#I’m sure he’s just busy but still it’s just a bit odd since he won’t usually go this long without talking to me

[insanechayne]

~ ~ ~

[abbys-wifey]

GOOD PIECE OF MEAT

pairing: sevika x female reader

warnings: men.

A/N: soooo…. hey guys. i’m back-ish. i won’t be updating like regularly but i will give you guys the odd one shot. since the trailer of arcane has come out i decided to start redoing arcane oneshots so feel free to request some, i may not be able to do heaps of requests but i will do a few. sorry for abandoning you guys for so long btw i just lost my love for writing for a bit but it coming back now so yay. anyway i love sevika with my whole heart and LEMME KNOW WHAT U THINK OF THE ARCANE TRAILER IN THE COMMENTS PLEASE. i need people to talk about this with. i missed you all :))

I was freezing to say the least. The cold streets of Zaun were no place for me right now, not at this time of night, especially when I had left my jacket back at my apartment. And so I head quickly to the Last Drop making sure to stay away from the shadowy corners and avoid the lingering looks of the strangers within the musky alleys.

Finally, the dimly lit bar comes into view. Music and shouts echo outside the entrance as I walk towards it, excited to finally see the person I had been missing all day.

“Name and business?” The bouncer extends a hand out stopping me from reaching the front door, his expression lacking any sort of emotion. I hadn’t seen him before, no doubt new to this job and so blissfully unaware of who I am. “I’m here to see my girlfriend.” I frown still shivering in the outside air. “Who?” The bouncer replies crossing his arms and raising one caterpillar looking eyebrow.

“Sevika.”

Instantly his stature changes. Eyes widen in shock and his stance becomes a lot more hospitable. “Welcome to the Last Drop. You’re looking ravishing tonight.” He smiles almost too kindly and opens the door ushering me inside.

The bar smells of alcohol and sweat, nothing I hadn’t smelt before but still, not necessarily pleasant. Ignoring the scent in the air I scan the crowd till I find my girlfriend who sits with an accomplished smirk on her lips. Surrounded by four other men, she plays cards obviously winning as the others sit sullen faced or groaning in defeat.

Pushing through the sea of people I make my way over, Sevikas eyes meeting mine as I reach the table. “Hi baby.” I smile happy to finally see my girlfriend after a long day at work.

She grins throwing her cards face up onto the table eliciting groans from the other four members although her eyes stay locked on me.

“Hi princess, did you have a good day?” She reaches for my hand with her flesh one gently tugging me onto her lap and pressing a kiss to the side of my head as I face the rest of the table.

“Yeah, it was ok.” I reply looking up at her with a small smile. “I missed you though.” I whisper leaning back into her chest. Sevikas grip on my waist tightens as her thumb traces small circles around my hip bone. “Missed you too.” She grunts.

Turning my attention back to the other four at the table I can’t help but let out a small chuckle at their gobsmacked faces.

It wasn’t often I came to the Last Drop, but when I did I always gathered the same reaction. People were astonished at how I somehow had gathered the most feared women in Zauns affection. Her softness towards me especially in public made everyone turn to stare.

“So Miss Muscle Woman has herself a little pet.” One man scoffs his eyes lingering on me. I can feel Sevika tense under my body as he eyes me up again. “Well you picked good Sev, she’s a pretty one alright.” He chuckles again, looking at his mates for back up only for them to shake their heads in fear.

Both Sevikas metal hand and flesh hand softly grip my waist as she lifts me off her lap and onto the chair beside her. The bar goes silent, each and every individual looking over as Sevika stands up to her daunting six foot height in complete silence and slowly stalks round the table to stand in front of the man.

He quickly realises his mistake and holds up his hands in defence as he scurries backwards, falling from his chair. “I-I’m just saying Sev, she’s a very good looking piece of meat you know? Go-Good for you and all. I don’t want her myself but-”

It all happens rather fast. Sevika’s cape is flung off her shoulder and before I can blink the man is cut off, lifted from the ground by his throat. “Apologise to her.” She snarls menacingly as he kicks and wheezes, hands pawing at the metal that slowly carved into his neck. “Now.” Sevika barks tightening her hold causing his eyes to widen as his air way is cut off. The man manages to let out a weak sorry aimed in my direction before he’s dropped to the floor. His breath comes back all at once as he inhales deeply, clutching weakly at his throat.

“Say another word about my girl ever again and I wont make the same mistake of letting you live. Do I make myself clear?” She leans in close to the man holding the front of his shirt as she snarls at him. He nods frantically a few tears rolling down his face and onto the already purple bruise forming on his neck.

Letting his shirt go Sevika goes to stand up again before swinging her flesh fist at his face causing him to go flying backwards, blood splattering against the chair he once sat in.

“And don’t let me catch you in here again.” She shouts after him as he turns on his heel and hobbles out the bar. She smirks satisfied before turning to the rest of the onlookers. “Anyone else got something to say?” She asks, her voice low and dangerous almost daring someone to talk. Immediately everyone goes back to the previous activities trying not to bring attention to themselves.

I breathe out a sigh of relief as Sevika finally turns back to me, her flesh hand coming to land on my cheek stroking it softly as a small frown is etched on her head.

“Are you ok princess?” She asks softly. I nod. “I am now.” I smile and press a kiss to her palm. “Can we go home please ? That made me even more tired.” I ask.

Sevika nods instantly getting her cloak off the floor and reaching for my hand as we walk out the door and into the streets.

Shivering once again I move closer to my girlfriend who chuckles as I cling to her arm. “Here.” She wraps her cloak around my shoulders and presses a kiss to the top of my head.

“I’m not gonna let anything hurt you princess. Not even the cold. Not while I’m around.”

[schrijverr]

An Odd Job

5 times Buck drops some random information about his time traveling and the odd jobs he worked + 1 time they realize it’s not that at all.

