just please get this off of me! I don’t want to be a Ranger please!” Patton begged.

“Patton-“

“Can you take this off or not?” Patton asked, tears welling in his eyes. 

“I-uh-no.” Logan stuttered. “We don’t know how.”

“Fine.” Patton stood and looked at Roman. His expression hard as tears began falling ever so slightly. “I need to borrow your car.”

“What?” Roman asked startled.

“I need to borrow your car, drive to Thomas, and get him to pull this horrible thing off my wrist.” Patton said, his voice steady.

“Patton we-“

“Please.” Patton broke down into a quiet sob. “Please just let me-“

“We’ll drive you. It’s unsafe to drive when you’re upset like this.” Logan said quickly. “Roman let’s go.”

“Ok-okay.” Roman turned and headed out of the room.

The four quickly ran out of the house and into a car. Roman started it up and began driving. Remus sat quietly in the passenger seat, looking at Patton nervously. Logan and Patton sat in the back, Patton silently crying into Logan’s chest. Logan wrapped an arm around Patton’s shoulders, holding him soothingly.

They pulled up to Thomas’s house and frantically ran to the front door.

“Thomas! Thomas! We need you open up!” Roman knocked on the door loudly.

The door swung open and a little kid stood there worried. “What’s going on?”

“Emile! Where’s your dad?” Roman asked frantically. 

“Coming coming! What is it?! Is someone hurt! What happened?” Thomas asked. He looked at the four. 

Remus and Roman stood awkwardly on the small porch. And a little ways behind them, Logan held a crying Patton.

“Wha-“ Thomas stopped himself. “Patton?”

“Thomas!!” Patton pulled away from Logan and raced to Thomas. He fell into Thomas’s arms and sobbed harder.

“Oh Pat. It’s okay I-I know.” Thomas tried soothing him. “Come on lets all go inside.”

Thomas led the four inside. Patton collapsed on the couch and looked around, drying his tears.

“Thomas, get it off of me.” Patton started shakily.

“Patton, you know that’s not how it works.”

“I don’t care. It needs to come off. I’m not breaking my last promise with Talyn. I won’t do it.” Patton shook his head. Once again grabbing at the bracelet and trying to pull it off.

Emile put a hand on Patton’s bracelet to stop him from tanking at it. 

“Patton, you know Talyn would be proud of you no matter what. They knew that it wasn’t a choice you got to make. You were chosen. They would be so proud to know you’re the next Pink Ranger.” Thomas smiled.

“No!” Patton’s tears started up yet again. “I promised! I said I would never! I told them I would never become a Ranger. It’s dangerous and heartbreaking and it tore Talyn away from me! It took Joan and Talyn from me! It took them both and it almost took you!”

“Patton, I know.” Thomas sighed, stepping closer to Patton who only pulled away. 

Roman, Remus, and Logan stood in the kitchen eyeing the scene and trying to understand whatever was going on. 

“I can’t do this. I won’t do this.” Patton stated firmly. 

“Patton, don’t you remember when you were younger and all you wanted to be was a Ranger? You were so excited to be everything Talyn was and more.”

“I was young. And stupid. And I still am. I’m not ready for this. Talyn didn’t want this.”

“Talyn knew that this would happen. They knew you would be Ranger. It was simply your destiny. You know that. We all knew that.” Thomas sighed. “Talyn just didn’t want you to feel pressured. Talyn knew the risks and didn’t want you to go through the pain.”

“If it weren’t for the morphers, Talyn, and Joan, and Valerie, and Terrence, and Dominic would all still be here! You wouldn’t have been the only Ranger for the past ten years! You wouldn’t be doing this on your own.” Patton cried. 

“Pat-“

“Thomas, please just get it off of me.” Patton held out his wrist to Thomas. “Please. I can’t do this, please.”

"Patton. I-I-"

"Pat, please." Emile took Patton's jaw in his hand. "I know it hurts, but think about what you're doing. You know you can't take it off. Once it's on you, you can't just take the morpher off. It's there and there's nothing you can do. So, what you need to do, is live up to that amazing loving person the morpher chose. The morpher chose you because you bring heart and care and compassion to the team. You're made for this role and I know you can do it. Though you may not feel it now, it's still there."

"Emile-“

“When we were so much younger do you remember pretending to be Rangers together. You were always the brave Pink Ranger, swooping in your save me from the Dragon Witch. You just wanted to help me. You’ve always wanted to be a Ranger and you’ve always wanted to help people. Please don’t give up on that. You know for a fact Talyn only said that to try and keep you safe. No matter what you’ve promised them, or Joan, or Megan, you want to do this.” Emile stopped him. “You don’t have to be afraid. You’ve got a team by your side.”

They sat in silence. Patton’s tears had dried on his face and he desperately tried to talk but found no sound coming out. His chest heaved and ached. Patton could only squeeze Emile’s hand in his and sniffle.

“I’m sorry.” Patton squeaked. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. Pat of course you’d feel this way. No one expects you to immediately want to be a Ranger. Especially after what happened with Talyn. No one blames you for feeling this way.” Thomas assured him.

“Thank you, I-I know. I know it’s okay. It just still doesn’t feel that way. It doesn’t feel-feel-feel-“

“I’m sure it doesn’t. But it’s okay.” Emile whispered. 

Patton collapsed into Emile, just crying into the smaller boy. “It hurts so bad.”

Emile nodded and ran a soothing hand through Patton’s hair. As Patton continued trying to control his sobbing he felt more arms wrap around him. He shifted to see Roman, Remus, and Logan holding him gently, too gently. It was like they though one squeeze would break Patton in half. 

“You’re going to be the best Pink Ranger to ever fight.” Roman told him.

“Thank you I-I’m okay.” Patton smiled sweetly at the boys hugging him.

They pulled away, but stayed close. 

“I’m going to be okay.” Patton said a little shakily but calm. 

I’m ready. Patton wrote late that night in his diary. I’m going to be okay. 

Taglist:

@tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors@maddarc@pheonix-inside-reblogs@thisismysanderssidesblog@almost-all-my-ships-are-gay@mostpeopleannoyme@the-smol-est@i-sexually-identify-as-a-mistake@nadja-chamack16@too-bi-too-function

[captainscanadian]

Stay | Bucky Barnes x Reader (Part 1)

My Masterlist

Prologue

Summary: Twelve years ago, you ran into a former classmate of yours at a grocery store and ended up going on a life changing adventure. Thanks to your dear older brother, the two of you had become closer than you used to be. But Bucky Barnes... you had no idea what was going to happen between the two of you.

Word Count: 6535

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Tamilian!Reader, Natasha Romanoff x OMC Arjun Y/L/N, Steve Rogers x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: MINIMAL TAMIL DIALOGUE (I’m more than happy to translate!) & TAMIL CULTURE, References to Tamil Literature & Poetry, Mild Swearing, Alcoholism

A/N:This is my entry for @bucky-smiles​‘s 2K Bollywood Writing Challenge! My prompt was to write a Bucky fic inspired by my all time favorite Bollywood movie - Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani! Y’all should go watch it because it’s fucking amazing! But I decided to write this fic with a Tamilian reader because I am Tamilian. I was born in Sri Lanka. But I know that there are a few other Tamilian friends on this site who would love to read this. @jalapenobarnes​ & @fafulous​, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, MY CHELLANGALA! Ever since I posted this fic, I have received so many kind messages from my fellow Tamilian and other Desi Marvel fans who appreciate the representation that this fic has provided for them. I appreciate every single one of you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for your support for this fic!

12 years ago...

You pushed your black framed glasses up your nose as you squinted, the lined piece of paper in your hand looked like it had been ripped off of an old diary that your mother used to keep. The strains of oil and turmeric on the corner of it, and your mother’s writing in smudging black ink; you wondered how she had even thought that you would be able to read what she had even written. You looked down to read the grocery list in your hand as you let out another exasperated sigh. Your mother’s squiggly Tamil manuscript was barely legible as you tried to figure out what she had written for you to buy.

Despite the fact that you had moved to New York when you had been eight years of age, you had managed to learn English as a second language. While you were fluently speaking English by the time you were ten and had worked rigorously to be rid of your accent that had been the cause of all of the bullying that you had to endure, you could not let go of your first language all that easily either. Your parents had been it their mission to ensure that both you and your brother did not forget how to read, write and speak your mother tongue. From binge-watching VHS copies of old South Indian soap operas to enrolling you in Tamil language credit courses while you were in high school, their mission had certainly been a success.

You spoke Tamil just as well as you wrote it. Your knowledge of Tamil literature and poetry was also fairly extensive, compared to most Tamil kids who were actually born in America. You had read most of the Thirukurral and the poems of Mahakavi Bharathiyar, even Kamba Ramayanam and Silappathikaram. You had your father to credit for that. Your reading comprehension was fairly decent as well, but nothing could have prepared you to decipher what your mother had written on that marinated grocery list of hers.

“Hey, what the fuck are you starin’ at, huh?!” You heard a familiar voice call out, startling you in an instant. “Haven’t you ever seen sexy legs before?!”

As you looked up from the grocery list in your hand, you noticed the familiar red-headed Russian girl whom you had once attended high school with. In her ripped denim shorts and leather jacket, she looked quite feisty as she argued with a young boy whom she had just caught staring at her from behind in the checkout line. She had always been a ticking time bomb, not taking shit from anyone, teachers, bullies and cat callers alike.

“... I have. But those legs aren’t sexy.” The boy had responded to her with sass.

Your eyes grew wide as you parted your lips, unable to believe that a boy his age would dare to challenge someone like that. What even happened to kids these days?

“I’ll fucking slap you!” Natasha Romanoff spat at the teen, raising her voice as she grew irritated by his response. “Apologize! Apologize, right fucking now.”

At that point, the entire grocery store had been staring at the two of them. Leave it to Natasha Romanoff to start a scene like this. She had done so much more during her time in high school though.

While the two of you had not been close, you knew her well enough to know that she was not one to be messed with. The number of times she had almost gotten into physical fights with the jocks and the bitchy cheerleader girls who teased her for being a tomboy and ended up in detention were endless. If it had not been for her two best friends, you were sure that she would have gotten suspended or expelled for her behaviour. After all, that was a consequence to her non-conformity to high school stereotypes.  

This poor boy must have been taken aback by her outburst. But he must have thought twice before he stared at her ass and sassed her out when she caught him. If anything, he had to learn his lesson the hard way. “Sorry...”

“Good. Now go stand on the other checkout line and don’t even dare to stare at me, you idiot.”

As you watched the boy walk away from her in defeat, you made your way over to the checkout line having given up on figuring out what the remainder of items on your mother’s list were. If you could get out of here before it got dark, you could stop by the bookstore on your way home and pick up some of your textbooks for the next semester.

It was the holidays after all. You did not have any plans to celebrate; not that you had anything to celebrate anyways. Diwali had been a month ago and it had been a decent celebration. While lighting fireworks and clay lamps was out of the question, you had spent it with your family by heading to the temple and sharing some homemade sweet treats among yourselves. You and your family did not celebrate Christmas, so you had been planning to study your ass off during the holidays.

With your three weeks off from school, you were planning on getting a head start on your readings for the following semester. The perks of being a pre-med student at an Ivy League school meant that you had a lot of pressure to excel academically. Often times this meant that you barely led a social life. Not that you minded, really. You were content with spending all of your free time being buried in textbooks and studying the last of your teenage years away.  

A typical Tamil girl your parents had always wanted you to be, you had retained your innocence for as long as you could. At twenty-one years of age, you had never been kissed and never had a drop of alcohol enter your system. You still lived at home with your parents while your older brother had found himself moving out after he had left high school. It was just how things were and you had accepted it, not having a single rebellious bone in your body. As most first and second generation immigrants alike, you had found it hard to be the perfect Tamil daughter and a perfect American teenager. You had resorted to being the former, therefore sacrificing any prospects of close friendships or a social life in the process.

As you made your way over to the checkout line next to hers and began to unload your shopping cart, Natasha was quick to notice you as she began unloading her shopping cart as well. Recognizing you in an instant, she grinned widely. “Y/N?! ...Y/N Y/L/N?” She called out to you, her lips curling into a smile as she shook her head in disbelief.

You smiled at her as you laid out your groceries onto the belt. “Hi... Natasha.”

“What’s up, dude? Long time, huh? What have you been up to these days?”

“Nothing much...” You replied with a shrug. “Just... trying to get through pre-med, you know? Columbia’s been kicking my ass.”

