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#an older couple came in just after it started and apparently had somewhere to go and left twenty minutes before it was over...?!
septembersghost · 1 year
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🎵 🎸🌠💖 don't fly away my beautiful bird 💖🌠🎸🎵
(aka pretend EP is actually in this because i was crying too much to get his face at the end, but look!!! my beloveds)
#i have....so so many things to say but am emotionally overwrought at the moment#so instead i'll share my mom and i were almost in here alone?#an older couple came in just after it started and apparently had somewhere to go and left twenty minutes before it was over...?!#i'm literally sitting in my seat like 😭💔🥺😭💔🥺 and a vibration goes off and they leave#i guess you could say they *could* walk out#so anyway i got to be annoying and clap at the end solo like the unhinged woman that i am#then dance around to the final credits then cry at his voice coming in for the end of if i can dream. truly an experience#and i do not foresee going to a movie again anytime soon since we haven't in so many years#so i was soaking up every bit of it#we had heated recliners i'm so so thankful because my spine didn't even hurt 😊#anyway this movie does NOT feel as long as it is#and it is so beautiful it's just such an incredible piece of filmmaking as a whole#i've loved it more each time i've seen it and the music in the theatre...my entire heart...#austin is so captivating on the big screen but EVERY element is phenomenal on the big screen it's just gorgeous and such a love letter#it makes my heart ache and fills it up all at once...the love of my life and soul being music too it's so embedded in this as its center#i'm just...really grateful it's something i got to see and experience#and i'm really glad he lingered through time and in and out of years of my life and waited around for me 💗#jess.mess#bubble wrap around my heart#elvis
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evilwednesday · 5 months
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𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 ──── tara carpenter & fem!detective!reader
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── tags. no major warnings, implied sex, this take place after scream vi events.
── word count. 3.049
a/n. this isn't the g!p reader i was talking about, but it has a little "spoiler" for it in the middle of all this, good luck! this one is for you, @wesstars 🫶 | masterlist
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“Think you can warm me up?”
The low request came almost unnoticed by you, making you take a step back and look carefully at the ball of blankets on the couch.
Hidden there, under a couple layers of cozy blankets, a small Tara appeared with a red nose.
You smiled softly at the adorable view in front of you.
“I can’t, babe, I have some reports to look at, and it’s getting late.”
She pouted, looking at you with doe eyes that never failed, wide, soft with shining little stars dancing in the brown as she looks at you.
“Please? Just until I fall asleep.”
How could you say no to that?
You fold in the same second, forgetting that you have long pile of files to look at, carefully placing your mug filled with hot coffee on the side table, you took off your slippers and slid under the thick fabric, opening your arms towards the younger one.
Like she always does, Tara threw her legs over yours and hugged your torso, resting her head on your shoulder.
“You know…” you started, pulling her closer to you. “You wouldn’t feel cold if you wore more than just underwear and a tank top.”
“I don’t need to wear clothes; I have you to keep me warm,” Tara said back, looking at you with soft, sleepy eyes.
You smiled fondly, caressing her thigh with your hand. Leaning forward, you placed a kiss on her forehead, admiring the way the corner of her lips slightly tugged up, eyes closed and tip of nose red, the freckles spread on her face like stars in the dark night; Tara was a work of art.
“I love you so much, did you know that?” You whispered close to her lips.
She wrinkled her nose, “I know, but I don’t mind hearing you saying again, and again…”
Stopping her rambling, you pressed your lips on hers, sighing with such familiar taste of cherry of her lip balm. Tara was all soft, and when she was like this, calm and patient under your touch, it made your heart race.
When you first met her, during a rainy night at the police station, the girl could barely sustain your eyes, always avoiding them and fixating on somewhere or something else, like on her older sister, Sam. She came in because some idiots from a frat house were harassing her and her sister following the events from last year. You didn’t know much about the Carpenter’s sister, it was only your first month as a detective in New York, only heard rumors and whispers about it.
You ignored the others eyes on her, taking off your jacket to cover the small body that was trembling, being closely watched by the older Carpenter. Carefully, you placed the brown leather jacket around her shoulders, taking a couple steps back once you did, giving her a safe space.
Tara went home with your jacket that night, and when she brought it back, leaving it at the front desk, 5 days later, a small note was inside the pocket, written in a delicate handwriting, a small “thank you :)”. You smiled, keeping the note inside and going back to work.
The precinct was a place filled with gossips, theories and lies made up to creep you out. Your colleagues — if you could call them that — weren’t the most delightful people to be around, as most of them were men, you felt misplaced, an outcast, even thought you were on a higher level than them, mere police officers with a giant ego. Respect was a word that, apparently, wasn’t taught to them during life. You could count on your fingers the ones that were truly a nice officer and decent human being.
As the days went by, more talking took over the place, annoying ones that always got your rolling your eyes and ignoring them, the Carpenter sister’s being the subject of it 90% of the time, it’s like the big apple only had two young girls living in it and they were the reason to all the chaos that perpetuate in New York.
One day, late at night, you were finishing some reports to call it a day when a familiar voice caught your attention, the short blonde hair and leather jacket automatically bringing a smile on your face. You closed your computer and stood up, grabbing the brown leather jacket from the chair’s back and tossed over your shoulder.
“You’re too loud, did you know that, agent Reed?”
The woman turned around the same second your known perfume filled the room, a big smile tugging on her lips. She waited for you to get closer, annoyingly punching your arm as a form to say ‘hi’. Standing in front of her, the younger Carpenter was awkwardly looking at you, curiosity in her eyes as she watched you and your old friend interact.
You didn’t notice, but Tara was carefully watching you, the way your eyes light up whenever Kirby said something that happened while you were away from each other, crazy stories like the one where she almost got killed, again, a couple months ago. Funny ones, like when a common friend of yours got scared during a mission and yelled like a little girl because of a cat hidden inside a locker, causing you to throw your head back as you deliciously laughed. She smiled too, tilting her head to admire the way your nose scrunched or how your lips moved when you talked, or how your browns furred when Reed told what happened last year during Halloween, only then your eyes met Tara’s for more than a few seconds, a pinkish color painting her cheeks.
You didn’t know much about it, choosing to ignore the comments as you never knew what was a fact or what was a lie purposefully made up to destroy the sister’s images. All you were aware off, was that the masked killer that terrorized your colleague, and friend’s, life years ago in Woodsborro came back and worked at the precinct.
Kirby wasn’t the type of person that spoke about her fears and the horrors that haunted her over the years, all you knew was what she chose to share and the reason to why she decided to become a detective. You didn’t push her to talk, patiently waited for her to open up to you by choice because she trusted you. It took a long time for the moment to come, but one day, the alcohol in her made her talk and boy… she really had a lot to share, and it was very graphic — you swore you could feel the knife twisting inside you.
And now, with your eyes connected to Tara’s, a girl that seemed so sweet and kind, had gone through the same traumatic event as Reed did and, knowing her the way you did, you could only image the scars that hung onto the young Carpenter’s body and soul. You smiled at her, reaching your hand to hers.
“It’s nice seeing you again, miss Carpenter.”
Her hand was soft, warm and delicate against yours.
“You too, detective.” She smiled, hand still on yours. “I didn’t know you and Kirby knew each other.”
“Well, when I joined the force,” you started, forcing yourself to break the contact. “Reed was the first one to reach out to me and invite me for some beer after out shift.”
“She’s a very quiet girl, but it’s a great listener.” Kirby said with her costumery side smiled. “If you ever need someone to talk to, Tara, she’s the one you can go to.”
You looked at Kirby with pursed lips, head tilting in a silent ‘what the fuck are you doing?’
Tara let out a small laugh, “It’s good to know that, Kirby. If you trust her, then I do too.”
“Well, I don’t believe in that,” you said, licking your lips as you gave your attention to the girl. “I rather earn your trust than Kirby just giving it away. Trust is a very precious and intimate thing, Tara, you should only trust someone you know.”
“In that case, we should get to know each other better.” She smiled. “Don’t you think, detective?”
“I think that’s a great idea, miss Carpenter.”
That night was the first time you went out with Tara; Kirby tagged along in the first two hours but went home after a few rounds of beer, the alcohol getting to her way easier than you remembered. Helping her into the cab, you made sure to share her live location with you before sending her home, an old habit you had acquired after the truth about her life in Woodsboro.  
“You know…” Tara started, her index finger messily playing with the sweaty, half empty, beer glass in front of her. “It’s sweet what you did there.”
“What do you mean?”
You have always been strong when it came to alcohol, maybe it was due to your position as a detective or you had a really good regenerating immune system — even a common cold couldn’t get to you.
Tara, apparently, wasn’t like you. She was leaning against the table, playing with the glass cup like a little kid that was sleepy but refused to close her eyes and drift away in slumber. You carefully watched her, afraid that she would eventually fall off the chair.
“The location, I saw you sending her live location to your number.”
You shrugged, taking a sip of your beer. “It’s nothing, really. I just want to make sure she gets home safe.”
“Still,” her hand reached yours on the table, thumb softly brushing your skin. “it’s sweet. You’re sweet.”
“And you’re drunk.” You laughed awkwardly, finishing your beer in one long sip, still allowing her to touch you. “Come on, let’s get you on a cab.”
Her hand grabbed yours when you threatened to stand up, ready to pay the bill. “No, please. I want to get to know you better.”
“We can do that some other time, miss Carpenter.”
“Promise?”
You didn’t like promises, it carried an obligation that you didn’t like, but you just couldn’t get yourself to say no when her big, sparkling eyes stared at your soul.
You sighed with a small smile, “I promise.”
When you were paying the bill, Tara was standing close to you, holding onto your arm as if you were going to run away from her. It was cute, you had to admit as you looked at her while the cashier waited for your card to approve the payment, the different height between you two very noticeable when her head barely reached the top of your shoulder.
Before you could put her inside the cab with her apartment address on it, you made sure to save her phone number and share her location with you, just like you did with Reed over the years.
“Text me when you get home?” Tara asked through the open window when you closed the door for her.
“I will.” You smiled, turning to the old driver. “Take her home safely, please?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
You stood there for a few seconds, watching as the yellow car drove away, Tara’s happy face outside the window waving at you. You waved back, heart warm at how adorable she was.
When you got home that night, you weren’t exhausted even after the busy day and all the beer you had, you felt alive and giddy as you texted the newly-added number, telling her you were safe and sound at the comfort of your home. The reply came in the same second, telling you that she was in bed already with a kiss blowing emoji next to it.
Now, a year after that first night out with Tara, you had the young girl sleeping safely in your arms, the morning sun breaking the thick, rainy clouds and invading the apartment, waking you up. Tara was hidden in the hollow of your neck, her calm and heavy breathing tickling your skin, still sleeping soundly.
You looked around the scene, still half asleep. Your coffee mug, now cold, still on the side table. The birds were chirping for the first time in a while since the winter arrived in New York. Some blankets had fallen to the floor, leaving only one covering your bodies. It was true, Tara only needed you to keep her warm.
Feeling your eyes on her, she stirs in her sleep and you’re fast to tighten your arms around her, but after all the incidents that happened around her in the past years, she was a light sleeper.
“You’re suffocating me.” She giggles, hand resting on your neck.
“I should suffocate you after you made me skip work last night.”
“Did I? I don’t remember putting a gun to your head and making you cuddle me.”
Your eyes widened, pulling back just enough to find hers.
“You did worse! You looked at me with Bambi eyes and you know I cannot say no to that.”
She laughs, “You’re very weak for a detective.”
Rolling your eyes, you ignored the fake teasing, caressing the scar on the right side of her belly.
“I’m only weak when it comes to you. You’re my only weakness, Tara.”
Her expressions softened, eyes analyzing your face. She knew you weren’t lying, just like she knew you would do anything to protect her, other than the four core, you were the only one that took her walls down.
“Well, then I guess I’ll have to use this against you so I can have you all to myself.”
“You’ll always have me all to yourself.”
“I know,” she shrugged. “but sometimes work steals you from me.”
You smile, “I have to keep my girlfriend safe, don’t I?”
“I guess you do, but today,” the tip of her fingers slid under the collar of your sweater, noticing the lack of bra; she wet her lips. “I have you all to myself, and I am not letting you go.”
“I certainly don’t want you to.”
Tugging you by the collar, she climbed on top of you, the blanket falling to the floor with the sudden motion.
For the first time you could fully see her as she sat on your hip; black panties and an equally black tank top, slightly wrapped around her thin waist, the tip of her scar visible, messy hair cascading down her shoulders.
Biting your lower lip as your eyes followed her curves, hands on her thigh following to her hip, then her waist in a strong squeeze. When she leaned down, lips oh so close to yours, you jumped when a low clearing of the throat coming from the kitchen filled the room; your instinct quick to pull a blanket from the floor to cover Tara’s body and pull her against you.
Standing in the corner of the brick wall, Sam was avoiding looking in your direction until her sister was fully covered, arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Please, tell me you two weren’t going to have sex on my couch, again.”
Tara hid a laugh against your neck, unlike you — who felt heat rising from your toes all the way up to your face, cheeks burning with Sam’s disgusted look. This wasn’t the first time the older Carpenter walked on the two of you, but it was funny that this happened twice on the same week, at least this time you both were fully covered…
You opened your mouth in an attempt to say something, an apology, or maybe try to convince her that this was not what was happening at all, but all that came out was a struggled sound that caused Tara to laugh muffled against you.
Sam took a deep breath, reaching out for her keys that were settled next to your mug. She adjusted the black beanie as she walked to the door, unlocking the 4 sets of locks and turning to you with a tired expression, “If you two are still on my couch when I come back, we’re gonna have a whole different conversation. Got it?”
You nodded fast.
“Good.”
And left.
You let out a breath you didn’t even realize you’d been holding when you heard the jingling of keys on the other side of the door and distant steps going down the stairs.
Removing the blanket from her head, Tara looked at the closed door before staring at you, a loud and delicious laugh breaking the almost palpable tension that was left in the room.
“How can you laugh like this when your sister walked on us like this, again?” You were in disbelief, heart beating in your throat.
“If you could see your face, you’d laugh too,” she whipped the corner of her eyes, pressing a fast kiss on your lips. “I might be your only weakness, but Sam is your only fear.”
You huffed, agreeing with your girlfriend.
“I’ve seen what she’s capable of, I am not risking having my hands cut off, I’d miss them a lot!”
“Oh, trust me, I know,” she leaned in, hands on the side of your head, a hard grip on the cushions you laid your head on. Tara brushed her lips on yours, a fainted smell of cherries filling your lungs. "I would miss them too... more than you could ever imagine.”
Before you could close the small gap between your lips, the jingling of keys got you sitting up, arms firmly wrapped around the youngest waist, walking to bedroom at the end of the hallway, a giggly Tara clinging to your body for her dear life; you kicked the door close and leaned against it, breath caught up to your throat as you faced Tara with pursed lips.
Sam had her eyes closed when the door swung open, one hand on the door knob and the other covering her face. She had forgotten her cellphone. When she was met with silence, her index finger moved up a little, enough for her to peek at the scene.
The living room was a mess, blankets all over the floor, your slippers and Tara’s lost in between, a couple cushions in the middle as well, but what made her take a deep breath to keep from freaking out was the overturned mug on the side table, iced coffee dripping on the wooden floor.
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softest-punk · 1 year
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Gosh, I loved your story about Dream trying to satisfy his need for intimacy with mere sex 😭 It sounds like the encounters left quite a number of bruises and wounds. I wonder how Hob would react to seeing them (and how Dream would react to Hob finding out)
You know in the original piece I hadn't intended that it was the sort of thing Hob might see but you know. I cannot stop thinking about this and I DO love a little H/C so here we go:
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Hob doesn't say anything, at first. He feels a little weird about it, about seeing Dream with what is very obviously a love bite under the hinge of his jaw, too high up to hide, but he tries not to look at it or away from it and he mostly succeeds and he mostly tells himself that Dream is allowed to have a sex life, even one he's not forthcoming about. Hob gets the feeling he would've mentioned an actual partner but he's also allowed to have hookups, it's not as though Hob hasn't had his share.
Less, since Dream came back.
Okay, none. Since Dream came back. It doesn't mean anything. Fuck off.
Anyway, the love bite. It's fine. Hob only thinks about it for three days and then he sees Dream again and it's gone anyway. And then there's another one—a couple, actually, and a scratch on his neck. Which, again, fine. Hob sort of wishes he didn't know Dream apparently likes it a little rough but he also sort've guiltily stores that information away and tries to think around it when he's, umm. You know. Definitely not thinking about one very attractive Lord of Dreams who he has recently learned fucks, which hadn't been a certainty before and is unreasonably exciting information.
Anyway. He doesn't think about it. Much.
Dream comes to see him more and more often. The bruises layer over each other, older yellowing stains tucked under fresh lurid purple, and of course, he's so pale he bruises like overripe stone fruit.
He starts to worry, as the bruises accumulate, and Dream comes to him three times a week and insists with increasing desperation on just being talked to. On, Hob begins to think, a friendly face. He looks so tired.
It doesn't, however, feel like his place to say anything.
Hob's stomach drops when Dream comes in with strangulation marks around his neck, vivid and sore-looking. He knows what it looks like when someone's been strangled. He realises then that Dream isn't experimenting with eyeshadow—both of his eyes are bruised, and there's a split in his eyebrow.
On closer inspection, there's one through his lower lip, too.
When Dream sets his hands on the table, his wrists are raw, scratched. Bloodied.
And okay. Dream is allowed to have sex as kinky as he likes. Hob knows all about the erotic properties of asphyxiation on account of not being able to die and being extremely fond of a good orgasm and any new way to achieve one.
But whoever he's going to—and Hob also knows enough about enough to know this—they're not taking care of him. Not like they should be. There's meant to be all kinds of care and attention after a thing like that, and Dream looks as though he's just been kicked out of bed and crawled somewhere safe to lick his wounds.
Delicate bloody thing to bring up, especially with someone who can just dissolve into a swirl of sand on you if he wants, but Hob damned well has to try.
"Come upstairs," he tries, casual as anything. "Something I'd like to show you."
Dream follows him like a new lamb, and Hob feels sick. Dream's never been docile.
He's never stood with his hands deep in his coat pockets, looming awkwardly in Hob's living room while he flicks the kettle on.
"What did you wish to show me?" he asks. It's soft, too soft, but there's a hint of real curiosity in it, and he has trusted Hob so far.
Hob leads him through to the bathroom, and guides him in front of the mirror, standing at his back. "You," he says, soft, keeping the small space quiet.
Dream tenses, and looks away from his own eyes in the mirror.
"Far be it for me to judge how anyone gets off," Hob says, wishing immediately that he'd thought of a better way to phrase that. "But like it or not, you are my friend. I've left it go long enough. I can't keep quiet when you look like this. You're not... whoever's doing this to you. I don't think they're treating you right. Tell me to fuck off if you like."
A silence grows between them for what might be, by Hob's reckoning, several millennia.
"I do," Dream says, voice wrecked.
"Do?" Hob asks.
"Like it," Dream says, clearing his throat and wincing. "That I am your friend."
"Right. So we're going to talk about this? Because I'm very worried and it's not particularly polite to give your friends a stomach ulcer over your wellbeing."
Dream clears his throat again, and winces again. "Is there tea?" he asks.
Hob makes tea, with approximately half a bottle of honey in Dream's, and joins him on the couch.
"Can I at least put some antiseptic cream on your wrists?" Hob asks, unable to look away from them as Dream accepts the mug from him.
"I will heal," Dream says. "I... forgot, before I came to you. I have been... disoriented, of late. But," he adds. "You may, if it will ease your mind. Or stomach."
Hob goes for the cream, and grabs a comfrey ointment his mum would have wanted him to keep in the house even if he never needs it himself. Dream shouldn't need it, either, but he wants to do something, even if it's just... symbolic. He reasons with himself, as he's heading back from the bathroom again, that if he could just get Dream to come to him after. To come here to be taken care of in the aftermath. If Dream can't stop seeing whoever he's seeing.
Dream sips his tea one-handed as Hob takes the free one, and smooths cream over raw skin, careful to keep his touch as light as possible. Dream, obediently, sets his tea down for Hob to do the other one, pliant and quiet the whole time.
"Can I do your eyebrow?" Hob asks.
Dream nods, and watches Hob's hand move as he smears just a tiny bead of cream over the cut there, mindful of Dream's eye.
"And your lip?" Hob asks.
Dream nods again. His lip is impossibly soft, delicate as a rose petal, and Hob knows in his heart that he couldn't bring himself to do this to Dream. But. He could do this. This caretaking. This part, he's good at. He's become good at. He wants to be good at. He's inflicted enough pain and suffering in his life. He wants to comfort instead.
"This is for bruises," Hob says, trying his luck, holding up the little pot of ointment. "Family recipe. I wouldn't put it on your eyes, but..."
Dream sits back against the couch cushions, throat bared. Something in Hob's gut swoops at how easily he trusts after being so badly hurt.
No. Hob can't imagine doing this to him. If it's what he needs, then that's that. Hob couldn't ever provide it.
Dream hums as Hob rubs ointment into his throat, feather touches that probably aren't doing much to actually apply it but then it won't have any effect on Dream, anyway, except maybe the feeling of being looked after. Of being cared for.
Because Hob does care for him. Desperately.
He's just running his thumb along Dream's jaw for the sake of touching him when Dream hitches his t-shirt up.
On his belly, there's what looks like gravel rash. Where his jeans hang low on slender hips, there are two hand-shaped brands, sore and red. A half-inch from the tip of each clear finger, there's a small, deep puncture wound. The mark of claws.
Hob swallows down bile. Okay, okay. Could've been consensual. Probably was, in the sense that he doubts anyone could hurt Dream if he didn't allow it. It's just. Confronting, to see him hurt.
He grabs the antiseptic cream and smears it over the crusting scabs on Dream's belly, pausing at the hitch in his breath but continuing when Dream relaxes again, sinking deeper into the couch cushions. He moves to do the same for the obvious burn marks on Dream's hips, the parts of them he can get at, and then Dream reaches down to unbutton his jeans—under which he apparently doesn't believe in wearing anything else—and wriggles them down to give Hob access to the rest. All without saying a word.
Hob's only human so he can't not look, but all he can think as his eyes pass unhurriedly but not lingeringly over the space between Dream's legs is that he looks so vulnerable, all over, right now. He goes back to work with barely a heartbeat's pause, drinking in the barely audible sigh as he soothes the brands on Dream's bird-boned hips.
What a beautiful, fragile thing. What a beautiful, fragile thing to break and bruise and brand. How could anyone do it? And not care for him after?
"Is that all of it?" Hob asks.
Dream grunts, and takes his time in raising his head and opening his eyes. "Would you aim to heal every discomfort I have ever suffered?"
"Yes," Hob says, without hesitation, earnest. Yes, he would.
Dream's gaze is heavy on him for several long seconds.
"There is a bite on my shoulder," he says, twisting to take his coat off and making a tiny sound of pain, so faint Hob wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been listening for it.
"Let me."
Dream lets him, lets Hob push his coat off his shoulders and tug his t-shirt up over his head, lets him turn Dream around to see a nasty bite where it looks like someone with very sharp teeth gave serious thought to taking a chunk out of him, blood crusted around a wide circle of flesh.
There's only so much antiseptic cream can do, but it's obviously not hurting to put it on. It might even be helping.
Hob steadies himself with his other hand curled around Dream's good shoulder, thumb idly stroking skin softer than finest silk, lily pale and perfect. The urge to kiss it wells up in Hob's belly, but he swallows it down. The last thing Dream needs is someone else hurting him right now. Even if the intent is kindness.
"There," Hob says, breathing again for the first time in what feels like hours.
"You would not kiss it better?" Dream asks. "Is that not traditional?"
"Do you want me to?" Hob asks, unsure whether Dream is asking, or whether he thinks Hob wants to.
"I would not object," he says, which Hob suspects is the closest to a straight answer he's ever gotten out of him. It's good enough.
The smell of antiseptic, the taste of it, it's not Hob's favourite thing. But the tiny sigh that escapes from his friend, the way the tension melts instantly out of his shoulders, that just might be.
"All better," Hob murmurs, willing himself to retreat from Dream's skin, to the safety of distance.
"Now that you know I can be had, Hob Gadling," Dream says after a moment. "Would you have me?"
He says it like he's flashing the blade of a knife.
"I wouldn't take," Hob says. "Not even if you tried to goad me into it. Whatever this... self-destructive impulse is. I'm not going to indulge it. You deserve care. I'll give you that," he says, remembering his earlier thought. "You can come to me, after, if you like. For the care you're not getting. But I won't be the reason you need it."
Dream draws a breath, and then apparently thinks better of what he was about to say.
"You don't deserve to be hurt," Hob says, trying to feel out the shape of this. Of whatever it is Dream's doing.
"I wished to be touched. Held," Dream confesses, barely louder than a thought. "But my weakness in this has served as a beacon for indifference and pain."
Hob's heart might actually shatter if he has to hear more of this, but he's going to listen anyway. "It's not a bloody weakness," he says. "It's a normal human need."
"I am far from human," Dream says.
"Bollocks," Hob says. He thinks about explaining that he's been thinking about this, and that he thinks Dream's problem is that he's too human, that he takes on too much of them, that he lets himself be scraped out inside to carve more space for humanity. That he deserves so much more than to be taken for granted.
Instead, he says, "I'll hold you."
Dream might leave. Hob might end up with a few grains of fading sand in his hands and nothing else to show for his boldness.
But he doesn't. It's so fast Hob doesn't have time to process the movement before Dream's sitting in his lap, fingers digging needily into his back.
"Shh," Hob soothes, wrapping his arms around Dream, holding him tight enough that he'll know he's being held, he'll feel it with every breath. "I've got you. I'll always have you. Whenever you need."
"You may come to regret that offer," Dream murmurs against his jumper.
"No," Hob says, with perfect conviction. "No, I won't."
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superlarva · 9 months
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Rex got Fives a blanket :)
Here's chapter 2 of my fic about Rex parenting baby domino twins!
Chapter 1 here! <- Although you probably don't really need to read it to figure out what's going on.
Next chapter: 03
Summary: Rex brings his newly acquired 7 year old Fives home, making a few stops along the way.
CW: Implied/referenced child abuse
Chapter 2 - The Journey Home
It was dark outside. And raining. Always raining. Fives shifted closer to the nice policeman. His hand was warm. Fives held it a little tighter.
Echo always said policemen were like superheroes. He had read about them in a book one time. Apparently, they made sure people were following the rules and kept everyone safe. Fives had not been sure they were real; it had seemed like a fantasy.
He had asked his mom who the police were once. She had gotten mad and said that the police would only come if he and his brothers were really bad. She had said that they would separate them and make sure he never saw Echo or his other brothers ever again.
Fives looked up at the nice policeman as they walked through the parking lot. His mom was sort of right: they had separated him from Echo.
But she was also sort of wrong.
This policeman had not asked a million questions like the other ones, had not yelled and been scary like the other ones. Instead, he had offered to let him stay with him until he had to go back home—was he going back home?
Fives figured maybe some of the policemen were like Echo’s version and some were like his mom’s. He was glad that this one was like Echo’s.
He liked this one.
They stopped walking.
The nice policeman—Rex?—pulled something out of his pocket and clicked a button. Fives jumped back when the car in front of them lit up and emitted a strange beeping noise.
It was like he was back at home. Back at home going through a drill.
The drill.
It had been Heavy’s idea: during morning drill they would escape.
Halls of flashing red lights and loud sirens.
Climbing over the citadel walls.
Then the explosion.
Cutup, Droidbait, and Heavy gone.
Just him and Echo left.
Just him and Echo.
Then just him.
Rex tried to coax Fives into the backseat of his car, but the boy would not budge. He had tensed up when Rex unlocked the car, and was now just staring absently at the vehicle, rooted in place.
Rex needed to get the kid out of the cold rain and if Fives would not move himself, he had no other option. Rex crouched down in front of the boy, “I’m gonna pick you up and put you in my car, okay?”
Nothing.
“Alright, up we go,” Rex swung Fives up into the back seat.
The contact seemed to get the boy’s attention and he made a quiet whine of protest when Rex extracted himself from him. Rex quickly strapped Fives in before shutting the door so no more rain would get in.
As Res walked around the car to the driver’s side, he checked his phone and sighed when the screen came up empty. Cody had taken a taxi to Kamino General to check on Echo while Rex was signing paperwork. He had said he would text any updates on Echo’s condition.
Rex ducked into the car and checked Fives in the mirror. The boy was curled up with his knees to his chest, the same way he had been when Rex had first seen him. Rex twisted around in his seat so he was facing Fives, “Hey, buddy.”
Fives peaked up at him.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry. Should we stop somewhere on our way home?”
Fives’s eyebrows pushed together, but he nodded his head.