AKA a Navy Seal Buck AU where his years traveling were a cover for missions.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: guns, military, mentions of death and violence

~~~

1. Rappelling Down

The first time it happens is on a call, something the 118 isn’t new to. Buck is still on probation, but has already settled in quite a bit. He’s a friendly guy and having people around him makes him thrive, as does the work. Even if he’s a bit irresponsible now and then.

Right now, they’re answering a call about a kid who climbed out of the apartment building window when playing spy then got stuck on a ledge high up. They can’t reach it with the ladder, so they’re rappelling down from the roof.

As Buck is strapping himself into the harness and getting ready to go over, he grins: “Oh, I missed this.”

“What, the few times in training got you hooked?” Chimney grins, while Hen and Bobby shake their head slightly at their newest recruit.

“Nah, used to rappel down all the time before this,” Buck answers, fasting the last bits.

“What?” Hen asks, checking his lines, just to be sure.

“Oh, I traveled a lot. Did odd jobs. One of them was at a rappelling business. Let me tell you, real handy when training for this,” Buck says, sending her a big beaming smile, before getting on the edge of the roof and expertly jumping down.

The kid has his foot stick in a fence, which isn’t optimal for getting him out, but has luckily prevented him from falling. Buck first secures him in a harness of his own, attaching that to himself, as he radios for Chimney to come join him with a saw.

Once Chimney is down there, he hands the saw to Buck so he can check the injury. Despite being attached to the kid and working in Chimney’s area, Buck stays out of the way the entire time. It’s not often like that, even with seasoned firefighters. Working when dangling form a building is always harder than on the ground.

So, when they’re back up on the roof, Chimney claps Buck on the back and grins: “Nice work out there. That rappelling business must be pretty good.”

“Yeah, one of the best,” Buck returns, his grin slightly knowing in a way Chimney can’t place.

However, before he can ask about it, Bobby cuts in: “You did well, but don’t get overconfident. You are not playing spy out here, you just saw what can happen if you do.”

“Guess I’m not,” Buck nods. “Won’t let it happen, Cap.”

“Good, now lets pack up.”

2. Shrapnel Wounds

Eddie has been confused about Buck all day long. The guy fucking hates him for no reason since the second he arrived, and for what, because he gets along with his team? That’s a good thing. Even if it’s not all the team, apparently.

However, mostly Eddie has been curious about what is up with him while they actually work. This case with the shrapnel has made Buck quite a mystery to Eddie. Because he’s been having a one sided pissing contest all day with Eddie, but he clearly knows something about this sort of thing, but he’s not saying anything.

He first notices that Buck doesn’t want to see the wound. This is not that strange and he brushes it off, but a part of him supposed Buck was the kind of guy who would want to see it, maybe get a kick out of it. But he hadn’t, just got to work with a familiar disinterest, as if this was nothing new.

Then, it’s in the ambulance. Sure, he brings up the rebar as way to be annoying, but when Eddie uncovers the gold cap, Buck’s face gets worried before Eddie can explain the difference between the caps, as if he’d already known.

Buck also offers to go into that ambulance way too easily, strapping on the bullet proof vest as if he’s done it multiple times before. Eddie is pretty sure that is not common, even in LA.

But the final confusing piece of the puzzle is after they get the thing out and wheel their patient over to the hospital. He and Buck have found a camaraderie together and he’s about to let the whole thing go when the bomb in the ambulance explodes.

Bobby flinches immediately, while Eddie doesn’t react at all, used to it. Buck does an interesting mix of both. Eddie watches him not react, then flinch a little too exaggerated with a delay.

Unable to help himself, he asks: “This not your first bomb call?”

“What?”

“I mean, you kinda seemed to know what was happening today,” Eddie explains, gesturing to Buck.

“All the military explosives stuff?” Buck asks and Eddie nods. There’s a flicker of something, but Eddie doesn’t know him well enough to place it, before it’s wiped away as Buck grins and claps him on the back. “Nah, man, you’re the one that can know about all that stuff, I just followed you lead.”

“Seemed mighty comfortable with that explosive,” Eddie pushes, even though he knows he shouldn’t, because they are just getting along and having good team dynamic is so important.

Buck, fortunately doesn’t seem to care, throwing an arm around him as he says: “I traveled a lot, landmines are surprisingly common when you get to the wrong places by accident. First time up close though. What do you say about a drink to celebrate your first explosion with the 118.”

3. Molotov Cocktails

They are on duty, but not on a call when Buck makes another reference to his travels. Though, they have just returned from a call when he does.

He is joining them at the couches, right as Hen says: “I can’t believe those kids thought it was a good idea to try and see if molotov cocktails worked like they did in the movies.”

“And without a plan if the answer was yes too,” Chimney huffs, a little annoyed since he lost an eyebrow due to the incident.

“Not to mention that they made shitty molotov cocktails,” Buck joins in plopping down on the couch. “I mean, if you’re going to do it, at least do it right. Everyone knows benzine or oil is better for it than fricking vodka.”

He gets himself situated and takes a sip of coffee before looking at everyone, who is giving him judgmental and/or confused looks. “What?” he says.

“How do you know that, Buck?” Hen asks, raising a brow at him and titling her head in a very specific and scary way.

“Hey, I didn’t do that,” Buck defends himself.

“Okay, so do tell. How does our little bad boy know the best way to make a molotov cocktail, huh?” Eddie teases.

“I was a bartender for a bit in Peru. One of the older guys there was involved in some of the civil unrest, knew stuff, liked talking about it. Can’t blame me for listening when he was talking big explosions and fires,” Buck grins at them, a little sheepishly.

“You’re a firefighter,” Hen deadpans.

“I had a fascination?” Buck suggests, more than tries to justify himself.

“You sure are something, man,” Eddie laughs, tugging Buck towards him so he can ruffle his hair in a way he knows annoys the shit out of Buck.

“Oh fuck off,” Buck rolls his eyes as he attempts to fight Eddie off, though it’s a weak attempt. He likes the camaraderie they have, the family he’s built. Even if he’s not completely honest with them about everything.

4. The Gun

This situation is bad. Very bad. LAFD rarely has to deal with unsecured scenes and suspects still on the loose, especially when the suspect has a firearm. However, rarely doesn’t mean never and this is pretty bad.

There is a victim bleeding to death and stuck out there, but a gunman still on the lose. The 118 want to move in so they can save this woman’s life, but the LAPD isn’t letting them.

Of course they understand that they have to be safe, however, it hurts to see someone in need of aid and to be there with all their gear, yet be unable to do anything. It’s not in their nature. It’s against their nature in fact.

Bobby is arguing loudly with the police on the scene, until he gets his way. The shooter is apparently far enough away that they deem it safe to move in, albeit with escort. Thankful for that, the 118 get to work.

Sadly, not everything goes to plan, the gunman circles back and their escort partially leaves to be back up. Not moments later the gunman comes running around the corner, an assault rifle in hand and a whole lot of police on his trail.

What is left of their escort tightens rank as shots cease to be fired, since they’re now in the line of fire.

A brave idiot tackles the shooter from the side and the gun slips from the man’s hand as they scramble on the floor. Everyone is advised to stay back, but Buck is already running, snatching the gun up from the ground and disarming it, chucking the ammo as far away as he can before going in the other direction.

The police get the man in cuffs, but Athena is stalking towards him, snatching the gun out of his hand as she snaps: “What in the hell were you thinking? Or were you not thinking?”

“I just wanted to make sure he couldn’t grab it and injure someone else,” Buck says, looking back more defiantly than expected.

“And why on God’s green earth did you think you knew how to do that?” Athena interrogates further.

“I, uh,” Buck rubs the back of his head, his face becoming sheepish as he says: “I worked at a paintball range. Pretty accurate those things.”

“A paintball range?” Athena repeats, her tone implying that there will be a bigger lecture later and Buck won’t be able to escape from her.

5. Parachute Skills

“What an incredibly reckless and unbelievably stupid thing to do, firefighter Buckley,” Bobby berates Buck, who is still unbuckling himself from a parachute.

“It was the best call and you know it, Cap,” Buck argues back, not taking the admonishing when he knows he’s right. “If I hadn’t climbed into that plane, we never would have made it out with the patient alive.”

Behind them they hear a relieved Chimney exclaim: “Patient is stable, ready for transport. Let’s move.”

As if to say, see, point proven, Buck raises his brows at Bobby and opens his arms.

“You got onto an unsecured plane balancing on the edge of a cliff, against my direct orders, then proceeded to jump out of it with a patient, while you have no qualifications to do so,” Bobby reminds him.

“It was the fastest way to get him to medical help, since air evac wasn’t gonna be here on time. I knew what I was doing,” Buck says, obviously hurt that Bobby doesn’t trust him.

“I don’t think you did,” Bobby replies, a hint of desperation and disappointment coating his voice. “You do things without thinking them through, because you assume everything will work out fine, but one of these days, it won’t. You take unnecessary risks and you don’t follow orders.”

“I follow orders just fine, I’m just also capable of making risk assessments by myself,” Buck scowls. “He had a femoral artery bleeding, no spinal injuries. He needed to go to an ambulance and fast, we couldn’t get him out there on time. He had to go down. I found a way down.”

“By parachuting!?” Bobby shouts.

“Yes, by parachuting!”

“Did you ever stop to think how wrong that could go, Buck? For Pete’s sake you’re a firefighter, we see these accidents. You could’ve made the patient’s situation worse and injured yourself.”

“And did you ever stop to think that I knew what I was doing?” Buck yells back, chest heaving in frustration and anger. “You really think that I wasted my early twenties seeing the world without jumping out of a few planes? Do you think I would’ve put that patient’s life at risk like that? Is that really what you think of me?”

Bobby can see in his eyes how much he’s hurting and then realizes how he doesn’t want to have this screaming match. He takes a deep breath, then replies in calmer voice: “No matter how much you know, accidents can still happen and on paper, you don’t have the qualifications to do this. If something had gone wrong, you would’ve been on the hook for it. You still might be.”

Buck looks away, still frowning and his jaw set. He brushes past Bobby, nearly colliding with him as he bites: “Fine, next time I’ll let the patient die, if that’s what you want.”

+1. Sniper Dora

After the parachute incident, which luckily had been cleared up without major consequences for Buck’s job, things had settled within the 118. Buck now had the papers to make such a rescue within their parameters in the future and he and Bobby had worked it out best they could.

However, things are still a bit weird between them. Bobby knows there is something about the whole thing that he doesn’t know, but prodding makes Buck shut down. Meanwhile Buck knows the Captain can’t help it, but he still wishes the other would trust him more, not always immediately think him irresponsible or reckless.

Then the call comes in.

A chopper has hit a high rise and is stuck without a way to get in. It’s a military chopper too and they’re requested to coordinate with the commander on site about how best to deal with the cargo… whatever that cargo may be.

They arrive to the roof, so that they can start securing the chopper before attempting a rescue. There is a man that greets them, wearing combat gear, gun slung over his shoulder. He shakes Bobby’s hand, explaining that he was in the chopper that’s parked on the roof, before something was wrong with the other one and it went down.

“We’ll get it secured and try to get your men out safe and sound,” Bobby assures him.

“Thank you, Captain,” the man nods, before he calls out: “Oi, Dora, that you? Hope you still have that killer aim, I’m gonna a need a favor before you can secure that chopper.”

Everyone is now confused, however, before Bobby can ask for clarification, Buck replies, much to everyone’s surprise. He sighs: “I really hate that call sign, Dig. But I can still aim.”

He walks forward and shakes the man’s – Dig apparently – hand, before pulling him into a bro-hug. As Dig claps him on the back, he says: “Great, because we were transporting an informant in that chopper that I need tranqued, because this has turned into a hostage situation.”

Dig hands Buck some sort of gun that he takes without blinking as the 118 just stares at the duo in confusion. Buck raises an eyebrow at Dig and smirks: “What happened to informant?”

“Hey, I never said willing informant,” Dig holds his hands up in surrender.

“Of course,” Buck says, taking the safety of the gun and peering over the edge.

“Okay, can someone please tell me what’s happening,” Bobby interrupts.

“Yes, who allowed Buck to have a gun,” a concerned Hen adds.

“Buck?” Dig asks Buck.

“Better than Dora, right,” Buck grins back.

Dig turns to the others and says: “Dora, or Buck, here, worked with my team, before he worked with yours. This is need to know only, so let’s keep this part off the records. I’ll say Nugget took the shot.”

“Nugget, really?” Buck asks, nearly offended, looking back to the parked chopper.

One of the guys sitting on the side raises his hand and smiles: “Sup, Dora.”

“Sup, Nugget,” Buck returns, before refocusing on his task.

“And why will Buck take the shot when you have other personnel available?” Bobby demands.

“Cause my usual sniper is down there,” Dig nods down to the chopper.

“Sniper?” Eddie repeats, looking at Buck.

The others follow suit and Buck squirms under the attention. He blushes: “Let’s keep the questions until after we secured the chopper, okay. It can still go down unless we do something. We don’t have time for this.” To Dig he says: “What’s the guy’s name?”

“Tim.”

“Tim?” Buck repeats, surprised.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man, but it’s Tim,” Dig shrugs.

“Alright,” Buck shrugs, leaning over the edge and calling out: “Hey, Tim. I see you have a gun there. You can aim it at my face, but with your vantage point, there’s a higher chance you’ll hit the blades and the bullet will ricochet and maybe hit you, or you break the blades and the chopper goes down. You can surrender now and we’ll come rescue you, no harm, no foul.”

“No, you won’t take me again, I have the power now,” Tim yells back.

“Okay, your call,” Buck replies, getting ready to make the shot.

In the background he can hear Chimney asking: “If, uhm, Tim down there has a bad vantage point to make a shot, how do we know Buck’ll make it?”

“Of course he’ll make the shot,” Dig huffs out in amusement. “There’s no better shot than Dora. Never worked with a better sniper since him. Was sad to see him go.”

Buck blocks it all out, he takes a deep breath, holds it, aims and fires. It’s a fluid motion, one born out of a lot of practice. He keeps holding it, until the tranq makes contact with the target. When he has established he made the shot, he calls out: “Target hit, chopper cleared of hostiles.” He hands Dig the gun back and starts grabbing his usual gear as he says: “Let’s go secure this thing.”

This isn’t an easy or routine job, so most slap on their professionalism as they set to freeing the men trapped in the chopper. However, Buck feels the glances the entire time.

Still, in a way, it’s good to see old friend again. Even if they’re all still dickheads. They secure the chopper to the roof, allowing for the blades to be turned off, then rappel in. As Buck lands, Gus grins: “Hey, it really is you. I thought Dig was pulling our leg.”

“Couldn’t let you sit here, someone had to come save your ass,” Buck says, attaching Gus to his harness so they can be pulled up.

“It’s good to see you, Dora,” Gus says.

“Yeah, yeah, still hate that name,” Buck rolls his eyes, but the tone is fond.

“Oh come on, those ladies were right you know, you truly are adorable. Few years and you’re still baby faced.” Gus’s face is nearly splitting in two with that shit eating grin of his, pinching Buck’s cheek.

Buck hands him over to Chimney for a quick check up, saying: “He might seem like he has a head injury, he doesn’t. Gus over here is just naturally that stupid.”

“You love me,” Gus singsongs.

“I hate you,” Buck singsongs back, jumping back over the edge to get the next guy.

Soon everyone, including the tranqued informant, has been rescued and checked over. There are people on the way to get the chopper down properly, but the others will continue on. They have places to be and manage to fit themselves into the one chopper.

Though not before saying their goodbyes with Buck, making him promise to come hang out with them again. Buck smiles broadly at all of them, returning hugs and claps on the back as he returns to promise to stay in touch.

The second that chopper is off the roof, everyone is on Buck. Chimney slides up next to him first, saying: “So, why Dora?”

“Ugh,” Buck groans. “It’s almost as embarrassing as your Chimney story. Infiltrated the wrong house, bunch of nice ladies though. Helped them with their door and they kept calling me adorable, which…”

“Got shortened to Dora over time,” Eddie fills in, knowing how that works.

“Yup.”

“God, glad I remained Diaz throughout my service,” Eddie grimaces in sympathy, as Buck gives him a pained nod of thanks.

Bobby appears in front of Buck crossing his arms as he gives him this questioning look. “Care to explain exactly what Dig meant with you running with his team before running with ours.”

“I, uh- I was a Navy SEAL, before joining the 118,” Buck explains, rubbing the back of his head.

“I thought you said you dropped out of training to become a Navy Seal, because you couldn’t turn off your emotions, become a robot like they wanted you too,” Bobby says.

“That was only half a lie,” Buck defends himself, though he looks apologetic about it. “That is the reason I quit, I just didn’t quit training, but the force itself. I mean, being a SEAL is pretty good, but at some point, it- it just started to weigh on me.”

“Being a sniper can be rough,” Eddie says. “Some of my buddies from the army were snipers, they always had a look in their eyes.”

“Yeah,” Buck agrees, his own eyes becoming far away. “You- It’s not a firefight wherein everyone is shooting. You line up that shot and watch it through to the end. You know it’s you, you know what you did. I didn’t want take lives. I joined the army to serve, to keep people safe, but that’s not what they do. I couldn’t stay there.”

It’s a lot darker than what they’re used to from their youngest member and all look at him for a moment.

Hen steps forward first, sling an arm around Buck as she gently smiles: “Well, I’m glad you found a place here, with us. Doing what you want to do. What you were made to do.”

Buck smiles back at her, the life thankfully returning to his eyes. He tugs her hug closer and says: “I am also glad I found you guys.”

“So, why did you hide it?” Chimney asks as they make their way back down to the engine. “I mean, being a Navy SEAL is about as cool as it gets. Didn’t think you had it in you to keep that hidden.”

“Well, contrary to popular belief, I am not as irresponsible as I look, and like Dig said, it’s mostly need to know basis,” Buck shrugs.

“The parachute,” Bobby says knowingly.

“The parachute,” Buck agrees. “Told you I knew what I was doing.”

“I couldn’t have known,” Bobby points out rightfully and Buck gives a conceding nod.

“None of us could. Hell, Maddie doesn’t know, she told me about the postcards, those were mostly from US soil. How did you pull that off?” Chimney comments. “And why?”

Buck answers: “I asked the others to ask partners, spouses, parents, siblings to send them empty cards so I could send them to Maddie. Took pictures when I dressed up for undercover work. I lied to Maddie, because I didn’t wanna worry her. She already had enough going on with Doug and our parents. Easier to be careless and free, than in danger.”

“You have to tell her,” Chimney says.

“Yeah, you really do,” Hen agrees. “You know Chimney can’t keep a secret to save his life. She’ll have heard all about it by the time he’s through the door.”

“Can’t you keep this one?” Buck pleads as they drop of their gear.

“Nu-uh, no way,” Chimney says, getting into the engine. “I am gonna drive myself crazy if you make me do that.”

“But now she’s gonna worry all over me, even though I’m fine,” Buck whines, showing them he’s still their Buck.

“She’s an older sibling, it’s what they do,” Eddie says, patting him on the back as he passes.

“You all are the worst,” Buck pouts.

“For wanting you to not lie to your sister about what you’ve been up to for the last few years?” Bobby asks.

“Yeah!” Buck exclaims, throwing up his hands. “She is such a worrywart, you have no idea what our childhood was like. Her worrying is truly something of legends. Back me up here, Chim.”

“Oh no, I’m staying on her good side in case any of this ever comes back to her,” Chimney backs out as fast as he can.

“That is so unfair,” Buck whines some more.

“No, what is unfair is you trying to put me in the middle of the Buckley family drama, Dora,” Chimney argues back.

“We are so not calling me Dora,” Buck warns.

“Then tell your sister,” Eddie says, before driving away.

“Yes, or Dora will definitely stick. We’re persistent,” Hen backs him up.

“Why are you all ganging up on me?”

“Come on, you’re big tough, macho Navy SEAL guy, surely you can take us mere civilians,” Chimney taunts.

“Eddie is an army guy too,” Buck points out.

“Yeah, army not SEALs, you can be the one that knows about all that stuff now,” Eddie says.

“You still remember that?”

“Course, I thought there was something weird about you during that shrapnel call. I mean, I wouldn’t have guessed this, but your excuses got a little weird during that one,” Eddie shrugs.

“Oh my god,” Chimney says, just realizing something. “That rappelling business you worked at, did you mean the US government. You called the Navy SEALs a rappelling business.”

“I mean, they technically are when you think about it,” Buck defends himself. “They sure made me do a lot of rappelling and rappelling training.”

“I can’t believe you,” Hen shrieks, though it’s slightly delighted.

“And I assume the paintball range you worked for according to Athena is also the US government,” Bobby joined in.

“God, you’re excuses were pretty bad in hind sight.”

“Hey, you guys all believed me, so that is mostly on you.”

“Oh you did not just call us stupid!”

“Stop, Hen, your elbow hurts.”

“Ach, stop your whining.”

They continue to bicker as they drive away from the scene and back to the fire house. Buck knows it will take some getting used to, having this part of his life exposed. However, it’s nice to be able to share this with his family.

As much as he likes the people he knows from his time as Navy SEAL, it never felt fully right to bond with them over the things they’ve done. That team was always more like a fostering, the 118 is his forever home.

~~

A/N:

I'm sorry if the layout looks weird, im having issues with my landlord abt wifi, so i had to do this on my phone :D

[carrionsymptom]

Take It Easy | The Grabber x Reader

AN: I’m still here!! Can’t promise I will be particularly active, but I am alright. I’ve been busy and had little motivation to write, but I’m slowly getting more. This isn’t the best thing I’ve written, and I cut it off a little early, but I’ll just say my writing skills are rusty and leave it at that. Here’s a quick spiritual successor to Mistaken, but it can be read by itself.

CW: Implied age difference, bit of size kink, some non consensual touching to start, heavy petting

AFAB reader, no pronouns or gendered terms used. Jenga didn’t exist until the 80’s but I had no better metaphors since Tetris also didn’t exist until the 80’s.

There’s so much shit you have to take to college, it’d be a miracle if you can fit it all into the boot of your parent’s sedan, but God help you, you'll try. Boxes of clothes, bedding, a microwave, books, toiletries and whatever odds and ends you can fit get stuffed into the car. You’re lucky your roommate is bringing a mini fridge because there’s no way in hell you’d be able to fit that in with everything else. 

