#Seriously though the music in the scenes at the infirmary

[fluri-above-all]

Do you know by any chance if you can be gay in Monark xD

I still don't know

I am not 100% sure as I just started the game today. Would be nice! But NIS doesn't seem to allow joy in any of its games with homoerotic undertones so I am doubting it. But if I find out otherwise I will let you know! I just met Shinya and I can't help but notice the subtext and music when the protagonist speaks in scenes with Dr. Hasegawa, so I feel a bit baited atm. Lol!! Along with terrified every time a Death Call goes off. Enjoying myself so far, but like I said I will see!

[tsarinatorment]

Nico, no 9? There’s probably a lot so I’d love to hear your thoughts

9. A missing scene that definitely happened

Oh, there's missing scenes absolutely everywhere with Nico; there have to be, considering how much time he spends away from the pov character in all three series, and Percy isn't dream-spying on him all the time!

I've got two here, one is Solangelo, one is not Solangelo. Skip to ### if you just want the non-Solangelo one!

I'm gonna go down the Solangelo route here, because I love the ship, I do, but there's definitely a few key moments we were robbed of in their developing relationship (aka all of it, we went straight from the pair of them having a battlefield conversation to "six months later and they're boyfriends").

So just... getting to know each other. Nico knew Will as a laid-back guy who was also brave under fire and the camp's best combat medic, and Will knew Nico as the kinda-mysterious son of Hades who never stuck around long enough for him to get to know even though he wanted to. Yes, there's that fandom-favourite three days in the infirmary, but what about after that? Nico starting to try and pull away again because he's scared and the campers - Jason, Will, Lou Ellen, Cecil, etc. coaxing him back. The slow start of a friendship between him and Will, and the first time Nico has to look after someone else (it's a big step, to have someone else reliant on him, and Nico's scared and tries to back away from it but also he's worried because somewhere along the way he got kinda attached to that son of Apollo and Will's passed out on the floor and there's no-one else around and Nico wants to just leave him there but also he doesn't but he doesn't know how to help, either).

Frank conversations. Apologies and explanations once the stress of war isn't looming over their head and they actually have time to talk seriously about stuff. There's no way their relationship could be the way it is in TOA without that.

Making friends with the rest of the Apollo cabin, getting shovel talked by this green-haired intense archer girl who he could take down in an instant but he doesn't because she's not running away from him in fear, she's challenging him and it's so unexpected but it's refreshing, too, especially when it isn't a one-off thing and Kayla keeps exchanging barbed words that actually aren't that barbed at all and is this a form of friendship? Has Kayla adopted him? And Austin's there as well, of course, and somehow they've ended up bonding over music, and at some point he realises that Hazel's spending a lot of time with Will and maybe Bianca's not there and will never be there but it feels a lot like sibling approval is going all around.

Basically, the entire journey from barely know each other to boyfriends is one whole missing story there.

###

But I'll also stick in a non-Solangelo one as well, and that's way back in TTC, when Nico's arrived at Camp for the first time and his sister's gone on a quest with Percy and Grover and he knows absolutely no-one so he's kinda nervous even though everything is still so cool and there's not many campers around in general but he finds his way into the forges to watch Beckendorf making stuff because weapons, and gets shown a few safety things and also how to forge his own weapon (not that Beckendorf lets him actually make anything, he knows better than that). He gets to watch and asks so many questions and learns and Beckendorf loves having this attentive kid who definitely isn't a son of Hephaestus, he's pretty certain on that, being so fascinated by everything he does. Neither of them knew then that later on, Nico would forge his own sword from Stygian Iron in the Underworld, and while there are ghosts that help him forge it, it's the lessons from Beckendorf that he follows the most religiously.

Give me a character and a number and I’ll tell you…

[skiyoosmi]

if fate permits

chapter twenty two: i love you

previous  <  masterpost  >  next

note. i am sorry for the veeeery long wait; i finally finished it tonight (after fucking up with it for two whole months) but yeah, my emotions are quite unstable right now so this was affected by it (in short, this is a roller coaster ride so pls be ready)

playlist. stay (acoustic ver.); never let me go (both sung by ghostly kisses)

You absolutely had no idea what you were doing right now. As far as you could remember, you were the playwright, the writer of the script. You never had any interest in acting in plays, musicals, nor acting in general… none at all – so why is it that right now, you were standing right on the side of the stage, waiting for the cue for you to come out, dressed up as someone you weren’t supposed to be, someone you were only supposed to have written for?

You swear, this was the most chaotic crowd you have ever seen your whole life. You only watched, alongside Hajime, as people lined up right by the entrance of the university’s theater, murmuring and gossiping about the play that was less than an hour away from starting, “I gotta say, they look way too excited for a story that they should know like the back of their hands by now. It’s kind of funny,” Hajime chuckled, letting out a quiet ‘yeah’ as he shoved his hands in his pockets, watching you cringe on the girls that were obviously here for your best friend. You swore you heard one of them say they’re going to ask him out after the play and you almost wanted to drag her out of the venue by her hair.

“I would say it would be a waste of a ticket for people who are here just to gush about handsome faces instead of the story itself but then again, it’s us who are benefiting from it anyway.” You huffed and muttered a few more things under your breath, beginning to walk to the direction of the entrance for the crew members which was on the farther side of the theater, Hajime silently following and shaking his head out of amusement for your obvious jealousy. I can’t wait for the time when it’s me you’re being jealous for, he thinks.

You thought the crowd outside was chaotic? Nothing could have prepared you for the view you were welcomed to as soon as you entered the backstage. Literally, almost all of the crew members were running around frantically, pushing the small and large props here and there. Hajime, as if he had his ‘danger’ instincts set on, grabbed you by the waist and pulled you to his side just right when a random lad passed by where you were at a while ago, struggling to carry what looked like a heavy log on his shoulder (you figured it would be for one of the scenes that were supposed to be in the forest). You were sure as hell that if you weren’t moved out of the way by your friend, the lad would’ve collided with you and that thing he was holding would’ve fell on you because he was too busy looking back and chatting with his companion who was carrying other props.

Irritated by their carelessness, Hajime clicked his tongue and spoke up, “Oi, you two have to be careful and watch where you’re going. You might just cause an accident with what you’re doing.” The boys replied with an insincere apology, immediately going back to their business. You were soon brought to your senses as well and realized that you were still in his arms. Blushing profusely, you muttered a quiet ‘thanks,’ too flustered to think of a more decent reply. Hajime raised an eyebrow, smirking before leaning his head close to yours again, foreheads touching each other, much like the other day.

“You’re red. Are you feeling sick?” If it was someone he wasn’t close with, it would look like he’s just being concerned but you know better because you can practically hear the teasing behind his voice, so, you punched him right by his shoulders, muttering with a hint of shyness in your tone, “Asshole. Stop trying to tease me, it’s way too much for me. When the fuck did you even get so brave to act like this with me? Jerk.”