“Any type of food you’re in the mood for?”
Fives shrugged, eyes darting around that dark car, before offering a small, hopeful, “Pizza?”
Rex grinned and started up the engine, “Pizza it is.”
After they crossed out of Kamino, Rex pulled off the highway and found a small pizza place in the outskirts of Coruscant. It was a quiet family run place and the older man behind the counter greeted them warmly when they walked in. There was a couple at the front ordering and a group of teens sitting at a booth in the back whispering excitedly about something.
The prospect of food had seemed to energize Fives a bit and as they waited in line he bounced on his toes a little. Rex decided on a slice of classic peperoni, then looked down at Fives, who was squinting up at the menu, “Anything look good?”
Fives hummed and then pointed to one of the pizzas with a pile of colorful toppings on display over the counter, “What’s that one?”
“Uh,” Rex craned his neck to see the small label over the heads of the couple in front of them. He turned back to Fives, “The Works.”
Fives looked up at him, a fire in his eyes Rex hadn’t seen before, “That one. I want that one.”
The couple moved away from the counter and Rex and Fives filled their place. The old man smiled down at the boy from over the counter, but his expression soured quickly, and Rex became painfully aware of just how odd the pair of them must look.
Fives was wearing a sleeveless undershirt, a pair of boxers, and nothing but socks on his feet in cold December weather. He was—quite honestly—filthy, and bruised head to toe. Rex on the other hand, looked fairly well put together. They painted quite the picture.
Rex grimaced and shuffled around in his pockets for his wallet, taking care to make sure the man would be able to see his 501st patch on his jacket as he did. That was sure to stop him from calling the police, even if it would mean he jumped to the slightly wrong conclusion.
“We’ll have a slice of peperoni and a slice of The Works.”
The man behind the counter looked up from Fives and smiled despite the look of horror brewing behind his eyes, “That’ll be $3.98, anything else I can get you, officer?”
Rex looked at Fives asking a silent question, but the boy just stared back looking slightly overwhelmed. Rex doubted Fives could fit more than one of the giant slices in his stomach, and figured that even if he could, it likely wouldn’t be good for him to eat too much while half starved. He smiled up and the man and took out a wrinkled ten, “Two waters.”
They paid for their food and then went to sit at a table by the front window, away from the other customers. Fives shivered as he sat in the metal chair and Rex cursed internally for his stupidity.
“Wait right here. I’ve got a blanket in the car for you, I’m gonna run out and get it really quick.”
“Okay,” Fives said softly, eyes darting around the Pizza shop.
“It’ll only take a second. You’ll be able to see me through the window, and I’ll be able to see you, okay?”
Fives nodded.
Rex stood and turned to the old man behind the counter, “I’ll be right back, gonna get the kid a blanket from my car.”
The man nodded and smiled at Fives, who offered a weak smile in response.
Rex left the shop and made his way over to his car, looking over his shoulder to make sure Fives was still sitting at the window. The boy was watching him, gripping the edge of the table. Rex grabbed the blanket from his trunk quickly and jogged back to the pizza place, waving it over his head for Fives to see.
As he entered the shop, the boy visibly relaxed but then stood suddenly, the chair screeching backwards with his harsh movement. Fives’s face was racked with guilt and he looked like he was standing at attention, his shoulders squared and thrust backwards, back straight as a pillar, and legs pinned together.
Rex strode over quickly to Fives and wrapped the large grey blanket around his shoulders. He sat in his chair. Fives watched his movements intensely, clutching the edges of the blanket around himself and pulling them in tight. He looked so small engulfed in the blanket and Rex chuckled.
Fives shot him a quizzical look.
“At ease, little soldier.” Rex motioned to the chair, “Sit.”
Fives obliged him a little stiffly, but just as he did the man behind the counter called out their order and pushed two slices of pizza and two cups of water over the counter.
The boy moved to stand again, but Rex waved a hand in dismissal, “I’ll get it. You sit.”
Fives sank back into his chair and Rex grabbed the food, depositing a colorfully decorated slice and a water in front of the boy, “Drink some of that water first.”
Fives nodded seriously, and grabbed the plastic glass with two hands, treating it as if it were an ancient relic, so fragile that if he held it the wrong way it might break. Rex smiled and watched the boy proceed to down the whole glass in a few gulps as he took a few sips of his own.
When Fives set the cup down Rex raised an eyebrow, “Want some more?”
Fives ears turned pink, and he shook his head, “No. ‘m sorry.”
Rex set his own cup down, confused, “No, it’s okay, you can have some more. It’s no problem.”
Fives didn’t say anything, so Rex grabbed the boy’s cup and stood, “I’ll get you some more.”
Rex could feel Fives’s eye boring holes into his back as he refilled his cup. He did not like the way Fives watched him. There was so much suspicion in his eyes. However long it took, he was going show the kid that he could be trusted.
“Okay,” Rex said after they both finished their meals. “Here’s the plan: we’re gonna head home, but first we have to stop at the store and pick up a few things for you.”
“I don’t need anything,” Fives protested.
Rex frowned, “Yeah, you do. I need to get you a booster seat. It’s not safe for you to be in the car without one.”
Fives mirrored his frown, brows drawn together.
Rex continued, “You also need a clean set of pajamas for tonight and clothes for tomorrow at a minimum. I know it’s not a lot, but I think we’re both tired. It might be better to do the rest of the shopping tomorrow.”
Fives pulled a face, “I thought you said we were going to see Echo tomorrow?”
As soon as the boy realized what he said, he clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes full of fear.
Afraid of challenging authority, Rex analyzed. He figured the best thing to do was to pretend he couldn’t see Fives’s fear, and answer normally, “Assuming Echo is well enough for visitors tomorrow, we will, but no matter what, they likely won’t let us see him for very long. We’ll have time for both.”
Fives didn’t seem completely satisfied with Rex’s answer, but he seemed to accept it, looking out the window at the car. Rex followed his gaze, “Ready to go?”
The boy nodded.
They stopped at the Target near Rex’s apartment. He figured it would be better for Fives to start getting comfortable with his new neighborhood rather than stop at some random store on the way.
As they walked up to the sliding doors, Fives tugged on Rex’s sleeve. “Hm?” Rex asked, looking down at the small boy still engulfed in his blanket.
“What’s a booster seat?”
“It’s a chair that you attach to the seat of the car to make it more comfort—”
Rex was cut off by a muffled shriek from Fives as the sliding doors automatically opened. The boy jumped into Rex’s side and grabbed his hand with both of his own, dropping the blanket on the sidewalk behind them. Rex would have laughed if the intensity of the overreaction hadn’t been so concerning.
“Just an automatic door. They open for you when they see you on the motion sensor,” Rex explained, kneeling down and grabbing the blanket, throwing it back over the boy’s shoulders.
Fives looked from the door to Rex and pulled back his hands, the fear slowly melting into a sheepish smile, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Rex said, “They still scare me sometimes too, and I’m all grown up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Fives looked over at the store a bit uneasily.
“Hey, Fives?” Rex asked softly, watching the boy carefully, “Have you ever been inside a store like this before?”
Fives shook his head, “We weren’t supposed to leave the house. Except for— Except for training.”
“Okay,” Rex said slowly. He could unpack that later, right now he just needed to get through the shopping without traumatizing the kid any further. “It’s a pretty big store, so you need to stay where I can see you, ’kay?”
Fives nodded seriously.
“And there’s going to be a bunch of other people in there, but they won’t hurt you.”
Fives nodded again.
“And if you see anything you want for tonight, let me know and I’ll see if we can get it, alright?” Rex looked down at Fives’s little hands, which were gripping the blanket around him tightly, and held out his own, “If you want to hold my hand, you can.”
Fives tentatively reached out his hand, searching Rex’s face as his did. Rex offered an encouraging smile and, seemingly satisfied, Fives took his hand.
They got a pair of shoes for Fives first and paid for them immediately so Rex could cut the tags off and put them on the boy’s feet. He had chosen a pair of blue and white lace-up sneakers after trying on a pair with Velcro and deciding that Rex’s “kind” (shoes with laces) were cooler.
After Fives was all set with his new shoes, they made their way to the boy’s clothing section. Rex pointed to the racks of pajamas, “Do you want to pick out a pair while I go get you some underwear?”
Fives didn’t say anything in response, but his grip on Rex’s hand tightened.
Rex looked down at the boy and noticed his eyelids were drooping a little. The calories from the pizza must have worn off. “Together?” Rex asked, cracking a smile at the sleepy look on Fives’s face.
The boy nodded and rubbed his eyes.
Rex led them over to the pajamas and pulled out a set of long sleeve navy dinosaur print pjs, “You like dinos?”
Fives’s eyes lit up a bit behind the sleep and he reached out for them.
“Hold on, lemme see if they have it in your size.”
They did in fact have both smalls and extra smalls, which Fives seemed to be in between the sizes of. Rex eventually decided on the small because even though it would be a little big on the kid, at least he would grow into it.
As Rex threw the pair of pajamas in the crook of his arm, he felt a slight tug on his hand from Fives. The boy was holding up a second pair of dino pjs, “Can we get one for Echo too?”
“Yeah,” Rex said taking the clothes from Fives and folding them over the other pair. He hoped Fives and Echo weren’t identical. It’d be a nightmare to tell them apart if they were wearing the same clothes.
They made their way through the rest of the store, picking up a couple packs of underwear and socks, a new set of clothes, a puffy winter coat, and a booster seat for Fives, as well as matching products in different colorways for Echo. By the time Rex paid and loaded everything back into a cart to take it out to the car, Fives looked like a zombie. His hand had loosened its grip on Rex’s and every so often his eyelids would droop and his head would begin to sag before he caught himself and whipped his head back up into alertness.
Fives made it back to the car without falling asleep and even helped Rex load the trunk by throwing in the small bag of clothes while he set up the car seats. Once Fives’s booster was strapped in, Rex picked up the boy and placed him gently in the seat, showing him how to buckle the seatbelt under the armrest.
Fives sagged back into the seat and Rex chuckled, “Comfy?”
Fives nodded and closed his eyes. Rex repositioned the blanket around the boy’s shoulders before shutting the door and making his way back around to the driver’s side.
The rest of the ride home was short, only a few minutes, so Rex was surprised when he parked in his usual spot and turned to see Fives fast asleep, slumped against the seatbelt.
Rex sat for a moment, just staring at Fives. His son.
His son.
Even though he didn’t know him—hadn’t known he even existed for years—Rex was filled with a strange sense of pride. It didn’t wash the guilt away—he was sure nothing could wash the guilt away—just covered it a little, obscuring it from the forefront of his thoughts.
It was a nice feeling, Rex thought. And he could live with that.
@marierg @stressed-cherry @ffdemon @renton6echo @bambambunny
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joesalw · 5 months
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First of all I just wanted to commend you for becoming a TS hate blog despite the annoying fangirl swarm you're probably going to face. You're truly doing the lord's work.
I saw that you said you were her a fan of hers but then realised who she was after her breakup with Joe. I was curious about how long you'd been a fan and how involved were you in the fandom and what was it that caused this 180? Was it one thing that just shook you out or was it little things added up?
For me, I had always considered myself more of a casual fan of her music but never got into the fandom side of it because I always thought of swifties as pretty fucking annoying. However, I've had mutuals through the years who were more in the fandom so I sort of observed from the outside. As for her as a person, I never went to bat for her but I always felt like I gave her a sense of grace and understanding despite her being 7 years older than me and far more privileged. For example, when people accused her of always playing the victim I always thought it was understandable because when you're young you often only see things from your own pov, but with age and maturity you start seeing the bigger picture.
My issues with her started in 2020, the year after she made a documentary where she shed her white women tears and proclaimed she wanted to be politically active and use her voice for good. But when the opportunity came with covid, BLM and the election she did less than the bare minimum, a couple of tweets and some cookies iirc. After that her shitty allyship continued to annoy me especially after that Ginny and Georgia tweet, but what was really grating on my nerves was the way her fanbase and the media were hailing her an artistic genius for the littlest things. She's always been one of the poster girls for white mediocrity in the entertainment industry but it was taken to whole new level with her directing her "short film". I don't know what makes good music, but I do know little more about movies and directors and all too well was just so meh and bland and basic and the fact that Sadie and Dylan are both brilliant actors yet their performances in that "film" were so lackluster tells me she does not have what it takes to be a director. Yet she was invited to one of those variety talks and was campaigning for a Oscar nomination? And will apparently direct a movie sometime in the future? Has the world lost it's fucking mind?
Anyways come 2023 to her dating a bigot and I realised just how much of a performance her "activism" has been and her going back to the same tricks of playing victim that made me realise it wasn't immaturity and age this is just who she is.
Sorry if this is tmi but I thought since I was asking for you story I'd tell you mine in a sense. I also have some completely unqualified armchair psychology takes on miss t if you're interested in hearing them. They're probably not "hot takes" or something someone somewhere hasn't already said about her but this was already too long for me to dump them on you unasked.
Hope you have a great day! X
I started fangirling her in 2016 when the whole snakegate thing happened. With reputation especially, when she wrote those monologues about her being comfortable being her ownself at the end of her 20s and wanting a normal life and privacy outside media scrutiny. Her talking about how she used her "taylor swift sqaud" to heal her past insecurities not knowing how it could affect someone who still doesn’t have that type of friendgroup, her deciding to keep her relationship private instead of making it a circus for the media. You know, you could see the personality growth in her at that time. To me she really felt like a very matured person.
Even though there were still lots of things (that you talked about) used to make me very uncomfortable, like that ginny and georgia tweet and her posting that black image of blm trend with THIRTEEN HEART EMOJIS (so embarrassing and weird?)
Moreover, I never liked any of her self directed music videos. Like those were so bland and boring and never fit with the music. But people still praising her and giving her vmas and shits was just a confirmation that nobody cares about art these days, they only want the clout from her name. Her music is also very boring. She writes about the same events in thousand different songs to milk the shit out of it. Like girl please move on!
But what made me actually unstan her was the whole shitshow she put up after her breakup with Joe. The person she talked so highly about in her whole discography was now a villain too. She went on a brought up a whole hate trend on Joe by making her friends unfollow him publicly.
SHE IS THE ONE WHO INSTIGATED THE WHOLE JOE ALWYN HATRED TREND.
You know no matter whatever someone does (his only fault was not wanting to marry her lol), nobody deserves to go through this type of media harassment. But Joe did. Joe is the person who saved her when she was having this kind of media treatment but later on SHE instigated the same type of hatred for him. That just proves how terrible she is as a human being. And not to forget she immediately started dating a vile, racist, islamophobe, bigot, piece of shit and said that was the best time of her life. She didn’t even acknowledge her wrong in the relationship on her breakup announcement (she acted unbrothered). She used Ice Spice to cover up her mess. I mean how many more reasons did i need after that?
Now in her travis era, she switched completely 180° saying being public is her real personality. She also brought back her squad pap walks. She is really feeding into the narrative that Joe kept her in basement. So like the MAIN thing that made me fall in love with her in the first place was all along a lie? She never matured? She never wanted to have privacy? She never valued a normal life? Her personality growth really went downhill to a shithole.
But after being so invested in her for 7 years, I can tell you that a breakdown is coming very soon and I will not feel bad for it at all!
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alex-guerin · 2 months
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Because the fates apparently hate my family, my bro is also staying with me and my mom until he can get enough money saved up to be able to rent a place of his own now that he has a steady, full-time job here in town.
Unfortunately, he and my (our) dad absolutely despise each other. They have NEVER gotten along at all. Like, I can remember being like seven or eight and standing in my bedroom doorway watching in HORROR as they had actual throw downs in the living room, vowing they were going to kill each other (please bear in mind, my bro is 7 years older than me, so this was when he was like 14, 15-ish years old).
Shit went down a few years ago that I'd rather not get into, my dad slugged my bro, bro called the cops on him and had him arrested, and not long after that my bro completely and totally disowned my dad. Wants nothing to do with him. "I wouldn't piss on that man if he were on fire. In fact, I'd fan the flames," is how he put it one time.
Due to the severe cold weather, I foolishly guilted my dad into bringing our other dog (and himself) down to the "new" place (I say new with quotes because we've had it 2.5 years now) where it's warm and safe and I'm not having an absolute panic attack over my 67 year old father and his 12.5 year old bloodhound surviving in a house that needs to be condemned in life threatening cold.
For the last couple of days, things have been okay, I guess. My bro went out Thursday/Friday night to plow snow, was back laaaaaaaaaaaaate late Friday night. Slept all day Saturday, slept a lot of the day Sunday and then went somewhere so he didn't have to be around my dad at all. Came home, slept, and this morning left for work at the repair shop down the street.
I got home from work a little bit ago, and my mom tells me that my dad has once again proven how big of a dick he truly is. That he apparently screamed in my mom's face that if my bro's truck was in the driveway when he got up for work, he was having it towed. That my bro is useless and lazy and "doesn't do a damn thing" around the house, just sleeps all the time, etc. My mom told him no, he wasn’t going to have my bro's truck towed, because SHE told him he could stay here and SHE is the one who lets him sleep because he needs the sleep, he's been so many years working so many odd jobs that didn't have set hours, he needs to try and get his sleep schedule straightened out. So no, my dad was NOT going to have his truck towed. To which my dad snapped back, "Just you watch me! If it's in the driveway! It's getting fucking towed!"
So my mom texted my bro and told him to park on the street. Not ideal, but it's not in the driveway, so. I told her that yeah, besides, I pay half the mortgage on the house. He wants to play that game, fine, I'm also the co-signer on HIS car, I'll call and have HIS car towed and I WON'T help him get it back out. (Of course, this was replied with, "No you WILL NOT!")
I just...I HATE how fucking TOXIC my family is!! It has always been this way. My dad always always always fought with my bro and sister. My sister fought with anyone she could, and if she wasn't fighting them, she was manipulating them to get what she wanted. She also repeatedly tried to straight up kill me when we were kids (not just the usual sibling rivalry, pick fights with someone smaller than them kind of deal, I'm talking shoved me down stairs, tried to strangle me, would put pillow cases over my head etc).
The amount of emotional and psychological and occasional physical abuse I have been through because of them is ridiculous. It's really no wonder I really don't want to deal with confrontation, but if you back me into a corner, I will come out kicking, screaming, biting, and clawing to get away.
I am deeply regretting being a good child and telling my folks I'd move back in with them to help pay for the new place. I really do. I was out on my own for like 3 years, and it was amazing! I was finally starting to heal and recover...now I'm right back at square one all because I didn't want my parents living in a deathtrap of a house. I sit upstairs in my bedroom, either playing on my phone or playing Sims. I rarely sit out in my own living room because it opens down into their living room, so I can't watch anything on my TV or play games without it interrupting whatever they are watching downstairs. It is an absolute shit position I have put myself in all because I am a good person and want to help my family in any way I can.
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leelei1980 · 1 year
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Part 30- Beauty and the Freak
After Party
Mature- 18+ minors DNI TW: Drinking and fighting
Eddie
I wrapped an arm around Veronica's waist and escorted her inside where it was already chaos. I searched the crowd for Steve or Robin or Nancy and came up short." Come on Sweetheart let's go check by the pool." I took her hand and held it tight.
" This place is bonkers, I don't even know half these people." Ronnie shouted to me.
" I don't think Steve does either." We fought our way through the crowd and went through the sliding glass door to the back yard. I scanned the pool and finally found Steve and Robin sitting on the edge of the inground pool." Harrington!" I hollered and waved. Both Steve and Robin popped up and ran over.
" We were hoping you guys would make it!" Steve gave us both hugs. "Congratulations to the class of 86!"
"Woohoo!" It was apparent by the goofy look on Robin's face that she had already drank a couple spiked beverages. " You guys can't even cheers, you don't have a drink!! I'll be right back!"
" Are you good to go alone?" Ronnie asked
" I won't be alone, Nancy is in there somewhere!" And off she went.
" This place is fucking insane!"
" I know right? Like I don't know any of these people. I told the Squirt Squad to stay away, I am worried it's going to get crazy tonight."
" Just tell people to leave if they get out of hand. You know Hopper would come and gladly take them away. " I smirked." He offered us a police escort home if we needed it."
" Well wasn't that nice of him. So, how did it go with the Family?"
" Ronnies Gram got fresh and lifted up my shirt to look at my tats then slapped my ass. I think it's safe to say she likes me."
" Sugar Mama." Steve laughed.
" Hey, that's my sweet little Grammy your talking about."
" And my Sweet Little Princess here is exactly like her. I thought that she looked like her mom, then I saw her next to her Grammy and she is basically just the teenage version of her, now I know what Ronnie is going to look like in her late 60s . Millie is a good looking older woman, you are going to be alright."
Ronnie slapped me across the chest and we all laughed.
Robin and Nancy stumbled towards us with sloshing cups." Now it's time to play catch up. Chug it!"
We each took a cup and clinked them together." Bottoms up Sweetheart."
" Remember what happened last time I drank Steve's party punch? I practically grabbed your dick infront of everyone."
" And...."
" Alright, don't say I didn't warn you!"
" Chug it, chug it, chug it-"
I watched Ronnie bring the plastic cup to her lips then wink at me before she threw it back. " Here goes nothing."
" Wooooo!" Robin and Nancy cheered.
So it took about two party punches and a couple beers to get me feeling fucking fantastic, and two and a half party punches for Princess to start giggling and feeling frisky.
Most of the party goers had swapped to the pool area and we had moved to the basement where the music was cranking and everyone was dancing. Well everyone but me, I don't dance but boy do I fucking love it when Ronnie does, especially when she is fully letting loose. At this very moment she was laughing and singing Fight for your right to party, by the Beastie Boys with Robin and Steve. Harrington was also feeling pretty good at this point and was giggling as much as the girls, and Nancy was taking a break, curled up in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Eddiiiieeee, come over and dance with me."
" Sweetheart you know I don't dance."
" But baby, pretty please?"
" How can you say no to that face?" Robin asked.
" Look at her, she is adorable." Steve squeezed her cheeks and they giggled.
I just shook my head and smiled." You guys are ridiculous."
Veronica danced her way over to me, finishing up her third drink and smiling." Hey baby, how ya doin?"
" I'm doing great Darling." I grabbed her hips and pulled her close." Hell of a lot better now that you are over here."
She bit her lip as I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear."Baby? Come dance with me."
" I would much rather watch you shake your ass Cupcake."
Her face lit up." Awwww Cupcake? I love it!"
" You do?"
" I do." She slid her arms around my waist ." Do you know what else I love?"
" Party Punch?"
She threw her head back and laughed. "Noo Silly! I love-" she stopped mid sentence and tilted her head." I love this song! It's Priiince!" She pressed her body into mine and started singing." You don't have to be beautiful, to turn me on, I just need your body baby, from dusk till dawn." Jesus Christ.
" What ya doing Sweetheart?"
She smiled up at me." I'm dancing with you baby."
I smirked." Is that what this is?"
" Yup." She slid her hands down to my ass and gave it a squeeze." I just want your extra time and your kiss." She sang again looking down at my mouth.
" I think you want more than my kiss." I smirked.
" I think I want your coc-"
" Ronnie, come back over! Come dance with us!" Robin slurred.
" I'm dancing with Eddie!"
" He's not even dancing !"Steve rolled his eyes dramatically. " Come dance with me, I'll actually move!"
She raised an eyebrow." He's got a point...should I go dance with Harrington?"
" Absolutely not."
" But why not?" She teased.
" Because your mine."
" Fucking right I am."She leaned in and kissed me, it was aggressive and sloppy and turned me the fuck on.
" Get him girl! Wooo!" I heard Robin shout.
I pulled away," Baby," she went in for another kiss but I put a finger to her lips. I saw her pout and is was so goddamn sexy." Baby, if you kiss me like that again I'm not going to want to stop-"
" Then don't fucking stop."
I smirked and shook my head." I don't think you understand Princess." I leaned in and whispered in her ear. "The next time you kiss me like that I'm going to hike up your dress, pull your panties down and fuck your goddamn brains out."
She gasped then smiled." Do you mean it?"
" When have I ever said anything to you that I don't mean?"
" Never." She pressed her lips to mine again, such a fucking tease.
" Alright, Sweetheart, you asked for it.Let's go."
She smiled and backed away. " Where are we going to go?"
I took her hand and pulled her across the room." I'm going to fuck you on Harringtons bed."
Steve must have overheard because he hollered," Stay out of my room Munson, that's fucking gross."
I laughed as I dragged her up the stairs and I heard." I mean it Eddie, don't fuck on my bed!"
We giggled, yes fucking giggled as we ran through the house trying to find a room that was un occupied . I don't know how many couples I busted in on- lock the fucking door people! There were just so many goddamn people!
" Baby, where are we going to go?"
" I'm looking Angel."
" A closet?"
" I'm not screwing you in a closet with Harrington's stinky fucking sneakers in it."
She laughed then gasped,." Baby, the van!"
" You're a genius!" We stumbled out the door and over to the van, I opened the back doors and we climbed inside. She was all over me in an instant, hands pawing at my clothes, mouth on mine.
" Too many clothes-" she pulled my shirt up over my head than captured my mouth with hers. I could feel my dick getting harder as she unbuttoned my jeans and slid her hand into my boxers.
I groaned as she stroked me." Fuck, Veronica. Slow down Princess."
She smiled." But why?"
" Let me at least throw that blanket down back here ok? I want you to be comfortable. I don't want to ruin your dress."
"My thoughtful boy." She withdrew her hand and sat back patiently on her heels while I spread out a couple blankets on the floor of the van.
When I turned back around I smiled. She had taken her hair down and her curls were cascading down around her now bare shoulders, the thin straps of her dress had slid down her arms hanging there limp. Her lips were full and puffy from rough kisses. She smiled," What?"
" You look so fucking pretty right now, I'm just taking it in for a second."
" Well, " she leaned forward, purposely giving me an eyeful of her luscious rack." Don't take too long because you promised me that' I'm going to fuck your goddamn brains out.' If I kissed you again.There have been lots of kisses, Edward Eugene, and I'm still waiting." She winked at me held my gaze then slowly started to unzip her dress.
I swallowed hard, just watching her do that, in the moonlight as it streamed through the windows made my heart beat faster in my chest.
When she got to the end of the zipper she licked her lips and lifted the dress up over her head. She wore just a simple white strapless bra and white cotton panties.
I groaned and ran a hand over my face." Fucking white cotton panties? Are you trying to kill me?"
Veronica laughed." With basic, boring every day underwear? Please I have worn much racier undergarments."
" I know, but white cotton panties make you look so fucking sweet and innocent."
" You and I both know that I am sweet yes, but not innocent."
" But it doesn't seem right for me to fuck you-"
" What do you mean your not going to fuck me-"
" What I mean is that I should tenderly and gently make love to you."
" Are we really having this conversation right now?" She laughed, the alcohol clearly making my angel very horny and very bold.She reached back and unclasped her bra with one hand,a feat that only a woman could master, her breasts springing loose. " How's that? Do I still look innocent now?" She hooked her thumbs under the band of her underwear and I heard a "Fuuuck-." Spill out of my mouth as she pulled them down so that she was now naked and on full display.
Her cheeks were pink." How about now?"
I swallowed hard again, giving myself a little pep talk, snap the fuck out of your drunken stupor, Eddie. " Totally fuckable now. Goddamn, your so fucking hot." I took her face in my hands and kissed her, really kissed her, then carefully took her into my arms and laid her back on the blanket. I had some making up to do." I'm gonna make you feel so good baby." I brushed her hair aside and started kissing her neck as my hand slid down to squeeze her breast.I heard a soft moan escape her lips." Does that feel good?" I took her other breast into my mouth and sucked.
"Mmmm."
I reached down between her legs, dipping between the folds, finger lightly circling her clit.She sucked in a breath. She was so fucking wet, it made me groan." Jesus Christ Sweetheart."
" More, I want more." She whined, reaching up and pulling my face down to hers. I kissed her hard as I slid my fingers inside her, she moaned into my mouth. I slowly moved my fingers in and out of her, circling her nub with my thumb.
" Is that good Princess? Is that what you want?"
" Feels s'good Eddie, d-don't stop."
" I wasn't planning on it Sweetheart." I curled my fingers inside her and she cried out,"That's it baby, I want to hear you, I want to hear how good I'm making you feel."
" Mmmm, so good, I'm so close-" she threw her head back ,another moan escaping , her body trembling in release.
" That's it, that's my girl."I leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss. She looked up at me with heavy lidded eyes and smiled."Was that a good warm up Cupcake?" She nodded lazily."Good, because now I'm going to fuck your brains out."
*************************************
We walked back into the party hand in hand, smiling, thoroughly fucked out. The crowd seemed to have thinned out , either that or people were just passed out.
" There the fuck you are! Where have you guys been?" Steve asked hands on his hips, like an overprotective Mother.