While you’re busting your ass playing cardboard-box Jenga, he, walking past, certainly notices your ass sticking out of the car. Clad in too-tight jean shorts, you sway like an invitation and were it not for the prying eyes of the other neighbors, he would’ve fucked you right there. Instead, he sidles up behind you, pressing his hips into yours.

“Need some help?” You leap nearly a foot into the air, dropping the box you were holding and whirling to face your older neighbor. “Woah there kid, y’can’t have a heart attack this young!”

With a shaky hand over your chest, you tentatively smile at him. “Jeez, sorry, you spooked me. Uh, help would be nice.” You slot your work-in-progress box into the car, and he takes his place next to you. He’s clad in an old camp shirt and jeans that look way too thick to be comfortable in this weather, but he doesn’t even break a sweat as he easily hauls box after box into the sedan. If you weren’t so flustered from how his thick forearms graze your side as he brushes past you, you might’ve commented on how strong he is. 

You wish you could gather your thoughts for a second, but you can’t help but hone in on the miniscule touches to your lower back as he passes, or how big his hands are when he takes a box out of your arms. Any attempt at conversation seems to end up with you embarrassingly stammering, but he always glances back at you with a half-chuckle and a shake of his head. With his help, packing is quick, and with a sturdy slam, the trunk door shuts.

“Whew!” Your neighbor exclaims, wiping his brow. You try not to stare at the strip of skin that flashes above his belt when he lifts his arm. “Not gonna invite me inside sweetheart?” He all but laughs at the way you freeze and your eyes widen.

You stumble over your words: “Uh, would you– would you like to come inside? I can… I can make some lemonade or something?” Your parents are out, but you’re not sure when they’ll be back. They’d understand inviting your helpful neighbor in to rehydrate after a hard day of lugging boxes, won’t they?

“Or something,” he smiles, sweeping past you into your house. He sits himself at your leather sofa, legs spread wide and looking far too big to be comfortable, but you can see his incisors with how he grins at you. “Really, I’m alright without anything to drink, but I’d still like your company, ‘f that’s ok with you?”

You nod– you have to nod, and make to sit on your dad’s old loveseat, but his mouth creases into a frown so you awkwardly hover. 

“Don’t gotta be so far away sweetheart. C’mon,” he pats his thigh. Surely he doesn’t expect you to… “Come on. Climb up.” You wish you had a glass of lemonade now, with how difficult it feels to swallow the lump in your throat. 

“I don’t want to crush you.”

Your neighbor barks out a hearty laugh, throwing his head back. You don’t find it particularly funny, but he’s practically wiping a tear out of his eye as he settles down. “Sweetie, you’re not going to crush me. Now up.” With no better argument, you bite your tongue and climb into his lap.

Despite your initial hesitation, you can immediately tell he’s right. There’s no way in hell you’d be able to crush him. His thigh is thick and sturdy– everything about him is sturdy. A rough hand rests on your hip, rubbing little circles into the denim of your shorts while the other plays with the hem of your shirt.

It’s a little awkward though, the way you’re perched on his leg. You balance precariously on the apex of his thigh, teetering a little as he shifts up the couch seat. Your neighbor, he, tuts as you shuffle. “Mmm… a little uncomfortable, huh? Here, why don’t we…” 

You yelp as he pulls you closer to him, swinging one leg over so you’re straddling his hips. The crux of your legs meets his, and through the layers of denim, you can feel the hardness in his pants. Christ, even his cock is thick. He lets out a low groan, holding your waist as he pushes his hips up against yours. You buck against him, but aren’t quite able to grind down how you’d like to.

“That’s it,” he sighs. “There you go sweetheart. That’s it.”

You bury your face in his shoulder, murmuring quietly in his ear: “Can I… can I take off my shorts? Please?”

He smiles. “Ah, since you asked so nicely.” You shuffle out of your shorts and he pants as you accidentally graze his cock. “Mmm,” he hums, tucking a finger under the waistband. “Why don’t you take these off too? Make sure you’re extra comfy.”

Once more you shimmy on his lap, out of your underwear, and as you settle back down, the thick seam on his jeans catches against your clit. You let out a whimper, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face into his shoulder. Your neighbor wraps his thick arms around you in return, caging you against him as you bump and grind and move and–

Fuck! You come from nothing but heavy petting, clenching around air and tensing in your neighbor’s strong hold. The physical release is nice, but he’s still hard under you, and you’re struck with an overwhelming need for more. Your hands trail down from his neck, down his chest, until they’re struggling to undo his belt.

“Ah, sweetheart. That’s enough. That’s enough.” He pushes your hips back from his so you’re resting on the middle of his thighs. He laughs as he looks down at his jeans, a wet spot darkening the outline of his still-hard cock. “Shit. Would you look at that? Made a goddamn mess of me, huh honey?”

You suppose you should be feeling some sort of embarrassment, but you can only feel confusion; why did he stop you? “But… you didn’t… I mean, don’t you want to… y’know…” You trail off, head too fuzzy to string together the right words. Your neighbor shakes his head with an easy grin.

“Maybe next time, ok honey? I’m a busy man, I gotta get going. Thanks for such great hospitality though.” He says. 

“Can I… I mean will I see you again?”

“You’re goin’ off to college pretty damn soon, aren’t you? Doubt we’ll cross paths again until you get back, sorry to say.”

[just-wrting]

The Babysitter (Part 3)

Title: The Babysitter Part 3

Summary: As Aaron goes on his first trip, you start to learn more about him.

Word Count: 1875

Master List Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

A/N: OKAY! I know this took me forever to get around to posting but I wasn't happy with the first draft. So here's draft 2 a bit shorter but hopefully still good. I don't want to rush the story but I also don't want to drag it on. It's my first series I guess. I hope to do part 4 on Friday.

It’s been two weeks since you started babysitting for Aaron, and he has yet to go off on a work trip. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy to lie about something so simple, but you are a bit confused. Maybe you had just assumed wrong. Oh well. It gives you more time to get to know him.

Plus there is this nagging feeling in your mind that he’s somehow familiar. At the very least you feel like you’ve heard his name before, but where have you heard it? Due to this feeling, you’ve started to study Aaron while he eats. It’s not outright staring, but you know you’re not subtle.

“Is something bothering you?” Aaron asks.

You look at the floor and shake your head. “Nothing important. I’ll figure it out eventually.”

Aaron is silent. You get the feeling that he knows more than he’s letting on, and you want to ask him about what he knows. He’s clearly able to read you better than you can read him, and you’re curious as to what that means. Does it have something to do with his job? Is he going to keep asking you if something is bothering you?

“I won’t be back tonight. There’s a job in Florida that I have to go to, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. You’re free to use my bed for the time being and I’ll come up with a better solution when I get back.”

That answers that. You suppose that you’ve been lucky the past two weeks to have Aaron here and not off in another state. Still, you aren’t sure how you feel about spending the night. You aren’t opposed to it, but sleeping in his bed feels a little odd. You decide to try the couch for the first night and if that goes poorly you’ll sleep in his bed.

“You should call me when you can. That way Jack can stay in contact with you.”

He ponders this for a moment. “It won’t affect what you’re doing?”

“Not really. If I can’t answer it I’ll just text you that we’re busy and call back when I can. It lets you talk to him more.”

Aaron gives you a soft smile. You do your best to not notice the way the corner of his eyes crinkle. It’s not that you mind him smiling at you, it’s just that noticing such a thing makes you notice how attractive he really is. Curse your busyness for making it impossible to have a relationship. It’s going to cause you issues during this job in particular and you can feel it.

“I think both him and I would appreciate that. My job makes things difficult on him.”

His smile becomes strained. You want to reassure him, but aren’t sure how. You want to do everything you can to make sure that Jack is happy, even if it means you have to do more than you thought you would when you started.

“He’s a kid. He’ll bounce back with enough time. The most important thing is that you show him how much you care.”

Grabbing the plate, you busy yourself with the few dishes in the sink. As Aaron finishes his coffee, you start to wonder if you overstepped. The silence barely lasts as you quickly fill it.

“Not that you don’t show that you care!” You trip over your words. “Anyone can see that you  do. Kids can sometimes come to the wrong conclusions though.”

You focus on scrubbing the pan. The chair gently scrapes across the floor and the coffee mug is set next to your elbow.

“I understand. Leaving for work and arriving home at inconsistent times and not always being there for important things is tough for Jack.”

You nod. “Not just him. You drink more coffee than anyone I know. Caring about Jack is my job which means I have to care about you, Aaron. You can’t have a relationship with him if you don’t take care of yourself.”

He doesn’t say anything. You don’t mind though, the thought wasn’t entirely expected.

“I’ll do my best. Take care for now.”

—

You do your best to keep both Jack and your friend’s dog from running off. It’s not an easy task, nothing could’ve prepared you for the energy level of a kid and a dog together. You file that thought away for another time as the two of them bound off into the park.

You’ve been making sure to take lots of pictures of Jack. There’s probably about twenty of them sitting in Aaron’s messages. You can’t help it though. Being away from someone you love is hard, so you hope seeing pictures of Jack smiling helps Aaron get through it.

Your phone rings and you pick it up.

“I thought you weren’t gonna call me while you were on vacation. I’ve taken Helios out today. We’re at the park.”

You hear your friend huff. “That’s not why I called you! Have you seen the news? There’s a serial killer down here in Florida!”

You frown. You hope your friend is okay but you also worry she’s being dramatic like usual. Florida is a decently populated state so why does she think she’s in danger?

“In the same city? That seems a bit…”

“Insane? I know!” There’s more sighs. “I finally take a vacation somewhere nice for the first time in years and of course there’s a murderer on the loose. And get this! He’s going after tourists!”

You rub your forehead. You have no advice. What can you tell your dramatic friend to calm her down that doesn’t make you seem like you don’t care?

“When can you come back? Maybe that’s safer. Or just hang out in the hotel. What’s the news saying?”

A crash and a pained cry echo from the phone. You can hear her fumble the phone to the floor. It doesn’t take long for the mumbled voices from the tv to be heard. You can’t make anything out, but at least she’s paying attention to the news.

“Oh the FBI is here. Something called the Behavioral Analysis Unit?”

“Then you’ll be okay. Play it safe, follow what they recommend, and you should be fine.”

Jack runs back up to you and climbs onto the bench. You ruffle his hair and pull him closer. You’ve already promised to make him his favorite dinner and that you’ll make sure his dad calls.

“They’re saying that they’ll release a statement from the FBI in like an hour. You’ll be able to call again then right? Just to touch base?”

“Of course. And like I said, just listen to what the cops and the feds are saying. Stay safe.”

With a quick promise to do just that, your friend hangs up. You know they’ll call their family and other friends to check in, so you aren’t worried.

“(Y/N)?” Jack nudges you. “(Y/N)?”

You set your phone on your lap and face him. “What’s up kiddo?”

“My dad is one of those! He makes sure people are safe.”

You give a soft smile. “I’m sure your dad does. He’s one of who though?”

“My dad’s a,” his voice drops to a whisper, “FBI agent. He’s like a superhero.”

As you look at Jack’s smile, it clicks. You know the name Aaron Hotchner from the news. He’s the unit chief at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. How did you not realize sooner?

“Oh really? Well if I ever need to be saved I’ll call your dad okay? How about we go get Helios back to his house?”

Jack nods enthusiastically and calls over the dog. The two seem to get along great and you welcome the distraction from the news.

—

“Hey Jack! How was your day?” Aaron asks from your phone.

“It was amazing! (Y/N) took me to the park with Helios. He’s this big fluffy dog and I had lots of fun with him! Can we get a dog just like him?”

Aaron chuckles. “I’ll think about it. Is that it?”

You tune out Jack’s rambles as you watch him. He’s so excited to talk about everything he did today, even though most of it was boring. You two ran some errands, went to the park, and planned out some of his favorite meals for the week.

It’s quite cute to see the two of them interact. Despite Jack repeating things, Aaron does his best to ask questions and pay attention. He points out things that you can do tomorrow, and even promises to show Jack the pictures you sent him.

“You promise you’ll call me tomorrow dad?”

Jack rubs his eyes as he yawns. It’s a little past his bedtime, but he’s doing his best to fight the sleep.

“I promise, Jack. Have a good night, I love you.”

You scoop Jack into your arms and smoosh the phone between your ear and shoulder. It doesn’t take anything more than his head hitting the pillow before he’s passed out. You give his head a gentle kiss before leaving his room.

“Thank you for keeping him up a bit longer. Work was more than I was expecting today,” Aaron says.

“I can’t imagine. I don’t know what being an FBI agent entails.”

There’s a pause. You aren’t mad, despite the way you phrased that. The most you feel is worried. Is there going to be a day that things go wrong and you’ll have to try not to show how worried you are in front of Jack?

“I was going to tell you. How did you find out?”

“I got a call from a friend who’s on vacation in that area and Jack heard me talking to them. He told me.”

Another pause. Then Aaron sighs.

“He’s so proud of me, of course he’d say something.”

“It’s understandable. He did call you a superhero after all. That does clear up my issues this morning. I haven’t been able to figure out where your name came from. It seemed so familiar.”

He chuckles. “That’s what was bothering you? You should’ve asked.”

“Maybe I should ask all my questions when you get back. There’s now a few more questions I have for you.”

“I’ll just have to answer them. I hope that this doesn’t cause any issues with you watching Jack.”

“I’ve had worse jobs before, trust me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Aaron. Have a good night and stay safe.”

“Good night, (Y/N).”

—

You stand in the doorway of the bedroom. Sure, Aaron had told you to sleep in here, but you aren't sure you can. Despite how tempting the bed looks, you turn your back on it and resign yourself to the couch.

You pull the blanket up over yourself and stare at the dark TV. Sleep seems so far away with the news you found out today. You trust Aaron, as much as you can trust someone you’ve known for a short time. You trust him more than you probably should.

That doesn’t stop you from wondering what’s going to happen. Hopefully nothing too crazy. After all, even with being an FBI agent, Aaron is a father. What’s the worst that could possibly happen over the summer?

@ash-whimsicalfanfic @rousethemouse

[finniestoncrane]

Your One True Nemesis

Chapter 16: also on AO3 Masterlist Here Arkham!Riddler x Female!Reader, word count: 2.5k i am truly sorry for what this chapter contains. if i had known... look just go with it, it is what it is request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: angst, spying, fingering FINALLY MY GOD

With the shame of your dream still tinting your cheeks a light pink, you left your bedroom in the first clothes your hands reached. It was probably wise not to irritate Eddie anymore than you already had by waking up this late in the day. And as you approached him at the small dining table, you could feel the nerves settling in your stomach, as though you were about to be reprimanded severely for the crime of catching up on some sleep.

“Sorry about that, I’m ready to… what is it you needed me to do first?”

You looked around suspiciously, noting that the living area was oddly tidy, and that Eddie was eating lunch which he had obviously made for himself.

“This is the last thing I need to get to Jonathan for now. Here.”

Without looking at you, he passed you the bag with the contents already inside.

“I’m assuming you’ll want to go meet up with him.”

“I don’t mind…”

“Ah, sure. Well, it’s raining. It would be wise to take your jacket.”

He gestured at it with his thumb, still cold and inattentive.

“Where is it-”

“I put the note in the pocket. Hurry up… please. You’re already late. Though I’m sure he won’t mind waiting for you.”

His tone was odd, unsettling. Something was wrong with him, something was going on. But you knew better than to pry, especially not when you’d already seemingly held him back. Picking up your jacket on the way out, you searched in the pocket for the note Eddie had left. You’d been ignoring your phone so far since you woke up, trying not to get distracted, but as you left the sewers, you took a glance. There were two texts from Mark.

“Running late? Or has the great Riddler forgotten that he has an appointment.”

“Hey, I don’t mind hanging around for a gal like you, babe. But let me know if I’m wasting me time ;)”

You typed quickly as the elevator shuddered upwards.

“I slept in, my fault entirely. I’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

The reply was quick.

“No problem, babe. But you owe me one!”

It was hard to contain the smile. A playful back and forth was always welcome when your every day conversation with Eddie was stilted and filled with tension and what seemed to be constant errors on your part. You let out a sigh, heaving open the elevator door and stepping out into the sunlight.

Below you, Eddie listened to the small radio he held in his hand. He could hear you sighing, that meant the microphone in the button on your jacket was placed perfectly, which he knew it would be. He had to be sure that you weren’t divulging any secrets to this henchman. To make sure that you weren’t getting too friendly with him. Of course, anything else you did was your own business. He was purely focused on securing his work and his business. It wouldn’t hurt to find out a little bit more about your behaviours in the real world though.

“Hey!”

You cringed at how enthusiastic you sounded as you greeted Mark. Slowing down the jogging pace at which you approached him, you tried to avoid too much eye contact. It didn’t deter him though, as he was quick to wrap his arms around you in a tight embrace, only letting go after what felt like minutes to lift your chin up, dropping a soft peck on your lips before he let go completely. You blushed as you watched his smug grin spread over his mouth, his own cheeks slightly tinged with pink as he spoke.

“You’re so late!”

“I know, I know. It was… a weird evening. I didn’t get a lot of sleep and what I did manage was… not great.”

“Aw, babe. Bad dreams?”

He offered a mocking pout before playfully shoving your arm. You tilted your head, visibly unamused but still smiling.

“I’m kidding! What was it? Stress?”

“No… well, maybe. I don’t know. Weird anyway. Just… the usual. With Eddie.”

“You wanna take a walk? Clear your head?”

You handed him the parcel, and he gave you the vials, the standard exchange. But he held his hand out afterwards, waiting for you to take it.

“C’mon. It’ll do you good!”

Why stop now? Why rush back when you hadn’t done so any other time? Besides, Eddie mentioned this was the last exchange for the time being. You had no idea how long it might be before you saw Mark again. Of course, you could just message him. But that felt like a whole new level of commitment. But taking his hand and running off for a while, that didn’t seem too bad. You placed your palm against his, your fingers intertwining as he pulled you in close to him.

The walk through the park was nice, but quiet. Neither of you seemed to know what to say. You imagine it was out of fear of saying the wrong thing, and having it be one of the last things you said to each other. Or at least you did, anyway. With Mark it was hard to tell. He was smiling, and he seemed quite content with just strolling around. Every so often, he’d squeeze your hand, like he was reminding you he was still there. Like he was waiting on you to speak first, coaxing you. Maybe he really did want you to clear your head, to get everything off your chest? But it was hardly a romantic dalliance if you were complaining about Eddie the whole time.

“So. Last official meeting, huh?”

You were shocked by his voice, it seemed so sudden and without warning. After a moment, you managed to reply.

“Last one for a while, at least.”

“Last one ever maybe, babe! I think we should do something a bit more exciting than walking around outside in the rain. You wanna go celebrate properly?”

“Celebrate the possibility of never seeing you again?”

“Hey, whatever makes it easier for you.”

Mark was smiling at you, but you could see something more behind his eyes, something that let slip how superficial the grin really was.

“I don’t know, we’ve been out for so long already…”

“Oh come on! You owe me, remember?”

You were so easily won over by him. It was almost dangerous, or at least it would be if you didn’t know that you wanted to be coerced so simply. Before you really knew it, he was buying you a drink at the bar, his arm around your waist as he drew you into him, guiding you to a table at the back of the room. His charm was effortless, and you knew you would miss him. You had Eddie though. That thought wasn’t as comforting as you thought it might be though.

Sensing your sudden discomfort, Mark knocked his glass against yours, giving a short toast before he took your hand across the table.

“Ok, what’s up?”

“Nothing! I’m fine.”

Come on, let it all out. Don’t make me get shots. I’ll loosen you up one way or another.”

“Ok, ok, ok. It’s just. It’s a lot, you know? Eddie.”

It wasn’t your intention to rant for almost an hour. It just felt so good to have someone listen, genuinely listen. And not retort with anything, not put the blame back on you. Mark let you carry on, letting all of your gripes out, your little annoyances, bigger issues, your confusion about where you might stand now and what you might do next.

“I just wish he was a bit more… open? Or a bit nicer. Even if it’s just pretend, you know?”

Mark nodded as he looked into his almost empty glass.

“I’m so sorry, Mark. I didn’t mean to talk about him this whole time.”

“Hey, don’t worry, babe. You gotta get these things off your chest!”

You smiled, looking down at the table as you fiddled with the cuffs of your jacket. Even in the bar it was still cold, given that you were soaked from the rain. Unknown to you, that meant that Eddie had heard everything you said. Every complaint. Everything.

“So…”

Mark looked awkward, with an almost mischievous grin on as you waited for him to finish his sentence.

“… you and Eddie ever…?”

It took a few seconds for you to realise what he was implying, and you scoffed when it hit you.

“Absolutely we have not! Jesus, Mark!”

“Oh what? Is he blind?”

“Why do you assume that it’s his attraction to me that means we haven’t fucked? It has to be on his end? You don’t think I might take issue with the idea of having sex with Eddie?”

“I mean… yeah. It’s pretty obvious that you’re desperate for him.”

“W… what?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb, babe. You’re gonna tell me you don’t have any feelings for him?”

Nervous, trying to stay cool, you laughed incredulously, waving him off.

“I really don’t.”

“You just… have him on your mind constantly?”

“Well… I mean… yeah.”

“That’s a problem then, huh, babe?”

You were trying to figure him out. Trying to tell what his angle was. But you weren’t quick enough to do so before he gave you the answer.

