#Tea Sun In's team's attention to detail here

[kaiowut99]

GX Finalized-Subs!93 & 94 Update

That’s all--you can go back to scrolling now

[runningfrom2am]

all i think about is karma

summary: you and rafe take on a mainland bush party where he knows no one, and you know too many people for his liking.

this can be read as a stand-alone but it's technically a part four to getaway car, big reputation, and this is why we can’t have nice things.

pairing: rafe x fem!reader

wc: 2.1k

tags/warnings: jealous!rafe, highschool au, (some) nondescript nudity, cursing, mean kook!reader, underage drinking, (i think that’s it??)

a/n: hey y’all!! sorry i haven’t posted anything in a little while, i’ve been busy but now im back home and on my usual schedule so there shouldn’t be any serious interruptions for a little while. i missed y’all and i hope you like this! this is what won my getaway car poll quite some time ago so im so happy to finally get it out!

"No, Y/N/N, I'll be fine. I don't want to dampen your week, you'll have so much fun!" Bella insists, adjusting where her phone is laying in her lap while she lays in bed, surrounded by tissues and snack wrappers. She came down with the flu at the worst possible time: right before you were meant to go on your spring break trip.

"It won't be the same without you! I should just stay home, I can come over and we can have a movie marathon or something. That'll be just as fun." You reply, watching her through the facetime camera while you sit at your vanity.

"No. Absolutely not. You're going- and you'll get to hangout with Rafe! It's worth it for me to get all the juicy details after." Bella giggles, sniffling and quickly wiping her nose.

You roll your eyes, rubbing your forehead. "Okay, yeah, but nothings gonna happen- you know I swore that off."

"Yeah, whatever. The two of you, alone, drunk and sharing a tent? Whatever you say." Your friend teases you. "It's actually worth it for me to stay home so you can come back with tea."

"Okay, fine," You agree, not admitting that the idea is very tempting. "But I'm not sleeping with him again."

"No! Of course not." Bella laughs, shaking her head. "But if you did, at least be safe this time. We don't need a repeat of what happened last time-"

"Okay! Okay! Bye, Bella I'll call you later!" You quickly cut her off, hanging up the phone.

Several long hours after texting Rafe the update that Bella wasn't going to make it, you found yourself in his truck on the mainland, driving into what seems to be the middle of nowhere for a bush party you caught word of from some friends you met playing soccer on a local team. You were excited to see them, and meet some new people, but you're honestly so glad Rafe still wanted to go. You'd rather not go alone if you didn't have to.

Judging by the large space in front of you full of various groups of kids your age putting tents together or starting fires around makeshift campsites at the edge of the water, you assume you're in the right place and get to work setting up your own tent off near the edge of the lake.

It wasn't long before the sun started to set over the abandoned gravel pit, and you just finish up when you crack open your first drink from the cooler. "So like... are we actually going to talk to anyone or just hide over here and be weird all night?" Rafe asks as you bring the can to your lips.

You roll your eyes a little and nod. "Well, duh. My friends are coming. I don't know what your plans are." Rafe looks around at that, seeing if there's anyone he might be able to talk to, but he was counting on hanging out with you.

"Wow, you're ditching me?" He asks, reaching into the cooler as well and grabbing a beer. "Cold."

You go to reply with a matching, somewhat snarky attitude the two of you almost always share when you recognize the purple jeep that's pulling in. "That's them! Good luck making friends!" You call back, jogging over to where they parked.

Rafe flips you off as you turn your full attention to your friends, sighing a little to himself as he lays eyes on a group of local boys who look enough like his friends that he's comfortable talking to them.

By the time that the area is lit only by the orange glow coming from the several cooking fires and the large bonfire everyone is centered around, you're already stumbling over your feet with a half-drank bottle of some liquor you didn't bring, and you're not even sure where you got it.

Rafe has been trying to keep an eye on you from a distance, but now he's lost you. He's drunk himself, so he's not overly concerned, but he would just at least like to know where you were. He looks around frantically, trying to keep his cool as the boys around him are laughing about something he didn't care to pay attention to. His eyes land on some figures out in the lake, and he squints to see if he can make out the shape of your hair in the dark. He takes a few steps away to get a closer look, hearing you laughing and shouting over the music coming from an on shore speaker. He walks down to the shore with a smug look on his face, polishing off his beer when he looks down and notices piles of clothes on the shore. Are you naked?

"Hey, Y/N!" Rafe shouts, waving to you in an attempt to grab your attention.

"Rafe!" You shout back, smile never fading as you push your wet hair out of your face. With the liquor warming you, the water feels amazing and so soft on your skin. "Come out here! Come join us!"

Rafe sighs as he finds your stuff, relieved to find only your shirt, shorts, and bra. At least you weren't fully naked in front of all these strangers. He strips of everything but his boxers and grabs your bra, wading out into the cool lake water to you and your friends as they cheer and laugh.

"Rafe! Where have you been?" You giggle, throwing your arms over his shoulders once he gets close enough for you to reach.

"I've been around- apparently I should have been babysitting you ladies." He chuckles, trying to hide any frustration in his tone as he avoids looking at your friends who are just as well clothed as you are. "Put this on, at least." He adds, pulling away from you and handing you the article of clothing, crossing his arms to watch you put it on despite his better judgement.

"Hey! Girls! Come on in, we're going to play chandelier!" One of the guys Rafe had the pleasure of talking to for the last couple hours shouts, and quickly everyone makes their way in to shore.

"Y/N, hey, we don't want you to get sick. Come warm up." Rafe turns his head as he gets his shirt back on, watching as one of the other guys, Jesse, is quickly wrapping you in a small blanket and guiding you up to the bonfire with a hand on your lower back. He scowls at the two of you behind your back, following as he urges you up the small hill and towards the large fire pit ahead.

You walk side by side with the boy, until you can feel the warmth of the flames on your skin where you stop and stand to dry off both your skin and what little clothing you have on. You don't know you're shivering until Jesse is tugging on the blanket around your shoulders. "Here, let me help you warm up.." He chuckles, wrapping his arms around you from behind and draping the blanket over both of you.

"Oh, thanks, Jesse." You say, teeth chattering from the soft breeze. You lean back into him, swaying from the alcohol still in your system and he steadies you.

"Anytime, sweetheart." He mumbles, pressing his lips to the back of your head.

You are well aware of his hands wandering, fiddling with the waistband of your underwear as you have your arms crossed tightly over your chest. You pull your bottom lip between your teeth as you gaze across the fire and your eyes land on Rafe, who's staring at you intently.

You smile and wave at him, but he just rolls his eyes in response and looks away. Is he upset with you for ditching him? In hindsight it wasn't very nice, even if that is the kind of relationship you normally have. If it was you you'd be upset- he didn't know anyone, and he was left to fend for himself, granted; he was clearly fine.

"Hey, Ashley?" You find yourself calling over to your other friend, but she doesn't hear you as your eyes well up with tears. Why do you feel so bad right now? Does Rafe being upset with you really bother you that much? You've hardly felt like this before.

"Ashley?" You ask again, but she hardly glances at you as she's got another boy draped over her shoulder- one who is definitely not the girls boyfriend.

"You okay?" Jesse asks, leaning his head over your shoulder to get a better look at you.

"Uhm, yeah, I just have to go to the bathroom and I was hoping she would come with me." You explain, watching Rafe again as he buries himself in conversation with the two girls standing next to him.

"I'll take you." Jesse offers. "Come on, I won't watch. Swear." He says, already guiding you away and tossing the blanket back to his friend.

You glance back at Rafe over your shoulder as Jesse walks you off into the dark. Just as you look forward again to try and watch your step, Jesse's hand is smacking your butt playfully, making you jump. You laugh it off and give him a shove, but he's grabbing your hand and pulling you in the direction of his truck.

The swing of Jesse's arm to where his hand hit your exposed skin drew Rafe's attention again fully, and he furrows his brow as he watches you stumble away. You were sharing a tent with him and you were really about to hook up with that mainland loser? He quickly downs the rest of his beer and storms after you, fists clenched at his sides after discarding the bottle on a nearby pong table.

"Hey!" Rafe shouts, making the two of you turn just as Jesse backs you up against the side of his truck and starts kissing down your neck. You're confused, but not one to turn down an opportunity like this- especially when you never have to see him again. As soon as Jesse turns his head, though, it's snapped back again with the contact of Rafe's fist into his nose.

He groans and quickly brings his hands up to his face, tipping his head back as blood pours from between his fingers. You gasp, reaching out for him but hesitating, not sure what to do.

"You think you can hook up with any girl who accepts a blanket from you when she's cold? She came here with me." Rafe spits, and you feel your features pull into an expression of anger as you quickly step towards him and shove him back. "What?"

"Come on." You mutter, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the now bleeding boy. "What the fuck was that about?" You ask, storming back to where your shared tent was in the corner. "Do you think you have some stupid claim over me just because you drove me here?"

Rafe rolls his eyes, stopping with you next to the tent as you drop his arm and turn to face him. "He was taking advantage of you!"

You scoff, shaking your head and crossing your arms. "No, Rafe. He wasn't. Did you ever consider that maybe I wanted that?"

"Whatever, Y/N- don't act like you weren't eyeing me up for the whole drive here."

"Oh. My. God." You find yourself laughing suddenly, realizing what this is about. "You were jealous."

"What? No I wasn't." Rafe replies defensively.

You smile at him cockily, tilting your head and waiting for him to spiral on it.

"I wasn't! I tried to help. That's what I get, I guess!" Rafe throws his hands up.

"And here I was thinking you were mad at me for ditching you. Turns out you were just horny." You smirk, knowing you were just pushing his buttons this time for fun.

"Oh, fuck off, Y/N, you're just trying to piss me off now for fun."

"You're not denying it." You shrug, looking back over to the fire for a moment, seeing Jesse sitting there with paper towel pressed to his nose and a few girls surrounding him.

"You're making it difficult not to be when you’re walking around like that.” He replies, smirking as he looks you up and down.

“Don’t be gross, Rafe.” You smile, dropping your arms from they were crossed over your chest.

He takes a step closer at that, delicately placing his hands on your hips. “You love it, Y/N/N, you know you do.”

taglist: @bookishbabyyy @madelynie , @whore-4-drewstarkey , @slut4drudy , @winterrrnight , @totalswag , @sadfury @fullfledgedemo @rafemotherfuckingcameron , @urfaveluvr , @chenslucy , @hxnnah-397 , @s-we-e-t-t-ea , @tahliac11 , @ragingsammie , @ietss, @dee127

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[haik-choo]

karasuno boys as boyfriends

a/n: im just basically astral projecting myself into these situations; ALSO if you want more detailed ones, just ask, and you shall receive! (also this is my first post i’ve written on here! but if you want plenty of kpop content i’m @hyucksong where i’ve been writing and I am still active! :))

---

[KARASUNO BOYS AS BOYFRIENDS HEADCANNONS]

-tsukishima, yamaguchi, hinata, kageyama, tanaka, nishinoya, sugawara, daichi, and asahi

---

tsukishima kei.

the type to look you straight in your eyes when you ask for a hug and say “no, who do you think i am, your boyfriend?”

runs his hands through your hair from the front and then when his hand reaches the back of your head he pulls you into him and kisses you either on the forehead or the lips <3

in order to be in a relationship with him you HAVE to have the same type of humor.

i don’t think he could date someone who doesn’t make fun of people with him

you guys are like best friends who make fun of each other and. make out a little every once in a while

he’ll hold your hand and hug you in public but he will NEVER do anything else, especially not in front of the boys

he thinks the blush that ignites on your kissable cheeks should be for his eyes only

he gave you a keychain that had a cute little strawberry shortcake on it. and it’s your most prized possession 

will shoot a glare at anyone who watches you too closely. like no. don’t get googly eyed over MY girlfriend. 

and you don’t have a problem with that ;) 

yamaguchi tadashi.

he likes to watch you when you’re not looking to pick out the little habits you do

he thinks that knowing someone’s little hardly noticeable habits is one of the most intimate things on mother earth

he knows that you stir the milk in the bowl three times before you pour the cereal in to check for chunks because you accidentally drank spoiled milk when you were younger

NEVER has an issue getting you a gift for any occasion. he ALWAYS knows what you’re looking at and what you want and you lowkey think he can read your mind but in reality he just pays attention <3

you’re either just as shy as him to bring out his more assertive side or more assertive than he is to bring out his more timid side -- both are good

kisses you on the forehead and holds your hand in public -- he loves PDA because he can show you off :’)

yes. he kisses the back of your nape in public. so what. 

YES. HE CLOSES HIS EYES WHEN HE DOES IT AND ACCIDENTALLY INHALES YOUR SCENT AND WHISPERS IN YOUR EAR THAT YOU SMELL GOOD. IDC IF YOU THINK THAT’S CREEPY. IT’S CUTE. YES. HE GIVES YOU THAT LOOK THAT SAYS HE’S CRAZILY IN LOVE WITH YOU. SO WHAT.

kageyama tobio.

he probably fell in love with you because you were just as passionate about something else as he is about volleyball; music, drawing, writing, math, science, reading -- whatever

i see this relationship as being one that’s like...accelerated friends. like,,, you act like him and hinata except you kiss sometimes and he can see you at the end of the wedding aisle

DEFINITELY reads cosmopolitans once you start dating because he wants to be a good boyfriend for you <3

PDA is literally little to NONe,,, not because he doesn’t like it...it’s just because he doesn’t realize that he’s not showing you affection lololol

like in one arm he has his athletic duffel bag and the other he has a volleyball

he doesn’t mean to neglect you he just does AGAGAG

realized he liked you when he thought about you when he was drinking his milk and mindlessly bought you one too

the first time y’all kissed. he literally stared at you so intensely for a SOLID ten minutes debating in his head whether or not he should just go for it or wait or just smash his face into yours and hope your lips connect

he chose to cross his fingers and ended up smashing his forehead and nose into yours 

it was cute tho <3

hinata shoyo.

YALL HAVE DATES WHERE YOU BABYSIT HIS SISTER. WTF SO CUTE

when yall cuddle and you’re the little spoon he likes to put his head on your shoulder/between your neck and watch as you scroll through tiktok or instagram and just mindlessly talk about his day 

the type of boyfriend where neither of you can cook and you both confusedly look at recipes on google like: ????? wtf is the difference between brown sugar and regular sugar

it’s his INSTINCT to hold your hand. no matter what. his hand just...gravitates to yous.

AND HIS LIPS JUST FIND YOUR CHEEK??? like it’s so natural to him to kiss your cheek when he sees you, even in public. it’s so adorable i--

THE TYPE OF GUY TO WIPE OFF FOOD FROM THE CORNER OF YOUR MOUTH AND STILL EAT IT AND SAY “you taste good!~” AND NOT EVEN REALIZE WHAT HE SAID. BUT WHEN YOU DO IT TO HIM HE BLOWS A FUSE

he loves to tickle you. like you’ll be vibing, drinking whatever you drink in the morning and he’ll come up to you all casually and kiss you cheek...and then he’ll pounce 

he holds you close to his chest when he tickles you, partally because he likes feeling your laugh vibrate on his chest, and partially because it’s easier to not get tickled if he’s right behind you

his sister LOVes you and it just. makes him so happy

tanaka ryuunosuke.

you CANNOT remove his hand from your ass. it is permanently glued there. it is attached to you. yes, even in public.

number 1 hypeman! he will always support you, no matter what! you could be in a competition to raise the biggest beetle and he’ll be there rooting you on and staying up late with you as you rear your award-winning beetle

you two lay next to each other on the couch/on his bed and he’ll have his arm around you and you’ll lay your head on his chest as you watch netflix shows

YOU, NISHINOYA, AND TANAKA? UNSTOPPABLE TRIO. POWER TRIPLET. 

i don’t imagine him being shy when he first kisses you; the first time he kissed you, you were literally just. existing and he literally just...couldn’t hold it in...and he just went for it

literally CATAPULTS himself into you and kisses you senseless

yes you and saeko are besties she gives you ALL the tea about young tanaka

the type to take off his shirt more during practice if you’re there watching, and literally BURN red if you mention anything about his muscles

you once traced a vein in his arm and commented on how hot it was and he literally short-circuited 

kiss his biceps. kiss his abs. kiss his cheek. please. it’s all he wants. he’s touch-starved

nishinoya yuu.

SUCH an excited boyfriend

like he seriously gets so hype doing ANYTHING with you pleaSE give this man an award. you’ll be at the amusement park and the line to get into a ride will be three hours and he’ll be like

“I get to spend three hours with you?!! fucking sick! absolutely radical!” 

he’s bold in public, but only because he wants to rub you in his teammates faces, but his ears will be Red

at home, he’s calmer :) he just loves to spend time with you, even if you’re sitting on a bench watching him practice receives for five hours straight in the blazing sun. 

he just treasures your time so much, you treats you like a precious gem -- he will NEVER treat you wrong. deadass has no problem admitting when he’s wrong -- but if he thinks he’s right then he WILL stand his ground

he’s a passionate man, who loves just as passionately.

his favorite time to kiss you is after you’ve taken a sip of a soda because he likes the taste of the syrup and the burn of the carbonation, but most of all because he likes the taste of your lips in combination with all of them

NIPS AT YOUR EAR. DEADASS JUST LOOKS AT YOU BRUSH A PIECE OF HAIR BACK WHEN YOU’RE DOING HOMEWORK AND IS LIKE “free real estate” AND C H O MPS

the day nishinoya told everyone yall were dating, kiyoko stopped you in the hallway and deadass got on her knees and thanked you LITERALLY she was like “i’ll buy you anything. give the word and it’ll be yours.” 

sugawara koushi.

would kiss you on the first date. deadass. he’ll just drop you off at your doorstep and you’re still high on adrenaline, and you’re lowkey hoping he’ll kiss you and you get  little disappointed when he doesn’t and then when you least expect it. bam. his lips on yours

his smell oh god, he literally smells like fresh sugar cookies. it’s like as soon as you get anywhere near him his smell just invades you nose and. you’re powerless. you just wanna hug him

never smells bad. try me, bitch. NEVER.

his hugs are literally god’s gifts. he loves hugging you. he just completely envelopes you with his pretty setter arms and his smell takes up all the space in your head and nothing else exists for that moment, just you two

loves tucking your hair behind your ears or just moving it out of your face; doing homework and your bangs are in the way? not for long because he’ll clip them up for you <3

he’s pretty mischievous and will playfully put his hand next to your head and lean down with such a HOT look in his eyes 

and he’ll say some shit like “i wanna devour you” and then he’ll laugh afterwards and give you a kiss on the forehead and you’re standing there. like -.- o.o -.- o.o

whenever he feels insecure about his position on the team, you’re always there to comfort him and he’ll just lay between your legs and rest his face on your stomach as you comb your fingers through his hair and scroll through tiktok

PDA? yes please. uh huh. mhmm. he doesn’t care who sees his love for you he just wants to love on you baby. kisses you on the lips, no problemo

daichi sawamura.

you and suga are the only ones who can scare him when yall are mad lol

boyfriend where you’ve dated for like a year but it feel like 50 have already passed. in a good way!

this relationship is so ungodly domestic. like from the first day it’s just pure comfort and he’s like your rock and you’re his anchor

you two bicker a lot but it’s lighthearted and you just feel so secure with him that poking fun at him and at yourself is just natural

daichi. gives. god. hugs. he does. it’s fact. 

his arms are just so big and he has so much body warmth and he probably smells like some bullshit cologne like “smoldering woods” and it’s just so. daichi

you two spend the night at each other’s house so often it’s like you already live with each other and people always forget that you don’t lolol

totally sleeps with his shirt off and only with underwear. isn’t awkward about it either;  when he wakes up he puts on sweats but still remains topless (not that you’re complaining)

you two are like. the strict parental couple, when you walk together whether it be down the street or in the hallways, you just look so right for each other it’s. mind blowing

doesn’t mind kissing you a little in public but really thinks that stuff should be for private; so normally he just kisses your temple and always has an arm either around your shoulder or around your waist

WHEN THE TEAM SEES YOU KISS ON THE LIPS THEY GO “EW” EVEN SUGA AND ASAHI AFIEFHEWIF

asahi azumane.

literal fucking teddy bear. god please cuddle him. please kith him. please comb through his hair with your fingers and kiss his nape and kiss the back of his head. please i beg of you.

did NOT ask you out first. he wrote love letter to you and then waiting behind the gym because he thought being near the volleyball gym would give him some luck and them you got in front of him and he was. deer in the headlights

needless to say you asked him out and kissed his cheek. he DIED

even once yall are comfortable in the relationship he still needs reassurance every once in a while because he’s a little insecure, not that you’ll leave him for someone else, but that he’s not good enough

his PDA skill are. subpar. he usually just holds your hand and that’s it, but sometimes kisses the corner of your eye or nose and you just combust

OH RIOGEH TOTALLY DOES BUTTERFLY AND BUNNY KISSES. YES GOD YESSSSS

when yall cuddle he doesn’t like spooning. he likes to be able to see your face and the expressions you make, so doesn’t like being the little or big spoon; yall face each other and just lets your head lay on his arm even tho it’s numb. im: soft

kisses are so sweet, slow, and hesitant. he doesn’t really kiss you often because he has terrible timing but...when he does it’s like the whole world just becomes still in that moment and nothing matters but his hands on your waist and yours in his hair 

[babymetaldoll]

Can’t help falling in love (Spencer Reid x Reader)

Word count: 4,1K

Summary: After being hospitalized due to anthrax, Rossi sends Spencer and (Y/N) to Hawaii, 'cos some sea breeze might be good for his lungs. Just one detail: Spencer loves (Y/N) and (Y/N) loves Spencer, but NEITHER OF THEM IS ACTING ON THEIR FEELINGS. A one-shot from my series "Do I wanna know." (you can totally read it if you haven't read the series yet)

Warnings: Mention of boners, masturbation, cursing, frustration and that's it.

A/N: Hello!!! I hope you are having a great day!! Look at me, updating again! I'm so excited to be writing again!! Thank you for reading!!

Masterlist

Do I wanna know Masterlist

───※ ·❆· ※───

Spencer’s point of view

I’ve never been a bad flyer. I don’t have any kind of trouble spending most of my time on a plane. But today, I am terrified of this trip. I keep fidging on my seat as I open and close a book I can’t even read, ‘cos there’s no way I can concentrate.

Sitting by my side, (Y/N) looks over the window and smiles sweetly as soon as she notices we are about to arrive at our destination: Hawaii.

- “Look, honey!! We are almost there!”- her eyes shine as she turns to me and invites me to lean in, closer to her, to take a better look at the island.

- “Cool”- I whisper and don’t even pay attention to the view. All I can notice is her smell and the warmth that her body irradiates.

These are going to be the longest vacations of my life. And also, pretty much the first.

After I caught anthrax during a case, Rossi got us tickets to Hawaii. He and Hotch both agreed some sea breeze might be good for me, but they didn’t want me to go alone. (Y/N) was more than happy to come along. It was basically a paid vacation to babysit me in Hawaii. I hate the beach; I don’t like the sand, sun, or the drug-resistant bacteria spread by seagull feces. But she was so excited about the idea I couldn’t say no. She wanted to help me get better, and I guess some fresh air and a few days away from work wouldn’t hurt. I could always stay reading in my room.

- “We are gonna have so much fun, Batsy!”- (Y/N) whispers and turns to me, smiling brightly. I just stare into her eyes, feeling my heart rising inside my chest. I am crazy in love with my best friend, but I don’t have a chance. She is way out of my league, and I know she only sees me as her best friend.

- “Yes, we will, Chipmunk,”- I reply, trying my best to smile too. But honestly, I’m freaking out.

(Y/N)’s point of view

I can’t stop smiling! I’ve always wanted to come to Hawaii, and this trip is a dream come true. We’ve had nothing but first-class treatment ever since we got to the airport. A van picked us up and took us to the resort, put a drink in my hand, and ice tea in Spencer’s, and led us to do our check-in.

- “Dr. Reid, Miss. (Y/L/N), here’s the key to your suit. You will find everything you need to know about our resort in these flyers. And if there’s anything you need, don’t doubt to call me.”- the host says and stares right into Spencer’s eyes as she speaks. She is flirting with him, right here in front of me.

Ok, so I am not his girlfriend. We are not together. But… I hate it when people don’t assume we are not a couple. Just don’t tell anyone. I’m tired of all the teasing I get from the team and my friends. I’m just not ready to face anything in front of them. Not even in front of myself. But a part of me wishes this trip might be the chance to… I don’t even know. Do I wanna flirt? Do I want him to want me? Do I want him?

I need to turn off my brain. Maybe Hawaii is the perfect chance to do it.

- “Ok… there has to be some sort of mistake,”- Spencer whispers as he slowly walks around our room. I just stand there, trying to take it all in. When you let David Rossi get you a “little suite in a simple hotel,” you should know he is going big. But I never imagined how big.

We had the deluxe suite with an ocean view and the honeymoon package.

- “Clearly, the bureau ain’t paying for this”- I chuckle, shocked- “I mean, they would never approve this budget.”

- “Rossi really didn’t hold himself back,”- Spencer whispers and turns to me. We look at each other in silence, both of us realizing one detail.

There is only one bed, and it’s covered in roses petals.

