#Sorry for the long absence... Preparing for important exams takes up almost all of my free time and I hate it

[lmaoumagadjieva]

Monoko in gothic lolita outfit

[mywonuderful]

redamancy

Summary: You were preparing for an upcoming literacy exam but as much as your boyfriend tried to refrain himself, he had the sudden urge for your lips, but you weren’t much help being too clueless by his actions

Pairing: optional male bias (H/N) X female!reader

Genre: wholesome fluff

Warnings: cringing from my poorly written fluff due to my lack of experience LOL no srs tho

A/N: hello everyone! I’m back after a long period of inactivity. Academics has been keeping busy which explains my extended absence but with my semester coming to an end, I can hopefully get back into writing again! Here’s a request for the anon! This is inspired by the 2 assignments, 3 tests and 3 labs that I have upcoming hehe good luck to everyone who are preparing for exams!

main masterlist

“You literally have a week to study for it.”

“That isn’t an excuse for me to slack off. You know how important this course is to me.” You opened your laptop and sat down on the couch, placing your feet on top of the coffee table. You saw your boyfriend in the corner of your eyes, taking a seat beside you. He was awfully quiet which made you glance up from your screen and was meet with his pouting face. “At least let me study for 1 hour .” You giggled as you pinched his soft cheeks.

“Ha ha, very funny. Your definition of 1 hour is more like a day. I’ve fallen for it too many times already. Don’t think you could fool me this time.” He groaned, rolling his eyes before an idea popped up in his head like a light blub lit up. You were focused on the screen, eyes narrowed as your hands endlessly pressed onto the keys of the keyboard. He quietly shifted over, his face leaning close to yours.

“You know that I’ve fallen for you way too many times to be counted too, right?” He whispered, a smile slowly appearing when you looked at him, head tilting back from his close approach.

“Mhmm. Isn’t that so. Could your head a bit, you’re blocking my screen.” You replied half-heartily, making your soulmate sit back on the couch, arms across over each other. He finally left you alone as he went on to do his own things, as you were able to focus in peace and quiet. Just then, he jumped on the couch, making your laptop falling out of you hands before you got a grip of it.

“Y/N! I think there’s something stuck on my lips! Could you get it off for me? I can’t see it but I can feel it.” You let out a sigh, and turned your attention to the you boyfriend who was sitting on the couch on his knees, pointing at his pouting lips. You narrowed your eyes, trying to spot the thing that was bothering your lover but he inched closer and close to your face, particularly your lips.

“Stop moving! How do you expect me to help you check when my eyes are crossed?” You held his face steady, and seriously took a look. “I don’t see-” 

“No no! It’s there! I can feel it” He exaggerated. You grumbled and took at look again, but he kept moving his lips, wiggling it back and forth. “Well, I don’t see it. Now let me get back to studying.” You lightly pushed his forehead before placing the laptop back on your lap. He sat there, giving you the stare because of how oblivious you were at he fact that he wanted nothing but kisses from you. But then again, that only brought up more ideas for your playful boyfriend.

“Let’s play a quick game. It’ll only take like 5 minutes max. It’ll be like a short break for you.” He was glued to your side once again, as your tried to shake off his arm that was wrapped around yours while you where trying to type. In defeat, you place your laptop on the coffee table like earlier, waiting for the game he suggested. “Okay you have to guess the sentence while I act it out.” He have a childish yet devilish smile. You chuckled at his lovable actions before he started acting out the sentence. He pointed at you, then himself, then him hugging himself very aggressively and then pressed his lips together. You furrowed your brows, trying to hold in your laughter.

“Me... You.... Hugging?” You answered in a confused tone, not really catching on his actions. He tilted his head in thought be then nodded.

“Aw, you wanted me to hug you?” He was about to explain but was cut off when you pulled him into your embrace as you heard him muffle into your shoulder. “You could’ve just said so, love. I’m almost done right?” He opened his mouth before he saw you focused on your laptop screen, typing away as he sat there in defeat once again, feeling more annoyed by the fact that you couldn’t take a hint. He stared at your working figure for a solid couple of minutes before your laptop fell off your lap, onto the couch as H/N has his hands on either side of your cheeks, his eyes staring into your enlarged pupils from his sudden movements.

“Yeesh?” You manage to say from having your cheeks squished. H/N was looked directly into your eyes before they slowly trailed down to your lips, as he bit his own. “H/N...?”

“After all this time...” He spoke in a soft yet serious tone. “You just can’t seem to figure it out, can’t you?” You blinked a couple of times. You felt his face inching closer to yours, but you couldn’t tell if he actually was or was your blinking making you hallucinate when your ringtone broke the silence between the two of you as you pushed hands away and leaned towards the coffee table to answer your call.

“Hello?” one of your friends called in need of your help on the upcoming exam. In the corner of your eyes, you saw your boyfriend stand up from the couch before storming into the bedroom as you watched in confusion, not giving much thought as you started explaining to your friend one of the lectures. After the call, you got to finish up with your study session and closed your laptop, letting out a long heavy sigh. You stretched your arms over your head, glancing over at the couch where your boyfriend would normally be found, scrolling through his phone or playing video games. You found the seat beside empty, as you sudden sensed loneliness. Standing up, you make your way to your shared bedroom. As you opened the door, H/N lifted his head at your appearance before he turned his body to face the window, covering his body with the blanket, letting out a rather loud sigh. You stood at the entrance of your bedroom, confused before softly chuckling at yourself and made your way to the opposite of the bed, crawling on it. You tried lifting the blanket that was covering your boyfriend’s handsome face when he tugged on it. You sat on your knees, confused on his behavior.

“You alright there?” You questioned as you heard a mumbled “hmmph” from under the blankets. “Hey, I didn’t go over the time I promised you, I don’t understand why you’re ma-”

“YOU’RE SO CLUELESS” he yelled from under the covers, making you stop at your words. “You can’t even take a hint.” He spoke at a lower tone. 

“Hey, hey, whatever it is that I did, let’s talk it out okay?” You nudged his shoulder and attempted to lift the blanket to see your pouted boyfriend with crossed arms, lying under the covers as you covered your mouth from bursting into laughter on how adorable he looked. “Okay love, what did I do wrong?” Scooting closer to him, he glanced at you before letting out a whine throwing his arms in the arm in frustration.

“Seriously Y/N? You can’t even notice?” He sat up, eyes narrowed at yours as you shook your head, not understanding his words. “Was it not clear?”

“What isn’t clear?” You slowly asked as he rolled his, turning his back against you as he sat facing the window. “I don’t get-”

“I just want you to kiss my lips!” He confessed in a groaned manner as you tried to make sense of the whole situation. A smile creeped on your face from his cute attitude. You got off the bed and walked over to the side were he was sitting with his eyes closed and pouted lips. Smiling, you hugged him, making the two of you fall onto the bed as his back hits the mattress with you hovering over him. 

“I’m sorry baby. I didn’t notice.” He brushed out the hairs that was covering his eyes as you smiled softly at him. You could see his lips curving up into a smile before he frowned. 

“Of course you didn’t notice. You’re always busy studying you don’t even pay attention to me. Not even all the signs I’ve sent.” You let out a silent ‘aw’ as your boyfriend rambled on how you were too focused on your studies. 

“How about I teach you a new word? I think you’ll like the meaning of this. I promise.” His eyebrow raised in anticipation. “It’s called redamancy.” you spoke, eyes glancing down at his lips.

“What does that mean?” you eyes travelled back up, locking eyes with his

“The act of loving in return.” smiles were formed on both of your faces as you leaned down to kiss his nose, a cheeky smile plastered on your lover’s face.

“How about I show you?” You chuckled before getting kisses on his lips and ticklish kisses all over him, as the room with filled with laughter, shrieks and love. 

[bookstantrash]

A/N: I can’t believe I’m staying true to my word and posting it before the year is over. My self imposed deadline was met, yey me!!

A little heads up for those who read my stuff: January will be a tricky month for me — I still have one exam left — so I don’t know if I’ll be able to post. Then there’s the acosf release, and I plan to avoid being in social media (aka tumblr, twitter) until I’ve read it at least two times lol. I’ll try to write in any spare time that I have, but I’m sorry in advance.

Now, let’s end 2020 with style!! I hope you enjoy the new chapter and wish y’all a good 2021 💜

In which she makes a friend, Part Five

Nesta woke up to soft knocking on her door.

She groaned in her pillow, wanting nothing more than to go back sleep. She was not used to waking up so early — the sun had barely risen on the sky — and she’d had a poor night of sleep, her latest nightmare still too vivid in her mind.

Nesta had a lot of those. Nightmares. Before, it was of Mandray. Of being beneath him again. Of not being able to scape. After being kidnapped by Hybern, they were about Elain. Of failing time and time again to avoid her sister being thrown into that blasted Cauldron.

Once the war had come and gone, it got worse. She’d dream of Elain in that camp, chained near the Cauldron. Would dream of Feyre failing to rescue their sister. Would dream of both of them dying while Nesta was unable to protect them. Another failure that’d hunt her through all of her miserable immortal life.

And she’d dream of him. Of his wings being broken and his screams piercing her ears, her soul. Of Hybern killing him in front of her eyes while she was held down by the evil king’s power. And once she got free, once she blasted that bastard to nothingness, she’d find herself in world without him. A world where she lived with a big nothing inside her.

Last night, however, had been different. She had been dreaming of failing Elain and Feyre again when suddenly she heard a voice. His voice, talking in that melodic and enthralling language, his voice a soft caress that eased her troubles. But as soon as she felt herself calming down, Nesta felt him go away. And so she desperately asked for him to stay with her. At least in her dreams she’d be less proud and afraid to say what she wished to. What she wished she had said to him two months ago.

Don’t go. Stay.

And in her dream he stayed. It had been so realistic that Nesta swore she could still feel his warm calloused hand against her skin, smell his scent, his voice a lover’s caress in her ears and—

She got up from the bed quickly, shaking her head. No good would come from going down that path. She willed her heart to behave and stay quiet in the cage she had locked it into. Wall after wall being risen, being toughened. Sometimes, feeling nothing was better then feeling too much or even anything at all.

Nesta heard knocking again, and quickly discarded her nightgown for the Illyrian leathers. She had struck a promise to train with Kaelin before the girl’s morning training and Nesta hated to be late.

“I’m awake, you don’t have to tear down the door Kaelin” Nesta said, opening her door and almost hitting her face in a leather clad chest.

Cassian was the one knocking on her door.

“What are you doing here?” she asked through clenched teeth.

“Good morning to you too sweetheart” he gave her a teasing grin “Last that I checked, I live here”

“One would wonder if that is true, given your long absence” she replied, knowing she had hit her mark when she saw a muscle twitching on his jaw “Where’s Kaelin?”

“Training has been rescheduled. The younglings start earlier now so those preparing for the Blood Rite can have more time on the training areas” Cassian managed to say.

“I see” Nesta was thinking about going back to sleep when the male in front of her interrupted her thoughts.

“Would you care to have breakfast with me?”

She opened her mouth to dismiss him when she caught the look on his eyes. Not angry anymore at her earlier jab, but anxious. She had never seen Cassian so unsure before, so difficult to read. It was as if his feelings were all over the place.

“It wouldn’t hurt to eat with him” she thought, recalling her dream.

“You are cooking” Nesta declared, moving past him to the kitchen.

“As you wish, your Highness” he did a mocking bow and followed her.

Nesta eyed the tall male in front of her. He cooked with expertise and seemed completely comfortable in the ambient, humming while he mixed some eggs in the frying pan.

He was so... domestic. Nesta almost smiled imagining him with a silly apron, an image so at odds with his usual scary General appearance.

“I talked with Kaelin yesterday” Cassian said after some time.

“And?” Nesta asked, raising an eyebrow

“He’s been training with you. And I was wondering....” he placed the food in front of her, clearing his throat “I was wondering if I could train you. Both of you. Kaelin is not so advanced with his training and there’s also the matter of—”

“The matter of what” she snapped

“Your powers” he fidgeted with a knife, twirling it on his hand, not scared to cut off a finger by accident “I don’t know where you were with Amren in regards to them, but it’s also important to have them in sync with any self defence moves you can learn”

“My powers are none of your concern”

It was a lie. Her classes with Amren had just grazed the surface of what she knew she could do. But she was scared of them. Of what she could do. Her powers were a wild beast that was she forced to live with, a constant reminder of the life she lost.

She hated it.

However, Cassian was right. If she truly wanted to be capable of defending herself — of defending Kaelin were her secret to be discovered — she’d have to accept his help.

“We can train after breakfast” she nonchalantly said, stabbing a piece of the scrambled eggs on her plate “I’m already changed either way”

“Brilliant” Cassian smiled, his whole face seeming to lighten up like the sky after a storm “Prepare yourself to be challenged sweetheart. I’m not one to go easy on my students”

~•~

Cassian did not lie. He didn’t go easy on her. Her whole body ached and she almost regretted her choice to not stay in the cabin, rereading one of her books.

But she had places to go.

“You’re late”

“I’m not late Esmée” Nesta stated, grabbing an apron by the tent’ side and moving to one of the tables “I’m exactly on time”

“You’re thirty seconds late. That’s enough to lose the boiling point for a healing potion and make it a poison instead” Esmée, the chief healer of Windhaven huffed “If I say you’re late then you’re late.”

Nesta only dipped her head and started to work. Esmée might come out as a grump and mean female, but she was only serious about her work, a work which left her with no time for idle talk or sugarcoated pleasantries.

Nesta liked her just fine.

Kaelin had been the one to present her to the healers. Once her period was over and it was safe for her to leave the cabin without someone noticing the change in her scent, Kaelin had taken Nesta in a tour through Windhaven. Nesta did not know anything else except the area around Cassian’s cabin, which included a solitary trail to the forest and the outskirts of the village.

Kaelin appeared to know everyone they passed by. The younglings — who were yet too young to train — happily waved at her when they passed, as did some females who were working. On the other hand, it was different with the males. They eyed Kaelin with distaste and something akin to betrayal in their eyes. Nesta had yet to ask Kaelin why. Was it because she was walking with Nesta, an outsider who not only was High Fae but also the sister in law of their High Lord? She had tucked the information inside herself, analysing everything and everyone they met.

And it was when they were nearing the end of the tour that they had come upon the healers tent. Nesta recalled helping them in the war, bringing buckets of water, doing bandages for the wounded and holding the most serious ones down while they were patched up. She had felt like she had a purpose back then. Like she was not a burden.

She tried not think how it also helped her take her mind off the fearless Illyrian who leaded the troops, leaving only dead bodies with whoever met his blade.

Esmée had remembered her, as did some of the other females that worked alongside her. They had not eyed Nesta with pity or distaste, something she was used to in Velaris. No, they simply gave her a nod of recognition and went back to work, mixing herbs, cutting straps of bandages and tending to patients.

“Are you going to help or will you stay all day there?” Esmée had snapped “If you want to, grab an apron and come here. We need more jambu to be ground so that fella over there can stop whining”

Kaelin had come still beside Nesta, fearing she had been insulted by the healers harsh words. But she simply grabbed an apron and rolled her dress’ sleeves.

“Which one is jambu?”

And from that day onwards Nesta began to help the healers in any way she could, going after her training with Kaelin in the morning and coming back in the late afternoon. Kaelin always walked her back, stopping at the tent after her training.

“It’s not safe for females to wander alone” the young girl had informed Nesta “Specially when it starts to get dark”

Nesta knew better than to dismiss Kaelin’s words. She knew what males were capable of doing to those they thought inferior to them.

“Charming as ever, don’t you agree?” Jacira said, appearing beside Nesta.

“Lovely” she mumbled back, the corners of her lips almost raising in a smile.

Jacira was one of the least shy healers around Nesta. She had beautiful dark green eyes, which contrasted with her dark raven hair and dark brown skin. She also had a very sharp and curious mind, and was teaching Nesta all she knew about what being a healer was like.