“You want me to help you forget about him?”

Leaning across the table, Mark placed his hands on your cheeks, pulling you into a deep kiss. One that got far too passionate too quickly for a public space, as his tongue pressed between your lips, lapping at your own, pulling forth an elicit moan from your throat.

“Oh my god…”

You pulled back from him, covering your mouth to prevent any more tell-tale sounds from escaping, and Mark laughed, grabbing at your hands.

“C’mon.”

Without questioning him, you followed, and he led you to the back of the bar, close to the bathrooms and out of a rusted door. In the alley, shielded by the rain from the tall buildings, he held you again, his hands finding their way to your waist as you placed yours on his solid chest. With his fingers dipped slightly into the waistband of your jeans, he guided you backwards until you were pinned between his surprisingly strong body and the wall. Throwing your arms around his neck, you pulled him into you, moaning softly as he kissed at your neck.

Sitting at the dining table, furiously scratching at the surface absent-mindedly, Eddie shouted to himself, enraged at your perceived betrayal. Not of him, but of his trust.

“We’ll see how easily he makes his way into your pants when I’ve had my way with him. Your little boyfriend has indeed earned the right to die at my skilled hands.”

Every shuffle, every whimper only drove him a little bit more insane as he sat there alone, listening to the painful sounds. But he didn’t turn it off. He couldn’t.

“If I need to meet him to fight so be it. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard. We’d hardly be meeting as equals. In fact, he would literally have not a hope of victory.”

Impressed with his own imaginary skills, and his apparently predictable triumph, he kept listening to you, voice higher and softer as you let Mark’s hands fall over your body. His palms, brushing over your stomach and your sides, cupping at your breasts over your bra as you threw your head back.

“Mind cleared yet?”

You giggled into his neck, unable to speak past the confusing flurry of possible answers that flooded your brain. Any thoughts were interrupted though, as Mark’s fingers started pulling at the button and zip on your jeans, tugging at them slightly until they were shuffled down, your panties and abdomen exposed to the cold. Mark’s hand, warm and large, covered you as he sank his fingers below your underwear, two of them stroking down over your swollen lips and pressing between them, circling your clit as you whined against him.

Picking up the pace, he slid his digits inside of you as he kissed your neck, groaning and laughing as you stifled your screams of pleasure. Biting your lip, you tried to hold back the sounds, but it was impossible not to. You gave in to them, squealing as he bit at your neck, his fingers pumping in and out of you. It felt so good. The release, the pleasure. Too good not to scream about it, to hold back the moans, the words.

“God… so good…”

Mark took a brief pause between biting and licking at your skin to speak, voice shuddering, breath ragged with the effort he exerted into fucking you with his fingers.

“Yeah, you like that?”

“Mhm…”

Spurred on by your noted pleasure, he brought his fingers back down, coating your cunt in your own slick as he spread your lips again, teasing at you as he kissed your neck.

“Oh… Eddie…”

Mark noticed a lot quicker than you did, immediately stopping all movements, fingers still inside of you, face still pressed against your neck. Only when you wondered why he stopped did everything fall into place.

“Mark! Mark… Mark I am so… I’m so sorry! Oh my god…”

Stepping back from you, he rubbed his fingers against his jeans and shook his head softly.

“Not good enough to clear your mind, huh, babe?”

“Mark, it’s not like that, it’s just-”

“Nah, I got a good idea of what it is. You’re just as fucked as he is.”

“Hey!”

“I gotta go. This was terrible, we should… do it again sometime? Maybe not.”

He walked away from you, leaving you in the dark alley. Unlike him. But you could understand. It was upsetting, for everyone involved.

Or not everyone, because Eddie was currently sat at the dining table, very pleased with himself. The smug satisfaction didn’t last long though, as he was hurriedly drenched in panic, questioning whether your mention of his name while someone else touched you meant that you liked him, in that way at least.

“I expected he’d disappoint me. But not you. At least now there’s…”

He wondered what he was going to say next. Hope? Hope for what? For something he had been thinking of for a long time without ever bothering to ruminate on it past a superficial consideration and a quick distraction?

Whatever it meant, and whatever he intended to do with his discovery, he had more pressing matters at hand. And those matters were currently pressing against the front of his pants, offering him the latest in a long line of base-level human desires that he was usually able to ignore. So he slinked off to his bedroom, hoping that you might not speak to him when you arrived home. He’d be finished before then though. He could hear the panting in your breath still on the radio as you walked quickly. That was enough for him in that moment. It was all he needed.

[shyanddreamy]

You can't save everyone

Happy Lowman x Reader x Neron `Creeper´ Vargas | Part 2

Seeing the outside of the Mayans’ clubhouse instead of the Teller-Morrow workshop was strange. It was as strange as not recognising any of the voices you heard inside. Today was the third day since you arrived in Santo Padre, and everything felt odd yet. Nevertheless, the sensation was healing at the same time, if that made any sense at all. The creak of the door opening was the distraction you needed to take your mind off things.

“The bathroom guy”, you said as greeting.

“The bathroom chick”, he responded. “What are you doing outside?”

“I don’t want to bother you”, you replied. “You have done enough inviting me here. And offering me a beer.”

“There are just a bunch of drunks inside telling stupid stories and laughing out loud. You won’t bother anyone with your presence.”

“So, this is not a plan to know if I’m some kind of spy or something like that?”, you asked him. “I've noticed you had been following me”.

“You’re so perceptive”, he acknowledged. “We needed to be sure of your intentions. Not every day Happy leaves his Old Lady here”. 

“I’m not his Old Lady”, you answered back. “Happy is just… somebody I can trust. And I’m not interested in your club or your business at all. I was just sightseeing.”

“Yeah, we know”, he nodded. “You’ve made us ride all over the damn city.”

You laughed slightly and took a sip of your beer.

“It’s a nice place”.

“It is. Where are you staying?”

“In a shitty motel”, you said. “Everything except that place is nice.”

It was his turn to laugh, but the sound of breaking glass inside caught your attention for a few seconds. Probably, it would be just some beer or bottle.

“May I?”, he asked you, referring to the wooden bench you were sitting on.

“A biker with manners. Santo Padre continues surprising me”, you added ironically as he shook his head and sat next to you.

“I was trying to impress you.”

“I’m gonna need something more to be impressed”, you replied. “I like bathroom guy, but is there any other name?

“Creeper. You?”.

“Y/N. Is real name or club’s name?”

“Nickname”, he said. “Maybe one day you’re lucky enough to know the real one.”

“So mysterious. I’ll wait till that day.”

Without much more to add, you took another sip of your beer while Creeper made himself comfortable on the bench. Some time ago, having a conversation like that with a Mayan would have been impossible, but now that there was peace between them and the Sons, you didn’t feel threatened at all.

“Don’t you want to come back inside?”

“I’m tired”, he said.

“Are you really that old?”, you mocked.

“I mean, like, physically tired”, he rectified, rubbing his left shoulder. “It’s recent. Still hurts sometimes.”

“What was?”

“A bullet”, he simply said. You didn’t need to know more details either. “Anyway, I think I’ll call it a night. I could give you a ride to your shitty motel.”

“And once there are you gonna ask me if you can come in?”

“It’s an invitation?”, he asked back.

“You wish”, you smirked. “But I’m gonna accept your first offer.”

The motel wasn’t that far from the city centre, but the club was far from everything. Adding that it was late, you couldn’t refuse his proposition. You got on Creeper’s bike behind him, unsure of where to put your hands. Inevitably, Happy came to your mind. You didn’t have any hesitation in embrace him every time he took you for a ride, but this was different.

“I’m not gonna bit you”, Creeper told you.

“You won’t?”

“I won’t.”

You smiled again and, this time, you put your arms around his waist. Seconds later, Creeper started the engine. You liked him. He was nice and you had enjoyed your short conversation. Maybe it was because you hadn’t spoken to almost anyone for the last three days, but you were still pleased.

“You were right. This is a shitty motel”, Creeper said after stopping the bike in front of your destination.

“And it’s even worst inside.”

“Is this a second invitation? You are relentless, Y/N”.

“I think you are the only suggesting it all the time”, you replied, trying to hold back a smile. “But if you want it that bad, maybe you can come inside for a beer”.

“I don’t drink. I’m on the wagon”, he said, which actually was pretty surprising for you. All the bikers you knew were fucking alcoholics. “Maybe some coffee?”

“Do you really think I have a coffee machine in there?”

“Fine. A glass of water. It’s my last offer.”

“Done.”

The room had an old simple bed, a table with two weak chairs, a mini fridge, and a small bathroom. That was most of its furniture.

“This is full of shit. They should pay you for sleep in here.”

“Of course, keep laughing. I would love to see the palace where you live.”

“Now you are inviting yourself to my house?”, he asked, ironically. “You go too fast, Y/N.”

“Fuck you”, you said while throwing him a bottle of water from the mini fridge and then sitting in the vacant chair. “Do you mind if I drink? Or it’s uncomfortable for you?”

“I’m not used to that question. But it’s okay. I don’t mind”, he said, so you opened your beer and took a sip.

“Why did you quit drinking? If I may ask”.

“I had no self-control. And I didn’t like the person alcohol was turning me into. So, I quit”, he explained. “I still go to the meetings anyways. It helps me”.

“That’s brave”, you acknowledged. “But I know you are strong enough to stand your ground.”

“You don’t know me at all.”

“But I have great intuition”, you told him. “And maybe you have already impressed me.”

Your words made him smile. And you liked that smile Creeper somehow tried to hide. It seemed completely genuine. However, you felt like changing the subject to a less profound one.

“You always do this with the girls you wanna hook up with?”, you asked him, shameless. “You know, take them home, talk that much…”

“How are you so sure I want to fuck you?”

“Intuition. Again”.

“So, if you knew my intentions, why did you let me in?”

“I was curious about what your next move could be.”

By his gaze and his sly smile, you knew he had taken it as a challenge. You were even more sure when he stood up and positioned himself in front of you. Suddenly, he grabbed you by the forearms to put you on your feet too.

“It’s a good move?”

“It could be worst”, you replied, attempting to goad him.

Abruptly, Creeper grabbed you by the bum and put you on the table. That way he could place himself between your legs while just a few inches separated your faces. Instead of kissing you, which was what you were expecting, he chose to brush his lips against your ear.

“I've taken you home because I’m a nice guy. And I've talked that much because I've really enjoyed our conversation”, he muttered in a deeper voice than before. “But you're right, I want to fuck you. And I could do it right now, right here, but I'd break this table. And then the bed, too.”

“What are you suggesting?”, was the only thing you could say. You had to admit that this was a really good move. It was that good that you were breathless.

“Get out of here. Take you to my place.”

“I’d like that”.

“I know, babe.”

When you were on his bike this time, you put your hands around him and under his kutt, trying to feel his body over his t-shirt. You didn’t imagine the night would end like this, but you didn’t regret it either. At least not yet.

Creeper’s house was nice. And everything was tidy, something not all the MC members could say about his home. You barely exchanged a few sentences before he reached out to you. And after a few seconds, you took his hand. Now you were close enough to finally kiss each other. His lips movement was slow and sweet, so it was his touch, but it was a mutual decision to speed up. When Creeper put his hands on your bottom and lifted you off the ground, you put your legs around his waist. That way, it was quite easy for him to carry you to his dorm.

Between kisses and caresses, you took off your clothes until both of you were completely naked on the sheets.

“You were right”, you said. “You’re place is better”.

“I’m glad you accepted my offer”, he responded while slowly rubbing his dick against your entrance. You couldn’t help but bit your lower lip aware of what was going to happen. And once he was finally inside, it was impossible for you to hold back a moan.

You couldn’t say whether you preferred it rough or soft because that was bullshit. The most important thing was that it felt good. And Creeper made clear he knew what he was doing. And you were pretty sure of yourself, too.

Between the things you had learnt living among bikers, it was the fact that some of them looked like merciless criminals but were actually beautiful people, while others looked like honest men but were fucking pricks. Creeper was in the first group. He talked during sex and not only to say dirty things but to ask if you were good and how did you like it more. His hands caressed your body sweetly but firmly at the same time and he made sure that you got your orgasm too. Definitely, he was a great shag.

After a few minutes to catch your breaths, still naked and lying on the bed, Creeper offered you a cigarette.

“I’m Neron, by the way.”

“So, you wait till the after sex to confess your real name?”, you asked, ironically.

“Shut the fuck up”, he smirked. “Do you want to stay for the night?”

“I’m not used to this.”

“To fuck a guy you barely know?”

“To sleep with them after sex”, you pointed out.

“We don’t have to sleep cuddled together. And I’m not gonna make you my wife tomorrow morning”, he said. “I just think this is better than your shitty motel. But it’s your choice. Do as you want, babe.”

You didn’t want to come back to your motel room at all. But it was strange to sleep with someone that wasn’t Happy. As he hooked up with other chicks, you did it too with other guys when you felt like that. But neither of you ever slept with them. The thing was, Happy wasn’t there. And you wanted to stop thinking about him and start thinking about what you really wanted.

“Okay. I’ll stay tonight.”

*

You weren’t expecting that. When you first moved to Santo Padre to have some time for yourself, you weren’t looking for another tattooed good-looking biker with a kutt to replace Happy. And yet you were in Creeper’s place, spending another night with him.

After your first time, he gave you his phone number arguing that you might want to give him a call while you were in Santo Padre. And after a month in the town, you actually did it quite a lot. Creeper was such a nice guy and he wasn’t only available to bang, but also to have dinner, take a coffee or give you a ride. Anyway, it was with him with who you spend the time, not with his entire club. You weren’t part of the Mayans and definitely it was better not to spread the rumour that a SAMCRO’s chick was hanging out with Mayans now.

Creeper’s eyes were on you as your fingertips outlined his tattoos, but your mind was somewhere else. A chest covered in ink was familiar to you, but at the same time it was completely strange. You knew by heart every single tattoo Happy had on his body and now you were afraid of not being able to touch them again.

“These scar tattoos look so real.”

“It still surprises me how fucking funny you are”, he responded, ironically, making you smile.

“How is your shoulder?”

“Better every day”.

“I’m glad”, you said before laying your head on his chest and taking a deep breath. You felt his hand caress your bared back and you made yourself more comfortable on his bed. “Do you ever think about this life? If any of this makes sense?”

“What do you mean?”

“I came here running away from this life. It hurt to stay, but not being there hurts even more”, you confessed. “I realized I can’t stay away from it. I don’t want to stay away.”

“It’s a fuck-up life, but this kutt is the best ever happened to me. Everything I ever wanted”, Creeper said. You loved that about him. The fact that, if you gave him the opportunity, he was able to share a great amount of deep thoughts. “My brothers, they are my family, and I’d do anything for them no matter what.”

“I live, I die, I kill for my club”, you mumbled.

“What is that?”

“A tattoo.”

“Haven't seen it.”

“It's not mine. It's someone else's.”

“Your man's, right?”, he asked. “The man you love.”

“How do you know that I…?”

“I’m a good listener. And a good observer too”, he answered. “And you talk about Happy more than you think.”

Suddenly, your face was deadly serious, and a slight feeling of sadness had grown inside your chest.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”, he questioned. “I knew since almost the beginning what this was, as I knew you were good with it too. And sex had been great, but I also enjoyed our conversations. Being able to talk to someone feels good.”

“I know. It’s been good for me too.”

Despite not feeling as bad as a few moments ago, you weren’t in the mood to lay naked on Creeper’s chest anymore, so you opted for sit cross-legged while covering yourself with the sheets.

“I’m not sure what’s the matter between you two, but all men I know on this side just want to stay close to his brothers and have a good Old Lady to come back to every night.”

“Not all men”, you pointed out.

“Bullshit”, he growled. “Even those who think they don’t, they do. The hoes and the booze are great, but we all need someone who cares about us. Someone to put some light in the middle of the darkness.”

“That’s what you want?”, you asked him. And surprisingly, Creeper had no misgivings before answering.

“Hell yeah”, he said. “When the time comes. I’m in no hurry.”

You smiled at him slightly, taking your hand to his cheek and caressing it gently.

“You’ll do”, you assured him. “You are one of the good ones, Neron.”

Creeper smirked and enjoyed your sweet attention for a few moments more before changing the topic again.

“So? What are you gonna do?”

You thought the answer carefully. Deep in your heart you knew what the correct decision was, and most important, you knew what you really wanted to do. The time for reflection was over, and the moment to face the truth and make decisions had arrived.

“I may go home”, you said. “I need to solve it, whatever the end.”

←Part 1 // Part 3 →

[huffle-dork]

Swap into the CrystalVerse Chapter 17: Fantasy Masks

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix 

Read Swapboys | Read Fantasy Masks | AO3 Link

Prologue | Switch | Stitched | PNPT | Septicheroes | Fantasy Masks

Taglist: @brokentimewatch @di-diwata  

True enough, at first light Bro and Alt hear a voice outside their tent "Alt? Other me--Bro? It's time to get up." It's Chase.

Alt glitches outside of the tent pretty much immediately, his bag of stuff prepared and slung over his shoulder. He looks like he barely slept at all.

Bro stumbles out a few beats later, blinking sleepily and pulling on his tunic and grabbing his own stuff. “Mhm ‘morning-“ He yawns.

“Whoa!” Chase jumps a little when Alt appears in front of him. “Elders, I forgot… You were really fast there.” He laughs. “Hi you two. We’re going to grab a quick breakfast at the fire and then head out, okay?”

Alt flushes a bit, "ah sorry... been trying not to glitch as much..." He mutters. He nods and starts heading towards the fire.

Bro shakes his head, "If it makes you feel better I live with him and I'm still not quite used to it." He laughs, readjusting his stuff and making sure Alt and him didn't leave anything in their tent.

“Well don’t hold yourself back for our sake. Then we’ll never get used to it.” Chase looks through the tent opening. “Have everything? Alright. Let’s go.”

Alt probably only half heard Chase as he stumbles towards the fire. Bro sighs a bit in worry.

The camp is less busy this early, but it’s never entirely quiet. People are already up and walking around, and breakfast is already being made. As they approach the fire, they see the other four already there.

Henrik is busying himself with packing food into a bag, but he looks up when the others approach. “Ah, good to see you. Chase and Chase and Alt, do you have anything you think we should take? In terms of food supplies, I mean.”

Alt waves a little and stifles a yawn, pixelating a bit. “Um- anything we can eat quick… my magic can be a drain but I can bounce back with some good fuel- like… jerky probably.” He shrugs.

“Good! We have lots of that already.” Henrik closes the bag, buckling the flap.

“Are you okay, Alt?” Jackie asks. “You look really tired and… your form is breaking. Did worry keep you up?”

“M’fine,” Alt mutters, rubbing at his eyes. He’s definitely lying. “We just gotta keep moving… I’ll wake up.”

Chase gives Alt an odd look, clearly not buying that he’s fine, but it’s not worth the trouble.

“I could have provided a sleeping tonic, if you asked,” Henrik says. “Oh! But here is the opposite of that.” He reaches into one of his belt pouches and withdraws a small cloth bag. Inside are a handful of brown beans. “I asked Nemet about your ‘kohfi,’ and she says these are the beans that makes it. This is all she had but she insisted we take them anyway. How kind of her. I am not sure how to make the drink but she says they are fine to eat, if bitter, and provide the same effect.”

Alt’s eyes do brighten a bit at the coffee beans. He laughs and smiles some then grabs a couple to eat. They are bitter but he takes his coffee black. “Mm- that’ll help. Thanks dude.”

“Ah yeah! We eat chocolate covered coffee beans at home all the time!” Bro grins. “Sometimes I like it better than actually coffee- it’s like a fun pick me up!”

Henrik grins. “I’m glad this is not so strange, then.” The beans are a bit different than the ones back home, a bit softer but still with a good crunch. Henrik pops a couple in his mouth too.

“You sure that won’t conflict with your medicine, Schneep?” Jackie asks.

“Is alright, I asked Nemet about that.”

“We’d better hurry,” Marvin says. “The days are only getting shorter.”

Alt nods, gaining a serious expression that sharpens up his features. He double checks he has all his modern things- his headphones, his old pants, the TRVLR. Huh- he actually hasn’t checked the TRVLR since they got here… but he’s sure it’ll work… right?

Bro sneaks some beans too and makes a face, “mhm- could use chocolate.” He chuckles. Then he stands up at attention. “Alright team! Let’s get this show on the road!”

When Alt checks the TRVLR, its screen is at first only that low battery sign. When Alt gives it a jolt, it powers on like usual, but there is now a fourth circle in the middle of the usual three. This one is red, and marked with an exclamation point.

Alt’s eyes widen slightly and he checks on the new circle.

A message in red text pops up, with an X in the upper right corner to close out of it

WARNING Latency Detected

This unit is having difficulty connecting to the universal database. This is for one or more of the following reasons:

-A Ripple is happening

-Current location is too far from unit's home universe

-Current location does not have the technical capabilities of helping connection

Please take this into account when jumping.

Jameson leans over Alt's shoulder to look at the TRVLR screen. What strange symbols, he says.

Bro looks over Alt’s shoulder to read and Alt’s face pales. “…it- it might not work…” he whispers with slight horror. “We-We’re somewhere without technology- I-I didn’t even think…!”

“C-Calm down Alt! I’m sure the fancy Iris guys accounted for something like this! Besides… we can’t leave without Mag… let’s focus on one thing at a time, okay?”

Alt shakily nods and puts the TRVLR away, trying not to panic again. “Right.. right- w-we gotta focus…”

Marvin watches the two of them with concern. "Your talisman for getting home is having trouble? Is there anything we can do?"

“I’m not sure…” Alt mutters, “It says it’s having trouble connecting… cuz we’re lacking some- modern things. Things I dunno how to get here… my- lightning might not be enough…” He squeezes his arm and tries to take a deep breath. “B-But Bro’s right we’ll… have to worry about that later.”