- “I’ll take the couch, d… d… don’t worry,”- Spencer quickly says and even stutters as I raise an eyebrow, looking at him.

- “Come on. We are here ‘cos you need to get better. There is no way you are taking the couch. Besides, we’ve slept together for so many years, this shouldn’t even be a problem at this point.”- I assure my friend and walk to the bathroom to freshen up after the trip.

There is a hot tub and a gigantic glass shower. I swear the only thing missing in this room is the sex swing. It has everything for a romantic getaway. By the bed, I saw chocolates, and at the bar, a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

- “How the fuck did we get here, (Y/N)?”- I ask myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror after I wash my face.

I could act just fine, but I was freaking out, just like Spencer.

- “So, what do you wanna do?”- I ask as I walk out of the room and find Spencer standing in the middle of the balcony, arms crossed on his chest, staring at the ocean. Honestly, how was I supposed to be with him 24/7 and not fall in love with him?

- “I’m… I… dinner?”- Reid turns around and hesitates. I smile and wrap my arms around him in a silly attempt to relax him and let him know everything is ok. I feel him wrapping his arms around me too, and I can’t help but sigh.

- “Are you tired?”- he whispers, and I nod - “We can ask for room service, watch a movie.”

- “Spencer, we are in Hawaii; staying in this room would be a crime. Just let me take a quick shower, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Spencer’s point of view

It’s night one, and I know I’m going to be screwed for nine more nights. (Y/N) looks gorgeous as she walks out of the bathroom, ready to go out for dinner. I did my best to look presentable for her, but I tried not to stare at her, most of all.

That’s my whole motto during these vacations: do not stare. The way the wind plays with her hair as we walk by the shore at sunset. The way the sun makes her look like an angel. That dress…

- “Spencer? are you listening?- I look at her as she frowns at me- “Where are you?”

- “Sorry, I just…”

- “Let me guess, you are still thinking about the case we are not working on ‘cos we were forced to take this vacation”- (Y/N) couldn’t be more wrong even if she tried, but for the sake of our friendship, I sigh and nod.

- “Yeah… I’m worried the team is gonna need us. I just feel selfish being here, doing nothing.”

- “Well… we could do some things,”- (Y/N) whispers, biting her lower lip as she continues walking and holds my hand in the process, making me follow me. Not that I am complaining.

- “L…li... like, like what?”- I have to stop stuttering. I had already managed to talk to her like a normal human being. Why being in Hawaii is making me act like a teenager again?

- “Well, we can oversleep and then have a late breakfast. Read by the pool, maybe take a hike or a bike tour around the island. We could swim or take surf lessons. We can enjoy our vacations so that when we are back at work, we are fully rested, and you are fully recovered.”

(Y/N) turns to me as she speaks and cuts me a big smile. I know I won’t oversleep at all, not if I had to share the bed with her. But I can definitely make my best effort to have fun and enjoy my vacations with her.

- “Wanna send a picture to the team? I know Penelope is dying to know how the trip is going”- I just nod and stand closer to her as she takes the photo. She wraps an arm around me, and I do the same as we both smile.

- “Congratulations!”- some random person says and waves at us as he walks by our side, holding a kid’s hand. I turn to (Y/N), and she just shrugs.

- “Why was he congratulating us? for taking a picture?”- I ask her.

- “No idea, honey bunny.”

(Y/N) point of view

People congratulating us is apparently, a running gag here in Hawaii. Today it’s day two, we already had breakfast, and right now, we are getting ready to hang out at the pool. I put on my bikini, which may or may not be a little revealing. I’m just saying, a girl can dream.

- “Ready, chipmunk? I don’t wanna be close to the sun at the worst hour.”- I hear him ask as I walk out of the bathroom wearing nothing but my bikini and cut him a short smile.

- “I am ready, honey bunny.”

Spencer stares at me for a second and then turns around, grabbing a book from his bedside table and quickly shoving it into his satchel.

- “You know, I don’t think I brought enough books. This one is too interesting.”

So let me get this straight: I walk around barely naked, and all he cares about is his books? Wow. I had never felt so rejected in my entire life. Not that I was waiting for him to do anything, but… damn! he didn’t even look at me.

- “Well… maybe you can find some more books at a local store,”- I say and walk to the door. I shouldn’t be mad. Ok, I am not angry. I am hurt. Why doesn’t Spencer like me? Am I ugly? This morning when I woke up, he was already in the shower. Maybe he really didn’t want to share the bed with me. Shit. I should stop thinking about him this way. He is my best friend, that’s it.

I settle all my things and sit on a recliner next to the pool. Spencer looks at me in silence for a second and then sits at the chair next to mine.

- “Everything ok, honey?”- I ask when I notice he wants to tell me something.

- “You should put on some sunscreen,”- he whispers and takes an SPF 50 lotion from his bag.

- “Want me to do your back, and you can do mine?”- I ask, doing my best to look as innocent as possible. However, my thoughts are far from honorable, as I imagine Spencer taking off his shirt.

- “I’m not taking my shirt off yet”- he kills my fantasies and makes me feel like a perv with just one sentence. Great.

- “Can you put some sunscreen on my back?”- my question is totally innocent, really. I take off my cover-up and sit straight on the recliner. Spencer walks over and sits right behind me. He first holds my hair and puts it on a side, so I start braiding it to keep it out of the way. Suddenly, I feel his hands rubbing against the skin on my shoulders, slowly making his way down my shoulder blades and then to my waist. I shiver, though the day is already hot, and he takes his hands off my skin right away. I almost whimper at the lack of contact. I wish I could feel those hands all over my body.

- “Sorry, chipmunk. Are my hands too cold?”

- “No, Batsy. Don’t worry. I’m just ticklish, that’s all”- I lie and turn to smile at him. He nods, blushing, and continues with his mission.

Who knew Spencer’s hands were so skilled? he is making me feel in heaven, and he is just applying sunscreen. Fuck. I have to stop thinking about him this way, or these vacations are gonna be too awkward.

- “Thank you, honey bunny. Now put some on your face, legs, and arms. I don’t want you to get burn”- Spencer nods and does as told as I continue t apply sunscreen on my body.

- “I forgot something in the room. Be right back. Do you want me to get you a juice on my way back?”- he jumps from the chair and grabs his bag all of a sudden.

- “Sure, just make it a piña colada instead of a juice”- I wink and watch him walk away. Shit. Why did I fall in love with my best friend?

Spencer’s point of view

Today I woke up with (Y/N) in my arms, her silky pajamas covering less than they should have, and her warm body against mine. I almost died. I had the biggest morning wood of my life. The only thing I managed to do was slowly and carefully move from that bed and get a cold shower.

I thought that was going to be it until I saw her walk out of the bathroom in that bikini. I’m doomed. I’m gonna be fighting my boner for the rest of the trip. Applying her sunscreen was torture. Watching her putting it on herself was even worst. What am I supposed to do now?

No, I’m not gonna jerk off... again. I have to concentrate, my mind has to be stronger! Reading, Reid, focus on your reading.

I walk back to the pool and notice (Y/N) ain’t alone. Some random guy is talking to her, and she is clearly not comfortable with him. Her body language is obvious. She crossed her arms and put on her cover-up again.

I stand next to her look at the guy as (Y/N) smiles at me sweetly.

- “Thank you, honey bunny.”

- “You are welcome, ma chère.”- my fingers play with her hair as I keep my eyes on the dude, who is still staring at her.

- “Like I told you, I’m with my husband”- (Y/N) looked at him and moved closer to me.

- “Is there a problem, chipmunk?”- I don’t know how to look threatening in front of dudes, but I do know how to threaten an unsub, so let’s pretend this guy is one. I look at his right in the eyes and raise an eyebrow as he stands up and nods at us.

- “Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your honeymoon.”

- “You better we sure we will,”- (Y/N) said and smiled at the guy as he walked away. As soon as he was far enough, my best friend turned to me and sighed- “I’m so glad you got here. That asshole wouldn’t get “no” for an answer, so I told him I was here with my husband.”

- “Are you ok?”- I knelt next to her and caressed her hand as she nodded.

- “Yeah. I just didn’t want to break his face. It’s only day two of vacation. I don’t wanna get in trouble”- I chuckle and move back to my chair. She sips her piña colada and sighs. I grab one of my books and start reading.

I know I said I hated vacations, the beach, and the sun. But I could get used to this.

I’ve been fighting with my physical reactions and arousal the whole day. It’s really uncomfortable, especially ‘cos I’m wearing a bathing suit. But watching (Y/N) walking out of the pool in that tiny bikini forced me to jump into the cold water. I feel like a perv. And the fact she jumped back into the water with me and started playing with me made it all worst.

Sometimes I wonder if she knows the effect she has on me. Does she do all these things on purpose?

We just got back to our room after having dinner and taking a long walk at the beach. We had a great time, talked the whole time. We shared a bottle of wine over dinner because the waitress thought we were on our honeymoon and gave us a complimentary treat. That has been happening a lot. After dinner, we visited the hotel’s casino for a while, but (Y/N) decided being indoors was a crime, considering we were in Hawaii. So we headed to the beach and took a long walk, hand in hand, under the full moon. There is no way to deny it was a very romantic scenario. We continued talking and laughing until around midnight we got cold and decided to come back to the room, cuddle and watch a movie.

- “Ready, honey bunny?”- (Y/N) asks as she walks out of the bathroom, wearing that damn pajama again. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it makes it so hard for me not to… react to it.

- “Yes, I’m ready”- I glue my eyes to the screen as she grabs the remote control and sits next to me on the bed.

- “Did you pick a movie?”

- “No. I picked it last time. It’s your turn.”

I get comfortable under the covers and sigh. Whatever happens, Spencer, don’t look at her.

(Y/N)’s point of view

It’s kind of sad, but I feel no matter what I do, Spencer won’t notice me. I thought this vacation was going to be the moment he might make a move on me, or whatever. When I saw the room and the bed and how romantic everything was around us, a part of me wished that Spencer would try to kiss me.

But no. If anything, he has been actually ignoring me a little. Why? Did I do something wrong? maybe he hates the beach and blames me for being here. I should talk to him, but I don’t wanna ruin our vacations.

- “There you are!”- Spencer says as he walks towards me- “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

- “I told you I was gonna be here. I’ve been here since after breakfast,”- I say and keep my eyes on my book. I’m on a recliner in front of the ocean, trying to ease my mind and enjoy the moment.

- “I brought you this,”- he says, giving me a piña colada.

- “Thank you”

I watch him move a recliner closer to me under an umbrella and open his book. We read in silence for a few minutes, but I can’t focus. So I turn to Spencer and look at him for a moment. He is wearing his pink bathing suit, a hat he got at the hotel’s souvenir shop, and his long hair is a wavy mess. He looks gorgeous.

- “Is something wrong?”- he whispers and takes me from my thoughts.

- “Why are you mad at me?”- I had to ask, so I just did.

- "What? Why would? Of course not"- he frowns, nearly shocked by my words and looks at me worried- "What makes you say such a thing?"

- "I don't know, I just feel you've been avoiding me."

- "That's crazy! We are here together!"

- "And you are not mad we are at the beach?"- I can’t stop the questions leaving my lips right now.

- "It's not my favorite place to be at, but I don't mind. We've been having fun. There's lots of reading, and you are already tanned."

- "I'm surprised you noticed"- why did I just say that? Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? Spencer moves closer to me and raises an eyebrow. Sometimes I feel I could get lost in those eyes.

- "Why wouldn't I notice you are tanner?

- "'Cos you haven't made much eye contact with me lately. That's why I thought you were mad. You haven’t even looked at me today since we woke up. Actually, you weren’t even in the bed when I woke up, again."

I don’t move my eyes from his, trying to read him. It’s hard to profile a profiler. I know we promised never to do it, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying from time to time.

- “Chipmunk, of course, I am not mad at you. I am… just… trying to be respectful.”

- “I don’t follow.”

Spencer clears his throat as his cheeks turn pink. He is embarrassed and uncomfortable. Why?

- “I’m sorry. I know we are at the beach, I know it’s hot, and I understand it’s completely normal. But I am not used to seeing you dressed like this. Or undress like this. And I don’t wanna make you feel weird or awkward. That’s why I’ve made my best not to stare.”

And as he speaks, Spencer actually tries his best to keep his eyes in mines or in the sand. There is no in-between.

- “That’s it?”- I whisper and he nods, his eyes glued to the sand.

- “I’m sorry I’m being so weird about it. I just felt you were mad at me ‘cos I dragged you to the beach, and you hate the beach.”

- “I don’t hate being here with you.”- Spencer whispered and finally looked at me again, making sure to glue his eyes on mine.

- “And if you want, I can cover myself more. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me.”

- “No, chipmunk. Please don’t! It’s hot! Not that you are half-naked, I mean. The weather is hot. Not that you are not gorgeous, of course, ‘cos you are. I mean, how many guys have hit on you today?”

- “None”- I whisper and chuckle as he rambles, and his cheeks turn even redder and redder. I don’t know if it’s because of the sun or the embarrassment.

- “None? that’s impossible!”- he chuckles and looks around- “I’m sure someone around here is looking at you thinking you are the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.”

I wish he could think that about me, at least once in our lives. I know he won’t, and that’s heartbreaking, but I refuse to think about that right now. It’s vacation, we are in Hawaii, we have to have fun. This is not the moment to think of all the pain being in love with my best friend is causing me.

Spencer’s point of view

I don’t like the beach: the sandy food, pink skin, the limited and engaging topography, the drug-resistant bacteria spread by seagull feces. But most of all, the struggle not to stare at my best friend’s body.

I love her. I am in love with her. I have been for a few years now. But this is the first time it’s so hard for me to hide it. And the fact she thought I was mad at her ‘cos I’ve been making my best not to get aroused around her, it’s just sad.

Besides, it hurts to know there are, in fact, guys looking at the whole time while I do my best to keep my eyes from her body. I wanna fight them all and shout. Tell them to go fuck themselves, though I know you can't actually do that with the male anatomy.

I roll in bed. (Y/N) is asleep, soft snores coming from her, making me smile. I wanna kiss him and hold her close. But tonight, all I can do is to stare. This is the only moment I can really look at her. I love these silky pajamas. Her skin looks so soft, perfectly tanned. Her hair is a mess I wish I could run my fingers through, and her lips look sweet, like a strawberry.

I know I will never be able to tell her how I feel, ‘cos she will never reciprocate my feelings. But that’s ok. I can live with it if I have moments like this.

She is the most important person in my life, after my mother. She is the one person I can’t live without. I know it. There is no way I can ever lose her.

- “Honey?”- she whispers and moves closer to me- “I’m cold”- I don’t hesitate and wrap my arms around her, keeping her closer to me. She hides her head in the crook of my neck and kisses my skin a few times, sending shivers all over my body. She really has no idea the effect she has on me.

- “Sleep tight, ma chère”- I whisper and kiss the top of her head. She doesn’t say a word, though. She is fast asleep already. I just stay here, wide away, caressing her hair slowly.

- “I love you, so much”- I murmur, kissing the top of her head again. She doesn’t reply, she is snoring again. I just smile and lock my arms around her. I honestly hate the beach, but I love being with her anywhere. As long as she is by my side, I know everything is gonna be ok.

--

Taglist

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[papergirllife]

Epilogue

Synopsis:

You don’t know what it’s like to be free, to make your own choices, and live your own life. For your whole life, your parents have been treating you like a puppet on strings, controlling your life to every single detail, as well as ignoring the fact that you have feelings. Other times, when you disobey their wishes, or speak up about your own opinions, they bash you down with words, in other words, psychological abuse, has led you down the long winded road of depression and anxiety. What happens when you meet a man who’s willing to be your guide out of this terrible downpour? Would you give a shot at happily ever after?

Warnings:

big age gap (kinda?)

issues on anxiety

issues on depression (mild)

issues on parental abuse

smut

5 years later...

Raindrops trickled down the window panes of the wide living room that overlooks the beautiful Incheon bridge, you could hardly see the view now as a thunderstorm sweeps Seoul, hardly anyone wandering on the streets as a few people rush to the warm confines of the nearest shop of cafe.

On this particular day, no one is rushing to go to work in this home, a stark contrast to the usual busy schedule Johnny and you have, and the usually neat home is now stacked high with take out containers and old newspapers from more than a month ago, if anyone peered close enough, they’d see very odd headlines if they weren’t from Korea.

‘Largest Child Abuse Case Ever To Be Charged In The High Court.’

‘Photos Of Past Injuries Sustained From Abuse Brought To Court As Evidence.’

‘Y/N’s Therapist And Renowned Psychologist, Wendy Son As Well As Johnny Suh Himself Testify As Witness, Going Against His Father’s Wishes.’

‘Y/N’s Own Relatives, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins, Testify Against Her, Calling Her An Attention Seeker And Runaway Brat, Told Journalists.’

‘Korea’s Best Lawyer As Well As Suh Capital Partners’ Head Of Lawyers Team, Moon Taeil Told Reporters That He Is Confident In Winning This Case.’

‘Records Of Y/N’s Mental Health Records Acted As A Large Assist In Her Case.’

‘Y/N’s Parents Are To Be Jailed for 4 Years For Child Abuse.’

Alongside were drained cups with coffee stains as well as files scattered around the dining table, one or two photographs peeking out, the rising sun shining onto the photos, illuminating the whole room bright.

At that exact moment, Johnny and you padded out from your shared bedroom, trying your best to put your bird nest of a hair into a bun as Johnny scrolls through what to order for breakfast.

“Do we at least have any water left in the machine? I’m thirsty,” you said as you made your way to the boiler, surprised that there was still a little left, drinking from your cup before you filled water in it quickly, letting it boil.

“I think we still have coke in the fridge if there isn’t,” Johnny said distractedly before asking you if black bean noodles would be okay for breakfast.

“Yeah, sure, but I’m not drinking coke in the morning, we had enough unhealthy food this past month, I haven’t cooked in ages and there’s nothing in the fridge,” you said as you checked the fridge to confirm your prediction, grabbing a bottle of orange juice before tossing it to Johnny.

“Drink up, the water’s too hot,” you said gesturing at the boiler.

“Thanks, then I think we should get coffee and tea delivered as well, got to stay awake in the gym later, those hour runs we used to do for the past month just doesn’t cut it,” Johnny complains.

“Yeah, I miss it too, but Doyoung’s the one who sacrificed his time to cover for you while you were in court,” you said, reminding yourself to buy something for him to make up for his kind gesture.

“I wasn’t absent for that many days, and now that Mark’s helping him out, it’ll be fine. He even likes it when Mark’s there, said something about being able to control him, I mean as long as he isn’t blowing up my phone anymore, by all means he could have Mark for as long as he wants,” Johnny said before checking his phone to see if the delivery is here.

“Poor Markie-, you said before you were cut off by the photographs on the dining table, the bruises you once had felt like it was just yesterday when they were etched on your skin, you thought to yourself as you self consciously touched your wrists, trailing up to your arm.

Johnny caught your eye and quickly gathered the photos and files, taking them into the study to file it later, he came back after breathing a sigh of relief that there weren’t anymore photos lying around the house after doing a sweep.

“You didn’t have to do that, Johnny, it’s all in the past now, you should be getting some rest instead of moving those bulky files, you accompanied me to court almost everyday,” you said before moving to his back to give his shoulders a massage, easing his tensed muscles.

“You shouldn’t have to face that any longer, the trial went on for one whole month, and I know how damaging that must be to you mentally, I should’ve double checked where did Taeil dump all those files before I called it a night yesterday, and I’m sorry for taking those photos back then, somehow I just knew that this day would come, where justice would be served, but I didn’t respect your privacy,” Johnny said, he had secretly took photos of your injuries from years ago, when you first came to stay with him as you slept, he felt guilty for it, not asking for your permission beforehand.

“No, Johnny, you did the right thing, although I’m sure the me back then wouldn’t have agreed, but if you hadn’t had those photos, they wouldn’t be behind bars now, and for that, I’m thankful,” you said sincerely.

Johnny took your hands into his, draping your body over his broad shoulders, tilting his head to kiss your left cheek, silently basking in the love you two shared.

Just when you felt a slight drowsiness, the intercom by the door buzzed, signaling the arrival of your food, you quickly untangled yourself from Johnny, picking up the phone to tell the guards that you’ll be right down, just as you placed it back onto the receiver, Johnny walked out of the door, beating you to get the food, he didn’t want you to tire yourself with these minor errands that he could run instead of you, always the gentleman he is.

A few days later, Johnny had woke you up at 9 a.m. for a surprise, early even for your preference, and the next thing you knew, you’re walking in the streets of Paris, hand in hand with the love of your life as you take in the scent of freshly baked bread. You didn’t even have to pack a bag for this trip, Johnny had brought you a whole new wardrobe for himself and you, stored nicely in the house the two of you are renting for a month. You were mad at him at first when you found out he had splurged on you once again, but once Johnny gave you those puppy eyes and his lips sets in a pout, your anger immediately dissipated, no point getting angry when he does this so often, and he did bring you to Paris.

The days the two of you spent living here were eventful in their own ways, somedays you’d head out to explore on your own when Johnny had something he just had to tend to at work, and somedays you’d be taking a jog down the Seine River after your cardio, the change of scenery cheered you up tremendously ever since the trial ended.

While you had the time of your life, Johnny was having an internal battle, it wasn’t because of the argument he had with his dad weeks ago, nor anything at the company, but you. He was debating whether to propose to you at Disneyland or at the Eiffel Tower. He knew how much you love Disney, would that mark as a happily ever after for you if he did it there? Or would you prefer the symbol of Paris itself to be your preferred spot?

“Johnny? Johnny!”

“What? Yes, love?” Johnny replied, his train of thoughts broken by your voice calling to him.

“I was wondering if you’d like to have a bite of my lobster, but you seem to be rather distracted, is everything alright at work? How’s Mark handling?” you asked, wondering if the boy was coping with Johnny’s standards, and that if it was because of Mark he was so distracted.

“Oh, no, not work, I was just thinking over which wine to order that best suites seafood. Do you prefer red or white?” Johnny asks as he takes another bite of his fish.

“We could ask the waiter to recommend something, hold on, I’ll flag someone here,” you said before lifting a hand up.

Johnny watched intently as you communicated with the waiter, you’re dressed elegantly today, pearl Chanel earrings adorned on your lobes with your hair in an elegant bun, the dress he chose is very flattering on you as well, and it was just yesterday when you had worn mom jeans and an oversized sweater as the two of you went for a walk in the Louvre, you hadn’t look like a child, but unlike yesterday, you look much more mature and elegant, your fashion sense seemed to be very much influenced by Johnny as years past, these little things you start embedding in your life ever since Johnny came along brings a warm smile on his face.

But Johnny had always known the child like side you had, pastel sweaters and tennis skirts you wore whenever you weren’t heading into the office, the care bears collection you started not too long ago, as well as the fact that you still can’t accept the taste of coffee, and it suddenly hits him, with a knowing smile , he made up his mind on where to propose now.

“I swear to god, Johnny, I said no more surprises,” you said as you adjusted the blindfold over your eyes, when you had agreed to let him blindfold you, you were thinking of something else entirely, but now you felt like you’re willingly letting Johnny kidnap you to yet another expensive getaway.

“Don’t fret, you end up liking every surprise I had given you, as likewise, this would be,” Johnny assured you.

“How long is the journey to our destination?” you asked, hoping that it’s not more than an hour, if Johnny had booked a train ride to Monte Carlo or something, he’d get a definite earful later.

“Just twenty minutes car ride, we’ll reach there sooner than you’d think,” Johnny said, knowing that you’d be doubting him throughout the whole ride.

When the car finally stopped, Johnny had insisted on keeping the blindfold on you as you stepped out of the car into something else. Johnny sat you down next to him and told the man to drive, surprising you, who had thought that you had arrived into an open air restaurant for dinner or something.

As you rode on the cart, you could hear chatter and the familiar tune of a music coming from all over the place, where had you heard these tunes before? It felt like a distant tune from your own life, just as you thought you had a lead, the kart stopped and Johnny took off the blindfold, you blinked your eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness as it was getting dark, when you saw what was in front of you, your jaw dropped.

“We’re at Disney?” You questioned in a shocked tone, a wide smile on your face as your eyes take in the beautiful castle in front of you. You jumped off the kart, with a nagging Johnny who told you to be careful before you ran to the direction of the castle, as fast as your mid length dress allowed, but you were disheartened when you rushed up the stairs, just like the other visitors when you saw the closed for private function sign. You walked back down the stairs with your head hung low just as Johnny reached you.

“It’s closed for a private function,” you said as you looked back at the beautiful entrance with a solemn face.

“It’s closed for us, love, you thought I brought you here purely for the fireworks?” Johnny teased, slightly disheartened by the fact that you thought his surprise was so bland, he is the Johnny Suh after all.

“For us? You rented it?!” You asked, looking at Johnny wide eyed.

“Yes, now come on, the whole castle is yours for the night,” Johnny said as he takes your hand in his, taking you to the direction of the castle once more.

“Good evening, Mr Suh and Ms Y/N, allow me to show you to your table,” the staff said as he opened the velvet belt that was once blocking the entrance.