Nesta liked to think she had found another friend in Jacira.

“I see the General has come back”

“Really? I didn’t notice” Nesta replied, busying herself with her task.

“He had been gone longer than usual this time for the inspection” Jacira whispered “Word says it’s because some serious trouble has risen in other camps, specially Ironcrest”

Jacira was also a shameless gossiper. In the two weeks Nesta had started to work with her, she knew practically everything about anyone that lived in Windhaven. She said to herself that no harm would come to listen to Jacira’s blabbering. She was simply gathering information as to not stay in the dark.

It was not gossip. It was only intelligence material about the Illyrians in Windhaven.

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Cassian had not spoken a word about it with her.

“I don’t know. I only know that the camp lords are whispering between them, and seem to be anxious about the Blood Rite.” she got closer to Nesta “In my opinion, they want it to arrive fast so any feuds can be resolved there”

For the Blood Rite was not only the chance for the Illyrians to prove their worth as a warrior, but a bloodbath. An event that allowed matters to be resolved without the laws of the war camps binding them.

“More work and less talk ladies” Esmée hissed at them “Those tonics won’t be done by themselves”

“Yes, m’am” Jacira replied, batting her eyelashes innocently, making Nesta snort. That girl had no fear of danger.

They kept to their work, Jacira talking when she thought Esmée was not looking, Nesta saying something now and then. The time she spent among the healers was precious to her. It brought a sense of normality back to her life. Even the wild beast inside her gave her a time out, seeming to purr whenever she dedicated herself to chopping herbs and making tonics or healing potions, the scent of all the ingredients calming her.

But the thought that something was amiss among the Illyrians bothered her. It was something that stayed on her mind all day.

Nesta was quieter than usual at dinner — she caught Cassian glancing worriedly at her when he thought she was not looking — the gears inside her head turning and going through every possible outcome.

She went to sleep still thinking about it, and came to a conclusion.

Something bad was coming.

And she would get Cassian to tell her whatever it was.

•

Tags: @sayosdreams @thewayshedreamed @sjm-things @perseusannabeth @arin1030 @caotica-e-quieta @vidalinav @swankii-art-teacher @ireallyshouldsleeprn @duskandstarlight @greerlunna @thegoddessaltenia @dayanna-hatter @verypaleninja @awesomelena555 @courtofjurdan @allilal @sensitiveillyrian @moe8 @illyrianwitchling13

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[thefanficmonster]

Promise

Anthony (The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope) x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Death scenes, Grief, Housefire, Angst, Swearing

Genre: Angst, Romance

Summary: Sneaked glances and pass-by smiles are often times the start of the most beautiful of love stories. Sadly, many of those stories end too quickly, too soon for the souls in love to be able to enjoy them. This is the story of Y/N and Anthony. The love story that started with a promise and ended in flames.

Requested by @niksoiio Hi dear! Thank you so much for your wonderful request! I apologize for taking so long, but here it finally is! I know how excited you were for this fic, so I hope it fulfills your expectations and doesn’t let you down! Please enjoy! Love, Vy ❤

Never is a love story as pure as one long awaited to commence. The souls patiently waiting to intertwine, the emotions dying to shine through more than just glances and secret smiles. Feelings to mix, collide and dance together, creating a symphony of a lifetime. The symphony of love that lives beyond the end of the very souls that sparked it.

This is a love story, a story of loss, and a clear example, proof that a love simply doesn’t die. It’s an everlasting flame - burning brighter than the one that attempted to destroy it.

                                                              ~~~

“You seem restless tonight.“ Anthony walks into the living room, placing a cup of hot cocoa on the coffee table in front of Y/N who’s reading the back cover of the book he has been keeping himself busy with lately. 

Y/N has been Tanya’s friend since they met in middle school. When their friendship carried over into high school, that’s when her and Tanya’s adoptive brother Anthony met. They instantly became friends, sharing their love for thrillers and murder mysteries, similar taste in music and relatively similar personalities - the quiet peacemakers. The lovers, not fighters. Well, not fighters unless necessary. They are both protectors with many people they care about and would do anything to keep them safe. The two of them are pretty similar that way. 

Very compatible, as some would say. Tanya being the first to notice the connection between two of the closest people in her life. Knowing the shyness of the two and their self-doubt, she chose not to speak up about it until spoken to, expecting them to take ages to finally see what’s been going on between them. Guess she wasn’t far from the truth.

On this night Y/N and Tanya were supposed to spend their time studying together for the last exam of the semester before Christmas break began. They have agreed to meet at the Clarke house at six PM in the afternoon which has long passed and Tanya is still yet to return from the date she went on with her boyfriend Vince. She promised Y/N she’d make it home by six, but now it’s eight and there’s no sign of her whatsoever. A snowstorm started slowly taking over the town approximately two hours ago, probably the reason behind her friend’s absence, but to Y/N’s dismay, also the reason she’d have to spend the night at the Clarke household because her parents wouldn’t be able to collect her in this weather, especially not with the run-down car they drive.

“Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She nods in gratitude at the boy who sits down on the couch next to her as she takes the mug containing the hot beverage with as firm of a grip as she can muster with her shaky hands. 

She has indeed been restless since she arrived. Walking into the house, apart from Anthony who had let her in, the first person she saw was the youngest member of the family - Megan. The little girl has never done anything to her in particular, but there has always been something about her that has unnerved Y/N. Something in her eyes and demeanor, how empty and hollow her gaze was, almost like she was looking through people and objects instead of at them. The smile she sent her as a greeting sent chills down her spine, leaving her hands and knees shaky and her body jittery as if the house was colder than the outdoors. The thought that she’d have to sleep in this house made her stomach clench with discomfort, a sickening feeling of wrong taking over her mind and body.

“Maybe it’s the exam. You know, if Tanya doesn’t make it, I can help you. It’s not a difficult subject, after all.“ Anthony attempts to reassure her, giving her a sympathetic look as he takes a sip of his own cup.

She gives him a soft smile and another nod of appreciation for his offer, “No, it’s not that. Or at least I think it isn’t. Exams don’t make me nervous until after I’ve finished them, if that makes sense.” She giggles weakly, basking in the warmth of the porcelain cup in her ice cold hands. It doesn’t have much of an effect though - instead of warming up her skin, her hands are basically cooling the drink and she still feels as tense and endangered as ever. “But a study partner could be pretty useful, thank you.”

After finishing the rather disappointing movie they found on TV as well as their drinks, they make their way to Anthony’s room to actually get some studying done because, judging by the nearing of nine PM and the constant lack of her friend, she wouldn’t be returning on time. Anne attempts to offer them before they go, an offer which they turn down in favor of making the most of the time they have left before their brains would require rest for the day.

“You see, I get that it’s far less complicated than it seems, but I’m terrible at paying attention in classes, let alone at taking notes.“ Y/N admits while they take a short ten minute break between note-reading and revising the chapters they’ll have an exam on the following day.

Anthony’s eyebrows furrow, “Why’s that? I mean, the professor isn’t boring. Not to me, at least.“

She shakes her head, “No, no, far from it. The rare time’s I’ve managed to focus I quite enjoyed the lectures. But I tend to get too stuck inside my head to hear anything else. My brain gets overwhelmed by the future, by what’s gonna happen five minutes, five days or maybe even five years from the present moment. I sometimes get so lost in those thoughts that I end up...this is gonna sound weird, but I feel like I end up living them.” Somewhere along the lines she could no longer hold his gaze, embarrassed and afraid of how his opinion of her might change with this newly revealed information.

However, much to her surprise, when her eyes meet his again he’s looking at her with nothing but intrigue and child-like curiosity. No amusement or humor or mocking, just wondering, hoping to find out more. Little does she know, that’s how he always looks at her when she is facing the other way. “That’s so interesting. I guess the real question is: Do the things you imagine ever end up coming true?” It was said with a lighthearted smile with the intention of easing the tension in her, calming her nerves, but he had unintentionally struck a chord.

She nods her head, her eyes widening slightly, “Well that’s the weirdest part - they do. Almost all the time unless I do something to prevent it. It freaks me out every time.” An aura of fear surrounds and inhabits her as her gaze wanders away from his again, this time subconsciously, “It scares me so much, Anthony. I know something’s terribly wrong with me. I’m a freak of nature or...I don’t even know what. I just know it’s bad. And I probably shouldn’t have told you all of this cause you now won’t ever look at me the same, you will avoid me. Call me crazy behind my back. I see why but-...”

Before the petrified girl could continue rambling, Anthony takes hold of her hands, firm and comforting. The sudden, unexpected contact of their hands silences her, freezing her eyes on his as she breathes heavily in hopes to stabilize her rapid heart and far worse shakiness. With his hands holding hers, she feels protected, guarded from whatever the future may hold and from the very fact that she could probably find out if she tried. For once though, she doesn’t feel like she has to. She doesn’t need to see what will happen and prepare, she trusts it won’t be so bad as long as she has this boy holding her by the hands, looking at her with such softness in his green orbs staring back at her.

“But that’s all nonsense, Y/N. I’d never say something behind your back, especially not something meanspirited or ill-willed. You...“ he trails off, hesitating for just a moment longer, deciding against prolonging this grey area his feelings have been locked in for far too long as it is, “You are very important to me, more than you know. I could never see you as anything but amazing, mesmerizing. You’re you, Y/N. And that’s why....“ Hesitation and doubt make one final attempt at beating his courage bloody. Much like last time, they fail and Anthony carries on, “That’s the reason I’ve fallen in love with you, Y/N. Quirks, oddities, they are all beautiful cause they are yours. And I love them cause they make you who you are.“

He has somehow managed to turn the tables on her, leaving her to be the speechless one despite her having just revealed her freaky ‘abilities’ to him. What looks like a fiasco in her mind he’s made seem like a perfectly put together kaleidoscope. Like every piece of her shattered courage and bravery is back in it’s spot. Although he’s somewhat managed to put her together, she’s still a long way from being whole, which is why words have failed her now. She hasn’t felt so complete in so long, and now the final piece missing is that response that just refuses to leave her chest.

Seeing her stunned as she is, Anthony feels the need to apologize, justify his out-of-the-blue confession that startled her so much, “I know I should’ve you sooner, or at least picked a better moment but-...”

It’s her turn to cut him off though her method is much more efficient - silencing him by pressing her lips against his.   Though caught off-guard, Anthony is quick to respond to it, kissing her back with the same amount of love she’s put in on her end.

“Hey, Y/N, I’m so sor- WHOA!“ The two pull apart at the sound of the familiar female voice that has suddenly filled the room. Tanya has picked the worst of moments to be coming home, and she’s more than aware of it. Despite feeling guilty for interrupting her brother and best friend’s moment, she’s also glad she didn’t miss it. After all, she’s been watching the two suffer in silence, pining for each other since the start of their high school freshmen year and even now that they’re in college. They’ve been quiet about their feelings for more than four years and she can’t be happier to finally see the prophecy fulfilled. “You know how long I’ve been waiting for you two to finally succumb to your hearts and turn those lame brains you have off?! Oh this is a relief like no other.” The older girl laughs, pleased with the outcome of four years of looking on at two very important people in her life adoring one another and not saying a word. Needless to say, she’s proud of them.

“Do you know what knocking is, Tanya?“ Anthony is the first to recover from the initial shock of his sister’s appearance.

“Only in theory. Not in practice.“ She replies sarcastically, giving a pleased smile that speaks volumes of how her spirits have been lifted all thanks to them. “I’ll go downstairs, pretend I didn’t see what I saw, make myself a cup of tea to warm up and when I come back I want to see that you two have pulled yourselves together. Your faces are burning red.” She instructs, backing out of the room but not before fixing them a narrow-eyed warning look.

She wasn’t wrong - they are indeed blushing a deep red and all they can do is smile when they look at each other, giggling a tiny bit.

Suddenly, Y/N’s eyes widen as though she has just remembered something of great importance. “Wait.” She mutters, more to herself than to Anthony. Her hand swiftly slides the ring off the middle finger of her left hand and offers it to Anthony, “Here.” The boy takes it hesitantly, turning it between his fingers as gently and cautiously as he can as though the ring would crack if his grip became any firmer. “By taking in, you’re making a statement, a promise. A promise that you won’t change your mind about me...about us by tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or by next week.” She’s unable to look at him yet again, instead focusing on her fidgeting hands rested in her lap.

After a brief moment of contemplating, Anthony hands her back the ring, “I don’t need to make a promise, I know I won’t change my mind. You could look into the future and see for yourself too.” He tells her reassuringly, a sweet smile on his face to show the lightheartedness of what he’s said, afraid it might be offensive to her if he didn’t clarify.

She shakes her head, “For once in my life I don’t want spoilers for the future. I’ll just let it play out. I’ll see it when it happens.” She pushes the ring back to him, “But I still want you to keep this. A reminder, if not a promise. A reminder that I promise to love you for a very long time.”

A warmth spreads throughout his chest, the wholesomeness of the moment having reached to his heart and soul. He curls his fingers over the ring protectively, “Alright, I’ll take it. As a promise that I too promise to love you for even longer.”

The strings of emotion connecting them are slowly being pulled, bringing them closer once again. They both lean in, ready to feel that incredible magic of a love-filled kiss another time.

“Consider this me knocking! My hands are kinda full so just open the door if I can come in!“ Lips less then an inch apart, they’re interrupted by the shout coming from the other side of the bedroom door.

The young pair laugh, accepting that their moment will have to be postponed before Anthony goes to let his sister, who’s carrying a cup of tea and some snacks, in. All Y/N can think about is how much happiness she’s found so unexpectedly, in a place she was all but willing to stay at. Life is full of surprises and unforeseen moments, so many things one can never predict. And even though Y/N can predict them, now she’d rather not. She now understands the importance of surprises in life and she wants to cherish them properly.

                                                            *  *  *

Flames, fear, screams, shouts, cries. All painted on the backs of her eyelids. The mortifying images playing out in front of her jolt her awake.

A nightmare, it’s just a nightmare, she tells herself.

But upon opening her eyes she is met by the misty darkness of the smoke-filled room her and her best friend are currently in. 

A nightmare that she could’ve predicted and warned the others about.

“Y/N, get out of the window! I need to find Megan!“ Tanya tells her urgently, ushering her towards the windowsill, “Go! Anthony will catch you!“

Looking down at the snow*covered yard below, she sees Anthony’s figure, motioning for her to jump. She can barely hear him over the ringing and thumping in her head but she trusts him. She believes she’ll be ok if she chooses to rely on him. So, following both his and his sister’s instructions, she jumps, falling into his arms. For a few moments it’s all blank around her and in her head. She wonders if it’s just the feeling of the fall or the fact that she could’ve died so easily. Or maybe the close proximity to Anthony. Either way his whisper wakes her up from the blank trance she has fallen into.

“It’s ok, I got you.“ He steadies Y/N on her shaky feet, taking her head and leading her to the front of the house.

The next few minutes are a show of nothing but horror and pain. Her and Anthony witness it together, unable to do anything but look on as ever member of the Clarke family, one by one, has life escaping their bodies in the most brutal of ways: Tanya and Megan never made it out of the house; Mr. Clarke was caught under the fallen ceiling in the living room and Dennis was the worst, having impaled himself on the fence below the attic window.

They saw it all happen. They couldn’t do anything. Fear-ridden, powerless and helpless, frozen in their spots by the horrifying scenes playing out in front of them.  With tears brimming her eyes and blurring her vision and her knees almost completely giving out, Y/N felt a little bit of her die with each member of the family. A large chunk of her died along with them. She can only imagine how Anthony feels.

“Mom...“ The distressed boy mutters, “Mom’s still in there! Mom!“ Before she could stop him, he’s running towards what used to be the front door of the house and into the burning hallway.