“If it does work I’m sure there’s some other way,” Marvin says, a bit awkward in his reassurances but clearly genuine. “I’ve heard of other worlds so there must be a way to get there.”

“We’ll do everything we can,” Jackie says. “I swear it.”

Alt tries to smile and nods, “Thanks.”

After a quick breakfast, and a brief stop where Jackie, Henrik, and Marvin discuss things with the second in commands, it’s time to go.

Alt is anxious all throughout breakfast and Bro watches him in worry. Usually Alt gets a lot of his anxious energy out through glitching but he’s being unnaturally still. Bro doesn’t see him suppress his glitching much…

Once it’s time to go Alt anxiously bounces on his feet. Bro stands next to him and tries to put a hand on his shoulder but Alt glitches out of his reach. “…it’s gonna be okay Alt- we got this!” He tries to reassure.

The group heads out of camp, passing the Phantoms on perimeter part roll and heading into the woods. Things quickly start looking similar to Bro and Alt, but everyone else seems fairly confident. Chase and Jackie are leading the way.

“Yes, we have this,” Henrik says, overhearing the two of them. “I know it is intimidating, but we are all practiced at this by this point.”

“Ha! I’d believe it! With all the training and you all being so prepared, I feel confident!” Bro smiles.

Alt picks at his shirt, glancing at the woods like something could come out of them at any second and grab them.

Chase glances back and notices Alt looking around. "Hah... worried about animals?" he guesses, grinning. "Don't worry. Predators won't attack a group of humans this big unless they're desperate. Trust me, I grew up in these woods. And as for other people... well, no one comes up here. It's a hard climb and there's nothing nearby." He faces forward again. "Although... I wonder if a storm is coming..."

Alt slowly nods. He gets like this sometimes, thinking about Mag. Like he can constantly hear his laughter in his head. See the slinking of catlike shadows in his peripheral vision. He tries to shake off that feeling, clutching the bow he borrowed from the Phantoms close.

-----------

"Magnificent."

The palace is surprisingly dark right now. But not because it's night. No, looking out the windows shows a gloomy sky overhead, crowded with heavy black clouds. The King is standing by one of said windows. "Are you awake?" he presses.

It takes a second for the magician to stir but soon enough he opens his eyes and sits up right quickly, rubbing at his face and putting back on his mask, “ah yes. Forgive me- didn’t mean to oversleep.” He pushes himself off the bed and dusts himself off before approaching the King. “Hm- looks like it could be a storm…”

“Exactly.” The King nods. “And we don’t want to travel in weather like that. It’s a sure way to catch the shivering. Do they have that where you’re from?”

It certainly looks bad out there. And in this strange land {he should probably trust the judgment of someone who lives here.}

“…I don’t know if we call it the shivering but I’m assuming we do.” Mag comments. He huddles his cloak around himself and thinks. Then he shrugs, “Weather can’t be helped. I certainly don’t want to get soaked- mayhaps I can find more books about the magic here…”

“Oh, you know… fatigue, confusion, shivers, difficulty breathing.” The King lists off the symptoms in rapid succession. “Caused by the cold. And walking in wet clothes will definitely leave you cold enough to catch it.”

“Sounds like a bad cold or the flu-“ Mag muttered with a shrug.

“But enough of that. I’m assuming you checked the library. They may have a secret section there, if I remember correctly.”

Mag flares out his cape dramatically to head towards the library, “Well then- if we’re stuck here I shall spend the day in there.”

"Very well." The King reaches out to the candle sconce on the wall. A spark leaps from his fingertip to the wick, lighting it with an electric hsss. "Let me see if I remember where the secret section is..."

As they walk down the hallways towards the library in the center of the palace, the King continues lighting the candles in a similar matter. It doesn't do much to help penetrate the darkness, but it's better than nothing.

Mag blinks at the king doing this and every so often he’ll light a candle before he does with a twitch of his head- lighting it with green fire. Mhm- a castle would look so pretty covered in such a lovely color. The thought makes Mag smirk to himself.

"Best be careful in there," he says, more to himself than Mag. "Dry paper. Best hope they have candle shields in there."

The library is not as grand as it probably should be for a palace. It's small, and probably would have been cozy if it hadn't been so dusty. The King walks back behind a desk, brushing aside some cobwebs to open a drawer. "Oh good. They do." He pulls out a candle holder with a single candle, a glass bowl attached to the base, high enough to shield the flame. He reaches in and lights it. "Now... where is it...?"

Mag coughs at the dust and uses some of his magic to sweep it and more cobwebs away. “Eugh.”

The King chuckles. "Not a fan of dust? Me neither." {That's something else they have in common.}

“I deal with it enough at home,” Mag grumbles.

The King begins searching the shelves. "If memory serves me... There's something we can pull or slide that opens an alcove on this wall. Here, search with me. Or on your own, if you wish."

Mag nods and starts to look across the shelves, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He lights a flame in his hand but flickers a shield around it like the king’s candle.

It takes a long while--maybe frustratingly long--but eventually the King shouts "Aha!" One of the shelves on a bookcase slides back into the wall when pushed. Next to it, a section of the stone wall swings open with a grinding noise. "After you, then," the King says, {ever gracious.}

Mag startles a bit at the sudden noise but then smirks at the king, taking advantage of going first. “thank you Aodhan~”

The King nods and steps aside.

The room beyond is small and windowless, but packed with things. Scrolls and old, crudely-bound books line the walls, dried herbs hang from the ceiling, and various crystals, powders, and pressed flowers fill bowls and jars on shelves. Surprisingly well-preserved pumpkins sit on the floor. A large cauldron takes up an alcove on the opposite wall, hanging off the ground by about a foot. A staff hangs on the wall, a red-speckled green stone embedded in the top. Candles sconces hang off the walls, holding blue candles.

"Ah, I see, this is for both witchcraft and wizardry," the King says from the entrance.

Magnificent’s eyes light up at the sight. He seems to actually smile as he looks at the witchy things. He tries to carefully clean off the dust as he looks at the trinkets. “Ha… this reminds me of playing witch as a boy…” He muses.

The King smiles, looking {almost fond.} "You studied magic as a child as well? I suppose that makes sense."

Magnificent laughs quietly, running a finger across some of the crystals, “My family were sorcerers. Prestigious… we had a family name to uphold. My birth was mainly just to keep the family name in tact for my father. He was very strict in what magic I could and could not learn. Very strict with my studies. So much so I did not interact or go out much as a child.” He laughs and then touches around the caldron, “then.., I met my best friend. Jackie. He got me out of my house… and together we learned things together. He showed me forms of witchcraft his family knew- though he didn’t practice. But it was fun… to rebel and learn things that would enrage my father.” He then becomes more aware of himself and flushes some, coughing and turning back around to look further into the room. “But uh- of course that’s all irrelevant. Apologizes.”

The King tilts his head, {softening a bit.} "It does... help me understand you more. Do you think the child of a monarch is ever born with anything other than 'the family name' in mind? The royal line is especially honored in Glasúil, in a way that isn't often found in other lands. And it is because of the legend of legacy. Something I've already told you I never cared for." He pauses. "My powers were weak, once. Limited, as magic here has always been limited. I spent ages studying, strengthening them. And my family never approved of it." Another pause. "But that's all irrelevant. Apologies."

Magnificent looks at the king and shares with him a wry smile. “…we have even more in common then, Aodhan. Never thought I’d have much in common with a Royal-“ he snorts.

"I never thought I would have so much in common with anyone." The King pauses. Then he turns and heads off. "I'll leave you to explore here. If the weather lets up I'll let you know." And he disappears. {Perhaps he wasn't as bad as their first impression led Mag to think.}

Magnificent watches the King go- expecting to narrow his eyes as he back when he left. But… he had been… decent today. Even… pleasant? Perhaps it was the weather.., Nevertheless, he was here to see if could better understand that magic here. There had to be some way to get the upper hand on the king.., and now- he had the whole day to search. And so he began.

It slowly starts to rain, accompanied by distant rumbling thunder. {It's strangely calming.}

Magnificent always did like the sound of rain, what a soothing soundtrack to his research…

-----------

It is not raining in the mountains as the group finally leaves the Greatwoods, finding themselves on a sloping field, grass pushing up between rocks and boulders.

"Aaaand this is officially where my knowledge ends," Chase says.

Marvin shields his eyes from the sun and looks into the distance. Next to him, Draco hops onto a rock, tail swishing as he hunts down some bug or something. "It does look like there's a storm out there."

I think that would be good, Jameson says. If it's in the direction we're heading, it means they'll be forced to stay in one place because of the weather.

Alt seems to brighten at this, “Oh- that’s… that’s good! Maybe we can catch up!”

"It also means we'd have to walk in the rain," Marvin grumbles.

Bro laughs a bit and lightly nudges Marvin, gesturing at his mask. “Afraid of getting wet, kitty?” He lightly teases.

"Yes," Marvin answers plainly.

"Don't you have some sort of water repelling spell or something?" Jackie recalls.

"Yea, but it can't cover all of you, just me. I'm not going to be responsible for all of you getting the shivering."

Chase shudders. "True, that's not pleasant."

"But Alt is right, we will catch up," Henrik says.

"Maybe it'll be clearer by the time we reach that area," Marvin hopes.

“Oh- well, guess that makes sense.” Bro says, messing with the back of his hair and grinning sheepishly.

Alt hums, “The shivering- that must be hypothermia… I’ve gotten that before- s’not fun… so best to avoid the rain if we can.”

“…you’ve gotten hypothermia before?!” Bro asks alt in alarm.

Alt gives him a steady look, “I was on and off the streets for almost a decade, Chase. Lots of stuff happens there.” He moves to keep going, adjusting his mask.

“Ah.. right…” Bro replies quietly.

"Hmm." Chase glances at Alt. "I got the shivering once. It's actually how I found the Phantoms, I was wandering in the woods sick and they decided to take me to Wyvernlair."

Is that what happened? Jameson asks, surprised.

"Oh, right, you and Marvin weren't there. Well, yea, that's what happened, basically." The group is now slowly walking down the rocky field.

Alt has a faraway look in his eyes, "... I had a really bad night... once. It was storming so hard and I was low on magic... and food. I couldn't find a good place to hide and just- had to stay in the rain. in the cold. I thought maybe that might be the night I would die." Bro listens with wide eyes. He hasn't heard this story. "I'm really lucky... someone found me. A group of magicians, noticing I was low on magic and sick. Called themselves the Chaos Circle." He smiles to himself, faintly, "... found some good people there. They saved me from dying out in the cold." He smiles a bit more at Chase, "Kinda like the Phantoms finding you, huh?"

Chase smiles back. "Yeah. Sounds pretty similar. I'm glad you had those guys."

"Sounds like a rebellious coven of sorts." Marvin grins. "Covens here are mostly sorcerers and witchcraft practicers but sometimes others will join. I was always interested in the idea of those, but I wasn't very sociable."

Alt laughs quietly, "Yeah... It was. We thought of ourselves as punks. We didn't wanna conform to the actual circle's practices."

"I guess Henrik and I were your coven, then, Marvin," Jackie says, half-jokingly.

Bro is staring at Alt with wide eyes, "...you don't-... you never really talked about all of that with us..."

Alt's expression darkens. "...it was another... hard part of my life, Chase. I lost... people I cared about from there. I did... bad things. I didn't fit in. I ran away eventually- when the actual magic circle had enough of us. ... I dunno if they're even still around."

The others are silent for a minute. This feels like a somber moment. "You're in good company, at least, then," Marvin says quietly. "I was on my own for a while. Ran away from these guys. Did some... stuff. So... it probably wasn't the same, but I can understand."

Alt looks at Marvin and shares a look with him before smiling softly, "Yeah..."

"At least... now you have your brother, Alt," Jackie says slowly, nodding at Bro. "Didn't you guys also mention you had other friends? I'm sure they're there for you."

Bro smiles and nods, "Yeah! You won't ever have to worry about that happening ever again."

Alt chuckles and shoulder-checks Bro slightly, "Yeah... you're right." Alt looks back at Jackie and smiles, "Yeah- we got.. other versions of you all actually. We have our Jackie... he's a dad- 3 kids. Sweetest things in the world. And our Jameson... he's a doctor. But a doctor of the mind. And our Henrik- he's... he's a performer. He can't hear well but he's just- a ray of sunshine. ...they're good lads." He shakes his head, "They're not gonna believe all of this when we see them again."

"They all sound so nice!" Jackie grins. "I couldn't picture myself as a parent. I'll leave that to you, Chase."

"Heh." Chase gives him a small smile.

"Would you want to be a doctor, Jameson?" Henrik asks. "Because I cannot see myself as a performer."

Jameson thinks about that. I'm not sure I'd be cut out for doctoring. Of the mind or the body. If anything, I'd prefer the performance. I could be a musician. Perhaps the violin!

"A traveling minstrel?" Marvin laughs. "I can see that. Maybe in another world."

Alt smiles, "I like music- m'not very good at it but I can least put stuff together for a show. I like... drawing more. Painting." He flushes.

Bro laughs, "Maybe once the king is defeated you can travel around Jameson! I think being a traveling musician suits you!"

Jameson smiles sadly. Maybe eventually. I'd have to go home first. Sort out the mess the King made up there. Marvin leans closer to him, bumping their shoulders together.

"Maybe you two can return to this world one day," Chase says. "And you can show us some of your art. Or bring your other friends. I think it would be... interesting. For both of us, since our worlds are so different."

Bro beams, "Dude, the others would love it! Jackie is just as much a nerd as I am- he'd love to try sword fighting. We spar all the time." He laughs, "And i bet Henny would love not feeling like the most out of time anymore."

"I'd love to teach another me how to sword fight!" Jackie exclaims. "I wonder if we'll learn the same way. Well, I'm sure it'll be different. I learned when I was a child."

Alt blinks at Jameson and wants to ask more but.... sounds like its a loaded situation. He anxiously starts to chew on a few more coffee beans.

"Ah, be careful, Alt, we do not have many of these," Henrik says.

"oh- right." Alt blushes and hands the bag back to Henrik, "You should hold onto these then..." He hides in his hood.

"Do not worry about it," Henrik reassures him, putting the beans in his pouch.

"He knows... how to fight! But with his fists, and with fancy moves!" Bro laughs, "Me and Him know more of how to fight with our bodies then with weapons. Cuz- they're illegal in our world- or at least the UK."

"Wait--weapons are outlawed?!" Chase repeats, wide-eyed. "What?!"

"Wait, what?" Marvin snaps back to the conversation. "All of them? Entirely?"

Jackie and Jameson seem equally shocked.

"Do not be so surprised," Henrik says to the rest of them. "Your cultural obsession with weaponry and warriors is a strange thing. In Alterde only the knights and performers may carry weapons."

"You don't know that we're out alone," Jackie says defensively. "I hear that Yuko's home nation is similar."

Bro blinks then laughs, "Well in our world... weapons are more... dangerous now. We have weapons that can... they can kill you in an instant. Faster than a sword could- and easier to carry. And we have a bit more of a structure- there's less to fight for. So, to try to make sure less people get hurt, only certain people can have weapons. But even our... guards for cities- they don't even carry dangerous weapons anymore. It's completely different in other countries though. Our country isn't perfect but- we definitely don't need weapons every day anymore."

"...huh." Jackie blinks. "I can't imagine that. I..." he laughs. "I genuinely can't imagine that. It's easier to think about using lightning as money."

"Something you must understand about this kingdom is that fighting is not just a necessity here," Henrik says. "It is, but it is also a form of... glory, I suppose? And entertainment. And a hobby that you can indulge in. I found it just as strange when I arrived here, but you get used to it. I will remind you that Jackie started training to use a sword as a twelve-year-old."

"Which has made me strong," Jackie says confidently. "Strong enough to handle almost anything."

I hope you're right, Jameson says.

"I get it! That's how our Jackie feels about his fighting- and his job. He can like- travel really fast and do these cool moves. He's really passionate about it. Makes him feel like a hero- like me!" Bro replies. "But yeah... I'd bet you guys would find it strange... how- i want to say peaceful our world is but... that's not true. We just... don't really carry weaponry around and do cool battles anymore."

Alt grips at his knife he has in his bag- Chase always had it a little more easy than he did. He never had to spill blood with a knife. ...sometimes he wonders if that made them too different.

[twinge-of-cosmicangst]

what are your hopes for the final episode?

Gonna go by character I guess

Kendall- Kendall has always been a favourite of mine, I have liked him less this season, that’s not me saying he’s been OC or anything, I just think it’s his natural progression now he hasn’t got the moral of high ground over his father. He is becoming his father, he is the epitome of “the cycle” some people think Shiv is most like Logan, some even think Roman is, but to me it’s Kendall, and always has been, and it’s even more evident this season. When Ewan said that he and Logan had a meagreness about them, but the the difference between them is that Ewan tries to be moral, whereas at some point Logan stopped trying. Meaning that once upon a time Logan was a better man, which I think can be somewhat backed up by Connor the eldest being somewhat softer then the rest, perhaps Logan was not as brutal with him, if somewhat absent because of his obsession with his career (remind you of anyone) and then 15-25 odd years later his youngest son is physically beaten by him. I think when Ewan made that “he stopped trying” statement about Logan, the audience was supposed to think about Kendall. Despite his faults Kendall has shown genuine empathy multiple times throughout first 3 seasons and yet in season 4 he grows more and more cold as he literally tries to become his father. So the natural conclusion to this is that he becomes CEO but he is deeply unhappy and his soul is basically ruined and his whole family inevitably hating him. That would be a sad ending for Kendall fans, but it’s honestly hard to imagine another one for him, other then perhaps suicide, which I think is a possibility. So out of those to options I’d guess I’ll say CEO? I don’t know, the other potential CEO that I think could happen is maybe Tom, which would not great for him in the long run either but ultimately not as thematically tragic.

Roman- I honestly have no idea what Roman’s end game could be, I’m not even sure what I would want for him, that probably has something to do with the fact that he has never been one of my favourites, yet I do feel empathy for his character, Logan abused all his children, yet Roman was the only one he physically abused, to be singled out like that must be traumatising. I think he is slightly more likely to get a somewhat happier ending then Kendall (idk why I just feel it in my waters) and yeah he’s not my favourite but I don’t hate him, so I’ll be fine with him getting a neutral ending, perhaps working at Waystar (not CEO) and befriending Gerri once again?

Shiv: I am 99% sure that Shiv will not be CEO “American” or otherwise, I think pretty much all the other mains (aside from Connor) have more of a chance becoming CEO. This is not because I’m secretly a internal misogynist, neither do I think she will not become CEO because of her “Lack of experience” No the reason I think she has no chance is because of how the last episode ended Lucas telling her he can make the “American CEO work” was basically a neon sign saying “Matsson may be able to get an American CEO to work but it sure as fuck won’t be Shiv” that’s just how narrative convention works. Matsson is shady as fuck and it’s been kind of obvious that he’s been playing Shiv the whole time, she is aware of this and she has been playing him too, but she is only aware to an extent because when her mind is so close to the prize, I think she gets a little carried away. It fluctuates but at the moment Shiv is my second favourite character, and what I want for her professionally is what I’ve wanted for her since I watched season 2 and that’s to go back into politics. Connor has always been a bit of a scrounger (I love him though) and Ken and Roman of course have always been in the family business. Shiv was the only one to make a career for herself (yes she had a huge amount of privilege to help her build that career) but still she had a career that was hers not her fathers, not only that but she was a democrat, while her father has a hugely intimidating and influential presence in the conservative landscape, I never see anyone talk about how brave that was (even if it was somewhat to spite him lol) and yet after years of apparent resistance Logan managed to reel her back in, and we saw she was as desperate for his approval as her brothers were. The scene where Logan persuaded her to take her picture with Menken is one of the most devastating in the show imo, she was so reluctant but she did so for a promise of Waystar and Logan’s approval. She clearly had some passion for working in politics and she appeared to enjoy her job. This hope for her is fruitless though because it is the last episode of the last season so in terms of profession, my hope for Shiv would be that she ends up at Pierce, or perhaps goes into business with Roman (could they maybe work better together without Kendall, maybe it would be a disaster idk) I think there is more of a chance that Shiv gets out then there is for her brothers (she actually knows there is life outside of Waystar from 10+ years of a different career) also as she is my favourite of the siblings she is the one I want to escape the most, as I think working at Waystar (living in the haunted house) will end in misery for any of the siblings and I do want Shiv to be somewhat happy. In terms of personal I want Tom and Shiv to officially end it (although I think that’s unlikely this point) I’m not even talking from a Tomgreg perspective, Tom and Shiv clearly make each other miserable (I do believe they do love each other though) and I know them being miserable together is part of the appeal for a lot of people (hand in unloveable hand and all) but I would personally like them to put themselves out of their misery for good (honestly it would be better for their child as well) Speaking of the baby, I do not want to speak of it much because it is basically pointless as a plotline as we’ll never actually get to see the thing (unless they flash forward Harry Potter style “Logan Roman Nate Wambsgans you were named after the biggest sicko I’ve ever known”) I am not someone who was dead set against Shiv getting pregnant (in fact I thought it was a real possibility with some of the hints we got in season 3) but upon finding out that Jesse added it in last minute, it only makes me think the whole plotline is rushed and pointless and if the whole point of it is to bring Tom and Shiv back together, then dear god 🙄