You were in awe as you were guided further into the castle by the waiter, a hand on Johnny’s arm as your legs follow him on instinct, Johnny was staring at you the whole time, amused at your joyful expression.

When you reached the table tucked away next to a window in the large hall, Johnny instantly pulled your seat out for you, before taking a seat himself opposite you, you were marveling at the garden outside the castle when the scent of delicious food reached your nose. You turned back to see the waiter settling down two plates of lamb steak before retrieving a bottle of white wine.

“Bon appetite,” the waiter said before bowing to the two of you, letting you and Johnny have some privacy.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you rented out this whole castle, this is insane, Johnny, even worse than Mariah Carey, she had a wedding and we’re having a normal dinner,” you said before taking a bite of the lamb, the food is sure making it hard for you to stay mad at the dashing man in front of you.

“In celebration of winning your case, although the child abuse charges aren’t as serious in Korea, I think this case shifted something in society, I truly hope this will further drive the government to abolish the corporal punishment law even outside of Seoul,” Johnny said the last part with a shake of his head.

“I was thinking of establishing an organisation to aid children who have suffered from child abuse, we could set up foster homes, awareness programs, I don’t want other children to suffer the same things I’ve been through,” you said as you held back tears, but you pushed the sadness away, not wanting to ruin a magical night like this, after all, Johnny put in lots of money and effort into this, you remember reading about this in an article and it’s said that renting an area in Disney could cost up to 50k USD.

“I’d like that, both our companies could allocate a sum for this, it’s time to stop letting children suffer abuse silently in those toxic households,” Johnny said as he looks at your determined face, he just realised how much you’ve grown as a person, no longer the girl who had sought shelter in his home, you’re now a very independent and capable woman, and Johnny is nothing but beyond proud of how far you’ve come.

After dessert, Johnny told the waiter to play music before he turned to you and asked for your hand, you smiled and let him whisk you away to the melody of the music, it’s like a dream come true, thinking back to when you danced alone in front of the telly as a child when the ballroom scene plays, imagining your very own prince charming, who would’ve thought you’d come so far or have a prince charming of your own.

After finishing the first song, Johnny gave you a quick peck before detaching himself from you, he got onto a knee and pulled out a velvet box, opening it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

“I know we’ve only been together for 6 years, and that you’re only 26, but ever since you came into my life, Y/N, I only felt like I truly lived, you brought colour into my monotonous life, the house feels warmer with you, my kitchen used to be just for show, and now I wake up to the smell of homemade breakfast every morning, I purposely rented this castle to show you how magical you are, how you gave me the chance to be loved by you, and how you changed me for the better. So here I am now, asking you to marry me, to write a new chapter of our lives, I know there will be ups and downs waiting for us to face in the future, but to me, that’s the happily ever after I’m striving for, so would you say yes to me? To us?” Johnny said, he was struggling with his quivering words, for the first time in a long time, he was nervous of rejection as he awaits your answer.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” you screamed in delight before engulfing Johnny in a tight hug, you were only willing to let go when Johnny said he needed to put the ring on your finger. The waiter had clapped when he saw the ring placed on your finger, before rushing to resume the playlist.

After two to three songs, the waiter informed you that the fireworks are to be launched soon, so you and Johnny made way to the bottom steps of the castle, where it was sealed as well now, to the annoyance of the other visitors when you came down.

You and Johnny had your eyes trained as the fireworks were launched, colourful lights illuminating the sky continuously, Johnny took out his phone to record a bit of it, but frowned when it didn’t come out as sharp as he wanted.

“I know this might sound foolish, but this must feel even more magical than the royals at Britain getting married at Buckingham,” you gushed to Johnny.

“Of course, we don’t have grouchy relatives around, thank god I said no to Mark when I mentioned Disneyland,” Johnny recalled.

“Thank you for everything, Johnny, I love you, so so much,” you said before you were cut off by the beautiful fireworks that resembled the shape of a mickey mouse head.

“I should be the one thanking you, but I love you too, more than you’ll ever imagine,” Johnny said before pulling you close, a finger brushing over the rock on your finger as he looks up the sky fondly, this is definitely a dream come true.

[nationalharryleague]

In the Long Green Grass

Pairing: Harry Styles x Reader

Genre: the fluffiest fluff with husband!harry  

Word count: 2K

A/N: Hi everyone!! Merry Christmas to all that celebrate!! this is my Secret Santa (run and organized by the lovely lu (@meetmymouth​) gift to the sweetest angel who walks among us miss hasibi (@peachybloomss​)!!! I hope you enjoy it my love!!! More of my writing can be found in my masterlist and I would love to hear what everyone thinks in my ask! Thank you so much for reading!! 

*** 

You were stirred by the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliff outside the home as the early morning sun streamed in through the windows. A small huf and whine left your lips, always one to ask for just five more minutes in bed, before you climbed from underneath the warm plush blankets and your toes hit the icy and worn wood floors beneath you.

The buttery yellow sunlight thwarted your plans to fight yourself back to sleep for those last few moments, prompting you to reach out your arms in a longing stretch. You released a light and sleepy hum of surprise when your arm hit a tiny furry body, and not the arm of the man who loved to sleep late in the bed beside you. Peeping one eye open, you made eye contact with Piper, Harry’s small jet black cat with glowing green eyes who was laying next to you, curled up on sheets that still held the indent of his body in them.

Piper wore a face of annoyance, obviously blaming you for interrupting her precious beauty sleep, and her eyes followed your body as you forced yourself out of the bed with one goal: find Harry.

Harry had a habit of disappearing, especially in a new place where there was just so much to explore. He was a wanderer (and an aquarius); always on the move, carried along by a thought or idea he just couldn’t resist. It was hard for him to sit still, a trait he probably picked up after tour after tour after tour, never allowing himself the luxury of rest or relaxation after it was never allowed to him. That was why you had insisted he needed time away from the city, finding a perfect spot in a small cottage that sat on the edge of a cliff along the ocean with a back garden full of sweet smelling flowers and tall cushony grass.

You tiptoed carefully down the spiral staircase that lovingly let out groans underfoot, still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, into a kitchen that looked straight out of a fairytale. It was small with moss green cabinets and large bay windows that filled the space with light that kept the seemingly hundreds of plants in the house happy and thriving. A cool ocean breeze came in through the open windows of the small breakfast nook, bringing along the scent of a fresh pot of coffee that sat on the butcher block countertops like it had been waiting for you to wake all along. While you felt a jump of excitement within you for the coffee, it still hadn’t been what (or who) you were looking for, even though you were very glad you found it.

A sweet cup of coffee was thoughtfully prepared in a tea cup you had found in the cabinet with small wisteria flowers painted around it’s rim. You knew Harry would poke fun at your cup choice if he were there. “Tea cups are for tea,” you could hear him say, perking up the edges of your mouth into a gentle smile as you sipped it carefully. But the flowers reminded you of the beautiful wisteria tree that flowed in the wind and scattered it’s petals all over the back garden; you just couldn’t pass it up.

It took you quite a while to find him, even with the new found caffeinated energy running through your system. You had run into the two other cats at the house, both rather chubby tabbys named Jack and Gus, that called this back garden home on your search and you obviously had to say good morning. The two rubbed themselves up against your legs, begging for a scratch behind the ear and a bit of attention, and you obliged. Who were you to deny them of it?

The garden the cats got to call home was a dream. It was filled with every variety of colorful flower imaginable and blanketed in a sweet air that always hovered over the space. Your favorites were the small peachy blooms that smelled of sugary perfume. A stone fence ran the perimeter of the yard, a white picket fence in the middle opening to a swath of overgrown grass that swayed in the wind on a hill. If you squinted, you could see the house of the couple you were renting the cottage from, but they were far enough away it felt like you were the only people around for miles.

When you spotted a Harry-shaped hole in the tall grass up the hill, you had a sneaking suspicion you had found your missing husband.

The tall grass squished beneath your feet as you climbed the hill, creating a soft padding below, and the long blades tickled against your bare legs as you made your way towards him, still only dressed in one of his perfectly worn t-shirts from the night before.

“There you are,” you hummed happily when you reached him, standing above him as he layed in the grass. “I thought that I lost you.”

He looked like a renaissance painting as he laid in the grass that was dotted with small pink and purple wildflowers. His curls had gotten a little longer during his much needed break and they splayed out around his head in delicate ringlets like a halo. The light from the still rising sun bounced off his slightly dewy skin, giving him a glow that lit him up even more than usual. Stubble danced across his cheeks and jaw, framing his perfectly pink lips that held a gentle smile as he looked up at you from the ground. And his eyes squinted slightly, shielding his pupils from the ever growing brightness of the sky, creating delicate little wrinkles around his sea glass green eyes that looked so vibrant in the light.

A worn book that you hadn’t seen before, bound in dark green leather with gold detailing, sat on his chest; Poems for Lovers: A Collection was embossed delicately across the cover.

“You’ll never lose me,” he mumbled up at you, a gravel in his voice like it was the first time he had used it that day. You had been married for almost two years and had been together for five, but your cheeks never failed to redden when he spoke sweet nothings like that. “Good morning, angel,” he said softly, reaching his hand up for yours.

You moved to place your hand in his, but ended up only linking your pinkies together in the process; a light tug from the man below you signaled for you to join him on the ground. You couldn’t resist, sitting yourself down with your legs crossed in front of you on the slightly damp ground next to him, pinkies still locked together.

“Morning,” you greeted. “I missed you in bed. Piper isn’t much of a cuddler,” you chuckled while absentmindedly playing with his fingers, twirling his wedding band.

“She’s not very nice, is she?” he smiled, opening his eyes fully to meet yours as you strategically moved your body to block his delicate eyes from the sun. “I’m sorry my cat’s a bitch,” he joked. “She still thinks she’s my number one girl.”

“I tell her I’m sorry that I stole her spot in bed all the time, she never listens. Won’t even have a civil chat with me about it,” you teased sarcastically.

Harry let out an enthusiastic giggle at your words; it was high pitched, and came from his belly in loud bursts of air. His cheeks scrunched up and forced his eyes closed because he was smiling so wide, crinkling the corners of his eyes once again. His laughter was infectious and you couldn’t help but join in.

You two must have looked insane, sitting in the grass in a field in the middle of nowhere just after dawn, laughing like idiots. But you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Well, a few more hours of sleep wouldn’t have hurt.

As your gigges died down, you turned your attention to the book resting on his chest. “You ditched me in bed for a book?” you teased, letting the remaining laughter escape your body.

“I couldn’t sleep and I found it on one of the bookshelves. I thought it would be nice to read in the grass and watch the sun come up.”

“You should have woken me up. I could have thought of a few things we could have done to tire you out.” A smirk played on your lips as you tapped your chin, pretending to think, as you watched his eyes grow in amusement from your innuendo.

“You looked too peaceful sleeping. Also, drool and bedhead don’t really turn me on if I’m being honest.” It was your turn to react to his teasing.

Your jaw dropped in feigned offence and your finger flew over your shoulder to point back at the cottage. “I can go back if you’d like your privacy,” you said incredulously and with dramatics, until a few chuckles broke through and your resolve softened once again.

“Oh no no no,” he spoke with a grin, “come here,” moving the book and tapping his chest for you to rest your head on. You turned yourself around to lay yourself on the ground, placing your head on his chest and listening to his steady and calming heartbeat.

“How are your poems?” you asked, referencing the book he was now holding in his hands.

“They are very good. I’m glad I found it.” His voice reverberated under your head as he spoke, and you rose and fell softly with his breath.

“Read me your favorite.”

“Okay,” he began, thumbing through the pages as he held the book above both your heads. You listened as he let out a small “ah, here it is,” before he dramatically cleared his throat. “You might remember me talking about this one already, but I love it.”

You knew he loved it before he even began reading anything. He loved his poetry, especially when they were about love. Harry was a hopeless romantic at heart, often saying to you and interviewers “I just love love.” He loved falling in love with you and becoming a team, just as much as you did with him.

“It’s called The Wait,” he spoke gently, his voice taking on a deeper and more enunciated quality. You recognized the poem immediately, as it was the one referenced on his pants for the Vogue cover shoot. He had dedicated it to you then, and was doing it again now in the grass. “It seemed like years before I picked a bouquet of kisses off her mouth and put them into a dawn-colored vase in my heart,” he began. He spoke slowly and smoothly with the consistency and sweetness of honey. “But the wait was worth it,” he continued. “Because I was in love.”

You couldn’t help but think of your own story as he read. He had chased after you for years, with you always insisting that he was your best friend and you were afraid to ruin that. But gradually, your best friend became your lover, and your lover became your husband.

“I like that one a lot too.” You spoke softly and with reflection. “It reminds me of us.”

“That’s why it’s my favorite.”

You two layed in the grass for hours, not a care in the world, as he read from the book. Every poem took you two on a journey into a love story, one that for the two of you only existed on the page, but told of a very real love that couldn’t have been dishonestly written.

But with how you felt in the moment, with the joy and loving warmth you felt in your belly, you were sure you could write a million poems about the love you had with him.

Thank you so much for reading!! Reblogs/feedback mean the world!!! 

[ghostly-shenanigans-in-progress]

BNHA X DP Crossover HCs

After the long wait and finals, here are my ideas for all the quirks/occupations and other concepts I devised for the DP characters in the BNHA universe. This was just for fun and for inspiration towards others interested in this crossover au in general. 

Tagging the people that were looking forward to this post based on the replies: @qoinq-qhost, @floralflowerpower, @tgfangirl4eva @goodfish-bowl, @whitehairglowinggreeneyedcrush and more. 

Anyways, happy reading, folks!

Mr. Lancer

Hero name: Mr. Scholastic

Quirk: Bookworm

Involves his iconic usage of literature titles & quotes for swears to become abilities corresponding to the novel’s contents/themes. Course, he is limited to only books he has read and can quote accurately. Additionally, his voice gets very raspy past two or three quotes as well.

Occupation: Homeroom Teacher for Class 1- A; He’s very dedicated to his new students and teaching the fundamentals of being a pro hero and more! Course, I don’t think his chamomile tea with a wedge of lemon is enough to help him relax from his students (*cough* Danny, Tucker and Poindexter) from their antics at times. 

Danny

Hero name: Phantom 

Quirk: Ghost core (Ok, @coffeecakecafe had the best name for this one gotta give credit here)

Able to do anything a ghost is perceived to do. Go through walls, disappear and fly. This is a one of a kind quirk as it was obtained from Danny’s old quirk being altered by a machine his parents made that would repurpose/alter an individual’s quirk based on their past family members' own metahuman genetics.

Danny is doing his best and trying to understand his new quirk without causing too much attention to himself while doing so but it seems like its been doing the opposite as of late. Thankfully, he won’t be doing it alone with all his classmates around to help him!

Sam

Hero Name: Black Dahlia 

Quirk: Overgrown 

Able to create any plant that she knows the biological makeup and content of in almost any environment. However, it is important for her to drink lots of nutrient rich water and take in enough sun if she plans to create larger versions of these plants.

Tucker

Hero name: Tech Master

Quirk: Tech Core

Located on his chest/heart area is a special energy core capable of powering electronics at a rate faster than anything made-man could ever hope to achieve. As a kid, Tucker would tinker away in his family’s garage on a suit that would harness his power to the fullest extent and lead a new era of support tech in the hero world.

Valerie

Hero name: Red Huntress

Quirk: Electromagnetism (Someone I’ve been trying to find their post on my blog had posted this idea and I fell in love with it ever since)

She’s like Static Shock but with a dash of magenta/ruby lasers she can create through focusing her electromagnetism through her finger tips. She is an expert with her quirk and has the best handle of her quirk than most of her peers. She is the most frequent visitor in the support equipment workshop next to Tucker, Poindexter and Danny. It’s how she built the hoverboard she has in the show that utilizes her electromagnetic abilities for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. (Also, I enjoy the idea that Bullet is Val’s uncle on her mom’s side and is her biggest supporter alongside her dad, Damien Gray).

Jazz 

Quirk: Serenity 

Helps calm individuals and give them a sense of safety/security when they’re around her in a 10 feet radius. Though, anyone out of range cannot be affected by her quirk and she needs to be conscious in order to use it.

She planned on becoming a pro hero but felt her powers were best suited for her dream profession as a psychologist. She has used her quirk a lot when Danny was overwhelmed with his studies prior to UA. Course, a phone call and sibling chat over the phone certainly does the job for Danny now when it comes to preparing material for exams. (Course, its up to you guys to decide)

Dash

Hero name: Rager

Quirk: Strength Magnification

Improves his physique and stamina by a large percentage for a set amount of time. Needs to be careful of how much/long he magnifies his body or else his body will become immensely sore. 

Kwan

Hero name: Rallier 

Quirk: Team Rally (50/50)

Able to duplicate himself 3-4 times while being able to power-up allies’ quirks or stamina with a rally chant to help the team. The more duplicates there are the rally effect multiplies/stacks on the individual but it can lead to dangerous outcomes for their quirk output. 

Kwan is the class representative for 1-A, he’s the best at the job and was more than thrilled to be the one leading his class in more ways than one.  

Paulina

Hero name: Enchantress

Quirk: Charm

If the opponent is flustered by her taunts or flirting, their vision will become altered and start seeing things that are not there. It works better on men than women and the opponent can snap out of it with enough willpower or if they’re not interested in her.

Star

Hero name: Ms. Meteorite

Quirk: Comet

Similar to Gran Torino’s Jet quirk except faster and she can create an explosive impact on where she lands. Similar to a meteorite landing on earth, she also learns to use this as a long distance move by punching fast enough as she descends to create wind pressure punches.

Poindexter

Hero name: Tex (like in Tex Avery; Danny gave him the idea!) 

Quirk: Slapstick

His appearance is black and white just like an old timey cartoon character as well as having the durability and cartoon powers of one. However, his quirk can only work as long as what he does with it is funny in the circumstance it’s used for. Sort of like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” rules in a sense. 

Sidney is part of Class 1-A just saying, I don’t care, this is Poindexter’s time to shine here to be the coolest/funniest person in the class. Also, Tucker’s most loyal friend/tester for new support items. 

Wes Weston

Hero name: Vigilance

Quirk: Deduction

He is able to deduct people’s identities to flaws/weak points for him to use against them and  exploit against problems. 

Class 1-B Representative and the most annoying/terrifying person that Danny has dealt with in his life. He was able to figure out that Danny’s quirk is not his own or more so that it's not natural and takes every opportunity to state this regardless if anyone is listening or not. 

Amber Mclain

Hero Name: Ember

Quirk: Fiery voice (50/50)

Her quirk uses the vibrations in her sining voice to conduct intense heat waves onto opponents or utilize to rumble the structures around here and even put out the flames from her quirk. Its like a combination of Present Mic and Endevours quirk but it leaves her with a strained or inflamed vocal cords with overuse. 

Third year student or an upcoming rock star that has certainly gain huge popularity after her song “Remember” was a nationwide hit amongst the younger generation. She’s striving to be the top hero while making her next hit to become the 1# song on the listings. 

Dani

Hero name: Phantwo (lol jk; unsure what her name would be)

Quirk: Poltergeist 

Similar to Danny’s quirk “Ghost”, except she has the additional ability to melt herself to a slimy puddle and use her ectoplasmic slime to trap or surprise opponents.

Clockwork

Hero Name: Clockwork

Quirk: Time Keeper

Clockwork’s quirk allows him to stop time for 5 to 15 minutes and be able to rewind it in the same amount of time. It can be one to multiple objects as long as he touches them in order to interact with them.

Principle of UA in this au. He’s quite a reserved man but still manages to visit and congregate with students throughout the school during lunch period. 

Flynn Fenton/Flynn Walker

Hero Name: The Green Knight

Quirk: Mineralization 

His quirk allows him to manipulate the minerals and inorganic materials in the atmosphere to create into crystalized constructs that are almost stronger than diamond. Luckily, the crystals have no value so he doesn’t have to worry about that aspect of his quirk. He does have to worry about his skin becoming dried out as a result of his quirk usage. 

Flynn is a third year student that loves to check up on his cousin, Danny, any chance he gets bc of the amount of work he does with his internships.

James Walker (or James W. Hausermann)

Hero name: Warden Wraith

Quirk: Plasma Apparatus

His quirk ionizes the electrolytes in the blood system into plasma. His entire body is composed of plasma giving him his skeletal appearance. He can create plasma chains, teleport from point A to B and more as long as he focuses and has enough energy at use. Course, he can have minor to severe dehydration and imbalance in his electrolyte levels from overuse. 

Occupation: CEO of an infrastructure security company/Provisional License Examiner just like Gang Orca.The ghost prison guards become his backup/helpers for the exam phases. (They’re just trained stuntmen with combat or military experience for the occasion).

Also, I like to think Walker has kids in this au who are in the Class 1-A group; they’re not hard to spot they take after their father with their skeletal complexion. 

Skulker

Villain name: Quirk Hunter

Quirk: Tracker

The moment Skulker makes eye contact with his target he will be able to hunt them down and find them anywhere no matter how good they are at covering their tracks. He can lock on to only one target, but he will be able to know their heart beat, quirk, be able to place a tracking/scent line that only he can see and will lead him to his target’s location. It lasts for over a day or a half.

Occupation: Skulker is known for capturing, info-detailing or “retiring” newcomer pros or specific quirk users for his clients that pay him handsomely for their targets, dead or alive. Thanks to Vlad, Danny was strictly intended to be captured alive by Skulker but sometimes he gets too thrilled by the hunt to not have a memento. Trust me, it's more of a dangerous 

Nicolai Technus 

Villain Name: Technus 

Quirk: Technopathy

A genius in his own right, even if he’s a little crazy, with the best ability possible for a man of science and innovation. As long as he knows the makeup and attributes of the machine, Technus is able to completely repurpose or change a machine’s qualities for offensive and defensive qualities. Whenever that be for a mech suit or hacking a high tech system for entry, he’s able to do it as long as he knows what it is and how it functions. An example is repurposing a slot machine into a submachine gun that shoots coins at the target. 

Vlad Masters

Name: Vlad Plasmius

Quirk: Vampire

Can do anything a vampire can supposedly do. However, he was able to manifest an additional aspect of this quirk which is the ability to copy any quirk users ability. Based on the type of blood he ingests decides the amount of time he can use the copied quirk for.

Occupation: CEO of his own hero firm, he is extremely selective with the interns he has that there is a major waitlist to be even consider for Masters Inc. Course, imagine the surprise Danny must of felt when he received an offer from Vlad right off the bat after the Sports festival. 

Bruce Guiles (Bullet)

Hero Name: Bullet 

Quirk: Sphyraena or Chimera Fish

Able to do anything a barracuda can do or the quirk is a 50/50 mutant quirk in which he has both the traits of a barracuda, Chimaeras and a touch of piranha from his parents being of one of these fish species hence Chimera. Bullet can do anything those fish can do overall but he can’t go too long without hydration from water. Water quality and its oxygen content also affect his abilities by a noticeable percentage but he still remains quite formidable as a quirk user.

Occupation: Captain of a coast guard team, he’s a strict military man with an amazing record of saving people from any disasters both on land and sea. Him and Walker are best buddies ever since they went to school together. 

Vortex

Hero Name: Vortex

Quirk: Storm Warning

Vortex can utilize any variation of a natural disaster depending on the environment he’s in. Hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, you name it he can create it for his use. However, despite his amazing control over his quirk it is still possible for him to create these disasters if he lost control or magnify another pre-existing one if he loses focus. 

Occupation: Storm-chaser/Forecaster; His control and knowledge in combating/predicting these natural disasters has led to him to be part of a storm chasing crew and they’re the best in helping disaster prevention teams evacuate citizens as a result.

Petra Eris

Hero name: Pandora

Quirk: Butterfly Effect

Can manipulate or prevent a chaotic event to happen if she was in proximity and present to prevent it to happen. Or even give a little chaos to the opponent to deal with during battle. 

One of the top ten heroes and most beloved heroes in the country. She is the best strategist in any team and has a way to predict any event before they happen given the necessity of it for her quirk to work in her favor. 

Johnny 

Vigilante name: Johnny 13

Quirk: Unlucky

Johnny manifests his bad luck into a shadow that will latch onto opponents and cause unfortunate events to occur more for that individual as a result. However, the shadow cannot exist in complete sunlight; it can only remain if there are already shadows in his general area or it’s nighttime and its effects are strongest at that time obviously.

Occupation: Johnny is the leader of a biker gang or de-facto leader of said biker gang who loves to raise hell and helping folks that need saving whenever he’s around or is up to the task. Kitty tags along with him to help him out of jams and bc she loves him. :3

Kitty

Vigilante name: Kitty

Quirk: Lovesick

Kitty sends a smooch towards her opponent which if it makes contact causes the individual to have nausea or become disoriented for around 10 minutes. It can also have a chance of lasting longer if the individual was sort of infatuated with her regardless of gender. 

Pariah Dark

Villain name: King Pariah

Quirk: Ultimate Adaptation 

Similar to all for one except with the unpredictability for both the user and opponents. Pariah can manifest any type of quirk needed to defeat anyone that stands in his way both one-on-one and in groups. Course, drawbacks are the learning curve to some of the quirks and that multiple adaptions he utilizes at once will destroy his cells in the process. 