He cackled, slinging his arm around your shoulder, and beginning to pull you deeper inside the backstage. You both stood idly by the corner of the backstage, watching the actors get ready. From your position, you could see your blonde best friend, eyes looking lost as they wandered around the area until it stopped right to where you were. You think you held a staring contest for about twenty seconds until your companion spoke up, “You know, I personally think it would be better if you go to him and say your good luck, yeah? Nothing’s going to happen if you just stare at each other all day. I’m willing to share you with him… just for today though. After this, no more.” 

A confused expression formed on your face, wondering what he meant, though he just snickered and ruffled your head, “I said… go to him before I change my mind and pull you away from here.”

“I can’t. These days, I’ve been feeling way too many feelings and I don’t know how to control them. I feel like… I might just burst and tell him everything but I don’t want to. I’m not ready yet,” you admitted, fiddling with your fingers as you looked down, only for your head to be raised up again as Hajime held it up using your chin, a tender smile plastered on his face.

“Tell you what… if you lose control and everything goes astray, just look at me and I’ll save you, like a knight-in-shining-armor,” he whispers, patting you on the head before pushing you towards your best friend who was still looking, by the way. You took a deep breath, stopping right in front of him, biting your lip before opening your mouth to say something but Atsumu beat you to it, arms immediately going around your form and pulling you into a bone-crushing hug, “I’m sorry,” He mumbles into your hair, while you nod, reciprocating the gesture, “I… I’ve been such a shitty best friend, huh?”

“Yeah, right,” You huffed, trying to look mad and intimidating but it only came off as cute in Atsumu’s vocabulary, “After this, I’ll treat you to this really good restaurant. We can talk about anything and everything you want to tell me, even if they’re bad, I’ll listen, yeah?” He suggested, his hold on you still not loosening as he looked down on you, “I’d prefer it if only good things come out of your pretty mouth though.” 

You rolled your eyes, getting ready to retort as usual but a loud crash and a cry of pain interrupted you. Looking to the source of the sound, your eyes, as well as Atsumu’s widened. You can only watch as Yui, who was on the floor, clutching her ankles, angrily screech at the boy who was bowing his head and apologizing, the large piece of wood you luckily avoided a while ago found its victim and it’s the main actress of the play, “What the fuck! Why weren’t you watching where you’re going?! Look at what you did!”

Your best friend jogged towards her and once again, you were left behind. Love seriously sucks, you thought as you watch him try to shush Yui’s cries. The director, who heard about the situation, ran to where you are, asking what happened. “I think her ankles are injured, Miyu-chan,” you quickly replied, anxiety beginning to arise within you because what was supposed to happen now? You can’t cancel this play; you all have been working for months for this! Besides, the theater must be full of the audience now. As if she was reading your mind, she spoke up, “We can’t cancel this now, but we can’t force her to act as well. She can barely stand up, look. Mina, tell Mari to ask the audience to wait for a little while more, we have to think of a solution.”

By now, Atsumu was supporting her, making their way towards you with Yui limping, “Miyu-san…” “No, Yui. I know what you’re going to say but I won’t let you do that. Go to the infirmary and have your ankles checked. Your well-being is more important than this play,” the director firmly said, much to the brown-haired girl’s dismay.

“But you can’t cancel it! The people who bought the tickets will get mad! I can do this, it barely hurts, Miyu-san!” Yui pleaded, even going as far lifting her injured foot in a pathetic attempt to show that she was fine but it only put her to a worse situation as soon as she winced. Miyu only gave her a look of ‘I told you so.’ 

“Don’t worry about the play, Yui-chan. YN can replace you in your role.”

“What?!” “WHAT?” You simultaneously yelled out, obviously not expecting the sudden decision to be made, much less one that has something to do with you, “Wait, wait, wait… Miyu-chan, aren’t you being a little rash right now? I’m not a good actress!”

“She’s right!” Yui scoffed, “I’ve been practicing this for so long and you’re going to replace me with someone who never did?!” 

“That’s right,” Miyu nodded, crossing her arms, “She knows the script and the lines better than anyone here. And don’t try to fool me, YN, you know you can act.” Her unrelenting eyes told you that she knew everything there was to know; she’s been your friend for more than a year now, after all. 

“Oh, well. You won’t change my mind no matter what you say, so just go, Yui. Iwaizumi-kun, sorry for this sudden request but can you take Yui to the infirmary after what we’re going to do?” Hajime blinked but nodded, nonetheless. He feels somewhat sorry for the brunette who was on the verge of tears as she was helped by the crew members into one of the changing rooms to undress her costume.

It’s definitely not the first time in your life but you felt like vomiting the breakfast you had this morning.

You already lost count of how many times you took a deep breath in hopes that your heart will calm down. You listened as Mari neared the end of her welcoming rites and speech for the play, placing your hands on your chest as a final attempt to get tranquility within. The fairytale-like background music began to play and soon, a younger version of your character appeared on the stage; it’s the beginning of your Cinderella play. To be honest, you don’t even know where they got that child actress and how they managed to convince her to join the play but right now, you couldn’t care less because all you’re thinking of right now is how to not mess up your lines and deliver them with the proper emotions. 

Your brother, Osamu, Tooru, Makki and Mattsun, who you were sure as hell were in the audience, will never let you hear the end of it if you mess this up. You don’t want to live the rest of your days in Japan being a laughingstock. No way, you refu–

“You’re thinking too much about it. Calm down,” A voice from behind you interrupted, hands beginning to massage your shoulders to get your stiff muscles to relax. Turning around, you were met with the one and only Miya Atsumu in a prince costume. Right there and then, you felt like your heart’s going to burst for a different reason this time. 

Goodness heavens, Lord Jesus, thank you for blessing me with this beautiful man and letting me meet him, you thought as you savored the view in front of you, also thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Miya  for successfully creating Atsumu and delivering him to the Earth, it must have difficult to produce such fine masterpiece.

“Ya look… beautiful,” the blonde mutters, a hand rubbing his nape and sheepishly grinning, a slight blush adorning his cheeks, “Ya should dress up yourself from time to time, yanno? It really suits you.”

“Gee, thanks for calling me ugly on my normal days,” you scoffed, giggling when he let out a sound of disagreement, “No! That’s not what I meant, idiot!”

“I know.” 

Before you can continue your conversation, the signal for you to come out is finally closing in as the “stepsisters” appeared onstage. Rather shakily, you took a step forward, almost tripping on your dress due to your nerves. You were fortunate that Atsumu was attentive enough to grab your wrist, “YN, I told you to calm down.”