" We uh, were out in the van, enjoying a nice private moment." I smirked, and pulled Ronnie close to my side where she snuggled in."Where did you think we were?"
"I thought you left without saying goodbye.Here I was worried sick and you guys were out in the van having sex-"
" Well I promised you we wouldn't have sex in your room, clearly others didn't make the same promise-"
" I fucking know it, I walked in on some randoms, I think I would feel less disgusted about it if it was someone I knew."
I laughed." Your going to be doing a lot of laundry tomorrow. People were getting freaky in every room of this house."
" So gross.Nancy and Robin are both passed out in the basement. They really need to be better at pacing themselves." Steve smirked at Ronnie." How are you feeling Sweetie? You're uh,looking pretty relaxed, pretty chill."
" I'm feeling fantastic." She smiled up at me and wrapped her arms around my waist." Is there any more punch left Stevie?"
" I think I can rustle you up a cup.Eddie you need anything?"
"I'll take a beer."
"Thank you Steve!"
" No problem."
I pulled Ronnie closer and kissed the top of her head."How's my little Sex Goddess doing?"
She looked up at me and smiled."Baby, you fucked me so good, you know just how to love me."
" That's because your so easy to love Darlin." I grabbed her ass and lifted her up to kiss me.Now that comment right there had my stomach doing flip flops. There is no better compliment than that. I had given her exactly what she wanted, how she wanted it and it was so fucking hot, the sexy sounds that she made, the way she screamed my name as I pounded into her, and now my Sweet Princess was practically melting into my arms. Sign of a job well done.
"Mmmm." She hummed as she rested her head on my chest." I could stay here the rest of the night, just like this."
I wrapped my arms around her." I would let you." I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on the top of her head.
" Oh isn't that sweet? The Fucking Freak of Hawkins and my slutty Stepsister."
My head snapped up and my stomach dropped." Jason, what the fuck are you doing here?"
" I heard this was the place to be, but to be perfectly honest, it's looking pretty lame, nothing but losers and whores left."
" Oh, is Chrissy here?" Veronica turned around and I held her protectively." Or is she out screwing the rest of the Basketball team?"
Jason glared at Veronica."Shut the fuck up about Chrissy."
" Then stop calling me a slut and a whore. I have never done one single thing to you to deserve this kind of treatment. You have been nothing but a fucking asshole to me since the day I met you. What did I ever do to you?"
Jason laughed." What did you do?What did you do? You invaded my house, you invaded my life-"
" Invaded your life? I see you total an hour a day! I stay in my room or in the basement so I stay out of your way."
" Baby it's not worth the arguing, he's drunk, and he's angry, he's not worth it." I pulled her close." Jason- just fucking leave."
" Fuck you Munson." He was so drunk he was slurring his words.He pointed at Veronica."You invited this fucking freak into my home! I don't want this trailer trash in my house. Does your Mommy know your fucking the Freak? Fucking tramp."
I could care less what he says about me but he was not going to treat her like that."Don't you fucking talk to her like that you fucking psycho.", I had had enough." Get the fuck out!"
" This isn't your house, you can't tell me what to do!" I watched as Jason stepped closer.
Our raised voices had drawn people into the living room, which was the last thing I wanted.
"What are you going to do Freak, throw me out?" He laughed hysterically.
" Jason??" Steve asked, walking into the room with a cup in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other." What are you doing here?"
" I heard this was the party of the century!"
Steve looked from Jason to us." Well not so much anymore. You'd be better off going somewhere else."
" Awww Harrington, I thought we were friends!"
" I'm not friends with drunken douchebags that are harassing my friends."
" Oh that hurt! " Jason smirked, I knew he came with one sole purpose, and that was to pick a fight." What the fuck happened to you Steve? You used to be the king of the school, now your hanging out with losers and hussies."
Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest." I don't appreciate you coming into my house and calling my best friends insulting names. It's time for you to leave."
" Time for me to leave? I just got here!"
" And you can turn around and walk right the fuck out." I was so irritated by his mouth, he was such a fucking asshole.
Jason smirked. " Fine, I'll leave." He stepped closer to me." But if I leave so does Princess." He reached forward and tried to grab Veronica's arm.
I pushed him away and he stumbled back a few steps."Don’t even think of touching her.”
“You don't want to fucking mess with me Munson.."
My heart was pounding and my blood was boiling. I tried my best to avoid confrontation but I feel like this has been building up for years." I don't want to fight you Jason, but I'm not going to stand by and watch you be a fucking dickhead-"
He lunged at me, I acted on my first instinct and pushed Ronnie behind me. I stepped forward to shove him away and he started swinging. I tried to dodge him but his punches were wild, and one hit me right in the fucking eye. Fuck, Fuck!! I stumbled back a step ,I heard Ronnie scream.
" Steve get Ronnie out of here!" I hollered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him pick her up like a rag doll and carry her into the kitchen and she was not happy. I just couldn't risk anything happening to her. I ducked and another punch went right over my head. I countered and punched him right in the gut. I heard him grunt and saw him grab his stomach." Just fucking leave Carver!"
He growled and threw another punch, it grazed my mouth this time, I licked my lip and tasted blood.
Jason laughed. " What did I fucking tell you Freak? I told you not to mess with me-"
I hauled off and fucking decked him right in the nose and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. Everyone gasped.
As is on cue Steve came running out to the living room."Oh shit!" Steve said wide eyed ,looking from Jason to me. "You fucking knocked him out!"
I shook my hand out and looked back at Jason laid out on the floor." Fuck, fuck fuck! I didn't mean to, ok, maybe I did- is he ok? Like I didn't kill him or anything right?"
" You knocked his socks off, but he's alive, he's breathing."
Veronica ran in." Eddie! Oh baby look what he did-" she saw her step brother on the floor." You knocked him out? Holy shit!"
" I know, I'm sorry." I ran my hands through my hair.
" Why are you apologizing? He totally deserved it." She came up to me, carefully placing her hands on either side of my face." Oh Eddie, your eye, it's starting to swell, and baby, your lip!" There was concern written all over her face.
" I'm fine sweetheart, I promise."
" I'm going to go get you some ice. Oh by the way, Bill is coming to pick up asshole."
" You called Bill?" I started to panic.
" Who else was I supposed to call, Hopper?"
" He's going to hate me!" I started pacing the floor
" Dude, he's not going to hate you. You were defending yourself. " Steve bent down and slapped Jason's cheeks and he started to stir, he groaned." I'm taking you outside, don't give me any shit or I will sic Eddie back on you."Steve helped Jason to his feet and Jason just kept his head down in shame, following Steve out the front door.
" Eddie, Eddie!" Veronica came back into the room ice pack in hand."Here Ed's sit down." She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the couch and the crowd started to dissipate.
As I sat I pulled her down into my lap. My hands were shaking." Can you just hold me for a minute, Princess. I'm freaking the fuck out. I've never actually beat anyone before, usually I'm the one that loses the fight. "
She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight."Your fine baby, I got you." She carefully kissed my cheek. "Can I ice you? Your eye is really swollen, how is your lip?"
" Not as bad as my eye." I brought my fingers up to it and lightly touched it. "Shit, he got me good."
" Well if it's any consolation, you look very sexy in a ' fighting to defend my girlfriends honor' kind of way."She brought the pack to my eye and placed light pressure. "It's a good thing we did all our smooching earlier huh?"she tenderly brushed my hair out of my face and placed her hand lightly on my cheek." It's going to be fine baby. I told Bill what happened. He's not mad at you. He certainly wouldn't want you to just stand there and get your ass beat. Jason came in drunk and looking for a fight. I just want to know where Chrissy was?"
" Probably passed out at the jock party." I took her hand from my cheek and kissed her palm. " Thanks for taking care of me. I'm sorry I pushed you back and had Steve haul you off, I just didn't want you to get hurt. He was so fucking erratic, I didn't want you caught in the crossfire."
" I put up a fight but I was no match for Steve. He's pretty strong for a Mom."
I laughed." He's totally the mom of the group." I watched her wince as she pulled the ice pack away.
" Holy shit, I'm so sorry." I saw tears filling her eyes." My poor baby." She put the ice pack on my lip.
" Don't cry sweetheart. I'm fine." I pulled her back in for a hug and she cried on my shoulder and I rubbed her back.
The door opened and Steve came in. "Just a heads up, Bill just pulled in."
Veronica stood up and wiped at her eyes as I got to my feet. I drew in a deep breath and we followed Steve outside.
Bill got out of his truck shaking his head at the sight of Jason passed out on the lawn. " Jesus Christ Jason." He looked over at Ronnie and I and I felt like I was going to puke. He flinched. "Thank you for calling me Veronica-"
I stepped forward." I'm so fucking sorry Bill, I just want to apologize-"
Bill walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder."Eddie, it's ok. I'm sorry you guys had to put up with this tonight. Jason's anger issues are already bad enough without throwing alcohol into the mix. I've been trying like hell to get him help but he refuses. I know this was his doing, he had no business driving here, especially as drunk as he was. He's lucky he didn't get killed." He sighed. " Looks like he got ya good kid. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I uh , got him back."
" I hope you knocked some sense into him. He is going to be a hurting unit in the morning." Bill came over and pat my back again then went over and gave Veronica a hug." Thanks again for calling me. Are you guys sticking around? Do you need a ride home?" He looked back over at me.
" I was thinking of helping Harrington here, his place is trashed. "
" I'll help too. Plus I've got to take care of this guy." Ronnie took my hand.
" Will you be alright to drive?"
" Oh yeah, totally fine. I wouldn't take any chances, too much at risk. " I pulled Ronnie in for a hug. Truth is , I sobered up the second I saw Jason , knowing that he was looking to fight.
" It Uh, might be a good idea for Ronnie to stay with you tonight, it's going to get pretty messy at home, and from the sounds of things Ronnie, you and Jason could probably use some cool off time from each other," he nodded " Wayne is home right? Can you promise me you will be an absolute gentleman with my stepdaughter if I leave her in your hands? Promise me- 100% Gentleman Eddie Munson."
" I promise on Wayne's and Grammy Montgomery's life that I will be a gentleman. I will gladly sleep on the couch with Princess in my room. I give you my word."
" Ok, I'm trusting you." Bill sighed then walked over and rousted his son. Jason thrashed around until he realized it was his father waking him up, then he had an 'oh shit' look on his face. He looked over at me and glared." Let's go kid." Bill grabbed his son under his arms and pull him to his feet." Your going to feel like shit later."
" I already feel like fucking shit. I think he broke my goddamn nose!"
" Well whose fault is that now? Huh? Get in the truck. Oh and by the way, we are have a serious conversation about all this when your sober. This was the last straw." Bill helped him up into the truck and shut the door." Don't forget Munson-"
" Absolutely no hanky panky sir, you got it!! I promise!"
" Alright, behave yourselves."
" We will!"
Bill climbed into his truck turned on the ignition then took off down Harrington's driveway.
Veronica and I headed into the house where Steve was sitting in a chair, head back and eyes closed." This night has been un-fucking-believable." He sighed. " There are people passed out all over my fucking house, people sleeping in my fucking bed, I swear to god I'm the only person in this house that hasn't had sex tonight, well beside Robin, this place is fucking trashed."
" We can help you clean up-"
" No there is no point right now, I would be pissed if we picked it up only to find it messed up in the morning. Go home, or crash here if you can find a spot. You need to rest your face. Man, I wish I had seen you lay him out!"
" I still can't believe I knocked him out, the way he was swinging, he was all over the place." I reached up and touched my lip, pretty sore but when I touched my eye I winced.
Ronnie lightly kissed my cheek." Come on baby, let's go home and I'll fix you up."
" Sounds like a plan to me. See ya Harrington, thanks for a fun filled night. We'll come by tomorrow and help pick up."
" See you tomorrow, I'll probably still be in this fucking chair when you get here. Oh and Veronica, I forgive you for attempting to kick me in the dick as I carried you out, that was so fucking close."He cracked open the beer that he had originally gotten for Eddie and took a swig.
" Uh, Yeah, sorry about that Steve, I was a little upset."
" I get it. Good night guys."
I wrapped an arm around Veronica's waist and we walked to the van. I smirked at her." You tried to kick him in the junk?"
She shrugged." I wanted him to put me down so I could make sure you were ok."
We rode back to the trailer in silence, not an awkward silence, just both of us overwhelmed and taking in every thing we had been through that day, it had been a lot to process. When we got home we went into my room and I got my Princess one of my t-shirts, I unzipped her dress and pulled it up over her head, smiled again at the sight of her then dressed her in my shirt. I went to my night stand where I kept a couple of her extra scrunchies, next to my bandanna and guitar picks ,and pulled her hair into a ponytail. I kissed the tip of her nose."Comfy Sweetheart? You look fucking adorable."
She smiled." Thank you. " She carefully kissed my lips avoiding my injury." Can I take care of you now?"
" If you insist."
She grabbed another scrunchie and pulled my hair back into a low bun, then took off my shirt and pants, she motioned for me to sit on the bed." I'll be right back, Eds,don't go anywhere." She left the room and I flopped back on my bed, closing my eyes. I was exhausted, the drinking,the intense sex, the fight , my anxiety, had taken a lot out of me. I would never forget this night. Not only was I now a High School Graduate, I had also bested Jason Carver and lived to tell the tale.
" You ok baby?"
My eyes popped open as soon as I heard Veronica's voice." All good Darling, just fucking beat."
" Literally." She crawled up onto the bed and straddled me. She had an ice pack in one hand and a wet washcloth in the other. I laid back as she gently went to work, carefully cleaning the cut on my mouth, then placing the ice pack on my swollen eye. " Eddie, baby, can you hold this ice pack for me?"
" Sure sweetheart." I reached up and held the pack in place, closed my other eye. I felt Ronnie's soft warm lips kissing me, my neck, my chest." Uh, babe what are you doing?"
" I'm kissing you to make you feel better."
I squirmed when she kissed a ticklish spot on my side."Babe, I promised Bill that I wouldn't take advantage of you and that I would be a perfect gentleman."
" But I never promised that I wouldn't take advantage of you, and your always a gentleman, so technically your not breaking your word. "
" Is that how that works?" I chuckled.
" Uh huh," She pulled my boxers down and I sucked in a deep breath.
" Ronnie, Wayne is home-"
" Then we'll just have to be very quiet now won't we?"
" You don't have to do this."
" I know I don't, but I want to. I'm going to make you feel so good your going to forget all about your injuries. Now be a good boy and lay back and let me take care of you."
" I fucking love you."
" I love you too, now relax honeybuns, I'm about to make you feel all better."
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ritualoflovesmemory · 10 months
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Prove Yourself Part II (From Ch. 5)
Harry felt the bind dissipate as it was removed.
“Right, well… Umm…” Harry’s cheeks were suddenly red. He kept his gaze fixed away from the blonde. “George, you two gave me the Marauder’s Map so that I could sneak into Hogsmeade in my third year. You didn’t even realize that my Dad helped make it.” The three standing over him noticeably relaxed a bit but kept their wands pointed at his prone body.
“Ange, I wasn’t conscious for many of the times that Wood had to mourn a loss,” George laughed again, ”But I remember him trying to drown himself in the showers. Very glad we came back to win the Cup that year.”
Angelina smiled wide, and her wand was back at her side, as was George’s. With reddened cheeks, he looked imploringly at the last inquisitor. “Do I have to?” She nodded.
“Fine!” Harry looked away and muttered in a low voice. “We found you in a passionate moment with Parvati.”
Luna smiled sweetly. “For the record, I knew it was you as soon as you started blushing. But you are exceptionally fun to tease.”
Harry sat up, only to find a freckled hand in front of his face. He grabbed it and felt himself being pulled up to his feet and into a tight embrace. 
“It’s good to see you, Harry. We were all worried, especially after the last couple of days.” George released him, and Harry had just enough time to see tear streaks on his face before Luna wrapped her arms around his midsection and squeezed.
“You look like you’ve been through hell. I’m glad you’re okay.” Harry blinked back his own tears as she held him for several long moments.
She sniffled a few times during the long moments before she let go, and Angelina pulled him into a hug, too. “Get over here, Harry. It’s been too long. We thought we lost you.”
The breath caught in the back of Harry’s throat. He was certainly not used to being embraced, and the isolation of the past few days on top of the previous months made it all the more jarring to have friends surrounding him like this. Hugs had been few and far between, usually either awkward, sisterly hugs from Hermione or decidedly non-sisterly hugs from Ginny. He did his best to swallow a sob that had begun to materialize.
“I think it would be beneficial to get Harry somewhere safe,” said Luna as Angelina ruffled his messy black hair. “We can swap news and try to figure out some next steps.”
George nodded emphatically. “Ange, you’re better at side-along apparition than me, and he’s pretty banged up. Want me to take Luna and you help Harry?”
“Should I be jealous that you want to apparate with another girl, George?”
“Eh, I get the feeling that, despite my devastating good looks, I might not be her type.” He tried to grin at Luna, even though the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. ”And note that I’m not getting defensive about you apparating with a bloke who's been on the cover of Witch Weekly. That’s very secure of me if I do say so myself.”
Angelina gave Harry a quick look up and down. “He’s pretty scrawny… I probably won’t look to trade you in for an upgrade. At least not yet.”
Harry saw George proffer an arm to Luna while giving Angelina a rude hand gesture. He grabbed tightly onto the older girl’s arm and felt the familiar pull of his body into nothingness.
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lewis-faith · 2 years
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Day 5, I drove away from the hostel as a monk passed me for his morning walk, that and the very large stone building he came from was how I realised it was a monestry next door. There was me thinking the uphill journey might have been leading to a ski resort!
After a bit of juggling requests for transport I helped out Love Bristol again. We took an older gentleman to the passport office in Rzesow first of all. He needed to update his passport to a biometric version to be able to apply for a UK visa. A while into the journey he realised he had left his shoes and slippers behind, so while he was busy sorting out the passport I hunted down some replacements. Somehow it got lost in translation he was a size 42 not 44, the slippers at least were okay and he did have hiking boots so all was not lost. I also squeezed in a big grocery shop for the families being housed by Love Bristol, luckily there was a Lidl round the corner.
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We took the man who's name I forget to the staging house which is an old primary school. There are quite a few people there but the conditions are good and less stressful than the humanitarian centre in Przemysl. The kids seem happy playing, but the mothers are understandably tired and depressed. I spoke to a lady from Kherson, she was asking if British people are all cheerful all the time. We are all doing our best to bring positive energy, you have to keep positive to stay sane and keep up the good work. It may sound unsympathetic but dwelling too much on the trauma they have gone through I think is best avoided, and can make you lose focus. Constantly paving the way for their lives to improve makes things much easier to handle. You of course will listen, but it's important to reassure them that they are now safe and they will be ok. It's later on when you are alone and a wave of emotion hits you that it all comes out. War is the most serious collective human experience, no-one should relish it or be blind to the suffering it causes. The truth is no person could possibly feel the pain of millions of people, it is like try to sense all the stars in the sky, you see a sea of white dots - yes, but you can only feel the heat of our sun. In this case we are as useful as a brick at feeling such widespread pain, it just is beyond our capabilities. Maybe in hell Putin will accomplish this unenviable achievement.
By two strokes of luck I booked the last room near Przemsyl left on a well known hotel listing website - for the whole weekend. Another hostel but this time I'm walking distance to Przemysl town centre. Przemysl is located on the San River, apparently my ancestors lived somewhere along it. It is quite long but maybe serendipity has brought me here. A local informed me that in world war two the river was a natural division between Russian and German armies, we agreed that it is tragic that the town is again a focal point in an unwelcome story.
After another couple of shopping trips we headed back to Przemysl, it was getting late and I needed food. I checked in to the hostel and drove into town for a late dinner and a well deserved beer. As it was about 10.30pm I had to dine in a very loud bar. It had good food though.
As I was finishing my meal a local musicians started to play the guitar and sing with great gusto. He reminded me of my American folk musician friends both in spirit and sound. I really needed something like that, it felt good to enjoy the elements of life that bring people together for the right reasons.
I met some Polish and Spanish volunteers and was corralled into trying some Polish vodka. It would have been rude to decline and I was going to get a taxi anyway so I took a deep breath, said my prayers and enjoyed what was actually a very nice tipple. Not being a vodka fan I was surprised to like it at all.
I may of had another, that would be telling. More importantly it was good to connect with the other volunteers, comradery is important. The hangover will pass but the human connection will last much longer. I'll never forget sharing mutual affection for the Welsh word for microwave with a man from Barcelona (who used to live there). Google informs me it's not actually poppity-ping although the urban myth is now embraced by those with a sense of humour.
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nobodyfamousposts · 3 years
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Chloe's Lament Part 2
Next part of Chloe's Lament. Chloe begins to learn of the changes to reality from her Wish.
She will not be happy about this.
____________________
When Chloe woke up, the first thing that struck her was the loud banging sounds from somewhere below her.
The second thing was pain.
“I have a headache!” She called out, laying an arm over her sleep mask-covered eyes. Her butler would hear her and respond accordingly, of course. He always did.
“And get them to stop that racket down there!” She flopped on her bed with a huff, waiting for the help to return with aid.
Really, the things she dealt with!
Normally, her butler would arrive immediately, with painkillers and fruit-infused water being presented to her within a minute.
But to her growing frustration, that minute came and passed.
Then two.
Three…
Not that Chloe was counting.
Eventually, it had been five minutes and there was still no word from the man. And to make matters worse, that damn banging from below was only getting louder and increasing her suffering.
“Ugh! Do I have to do everything myself?!”
She ripped off the sleep mask, only to wince at the level of brightness in the room. She was on the top floor with the best visibility but the windows were supposed to be tinted and covered to prevent this very thing!
Once her vision cleared, several things should have stood out as odd.
But the first thing to attract her notice was the sleep mask she had just removed—some cheapo dime-store brand. She tossed the rag away with a shriek.
“Is this a prank?!” She demanded. “That is not my personalized diamond-studded satin custom made facial mask! Jean? Jean!”
There was a ruckus from below. The sound of something being dropped. Footsteps—loud and fast and getting closer. Then the opening of a door.
“Precious! Is everything okay?”
She sneered at the sound of her father’s voice.
“No! My sleep mask was stolen, it’s too bright, my head is KILLING me and no one is getting me anything to help!”
He looked confused at that. “Are you out of Efferalgan in your bathroom cabinet?”
She gave him a look. Why would she have to get up and go to the bathroom for some painkillers when there should be someone to hand them to her?
He gave her a strange look in response. Like he was confused his daughter would expect someone to do something as simple as bringing her painkillers and water.
And water.
Preferably cherry-infused.
Was that really so much to ask? Or even require asking?
“Just…hang on a moment.” He said and left her her bathroom.
Finally.
With nothing to do but wait, she glanced around, noting that…this was not her room.
Not the one she knew, anyway.
The light that had blinded her before was from a central window overlooking the room that so obtrusively settled on her bed. In addition, there was a skylight placed above a nook set behind her bed, which brought more light into the room.
She vaguely recognized the room. Well, by its floor plan, at least. The layout and decor threw her off though. The furniture and items were clearly cheaper than her usual high end designer brands. But she saw aspects that were suited to her tastes. Minute indications of her own touch in the assortment of objects around her. Yellow and white as the themes. Black cushions and aesthetic.
It was…decent. But so beneath her it was embarrassing! These were cheap models! Practically plastic! The bedsheets were…ugh…cotton of all things! The lamps were dim! She was missing her boudoir! And her shoes! And her jewelry! She didn’t even want to imagine the nightmare that was her closet—it was practically a hole in the wall! There was no way it would fit everything!
“Here you are, dear!” Her father said, returning from her bathroom with a glass of water and a pill in hand.
She fought the grimace.
Was this tap water?
Gross!
By his expectant look, he clearly meant for her to drink it.
With her continuing headache and no better option for fast relief, Chloe reluctantly took the proffered items. She was unable to help the slightest grimace before she downed them both.
“Well, if that’s all, I’ll be getting back to setting up for the morning rush. Come downstairs to the bakery when you’re ready.” He looked almost relieved to be leaving.
Chloe barely took notice now that she had what she needed. Instead, she took to contemplating her situation and her new surroundings.
All the furniture aside, this room looked familiar. Not really well known, because Chloe was sure she had never been in such a place before. But…like she had seen it somewhere…TV maybe?
And her Daddykins was here. That meant…wherever she was, it was apparently expected for her to be here.
But where was here?
The last thing she remembered was…
She closed her eyes, straining to think past the pain.
That’s right! Hawk Moth’s offer! The Bee! She was Miracle Queen! And she had just won! She had Ladybug beaten…
Her fists clenched.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng…
It hit her.
This was just like her room!
She had only seen it a couple of times. Once for sure when Sabrina had snuck into her room per Chloe‘s instructions for blackmail material. She happened to glimpse a picture of the room here or there from other people’s phones of times that they had spent in this room—that she had really cared. It was a small and dingy room that had nothing on her glamorous abode at the hotel, which of course, was superior in every way.
She was vaguely reminded of that one show that Marinette hadn’t stopped talking about which had also apparently shown Marinette‘s room, but Chloe honestly hadn’t been bothered enough to watch it, so she didn’t have that to go on. But with what she did know, it was a safe bet to assume that this was some knockoff of Marinette‘s room.
So why was Chloe here? Why was her dad downstairs?
She… she had made the Wish, hadn’t she?
What…is this it?
She turned up her nose at the environment around her, completely unimpressed.
Was this dinky little room with its weird setup and tacky decor what the Wish gave her? Why would she be in any copy of Dupain-Cheng’s room layout anyway?
The Wish should have changed reality, that much was clear. There was no way she would be caught dead in Dupain-Cheng’s room otherwise—much less sleeping there like it was her own room!
…unless…it was her room?
Was it?
She had found some aspects of the room to her taste, but did that mean this was hers?
It would explain why she was there. And why her Daddy had come up. He had mentioned her bathroom earlier, then had gone through the nearby door to get a tablet and water from what she could only assume was the bathroom he had spoken of.
…he had mentioned a bakery.
Eyes wide, she stumbled out of bed and to the window. Sure enough, the school was just across the way. And there was a sign out front.
“Bourgeois Bakery”
Chloe stared.
Suddenly, it clicked. The banging from downstairs. Her Daddy talking about a ‘morning rush’. And to come down to the…
…no way!
This place was a bakery! Her Daddy was operating a bakery!
And given her location, it was the same bakery that Marinette’s parents owned originally!
This…
…wait…
…did this mean she was supposed to be Marinette?
She threw her pillow in a fury.
Stupid Wish! This wasn’t at all what she wanted!
You would think all-powerful Wish-granting artifacts would do it right!
“Where are those kwamis?!” She demanded, jumping out of the bed and looking around for anywhere she would keep such important jewels. “I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!”
She had a boudoir along with the various jewelry pieces kept there ranging among a variety of gold and diamonds—all fakes, much to her disappointment. And not a single Miraculous among them.
She slammed the final drawer in with a curse.
Nothing!
If she had the Miraculous, shouldn’t they still be with her? Do they just disappear after being used?
Ugh! Those things really were useless! Utterly useless!
It was when she stood back to full height that she noticed the monthly calendar. There were the standard holidays, but also a weekly appointment every Friday evening with some ‘Bridgette’. What was that? A spa day?
She shot a glance to her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. She definitely needed one. She could just feel all the oils on her skin!
But more to the point, there was one day circled on the calendar.
‘Start of School’
She grabbed her phone—an older, obsolete model with a glittery but fake casing—and checked the date.
That…
That was today.
It was the first day of school. A…
She checked the date again, and sure enough, it was a year ago!
Had the Wish taken her back in time?
She froze, realization hitting her.
This was the first day of school. The same day as the first akuma attack.
And when Ladybug first appeared.
That meant…she was sent back in time to the day Marinette would become Ladybug.
It was a year in the past. She wasn’t at the hotel. Her room was in a bakery. Her father was working as a baker. She was Marinette now.
That meant…
She giggled, feeling a giddiness rise within her.
Today was the day she becomes Ladybug!
It looks like the Wish did something right, after all!
Chloe grinned, spinning away from the mirror and to her closet.
She had to get ready! She had to prepare the perfect outfit! Something for the day she becomes a hero!
No. THE hero!
She knew how the Ladybug worked. Hell, she knew the akumas to come. With her prior knowledge and skills, she would know how to use the yoyo and how to use the Lucky Charm better than the old Ladybug ever did! She’d have every akuma in the bag!
Hell, maybe she could force the Ladybug kwami to tell her where the Guardian is so she can get the other Miraculous, too! That way, she could have both the Ladybug AND the Bee again.
And her Adrikens would be her partner! To support her! To stay by her side! Just as it should be!
She paused, something niggling at the back of her brain. There was something she was forgetting.
A glance around the room as she wondered
Of course, the full extent of the change and just what that meant didn’t really hit her until she went downstairs and actually saw her father.