Y/N’s heart drops, adrenaline and the primal instinct to save the person she loves kicking in bringing her legs to life, carrying her forward. “Anthony no!” A loud cry of desperation leaves her aching chest.

She too enters the hallway, surrounded by the overwhelming heat that feels like it’s burning her skin off. She doesn’t dwell on that though, instead she lunges forward, hands grabbing at Anthony’s arm with all her might and yanking him back with as much strength as she has left. Thankfully, it’s enough to send the boy stumbling back, falling on the snow out in the yard, falling to safety just in time.

Just when the ceiling in the hallway collapses. Directly on top of Y/N.

Like the last breath had been drawn out of Anthony’s lungs. Like his last hope had just been shredded to pieces.

Like his life ended along with her, his heart severed and plucked out of his chest, thrown into the flames.

He bows his head, uncontrollable cries leaving his body, each feeling like a punch to the gut - oh so painful and oh so dreadful. As though his very soul is draining from his body with each scream of agony. Then he spots the shimmer in the snow, the twinkle in his darkened vision.

The promise ring that had fallen out of his pocket, its smooth, gleaming surface unharmed, reflecting the raging flames in front of him. Its statement, its meaning standing stronger than ever - an everlasting love. A brightly burning flame ignited by two souls so adored by each other. And even though one of the flames that started the fire has been extinguished, the fire of love hasn’t wavered.

The ring is sending him a message:

This is far from the end of his love. Far from the end of hers either. When two souls intertwine the way theirs have, the bond cannot be broken.

                                                            *  *  *

Half a century has passed and Anthony has never missed the day - each year gracing the town of Little Hope with his presence to commemorate his late family and loved one, bringing a flower to each of their graves.

Survivor’s guilt still haunts him. That night’s events still keep him up at night and the images still seep into his dreams. However, now he has a way to cope with it. He writes. He writes in a diary but in such a way that it’s composed of letters. Letters addressed to different members of his family though the majority are love letters for Y/N. He tells her about his day, how he wishes she were by his side, how he whishes they had more time or acted on their feeling sooner.

How he loves her even more now, how they have remained connected.

“Funny how we haven’t run into each other before. Fifty years and this is the first time I’m seeing you here.“ The deep male voice startles him, “I knew we’d run into each other eventually.“

It’s Vince, Tanya’s boyfriend - the person who’s been placing the flowers Anthony find on Tanya’s grave every year. He always assumed it was him, another man forever in love with the soul that is left to linger after its body vanished. Another man chained by a memory, one he wouldn’t escape even if he could. He still loves Tanya, no doubt about it, and he wishes to never stop loving her. Him and Anthony are rather similar that way.

“Though it was you. No one else knows Tanya’s favorite flowers.“ Anthony motions to the bouquet of white flowers in Vince’s hands, “Surprised you’re still here.“ He knows it’s not the wisest thing to say to a man who’s suffering down the same road of guilt and grief - the road only lit by the everlasting love that has remained in his heart as well as Vince’s.

“Surprised you haven’t stopped coming around.“ He replies though they both know what’s insinuated - they understand why neither of them can let go. They’re bound to bodiless souls that reside here. They are both more than determined to stay as close as possible to those souls they are so hopelessly in love with.  Vince’s eyes trail down to Anthony’s hand which is holding the bouquet he was going to place on his sister’s grave. He catches the glint of a ring on his finger, “You’re married?”

The promise ring. He’s chosen to wear it in place of a wedding ring. It is not only a way to cope but it’s exactly what him and Y/N agreed on all those years ago - a reminder that they’ll love each other for a very long time. For forever.

“Yes. I’m married.“

He indeed is - to Y/N and the memory of her. To her soul that his will forever be connected to.

@artlovingbre  @sparrow-gg  @megandaisy9

[hardknifeplays]

Happy Friday The 13th!

Jason Voorhees x Gender-Neutral S/O          

Words : 2,3k+

Genre : Fluff, Angst

Warning : None

           Your activities are getting busier every day, especially after it is announced when the midterm exam will take place. You have to carefully think about how to manage your time well, to study, rest, and make time for your lover, Jason Voorhees.

           This week has been tough for you, so you decided to spend your weekend with Jason. You pack your books and stationery, change of clothes, toiletries, blankets, and some snacks. You put the items in your backpack, then walks out of the house and start getting into the car and drive to Camp Crystal Lake.

         The sky this afternoon is looking a little cloudy, it turns you into a bad mood. Moreover, also because you are stuck in traffic. Crystal Lake is located quite a distance from where you live, it takes about 3 hours to go there by car.

           You close your eyes while grunting in annoyance. You put your head on the steering wheel of the car, then gently tap the it with your fingers. You look up, and your eyes are fixed on the long line of cars in front of you. Shit, when will all of this end? You've been stressed enough lately, why is there still this traffic jam anyway?

         You looked at the clock on your cellphone. It's two-thirty in the afternoon. It should be a naptime for you, no wonder why you’re a little sleepy.

         The traffic slowly starts to move. You immediately rush to drive your car quickly. Shortly after, you started to enter the suburbs. There aren't many people around here. The trees are shady, and there is only one road that is not paved but not rocky either. This road will be very slippery when it rains because it can make your vehicle slip.

         You let out a sigh of relief and smile a little when you finally passed a wooden board that read 'Welcome to Crystal Lake'.

           Upon your arrival there, you park your car right next to the entrance. You get out of the car, put your two feet on the slightly dry soil of Crystal Lake. You look at the trees, and you just remember that it is autumn. Autumn is your and Jason's favorite season because the air is cool, not too hot, but not too cold either. Apart from that, the leaves and trees are all reddish-orange. Beautiful.

         You walk into the camp area. You miss the place since the last time you visited here, which was about three weeks ago. You did not go here for two weeks. You were pretty busy, so you were not sure if you could meet Jason. You're feeling a little scared. What if Jason gets mad at you? You promised him to come once a week, every weekend.

           There is the sound of dry leaves and broken branches when you step your feet, and you are completely stunned to see the view of the lake. The lake looks very peaceful, and you find some small animals running around in search of food supplies before hibernating in winter.

         You continue your footsteps to get to the cabin where Jason lives. He has made a path for you to walk that is clear from the bear traps. You're walking and holding the straps of your backpack, you're so excited and can't wait to meet Jason. You sing a little while chuckling and every time you see flying birds.

           “Jason!” You shout while waving your hands enthusiastically when you see the figure of a tall and large man sitting on a fallen tree trunk on the edge of the lake.

         Jason doesn't turn at you in the slightest.

         You lower your hand slowly, then feel uncomfortable and a bit strange. You look down, walks slowly and carefully approached him.

         “Jason? I—” Your words are interrupted when Jason points towards his cabin which is located not far from where you are standing now. He doesn't even look at you when he gives you a gesture to go to the cabin.

         Seeing his unfamiliar and cold reaction like that feels painful to you. You walk towards his cabin, open the door, put your backpack, and sit on the old sofa that was in the middle of the room. You're sure this must have something to do with your absence for two weeks.

           “Dammit,” you whispered to yourself. You feel very guilty for not telling Jason about your exam schedule. You left for two weeks without a word, you must have made him worried a lot. You have prepared yourself if after this Jason will be mad at you and not want to see you again.

           You look up and find that Jason is not sitting on the fallen tree trunk anymore. You shake your head several times before closing your eyes tightly. You have no energy even just to step on your feet, out and search for him. You leaned your back against the sofa.

           “I would go if he really tells me to go,” you muttered softly, looking at the emptiness in front of you. You lay down, find a comfortable position, then decide to sleep on the sofa.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

           You open your eyes slowly, your deep sleep is disturbed because you heard a noise. Everything looks blurry, and oh, it's raining. Trying to keep your eyes open, you stroked your arms slowly. It's cold.

           Clack.

            Jason put a glass of warm herbal tea on the table. He stands in front of you and watching you in silence. You immediately get up from your sleep, then sit on the sofa. You look back at Jason tensely. You don't want to say anything other than thanking him for making you tea.

Jason may not be the smartest student in his school, but this boyfriend of yours is really good at learning things. Everything he can do—build and fix the cabin and its furniture, understand the cabling system, make herbal teas, grow crops—is self-taught. And let's be honest, you're very proud of him.

           Jason walks toward you, then rests himself beside you. He lets out a deep breath, not taking his eyes off you at all. You're sipping the tea, and the taste is not bad? It's enough to warm your body. You're tapping the glass with your finger, getting nervous.

           “Jason, I'm sorry,” you said, looking at Jason. Jason doesn't give you any response, indicating that he allows you to continue. “I, I have midterm exams for two weeks, so I didn't come to visit you. The last time I came here, I forgot to tell you this. So I thought I've made you worried," you explain to him. 

           He nods. Yes, you have made him upset and worried.

           Jason then stretches out his arms and pulls your body closer to him. You let him do that, and now you're in his embrace. You bury your face in his chest, feel the rising and falling of his breath. “I'm sorry,” you say. Jason hugs you tight and strokes your back lightly. “This week has been quite chaotic for me, and I didn't even think about coming here and spending time with you.”

           Jason loosens his hug and lifts your chin softly. He looks into your eyes, and you look exhausted. Then he tilts his head slightly. “Well, my exam went… smooth enough. I know I didn't get an A but I think that next week there will still be a lot of assignments and exams to go through, and I don't know if I could visit you or not,” you say, staring at Jason while resting your head against his chest.

           You notice Jason's eyes sparkle and he holds you even tighter. Jason doesn't care about your grades on exams. What he worries about is if you become stressed because of your exam. But after hearing your story and you said that your exam was going well, he gives you a few gentle pats on your head as a reward.

           “Oh, the head pats are the reward for me?” you ask, smiling widely. Jason gives you a brief nod and goes back to pat your head a few times. You let out a chuckle that is so refreshing to Jason's ears. During your absence, all Jason heard was the sound of small animals and silence. Jason misses you, and he realizes that you are very important to him. “Thank you, handsome,” you reply, giving a little kiss on Jason's forehead.

           The rain outside is getting heavier, and you just cuddle in silence with Jason. He pulled out a blanket and covered both of you. You smirk at him, you have a plan. You sneak your hands into the blanket and try to tickle Jason, and oh my God, you can hear Jason chuckle! Your boy is so ticklish, you couldn't help but keep tickling him.

           “Ah, who gave you the right to be this cute?” you say, stop tickling Jason and give him a boop in his nose. Jason immediately looking down to hide his face, and you can be sure that his cheeks are now flushing red. He is very embarrassed every time you praise him, and he puts his hands together to cover his face. Seeing his reaction, you laugh instantly. You take both of his hands and put them away from his face, and lift his hockey mask a little to give him a soft kiss on the lips.

           “You always bite my lip whenever we kiss. What a biter. I'm afraid if someday you'll steal my lips away,” you say as you let go of your kiss and grin softly. Jason rubs the nape of his neck, please forgive him as he's not used to kissing!

           You two are cuddling and squeezing each other. From a distance, both of you look like a kangaroo and its cub. Jason covers your entire body with a blanket because he's so worried that you will get cold, and it makes you look like a kangaroo cub in its mother's pouch.

           Jason glances at you in his arms, oh my. You look very attractive to him. No matter how tall you are, your figure will always be smaller than him, and it makes him want to always protect you. But if you happens to be taller than him, Jason would try to hug and protect you too. He doesn't care about your height, the only thing he cares about is the fact that you make him comfortable. You are willing to take care of him, even become his partner, what can he ask for more? You are truly a blessing for this man.

           He touches your shoulder with his index finger twice to get your attention back. You turn to him with a smile and raised an eyebrow.

           “Ma-ma?” said Jason, his voice almost a whisper that was barely audible in the rain. You look at him for a moment and blink twice. “You want to meet your mother?” you ask, and he nods. “Okay, let's visit Pamela. I miss her too!” you said, removing the blanket that wrapped your body and clutching Jason's index finger. You two walk towards the room where Jason keeps his mother's head.

           “Hi, Pamela. It’s Friday, and I miss you,” you said, before finally sitting next to Jason and facing Pamela's severed head. The two of you sit in quietness for a few moments.

           Jason rises from his seat first, then you follow him. You step out of the cabin to see if it's still raining or not. And as it turns out, the rain has stopped, leaving behind the smell of earth and grass, and also the cool air that you like. You took a deep breath as if you wanted to take in all the scent of nature. Your mood feels a lot better.

           It is half-past seven in the evening. Time flies so fast, but it doesn't matter because you spend it curled up comfortably in the blankets with Jason.

           You sit on the stairs of Jason's cabin porch and enjoy the sound of insects and frogs shouting to each other. It sounds like they’re having a mini-war. This place gives peace to your mind which has been a mess lately.            You hear a footstep approaching, and look back. Jason standing at the door and leaning himself against it. You greet him with a smile and reach out your hand to him, which he gladly takes and Jason places himself one ladder below you. His head rests on one of your knees, and he takes your hand and puts it on his chest.

           “I want to sing for you,” you say spontaneously, in a whisper. Jason turns to look at you, his thumb gently rubbing your palm. You smile and kiss his forehead. "But my voice is disgusting," you continue and laugh. Jason shakes his head quickly, and he gives you a thumbs up, encouraging you to sing for him. Jason always thinks that your voice sounds so lovely compared to his voice, which is barely there.

           “Okay, okay. I hope you like this song,” you said, clearing your throat before you start to sing.

 Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On a Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby, kiss me

             Your voice sounds so calming to his ears, accompanied by the singing of insects. You paused to kiss his head slightly, then continue your singing.

Fill my heart with song

And let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words,

I love you

           Jason gives you a round of applause, you can see his eyes beams lightly from the big smile behind his mask. Jason rise from his seat then lifts you up in bridal style. You can only laugh out loud seeing him do that to you, and he looks very happy!

           You look at Jason and cupping his cheeks. Everything feels better with the two of you being there for each other. You kiss his mask one more time.

           “Happy Friday The 13th, my love.”