Pariah is a former follower of all for one who had unique quirk that All for one augmented to help him succeed if both Shigaraki and Tomura failed in their own conquest for the world. But now Pariah has his own plans to succeed where they failed and become the leader who shapes a new world order with an iron fist. 

Frederick Kingsmen

Villain/vigilante name: Fright Knight

Quirk: Burning Energy Infusion

Able to form/infuse objects with his own burning energy life force that is capable of burning or slicing through any in his sight. The sweat he gives off is what provides the material needed to ignite his unnatural flames despite it causing his body to overheat still. 

Fright Knight is Pariah’s second-in-command with a loyalty to him as strong as his control over his power. Fright Knight has faced many pro-heros as he carried out the smaller phases of Pariah’s plans and most of them barely came close towards defeating or leaving as much as  scratch on the knight. 

Rodolfo Gonzalo  

Hero name: Wulf

Quirk: Werewolf + Portal creation (50/50?)

Can do anything a werewolf can supposedly do; somehow it allows him to create portals with his claws to locations he has marked with them or visited in the past. 

Wulf was abducted on by Pariah’s forces and sent into the Nomu labs for experimentation to force on another quirk and instill complete allegiance to their cause. Course, Wulf broke free as a result of that new additional quirk allowing him to escape their clutches and his previous one helping him survive the endeavor. However, he lost his memories in the process and could only remember his native language, Spanish, and his hero name Wulf. 

Overgrown

Villain/vigilante Name: Overgrown

Quirk: Plant Manipulation

Can manipulate any pre-existing plant matter or create new vegetation if water and soil is present for the process or he understand the biological makeup of the plant in question. 

Occupation: Pro-hero or eco-terrorist who is tired of humanity from abusing the environment from quirk battles to industries using the land for their own benefits and none others.

That’s all I have for now! I hope this was worth the wait, guys. As well as, inspire ideas for your takes with a DP x BNHA Crossover! 

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Shaw’s 2021 Birthday R&S

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an R&S which has not been released in EN! 🍒

Knowledge of Shaw’s 2020 Birthday R&S is highly recommended before reading this!

[ This R&S was released on 16 June 2021 ]

[ Chapter One ]

This is the fifth month that Shaw is learning how to skateboard. The little buddies who started out with him had given up one after the other because they couldn’t endure the bitter taste of tripping and falling. In the end, he’s the only one left.

The wheels grate against the ground in a regular rhythm. Leaping over the obstacle, it makes a swerve, accelerates, and flips... the skateboard is lithe and graceful beneath Shaw’s feet, akin to a reed leaf as it brings him into the largest skatepark in Loveland City with a wilful rush.

“Shaw! Shaw!”

Shaw halts the skateboard and turns around.

A little fatty with a band-aid on his knee walks over, smiling and revealing his missing front teeth. “Finally found you.”

Shaw laughs scornfully. “Why’s a defeated opponent looking for me? Do you want to lose the remaining half of your front teeth?”

“You!” Little Fatty flushes red in an instant. He straightens his neck and points to an area behind him. “I’m not competing with you. Someone else wants to!”

Shaw looks in the direction of his finger. A boy who is obviously taller than him by a head smiles at him, the skateboard beneath his feet sliding back and forth. At a glance, it’s clear that he’s experienced.

“My Bro Zhou is in the Loveland City Qing Xun Team,” Little Fatty hugs his arms with pride, as though he’s the one in the team. “So? Dare to accept it?”

So that’s how it is. He’s a scaredy cat who only dares to call in reinforcements.

Shaw purses his lips. He steps on the tail of the skateboard, and it responds by flipping upwards, the the edge of the board landing steadily in his palm. “Why not? What are we competing in?”

Bro Zhou shrugs. “I won’t make things hard for newbies. We’ll compete in tic-tacs and going over obstacles. How’s that?”

“Sure.”

[Trivia] Tic-tacs are a series of consecutive heelside-to-toeside kickturns where your feet remain on the skateboard. I copied this from Google and have no idea what it means LOL

-

THUD-

Losing his balance for just a moment, Shaw falls heavily onto the ground. His knees, elbows... waves of pain bloom on every joint. It isn’t a good feeling, but what makes Shaw even more frustrated is the arrogant laughter of Little Fatty. t’s even noisier than the cicadas from afar.

“HAHAHAHA Shaw lost! Let’s see if you still have the guts to be proud!”

He has a lot to say despite being a noob. Shaw rolls his eyes. Enduring the pain, he’s just about to lift himself up by the elbows when Bro Zhou walks over to him, offering him a hand. “Not bad.”

“Thanks.”

The other party continues. “But at your age, it’s best to stick to the basics. There’s no hurry to learn high difficulty moves like the dolphin flip. You’ll definitely fall.”

Shaw’s expression immediately turns cold. “I don’t need your pointers on what I can learn at whatever age.” He doesn’t touch the hand, standing up by himself. Lifting his head, he gives the other party a look over. “Do you come here often?”

“The Qing Xun Team practises here every day.”

“Okay. Next time, I’ll definitely win against you.”

Shaw doesn’t bother about the expressions on Bro Zhou’s and the Little Fatty’s faces after hearing his words. He casually pats off the dust on his body, picks up the skateboard which is flipped over on the floor, and leaves the skatepark.

-

[ Chapter Two ]

The moment Shaw enters through the doors of the antique store, the Old Man’s uproar begins. “Little Ancestor, did you wreck havoc in the Heavenly Palace again?”

[Note] Here, the Old Man calls Shaw “小祖宗”, which literally means “Little Ancestor”. This term is used in an affectionate way to address a naughty child

“Wrecking havoc in the Heavenly Palace” is a reference to a novel called Journey to the West (西游记), which features a troublemaking Monkey King Sun Wukong

“I’m hungry. What’s there to eat today?” Shaw doesn’t respond to the shopkeeper’s words. Placing his bag and skateboard behind the counter, he reaches out to play with the silly parrot at the entrance - it’s truly silly. Even after teaching it for a month, it can’t even say “welcome to the shop”. It causes Shaw to wonder if the Old Man was perhaps duped of his money once again.

“All you know how to do is eat...” The Old Man sets down the ancient text in his hands and props up his presbyopic glasses. “Old Qian from next door boiled chicken soup today and is giving us half. I’ll stir-fry two dishes. You can ask if the chicken soup is ready.”

Shaw makes an “mm” of acknowledgement, then turns around and heads next door.

The shopkeeper gets up and takes a few steps towards the kitchen. Then, he abruptly returns to the counter, reaching out to touch the coarse scratch marks at the edge of the skateboard. Inexplicably, he sighs.

The chicken soup is a little bland, and the stir-fried dishes are a little salty. Mixing and eating them together is just nice. Shaw lowers his head and pushes rice into his mouth with chopsticks. In his left ear, he hears the news of how the GDP of Loveland City has risen. In his right ear, he hears the nagging of his mentor:

“...I’m not discouraging you from playing with this thing. It’s good to toughen yourself up while you’re young and your bones and muscles are sturdy. But don’t be too rash. This... this thing of yours...”

“Skateboard.” Shaw speaks.

“Yes, skateboard. I remember that it’s only been a month since it was bought, and it’s already tormented to such a state. You have such an impulsive temperament. You should be more level-headed.”

What does this have to do with temperament? If I were to truly be impulsive, I wouldn’t need a month. Just three days would be enough to break a skateboard. Shaw looks at the chicken leg in his bowl, not saying these words aloud.

“Also, remember to report to the shop early tomorrow. Old Qian and I are preparing to head to the neighbouring city to look for goods. You should come along to broaden your horizons.” The shopkeeper taps his chopsticks against the rim of the bowl, signalling for Shaw to pay more attention. “Isn’t it your birthday tomorrow? I could pick out a gift for you! Sigh, I actually had my eye on an agate snuff bottle, but the guy suddenly decided not to sell it...”

“I’m not going tomorrow.” Shaw interrupts the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper furrows his brows. “Why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“I’m not. I have proper business to attend to tomorrow. The school organised a visit to the museum.” Shaw lifts his eyes, and his thin lips curve upwards. “The things I see there will be much more valuable than those trivial things you fiddle with.”

“You little rascal!”

Shaw laughs, wedging the chicken leg between his chopsticks and sending it into his mentor’s bowl. “I’m full, so I’m heading to the back to do my homework. Chicken legs are really nutritious, so you should have it.”

“Tsk tsk, and you still said you weren’t throwing a tantrum. You aren’t going home again?”

“I don’t want to go back today. I’ll definitely go back tomorrow.” Shaw has already walked to the entrance. He suddenly thinks of something, and turns his head to ask a question. “Mentor, your shop will always be open, right?”

These words came out of nowhere, and the shopkeeper isn’t able to comprehend them. “What?”

“Nothing much. I’m just worried that I won’t have a place to have dinner if an old man like you were to throw in the towel someday.”

The shopkeeper fumes with a glare. “What do you mean by that? You only care about the food? Also, my shop can continue running for a decade or two. I’m still waiting for you to bring back a disciple or a wife to serve me tea!”

Shaw lets out an “oh”, and his eyes crinkle. “In that case, you’ll have to wait for another twenty or thirty years.”

The eyesight of the shopkeeper is no longer as good as before, but he can clearly see that the smile of this child didn’t reach his eyes. After Shaw leaves, he suddenly recalls the fortune that he drew for Shaw half a year ago: “What awaits this catastrophe is a new beginning...”

This child is will meet his predestined fate this year, so what’s left is to see how he endures through it. The shopkeeper shakes his head, sighing once again.

[Note] The actual fortune is “河图数九，洛书数七，脐于九陵，七日来复” but I don’t have the energy to explain it so what I’ve translated above is the overall meaning :>

-

[ Chapter Three ]

When Shaw awakens on the next day, the shopkeeper has already left to inspect the goods. The shop is empty, and he’s the only one left.

Westmoon Street is lined with old houses, and there’s no soundproofing. Lying on the bed, Shaw can hear the chirping of birds outside the window, the yelling of people on the street, and the babble of the Chinese opera from the old bookstore next door: “I’m just like a caged bird with wings that can’t be outstretched. I’m just like a shallow water dragon trapped on a beach...”

Shaw rubs his face, then sits up on the bed.

The school had set the assembling time to be 9am. Heading out now will give him more than enough time. Shaw quickly washes his face and rinses his mouth. Just as he walks towards the front counter with some rice grains from the kitchen for the parrot to eat, he suddenly discovers that there’s something on the counter.

Walking over, Shaw sees that there’s a cake box as well as a t-shirt which has been washed clean.

There’s a slip of paper on the shirt. The strokes are clean and thin. At a glance, he knows that this is the Old Man’s handwriting: You need energy and drive to participate in the school activity. Don’t wear yesterday’s dirty clothes. Change into this.

The shirt look slightly familiar. He probably changed out of it one day and forgot about it, leaving it in the antique shop. Shaw pays it no mind, turning his head to that small cake once again. The various calligraphy and writings in the antique store are considered relatively charming. Yet, why does he always buy such unsophisticated cakes?

When his classmates celebrate their birthdays, what they eat are high quality custom-made cakes - red velvet, matcha crepe, chocolate molten lava... such a traditional longevity cake is probably found only in a place like Westmoon Street. It’s clear from the light red and light green colours that the embellishments on the cake were made by hand. Eating it would definitely dye his tongue. If he were to speak later, wouldn’t he get laughed at by his classmates?

Shaw bunches up his brows, but the fork in his hand doesn’t stop. The cream is plant-based and tastes bad. He eats a small egg shell at the base of the cake and it tastes bad. The “Happy Birthday” was written using peach jam, and it tastes really bad.

The silly parrot at the side tilts its head, watching as the boy eats mouthfuls while shunning it with every bite, finishing the cake entirely.

Shaw wipes his mouth, then rinses it with the barley tea on the table. Picking up that t-shirt, he returns into the house and changes his clothes. 

-

[ Chapter Four ]

“...this ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ depicts four famous scholars enjoying themselves. Students, do you know who the Seven Sages of the bamboo forest are?”

[Trivia] If you’re interested in seeing the actual painting, search for “高逸图” (“gao yi tu”)

“It’s such a waste that you didn’t watch yesterday’s episode. That scene where the main lead destroyed the opponent like a boss is unparalleled!”

“Aside from the both of us, did anyone else have fun at Anime City?”

“Are you done with the math homework? Lend it to me - I’ll find a place to copy it.”

...

The question posed by the museum guide is drowned out amidst the laughing and frolicking of the kids. He forces a smile while shaking his head. All of a sudden, he notices that a boy with bluish purple hair isn’t the same as the other kids. He’s staring at an ancient painting in the showcase, lost in thought.

As though seeing a saviour, the guide quickly points at him. “Student, why don’t you give me an answer? It’s fine even if you get it wrong. Uncle will explain to you!”

“...” Shaw turns his head, opening his mouth to say some words, but his voice doesn’t reach the guide’s ears.

“Student, what did you say?” The guide raises his volume.

“I said that the four people in ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ are Shan Tao, Wang Jie, Liu Ling and Ruan Ji.” Shaw’s face is pretty much expressionless, and there aren't many fluctuations in his tone. “The one sitting down with his hands on his knees at the far right is Shan Tao. The one holding the ruyi sceptre is Wang Tao. The one next to him and drinking wine is Liu Ling. A boy is serving him. The one at the far left needs no mention - he’s the first of the Sages, Ruan Ji. So this painting is missing Ji Tang, Xiang Xiu and Ruan Xian.”

“...”

The surroundings gradually quieten down, and only Shaw’s voice echoes in front of the showcase.

"The scholars in this painting evoke a refined and tasteful sentiment, and the lines are beautiful. This is an extremely precious treasure in the realm of silk scrolls. This is why the ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ has always been kept in the royal palace. It’s a pity that in order for our predecessors to avoid taboos, only Si Ma Zhong’s inscription is left on it.”

The youth lifts his chin, shooting a playful smile at the guide. “Okay Uncle, you can explain the next museum piece now.”

“Shaw, you’re incredible!” His classmates flock over to him, bumping him on the shoulders. “You were staring at that painting for such a long time. Did you memorise the words on the museum label?”

“Tch. These’s no need to memorise the museum labels for such things. You’ll know it from a glance.” Shaw laughs. “Also, I wasn’t looking at this painting...” When he says this, he pauses for a moment, swallowing his words.

If he wasn’t looking at this painting, which one was he looking at? The students follow Shaw’s gaze, and realise that there’s a floral painting hanging next to the “Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent”.

“Painting of a Courtyard and Dayliles”, Northern Song Dynasty, Xuan He Imperial Art Academy, anonymous... The students read the explanatory note on the museum label.

[Trivia] If you’re interested in seeing the actual painting, search for “霜庭萱草图” (“shuang ting xuan cao tu”)

The painting seems to depict a corner of a courtyard. A few daylilies display the patterns on their leaves. One big and one small dragonfly are perched on the flower. Aside from that, there isn’t anything else interesting about it. This painting doesn’t seem to have a name or seal, neither does it have a detailed explanation. Even the guide skipped past it. Since it isn’t a rare and precious ancient painting, what exactly was Shaw looking at?

His classmates are a little puzzled.

-

[ Chapter Five ]

All the classes assemble in lines at the entrance of the museum. The teacher very patiently reminds the students not to forget to do their homework over the weekend, and to remember to write down their reflections about the museum. The students drawl out “got it”, but their hearts have long since flown a million miles away, ready to keep toys and snacks company.

“Shaw!” After dispersing, Shaw’s classmates wave at him.

Shaw walks over. “What’s up?”

“All of us know that you aren’t in a good mood because you lost to a senior in skateboarding yesterday. Isn’t it your birthday? Bro Lu bought the newest game, so let’s head over to play at his place.” His classmate smiles while putting an arm around his shoulder.

“Who told you that I lost yesterday?” Shaw speaks coldly.

“Who else but Fatty? He was so proud yesterday.” The classmate gives Shaw a pat. “Relax, we’re on your side. Don’t think about these unhappy things. Next time, we’ll have lots of opportunities to get revenge...”

“If I wanted revenge, I wouldn’t wait till next time.” Shaw purses his lips. “I’m heading to the skatepark now. You guys coming?”

-

Since it’s the weekend, quite a number of skateboard hobbyists are already practising by the time Shaw reaches the skatepark. Very quickly, he locates Bro Zhou from yesterday.

Shaw gets straight to the point. “I lost yesterday. Today, I want to have a race with you. Do you accept?”

A hint of shock is in Bro Zhou’s eyes. He has probably never met a kid who is this unwilling to lose. “You fell so badly yesterday but still want to compete with me? You should practise more!”

“There’s no need to practise more when competing with you,” Shaw says.

With this, Bro Zhou’s temper starts to flare. He tilts his chin. “Fine, come on. Just don’t cry if you fall and break your arm today.”

A short while later, the news of how a “junior high school newbie dared to challenge Bro Zhou from the Qing Xun Team” spreads throughout the skatepark. Everyone gathers at both sides of the race course, curiously sizing up the main lead for today.

“S-Shaw...” His classmate pulls on Shaw’s arm. Looking at the deep bowl in front, he gulps. “Are you sure you’re competing with him in this? It won’t be good news if you fall!”

“If I want to play, of course I’ll only play the fun stuff. Just watch.”

Shaw walks to the starting line and takes a deep breath. When moving his limbs, his hand subconsciously touches the hem of the t-shirt - there’s a small Chinese trumpet vine. The green leaves and red petals cover the hole which was originally on the shirt. It’s just that the stitches are crooked, and it’s incredibly crude. At a glance, it’s clear that it wasn’t sewn by someone familiar with needlework. 

[Fun fact] Chinese trumpet vine is 凌霄花 (“ling xiao hua”)

Shaw’s name in CN is 凌肖 (“ling xiao”)

Mentor is the best <3

He bites his lower lip.

The referee raises both hands. “The old rules apply. After getting past the Cola can obstacles, cross the bowl. The first person who reaches the goal will win. Ready... go!”

In the midst of a clamour, a bluish purple light rushes forward, taking the lead.

-

[ Chapter Six ]

The friction of wheels against the ground results in ear-piercing screeches. The skateboard brings Shaw forward at a high speed, and the cold strong wind accompanies the summer heat waves, brushing past his cheeks. The upright Cola cans aren’t enough to faze him. With the continuous twisting of his waist and a skateboard which moves naturally like flowing water, he and his opponent seem to bypass the obstacles comprising of twelve Cola cans at the same time-

There are three consecutive rows of Cola can structures in front of him. He has to use all sorts of techniques to jump over them. That way, he can rush down the bowl, and enter the final stage.

The arm he injured from the fall yesterday is still aching faintly. His feet seem to be protesting as well. He successfully jumps over the first row, the second row... Shaw holds his breath. He steps on the tail of the skateboard with his left foot. Gravity takes over quickly, and his right foot causes the skateboard to rise. The skateboard beneath his feet is akin to a flying fish jumping out of the water surface, creating a rotating arc above the Cola cans!

“It’s a dolphin flip!” Members of the audience exclaim.

Clack! Shaw’s shoulders wobble slightly when his feet return to the skateboard. When he finally stands steadily, he continues rushing forward. The final bowl is right in front of him. 

The moment the skateboard dives downwards, Shaw feels a brief moment of weightlessness. This feeling is reminiscent of being thrown out of the entire world, making one want to continue falling like this until they plummet into the bottom of the swamp. The deep bowl is like the trough he’s currently going through. If he’s unable to climb out of the trough, he will drown in hatred, anger, powerlessness, disappointment... and lose to that weak heart of his.

But he’s Shaw, and he won’t lose just like that.

With a rapid dash, he soars upwards without trouble - underneath the brilliant blazing sun, the youth leaps out of the bowl!

After flying out of the bowl, the inertia causes Shaw to stumble a few steps. He falls onto the ground, lying on his back while pressing the finish line.

At the same time, he hears a dull thud from the bowl - his opponent had fallen back into it.

“Shaw won!” “Shaw reached the goal first!” “That rascal actually won against Bro Zhou?” “This competition was so awesome!” ...all sorts of voices emerge in the surroundings in a disorderly fashion, and a set of footsteps walk towards him.

“Your name’s Shaw?” A masculine voice asks from above his head.

Shaw doesn't speak.

“I’m Coach Wang from Loveland City’s Qing Xun Skateboarding Team,” that voice continues. “I see that you have lots of talent, and will make a good young successor. Are you interested in joining the Qing Xun Team?”

While saying this, a registration form is handed to him.

The late afternoon sun illuminates the sheet of paper, reflecting a glaring light akin to snow. Shaw takes one look at the registration form, then shifts his lips slightly. “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“My shirt’s really expensive, so it isn’t worth tearing them.”

The coach is rendered speechless.

Just as he’s about to say a few more words to persuade the kid, he suddenly spots the small flower at the corner of Shaw’s shirt from his periphery - this is clearly not an expensive t-shirt. These days, few shirts are mended using embroidery. And the fact that he’s willing to wear it despite the clumsy embroidery...

This kid has family members whom he cares very much about. The coach seems to understand this. His lips open and shut, and he swallows back the lines he prepared. In the end, he simply says, “...that dolphin flip you did earlier wasn’t bad.”

“Of course.”

The coach laughs as he leaves. Amidst the cheers from the surroundings, Shaw lies on the ground. Covering his eyes with his hand, he laughs.

“I won. Happy birthday to me.”

🛹 Shaw’s Date Prologue: here

[prurientpuddlejumper]

Don’t Look! [Part 4]

<- Part 3 | Part 5 ->

Frederick Chilton x Reader

@we-are-all-just-a-bit-crazy’s lovecraftian horror AU, with a bit of my own twist on the origin story. Emotional hurt/comfort. Body horror. Hugging your body-horror monster boyfriend. 

3,386 words

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had everything: great wealth (built on the backs of exploited workers), a grand estate, a beautiful wife, and many mistresses waiting in the wings. Yet after years of trying, he failed to produce an heir. Determined that his money could buy anything, the man scoured the world, searching for a solution. One day, his extensive resources brought him to an ancient castle in Lithuania, where the last descendants of a noble bloodline offered him a devil’s bargain—a book, a summoning ritual. He did not ask questions. His wife was finally with child.

The Chilton legacy was secure.

The moment Frederick was born, the life was sucked from his mother—a human sacrifice for his soul crossing into this world. That was what his father told him, at least. Frederick had no memory of clawing his way through the veil between worlds, of being anything other than an ordinary child with a distant father, a young, blonde stepmother, and nannies instead of friends. Until the changes began. Allison (or was it Kayla at the time?) fainted in the living room when he staggered in, screaming as smoke boiled from his skin, begging for help. His father only wrinkled his nose with disgust and calmly explained what he was.

“You must learn to hide this, Frederick. Never let anyone see you this way, or it will destroy the family name.”

And so, he learned the transformation’s schedule. Prepared for it. Knew how to hide it away and never let anyone get close enough to see the real him. But it wasn’t good enough. Try as he might, nothing Frederick ever did met his father’s expectations for the perfect son he had gone through so much trouble to produce.

Frederick grew into a bitter and lonely man with no one to care about, or who cared about him. He kept the world at a distance, hiding his shame behind expensive suits and lavish decoration.

Never once did he consider that he was not alone in this world at all.

 ***

I see him as one of those pitiful things sometimes born in hospitals. They feed it, keep it warm, but they don’t put it on the machines. They let it die. But he doesn’t die. He looks normal. Nobody can tell what he is.

This is how Will Graham describes the Chesapeake Ripper.

Every therapy session with Graham, every conversation overhead, the puzzle became clearer. At first, Chilton merely believed that Dr. Lecter was guilty of unethical practices—manipulating Mr. Graham in the same way he had manipulated Gideon. He felt such kinship with Hannibal. Learning a bit of dirt on him brought the ever-so-superior doctor down to his level, gave him something to lord over him—a little implied blackmail to strengthen their friendship.

They both had secrets to hide.

Dr. Chilton never would have guessed the final puzzle piece to convince him fully that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper would be the one everyone else laughed at.

“I brought you here to bear witness,” Graham said to Gideon through their adjoining cells.

“To tell Jack Crawford that I sat in Hannibal Lecter’s cobalt blue dining room? An ostentatious herb garden, Leda and the Swan over the fireplace. And you, having a fit in the corner.”

Chilton perked up and quickly shared the audio feed to one of the junior therapists assisting him. You were reliable at editing his audio files, clipping and exporting segments he wanted to keep, but he was avoiding you at the moment. This was proof—irrefutable proof that Gideon had met Hannibal Lecter the night he went searching for the Ripper.

After his conversation with Graham concluded, an assistant was sent down to coax more information from him while Chilton’s research team listened in, keenly taking notes.

Gideon was not finished dropping bombshells.

With a casual lilt to his voice as if talking to a friend over dinner, he began to describe the Chesapeake Ripper. Skin like volcanic ash, reflecting no light. A red glow to his eyes. Black claws as long as steak knives. Antlers breaking through the inside of his skull, punching through the skin. All black as night—a form that shifted in the shadows, ever tricking the eye, unwilling to be known.

He’s the Devil, Mr. Graham. He’s smoke.

“Great. Gideon is delusional,” one therapist snorted. “On the bright side, this completely undercuts his malpractice case against you.” She patted Chilton’s shoulder. Chilton flinched.