“Oh wow, that’s so cool.” She beamed, waiting for the cashier to ring up her items. “You’re still the same, Y/N. Even in high school, you were a straight A student. That is so amazing.”

“How about you, Natasha?” You asked her as the cashier began to ring up your items. “What have you been up to?”

“Just... arts, you know?” Natasha shrugged. “Studying has never been my thing, you know? Thank God, it’s the holidays though! I’m so glad I can finally relax and let loose.”

“Any plans for the holidays?” You asked her, curiously. As someone who has never had a proper holiday for yourself, you wondered what other people did during the holidays.

Perhaps, you wished to live vicariously through everyone else’s experiences. The only ever time you had a chance to travel were during the trips back home with your family. Other than that, you were pretty much stuck in Brooklyn.

“I’m heading to The Hamptons tomorrow...” She replied, excitedly. “We’re going to be skiing!”

“The Hamptons?” You asked, your eyes growing wide at her response. “That sounds quite fancy. What? Are you going with your family?”

“Oh no, I’m actually going with my friends. As a matter of fact, you know them too. Steve and Bucky, you remember them. Steven Rogers... as in my best friend? And Bucky, I mean, James Buchanan Barnes... you know him. He used to skip class all the time and get detention. You even had to tutor him for algebra once for extra credit or something, remember?”

Your eyes grew wide as you recalled her two best friends. You were slightly surprised that they had managed to keep in touch with her after all these years. But then again, the three of them had always been close. They were known as the inseparables around school, always hanging out with each other and slacking off in class together.

Often times, you had found yourself being jealous of their friendship. You wished you had that kind of bond with someone. You had always wanted a best friend but all you had was your older brother.  You had been so lonely ever since you moved to New York.

For some odd reason, your parents had been against you befriending anyone who was not Tamilian. Apparently some bullshit about how anyone else would have corrupted your innocent mind and derail you from your path to being the perfect daughter you had always been. They had claimed that while they ‘trusted’ their daughter, they did not trust the society in which they had to raise their children. It was all bullshit.

Truth be told, your parents really had ruined your chance to make any friends at all. As much as you let your social anxiety get the worst of you, you had to blame them for the role they had played in your lack of a social life.

“Oh... right.” You reached into your purse to pull out the cash that your mother had given you, handing it over to the cashier and taking back your change.

As you grabbed your bagged groceries, Natasha had paid for her own things before walking over to you. “Hey, are you headed home? Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

“What?” You looked up at her in surprise. “Oh no, Natasha... it’s fine. I can take the subway back.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m heading over to see my parents anyways and they live down the street from yours. I’ll drop you off on my way.” She offered with a smile. “Come on, dude!”

For how long could you keep avoiding the kind gestures from people and push them away? You had known Natasha since you had first arrived in New York and you knew that you could trust her, even if your own parents would be against that. Thanks to her short hair, tattoos and piercings that made her seem like bad news according to their judgemental eyes. But at this point, you could care less about what your mother would think about you accepting a ride from Nat. “Fine...” You gave in, struggling to carry your groceries.

“Here, I got it.” Taking one of the bags from you, she began walking out of the store with you in toe. “So, what are your plans for the holidays, huh?”

“Not much, really...” You replied with a shrug. “Just getting ready for the next semester, I guess.”

Nat stopped in her tracks before turning around to face you, her jaw dropping slightly at your response. “What the fuck, Y/N? You really need to give yourself a break. You need to go and do something fun.”

A part of you knew that she was right about that. But truth be told, you did not know how to have fun. For the longest time, your idea of fun had been burying yourself in school. Studying had been fun to you until it became the thing that you always did. Not to mention your lack of a social life ever since you were a kid. After all, you had never even been to a sleepover. Now a legal adult, you had never been to a party. Never been kissed and never gotten drunk. You lived quite a boring life and you did not know how to fix that. “I don’t know, man... I never really did anything fun during the holidays. I just studied... a lot.”

Letting out a sigh of disbelief, she turned around to walk over to her car. “I’ll tell you what...” She unlocked her car before opening the trunk. “Why don’t you come down to The Hamptons with me?” It had been a casual offer, perhaps even one that she had thought you would refuse in an instant, which you initially did. But Natasha knew you and knew how hard it had been for you to make friends in high school. She was finally making the effort to be your friend by offering to let you join her on her trip; she should have done something like this many years ago. But better late than never, right?

“What?!” You gasped, hearing her offer. If it had been that easy for you to pack up and leave to The Hamptons with a skater girl and two boys, you would have done it in a heartbeat. But you knew your parents and there was no way they would even allow you to go on this trip if you had even bothered to ask them in the first place. “Oh no, I can’t...”

“Come on, Y/N! It’ll be so much fun!” She grinned at you before loading the grocery bags in her trunk. “It’ll be just the four of us. It’s like you’re going to be on a trip with strangers. It’s just four school friends hanging out together for a week, catching up.”

“Oh no, Natasha... I shouldn’t be intruding.” You shook your head as you handed her the last of your bags. A part of you was longing to take her up on her offer, but you knew your parents very well and you worried about what they might think. They would never allow you to go off to all the way to The Hamptons with the kids they would have never approved of you to be friends with. Even if you were a pre-med student at Columbia University with a 4.0 GPA, no achievement would have made you worthy of such a trip when it came to their standards.

“You won’t be intruding at all.”

“Yeah, but...” You shook your head at her. “My parents would never allow it.” This had always been your excuse to turning down every invite to a party or a sleepover during high school. Your parents never allowed you to make friends with anyone, because that was just how it was.

“Well, then... we’ll sneak you out. You can’t let your parents dictate what you do and don’t do anymore. How old are you? Like... twenty? Twenty-one? You need to start making your own decisions at some point...” She was right. She knew exactly what she was talking about. “Y/N, you’re a good kid... you’re a good student, you’re doing good in school and working hard. You’ve got to give yourself a break. But there’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish sometimes.”

You sighed. “I... they won’t... I’ve never done anything rebellious my whole life, Natasha. And I don’t know how to... I can’t risk getting in trouble with my parents.”

“That’s why you have me, babe. I’ll sneak you out and have you back home in one piece. You have nothing to worry about. Just pack up your belongings tonight and meet me outside of my parents’ house at 3 in the morning. We’re driving up to The Hamptons ourselves.” She told you. “You don’t even have to pay for the gas. Just bring yourself enough pocket money to rent some ski gear and spend on booze or whatever... and we can spend the whole week skiing.”

“Natasha...” You bit down on your bottom lip. “I can’t...”

“For old time’s sake...”

“I need to think about it.” You admitted.

“Fine... I’ll wait for you until 3:30. If you don’t show up, you’ll see me drive past yours from your bedroom window.” She told you with a playful eye roll. “It’s your loss, Y/N.”

When Natasha had dropped you home that evening, you found yourself locked up in your bedroom for the remainder of the night. You paced back and forth, staring out your window to see her car parked down the street in front of her parents’ house. You had a few hours to contemplate taking her up on her offer. It was either spending another dreadful holiday drowning in your anatomy textbook or skiing with her and her friends. You finally had a chance at making friends of your own and it looked too good to pass up. But the thought of being caught by your parents terrified you, for the punishment would be a harsh one regardless of your academic achievements that should seem to balance it out.

So you did the best thing you could in your search for clarity and told your brother of this offer right away. While being of the male gender had certainly given him more privilege within the family, he knew that his freedom to do whatever he wanted was not something he could take for granted. He understood that as privileged as he was for the way your parents had been lenient on him, you were held to a higher moral standard than he was. Truth be told, he hated that and when it came to advocating for you and what you wanted, he always took your side when arguing with your parents. He was a true ally and the only real best friend you had so far. You could trust him.

“I’ll sneak you out.” Arjun offered in an instant.

Your jaw dropped as you heard his offer. “What?! Anna... are you insane? Amma and Appa would kill me they found out that I left!”

“Illa di, listen to me for a sec. I’m on your side here. Sometimes, you have to be rebellious and go out and get what you want.” He advised. “You’ve been too much of a goody-two-shoes to be treated like shit. I say you take the chance and get the hell out of here for a week.”

“Easy for you to say...” You mumbled as you rolled your eyes at him. “You don’t even live here anymore. But I do... and I don’t want to deal with all this crap because when I get back from this trip, you’ll be gone back to Harvard and I’m the one who’s stuck here.”

Your brother thought for a moment. “I’ll give them an ultimatum.” He suggested, shrugging his shoulders. “If they give you crap for going on this trip, then I’ll drop out of Harvard and flip burgers for a living. Trust me, Amma wouldn’t want that.”

“Anna... no, seriously... no!” You shook your head. “You’re being so dramatic right now and there’s no need for that. I’m not going.”

“Hey... po, di. If you don’t want to go for yourself, enakkaga po. Do this for me, please, di?” He told you with a pout. “Go out there and make some friends. You deserve it.”

You bit down on your bottom lip before sighing. “I’m terrified... but... I also want to go.”

“Then go. Go to the Hamptons... go make some friends. I don’t want you to end up friendless when I go off, get married and have my own family one day.” He admitted, chuckling softly. “You’ve been alone for so long, di kannamma. Go enjoy yourself while you’re young. You deserve it.”

You nodded as you pulled him into a hug. “You’re too good to me. Thank you, da Anna. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Hugging you back tightly, he sighed in contentment. “Anything for my kannamma.” He laughed as he held you close. The two of you shared a close bond and it was frankly because you were each other’s best friend. He would take a bullet for you in a heartbeat, so it was no surprise that he was willing to face your parents for your sake. “Now go up to your room, pack up your things and wait. I’ll come and get you when it’s time and we can climb out my bedroom window, sariya?”

You laughed softly and nodded, pulling back from the hug. “Sari...”

And with that, you had snuck up to your bedroom and managed to back yourself a suitcase full of your belongings. You were only going to be there for a week so there was not much to pack. But you were also cautious of how much you packed anyways, considering that you would need to launch this suitcase of yours off of the roof before you managed to sneak out your brother’s bedroom window. The last thing you wanted was for your parents to wake up from the commotion and catch you red-handed. You did not need this attempt at going on a holiday trip to come to an end before it had even started.

When the time came, your brother had helped you climb out through his bedroom window and threw your suitcase onto the sidewalk. Once he climbed down the roof, he helped you down and the two of you sprinted down the street towards the Romanoff Residence.

“Nat!” You called out to the redhead as you reached her parents’ house, your brother following after you with your suitcase.

“Y/N, you made it!” Natasha grinned as she ran up to you, tackling you with a triumphant hug.

You were taken aback by her embrace but you returned it anyways, your heart still beating right out of your chest from the adrenaline rush that came with sneaking out of your house and running down the street. “Yeah, I... I did.” You admitted, laughing softly. You were glad that you had not backed out of this ordeal, thanks to your supportive older brother who wanted nothing more than for you to be happy.

Arjun watched as the two of you pulled back from the hug. “Natasha Romanoff.”

“Arjun.” She bowed her head at your brother. “Good to see you. Thanks for bringing her over.”

“Don’t mention it.” He winked at her before turning over to you. “You two should get going.”

You nodded as you pulled your brother into a tight hug. “Thank you... for being the best big brother I could ever ask for.” Your eyes glazed over as you realized how much trouble he was going to be in for the part he played in your disappearance for a week. But you were grateful that he had been there for you. “I love you, da Anna.”

“I love you too, di kannamma.” He hugged you tightly. “Have fun, okay? You deserve it.”

Natasha stood by as she watched the two of you say goodbye to each other. A part of her found it quite warming that the two of you had such a close bond. But unbeknownst to her, she had also admired how genuine and attractive Arjun really was. But that was a story for another time.

Once your brother had returned home, you and Natasha climbed into her car and she began driving towards Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’ loft apartment. After all, this entire trip had been planned by the formerly chubby-cheeked and crooked-toothed boy whom you used to tutor. Hopefully, he would not mind that his little excursion had been crashed by his high school class’s resident ‘scholar’.

Present Day...

You tossed and turned in bed as you struggled to fall asleep, snuggling up to your pillow a you pulled the duvet over your shivering body. Despite the fact that you had slept in this bed for years, you had a hard time sleeping in it now. It was as though a part of you had forgotten how it felt to be home, which was partly your fault. After all, it had been your choice to leave home after you had graduated from Columbia. Your search for even the slightest of freedom had been satisfied, but coming home had always been a pain in the ass. You could not sleep.