The poor man was in the middle of retrieving a pan lined with croissants from the unbearably hot oven, his hair contained in…fishnet? Latex? Whatever the cafeteria cooks wore when she had no choice but to eat from the school’s lunchroom.
Gross! He looked like a lunch lady!
He didn’t seem to notice her, too busy dancing around the kitchen and checking over the…whatever pastries those were and just looking proud of himself.
Daddykins, no. You’re better than this! How could you be reduced to such a state?
He seemed to notice her staring. “Are you feeling better?” He asked, looking concerned.
“Er…yeah.” She replied. She wasn’t, really, but she couldn’t tell him that. He could try to have her stay home and how would she get to see the fruits of her labors from there?
“Ah good!” He said cheerfully. “It is the first day of the new school year, and you certainly want to…” He hesitated, “…start off on the right foot.”
A pause. He looked at her expectantly, but she had no idea what he was getting at.
He shook his head and turned away for a moment to grab a box before coming back and presenting it to her.
Clearly he wanted her to take it, so she sighed and took hold of the box. A peek inside revealed a number of macarons.
For her? Now this was what she was talking about!
“Oh, Daddykins! You shouldn’t have!”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “I figured it would be a great way to start off the new year by sharing them with your classmates.”
Ugh. Seriously? All happy feelings vanished in an instant and she shot him a petulant look.
“Why should I have to share?” She demanded.
He hesitated.
She glared, tapping her foot in a clear indication of wanting an answer. Or preferably for him to just say they were all hers.
“It’s a new year and a new start.” Andre said, smiling nervously. “Maybe it’s time to just let bygones be bygones?“
It was a stupid question and she sure let him know it. She stared at him flatly, causing him to wilt.
Andre sighed.
“I know you don’t like her, but…” he hesitated. “Please, just try to get along?”
She blinked.
“Her?”
Wait.
Wait…
It suddenly struck her.
If she was Dupain-Cheng now…
That meant Marinette was in her shoes!
She grinned.
Marinette would be her bully! She’d be the rich bitch daughter of the Mayor and loathed by Paris while Chloe would be—
The one everyone rallied around.
The one Adrikens adored.
The one chosen as Ladybug!
She would have it all!
Part of her hoped the other girl would know about the previous reality…just so she could shove it in her face!
“Just take it slow,” he continued, unaware of her true thoughts. “And then you can report about it to Bridgette at your counseling session on Friday.”
Wait—counseling?
Seeing her expression, he held up his hands in a gesture of peace.
“I know you don’t like it, but it was part of the agreement. You need to make a better impression this year, sweetie.”
“What?”
“She’s the daughter of the Mayor. I’m not sure we can take another…” He trailed off before shaking his head and looking at her imploringly. “You understand, right?”
Oh.
Oh.
She got it!
“Of course, Daddykins!”
Clearly Dupain-Cheng was abusing her influence, just as she thought!
She had to hand it to the girl…a part of her hadn’t been quite convinced that she would go quite that far. But that just proof that Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn’t so perfect and that even she would be the same as Chloe once in her position!
Chloe knew she would have to bear with the mistreatment for now. No matter how much it would grate her. It would suck to have to have to accept it for any period of time.
Still, it would be worth it! It just meant even more ammunition to use against her once Chloe was Ladybug!
She didn’t even notice the look of concern he gave her or his weak goodbye as she left the bakery with the box in hand. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. Particularly her plans.
And what plans they were!
So what if Maribrat had Chloe’s wealth? It wasn’t like she knew the first thing about status or being a symbol. No, Ladybug did that for her and she didn’t even use it right! Not like Chloe would.
She smirked to herself, imagining the future.
Well, as soon as she got the Miraculous, taking the pigtailed down a peg would be the first thing on her list. Maybe a dip in the Seine? Or ‘accidentally’ getting her hit by an akuma or two?
Why limit it to her personally? If Ladybug spoke out against the mayor, who would vote for him? From what she remembered of Marinette’s dad, that oaf had no business being in politics anyway! Then there was the hotel, which would no doubt be a mess with him in charge anyway.
And best of all, she thought with glee, with a word from Paris’s favorite hero, Dupain-Cheng could be implicated as an ally of Hawk Moth.
Who wouldn’t believe it? If Marinette was in Chloe’s place, that meant she had to be a brat despised by Paris. Everyone would likely jump at the excuse to run her out of the city!
It was slightly disappointing that the former Ladybug wouldn’t know why the new Ladybug was so against her or that she had even been replaced, but she didn’t deserve answers anyway.
For once, Chloe was getting everything she wanted. It was like the Universe itself was on her side! Chloe would be the hero with all the Miraculous and status just as she’d always deserved. And everyone would automatically see it and love her while they would already recognize Marinette as the selfish bitch Chloe always knew she was!
It was a win/win for Chloe and all her fans—which was the best kind of win for Chloe.
Sure, it meant she would have to suffer the loss of her basic comforts like a butler, the latest in fashion and accessories, and easy immediate access to a luxury spa for now…but it would be worth it in the long run.
…maybe not the luxury spa. She would kill for the hotel’s oils and masseuse. But she would just have to deal with, ugh, scheduling with a four star locale in the meantime.
It’s for the greatest good, she reminded herself, looking mournfully at her chipped nails.
And besides, she didn’t have to suffer for long.
Today was the first day of school, which signified the first appearance of Ladybug! This was the day she achieved her destiny! Once she became Ladybug, she would be back on top!
So what if her dad was a baker instead of a hotel owner this go around? Who said it had to stay that way? Just as she could use her position to defame the Dupain-Chengs and ruin Marinette, she could endorse the bakery for free publicity. Do special promotions and deals for money. Or even better! She could make the city pay her for her work!
After all, how much was her Miracle Cure worth, really? How much would the city be willing to pay for her to fix the damage caused by akuma fights? It was only what she was owed; the least they could do is compensate her for her time.
Really, it was Marinette’s own fault for not taking advantage while she could. She could’ve been an idol or the city’s star. She could have used the Miraculous to create an army. Hell, Hawk Moth should have been nothing against her! And instead, she just…wasted her potential. On things like loose zoo animals or out of control helicopters, no less!
Chloe wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
And now that Chloe was set to be the city’s hero…
Even if Marinette was rich (for now), it would be nothing compared to what Chloe would have. She would be Paris’s hero! The BEST hero! And unlike that has-been, she at least would use Ladybug’s power and status right!
She didn’t need to be the daughter of the Mayor! Her Mother was still THE Style Queen, Audrey Bourgeois. Adrien Agreste was still her best friend. She was still Chloe Bourgeois, the best thing to happen to Paris! And now as Ladybug, she would still be back on top and ruling Paris in no time!
And it would all start once she got to school.
“Get out of my way!” She exclaimed, shoving some old fart taking his sweet time walking, sending him to the ground and out of her way.
Move aside, peons!
Her destiny awaits!
Back at the intersection, Chloe never noticed the way the elderly gentleman cast her a judging stare from his position on the ground. Or his muttering.
“No, definitely not.”
“Are you okay?” Came a voice.
“Ah, yes!” He replied, accepting the offered hand and taking stock of the girl it belonged to. She was young. In college, likely. “Thank you, young lady!”
“Of course!” She smiled, handing him back his cane. “Do you need help getting home from here? That looked like quite a fall.”
“But don’t you have somewhere to be?” He asked.
“Just school, but I can spare a few minutes if you need…?”
“There is no need for that.” He shook his head. “I will be fine, thank you for your concern.”
Yes, he decided with a smile as he watched her go, this one will do.
_________________
Ugh, walking. Who invented such a thing? She couldn’t wait until she had a personal limo again. This was so not good for her!
Chloe continued plotting as she walked, magnanimously choosing to consider this as part of the reason for revenge instead of its own thing.
And speaking of revenge! Let’s see…
She scrunched her face, trying to remember the events of the first day of school.
There had been that fight with Marinette over her seat. ‘My seat now’, she realized with glee. ‘Which means I’ll be back next to Adrikens!’
Where she should be.
And if she and Dupain-Cheng were now supposed to be switched, that meant ‘the horrible bully Marinette’ would be picking on ‘poor sweet little Chloe’.
She couldn’t wait!
‘Let’s see how you handle being in my shoes, Dupain-Cheng!’
She giggled to herself, ignoring the weirded out looks she was getting from some passing students.
Or the way the other students in general seemed to give her a wide berth.
As they should for the real Queen Bee of this school!
She was already imagining how this was going to go. And with the classroom only a few feet ahead, her vindication was already so close she could taste it!
Except when she finally arrived at the class, it was immediately clear that something wasn’t right.
Dupain-Cheng was there as expected. With her same kiddie pigtails and her pink and grey ensemble with polka-dots—what kind of designer was she anyway?
What wasn’t expected, however, was that Cesaire was already was there as well.
Originally, Cesaire defended Dupain-Cheng and they became friends. If things played out the same, shouldn’t Cesaire be coming in late? Or standing up to Dupain-Cheng here? If anything, they already seemed to be friends.
Unless Cesaire was Dupain-Cheng’s tool like Sabrina had been for her?
It made sense that this new reality would swap more around, she reasoned.
Except…
Chloe frowned. Now that she was actually close enough to the classroom, she could see the classmates gathered into a sort of half circle around Dupain-Cheng and her follower. And as she reached the doorway, she could more clearly hear what they were saying.
“—at the Le Grand Paris.” Marinette said, gesturing to Alya with a smile.
“Wow!”
“So cool!”
“That’s awesome! So you’ve just been staying at the hotel until you can get settled in?”
Alya nodded, smiling. “Yeah. At least for a little while until we could get our own apartment. Mr. Dupain-Cheng was really accommodating. Luckily, we didn’t need it for long before Mom found something. She didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity, but it’s just really amazing that he was willing to offer us room and board just to have Mom as part of his staff!”
Chloe raised a nose in disgust.
Who ever heard of such a thing?! What hotel made any profit letting people stay for free?
“We met when I was cleaning rooms and she offered to help!” Marinette explained brightly.
Chloe nearly gagged.
Cleaned?
Marinette…actually cleaned the hotel?
Why do something that gross?
That’s what the help was for! And Sabrina.
Speaking of, where was she?
Chloe glanced around, but Sabrina was nowhere to be seen amongst the classmates.
Maybe the Wish had done more than switch her with Dupain-Cheng? Maybe Cesaire and Sabrina had been switched as well? So that meant Sabrina should be the new transfer, right?
No wait, that didn’t add up. She had just walked in on Cesaire being introduced.
Sabrina was probably just her best friend, then.
She nodded.
That was good enough, she supposed. At least if she couldn’t have her necessities from the hotel, she still had Sabrina to take care of the more mundane tasks for her.
Unaware of her thoughts, Marinette had continued talking to the others unhindered.
“—said she would be coming to Francios Dupont, and I knew I had to introduce her. She’s new, so be nice.” She instructed, giving a stare to Kim in particular. “Kim.”
The taller boy raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. I’ll give her a week before any challenges.”
Alya raised an eyebrow. “Challenges? Dare I ask?”
Everyone groaned.
“No dares.” Nino begged, covering his face with his hat. “Please. Kim is bad enough every year. I still can’t look at the hotel without remembering what happened last time…”
“Yeah, your dumb dare got us banned from the hotel’s pool for a month!” Alix said, pointing at Kim, who shrugged helplessly.
“Speaking of the hotel!” Marinette cut in, pulling out her tablet. “I convinced my dad to let us do this year’s work study at the hotel.” She tapped her tablet. “I have a little bit of influence over what they’ll choose as assignments, so we can try to come up with roles everyone will like.”
“Hey yeah! That sounds awesome!”
The classmates crowded the desk, chatting excitedly.
“So where will everyone go?”
“Maybe Kim and Max in security? Or Alix and Max in security, so Kim could work the pool area.”
“As a lifeguard?” Kim asked cheerfully. “I’ve done some training, after all.”
Marinette sent him a wry look and pretended to be thinking it over. “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe as a pool cleaner?”
Kim pouted. “No fair, Mari!”
“Hey, it would do you some good to learn the cleaning process for the pools you use so much.” Mylene said, half jokingly and half pointedly, making Kim lower his head and groan.
Marinette giggled a little. “Well at any rate, I’ve set up a list of all the different jobs at the hotel so people can mark their top preferences. Between all the options, everyone is bound to find something that’ll suit them best.”
She sent Adrien a knowing look. “And of course Adrien will be in the kitchen.”
Adrien beamed at that.
Not that Chloe noticed.
“Kitchen?!” Chloe squawked. “You’re going to make my Adrikens work in a dirty old kitchen?!”
She had known Marinette would be bad, but how dare she punish Adrikens like that? She could just see it now! Her poor Adrikens, forced to slave away in a room meant for servants like…like he was a servant! Where he could get covered in grime and burn his precious skin!
Everyone frowned at her, as if she was the one being ridiculous!
The boy in question raised his hand.
“But I want to—”
“That is a flagrant abuse of power!” Chloe shouted, slamming a hand on the desk. “She’s making Adrikens work like a maid! What if his father hears about this?!”
Adrien wilted in on himself.
“The kitchen isn’t dirty or old.” Marinette said, sounding annoyingly calm with a terseness in her tone that Chloe had heard some service workers use when dealing with particularly difficult customers—though why they used it with her was beyond her. It was as if Marinette was acting like she the reasonable one dealing with an unreasonable customer or something. “They just finished the remodeling three months ago, we clean it regularly, and all of our utensils and equipment are taken good care of.”
“That’s not the point!” Chloe shouted. “How could you use my Adrikens in such a way? Gabriel Agreste would never approve when he hears about this!”
Because he would be hearing about this! Chloe would make sure of it!
“I could just explain to Mr. Agreste that this would be for good publicity.” Marinette suggested. “I’m sure he would allow it.”
She knew it! There were really no lows she wouldn’t go to!
“You’re really pushing this! And you call yourself Adrikens’ friend!” Chloe pointed at Marinette accusingly. “Just because your Daddy’s the Mayor doesn’t mean you can treat people like they’re lesser than you!”
Marinette frowned, looking uncertain as her gaze flickered between the others.
Hah! Even in Chloe’s position, Marinette still wavered easily and she couldn’t hide her insecurities to save her life. It was why she always gave in in the end! Anyone would roll over someone showing such an obvious weakness!
Hell, she may not even need to wait to see her taken down. This was a perfect opportunity to lead everyone in rising up against her tyranny.
After a few seconds, she turned back to face Chloe, no doubt to attack her for challenging her and show her true colors—
“Chloe, are you okay?”
Huh?
“My Dad just runs the Hotel. He isn’t the Mayor.”
What?!
“My Mom is. You met her at your…” She hesitated, sending the others a glance before lowering her voice, “…meeting, remember?”
She had to bite her tongue regarding the ridiculousness of Dupain-Cheng’s mother being the Mayor. Was that woman even a French citizen?
But it was the other part of Marinette’s statement that concerned her. What meeting? What was she even getting at? Why was she trying to be quiet about it.
Nevermind! She’d worry about that later!
“It doesn’t matter!” Chloe shouted, forcing Marinette to back away. “The fact is that you can’t just throw your weight around to get your way and treat people however you like! And I’m not the only one who feels that way!” She exclaimed, turning to the classmates in expectation.
…only to get a number of blank or confused stares in response.
“Um, what are you even talking about?” Alya asked incredulously.
What?
“Yeah, dude! Marinette doesn’t treat anyone that way.” Nino added.
What?
“The only one who pulls that sort of thing is you.” Said Nathaniel bitingly.
Since when does that loser talk?
And also, what?!
“And aren’t you supposed to be leaving Marinette alone?” Alix asked, giving Chloe a pointed look.
What even was that about?
“I thought that was the agreement.” Mylene said quietly.
Seriously?! Was everyone on her side?
They were supposed to be silent! Or judging the Mayor’s brat! That’s what they did with Chloe! Instead, they were jumping to her defense!
“Are you serious?” She demanded. “Like she doesn’t abuse her power and authority to push people around!”
“Of course not!” Marinette insisted. And then to Chloe’s rage, seemed to draw herself up even more, actually looking confident and self assured in a way Chloe herself had never felt in her place. “As the daughter of the mayor, I have to set a good example.”
Ex…
Example?
What even was that?
Unaware of Chloe’s short-circuiting, she continued. “And Chloe, I wouldn’t force anyone to do a role that they don’t want. That’s why I brought the list here for the class to review first.” She gestured to her tablet. “That way everyone has a chance to pick what roles they want and we can avoid the ones no one wants to do. How is that a bad thing?”
It wasn’t, admittedly. But Marinette wasn’t supposed to be the one doing it! That was the problem!
“And who put you in charge?!” Chloe demanded of Marinette. “Why are you deciding where we’ll do the work study? What, are you using the Class Rep position to flaunt your family’s hotel?”
It would make sense. Chloe had been the Class Rep for years originally. If Marinette was her…
Marinette just gave her a strange look.
“No. I’m not Class Rep, remember?”
Chloe balked.
“What?”
“Chloe, did you hit your head?” Marinette asked, sounding worried. She held a hand out in offering. “Do you need to go to the Nurse’s Office?”
Chloe jerked away from the girl’s outreached hand. Why would Dupain-Cheng still be acting…nice?
Clearly she must still be pretending!
“Nevermind that! If you aren’t the Class Rep, then who is?”
“Your benevolent dictator is here!” Came a voice. A familiar voice. The last one Chloe expected.
“Hey, Class Rep.” Marinette said, giving Chloe a pointed look while waving to the person behind her.
Chloe turned slowly. She had to force herself to move. The strain made it feel like her bones were creaking.
Behind her, Sabrina stood tall with a tablet in hand and looking…surprisingly well for a new reality as a lackey of someone other than Chloe. She almost didn’t recognize her.
Chloe stood straight, expecting the standard greeting.
To her shock, Sabrina didn’t even look at her, instead moving past her to…
“Wow, Marinette! Nice jacket!” Sabrina said first thing in greeting as she moved over to the other girl in interest.
Marinette blushed at the praise. “Thanks! My dad got me some new fabric and I was inspired to try this style!” She gave a wink. “Now this is just a test run to see how it works out.”
“It certainly looks comfortable.” Sabrina said in awe.
Were…were they ignoring her?
“I have some of the material left.” Marinette said. “I could make you your own for your birthday if you want?”
Oh gag! Why would anyone want Marinette’s tacky creations instead of the latest in season creation?
And there was Sabrina looking like that was something to be excited about!
Oh no! Without Chloe to guide her, she had lost any sense of fashion! No matter how much fuller her hair was or how she no longer looked like a strong wind could blow her away!
Clearly, her life was a tragedy without Chloe!
“And I checked like you asked.” Marinette continued, unaware of Chloe’s glare. “My Dad said we could do the work study at his hotel.”
“Thank you!” Sabrina cheered. “That’ll be one less thing to worry about.”
“Yeah, we were talking about that when you came in.” Marinette explained.
Chloe glared pointedly at the girl over the way she was blatantly ignoring that they had been in the middle of Chloe calling her out! Seriously, what was the point of getting to tell people off for their flaws if they were going to ignore you and pretend it never happened! Really! You can’t just ignore the truth like that!
“We were discussing what positions everyone wanted.” Mylene said. “Even if we can’t get the exact ones we’d like, there’ll at least be options.”
“Juleka and I can clean the ball room!” Rose exclaimed. “It will give us a chance to check the acoustics of the room. We’ve been wondering about the effects and what to expect if our band ever plays in such an area.“
Nino looked intrigued at that. “Hey, that does sound like a good idea. Maybe sign me up for that as well?” He asked, turning to Marinette before mumbling to himself about the echo effect on his beats.
Marinette gave him a nod before turning back to Rose. “I heard you guys just started, didn’t you?“
Rose nodded, beaming. “It’s so much fun!”
Marinette smiled and marked it down on her list. “Then I’ll suggest that for you.”
She paused for a moment, hesitating in clear unwillingness to continue before giving a strained smile.
“And Chloe...”
“How about trash cleanup?” Alix snarked, giving the girl a dark look.
“Excuse you?!” Chloe shouted in outrage. “Do you know who my daddy is?!”
The looks she was given were completely unimpressed.
“A baker?”
“And not even a good one.”
"Hey, his croissants are all right."
Chloe blanched, remembering that her father wasn’t the mayor in this world.
He wasn’t even rich.
He was just a baker now. A simple ordinary not even very good baker who was barely keeping his head above water trying to maintain his business and manage his teenage daughter.
And that made Chloe…
Nothing.
Her go to tactic now had no power.
But…but Sabrina! She realized in a flash that her minion was apparently the Class Rep! She could have her back her!
But when she spun around to look, the girl had actually just abandoned her and the gathering altogether to sit next to Mylene of all people! Mylene! And they were just…chatting! Since when did those two spend time together! And why wasn’t Sabrina there for her?!
“Chloe!” Came the only voice worth listening to.
Oh, Adrikens! Of course you would always be there for her!
She spun to him in expectation. Because of course her Adrikens would be on her side! Her savior! Her only ally against such cruel tyranny—
But he didn’t look happy. Or in any way amicable to her. “Don’t forget!” He whispered sharply to her. “You’re still on probation! You can’t start another commotion before the first class of the school year has even started!”
Chloe blinked.
Pro…
Probation?
Her?!
“How am I on—?!”
It was impossible! She had never had a criminal record! She’d never even committed a crime! Or anything that warranted getting in trouble over!
Regardless of what Ladybug said, since she clearly had it out for her.
“Just leave Marinette alone.” Adrien whispered, turning her away from the rest of the group and…her. “Please.”
She didn’t want to. There were so many questions and so many things she wanted to demand right now. She was very well inclined to make demands regardless, because she didn’t know what was going on and she needed answers.
But it was her Adrikens asking.
And she didn’t have much chance to say anything else as Bustier had chosen that time to arrive.
“Welcome back, everyone!” The woman greeted cheerfully. Her arrival cut off all other discussion as the students made their way to their desks. “I hope everyone had a good break and that we’re all ready to start the new year.”
A chorus of affirmations followed as everyone took their seats.
Everyone except Chloe, who was glancing around the room in confusion.
None of this was right.
She had expected to fight with Marinette over her seat to get to sit behind Adrien, but he was sitting at the back next to Nathaniel. And Marinette was sitting in the mid row on the other side from him, pulling Alya to sit next to her. But if she wasn’t sitting behind Adrien, what was even the point of challenging her for her seat?
…where even was Chloe’s seat?
She would have sad next to Sabrina, but that traitor hadn’t moved from her spot next to Mylene and left no room for Chloe! And nobody else was calling Chloe over—so if someone else had taken Sabrina’s place as her best friend, she had no way of even knowing who it was!
“Chloe,” Bustier called to her, ever so gently. “Your seat is up at the front, remember? As we discussed the last time we met.” She gestured to the bench at the front.
It was across the one Chloe had sat at previously, being the front desk closest to the door. And to her frustration, there was no one sitting with her! How else was she supposed to get her assignments copied? And wasn’t that the seat that loser, Nino, had been put in because he got in trouble? Chloe wasn’t in trouble though!
Adrien’s words about probation hit her, making her wince.
…was she?
She wanted to ask. She wanted to stomp her foot and demand the answers she deserved.
But Bustier was staring at her expectantly. And she could hear some giggles and snickering from behind her the longer she waited. She glanced back to Adrikens, but…he wasn’t even looking at her! He was conversing with Nathaniel over something on his sketchbook!
How could a sketchbook be more important than his best friend?!
With little other choice, Chloe slid into the front desk, blushing furiously in humiliation and trying to ignore everyone behind her.
It didn’t matter.
None of them mattered!
None of this would matter once she got the Miraculous and put Dupain-Cheng in her place! Then everyone would know SHE was the Queen Bee!
She was sure of it!
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lemonlurkrr · 3 years
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@aureateart​ ok. My favourite parts of twilight princess  (and some other random thoughts about TP sprinkled in there) taken from my monster TP word vomit google doc :
Link lmao
Ok but for real, I like this incarnation of Link :)
I love Ordon (it just seems like such a chill and cozy village)
ALSO love how easy it is to interpret Link as being a sort of older brother figure to the Ordon kiddos. It’s just,, super cute? AND GHHH nice nice good thanks nintendo for giving me characters to care about/characters that I can imagine Link caring about
He didn’t sign up for any of this (tbh, none of the Links really signed up for this jshdjsd). But I mean like, dude was just going to take a trip to castle town, drop a gift off for the royal family, and come back. But haHA oopsies he did get to castle town eventually but definitely not the way he expected hsjdhsd
He’s just a little dude?
AND FUCK. HE REALLY HAD NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE OF ORDON UNTIL ALL OF THAT
everything is new for the player AND Link
Midna
She’s cool :)
she really just
*teleports into your jail cell* hello whore.
I am no master at writing but AYYYY she do got a character arc!!!
She was actually pretty helpful sometimes, I ALWAYS checked in with her before turning to a game guide
Other NPCs
NICE
Love all of the TP character designs (ASHEI’S ARMOUR??? AOWOAOAOOAO)
Saving Zelda and all of Hyrule was important yea but thinking back maybe it was more like, the Ordonians and the kids were what was pushing Link to keep on going
I like the Resistance members :) Very video gamey of them to have one NPC assigned to each dungeon but hey!!! Kinda cool getting to see a little glimpse of each of em
Idk, it’s just fun to imagine Link popping into Telma’s bar after each dungeon and taking a little rest :) (or to celebrate? maybe just chat, idk, give this man some downtime!!)
Honestly it was just kind of nice that Link wasn’t entirely alone. I mean, I know Midna was there the whole time, but I am always for giving Link a big group of friends (see my love for hyrule warriors, age of calamity, and LU LMAO)
Hero’s shade, very very cool, kinda sad he died with regrets but HEY. He got to pass on his knowledge eventually
AND the connection to OoT?? AND assumed to be related by blood too????? GOOD SHIT
Ilia, I REALLY really wanted to like her (er, it’s not like I dislike her, she’s just,,, kinda there for me).
It definitely seems like Nintendo was pushing to make her the romantic interest, but GHHHHH they really threw that out of the window for me by having her lose her memories
I saw a text post a while ago that said it would have been interesting if Ilia was Link’s sister instead and YES!! That would have been cool too :0
Wish we got to know Zelda a little more
I feel like we barely know anything about her
Idk man, like I said earlier, I never really had any sort of drive to save Zelda during my playthroughs
She obviously knows Midna, so maybe if they gave us just a little bit more of that relationship I’d be more interested in her?
TP WORLD BUILDINGGGG
Botw has good world building too, but each race felt kinda,,, isolated? I absolutely love the different architecture and vibe each town has (and all the the weapons too) but ghhh yea everyone felt so separated. As far as I can remember, we don’t see tooo much of the races interacting with each other? Now that I’m typing that out maybe that’s to be expected because of the calamity but KLSJDKJFD ANYWAYS THIS IS ABOUT TP
The world feels nice and alive, love how populated everything is
Castle town I like castle town a lot, it feels dense and busy and I really like how you can’t talk to every NPC you see
Very cool very fun that we got to see the Gorons hanging out in multiple spots
kinda wish we got to see the Zoras a little more (I guess they are a bit limited since they need water but GHHHH the tp zoras are so prebby,,)
BUT HEY, I do remember seeing a zora or two hanging out in the hot springs around death mountain after beating the lakebed temple (I think, might have been a different dungeon) 
but aaaa would have been nice to see them in at least a couple of other places. I think it would have really added to the “congrats Link!! You’re restoring peace to Hyrule” feeling you get from seeing the Gorons hanging out in Kakariko and Castle Town
ORDON
Love how chill it is and how it’s kind of separate from Hyrule proper
They really do seem to be doing their own thing apart from the rest of Hyrule
Just kinda adds onto the “he’s just a regular dude minding his own business” kind of vibes I get from TP Link
Also I like Ordona :)
THE LIGHT SPIRITS,,
Love their design
And love how they’re not exactly like a pure white?
Different spirit representing each aspect of the triforce my beloved
But yes hi I think Ordona is very cool
Who are you, how did you get here, which goddess do you represent? Do you even represent one of the three golden goddesses? Do the Ordonians know about you? Have any of them ever SEEN you??? Do they worship you? Does anybody even know about the existence of the light spirits?? FUCK so many questions but ghhh I like how they broke the status quo a bit by throwing in a fourth spirit :)
I feel like this one is kinda weird but I like that voice sample they used in the light spirit music. It’s spooky and pretty at the same time :)  
cutscenes mmmmm
Ok ok, the spooky lanayru cutscene is very good
BUT THE “Link, Chosen Hero! Lend us the last of your power!” CUTSCENE MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM LOVE IT SO MUCH
IT just
Idk man
It just hit different
I like the music
And seeing the light spirits swimming around in the light juice water whatever it is
Summoning the light arrows?