“We should start him on antipsychotics. What do you think? Doctor?”

Chilton’s face turned ashen white. “Y-yes, certainly,” he muttered, staggering to his feet.

He moved for the door, but crumbled halfway there, pain ripping through his leg as sharp thorns grew beneath the skin. It was daylight. No. No! The transformation should not be starting for hours—he had plenty of time! He gasped out as another shock tore through him, barely containing a cry. His body convulsed.

“Doctor!” A therapist and a guard rushed in to help him to his feet. “Where does it hurt? If this is a complication from your surgery, we need to get you into intensive care right away.”

“No,” he brushed them off. “Only… psychosomatic. I need to— ah!” He gritted his teeth, mind racing to the one person he did not want to turn to, but the only one he could, and barked, “Get my secretary!”

 ***

Smoke was rising off of his burning skin by the time you rushed into Chilton’s vacated office. His eyes were wide with panic, but greeted you when you entered with—not relief, perhaps, because he was every bit as terrified as before, but with the anticipation of being rescued. His eyes pleaded.

“H-help. I cannot make it stop.”

You managed to get him into your car. The sun’s orange rays seemed to chase the beast away, clearing his skin and stopping his wracking convulsions long enough to cross the employee parking lot without drawing stares. He insisted on taking the back seat so he could hide—and to put more distance between you in case he lost control.

His chest rose and fell like a rabbit in a cat’s mouth.

“The way he described Dr. Lecter—anyone would think it was a metaphor! That he was crazy!” Chilton’s breath was raspy as you drove, glancing back at him through the rearview mirror. He kept trembling, small patches of scaly skin appearing at random then swirling back inside. One pupil was a pinprick. His tongue occasionally became serpentine and got in the way as he frantically spoke. “But it was too specific, the details. Familiar. I always knew there was a connection between Dr. Lecter and me—a reason we were friends. It all makes sense now!”

“Hey, it’s OK,” you said, trying to sound soothing, though you had no idea what he was talking about.

“Don’t you understand? Lecter is like me!”

“That’s good, isn’t it? That means you’re not alone.”

“Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper!” he shouted, and a spine tore through a seat cushion. “A cannibal, if Will Graham is to be believed, and loathe as I am to admit it, Graham is an excellent profiler. If the Ripper and I are the same… then that means I—”

“You are nothing like that!” Forgetting the damage his demonic tantrum was doing to your faux-leather interior, you had faith in him. He was a little withdrawn and more than a little vain, and it had garnered him an icy reputation around the hospital, but now you understood why. He wasn’t evil or malicious. He was frightened.

“God help me,” he murmured.

 ***

As soon as the garage door closed behind you, he scrambled from the car (scratching the handle), and retreated inside. He didn’t invite you to follow him home. But he didn’t forbid it, either, and you wanted to be there. All you had were panic-scrambled memories from the first time that made his transformation worse in hindsight than it was. Or maybe better. You didn’t know, and you wouldn’t know until you saw it again with clear eyes.

The electric kettle rumbled on its stand, hissing steam as you searched through Frederick Chilton’s surprisingly extensive tea collection for something herbal and soothing. Chamomile, you thought. With honey. Surely that must be good for demon-monster-werewolf things?

The sun was about to set and he was still reeling over Hannibal, and just as much from the premature transformation the revelation had triggered. And every time he cried, “This is not possible. How can this be possible?” the next convulsion was more intense.

He would probably just burn himself on tea.

A painful whimper came from somewhere in the house, and you followed it to a tiny panic room that opened behind a bookshelf. It was only about seven by nine feet with concrete walls and floors, bare except for deep scratches of varying age, like an animal trying to escape. The few chairs inside were metal. Difficult to break. Frederick faced away from you, staring at a hand that was too large for the rest of his body, capped with long black claws.

“Oh no, this will not do at all,” you tutted, shaking your head at the barren space. “How about I bring in some blankets? Let’s get you comfortable.”

His whole body shook. “You should go.”

“No. No way, not after seeing this prison cell. I am not leaving you like this.”

“I do not want to hurt you.” His shoulder jerked. A spike tore through his shirt.

“You won’t.”

“Seeing it again… will not be therapeutic for you,” he hissed, another spike breaking through. “Go before it is too late.”

“No!”

“Damn it! I am a monster—there is proof of that now! The FBI has no idea what it is dealing with!” Chilton began to pace the small cell, thoughts racing, features morphing into something grotesque and alien. “Does Hannibal know about me? Can he sense it? Is that why he confided in me? I always thought it was professional respect—hah! God, what if he…” A painful convulsion halted his pacing and brought him to one knee, gripping his side. His attention snapped back to you. “This is… dangerous,” he warned, then hacked violently. Fleshy, snake-like projections spewed from his mouth, and he quickly turned away again, hiding his face. “You should… you should be nowhere near all of this! You should not be here! Why did I let you inside?!”

A roar of anguish ripped through the air with enough force to push you back through the panic room door, just in time to avoid being impaled on half a dozen spines as they shot from Chilton’s body like lances. Chips of concrete clattered to the ground as they penetrated the walls. He screamed again, writhing to get free, but found himself trapped by his own violent transformation. Like an animal, he struggled and clawed at himself as if his rational mind had been overtaken by raw, volatile emotion.

“Take it easy. You’re going to hurt yourself,” you tried to calm him, but you couldn’t stop your voice from shaking.

This was worse than last time. You were sure his spines weren’t half as long when you saw him in his office—even Chilton seemed surprised to be pinned.

You lifted your hands, palms toward him in a steadying gesture, and took a step back into the concrete room.

“Stay back!” he howled, thrashing. “Get away!”

It was tempting. Every muscle in your body wanted to follow his advice and run far away from the indescribable horror before you. But his eyes were still green. Were still terrified. And you had an inkling of why it was worse this time. Maybe he would hate you later for imposing, but it seemed more important right now not to leave him feeling… like a monster.

“It’s OK.” You took another step closer.

“No!”

“You’re not going to hurt me. I trust you. Shh, shh… I’m not afraid, see?”

Rigid spines sprayed from his back and shoulders in a 180-degree arc, leaving only his front accessible. You ducked under one and followed its trajectory to where it met the wall. It wasn’t just pinned by pressure—it had struck the wall with enough force to dig into it like an iron rod. Sawing through might be the only option for getting him unstuck. You wondered if that would hurt. Were there nerves in his spines? You stepped over the next one as you drew nearer.

“You should be afraid! I am just like him!” Chilton tried to turn his head away as you traversed his network of thorns and stood in front of him.

His face was almost entirely inhuman. Tentacles cascaded down from where a nose should have been, and when he opened his mouth in a snarl, they parted like wriggling eels—each with a life of its own—to reveal a jaw that split his face open vertically, crowded with rows of sharp white teeth. The more agitated Chilton became, the more dramatic the effect. Each time he spoke, you caught a flash of teeth that sent shivers racing down your spine. But you continued to move closer anyway, within snapping range.

“Hannibal and I… we are the same. Please—I do not want to become him. Do not let me hurt you!”

“You are not the same. You’re not a killer.”

Chilton let out a choking cry that was all too human. “I killed that nurse,” he said. Concrete groaned as his spines grew longer. A crooked horn sprouted from his head. “I killed Elizabeth Shell.”

“You… you didn’t kill her.”

His breath quickened again. Tentacles sprouted and died and resprouted from his face in a constant fevered motion. “I knew Gideon would kill! I lowered security! I knew what would happen—what I needed to happen to prove that he was the Ripper! I may as well have plucked her eyes out with my own hands and… and feasted on her organs. God… I am the Ripper,” he wailed.

“No…” It never occurred to you that Dr. Chilton would have done such a thing knowingly. Maybe there was something dark inside him that this creature was reflecting. It hurt to acknowledge, and yet maybe you both needed to. “You made a mistake. You did a bad thing, but… Gideon was already a killer. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I drove him to it, manipulated him… I am just as responsible as he is. I am a monster.”

“A monster wouldn’t feel this guilty! You made a mistake, but you won’t make it again, will you?”

Tentacles and spines stopped sprouting. His form stabilized as his wet eyes looked off thoughtfully. He seemed so pathetic… so innocent, almost. Despite the intimating spines and claws that added danger and height to his appearance, his body had the same mass—leaving his frame gaunt and frail, with ribs sticking out prominently. Hollow.

You wanted to protect him.

You knew that was your job at BSHCI. You knew that was why Dr. Chilton suddenly needed a personal secretary when he never had before. Someone to sit outside his door, take his calls, and warn him when visitors wanted to see him. You’d never met the doctor before he was attacked by one of his patients, but you recognized the signs of trauma—the way he flinched easily, avoided contact at first, then the way he clung to you when you earned his trust. The awkward little smiles. The way his cheeks turned bright red when his fingers brushed yours as you delivered his coffee. You couldn’t help feeling protective. Falling in love, even.

Though it was closed for the moment, his mouth was a dangerous black hole with alien arms ready to pull prey inside. It seemed impossible to get close without being dragged into its teeth by instinct. You couldn’t imagine putting your face anywhere near it.

Another step, and your forehead touched his.

“I... I do not want to hurt you,” he pleaded.

“You won’t.”

You leaned into his arms, a hand reaching up to stroke the side of his face. It was covered in fine scales that glistened as if they should be slimy, but were smooth to the touch, like a snake. Sharper thorns sprouting from his skin seemed to retreat before your caress.

He trembled with inner turmoil, hot breath puffing against your chin. Your eyes darted toward the motion of one of his claws rising behind you, and all you could focus on were the way each sharp talon caught the light. You couldn’t be sure what he was thinking—if he was going to return your embrace, or prove to you that he was a monster. Would he slash you just to drive you away?

“I smell your fear,” his voice hissed accusingly.

For some reason, of all the reactions you could have had, you started to laugh. It was nervous and tight at first, but then building in confidence at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“You’ve got giant claws! Of course I’m afraid! But I’m not running, am I?”

You slid your hand from his cheek and trailed it over his bony neck and the ridges and spines of his shoulders, finding a path for your arms to twine around him. Cuddling closer, you nuzzled into the crook of his neck, hardly bothered by the writhing tentacles that draped down over you.

“I know you would never hurt me. You’re just going to have to keep showing me there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Shuddering, he breathed in your scent. All his senses were heightened by this form, and he was surrounded by you—your pheromones, your electric field, the radiant heat of your skin. It was like sinking into a warm bath with a glass of fine wine in his hand. He opened his palm and let his predator’s hand sweep harmlessly down your back, holding you close. He could sense the fluttering of your heart in his embrace. It was slower than a creature in terror—slowing the longer he held you. You were not afraid. And he could not imagine hurting you. Whatever he had been worried might happen, whatever awful things he might be capable of, he could never imagine hurting you. You were right. You didn’t have anything to fear.

He exhaled a long, steady breath of surrender. The long spines retracted, pulling out of the walls as they returned to their usual size. He could move again, but didn’t. Not for a long time.

“It’s OK. It’s OK,” you sighed. The scent of your hair was intoxicating.

Eventually, you had to part. Chilton’s eyes darted away as you did—the inky scales on his face emitted a soft bluish starlight, which you were certain was blushing. You could not coax him to leave his concrete prison cell, but he told you where to find some blankets he could live with damaging—linen closet, second floor, third door on the right—and let you make a cozy nest on the bare floors. You made tea, and only cringed a little at his attempts to drink it. It was late, then. You were sleepy, and he was exhausted. Emotionally drained. His mind still raced over everything, still not certain of your presence and inexplicable kindness. You sat in the pile of blankets and had him rest his head in your lap.

“Give me your hand,” you asked, extending yours.

A clawed, scaly hand slid tentatively along the floor. You took it. Held it gently, first observing the long talons protruding like daggers from each finger before slotting yours between them—nothing sharp there. You let out a long sigh and leaned back against the concrete wall. His breath hitched.

He’d never had his hand held in this form, you assumed.

He’d never had his hand held at all, in fact. Not in many years.

It had to be a trap, he thought. No one had ever loved him before. No one could—not like this. Yet, as he fell asleep to your fingers massaging his temple and the soft murmuring of your voice, he let himself believe it. You were always there, protecting him. Smiling at him in the morning.

When you woke up, Frederick was human again, still fast asleep in your arms.

[costellos]

author’s note: another self-indulgent piece! you can interpret this as ur dating ur boo already or nah. the only ones that imply not being in a relationship are Bucciarati and Fugo’s scenarios. in any case, take it as you will and enjoooyy.

❥ ┋ ❝ bucci gang & their first kiss with you!

bruno bucciarati.

Bucciarati first kissed you after being caught in the rain.

the sound of his water faucet comes gently humming from his bathroom. it offers a nice contrast to the heavy raindrops pattering against his window. Bucciarati sighs, watching as a strike of lightning ignites his house, then slips a bag of earl gray tea into a kettle of boiling water.

this is his fault. he had asked you to meet him at Libeccio to go over some last minute details about an upcoming mission. but just as you were both about to part ways, an onslaught of rain came pouring from above. and of course, neither of you had an umbrella. ↳ “my house isn’t far from here. you can stay with me until this passes.”

Bucciarati curses to himself. he’s trying his best to make the most of the situation. the sense of guilt for forcing you out is overwhelming, though. and now that the temperature is dropping in Naples, he fears that he set you up to get a cold. 

the water from his bathroom cuts off. alright. you’re almost done. hopefully taking a hot shower will keep you from getting sick. a sigh escapes his lips once more as he pours the earl gray into a mug for you.

fantastic work, Bruno, he thinks to himself. it’s nice to have you here, it really is. but this was hardly out of choice. there had been so many scenarios that Bucciarati had concocted to bring you back to his home, to make you feel as safe as you do for him, yet. here you are. stuck here because he didn’t check the forecast.

really, that’s what it’s all about: he’s seen the way that you act around the team and civilians. how you selflessly put their needs above your own. even when he requested that you talk with him last minute, you didn’t hesitate to drop everything and run to Libeccio. you shouldn’t have to do that for anybody. certainly not him.

he desperately wants to take care of you, just as you do for everyone else. he wants to be the one that you come to for all your problems. he just wishes that mobster life wasn’t so complicated, that he could admit his feelings truly and wholly.

the mug in his grasp slips away. Bucciarati blinks. but when he hears your giggle, he realizes he must have gotten so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t notice you were out of the bathroom.

you sip your tea, sending him a playful grin. Bucciarati returns it with one of his own. you look so small here, with your towel over your head and your cheeks still rosy from your hot shower. god. he can’t help but smile wider.

oh. hm. his strainer must not have contained all the leaves, because there’s a stray earl gray remnant on the corner of your lip. wordlessly, he reaches up to swipe it off with his thumb. your skin feels so smooth under his touch, so warm and soft. he just wants to take care of you. he just wants to make you feel loved. he just wants to— 

Bucciarati’s kiss is quick yet so incredibly gentle. remnants of his cologne still stick to his skin — sandalwood and sea salt — but all you can focus on is how loving he feels against you. he tastes faintly of red wine. ↳ “forgive me. I couldn’t help myself.”

leone abbacchio.

Abbacchio first kissed you while doing your makeup.

it’s quiet underneath the yacht that Bucciarati rented. Narancia is blasting music on the deck above you and Mista and Fugo are talking, but everything is so muffled. it’s just you, Abbacchio, and the rouge lip stain that he’s sliding across your lips.

it’s a simple job: infiltrate a fundraiser hosted by the capo of a rival gang. because you’re one the most stunning member of the group, you were unanimously voted to distract the capo’s guards. this would give Mista access to his room and end this once and for all. and so, here you are now: getting your makeup done to, as Bucciarati quoted, “put your best face forward.”

so beautiful, Abbacchio thinks to himself. to be honest, he doesn’t understand why you asked him to help with your makeup. you really don’t need it. but he’d take any opportunity to get closer to you (though he’d never admit it).

the lip stain feels cold against your skin. Abbacchio does his best to make you comfortable, with his holding your chin in his grasp. his eyebrows are knitted, eyes strained as he tries to make you look your best. ↳ “alright. now rub your lips together.”

you do as your told, sliding the solution between your lips. seeing you move your mouth in such a way, rolling the liquid between your skin, your face so perfect... well. it’s an understatement to say that he’s overwhelmed.

“Leone?” your voice is so soft. he’s still holding onto your chin. you’re so close that he can feel your breath against his skin. all it would take— ↳ “so beautiful...”

his kiss is breathy and needy. you never expected him to be so desperate. how long has he been like this?

Abbacchio’s lips smack against yours, the hand on your chin moving to the back of your head, pulling you even closer to him. you can feel the lip stain that he just applied transferring to his own mouth. it tastes like cherries.

he keeps pushing himself further and further into you. he’s so enamored. so deprived. it takes you by surprise, but you follow his lead. ↳ “agghh! I’m sorry! I’ll come back later!!”

Narancia slams the door to the yacht’s room, effectively ending whatever you had just a moment ago. Abbacchio flinches from the sound, and once he realizes that Narancia saw everything, he rolls his eyes and sighs. ↳ “we’ll continue this later.”

giorno giovanna.

Giorno first kissed you during a mission in in the Alps.

you’re patrolling the perimeter of a ski resort. it’s cold up here, colder than you’re used to. nonetheless, this is potential new territory for Passione, so Bucciarati sent you and Giorno to observe the scene. you just didn’t expect your fingers to freeze so quickly. ↳ “I told you to bring a thicker coat.”

your partner isn’t helping. you turn to the blond next you, a sly grin on his lips. you merely stick your tongue out in response (which, quite frankly, freezes rapidly too).

in any case, you push further. despite your chilly surroundings, you have to admit that it’s nice up here. the setting sun sets the sky on fire, casting an orange glow on the snow at your feet. the air smells vaguely of pine and Giorno’s cologne, but you can’t quite pinpoint the notes on the latter.

Giorno is trying to be subtle when he looks at you. when he knows you’re not paying attention, his green irises turn to you. you look so cute out here, with your cheeks so rosy and your eyelashes covered with tiny snowflakes. you’re wearing the knit hat with the little pom pom that he bought for you. that gesture makes his heart as warm as the jacket you should’ve brought with. he’s so enamored by you.

but he can’t help but notice how much you’re shivering. he wishes he had been more adamant about bringing a thicker jacket. you insisted you would be okay, but even still. he feels that this is partly his fault. ↳ “here. hold on.”

Giorno stops in his tracks, forcing you to stop as well. the air falls dead silent, likely due to the snow around you. he unwraps the tan cashmere scarf from his neck, opting to swing it around your own. it's here that you can finally identify what his cologne smells like: vanilla and tobacco, the latter a remnant from an earlier meeting. it’s so inviting, just as he is to you.

but instead of folding it around your neck, Giorno grasps the ends of the scarf, pulling you close to him. that stupid sly smirk is on his face, and as he presses his lips onto yours, you can feel it against your own.

for as confident as he seemed just earlier, he almost recoils in the kiss. he’s shy and inexperienced, and it seems he acknowledges this, for the kiss itself is rather chaste. but he places his forehead on yours, his smirk replaced with that gentle smile you’ve come so well to know. ↳ “is that better?”

guido mista.

Mista first kissed as you were waiting for the subway.

your eyelids feel heavy. it’s far past your usual bedtime. not that you mind; tonight was an important mission briefing, so of course it would go far longer than any of you expected. 

nonetheless, it’s dark out. few people are at the Salvator Rosa subway station. maybe it’s better that way — fewer creeps to deal with. though Mista had offered to bring you back home, you live on the other side of Naples from him. it’s a sweet gesture. you just feel bad accepting it when it’s already so late.

click. click. click. the heels on Mista’s boots send echoes down the tunnels. he looks down the train tracks, seeing no sign of any approaching vehicles. the train should be coming every ten minutes at this hour. it’s not that he wants to get rid of you, he just wants to make sure that you get home as soon as possible. he doesn’t like the thought of you being out this late by yourself.

at no sign of a train, Mista clicks his tongue and leans back. he then looks at you, catching you mid-yawn. you’re tired, that much is obvious, with your bloodshot eyes and sullied expression. yet even then, he can’t help but find you so charming. you work so hard for everyone, trying your best to do the most that you can. you continuously put everyone first. he wishes he could do the same for you. it’s the least he could do. ↳ “you’re so incredible, I could kiss you. ...wait, did I just say that out loud?”

oh my god oh my god oh my god DID HE REALLY JUST BLURT THAT? 

Mista’s internally panicking now. he’s trying to take back what he said (but also not, because it’s true), yet there’s no smooth way to do it. he’s tried for so long to put up this cool guy persona and now he’s ruined it!!! (even though he never had it in the first place.)

but you just laugh in response, and that alone is enough to relax him. okay. so maybe he didn’t fuck up entirely. ↳ “err... can I kiss you?”

god, he’s such an idiot. but you oblige, saying yes, he can kiss you.

Mista wastes no time. he takes you by your hips, pressing his lips against yours. he’s wanted to do this for so long now. and now that this moment is here, all he wants to do is keep you close to him — and him only.

his kisses are eager and excited. he’s not inexperienced, especially with his flirtatious past. but there’s something about the way he moves his lips that makes you feel like you’re the only kiss that matters. you can feel him smiling as you return his enthusiasm. ↳ “you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.”

narancia ghirga.

Narancia first kissed you during a moment of silence.

Tupac is playing quietly in the background. the smell of stale potato chips fill the room. you can hear Narancia playing some video game on his N64, the soft buzz of his TV filling the silence between songs.

neither of you had any days off nowadays. but by some miracle, some god took pity on the both of you and allowed a Friday night of relaxation. although Narancia and you had discussed going out, you both decided you were too damn tired. (even though it’s far beyond midnight now.)

Narancia selects the TRY AGAIN? option (after dying for the upteenth time... jesus, this game is hard), and while he waits for the loading screen to pass, he can’t help but look at you. you’re sitting cross-legged on his bed, reading some trashy tabloid. you look so at peace here, with your eyelids low and a Twizzler hanging from your mouth. he loves seeing you like this; it’s such a nice change from how stressed you’ve been lately. he wishes you would always be like this. and he knows that’s not the life either of you agreed to once you joined Passione, but. the fact still stands.

it’s like you know that he’s watching you. you instinctively tap on his arm, a sign he’s so familiar with that means you want to play the game next.

everything here is so comfortable and familiar. he wants this moment to last forever.

the only thing that would make it better is to... well. hmm. how should he go about that? ↳ “hey, hand me a Twizzler.”

without looking, you move your hand from his arm, reaching to the plastic bag beside you. ↳ “no, stupid! I meant like this.”

it’s a smooth move, you have to admit. after he pauses his game, he climbs onto the bed with you. he bites onto the opposite end of your Twizzler, far before you can process what’s even happening.

though, let’s be real, Narancia doesn’t even know what’s happening. there are all sorts of alarms ringing in his head. what is he doing? oh my god, is this what it means to be smooth??

he supposes so, because he quickly closes the gap between you. he’s clumsy and he tastes like strawberries, but he’s so, so inviting. he tries to take it slow, with his peppering your lips with relaxed, gentle kisses. you can feel his right hand creep onto your cheek, the pads of his fingers tickling your temple.

↳ “was... was that okay?”

pannacotta fugo.

Fugo’s first kissed you while tending to your wounds.

crickets chirp from outside his window. cicadas hiss from outside. you hiss along with them as Fugo places an alcohol-soaked cotton ball on a cut. ↳ “I know, I’m sorry. I’m almost done.”

following a stand battle where, quite honestly, both of you narrowly escaped death, Fugo took it as his responsibility to tend to you. not that he particularly wanted to (which is what he kept telling himself), he simply felt it was his responsibility after you took care of him just a month earlier.

neither of you should be in this situation. had you not defended some civilians during the fight, both of you would have come out of this battle a lot cleaner. especially you. dear lord, your skin is littered with cuts and bruises. nothing too concerning, and thankfully no gashes or broken bones, but that was calling it way too close.

his violet eyes flicker to you for a second. your lips are pursed and your eyebrows are furrowed  — he can tell you’re in pain. although he tries to make this process as easy as he can, there’s only so much he can do.

Fugo turns back to your arm. you have a cut along the inside of your elbow, which he’s currently wrapping in gauze. he makes a note of it. that’s going to hurt whenever you bend your elbow, which will effect how you fight during your next stand battle. he sighs. you’re so stupid.

even still... he envies you. you don’t hesitate, ever, unlike him. you know exactly what you want to do and how you’re going to get it. and despite everything, you still try to protect the people around you, even if it means putting yourself in harm. that part is foolish, he thinks, but admirable nonetheless. he wishes that he could follow in your lead, carving his own path.

however, he couldn’t ignore how you defined him a month ago: a friend, someone worth caring for. Fugo has been described as many things yet... that’s the only one that he felt mattered. he wants everyone to see him as that. that’s how he sees you, at least.

he turns back to your face. your eyebrow is singed. he takes his thumb, running it over your charred hairs, checking for any more cuts. thankfully, there’s nothing.

but it’s here that he realizes how close he is to you. your faces are a mere three millimetres apart, your wide eyes looking back at him. with that stupid grin on your face (though he admits, most of the time it’s cute), you quickly reach up and kiss his nose.

to say Fugo is stunned would be an understatement. is... is this even appropriate? can he do this...? this wasn’t at all how he expected the night to go, yet...