You sat up in your bed as you let out a sigh of exhaustion, leaning your back against the headboard as you looked around your dimly lit childhood bedroom. Letting out a yawn, you reached over to grab your phone from the nightstand to check your notifications, hoping to see some missed call or text message from work so that you could have an excuse to leave the house in the middle of the night, this time through the front door rather than your brother’s bedroom window.

But you had been disappointed to find no messages from the hospital, meaning that you had no choice but to force yourself to go back to bed. Before you could lie back down though, you heard a slight knock on your door. “Kannamma?” Your brother said softly as he knocked. “Thoongittiya, di?”

“No... I can never fucking sleep in this house anymore.” You groaned as you climbed out of bed and made your way over to open the door. “Anna? What the hell are you two doing up at this hour?” You noticed that he was dressed in a pair of slacks and a button down shirt, a half-asleep Natasha standing behind him. “You were on call tonight?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I was... I just got called in. You think you could keep your Anni some company while I’m gone?” He asked you with a chuckle. “She likes you more than me.”

You nodded, giggling slightly as you yawned. “Sure, I guess...” You moved out of the way so that Natasha could enter your room and you let her hug you from behind. “I think she loves me, actually. She loves me more than you.”

“Yeah, keep saying that to yourself.” He mocked you with a playful eye roll before turning over to his future wife. “I’ll see you in the morning, Nat.”

“Drive safe, baby.”

“Bye, da.”You called out to him as he walked away.

Natasha chuckled as she made her way over to your bed and lay down. “I can never get used to this.” She admitted as she climbed under the blanket and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

You closed the door behind you before walking over to your bed. “You know he doesn’t like working nights. He just has no choice in that matter. He’s trying to get it all sorted out, you know. Hopefully, he can open his own practice at some point.” You admitted. “I on the other hand, I love working nights. I love that I don’t have anyone to go home to, unlike my Anna. Hell, it feels strange not working tonight. I can’t even fucking sleep right now.”

She turned over to face you. “You do work a lot so I guess being single is convenient for you.” She agreed. “But do you ever see yourself... actually having someone to go home to? Getting married and having kids of your own?”

You let out a chuckle before shaking your head. “Did you? Did you ever think you’d be getting married... to anyone, let alone my brother?”

“No, I didn’t... but fate works in weird ways, doesn’t it? It brought you and I together and then... it brought your brother and I together.” Natasha reminded, sighing as she hugged you gently.

“You ever wonder what would have happened if we had never run into each other at the grocery store that day?” You asked her, curiously.

“We wouldn’t be best friends.” She admitted, laughing. “We wouldn’t be family. I think we have Arjun to thank for that night.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I guess... if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be best friends.” And you wouldn’t have fallen in love with Bucky Barnes either.

12 years ago...

You covered your ears with your hands as Natasha honked one more time, hopefully the last time she would do so within the last ten minutes. The sound of the never-ending honking must had woken up the entire neighborhood by now, but unfortunately, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes happened to be heavy sleepers.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” She called out as she rolled down the window. “Steve, Bucky, I swear to fucking God if you don’t get your asses down here in two fucking minutes, I’m leaving without you!” She called out towards the second floor window of the building you had been parked in front of.

Despite the fact that it was way too early in the morning to be causing a scene in the middle of the street, it seemed as though the redhead did not give a shit about any of that. Her friends were both running late and she was certainly not happy about being the only one who had any sense of punctuality between the three of them.

After all, it had been Bucky Barnes’ idea that they drive all the way to The Hamptons at the ass crack of dawn. The least she would have hoped was for the two of them to be ready and waiting for her to arrive. But instead they had both been sleeping on their asses until she pulled up and honked for them to come out. With her lack of sleep causing her to be irritated, she was in no mood to be driving as it was and the boys being late was not helping at all.

It was another few minutes and constant honking before the two boys came running out of their apartment building, their duffel bags and ski gear in hand.

“Jesus Christ, Nat! You probably woke up the entire neighborhood!” Steve Rogers yelled at his friend as he loaded his belongings onto the trunk, followed by Bucky’s.

Bucky Barnes ran his hand through his wet hair that had now frosted up in the cold as he got into the car, his eyebrows furrowing as he noticed the uninvited guest in the backseat. He looked just the same as he did three years ago, the only difference being that he had chopped off his long locks for a shorter hair do. It seemed fitting for the young adult look that he had been trying to pull off lately.

But he still had his high school charm on him, the one that you could not get away from no matter how hard he tried. “Hey... you?!” He looked over at you with a confused expression on his face, noticing that you looked so familiar to him yet he could not place how he had known you. He was just as forgetful as you remembered him to be. “Uh... do I know you from somewhere?”

You raised your eyebrow at him slightly. “You... do???” You swallowed your own drool as you caught yourself staring at him and looked away for a moment, tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear as you avoided his eye contact.

“Has your pea brain really forgotten high school that fast, Barnes?” Natasha snickered from the driver’s seat as Steve got in the car, buckling up as he turned around to notice you sitting behind him.

“Y/N Y/L/N?” He gave you a look of surprise, but smiled genuinely happy to see you. “Long time.”

“Hi Steve.” You smiled at him before waving slightly, your eyes darting back to the confused former classmate of yours who had finally managed to recognize you as his former algebra tutor. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing your trip, by the way. Natasha invited me and I couldn’t say no.”

“Y/N?! Oh my God... Scholar Y/N, how could I forget these glasses?” Bucky laughed as he pulled you into a side hug. “It’s been so long, oh my God! How have you been, doll?”

You bit down your bottom lip as you felt yourself blush, slightly taken aback by his rather forward attempt for a reunion hug. “Uh... yeah, I... I’ve been alright.” You did not know what to say as you pushed your glasses up your nose, giggling slightly as you pulled back from him quickly but not as awkwardly as you had feared.

“Jeez, we used to flip a coin to see which one of us gets to sit next to you when we had exams.” Steve recalled with a chuckle as Natasha started the car.

“What? Why?”

“Because whoever won the toss and sat next to you was guaranteed to pass the exam!” Bucky replied, laughing as he shook his head. “You were such a nerd back then, doll.”

“I still am.” You admitted, proudly as you laughed and gave him a playful eye roll. “I take it you’re still skipping class and roaming the town with your camera?” You remembered that Bucky Barnes had a knack for photography, having been involved with the yearbook committee and the school newspaper for multiple years. You had worked closely with him when you had been the editor of the school newspaper during your senior year, so it was not as awkward being in the presence of these three. Thankfully, they were not absolute strangers to you.

“Yeah, I... I’ve been interning with a studio though. Photography is my calling.” He told you as he motioned towards his camera bag next to you. He never left the house without it and he was hoping to document as much of this trip as he possibly could. After all, this was going to be the last trip he was going to take with his friends and neither of them knew that yet.

“So, you still have no plans for going to college then?” You asked him. You remembered that Bucky had initially decided to take a gap year and go traveling after your class had graduated from high school. As Natasha had told you during your drive over to pick up the boys, it turned out that he had not managed to go back to school when he had returned from his trip to Italy.

Bucky bit down on his bottom lip before letting out a sigh. “Not for now...” He told you with a shrug, but it was a partial lie. After all, he had received his acceptance letter for a Journalism and Media Degree in London earlier this month. But he had chosen not to break the news to his friends just yet.

“We’ve actually been saving up our money, Y/N. We’re going to open our own bar in Williamsburg and be business partners, isn’t that right, Buck?” Steve clarified.

He looked up at his best friend with a small smile, but did not nod his head. Unbeknownst to you, the reason behind his silence would eventually cause a drift between all of you by the time this trip came to an end.

Present Day...

When you and Natasha woke up the next morning, the two of you headed out to mail out the wedding invitations that the two of you had finished packing up the night before. Your best friend turned sister-in-law made it her mission to personally deliver Steve Rogers’ invitation to him, just to make sure that he knew that he had no choice but to attend the wedding. With his current financial situation though, the two of you were sure that he would do anything to avoid the wedding. But Nat was not going to have any of it.

You should not have been so surprise to have walked into an empty restaurant, but you could not help but feel slightly bad about how your friend’s business had taken the turn for the worst. You knew that this was not what Steve had signed up for when he had first purchased this restaurant with all of his savings, but he had kept it going for as long as he could.

Natasha blamed his recent increase in alcohol consumption for his failing business, but you knew that there was more to Steve’s pain that he had resorted to drinking as a coping mechanism. Perhaps, this intervention was a much needed one.

“Ladies...” Steve laughed as he walked out of the kitchen with a cold glass of whiskey in his hand. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Steve, it’s 10 am... what the fuck are you doing, getting drunk this early in the morning?! Give me that glass!” Natasha walked up to him and tried to take his glass from him, only to fail miserably.

“I’m a grown ass man, Nat. I can do whatever the fuck I want...” He muttered carelessly before downing his drink and setting down his glass. “Always goes down easy.”

“Steve...” You sighed as you walked up to him, your lips curling into a frown as you pulled him into a hug. “Steve, come on... I know the restaurant is in a lot of debt right now but drinking your ass off is not going to solve that.”  

“Don’t tell me what to do, doctor.” He chuckled as he hugged you back. “If I drink myself all the way to cirrhosis, then that’s my fucking choice.”

“I don’t like what I’m hearing, Rogers.” You admitted, shaking your head at his words. “You’re struggling, buddy. Just admit that you need help and we’re more than happy to throw in a little investment, just to get this place back up and running like it did when it first opened. We hate seeing you like this, you know?”

“No...” He shook his head as he sighed. “I can’t do that, Y/N. You guys... have your own lives and your own shit to worry about. Don’t... waste your time and energy being worried about me or my business.”

“But we are worried about you, you asshole.” Natasha admitted, joining in on the hug. “I’m getting married and I hate that my best friend is... fucking miserable. I hate to see you like this. If you won’t even let us pitch in to keep this place going, then at least stop drinking your days away. The last thing I want is for you to leave me for good like he did. I’ve lost one of you already the way that I did... I can’t lose another friend either.”

“Don’t bring him up, please. I don’t want to talk about him.”

You shook your head at Natasha before you sighed, rubbing Steve’s back as you bit back your tears. “Fine, we don’t have to talk about anything... or anyone. But we have a wedding to get ready for. So, can we at least focus on that for the next few weeks?”

“Fine.” Steve admitted, finally forcing himself to smile a genuine smile. “Anything for my two favorite ladies and you becoming family.”

[aelaer]

Whumptober 31: Embrace

And somehow I've completed every prompt for @whumptober2019 with this final one here. Even more crazy, I basically completed NaNoWriMo with this series, only, you know, in October. The Google Doc all my fics live in for this series is at 51,299 words with the following fic's completion. Considering I was absolutely not attempting the challenge when I started this, I'm counting that as a complete NaNoWriMo, even if it does include a lot of the author's notes in that word count. Doesn't matter, it's still my writing!

So thank you very much to the mods for putting this together, because I would have never come up with all of these stories (which includes three series) otherwise.

I'll have the full list linked on my "bingo list" post, and the works have been slowly going up on AO3 for easier reading (and AO3 is only about a week behind at this point) - all the links will come probably in the next week or so. I'll reblog it when it's ready.

This one is the last one in the "demon" series within these prompt fills. If someone told me on the 2nd that my experimentation in first person would lead to this I wouldn't have believed them because I wouldn't have thought I was crazy enough to do every prompt while working a full time job on the freaking fly. *shakes head*

The series: Part One: 20 - Trembling Part Two: 22 - Alt 6 - Lost Part Three: 25 - Humiliation Part Four: 29 - Numb (and fanart(!!!!!) from dragonnan here, tw blood/wounds)

31. Embrace

Christine looked up at the Sanctum doors with a soft frown. Out of all the times she had been to Stephen's weird new home, this was the first time she could remember that she was coming without an advance notice of any sort.

The thing was, though, that after that… that thing (she really didn't like to think about it too much) over three months ago, Stephen had been acting odd. And even if they didn't tend to see each other more than once a month (and sometimes not even that), they kept in touch fairly consistently through texts. She knew he used her as a bit of a remaining connection to the so-called real world and she was happy to provide it. Besides, it was fun to share hospital gossip with him.

But for a while he had been very limited in his conversation until he stopped replying entirely two weeks ago. She texted Wong to see if he was especially busy "being a superhero" but he assured her that it's been relatively quiet since "the demon issue" (ugh, she really didn't want to think about it).

So here she was, come to figure out why the hell he was suddenly ghosting her.