Connor and Willa- These two’s married life seems to be going well (Yay I love Conwilla) and I think it is highly unlikely that they will randomly implode in the last episode, if they do, Jesse, I will Annie Wilkes your ass (For legal reasons this is a joke) but as the last episode is going to be very Waystar centric, Conwilla will probably be minimal, my main hope for them in the final is they get more screen time then I expect and that I am presently surprised, and that they are happy. Career wise it would be nice to hear how Willa’s playwriting is going, and I honestly don’t have a preference whether Connor is going to remain in politics or go back to “ranching” whatever tickles his pickle. What I would like for Connor though is a little, just smidge of affection from the sibs. GIVE US A SIBLING HUG WITH ALL 4 SIBLINGS YOU COWARDS! I know that the sibs care for Connor in their own way, but he doesn’t (he literally said no one loves him and none of them bothered correct him) Not to bring up the Tomshiv babby again but I can’t believe Matsson heard about it before brodad 🤮 the injustice. Please let at least one of the sibs have sweet moment with him. Please 🙏

Tom and Greg- Saving the best till last baby! I do genuinely want the gay art gallery date (real ones know) it is possible if somewhat unlikely. Other then that I do not expect Tomgreg to go canon but I would like them to have a decent amount of screen time (like proportionally the same as episode 8 which would be more screen time then episode 8 because episode 10 is 1/3 longer then episode 8, if I’m making sense) dream would be to have proportionally the same amount of screen time as episode 1 but that is unrealistic (episode 1 felt about 40% lmao). I would obviously like them to end on good terms, and I want them to be working together! I think Tom is a genuine possibility for “American CEO” he has experience, and Lukas may just do it to fuck with the Roy siblings. Matsson seems to genuinely like Greg but even he wouldn’t make someone like Greg CEO, under qualified is an understatement, the markets would freak, but maybe he would settle for Tom instead, maybe Greg persuades Matsson to name Tom (that would be the dream) I do think being CEO of Waystar inevitably leads to misery for anyone who becomes it (to quote Gerri “the job that makes your brain explode”) but like I said it’s not as tragic with Tom, because he won’t have the corpse of his abusive dead father breathing down his neck. Ultimately I would like Tom and Greg to be somewhat ok and working together and remain besties, wouldn’t mind Tom becoming CEO but idrc. If I’m being realistic I think Tom could end things in a really bad place unemployed? Publicly shamed? Getting arrested for cruises?? Lmao the last one is unlikely but not impossible, but I don’t want any of those things to happen, because he’s my favourite character and I don’t want him to be completely miserable, but I can deal with somewhat miserable, he kind of deserves it. With Greg I think he is the most likely out of the main characters to end up in a good place career wise (although again not CEO lmao) but it means nothing to me if he is in a good place career wise but estranged from Tom, so yeah Tomgreg to remain besties is really what I want for them the most (cheesy I know) a little bit of homoeroticism wouldn’t hurt either but I refuse to get my hopes up.

It just occurred to me while writing this that I said I wouldn’t mind if Tom became CEO but that I also said if Kendall doesn’t become CEO he’ll die! That is perhaps a bit extreme. But what I’m saying is that I think that out of all the characters Kendall is the most doomed by the narrative and will have a tragic ending no matter what, and hoping that he doesn’t his somewhat pointless, the only good thing that I can bring myself to hope for Kendall, is that his relationship with his siblings isn’t completely destroyed by the end of the series and that they are still on speaking terms.

[thotsforvillainrights]

🙈 Any chance you can write about Chisaki, AFO and Shigs with a sassy s/o?

Thank you so much!

(I love the ideal of them dealing with this!)

~Kai/AFO/Tomura’s Sassy S/O~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

~Overhaul~

-Oh does Pops get a kick out of watching the two of you interact on a daily basis. Really all of the members do! He demands respect and you’re determined to give it to him whenever you damn sure please rather than all the time. He loves you don’t get me wrong! But you just know how to get under his skin seemingly all the time. As Chrono would say it: ‘You are his biggest challenge’. I’m sure you take pride in it lol. Having someone so serious like him made it a little more fun around the base when you were involved in anything. You were much bolder than him (which made it easy for Rappa, Deidoro, Mimic, and Katsukame to get along with you. Unfortunately you’ve long since been banned from any important meetings due to your sassy demeanor. Aside from this, you’re everywhere in business you need not be. Worst part is that Kai can’t even say anything to you about it since Pops will hop into the conversation and scold him as though he was a child again. Even without Pops there, you still held up for yourself. Even so, he still couldn’t see his world without you by his side...no matter how annoying your sassy attitude could be sometimes!

~All For One~

-It’s shocking you could get into a relationship with the man let alone get away with being sassy around him. There was so much about you that he loved, and that was a big part of it. You challenged him and you never failed to amuse him in all that you do or say. To anyone on the outside, they’d be terrified to witness you speaking any kind of way to THE all for one. Did you not know he could eliminate you if he pleased to do so? Then why is the man chuckling as though you didn’t sass mouth him 10 minutes ago??? It’s confusing to most but to a very few they could see obviously he was entranced by you. Perhaps he might be able after a while to pick up on some of your mannerisms and give it a go himself? Although you have to admit it’s very odd watching him try to be sassy. He’s plenty cheeky in his own way so be sure to remind him next time he tries it your method haha. 

~Shigaraki~

-There’s going to be a lot of eye rolling from his end. He won’t say it but he secretly likes how sassy you can be. It’s likely that your forward behavior is what attracted him the most about you in the first place. When he fell for that, the rest seemingly fell right into place. You’re not alone yknow. Sometimes he can tend to be a little sassy himself...in his own way of course. It’s more along the lines of sarcasm and sometimes self-deprecation but yknow potato, potato. He enjoys watching you interact with the others since it can get pretty funny sometimes. It’s especially funny watching you go back and forward with Dabi considering he can be a little bit of an asshole himself. However, you never managed to out-sass Compress of Magne. Anyhow, just be careful to not overstep the boundaries he has. It’s no mystery that he’s itching for a chance to put you back in your place :)

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

Day 14: Working Late

(AO3 time)

I am Emmet. I won’t be home for dinner.

This text would be much more normal for Elesa to send compared to Emmet, but Ingo still took it in stride as he lets the spaghetti sauce simmer. So, with the change in schedule for the evening, Ingo went about getting the night ready. It was currently 5:45pm, and Elesa was due home from the Gym by 6:30. Get the food ready, and maybe spend some time watching either TV or movies until she had to get to bed before her photoshoot in the morning.

And by 8pm, the pair were settled down in pajamas, watching The Food Network on the couch in the living room, since it was their shared guilty pleasure that Emmet simply didn’t care for. It was odd for him to not be home yet, especially on an early day, but they made the most of it. The pair salivated over the food these television chefs were making, and occasionally paused to note down specific recipes that strike their paired fancies.

And by 11pm, Elesa was curled up in bed and asleep, and Ingo was at the dining room table, with several books strewn about him and a notebook open for notes. And it was like this that Emmet finally opens the apartment door and walks in. “I am Emmet! Today was too long!” He falls into a chair across the table from and groans in exhaustion.

“Welcome home, brother,” Ingo says, looking up from his studying. “Was today really that busy?” While Ingo was almost always frowning, the furrow of his eyebrows shows his concern as he closes his notebook. “Are you sure I couldn’t have helped today?”

Emmet waves his hand with a sigh as he sits up. “I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. You won’t be until Monday. It’s Friday.” With a grunt, he stands up to begin reheating the spaghetti sauce. “You get a bit more on your vacation.”

Ingo grumbles as he taps his pencil against the notebook. “I’ve been on an extended vacation for three years, Emmet. I’m wanting to get back to work, it’s been killing me to do nothing but cook, clean, and study for recertification.”

“Did they let you know if they would waive the fee?” Emmet pokes at the sauce with a spoon as it begins to simmer. “I’d be able to help with the fee. It’d be nice to have it gone, though.”

“Very nice,” Ingo says, slumping in his chair. “They did say that they would waive it due to the circumstances. I feel confident for the test on Thursday.” 

Emmet nods quietly as he prepares his plate of spaghetti and sits across from Ingo again. “You’ll do fine. You are Ingo. You were, are, a Subway Boss.” He slurps up a bit of noodle and swallows before smiling at his brother. “If you fail, then they simply gave you a bad test.”

“Bravo,” Ingo says sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he begins to gather up his books. “So, nothing out of the ordinary at work today? Just stayed late?”

Emmet nods with a mouthful of spaghetti, giving Ingo the chance to clear the table of his study material before swallowing. “Just some maintenance on the computer systems. They needed a manager to sign off. Hilda and Isadore were openers, Cloud had an issue arise.” He shrugs and sighs down at his half-eaten spaghetti. “And I haven’t been here much, so I offered to stay. And now I am tired and hungry, but my appetite is quickly going.”

“Don’t force yourself,” Ingo says with a yawn before stepping over to give Emmet a one-arm hug. “Make sure to treat your engine with care, and get some rest when you’re able. I’m heading to bed. Good night, Emmet.”

“Good night, Ingo.”

[sysba]

cal x edith - first kiss

[cal belongs to @night-triumphantt ] wc: 1.2k a/n: this week had valentine's day and ockissweek and well, i'm equally bad at both but i drabbled caledith first kiss for my and judie's eyes lol there's 2 parts before this because they literally take like a year just to confess i hate them sm anyway enjoy void i'm not gonna proof read shit

“Christ, I’m beat.”

Edith winces when her back hits the counter. The shop looks nothing better than it did a few hours ago; knocked-over boxes of music records everywhere, papers and books all over the floor, and the clock marking 11PM as she sighs.

From his less-than-comfortable seat on that same floor, close as he can be without letting his knee touch hers, Cal smiles at her. 

“I can finish this up. Maybe you can get some sleep upstairs?” 

‘Should’, ‘could’, ‘maybe’... Cal somehow mastered the art of caring for Edith without ever telling her what to do. It works, most of the time. 

But this time he’s not even done talking and she’s already objecting, so he rushes to add, “I don’t mind! Really. It’s been a busy day, and you haven’t stopped for a moment.”

Neither has he, but it doesn’t seem to matter much. Edith shakes her head almost too fondly, a little scoff of amusement leaving her lips before she takes a swig of her drink (an abominable mix of tequila and Kahlúa with far too much of the latter to be called appealing).

She seems to consider something for a moment, eyes narrowing just barely as she nibbles on the inside of her cheek. 

“Maybe we should just leave it. Close the shop for a day or something.” She says it nonchalantly but frowns once she notices the odd look on Cal’s face, who’s staring at her with a mix of concern and confusion and a secret third thing. “What?”

“Nothing,” he replies a bit too quickly, a deer in the headlights stumbling on his words, “I, uh… You never take a day off, it took me off guard.”

He’s mumbling, but his low voice reaches her anyways because she clicks her tongue at him in mock offence– Cal doesn’t even notice, too distracted by the playful smile that follows.

“Yeah, well,” Edith nods towards the mess surrounding them with something like resignation. “All things considered, we might deserve a break.”

Cal huffs a small laugh at that, but neither of them shows any sign of wanting to get up. It takes him a moment before he goes back to his task, patiently sorting through a bunch of vinyl. 

Edith makes no move to stop him, apparently too engrossed in her drink. He thinks her cheeks are a bit darker, but whether it’s the alcohol or a trick of the dim lights he’s not quite sure.

There’s a comfortable silence lulling them, the first they’ve had in a while; they haven’t really been able to share a space like this lately, not without a pervading sense of awkwardness making either of them run away at the first occasion.

In fact, they’ve barely ever been alone for more than a couple minutes for the past few months. Not ever since–

Hoping Edith won’t notice, Cal subtly shakes his head to try and banish the memory of their last real conversation. It doesn’t work, it never has. 

‘You love me.’ Her accusation rings loud in his mind even months later, still vicious, still true. 

He can still taste that same bitter desperation he felt as she walked away that time. The metallic taste of it sits on his tongue, and he can’t seem to swallow it down, so much so that he almost begs her to stay once again.

He looks at Edith once more. Her eyes are closed now, head tilted back to rest against the counter, offering the full sharp curve of her neck to him; it’s odd, seeing her so vulnerable. Like a nerve exposed, a jugular eagerly pressed to a blade. There’s something almost sacrificial about it, and it’s gratifying.  

Cal can see every detail of her even in this dimness, from the waves of her hair meeting her broad shoulders to the long shadows of her lashes on her cheeks (and what he can’t see he can make from memory, like the faint freckles on the tip of her nose and the ever-present cracks on her lips).

Her chest rises and falls quietly, rhythmically. The sight is so peaceful that when she speaks it takes him a moment to register she’s awake. 

“Edith?”

The corners of her lips curl a bit.

“I wanted to say it back,” she mutters again, and this time he catches it. Her eyes are open now, but she doesn’t look at him. Not yet. 

“That day, after you…” she lets the sentence hang in the air, gesturing vaguely. 

After he almost said it. Not that she needs to explain that, of course. It’s wonderfully, cruelly poetic how she brings it up now, in the very same room.

“I thought about saying it, but then I got– scared, I guess.” 

She grimaces as she says it, teeth clenching around the ‘scared’ as if admitting it is physically painful. Cal swallows hard.

“Scared of what?” He whispers because somehow, somehow he knows anything louder would be a mistake.

“You.” 

The single word is a knife to his lungs, it knocks the air out of him and has him bleed the unspoken. She smiles again, sickeningly sweet, all glossy eyes and heated cheeks. 

“You scare me the most, y’know.”

He’s sorry. It hurts.

“I’m sorry, I–”

“I’m scared whenever I see you. ‘Cause I look at you and I’m just, ‘Shit, I’d do anything for you!’ And I’m pretty fucking sure I actually would, which is… Terrifying.” Her words come out in an almost sleepy chuckle, slurred and rushed and self-loathing. “Scares me whenever you leave, too, because then I’m always waiting for you to come back. ‘S a bit pathetic, really.” 

She’s finally looking at him. Was her gaze always this warm?

“I know what it means, now. You looking at me like that.”

I’ve been looking at you like this the whole time.

Even when she didn’t look back.

Cal’s heartbeat is so loud he can barely think, barely breathe. But he asks anyway. 

“What?”

He doesn’t understand what’s happening until her lips are ghosting over his (when did she lean in?) and he thinks he’s stopped breathing altogether. She tastes like sugar and coffee and a little bit like blood, and she kisses him as if she’s done so hundreds of times before.

Practised, familiar, with her thumb stroking his cheek and his hand clinging to her t-shirt. How she always cares for him out of habit, and how he chases her without even realising it– they kiss in that same way, like they’re saying both hello and goodbye.

Edith’s palms feel searing against his jaw, but she’s smiling, and Cal thinks he’d burn painlessly if they actually were.

“You love me.” 

It’s not an accusation anymore. 

I love you, does that scare you, too? I love you I love you I love you–

“I love you,” she says it before he can, and he looks so bewildered that she laughs. “That okay with you? You’ve gone real quiet on me.”

“You, ah… I–” He tries once, twice, and then a few times more till he can knit the three words together. “You love me?”

She hums, looking serene and maybe a bit drowsy.

“Quite so.”

[exclusivecolette]

LOVE AGAINST ALL ODDS

PT.6

long chapter sorry if i messed something up, this was very rushed.)

(if you aren’t blonde or don’t apply to the features, you can just put your own features in. i just put my features because i didn’t really know what else.)

summary: a girl starts to fall in love with a boy in class. But, her abusive parents are extremely strict (ignoring the fact she’s even old enough to drive.) And what is she gonna do when she realizes, he isn’t just some crush

TW: nothing really, cussing

———————————————————————

“hey y/n” char touch my ankle waking me up. “hi charlie” i sit up and see both my parents and my smile drops. “we’re here to take you home” my mom said quietly trying her very hardest to look guilty. I roll my eyes and look back at charlie. “here i brought you this” charlie said. I smile at him when he pulled out his phone. “thank you” i pull him in for a hug.

-

In the car i was texting matt the whole way. The doctor said i shouldn’t even be on my phone but i didn’t care. We get home and i instantly go to my room. I put on a comfy clothes, turn on my tv and start watching a new show.

-

a soft knock hit my door. “yeah?” i ask please be charlie. The door opened and i saw my mom, i sighed waiting for the talk. “i’m just here to let you know that me and your father are gonna be gone for the next 4 days, for work. But if you need us for anything- or don’t want us to go, we won’t” bitch you kidding? “nope, you guys can go. when are you guys leaving?” i ask not looking from the tv. “in a about an hour” she said.

“okay” i say hiding the emotion jumping in my body. “Charlies taking advantage of it and going to grandmas so he doesn’t have to go to school, but just wanted to let you know. Tell your brother bye.” We’re on spring break…

My parents never paid attention to things. Especially school, only if you had good grades then that’s all they need to know.

she walked out. A few minutes pass before charlie walked in my room.

“bye y/n” he said in a playful tone. “bye char have fun i love you.” i answer laughing. “bye love you. you have fun too” he wink and i responded by rolling my eyes.

-

It’s been 20 minutes since i heard the car pull out, so i called matt.

“hey you good?”

“yeah hi”

“you sure?”

“yeah um are you busy?” i ask.

“nope what’s up”

“so-“ i pause

“come on spit it out” he laughed

“do you wanna come over, my parents aren’t home and i have nothing to do but stare at a screen, even though the doctors said i shouldn’t-“ I say nervously

“yeah yeah right now?” he asked.

“if you can-“ i say timidly

“yeah i’m on my way. turn off the screen” he laughed getting up.

“okay i’ll see you in a bit?”

“yeah bye” he said.

“bye.”

-

15 minutes had passed. There was a knock at my front door. I get up and walk to the door excitedly. I open the door and his face instantly lit up “hi.” he breathed out smiling. His nose was rosy. It was a little chilly out, the sun was gonna set in about an a few hours. “you cold?” i ask moving back so he can come in.

“yeah i had the window down.” he giggled. he looked so cute. “thanks for keeping me busy” i say as he took off his shoes “is that the only reason you called?” he teased. “wanted to see you.” i shrugged blushing clearly. “what do you wanna do?” i ask just happy for him to be there, a smile never left my face.

He chuckled, “i don’t care whatever.”

I thought for a second. “we can make food. I’m kinda hungry.” i say and he groaned in satisfaction “yes yes i’m starving” he said and we laughed walking to the kitchen. “we can make like homemade pizza?” he suggested “we could but we don’t have the stuff for it” i say “let’s go to the store real fast.” he said “yeah let me change” i say

“what for?” he asked and i looked down at my sports bra and sweatpants. “i have a jacket.” he said walking back to the door “oh yeah speaking of i still have your hoodie” i say about to go upstairs to grab it. “i’ll get it later.” he shrugged and handed me the jacket. I put on the oversized jacket and we left.

Sitting in the passenger i look over at him with my head back. He picks up and looks at me smiling as we stopped at a light. “i- you’re so” i look for the way to put it “there for me.” i state and he smiled at the wording “I like being there for you” he start driving again.

“it’s crazy because i’ve known you since elementary and this is the first we’ve really been together. and not just like when we ran off at the bonfire a year ago, or went to patty’s and talked when we were bored.” he said.

“yeah, looking back we did engage a lot more than i realized.” i say looking back at the road and thinking. “we’ve been partners many times, had many projects together, presentations, but never really hung out like this” he stated.

-

“you know i can juggle” matt giggled grabbing 3 oranges. “matt no” i laugh and take them out of his hand leaning on him a little to put them back in the bin behind him. “god matt” i giggle and look up at him just to see him already looking at me. He was looking at me in a way. In a way that made my heart skip a beat. In a way that- “hey guys” a familiar voice said from behind me.

Me and matt both looked back to see a kid from our school. “Hi jack what’s up” he dabbed him up and i stood to the side. “hey y/n, not gonna say hi” he laughed opening his arms to a hug. “hi jack” i giggled hugging him. I looked up to matt and he had a almost angry look on his face, but quickly changed expressions when he saw me looked at him. jealous? i smirk at him.

“i’ll see you guys later bye” he walked off. I look back at matt and his jaw was slightly clenched. “you okay?” i start pushing the cart. “yeah no i’m good” he said and smiled at me.

We mess around the store a bit and also get the stuff for pizza.

I scan the last item and click pay. I start pulling out my wallet. It came to about 30 dollars, due to the extra snacks we threw in. “no i got it” he kinda pushed me with his body. “matt i’m already paying its fine” i push him back. “step back” he pulled out his wallet. “atleast let me go half” i push him back completely. “come on” he tilted his head and i smirked. “fine half” he negotiated.

-

“okay um do you even know how to make a pizza?” i ask holding up the packaged dough. “nope. but how hard could it be?” he shrugged. My mom was calling. “shit be quiet it’s my mom” i say before answering.

“hi mom” i say in a annoyed tone.

“hi i just wanted to check in-“

matt dropped a stack of bowls on the counter, they were plastic so they didn’t break. I shot him a confused looked.

“who’s there?” she asked suspiciously. “sydney came over, sorry i didn’t ask she just got here a few minutes” i lie quickly.

“oh can i talk to her. I haven’t said hi in a while”

fuck.

“she just walked in the bathroom but when she comes out i’ll call you back. She’s getting ready for bed”

matt had all the bowls picked up.

“okay call me back. bye i love you”

“bye” i hang up.

“i’m sorry” he said looking up from his phone. “your okay” i insure quickly swiping on phone. “what are you doing-“ he stopped when he saw my phone go back to my ear. “put it on speaker” he said intrigued.

“hey” syds voice said

“you love me right?” i said watching a smile grow on matts face.

“yeah what’s up?”

“i need a favor”

“yeah anything.”

“can you come by the home just for a few minutes and talk to my mom?” i asked quickly.

“yeah i’ll leave now, your home?” she asked and i heard stuff moving around.

“well i got home earlier, and my mom and dad are somewhere for work, and my brothers at my grandmas. So i asked matt to come over….” i said the last sentence painfully slow.

“AHHHH i love you guys like together so much-“ she screeched and i heard driving.

My face flushed and i looked away putting my head into my hand

“yeah so my mom called earlier and matt” i emphasize his name “dropped bowls and she was like all suspicious and i told her you were over but weren’t able to be on the phone right at that second-“