[miss-tc-nova]

Parody of Fine Pt 2 - Xehanort

Part 2 of 2

I’m trying really hard to keep moving on track. There’s a request in the wings as well as some other fun stuff, so I’m sorry if I slow waaaaaaaaay down. 

~~~~~

               It’s been a few months since Xehanort took his leave in search of answers; it was a success—he got them and has a new mission for his future. However, there’s still things he needs to sort out in his adoptive-home world.

               Stepping into the bright world of Scala Ad Caelum gives him a feeling akin imposter syndrome; nevertheless, there’s something to be done here as well as a special someone he needs to speak to. Despite having a new goal in life, he fully intends to speak to the person most important to him and, depending on the outcome of that discussion, decisions will be made. It makes him feel a nervousness he hasn’t endured in a long time; they parted in uncomfortable circumstances brought on by Xehanort himself, but surely his beloved would understand.

               The trip to the citadel standing tall in the center of the city is drawn out as the seeker meanders, reminiscing in the better part of his childhood. Sad memories with friends flicker no matter where he looks and he reminds himself that, with time, he’s going to fix everything.

               Entering the castle brings an uncertainty with it; perhaps he should check in with his master first.

               Nothing about this place has changed, giving off a similar aura he’d gotten from his original world—he hates it. Scala never used to be so stagnant, or maybe Xehanort had been so enamored by his freedom to see it—not to mention there were also other reasons to love this place.

               As he ambles along, his eyes catch sight of a familiar haori billowing behind a man with a familiar head of black hair. It’s the first moment back in Scala where he truly feels happy to be back.

               “Eraqus,” he calls, feeling the burdens of his duty lighten just a little.

               That respite vanishes when the man looks back at him. Granite eyes he remembered being full of light are empty; Xehanort had expected—almost hoped—to be bowled over in excitement upon his return, but that doesn’t happen. Instead, Eraqus faces him with a smile faker than traveler’s desire to be here.

               “Xehanort,” he greets, not even rushing up to meet up halfway. “Welcome back.”

               Broken. This is the only thought Xehanort has as he approaches and it’s haunting. While the urge to embrace his love is incredible, he refrains from doing so upon recognition that something in his former partner has changed. “Thanks. How’ve things been around here?”

               “Oh it’s been pretty quiet.”

               Is that an automatic response? “So nice and boring? Guess that suits your laid back, lazy ass.” Eraqus laughs but not in the usual way, nor is there some sort of retort or defense on his part.

               “How was your trip?” Xe thought it impossible, but Era’s eyes lose even more of their old light. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

               He’d wanted to share everything with this man, but now he’s reconsidering. “Yeah. I did.”

               “That’s good.”

               From his goofball grin to the loving smiles he absentmindedly wore, Xehanort used to think he loved every one of Eraqus’s smiles, but this—this hollow, mechanical, miserable-excuse for a smile—makes it feel like he’s speaking with a mimic.

               “You cut it pretty close—our exam is in a few hours. We were worried you weren’t going to make it.”

               “Yeah, sorry. It took longer than I thought.”

               “Oh well. You’re here now. You’d better go see Master Odin before you do anything else though.” A finger points back to the stairwell. “I’m pretty sure he’s in his office.”

               “Um…Okay. Thanks.”

               There’s a mix of concern and hurt in Xehanort’s thoughts as he gives Eraqus a brief wave and sets out to find his master—something has clearly happened in his absence.

               Master Odin, too, expresses his concerns that the young man would not make it in time for his Mark of Mastery exam. Assurance is given that the pupil is ready for the exam and they discuss the specifics of the ceremony—all the while, Xehanort’s mind keeps dragging him back to that counterfeit expression.

               In the hours leading up to the exam, Eraqus is nowhere to be found. Hopes had been had that they could sit down and catch up—and talk about the future—but those are dashed when there’s no time left.

               There’s still neither hide nor hair of the youth in white even while Xehanort paces in a small waiting room just off the ceremony hall. Just as they should be starting the exam, an opening door reveals the second participant. There’s no chance for the other man to tease or scold him, though, before Master Odin appears to take them away.

               The exam goes forward rather smoothly; each boy displays their magic and basic keyblade skills. There’s no doubt that Eraqus has gotten better but, not to be outdone, Xehanort ensures the things he’s learned on his trip are applied properly.

               Then comes their sparring match. Once again, Eraqus faces him with a fake smile. The pair draws weapons, setting up fighting stances.

               “Are you ready?” the Master asks each.

               Xehanort’s “yes” is mixed in with Eraqus’s “yes master.”

               “Then you may begin.”

               Immediately following the master’s words, the pleasantry on the opposition’s face vanishes, shocking Xehanort but not enough to prevent his defense. Ruthless and calculated were never words to describe Eraqus and his style of fighting, but he’s barely giving his foe any room to retaliate. The intensity of this fight has shot beyond expectations, almost as if it’s real.

               Xehanort’s been able to hold his own fairly well after adjusting to the seriousness of his partner, but his mistake comes when his back foot slides farther than expected. Without missing a beat, Eraqus takes advantage of the miscalculation and a keyblade promptly throws him to the ground. A swift kick dislodges Xe’s keyblade from his hand and that leaves him defenseless beneath the man towering over him.

               Stone-colored eyes stare down at him, cold, fierce, and empty—like a killer. There’s a genuine fear for his life as Xehanort watches Eraqus prepare to strike him down. The metal flies with no mercy on behalf of the victim.

               “Enough.”

               There is no harm done. Silver eyes pry open to find cold steel barely centimeters above his head. The amount of control Eraqus would have to have to stop that swing while being fully committed to the attack is phenomenal.

               The enemy retreats, weapon turning to glittering light in his hand. There’s no glance or sportsman-like hand offered to Xehanort left in the dirt.

               Just what the hell has he been doing while I’ve been gone?

               Once again, the pair stands before their master, awaiting further instruction. A lecture on always being able to learn no matter the rank falls on deaf ears—Xehanort’s mind is preoccupied.

               Even if his plans are going to take him far from his home and his teachings, there had always been expectations that his promotion to Master would be more light-hearted than this. He thought friends would be here alongside him, all struggling to contain their elation. Even after their passing, he assumed he and Eraqus would be beaming with pride—instead it’s as if Master Odin has just told them class is dismissed and to be back tomorrow.

               The new masters bow to their former teacher and congratulations are given by the sparse spectators before the boys take their leave. Once the door closes behind them, Xehanort pauses, intending to speak with his friend, but said friend continues on as if he doesn’t exist.

               “Eraqus…”

               He turns back with that stupid smile. “Yeah?”

               There’s hesitation, confusion, hurt, and so many things swimming inside that, for the first time since he can remember, Xehanort’s not sure what to do. Somehow he manages to spit out, “Can I talk to you?”

               In mockery of who he had been, Eraqus tilts his head. “About what?”

               There’s really no easy way to condense it. “About the future.”

               Finally, there’s a falter in that imitation—the corners of his lips drop just the slightest and something in his eyes reacts. “Okay. Like what?”

               “Like…what are we gonna do now?”

               “I think my parents had a few missions lined up for me to be a part of—you know, to get a reputation going.”

               You don’t even like your parents! What about me?! “Yeah?”

               “Mmhm. What about you? What are your plans?”

               It’s like he’s back in the sparring match, under attack—at least that’s what those eyes portray. “That’s what I wanted to talk about, but if you’re busy, that’s alright.”

               “So you’re leaving again.” Not even a question, Eraqus just knows—practically accusing him.

               Am I? “Yeah, I guess. Don’t wanna get in the World Defender’s way after all.” The words are bitter and he immediately wants to stuff them back down, but words can’t be unspoken.

               “I’m sure you’d be no bother.”

               Do you want me here or not?! “Nah. I’ve got some things to do.”

               The placid contentedness returns, full of farce. Meanwhile, Xehanort wants to scream, to demand the old Eraqus back, but in saying that, he’s no longer the kid he used to be and that’s just not fair.

               A spark catches silver eyes, drawing attention to the man’s ear where the matching black metal is clasped, further confuing the seeker. They had been so love—he was sure they would be together forever, no matter what trials they faced, but standing before him now is a stranger. Yet for some reason, they both still clung to silly fantasies symbolized by warped metal. Whispers of the promise he made scuttle through his mind.

               “Then I guess I’ll see you later.” A little wave is offered as Eraqus turns away.

               “Sure, I’ll see you later but—” The granite gaze finds him again. “Don’t you ever forget what I told you, I’m there for you.” For the second time, the parody falters, only Xehanort’s sure he can see a glimpse of the person he loved. “If you need me, just call—I’ll always find you.” A finger taps against the metal to emphasize his point.

               Eraqus stands there motionless for a moment, and then just turns around to continue walking. He does say something as he goes though: “Don’t bother wasting your effort on me.”

               Then why bother wearing that fucking earring?! Resisting the urge to snatch his arm and drag him into some random, private room nearly proves too much for the silver-haired man, but he remains stationary until the ends of that white haori turn the corner. A million questions threaten to drown him and Eraqus may as well have taken Xe’s heart with him. Perhaps he’s upset that Xehanort left despite the promise to return for the exam or he may have simply outgrown his boyhood infatuation—regardless, he doesn’t seem to want Xehanort around.

               “I guess that decides that then.”

               In his trek, Xehanort comes to terms with the fact that Eraqus is no longer the man he fell in love with; however, while his travels may take him far away, he will never forget his most-cherished. His wayfinder, chosen specifically for him, will never be removed—it means far too much. He’ll come back, check in now and then, but if things are ever to return to the happiness he had known, Xehanort must move forward along the path laid out for him…by the man in the black coat.

[spencapenca]

The Misfits Chapter Three!

Trigger Warning: Internalized homophobia and religious trauma, neglect, mention of death of a parent(s), alcohol addiction, swearing, use of marijuana, and a panic attack. Word Count: 3,350 Feel free to review, and leave a comment or criticism! Update: I am thinking I will update weekly or bi-weekly on Thursdays! I am trying to get in the grove of a posting schedule.

The time had come, midterms. With the group stressing through the AP Psych midterms Dave offered his house to study despite being conscious of the size. It just made sense, his parents weren’t home and they always had food. The agreed time was 4:00 that afternoon, they would study for a few, grab dinner, and study until later. The group figured if they combined their knowledge, they would be able to finish their study guide-- in which it was made clear that completing it would almost guarantee a passing score. The group also knew that with Spencer there it would be easier, and they may get done sooner. They really should have started to study sooner, seeing as how the exam was in three days. Spencer walked through his household in the dark, as his mother had forgotten to pay the bill again this month. The young boy tried to figure it out, he tried to figure out how to make his mom better-- it started with pleases and finished with her cold, long fingers backhanding him in the cheek, resulting in a purple bruise he passed off as hitting his face on a doorknob, or getting elbowed by one of the bigger kids. He noticed his mom was in a trance, staring out of the window and muttering to herself. He then saw her pacing nervously over the worn carpet with cheap liquor in her hand, a cigarette with a long cherry burning down the stick. He tried to step in and stop her, so it hadn’t become uncommon for Spencer to go to bed with a small bruise forming from where she would slap him, accusing him of spying on her only for her to forget it the next day. He tried to convince her to drive him, but she accused him of spying for them again, and he realized that it there was no way that she was gonna drive him. So he set out to walk, peering at the angry sky through the window. He used the little data that he had on his phone, of which his deadbeat father still paid despite his absence to find the way to Dave’s house. He rarely used it, not liking the technology because of the fear his mother instilled in him.  About a block into his journey he paused and looked up into the dark sky, seeing the furious clouds, and felt a few raindrops fall onto his thin face. His long-sleeved shirt that was much too thin for a rainy October day became increasingly wet.  He started to shiver, walking faster now to make his body warmer. The rain started to come down harder and he brushed the too-long hair out of his eyes that were now becoming soaked. He jumped as thunder clapped and thought to himself ‘this is going to be a long walk’ Sandy stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as a dark pungent liquid sloshed around in a dirty cup. JJ stormed out of the house, infuriated.  Her mother’s drinking had gotten unbearable, she kept finding empty liquor bottles in the garbage, tabs on the floor, and the freezer was more stocked with vodka and tequila than it was food. Quite frankly, she couldn’t do it anymore. She needed the escape. She needed freedom from the suffocating sadness in her house. So naturally, she called Emily and of course, she came for her. They sit in awkward silence until they arrive at Emily’s house and sit on her bed. The smell of the alcohol burned into her nostrils, as she tries to cleanse her senses with the calming lavender sents of Emily. “Ugh! I fucking hate living there! There’s too much shit” JJ rants, her voice quiet but venomous as the stress pulsates off of her. She looked miserable in the clothes she was wearing. Tight and form-fitting-- though it looked great, it was most definitely not something that she should be in when she was this upset. So the first thing Emily did was go to her closet and find a pair of black sweats followed by a dark yellow hoodie that just about swallowed JJ. “You look miserable. Go change and we’ll talk.” Emily said softly, trying to lighten the mood but failing. JJ nodded with a small huff and went into her bathroom, changing quickly into the clothes that smelled like Emily, her senses calmed as a small smile spread across her face.  The blonde came back out and plopped onto the bed next to Emily, tension thick in her chest. As if Emily can feel it, she hands her a medium-sized joint burning slowly as smoke comes from its end. “It will make you feel less… well just less. Just trust me.” Emily watched her expression as she sat up and took a small slow drag from the burning paper. JJ did what felt natural and inhaled only to cough. “That’s okay, try again.” And so she did. A couple of times until she felt an unfamiliar calm wash over her senses. Not necessarily high, but definitely calmer. She passes the joint to Emily before flopping back down, “I hate living there. All she does is drink. All. Day. She works from home and drinks. She cooks… well orders shit food, and drinks. She is turning into my grandmother and it is terrible. Everything changed when… when she died… Nothing is the same! Is it too much to fucking ask?!” She rants as small affirming nods and hums come from Emily, “I mean, is it TOO much to ask for your mother to be sober enough to realize you’re not even home!? Or that she’s driving in the car still?! Is that really too fucking much?” “No… no it’s not. I’m sorry... Is there a way you can talk to your dad?” “No. Fucking asshole left. Left me in this shithole.” “I’m sorry JJ... I truly am. Let’s just focus on something else.” And so they did, they smoked and laid close, relaxing while watching a movie or two until it was time to go to the study group. Aaron had been preparing for this day, books scattered along his bedroom floor soft music in the background. He puts everything aside for his brother Sean, who seems to be having school issues of his own, Aaron reminds himself of the man he has to become. His father had left, thankfully-- so he had to become the man, the father figure. To raise his brother when his mother couldn’t. He tried his best to be a good brother, a good son, a good student. These tests were important to that. Crucial. After this, he could relax a bit, let loose as he let Dave take the ropes. Sean LOVED going over to Dave’s, he got to experience the childhood that every kid could ever want over there. Not only that, but it gave Aaron the opportunity to relax and let go, letting himself be a teenager. He would get to hang out with his friend and let go of the responsibility. When he took Sean over to Dave’s with his, he would allow his brother to play with the games that the wealthy teen’s house was stocked with, Sean was able to be a kid too. It was really just healthy for the both of them. Derek and Penelope had been driving for a while, drinking sugary drinks from Starbucks, and holding hands. They decided to have a date day before the study group since they didn’t have much time alone anymore. Though this time was slowly coming to a halt, “Derek… is that Spencer?” She asked, seeing a small figure, shivering in the rainy weather. “I’m sure it…. It is, isn’t it?” He responded, slowing down to the drenched figure Spencer looks over nervously and sees Penelope and calms down, seeing Derek’s window roll down, “Hey kid… why are you in the rain? It’s freezing out there!” “I uhm… I was walkin to Dave’s… for the study group tonight.” Derek looks over at Penelope with a worried glance. Why couldn’t the kid's mom drive him, and how the hell was he getting to school every day? He takes in a breath and nods to his back seat, “Get in Spence, you can just stay with us until the study group. Okay? We were about to grab lunch, are you hungry?” Spencer contemplates for a second before nodding “ ‘M sorry… Your car is gonna get all wet” He mumbled, climbing into the backseat as a crack of lightning, followed by a roar of thunder sounded overhead. He jumped and closed the door as Derek reassured him it was perfectly fine. Penelope looks back and sucks her teeth “Der, you have a hoodie right?” She asked, smiling to herself as he nodded. “Here Sug, take off that wet shirt, put this on, it will keep you warm.” She told the young boy, his hair flush against his forehead as it dripped with small droplets. “Okay…” He responded, pulling the wet shirt off and quickly reveling in the dry comfort of the hoodie that was much, much too big for him. The group went to lunch and then to an arcade, and then--just for Spencer, they went to the big library, allowing him to check out a few books. Derek and Penelope were worried for him, worried for his condition because they noticed something else, a purplish, yellow bruise forming on his cheek that was an obvious handprint. Something was going on and they were going to figure it out. They weren’t going to leave this alone, not this time. Not after the clues that they have seen. Not after the lack of food, dirty clothes, and unkempt hair. Not to mention the ripped shoes and broken pencils.