You gulped, nodding and taking a deep breath. He smiled upon seeing the determined look on your face and for some reason, his body moved on its own - placing a hand on your cheek with his thumb rubbing it, he approached you and placed his lips on your forehead. Maybe it’s because you were so nervous or maybe it’s because you longed for this moment for almost your whole life. Whatever the reason is, you just find yourself tearing up a little bit as he whispers, “That’s my girl.”

Never in your life had you wished that time can stop this much before. As you stood still in Atsumu’s embrace, you felt your heart being squeezed with so much love yet pain at the same time. How is it that he’s so close yet he’s someone you can’t have? 

“I love you, Atsumu,” you tell him, eyes still watery; heart hoping that it reaches him, that he picks up the meaning behind your words. But he doesn’t, as he stops to look at you, he squints his eyes in a joking manner as he speaks, “Hey, why do you look so emotional today?”

Disappointment grows in the depths of your whole being, though you don’t show him that. Because perhaps this was enough, you can try again another day. You’ll try and try until he finally understands. You can do that… you’ve been holding on pretty well the past fifteen years, so you huff instead, ignoring the painful thump of your heart, “Nothing, you jerk! Is it really that weird to hear me say I love you to you, hah?!”

You hear the dialogue of one of the stepsisters, calling out as your cue. You start to trudge forward but before you could fully go, he replies, “I love you too, YN, always remember that although I’m so shitty sometimes.”

Yeah, this is enough for now.

Perhaps, you shouldn’t have been so confident in saying that; you should’ve just been straight to the point because nothing has ever compared to the agony engulfing your insides as Miya Atsumu sat in front of you in a random booth of a restaurant, speaking the words you’ve always dreaded to hear as a Moira and as his very own soulmate, “YN, I think I’m done waiting for my soulmate. Can’t you just cut my thread off please?”

[noah-moth-cursed-chaos]

Museums and Abstract Art (A Quinnby Fic) chapter three

Trilby was wondering what in his handler’s right mind made her think him and Chris would do well on a job together. Yes he’d come to consider the other somewhat of a friend but, they had entirely different methods. Trilby went in undetected, did what he had to, and left, with as little destruction as possible and doing all he could to avoid any deaths. Chris took a more... guns blazing approach to things. Trilby wasn’t eager to have his good impression of this man ruined when he saw him live up to his blood thirsty reputation. Still, he waited outside of the ministry building for the other. Chris walked out with a smile on his face, seeming almost *excited* for this. They were being sent to close a rift of some sort, some idiot’s attempt to bring something that belonged in another realm here. Whatever they were trying to summon didn’t come through, but some smaller creatures and a few demons had. “Hey partner! Ready to go kick some demon ^ss?”

“.. I’m ready to do what we have to to get this job done.” Trilby said, “Come on, we’re taking my car.”

“Well someone isn’t very chipper while he works.” Chris said, following the other to said car, “You don’t like field work or something?”

Trilby glanced at him, “I’m fine with it, I just prefer to take it seriously.” He got into the car, turning the engine on.

“Oh.” Chris climbed in the passenger side, “Yeah I’m not good at that.”

Chris was used to Trilby seeming uptight and serious, he’d only seen the guy smile maybe *once* and it was so quick he wasn’t sure it happened. But outside of work at least he’d respond to Chris’ crappy jokes and pestering. However, after their short conversation Trilby had gone stubbornly silent, probably going over details of the case in his head. Deciding to break the silence, Chris turned on the radio, classical music played quietly. “Ew boring.” He scoffed, turning it to the rock channel and cranking the volume. Now that got a response out of the ex thief sitting next to him.

“Did you just insult *my* music and then turn on that sh^t?” Trilby reached over, switching the channel back.

“Dude nobody under 80 listens to f^cking classical!” Chris argued, “How do you not fall asleep listening to it?”

“It’s nice, calm, I like calm things.” The thief scoffed, “Don’t touch my radio.”

“Fine, fine, but calm stuff is overrated and calm music sucks.” Chris leaned back the chair, putting his arms under his head.

“Maybe if you didn’t hate calm stuff so much you wouldn’t be so insufferable.”

“Hey nobody said you *had* to hang out with me!”

“Today I do have to, for work.”

“Yeah, yeah, so, what’s the plan when we get there?”

Once the two arrived at the scene, Trilby was noticeably tense. This place felt... off, the same way the hotel did almost. He didn’t like it. It didn’t help that this was his first field mission since the hotel too. It was an old warehouse, it looked like it’d been a while since it’d been used. A good, isolated location to do something stupid. He took a deep breath and got out of the car, this wasn’t the hotel. It wouldn’t be as bad, it’d probably be easy. Chris would be more concerned if there was something too wrong here.

Chris got out too, reaching into his trench coat, “We should stay close to each other in here.”

“Yeah, that’s what we talked about.” Trilby responded.

“Yeah well, it’s important, long as we’re together there shouldn’t be an issue but I heard you’re more the pacifist type, you wouldn’t last against a demon alone. And we don’t know what else is here.” Trilby didn’t know if he should be offended. He was sure he could hold his own against a demon. How bad could they be? When they first walked in it was quiet, nearly too quiet. Chris seemed calm enough however, so Trilby wasn’t worried.

“So.. is a demon actually like the red horned things?” Trilby asked.

“Sometimes, they come in tons of forms, most of them are more disturbing than that though.” Chris said, “They look worse than they are if ya know what you’re doing.” Great. Good. Fine. This was fine. As they traveled further into the warehouse the off feeling got stronger, and stronger, suddenly a creature with one bug like leg, it’s head a bulbous mass of pulsating flesh, it let out a low gurgle of a growl that made Trilby’s skin crawl, before coming right for him, it took him a second to respond, before lifting his grolly.

He tased it at the same time Chris put about five bullets in it. The blood looked more like pus, and it smelled like nothing he’d ever smelled before. He had to put in genuine effort not to throw up at the stench. “Ooookay, more than just demons here, yep, don’t know what that is.” Chris said, gripping a pistol tightly, “God it reeks doesn’t it?”

“Let’s get moving.” Trilby wondered if his words betrayed how freaked out he was, he was trying to keep his composure.

“They must’ve been trying to get to the realm of magic if they got something like that coming after them.” Of course Chris had to confirm Trilby’s fears. “But they failed, so that’s good.” Yeah like that makes it better.

They encountered a few similar creatures, bloated and disgusting and just... not anything that belonged on earth, before coming across something that at first glance looked human. Like an injured human. Trilby was sure any demon would look at least as bad at the other things they’d been fighting, and rushed over, “Hey, are you hur-“

“Get away from that!” Trilby was shocked as Chris ran over and practically threw him back, before the thing stood up, revealing a twisted and disfigured face, sharp claws, and other things that made it clear it wasn’t some helpless wanderer, it lunged for Chris, quicker than either had expected, and tackled him to the ground. Chris’ gun was knocked out of his hand, the two wrestled for mere moments before Trilby grabbed the gun and fired into the thing’s head, it screeched, before turning to the ex thief, eyes burning coals in its head. Chris quickly retrieved a book from his trenchcoat, reciting something that sounded Latin, and in the demon’s place was now... an energy drink?