After a moment of hesitation, Christine ascended the two steps up to the doors and firmly knocked upon them. After waiting for thirty seconds with no response, she bit her bottom lip and looked at her purse; maybe she should text someone, see if anyone was available—

Suddenly, the door opened… but she couldn't see anyone on the other side of it.

Magic house, right, she thought dryly as she stepped in. She knew a little bit of the weirdness that encompassed Stephen's new home, but generally speaking the building had acted like a proper, regular building every time she visited (and, to her own credit, she never went into any of the rooms that Stephen told her to leave alone. That made perfect sense to her, but apparently not everyone had her common sense, at least according to Wong).

Long story short, this was different.

"Uh, hello?" she called out into the empty foyer. "Stephen? Wong? … anyone?"

Yeah, it was completely empty. This was… this was definitely unusual.

Still, she had been at his house— the so-called Sanctum— enough times to remember where Stephen's study and the library were, so she decided to search those two rooms. Since the house had let her in, she figured she was more than welcome to.

If she wasn't, well, she'd blame the magic house.

She ventured first towards the library, careful not to touch anything sitting on the shelves or hanging on the walls. Even with her familiarity with the Sanctum, many of the items in the building's collection continued to look rather otherworldly or just felt outright wrong to her.

(Christine had learned early on, maybe her second or third time within the Sanctum, that they had a surprising amount of dangerous things on display for aesthetic purposes. At her remark about that, Stephen had pointed out that they didn't exactly have any children within the Sanctum to worry about. Wong later said that having magical items on display was a fantastic litmus test to weed out any really idiotic and self-destructive novices and apprentices, though that the test had somehow failed with Stephen. Stephen had flipped the bird at that remark, but she had seen it was in good nature, and it definitely made her happy to see the somewhat reclusive man making friends with his new cult.)

The library doors were closed. She knocked, then tried the handle; it opened and she peeked into a library that still looked like it was stuck somewhere in the nineteenth century. It was completely empty.

Now that she thought about it, it was a little weird she had yet to run into anyone. While Stephen's new home was rather empty the first few months he was there, it did not become uncommon to see the occasional passerby, though only a few people stopped to talk with her when she was with Stephen. When she really thought about it, she couldn't actually remember the last time she hadn't seen other people in the Sanctum.

Weird.

Christine shut the library doors again and started towards Stephen's study. It was closer to his bedroom (which she only knew because she came over to bring him soup when he had to cancel a meetup because he was sick, thank you very much), so she went up a level and headed there.

Stephen's study door was closed, too. She knocked and heard some sort of noise just beyond the door. Christine waited, but when nothing happened, she knocked again. "Stephen? It's me. Can I come in?"

Silence. She frowned and tried the door, but it didn't budge. "C'mon, Stephen. Even if you don't want to see me, at least reply to me." Even though she tried to pretend to be genuinely unbothered, the silent treatment did sting. He was meant to be a friend, after all.

The knob on the door jiggled and it opened, but all she saw in the small gap was shades of red. Why was the Cloak opening the door? Was Stephen hurt? At that alarming thought, Christine pushed the door fully open, the Cloak sweeping aside to give her full access of the room.

Stephen was… Stephen was sitting in the air, meditating, it looked like. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw he was okay, but her lips began to downturn as she stepped a bit closer. There were dark shadows under his eyes and it appeared like he had lost a bit of weight. Didn't Wong say that things were currently calm and uneventful? At the moment, Stephen looked something like he did after the alien invasion in 2012, only somehow worse. (She had, of course, seen even worse than this, but she refused to think back on the months after the accident. He was a different man, a much different man now.)

Christine took a couple steps back so she didn't startle him when he came back from wherever he went to when he was meditating. "Is he okay?" she whispered to the Cloak. It still astounded her how communicative the fabric could be.

And she really didn't like how it down-turned to bow its collar, only to end up shrugging its shoulders in a gesture that spoke of uncertainty. Her frown deepened and she went back to watching him and, finally accepting that he might take a while, asked the Cloak, "Are there any books here in English that are safe for me to read?" The Cloak tapped at several options, and she picked one at random to read.

It turned out it was about souls, of all things. She had keyed in that they were very much real things after… after everything that happened with the world in the last few years, but beyond that she only had a vague grasp of what it was, or what she thought it was, from the occasional visit to church as a kid.

The first five pages of the book were both incredibly dry and fascinating at the same time. It reminded her of many medical textbooks; no wonder Stephen was so good at this magic stuff, if this was the tone of the material in all his books. Christine settled down into a rather plush loveseat and got comfortable; her record for waiting on Stephen to "come back" was forty-five minutes, and during that wait Wong had proved to be surprisingly entertaining, funny, and kind. If anything, getting to know him better had made Christine feel a lot better about Stephen's very strange (hah) new role in life.

This time it was just after twenty minutes when she heard Stephen say in clear confusion, "Christine?"

She looked up from the book; he was now standing and his expression matched his tone. She offered a smile. "Oh, there you are."

"What are you doing here?"

If she didn't know him better, she might have been a bit miffed by that greeting. However, she did know him, knew him very well, and he sounded honestly puzzled. Still, she was more than happy to respond to bluntness with bluntness. "I came here to see why you're ghosting me."

Stephen looked startled by the accusation. "I'm not ghosting you— or certainly not intentionally. I've been too busy to check on my phone in a couple weeks."

"No, you haven't," Christine countered, and her comment surprised him so much that she was able to continue without interruption. "I asked Wong if things were busy and if you all were overworked with your jobs. He told me it's been so quiet that he finally got to catch up on the last two seasons of 90 Day Fiance and the newest season of Botched, and I still can't believe he enjoys trash TV so much."

He blinked and shook his head. "I knew you two talked sometimes, but— but that's not the point." He walked over to his desk; the Cloak followed him halfway before stopping in the middle of the room, and turned from him to her, and then back to him. He rounded the desk and flipped through several pieces of paper, looking them over as he said, "It's been quiet, yes, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy. There is always work to be done and I just don't have time for other things."

She narrowed her eyes at him and placed the book down before standing. The Cloak was again facing her as she took a couple steps forward. "Other things like the occasional break? Talking with friends? Sleeping?"

Stephen narrowed his eyes at her. "I've been sleeping just fine, thank you."

"Stephen, I can see the dark circles around your eyes from here. You're not hiding it from anyone."

He blinked and quickly strode over to a small mirror on the wall, back to her. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, but it was quiet enough in the room to hear. When he turned back around, the bags were completely gone and he looked fully refreshed.

Christine gaped. "You're using magic to hide your exhaustion? I can't believe you!" Actually, on second thought, she could very, very much believe he would do something like this. As one of his friends, he drove her absolutely insane sometimes.

"I do what I must," he retorted. "I am still relatively new to my position and there is entirely too much to do and learn, and I cannot show any faltering to the students of Kamar-Taj."

"What about your peers?" she retorted right back. "What about Wong or, or any of the others, these Masters? Does anyone know what you actually look like or what you're putting yourself through?"

"There is no need for them to," Stephen answered, lips pressed into a thin line. "Now if you'll excuse me, I do have work I need to do, as enjoyable as this little conversation has been."

Christine recognized that biting sarcasm a mile away. She pulled out her phone and looked for Wong in her contacts.

"What are you doing?" Now he sounded alarmed.

"Telling Wong that you need a damn babysitter," she snapped.

She managed to type a couple words of her text before she heard sparks and then a golden rope wrapped around her right wrist. It didn't hurt, but its sudden appearance caused Christine to drop her phone in surprise. Her eyes shot up at Stephen, who looked just as shocked as her by its presence in his hand. A beat later and the magic rope was gone and Stephen was stumbling backwards, clear horror in his eyes.

Okay, that was… not good he did it in the first place, but clearly he realized that and looked on the verge of panic. She pushed the issue to the side to talk about later and instead addressed what was in front of her right at this moment. "Hey, hey," she said slowly, calmly. She left her phone on the floor and took two slow steps forward. "It's okay, Stephen. You didn't hurt me. Not even a mark, see?" She lifted her wrist to show him. "It's alright."

"That was not alright," he said. He made it to the back wall and leaned heavily against it. "That was not alright at all."

"I am not angry at you," she answered slowly in a slow, calm voice. "Everything is okay."

"No it's not," he gasped, as if struggling for air. He slid down the wall until he was sitting, and Christine finished crossing the distance between them to sit a few feet away. He stared off for a moment, then met her eyes. "I could've hurt you."

"You didn't," she reminded him.

He shook his head. "But I— Christine, this is why we can't— I can't see you anymore. I only bring danger whether it's through my own actions or due to who I am."

"You are not completely yourself right now," she reminded him gently. "You're clearly exhausted, and even then you caught your temper immediately. That's a vast improvement from a few years ago." He snorted in self-derision, and she pressed on. "As for who you are, I've known for years that there might be risks. I'm okay with that."

"I'm not," he whispered.

She offered him a small smile. "You don't get to decide who wants to be your friend, Stephen. And I know you and your level of stubbornness, but you know I can be just as stubborn if I want to be. And you're worth the effort."

He closed his eyes and shuddered. "I'm not so sure I am."

"You are," she retorted a bit more strongly. Lips downturned in thought, she considered his words. "Is this about that… that demon thing that happened three months ago?" Come to think of it, that did about match the timing when he started seeming a bit off, at least in texting habits.

Stephen pressed his lips together. "That should have never happened. I failed to place basic protection about you and it was a gross oversight on my part."

"Congratulations, you're human," Christine deadpanned, then softened it with a small smile and added, "no matter how much you'd like to think otherwise." He took another shuddering breath and leaned his head back against the wall. In the corner of her eye she saw the Cloak hovering, as if anxious. And she definitely understood that feeling.

But this, this was a start. "Stephen," she said softly, "I think it's time you told us what exactly happened after you got me back home." He stilled, and she couldn't quite read him, but she said, "Please, Stephen. Let your friends back in." She reached out and laid a hand on his calf.

Again he shuddered and, after a moment, he slowly nodded. She gave him a small, encouraging smile before offering her hand. He took it and together they got back up on their feet.

She led him to the loveseat and had him sit down. She sat beside him and asked, "Is it okay if I have Wong join us? Or will that be too hard?"

Stephen closed his eyes and again pressed his lips together, but a moment later responded, "You can call him. He probably deserves an explanation as well."

Christine gently squeezed his forearm, then stood up and went for her dropped phone. She abandoned the text and tried calling Wong instead.

He picked up on the third ring. "Christine," he said in greeting. He didn't sound surprised (she wasn't sure if he ever allowed himself to sound surprised), but she'd like to think that he at least knew she wasn't calling for no good reason. They texted, not called. That was what they did.

"Hey Wong, are you busy?"

"Not with anything I cannot finish later," he replied. "Do you need something?"

"Not me," she answered, walking back to Stephen. He had his head bowed. She placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "It's Stephen. He could use another friend here, if you don't mind."

A pause that, again, she couldn't read. "Certainly," he answered. "Where are you?"

"In his study. And um, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could you make that tea of yours?" He made really good tea.

"I can," he answered, and with that he hung up. Succinct, as always.

"He'll probably be here as soon as the tea's ready," she said as she sat back down beside him. "I like his tea."

Stephen slowly nodded. "It's very good tea," he muttered.

Christine peered at his face. "Are you going to wear the mask around him?" she asked.

He exhaled, long and slow. "Not much point if we're having this conversation, is there?"

"It's okay to be human, Stephen."

He shot her a grim smile, and slowly the mask that covered his exhausted face dissipated. The Cloak closed the distance it had to the couch and hovered at Stephen's side.

A couple minutes later, a portal opened straight from the kitchen and Wong floated a tea tray into the study before following it in. The golden sparks disappeared behind him and he turned to look at the two of them on the couch. He stared at Stephen for a moment, then exhaled. "I suspected something," he muttered, almost as if to himself. He let the tray settle on the table in front of the loveseat and summoned the chair from the corner of the room to sit across from it, and from them. Wong settled in the seat and poured out three mugs of tea, keeping Stephen's only partially full. He gave them both their cups wordlessly, then sat back and looked at Stephen with silent, but unjudging expectation.

The man in question huffed as he grabbed the mug and took a short sip. "Now all I need is a blanket to get real cozy," he muttered.

The Cloak, in turn, twisted its way between Stephen's arms and legs and settled across both his and Christine's laps.

She laughed softly at his slight frown at the garment and patted the red fabric on her lap. "Good Cloak."