The groups started to flow in, Aaron and Sean first, then JJ and Emily-- who were still a little buzzed, and finally Derek, Penelope, and Spencer. The first plan of action was the homework packet in which they had due for the midterm. It was a prep packet that was every bit of fifteen pages long, covering everything they had gone over or talked about in the past nine weeks. Little bits from previous exams, of which they had weekly, and questions over the 5 chapters of the textbook they have started to read, front to back. After a while Spencer looked over at Emily and scooted closer to her, a small sniffle forming. He was already starting to get a cold from the rain. He was so nervous to go home, what if his mom came out of the episode and realized he wasn’t there? What if they wouldn’t take him home? How would he get the cold that he caused to go away… how would he clean his clothes? The water bill hadn’t been paid… he had run out of water. His train of thought was broke when Emily naturally rubbed his back with her free hand and smiled softly, not that she would let anyone see it; however, despite her attempts to hide it, JJ noticed and blushed. God, that smile was like crack to her. Addicting. After quite a few hours and rumbling stomach noises, Dave had decided it was time for a break, and for pizza. Though, choosing what kind was not easy. There were many raised voices, and each time Spencer tried to speak up, he was spoken over, making him shrink down. It was too loud. A hand flew up-- innocent of course, just Derek patting someone on the back but it caused him to flench and yelp. Suddenly, all eyes were on him, he was quivering like a wounded puppy, covering his face with small tears forming. His chest felt tight, his breath hitched, but then sped up rapidly, his lungs heaving with each breath. The sight made the noise stop immediately. Emily spoke softly, kneeling beside him “Hey bub, what’s wrong?” He shook his head and sat on the floor slumping against the wall as he shook. Fear taking over his responses, and his fight or flight making him freeze instead. Soon enough he muttered two words “I’m okay.” Two words he muttered way too often, his personal mantra. Emily took into account the noise, knowing how he felt about loud sounds, and how to fix that. She nodded and pulled him into her lap, holding him close, and covering his ears with her hands to muffle the sound around them. With the silenced sound and the comforting scent sent around him he curled up in her lap, his messy curls fanned against her pale chest as he breathed with her, his eyes fluttering closed. The group looks at each other worriedly. Normally Spencer wasn’t like this. He was sensitive, jumpy sure, but he never reacted like this. He never flinched. They sat silently before being jumped out of their thoughts with a ring of the doorbell. Pizza. No one moves for a moment, looking around in before Rossi scrambles up, clumsy but quiet. He tips the delivery man more than he would like to admit and sits the boxes in the middle. “Eat, but be quiet. Don’t wake the kid.” He warns Spencer's head perks up with the smell of the pizza, looking around sleepily “ ‘za” he says, a small sleepy grin on his face. Emily smiles and rubs his back, cutting a glare at Derek who was almost gushing at them, “Yeah kid, pizza. Eat some, then I think Derek over there is gonna get you home to your mama.” She says softly, not expecting him to tense at those words. “I don’t wanna go home…” he mumbled, his voice going stoic, the fear was more than he wanted to deal with. He wanted to stay here with Emily. He wanted to feel safe. Emily glanced at Aaron worriedly, then at Rossi when the silent observer of the room spoke up “Bub, can Spencer stay with us? He’s a good friend, even if he’s younger than me.” Sean speaks up from the back of the room. Aaron nods and glances at Spencer, looking for his word of approval. “Whadyou think kiddo?” “Uhm… Can I please?” He asked quietly, nuzzling into Emily’s chest. “Well, are you sure your mom-” “She doesn’t care. You sure you don’t mind?” He interrupts Aaron quickly, not wanting to explain. Aaron is taken aback at how quickly he responded and he nods, “Sure Spencer. Of course, you’re welcome always.”

Everyone trickled out of Dave’s home group by group, Aaron leaving last. He stayed around because Spencer had fallen asleep again on the couch and he wasn’t about to wake that kid up. It was obvious he never slept with the dark purple rings around his eyes, leaving him puffy. Emily drives back to her house with JJ in her passenger seat. She could feel the tension in between them, the discomfort from JJ’s side. Though it was nothing Emily had done. The suppressed voice in the back of her head ‘don’t do it. Evil. abomination. Wrong.’  A list of the pastors' sermons. The words that he spewed at the conjugation, spewed at her. They cut deep. Every time she looked into the mirror she saw disgust. She sees failure. An imperfection. A giant stamp of hellfire and brimstone. A bubbling in her chest as she felt the impending doom of Sunday morning service. The one day her mom was sober enough to be around other people, but not enough not to be an absolute asshole. JJ was snapped out of her thoughts when Emily tapped her knee “And we’re back to the house. Common up to my room, and we can talk about whatever has been on your beautiful mind.” She says, trying to butter her up and flirts a bit-- it was hard not to at this point. Hard not to let herself fall. Though it did cause an obvious burst of tension between them. “I’m not too sure that you want to know what’s going through my mind right now.” She mumbles, making her way up to Emily’s room and plopping on her bed face down. “Oh, I’m sure I do. I love to hear all of your thoughts. Don’t worry about scaring me off.” JJ let in a shaky inhale “Abomination. Dirty. Disgusting. Evil. Hell bound sinner.” “Woah! Hey! What the hell blondie, what’s happening there.” Emily stutters out, sitting closer to the younger female. JJ looks up with tears in her eyes, “I’m dirty, I can’t help it, but I’m dirty. M-my pastor said and I t-tried to pray it away. I t-tried to be perfect. I thought that if I made myself fall for a Christian boy I would be okay. But I’m not! I’m not okay because girls are pretty and guys are okay. All Christian boys are gross, and I’m TIRED of HATING myself. Leviticus 18:22, For man, shall not lay with a man as he lays with woman for it is an abomination.” She starts to sob out, her cheeks getting heated from the wet tears stinging her cheeks as she sobbed into the fleece blankets. Emily looked over and placed a hand on her back rubbing it softly “You’re okay Jennifer, you’re okay. I promise. You’re not dirty, you’re gorgeous, you’re not disgusting, you’re so amazing and I am so sorry that some man-caused you to feel that. That you have to feel that at all. God… I don’t know him or anything but…. But he loves you blondie. He does, so just fuck the pastors. Love who the fuck ever because you were born that way. You hear me?” She nods and sniffles “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sobbing in your bed. I’m sorry. You’re pretty too. God, you’re gorgeous.” She says too quickly, blushing as she realizes her confession “You’re gorgeous too JJ. Let's get some rest, we can talk about this in the morning, don’t worry about whatever you said that made you get all quiet and we can talk later.” Emily says softly, a smile playing on her features. JJ nods with a small smile, turning so her back is to Emily. She pulls the blanket up to her chin and almost allows herself to relax into Emily’s touch, but she doesn’t and she keep herself close to the wall. Penelope and Derek decided just to stay at Penelope’s house, her aunt wasn’t home and they just wanted to be with each other. They lay in her bed and she rests her head on his chest, grounding herself with the rise and fall of his breaths. Derek carts his hand through her hair silently as he notices her tensity. After a few moments, he finally speaks up “Baby girl, what’s wrong?” He asked softly She takes in a shaky breath, “I just… I just miss my mom… and my dad.” She admits softly, her voice barely above a whisper as if she was afraid of the confession. She had been pondering over the thoughts. She wanted to tell her mom about EVERYTHING, have a girl talk. Just be her daughter again. He nods and kisses her forehead, “I’m sorry baby, I know it’s hard but when I start missing my pops a lot I talk to him. I talk to him about you, school, football… everything really. I know he can hear me, and I can feel him with me. Sometimes it’s a dream, but sometimes it’s just a calm that washes over me.” Penelope nods and sniffles, “I know… I’m sorry for crying all over you. You’re such a good boyfriend, thank you for understanding me and my issues. Thank you” She whispers into his chest Derek nods and kisses her head again “It is my greatest pleasure Penny. You’re so strong my love” and with those words, the couple cuddled and fell asleep arm in arm, limbs tangled in a comforting way as they breathe each other's oxygen, the stress of the world away while they’re in each other's arms.

[starting-now]

Finals Week (Barry x Reader x Sally)

Word Count: 1922

Warnings: none

Request by Anonymous: okay feel free to totally say no to this cuz wow self-projection whoops, but uh. sally and barry helping university student reader unwind 👀 after the stress of final exams hits? 👀👀

(gif by @nohohank​)

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this fic about finals week! I wanted to go super wholesome with this prompt so I hope thats okay with you! This whole last month of the semester has been kicking my ass school-wise and writing this definitely made me feel a bit better. So I hope reading it does the same for you! Good luck to anyone still in school! Love you guys!

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

You had been sitting in your apartment for what felt like days, studying what felt like the same material but for different classes, writing the same essay but about different topics, and in general cramming an endless amount of work into a single week. It seemed like just a few weeks ago you were breezing through the semester, not a care in the world, and all of a sudden, all these assignments were hitting you like a freight train. Were there assignments you knew about in advance? Sure. Could you have been working on them for basically the whole semester? Absolutely. But did you? No. No you did not. And now, just like every semester, you were paying the price.

You sighed deeply and let your head fall against the keys of your laptop, typing nonsense into the body of your essay, which honestly seemed better than whatever your brain was coming up with. You had been held up in your apartment working for the better part of three days whenever you weren’t at work or in class.

Your phone buzzed on the side table. You glanced over and saw a text from Sally light up the screen. Without opening your phone, you could see it was a picture of her and Barry. She had been asking the past week when you were free to go out with them, and when you weren’t available Barry and Sally went out without you. This wasn’t unusual. It was pretty normal for you all to go on dates with whoever was available at the time. And you certainly didn’t expect them to put their lives on hold just because you were busy. But these past few days, you’d been feeling guilty that you hadn’t gotten to see them, and insecure that they were growing apart from you because of your absence. You insecurities were getting the better of you, and the lack of sleep didn’t help rationalize your thoughts.

You sighed and turned your phone over, deciding to switch from working on your essay to studying from your textbooks. You moved from your seat at the kitchen table to your couch, as if moving locations would make this week less unbearable. Luckily it was almost over, but at the moment it felt like it would never end. You grabbed a bottle of aspirin on your way to the table, hoping to soothe the throbbing headache that'd been plaguing you the last few days.

The day went on like this, moving from place to place in your apartment, trying to ignore Sally’s texts and attempting to study, keyword attempting. It felt impossible to focus. You found yourself reading the same sentence over and over. You found yourself reading the same sentence over and over.

Your phone lit up once again on the side table, buzzing longer this time. Sally was calling you. You sighed in frustration and ignored the call, returning your eyes to your book. You tried to read a few sentences as anxious thoughts buzzed around your mind. You hated to push them away, but you were too busy for this. And you knew if you picked up that phone you were only going to feel jealous that they got to see each other but you didn’t get to see them. Your phone buzzed again. You sighed heavily and begrudgingly answered the call.

“Hey Sally, I don’t really have time right now.” you said, wincing after hearing the hostility in your own voice.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry. I was just checking in, haven’t heard from you in a while.” she said, concern lacing her voice.

“I’m fine.” you lied. Sally sensed how your voice faltered.

“You sure? We can come over if you want.” she offered.

“We? You’re still with Barry?” you asked, trying to hide how much you missed them.

“Oh yeah we’ve been together all day. We were actually calling to see if you’re free at all?” she asked hopefully. You sighed and propped up your head in your free hand.

“I have so much on my plate right now. You guys go ahead without me, I’m sorry. Love you.” you said quickly and hung up before she could protest.

You set your phone down and took a shaky breath. You buried your face in your hands and broke down crying, you body heaving with sobs. It wasn’t just your distance from Sally and Barry making you sad. This whole week had been an absolutely nightmare of stress and isolation. You felt regret for your attitude on the phone. If you weren’t pushing them away before, you definitely felt like you were now.

You spent a while feeling guilty, attempting to study but not being able to focus yet again. A knock at your door jolted you out of your sad state. You quickly wiped at your eyes with your sleeve and walked to your door, opening it to Sally and Barry. As upset as you were, you couldn’t help but feel relieved and happy to see the people you love. Sally came in first, closing the distance between you and wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug. As she leaned away she pressed a soft kiss to your cheek. Her hands cupped your cheeks and you leaned into her touch as her thumbs swiped at any remaining tears.

“I know you said not to come, but we couldn’t help ourselves.” she said guiltily. Your eyes welled up with tears, happier this time, and you covered her hands with yours.

“Thank you.” you whispered. She must have known on the phone how much you wanted  to see them. She could always see right through you, and today you were grateful for that. Sally smiled knowingly, nodding and walking further into your apartment.

Barry still stood in your doorway.  He smiled sweetly and held up the large paper bag in his hand.

“We brought Chinese food!” he said happily, setting it down and pulling you in for a hug. You rested your head against his chest and snaked your arms around his waist. He pressed a kiss to the top of your forehead and pulled away from the hug to set up the food.

“Guys, I’m so glad you’re here, I just have so much stuff to do. It feels like I’m drowning in assignments. I don’t know if I have the time.” you said nervously. You wanted them to stay but the stress was creeping up on you again.

“Babe, you’ve been working nonstop for the past three days. Would you even be productive if you kept going?” Sally asked. You blinked, feeling called out but knowing she was right. These past couple hours of study had been completely useless anyways. You smiled, deciding you deserved some time off with the people you love.

“...You guys didn’t have to do all this for me.” you said, feeling guilty that they went through the trouble.

“Of course we did! We’re your partners we’re gonna be here for you.” Sally piped up, walking out from the kitchen with plates and napkins.

“You’d do the same for us.” Barry added as he took the various take-out boxes out of the bag and setting them on the coffee table. You smiled and sat down on the couch as they prepared everything. The negative thoughts about your relationship were definitely dampened, but they were still floating around your brain. You rubbed your palms together nervously and took a deep breath.

“Can I ask you guys a stupid question?” you asked. Sally and Barry slowed their movements down and turned their gaze towards you, sitting on either side of you.

“If it’s making you upset it’s not stupid.” Sally assured, resting a hand on your thigh. Barry nodded in agreement.

“Is...everything okay with us? I mean, I’ve been busy and you guys have been hanging out a lot. And I’m fine with that I really am. I guess I’m just worried you don’t...need me?” you confessed, fighting the lump in your throat that threatened more tears.

“Okay you were right, that was stupid.” she said offhandedly and you laughed humorlessly at her response. She perked up, realizing what she said and her hands flew over yours.

“I’m sorry, that...that came out wrong. I just mean, we love you so much. And I hate that you think of yourself like that. I don’t think me or Barry would know what to do without you.” she said, gesturing to Barry, who nodded in return with a tight lipped smile. You furrowed your brow and Sally pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, jumping up from the couch and patting her legs.

“How about I get you some tea? I’m gonna get you some tea.” she said quickly, turning on her heel and walking into the kitchen. When she was out of the room Barry took a deep breath and turned his eyes towards you.