Chris got up, picking up the drink, opening it, and... chugging it.

Trilby was so confused on what he’d seen, and why Chris was drinking the demon drink.

“Book of transformations.” Chris said, “Useful when you’re fighting something stronger than you, given you’re lucky.” He grinned cheekily, “And I’ve got amazing luck.” The claw marks and rapidly forming bruises showed otherwise but Chris seemed significantly less concerned than Trilby was. “Let’s get moving again, I wanna get this done with before you try to help some other demonic stranger.”

“I thought they were human.” Trilby countered, pausing as he walked after the other, “Are you okay?”

“I’ve had worse.”

Chris was shocked a rift that had let that much through wasn’t more trouble to close, and that the two didn’t get more hurt than a few scratches on himself and Trilby getting slammed into a wall by something that looked a bit too much like it used to be human for either’s tastes. Trilby however was clearly more concerned with the situation, Chris was vaguely aware the other mainly went on retrieval missions and stuff of that sort, stuff that was usually much less volatile. When they got to the car Chris pulled some bandages out, “Are you bleeding anywhere?” He asked the other agent, who looked at him as if he had two heads.

“You should be more concerned about yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. That was easy compared to my normal jobs.” Chris said, starting to wrap up his own injuries, he could get better care at the infirmary but for right now making sure he didn’t get an infection was always a good move.

“What are your *normal* jobs?” Trilby seemed bewildered.

“Infestations, cults gone wrong, usually stuff that’s been going for a good while, definitely more organized than what we just faced.”

“And you do those jobs alone?” Trilby started the car and began to drive, but didn’t hide the shock in his words.

“I get it done fine. I haven’t failed yet.”

“But it doesn’t seem safe.”

Chris was confused, “Trilby, do you really think ‘safe’ matters all that much? Alive is good, our job is a death sentence. They send you at stuff they *think* you’re good at until one day you’re not good *enough* and then you’re gone.”

“They seemed concerned about my safety after the hotel..” Trilby frowned at the other.

“Yeah well, you’re connected to a god, I’m just some wack job who knows a few incantations, you’re more valuable to them than me.”

@i-go-unwillingly

[sirpeachess-casual]

Love your Dick Grayson Must Die series. I've seen you're taking requests. How about mission goes wrong, Rachel gets seriously injured and Dick spends the next 24h in the infirmary with her blaming himself, possibly having a breakdown at some point because she gets worse before she gets better? I love when he's in full Dad Mode and their scenes in your fics always make me cry 😭❤

24:00:00

Part 3 of the Catching Dick Grayson series, Part 9 of the Dick Grayson Must Die series

Summary: In which Rachel is injured and given twenty-four hours to pull through. With the other Titans away, it's up to Dick to keep her - and himself - from falling apart.

Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Bruce Wayns is a trying to be a good parent, Dick Grayson is a good parent

~~

TITANS TOWERSAN FRANCISCO

24:00:00

Twenty-four hours.

Dr. Stewart had given Rachel twenty-four hours to pull through. If she could make it that long, she would make a full recovery. If she couldn't, it was pretty likely that the rest of the Titans - who were stuck in the airport - wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye.

Dick had broken protocol by bringing the doctor here. But she was a trusted League associate and he had been desperate. So he had called her, practically begged her to come, and allowed her into the Tower. She had gotten to work with him at her elbow the whole time, passing sponges and wiping her brow, until she had done all she could do. Then she had given him her diagnosis, wished them both luck, and left.

He sat in the infirmary, leg bouncing, tapping her number into his League and personal phone just in case. Swallowing thickly, he started the timer.

23:59:99

Twenty-four hours and counting.

He sat back in the chair, twitching and exhaling slowly. Kory texted him, asking how she was. He gave her the full update and she promised they would be there as soon as they could. The airport was a mess, though, and it would be quicker to hurry up and wait for the storm to pass than try to work out another mode of transportation. He understood.

23:53:38

It was going to be a long twenty-four hours.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

He had made it almost exactly twelve minutes before the itch under his skin forced him to stand and get busy somehow. He couldn't just sit here and wait for the worst without sacrificing what was left of his own sanity. Taking his phone with him, he walked into the great room, headed straight for the kitchen. He set his phone on the counter, the countdown displayed on the screen, and stood staring at the fridge.

He wasn't hungry.

He was hungry, but he couldn't eat.

He should eat. Sustenance was always important after a mission or his muscles would regret it in the morning. He knew this. It had been pounded into him since he was twelve.

But he couldn't eat.

Snatching his phone back, he stomped to his room. He stayed long enough to rinse off in the shower and slip into casual clothes - a gray shirt and some pants or something. They were clean and he didn't give the outfit a second thought. Bringing his laptop and some headphones, he dragged a comfortable chair into the infirmary and got settled. Legs crossed, laptop open, headphones ready, he sat.

He checked the timer again.

22:09:47

Two hours down, somehow. Only twenty-two to go.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

He lost another hour staring into space, arms crossed as he looked out the window. The sun had risen, its beams muted by the low-hanging dark clouds. Rain pelted against the windows and deck outside, distant thunder rumbling across the ocean. It looked like the rain wouldn't be stopping for a while, the furthest reaching vestiges of a storm tormenting the city.

He heard screaming, saw a splash of blood, and blinked right before Rachel went down. Stupid flashbacks. He pulled in a shuttering breath, tightening his arms and glancing at the bed. No change and no improvement. Twenty hours to go and she hadn't made any noticeable inch of progress.

Breaking pose, he marched to her bedside, tapping the monitor. He switched between windows, checking her brain activity, blood oxygen levels, anything that he could in any way understand. The numbers remained the same, maddeningly refusing to improve.

Oh, how he wanted to call Dr. Stewart and hear a trusted professional reassure him it would be fine. Or maybe Kory and let her fiercely kind words soothe him. If only Donna was still around; she would tell him how to take his overactive mind off everything and stop the spiral before it even started. Because it was coming. It was coming fast and hard and his only hope was to stave it off for the next nineteen hours.

Fingers tapping an uncoordinated rhythm, he switched the monitor to the default view and paced away. Large hands scrubbed his face and he counted his steps, timed his breathing, cracked his knuckles, did anything he could to get his mind focused on something other than the echoes of her screaming.

The walls started to melt and he knew he had to get out. He burst out of the room, pacing and breathing heavily in the hallway. Music would help, music always helped, but he wouldn't dare deafen himself to the beeping monitors even a little bit. He could read or work on reports if he wasn't so damn distracted. The training room was too far away - an entire floor beneath the infirmary - and he didn't need anything from the bedrooms.