They fell into a patient silence after that, both Christine and Wong quietly drinking their tea as Stephen gathered his words. She could see his struggle in his small microexpressions that she had only learned after knowing him so well after so many years. Wong, she suspected, could read him nearly as well, if not equally.

Eventually he cleared his throat and began to speak. "In return for Christine to get back safely to Earth, I agreed with the demon Mephisto to play games of his choosing for the next twenty-four hours…"

Christine listened in growing horror as he described each game, seeing how this creature had somehow known about Stephen's innate need to protect and rescue innocents and how he dangled souls that, no matter their decisions, he would certainly see as people taken advantage of in desperate, awful times. Throughout his recollection she occasionally looked at Wong; the man's expression was completely frozen in a soft frown. She had a feeling that it was a mechanism to keep the absolute horror off his face. Goodness knew that she was doing her best to appear supportive and sympathetic as opposed to absolutely horrified.

It only got more difficult as Stephen's account went on. By the time he finally got to where he was let go back to Earth with the six souls he managed to save, her free hand was gripping the Cloak so tightly that she felt that she might rip through it, were it not the Cloak.

"I've replayed those hours time and again in my head," he muttered as he stared down at his shaking hands; the quivering had incrementally increased throughout the tale. "All I can think about is all the ways I could have done more, done better, saved more innocents. It was only due to his whims that I was able to save any." 

"Oh, Stephen." She leaned towards him and, without asking for permission, engulfed him in a large hug. She felt the Cloak wrap around her side and she was sure it was pressing against Stephen on the other side.

She felt him let go for a moment and indulge in the embrace before pulling away, and she let go and gave him his space again. She watched him as he looked up to Wong, who had managed to keep his amazing poker face with only the slight frown throughout the conversation. "Wong," Stephen started, "I couldn't— I couldn't bear telling the other Masters about my failures in my first real test as Sorcerer Supreme. And I promise you, I've been doing everything in my power to bridge the gaps that remain in my knowledge and power so that I may be more capable in meeting such threats, whether I have the aid of the Vishanti or not."

Wong exhaled and clasped his hands together. "The experience you call a failure, Stephen, is what all of us consider a success," he started. Stephen immediately opened his mouth to argue, but Wong quickly said, "Let me finish, and try to listen to my words and not the doubt that plagues your mind as I speak." He leaned forward. "When you first left with the demon that refused to name itself, we thought it a lesser one that a sorcerer of your caliber could deal with, even on its own plane of existence. Any one of us present would have been able to, though it would not necessarily be easy. It was with that thought in mind that we left you with advice rather than protests, though Master Hamir was correct in his suspicions that the demon was unusually more powerful than those we've encountered in recent memory.

"I know you have been doing a lot of research on demonology, Stephen, and what information we have upon the greater demons known as the Hell-Lords. There is a reason that, despite thousands of years of collecting knowledge, what we know of them is so little. Hell-Lords are very powerful due to the number of souls they have attained over the uncounted millennia in which sentient, reasoning lifeforms have existed. They gather more souls to be ever the strongest, but they are not desperate for every sentient being they come across. Hell-Lords are unlike lesser demons in that they will kill if they don't think the person's soul is worth the effort."

Christine grabbed at the Cloak again and looked again to Stephen; he, in turn, was looking at her with a tight expression.

They both turned to Wong as the man continued, "Had we known this was one of the Hell-Lords, we would have done as much as we could to stop you, perhaps even by force— though I doubt that would have worked in our favour. So we would have seen you off and declared you dead, more than likely."

Stephen's brow furrowed. "Dead? Immediately? Why?"

"The last time a Sorcerer Supreme fought a Hell-Lord within their own domain and lived was the first one in Agamotto. The last time anyone encountered one was the Ancient One in Germany at the end of WWII. From what I understand there were three Hell-Lords present in the spring of 1945 in that country, but as they were upon Earth's plane, they were manageable. Facing one in its own dimension is unprecedented in modern history. That you were able to play its games with enough wit to not only survive, but to also bring back six souls that would have otherwise been lost, is a great victory."

Christine watched as Stephen's gaze fell to his hands, still trembling. "It did not feel like a victory," he mumbled. "Each test, each game I failed in some manner."

Wong shook his head. "Each test was specifically designed to take advantage of what Mephisto would consider your weaknesses, though I assure you your passion for the soul of the individual is considered one of your greatest strengths by all of us." Stephen lifted his head in surprise, but Wong continued on. "Consider this: if it had been Hamir in your place, one of his tests would have involved something that would give a person with two hands a distinct advantage. If it had been Minoru, you know there would have been something with spiders." Stephen's lips twitched upward, and Wong raised his brow pointedly. "The point, Stephen, is that this demon is known as a deceptive trickster. He twisted his so-called games to place you in the worst possible position and keep you in a position of doubt."

"Out of all of this, what I do find concerning," Wong admitted, "is that he knew you so well. It is possible that he has been watching you for some time."

Stephen's brow furrowed. "Why would he do that?"

"It is hard to say," he answered. "Demons are soulless creatures with no concept of time beyond the souls which they trick and enslave. It is thought that some have some greater perception of the wider multiverse and their realities; it is possible that Mephisto has some small knowledge from that."

Christine did not like where this conversation was going, and there was still one rather important thing to address at that time. "I think what you should get out of this, Stephen," she started, "is that you are most certainly not a failure. You can't be so hard on yourself."

He gave her an imploring look, as if willing her to understand him. "I have a great responsibility to this world and I cannot—"

"No, she's completely right," Wong interrupted. "Kamar-Taj calls for devotion wholly to defending reality, but you can't do that if you're half-dead from exhaustion."

"I'm not—"

"You wouldn't be using glamour if it wasn't an issue," Wong pointed out, and Stephen had nothing to retort to that. "And," he added, "the occasional lunch or ice cream break is not only permitted, but encouraged to retain one's sanity and reminder as to why we do what we do."

Stephen gave him a long look. "Are you saying you do it for ice cream?"

"And so that reality TV may flourish unhindered," Wong replied, and Christine quickly covered a surprised laugh. "If there are indeed areas you believe you may be lacking in knowledge, all the Masters will be more than willing to assist you, though I feel that you are equal if not more knowledgeable in most fields. But we can talk about that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Why tomorrow?"

"Because you look absolutely awful and clearly need to sleep for the next twenty-four hours," he retorted.

Stephen frowned. "I'm awake and functioning."

Christine wrinkled her nose. "Barely. Get some sleep!" 

The Cloak lifted itself off their laps and waited expectantly beside the study door, causing its keeper to make a face at it.

Wong stood up and walked over to him, offering him a hand. "Listen to your friends. We can discuss more details about what happened and where we need to go tomorrow, but for now, you need to rest. No matter what you have been telling yourself, you do deserve it."

He hesitated, but for only a couple seconds before taking Wong's proffered hand and letting his friend hoist him up. "Don't let me sleep too long," Stephen muttered.

"You're sleeping for the next week if you have to," Wong retorted.

"I can get some drugs that would do that," Christine quipped as she got to her feet.

"No need; we have spells that can do the same, but thank you for the offer all the same."

"You're both terrible," Stephen moaned as he trudged to the door. The Cloak fit itself snugly across his shoulders.

"You're welcome," she said in return, and he glanced at her with a soft, but very warm smile that still made her heart do things that it shouldn't do, all these years later. Damn that man. "I'll text you."

"You'll hear from me," he promised, and then he turned and let Wong and the Cloak usher him towards his bedroom for some much-needed sleep and, for the first time in a long time, a peaceful time of rest.

—————

(Anndddd the series is done! Wooow. Whoda thought this was going to be a thing, because I certainly didn't.

You can take the headcanon that Wong is an enthusiastic fan of trashy reality TV shows from my cold dead hands. Definitely inspired by my two co-workers I work with the most, though I have had the occasional reality TV show binge watch.)

[queenofmahishmati]

❝ Hey there lovelies, 

You guys are STARS for making me reach this milestone!! I’m still surprised that this blog has reached so far ((given the terribly mixed bag of content i post)) but I’m grateful to each one of you for bringing it to this point. I owe you all one and I thought I would do a little giveaway. To appreciate you guys for sticking by me despite all the weird things I post, for standing all my rants and for staying even when I take my own sweet time finding my way back to the blog. Each one of you is so damn special. What wouldn’t I give to know you all individually?! That’s why I’m making this a wee bit personal. I will take a single request from each one of you, be it an edit or a drabble fanfic of anything of your preference from my fandoms. You can always check my navigation for links to them or read under the cut. I will take requests till the end of this month, Sep’18 :) Finished requests can be found here. 

Send one of the following to make a request here ⇢

— ☾ for a url moodboard or a character moodboard

— ☼ for a character edit of your preference

— ☆ for a drabble fanfic from the listed prompts below

Once again, thank you all so very much from the bottom of my heart. I love you lot!!

~ sharme ♥

Ps. For drabble requests, please read under the cut.

I will write for baahubali, klaroline, got7, marvel cinematic universe, indian mythology, harry potter and any south indian cinema that I have watched or know of. Send me a number from the following and the pairing (character x character/reader, or a ship from the fandom) you like and you’re welcome to add any other details you want to include like a particular scenario, a fusion or alternate universe. Cheers :)

1. “Do you want me to leave?” 2. “I swear it won’t happen again.” 3. “I’m not jealous.” 4. “You can’t keep doing this.” 5. “I’m going to take care of you, okay?” 6. “You can’t die. Please don’t die.” 7. “You did what?!” 8. “Were you ever going to tell me?” 9. “Don’t ask me that.” 10. “I might have had a few shots.” 11. “What’s with the box?” 12. “Say it!” 13. “I could kiss you right now!” 14. “Are you done with that?” 15. “Are you still awake…?” 16. “Excuse you?” 17. “This is all your fault!” 18. “I shouldn’t be in love with you.” 19. “I could kill you right now!” 20. “Just admit I’m right.” 21. “That doesn’t even make sense.” 22. “That’s irrational.” 23. “Just pretend to be my date.” 24. “Are you really going to leave without asking me the question you’ve been dying to ask me?” 25. “When you love someone, you don’t just stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Especially then!” 26. “I think I’ve been holding myself from falling in love with you all over again.” 27. “I’m not going to apologise for this. Not anymore.” 28. “That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.” 29. “It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.” 30. “Can I sit here? The other tables are full.” 31. “You weren’t supposed to laugh!” 32. “This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” 33. “I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.” 34. “These stars are nothing compared to the ones I’ve seen in your eyes.” 35. “Before I do this, I need you to know that I have always loved you.” 36. “Did I say that out loud?” 37. “Do you think they could have loved me?” 38. “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.” 39. “How long have you been standing there?” 40. “Have I ever lied to you?” 41. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” 42. “His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.” 43. “I am not losing you again!” 44. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” 45. “I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” 46. “I just need to be alone right now.” 47. “When I picture myself happy�� It’s with you.” 48. “I made a mistake.” 49. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.” 50. “I need you to forgive me.” 51. “I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking.” 52. “I think I’m in love with you and that scares me half to death.” 53. “I’m flirting with you.” 54. “I’m not good enough for you.” 55. “I fell in love with my best friend.” 56. “I’m sorry, what? I keep getting lost in your eyes.” 57. “I’m up to the challenge.” 58. “I’ve been in love with you my entire life. Ever since the day I first met you.” 59. “I’m yours.” 60. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me.” 61. “If you go anywhere near them, you’ll have to deal with me!” 62. “It’s okay to cry…” 63. “What do you mean? It’s exciting!” 64. “Talk to me.” 65. “Look at me—just breathe, okay?” 66. “Look, I don’t have much time, but I wanted to say I love you.” 67. “Oh my god! You’re in love with them!” 68. “Well, this is where I live.” 69. “We finish it the same way we started—together.” 70. “What are you afraid of?” 71. “You are the single best thing that has ever happened to me.” 72. “You deserve so much better.” 73. “You don’t have to stay.” 74. “You don’t know you the way I do.” 75. “You fainted, straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.” 76. “You need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.” 77. “You shouldn’t have even been there!” 78. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.” 79. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” 80. “Teach me?” 81. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?” 82. “Looks like we’ll be stuck here for a while.” 83. “Just once.” 84. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” 85. “It’s not what it looks like.” 86. “I got you a present.” 87. “Hey! I was gonna eat that!” 88. “See, now, what that so bad?”.” 89. “You’re the best part of me.” 90. “I don’t want to think about what I’d be like without you.” 91. “Can I hold your hand?” 92. “Let’s move in together.” 93. “It’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion.” 94. “What time is it?” 95. “Just wait a second.” 96. “Here, let me.” 97. “You’re so cute when you pout like that.” 98. “Hold me back!’ 99. “I don’t care what they said, it doesn’t mean shit!” 100. “I adore you.”