AND HHHHH “Lend us the last of your power!” THIS IS IT. This is the final battle.
Seeing Zelda bow down, and then Link putting his hand out 👌👌👌
Link: ok bud, let’s do this together :)
Connection to OoT (did I already mention this? Maybe., Whatever)
Very cool nintendo :)
I love seeing connections between all the diff zelda games.
Because like, on one hand, they’re all separate from each other because of yknow, individual hero stuff. BUT ALSO, they’re all connected because of the reincarnation stuff
Grrrr walking through the sacred grove and going “The Hero of Time walked around here a long time ago” FUCK THATS SO COOL
Is the Hero’s Shade watching me? What does he think of me? DIsappointed? Proud? The Hero of Time went through HELL so this timeline didn’t have to deal with any of the shit Ganon was gonna pull with the triforce, better not fuck this UP Link!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Midlink is cute
Kinda hurts that she smashed the mirror but that was probably so Nintendo didn’t have to worry about people going “but what about the twili??????” for any of the other games LMAO
BUT ALSO LIKE SKJDKLJFJ There are some pretty massive plot holes in TP anyway so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ whatever it’s fine we’ll just use this for angst because GOD do y’all like angst
So is Shadlink
Honestly don’t know where this ship came from but it’s cute so whatever
THE MUSIC??
Love Midna’s theme and how they referenced the dark world theme from ALttP (I remember trying to learn the dark world theme on the piano and doing the Leonardo DiCaprio point meme at the little jingle I recognized from Midna’s theme)
Hyrule field theme SLAPS.
Apparently references a couple of the other over-world themes from the previous zelda games (I got this from 8-bit Music theory’s video on the over-world zelda themes, he talks about TP at around 11:40 but def recommend watching the whole video if you’re into music analysis stuff)
So there’s this bit of the Hyrule Field theme, I don’t know the official name for it but I remember seeing somewhere it being called the “at an advantage theme” since yeah, you hear it during the boss music whenever you expose their weak points. FUCKINGGG LOVE THAT. Didn’t notice it during my first playthrough, but hearing it during my second was like a little easter egg for my ears every time :)
Midna’s lament is very pretty (and fun to play on the piano)
COURAGE THEME.
I didn’t care for it too much when I started playing the game but hearing it in ZREO’s arrangement of the Hyrule Field theme literally makes me turn into a puddle of emotions. Also hearing it around and of the Ordon kids (I think it plays after Link saves Colin) AAAAAAAAAAAAA
Orchestra piece #1 and #2 HOLY SHIT???????????????? 
Literally, the first time I listened to those I just,,,, plugged in my headphones, volume 100, layed on the floor/against my desk and silently vibed. I don’t know what the hell it is, but those two just fit so well with TP?? I still avoid listening to them nowadays cause if I DO I definitely will get overwhelmed with the “god I love this game so FUCKING MUCH” kind of feels.
Wolf link sucks at singing
the first time I heard him howling Zelda’s Lullaby I lost my shit because LKSJLDKSGLKJFSKG god that was.,, Bad. Anyways, hearing him howl some of the songs from OoT was cute :)
TP STAFF ROLL??? 
VERY GOOD. IT’s like 10 minutes long and GOD do I love every single second of it. It doesn’t have the same energy as the skyward sword staff roll or the orchestra pieces but GOD does it hit good??
Nice and calm after that big exciting adventure. Maybe it would have been more fun or emotional to have a higher energy piece but it was really nice getting to sit back and watch the camera fly around Hyrule. Seeing like, the Gorons and the Zoras having a good time, the kids returning to Ordon? GOOD SHIT.
and AAAAA that end, when you hear the main Zelda theme and see Link riding off out of Faron woods on Epona… good shit. It gets you thinking, where the hell is he going? What is he doing? Off ot do more adventuring? Going to help out the resistance or something? Going to help Zelda? Or maybe he’s trying to figure out a way to restore the mirror of twilight? Whoooo knows.
hhHHHHhhh it’s just that final reminder that YES!!! YOU JUST PLAYED A ZELDA GAME. JUST ANOTHER STORY APART OF THE WHOLE EPIC OF THE ZELDA SERIES AS A WHOLE
I also want to acknowledge the instrument/samples they used for all the twili stuff.
They’re all just so unique and contrast SO well with the rest of the TP OST. LIKE FUCK!! Anytime I hear the screech from the Twilit Kargarok? Sends a shiver down my spine. I associate those sounds SO strongly with the twili realm. (Like, the same way you associate the BSHEWW VVWWMMM sounds with light sabers)
I love it so god damn much
literally any time there’s a certain sound or motif associated with something I lose my shit
Sacred grove sacred grove sacred gro-
lovely lovely lovely so much fun playing that on the piano. AND again, I did the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme when I heard the theme from the lost woods come in GHHHHHHHH
shoutout to TP Faron Woods for helping me study and get through all of my schoolwork
BLEGUUHHH can you tell that I really love music?
and also yea I guess TP is kinda cool too :\
IF YOU READ ALL OF THAT THANKS I GUESS
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just-jordie-things · 3 years
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The Crown - Steve Harrington
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word count: 4462 warnings: dedicated to @high-functioning-fangirl02 <3
You’d give your life to protect these kids.  
These kids you’ve known since you started babysitting them in the sixth grade.  Back when Mrs Henderson hired you to watch Dustin.  Which essentially meant that you’d watch all of them.  But that was alright, over the past seven years of being their designated babysitter, you’d grown to love them all.
Mike Wheeler, the snarky little love-struck shit that you spent grieving with since losing Eleven.  Lucas Sinclair, the sweet boy with the occasional attitude whom you helped construct his Ghostbusters costume. Will Byers, the full time sweetheart that made you cookies for Valentine’s Day after hearing you complain about being dateless.  And of course Dustin, cute little button nosed Dusty with a trash mouthing tendency, whom looked up to you like a role model.
Hell, you were their role model.  Driving them to and from school, covering for them on late nights so they could finish their D&D tournaments.  Fiercely protecting them a year ago when Hawkins was Demogorgon infested.  Standing up for them when you’d see some upperclassmen picking on them.
Those who dared glance the wrong way towards The Party in your presence, were rumored to run home crying with a bleeding nose and terrified shriek.  You never put down the rumors… because maybe it had happened once or twice…
Over time The Party was no longer just a band of middle schoolers.  It had opened up to their babysitter, being you, a senior girl who had not many other friends.  Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, which the boys always claimed was strictly because of family relations.  Not because Dustin was still harbouring a crush for Mike’s older sister.  The town Sheriff, Jim Hopper, who’d proved himself not to be an asshole, and turned out an alright guy.  Joyce Byers, whom you loved like a mother and whom treated you like her own daughter.  You’d frequently been titled ‘the daughter she wished to have had’ which always raised a snarky response from her sons.  Maxine (just Max.  Never Maxine) Hargrove, a high spirited and not your typical girl that you grew fond of easily.  Especially since she was nothing like her big brother.
And then there was Steve Harrington.  Who… really just was at the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up getting roped into the mess that Hawkins Lab had created.  King Steve, as you’d known him before you’d officially met last year by fluke accident, was always the popular boy that had a pretty girl hanging off his arm.  You weren’t sure why that changed so quickly, why he didn’t put himself out there as much as he used to, didn’t party hard anymore, wasn’t bragging about the new girl he was with that week like he was known for.  Maybe that day, when he walked into the Wheeler’s house right as you Nancy and Jonathan were awaiting the Demogorgon’s arrival, maybe he changed then.
Or maybe it was after he’d been sucked into… whatever this all was… and he changed to keep the secret.  Or maybe it was after Nancy had broken up with him, around the same time he started growing closer to Dustin.
But right now as you watched him directing the kids, you were more aware that he wasn’t King Steve anymore, that you had been before.  Sure, you’d realized somewhere along the way he was different.  But it wasn’t until now that you noticed it completely as it was.
“No listen you little shits, no one, is going anywhere” Steve ordered, holding a wash rag in his hand and pointing it between each of the boys, and girl, that stood in front of him.
“Friggin’ pointless just staying here” Dustin grumbled, walking out of the room whilst still muttering.  Mike groaned loudly, dramatically, and left to the living room with Max and Lucas.  You knew that he was still plotting you get out there tonight.  Consequences and dangers be damned.
You looked to Steve with a sigh, a lazy smile on your lips as you walked past him to go after Dustin.  He watched you go, letting out a breath as well as he put his hands on his hips and standing alone in the hall with his thoughts.
He’d give his life to protect these kids.
“Dusty?” You called gently as you walked into the kitchen, seeing Dustin sitting on the floor against the dishwasher.  Your brows furrowed as you sat across from him by the cabinets.  “You alright kiddo?”
“Would I be sitting in here brooding if I was?” He quipped, though you knew he meant well.
“Sweetheart you’re too adorable to be a brooder” You laughed softly, pulling your knees up slightly.  “A pouter maybe, but not a brooder”
“Thanks y/n” He responded dryly.  You rolled your eyes in response to his sarcasm.
“Come on kid, open up a little.  It’s me” Your words were soft, which did prompt Dustin to consider explaining to you his thoughts.  “Please? If we make it out of this alive I’ll take you to the arcade.  I’ve got a big jar full of quarters I’ve saved up-”
“Okay okay I’ll take the bribe” Dustin caved with a laugh that made your mood lighten.  “Look it’s gonna sound lame and cheesy but… everyone else is helping.  Jonathan and Nance and Mrs Byers and Hopper and Elle, but what am I doing?”
“You’re staying safe” Your answer came out instantly, but it didn’t seem to be the one the boy was looking for.
“No I’m not, I’m sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else go be heroes and getting hurt.  I’m not doing a damn thing!”
“Hey” You hummed softly, and scooted over closer to put your head on his shoulder.  “You’re a hero Dustin.  Don’t tell yourself any differently.  All of you are, Mike too, and Lucas, and Max, and-”
“Steve?” Dustin offered, and you nodded, looking at him confusedly by the strange tone of voice he used.
“Of course, why’re you looking at me like that?”
“No reason” Dustin shrugged nonchalantly, brushing off the uncomfortable air between you both.
“Alright well, you should believe me” You continued.  “Even if you don’t think so, you’re all my heroes, got it Henderson?” The boy smiled and nodded, prompting you to push the cap of his hat down playfully before he could get up and leave the room.
“Mike’s probably still planning his attack” He told you, but you shrugged and waved a hand.
“Let him plot and brood” You said, and Dustin’s mouth fell open.
“How come Mike can brood but I can’t?” You rolled your eyes, still waving your hand for him to get out of here.
“Just go plot with him, I know you’re itching to” You said, and he grinned wide at you, glad you were letting him go plan their escape and attack.
“Thanks y/n!” He called, already racing out of the room.  “You’re the best!” You laughed, shaking your head as you stood back up and dusted off the pants of your overalls.  Steve came in a few moments later, watching you almost suspiciously.
“What?” You questioned, and he shrugged, shaking his head.
“Nothing.  Just wondering why you’re permitting them to conspire against us” He said.
“They’re not conspiring, they’re just discussing.  No harm in that”
“Um, every harm in that.  As in all of us, being harmed, because of that” He said, but you didn’t really seem to care what he thought about it.
“They’re fine, we’re all fine, don’t freak out so much mom” You said, walking out towards the kids and seeing them all circled up and discussing their big plan.
“I’m not a mom” Steve argued, and you chuckled, turning to see him, his dish rag on his shoulder, hands on hips.  It only made you laugh more.
“Mhm, alright.  Well then what would you call yourself?” You replied sarcastically, nodding towards his own stance, and making Steve second guess himself.
“This- you-! Alright whatever just stay away from the windows and go be safe somewhere” He muttered, walking into the living room where the kids were.  You rolled your eyes again, but couldn’t help the smile on your lips.
Perhaps, you thought, King Steve was the king of something else now.
You watched as he was waving his rag at the kids again, yelling at them for plotting behind his back, and reminding them that no one was going anywhere.  But even as Dustin pouted, Steve was rubbing his hand over the thirteen year old’s head.  Almost soothingly, like he felt bad for ending their little meeting.
“What a mom” You mumbled, and headed back into the kitchen for something to eat.
You used to resent Steve, back when he was the king of school and didn’t care about anything more than he cared about his popularity and his hair.  Back when he didn’t give a shit about pretty much anything.  And looking at him now and seeing him watch over these kids, you could physically feel your heart swelling.  If that isn’t character development, you weren’t sure what was.
You weren’t sure why it made you feel so bubbly either.
“Listen runts, we’re staying here, we’re staying safe, and we’re not dying!” Steve said, for what felt like the fifth time.  But Mike kept arguing back at him.
“Everyone else is out there!”
“Everyone else knows how to fight all that shit!” Steve retorted.  “We are staying, here” He repeated slowly, waving his rag between each word.  “You got that?”
“You’re just saying that cause y/n’s here.  If she wasn’t here, we’d all be getting in your car and going!” Lucas spoke up.  Your brows furrowed at that.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, ignoring your search for food and now strutting into the room where everyone else was.  “Am I dragging you down?” You asked, almost sarcastic, but wondering what he’d actually meant by his announcement.  Were you dragging them down?
“No, Steve would just protect your ass over our asses” Max shrugged, and the others nodded.
“What the hell? Everyone here is protecting their own asses, I’m not getting killed for a bunch of kids!” Steve said, making flustered and jerky movements.  You brushed off their newly sprung argument over where Steve’s bat is swinging and who it’s swinging for.
Apparently, The Party was certain that he’d die for you, rather die for them.  But you didn’t care much about what they thought.  They’d always thought that you and Steve were meant to be some power couple, but you supposed it was just cause you were the same age and the kids only ever saw you two together.  There was no real evidence (as far as they showed) towards the ‘chemistry’ you and Steve supposedly had.
You wandered to the window, curiously looking out it with your arms wrapped around yourself.
“Will you just shut up?” Mike’s yelling made you jump a little, and you turned to see your friends all still arguing with each other.  You smiled slightly, meeting Steve’s eyes as he gave you a bored look.  You just laughed a little bit back at him.  Steve’s expression softened into a small smile.  Your face flushed with heat, and you nervously turned away from him to look back out the window again.
A light blinded you almost instantly, making you squint your eyes and put a hand over them to try and clear your vision.
“What the hell?” You muttered, leaning closer to the glass to see what was going on.  Headlights, there was a car here.  Someone was here.  “Steve?” You called, not turning away from the window.  He came over right away, looking outside to see a familiar Camaro parked in the driveway.
“Shit” He grumbled, walking towards the front door.
“What- where are you going? Who is it?” You asked, following quickly after him, but Steve quickly turned to make you stay back.
“Just stay in here-”
“Sinclair!” A voice hollered from outside, and you jumped, eyes widening as you recognized it.  “I know you’re in there!”
“Billy?” You whispered to Steve, who nodded.  You stepped backwards, eyes never leaving Steve’s.  “What’s he doing here?” Your voice was quiet.
Billy Hargrove, was the most vile, horrible person you’d ever met.  And his wicked ways of bending people to his will, shook you intensely to your core.  It was no secret to the others that Billy not only terrified you, but would seductively torture you every day.  Sure, you’d been picked on before, but this was different.  Every day he’d come to you, hoping to get something out of you, just to mess with you.
“Come on babe, a little kiss, just a little one, we can discuss the rest later”
“You don’t want to get a ride home with me and have some fun?”
“When’re you finally gonna give this up and just put out?”
You shuddered slightly, practically feeling his hot breath against your skin just thinking about the things he’s said to you.  Stopping you in the hallways, finding you at your locker, approaching you while you waited at Steve’s car for a ride home.
“I know you’re in there you little pig! Come out here or I’ll have to go in!” His voice was dangerous, threatening.  And you felt a legitimate fear for your life, and the kids’.
“It’s fine, you’re fine, I promise” Steve said quietly, out of earshot of the others.  “All of you stay here, stay away from the windows” He ordered, giving you one last look before you turned and went to The Party.  They needed you right now, all huddled around Lucas and Max to make sure if Billy were to look inside, he wouldn’t see them.
“Come on guys” You said softly, ushering them as far away from the window as you could.  Steve, on the other hand, opened the door and stepped outside.
Instead of hiding in a room, completely out of sight of the maniac, you all ducked under the windowsill to see what was happening.
“Am I dreaming or is that really you Harrington?” You felt your entire body quivering upon hearing Billy’s voice.  Dustin, who was crouched next to you, turned and gave you a worried look, but your eyes were dead set on the outside.
“Yeah it’s me, don’t cream your pants” Steve responded, walking out towards him as he pulled off his leather jacket.
“What’re you doing here amigo?” Billy asked, the cigarette hanging off his lips moving as he spoke.
“I could ask you the same thing” Steve responded, void of emotion.  “Amigo”
“Lookin’ for my step sister.  Little birdie told me she was here”
“Huh, that’s weird I don’t know her” Steve lied easily, and convincingly.  You prayed to God that Billy believed him.
“Small? Redhead?” Billy replied disbelievingly.  “Bit of a bitch?”
“Ashole” Max muttered to herself inside.
“Doesn’t ring a bell, sorry buddy” Steve replied, still not sounding like he cared even an inkling.  Billy nodded, taking out his cigarette.
“You know… I don’t how this, this whole situation Harrington is um.., it’s giving me the heebie jeebies” Billy said, looking at Steve a little more threateningly.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you” Billy pointed accusatory hands towards Steve, giving him a disgusted look.  “In a strangers house” He continued.  “And you lie to me about it” Steve chuckled bitterly, shaking his head and looking away for a moment.
“Yeah, maybe you were dropped too much as a child or what” Steve said snarkily.  But Billy just grinned his twisted grin and licked his tongue over the front of his teeth.  “I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said”
You felt a chill go down your spine as Steve’s protectiveness took over his tone.  Dustin beside you mumbling a quiet, “Holy shit”
“She’s not here” Steve said carefully.  Billy nodded, looking pointedly towards the window where you and The Party were all huddled and looking out of.
“Then who’s that?” He asked, pointing his cigarette towards his sister.
“Down!” You hissed, and the five of you dropped to the floor so fast you all groaned from the impact of the floor.
“Shit!” Dustin cursed.  “Did he see us?”
“Oh shit” Steve grumbled.  “Okay listen-” Billy pushed him to the ground before he could explain anything.  The boy kicked him, before storming up into the house.
“Well well well” Billy smirked, seeing you and The Party standing there together, you in front of all of them.  “y/n l/n, what a lovely little surprise” You grimaced, but he didn’t seem to care.  “And Lucas Sinclair, not so much a surprise at all” You moved over more in front of Lucas, who’s hands grabbed onto your arm out of fear.  “I thought I told you to stay away from him Max”
“Billy, go away” Max retorted, but her voice wavered.
“You disobeyed me” Billy leaned over his step sister tauntingly.  “And you know what happens when you disobey me” He added in a hushed, volatile voice.
“Billy-”
“I break things” He uttered, before pushing you aside, crashing your body into the wall.  Before slamming Lucas up against the cupboards.
“Billy stop!” Max and the others began to yell, Dustin rushing over to help you up, but you were already standing up on your own.
“Get off of me!” Lucas cried.
“Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will” Billy muttered.  “You stay away from her.  Stay-! Away from her” He yelled awkwardly.  “Do you hear me?”
“I said get off me!” Lucas screamed again, followed by a knee between Billy’s legs.  You gasped, feeling a moment of pride as Billy stumbled back and released him.
“You are so dead Sinclair!” Billy hollered.  “You’re dead-”
“No” Steve grabbed Billy by the shoulder, spinning him around roughly.  “You are” And with that he swung his fist and planted it hard enough against Billy’s jaw to make him topple over.
“Steve!” You yelped out of surprise.  He looked at you for a moment, nodding in reassurance as he shook out his hand.  It’d been a while since he’d hit anybody.  Billy stood back up, laughing menacingly.  “You’re a fucking psycho!” You screeched before you could stop yourself.
“Looks like you got some fire in you after all huh!?” He yelled at Steve.  “I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody’s been telling me so much about” He stepped closer to Steve, glaring at him.
“Get out” Steve muttered, pushing Billy’s chest lightly to move him away from him.  Billy stepped back and stood there for a moment.  And after a few seconds passed you were certain that he was going to stay back.
Until he swung swiftly at Steve, but missed as Steve ducked just in time.  You gasped, clapping your hands over your mouth in terror.  Steve stood back up and swung his fist again, hitting Billy and making him stumble again.
“Yes! Get him Steve!” Dustin cheered, and the others began to as well.  You couldn’t find yourself to say anything, just wince every time a punch was made.  Steve hit him two more times, and Billy ran into the kitchen sink.  Leaning back and wincing in pain.
“Kill him! Kill him!” Mike was yelling.  But Billy grabbed a plate of the counter, smashing it over Steve’s head, and making him fall to the ground.
“Steve!” You screamed now, taking long strides to get over to him, only to be pushed away by Billy.  Who hit Steve as soon as he stood up again.  He grabbed Steve by the shoulders, staring him down.
“No one.  Tells me what to do” He muttered angrily, and threw his head forward hard into Steve’s knocking him down again.
“Fucking hell” You mumbled, tears beginning to prick your eyes in fear that Billy was actually going to kill Steve.  The mullet wearing psycho leapt onto Steve, pinning him down and swinging punch after punch against his face.
“Stop it!” Mike yelled at the top of his lungs, but it did nothing to end Billy’s attack.
“Steve!” Dustin hollered.
You stood frozen, every scene in front of you soundless, and moving slowly.  You could only feel your heart in your chest, sending you into an anxiety attack, you were sure.  But it barely mattered to you in that moment.  You turned away, and your eyes landed on something.
The syringe used on Will earlier.
Sleep… put him to sleep… your thoughts were broken as you reached for it, looking at it in your hands for a few seconds, before stepping forward and slamming the needle into Billy’s neck without a hesitation.  Mike and Dustin gasped, standing back.  Everyone’s eyes stuck on the syringe hanging out of BIlly’s neck now.  A disgust filling them up at the sight.
“Shit y/n” Dustin mumbled, his hand covering his mouth to stop vomit from flowing.
Billy stood up, wobbling slightly as he turned to look at you.  He pulled the needle out of his neck, vision beginning to fail.  “The hell is this?” He asked, trying to step towards you threateningly, but he was wobbling so much you didn’t even move.  No longer afraid of him.
“You’re fucking done Hargrove” You muttered, and before thinking twice to second guess yourself, punching him across the jaw, and sending him back on his ass.  Billy groaned, staying down where he’d fallen against the couch.
“Shit what did you do” He mumbled, growing dizzy from the mix of drug and pain.
A few moments later he completely passed out.
“Fuck” You hissed in pain, putting your bruising knuckles against your mouth.  You didn’t think punching someone would hurt so damn much.
“y/n holy shit”
“Are you okay?”
“That was badass!”
The Party was fussing and cheering for you, but you didn’t respond, kneeling down by Steve next and counting up all the cuts and bruises he was beginning to sport.  He was unconscious, that was for sure.  But he’d be in for a world of hurt when he woke up.
“Come on, help me get him back to Jon’s bed” You called to the kids.
It was difficult moving him, but after ten minutes you’d managed to get him into Jonathan’s room to lie on the bed there.  You were sat next to him, a cold wet rag in your hand, and the open first aid kit on the ground.  It took you awhile to clean off all the blood and apply bandages where you thought they were necessary.  There was a frozen bag of peas you’d put over one of his eyes to stop the swelling, but so far it still looked pretty bad.
The Party had sat with you for what felt like a long time before you told them to go back to the living room and wait for the others to return home.  Dustin put up a small fight about it, but eventually gave in and listened to your order.  And now it was just you kneeling on the ground by Steve, watching over him carefully.  Making sure he was breathing okay, and that nothing would begin to bleed again.
“Well King Steve, you got quite the ass kicking” You mumbled, just to yourself.  Your fingers placed a few stray hairs on his forehead back into place.  “But your crown is still there” You smiled to yourself, fingertips gently brushing his hair.
“y/n?” Your eyes looked back at him as he mumbled, almost incoherently.  “What happened?” The poor boy’s eyes weren’t even open.
“You put up a really good fight” You told him softly.  He winced, the pain probably beginning to settle in.
“Did I win?” He groaned, eyes clenching shut momentarily.  You bit down on your lip and shook your head, even though he couldn’t see you.
“You put up a really good fight” You repeated yourself, playing with his hair again.  Steve sighed, knowing the answer.
“Is he gone?” He asked, eyes finally beginning to flutter open.
“Yeah… yeah he won’t be back any time soon, I’m sure” You answered.  Steve looked up at you, smiling down gently at him.  He smiled back instantly, and moved his arm to push your hair back, but even at it’s slight movement you winced in pain.  “You’re in pretty bad shape” You told him quietly.  “But you’ll heal up alright”
“Are you okay?” He asked, and you nodded.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine” You shrugged slightly.  “We’re all really worried about you.  Dustin thought you were dead” Steve chuckled painfully, shaking his head a little bit.
“Are they alright? Max and Lucas?”
“Yeah, we’re all good Steve” You hummed with a slight nod.  You leaned forward, a little closer to him to check on the eye swelled under the bag of peas.  You frowned, seeing the black and blue bruise that only seemed to be spreading.
“I’m alright, don’t fuss so much” Steve said, putting his hand over the bag and pushing it back against his face.  Your eyes met his for a moment.
“You’re pretty bruised up Harrington” You sighed, taking the wet rag in your hand and dabbing it gently on his bruised cheek.  “There’s not an inch of your face spared”
“It’ll be fine, I’ll heal up”
“Years from now, maybe” You replied sarcastically, and he smiled at you while you carefully pressed the cold cloth to his face.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?” He murmured, and you looked at him for the briefest of seconds before going back to work.  Now is not the time to talk about feelings, you thought to yourself.
“Yeah? Go play hero some more and you’ll never see anything again” You told him, and he shrugged slightly, not having a response to that.
“I just wanted to remind you.  In case you haven’t been told in a while” He said.  You bit on the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling too much.  You looked down at him, your eyes softening slightly.
You leaned over closer to him, pausing for a moment before pressing your lips lightly against his.  It was a chaste kiss, only lasting a few seconds as you didn’t want to hurt him anymore than he already was.  When you pulled back, you smiled nervously at him, and he only smiled back at you.
“You’re lucky you didn’t die Harrington” You said, and got right back to work on pressing the rag to his wounds.
“That I am” He replied cheekily.
You giggled softly, smiling down at him and wondering just when he’d changed so much.
You knew he’d give his life for these kids too, just like you would.
love me some babysitter steve
xoxo ~ jordie
538 notes · View notes
alluringjae · 3 years
Text
until dawn - ljn
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part I | part II
⤑ summary: basic number one rule of the museum is not to touch the art. but no one told jeno that falling for one of them isn’t allowed either.
⤑ pairing: jeno x female reader
⤑ word count: 14k
⤑ genre: fluff, humor, angst | broke architecture major!jeno, historical figure!reader, college!au
⤑ warnings: jaemin mentions onlyfans as a joke, references to actual historical figures (some try to flirt with jeno lol) and literature, explicit language
⤑ author’s note: wow, i’ve had this idea for almost two years! this one was inspired by one of my favorite childhood movies, night at the museum. it definitely required a lot of research and brainstorming, and finally i brought it to life! it was so fun to play around with the characters, and even if majority of them are real people, this is all still fiction.
i also wanna mention one of my moots, marge for enlightening me about her life as an architecture major.
⤑ taglist: @renjunniehome​ (dm me if you want to be added) 
⤑ leave me some feedback, constructive criticism or hellos!
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Dormitory rent was another thing to worry about aside from the inflated university tuition per semester. Although he’s lucky to have his parents backing him up already on it, paying the monthly rent for his dorm was the remaining objective on Jeno’s list.
Plus, money for food. The man was a heavy eater, following the whole “gym is life” mantra.
Splitting it already with two of his dorm mates turned best friends, Renjun and Jaemin, his plate felt lighter. But the question still lies: where on earth was he going to get the money?
He’s practically checked out every available part-timing job in university and anywhere near campus. Barista at the same café Jaemin works at, teaching assistant for an art school for kids, convenience store cashier, library assistant, all taken in a heartbeat. The burden of his friends paying his debt these past months took a toll on him, almost to the point he almost considered making an Onlyfans.
“Yah, just find something else! Part-timers are in demand right now!” Renjun intensely closed his laptop before his older friend gets any suggestive thoughts.
“I mean, you didn’t work out your body to look the way it is for nothing.” Jaemin pitched otherwise, lifting the front back up. “When do you want to start filming? Loads of chicks would dig a piece of you!”
The contradicting opinions of his friends were like the devil and angel debating on his shoulders. Useless, he gave this worry a rest and returned to drawing new plates. A common thing when you’re an architecture major. Those deadlines were nearing. Looks like he’ll pull another all-nighter again.