He could eat. He should eat. But the suggestion was passed over before it could even be considered. No way would he be able to taste anything.

That left the great room, its lounge looking traitorously inviting. A sit would be nice, a moment to relax by the fire and release some of the tension in his shoulders, but he didn't deserve it. He needed to stay vigilant, ready to pop into action at a moment's notice. If her vitals changed, he needed to be there. If she started to wake up, he would be standing over her, welcoming her back.

His reflection caught in the rain and he saw blood on his hands, his own ineptitude mocking him. He had been too slow, his stupid moral compass a crutch keeping him from doing what had been necessary. If he had only been stronger, faster, better, he could have saved her. Without his own limitations in the way, she would have been fine.

His phone buzzed and he rushed to answer it. "Kory," he greeted urgently.

"We got tickets."

"When do you leave?"

"Not for another eight hours."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Look, I'm not any happier about it than you are. None of us are. You think we want to be stuck here with what's going on?"

His face sank into his palm, rubbing and pulling at his hair. "This wouldn't have happened if we flew private. If I had just... I could've figured something out."

"Dick, you only have so many strings you can pull. And you used a lot of them just to get her and yourself back home. That's what's important; that's she's back where she belongs."

He sighed, glancing down the hall. "I just wish I could have done more."

She returned the tense exhale, muffling the mic against the din of angry travelers behind her. "No updates yet from the doctor?"

"No changes. Everything is the same from a couple of hours ago."

"Well that's good, right? That means she isn't getting any worse."

He clenched his jaw to bite back the angry remark that almost came out. No, technically she wasn't getting any worse. But she also wasn't getting any better. The clock was ticking, her time running down, and she was no closer to waking up than she was when all of this started. "I'll call you back. Let me know when you're in the air."

"Dick-!"

He hung up, checking the timer and pocketing his phone.

18:34:07

He really needed a distraction, someone to talk to, to scream and rant at. Someone who could take his blows and bites and still consider him a decent human being when it was all said and done. God, he missed Donna.

When she was halfway, with exactly twelve hours left, her heart stopped.

Read the rest on Archive of Our Own.

[vermemesol]

College! AU | Nine Percent - Fan Cheng Cheng

Pairing : Fan Cheng Cheng x Fem!Reader | Chen Li Nong x Fem!Reader | Justin Huang x Fem!Reader

Genre : College!AU, Fluff

Note : I’m not sure if the first part made any sense, but okay. I seriously suck at this, wow. I’M SO SORRY I KEEP HURTING NONG NONG, I PROMISE I’LL GIVE HIM A HAPPY ENDING OKAY.

Previous

College! AU Masterlist | Normal Masterlist

.....

“Welcome to The Nest!” you and the rest of the staff greeted as the bell hanging in front of the door rang. As you look up from the cash register that you were checking, you see that the customer that just came in was Cheng Cheng.

“Oh, Cheng Cheng. You came alone?” he nods as answer, which was odd because he usually talks a lot. Like, on a normal day, he would come in and start asking you stuff or telling you about his day. “Have a seat, I’ll bring you your food asap.” you told him, knowing what he orders all the time.

.....

As you serve up his food and drink, you notice that he was kind of just staring blankly at the table in front of him. “Cheng?” you called out to him. No response. “Hello? Earth to Cheng Cheng?” you waved your hand in front of his face. He jolted up a bit. “Something wrong?” you allow yourself to sit down in the empty seat across him.

“Just... stressed.” he sighs. 

“From school?” he nods at your question.

Cheng Cheng majored in acting. He tells you about how he got a bad grade last time and the comment that the teacher left for him was ‘Learn from your sister.’. He also minored in singing, which also wasn’t going well. You knew exactly how he felt, considering the fact that you too had an older sibling. You share your past experience with him.

Your older brother who was born ten years earlier than you, that’s already like, a major head start, but Cheng Cheng had an even larger gap with his sister. It was always difficult for you to get along with you brother because of the age gap and the fact that he was way smarter than you. Your brother had always been doing well in his academics, but you never did. You were more of an artsy person, you liked art, music and anything of the sort. 

Your family hadn’t constantly been comparing you to your brother, but you always did that to yourself. At the same time, you were proud to have a brother like that. You brag about your brother to everyone instead of making yourself feel bad about having a sibling like him. If he could work hard to get to where he is today, you surely can do the same, it’s just a different path with different obstacles.

“So... I have to brag about my sister who is already famous?” he asks.

“No, you dummy. What I meant was, your sister could make it this far because she’s talented, but she also worked hard for it. Even if you lack talent in the same stuff as her, just try and prove that you can do better in your own way. The harder you work, the luckier you are.” you say again.

“I see... Also, I never knew you had a brother.” he says.

“He’s working in Australia now. Doesn’t get to come home often. I miss him sometimes.” you tell him. “By the way, you performing at the talent show next week?” you ask.

“No, why?” 

“Nong Nong asked me to go watch him perform but I don’t wanna go alone. Come with me?” 

.....

A week goes by and it’s the day of the talent show. You are already inside the auditorium and when you see Cheng Cheng, you wave at him frantically, letting him know where you were.

“I thought you weren’t gonna show up.”

“Well, I’m here now.” he grins. 

.....

It’s Nong’s turn to perform and he sings Nv Hai. The entire time, gaze only on you. Cheng Cheng noticed this and decides to do something about it. 

“Y/N... I don’t feel so well...” he says, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. He describes everything he’s feeling right now, headache, feeling dizzy, wanting to puke etc. So you bring him to the infirmary in the middle of Nong’s performance and yes, Nong sees you two leaving the auditorium. He also sees that Cheng has his arm on your shoulder as you two leave.

.....

Cheng Cheng is laying on the bed in the infirmary while you look around for some medicine that may be able to help him. “Found it!” you read the label on the medicine container as you walk towards the bed that he was laying on. “Here, this might be able to help.” you hand him the pill. He stares at you for a while, the light coming from the sunset shining on you. It just seemed so perfect. You seemed so perfect. He couldn’t help but grab your wrist and pull you towards him. 

You dropped the pill and the container as he pulled you in. You didn’t dare look at him since you two were literally centimeters apart, but he was definitely still looking at you. At first his gaze was on your face, but it slowly shifted to the tiny gem hanging from your neck. Yes, it was the necklace that he had gifted you for your birthday. “Uh... Cheng?” you call him softly. 

He finally comes to his senses, and let’s go of your wrist. “I’m feeling better now.” he says, sitting up and swinging his legs off the bed, towards the opposite side of which you were standing at. His back now facing you. You feel the awkward atmosphere rise as you didn’t know what to say either.