(( prompts credits © )) 

[lupintyde]

Adrien’s Game 2.5: The Ball’s In Your Court, Nino

If you’ve read my previous posts “The Evolution of Adrien’s Game” and “The A-mew-sing Sequel”, you’ll know that:

A: I'm being forced to rest until my bronchitis is gone, so I can’t sew B: My creativity is suffering so, therefore, I’m making crack posts C: I have a warped sense of humor

This one’s gonna be an in-between because “Animan” is where Adrien’s game truly shines!  Unfortunately, he uses it to coach Nino into trying to get a date with Marinette.  Go with what you know, I guess.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Alternatively titled: Adrien Flirts With Marinette Through His Bestie

Can we all just agree that Adrien giving Nino advice on how to score with Marinette is the cutest thing ever?

Nino literally tells Adrien this crush came out of nowhere.

Adrien’s all “yeah dude, IKR?!”

If I were you, I wouldn’t look so smug, Junior.  

Phase 1 of Operation: “Clueless Dorks” uh I mean “Give Nino the Confidence to Ask Alya Out Instea--” er...you know what?  We’ll just call it Phase 1.

PHASE 1

Ask Mari out on a date.

No, not me.  YOU.

See how this trainwreck goes below the cut!

OH HEY we didn’t see you there *winkwink*

Nino, didn’t Adrien tell you NOT to be a statue?

Good thing Mari is too enraptured by the Blonde God of Bad Puns to notice.

I’m betting Nino is the only person that ever sees Adrien this goofy

Or not

Maybe that’s why he’s stunned.

Who the hell is this kid, I can’t compete with his level of game????

No one can, Nino.

I just realized that Mari was basically staring adoringly AT CHAT NOIR

This love square just got more convoluted.

Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be getting this girl together with my bro Nino

This is gonna be harder than he thought...

Is this kid ALWAYS posing?!

FINALLY Adrien and Alya manage to get these idiots on a date.

It’s a shame only one person knows what the hell’s going on.

Hint: It’s the viewer.

Adrien (coaching Nino): “I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that I love you, Marinette” <=actual dialogue

That one person I mentioned is now facepalming/screaming

Wait...I’ve seen that setup somewhere before...

What. The. Cheese.

Guys, they’re messing with us.  They have to be.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHH

ANYway, akumas happen yadda yadda and they transform and end up back at Mari’s house

Chat’s face when he’s looking at a pic of Mari and her parents is adorkable

Is he thinking “is this what my future family looks like” or “ is that what a family looks like”?

Gabriel, I’m looking at YOU ಠ_ಠ

Chat’s reaction when caught by Ladybug looking at Mari’s picture is even more adorkable

No, my lady, I wasn’t staring adoringly at--er, I mean uh

BUSTED

That is, if Ladybug weren’t so worried about keeping her identity secret in front of her parents.

Ladybug: “Thank you da-uh-sir!”  

Tom: “You’re welcome, Ladybug”  

*Parents give each other a Look*  They don’t suspect a thing  ¬‿¬

Well, she’s getting sniffed out by SOMEone

Kids, let this be a lesson.  Don’t use catnip as deodorant.

Unless you’re also secretly pining for a catboy BUT THAT’S ANOTHER POST

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is only one part of a series!  Here’s the link to the other parts of Adrien’s Game and A Lady’s Charm :)

ML Master List Of Crack Posts

(I used to add links to the newest installment at the bottom of my Adrien’s Game and Lady’s Charm posts, but the list will eventually end up being as long as the actual post.  So, yeah.  I’m taking the lazy approach.)

*DISCLAIMER*  These posts are my attempt at humor and not meant to be taken seriously.  Hateful/snide comments are the reason for this disclaimer and peeps trying to start arguments will be blocked.  I’m not out to prove anything and I don’t give attention to trolls.  If you reblog, use whatever tags float your shippy boat.  If you wanna use the screencaps, please give me credit for capturing them.  I am under no illusion that I own the series, obviously.  I read as many of the reblog tags as I have time for, and you guys are so supportive and way funnier than I think I am.  So thanks for the love and the laughs :)

[breakfastatmilliways]

I Found the Cure to Growing Older 2/?

Summary: Dan died. Phil thought that might perhaps be the worst of his problems - after all, what could be worse than losing your best friend?

Turns out, it was the zombie apocalypse.

When that’s all said and done, as much as an apocalypse can be said and done, he gets a phone call. 

Previous Chapter - Also posted on AO3.

Chapter 2

9 February, 2017

It might have taken a few months for the rest of the universe to catch up, but Phil’s personal world had come crashing down around him on what should have been an entirely uneventful Monday evening.

Looking back on it later, he should have realized that something had gone wrong well before he got what would be the worst phone call in his life. Unfortunately, he’d gone from aimlessly browsing twitter to falling into a cat video hole, and there were few better ways to lose track of the time. It was only when his phone went off to a call from an unknown number that he noticed the late hour, and it occurred to him that four hours was a bit long for a simple Tesco’s run.

He had a sudden feeling, deep in his gut, that he really didn’t want to answer his phone. He did it anyway.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this a Mr… Phillip Lester?” The woman on the other end of the line didn’t sound unkind, really, but there was a tired sort of professionalism to her voice that immediately had Phil on edge.

“Yeah. That’s me.” He replied, a bit hoarse, because any hint of moisture had seen fit to vanish from his mouth.  That pit of dread that was forming in his stomach only seemed to grow as the woman explained that she was from their local A&E, and that he was listed as emergency contact in a Mr. Daniel Howell’s medical records.

“What happened? Is he alright? I’ll be there as soon as possible, just let me-” Phil didn’t get to finish this sudden bit of blabbering, as the woman, who had introduced herself as Doreen, hushed him gently.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Lester, but we can’t seem to find any records of what exactly your relationship is to Mr. Howell. Are you family?” She asked, some of that professionalism fading in favour of genuine caring. Phil would probably have admired her ability to adjust for a client’s needs if he wasn’t too busy trying not to have a panic attack. He got to his feet and started pacing, pushing his hair up into a quiff and tangling his fingers into it, almost painfully. The light stinging was helping to keep him somewhat grounded.

“No. I’m just… a friend.” He said, sounding a bit like a little boy to his own ears.

“Do you have a contact number for next of kin? Parents? Siblings?” Doreen sounded sympathetic, but it really wasn’t making Phil feel any better.

“Yeah, I um, I’ve got his mum’s mobile.” He pulled the phone away from his ear momentarily to look through his contacts for the right number, although it took him a while, because he was more than a bit shaky. His pacing had eventually brought him to the kitchen, and he leaned against the counter to steady himself as he read off the number for Doreen. As soon as he’d finished, he took a deep breath before speaking again. “Please, just… what happened? Is he okay?”

It took Doreen several seconds to answer, and when she did, she at least had the decency to sound genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lester. We can’t reveal that information to anyone who isn’t immediate family. I appreciate your help, and I’ll be certain to let Mr. Howell’s mum know that you’re waiting for an update once I speak to her.”

Phil must have said something in response to this before hanging up, but he couldn’t remember what it was. He just stood there, half of his weight rested against the kitchen counter, and stared at the wall as he tried to process what this meant. He knew, at least, that it was serious. The staff would surely have been able to tell him what was wrong if Dan had been in any condition to give his permission.

He wasn’t sure how long he simply stood there, staring blankly, before his phone went off again, and he looked down to recognize that it was Dan’s mother on the line. As if on autopilot, he answered it and lifted it to his ear, murmuring a greeting.

The only thing Phil got in response was hysterical sobs, and he didn’t need any more explanation than that to get the gist of what had happened. His legs decided that they didn’t really want to support his weight anymore, and he slid down the front of the counter to sit on the ground. He figured then and there that he wasn’t particularly ready for the details.

He at least managed to hang up the phone before being sick on the floor.

***

30 January, 2021

Phil couldn’t quite decide if this was the best or worst birthday he’d had in recent memory. On one hand, the prospect of literally having his best friend back from the grave was without a doubt the greatest gift anyone could ever have. On the other, beyond riding the bus to the train station in Manchester twelve years before, he couldn’t remember a time in his life that he had been quite this nervous.

He had readily agreed to having Dan move back into the flat, but he hadn’t quite expected for it to happen so quickly. The Howells had gotten straight to planning the moment he had given his okay, though, and so he found himself sitting at the bottom of the stairs with his phone in hand, not wanting to wait outside, but too nervous to just wait up in the flat proper.

He didn’t know what to expect. He’d heard stories, and he had even met a few PDS sufferers in his time at his parents’ home. The neighbor, an elderly man, had brought his wife home from one of the treatment centers, and Phil’s parents, being the warm people that they were, had invited both of them over as a show of good faith.

She had seemed pleasant enough to him, but it wasn’t as though he had known her in life, beyond occasionally getting a glimpse of her gardening during his relatively infrequent visits to the family home. He couldn’t compare her now to the way she had been when she had been alive, not really.

Phil had yet to meet someone he had actually known, and this was the one person he had probably known better than he knew himself. Of course he was nervous.

He was pulled out of his reverie by his phone going off, and he jumped to his feet as soon as he glanced at it before heading outside to the street corner. The sight of a large van awaited him, and he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans to prevent himself from awkwardly wringing his fingers together.

A stranger emerged from the front passenger's seat, heading around the front of the van toward Phil and forcing him to take one of his hands out of his pockets in order to shake the man’s hand when it was offered.

“Phil, I presume? Name’s John. I’m here to give you a few pointers and walk you through the administration of neurotryptilin.” John’s handshake was a bit too firm, and he seemed a little bit too cheery, but Phil didn’t complain. He was busy looking over John’s shoulder at the back door of the van, which had just opened up.

Dan’s face was mostly hidden by the fact that he had a hood up and pulled down low over his forehead, but Phil would have recognized the tall figure that emerged from the back seat anywhere. He had to actually remind himself to start breathing again, as his body seemed to decide that breathing of its own accord was old news.

John, at least, was apparently more observant than Phil might have given him credit for from his first impression. He seemed to recognize the look on his face immediately, and his gaze flicked back and forth between Phil and the shadowy Dan several times before he spoke up. “Well, lads, it might be best to have the rest of this conversation inside, don’t you think?”

It took Phil a few seconds to realize he was being addressed, but he finally managed to tear his gaze away from Dan in order to nod in response to John. “Right, come on in.” He chanced one more look at Dan, but his face was dark enough that he couldn’t really make out any kind of expression, so he just sucked in a breath through his teeth and turned to lead the way inside.

It was only once they were safely up in the sitting room that Dan finally took off the hood, and Phil was able to get a decent look at his face. He seemed remarkably like the same old Dan, albeit a fair bit tanner than he had been in recent years, presumably as a result of the government issued cover up mousse. He had an ugly series of stitches over his left temple, but his complexion was not at all unlike it had been when the two of them had first met, and Phil found himself letting out an extremely inopportune laugh at that realisation. For the first time since his arrival, Dan met his eyes, a small smile starting to form on his own face as well. Before long, they were just grinning at one another like idiots, and John was forced to clear his throat loudly in order to get their attention.

“I’m glad to see you seem to be getting along but Clarence is waiting outside, and I have a few other households to get to before my shift is over, so if we could get to business?” He asked, sounding a bit apologetic. Phil tore his gaze away from Dan’s again to nod at the employee, who promptly unzipped the bag he was carrying in order to remove a rather ugly looking mechanical device. It almost looked like a gun, but with a canister of some sort of fluid rather than bullets. The neurotryptilin, Phil assumed. “If you’ll just sit down, Dan? I can’t even begin to reach if you’re standing up, you’re so bloody tall.”

From the way he talked to him, Phil could only assume that John and Dan knew one another, probably from the treatment center that Dan would have spent the last few months at. Dan did as he was told and moved to sit cross legged on the sofa, with his back against the arm rather than the backrest, allowing John to step up behind him. John motioned Phil over as he did so, and Phil crossed the room to stand behind Dan as well, watching as John showed him how the administration machine worked.