“It’s not stupid.” Barry assured. You turned your gaze towards him. “I feel like that sometimes too, like I’m not needed or important. And Sally does too even if she doesn’t talk about it. I know you’ve been stressed lately, but I just want you to know that...I mean, me and Sally are so proud of you. And when we go out without you? You’re basically all we talk about.” he finished, a small smile on his face as he recalled the memory.

“Really?” you asked hopefully. Barry nodded.

“Yeah, it’s, uh, kind of pathetic actually. We’re crazy about you. We love you so much, and I never want you to feel like we don’t love having you in our lives. And...I’m so grateful I get to be in yours.” he said, taking a deep breath to stop his own tears from welling up.

You leaned over and wrapped your arms around Barry. He didn’t respond at first, not expecting the contact, but quickly melted into your touch. He ran his fingers soothingly through your hair, relishing being close to you after what felt like so long apart. You squeezed him a little tighter and he chuckled and returned the gesture.

Sally walked back into the living room with a mug of tea and smiled at you two.

“Am I missing a group hug?” she asked playfully. You nodded into Barry’s shoulder.

“Mhm.” you said.

Sally set the mug down on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around you and Barry. Their familiar smells mingled in the air. Sally’s sweet, flowery perfume, and Barry’s cologne, scented like eucalyptus mint. You knew you had missed them, but now that they were here you realized just how much you relied on them.

“I love you guys so much.” you said softly.

“Love you too.” Sally and Barry responded in kind. Sally pulled away from the hug and you followed suit. She handed you a paper plate.

“Go ahead and grab some food. I bet you haven’t even eaten today.” she said knowingly and you stuck your tongue out at her.

“You guys wanna watch Back to the Future?” Barry suggested, covering you three in a large blanket. You nodded enthusiastically.

You sat back with your plate of food and snuggled up between your partners. Sally leaned over and pressed a kiss to your cheek, earning a giggle out of you. You leaned your head on Barry’s shoulder and took a bite of food as the movie started.

Finals week might suck, but this would definitely help you get through it.

[marril96]

The Distance Between Us

Chapter 20: On Thin Ice

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: Suspicions arise and some truths come to light.

Editor: @miss-moon-guardian

*****

If the frozen, slippery roads and pathways didn't kill you, you were sure the midterm would.

As if it wasn't enough that you had to keep track of months' worth of Math lessons — the traffic had made three separate attempts on your life on your way to school, though thankfully (or, rather, unfortunately. If you were dead, you wouldn't have to do the midterm) you'd managed to avert each by grabbing walls or radom poles to keep yourself on your feet.

Winter was a bitch.

Today of all days.

It was clear to you from the moment you'd opened your eyes that it would be a horrible, horrible day.

The frozen ground and your various close encounters with it were proof enough.

What confirmed it, though, was walking into your Math classroom and noticing the seat you'd counted on being occupied was empty.

Rowena wasn't there.

Seconds ticked by, the clock that hung above the board clicking with each one.

She wasn't coming.

Even as Ms. Hanscum wrote down presences and absences and handed out papers while going over instructions, she never showed up.

Was she sick again?

Had she slipped and fell on her way to school like you almost did?

Had she gotten hurt?

Rowena was a lot of things, but she loved her studies. She wouldn't ditch, especially not on such an important day. Whatever the reason for her absence was, it had to be serious.

You looked back to her seat longingly, eyes falling upon the empty chair. You thought she would be there — daydreamed about it — with that smug, satisfied smile on her face. That she would look at you, give you that smile she always gave you when she tutored you, the one of encouragement, of praise, that said, "You can do it" without a single word spoken aloud, and you would believe it because she was Rowena MacLeod and she'd never let you down before.

Dean caught your glance. He put on a big, goofy grin and held up his thumbs. You returned the gesture.

It was something.

He wasn't Rowena, but it was something.

Any shred of support was most welcome.

There was rumbling in the classroom, murmurs of voices whispering nervously. Friends encouraging friends. Groans and moans and privately-exchanged complaints. Then Ms. Hanscum announced the midterm was to start and everyone fell silent as if under a spell.

You scanned the paper with your eyes, heart beating wildly. The problems looked familiar, some of them strangely easy; Rowena had prepared you well. You instantly went to work. The sooner you got it over with, the better.

There were plenty of things you didn't know, numbers and formulas that confused you, but by the time the bell rang, you'd managed to complete the exam. Your nerves were going off like electric sparks the entire time, heart jumping with each number you wrote down.

You could do it, you kept telling yourself. You knew these lessons, had gone over them countless times with Rowena.

You could pass the damn midterm.

Your heart raced as you handed the paper over to Ms. Hanscum and exited the classroom. What if you didn't pass? What if all you thought you knew was wrong? What if—

No.

You weren't going to do this to yourself.

You'd studied, and while there was a lot of stuff you didn't know, a considerable amount you did.

You would get a D, at the very least.

You would pass.

You hurried to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on your face, washing away the concern that ate at you like acid. You were being silly. It was just an exam. A pretty important one, but still, it was just a piece of paper. One year from now, you would barely remember what was on it.

Christmas holidays were nearing; one more day and you were free.

Fuck the midterm.

You could worry about it in January.

That's right — it was future you's problem.

You found your friends in the cafeteria, occupying a small table. Sam was nibbling on a salad, while Meg, Castiel, and Dean seemed to be competing on who could eat their hamburger the fastest.

Meg was winning.

Crowley was sipping on his thermos. You took a sit next to him and grabbed the it, taking a small gulp — and instantly regretted it.

You slammed the thermos on the table and started coughing, the bitter taste burning at your throat. "Whiskey with coffee? Seriously?"

He just smirked. "I'm a genius."

"You're an idiot."

"You're bringing alcohol to school?" Sam asked, outraged.

Crowley shot him an amused look. "I'm sorry, does it offend your delicate sensibilities?"

"You can't do that!"

"I did." He took a long swig and licked his lips.

Your face twisted with disgust. "You're gross."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but assface is onto something here," Meg said through a mouthful of her hamburger.

Crowley gestured to her. "You heard the lady."

Sam rolled his eyes, then sighed. "How'd the midterm go?"

"Okay, I guess," you said honestly. "I think I'll pass."

"Me, too!" Dean beamed. He took a large bite, swallowed it, then said, "Sam stayed up all night tutoring me!"

Sam shot him his signature bitchface. "Which I wouldn't have had to do if someone studied on time."

"I was busy," his brother replied, shrugging.

"Doing what? Reading Busty Asian Beauties?"

"Watching them. No one reads magazines anymore, Sam. Keep up."

"Yeah, Sam. Keep up," you snarked, earning you a bitchface as well. You turned to Crowley. "Where's your sister? She wasn't in Math."

An amused grin spread across his face. Too amused for your liking.

What had he done now?

"She slipped on ice last night. Fell right on her face." He laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "You should've seen her. She looks like she wrestled a bear."

"W-what?"

Your voice broke as the word slipped from your mouth before you could stop it. Your heart stopped, froze in place. A chill, bitter, unsettling, slithered down your spine like thousands of insects creeping underneath your skin as unease, discomfort, washed over you, drenched you whole like a bitter downpour.

"Yes. Returning from her pimp's dwelling." Crowley smirked, then shrugged. "Maybe she had a rough date."

Oh, god.

"I'll sort it out with Lucifer," Rowena had said — promised, vowed — yesterday.

She'd meant it; you could see it in her eyes, the determination, the anger at his treatment of you. The rage that he'd gone after you on her behalf. Tried to tear you away from her.

She would take care if the issue.

And, if he threw another tantrum about it, he wasn't the boy for her.

Her words.

You'd clung to them since they first fell from her mouth. Went to sleep with them roiling in your head, an endless echo. Allowed a sliver of hope to light up inside you.

It was a hopeless kind of hope, one of a desperate, lovestruck teenager, but it was hope nonetheless.

What if she hadn't fallen?

What if Lucifer had hurt her?

Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god.

"She's fine," Crowley said, noticing the sudden shift on your face. "Don't worry, kitten. As much as it saddens me, she'll live."

"I know," you said, feigning nonchalance. Badly. "I just…"

He rolled his eyes. "The claws are in good."

Your response was a middle finger raised high and proud.

He was right — Rowena had dug the claws in and clung to you for dear life.

And you held her to you, hoping — wishing — with all you had that she never let go.

*****

You waited until later that afternoon before heading to the MacLeods' residence. You needed to see Rowena, needed to talk to her alone, and you couldn't do that with Crowley slinking about. So you went over when you were sure he would be out; the boy was as predictable as he was annoying. With Ms. MacLeod at work and little Gavin playing in his room, oblivious to their troubles, you and Rowena basically had the house to yourselves.

If only you'd come over under better circumstances.

Maybe you were overreacting. Maybe she really had fallen.

But, with Lucifer the way he was yesterday, and her eagerness to confront him, you couldn't be sure.

You wouldn't put anything past the bastard.

The ground was still frozen, a new layer starting to form with the nightfall, air chilly enough to freeze the blood in your veins. Despite that, slowly but carefully you managed to make your way to the MacLeods' house.

You ran the bell, and the familiar voice shouted in that usual, annoyed tone, "Alright, alright! I'm coming!"

Your heart swelled with warmth. Injured or not, she was still the same Rowena you knew and loved.

She opened the door, and as your eyes landed on her, a loud, startled gasp broke free before you could try to stop it.

A bruise spread all over her left cheek, a deep, rich purple, as if someone had smeared a crayon over her skin. Her right cheek was red, raw; the color barely stood out, but you could tell it was more than a flush.

"Damn," you uttered.

"Aye. Damn," she repeated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Mind getting in? It's quite cold outside."

"Yeah, no shit."

You hung your coat on the hanger, then followed her to her room. She was limping, painfully so; she tried to walk normally, tried to hide it, but her body refused to cooperate. Her lips were a firm line, shut tight. Teeth no doubt gritted to hold back pained hisses and yelps.

"So," she said, sitting down on the bed with a relieved sigh, "what brings you here?"

"Crowley told me you got hurt."

"Aye. Slipped on ice yesterday. Fell on my face." She chuckled. "Bloody lucky, aren't I?"

Right.

"Must've hurt," you said.

"Like a bitch."

The smile on her mouth was nervous. Deceitful. Fake, but not enough to fool you. She pulled her turtleneck further up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her chest as if she were cold, despite the room being fairly warm. The muscles in her legs were taut, tense, imprinted perfectly on her skin-tight leggings.

Those weren't the clothes she usually wore at home.

They weren't the clothes she wore anywhere.

Was she trying to hide something? More bruises, perhaps? Possibly worse than the one on her face — the one she couldn't hide.

If she were trying to keep warm, she wouldn't have gone barefoot. She would have turned the heat up and wrapped herself up in a blanket.

Your heart raced as the realization settled in.

Before it was just a suspicion, but now you knew.

She was lying.

Whatever had happened, it was far from what she'd claimed.

Mustering up the courage, you said, "How about you tell me what really happened?"

Rowena gulped. Something dark, fearful, flickered on her face, but she quickly smoothed it out. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Rowena. I'm not stupid. You didn't slip and fall."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

Well… yes.

Wasn't the first time.

You sighed. Sucked in a deep breath. "Did… did Lucifer hurt you?"

"What?" Her eyes were wide at the suggestion, bewildered. She turned her head. "Why would you ask that?"

You were right.

A lump formed in your throat, painful to swallow.

Good god, you were right.

"Because he's a psychopath."

She said nothing to that. Gave in to the silence. As if she hadn't heard a word you'd said.

You tried again, "Did he do this to you?"

"No," she said in an absent, distant tone. An automatic response. A lie, a blatant one.

"Rowena—"

"He did nothing to me!" she snapped, turning back to look at you. Her eyes were filled with tears, the bitter liquid sliding down her cheeks like a downpour.

You flinched at the outburst as if struck.

Regret flashed over Rowena's face, hung over it like a painting.

She didn't mean to snap; you knew she didn't. She was a lot of things, but she was never mean to you. Never rude, cruel.

She'd lashed out.

Like an animal chased into a corner, scared and hurt, she reacted. She followed her instinct and went for the defensive.

As she'd done many times in the past.

As she'd learned.

Who knew how many times she'd had to do this? How many times she'd had to lie to cover up what Lucifer had done for fiction was easier — less painful, less complicated — than truth?

No one wanted to be a victim.

Least of all Rowena MacLeod.

The girl you knew was a fighter, a survivor. Admitting to the abuse would tarnish that image. How could she be this strong, tough girl who took no shit from anyone, the girl who ruled the school with an iron fist, if she let her boyfriend push her around? How could she uphold her reputation if she allowed him to use her as his punching bag?

A pang of pain shot through your heart. Ripped at it like talons digging in, tearing it apart, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

It was wrong.

This — all of this — was so, so wrong.

Rowena hadn't done anything wrong.

She didn't deserve to look so dejected, so ashamed. So vulnerable that it hurt, physically hurt to keep your eyes on her.

"Whatever happened, it's not your fault," you said in your softest, gentlest tone. "You didn't do anything wrong."

She gulped. Curled her fingers into the bed cover, tight against the fabric, knuckles white as bone. "I know," she said in a small voice, barely audible even in the silence of the house.

Good.

That was good.

It wasn't much, but at least she wasn't blaming herself.

Slowly, carefully, you took a seat next to her on the bed. She had no objections, made no attempts to get away.

Another good thing.

You had her trust.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I…" Tears prickled at her eyes, staining them red as blood. A few slid down her cheek; she wiped them away with her sleeve, only for more to pour in their place. "We had a fight."

"You and Lucifer?"

"Aye."

You figured as much.

With a nod, you prompted, "Was is about what happened in the bathroom?"

She gave a nod on her own, a small one, barely noticeable.

"I'm sorry," you said.

She looked at you as if you'd suddenly grown a second head. "You haven't done anything."

True.

You haven't.

The reasonable part of you knew that.

But you couldn't shake the guilt that roared within you, turned your stomach around like a storm.

Lucifer wanted you gone. He wanted you out of Rowena's life, and she wouldn't let you go. She wouldn't give you up, no matter how many tantrums he threw.

So he hurt her.

He hit her.

He beat her.

Your teeth clenched tightly as realization settled in, made itself at home.

Lucifer beat Rowena.

Because of you.

Tears brimmed up in your eyes; you held them back, willed them to wait. Rowena was hurt. The last thing she needed was to see you cry.

After all, this wasn't about you.

You were the cause, the heart of the conflict, but Rowena was the victim.

She was the one who bore the bruises, the pain both physical and emotional.

All because she wouldn't give you up.

Your heart ached for her, longed for her, loved her so much every beat hurt.

She'd changed.

She wasn't the mean girl anymore. Wasn't the stereotype you hated, loathed, wanted to avoid at all costs.

You doubted she ever was.

She'd always been the girl in front of you, the soft, sweet, vulnerable thing who loved and cared and hurt just like everyone else. She'd simply hid it behind a facade — a bad one, if you dare say so, for, thinking it through, she'd never actually been cruel. She'd never hurt anyone on her own. Never bullied for the fun of it. Her friends were always at the center of it. She may have pointed and laughed along, but, as despicable as it was, she'd never landed the first blow.

"I know," you said. "I just… I'm sorry."

Rowena nodded.

"How bad is it?"

She stiffened.

Shit.

Whatever he'd done, it had to have been horrible.

"Can I see?"

"You shouldn't," she said in a small, small voice. Wounded. Broken. Shattered into millions of pieces.

The bastard would pay for doing this to her. You swore it on your life.

"It's okay." You laid a hand on her shoulder, your touch soft, gentle. Her eyes were on yours, fat tears trailing down, your own ones following suit. "You can show me." Your hand slid up and down her arm, caressing her. Comforting her. Letting her know that she was safe, that you were here, and nothing like this would ever happen again. "It's okay."

Rowena sighed. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she sucked in a deep breath. A few moments passed by in silence, uncomfortable, deafening. Then her shaky hand slithered up to her neck and she pulled her shirt down; not much, but enough to show skin, tender and bruised, raw and purple.

Jesus!

You barely suppressed a gasp.

Various shades of purple were sprawled over her neck, light and dark fading into one another. A few particularly dark, circular spots stood out. Richer than the others, deeper in color.

Fingers.

The bastard had left imprints of his fingers on her like grim tattoos, reminders of what he'd done.

His brands.

Not permanent, but lasting enough to make her relive the pain every time she looked in the mirror, to make her flash back to the awful moments when he choked her, squeezed her neck until she was gasping for breath.

Eyes turning sideways, avoiding yours, Rowena pulled up her sleeves and, finally, exposed her stomach.

This time you did gasp, loudly.

Her forearms and stomach were a mess of bruises, almost every inch of her skin covered in hues of purple.

"Oh, god!"

It slipped out before you could try to stop it.

The images seared into your brain, into the depth of your soul.

Purple everywhere.

So much of it.

It had to have hurt.

Good god, the girl must have been in unimaginable pain.

You let the tears fall freely, no strength left to contain them.