Suddenly, he stands up, turns around and starts laughing. “My acting isn’t too bad after all huh?” he grins widely at you. You were probably blushing a little from what happened earlier but he can’t see anyways considering how dark it was starting to get. At this point you didn’t know which part was the acting. Was it the ‘I’m don’t feel so well’, the part where he pulled you in, or his smile right now? Was it everything?  

.....

Ever since that day, it has always been the tiniest bit awkward when you two are hanging out, with or without the others. You try to forget about it, but the reoccurring dreams about it are not helping. Not gonna lie, you were starting to develop feelings for him too, but the fact that you didn’t know if it was just an act kept you from ever wanting to confess. 

Other than Cheng Cheng, another person being a little awkward was Nong Nong. You couldn’t stand it anymore and decided that you should ask him about it. So you ask him to head to the courtyard with you while you were all having lunch together. To be honest, all the boys had the same thought at that moment, ‘What’s going on?’. And out of all the eight other boys, only Cheng Cheng decides to go after you two, which made the rest of the boys confirm their suspicions about Cheng Cheng liking you.

.....

“Something wrong?” Nong Nong asked you.

“That’s my line. What’s up Nong? You’ve been acting this was since the talent show.” 

“You and Cheng Cheng have been acting weird too, so why are you interrogating me?” he sounded pissed, which was a side that you’d never seen. You stayed silent, kind of afraid of what he might say next. You had a good idea on where this was going, but you weren’t sure.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.” he sighs. “It’s just... I like you a lot Y/N. And when I saw you and Cheng together at the talent show, it hurt me a lot.” 

‘Shit.’ you thought. 

This was exactly the kind of choice you never expected you’d have to make. You knew the answer in your heart but you didn’t want to wreck the friendship that all of you had and you also didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“I’m sorry. I like Cheng Cheng a lot. Don’t tell him though. I don’t want to ruin what any of us have with each other right now.” you tell him. When you look at him, he’s smiling but at the same time he looks so pained. “It’s okay, I understand.” he says.

It broke your heart. Seeing how Li Nong is right now compared to how he used to be. “I know it’s hard... But please promise me that we can all still be good friends.” you stretch a hand out in a pinky promise gesture. “Promise.” he finishes the pinky promise. 

From a distance away, Cheng Cheng was watching you two but he couldn’t hear anything since it was too far. He assumed that he didn’t have a chance anymore and fled the scene, going home early that day.

When you and Li Nong returned to the cafeteria, you asked the rest of the guys where Cheng Cheng went. They told you he left after the two of you. No one knew where he went.

.....

(First & second text are Y/N POV, Y/N calls Justin Ming Hao, no judging ok, third text Justin POV in case you get confused at first)

.....

.....

.....

.....

When you arrived at school in the morning with Justin, you saw Cheng Cheng waiting for you at at the gates. This boy never got to school that early in his entire life. He walked towards you two and grabbed your wrist. “I’ll take care of her from now on.” Cheng Cheng said to Justin before running off with you.

“This is what it feels like to have your heart broken huh?” Justin watched as you two left.

.....

“Wait! Cheng! You’re running too fast!!!” you exclaimed.

He finally stops when you two reach the courtyard. You’re panting and your face is red from both running and embarrassment because of the conversation hours before. You feel his hand on your shoulder. When you look up, he’s grinning so widely at you. 

You two finally sit down on the bench and start talking.

“Care to explain?” you ask. He holds one of your hands, inching closer to you. And you close your eyes tight. You feel a pair of soft lips peck your forehead instead.

“I like you too.” he says.

You can’t believe it but it’s true, you liked him and he liked you. 

- END - 

Previous

College! AU Masterlist | Normal Masterlist

[aloemilk]

Between the Lines

I’ve been working on this story for a while. It ended up being more flangsty than I imagined, oops Based on this post by @wildegreenlight <3 Thanks to @trademarkblue for the read!

Prefect patrols were a duty, and one that Hermione took very seriously. The fact that she was willing to break the rules for things that mattered was, she knew, one of the things that made her a Gryffindor. Surely, the same still applied when she was breaking rules for the boy she was irrevocably head over heels for, right?

She had tried to go to sleep but had failed miserably. Even two days after his birthday, she couldn't forget the moment when Hagrid had said, "Look at him lyin’ there. . . . Who’d want ter hurt him, eh?", and she had looked at Ron, only to have her blood curling in her veins again: he looked too pale, his chest barely raising, his breathing so shallow. The memory didn't want to leave her alone. After replaying the scene in her mind numerous times, she gave up, taking her robes and wearing them over her pajamas, leaving the room on soft feet.

Hermione followed the twists and turns of the castle, heading closer and closer to the infirmary. She half expected someone to see her, so she prepared to explain she was on a late night patrol of the corridors, listing believable reasons in her mind. No one crossed her path.

She cautiously opened the door to the large room. At this time of night, Madam Pomfrey would have retired for the night, giving Hermione the freedom to quietly come in and go to his bed. She tried to make her steps as soft as possible, wanting to prevent being caught and knowing that it was likely Ron was sleeping, too. That would be okay. All she wanted to do was take a look at him and make sure he was all right.

She approached the curtains surrounding Ron's bed and froze. The sound coming through them made no sense, and her brain searched for meaning and threats at the speed of light. No steps, no disappointed Madam Pomfrey scolding her, only singing. Coming from Ron's general area. She stared at the pale fabric blocking her view as if it held the answers.

"...need you You're the only one I care enough to hurt about Maybe I'm-a crazy But I just can't live without your lovin' and affection Givin' me direction Like a guiding light to help me through a darkest hour Lately I'm a-prayin' That you'll always be a-stayin' beside me..."

Forcing herself to breathe, Hermione braved the last few steps, resolutely stopping her brain from telling her he was singing and thinking of his girlfriend. If she did, she'd run far, far away, to struggle both with the memory of his almost-death and his unattainable heart. She blocked the thought, determined to solve the mystery of how she could not know that Ron could sing.

With a shaky hand, she opened the curtain.

He was resting on pillows, his eyes cast down.

"Used to be my life was just emotions passing by, feeling all the while and never really knowing--" in what seemed like one swift motion, his eyes lifted, he noticed her, and he startled in place with enough force to shake the bed. "--Bloody hell!"

"Sssshhhh!" she admonished, coming into the space and closing the curtain behind her. "We don't want to alert Madam Pomfrey."

"What are you doing here?!" he asked in a hissing whisper, sitting up higher on the pillows.

"I was doing my rounds and I thought I would deviate for a moment. That is, if you don't mind."

"I don't, but--"

"You can sing," she said, unaware of the wonder in her voice. "That was…"

"Hermione, you can't tell anyone, please!"

"What? Why? Your voice is wonderful!"