Fugo exhales. you can hear how his breath wavers. but once he composes himself, he takes your face in his hands and presses his lips onto yours.

everything about Fugo is calculated. but here, it feels as though he’s absorbing everything for the first time, fumbling through the steps. because, honestly, it’s true. you’re his first kiss, and he couldn’t be happier to share it with you. he’s careful to not to push too hard into you or to touch you where your skin is cut, but his lips are smooth and welcoming. taking you in as if this was his intention all along. ↳ “come closer. I... I don’t want to stop.”

[undercoverwizardfanfiction]

Fantasy ROTTMNT Fanfiction:Do Not Go Gentle:Prolouge

Summary: We were beaten by Draxum, the   Unbreakable Baron. He took our Donnie from us. Now there’s nothing in the Hidden Kingdom that will stop us from getting him back. Sequel to the Broken Butterfly

Characters: Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey

Rating: Currently E

  Overall: T (for later chapters] (note I’ll be sure to rate each chapter individually and give each one trigger warnings pertaining to that chapter for people who want to read the story but want to avoid the angst and violence coming up )

Pairings: Oh? You want to read the story and ship everything  including the trees? Go right ahead you just have to get past my ““ship guard” *points to dragon lying in front of entrance to story wearing a bib that says ““shippers only diet”

Take a step back, before Draxum stole Donnie from his brothers, before their adventure began. Before their adventure, after all everything has a beginning

                                                         (#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Prince Leonardo Pumpington Cuddle Wuddle Baby the Twenty-Fifth awoke as he always does. With a minor headache and more tired than when he laid down twelve hours ago despite sleeping on a triple sized king bed under the fluffiest blankets made from only the finest endangered species. He pushes up his eye mask and waves off the Choir standing by his side that acted as his personal alarm before sinking once again into his soft warm bed. Staring at the ceiling and mural of himself winking. Leo made sure to wink back with finger guns, as was his usual morning ritual. He was content to lay in bed for the rest of the day (which wouldn’t be unusual) when the large ornate double doors swung open. A familiar octopus stepped in with a wide smile but eyes that were forever nervous ,”Go-good Morning my Prince! Are you ready to wake up? Where would you like your breakfast?”

The prince stretched his overly privileged arms. He could always have breakfast in bed again, that thought was always appealing, “I‘ll eat in Dining Hall Three today.” He claps his hands together loudly. Two of the more muscular choir members quickly moved lift him out of bed, holding him over their heads like a religious object and carry him out of the room. The hallways are covered in beautiful rare oil paintings, but none of them held his attention until they pass by a large mirror. “Holdup,” he says waving his hand, the two attendants back up to the mirror again. Leo made sure to give his reflected self the self-appointed wink before snapping his fingers at an attendant who had doted alongside, “You go get my make up team and my manicure team. I refuse to look anything less than spectacular.”

“Yes of course my prince.” She she curtseys before hurrying off.  The attendants carrying him finally arrived in the large dining hall with a table longer than most roads. He was lowered onto a soft throne-like dining room chair before he clapped his hands together and another attendant, with a tray with an ornate tea pot came over with several ornate china teacups on the tray to see which one he’d want to go with his breakfast. He sipped one, “Too cold” he tosses the cup over his shoulder where it shatters on the ground. “Too hot” he tosses that one. “Too sour.” He tosses another, ”Too perfect...” he tosses again before letting out a large irritated sigh. “Go try again,” he snaps as that attendant runs off as well (trying their best not to step on broken pieces of fine china).

The prince leans back in his seat before a chef hustles out with a tray. “For you, your excellence!” he says lifting the lid off the tray and sets it in front of him, despite his already irritated attitude, he can’t help but smile at the delicious selection, the chef bows. ”Caviar Benedict, with a maple syrup glaze, a side of cinnamon churro asparagus and a glass of,” he sighs, “le Choccy Milk.”

“Aw perfect!” Leo waves off the tired chef.  It’s not long after he’s finally given a good pot of tea and he’s leaning back in his seat. He has two attendants giving him a manicure, with a third applying his make-up and a fourth  lifting his tea to his mouth while a fifth one is leaning precariously around everyone else to try cut his food for him. “Taki!” he snaps to the octopus servant, “I have a headache so clear my schedule.”

‘I-oh-uh.” Taki let out a tremble. “My Prince what about your Aetherwave show? You told your fans you would take a dive into a pool of diamonds today.”

Leo scoffed. “And I told you my diamonds are dirty, throw them out and buy me new ones,” he says, turning his head towards an attendant who snapped his fan open and began to fan him off, “Did you replace my ring yet?”

“You mean the one of a kind diamond sapphire ring made for you by the master craftsman Jair-Red? I-I was trying to tell you that he recently passed-“

The Prince snaps his head in Taki’s direction with such intensity the octopus squeaks out in fear “Then get the necromancer and tell her to make him make me a new one.” He thought for a moment to make sure he had said that right. “And make sure this one is clean. Unlike that last one,” he scoffs as he remembers how disgusted he was when he found that smudge on his seventy third favorite ring. So disgusted in fact he had wasted no time in yanking it off and throwing it out the nearest window.

“Um, yes my Prince, I’m sure NecroNancy won’t mind coming into work on her birthday.” Ending in a tone that implied NecroNancy would not only mind coming into work but would also be very cross about it.

Leo let out a loud scoff, his throat was actually starting to hurt from making that noise so much “That’s not my problem is it!?” he demands as though daring Taki to imply otherwise.

“Yes, right, sorry My Prince.” Taki moves down his list. “Um, that was all you really had. Other than your concert tonight-“

Leo levels the octopus with a angry look, waving off the attendant who had just finished his eyeliner. “ I just told you cancel everything.”

“No-now I would your majesty.” Taki avoids his burning yellow eyes by looking at his paper, “Your mother was the one who requested the concert. And-“ the octopus gulps,” I do not think you want to disappoint her, do you?”

Leo’s hand bumps lightly against his teacup. Though barely noticeable to anyone else, Leo was painfully aware of his mistake. He flexes his trembling hand before regaining his composure, “Well if Mummy wants it then who am I to say no. I don’t suppose she’ll be at this one either?” he asks.

“No, My Prince, I'm sorry.”

Leo hides his disappointment by inspecting his new manicure, looking for a flaw to point out. Unfortunately, they were done to perfection. With a surge of irritation, he claps his hands together. “Leave me be!” he commands, “Go get my preparations ready.”

The staff bowed as they left, bumping into each-other as they hurried away to do their assigned tasks. When they were gone from sight, Leo sighed and leaned back as much as he could in his high back seat with a cup of tea in his hand before drinking from it.

He had gone three years without seeing his mother

What was another three to her?

                                                               (#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Leo spent the rest of the day in preparation for his concert relaxing in a gold water bath which took all the tension out of his body. Investing all that money to invent gold water was the best small fortune he had ever spent, (even if it was highly toxic to drink). A day of pampering and relaxation nearly killed off his sour mood. But before he knew it, while being fed diamond-grade gold grapes, Taki was reminding him of his recital.

He knew his mother had probably already picked out a recital outfit for him, but until then at least  he had a choice in what he would wear to the event. And for him it was his favorite aqua formal coat over a his white button up shirt and two toned pants with spats. He needed help from Jabot to put on his ruffle tie and pendant but other then that he was fine. The attendants loaded up any excess jewelry he would need between the recital and the parties afterwards.

Unfortunately, the platinum diamond carriage was being re-diamonded so he was stuck with the gold diamond studded carriage. He tapped his foot boredly  before flipping out his mystic mirror, twist a flash, he knew it was connected to the Aetherwave, which was at its strongest at the castles. “Hello my fibbly fabulous subjects, it’s your beloved and beautiful Prince, Leonardo Snuggly Wuggly the Twenty-Fifth, here to tell you of an upcoming recital featuring,” Leo made sure to tilt his head to catch the mystic sun on his cheek, “Yours truly, I hope you can all make it, though I doubt it. I’ll be sure to pay someone to describe it in full detail when I return.” Leo blew a kiss at the mirror before hanging up.

“Um,” Taki tapped his tentacles together. “My prince, please we talked about you broadcasting just before you leave. It's very dangerous you don’t want your enemies –“

Leo squeezes his eyes shut snapping his fan shut with such intensity that it interrupts Taki with a small squeak as though he understood how close he was to getting on the Princes last nerve. Leo turns to Taki with a large smile. “Taki, Taki, it’s Taki right? I’ve known you foorrrr…” Leo trails off in a way that leads to Taki to add, “E-ever since Big Mama brought you home.” His nervous face half hidden behind his clipboard as though it could somehow protect him.

“Right, right. A while, and maybe in this time I may have made you feel.” Leo danced his fan as though trying to conjure the word he was thinking of, “Comfortable? So as a Pirnce, it's my job to remind you.” He taps his fan on Taki’s forehead, “What does it mean to be a prince?”

“It-it means you’re one of a kind.” Taki stutters, “a a gift.” Leo gestures for him to continue, “a superbly burbly light from the stars.”

“That’s RIGHT Taki, very good.” Leo clapped his hands like one would clap at a dog on its hind legs, “I’m a a gift, you’re lucky enough to be able to be graced in my presence every day. And you.” Again, Leo’s fan taps him between the eyes, this time with enough force to make Taki step back with a tremble, “Well, there are millions like you. So, while I'm irreplaceable, that means there are millions of yokai who could do your job in your sleep, so you are….” Leo again trails off, gesturing for him to continue. Taki’s eyes filled with a sadness that Leo barely notices, as the octopus lowered his tear-filled eyes, “replaceable.”

“Very good Taki! Such a smart man!” with a final tap of his fan on Taki’s head, Leo climbed up into the carriage, a guard pulled the door open for him. He gave finger guns to the guards who sat in the drivers spot and on the back. Leo was about to swing in when he saw a massive brown dog sitting across from his would be spot.  Ugh,” he groaned, “Gus what are you doing?”

“Heya Prince!” Gus said happily, either oblivious to Leo’s disgust or just not caring. “Big Queen sent me here as extra muscle but you’re cool with that, right bro? Course you are!” The dog tore open a tin of bone shaped cookies he had brought along and began to tear into them without any dignity or manners. Leo scrunched up his beak before pulling himself in. Snapping open his fan to try and get the smell of “peasant” off him.

It wasn’t his fault they were all poor.

                                                                (#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Thanks to the best magic available the inside of the carriage kept the interior at a perfect temperature, judging by the shivering peasants working out in the fields, but thankfully that’s what curtains were for. Leo spent most of the journey looking through the dance recital choreography his mother had picked out for him. Why she bothered to do that he didn’t know. Tapping his foot in rhythm and trying to visualize what illusion would go best with the moves. He’d have a little time to practice before the event but he often did his best work on the fly. So eventually he gave up. At that point there was a heavy shadow against the curtain telling him they were passing a forest now. Leo was half asleep when the smooth ride was interrupted by a jarring hit and they came to a stop. He grabs the door to keep from flying forward as his anger swells back. “What is the glimbering meaning of this?!” he demands scooting towards the window. ”I swear if you make me late I'm throwing you all into the Battle-“  he goes to throw the curtain open when suddenly something heavy slams against the door. Leo drew back in shock as the carriage rocks heavily. He grabs at the framework to keep from falling on the ground. Before he could say anything, Gus was scrambling for the door. ”Don’t worry, your highness!  I’ll protect-“ But a moment later the door was thrown open and his bodyguard suddenly was yanked from view and thrown aside.

A cry of surprise escapes Leo, he scrambles for the door he was presses against and after a few frantic seconds manages to get the door open and fall out the other side just as he felt a hand grab at the back of his shirt. The prince rolls on the ground for a moment, surrounded by the sounds of combat and shouts. The neat clean purple guard of the Matriatch locked in a struggle against several larger dirty looking thugs that Leo could only assume were bandits when one of them turns and points at him, “There’s the Prince!”

No!

Kidnappers.

For a moment Leo hoped they were referring to another devilishly handsome prince when all eyes fell on him. Leo looks to his fallen guards in hopes that are just pretending to be horribly injured but judging by the pained groan of one of them lets out when one of the kidnappers steps over him he knows it’s a pipe dream. “Thanks for the Aetherwave video, kid,” one of the bandits with a crooked jaw says. “We had just about given up on getting you before you posted that. Now how about you be a good boy and don’t put up a fight.”

Leo would like to think he would have been brave if he had ever been in a life or death situation, but his trembling body betrays that dream as well.  But if he knows how to do anything, its talk. He musters a chuckle that he hopes is more humor then fear. ”Really? You geniuses thought coming after me was a good idea?” He puts on a wide grin as easy as a mask, “I am Prince Leonardo Snuggly Wubbly Baby the Twenty-fifth and I –“

“Um.” One of the bands looks off to his friends in confusion. “Wait that’s your name? For real? That’s just tragic.”

Despite himself, when the bandits start off laughing (he’s even sure he can hear one of the guards chuckling weakly into the ground) he blushes angrily, “Excuse me, you are criminals! I don’t except any of you to crimdididly criminals to understand a name of high society. Or someone of my power.” He snaps his fan out hard which suddenly fills the air with bright sparks with such intensity one of the bandits stumbles back in shock. He couldn’t help but feel satisfied at their awe and fear. “I am a master Mystician. I have trained with warlocks and wizards whose very power could turn the world inside out.  And you honestly think you have any chance of challenging me!?” He threw his free hand upward as a light explodes from his fingertips licking the air like a mighty firework that makes the bandits stumble back in shock in order not to be touched by the magic.

They are so enamored by the display, it takes them a moment to notice that Leo is, in fact, running away as fast as he can in a manner that not only raised the question if he had ever run a day in his life or even walked (like a deer that not only just realized they had legs but were on backwards).

Leo’s hands fumble for his panic broach at his throat while looking at the bandits who were just noticing his disappearance when his graceful toe caught on a large root and sent him hard onto the ground. The broach flying from his fingertips and sinking into a mud puddle. “Who put all this nature here?!” he shrieks in panic. He can already hear the bandits running after him, Leo hurries to his feet and turns towards where he had come from. Despite his panic he summons bright silver lights to his finger tips that he swipes through the air, creating a crystal web across the trees in the path. But not wanting to wait to see how long they would last Leo ran again, before he hears the crystal shatter behind him and sends. Before he can react a rock hits him hard in the shell, knocking him forward snd rolling across the hard ground, his only saving grace was the hard tree in front of him that stops him but sends pain shooting down his shoulder, causing him to cry out and hold the injured appendage. He turns to press his shell against the tree as the bandits are now far too close to his liking.

“You know what, your highness?” The square chinned bandit says. “That was a good try. Probably not the best escape attempt I’ve ever seen but definately the funniest.” The other bandits chuckle around him as he raises up the muddy remains of Leo’s Panic Pendant. “Maybe if you were actually as great as you think you are, then you might have stood a chance.”  His rough hands crushes Leo’s only hope before dropping the pieces to the ground and stepping froward, reaching towards him with the same sinfully dirty hand.

Leo turns his head away, anything to spare him the sight of the hand coming closer to grabbing him-

Something whistles through the air followed by the sound of impact and something hitting the ground hard.  Leo lowers his arm in time to see something jump over his head and land hard against the bandit in front of him with both feet, sending the Yokai flying. The interloper ducks underneath a bandit directly to his front that tries to punch him and plants his staff hard in the ground, vaulting over and sending a bandit flying back into a tree. The interloper swung his staff up into a defensive position. The impenetrable shadow of his raised dark plum hood stole his features from Leo sending a shiver down his shell , but he could assume that when he jabbed his staff at the  bandits it was a warning to go on. One of the bandits go to grab the leader when the interloper aims his staff at the unconscious bandit leader. Before he uses his toe to kick his money pouch up into his hands, before nodding at him. The bandits grab their leader by the ankles and run off into the forest after his friends.  After that, the interloper opened up the drawstring pouch and began to poke around inside.

It took Leo a moment to realize his life was no longer in danger, and that relief was swapped by a rage, “What took you so long?! I thought that Uncles Rangers were the best warriors in the kingdom,” he snaps. The interloper head tipped in his direction for a moment before going back to count the money in his bag. It takes Leo a moment to realize he’s being ignored and swells up his chest as he stomps in the interloper’s direction, “Don’t you ignore me! I thought I was dimbly done for!!! I am the Prince; my safety is your only priority.”

For the first time since he arrived, the interloper looked fully in his direction, his face cast in shadow by   his hood as though finally acknowledging his presence. He almost seems frozen at the sight of him, a fact Leo took to mean he understood his failings. “Thats right, when we get back to the castle I'm going to make sure you are thrown in a dungeon-“ Leo didn’t have a chance to finish his threat before the hooked staff appeared again and caught him around the ankle.

The moment his head hit the ground his world went black.

                                                              (#)(#)\/(#)(#)

It feels like a life time before Leo opens his eyes again and when he does he’s welcomed by a splitting headache. He instinctually tries to rub his head only to find his arms have been bound with his wrists behind him. Not painfully but it is enough to make him glare at the figure sitting against a tree several feet in font of him. Now Leo can see this figure lacks the fine, if plain, tunic of a Ranger. He’s wearing poor peasant clothing that seems to hang off him, wrapped in a dark plum cloak, the only indication of his skin came from his bare two-toed green feet and fingerless gloves. He’s watching Leo from his spot with his arms over his chest. If Leo hadn’t known better, he would have thought that he had fallen asleep. Except, even though Leo can't see his face, he feel his eyes on him which only adds to his anger and irruption. He can’t actually tell how much time has passed only that they are not in the same clearing as they had been a moment ago but a more secluded spot, where the mushroom trees where much closer together.  “Excuse me?!” he snaps. ”What is the meaning of this?!” he demands. “You're not a ranger, are you?! You’re just some- some, weirdo living in the woods huh?!? Huh!? Do you want a ransom too!!??” he demands. A part of him is almost desperate for a response at his point.

“I don’t like to waste my words.”

Leo blinks. He had thought the figure might have been close to his age, but to hear his actual voice still shocks him. The thief falls silent again, drinking from a tin cup that smells like cheap old coffee that Leo can smell from here.  The thief stands up and-spins his staff around his hand again lazily. “The truth is, I haven’t decided what to do with you yet. Ransoming you out won't do me any good, I'd live the rest of my life with a target on my back. Which isn’t ideal. I could rob you I guess, but I'm not sure I want it brother myself with stuff that smells so flowery. But that’s if I wanted to be professional” The thief dumps his cup out by his side. “I could just take everything you have and dump you in the deepest darkest part to the woods.“

At first Leo wonders if it's possible to have a heart attack from fear alone.  But at the moment his heart seems determined to try. Kidnappers were one thing; he had been warned about them his whole life. But this person didn’t sound like they were all too interested int that. This sounded more like—

Leo blinks, his eyes going to the hooked staff that hasn’t left the thief’s side. Though the twisting hooked wood is nothing special to him, other than a dark gray handle at the end that seemed to summon the weapon, he sees a dark crystal hovering inside the hooked circle at the tip. The purple with a hint of pink is achingly familiar and the moment he recognizes he had owned it he can't’ help but let out a full-on laugh. It brings him no small amount of satisfaction to see the Thief look in his direction again. “I get it, you’re one of the orphans Mummy threw out before me,” he sneers. “Awwww you poor thing. Jealous that Mummy saw you for the worthless unlovable, pieces of trash you are? Is that it, little boy-“

The figure is in front of him in half a blink, lifting him up by the front and slamming him hard into the tree behind with such speed that Leo cries out in panic as dark pink eyes burn into him with such intensity Leo could feel the red hot rage about to be unleashed on him, “You know, you’re right?” the Thief says in a way that almost makes Leo think he’s sneering, “Since i’m  a no one.” He twists the shirt up tighter in his hands, “Then I got nothing to lose-“

Before Leo could see his life flash before his eyes, there's a flash of red energy and the Thief jumps away in in time to avoid a giant fist red of energy swiping at him. In the time it takes Leo to hit the ground, the Thief summersaults underneath another giant hand and snatches up his hooked staff and roll to his feet. A giant bulking figure jumps out from the tree line, sliding across the ground before coming to a stop.

“Comet Farts!” the Thief gasps.

Not that Leo could blame him, the figure now standing between him and the Thief was more muscular then any of his guards, a large snagle tooth hanging from he mouth and  with a thick  that would put a tree to shame, Leo had seen snapping turtles before but none that big. He was wrapped in a black cloak and grey traveling gear, his head is marked off by a red bandana that’s fixated on the Thief.  “In the name of Captain Jupiter James Guild, you are under-arrest for kidnapping and grand larceny and-“ The giant snapping turtle looks to his hand, Leo could just see a list of crimes the bounty hunter hand written up his arm, “And-and just a lot of other things-“ but the bandit had already turned and fled into the forest, “HEY!” The turtle shouts, “No, you're under arrest! That means stop running!” the giant runs after him, before calling, ”Mikey make sure the Prince is ok.”

“Don’t just lea-“ There’s a rustling to Leo’s right that makes him shriek out in surprise before, what could only be described as, another turtle slightly younger than himself pokes his head out to the bushes, “Don’t worry your highness! I’m a fan! Me and Raph are here to rescue you!” before climbing out of the bushes, revealing his dirty mud-covered body and old patchwork orange clothes.

Leo shrieks again.

This time for different reasons.

“No don’t you dare touch me! You’re filthy and you smell like a bird-“ There's another crashing sound, the thief almost crashes into Leo (who gave out his, what felt like, hundredth shriek and leapt out of the way.) The Thief hits the mushroom tree before falling into a crouch position. When he drags his hand across his face, Leo could see blood stain his sleeve.

The one who had called himself Raph stepped out of the forest, cracking his neck from side to side. “I’m sorry I hit you. I don’t want to fight some kid,” he starts, “If you turn yourself in maybe they’ll go easy on you-“

The Thief visibly grips his staff tighter, he reaches into his pocket and tosses a small brown bundle in the air that he smacks with his staff in Raph’s face which explodes into red dust. The bounty hunter cries out as he stumbled back, scrubbing at his face with his forearm before the Thief was on him jumping up and planting his feet hard against him like he had before with the bandit. Raph, though blinded, twists away and brings his elbow up to knock the Thief hard in the head.

The impact makes the Thief hit the ground before Raph’s foot found its place on his arm that held the hooked staff. The Thief squirmed trying to free him arm, “I’m trying to help you here. I was trained by the greatest hero of the Hidden-“

The hooked staff in the Thief’s trapped hand suddenly flashes and shrinks into the handle, with a limited room the Thief manages to toss it his other hand where it reforms and he swings hard, knocking Raph in the face.  The Thief rocks back to his feet. His closed stance shifting to a wide one as he swings his staff around, Raph’s arms came up and crossed over his face as red energy covers him again flaring under the hits as the Thief spins around and rains a few smacks on his sides before swinging his leg up with a side kick to the stomach. Blindly, Raph swings his arm around and knocks him hard in the head.

The Thief flew back hard against a mushroom tree, his hood fallen back to reveal a dark jade green complexion wrapped in a purple bandana, blood running from where his nose would be as he snarled angrily at the Bounty Hunter before jumping at him again.

The turtle that had been called Mikey let out a small whine, “Raph, the Prince won't let me untie him because he thinks I smell.”

Raph had somehow pinned the Thief around his chest, but judging by the strained look on his face he wasn’t going to keep it for long as the two struggle around. ”Don’t distract me, I'm working,” before pausing “And when was the last time you had a bath that wasn’t just you standing in the rain?”

Mikey opened his mouth to respond before lifting his arm and smelling his armpit, judging by the grimace on his face he had just answered his own question. Leo squirmed away from the filthy turtle, in fact he was so determined to get away from the filthy turtle that he didn’t see the Thief slam his head back against Raph’s face, forcing the bounty hunter to drop him and the two opposite turtles collapsing against the other.

Then.

A breath.

The one known as Raph ran forward with his hand held out probably to pull the Thief off him, but as he took a step closer a small wave pulsed from him. Like a gust of wind, ceasing the chaos and shouting and bringing silence. An invisible force catches him by the front of the chest and pulls him upward into the air, causing him to cry out in panic. He looks around and sees the same thing happening to those around them. Even the scattered leaves and stones are caught in the air as though reality in that moment had taken a break. Each of them caught in some sort of invisible suspension.  A heat started at the back of Leo’s eyes and burned forward like an inferno. He squeezes his eyes shut in order to try and stop it but his eyelids are forced open, revealing golden eyes with white flecks radiating from his eyes as the world suddenly turned white. He lashes his arms and legs out around him stupidly to try and grab something when he notices a person standing in front of him, outlined in a green flame with yellow eyes staring right at him, though there aren’t any real characteristics, Leo can tell it’s a human of sorts with a large pompadour. It reaches up to touch him but he can't’ help but flinch away, whether out of fear the fire would burn him or the stranger itself he doesn’t know. But then the figure tilts his head to the side as though saying ‘I understand’.

Before Leo could say anything, he’s not even sure he could in this state, the figure suddenly twists into itself and takes the shape of a five-petal lotus flower before burning away. Then he hears a man's voice behind him, as though something is whispering to him

“Come find me.”