“You see here-” John murmured, pushing down the collar of Dan’s coat in order to reveal a small dark hole in the skin right over his spine between the tops of his shoulderblades. “That’s where you’ve got to stick the nozzle. You just shove it in there and pull the trigger.” He did as he was describing, shoving the small opening of the device into the hole and then pressing down on the trigger. It took only a moment before Dan let out a gasp, curling forward into fetal position and breathing hard.

Phil instinctively wanted to comfort him, and he reached out to take hold of his shoulder, only for John to grasp his wrist and pull his hand back. He glanced at the man in confusion, and John gave him an understanding smile. “Just let him ride through it. A dose of neurotryptilin tends to bring on a little wave of flashbacks. He’ll be alright in a moment.”

Phil wanted to argue, but just as John had said, Dan seemed to calm down after a few seconds, and he looked up at Phil with a weak smile.

There were so many things that Phil wanted to say to him, but he didn’t feel particularly comfortable saying any of them in front of John, so he simply smiled back, and turned his attention back to the rehab worker. “Right, I think I can manage that. It’s once a day? What happens if we miss a dose?” His tone was joking, but the look that crossed John’s face was anything but amused.

“Don’t miss a dose. Believe me, missing a dose is a hell of a lot more trouble than it’s worth.” He said seriously, before turning his attention to Dan. “Best of luck, mate. I hope I never have to see you again, but if you have any trouble, feel free to call. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a word with your flatmate here before I go.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Dan replied, speaking for the first time since he got out of the van, and reaching up to rub at the spot at the back of his neck. Phil just stared at him for a few seconds, drinking in the fact that he’d just heard the voice he was so sure he would never hear again. John cut this moment short as well, reaching out to clap Phil on the shoulder.

“You can walk me out, I have a few more things that you need to know about, and then I’ll be out of your hair.” He offered, and with some difficulty, Phil did as he was told, turning away from Dan and walking the portly gentlemen down to the exit into the street.

“Now I’ve come to know Dan a bit, I’ve been working with his doctors for a few months now, so I don’t think it’s necessary, but protocol and all that.” John was saying, while Phil only half listened. He probably should have been paying more attention, as it might have spared him some confusion when he looked down to see that the man had pressed a taser into his hands. “Just in case. So far none of our patients have gone rabid a second time, but it’s better safe than sorry. This way you’ve got a non-lethal solution, and you can give us a call to come get him if he starts to get bitey. And keep an eye out for any blue pills. He really doesn’t strike me as the type, but some PDS sufferers have been getting their hands on a drug we’re calling Blue Oblivion. Nasty stuff. Sends them right on back to their untreated state.”

Phil just nodded in response, and let out a bit of a yelp as John pulled him into an entirely unexpected hug. He couldn’t really decide whether this man was likeable, or just a bit too handsy.

“Anyway, good luck. I’ve left a package with the neurotryptilin and the information you’ll be needing on the table upstairs. You can find the contact number for the nearest rehabilitation center in the information packet. We’ll be sending a local volunteer around weekly to check in on how you two are doing, but really, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” With a wide smile, John turned and stepped out the front door, shutting it behind him and leaving Phil to stand alone on the landing.

Taking a deep breath, he headed back up the stairs.

***

February-April, 2017

It took quite a while before Phil managed to calm down enough to get the full story, and honestly, it seemed like something of an anticlimactic end for someone who had loomed so large in his life.

A lorry had simply lost a wheel and spun out. It had caused something of a pileup, but only one person had been seriously injured; the rest of the people involved had walked away with little more than a few bangs and scrapes.

Unfortunately, that one person had been Dan. The lorry in question had been carrying construction materials, and upon impact with another car, the cargo had come loose from its lashings. Most of the two by fours and scrap metal had just landed on the street, contributing to the massive pileup, but one large girder had split apart on contact with the pavement, and a sizeable shard of sharp metal had gone straight through the front window of the taxi in which Dan was a passenger, missing the driver in the process.

If it had gone just a foot to the left or right, everything would have been just fine. Instead it had impaled Dan through the left side of his chest, slicing through a major artery and puncturing a lung. According to the update he got from Mr. Howell when he finally brought himself to call, Dan had bled out shortly after arriving at the hospital. There was nothing that anyone could have done.

Not that this knowledge did a darn thing for Phil’s guilt.

He couldn’t get over the fact that if he had just gone to Tesco’s himself, or shut up and dealt with the fact that maybe he would just have to eat toast for breakfast the next day, none of this would have happened.

The Howells were making a point in not blaming him for what had happened at all, but that didn’t help in the slightest. If anything, it just made things worse. He wanted someone to yell at him- to chew him out, tell him that he was to blame- but all he was getting was sympathy.

Their friends and colleagues were the worst. They clearly didn’t know what to say to him, but that didn’t stop the slew of texts and DMs on twitter, all expressing vaguely the same thing. That they didn’t want to bother him, but would be there for him if he ever wanted to talk, or a shoulder to cry on.

PJ and Chris had dragged him out of the flat a few days after the funeral to go shopping. They were obviously trying to help, but it had turned out to be nothing but an awkward evening of drawn out silences and forced jokes. He hadn’t heard from Chris since, and it would be months before PJ tried to text again.

In the end, it was Louise who finally managed to pull him through the worst of it. She had arrived at Phil’s doorstep without warning, bringing along an entire duffel bag of snacks, board games, and blu-rays.

His appetite really wasn’t what it once was, and he had no interest in playing Dream Date or watching an entire season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but the fact that Louise seemed to think that the perfect way to make him feel better was the exact way a teenager would cheer up another teenager after a bad break up was enough to make him laugh for the first time in nearly a month.

It might have been a bit of a mental break to be honest, because he couldn’t stop laughing or even get himself off where he’d ended up on his back on the floor for well over twenty minutes.

She ended up staying for a week, carefully prodding him with tasty snacks and even consenting to a full marathon of Buffy. It must have done him some good, because by the time she left, he finally felt ready to do the one thing that he least wanted to do.

They had already filmed the latest episode of The Sims, but it hadn’t been fully edited yet. A large part of Phil wanted to just leave it alone, but he couldn’t help but feel that if this was the last the world was going to see of the two of them together, he owed it to everyone, himself included, to finish it.

He had been right in thinking so. The entire process was painful, and it took him nearly two weeks worth of short editing bursts to do it, but by the time the finished product was rendering on DanAndPhilGAMES, he did find himself feeling some sense of closure. The comments and tweets that rolled in over the next few days were an even bigger help, and before too long, he found the energy to record a new video, which was met with an equal outpouring of support when he posted it.

Things were still hard, but he was starting to reach some semblance of ‘okay’.

Of course, only a few short months later the entire world would find itself in the midst of an Apocalypse, and then everything would go to hell in a handbasket again.

***

30 January, 2021

When Phil returned to the flat, he was expecting to find Dan waiting on the couch where he had left him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

For a wild moment, he imagined that he had been dreaming the events of the last few days. They were a bit too good to be true, after all. Then he heard a low laugh coming from the direction of Dan’s room, and he was flooded with relief. Hesitating for just a moment, he made his way in the direction of the noise, and pushed the door open.

Dan was standing in the middle of the room, taking in the untouched decorations and various nicknacks. He turned at the sound of the door opening, giving Phil a small grin before turning back in the direction of his piano. “Did you literally just leave this as some kind of Dan museum? It looks exactly the same as it did the last I saw it.” He commented, his tone teasing but soft.

“Yeah… Guess I kind of did.” Phil murmured, scratching at the back of his head and staring straight at Dan. He still couldn’t quite believe the fact that his friend was there, standing in his room, as if the past four years had never even happened. Only that silly tan cover up and the unhealed stitches on his face served as reminders that it had, in fact, been real. “I had a thought to turn it into a guest room, but I couldn’t bring myself to put any of your things away, and only Louise even had the opportunity to sleep in here before… before everything happened. She opted for the futon.”

Dan’s expression softened, and he paused in his perusal of the room, to turn his gaze back on Phil, giving him a once over. “...You look different. Good different, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a little weird. I look exactly the same.” He paused, eyes widening slightly. “You’re 34. Jesus fucking christ, I hadn’t even thought of it- Happy birthday!”

It hadn’t occurred to Phil how different he must have looked to Dan. His hair had grown out, and he hadn’t bothered to colour it in ages- the majority of it was still black, but it was faded, and his natural ginger-y roots were starting to show.  His current outfit was less of a specific style and more a mishmash of whatever was comfortable, made up of mix of his own more current wardrobe at the flat and old things he’d pilfered from his parents’ house. From a purely visual standpoint, he rather thought he probably looked a mess, now that he thought about it, but it was nice of Dan to say otherwise.

“Thanks, Dan.” He finally said, mostly in response to the birthday comment. He paused for a moment before deciding that there was no point in hiding what he was thinking. So what if it was cheesy? He had plenty of regrets in his life- he wasn’t going to let ‘not sharing my feelings with my best friend because they’re a bit sappy’ become another regret. “I have to admit, you being here is honestly the best birthday present I could have gotten.”

Dan grinned in response, and this time Phil didn’t even bother questioning whether what he wanted to do was sappy. He just went with his instincts and crossed the room before enveloping Dan in the kind of hug that probably would have hurt Dan if he still had to breathe, and burying his face against the slightly taller man’s shoulder.

It only took a moment for Dan to respond in kind, and he looped his arms around Phil in return, hugging him with an enthusiasm that actually did sort of hurt, but not enough for Phil to put a stop to it.

Eventually, it was Dan who broke the hug apart, although he kept a hand on Phil’s shoulder, still grasping him tightly. “I have absolutely no issue with cuddling for the next ten hours if that’s what you want, but you’ve got to loosen the grip a little, Philly. I think you almost pulled out some stitches, and I really don’t want to go back to the Treatment Center just to have them put back in because my rotten insides are poking out.”

Phil laughed despite the fact that this wasn’t particularly funny, and resisted the urge to completely ignore the warning and hug him again. “Sorry. It’s just hard to believe you’re… you. And you’re standing here. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Dan responded, with a lot more genuine emotion than they usually shared whilst saying relatively sappy things. “I know I’ve been gone longer from your end, but I did just go through months of forced therapy to deal with memories of literally eating people, so I would argue that it felt like a lot longer than it was.”

Now would probably have been a good time to talk about this. There was a heck of a lot of baggage between the two of them now, both personal baggage and joint baggage, and there were a lot of things still left unsaid. Not to mention the logistical discussions that needed to be had, especially pertaining to when and if Dan wanted to make his continued existence known to the fans that they still had.

Phil thought about all of this, and then decided that all of it could wait.

“Crunchyroll went back online about a week ago. Let me just get my laptop and we can cuddle in your bed and have a rewatch of ‘Free!’?”

Dan grinned ear to ear, and Phil was happy to see that the heavy mousse didn’t seem to be having any effect on his dimples. “God, yes.”

The real world and its ever present issues could wait. They had catching up to do, and fictional swim teams to cheer on.

[takottais-oc-askblog]

Oc bullshittery pt.7

--------------------------------------------

Ashton: we need a distraction. Who is good at jumping up and down and making annoying noises?

Dax: my time has come.

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: [Over the apartment speakers as she's eating someone] WE'RE HERE ON EPIC MEAL TIME! I'M THE SAUCE BOSS, AND TONIGHT, WE'RE EATING THIS BLOND LITTLE WANNABE DEMIGOD BITCH!

Elliott: Who... is that, exactly?

Charlie: Oh that's poppet, the one we talked about earlier. This is what happens when she has to entertain herself. Oh, so what was that issue with us getting that funding?

Elliott: Issue?

Elliott: What issue?

Bei: I don't see an issue.

Elliott: Shut up and take our money!!!

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: Did you miss me?

Bei: With every knife so far.

--------------------------------------------

Peak Lilly: How would you like your hair cut?

Camie brown: Preferably with scissors, but a sword could be badass.

--------------------------------------------

Peach, to herself: I love Charlie… so much… she's such an important part of my life… I wouldn’t be the same without her… how can I convey that to her?

Peach: ...

Peach: [sends Charlie a meme out of nowhere at 2 AM]

Peach: Perfect.

--------------------------------------------

Flesh: You consider me a friend?

Iris: Sure. What else would I consider you?

Flesh: I don't know, an embarrassment? A way to rebel against your parents? A desperate cry for help? The list is endless.

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: [holds up leg] Feel my leg, I shaved!

Rico: [Gently strokes] Holy shit..

Elliott: Bitches. We. Are. Under. Attack. This. Is. Not. The. Time.