Good thing most of his classes were late in the morning until 6 pm.
As if someone from above heard his petition, Jeno saw a help wanted sign posted on the bulletin board outside of the university museum. He initially went there to document some artwork and architecture models from Greek and Roman times, further analyzing how they’re still apparent in modern buildings.
The sign explained the need for one part-timer from any college to cover the night shift of the museum due to the current night guard’s full semester absence. He only had to come in 3x a week, choosing his days since he was still a student. Even the pay was above average, considering that most part-timers never go beyond midnight. Jeno would, on the other hand, always staying for his projects or gaming with the boys. Drinking sometimes during late-night Fridays with his entire college crew.
The pay would leave him a load of extra cash for himself, thus he sent an application to the museum office right before he left. A week later, while he was out with the boys, he got a text from the office that they wanted to meet him again for a final interview first thing on Monday.
Perhaps it was having architecture as his course and a healthy physique that landed him the part-timer position. Mainly, the latter because guards required strong endurance and fighting skills when worse comes to worst. It would start at 9 pm until 6 am the following day, and there was a designated uniform of it too. Blue blazer with matching trousers, white dress top, and loafers.
Aside from the typical museum etiquette the head director instructed him about, there was an unofficial list of tips written on paper given from the night guard on leave when the director handed you over his box of office-related things.
Only read at the night guard office once you’re the remaining staff left.
He did as he was told like an obedient son, flipping the succeeding page.
 To my temporary replacement,
This part-timing job is nothing regular than the other jobs. You’ll witness things as you’ve never imagined them to be, almost like witchcraft. You’ll be lost and maybe frightened, or that’s how I felt the first time because no one led me through it all those years ago. Lucky for you, I made this small guide on how to properly take care of the place that the other staff doesn’t know about.
Before you proceed, I request you take a 5-minute stroll around the lobby first to understand what I’m talking about. After such, go back to the office or somewhere quiet then browse through the guide as quickly as you could.
Art is timeless here, so they need to be taken care of.
Good luck!
 Park Sanghoon
Night Guard on Leave
 Nothing could’ve prepared Jeno for what’s to come once he unlocked the office door. They say that art brings so much color to our life, allowing us to feel all sorts of emotions in a glimpse. But no one ever interpreted art to be literally alive and walking in the halls.
Behold, random wax figures and marble sculptures that he’s seen in the past roamed the hallways, as well as the paintings were interacting with each other side by side. Even the standee of a puppy from the entrance played fetch with one of those sculptures. He swore he looked like Hermes the messenger god from his arrow headpiece and sandals.
It made more sense why the guard on leave explained his feelings during the first day because it resembled Jeno’s. But unlike that guard, Jeno sucked it up. No one ever does well on the first day, even if others say otherwise. The first day was a learning experience, so he collected his thoughts even though the goosebumps triggered his body during that one rotation.
There was an indoor garden, already locked by the day guard earlier. The only room without any art piece, where students lounge to study the plants or relax in nature.
The sculptures section ahead, showcasing various fictional figures specifically from Greek mythology, chattered away about family drama and beliefs. The sculptures of Hades and Zeus, according to their title plate, argued relentlessly about power while Athena always intervened by shouting or even throwing arrows or daggers to any of the lightbulbs there.
That was one rule in the guide, but Jeno didn’t know yet until he came inside the room and swerved the attention of the arguing duo.
“Well, what do we have here?” Zeus, in the center, straightened his posture on his throne to present himself in a more regal way. “Are you perhaps the temporary replacement of Sir Sanghoon?”
“Sir Sanghoon’s stand-in is rather good looking, don’t you think?” Hera mused, stepping down from her throne beside Zeus to take a closer look at the taller male. Her cold fingers trailed his jaw until his chest, where his heart was beating intensely. She even pinched his toned bicep, mouthing wow.
“Truly handsome you are, my dear. So full of life, please introduce yourself to us.”
While Jeno introduced himself to everyone in that room, he answered any sorts of questions they had for him too. From his age, educational background, hobbies, Aphrodite just had to ask him if he had a girlfriend because he was that handsome.
“Nope, I’m single. With my degree in architecture, the requirements are so heavy I can’t even try dating.”
Mentioning his degree excited the gods, telling him how their people created and designed all these temples to house them and perform rituals. They loved it so much. This was a copy-paste of what Jeno learned from his history classes, and for a first, he’s hearing the perspective of the Greek gods.
Mind-boggling that he hasn’t fully freaked out yet. That’s what Athena anticipated when Sanghoon told her about his short leave, putting her in charge of everyone for the meantime while the replacement settled down.
The college museum was built during the late 70s as a gift from one of the alumni. It was for the purpose to preserve history and educate college students outside the classroom. The Greek mythology exhibit was the oldest one, making Athena have more seniority. Over her stay, she’s seen every new guard lose their senses during the first night. Some not even returning for a second night. She got used to every outcome, and so far, only 8 people lasted after the first night. A couple of students in the 70s and 80s, Sanghoon in the 90s, and now Jeno was one of them.
“Jeno, aren’t you terrified by us? You just got a job in a museum that comes to life every night, and it’s not a normal thing.”
“Well, I’m still shaken up about it. But it’s my first night, and it’s when I learn everything about the place from head to toe. Plus, I really need the money.”
“Money for what? But you’re young, a student even!”
“Yes, I am. However, I do pay for the rent in my dorm. So, this job is like my first big responsibility, and I want to perform well.”
Athena commended his sense of authority, capable of leading himself. She noticed how well-spoken and poised he is, respecting and listening to everything the gods and goddesses said even if they were nonsense. She never liked to compromise with her power, taking a while to like Sanghoon back in the day. Though Jeno looked like a natural leader on his first night. If he could take care of himself well, he’s skilled to take care of the rest in the museum as well.
Plus she had full control on the nights he won’t be there, especially the weekend.
With his potential, Athena mentored him the entire night about the gist of the entire museum. Every upcoming leader needs an intelligent mentor, right? She was naturally gifted with worthy leadership skills, managing Jeno like her own child.
Athena explained how the museum came to life, which was through a royal golden plate from the Oriental room. It was a gift from a popular sorceress in China to an affluent family from the Han dynasty, who wished them a long life after she was saved from invaders due to them. The plate preserved over time, becoming an artifact. Its power remained immortal, mutating to bring life wherever it goes. In this case, the museum since its arrival in the late 70s as well.
“That’s why the Oriental room must be locked always so no one could touch or break the plate.”
After she ordered Jeno to lock the mentioned room, alongside the Foreign Art Exhibit Room which he checked out for his class, she led him to the best view of the entire museum. Center of the second floor, where stairs were on both sides. Jeno marveled at the vivacious atmosphere, witnessing actual art living, breathing, and enjoying themselves.
“Unreal, right?” She leaned in the railing, scanning through the chatty paintings.
Jeno also leaned down, deep in thought and wonder. “Absolutely, Athena. How come no one knows about this? Art coming to life? It’ll invite more students to the museum.”
“That goes against a golden rule as a night guard in this museum.” She replied bluntly. “The life that goes on inside this museum at night must remain a secret to the public.”
Jeno predicted this kind of response, having watched too many films where anything supernatural mustn’t be revealed. Although he liked the advantage of knowing something this powerful, he’d never abuse it.
Athena’s intellect was beyond the world, seamlessly reading Jeno’s expression and what he was thinking. He had good intentions even if he’s a bit mischievous. She needed to keep a keen eye on him, but for now, he needed to explore on his own.
“Anyways, Sanghoon still left out some other details. So if you have any questions, I’ll be at my exhibit trying to shut my father and my uncle up again.”
“Can you not use any weapons to do so?”
“Can’t make any promises, Jeno.” She slyly cracked her knuckles and neck as if she was fighting another battle.
Jeno was silently left with himself, finally browsing through Sanghoon’s guide while seated in one of the museum benches.
It consisted of 25 rules, wherein the first two rules consisted of locking up. One, for the doors and gates of the museum, so no art piece could escape. If they do, they will turn into dust when the sun is out according to Athena. Two, locking the Oriental and Foreign Art Rooms, which was already done.
Rule #5: Let Mochi the puppy from the lobby tag along with you; feed him treats if you have any.
On cue, the little guy barked from the corridor and raced to his side. Jeno carried him, babying him for a little and letting him lick his face a few times before putting him back down. He’s surely going to the pet store first thing in the morning with the museum allowance the director gave him.
Since he was on the second floor, he read and followed the rules that fit in before returning downstairs. On the other side of the floor were the wax figures exhibitions: one for prominent men in history while the other for prominent women. Well, more people to get acquainted with.
It’s the exchange of gasps and profanities he received when he chose the latter room. Seeing their faces, these were women he’s learned in school and online. Now in the (fake) flesh. Except for one girl he’s never heard of, unbothered in her corner sketching her life away in a sketchpad. But before he could check who she was, a suggestive touch on his arm distracted him.
“My, oh my, Hera wasn’t lying when she said that the new night guard was a fine specimen.” By her dark blue eyeshadow and eyeliner with the snake-like crown, Cleopatra studied him like he was one of the most renowned art pieces. Even patting his chest, abdomen, and arms with both her hand, Jeno caught a suggestive glint in her eyes and a smirk across her red lips.
Rule #13: Reject Cleopatra’s seductive advances at all costs.
“Goodness, Cleopatra. It’s only his first night, and you’re scaring him.” With her accent, round eyes, and a chic formal outfit, she carried a posh aura while unhesitatingly scolding the Queen of the Nile.
“Come on now, Diana. He’s stunning, who wouldn’t go after him?” If no one knew her, you’re not reading up on your world history. She’s said to have been a lovely and intelligent woman, gone so soon. Jeno definitely understood why after she detached Cleopatra’s raging hands off him.
Rule #14: Treat Princess Diana and Hera like your own parent.
“Your highness.” Jeno nodded at her out of respect, only making her chuckle uncontrollably.
“No need to address me like that, love. Now, come here.” She widened her arms for Jeno, hugging him amiably. He sensed her motherly warmth, accepting such a gesture. “You remind me so much of my youngest son, Harry. Welcome to the night shift of the museum, love.”
Similar to the Greek mythology exhibit, he introduced himself and responded to any questions that the women wax figures may have. Good for him, they weren’t crossing any borders and kept him at ease.
“A student like you working at night to pay rent?” Katherine Johnson, an African-American NASA mathematician whose calculations led to the success of a lot of famous spaceflights, cannot believe her ears. Students must only focus on school, nothing else. “What about your studies, boy?”
Rule #15: Engage in academic discussions with Katherine Johnson whenever you can.
“Most of my classes are in the afternoon, Miss Katherine. So I’ll sleep in the entire morning later and study during my breaks.”
“Mr. Jeno, what do you like to do outside of work?” Anne Frank, a German-Dutch teenager whose revolutionary diary that documented her life in hiding from the Nazis gained popularity worldwide after publication dreamily asked from her section of the exhibit. Her life was robbed of greatness merely because of her religion and war.
Rule #16: Bring delicious food or gifts to Anne Frank.
“Well, I like to bike with my friends, exercise, and draw whatever comes into mind!”
Everyone he’s met so far acquired pleasure in knowing about who he was and his passion for architecture, ridding the “freaking out” phase Athena assumed he had. Yet not everyone in this exhibit bothered to give him a shot.
Jeno’s attention from Anne talking about her crush towards Peter van Daan, a teenage boy who lived with her, switched to the section beside her, where an unacquainted figure was zealously sketching as if something was due to the following day. It reflected how he’d look when he’s cramming one of his plates due to first thing in the morning. While he properly excused himself, he quietly gazed at the way this woman scrunched her eyebrows when she erased something then drew it again. She was someone he’s never seen or heard before, reading the information plate in front of him about her.
 (Y/N) (Y/L/N), Explorer and Author. (1854-1900)
 Wealthy women in the Victorian Era only served one purpose in society: marry a man from a prestigious family, have his children and join whatever interests they have. However, for (Y/N), she wasn’t going to conform to those standards.
Born into the affluent house of (Y/L/N), she was the youngest of 8 children. She was said to be the kindest and sweetest sibling out of everyone, not capable of hurting anyone or anything. She said it herself that she can’t throw away a dying flower because it’s too painful. While 5 of her older brothers were sent to school, she stayed at home with her 2 older sisters Cecilia and Amelia where she learned how to play the piano and take voice lessons from impressive teachers. Due to the huge age gaps between them (12 and 8 respectively), she never felt close with them. She was only closest to the 6th and 7th siblings, her twin brothers Benjamin and Liam whom she only had a 2-year gap. She was also best friends with one of the scullery maids her age, Lily, because she found her amusing that than the boring rich girls her mother forced to interact with.
The moment it bothered her that she wanted to live a more meaningful life was when Amelia got married. She was 12 years old at the time, and it left her as the last unwed daughter in the family. Badly did she want to revolt, which she gradually did. Instead of practicing piano, she’d sneak in to read every book in her father’s office. She secretly studied the notes of her older brothers from school and even dressed as a boy numerously thanks to Benjamin and Liam to join their classes or field trips.
This was her routine up until the age of 18 when she stomped her foot down and expressed to her parents that she wasn’t going to let Victorian society dictate her. The night before her parents were bound to send her to her great aunt’s home down South to sort her out, she successfully snuck out her house thanks to Lily, Benjamin, and Liam. It’s another good thing that she saved a lot of money for that moment.
Off she went across Europe first, then sailed to America and even parts of Asia. Initially under the name Lilibe, coined from picking the first two letters of her brothers and best friend, she documented her days and nights through her journals and sketches. Over time, she sent them to her brothers for publication. It started the franchise, “The Adventures of the Young and Free Lilibe”. There are 10 books under it.
She learned French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean by herself as she made friends from those places. It was rare of someone like her to be fluent in Oriental languages, surprising locals every time she spoke to them. She was the only explorer to vividly describe life in different Asian lands in English, talking about their history and culture. With her accurate drawings of diverse citizens and their daily lives, it educated a lot of those living back home in Europe about them rather than speaking lowly of them.
In Seoul did she stayed the longest until her death from pneumonia at the young age of 46.
In her posthumous work, Finding Me, did she reveal her real identity, dedicating it to her parents whom she apologized and expressed her love for them despite everything that occurred between them. She talked about the last years of her life in Seoul, how locals were so nice and inviting to her, and how she adopted kids instead of having her own through the years.
“It’s not because I never found love in men. It’s more like I found love in doing things I’m passionate about. Traveling, learning new cultures, it outweighed the human need of romance.”
Due to her thrill in taking risks and embarking on wondrous adventures, it brought inspiration to a lot of young girls pressured to marry at that time to pursue what they really want.
 A remarkable background you had, Jeno contemplated. How come no one discussed her in his classes?
You kept brushing the bangs of your hair back as it fell repeatedly. But you got irritated instantly because it sabotaged your drive, you brought out a hairpin from her desk and attached it on both sides. But when you shifted your angle of focus, the corner of your eye locked with Jeno’s attentive gaze.
He didn’t flinch, even he should’ve. He wasn’t one to linger his look on anyone’s physical appearances, but your story and the passion on your face as you sketched mesmerized him. He was charmed, to say the least.
“Uhm, hello there?” You broke the silence due to your uneasiness about it. What’s his deal?
Jeno bowed, reintroducing himself to you. As soon as his presence settled in the room when Cleopatra attempted to hit on him, you could’ve cared less. Though this man was a first for you, a first in a long time as all guards would feel intimidated by you during the first night. Even your sharp tongue didn’t faze him. “Staring is rude, sir. Didn’t your mother teach you manners?”
“She did,” He wandered through the exterior of your section, by the fence that separated you and him. Not breaking eye contact, his eyes turned into moon crescents as he smirked with trouble. “Though she also told me to appreciate the art too.”
Snorts noisily exhaled from Cleopatra, who took the center section of the exhibit, succeeded by Princess Diana’s whispered gasps and Katherine’s side-eyeing Anne beside her while she taught her math. That was an odd way a guard conversed with you, but Jeno was merely doing what the rules stated. Partly, he was impressed with his cheesy pick-up line, partly embarrassed because he’s never spoken like this to anyone.
Rule #17: Act playfully around (Y/N) (Y/L/N) to break the tension; she’s a harsh one.
There was irony between the information he read about your life versus the wax model. Even when you faced sexism and ran away according to your history, never were you impolite to anyone in your life. You couldn’t even kill a lurking fly when it roams around your food! It showed Jeno a possibility that as much as you’re just a wax version of someone famous in the past, maybe the external environment around you had a heavy influence too.
“You fool!” His confidence exasperated you, urging you to persistently throw balls of paper with your failed sketches at him. No one dared to talk to you like that, most especially a night guard. “Take that for your comment!”
If you thought he’d scram away and act repentant, you were proven wrong. His reflexes were parallel to a spider, capturing every single paper ball without fail. Up and down his body went, one arm held on to them and no more were left on your part. Never a single defeat during the first meeting in years, but that seemed to alter now.
“Give up already, Ms. (Y/L/N)?” Jeno remarked vibrantly as he discarded your mess in the trash bin behind him. If he managed to get everyone to like him tonight, he wanted to make sure to have you onboard too.
Whatever agenda he had, you weren’t up for it. You’d treat him the same way you usually treated Sanghoon for the past 20 something years: cold and ignorant. From your stool, you left your comfortable position to come face to face with this man. He better be grateful for that barrier in between you, or else you would’ve caused mayhem.
“Never in your wildest dreams, Mr. Lee.” Your mouth gave a half-smile, clenching on the bars to liberate your annoyance. Before you could fend back, that’s when Princess Diana intervened between your heated dialogue.
“Oh heavens, children!” She stood by the barrier, mostly to protect the newbie Jeno with her body. “(Y/N), he just wanted to know you. Must you be so cross?”
This Princess Diana embodied all the traits the real one had: soft-spoken, intelligent, and protective. She’s gotten so used to your gradual temper, staying on standby whenever anyone tried to mess with you. Even if it was harmless, you could get so mean!
“Diana, he was mocking me! Saying such a sleazy phrase as if to amuse me, ha! Not a chance, I hate people like that.”
“Not us women though; you just despise men in general.”
“And you’re absolutely right!” With a smug smile, you greedily rejoiced. “Anyways, escort this disgrace out. I’m not in the mood to get angry when I have a lot of inspiration on mind right now.”
While you resumed your sketching to let go of that extra steam, Jeno was left with Diana who apologized on your behalf. Your pride was too high to do that, and as the motherly figure among them, she always took care of things in your exhibit.
“I’m so sorry for that, Jeno. She’s not really like this, but I know how much you tried your best. It was quite a fresh spectacle honestly.”
Whatever was responsible for your abrasiveness, Jeno yearned to know. He couldn’t understand who you were yet even knowing your life story. All he wanted was to get along with everyone. It was the key to successfully maintain his job for the next 6 months.
“How can I make her come around then?”
A demanding question that no one had a solid answer to. Diana recalled how much Sanghoon didn’t let your dislike for him get to him, maintaining a respectful boundary in between each other after his past attempts. Though with Jeno, observing how he riled you up and your focus entirely on him, she hasn’t seen anything like it since the 80s.
There was something in Jeno that may just get you to warm up and return to your kind nature.
“Aside from acting playful, as Sanghoon recommended, I can think of two ways, love.” By the doors of her exhibit, where Jeno was already waltzing the corridor to visit other rooms, she suggested smartly. “One, argue back to her opinions. She hates whenever anyone tries to get her way, but boy, you’re just as wise as her. No one was brave enough to peeve on her until you came.”
“How about the second way?”
“Do your research, love. Aside from libraries, you have those small technology devices that allow you to search up anything.” She tousled Jeno’s brown locks as if it were her actual son’s. Some habits just don’t die when you do.
“Brush up on your history, Jeno. Not only will it help you with (Y/N), but it’ll serve purposefully with the other art pieces here.”
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Boy, he was ready to crash in his bed for a few hours after all those interactions. His introverted nature required to be revitalized.
Towards the last hours of his shift, the art pieces who’ve strolled in the first floor lessened his plate by not leaving any major clutter behind. As if she listened to him, Athena didn’t break any lightbulbs too.
His main highlight would be meeting the men of the historical male section, who flaunted a more humorous ambiance. Freddie Mercury from Queen insisted he drink a glass of his wine and to bring more wine next time, which he denied since it would against Sanghoon’s rules. King Sejong the Great and Martin Luther King Jr. argued back and forth over the most random things (pineapple on pizza specifically), while Steve Jobs mediated whenever one crossed the line. Meanwhile, William Shakespeare was too preoccupied in his writing and speaking to himself about his books, wondering how to improve them.
During one of his breaks today, he multitasked drawing a new plate with his research on every art piece to know them better. He started with the exhibit of sculptures of the Greek gods and goddesses, which were Zeus, Hera, Hades, Athena, Hermes, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Artemis, Dionysus, and Circe. They weren’t the complete roster because the rest were in other museums across the globe, as said by Athena before sunrise. The majority of them he knew what they were in charge of, but the rest were foggy to his knowledge. Typing away and jotting notes down, he started downloading his favorite jazz songs too.
Rule # 4: Play jazz music to the paintings on the first floor so they can relax and dance within their frames.
Circe is a minor goddess, the daughter of the sun god Helios. She’s recognized for her versatility in incantations and herbs, capable of transforming people into animals. From Jeno’s perspective, she’s mostly within her space with her journals and magic wand, trying new spells or combinations of herbs. For the latter, he had to keep a closer eye on.
Rule #9: Don’t let Circe, god of potions, into the Oriental Room to get plants and herbs.
He discovered that Dionysus is the god of wine, happiness, and theatre. That’s why every god in the exhibit had full wine glasses during their gathering. It also added up why Freddie Mercury always comes to him when his bottles run empty, though he mustn’t go overboard.
Rule #18: Make sure Freddie Mercury doesn’t get too drunk from the wine of Dionysus; he might make numerous scenes if he does.
After his lone studying session, he took a short trip to the pet and convenience stores to buy food. He got a dumbfounded look from Jaemin back in the dorm room, who was studying for one of his quizzes in Biology in a couple of hours.
“Woah what’s with this stash? Is it for yourself or something?”
“The museum surprisingly has a lot of tasks needed to be done at night. And no, not from my wallet but the allowance they gave me before you get a heart attack.” Jeno plopped on his solo bed, covering his face with a pillow.
“Thank God.” A relaxed sigh escaped Jaemin’s lips, taking back his balled-up fists meant for his roommate. “I think I would’ve stormed that boring museum if they made your broke ass spend a cent.”
“Boring?” Jeno removed the cushion hastily, eyeing his busy and coffee-high roommate. The scent of black coffee from his mug spread in the room, assuming that this upcoming test was testing his roommate’s patience again.
Not even trying to look at Jeno while reviewing his handwritten notes, Jaemin continued giving his opinion. “Museum culture is dead, Jeno. Not everyone has the time to roam around one, plus people can always look up the artifacts online these days.”
People were entitled to their own opinions on numerous things, though Jeno begged to differ with his roommate’s. Especially after witnessing the magic of the night shift, you shouldn’t merely judge a book by its cover. In this case, you shouldn’t judge an artwork or art piece merely on its history and legacy.
Maybe because his roommate was in the science department, he thought this way. A lot of art students regularly visit the museum both for fun and for their classes, and Jeno was one of them. Though he was too sleepy to explain his side, he let it slide for now and snoozed throughout the late afternoon.
An hour before the start of his shift, Jeno promenaded the emptying museum to inspect anything else he might’ve missed out on from last night. There were two areas according to his rotation, both in the first floor.
One was the Diorama Room. Divided into 4 sections, highlighting some of the well-known ancient civilizations in world history. Ancient Egypt and Ancient China to your left, Ancient Rome and Ancient Maya to your right. They acted as if they were the actual people during those times, giving Jeno a laugh when they cracked jokes in between. Such tiny figures, yet the rule for them said otherwise.
Rule # 7: The small figurines in the Diorama Room are feisty, so make sure they don’t fight with one another again.
The remaining room left was the Theater Room. He’s never been here, though his art friends have for film festivals held by the university.
The interior of it was set to look like an actual cinema place you’d see in a mall. There was a mini lobby with a few posters of iconic films over the years. Singin’ in the Rain, Back to the Future, Titanic, those were some framed and hung on the wall. There were two other doors there: one leading to the chairs and the other where the movie projector was. The latter room was pretty riveting, wherein you can choose to watch old short films through an 88mm film projector or switch to a cd player for the newer releases.
Back to those posters, they weren’t an exception to the magic and a simple rule was left for Jeno to do.
Rule # 10: Chatter with the movie posters in the lobby of the Theater Room; they love meeting new faces.
Since there wasn’t anyone checking out the Art Rooms on the second floor, he closed them. Though as he was about to lock the Oriental Room, the ravishing plants around the royal plant appealed his interest. Said to hold magical properties from his research, Jeno was reminded of another rule to keep in mind for later.
Rule # 3: The fake flowers in the Oriental Room come to life too at night, so when no one is lurking, water it diligently.
Instead of lounging at Sanghoon’s office first, he brought his important items to the front desk of the lobby and continued sketching his plate. He wanted to watch the art come back alive with his two eyes. Usually, he’d have coffee when he does his work, but due to another crucial rule in the guide, he’d rather not take the risk.
Rule # 6: The lobby room can get rowdy, so keep any drinks away from important items.
On the dot, the cries and yawns from the art pieces around him reverberated. Closing his sketchpad, his night guard mode was on. Connecting his laptop on the aux cord of the museum speakers, he tapped play on his playlist of jazz music that’ll last for the entire shift duration. As the first notes flooded the entire vicinity, sounds of joy left the lips of each painting. Some were humming, dancing, and even singing along.
“You can never go wrong with Frank Sinatra!”
“This Jeno lad really did the heavens’ work quick!”
Having the sense of accomplishment on his sleeve, the small barks of his fluffy pal reached closer to him. As he kneeled to find him, he was only taken by surprise as Mochi excitedly jumped on him. Tumbling over, Jeno chuckled innocently as Mochi licked his face numerously. This puppy was friendly, easily liking everyone at first sight. He wasn’t as choosy like Daegal, the puppy of his friend Chenle studying Business Management.
Once he composed himself and cradling the dog like his own, he fed him a dog treat from the desk.
“Good boy, Mochi!” He rubbed his fur while the puppy happily munched on it, ready to fulfill more of his duties.
He skipped the Greek mythology exhibit since Athena was doing a good job not letting anyone go overboard with their powers, though he’ll check in again in a few hours. He met the posters of the theater room, who were celebrities he grew up watching on tv. Sanghoon was right; they were the kinder group in the entire museum because they were more laidback.
On to the second floor, all the female wax figures lounged by the male section due to another lecture from Shakespeare. Although the guide informed him that most of the time it could get boring, this lecture was more stimulating. On his platform, he elaborated with conviction the lines of one of his famous books, Romeo and Juliet. A must-read book back in his high school days, there’s no way Jeno could’ve missed that out.
From the looks of it, Jeno perceived that Shakespeare was performing spoken word poetry due to him reading only Romeo’s lines while Cleopatra read Juliet’s beside him. This kind of show was one of the sources of entertainment to these figures, so Jeno leaned by the side of the door to listen. After all, the famous author of it was a few feet away. Cleopatra channeled such a naïve character to her ability, absentmindedly saying as she clutched her chest.
“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.”
“Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?”
“'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose-”
The flow of an engaged Cleopatra was abrupted by the loud yell from Shakespeare in front, specifically to an amused Jeno. “Jeno, my boy! Welcome back!”
Such an announcement diverted everyone’s attention to the back, some running to Jeno to give their respective greetings. It’s rare for everyone to feel at ease with a new guard, taking them weeks to approach them due to the intimidation. Though Jeno’s bright presence felt welcoming, so they accepted it. Perhaps it’s because of his youth, it reminded them of theirs too.
Shakespeare highly requested (or forced) Jeno to take his part as Romeo, intrigued to watch someone younger read his lines. Since most of the male wax figures were aged, it never satisfied Shakespeare so he jumped on this opportunity as quickly as he could. With the roaring cheers from the other figures, Jeno might as well give it a try. It wasn’t like his friends were here to clown him like they usually would if he did something humiliating.
Jeno shockingly liked this activity as he wasn’t much of a performer on stage, but someone who does the behind-the-scenes of it. He realized as he read the lines from the book Shakespeare asked him to follow along with why people held university-wide spoken word shows a few times per semester. He was no actor, but it’s delightful to have tried it at least once in his life.
“O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” As if the edge of the platform was the balcony of Juliet (or Cleopatra rather), he knelt as he ardently spoke his lines. He’s emphasizing this rush of uncontrollable desire for her, rambling whatever he would do to get the girl.