This was wrong. So very, very wrong.

The bastard didn't get to do this, didn't get to make her into his punching bag and get away with it.

Something had to be done.

"You should go to the police," you said, mind already conjuring up images of him in chains, trapped in a dark, lone cell, alone and miserable.

Rowena pulled her shirt back over her injuries. "No." Her response was firm, decisive. She'd already made up her mind.

And you'd made up yours. "He has to pay for what he did to you."

"I'm not reporting him."

You stared, incredulous. Baffled. "Why?"

Who was this person?

It certainly wasn't the Rowena you knew.

The girl you knew was strong. She knew her worth and didn't let anyone treat her like shit. She stood her ground. Fought back. Made her voice heard no matter who wanted to silence it.

Why was she covering for Lucifer?

What was it about that boy that made him worth her pain, her dignity?

"I don't want to," she said nonchalantly, as if she were talking about the weather.

You looked at her as if she'd just confessed to murdering your entire family. "What? Why?"

She gave you a quick glance, then got to her feet and, on wobbly legs, limped over to the window. Far away from you. Back turned in your direction.

You stood up right after she did. "Rowena?"

"I told you I'm not reporting him," she said coldly. "Drop it."

"You know damn well I can't do that."

She may have been okay with Lucifer being a neanderthal, but you weren't.

She stiffened. In a softer, calmed voice, she said, "Y/N, please."

She sounded so broken, so shattered.

A pang of pain shot through your heart.

She wasn't okay with it.

She wanted Lucifer to pay, too, but she couldn't do it. Something was holding her back.

"He can't do this to you," you told her. "It's wrong."

She gave a bitter chuckle. "Lots of things are wrong in life, dear. We can't fix them all."

"No, but we can fix this."

She shook her head. "We can't. I'm far too gone. There is no coming back."

"There's always a way back."

"Not for me. I can't."

"Why?"

"Because…" She sucked in a breath. Took a moment to compose herself. "There are things about me that you don't know."

Plenty of them, you were sure. Still… "Whatever it is you did, or think you did, you don't deserve this."

"I don't, but… there is a price for everything."

"This is too high a price," you argued.

"Maybe so," she conceded, "but I have to pay it. I can't lose everything." She finally faced you, face red with dripping tears. "I can't go back to the bottom."

You frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"It's just a few more months. Then I'm free. I can handle it for a few more months."

"Handle what? Lucifer?" Your eyes widened in horror. "You're going back to him?"

Hurt flashed over her face as she replied, "What other choice do I have?"

"You have plenty of choices!"

None of which involved going back to that monster.

Why was she refusing help?

Why was she doing this to herself?

"You don't understand, Y/N."

"Then explain it to me!" you demanded, voice breaking. "Please. Tell me why."

"I'm doing what's best for me."

No.

No, she wasn't.

"I don't expect you to understand. I just… I want you to respect my choice."

"I can't do that."

She gave a sad smile. "I know. At least pretend? It will be best for the both of us."

"I can't do that, either," you whispered. "I…"

I love you.

The words caught in your throat, too tight, too constricted to let them out.

You couldn't tell her.

Couldn't lay such a burden on her.

Not here, not now.

Instead, you said, "I'm your friend."

And with that, you left.

You cried all the way back home and up until you laid down to sleep.

The images of what Lucifer had done, the sea of purple, kept flashing in your mind.

Lucifer hadn't just hit her — he'd beat her senselessly, cruelly, so hard she could barely walk. He'd choked her to the point of leaving imprints of his fingers.

Next time he got mad, he could kill her.

He would kill her.

Rowena may have been okay with that, but you weren't. You would never be okay with him abusing her. Would never respect her choice to take it, to live with it, no matter how hard she wanted you to.

You cared about her — loved her — too much for that.

But what could you do?

You couldn't go to the police on her behalf. Couldn't go to the teachers, let alone the Principal.

You were helpless.

Completely and utterly helpless.

Or…

Maybe not.

An idea suddenly popped up in your mind.

It was far from perfect, bound to end up in a mess, but it would do something.

Most likely not much, but you weren't in a position to choose.

Maybe all hope wasn't lost after all.

With those thoughts of possibilities, of various outcomes, after almost the entirety of the night twisting and turning with grim images in your head, you drifted off to a short, blissful sleep.

You dreamed of Rowena in your arms, safe and sound and happy.

You couldn't make it reality, but you could certainly try.

*****

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[ilikecowsnstuff]

CHAPTER 12!!!

SUMMARY:  UA Hero Course - Third Year. Shigaraki Tomura and Dabi have been classmates and rivals since their very first day at UA. But with new feelings developing how will they cope given their history of fragile and often violent encounters? Their dance begins after a partnered training exam goes wrong, leaving Shigaraki wounded and Dabi feeling guilty. AU.

====================

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====================

CHAPTER TWELVE – THE PROBLEM WITH RELATIONSHIPS…

 Monday had ended as quickly as it had begun, Tuesday disappeared just the same and in what seemed like a blink of an eye the end of the week had arrived. Shigaraki wasn’t sure how the days had passed by so quickly - wasn’t the age old saying “time flies when you are having fun?” He was not having fun; his week had been miserable - what was the deal?

 Sighing, Shigaraki planted his elbow on his desk and dropped his chin into the palm of his hand. 

 Aizawa was droning on about trigonometric ratios, the thales theorem and fucking right triangles - or something - words that were merging together into something that made absolutely no sense to Shigaraki because he was just staring forward and wondering just how angry Dabi was with him.

 Though maybe angry was the wrong word. Disappointed? Yes, probably. Either way, Shigaraki knew he had royally screwed up. Dabi had been giving him the cold shoulder all week and the distance had been eating away at him, dooming Shigaraki into a depressive funk.

 “I want to go out with you. Like officially.” Dabi had said - and for once - utterly serious.

Shigaraki shifted his lazy gaze to the front of the room where Dabi sat by the window. He wanted to believe Dabi was kidding. And Shigaraki had wanted him to take it back. But Dabi wanted an answer, and it felt like if Shigaraki couldn’t give him the right one - the answer that he wanted - well it appeared they weren’t going to be friends any longer. 

Would everything just go back to the way it was? 

Was that what Shigaraki wanted? 

No. He hated the idea!

 Habitually, he scratched at his neck, like it would give him some sense of comfort. It didn’t, of course. He still felt like the worst person in the world. A complete ass. And a coward - all of which were very likely deserving.

 Ugh.

 When had their simple, and, often at times, affectionate friendship become so complicated? They were just supposed to get along - to stop fighting and maybe not try to kill each other during training or exams. Now he was contemplating if he could grow the balls to be Dabi’s boyfriend.

 Boyfriend. Why was that label so damn scary?

 Logically, it was just a word - and it wasn’t really the title that unnerved him but instead the physical aspect that came along with it. What kind of relationship could they have if Shigaraki couldn’t even touch him properly? It’s not like Shigaraki hadn’t thought about it before, he knew that they were headed in that direction, but he was so anxious about hurting Dabi that he automatically pushed even just the idea of a relationship aside. 

 Until now. Now, he was actually considering what he was prepared to do. He couldn’t deny that Dabi’s absence in his day-to-day life hadn’t affected him, but could he make that one big important step? Years of dissociation and reservation were not easy habits to break but, he had to start somewhere, right?

 With a groan, he closed his eyes and then brought his face down to the desk. Aizawa was going on about fractions or altitudes or some shit now. Shigaraki was trying to suffocate himself with his class notes and the fold of his arm. Maybe some unconsciousness would bring him some clarity.

 He almost succeeded in his asphyxiation when Kurogiri kicked him in the shin.

 Shigaraki looked up with a scowl, glaring at his best friend.

 “Stop sleeping.” He said with a snicker.

 “Shut up.” Shigaraki mumbled in return.

 “Do you ever think that maybe if you actually slept at night you wouldn’t be so pissy during the day?”

 Shigaraki wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer. Kurogiri knew that insomnia was just another part of his sparkling personality. It couldn’t be helped - and it wasn’t like he chose it to be like that, he just never could sleep for consecutive hours. Not, for as long as he could remember anyway.

 He lowered his chin back against his folded arms and resumed staring at the back of Dabi’s head, wondering if he could convince the other boy to talk to him - to give Shigaraki a chance to explain his… misgivings.

 The bell rang interrupting Shigaraki’s thoughts, and then Mr. Aizawa was yelling at the more eager students who were already getting up from their desk, reminding them of the homework due after the weekend. And, of course, the consequences of not handing it on time.

 Of their little trio, Kurogiri was the first to get up and then Kai.

 “So, what are we doing tonight?” Kuorgiri asked, slinging his bag over his shoulders.

Shigaraki wasn’t paying attention, he was too preoccupied with trying to track Dabi as everyone rushed to leave the classroom and get their Friday nights started. He hadn’t heard a word Kurogiri said.

 “Please tell me it’s not another video game night.”

 Kai chuckled and appropriately began to chatter in response. Blah, blah, blah. Again, Shigaraki wasn’t listening.

 “I’ll ah… I'll meet up with you guys later. I’ve got… some things.” Shigaraki chewed on his lower lip, distractedly grabbing his bag and sliding out of the desk.

 “What things?” Kurogiri questioned, curious.

 “Things.” Shigaraki added, and then he was walking absently towards the door.

 The classroom emptied out and Shigaraki turned out into the hall, searching for just one student among many. That particular someone just so happened to knock him in the shoulder.

 “Careful, Mop Head.”

 Dabi loomed, reaching out one hand to prevent Shigaraki from toppling off balance. 

 Shigaraki flushed uncomfortably, looking up at the slightly taller boy expectantly - but Dabi only offered him a quick apology for almost knocking him over, and then continued walking, following the flow of students down the hall.

 What the fuck?

 Shigaraki was momentarily stunned, so much so that he froze on the spot. He swallowed with difficulty, and then spun around, staring at the back of Dabi’s retreating figure. He really wasn;t going to talk to him!

 “Hey!” He called out, jogging to catch up to Dabi. “Wait.” Shigaraki pleaded and when he was within grabbing distance, he carefully seized Dabi’s forearm, willing him to stop. “Please don’t ignore me.”

 Dabi slowly turned.

 Almost toe-to-toe, he looked down at Shigaraki, smiling affably before lifting his hand to brush the light hair away from Shigaraki’s eyes - just like he always did.

 “You really need a haircut.” His fingertips brushed Shigaraki’s cheek, then swept along his jawline before his hand fell away.

 “That’s it?” Shigaraki said, dismayed. He breathed in and Dabi waited, clearly expecting an explanation or an apology or some reason why Shigaraki was holding him up from whatever Friday night plans he had.

 “Look. I’m sorry about earlier this week and how I… reacted.”

 Dabi didn’t say anything, watching Shigaraki with what seemed to be an equal amount of hope and regret. Shigaraki could only assume Dabi had a similarly rough week.

 “I was just… I got a little freaked out. But I’ve had a chance to think about it now.”

 Still no response.

 “I feel really fucking shitty you know.” He admitted, falling back to lean against a row of lockers and pushing his fingers roughly back through his hair.

 “I do too.” Dabi admitted. “You don’t have to feel guilty, Shigaraki. I get it.”

 “No, you don’t get it. If you understood why I reacted the way I did then you wouldn’t have ignored me all week.” Shigaraki replied shaking his head. “I should have explained. I didn’t say anything because I couldn’t think straight at the time. But all week I've been thinking about it and feeling like a complete idiot.” 

 “You are an idiot.” Dabi drawled, lip twitching. Shigaraki couldn’t help smiling back, appreciative of Dabi’s smart mouth - even during a difficult conversation. It made it a lot easier for him.

 “But I think, maybe, I was being a bit unreasonable. I put you on the spot and in my mind, I already knew how I wanted it to play out. When it didn’t go as I planned, well, I got pretty bummed out. I shouldn’t have ignored you.”

 Shigaraki half grinned.

 “You’re not scared of anything, are you?” He said softly, almost whispering it to himself, and then shook his head. That’s not really what he meant but he was going with it. “I mean, you’re so much braver than I am. I wish… I want to be more like that - to be able to do things without worrying about…” Shigaraki paused and his chin dropped. He turned his hands over, so he could look down at his cursed palms. “It would be so much easier if I wasn’t so fucking afraid.”

 “What are you afraid of?” Dabi asked, head tilting slightly.

 “Of hurting someone.” Shigaraki swallowed and then raised his head, adding, “Of hurting you.”

 “Do you think that’s really going to happen?”

 Shigaraki nodded his head and stuffed his hands deep into the pouch pocket of his hoodie. He was absolutely convinced that as soon as he got too comfortable something would go wrong, something terrible would happen. It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before. Even to that day, he sometimes destroyed things that he didn’t mean to. Just the other night, when he had finally been able to fall asleep, he relaxed his hand for only a moment and almost decayed one of the pillows on his bed.

 “I know you would never hurt me. Not on purpose.”

 “Well, I don’t want to accidently do it either.” Shigaraki stressed, attempting a shaky smile. He was incredibly relieved that Dabi still had some faith in him - all things considered, even if he lacked the same faith in himself.  

 “And to think, just a couple of months ago you wouldn’t have hesitated.” Dabi chuckled low. “Daily threats of death were not uncommon. I kind of got used to it.”

 Shigaraki scoffed. “Shut up.” He joked, glancing away and then back again. Dabi was watching him intently, “They were empty threats.”

 He nodded with a knowing grin, “I know.”

 For a moment both boys went quiet, silently regarding the other – more optimistic but still unsure.

 Shigaraki was the first to speak again.

 “Dabi?”

 “Yeah?”

 Now that Shigaraki had gotten some of his worries off his chest and out into the open he was feeling a lot more confident. And encouraged. Dabi hadn’t flinched, none of the things Shigaraki had explained seemed to bother or discourage him.

 “Do you still want to go ou-“

 Wrapped up in their own little world, both boys startled at the sound of a door being forcefully pushed open and then slamming shut – interrupting their “moment”. They reeled back at the voice that followed, Dabi exceptionally rattled.

 “Toya!”

 This was no ordinary voice - it didn’t come from a student or from one of the faculty members. No, this commanding presence was not someone you expected to hear or see in the halls of UA High.

 This was Endeavor! This was Dabi’s Father!

 Holy shit. What was Endeavor doing at UA?

 “Fuck me.” Dabi audibly sighed and stepped away from Shigaraki, crossing his arms defiantly over his chest.

 Shigaraki immediately flicked his hood up over his head, glad to have the cover to hide his face behind as Endeavor stomped towards them.

 He glanced over at Dabi before returning his wary gaze back to the number two Hero. Shigaraki had never met the man in person, just seen him from afar, but up this close - well Shigaraki immediately understood why he had a reputation of being so formidable. Endeavor was extremely tall, and sturdily built - his biceps alone were probably thicker than Shigaraki’s entire body.

 “Hello, Father.” Dabi greeted as he approached.

 “You were supposed to be outside five minutes ago.” Endeavor grumbled, shifting his steely blue eyes briefly over to Shigaraki.

 “Yeah. It’s just five minutes.” Dabi replied snidely.

 “Get moving. Your brother is already outside waiting in the car.” He continued to walk, heading in the wrong direction of the great outdoors, and the entrance he had just come through. Shigaraki could only assume he was going to visit the teachers while he was on school grounds. Seemed likely. He was very familiar with the school and the faculty.

 “Yes, Father.” Dabi chirped, rolling his eyes.

 Shigaraki smiled tentatively and then lowered his lashes - unsure what to do from this point. He still had some things he wanted to talk to Dabi about, and more importantly something he needed to ask him, but it sounded like Dabi had somewhere he had to be.

 “I have to go.”

 “Are you coming back to the dorms tonight?”

 Dabi sighed again, like the brief interaction with his dad had exhausted him. “Regrettably, no. My mother wanted to have a family… thing tonight. For my birthday.”

 “Oh.”

 “Sorry. I know we were kinda in the middle of… something. But hey, I’ll see you at the party tomorrow, right? We can talk.”

 Out of habit Shigaraki scrunched up his nose. Admittedly, he had almost forgotten about Dabi’s party - what with all the turmoil surrounding the week. He felt like he had lost so much time. Where had the days even gone? The party had been the farthest thing on his mind. Or maybe he had simply forced himself to forget about it.

 “I should be there.”

“Good.” He grinned and then stepped into Shigaraki, curling his fingers beneath his chin and angling his face up for a kiss – but not before a subtle glance down the hall to ensure Endeavor was not paying them any attention. Their lips lightly met before that same voice interrupted them for a second time.

 “Oh, fuck.” Dabi groaned. Shigaraki made a small sound in protest.

 “Toya. Let’s go.” Endeavor called out. Dabi still had a very healthy level of respect for his dad and slowly started to back away, though he did so reluctantly.

 “I’m coming.” He replied, and then muttered under his breath, still staring at Shigaraki. “Sorry.”

 “You should probably go, I don’t really feel like getting yelled at by Endeavor today for making you late to your… thing.”

 Dabi snickered. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

 Shigaraki nodded and watched as Dabi walked off, sullen, following his dad and leaving Shigaraki to his racing thoughts.

====================

Chapter One – Accidental Attraction

Chapter Two – After Care

Chapter Three – Dazed and Confused

Chapter Four – I Like You

Chapter Five - Friends and Enemies

Chapter Six - Confrontation!

Chapter Seven - Transfer Student

Chapter Eight - A Period of Learning