As quick as it all starts, it ends. Leo hits the ground hard and gasps loudly, rubbing at his tear-filled eyes as he looks around him. Too shocked to yell, but he can tell he’s not the only one confused. Raph had already pulled himself up next to Mikey to check on him, who’s now rubbing ineffectively at  eyes streaming with tears. The Thief is several steps away, as though eh had thrown himself as far them as possible, and is checking his trembling hands as though making sure they weren’t about to explode on him. But after a few glances at each other, as though reassuring themselves they had all experienced the same thing. They had one question for each other:

“Who are you?”

Part 2=>>

[malereader-inserts]

How Do You Know?

Fandom: Criminal Mind Pairing: Bau Team & Male!Reader Summary: It turns out your team doesn’t know much about you, it’s okay, you understand the life of a profiler. Word Count: 1,275

“I don’t think I have ever seen (Y/n) late.”

Prentiss had started a conversation about you, things she had never seen happen to you. She was convinced that you weren’t human, you were too perfect, no flaws to pick out. Then, everyone in the team decided to put their two cents in.

“Once,” Garcia said, “But barely late, it was ten minutes late and he was holding a coffee in hand. But, I don’t think I have ever seen him drunk.”

“I have,” Hotch came down to the bullpen to see why his team decided to talk about on their lunch break, “I was unaware what the reason why he was drinking but I ran into him at the bar. You wouldn’t realise he was drunk until you squint at him.”

“Would love to see him drunk,” Morgan chortle, patting Reid’s back, “Shame he never comes out on Team night.”

“I’d say he’s done good on skipping them out,” Rossi replied back, rubbing his temple before looking around the circle of the team, “Speaking of (Y/n), where is he now? I haven’t seen him all day.”

“He’s ill,” Hotch announced, cross his arms over his chest, “He called in at six, hacking his lungs out.”

“I don’t think he’s ever missed out work,” JJ realised, standing straight, “In the years we’ve known him, I’ve never seen him ill and if has been ill - he’s done a well-done job in concealing it.”

“There’s a lot of things we don’t know about him,” Morgan reconsidered, looking at boy genius, “Like, his he a dog person or a cat person? I’ve seen both hairs on his clothing.”

“Well, I’m going to check up on him after work, you’re welcome to join,” Aaron had suggested as the team looked at each other.

Garcia clapping her hands, “I can buy him cookies, that will make him happy right?” She looks at the team, looking if they know you like cookies, but JJ shrugged her shoulders - Garcia's nice gesture falls flat on her face.

You hated being sick.

But, then again, you have never been this ill before. You’ve been moderately ill. A common cold here and there, nothing you couldn’t hide. But, you woke up at five in the morning, with the bed drenched in sweat, your chest tighten as your lungs rather be out of your body as your throat hacks out coughs. 

You somehow managed to get soup down you, with warm tea and, here and there with water. You’ve bundled yourself on the sofa of your living room, blankly watching Netflix whilst your dog lie upon your legs whilst your cat purr from her seat upon the coffee table - you have no energy to tell her off. 

You had to do something productive whilst you were ill. Turning off your television and putting your old record player on with the volume on soft, you move to the corner of your living room where your long window sits. Commonly known as your art corner, with pretty canvas on display to dry. You sit down on the floor, a smaller think blanket draped over your shoulders as you prepare your medium canvas. The acrylics you wanted to use, you started to sketch out what you wanted to paint.

You cat resting next to your art window, lying on the sill, pretending not to care about you but enjoying the warm sun against its fur. Your dog sitting underneath the low sill, wanting to be by the side of his best friend the cat and you. Sure, your insides were killing you from within but with the old record player playing music in the background with the warm spring sun beaming through the window of your apartment - you forgot your body was currently withering in.

A third into your painting, your hands to your wrist splattered with the odd colour of paint upon your skin, you hear a knock on your door. You ever content in sitting in your comfy corner to paint, with the reluctant trips to the bathroom to throw up or pee and an every-so-often visit to the kitchen for things that might stay down you.

You get up at the knocking on the door persisted, wrapping the blanket you had dropped in the middle of the living room around your shoulder as you slowly make your way down to the door. The knocking had stopped when you had turned the lock before opening the door.

“You look shit,” Morgan had blurted out upon sight before getting promptly smacked by Garcia with a disapproval look from Hotch.

“Oh,” You responded dully, “I’m aware.”

Your dog wiggles his face between the doorway and your leg, the big dog carrying the cat on it’s back, wondering who was greeting their beloved owner.

“You have pets?!” Emily exclaimed, promptly kneeling down to stroke both your pets.

“Um, yeah, little miss princess here is Mochi and her best friend, Rex,” you introduced before coving your mouth to hack out a violent cough. You smack your head against the door, then leant against it with a small groan escape your mouth.

“You relax,” Hotch giving you a look, dad mode instantly activating, “I’m sure you won’t mind the company for a few hours?”

“By all means, sure,” You open the door wider as your dog and cat run away into their home. You trudge your way back into the living room.

“Eaten?” JJ asked, her motherly instinct wanting to swarm you down, even more, when you shrug your shoulders pathetically.

“Barely,” You responded, “Doesn’t want to stay down really.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” JJ claps her hands, “I have a recipe for you, I make it for Henry and Will when they’re sick and it’s perfect for everyone else. Spence, Penny come help.”

Spence pats your head tenderly before following JJ into the kitchen, your lips twitch upwards, a soft smile drawing on your face as Morgan sits himself down on the sofa, playing with Rex as Emily took claim with your cat Mochi. You rolled your eyes.

“I’ll make you tea, sit down before you fall,” Hotch warns as you turn to look at Rossi, waiting for his comment.

“You paint?” He finally asked as you tilt your head in confusion, “Well, judging from your painted hands and the corner of art.” 

“Oh,” You let out with a sullen nod, “It’s a passion of mine.”

“How come you never said anything?” Rossi questioned as you knitted your eyebrows at him.

“Because profilers like to think they know everything about you until they realise they don’t,” You flat out exposed them, Hotch entering with steaming tea, “I know you guys quite well because I ask questions and pay attention to the smallest details. If you just focus on the smaller things you barely see the bigger picture. If you don’t ask, you don’t get to know. Like, would you have asked what sport I played in high school?”

“Football,” Morgan instinctively answered, you scoffed.

“Baseball and on the swimming team,” You correctly as a few eyebrows were raised, sitting down in your armchair, “I’m not mad, I know what you guys are like.”

“Huh?” Emily asked, narrowing her eyes, “What are we?”

“Bunch of fucking idiots.”

There was silence before the room erupted into laughter and chuckles, you lean your head back, relaxing in their comforting presence, despite being ill you had momentarily forgotten about it.

“Twenty questions anyone?” Hotch asked as you rolled your eyes, shaking your head but there was a fond smile on your face.

Ill or not, your team was always there to brighten your day.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Tokyo Tower (Part 1) Fingel

The MC meets Fingel!!! :D Finally! Please enjoy! @rurifangirl by request

You were back in the Club Takamagahara after a long night. While you were working on your final episode in the MC Romance Contest, you declared Ruri Kazama the winner and gave him all your star hearts. This was in direct rebellion of Z’s orders, and it turned out that Z was running this whole place. He reacted by temporarily cutting all the power in the nightclub by some invisible hand.

Not only that, Erii had lost control of her powers and killed 76 people in the middle of Tokyo. Caesar, understandably spooked by all of this, ordered both you and Erii to get out of the island nation on a ship to China. But Lu Mingfei had other ideas.

He drove at breakneck speed to a small town where you enjoyed yourself in Erii’s company and watched the sun go down. You thought you were going to be getting on the boat the next morning, but Lu Mingfei put you on the train back to Tokyo with her. You had to get off early, killed a death servitor who attacked you and were found by Hydra. They would have killed you had Ruri Kazama not found you and brought you back to the nightclub.

Ruri Kazama said he ‘accepted your proposal’ but as you go down the elevator to change your clothes and bathe, you realize that it could mean a lot or not much. He could have accepted your proposal to join him in the fight against Herzog. Or he could have accepted your proposal not to throw his life away, or accepted your proposal to be his bride. Or all of them. Or just two? Who knows? Your mind was a mess. Maybe Chu Zihang was right. Maybe your mental state was deteriorating slowly and you hadn’t noticed.

You hurry to the room where you were staying with the men and much to your shock, your sleeping area in the closet was untouched. They hadn’t come back after going to the hotel to put you in Lu Mingfei’s custody. What was different was a little black dress, black stockings and some jewelry.

Attached with a note from Z.

Your heart rate sped up and you looked around for his ghostly figure, but you didn’t see him. You creeped forward, looking for any signs of booby traps, but you didn't see any. You pull the note from the dress.

“To my dearest, MC. I must apologize for my uncharacteristic outburst yesterday. Rejection can be hard. I do care about you. You need a man who can survive. However, the heart will do what it will do, right? So I can only give you my full support. Please accept this dress and sage advice. This is your first date with Ruri Kazama. Be yourself, be conservative, but be girly. Quiet and silence and what is hidden and far away will attract his attention. He will notice every single detail. Make your body a scavenger hunt. ;)”

A man who can survive? Was that a reference to Chance? Is he suggesting that Ruri Kazama will end up like him? If so… how cruel.

Still, you put on the clothing. It wasn’t flashy. The body seemed to be a simple straight dress that gently held your figure before flaring out at the skirt. The open back and sleeves were covered by a sheer fabric that made its embroidered black vining rose pattern seem painted onto your skin. A single bluish colored jewel hung on a gold chain that was as thin as a thread. It lay across your chest and sparkled right in the shadow of where your cleavage began. He said, conservative but girly, so you tie your black hair up into a bun but leave some strands of hair to hang on either side of your face.

What did he mean by scavenger hunt? Placing objects in hidden places? You huff. Z really was a perv, but you took his words to heart. Just above where your skirt ended at your knees, you tie a red ribbon that would stay completely hidden, only peeking out when you sat down.

Caesar was not going to be happy once he found out about what Lu Mingfei had done. But Caesar never so much as raised his voice at Lu Mingfei so you can’t imagine him doing anything. Chu Zihang clearly threatened you not to defy the order, but you were innocent in this matter. If Mingfei didn’t take you to the dock and put you on the boat, what were you supposed to do? Swim to China?

Still, you don’t stay in the room. Ruri would be in the bar area, so you decide to go there to hide until the Takamagahara closes for the night.

Once the last patron was escorted out, you take a spot at the bar where Ruri Kazama was working as a waiter, blending in seamlessly and keeping himself low profile. For now, you both ignore each other, but he does serve you a bit of sushi and some tea without a word.

You spot Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang and Caesar together near the exit. Lu Mingfei seems alright and that relaxes your heart. He was wearing a backless pinstriped suit and looking at someone under the stairwell. In fact, all of them were looking down at this guy and talking. Eventually, they picked him up off the floor and helped him limp over to the bar. They sat down near you with only one seat separating you.

The man they were helping was tall, with messy blond hair and smelled like he hadn’t bathed for days.

Chu Zihang poured him a glass of warm water. Caesar turned to Ruri Kazama. “Get us a warm towel to wipe his face.”

Ruri just nodded and walked off to retrieve the item. You keep your eyes low. Evidently, Caesar didn’t recognize him, but surely he noticed you at this point. After all, the bar stretched nearly the length of the dance floor. For them to sit so close to you meant they knew you were there.

“Guys.." The man nearly had tears in his eyes.

"You were dragged into our affairs," said Lu Mingfei, "Everything’s so messed up right now. I”ll go through the details later."

 "My beautiful brother..." The man sighed with a weepy expression.

 "In fact, we are not much better off than you right now." Lu Mingfei also sighed.

He was an ace commissioner too? Then why was he not in the team? You’d never seen him before, but if he had survived on his own without anyone’s support, he must be incredibly resourceful.

 "What are you talking about? How many times have I told you? Are you going to get me something to eat or not?" He suddenly jumped up and howled like a wounded beast, making you startle. "Do you want to starve me to death to silence me?"

You crack a smile and a brief laugh escapes you before you can stop it.

Caesar immediately turns to you from the other side of the man. “Fingel, I want you to meet our new freshman. You haven’t had the opportunity right?”

Caesar looks you directly in the eyes and you look him right back. What was he on? Talking to him about a new freshman when he had tried to rush you off the boat as a Godzilla hours ago?

But he grins at you. “Don’t be shy. I swear he doesn’t bite, though he is very hungry right now.”

This Fingel was staring not at your face but at the peek of red ribbon on your thigh. You pull down your skirt roughly. That was NOT for him! “Nice to meet you, Fingel.”

“Ah! Such a beautiful face soothes my tortured heart!” He sighs. “Brother, you are so kind to have brought such a supple young beauty with you to Japan. A man cannot live on bread alone as they say. They also live on the red ribbons and a narrow waist!”

You straighten up and hiss. “Don’t compare me to bread, you-”

Fingel was undeterred. He dramatically rests the back of his hand against his forehead. “How can I? Everywhere I look, I see fine Japanese delicacies.”

Ruri Kazama returned with four bowls of Ramen and he refilled your tea. Fingel’s eyes practically glowed at the colorful bowls of delicious steaming noodles swimming in slow cooked pork broth. “Oh how thoughtful, so thoughtful!”

You don’t say anything to Ruri. You were watching in amazement as Fingel efficiently downed three of the four bowls himself, working the chopsticks like a conveyor belt and not even stopping to cool the noodles. Then he tilted the bowl back and gulped down the broth like he was one of the five Chinese brothers swallowing the sea.

The waiter Ruri blinked a moment and then returned back to the kitchen to make more. He was a fantastic host and so understated that the rest of the boys were completely unaware that he was even here, partially thanks to all the noise Fingel was making. 

Mingfei’s eyes were flickering between you and Caesar but neither of you were saying anything to each other yet, but Caesar kept smiling at you with gentle eyes. It was confusing, disorienting. After all this time together, it felt like you were back at the beginning, silent and not responding much to your teammates.

Ruri poked his head out of the kitchen and caught your eye briefly. You were uncomfortable and he knew it but he was busy.

Fingel shouted. “I would like four prawn tempura and a double portion of the miso soup!”

Ruri looked up in amazement and asked Caesar for his opinion with his eyes. Caesar, with a simple look, indicated to him to comply. The waiter Ruri bowed deeply as though to say, ‘Understood’ and went flying back into the kitchen.

Fingel fished a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cabinet, and ate ramen noodles with the strong wine, not even bothering to talk to his colleagues.

 “I feel like I’ve come back from the dead!” Fingel swallowed the noodle soup and sat up straight, rubbing his stomach with a baby-sweet smile.

 "Ready to go take a bath?" Caesar suggested.

 Fingel stank like he'd been buried in a garbage dump and fermented, and the three of them together couldn't overpower that perfume.

 "Give me a break, give me a break." Fingel got up slowly, holding onto the bar, "I ate a little too fast. I need to let it settle!”

"There is still a bowl of noodles left. You also ordered prawn tempura and miso soup." Chu Zihang reminded him

"That's the next meal. I'll take a break and go to the bathroom to make room for the tempura and miso soup."

Is this man serious? You’d read somewhere about greedy feasts where people ate for the sake of eating. When their stomach got full they just threw up to make room for more food.

 "It's good to see you guys, I've never felt so sincerely that you're my brothers." Fingel looked like a dog, sitting and wagging its tail, lolling its tongue and rolling its eyes at its masters. "All three of you look great, and your clothes are particularly handsome. But this… this lady. What can you tell me about her?"

You tense a bit as he leaned forward like he was going to lick your face.

"President, this dress is Oscar De la Renta. They don’t make it any more. Very exclusive and expensive. Where did you find it here? And this necklace, is that a Versace blue diamond? So understated but it’s at least 4,000 dollars right? And your face, you seem a bit Asian but you’re not. I hear a hint of eastern Europe in your voice. Are you Russian by chance? I do love Russian girls! Such delicate feminine beauty!”

He was praising you but all you wanted to do was slap his face.

"Can you speak human?" Lu Mingfei covered his face with one hand.

Caesar was grinning conspiratorially. Something had just clicked in his brain. He didn’t buy you those clothes.

“In fact…” Fingel suddenly turned away from you and looked at the other men. “You all have a delicate feminine beauty right now!” He beamed.

They all suddenly bristled at him.  “Don’t say anything about this back at the college!” The three of them simultaneously surrounded Fingel, as if three hungry tigers were ready to pounce on a lamb.

Fingel tightened his shoulders and smiled cautiously: "How could I? We doggies are taking whoever's money to do whoever's business. I ate your ramen noodles to keep your secret. but I'm sincere, Caesar. I've never thought you were so handsome. This style is too suitable for you! I think you released your ego to find the second spring of your life!"

You let out the breath you’d been holding. Just when the squawking parrot Mingfei had raised his status in your eyes, you had to collect this smelly stray dog.

"Business takes precedence," Chu said, "Now that we have a fifth person inside Japanese territory. Is anyone else here?"

  "The Japanese branch has turned traitor." Caesar explained to Fingel, "We are all disconnected and can't contact Norma."

 "What's worse is that the Japanese branch may have the secret of the White King's bones, and the bones may still be revived.  They are slowly hatching in Japan and are already capable of moving on their own!" Lu Mingfei added, "We endure this humiliation to investigate this matter."

  "You guys are dressed so well, have food, and have a woman to fall back on, what kind of humiliation is that?" Fingel grunted disdainfully.

You open your mouth but swallow your protest.

"I know everything you guys are saying. I already know the Japanese branch is up to no good!”

"How do you know that?" Chu Zihang was a little surprised. “You’re rank F and shouldn’t have access to classified information.”

 "Do you think I'm just here for an internship?" Fingel smiled triumphantly, "The Hydra have always believed themselves to be the true rulers of Japan, and were not willing to submit to the Academy to act as a mere branch. The only reason they didn't betray the Academy until now was because they feared one person."

 "The principal?" Caesar understood.

"Yes, in their eyes the academy is just a group of scholars, except for the principal. They think the principal is a thug, a thug who dresses up in Western-suits, drives sports cars. But he’s a martial arts master, and if the Japanese hybrids don't behave, the principal teaches them to behave with a blade. And if they resist, the principal uses a rocket launcher instead." Fingel said, "These hybrids worship violence, so they fear the principal, but do not hate him."

You’re suddenly reminded of Chisei’s words to you in the elevator. Chisei was suspicious that you were someone with close ties to the principal, not because of your being an Ace Commisioner, but because of your fighting style! He said you fought like the Principal, using a technique lost to time. In your pain and weary state, you didn’t think much of it. You were more curious than anything.

But in Chisei’s eyes, you were a dangerous individual! And potentially a person to be feared!

All three men nodded.

 "But the principal knew that his personal authority alone could not stabilize the Japanese branch for long. So he has been sending people to infiltrate the Japanese branch for years under the name of internship. I am one of the spies, and my job is to collect information about the Hydra family." Fingel stroked his long hair, "Do you think I just came to Japan on vacation?!"

"And what information have you gathered?" Caesar asked.

 "I've got all the gossip and secrets of the heads of families! So don't be afraid! If the Hydra families push too far, we will announce their private bedroom secrets to the media!" Fingel's dominance flowed as he struck a superman pose.

 "We don’t need that kind of information! What we need is the relationship between the Hydras and the Devil Clan, as well as information like the Well of Bones." Lu Mingfei was completely exasperated.

    "I just heard about the Devil Clan. What’s the Well of Bones? Is that information that important? More important than the private affairs of those big shots?" Fingel was taken aback.

    "Fingel, I just said the White King, right? White King! Compared to a dragon king on the level of the White King, who cares if they are having sex in private? Are you out of your mind, brother?" Lu Mingfei said.

    "White... White…. White King?" Fingel stammered.

    "Yes! The thing that will be awakened may be the most difficult enemy encountered in the history of the Secret Party!" Caesar said slowly, "The Japanese even call it ‘God’.’

 Fingel rubbed his chin. "That's tricky, I always thought that the principal sent me to Japan to cover the Hydra leaders in a racy scandal! So my time was spent on installing pinhole cameras and wiretaps. I got a hold of a lot of their racy photos. It’s useless now but why don't you take it out for everyone to enjoy? " Fingel fished out the flash drive from his pocket.

"You sure you’re not sent by Hydra to sabotage us?" Lu Mingfei asked.

 "No, I was obviously sent by the principal to sabotage you." Fingel seamlessly responded.

 "I’m leaving, I don’t want to get into it with you.” Lu Mingfei was crimson with frustration.

"It was you who fought with me first!”

Chu Zihang interrupted this pointless conversation, "At least, we got together with Fingel so it’s not all that bad..."

"You think it's kinda bad, right? You clearly have said it!" Fingel said loudly.

You’re trying not to laugh but you can’t help yourself. You rest your elbow on the bar and cover over your smile, looking over at the boys with rosy cheeks. This is what they get. It’s God’s punishment for casting you out!

"Sorry, I didn't mean that." Chu Zihang looked embarrassed, almost deferential, and backpedaled. "In a way, it's a good thing, Senior Fingel brought some very important intelligence ......"

 "You mean racy photos?" Fingel asked, trapping him again.

Chu Zihang can only concede and not acknowledge what Fingel said. "At least we know that the principal is aware of the situation in Japan and has planted manpower. This means we might have more help.”

 "If we can find a way to get the word out that we are here without the Hydra noticing, then we might be able to attract more companions." Caesar said, glancing at you.

You break his look and suddenly take great interest in your cooling tea.

 "That's a good plan. We should stay here and wait for help," Fingel acted just like he already joined the group, "It’s great that you found this hideout. Hydra will never find you here. Plus this hideout is very traditional.”

“Who’s tradition?!” Lu Mingfei was stunned.

“Japanese! Japanese tradition! During the Meiji-Revolutionary era, the revolutionaries hid in brothels to cover their tracks. You are not only hiding in brothels, but also practicing in one," Fingel lamented, "That is even more concealing!"

"Since we are so hidden, how did you find us?" Mingfei looked a little more puzzled.

 "I came to join you guys’ little boy band! You guys are so popular now, so don't leave me out. What do you guys think of me? Do you think the store manager will like me? I have to have a stage name to be in your circle, right? How about 'Heracles'?” He curled his arms. “The women will imagine me as a big, muscular man!" Fingel rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining, "They'll get excited by my name."

 "I think you’ve gotten excited first," said Lu Mingfei, annoyed. "I'm asking how you found us, so get to the point!"

"I was talking to the girls in the Internet cafe. Someone with an unknown ID sent me a picture of the three of you in uniform, looking particularly handsome. The sender said he was my colleague," Fingel said, "He gave me the address. I followed the address to find this place."

 "What was the name of that ID?" Chu Zihang's face suddenly changed to one of silent seriousness.

"Kazama Ruri… blah-blah. Some girly name!"

 "It's not gentlemanly to casually put down someone's stage name." The waiter Ruri placed the tray of four prawn tempura and two miso soups in front of Fingel.

He took a chilled glass from the refrigerator, took the whiskey bottle from Fingel, and elegantly and skillfully made a Japanese-style "water chaser" drink. He placed it in front of Fingel: "Strong drinks hurt your stomach, a little water will make you feel better."

Then he moved to you and refilled your tea again. When he was done pouring, he raised his head and looked at you. The arch of his neck immediately called to mind the delicate white curve in the neck of a Japanese crane. The two of your eyes met. Your eyes were like the cold of the north and his were the cold of the Japanese deep sea.

In Japan, cranes are revered as holy creatures. Standing regally at five feet tall, covered in ivory feathers with a red crown on top of their head, they are symbols of eternal love. When they meet, they stay together for life which can last decades according to biologists, but according to legend, Japanese cranes never die.

In a single look, both you and Ruri Kazama revealed yourselves to the Ace Commissioners as more than simple allies, but as two silent warriors facing each other in the blowing winter snow.

[woodrokiro]

Do It For the Band, Part Four

Fandom: Bleach

Pairing: IchiRuki

Summary: When Tatsuki said she wanted their sophomore album to be the next Rumours, this is NOT what she meant. Band AU. Read Part One, Two, and Three. 

Rukia’s sure they’re not crossing any lines.

… Pretty sure.

She’s never been in a band like this before--or, well. A band, period. And from the movies she’s watched, the musician biographies she’s read and the behind-the-album documentaries she’s seen she imagines her group’s closeness is normal. Grabbing a tea and writing in a coffee shop with Chad, meeting up with Tatsuki at bars and picking out cute girls the drummer might like--these sort of things are normal. They’re her friends, after all. 

And she doesn’t do much different with Ichigo. It just… Feels different.

Especially when they start spending time together after recording sessions.  

They don’t even do anything, really. Mostly just put on a record at Ichigo’s place and talk about their favorite albums. Sometimes they’ll watch a movie together: Rukia on one far end of his tattered, second-hand couch, curled into the arm while Ichigo tries to scrounge something up for dinner in the kitchen behind her. 

And… Okay, she’s fallen asleep there. A couple times. But in a completely platonic way. She’ll wake up on his couch with a blanket over her, and Ichigo will walk in and nag at her for sinking the cushions of his couch and she’ll groggily snap back that maybe he should get a new couch then--

She’s stayed late there so often that Ichigo bought her a toothbrush to keep in the bathroom (“I can smell your morning breath all the way from the bedroom”), but it’s fine because it is! So! Platonic!!!