“What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?” Cleopatra questioned from her chair, inching closer to the young boy. Even outside character will she attempt to charm Jeno, but Jeno was quick to catch it and kept his distance.
“The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.”
“I gave thee mine before thou didst request it, and yet I would it were to give again.”
“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?”
“But to be frank, and give it thee again. And yet I wish but for the thing I have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”
Everyone was condensed by their top-notch acting, as if this was the actual play unfolding before them. Jeno wasn’t so sure how he got himself in character without preparation, yet he felt what his character felt. He comprehended the material a lot better now than when he was still in high school.
However, there was always that one killjoy to ruin the heartfelt mood.
“How dumb is it to say that you’re in love after the first glance?” You opposed, putting the spotlight on you. This book was said to be a classic in literature, but as you matured physically and mentally, you could no longer agree with it. “Isn’t love the same thing that killed Romeo and Juliet in the end?”
Remembering what Princess Diana told him, he wasn’t going to let this pass. He wanted to give a piece of his mind too, caring less if the show must be paused. “Love is an emotion we don’t ask to feel. It’ll come to us when we least expect it, even when the timing of it can be crucial.”
“Of all the people Juliet could’ve gone for, it just had to be the enemy.” In all the years you’ve been brought to life, no one dared to test your opinions because they were aware of your intelligence, from the streets to the books. When someone bark, you’d bite back. Hard. “With all due respect, I love your works, Shakespeare. Yet the fate you’ve given these two at a young age was grave, could’ve you given them a better outcome or another character to love instead?”
“Giving them extra characters to love won’t address the horrific life fact that love can be dangerous. Regardless of what status you’re in, you can’t stop the attraction towards someone. The heart wants what it wants.” Jeno pressed his hand to his chest, pumping it a bit. Unknown to you and him, the audience found more entertainment in your argument. Anne, who was munching on the popcorn Jeno gave her earlier, passed the snack to Katherine who just couldn’t stop watching.
If this man wanted a challenge, you’re all ears. Who was he to compete with you? Was he not intelligent to know who you are?
“So are you insinuating that we just go with the flow? Be a slave to our emotions too and let them dictate our next motives?”
“Slave is such a strong word to use, (Y/N). But it’s not like we can’t choose who want to love because we actually can. In this case, Romeo chose Juliet and vice versa.”
“But what happens if the person you choose doesn’t choose you in return?”
“At least you tried your best, right? It’ll hurt like hell though, but it won’t last forever.” From his kneeling position, Jeno strutted his way with confidence. Trying not to let it mess with you, your extreme stare at him as if they’ll shoot lasers. Inches away from you, Jeno declared. “Love always has risks, that’s a given. Romeo and Juliet still tried and followed their hearts despite the downfall. But it was a needed downfall to get the message across.”
“No one would be that foolish to risk their lives for love though, right? Life is so precious, why would they do such a thing?”
“Even if they knew what their lives were without each other, they still preferred living a life where they were both in the picture. Therefore, they tried all they could that time because the regret of not doing anything at all carries a heavier burden.”
Whenever anyone argued with you, their debating points they spat back would further piss you off because most of the time, it never made sense. Back when this rude man told you to go home and be a wife in your earlier years of exploring, you civilly told him to fuck off, kicking his balls because he cornered you in an alley. For the first time, a man who tried to challenge you actually made sense. Was it because he lived in a modern time, where minds were more open? Because of the amount of sexism you faced in the past, you’ve turned a blind eye to the current period.
But your high pride maintained, not submitting into anything he said. “I still think it’s stupid to risk your life for love. There’s no such thing as having only one true love anyways, and you have to be alive to see it.”
“Fair point, but again, the feeling of regret and carrying it your entire life doesn’t fade easily. It’ll make you reflect on the what-ifs, and it’s heart-wrenching.” Jeno digressed, walking around you in circles. He’s intentionally trying to drive you mad, but he could care less. He wanted someone to put you in your place and open your mindset. “The question stands: would you rather try and go for it even knowing its risks or regret not even trying for the rest of your existence? Quite ironic for me to ask you that, don’t you think?”
Past the information board, Jeno researched more of your life history online. Your whole life was grounded on risks, from breaking the standards of your society, leaving your family and home country, to fending yourself from disrespectful men. Rather than living the original life expected from you, you chose not to because it didn’t make you happy. Such a risktaker he knew you are, but with the topic of love, he wondered why you were on a fence with it. Though some records stated you’ve had rendezvouses with a few men in your journeys, love was never in the equation. The single life was what you chose and you were more than satisfied, plus your adopted kids filled that supposed void anyways.
This man may have studied your history, but so much he still doesn’t know. Information that never made the books because you chose not to write or tell anyone about it. Aside from the discomfort growing in your chest, everyone else felt the awkward tension when you were lost for words.
Never been defeated in an argument, until tonight. Your mind lost its drive and willpower.
“Touché, Lee Jeno.” Indeed, his name you’re acquainted with. Numerously passed around in your exhibit, mostly from the lips of Cleopatra, who’d fantasize all the graphic things she would do to him. Too much information, least of your interest. “Please excuse me. I’d like to work on my sketches to ease my mind.”
As you quietly exited the room, an all too familiar sculpture leaned against the railings overseeing one side of the museum. Just like you, she hated accepting defeat or compromises. She always rooted for you to win. With a faint chuckle, “Facing a loss for the first time, I see.”
“Don’t even lecture me about it, Athena. I’m still fired up, and I need to relax.”
“Jeno is a different breed, isn’t he?” She stuck to your side, strolling wherever your feet led you.
“Different as in he’s a man? Yes. What else is there to it?”
“Men these days aren’t as trashy as those back in the day though. Shouldn’t you give him a chance?”
“Last time I did, it destroyed my heart. I’m not allowing myself to let men in even as a friend, Athena.”
She knew exactly what you were referring to, not touching on it further. No way will you let heartbreak or disappointment from men bother you. Even Sanghoon’s sweet company took a while to tolerate. You really needed to sketch this out on your pad right now, excusing yourself from Athena’s presence. Isolation wasn’t new to you; it’s what’s protecting your entire being. Immortal as you are, you had to recover from the past pain so the next decades won’t feel as brash.
You hoped to return to your old self when you were a fresh new figure in the 70s. So naïve, only proud of your accomplishments, and purely happy.
While Jeno continued to finish his scene in respect to Shakespeare, he received a standing ovation for his mini-show. Cleopatra didn’t expect such talent from him, growing fonder of the younger male. Whether she seduces him or not, he was never afraid to try new things and she liked that about him.
“Bravo, love!” Princess Diana praised, clapping at him.
Although Jeno appreciated all this positive attention, his thoughts bounced back to your and your stance on love. The debate earlier was just out of being playful, interested to hear your opinions. Though, he’s worried that he might’ve offended you. It may have been time to finally witness something like that, but then again, he was sure he touched something personal to you. No matter how you tried to fight it off, your eyes can’t lie. Staring down at him, there was pain beneath it. Your eyebrows scrunched to the center, thinking deeply yet remained utterly speechless.
A win he didn’t feel good about.
“It’s time she encountered something new in the years she’s been here. Give her some space tonight, then try again to reach out to her. Kindly this time; I’m not in the mood for another brawl that could end up like the Greek gods’ past fights downstairs.”
These clever words shared by Katherine loitered his mind for the rest of the night, eventually going back to finishing his current plate since everyone was behaving well. As great it is to get the approval of the majority, he tried brainstorming ways to make you like him too.
He understood the whole “men are trash” concept in today’s modern society, but if he could prove it wrong to at least one person, it would be you. Whatever is holding you back, he only hoped that you’d let it go. Questionably unsure as to why he was so persevering, he concluded that it was so he could perform his job better as the night guard. Set higher standards than Sanghoon even.
Nothing more, nothing less.
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Weeks passed, and his attempts continued to be unsuccessful.
The capability for you to ignore his efforts remained strong, whether he was pestering you over small things or debating with you again about anything. Life, books, morals, the two of you always head butt each other. Anything good he did, you searched for a flaw in it. Whatever acts he’s tried and continued trying, not one flinch from you ever.
Even if that’s his state with you, his job no longer felt stressful nor strenuous. He’d try to sleep more on days he was off-duty. Although the fatigue of staying beyond his usual sleeping time was inevitable, he compromised to take a nap lasting an hour or two when the art pieces weren’t acting frisky.
Plus, there have been multiple times they adapted to any alterations so his physical well-being wouldn’t fall sick. Per order of Princess Diana and Hera, who by instinct became his motherly figures here, only wanting what’s best for the kids.
He became accustomed to everything that went on at night, discovering things on his own without Sanghoon’s guide. Anne talked about how much she missed biking in her neighborhood, so one night, Jeno snuck his bike inside and let her use it around the first floor. With proper monitoring so none of the paintings would be unbothered or pieces wouldn’t tumble.
Hermes the messenger god was fluent in every language possible, so every so often, Jeno would freely speak to him in Korean because sometimes he felt he could explode by the amount of English he used every night. Bilingual things, you know. He knew you were multilingual too, but for obvious reasons, he couldn’t converse with you.
Because Jeno was heavily favored, that should’ve been enough to push through his night shifts before the end of the semester. In addition to that, the hourly rate was above the average of whatever Jaemin or Renjun was earning. For the past 2 months, Jeno paid upfront first, even paying back all his debts. It almost made Renjun want to switch jobs with him.
“Trust me, Renjun. You don’t want it, being the lowkey scaredy cat you are.”
Work no longer felt like work, and that’s what everyone aspired to feel. Nevertheless, he tended to worry over you mid-shift, glancing at you from his side view. Sketching, reading, and writing were your default actions. No matter how many times he said to himself not to let your dislike for him affect him, it’d always backfire.
Why were you so cold?
What made you lose your fire from all the research he did about your lively personality?
When morning arrived and he gathered his stuff, you’d be the last thing he’ll check on. Frozen in your standing pose, smiling as you held a book and a pencil, he detected how fake it was. Bystanders would only assume your happiness was from your achievements, though Jeno’s gut firmly pried that something grand overpowered that happiness. And definitely, not in a good way.
Out of all the art pieces, he investigated on you the most. Skimming through every material in the library, endless searching on the net, even asking professors from the History department thanks to Renjun, he did whatever he could. People may already think he was obsessed with who you are, but only little did they know.
Another plate was done and submitted, and he promised himself to look you up one last time before surrendering. For someone who’s rarely given up on a challenge, this one was really out of his control. Maybe he should follow Sanghoon’s footsteps now.
You lived centuries before him, and there’s limited material of you left. Rather than learning of your adventures again, he dug through what things you liked over your life. Maybe by giving one of them, it’ll lessen the tension from a 100 to 99. Maybe you preferred gifts over words, he’ll never know until he tried.
Boom.
According to one of your journal entries, there’s a fond liking you’ve acquired for lavender roses from Benjamin and Liam when they visited you in Paris in secret because of how much you missed them. It went both ways, praying your family ties could be recovered.
It’s a good thing he needed to refill his stock of items for the art pieces so he could pass by the flower store a few blocks away from his dorm. That night, without further words, he graciously offered you a fresh lavender rose in between your new sketching session.
“I may not know exactly why you’re spiritless around me, but with this rose, I hope we could work something out.”
Your frigid face of disdain, keeping your chin high and squinting your eyes with judgment, began to crumble down.  Of all things as a peace offering, he gave you that? Then again, it’s not like he knew that an item you liked so much became something you’ve grown to hate and why so. No history books could teach him that.
Vulnerability was a normal thing, yet feared by many. Once one uncovered your weak spot, they could harm you. You still couldn’t trust Jeno fully, not willing to show your helplessness nor were you ever going to tell him. Hidden from his knowledge, everyone else including Sanghoon were familiarized as to why this kind of flower tormented you.
You sprinted like thunder out the exhibit room to wherever it’s private to control your senses. You may not have a physical heart, but your emotions were just as actual as a human’s. You needed to regulate your panting breath. In the past decades, you’ve not shed a singular tear but the cycle broke when they streamed out your miserable eyes like a flowing river. Quiet sobs, an empty corner near the fire exit was where your wobbly legs faltered, the painful memories of the past replayed in your head. Once beautiful, but now an agonizing reminder of what could’ve been.
Katherine, Cleopatra, and Anne were swift on their feet to hunt you down, anxious of what you may do next. Seeing or the mention of these flowers still affected you despairingly. Sanghoon must’ve forgotten to write them down, or perhaps he didn’t know either about this fact during all the years he’s worked there.
It’s one of the biggest secrets of his museum. By the clueless face Jeno had with his eyebrows raised, mouth, and small eyes slightly open, he repeatedly asked what he did wrong and adding that he never meant to harm you. Indeed, they knew that yet what occurred involved a secret in the list of museum secrets. Confidential only between art pieces according to Athena, none of the male wax figures spoke a word, only pitying the boy.
“I wasn’t here yet that time, but they said that it was once beautiful, but now it’s a rough period.” With hesitation, Princess Diana chose to reveal it to rid Jeno’s misery. She didn’t mind having to argue about it with Athena later on, as this may further affect the two of you later on.
“A long time ago in the early ‘80s, there was a night guard around your age named Junmyeon. Also, a college student, trying to make ends meet. He did it for 3 years until he graduated. Though within his stay, not only was he such a delight to everyone, he broke a golden rule in the guide. I believe you do know the guide much more now, Jeno?”
“Yes, I do, Princess Diana. Memorized it even, but which one specifically?” Jeno’s desperate eyes pleaded, only hoping for the best and to fix what he messed up.
“You can form friendships with the art pieces, but nothing more.” Princess Diana replied bitterly. “Junmyeon was an aspiring painter, a different path from his business-oriented family. He was seen as the black sheep. She resonated with him, sharing the burden and lifting it by doing whatever fun they could in the museum. In time, they both fell in love with each other; they were each other’s first loves.”
“Why must something beautiful like love be broken? It’s not like you can control it. That golden rule makes no sense.”
“It does, unfortunately. Wax figures like me cannot age, while humans like you can. None of them could accept the reality, always pushing it away. Until Junmyeon’s last week in university, he broke it off with her unexpectedly. From there, (Y/N) was heartbroken for decades. With heartbreak, giving the cold shoulder and bitterness followed. Then with the lavender rose you gave that she used to love became a flower that she associated with Junmyeon too because he gave her one almost every night for those past 3 years.”
Things finally added up, and the guilt in Jeno’s gut expanded. His major lightbulb moment was a major failure.
“Has Junmyeon ever returned to try and win her back?”
“Well, there was one time he did come back for an art exhibition for his paintings in the 2000s. I was already here, then he had a woman around his shoulder with an adolescent boy holding his hand. He roamed around our exhibit and kept gawking at (Y/N). We may be asleep, but we remember the conversations exchanged in the room. So, his son then asked him if he knew who she was.”
“What did he respond?” Jeno attentively listened, on the edge of such a hurtful tale.
“He knew her name, praising her for historical achievements. However, nothing as a former friend or lover. From what I predict, he ingested one of Circe’s potions.”
“But I thought Circe isn’t allowed to make potions for actual consumption. She’s not even allowed to enter the Oriental Art Room.” Jeno pointed out, overwhelmed at the puzzling past. Princess Diana was mindful that she had to stop spreading too much information, so she had to end her discussion with the lost boy.
“There are a lot of secrets about this museum, Jeno. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you to protect our peace.”
With due respect, Jeno quit his follow-up questions and concerns. The only thing he wished to do was mend his relationship with you. As vague as to where you even stood in the first place, he unintentionally crossed a line due to his selfish intention to befriend you.
“What can I do now, Princess Diana? You know I’d never push her buttons like that, even if I’m a whimsical person.”
“Oh, my boy.” Princess Diana soothed, holding both her hand on his sweaty palm and cupping his cheek. “For the meantime, give her space. No taunting for a while, and just observe her from a distance. Though do not fret the slightest; I’m sure she’ll be okay again.”
During that interval, you were hunched on the wall, bawling and weeping like the wound was brand new again. While Katherine and Anne stood by your side, on the lookout for anyone who’d be spying on you, Cleopatra knelt in front of you as your infinite tears gushed down.
“My dear,” She tried to wipe some of them while holding your hand. “It’s been years, and Jeno didn’t know a single thing. He didn’t mean to do it.”
“I don’t care, Cleopatra! He should’ve stopped trying to socialize with me because I won’t ever live down my experience with Junmyeon.”
“As if crying like this will bring Junmyeon back to your life,” Cleopatra exclaimed, holding in her temper. Acquainted with heartbreak, it’s awful that it changed you entirely, but you should’ve found a way to heal. Throughout your attitude change, it’s mostly you in pain, not those you inflict it to. “My dear, I love you a lot. But this Jeno boy is different, and you know it.”
“He’s still a nightguard, for Christ’s sake, Cleopatra.”
“You shouldn’t generalize that all night guards are bad just because of one encounter that occurred at the wrong time.” Brushing some strands stuck by your wet visage, she professed to you bluntly. “You’re never going to know how good Jeno is unless you slowly open up again, (Y/N). Not forcing you the slightest, but healing started once you’ve acknowledged the past and move on from it.”
“But I’m scared, Cleopatra.” You restlessly admitted, hunching even more against the wall. Your poor, metaphorical heart could only take so much. You barely expressed sorrow towards others as you always held a strong exterior, only letting it out alone. Not holding back anymore, Cleopatra brought you in for a hug. The last time she did that was the first night after Junmyeon left, calming your intensified emotions so you wouldn’t do anything dumb that night. No violence, just pure sorrow.
“My dear, it’s alright.” She whispered while stroking your back upwards. “But you’re a risktaker; that’s how people remember you. Now, you must challenge yourself to move on from things that didn’t work out. Because once you do, it’ll put your heart and mind at ease.”
“Do you think I’ll be okay again?”
“Yes, you will be, my dear. You are not alone, and never will be.”
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Acting like the dutiful son he always was, Jeno distanced from you.
He still cracked jokes, chatted with the art pieces, and followed the rules, yet never did he utter anything to you. You’ve proudly anticipated it since day one, not wanting him up in your business or teasing you ever. But this time, it felt odd.
On nights he didn’t report, you’ve unconsciously wondered what he may have been up to. A job like this at his age was just as Sanghoon once said: nothing in the regular.
Was he with his friends?
Was he resting well?
From the moment you chose to let go of your limitations and old thoughts, it included your grudge against past guards. Asking for forgiveness to Sanghoon when he returns was on the top of your list, however, that’ll take a while to happen. In the start, you’re baffled as to why he no longer picked on you like every night he’s been present. Somehow, it became a habit you’ve gotten used to, having so many comebacks planned to fend yourself. But you didn’t want to concede to it, maintaining what was left of your pride since that breakdown.
While on the subject, you suspected if anyone told him anything that night because that also indicated the last time he reached out to you. By anything, it would be your unwritten past with Junmyeon. A part of yourself in the museum that you didn’t want to disperse like rapid-fire again. It would be the last thing you wanted Jeno to know.
To your misfortune, Princess Diana came clean due to your growing concern over it. Although your attitude changed and people got used to it, you could only blame yourself that you were responsible for Jeno’s change.
“All he wanted was to understand and enlighten us with his likable presence. Then with you, you were his challenge because of your high walls. Out of everyone, he tried to learn everything about you. From my observation, whenever he has a goal, he’s determined to achieve it.”
“But I’m trying to be better now, Diana. Why did he stop?”
“He may have determination, but he knows where the boundaries lie.” Princess Diana patted the side of your arm, giving you a half-grin. “It hurt him when he hurt you, even if it was accidental. So he opted to give you space; that way, you could catch a breather and he wouldn’t harm you anymore. It was what you wanted from the start anyways, right?”
A hard pill to swallow, though it was a fact. It’s just that now, you’re slowly willing to release yourself from the dark. It’s been decades, and more to come. Nothing can move on unless you do.
“Where is he, Princess Diana?”
Just as she predicted right on the edge, Diana completed the grin on her face and led you to the entrance of your exhibit. She may be younger than you, but you’re reverted in your twenties while she remained in her mid-thirties. Gaping the wide museum from the railing, starting from the painting exhibit in the lobby to across the other side of the museum, Diana spotted the black hair of the boy in the Foreign Art Room.
“Over there.”
Observing where her eyes focused, you caught a glimpse of a recognizable side profile. The owner’s eyes were completely taken by whatever he was drawing on the fold-up desk he brought out from the storage room. By the tedious action of his right hand going up and down, you’ve gotten so used to his part-time identity as the night guard to entirely dismiss his current status as a university student.
Architecture specifically as he first introduced himself to you. The same path your oldest brother, Christopher, worked in. The look of tenacity Jeno presented as his eyebrows continuously scrunched, his crescent orbs hastily spied his work for any unnecessary details and his veiny hands brushed his already messy hair, you were profoundly reminded of Christopher when he was designing his possible future house. You were 8 years old, and he was 22, who just got married. He explained how many floors it’ll have, what rooms to put and what extra furniture he’ll place to make it feel more at home.
Seeing how exceptional his art skills were, you started to sketch like him. With flowers first, it turned into bedrooms and sceneries of your neighborhood. You felt your shoulders rise in accomplishment when you were able to accurately draw people. As much as you credited Benjamin and Liam the most in your works, it’ll only be within yourself to know that you also held a soft spot for Christopher.
Excusing yourself to Princess Diana, you bravely yet quietly ventured into the Foreign Art Room. Hiding first from one of the cement columns, you resumed watching him sketch. Instead of a pencil, he used a black pen with a tip as thin as a pencil. Your assumptions would be it was for a class, basing it on him informing everybody earlier that he’ll be inactive for the remaining hours of his shift to focus on his midterm requirements. That must be difficult to balance, yet he still does everything expected from him. Maybe the second cup of iced coffee beside him stimulated his bones and mind, letting his imagination free.
Through the limited space, you tiptoed whilst holding the side of the column to make up his work. There were 2 and a half rectangular shapes stacked on top of each other, the third one he was still tracing. A sign encrypted with tiny written words you couldn’t decipher, the beauty and modernity of Jeno’s plate cannot go unappreciated.
“That’s absolutely beautiful.”
Sweet words you didn’t think would bounce back in the room, Jeno’s pace ceased whilst you hid again. Art pieces capable of walking weren’t allowed here, he locked the door even beforehand! Or he thought as he was rushing to get his work done because one of his terror professors moved up the deadline to tomorrow morning. Not even 25% finished, he petitioned for everyone’s cooperation just for tonight.
He used up his 2 days of not having the night shift for other projects, and not wanting to ruin his perfect attendance, he proceeded to show up.
The voices from the foreign paintings around him hushed for him out of respect. So possibly someone snuck in, his head looking around for intruders. But only did he quit it when he saw your blurry reflection leaning against the column. The glass windows slightly mirror back what it sees, without you knowing that.
Not to mention, the small bit of your lilac dress was left out. Of all people, it was you?
“Do my eyes deceive me or is Miss (Y/N) (Y/L/N) inside when she’s not allowed so?”
To break the killing tension, he tested the waves with an innocent taunt. Never did you reach out to him, so least to say he was entertained whilst keeping his distance.
Fixing your proud stance, you responded in a low baritone voice you used to persuade numerous men in her adventures. “Uhm no, I don’t know who she is.”
As intelligent as you were, Jeno was a few steps farther than you this time. Educated about the risky ways you’d get around and one of them was changing the pitch of your voice, he heartily laughed at your unsuccessful attempt.
“Okay don’t lie, (Y/N). I can see a trail of your dress and your cloak. Oh, your reflection too.”
Damn, you peeked a little to realize that he was correct. Hauling your dress back in to readjust your outfit, you pushed your hair back before appearing to him. Though when you did such, you didn’t suppose that he was practically beside you the entire time. Bumping into his towering stance of 5’10 while the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up, your proud posture loosened up. He even discarded his blazer. A few more inches, he could’ve cornered you on the column if you didn’t take another step back.
Has he always been this tall or were you so used to your boots having high heels under? Oh wait, maybe because you wore flats this time because it’s making your toes sore. Your head bowed from struggling to maintain eye contact with him, your palms caressing your cheeks that suddenly heated up. Clearing your throat, you straightened your back again like nothing happened.
Jeno thought otherwise, shrugging his shoulders as he chuckled. He’s never seen you get shy, not that it was a bad thing either. The temptation to play around it more was there, but he was running out of time for his assignment.
“Come in. I’ll let you off the hook this time.” His arms opened up, allowing you access to such a wonderful exhibit. Paintings from different European periods, miniature versions of famous infrastructures inside glass containers, and replicas of Greek columns in the front entrance, no wonder it’s important to protect them all.
“Are you sure?” Watching him return to his spot, which was a bench in the center of the exhibit with a table in front, it didn’t process that you were gawking at his toned back. His broad shoulders and the evident muscles in his arms while he stretched, your eyes were speedy to look away when he tried to take a glance at you.
“I don’t think the paintings here and I mind.” Sitting down again, he tapped the vacant space beside him. “Feel free to watch me draw if you want to.”
Settling by his side, he recommenced where he left off. Now with a closer view of his piece, it did look like a building as you thought. He was sketching the remaining outline of the 3rd floor of this hypothetical place, continuously checking his ruler to monitor if the lines were consistent. Able to pick up on the words of the sign beside the building, you wowed with one hand on your lips.
“You’re redrawing Seoul National University Museum of Art?”
“One of my plate assignments was to visualize a renovation of a certain place, so I chose the museum.”
“Why so?”
“Well,” Jeno shook his pen so the ink could come out. “This entire place comes to life with the royal plate, so I think we should expand the space and bring in more art pieces to life if we add another extra floor. A rooftop area for visitors and events would be fun. And definitely, we should modernize the exterior and interior a bit because it looks outdated personally. That’s also what my friends think too.”
Noticing the minor details of his plate whilst removing any unnecessary pens so it wouldn’t smudge, “Huh, I quite agree with you.”
For the first time since his night shift, you, (Y/N) (Y/L/N), came into an agreement with him. He became so accustomed to clashing opinions that now, you had no contrasting points to make at all. A good change perhaps was what he’s witnessing.
“Woah, who are you agreeing with me and where’s (Y/N)?” He creased his brows whilst locking eye contact with you. This time, you didn’t wince away and just nudged him on his shoulder to get back to work.
“Hush, Jeno. Isn’t that due later? Get to work, I’ll roam around here for the meantime.”
After decades in this museum, you’re enlightened with the foreign paintings in which some you’ve heard of in your younger years and some that were created beyond your time. The Birth of Venus, Liberty Leading the People, Girl with a Pearl Earring, there’s an advantage of learning about their stories that humans couldn’t interpret. Logical that this section must be off-limits because these pieces were extra special, yet there’s so much more than what meets the eye.
There’s peace in silence while you wandered around, though it doesn’t hinder only at the art. Jeno hasn’t uttered a word since he got back to drawing, and once you asked him what’s doing now, still no answer back. Odd, he’s constantly awa-
Oh, my. You must’ve jinxed it.
Your eyes laid on Jeno leaning forward on his desk with his arms serving as his pillow, resting his head sideways. Soft snores and minimal movement in his upper body to shake the growing cold temperature of the room, he was sleeping like a log.
Putting into perspective, he hasn’t acquired enough rest specifically this past 2 weeks. The endless number of plates due making him work extra during his shift rather than sleeping in the slightest, exhaustion must be an understatement. Coffee no longer pushed him to his maximum for this week even.
But this was the path he chose, and it’ll have its challenges. Still, if you could relieve the stress in any way, you would. This would be one of the ways to repay for all the rudeness you’ve passed on him. Scurrying to his side, placing the plate on the side with his other things. You returned the caps of his open pens so they don’t spill. They must be expensive, recalling how Jeno shared the cons of being an architecture major to Princess Diana. One was the pens needed for sketching, and any tiny damages to them meant buying them again.
With his watch on clear display, he only had 2 hours left until his shift was done. Then, 4 hours until his plate assignment was done, and his current plate was far from done.
The blunt impulse to wake him up slithered your mind, though his calm state deflected your duty. As if you were on board a ship again for your explorations, you paid attention to the view with a relaxed mindset.
Lee Jeno specifically was the view.
His coffee-stained lips were parted and his sharp nose breathing in and out at a relaxing pace, he must be dreaming a happy moment the way half his lips curved into a smile. If he’s resting well, then you too would be calm.
Because of your past disinterest in him, only at this moment did you observe how sharp his jawline was and the cuts on his arms he sought refuge in. No matter how many times you tried to deny Hera’s compliments of him on the side, you couldn’t.
Lee Jeno embodied attractive features; both physical and emotional.
Back to his plate, it’ll put him at a disadvantage if he submitted the way it looked before he passed out. But you remembered all those extra details he mentioned and wanted to add to this project. Being an explorer, you documented all your ventures through words or drawings. You’re fast to adjust to anything new too.
For all the good he’s done for everyone, he only deserved some help in return.