"It isn't-- that's not the point-- just don't--"

"I had no idea… after all these years of knowing you and I never knew--"

"Nobody knows, and I'd like it to stay that way, all right?"

The urgency in his voice made her stop. She came to stand next to him, her hip resting on the bed.

"But why?"

"Can you imagine what'd happen if my brothers knew? They'd never let me live it down!"

"Do you really think they'd make fun of this?" Hermione knew his brothers -- and his sister too, to be honest --  could be mean to him and, when he believed their teasing, he could feel bad for days.

"They'd make fun of anything and you know it," he replied, almost mumbling in embarrassment.

"Really, there is nothing to be embarrassed about," she gently said, but she understood his reasons to want to keep it private. "That was… it was amazing."

"Stop it. It wasn't anything special," he said, but she thought there was a spark of hope in his rebuttal. It was easier to help him keep the secret if he believed she appreciated his singing.

"All right, I won't tell anyone, but what's the story?"

He shrugged, dismissive. "My dad used to have a Muggle record player. Don't ask me how he got it working, but we had only one record and he would listen to it over and over again when we were little. He would always wonder at how the music was held in the grooves. I can still sing every single song on that album."

"Do you know the name of the band?"

"Bread, I think. American. Ridiculous name for a band, though, innit?"

She laughed. "Well, what I got to hear… it was a really nice song."

The corner of Ron's mouth curled up in a small smile. He gave her a furtive look. "Yeah, it is."

Silence grew between them, the levity of the moment quickly fading into nothingness.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm sorry about everything," he blurted at the same time.

"Don't worry about it--" she tried, but he didn't let her finish.

"I'm not worrying. I know I cocked it up."

Hermione looked down to her wringing hands, not knowing what to say. She didn't want to hope for too much, for a moment where he'd say he wished he could erase it all, for the opportunity to say she regretted so much, and would he forgive her for being a jealous, possessive friend. She didn't want to hope they could solve the mess, and go back to a time when their hearts were close to each other, and close to being revealed.

"Maybe… just sit down. Please," he added as an afterthought, pointing at a chair next to the bedside table. She did.

"I've been meaning to say, well… I was an arse, and not only to you," he began.

"I wasn't nice, either. I was shrill and hurtful, too."

"But only in response to my own stuff."

"I don't believe that, but even if it were true, it doesn't excuse what I did," she said.

"I wanna break up with her," he said and, by the way he pursed his lips right afterwards, he was nervous about her reaction.

"Do you?" she asked softly, swiftly changing topics as she followed his lead.

"We… we're not right together."

"I don't think she will be very happy about that," she offered, choosing not to say that Lavender's pain would be Hermione's joy.

"I know. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I've never… done that, before."

Hermione stayed quiet, wanting to know what else he'd say, not knowing what to say herself. How could she trust she would say the right thing, not too much, not too little? She looked at her lap in doubt.

"You… have you ever done it?" he asked, evidently trying to be casual about it, by the tone of his voice.

Hermione looked up at him, trying to decipher what was behind that question. He wasn't looking at her.

"Why, are you looking for advice?"

He looked at her then. "If you have any."

"Not really. I only told someone once that I would rather stay friends with him. That's all."

"Oh," was all he said.

Hermione could feel her eyebrows furrowing in confusion and quite a bit of frustration-- at how stilted the conversation felt, at the mistakes they had made. Years later, she would regret not making the conversation happen the way she had wanted it to go; she knew she could have been more open about her feelings and hopes, especially after he had opened up about what was happening for him in relation to Lavender. At that moment she didn't have that clarity, because all she could think of was that, despite his announcement that he wanted to break things up with Lavender, they were still together. That inevitably meant that what she wanted--all she wanted--couldn't happen.

She got up and straightened her robes, getting ready to leave.

"I should get going. I've been away from my patrol for too long."

"Oh, uhm… thanks for coming."

He didn't sound grateful; there was no cheer in his remark. She wondered if he also felt disappointed their conversation had had more hidden between the lines than out in the open.

"How come you weren't sleeping?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I've been sleeping too much during the day. I wasn't tired."

She turned, ready to leave, but stood in place when he began to sing again.

"Oh, it took so long to find…"

She turned again to look at him.

"The song is stuck in my head," he shrugged, but the half-smile he was trying to contain told her there was more to it. "And singing helps me to think."

She nodded, turning back to leave, but he interrupted her movement.

"If you don't like this song I can sing you some Celestina Warbeck tomorrow, if you come back," he offered.

She gave him a smile, hopeful. She nodded again and finally left his section of the infirmary, reminded by his words that they had a long time to make things right.

[demiboypercyjackson]

Please consider: trans will freaking out and giving a younger camper a long lecture after they come into the infirmary with bruised/cracked ribs from binding with ace bandages and after that incident you can get free binders at the infirmary if you need it

Will Solace had seen a lot of things in his days as head medic of Camp Half Blood, head surgeon on the battlefield, and head counselor of the Apollo cabin. A lot of those things had scared him, had scarred him, and had left him gasping for breath afterwards, waking from night terrors that shook him awake to stare at the moon as if asking for guidance. Most of these things included the sinew-y stubs of missing limbs, bloodied wounds left by claws and teeth, or insides that were, decidedly, no longer insides; things like that. There were other things, too, that shook him - these for an entirely different reason.

There were other things, too, that hit far too close to home.

To set the scene: it was a relatively quiet day. There hadn’t been any new campers for a few weeks now, so there were less newbies getting injured trying to “climb the totem pole” and impress people. No one had come back from any quests recently and likely wouldn’t for a week yet at least. There’d only been a handful minor injuries so far for the day. Younger campers coming in with scratched knees or aching tummies had been the most of Will’s worries for the majority of the morning and he was rather glad for it.

At least, until Mateo Herrera came into the infirmary.

Now, Mateo; he was a good kid. Mateo, in fact, was a very good kid and very rarely ended up in the infirmary. Mostly, Will knew him from the few times Austin could manage to drag his older brother to his music classes. Mateo played the trombone and was very good at it for a beginner. Will respected that. By Kayla’s descriptions, he was also quite good at archery - it was almost uncanny, in fact, how close the two sharp-shooters were in ability, despite Mateo being much newer to the craft.

Distantly, Will wondered when Apollo would hurry up and claim the boy. He was unclaimed and had been for the six months he’d been at camp. Surely it wouldn’t be much longer, right?

This was what Will thought often in regards to the younger boy, but was definitely far from his thoughts when Mateo whispered his reason for being there.

“Will,” said Mateo, his whisper fear-filled and a bit too loud. “My chest has been hurting and I think I know why.”

Normally, Will would chalk it up to growing pains, give dear Matty-boy an aspirin or something, and send him on his way out, but the way Mateo was holding himself seemed more serious. He was obviously very sore and seemed to have difficulty breathing comfortably.