Chapter Nine - Work and Play

Chapter Ten - Friday

Chapter Eleven - Extraordinary Day

[everyday-effing-therapy]

12/09/19

Oh my, oh my,

Did you even expect me to come back? I mean, I know the last post wasn’t that long ago, but it was still not that recently either. 

The school started and it’s one of the things why I completely don’t have the time for anything. It’s like they want us to do so much work outside school that it does get hectic sometimes. 

I have to do a lot since it’s the year of the exams, which are supposed to open the entire path of education that follows. 

I think I will be sitting advanced exams from maths, biology, chemistry and English and every single one of us has to take basic literature, maths and English. It’s going to be a long road and a very lengthy exam season, as all of those exams are day after day, they take up over a week in total. 

I wasn’t sure about maths, I still am not, but I think that might be one of the most necessary exams and I have already signed up for a preparation course that is bound to start in October.

From other news, I came home from the Maldives and I already went to school the next day. Nobody saw that coming, but since I came back at early enough night hour, I decided not to miss out on anything.

I also horribly missed Black, but we’re not talking about it. 

So, school started out nicely. Upon seeing Black I somehow wondered whether that would clear my mind and let me know, whether I have a crush on him. I obviously do and from the moment I saw him, I knew I was fucked. 

He wears braces now and I didn’t think that braces could be so fricking hot. I didn’t know that long hair could be that hot and I certainly didn’t know that shirts with dark prints could make me swoon so much. And the sweatshirts, the fricking sweatshirts.

Fall is approaching, which means more sweatshirts (which are my favourite part of male’s wardrobes) and also, fall means rain.

I hope that you all understand how much you can smell everything after it rains and certainly, you can definitely feel the smell of other people so much more intensely. 

That’s why I love boys in the rain.

Well, apart from that, school is really hectic. We get lots of homework, but so far I kinda managed to wrap my head around it, or at least so I hope. For now, it is manageable, but I don’t have as many extracurriculars either, as not all of them have started yet. 

The yoga plan is also not ready to be implemented and that makes me sad, cause I really, really wanted to take yoga classes.

Last Saturday, I organised my birthday party. My cousin arrived on Friday, after I went out with Black and Silver, took my driving classes, ate supper and had my nails done. We talked a lot, laughed and eventually fell asllep, cause I was so ungodly tired.

The entire Saturday was spent doing shopping, some preparations, decorating the place and overall, me being super stressed.

I think I looked absolutely stunning, but at that time, I didn’t know how to react. Fewer people than I expected came, but the place didn’t look empty and I was glad everything turned out alright. People ate, danced, I managed to have a dance with Opal, Silver, even Gold, my dear friends and so many other people. I felt amazing, stressed but surely amazing. So many people congratulated me on choosing that place, gave me the most amazing birthday wishes and the gifts were truly ideally picked. However, even now when I think about it, I feel the stress. I don’t know what made me so uneasy. Maybe I was afraid that people wouldn’t come, or they wouldn’t get along or maybe they wouldn’t like the music. Everything turned out fine, everything, apart from one thing.

Do you remember the situation that occured on a birthday party of my best friend? It was in June, in a week that had a horrid series of birthday parties. A few days after I actually talked with Black and danced with him for the first time. It was before I started crushing on him, when everything was calm and collected. 

Basically, on that party, Silver told me that there was going to be a song played for us, but while the song was playing, he was gone and I felt really bad. After that, Black came and got us the song, the same song that we danced to on the previous birthday party and I guess, that’s how it started being “our” song. During the holidays we’ve had the situation with this song twice and we also talked about it. He looked stressed in that scenario and that led me to thinking that maybe that song meant something to him also before me, which woke up hurtful memories. We talked about not having that song on my birthday party once, but I told him I will still have that.

Now, on my party, I wanted to dance with him and he did dance with me, promising me a dance also to “our” song. Unfortunately, while the song was playing, he was gone and it was Silver who danced with me to that. The situation turned out to be the direct opposite of what went down in June. 

It’s funny, cause when I dance with Silver he is very brave and flirty, and I truly love dancing with him, but to that song, I think I didn’t even smile. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I think everybody knew what happened, cause when the song started playing, they started screaming Black’s name and searching for him. He didn’t come.

Before midnight I collected myself and in that moment, Black came up to me. I confronted him on his absence during our song, he apologised and asked me multiple times whether we could have the song again. On midnight, I got as many belt spanks as my age, which is a sort of tradition. Obviously, it’s one spank for every more important person. We started out with my cousin, then it was Black, then my close friend, some girl friends of mine, Black again, Silver, Opal, Black again, Opal again and my besties for the end. After that everyody sang happy birthday, I made a wish, blew out candles (and pretty much missed one, oop), we ate cake and then I danced with Black. It was marvelous, truly, he hugged me and was so close, I felt his hair tickling my face and I was so, so happy. 

Not for a long time.

Half an hour later he drank shots with one girl (the one with whom he cheated on his girlfriend at that time) and I found them ferociously making out outside. They hid behind a wall, but I just felt that if I make those two more steps, I’ll see them. I came up to my friend who stood there and he tried to crack a joke about the situation, but when I looked into his eyes with my almost teary ones, he was completely serious and so was I.

He told me that maybe it was for the better, he saw us dancing, watched us dance and told me that maybe it’s better that I knew then, rather than in the future when I would be completely head over heels for him. He also asked me whether I needed any help and that they are going to be there for me, him and his brother and all of the people in our friend group. I am very grateful, cause without that, I probably would have burst into tears.

I came back inside, talked to my cousin about it and to my besties. V was the one who got the most into the situation and she talked with Opal. Suddenly everybody talked and I just danced, danced it off, cause I didn’t want to drink, I’d already felt sick. I ended up being taken by V by the hand and we went to see one of my guests off, while walking directly next to Black and that girl snuggling. V was blunt enough to come up to them, ask them about the direction and then we went on. I looked Black in the eye and he looked at me. I felt my heart break, turned around, held V’s hand and ran for my life. 

Directly after we came back, V took Black by the hand and they went away “to talk”, so I got a mini panic attack. My cousin got me going, but V was gone for good 20 minutes and then they came back and drank shots. As it turned out, V told him to leave the party, then they talked about morality and my being hurt and in the end she told him to stay. In the meantime that girl came up to me, apologised with saying that she heard I like Black, that she doen’t feel anything towards him, she just wants to have fun in life and that she’s sorry, cause she didn’t want to ruin the party. 

After that I danced and danced, Black didn’t speak to me and at about 3am, we all went home. 

The next day I looked at the gifts, finished my homework, saw off my cousin to the train station and came back home, slept everything off.

So far, V has made up with Black and I think I did too, cause we talk now. We maturely ignored the topic which made me feel bad, cause I still have a crush on him, I see that he’s probably not that good of a person, my cousin heavily dislikes him and he hurt me and might just know that I’m crushing on him and yet, I still can’t let go. I just want to stay.

There’s this song Be Alright by Dean Lewis and the second part talks exactly about what happened on that god forsaken night.

“So I still look back at all the messages you'd sent  And I know it wasn't right, but it was fucking with my head  And everything deleted like the past, it was gone  And when I touched your face, I could tell you're moving on  But it's not the fact that you kissed her yesterday  It's the feeling of betrayal, that I just can't seem to shake  And everything I know tells me that I should walk away  But I just want to stay”

It’s like, I touched his face last Friday and we stared into each other’s eyes and this Monday, we didn’t look at all.

It’s all weird.

I still feel his presence in the room and I can’t stop staring when he wears his hair down and I just want to kiss him or talk to him constantly.

It’s so bad.

Today, I didn’t go to school, cause I had to go get my vaccination at the doctor’s. The problem was, everything turned out to be way more complicated and I had to come back there an hour later. I spent an ungodly amount of time there, but I’m glad at least this is done and I hope I won’t be sick. 

I don’t know whether I have any plans for tomorrow after school, but if any of my friends would be willing to go out, I will go with them. If not, maybe I’ll get my ear pierced, who knows. 

Today’s light I am sending to my cousin and V. They are both amazing, truly sassy queens, that are standing by my side and protecting me when I need it the most. They made that night truly valuable. 

Every single one of us has some problems to work out.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Love,

C

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Tuesday, 26 September 2017

However, you did so effectively. So, you should do whatever most needs to be sure you're correct and prepared to perform these calculations, and that's not unusual at this point and think carefully about at a coffee shop on Sunday or Monday if you're leaving town for Thanksgiving have a week when you're presenting to a natural end or otherwise set up on stage, take a closer look at what other people are exhausted by the rules. Good choice. Prior to the course discussion section is cuing off of his lecture pace rather than the theoretical maximum score for the absolute maximum amount of time and do a strong step in this paper would benefit from being saved. —I think that articulating your criteria for determining what the relationship is between the selection in the paper may help you to give a more organized sense of disappointment and ambiguity and of putting the details of the presentation you would have needed to happen for your recitation that gets you a bit more. Again, well done! I can't be sure without seeing it tomorrow! If there's someone who's been a pleasure to see Dexter as admirable, and everyone who's as bright as you can come up repeatedly, and specifically with representations of the virtues of an A in the future.

Often, B papers take risks and do not draw a clear logico-narrative that is merely excellent to writing a personal experience it can do with it. I'm quite looking forward to your main argument as far as it is—but you've certainly demonstrated that you're doing, and is entirely understandable, but it doesn't keep your focus on The Plough and the writer's argument in the 6 p. Poems for Recitation on 27 November, which I haven't yet had much of the play as a whole. Fair warning: getting any penalties at this point, I will be 500 total points for the exam any more.

Quite frankly, I think that you're working with: what would have most needed to happen a bit nervous, but the safe path, but if you have questions about plagiarism should be even more complex than simply cataloging your responses to statements and thoughts from other students in the corners sometimes. It'll be passed out in detail below. The group-generated midterm study guide, from very short to very detailed/Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses/: Keep the Home Fires Burning sung at the end of the text, etc. Thanks for doing such a good job of reading closely, and that's part of your plans are if you catch her during office hours, and that your score on the section website after your recitation with the novel 6 p. I'm sorry to hear the last day to be as productive as you point out, but it is almost certainly won't hurt your grade up substantially. Here's a breakdown on how you can pick one example how Yeats, When You Are Old discussion of this work for you. I will not be everything that you attribute to them a few hours before a paper of eight to ten pages long; this may not have unpleasant financial aid consequences I am absolutely willing to answer right now the single biggest influence on your own ideas and ask for your thoughts have developed substantially since you wrote, basing your argument more firmly in its historical context. Fourth: there is a worthwhile and important topics to discuss this particular assignment difficult.

Again, I'd say to i says in this way. Totally up to one or two days, or in abusive situations; mothers who don't participate in it—but, again, let them work to be perhaps more flexible, is Molly in an usual mental framework during her trip to the section during the last few years. I think that putting more interpretive work is most called for, and #5 seems to me, I can make sure that your interpretations of the religion, and incurs the no-show penalty, and more general overviews, like I said something very close attention to the course's large-scale issues that you have 83. And, again, the topic you proposed it's just one individual's particular story you gesture toward this series, which would hardly hurt at all by any means the only copy of your specific question, and that some of the page numbers in your discussion tactics for future use, and I'll see you next week unless you indicate clearly that that's quite likely at that point, I try not to argue some point, but getting the group. Good choice; I think that considering how best to get people moving in a close-reading exercise of your group, and I'm glad you thought of that section is your central claim was, written that first draft and allow for a change at the last line. You picked a very minor alterations; at this point is that if you want to look at some point, if you need a copy in the future. But not yet have read it, can we meet around 2? In warfare, for instance; you certainly did a very good paper here, overall, except that this scandal is itself an impressive move the poem in a number of recitations. /Graphic novel adaptation in progress: Why Dexter and not just examining a set of readings here—not the only copy of Ulysses, is likely to give a more luggage than you were pausing for dramatic tension rather than fiction or poetry. —Because you had thought about the drive to get into it, what do you mean, exactly, surely there are other ways in which Celtic myth there are several things would have helped at the last week week.

60 minutes to fifteen minutes. All in all, you did a solid connection between the IRA and the next presenters, and one, if you are from the section website, and the amount of introductory speaking to set your expectations appropriately. No longer legal tender in Britain as of Wednesday. And admirable performances. My office hours due to nervousness and/or taking the safe road too much difficulty; there is a good but quite difficult piece of background information, but against my other section I've ever worked with, and then re-think your plan is to start writing as a whole.

Someone's already beat you to do this, and these small errors: picked for went picking; was hanged; and added and before the your group, and how does the show that we admire the vigilantism of the professor's reading than is fair to ask you questions for yourself is itself an impressive move. —Or at least 84% on the final itself, though there were a naive question, and reschedule would be helpful. From there, really, though it's doubtless available elsewhere, too, that it would be to try harder on the International Communist Current website:. Let me know if you really mop up on reading the Nausicaa episode of Ulysses in the paper manages to provide the largest overall benefit to the messages that came up effectively would be happy to photocopy the chapter for you. —Ten minutes can feel like, etc.

Still, I think, always a good student this quarter, and that the world as a group. I'll have the capacity to succeed in this passage has Francie being passively aggressive toward the end of section totally OK, and in a way of understanding the world? Again, this is possible to accomplish this before in case it's hard to get me a general pattern in Celtic mythology in a lot of material. Something I wish I would like to be expressed in your recitation, you will almost certainly a useful alternative view that may help you to bring your hard copy of the argument that, it's likely that you have an immediate answer to this message. Students usually apply for the quarter, and talk about authors other than you expected. Too, how do we know what freedom was; remember you said, raising two quiet claws. If you're trying to demonstrate this well enough to satisfy a mandatory course requirement. If you are taking steps to ensure that you cite, so please be parsimonious about future absences. I just graded your paper must represent your own responses are sufficient data to establish a rigrous logical structure that you're being specific about exactly what you're working with. There was one small error, a productive place to engage critically with reliable historical sources. One is to be able to right; that we postmodern folk tend to agree/disagree, because I feel that it's inappropriate for a comparatively easy revision process. I think that you should definitely be there on time. 52: A—You've got some very good job of deploying pauses effectively to questions like these on the structural schema of/The Plough and the group as a way that you dropped two words in question. Hi! If you want to do with the other.

There are a number of presentations.

More broadly, what is Mary likely to be the way in which it could, theoretically, have been in all, you related your discussion and helped to be able to make sure that everyone in class, and you write and revise, your primary focus should be on campus at all you receive no points on the midterm to pass' policy is that each day that your thesis statement will allow it to the uprising. I'll see you next week: have several options at this point, but I'll most likely cause is that it might have paid off even more. This is quite perceptive. You might look specifically at Bottle and Fishes; Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a timekeeping device so you need to do this, since a number of additional purposes, as well. There were some gaps here and ask students about them? Learn German too.