--------------------------------------------

Peak Lilly: Since you won't be able to contact me for a week, I've left a complimentary bowl of advice. For instance...

Camie brown: [reaches into the bowl and pulls out a paper] Cami, stop doing that.

Peak Lilly: That basically applies to everything.

--------------------------------------------

Elliott: [sarcastically] Well, aren't you sugar and spice and everything nice!

Quinncie: Well, aren't you rudeness and sarcasm and...um...

Elliott: No, go on. If you find something that rhymes with sarcasm and makes sense, I'll admit that I have feelings for you.

--------------------------------------------

Rico: quinncie is missing, can you find him?

Bei: What, do you think I have him microchipped or something?

Rico: ...

Bei: ...

Elliott: ...Well, do you?

Bei: ...Yeah, hang on.

--------------------------------------------

Peach: I have two hands.

Peach: One for holding Charlie’s-

Peach: -and one for strangling anyone that dares oppose us.

--------------------------------------------

Peach: Do you think Charlie likes me?

Rico: What do you mean? You're engaged and you live together. You're raising a cat together and she's literally laying in your arms.

Peach: But does she like me?

Charlie: [mumbling from her place in peaches chest] I don't..

--------------------------------------------

Eva: Why use your voodoo trickster thingy when you can just flirt your way out?~

--------------------------------------------

Charlie: bei is even wearing his formal suit!

Bei: It’s the one without any blood on it.

--------------------------------------------

Ashton: [filling out medical forms] What’s your middle name?

Dax: [concussed] Danger.

--------------------------------------------

Charlie: We can’t kill him.

Diel: [about to stab bei] Not with that attitude, we can’t!

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Peach: Charlie NO!

Charlie: CHarLie YES!

--------------------------------------------

Pin: Should I ask why you have a knife in your purse?

Chii: [offended] ExCuSe MeEe!!

Pin: chii Im sorry-

Chii: ONE! It is a man bag, get it right Pin. TWO!! it is a dagger you idiot, and THREE! No, you should not ask.

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: There are three brain cells in this entire apartment complex, and two of them belong to bei!

--------------------------------------------

Flesh: Come on dude, I wasn’t that drunk.

Chii: You came into the living room and said you were “dressed to impress”.

Flesh: What was I wearing?

Bei: You were naked!

--------------------------------------------

Coccoh: My ex-wife still misses me, but her aim is getting better! AHAHAHA!

Coccoh: It’s funny because marriage is terrible.

--------------------------------------------

Everybody in a circle talking about the worst things they've ever done:

Charlie: [very proud of herself] I once sprayed potluck with the garden hose.

Quinncie: I saw that, you cried for an hour after. Me on the other hand, I broke up three marriages in one night.

Eva: I keep men I like locked in the basement!

Bei: The last time I had to throw a spear, I missed and impaled like three cops on accident.

Diel: I either win every pot I play, or I just stab everyone, take the money and run.

Poppet: [Smiles darkly]

Everyone: You Win.

--------------------------------------------

Camie brown: thirteen year olds are the meanest people in the world! Because they will make fun of you, but in an accurate way. They will find the thing you don’t like you. Like I’m walking down the street and a 13 year old goes-

Flesh: Hahahaha look at that short lady, she’s got tiny legs.

Camie brown: And I go-

Camie brown: NO THATS THE THING I’M SENSITIVE ABOUT!

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: Satan, give me patience.

Flesh: I think you meant "give me strength."

Poppet: If satan gave me strength, you'd all be dead.

--------------------------------------------

Paston: What makes your blood boil?

Ashton: Temperatures over 100 degrees Celsius.

--------------------------------------------

Peach: What are you scared of?

Chii: Rats.

Pin: It’s a little weird, but crumbs on the seat.

Poppet: The unstoppable marching of time that is slowly guiding us all towards inevitable death.

Flesh: poppet.

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: [throws a chicken nugget at his window] why don’t you like me?

Elliott: [opens window] can u throw another?

--------------------------------------------

Diel “Piece of shit” Thomas

Poppet “Satan help me!” Ann

Eva “Abracafuckyou” Crow

Elliott “Speedy McGee” Crow

Bei “Rock-hard-bottom” Addams

Camie “420 blaze it~” Brown

Chii “My legs!” vangrove

--------------------------------------------

Diel: [chewing on a Bad Decisions™ Bagel in the corner]

Bei: What’s that in your mouth?

Diel: [chewing faster]

Bei: I said, WHAT THE FUCK IS IN YOUR MOUTH?!?

--------------------------------------------

Peach: Charlie is in the other room explaining to potluck that even though we are going to bed early, they — the cat — are welcome to stay up.

--------------------------------------------

Peach: Diel's been holding her breath for almost four minutes.

Bei: [pinches diel's nose]

Diel: Dude! Are you trying to kill me?!

--------------------------------------------

Chii: I need to leave now to go to my kid–

Pin: Why? What happened?

Chii: flesh licked a toad he found outside and I need to go collect him now.

Pin: Wha– your kid did what?

Chii: Licked a toad, okay? Just let me go.

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: I just alternate between 'maybe I’m smarter than I give myself credit for.' and 'maybe I’m dumber than I realized.'

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: [Tips their head back abruptly and screams at the top of their lungs]

Rico: [Stumbles into the room, half dressed and cussing up a storm, looking panicked] Fuck! SHit! Are you ok?!?

Quinncie: [looks at them curiously] Yeah, why?

--------------------------------------------

Flesh: DAAAAAAD, DIEL'S IS USING THOSE DIRTY WORDS AGAIN!

Bei: I'm sorry, who's dad?

Chii: By order of elimination, I assume it's me.

--------------------------------------------

Rico: she said I’m valid!

Elliott: she said you were valid?

Elliott: [dryly] everyone’s valid now.

Quinncie: [rushing in] guys-

Elliott: [archly] don’t tell me, you’re valid?

Quinncie: [shocked, hand on hip, shoves his shoulder] how did you know?

Rico: [throws up hands]

--------------------------------------------

Diel: [is stressed]

Diel: [googles Baby Goats]

Diel: cure me.

Baby Goat:  bleeaaahhhh!

Diel: [tearfully] thank

--------------------------------------------

Rico: [walks in to the training room with a bagel]

Elliott: where did you get that. you’re not supposed to have that in here!

Rico: uh...this is...a prescription?

Elliott: a prescription bagel?

Rico: legally, you’re not supposed to ask me about it.

Elliott: [slaps the bagel out of Rico's hand]

Rico: okay. now I’m gonna need five dollars for a refill.

--------------------------------------------

Peak Lilly: where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Dax: I don’t know. it’s dark as fuck!

--------------------------------------------

Eva: So? how has it been now that you’re finally out of that apartment and in a new house? You have a big backyard for social events, a nice neighborhood to take a jog in. And the library is just down the road from you, I found out.

Peach: every once in a while I go outside and run a vacuum cleaner over the lawn just to ensure that the neighbors don’t talk to me.

Eva: …

Eva: that’s no way to make friends!

Peach: I ain’t here to make friends I’m here to make bank.

Eva: what?

--------------------------------------------

Cop: You have the right to remain silent–

Flesh: I don’t have that ability!

--------------------------------------------

(I'm just going to except the fact that these are going to be long.

Tag list: @nansblockit @ask-the-amazing-greenland @slasher-beware @ticket-to-ride13 @illwaitinthisplace

If you want to be tagged just comment on this post or shoot me an ask/message, have a wonderful day!)

[lupintyde]

Adrien’s Endgame

This is the final part of the Adrien’s Game trilogy.  Trilogy and a half?  Trilogy & Friends?  The previous parts are:

The Evolution of Adrien’s Game

The A-mew-sing Sequel to Adrien’s Game

Adrien’s Game 2.5: The Ball’s In Your Court, Nino

It’s been a fun project and I’m guessing you guys like it by the comments, tags I’ve caught in reblogs (damn, you guys are way funnier than me) and the 114 followers I gained in the last 3 days.  Like, holy shit guys.  I’m glad I could make y’all happy :)

Just a note before we begin, I have a blog that I post sewing tutorials and tongue-in-cheek toy reviews to.  Well, one sewing tutorial.  For ML dolls.  Just sayin’.

When we last left Adrien, he was testing out his flirting techniques through Nino to see if they really worked.  Because he’s a true friend like that.

In “The Puppeteer” (La Marionnettiste):

Adrien shakes off his bodyguard to go to a movie

With just Plagg  

Like, dude, call your friends to go with you

Oh, nevermind, there they are...

On second thought, maybe you need a break from your friends.

Especially since one of them looks like she wants to eat you 

Hey baby, do you want to get lunch or do you want to be lunch?

Hey, it’s an akuma!  What a surprise! <-sarcasm

Lucky Chat Noir was right there

And NO ONE QUESTIONS THIS

But Chat does question Marinette on her “dolls”

No really, I have a Ladybug doll and a Lady Wifi doll and a...uh...you...doll...

Mari gives Chat her address and changes into Ladybug to meet him 

Oooooohhhhh shit, forgot your Adrien shrine, didn’t ya?

Not that it should really matter

Unless you care what Chat thinks of you...

...what are we at, now?  A love hexagon?

Did Chat’s flirting finally pay off?  Let’s find out below the cut!

In “Reflecta” (Reflekta):

Chloe decides to climb Juleka for the class photo

Adrien kindly reminds her that she’s an idiot

She does manage some shenanigans to get next to Adrien

SAVE HIM, Marinette

Photo shoot in the park after the obligatory akuma

Adrien learns this day what it’s like to have fun posing for pictures

Dude, you are a GOD for agreeing to this after the day you’ve had

And still finding the energy to bring out the flirts

Oh look guys, he’s keeping with the casual theme

The hands-off version of the arm-over-the-shoulder move

It’s like he’s cuddling with his mind

HOW DOES MARINETTE NOT NOTICE THIS?!

Juleka does ¬‿¬

In “Pixelator” (Numéric):

Chloe and Adrien get dragged into the “7 minutes in heaven” game

Hell, for Adrien

He makes the best of it by messing with Chloe

The second Adrienette date!

Shame neither of them know that

“It’s my first concert!”

Gabriel wouldn’t even let this kid hang out with Nino

How in the HELL did he swing this?!

10 bucks says he ditched Gorilla again

In Guitar Villain (Guitar Vilain):

Adrien appears out of nowhere and says hello to Mari

She reacts appropriately

Flirting 101: Strike When They Least Expect It

Mari ends up designing an album cover for Jagged Stone

How many skills does this girl have?!

No wonder the fandom and everyone in the show is in love with her

Speaking of...Adrien wants Mari to sign the album she designed

“Suave” is a skill NEITHER of these dorks has

Awkward is, though

Look at how nervous he looks

He’s in so deep, he’s not even bothering to flirt anymore

He’s acting like Mari does around him...

In “Princess Fragrance” (Princesse Fragrance):

“Did it hurt when you fell for me” <--not actual dialogue but should be

He did hold onto her a little longer than necessary, though.

The situation literally fell into his lap 

and he turned it to his advantage

Nino is taking notes

This game is STRONG

In “Volpina”

Player 2 has entered the game!

Marinette, your princess is in another castle

“DO NOT WANT” is probs looping through his mind

He’s too nice for his own good 

Bored and seriously reevaluating what his life even is

Or possessed

It’s a toss-up tbh

Get your head back in the game, man!

Bonus:

“Merry Christmas, signed Marinette.  She’s so nice.” 

Translation: I’m gonna marry that girl.

Son, this chick’s waaaaaay ahead of you

Game. Set. Match.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is only one part of a series!  Here’s the link to the other parts of Adrien’s Game and A Lady’s Charm :)

ML Master List Of Crack Posts

(I used to add links to the newest installment at the bottom of my Adrien’s Game and Lady’s Charm posts, but the list will eventually end up being as long as the actual post.  So, yeah.  I’m taking the lazy approach.)

*DISCLAIMER*  These posts are my attempt at humor and not meant to be taken seriously.  Hateful/snide comments are the reason for this disclaimer and peeps trying to start arguments will be blocked.  I’m not out to prove anything and I don’t give attention to trolls.  If you reblog, use whatever tags float your shippy boat.  If you wanna use the screencaps, please give me credit for capturing them.  I am under no illusion that I own the series, obviously.  I read as many of the reblog tags as I have time for, and you guys are so supportive and way funnier than I think I am.  So thanks for the love and the laughs :)