“Why’s that, Mr. Herrera?” Will said as nicely as he could (though Nico told him often that his bedside manner when he was in “Doctor Mode” was oftentimes absolutely dreadful and usually hilariously so).

Mateo’s dark brown eyes looked down at his red and black sneakers, his weight shifting from his left side to his right. He looked up at Will in embarrassment, taking a hand up to smooth the dark curls growing out of his head. “Well,” he said. “I have kind of a... body issue. And the way I take care of it makes it ache.”

Will nodded seriously, hoping distantly that his eyes conveyed kindness. “What is this issue, Mateo?”

He coughed, which quickly died and turned into a wince, accompanied by a slight wince. Mateo admitted with difficulty, “I have breasts. And I... bandage them to make them less noticeable b-but-”

“Wait,” Will’s eyes grew wide and he knew he was showing a bit of teeth, but he couldn’t help himself. The look on his face was undoubtedly the same expression he’d made many an occasion - occasions such as, for example, the first time Austin said “bitch” and the first time Kayla admitted that she kind of wanted to join the Hunters of Artemis (but that was a story for a different time). It was a look of disappointment - the shocked, protectively angry kind of disappointment. “Bandage, you said?”

Face full of shame, Mateo nodded. “Yeah, ace bandages. They aren’t that good but they can make you pretty flat-”

Will put down the clipboard he’d been holding as carefully as he could. Without meaning to, he’d begun to grip it so hard that his knuckles had turned white and since he didn’t want to break it, it seemed wiser this way. “Mr. Herrera, will you follow me to the back? I’d like you to take those bandages off for a quick x-ray. This may be urgent.”

Mateo nodded, visibly sweating. “Okay,” his voice shook. “Yeah, no problem.”

In a few minutes time, Mateo had taken the x-rays, and seemed very glad to be out of the ace bandages, though Will could see those lines setting into the younger boy’s face that seemed to spell one thing, a thing Will knew very well; dysphoria. Will knew it wouldn’t be easy for poor Mateo, but he had to put his foot down.

“No more binding.” Will demanded. Mateo opened his mouth to protest but the blond shook his golden-haired head. “No. No buts and no whats. I’m the doctor and I say no binding, at least for a while. Ace bandages are not okay, Matty.”

Mateo looked down at his feet again, examined the light reflecting off of the three remaining aglets. His eyes shined too, only with tears.

Will sighed, his heart maybe breaking a little. “Mateo... I understand, okay? But there are better ways. Safer ways. Your ribs aren’t like normal bones. Those bandages can squeeze them all wrong, break them even. You seem to be mostly alright, luckily, it was smart of you to come to me, but... I’ll check the x-ray just to be sure.”

Mateo nodded. He rubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand and sniffled. “Thanks. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Will said. “Be safer. I’m gonna have to ask you not to bind for at least a week. But, don’t worry. I won’t bind either. You won’t be alone in this.”

Mateo made a face, confused. “Wait, I don’t understand. What do you mean you won’t either?”

“I’m trans, too, Matty-man.” Will shrugged. “I don’t really hide it. But, after all this, I can help you get a real binder too. You’re a bigger size than me,” Will was a bean pole of a boy and Mateo was much shorter and a bit chubby. He’d definitely need a bigger size - Will was already theorizing his measurements, which, once he realized he was, was a bit creepy. “So I can’t lend you one of mine, but we can get them here easily enough.”

“How?”

Will shrugged again. “Mr. D is the genderfluid patron god of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. I’m always surprised more people don’t know that.”

Mateo smiled for the first time since he’d walked into the infirmary. “Wait, really?”

Will nodded. “Yup. I would be, except I’m not genderfluid and also about a gazillion years too late.” Mateo laughed, so Will continued. “Some sweet benefits, though, right?” Giggling quietly, Mateo nodded in agreement, and Will let himself relax a bit.

It had been a long time since Will was in Mateo’s shoes, and had definitely been lucky to have Cecil’s mother, who was and always would be PFLAG to the grave and had immediately done everything she could to help this baby she had taken in, to help this boy she’d barely known be true to himself and to the people around him. As soon as Will had begun to have noticeable... unwanted developments, he’d gotten his first binder - a simple black tank that had meant the world to him. It was too small now, but he still had it. Sentimental value and all that.

If Mateo had been able to fit it, however, Will would’ve handed it over. No one had told him that ace bandages were bad, it was obvious. No one had helped him cut his hair, which was a mess of curls cut at short but varying lengths once you saw it up close. No one had helped Mateo be Mateo. And Will would do anything to give this kid the same kind of influence that his mama - and he would always call her that, Mama - had given him.

“Wait,” Mateo murmured. “You mean that? You won’t bind either?”

Will shook his head. “Nope. Think of it like... a blood pact. Except, instead of blood, it’s boobs. A boob pact.”

Mateo bit his lip to keep from laughing. “A boob pact?”

Solemn as he knew how to be, Will nodded. “A boob pact. A sacred bond between trans brothers. If you have to free ball it, then I will too.”

It was a moment that passed, in near silence, a kind of special care in the air between them, before Mateo tentatively smiled. “Thank you, Will.”

And Will smiled. “Of course, bud. Now.... Let’s take a look at those x-rays, huh? And then we can talk colors for your binder.”

“I like red.”

“Red is definitely your color. Absolutely yes.”

Maybe this encounter with Mr. Herrera wouldn’t wake Will in the dead of night, shaking. Making it wouldn’t bug him too terribly in daylight hours, even - the problem was solved, after all. But, when he would lay down for the night, pajamas warm and clean, blanket soft, pillows fluffed and cool, Will would be unable to close his eyes. He’d be stuck thinking of every home like Mateo’s, every home like the one Will had grown up in - if you could call those things homes. Every place and every transgender child with a sad face and a lie on their nametag. These are the things that stain his evening thoughts, that remind him of days long past. Things are better now, he tells himself. I’m safe now. I can help kids in ways more important than even I realize. Sometimes, it helps him sleep. The look on Mateo’s face when he sees his first binder... it helps. The look on Mama’s face when he tosses a golden drachma into a spray of rainbow mist just before bed, the yell of happy surprise when she notices the call... it helps.

But there is still work to be done.

-

sorry this got super weird and dark aksjda ive been having Thoughts and i wanted to add them here. to lgbt, mogai, or otherwise queer people struggling with accepting their identity - it may not always seem like it, but its does get better. maybe not all at once or all the time, but please, take it one day at a time. remember the people that come after us too. we have to survive. for people like us, we have to survive. keep the legacy alive, keep fighting for a better future, so people like us, so kids like mateo here don’t have to fight quite so hard. and for the love of god don’t bind with ace bandages and don’t double bind!!!!!!! be safe out there, you dorks! - mod will