“yeah i almost there i’ll see you in like 3 minutes, i love you”

“love u too bye.”

I place my phone down. “so that solves that.” i say looking up at him “okay so do you wanna start the pizza?” he stood up. “yeah grab the flour”

-

“hey babe i’m here” she sang coming in the door and saw me and matt with flour all over eachother. It had been 3 minutes, and we hadn’t even opened the dough. As soon as the flour left the cabinet we were like kids, throwing flour at eachother.

“you guys are so cute” she smiled walking over to my phone and opening it. I blush again and he noticed as i looked away. Syd called my mom and handed me the phone.

-

“bye thanks so much syd i love you” i say hand on the door. “no problem bye i love u” she said walking off to the car and i shut the door. I walk back into the kitchen and my eyes meet matt but i quickly look away. “okay let’s start”

-

“you know, did you know i was italian?” he asked putting the heart pizzas in the oven. “yeah actually i remember you saying something about it at the start of the year” i say looking at him before setting the timer. “my roots are coming up” he giggled making me chuckle. “you’re unreal matt” i walk away. “i’m gonna change real fast” i say and he nodded.

I change into my brandy boxers with little teddy bears and a matching brown sports bra i’d bought just for this outfit. I trout down the stairs looking for a pair of socks. Fluffy white socks with teddy bears on the side. I felt matt’s eyes on me. Maybe it was because i’d just entered the kitchen. Or maybe because i came down the stairs looking for something. Or maybe it was fact that my boxers with riding up on thighs.

I look at him for second making him sit up and jump out of whichever thought he was thinking. “what are you looking for?” he stood up. “ummm” my voice trailed off in the living room making him follow me. I see a basket of clothes with my socks on the top. I lift up each foot putting them on.

“look” she smiled at her socks like it was the last pair on earth. Her smile so perfect the way it was wide. The way it made her eyes appear slimmer when her cheeks rose up from her big smile. She’s beautiful. “look at my socks” she stated when i didn’t look, a smile quickly appearing back on her face.

I look down at the white fuzzy socks that had a small teddy bear on the side of each one. She wiggled her feet to show off the socks that matched her shor- GOD her shorts. The way her her thighs made them ride up, the way the shorts barely cuffed the bottom of her as- “come on” she waved me to follow her.

“do you wanna watch a movie tonight?” i ask sitting up on the counter.

My eyes quickly glanced at her thighs when she looked away to think. The way they smooshed from the counter.

“we can watch like a scary movie, a disney-“ his voice interrupted mine. “whatever you want-“ his stopped when it look like he remembered something. “you aren’t allowed to look at too much screen.” i playfully roll my eyes. “too bad” i say in a whiny tone. “you can…oh! you can wear sunglasses?” he suggested like it was a real answer.

“you’re funny” i say sarcastically. “i’m so serious, that’s the only way i’ll watch a movie with you.” he says shrugging. “fine” i groan.

-

“is it good” i ask him and he motions for me to also take a bite. I do and it was good. “it’s good” he said after swallowing the rest of his food. “yeah i like it” i say.

-

“are you sure you have enough blanket?” he asked. “yeah i’m good” i lean forward to set down the dr pepper i was sipping. “what do you wanna watch?” i ask and when i look over to him he was already looking at me with his head tilted back on the couch. “what ever you want” he said in a low tone. “no help me pick” i say laying my head back on the couch too.

“let’s watch a disney movie” he suggested. Excitement flew through my body “i was hoping you’d say that” i turn back to the TV and start scrolling. “what kind? Like a princess movie?” i ask looking up at him and he was already staring at me again. “let’s watch tangled?” he said and my eyes widened. “your so perfect” i lean my head on his shoulder.

“i almost forgot something” he said and i looked up in confusion. “your sunglasses” i rolled my eyes “matt!!!!!” i whine “i was just kidding” he laughed “you really thought i was gonna make you wear sunglasses?” i shrugged.

I felt my body relax. “tangled is literally my favorite” she looked up at me with a big smile on her face. She placed her head back down. She wrapped her arm around my arm as she leaned on my shoulder.

-

I lifted my head off his shoulder moved my arm from around him. “what’s wrong” he asked “i’m tired” i stand up. I waited for him to stand up while i stretched. “you coming?” i ask and start walking. “yeah” he said and followed me up. When i open the room door he smiled. “i like your room.” he stated looking around. “it looks comfortable.” He said as i sat down.

“thanks” I get under my blankets. “You have a lot of blankets.” he laughed making me laugh too. “yeah it get cold at night.” i turn on the tv to finish the movie.

-

how does she sleep so peacefully. She wrapped her arm around me. Her eyebrows furrowed. She moves a lot in her sleep. She scoots closer to me and wraps her leg over my waist, i felt my stomach twirl. I never wanna leave.

[thecoffeelorian]

Overwatch, Chapter 4

Inspired by ASMR

SFW

Word Count: 1.3k

4 of 5 Chapters

Created for TBBAW 2023 @tbb-appreciation-week

DAY 5: CROSSHAIR

Characters: Crosshair and Omega, aka You are Omega because the usual ‘x reader’ tag will not work here.

Tag List: @groguandthebadbatch

AO3: Click Here

He’s gone now.

You repeat this sentence over a few times in your mind, if only to keep your heart from racing any faster.

He’s gone now. He’s gone now. Crosshair helped him see just a little bit of reason, and he’s gone now...

“I think you can relax now, kid. They won’t be back again for another hour.”

“You’re sure…?”

Your voice comes out as a frightened little mumble, yet to his credit, Cross keeps his retorts to himself. At least, at this moment in time.

“Positive. Now, back to work...what happens after you have your bow and your, ah, borrowed key-card?”

You remind yourself to breathe as Echo taught you to do long ago, back when your nightmares dragged you away to Bora Vio and made you believe the Kaminoans had abandoned you as one more experiment in their tanks. In through the nose, count to five, out through your mouth while counting backwards to one. Repeat as needed.

“I would...I would have to wait until the guards’ next shift change. They’ll be too busy trading weapons and swapping stories to notice that I’ve wandered off.”

“And then?”

“And then...I take the elevator to the hangar. It’s got to be close by here, otherwise all these doctors would take a lot longer to get from there to here.”

“Good call. Now, since you’re armed, cleared, and on standby...how do you plan to get past all those pilots by yourself?”

“By myself?!”

The fear returns as you struggle to make some sense of this, of him, without making that Commando change his mind and come back for another intimidating encounter. He’s joking, right…? Yeah, that has to be it. He’s just playing a joke on you to make sure you’re serious about leaving.

“What do you mean, ‘by myself’? Why do I have to go alone? Aren’t you coming with me?”

He can’t be making you leave without him. Not when the way out of here could literally be within reaching distance for you both. He can’t want to be the next person to vanish behind those doors. This is no place for anyone, let alone an already-suffering Trooper.

“Why should I? I don’t belong in that squad any more. You made that quite clear the first time you left Kamino.”

“What—no. No! That’s not true! Of course you still belong!”

You hadn’t wanted this to happen. Whatever went on back there while you created that new routine of odd jobs with high risk, low pay, and moments of fun in between, none of it had a single thing to do with you. After all, you weren’t the one planning to take over the galaxy, and neither had you planned to drag down a long list of native populations the moment that takeover occurred.

“Really? Then how come you were the one trying to do my job when I last saw you?”

“It’s called being the scout!”

The sound of his voice has gone cold, though. Too cold for your own comfort, your understanding, and everything else that has shaped your growth and development up until now. What in the galaxy is he getting at?

“Will you keep your voice down?”

“I said, it’s called being the scout…”

You can’t let him get the best of you. Breathe. In through your nose, count to five, out through your mouth…

“...And anyways, I can only do that sort of stuff about a third of the same distance you normally have. There’s still room for—”

“—Wrong. I’m too severe, unyielding, and incurably evil to ever be around you, let alone live with you. That was what Tech suggested the last time we spoke, was it not? Besides, I’ll just mess up your perfect life of begging for scraps and spouting Republic slogans...won’t I?”

“He only said that because you mocked Wrecker first. And anyways, it’s already messed up. Cid called the Empire on us right before Hemlock stole me away. I don’t think you’d make anything worse, even if you wanted to--”

“—Are you sure about that?”

He’s angry now. Angry with you, the Empire, the Kaminoans, and everyone else who had some kind of influence in bringing him to this point. Angry at life itself, if there’s no other way to phrase it. And when his true feelings finally come out, that’s when you know something important about it all.

This is no longer some one-and-done encounter like you’ve had before, after which you can brush it all off and move on with your life.

This is what real anger looks like.

“Your squad was pretty quick to blame me for getting trapped in that cursed city. I had nothing to do with them wanting to bomb it, of course, but you thought it was my fault anyway. What’s stopping you from pinning Tech’s death on me as well?”

“Crosshair—”

“—Or, for that matter, what’s keeping you from blaming me, along with all the other Troopers whose chips activated, for that order the so-called ‘Emperor’ put into practice? I suppose we’ll just have to pay for Order 66 instead of him?”

“That’s a lie!”

Your voice has gone up a few degrees of intensity. Kriff. They’re going to catch you any second now. You want to convince him that any negative thoughts he thinks you have of him are wrong, that they have always been wrong, but at the same time, you don’t want to deal with any more guards.

“That’s a lie. Nobody’s blaming you for what happened to the Jedi, or anything else that’s gone on since then. I was at the Senate itself before. I heard them trying to help make you official citizens. People out there care about what happens to you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the Senate.”

It’s here that you look long and hard at his face, taking in every single bruise, scratch, and unexplained head injury...and, perhaps for the very first time in your life, you see him. Maybe it wasn’t just the Empire’s lies that brought him here, or the Republic’s long list of secrets, or even the Kaminoans’ disregard for giving any of their ‘creations’ something else besides an empty existence. Maybe it also wasn’t entirely because of the journeys he must have taken in the meantime, or else the abuse from his ‘superiors’ making his life a lot harder than ever before.

Maybe, in the midst of all of your own struggles to survive...you alienated him.

“I meant your oh-so-perfect family, if not also yourself, turning their weapons on me all over again once they realized I’ve helped you a second time. Oh, they weren’t too happy with me for saving you from drowning, now, were they? What do you think is going to hold them back from punishing me if they knew I helped you escape?

Or, dare I ask, what’s stopping them from getting jealous of me, or possessive over you, or furious at the both of us for daring to bond without their permission…?”

He passes a hand over the left side of his head, a telltale gesture for you if not also a nervous tic for him. His eyes are frozen upon you, daring you to respond...and yet, he’s wordlessly suggesting that the headaches haven’t exactly stopped.

Moreover, you’ve seen that strange lump there ever since he first set that lamp alight. That’s one thing you haven’t forgotten, even if he’s drawn zero attention to it.

And third, you’ve heard him mention one more headache at the start of this conversation, along with keeping it locked tight in your memory ever since. What if, even if the chip is truly gone and there’s nothing holding him back from showing you other parts of himself besides disgust or disappointment...something else got put in?

“...Maybe I will.”

[faofinn]

Day 3 - Seizure

@mediwhumpmay

Ely is owned by @epochandeons and we love her

Ely had been feeling weird and off all day. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she just felt odd and unsettled. She’d felt spaced, and unco-ordinated, and especially forgetful. She’d been having a lazy day at Fao’s which had helped, convinced she was coming down with something. 

Whilst Fao had gone to the gym that afternoon, she’d settled on the sofa with the dog. He’d been fussing over her all day, but she figured that he’d just missed her. She’d not been round in a while, work had been busy and her and Fao’s rota had been different. 

The TV was on, some show or other that Ely had been watching earlier that she’d stopped following. She wasn’t sure if the plot was moving quickly or she’d dozed off, because she could have sworn she’d missed some of it. 

The nausea that had been on and off all day got so much worse, the tv much too loud all of a sudden. She couldn’t work out where she was, or why she was there, or why the dog next to her kept barking and nudging her arm. She tried to push him away, though it was hard, and looking around made her dizzy. Her fingers twitched, there was a strange taste coating her tongue, and she realised far, far too late that this was an aura. She tried to call out, but couldn’t as everything went black and she slipped into a seizure.  

Finn had been pottering around all day, feeling sorry for himself since Fao had Ely and he had to "give them space". Ely had seemed to be coming down with something, one of the thousands going round the hospital, and as much as Finn liked her, he didn't want her to cause a seizure. 

He'd ended up actually studying, much to his annoyance, though he knew it needed doing. His bit of peace and quiet was shattered by the dog barking, and he wouldn't stop. His own stomach lurched as he realised it was an alert, just not for him. 

Finn scrambled up his feet, skidding on carpet as he rushed to the living room. "Ely!"

She didn’t hear him, too far gone into the seizure. It had been a while since she’d had a grand mal, never around Finn, and the dog was still frantically barking, nudging at her. 

"Shit, shit, shit." He swore as he tried to somewhat keep her on her side. "Arrow, back. Good boy, yeah, you've done your job, go pester something else."

He fumbled for his phone, starting a timer. He'd heard Arrow's alert, and he'd not been that far behind, so mentally added that on too. Finn felt sick. He wasn't used to dealing with this side of things, Ely didn't have seizures. They could tell him off later, but he wasn’t comfortable with leaving her and waiting, this wasn’t normal for her. His fingers shook as he dialled for an ambulance, hating how his voice cracked as he answered the questions.

Ely’s phone had ended up on the sofa too, and with a spare hand, he did his best to call Fao. He wasn’t sure if he'd called for Ely’s sake, or his own, but his brother deserved to know. 

Fao was in the middle of a set when his phone rang, ditching his weights with a clatter when he saw it was Ely who was calling. “Ely?” He asked breathlessly. “You okay, love? I’m nearly finished, I should be home soon.”

"Ely’s having a seizure. I'm on the phone with the ambulance. You need to come home." His voice wavered. "Please."

“Shit.” Fao felt sick to his stomach. “I’m headed home right now, I’ll be like ten minutes, max. How far away are the ambulance?”

"Nearly here? I don't know." He couldn't help the rising panic, absently rubbing Ely’s arm. "I don't know."

Fao hummed. “I’ll be there as quick as I can. Look after her for me, yeah? Do you know enough history? I can speak to the paras on the phone if they’re there before me.” He said, hurrying to put his weights back and grab his bag. 

"Probably not. She shouldn't be having one. "

“She shouldn’t. I’m just leaving the gym now.” He said. “I won’t be long.”

"Okay. Drive safe." 

Fao basically ran to his car, fumbling with his keys to get the car unlocked. Luckily the gym was close to home, and he drove there quickly, pulling onto the drive just moments before the ambulance pulled up alongside. He directed them in, opening the door and swallowing thickly at the sight of his brother with his girlfriend. 

Ely’s seizure had slowed and eventually stopped, leaving her woozy and confused on the sofa. 

As Ely’s seizure finally stopped, Finn finally managed a breath. He pulled the sofa cushions down properly to keep her safely on her side, murmuring softly to her. He rubbed her arm, anxiously waiting for her to come round. 

When everyone else arrived, he was quick to step back, curling on the other sofa out of the way. Arrow joined him, and Finn gratefully wrapped his arms around the dog, watching the chaos in the living room.

It was odd to be on the other side of things, Fao so used to being so involved with Finn’s seizures, then being normal, even when they were severe. With Ely, it was so out of the ordinary that it was terrifying. She’d told him about her history, that she was epileptic but well managed, that she’d not had a breakthrough seizure in years. 

Now there were paramedics in his living room, and his brother was sat on the sofa with his arms around the dog. It was all wrong. Ely had started to come round a little more, confusedly answering the paramedics’ questions. However, when she spotted Fao, she smiled. 

“Fao.” She whined, reaching out an uncoordinated hand. “Missed you.”

“I’m right here, love.” Fao said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he moved closer. 

“Everyone’s fussin’.” She grumbled. 

“You had a seizure, sweetie.”

“No.” She said, frowning. “Can’t ‘ave. On meds.”

“You had one, I know it’s odd. We’re all looking after you, it’s okay.” He reassured. 

Ely scrubbed at her face, whining pathetically. She was aware she was being a baby, but she felt rubbish. It was overwhelming, there were people everywhere. At least Fao was with her, and that helped, but she was still anxious and upset as they took her to hospital. She didn’t want to be there, she wanted to be at home and sleeping. She was sure people had told her things, but she couldn’t remember it, and it frustrated her. 

She couldn’t help the tears, after being sat waiting to be seen in A&E, pressed against Fao’s solid chest. It broke his heart, hearing her cry, and he just wished he could fix things for her. He rubbed her back, murmuring softly to her to try and reassure her.

[bad-at-names-and-faces]

Tests

ao3

ffn

chapter index

August 31st, 1865

Dear Henry,

I’m happy to hear that you arrived back safely in Corona.  What exactly do you mean about Hilde’s suspicions?  You do have me a bit worried with the way you phrased that.  I hope the official permission from your grandfather is coming along.  You said everyone wished you congratulations, so I hope there won’t be too much stalling, even if I am resigning myself to waiting until next summer. 

I’m very sorry I haven’t written as much, by the way, since you’ve written every day. My mother and I have started planning the harvest festival, and I’ve been visiting a friend who hasn’t been well. I think you met her husband, the captain of the guard.  Frederick has his exam in a few days, so he’s been studying when he and his friends aren’t all taking a break from studying, and half the time they drag me with them for company. Still, I feel terribly negligent for not writing. 

And I miss you. I start daydreaming about having you here again and then I forget I haven’t actually written. It sounds rather stupid, I suppose. 

Oh, and it’s late now, so I’m fairly sure it will be your birthday by the time you see this, so happy birthday!  I hope I’ll be with you to properly wish you a happy birthday next year.

Love,

Inga

Henry smiled as he read Inga’s letter. It had only been a few days since Inga had written, but he had started worrying, just a little bit. He knew that she might be busy, but he liked knowing that she thought about him as much as he thought about her.  

The time was, in fact, quite late, and looking at the clock, he realized that it was now his birthday. It had been about a year since they had met. He grabbed a pen and paper.

September 1st, 1865

Dear Inga,

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes.  You were right! I looked at the clock, and it is, in fact, after midnight. 

I know you’re busy, so as long as you don’t mind if I keep writing every day.

My mother is helping my grandfather by researching what we need to do for my permission, but that’s only about diplomacy and politics. We still could just get married, you know. What do you think? Forget all our responsibilities and just run off together somewhere?

I don’t know if I want to be serious or joking in saying that.

I suppose I should get to sleep.  I was working on a small drawing when your letter arrived, so I’ll include it with this letter. I hope you like it.

Good night.

Love,

Henry

Henry lay in bed for what seemed like a long time after sending the letter. He had never felt alone before, not like this. Not when he knew what he was missing. 

0o0o0

Inga looked at the sketch Henry had drawn for her. It looked like a view from the palace in Corona. She wondered if it might be the view from Henry’s own room. Perhaps it was. She was about to put the drawing in the drawer with the others, but then stopped. Everyone now understood that she and Henry at least planned to be engaged, so there was no reason to be secretive about the drawings she had from him. She would display it on her wall.

She found some paste in a drawer that she hadn’t opened in years, but it had dried out, so she rang for Oline, who showed up remarkably quickly.

“Your Highness?” Oline asked. 

“Do you think you might be able to find me some paste?” Inga asked.

“Paste?”

“Yes, or glue… you know, for paper?”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Oline replied with a quick curtsey as she left the room.

The dried-out paste had an odd smell to it, though Inga couldn’t quite decide what it was. It had been sitting there a while, though.

Oline finally returned. “I found this,” the maid told her, handing her a small jar.

“Thank you,” Inga replied, then handed over the old jar. “Could you dispose of this? I think it’s gone bad, and it’s dried out, anyway.”

Oline took the old jar and gave a sniff. “It smells just like dried paste to me, but I’ll certainly take it for you.”

Inga opened up the new jar, and instantly put the lid back on. It smelled, too.  “Oline?” she called out just before her maid left the room.

“Yes?” Oline replied, stopping at the door.  

“Does this one smell to you?”

Oline walked over, putting her nose near the jar as Inga opened it again. “A little.  That variety always smells funny, I think.”

Inga thought for a moment while Oline stood there. “Could you do me a favor? I have this drawing, and I’d like to put it on the wall, but I really don’t think I can handle the smell. Would you mind?”

“Not at all,” Oline said, putting the old jar in the pocket of her apron. “Show me where I should put it.”

***

Henry woke up to the door shutting behind James, leaving from picking up a few things. He was happy to find a letter on his bedside table in the morning, and it was clearly from Inga.

September 1st, 1865

Dear Henry,

I feel like I should be the one sending you a gift today, but thank you so much for the drawing of Corona.  I’ve put it up on my wall so I can see it when I wake up each morning. Perhaps you’re looking at the same view? I like that idea.

I need to find a better kind of paste if I’m going to be putting your drawings up. My maid brought me a jar of something so foul-smelling that I had to ask her to put up the drawing for me.  I had her put up some of your older drawings that I had been keeping in my desk drawer previously, as well.  It’s very nice.  

Thinking of you.

Love,

Inga

Henry smiled at the fact that Inga had recognized the view from his window, and looked out, hoping that she was, in fact, looking at the picture at that moment. He went to the cupboard where he kept his art supplies. Perhaps he could send a jar to Inga.

***

Inga wasn’t sure she should be lingering outside the room where Frederick and his friends were taking the examination for Corona’s Naval Academy, but it had been several hours, and she hoped that Frederick would be done soon. 