They’re friends. They’re friends. 

She’s (pretty) sure of it. 

It’s the end of the recording sessions when they go to her place because she had forgotten the champagne she meant to bring for celebrating their last day. The recording studio happened to be only a few blocks away, but he insisted on walking back with her to grab them. 

(“Shut up and let me be a gentleman” he had grumbled, and Rukia tries to ignore Tatsuki’s stare piercing them both). 

They had just finished climbing the six stories in her apartment building when she spies the roses at her door. 

He scoffs. “Who are those from? Yourself?” 

She rolls her eyes, picking up the flowers to read the card attached. “Good one, idiot. No. My brother.” 

“Byakuya? What the hell does he want?” 

She’s surprised he remembers his name; then again, she supposes she’s mentioned him in passing enough times. 

It’s funny: the little details they know about each other by now. 

“Don’t talk about him so crudely. I told him about the album awhile ago.”

“Yeah, and you said he never responded.” He waits respectfully in the hallway as she unlocks her door. She immediately starts shuffling through her studio in an attempt to find a vase. “I don’t get why you still talk to him. The guy kicks you out of the house, takes away your allowance you depend on--just because he doesn’t want you to do music? The thing he arranged for you to have lessons for in the first place?”

“You’re oversimplifying it.” She rummages through her cupboards. “He wanted me to go to college for a career--I told him I didn’t want to. I said I wanted to be a musician. He said that was fine, I was a young woman who could make her own decisions… And as such, I’d need to do it on my own. I agreed. I don’t want anybody’s money, and he’s helped me enough as it is.”

“... He should still support you--”

“He does. In his own way.” Her eyes light up at what she’s been looking for: the glass beaker for a French press that broke on her a couple weeks ago. She lifts it with one hand and the roses in the other, a silent question toward him. At Ichigo’s shrug/nod combo, she starts filling the beaker with tap water. “Maybe he doesn’t vocally support it. The creative life is scary. You know that. Technically you wouldn’t want your sisters as starving musicians either, right? But a couple months before I met up with you guys, I was behind on my rent. One day, right before I was sure I was going to get kicked out: my landlord says it was all paid for. Just like that. And I’ve sworn every day, up and down, that my brother’s never going to need to do that for me ever again.”

“He should want to do that for you.”

“I think he does. But I want to make my own way, and he knows that. These flowers are more than kind.” She steps back and assesses her flower arrangement in the beaker, nodding once. Good enough. 

He’s uncharacteristically quiet as she grabs the two bottles from her fridge and returns back to the hallway. She’s attempting to lock her front door with the bottles in one arm and keys in the other when he snorts, tapping her wine-carrying arm.

“Here, I’ll take ‘em.” Begrudgingly, she hands them over. “You try to do too much by yourself.” 

“Yes, because I have to.” She focuses her attention back on the lock (the door could be rather tricky) when she feels him nudge her arm again. 

“No. You really don’t.” She looks back and up at him and suddenly for the first time they feel very, very close. “Look I don’t--the fact that your brother doesn’t know what a fucking phenominal talent you have astounds me. But you have people now. You have me.”

Time completely stops as they stare at each other. Rukia feels frozen in place--but Ichigo is… Well. He looks like he’s only sort of embarrassed at own sentiment, judging from the faint blush on his cheeks--but mostly he seems sure of himself, confident and fearless and golden.

That is Ichigo, she realizes. She’s really never met anyone like him. 

She’ll never know what either of them were about to do when suddenly her neighbor’s door swings open behind him. 

The sound jolts them both, and her elderly neighbor smiles apologetically. She waves, and when she looks back at him Ichigo is looking down at his shoes, clearing his throat. 

“Hurry up ‘n lock the door. The others are waiting for us--especially Tatsuki. You know how stoked she was when you told her about the champagne.” 

Rukia nods and tries to shake the odd feeling that an opportunity was just missed. 

---

They’re getting a tour.

Tatsuki is in euphorics. They’re getting a fucking tour. 

Urahara says they’re starting small--mostly because the label wants to test the waters on them. Just four cities, fronting for a rock band called Espada. They’re all kind of douchey assholes but it doesn’t even matter. She knows her band is better, and in just a few years they’ll be begging to front for Karakura Soul Society. 

 Still, even though it’s a small tour Tatsuki manages to sweet talk Urahara into hiring her good friend as their stage manager. “We need somebody to keep us organized back there. Help us sound check and everything, you know? And frankly, Urahara… You’re a mess.”

… It becomes clear to the team within the first ten minutes of her employment that Orihime Inoue is also, as it happens, a disaster--but she’s bubbly and ambitious and works hard and Tatsuki may be not-so-secretly in love with her so of course everyone loves her immediately, too.

Once they’re on the road, the whole tour itself is kind of a blur. Their first city is… Decent. They sound great, but there’s some tech issues that Orihime apologizes profusely for. Grimmjow, the lead singer of Espada says something snide about “fucking yuppies” and Ichigo and Tatsuki both have to be held back from absolutely pulvarizing the cocky motherfucker--but yeah it’s decent.

 At least, Urahara points out, it adds a bit of a competitive edge between the two bands. 

He’s right. The next couple cities they absolutely kill it.

With Chad’s shredding it on his base and Tatsuki  feeling like a God at her drums--the two of them alone would be something to contend with. 

But combined with Ichigo and Rukia…

Tatsuki doesn’t know what’s going on between them, and frankly: she doesn’t care anymore. She’s decided it’s none of her business whether her best friend is getting his brains screwed out or if they really are “just friends,” as Rukia insists. 

What matters is what’s going right here, right in the performance.

As usual, they are so in sync with each other it’s scary--but now, there’s emotion too. There’s an electric energy when they sing the chorus to Fullbringer, a deep melancholy when they harmonize on Masaki. The band is only able to perform about five of their songs, but they’ve arranged the order so the audience gets to go through a journey--and it all ends on Sun and Moon.

It’s easily their best crowd pleaser, and for good reason. 

It sounds cheesy, but there is such an upbeat joy to the song that even scowl-loving Ichigo grins during its entirety, and Rukia--always so poised--bounces at her keyboard, bopping her head to the beat. The bridge is absolutely wild, and the whole thing moves so fast that Tatsuki is going harder at her drums than she ever has. It was a bitch to practice, but man. Man does it it fucking end a show. 

At the end of Espada’s last show, the crowd demands an encore… From their front band. 

“Eat shit,” Grimmjow hisses as they unexpectedly make their way back to the stage, and Tatsuki knows for an asshole like him to be this pissed: it’s a compliment.

---

They’re feeling so pumped about the whole tour that at the end of that encore, even Chad agrees to go out to a nearby pub to celebrate.

The group is on Cloud 9 as they float into the semi-crowded bar, and Tatsuki feels even more of a high when some of the patrons--fresh from the show--cheer as they enter. A guy orders the band shots, and from that point on things get… Uh. Kind of blurry.

Chad does manage to escape early, but not before she challenges him to a game of who can drink a pint faster. Orihime glows next to her as she sips her own fruity cocktail, cheering Tatsuki on in a way that makes her feel powerful even when she loses. Occasionally she catches her friend glancing over at Ichigo with a soft smile that Tatsuki… Doesn’t really want to notice right now. She’s having such a good time, so for what?

 Urahara floats, chuckling behind his fan about this and that--leading to a brief debate between Ichigo and Tatsuki whether he’s high, drunk, or both. Rukia pops up out of nowhere, offering a convincing argument of: neither. Urahara is just fucking batshit. 

Ichigo and Tatsuki stare at the unexpected profanity.

“What?” Rukia’s face is flushed, and she tries (unsuccessfully) to look like she has the decency to be embarrassed. Suddenly, she grins toothily, grabbing Ichigo’s hand and dragging him to the bar corner’s jukebox. “C’mon, idiot. You’re helping me pick out a song.” 

Tatsuki doesn’t pay much more attention to the two after that--she’s too busy getting another drink, getting Orihime another drink, seeing if she can get Urahara to confess he’s committed at least one felony in his lifetime, and if so which one--but she happens to overhear their conversation at one point when they’re getting drinks.

“... Swift is a stellar songwriter, Kurosaki. I’m telling you--”

“Come oooooon--”

“No, you--you come on, Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki.” Rukia pokes her finger at Ichigo’s chest, and Tatsuki sees him failing to hide a smile. “She had a… Taylor has iffy periods, of course she does. But have you… Have you even listened to the lyrics of Blank Space?

“Whassat?” 

“You’ve heard that song, don’t you--don’t you even start--”

Tatsuki rolls her eyes and takes her leave. Listening to drunk straight people flirt is excruciating. 

Still: whether it’s from the warm buzz of alcohol or the general high of the good night or her just loving her friends… She’s happy for them. 

When she leaves, Blank Space is blaring from the jukebox. She looks back to see Rukia and Ichigo intimately close. Rukia is beaming up at him, shouting over the music that she can only imagine is the song lyrics. Ichigo’s body is curved toward her, watching and bobbing his head with a soft smile. 

Good for them, Tatsuki thinks dreamily before immediately finding a dumpster to throw up in. 

[thephantomofthe-internet]

Chapter 6: A Room with a View

Steve Harrington x Reader

CATCH UP ON THE SERIES HERE

Words: 3,359

Warnings: Swearing, slut shaming, death mention, crying

Author’s Note: So, I already answered this, but just in case anyone missed it: I update this series weekly and I am still editing the vast majority of chapters! Sorry if it’s coming out slower than expected!

Tags: @divinity-deos @wolfish-willow​ @scoopsohboi​ @thecaptainsgingersnap​ @herre-gud-nej​ @clockworkballerina​ @maddie1504​ @i-am-trash-so-much-its-scary​ @buckysarge​ @wildcvltre​ @stanleyyelnatsiii​ @n3wtscaseofniffler5​ @peterparxour @linkispink1995​ @a-big-ball-of-idk​ @used-avocado​ @mochminnie​ @sledgy14​ @the-creative-lie​ @yall-wildin-like-siriusly​ @ggclarissa​ @voidnarnia​ @anonymousonion23 

Steve had no idea what he’d done wrong. Not a clue. But you were ignoring him. You sat farther away from him in English the past two days, and you’d been blowing off plans with him. You’d say that you had other plans, but he’d see you sat on the bleachers after school, watching the girls soccer practise or drawing in that book again. He still didn’t know what you were doing in that book and he was irritated by the fact that he could see you sat in your room some days, caught in a lie without knowing it, your nose caught in the pages in front of you, pencil in between your teeth, focused but unaware of an audience. Steve could see right into your room from his when your curtains were open and you often sat at your desk, working in your pads.

On the day that Mr. Lawrence announced the start for the final essay, Steve had had enough. It had been a week of this behaviour and he felt as though he deserved an answer. And he was sick of watching through the window. Tommy and Carol were busy every damn day chasing Billy Hargrove, Vicki had gone back after him too after their awful date, and Tina wasn’t his friend. Sure, he could bug Dustin, but that made him feel like such a loser. His only friends were a rag tag group of preteens and a weird girl who wouldn’t even talk to him! This was getting pathetic.

The bell rang before Steve could make his move and you were out the door before he could even open his mouth. Tina rolled her eyes as she passed him by, grabbing Tina’s arm to whisper loudly “God, how tragic.” making Vicki cackle loudly.

Steve booked it out the door, scanning the halls for you, but you’d already disappeared from sight. He spotted Samantha, but she was on the retreat. He chose not to chase her down, they’d never even had a conversation before and using her to try to get her to spill on her friend felt a bit shitty. So he decided to just take a walk, no harm in a walk, it was a nice day anyway, out by the field. He wandered out the gym doors by the car park. He shoved his hands into his blue workman’s jacket. The weather was still a bit too chilly to go without a coat, but the sunshine made it easier.

He spotted you and Samantha at the top of the bleachers. You had your hair up that day and your lavender bomber jacket draped around your shoulders. Carol had something similar, or maybe it was Tina, he couldn’t remember which one the pair blurred into one being in his mind.

Samantha caught Steve’s eye before you did. She leaned over to you with a smirk “Lover boy’s watching.” She whispered cheekily, pointing slyly at him.

You turned immediately. Steve was standing in the car park, a few smattering of folks on car hoods, eating packed lunches and watching the scene go down. He waved, taking a step towards you. You turned your attention away.

Samantha was baffled. A week ago, you were telling her all about the weird fun you were having with him, all smiles and laughter, and now you wouldn’t even look at him for more than a second. You wouldn’t admit it, but Samantha knew that he was something more than a friend to you. Nobody was this upset when someone cancelled plans.

Steve turned away without a word. He wanted to scream at you, his mind demanding to know what he had done wrong. He made a plan that afternoon, one he was certain might ruin everything for him.  

As soon as the three o’clock bell rang, Steve made a mad dash for his car. He didn’t leave immediately; instead he waited to see an expected sight. Once he saw you huddled and headed for the bleachers, he was sure that the girl’s team was practising. Then he drove off towards home, parking in his own driveway. His mother was home, a shock to him, but he still headed upstairs. The next part was tricky. He’d time out that practise ended at four thirty, but that you usually left at four since the walk was so long. At four twenty, he headed across the street. As always, the yellow Volkswagen sat in the driveway. He’d rarely ever seen it leave the driveway, but it gave him hope that someone was inside the house. You couldn’t be living alone as a senior. He bounded up the front steps, knocking on the door twice. He was nervous, switching his weight from his toes to his heels in a rocking motion forward and back, forward and back.

An older man opened the door. He had to be in his eighties, with age spots speckling him around his eyes like a second pair of wide frames behind his tortoise shell glasses.  He seemed suspicious of Steve, although that was probably because he was staring.

“Hello,” he stuck out his hand for the man to shake “I’m Steve Harrington, I’m a friend of Y/N.” the man didn’t take his hand, staying silent as he looked him over.

Steve pressed on “I was wondering if she was home, we were supposed to study together today and she said that she’d call when she got home but I haven’t heard from her.” He chuckled awkwardly.

From behind the old man, a woman’s voice called “Harold, who’s there?”

“One of Y/N’s friends, she home yet?” he called back, opening the door wider. Steve could see the pale yellow walls, sun stained from the large three panel window at the front of their house.

Steve watched as an older woman hobbled into the scene, back hunched and skin thin. She looked frail, her hair dyed to what Steve assumed was its original shade, her grey roots visible from the top of her head. She greeted Steve with a warm smile. Steve was quick to offer his hand to shake, which she took carefully. “Hi, Steve Harrington, it’s nice to meet you both.” He said quickly, smiling brightly at the pair.

“Well hello there, I’m Maude and this is Y/N’s grandfather Harold, it’s lovely to meet you.” She said sweetly. “Why don’t you come inside, Y/N should be home any minute.”

Maude hit Harold’s arm roughly and he let go of the door, letting Steve into the house. He quickly kicked off his shoes, noting the pair’s socked feet. He looked around the house. Every house on the street was one of three standard box deals, with specified details. His parents hadn’t paid for the window seat like your family had, but you didn’t have the open kitchen that his did; an extra yellow wall separated the space. He looked to the fireplace, an exact copy of his family’s before their renovation last august. He missed the grey brick they used to have. You had a large family portrait on the mantle. You were sat in the centre in your Sunday best, your grandparents flanking the outside, two other adults stood closest to you. Steve assumed they were your parents. You looked like your father.

“You have a lovely home,” he said, turning his attention to the pair who were watching him intently.

“Thank you.” Maude smiled “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Sure.” Steve wasn’t much for tea, but he was taught not to refuse something offered by his host. Maude hurried off, leaving him and grumpy old Harold alone.

“Y/N doesn’t bring boys around.” Harold announced when his wife was out of the room. Steve didn’t really know what to say to that, luckily he continued “So what’re you trying to do with my girl?”

“Study,” Steve said with a shrug. The man scoffed, but Steve pressed on. “She’s my partner for our English final, we’re supposed to be working on it today, it’s due soon.”

Harold nodded gruffly “Alright…” he took a seat on the couch, turning the volume back on. The Love Boat was on, a rerun of the episode with guest stars the Captain and Tennille, and Steve was certain that they’d both seen it before.

Maude came in with a tray, handing her husband a mug. It was hand painted, thick script reading ‘Happy Father’s Day’ on the front, the year 1974 written in smaller script underneath in blue paint. She handed him a plain white mug.

“Well, Steve, you’re free to go and wait for Y/N upstairs, her room is two doors to the right of the stairs, you can’t miss it.” She said, gesturing to the stairwell. Steve bid his thanks and headed up the wide carpeted stairwell.

Harold mumbled something to his wife that Steve couldn’t hear, only catching her response. “He’s young, he doesn’t want to sit with us old folks.” She laughed at her own joke and Steve smiled at their friendly banter. They reminded him of his aunt and uncle, they always joked in that sort of way, laughing at themselves before anyone else. It made him feel as if he were at home in the house; he was comforted by the casualness of existence.

Maude was right that the room was impossible to miss. The door was covered in childlike butterflies painted in purple puffy paint. When he opened the bedroom door, he was transported into a small, private art gallery. The room was covered wall to wall in fabric canvases, canvas boards, and paper sketches. Your desk was covered in paint splotches and doodles carved into the wood, there were glow in the dark stars and moons on the blades of your ceiling fan. You’d painted your ceiling into a buttery sunset. It was as if for the first time, Steve was seeing all of you. And you were absolutely incandescent.

His hands went to roam your shelves, filled with sketchbooks and art books and worn copies of the classics. Greedily, he grabbed the first black sketchbook he found its pages heavy and curled. A piece of masking tape on the cover read ‘Still Life, 1980’ in black Sharpie. He flipped over the cover. Every page was the same bowl of fruit, some plain sketches, some painted in acrylics or water colours, but the fruit changed in shape and structure with every flip, rotting more with each sketch until the image switched to a vase of sunflowers, a prim and proper version of the Van Gogh he’d seen a print of in his freshman year art class. He wondered if you’d been there, silently making your own master pieces. He wondered how many masterpieces you had hidden away in your big black book.

The door opened behind him before he could put the sketch book away. “What the fuck are you doing in my house?” you snapped, bounding towards him. When your grandmother told you that your friend from school was upstairs waiting for you, you had a sinking feeling that you knew who it was. And seeing him rifling through your things made your blood boil.

Steve turned slowly, unsure what to say. You snatched the pad out of his hands “And who the fuck gave you permission to look at my stuff, you pervert!” You knew that he hadn’t done anything actually perverted, but you still felt violated.

“I can’t get you to talk to me, I figured coming here would at least make you see me.” Steve laughed a bit, unable to even process what was happening. In the back of his mind, he thought that this would be an effortlessly cool way to go about a solution. Like you’d see him in your room and think ‘wow…what an effort that was…’ Instead, you were furious.

“So, you thought that coming into my house without telling me, lying to my grandparents, and touching my stuff would make it better.” You raised an eyebrow, shoving your sketchbook onto the shelf.

“What was I supposed to do? You won’t answer my calls, you won’t talk to me, I can’t get you to look at me for more than a second and all I want to know is what I did wrong so I can fix it!” Steve cried, words tumbling out of his mouth. You both stared at each other for a moment, surprised by each other, your mouth hanging silently ajar.

You closed it fast, swallowing before speaking “You…you hurt my feelings.” You said softly, pushing past him to put distance between you, standing next to your desk and the window.

“How did I hurt your feelings?” Steve asked quietly, watching you carefully even as you stared defiantly out the window.

You crossed your arms tightly over your chest “You cancelled our plans. For Vicki.”

“So?” Steve asked.

“So, I don’t cancel on you. I never cancel on you, especially not the day of. It hurt my feelings.” You explained, picking at a bit of lint on your sweater.

“Yeah, but I…” he tried to catch himself before he said something terrible, but you already knew what filled in the blank.

“What? You have more friends than me? Is that it?” you snapped. It was Steve’s turn to look away, but you pressed on. “You’re right, you do have more friends than me. But don’t act like I don’t have a social life without you. I do. Do you know how many games of Samantha’s I’ve skipped out on to help you study? How many practises she’s asked me to come and watch that I’ve said no to because I already had plans with you?”

“I don’t know…” Steve muttered. Embarrassment crept up his face. He felt like such a dick. In truth he had forgotten about your plans that day in the excitement of a date with Vicki. With hindsight in full effect he could see that he would’ve had twice as much fun with you eating greasy burgers then he did with Vicki driving around Hawkins.

“Well, it’s been a lot. And it’s not the fact that you went out with Vicki that upset me, you are free to date whoever you want. But can you please at least tell me if you’re cancelling a little sooner than mere minutes before?” you asked, your voice cracking on the end.

“Sure, yeah of course. I should’ve been doing that before.” Steve stumbled over his words to apologize.

“Okay.” You nodded “Now, why are you going through my shit?”

“I wanted to see more. This whole room is incredible.” Steve breathed, plopping down on your mattress.

“You think?” you asked quietly. In truth, you didn’t think that you were that good of an artist. You loved art, but you didn’t think you were exactly talented.

“It’s so cool!” you couldn’t help but laugh, or else you’d cry. Nobody ever talked about your art with such enthusiasm. Teachers only criticized mistakes and your mother and grandparents saw it as clutter. Samantha liked some stuff but she didn’t talk about it much. Even a simple compliment from Steve made you want to cry. You covered your mouth to avoid the tears.

Steve didn’t seem to notice, wandering the room to point out pieces he thought were interesting. He pointed to a canvas depicting the quarry. You’d camped out there one night in the summer; drawing until the sun fades out of the sky and then painting it out once you had it exactly right. “This one is just insane I mean it looks like it’s going to eat you whole, like it has teeth or something.” He exclaimed.

“You can have it.” You replied quickly.

Steve shook his head “No, I couldn’t I mean don’t you want it? For college apps or something?” he couldn’t take it, he’d feel too guilty.

You shrugged “I have enough stuff for at least three portfolios, you should have that one if you like it so much. It’ll make your room cooler.”

“Hey, my room is cool.” Steve pouted, making you laugh harder. He liked your laugh, it split your whole face open into a smile. And your smile looked as if it sat on a bed of clouds. He wanted to float along with it forever.

“Oh yeah, your pee wee t-ball participation trophy is real slick, it gets you all the chicks.” You drawling, bouncing on your mattress.

“Hey, you didn’t run when you saw it.” Steve shrugged, sitting down next to you.

“Eh, your baby sports escapades don’t frighten me. It adds character to know that you suck at something.” You replied. Steve thought briefly of the bat in his trunk and the weight of it mid-swing, connecting with a heavy skull. Better with a bat now then he was as an elementary schooler.

You both lay back on the mattress, staring up at the slowly turning fan. Steve turned to you “What’d you think of Vicki anyway?” he asked.

“Honestly?” Steve nodded “I think she’s a bitch.” Steve laughed loudly but you pressed on “She is! She’s so mean for no reason!”

“Yeah, she’s not cool. She spent our whole date bitching about people, saying a lot of shit about you.” Steve murmured.

“What’d you…” you didn’t know if you could ask how he responded. You bit your tongue before finishing the sentence.

Steve understood anyway “I told her the truth. That you’re a really cool chick and that she shouldn’t be such a bitch about people she doesn’t know.” He said simply, turning his attention back to the slowly moving stars.

You didn’t necessarily believe that he actually defended you. Still, you didn’t feel like arguing. Steve continued on in your silence. “So, do you live with your grandparents’ full time? Or do your parents just work?” he asked.

“Both,” you sighed softly “My mom’s not home very much so they take care of me. She’s a fashion photographer, travels all over the world for different magazines.”

“What about your dad?” Steve asked. He’d seen a younger man in the photo; he assumed that it was some kind of father figure.

“He died.” You muttered.

“Oh…” Steve didn’t know how to react to that. He wasn’t sure if he should apologize.

“She killed him.” You couldn’t help yourself from saying that. Anger still stewed into your bones whenever you thought about your parents.

“What?” Steve to fully look at you, flabbergasted.

“She worked him to death. She always wanted more and farther away from us. Trips to Europe, designer things, this stupid house. She killed him.” You wiped hard at your face, trying to keep the hot tears from streaming down your face. Steve didn’t say anything, he simply pulled you into his chest, holding you tightly into him and letting you cry. He patted your hair gently, trying to soothe you as best he could. He didn’t think he was very good at helping people in their pain. But you grabbed onto his middle and clung to him like a life raft.

“My parents aren’t that great either.” He muttered, unsure if he was helping at all. “They ignore me.”

“I-I’m sorry they do that…” you muttered, looking up at him with wide, wet eyes. Steve melted. He absolutely melted. He was filled with the sudden urge to kiss you, which surprised him. He didn’t follow through with the urge; he didn’t know how you’d take it.

“I’m sorry he’s not here for you…” he replied, petting your hair softly. He stayed with you like that for what felt like hours, letting you cling to him and ruin his shirt with tears. He didn’t care. He needed to be there for you. He promised himself that he wouldn’t hurt you again. That he’d be more careful and pay more attention. He couldn’t bear to see you in this much pain again. He knew that you weren’t crying because of him, but if he could keep you from feeling even an ounce of this sort of pain again, he would.

He cared about you too much to ever let you suffer alone again.