The doorknob rattled a bit before opening, and Inga stepped back, hoping it would look like she was just passing by the room.  The Admiral from Corona stepped out the door, and held it open for the boys to leave the room.  Their faces were blank and they all looked exhausted.  The Admiral thanked each one as they exited, then went back in to ring for a servant.  

Frederick hadn’t noticed Inga as he left the room, and he started walking along with the other boys, presumably to head back into town with them.  Inga ran to catch up.

“Frederick!” she called out.

He stopped and swung around.  “Inga!”

“How did the examination go?” she asked.

The other boys sighed.  Frederick just nodded in their direction.

They kept walking, and Inga kept up. 

“Well, it’s done now,” Inga said.  “When will you find out how you did?”

“Later this week,” Frederick said.  

They continued walking across the courtyard, heading toward town. 

“Are you going out to celebrate now?” Inga asked.

“I suppose so,” Frederick chuckled. “I don’t know if we should call it celebrating until we know the results.  But we were planning to go to Hudson’s Hearth now.”

“You’re welcome to come with us,” one of the boys said. 

“I don’t want to interrupt your time together,” Inga said.

“Oh, come on! I’m sure Bjorgman won’t mind,” the other boy said.

Inga smiled a bit. “Would you two want to have your sisters coming along?”

“I don’t have a sister,” the first boy said. “What about you, Jorgensen?”

The second boy shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.  Your brother’s been telling us all about you.”

“Should I be worried?” Inga chuckled.

“Let’s just say, you should be glad he’s also told us about that other fellow,” the first boy said in a teasing tone, though it made her a little nervous.

“What?!” Frederick said, grabbing the boy’s shoulder rather firmly. 

“Woah!” the second boy interjected, “Bjorgman, I think Dahl was teasing.  Ease up!”

“Sorry,” Frederick muttered, his face red. “Inga, are you sure you want to come along?”

“I’m fine. I’ll assume it was a compliment, nothing more,” Inga insisted.  “But if I’m joining you, I feel like I really ought to know more than your surnames.”

The two laughed. 

“I suppose we don’t use anything besides surnames most of the time,” Jorgensen observed, sticking out his hand. “Lukas Jorgensen.”

Inga shook hands, and the other boy stuck out his hand before she had finished.

“Anders Dahl,” the other said, as Inga shook hands.

“Good, then we’ve properly met,” Inga smiled.

As they finished crossing the bridge from the castle into town, ahead of them, at the edge of the market square, her attention turned to some commotion as someone ran through the square.  

“Frederick!” she heard Meibel shouting from the edge of the square, now running toward them. Inga supposed it wouldn’t be so bad if Meibel joined them now.

Inga waved. “Hello, Mei-” 

“Inga! Frederick!” Meibel breathlessly interrupted Inga’s greeting as she got close.  “You need to go to the castle and get Captain Olsen!”

“Wait,” Inga began, “is Isabel-”

“She’s not doing well. Edith couldn’t handle it and ran home, and Halima’s still there with Kate, and she told me to go find Siggy and…”  Meibel stood, catching her breath.

“Frederick, go get Siggy,” Inga ordered. “Meibel, you go see if Edith is doing fine, and I’ll go join Halima.”

Meibel ran back home to find her sister Edith, and Frederick gave a quick wave to Dahl and Jorgensen before running back toward the castle. The other two stood not sure what to do.

"You two, just go have your lunch," Inga said, before turning and walking toward Isabel's house. She couldn't even remember the conversation a few minutes earlier, and felt like she was in a fog. Memories were intruding in her thoughts. She had never really been aware of her siblings' births, as they always seemed to happen late at night, or early in the morning, and the nanny was always quick to keep them occupied when it was happening, but she remembered, even though all of the younger children's births seemed to be uneventful, with her mother only resting a bit, she hadn't seen her mother for a long time after the twins were born. Frederick was too young to remember, but she was just old enough to remember that her mother was "sick" and her father hardly seemed to be doing much better.  

Inga arrived at Isabel's door and could hear muffled orders being shouted from the other side. She took a deep breath, gave a slight push, and the door swung right open. 

"Your Highness!" the maid exclaimed with a brief curtsey from the kitchen, before picking up a kettle of boiling water, presumably to carry up to the bedroom.

There was a metallic smell in the air.

"Inga?" Halima said, looking out from the door, her face understandably worried.

“Meibel didn’t tell me very much, what’s going on?” Inga asked as she walked up the stairs.

“Are you sure you want to come in here?” Halima asked, avoiding answering Inga’s question.

“I- I’ll be fine,” Inga said, knowing by now that her imagination was as bad as anything she might see.

Halima sighed and opened the door for Inga to come in.  There was a doctor in the room, and Kate was sitting by Isabel’s head, holding her hand.  Isabel was very pale, and looked pained, but seemed to be barely conscious of anything at all at this point.

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” the doctor said directly to Halima, not noticing Inga’s presence in the room, which Inga realized was probably for the best.

“Frederick went to get Siggy,” Inga said quietly in Halima’s ear.  Halima nodded.  

Inga noticed a commotion in the corner, and noticed a nurse tending to a tiny baby in the cradle.  She walked over, and saw that the nurse was swaddling the baby, who was making little squeaking sounds, which she would have wanted to comment on if the rest of the room hadn’t been so serious and ominous.  She stepped over to the nurse.

“The baby…” Inga whispered, not sure what she should be asking.

“A girl,” the nurse whispered back, “she seems healthy enough.”

Inga let out a sigh.  “That’s good, at least.”

There was a loud rattling at the door downstairs.  Inga made her way downstairs and opened the door to Isabel’s husband, looking pale, and Frederick standing behind him looking worried, as well.  

“It’s a girl,” Inga said. “The baby is doing well.” 

“And Isabel?” Siggy said.

“She’s… she’s not doing so well. Come upstairs,” Inga said, not sure how she was speaking as calmly as she was.  It didn’t feel like her own voice.

Inga led Isabel's husband up to the bedroom. She could only assume that Frederick wasn't far behind the two of them.  

The maid was coming out of the room with an arm full of towels and rags that had recently been bed sheets.  Inga looked over her shoulder, and Siggy looked almost ill.  

“She’s resting,” Halima said as they walked in.  

Inga looked over, and saw that Isabel had been cleaned up, her dark hair tied up as best that, presumably, the maid and Kate could manage without disturbing her. She was asleep now, her breathing shallow but regular.  Kate stood up as Siggy rushed over to the side of the bed.  

The doctor walked in from having washed up, and seemed to recognize Inga for the first time since she had arrived there, giving her a somewhat surprised nod. 

He spoke to Halima first, mentioning that he would stop by in town later with some suggestions for meals that would be best for Isabel, and after that, looking at Inga, added “I would like to speak to Captain Olsen alone now, if you please.”

“Kate,” Halima called over gently, “why don’t we go downstairs right now?”

Kate nodded, looking back at Isabel, and came with them.  As they entered the hallway from the bedroom, the maid was returning with some clean rags. Halima put her finger to her mouth, and the maid nodded, understanding that she should make herself as unobtrusive as possible.

“Inga, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you walk Kate home, please?” Halima asked once they got downstairs.  “And if you see Destin, please send him here, please.”

Inga nodded.  General Mattias had presumably been with the Admiral from Corona and Arendelle’s Admiral Sorensen discussing the examination results.  He had officially been retired for several years, but he liked to keep busy, and discussing military academy candidates was about the right level of activity at his advanced age.  

Kate was silent as they walked back into town.  On a normal day, she would be bubbly and talking on and on with hardly time to breathe.  Of course, her sister Edith was usually with her as well.  

“Did Edith say anything earlier?” Inga asked, hoping it wasn’t too sensitive of a subject.

“No,” Kate said bluntly.  “She just started crying and left.”

“Oh,” Inga replied.  “I sent Meibel to check on her. I hope she’ll be okay.”

They got to the General and Halima’s home, which was next door to Hudson’s Hearth right on the edge of the market square. Kate pulled out a key from the chain on her neck and entered inside.  Inga had never been over at their house when it was locked up before. It occurred to her that she didn’t know if there were locks to any of the doors in the castle.  There had to be, but she couldn’t remember using any keys to any of the rooms. 

As they came inside, muffled crying could be heard from upstairs.  Meibel was sitting in a chair in the front parlor, looking like she couldn’t decide whether she was feeling petulant or worried.  

“Edith won’t let me talk to her,” she announced as they came inside. She swallowed and added, “How is Isabel?”

“She’s resting,” Inga said.

“Have you seen Papa?” Kate asked Meibel, as the general was obviously not home.

“He might be next door,” Meibel said.  

“Meibel,” Inga said, “why don’t you and I go check if he’s there?  Perhaps Edith would like to talk to Kate.”

Kate nodded, and slowly walked upstairs, while Inga took Meibel by the hand and walked over to Hudson’s Hearth.  

As Inga and Meibel entered Hudson’s Hearth, Frederick’s friends were sitting in the far corner of the dining room, talking loudly, and Inga was fairly certain they weren’t on their first round of drinks.  General Mattias wasn’t in the room, so Meibel ran back to the kitchen to ask about him.  Inga did her best to make herself inconspicuous as she stood by the door to the market square. 

Just as Meibel came back from the kitchen, the General walked in from the square. Meibel, normally acting so grown up at Hudson’s, serving food to customers and taking orders, ran over to them.

“Meibel, what’s going on?”

“Isabel isn’t doing well,” she said, doing her best not to speak too loudly.  “You should come there.”

“Where are the others?” the General asked.

“Captain Olsen is there,” Inga replied, “and Halima asked for me to find you and wanted you to come over.  Kate and Edith came back home.”

“Can I go back?” Meibel asked. 

“You can come with me,” the General replied. “Inga, can you check in on Kate and Edith?”

Inga nodded as the General and his ward, Meibel, left Hudson’s Hearth.

She walked back over to the house, knocking on the door, which was locked again.  Kate opened the door.

“How is Edith?” Inga asked.

“She won’t let me talk to her either,” Kate said with resignation. 

Inga looked up the stairs.  “Shall I try?”

“I don’t see what harm it could do at this point,” Kate shrugged.

Inga quietly walked up the stairs, knocking gently on Edith’s bedroom door.

“What is it?” Edith called out, sounding like she was still crying.

“It’s Inga. I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Edith opened the door. Her face and eyes were red. 

“Look, if you’d rather be alone right now, I understand.  I really do.”

“No, come on in,” Edith sighed.  

Edith closed the door behind them as Inga walked in, and motioned for her to sit down on one of the chairs by the window.  Inga sat down and looked outside at the market square and harbor.  Inga had never been here or any of the girls’ bedrooms before, and watching the people going about their business in the market square like it was any other day transfixed her. 

As Edith sat down in the other chair, Inga noticed a small book on the table, open with a loose photograph.  Edith was touching it gently.

“What is that?” Inga asked without thinking, instantly regretting her question as soon as her eyes adjusted to the light inside the room and could see the details. The photograph was of a woman holding a baby, both appearing to be asleep, though Inga knew they weren’t sleeping.

“That’s my mother and brother,” Edith explained.

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Inga said. 

“I didn’t, not really,” Edith mumbled.

“What do you mean?” 

“Not the way you know your brothers,” Edith said. 

“Oh,” Inga replied, not sure what to say. 

“Kate doesn’t remember any of it,” Edith continued.  “And everyone else in the town was worried about your mother- I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound bitter.”

“I- no, please don’t apologize,” Inga insisted.  

“Inga, you don’t mind that I’m telling you all this?”

Inga was taken aback by the question.  “Why would I mind?”

She never minded people telling her things, but she suddenly realized that hardly anyone told her anything, not like this. Did she really know anybody here?

***

September 10th, 1865

Dear Henry,

I’m so sorry I haven’t written in over a week.  I’m fine, as is my family, but you were correct that something was wrong for me not to write for so many days.  You may remember I was telling you about my friend Isabel, the wife of the captain of the castle guard.  She had the baby, a girl, who is healthy and doing well, but Isabel has been doing very poorly, and for several days no one was quite sure if she would make it. I think she will be fine now, but she’s still quite ill, and we’ve all been going over to help out.  

I’m going to take my mind off that business this morning and meet with my mother to begin planning the harvest festival.  It will be at the beginning of November, so I hope that you can find a way to visit.  And thank you for the paste suggestion.  You’re right, the one she brought up was rubber cement, so perhaps the one you sent will be nicer. I’ll ask my maid if she’s seen something arrive for me in the last few days.

Love,

Inga

Inga whispered for Gale, and released the letter out her bedroom window, then left to visit Isabel.  She had a basket with treats from the castle kitchens, though she wasn’t entirely sure who would be eating them. Isabel was still only occasionally taking some broth, and mostly sleeping, and Inga couldn’t remember seeing Captain Olsen ever eating pastries. Perhaps they could be offered to guests.  They were getting a lot of visitors, and Inga was rarely there with just the maid.

Soon after she knocked, the maid arrived at the door, looking rushed.

“Your Highness,” she said, curtseying. 

“Is everything all right?” Inga asked.

“Nothing has changed,” the maid replied before noticing Inga’s face. “That is, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” 

“Well, since you mention it, the nurse has taken the afternoon off, but there’s extra laundry I need to take out.  If you could just watch the baby for a few minutes?  The mistress is sleeping, and she wouldn’t be able to do anything, anyway.”

“Oh, of course!” Inga said, knowing from her youngest siblings that there wasn’t much to do with a baby this young, anyway.

The maid went to the back to gather up the mass of laundry into a basket and went out the back door.  The baby was napping in a cradle in the front parlor, so Inga took a moment to walk upstairs and check on Isabel.  She was sleeping peacefully, her breathing now gentle and regular, at least.

As she walked back down to the parlor, a wagon went by with a wheel that suddenly squeaked, which woke the baby.  Inga picked up the little girl carefully and held her, keeping her from fussing too much.

Inga paced the room, gently rocking the baby up and down, as little Hallie slowly fell back asleep.  Just then, a key turned in the front door, and Captain Olsen walked in.

“Oh, hello,” he said in surprise.

“Is that how I get greeted now?” Inga asked.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he scoffed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Inga sighed,  “I didn’t mean to be teasing like that, Siggy.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he quickly replied.  Inga looked a little more closely at his face, and realized he suddenly looked much older. 

“I- I just didn’t realize you would be home this afternoon,” Inga said, then began to ramble. “And I’m alone here, since the maid needed to take the laundry, and I guess the nurse is out for the afternoon, but I’m surprised that nobody came in to replace her.  My sister is over a year old now, so we could send her nurse over here a few days a week. You could think of it as a gift, I suppose-”

“How is she?”  Siggy asked, looking at the baby.

“Sleeping again,” Inga said, looking down at the baby. “Would you like to hold her?”

Siggy nodded and walked over, as Inga gently handed the baby to him.

“Isabel has mostly been sleeping,” Inga added, realizing that he might have been asking about his wife.

“I know,” he said.  “Craig has been taking some of my guard shifts so I can spend more time here. I’m giving him leave for all of December so he can visit his grandfather in Glasgow.”

“That’s nice of him,” Inga said, adding, “and for him, I suppose.  I imagine he doesn’t get there very often.”

“I have a grandmother in Bergen, and I don’t even get up there very often,” Siggy said, latching on to a neutral topic.  

Inga stayed where she was, looking at the baby some more. 

“Does your grandmother visit Arendelle often?” she asked, hoping the conversation could continue.

“I’ve written to her. I suppose my grandmother will visit soon enough, but we do need to make sure that it’s a good time.”

Inga didn’t need to ask if he meant waiting for Isabel to be healthy enough to see someone from out of town.

“She’s a very sweet baby,” she said, stroking the baby’s cheek.

“Yes, she’s very precious,” Siggy said. “I hope she stays healthy, since...”

Inga waited for him to complete the sentence, but he simply sat down near the window, still holding the baby, and looked out across the harbor.  She wasn’t sure if she should pry, and yet, lately, she had realized how little she knew about everyone else here.  

Sitting down in the other seat by the window, she briefly took notice of some women standing at the corner nearby gossiping.  She wondered how visible she and the captain were here in his parlor, but pushed the thought out of her mind.

“Siggy,” she began, “how is everything?”

He sat deep in thought for a moment. “I suppose I can’t complain.  I have a beautiful daughter, and hopefully she will have a mother.”

“I don’t mean to assume, but…” Inga considered her words for a moment. “The way you say you can’t complain, it makes me think that something is wrong.” 

Siggy gave a long, heavy sigh.  “The doctor told me that if Isabel had any more children, she would almost definitely...”

In her mind, Inga could fill in the words he had left out.  Siggy didn’t want to say out loud the idea that his wife would probably die if she had another child.

“Oh. That must be difficult.” 

“I plan to focus on the good,” he said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of this.

Inga looked out again. The women standing nearby quickly turned away.

“Have you seen Frederick today?” Inga asked after a moment, hoping to change the subject.

“I saw the General and the Admirals going into the castle before I left, so I think they’ve finally settled on examination results,” Siggy explained, probably as relieved as Inga herself was for a different subject to discuss.

“Frederick has been so nervous about that,” Inga told him. “I’ve been telling him he’ll do fine, and I hope he does, because I don’t want to be wrong about this.”

Siggy smiled. Just then there was a knock at the door. He started to get up, but Inga shook her head at him, nodding at the baby, and got up and answered the door.

“Inga!” Meibel chirped as the door opened. Kate and Edith were standing right behind her.

“Oh, hello, Siggy!” Kate said.

“We didn’t know you were planning to come this afternoon, Siggy,” Edith explained, “or we would have come sooner.”

Siggy nodded.

“I should go check on Isabel,” Inga said. “You can keep your brother-in-law company.”

Inga walked upstairs, quietly entering the bedroom. Isabel was still sleeping, but looked like she was going to wake up soon, so Inga sat down next to the bed.

Isabel gave a small groan and blinked a bit, looking at Inga.  “Hello,” she croaked out.

“Hello, did you rest well?” Inga asked.

“Not really,” Isabel admitted. “I have the strangest dreams.”

“Oh?” Inga commented.  

“Where is the baby?”

“She’s downstairs.  Your husband got home early, and your sisters are here, giving her lots of attention.”

Isabel smiled.  “Do you like the name? I’m so glad that Siggy and I had talked about names before. I’d hate to think of him trying to figure that out while I was so ill.  We had been talking about naming a boy for Siggy’s father, but that will have to wait.”

Inga forced herself to smile and nod. It was obvious that Isabel hadn’t been told anything about how serious her condition was.

“Has Frederick taken his exams?” Isabel asked. 

“He has, and they might find out the results soon,” Inga told her. She remembered what Isabel had asked what seemed like ages ago. “I found out their names, by the way. Frederick’s friends, I mean.”

“Really?” Isabel chuckled. 

“Lukas and… oh dear, who was the other one?” Inga paused. “Anders!”

“Do you remember which was which?”

“Oh, goodness, no, they told me-” Inga cut herself off, remembering why that conversation with Frederick’s friends had been cut short. “I can’t remember which was which. But those are their names.”

“Well, I’ll tell Kate and Edith and leave them to decide who is who.  I heard you’re also planning the fall festival this year? I hope I’ll be feeling a bit better by then.”

“My mother and I only just started, but it should be about the same as last year,” Inga replied.  

“Don’t talk that way,” Isabel chastised her.  “This sort of thing is always harder than it looks to people who have no experience with trying to get everyone doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

“Well, thanks,” Inga replied.

Edith and Kate walked in just then. Kate was carrying the baby.  “I told you I heard her wake up,” Kate whispered loudly to Edith. 

“Hello, you two,” Isabel smiled.

“We thought you might like some time with the baby,” Edith said.  “Everyone else has gotten time with her today.”

“Thank you, that would be wonderful!” Isabel said, holding out her arms, though she wasn’t up to sitting up yet.

Inga stood up to let Kate and Edith sit by the edge of the bed.

“I should be getting home. Shall I come by tomorrow, Isabel?” Inga asked.

“Yes, please. You have a nice evening,” Isabel said.

Inga made polite apologies to Meibel and Siggy as she left the house and made her way back to the castle.  She still hadn’t eaten that day, aside from the piece of toast her mother had forced on her.  But there was so much to think about.  She didn’t want to think about food.

She saw Frederick and his friends coming across the bridge laughing.  The examination results must have been good.  Frederick saw her and ran ahead to meet her, startling her by picking her up off the ground.  

“I guess it’s good news, then?” she asked, laughing a bit.

“We all got in!” Frederick exclaimed.

“Well, of course you did,” Inga said.

“It was never a sure thing!” Frederick insisted. 

“Yes, but you were studying, all of you were.  I’ve seen you working at this all summer.”

Frederick blushed a bit. “Well, this time, would you like to come for an actual celebration?”

Inga smiled. “I’m a bit tired, but thanks for the offer. We can go out some other time.”

“Oh, fine.”  Frederick looked almost sad.

“But you should all enjoy yourselves. You deserve it.”

“Thanks,” Frederick said, as his friends slowly caught up. “Let’s go!”

Inga walked into the courtyard.  She could hear the twins and her father talking in the stables.  She wouldn’t interrupt them. It was a beautiful afternoon, but she really was tired. She hadn’t been trying to avoid going back into town with her brother.

As she got to her room and closed the door behind her, some leaves were hitting the window.  She opened it up, and a letter fluttered down to her bedside.  It was from Henry. She tried to remember if she had written to him that morning.  He had sent her some paste, which was oddly thoughtful, but she had been so distracted.

She opened the letter.

September 10th, 1865

Dear Inga,

I’m so glad to hear from you again. I hope your friend makes a full recovery, that sounds terrible. I do remember the Captain, he seemed quite nice.

It's good to hear that you’ve found the paste useful. I’ll have to come see what you’ve done with my drawings, as I always like to see when people have displayed my work.  I’ve made plans to come in time for the fall festival, and I will have the letter signed by my grandfather with me. 

Love,

Henry

Inga smiled at the thought of the council no longer having reason to hold off on an official engagement, though the wedding would probably still not happen until the following summer. No matter how often people promised that the time would go by quickly, it still felt so long.