Your version of help was sketching the remaining details of this plate, using other pens for more emphasis. It’s a risk also, but no way could you turn a blind eye on Jeno this time.
Around 5:30 am, Jeno’s eyes blinked open due to a brightening light from the outside. Stretching his limbs, he finds a velvet cloak wrapped around him like a blanket. But before he could question it, he pulled his arm in to see the time on his watch.
“Fuck!” He cursed, realizing that his so-called 10-minute snooze break aborted.
“Oh my, you’re awake!” From his frazzled state, there you were. So put together yet active, some strands of your hair falling down your face even with your hair up in a ponytail. “How was your sleep?”
This whole time he could’ve been woken up, yet you chose not to. You’re aware of his deadline, yet you let him rest entirely. He could’ve burst out in stress, yet he didn’t. You and he may have started on the wrong foot, yet it’s impossible of you to do such an evil thing. He’ll just have to tolerate the outcome later today.
“Refreshing. I really needed it.” Packing his things in his bag and closing the table, you trailed along as he exited with you. Locking up, he has 30 minutes left to accomplish the cleaning. A long good morning indeed.
But his worry of that vanished when you admitted that you had it all covered.
“Everyone helped out in cleaning, plus there are no damages made either.” From your hand, you returned one of his keys that was on his guard blazer. “I double-checked the Oriental Room and locked the doors again.”
“Why are you suddenly so nice to me, (Y/N)?” He questioned with confusion, wearing his blazer again and patting away any creases. He placed your cloak over you again like a true gentleman.
Without a word, you simply invited him to walk you back to your exhibit as parts of the sun began to rise. As you returned to your section, your fellow figures readying themselves to pose again,
“It’s my way to apologize for my very rude first impression and the succeeding moments after. I was too cooped up in my past that I was too afraid to let humans in again, night guards in particular.” You admitted, removing your cloak and placing behind your chair like always. “I’m so sorry, Jeno. Everyone was right about you and your kind heart.”
“About time.” Cleopatra’s sultry voice cut in, laying on her day bed.
Before you had the chance to flip off, Jeno mediated swiftly. With a gentle smile, “No worries about it. I’m just happy you’re okay, after all you’ve been through.”
“Can we start over then?”
“Absolutely.” With his free hand, he brought it out. No matter what kind of introductions, shaking one’s hand was the best way to start a friendship. “Good evening. I’m Lee Jeno, the new museum night guard.”
“(Y/N) (Y/L/N), explorer and author.” Sighing at his humor, you still replied by shaking his hand. “And I believe you’re mistaken, Lee Jeno. It’s a good morning.”
Seconds after, you imitated your typical pose and smile. Only now, the latter was more genuine. Finally, a fresh start to end your agony.
Once the sun fully revealed itself, every figure including yourself froze back to sleep. Something Jeno wished to catch up on if it weren’t for his damn plate. He was so screwed, already contemplating his next steps if he does fail this class. The possibility of getting delayed in all aspects, he dreaded it already.
Heading back to his dorm, where both his roommates completely passed out from soju on the couch, he sat by his work desk and turned on his night lamp for more light since the sun wasn’t strong enough yet.
With another cup of coffee, he cracked the joints of his knuckles and laid out his pens. He had 2 hours left to submit this plate, and at most he should accomplish 50% of his initial plan. However, he didn’t anticipate such a gorgeous outcome when he brought out his plate.
Picture perfect of every detail he desired, even adding a rooftop area with that he’d love to have if ever the museum does go under renovation one day. Rather than setting the plate during the day, it was at night as the skies were dark and bright specks of yellow inside the building symbolized light.
So much for wasting coffee, he’ll just give it to Jaemin when he wakes up later. Below the final product, a note written in cursive was stuck on it.
 I knew you wanted to get this specific plate done, but you mustn’t compromise your sleep for it. It’s your inhumane professor’s fault!
To make up for my faults, I wanted to help you out. I paid extra attention to the details you spoke highly about, so I only hoped that I interpreted it correctly. It’s risky, but as someone who researched so much about me, would you be surprised that I did such a thing?
PS: Get back to sleep. I’m quite sure your desk is laid out the same way in the Foreign Art Room.
Respectfully,
(Y/N)
 Turning off his lamp, Jeno jumped the covers of his bed to continue his lost sleep. Without an ounce of care that he hasn’t changed into cleaner clothes, he’s relieved that he won’t flunk his class.
Most of all, he’s relieved that you’ve melted the ice in you and allowed kindness to come in. Jeno may never understand how hard that must’ve been for you, yet he raved you for it.
“Oh, (Y/N) (Y/L/N). Surprise is an understatement when it comes to you.”
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Laurel Wreaths & Animal Teeth (4)
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(c!Technoblade x fem!Reader)
(people seem to like this for now but remember, no reblogs/comments then i’m gonna assume people lost interest. so show u enjoy this please!! <3 also someone drew fanart of Reader, check it out at the bottom! :3c)
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“Come ON Wilbur! Come with me to check out the huge village I found the other week!” shouted Tommy while making sure to get in his older brother’s way as much as possible. He figured if Wilbur was focused on him and not whatever ‘super important’ shit he was busy with then he’d join him.
Wilbur meanwhile was doing everything he could to sidestep and ignore said younger brother. Now usually he’d humor the much younger boy but Wilbur was sorta busy at the moment. There’s been murmurs of unrest within the L’manburg territory lately since new faces have joined their country. 
Apparently they weren’t happy about the fact that Wilbur was a self appointed president, and likened him to a dictator because of it since no one got a say in his leadership role. Which Wilbur thought was highly unfair. He’d fought tooth and nail for his country, so they could have and enjoy all the freedoms to do as they pleased without Dream and his cronies breathing down their necks.
Everything he did he did for his country. But he didn’t want them to see him as some unsympathetic tyrant who didn’t listen to his people. He’s not Dream, he actually listens when they speak, even when they say they don’t like his self appointed role as president. So yes, Wilbur was sort of busy with more important things than goofing off and finding some random village. But instead of snapping he just sighed and said,
“Tommy, I’m working. We’re supposed to be running a country, remember?”
The aforementioned boy let out an aggravated sigh, he knows they have a duty to L’Manburg, he’s not stupid! But he also knows they need to be allowed to have some fun now and again too! Or they’ll go crazy! And Tommy was sure Wilbur would go mad if he stayed cooped up inside all the time working! So this was his way of dragging his brother out for his own good.
But Wilbur was being especially stubborn (wonder where Tommy got it…) and was refusing to budge. 
“I don’t have time right now Tommy! Ask Tubbo or Fundy to tag along. I’m sure they’d love to go vandalize a village with you,” Wilbur distractedly said as he wrote down some notes in one of his books. 
Tommy was tired of fighting Wilbur on this and decided to hell with it, he’d just take the L this time. So he scoffed and said “Whatever” in the most pissed off teen voice he could physically summon and turned away from Wilbur and stormed out of the brunet president’s house, making sure to slam the wooden door as hard as he could on his way out. 
It seemed like all Wilbur did was mope around and WORK since they’d won independence from the Dream SMP. What the hell was the point of even FIGHTING for said freedom if Wilbur wasn’t even going to enjoy it?? 
Tommy pushed those thoughts away and went to search out Tubbo, he could always count on his best friend to follow him into some mischief! Unlike SOME people. And thankfully it didn’t take the rambunctious blond long to find his friend, and with a grin he ran and jumped on the shorter boy, making him yelp in shock and nearly fall. But then Tubbo saw who it was and started laughing and shoving the taller boy away half heartedly. But after goofing around a bit Tommy remembers why he’d searched out Tubbo in the first place.
“Oi Tubbo, come with me to this weird village I found the other week. I was gonna explore it when I found it but Wilbur said there was an emergency and I had to leave before I could,” he said as they both walked along the main path.
“Yeah sure, but why was it ‘weird’? Was it one of those ones that’s built somewhere stupid like half on a cliff?” Tubbo asked with a laugh. 
The two laughed and Tommy explained that the village just looked different? Like there was no cobble! Which was ridiculous because in his opinion that was the best part of villages was all the cobble buildings. Not that he was biased or anything like an American. 
But Tubbo just laughed and said sure, they could go check it out. He didn’t have anything else important to do today anyways. Tommy gave a triumphant ‘yeah!!’ because at least he got ONE of his friends to not be a total loser and go out to have some good old fashioned fun with him. 
Tubbo told him to lead the way so they were off.
-0-
Many blocks away in your village you were getting out of your ‘shower’, which was really just a waterfall hidden by thick trees and hanging vines behind your temple home. But it was the best shower you’d ever used thanks to how the water fell over you in huge sheets. You’d honestly stay in it for hours if you didn’t hate being bored just standing there. But you did get bored, so you got out and began drying off.
Once you were dry you started getting dressed in your usual outfit, then once done you paused before reaching down to grab the newest item of your outfit..
Your mask.
...
After your… horn discovery the week before you’d just laid in bed all day for a couple days. Not leaving your temple for any reason, not even to shower or eat. You’d have been feeling worse if you’d actually needed food but thankfully you didn’t, so when you finally got your ass in gear and got up to bathe you only felt marginally like shit. At least you had until you went to go bathe…...
But on that first day up you’d just stared at yourself in the reflection of the water and sighed. You didn’t have the urge to cry anymore, so that was a good thing. But you also weren’t a fan of the new horns or glowing eyes you’d had since ending up here. You weren’t even sure what KIND of horns these were?? And… call you crazy but you SWEAR they were bigger than they were before your stint laying in bed..
They’d only been little nubs before, not even as big as your thumb! But now they were at least five inches long and sort of splitting at the tips? It looked weird and honestly felt even weirder what with that velvety texture covering them. You made the foolish mistake of grumbling to yourself, 
“Things couldn’t get weirder, right?”
And as if the universe heard you… you discovered a new ‘appendage’ on your body while you started to wash your body off. You’d been lost in thought, just scrubbing yourself with a soapy washcloth when you’d started reaching around to wash your back, your washcloth brushed against something protruding from the base of your spine, right above your ass. This time you didn’t start panicking, you think you were still worn out from the days previous, so instead of freaking out you just slowly craned your neck around to see if you could glimpse the...thing.
A tail. 
You blinked, shocked but also.. confused? What in the absolute fuck? Why? When?? This time there was no sobbing or breakdown, you were honestly just puzzled. Are you ever going to STOP growing animal traits or what? Under any other circumstances you might even call the tail cute. It was small, probably just smaller than your hand and about the same shape too. And the majority of the top of it was the same color as your hair, but the sides (and underside after you got curious enough to look under it) were a soft white. With how you were in water the tail looked rather unimpressive and you couldn’t identify what kind of tail it was, but if it was at all connected to the horns then maybe deer? Or caribou? Reindeer? The last two seemed more likely since those animals’ females actually grew antlers you think. 
Having to adjust to all this new shit practically every other day was giving you a headache. With a tired sigh you rubbed the area around the base of your antlers, soothed slightly by how the action dulled your headache. But you couldn’t ignore the issue at hand, so you swallowed down your unease and instead just decided since you couldn’t control these… unnatural features then.. well, you’d just cover them up or since that wasn’t possible for the horns now you’d just disguise them?
You’d been stumped for a while on how to even DO that but eventually you’d gone down to the village to feed the animals and you’d watched the armorer leave his house to get started working for the day. And you’d noticed the mask he wore pushed up on his forehead. That’s when the idea for a mask hit you. But you didn’t know how to make or even craft a mask, so you’d gone to the armorer and asked him about it. It was hard to grasp what he was saying clearly but after the months living with the villagers you’d picked up some stuff and could understand them some.
So you let him show you how to make a standard iron mask like his, though the first one he’d made hadn’t fit you in the end so he’d made a second after tweaking the size a bit so it’d fit your face right, since your face shapes weren’t the same. But you were thankful and said so after you put it on. Though the eye holes still revealed your eyes, which you didn’t like. You asked how hard it would be to put reflective lenses in them to prevent your eyes from being seen.
That question turned into the armorer calling over the cartographer, the stonemason, and the shepherd oddly enough to help him out. They were murmuring and crowding around the armorer’s workstation while you watched from the edge of the porch where you sat idly. You didn’t want to hover over them like some busybody, so you sat patiently to see what they came up with together. 
And after a while your patience was rewarded when they came over to show you the fruit of their collaboration. And it surprised you how gorgeous it was, which wasn’t fair since you had 4 skill masters working on it together for you.
The mask was actually very beautiful. 
It was a white half mask that only covered your eyes, forehead, and upper nose/cheeks but left the lower half of your face bare. And you think it was simply painted white because it felt about as heavy as iron, but the part that amazed you was how it almost looked Venetian in design. On the forehead of the mask was a golden sun, and golden floral swirls came from the corners of the mask and curled near the cheeks and sides of the sun on the forehead, making the mask look elegant and almost vintage.
But the best parts in your opinion were the glass lenses in the eye holes. They were reflective and the same colors as your banner! You don’t know how the villagers did it but the edges of the lens were a goldish orange and the color faded into a violet in the center. You worried you wouldn’t be able to see through them but when you put the mask on you realized the lens only gave things a VERY slight blue/grey tint. So slight in fact that you could fully ignore it if you wanted. 
And the second best part was some of the floral swirls actually swirled UP past the top edge of the mask and rested against your horns, giving the illusion that they were somehow part of the mask. Actually with the mask on you could almost trick yourself into thinking you were just wearing a cool looking Mardi Gras mask! 
You clapped your hands in glee and couldn’t help the excited sound you let out as you gushed and told them it was perfect! They all let out bashful happy murmurs and generally looked shyly pleased with your praise. You tried to give them each some emeralds but they refused to take them, grunting and shaking their heads each time you attempted to push the gems towards them. Eventually you gave up and resigned to accepting the mask as a gift, but you’d definitely do something nice for them later, to make up for their hard work.
You’d taken to wearing the mask at all times when not in the privacy of your temple. Which wasn’t very hard to get accustomed to. The mask was lightweight and the lenses honestly helped shield your eyes from the glare of the sun so win/win. And it also made your horns, in your opinion at least, less in your face. Which was good because they were definitely still growing. You could tell. And the split in the tip was now more pronounced, making you wonder if they were like… reindeer antlers? It would fit with the tail currently growing out the base of your spine, said tail that now looked REALLY like a fluffy little deer tail since the hair/fur on it had dried. 
One good thing was that your tail wasn’t long or huge and could actually be hidden relatively easily under a shawl you tied around your waist. So that was one less thing to worry about. Though your life would infinitely be easier if you didn’t have to deal with all this inhuman bullshit. But you supposed life wasn’t fair and expecting it to be was foolish. 
“At least I’m not part some weird animal like an aardvark or something…” you mumble to yourself, trying to view this whole thing in a ‘glass half full’ sort of way. 
You’d decided to relax and unwind from your recent discovery by just taking things easy for a while. First day since you got the mask and such you just chilled and started a small farm for yourself. You didn’t need the food but the process of building the farm and toiling the earth and then sowing the seeds was actually pretty therapeutic. The repetition of it all was pretty calming. Just you, your gardening tools, and the earth beneath your feet.
The days following were pretty much the same. You’d tend your garden first thing in the morning after your shower, then you’d go off to find something else easy to fill your time. You took up feeding the animals, making flower boxes and planters around the town to make it more colorful, potion brewing, and even fishing. Which was what you were doing right now actually.
You were sitting on the edge of the pond next to your temple, bare legs in the cool water and your back resting against the side of another grass block, an enchanted fishing rod you’d traded the town fisherman for sitting stuck in the ground next to you while you relaxed. The day was actually quite beautiful and nice. Sun streamed down over you from between the bamboo behind you, fluffy fat bees buzzed overhead as they hunted lazily for pollen, and you were close to dozing off.
“Hnn! Hnn! Hnnn!!”
At least you would have dozed off if you hadn’t heard one of the villagers sorta freaking out. You looked up and saw one of the farmers panickedly shuffling about at the top of the small hill to your left. You wondered if zombies got into the village again? But no it was sunny out, they’d be burning if they did. Illagers maybe? But how would they have gotten around the bamboo and prickly berry bushes?? Well there wasn’t anything else for you to do than do see what was wrong.
You put away your fishing rod, got up and dusted yourself off before hurrying up the hill after the villager. You trailed after them down the lantern lit path but so far didn’t see anything, but you perked up when you heard telltale sounds of one of the iron golems fighting something and taking damage. That put some urgency in your gait and soon you were running to see what was going on. You rush past the fletcher’s home and then the cartographer’s right after but nothing. Then you finally round the corner where the market is set up and see at the very end of the path next to the cleric’s church is the altercation. 
You sprint down the path, yelling for the villager’s to stay inside until you ring the town bell as you run past them. You hear the doors slam closed behind you and you manage to get to the problem right as your iron golem gives one last cry before getting poofed. You gasp sadly and then glare when you hear cheering. A blond boy that was shorter than you hopped down from a dirt block tower and scooped up the fallen iron ingots the poor iron golem dropped upon its death.
You were so pissed that you ignored the nagging feeling in the back of your focus that said this kid looked familiar. It wasn’t until he finally turned to look at you that it hit you. Holy shit this kid looked… and sounded.. like that minecraft youtuber, TommyInnit.. Like eerily so. You’re glad you’re wearing your mask so he can’t see the deer in headlights (*ba-dun-ts*) look on your face at the sight of him. And your shock didn’t fade with him speaking. If anything it reinforced the idea that this kid was weirdly reminiscent of that youtuber. 
“Holy fuck! You are a MASSIVE woman. Wait, who the fuck are you?!” he said in a loud tone of voice as he looked up at you. It made your eyebrows furrow. You were NOT that big! He was just short! You even crossed your arms and told him so, which earned a snicker from the little brown haired boy in dark green overalls next to him. The blond boy scoffed, looked fully offended, snarked back that you were about the same height as a ‘bloody fuckin’ iron golem!’ so yes you were huge.
You glared at the little TommyInnit look alike and instead of arguing about your height you started scolding both boys, which they hadn’t really.. expected? At least from the surprised looks on their faces (which still had the roundness that came from baby fat). The brunet rubbed his elbow and sort of toed the dirt under his feet while the blond crossed his arms and almost looked to be pouting from the scolding.
“My height isn’t the issue here! The issue is you two barging into my village, killing one of my iron golems, stealing the loot from it, and scaring my poor villagers!! What in the hell were you two thinking?” 
The blond tried to cut in, to defend himself but he barely got out the first syllable before you held up your hand to signal for him to silence himself as you snapped,
“I do NOT wanna hear it! You treat others this way?? Like they’re nothing, like their possessions and peace of mind don’t mean a damn thing?! Shame on you both!!” 
By the end the two boys looked properly scolded. The brunet wondered if THIS is what it felt like to get scolded by one’s mother, and if it was then he’d like to avoid it for the remainder of his life. And the blond meanwhile actually didn’t have anything to say, or more accurately he didn’t know what to say to not feel like he was in massive trouble.
You meanwhile were just annoyed at this point, so you held you hand out (causing both boys to give you wondering looks) before you demanded the iron ingots that the blond stole from your slain iron golem. He got all in a huff, saying he earned them and they were just ingots- but you slapped that train of thought down with an angry,
“EARNED?? More like STOLE! After you killed my iron golem! Now give them back! I have to use them to make a new golem to protect this village.”
The blond sputtered, face blooming red at being blatantly called out on his theft, before muttering in embarrassment and pulling the ingots out and practically tossing them at you. You caught them and returned them to your inventory before shaking your head at the two and saying they should leave if their only goal in your village was to kill and destroy property. The small brunet quickly spoke up and said,
“No wait, we didn’t come just to mess stuff up! We came cuz Tommy said he found this place last week and it wasn’t the usual village so we wanted to explore it.”
Your stomach churned at the name.. Tommy. This was getting weird again. Way too fucking weird. But you resisted clenching your teeth anxiously like you wanted, instead you raised an eyebrow they couldn’t see and shot back,
“Oh yeah? And how did that escalate into killing my iron golem?”
This time it was ‘Tommy’ who cut in and said it had been an accident! They’d apparently been looking around when Tubbo (you felt queasy now after hearing that name too…) started fighting a spider and Tommy came over to help him, but in the process he accidentally hit the iron golem, who got pissed and smacked him.
“I ran from the thing and towered up three blocks! I knew it wouldn’t let up so I had to kill it! S’not my fault the bastard was holding a grudge!!” Tommy said heatedly, arms still crossed defiantly.
You wanted to rub your temples in exasperation but couldn’t without removing your mask. And like hell you were showing these kids your weirdo inhuman eyes. Though… if they really were the characters from.. the videos you got hooked on? Honestly this whole thing was 10 times weirder than the stupid glowy eyes or even the horns or tail.. Like this has to be proof you’re really dreaming or in a coma or something. What other logical explanation could there BE? These kids aren’t real. Nothing here is. It CAN’T be. The real people behind these… minecraft characters? They’re not here. In this place.
Before you could do a kickflip off the edge of your sanity into a full on mental breakdown you took in a calming breath and pushed those thoughts away until you were alone to give it the proper attention. And maybe so you could have your panic attack in peace and quiet. But right now you had two kids causing ruckus in your village. So you just said,
“Yeah alright, fine. I’ll forgive you both THIS TIME. But don’t make a habit of causing trouble in my village. And you can look around and explore, just don’t steal anything or hurt any of my villagers or animals. Got it?”
The two boys nodded, happy to not have you giving them that Angry Adult Tone anymore. So you turned and started walking back to the middle of the village, calling for them to come on. You had to ring the village center bell to tell everyone everything was okay.
Both boys shared a glance before Tubbo smiled and started jogging after you, Tommy right behind him, both curious about you and your village.
------------
(a/n: YOOO SOMEONE DREW READER FANART AND IT’S FUCKING BOMB DUDES CHECK IT OUT!!  (Reader looking heavenly~) uwu)
@salinesoot​ @lady-bee-fechin​ @kacchasu​ @putridjoy​ @lunawritesstories​ @galaxypankitty3030​ ​ @paradigmax​ @zachariethememerie​ @killmewithafanfic @trinity-1002107 @hufflepuff-demigod @truthdaze @exorcisms-with-elmo @redbloodtea @heythereimhaylz @olyink @jackalopedoodles​ @nikkineeky​ @artsimatsu​​
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proud-mom85 · 3 years
Text
Moments from the Misha, Darius Zoom:
Darius: I WILL SAY THE FIRST THING ONE WANTS TO DO IN A ZOOM TO ESTABLISH DOMINANCE IS WHEN THE BACKGROUND CONTEST.
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MISHA: WE BOTH MOVED TO L.A. IN -- DARIUS: 99.
MISHA: DECEMBER OF 98, RIGHT BEFORE NEW YEAR'S. WE MOVED INTO THE SAME LITTLE, YOUR AUNT'S FRIEND'S HOUSE ON THE VENICE CANALS. YOUR WIFE WAS PREGNANT WITH YOUR FIRST CHILD AT THAT POINT AND MY WIFE AND I DID NOT KNOW IT AND WE WERE LIKE WHY ARE THEY SLEEPING ALL DAY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM?
DARIUS: THERE WAS A GAS LEAK ALSO IN THE HOUSE. SO WE WERE ALL SLEEPING ALL DAY.
MISHA: THAT'S TRUE.
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MISHA: THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER WHEN I DON'T KNOW THAT I THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER WHEN I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE GENUINELY CELEBRATED YOUR SUCCESSES, BUT THERE WAS A TIME FOR YOU STARTED MAKING THE MOVIE "LOOT" THAT WAS YOUR FIRST BIG SUCCESSFUL PROJECT. I THINK IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THAT I REMEMBER FEELING OVERWHELMED WITH SUPPORT AND JOY FOR YOU. I JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE THIS CREATIVE VISION THROUGH AND NOTHING WOULD HAVE MADE ME HAPPIER THAN IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
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DARIUS: I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE EVEN REMOTELY THE SAME PERSON HAD WE NOT BEEN FRIENDS...
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DARIUS: AND WE BOTH AUDITIONED FOR IT AND AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, YOU ENDED UP IN THE LEAD ROLE OF THAT PLAY AND WITH ALL SINCERITY YOU DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB, LIKE IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MAGICAL, I THINK YOU WOULD AGREE, ONE OF THOSE MAGICAL SCHOOL PLAYS THAT JUST IS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE. I STILL REMEMBER IT, JUST SITTING THERE AND ENJOYING IT AND WATCHING YOU KIND OF YOUR BEST. IN I REMEMBER THEN FEELING REALLY PROUD OF YOU. I REMEMBER SITTING AND WATCHING YOU ACT AND FEELING LIKE THIS IS WHAT THIS GUY IS HERE TO DO. BECAUSE YOU WERE ON STAGE AND IT WAS SO UNDENIABLE.
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DARIUS: I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE HAD A PRETTY CLEAR CHANNEL OF SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER ALL ALONG. AND I WILL SAY, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOUR SUPPORT ALL THOSE YEARS MAKING SOUND OF METAL, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD'VE MADE IT. THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS, THOSE WERE HARD YEARS COME ALONG, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS OF FAITH IN A PROCESS THAT HAD NO PROOF OF CONCEPT. SO, YOU KNOW, I NEEDED THAT SUPPORT AND YOU WERE THERE MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES OVER. I REALLY HATE TO BE SINCERE WITH YOU, I FEEL LIKE IT FEELS WRONG BUT THAT IS THE TRUTH.
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DARIUS: ...BECAUSE HE AND I BOTH CAME FROM SO LITTLE. I DON'T THINK WE WERE THAT AFRAID TO HAVE LITTLE. I DON'T THINK WE WERE AFRAID TO SCRAPE THE BOTTOM AND KEEP SCRAPING THE BOTTOM AND SCRAPING THE BOTTOM A LITTLE MORE.
MISHA: I HAVE HAD AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT SCARCITY DYNAMIC BECAUSE ON THE ONE THING, WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS TRUE AND I ALWAYS IN MY HEART OF HEARTS KNOWN I WOULD BE OK WITH NOTHING, I WOULD BE OK LIVING IN A TENT IF I NEEDED TO. AND THAT KNOWLEDGE PROVIDES A PRETTY BIG SAFETY NET, BECAUSE YOU NEVER WALK AROUND FEELING LIKE I NEED THIS MONEY. I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE OK.
AT THE SAME TIME, COMING FROM POVERTY, I THINK THE ALLURE OF MONEY HAS BEEN MAYBE MORE POWERFUL THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR ME OTHERWISE. IF I HAD ALWAYS HAD MONEY, I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN SO DRAWN INTO MAKING MONEY WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY FINALLY CAME IN MY LIFE. AND I MAY HAVE MADE CHOICES THAT DIDN'T THAT WEREN'T QUITE SO DRIVEN BY MAKING MONEY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AS I'M GETTING OLDER, I AM ABLE TO FORMULATE THESE THOUGHTS AND RECALIBRATE TO AN EXTENT. BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS MAKING MONEY JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING MONEY WHEN IT WASN'T REALLY ABOUT ANYTHING CREATIVE OR BIGGER THAN THAT, AND I THINK THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT ALSO RELATED TO HAVING COME FROM POVERTY.
DARIUS: THAT IS INTERESTING, I DON'T THINK YOU'VE EVER REALLY VOICED THAT TO ME, THAT SCARCITY MODEL YOU HAD WORKING THAT WAY. THAT MAKES SENSE ACTUALLY, AND I THINK PEOPLE KNOW THIS ABOUT YOU, BUT IT WA SA LEVEL OF POVERTY THAT WAS THREATENING. IT WASN'T LIKE WE WERE KIND OF POOR OR YOU ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE CLASS SPECTRUM, YOU WERE IN A SERIOUS, SERIOUS LANDSCAPE OF POVERTY.
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MISHA: IT'S FUNNY, FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF CHILDHOOD, YOU TO ME IT LOOKED JUST AWASH IN MONEY. YOUR FAMILY WAS FUCKING LOADED. AND I REMEMBER YOUR DAD, ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS OR SO WE WOULD ALL GO OUT TO PANDA EAST, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE CHEAPEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN TOWN COME UP BUT TO ME IT WAS LIKE CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT WE ARE JUST GOING OUT AND ORDERING WHATEVER WE WANT AT THIS RESTAURANT? IT SEEMED SO OPULENT TO ME. IT'S REALLY AMAZING.
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MISHA: I REMEMBER DRIVING UP TO PUTNEY RIGHT AFTER I GOT MY DRIVERS LICENSE, I WAS 16 AND A HALF OR 17 AND DRIVING UP ON A SCHOOL NIGHT AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING JUST TO CHECK ON YOU, BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WERE KIND OF ON THE EDGE AT THAT POINT. YOU COULD HAVE EASILY NOT SURVIVED HIGH SCHOOL AND A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER THAT. YOU WERE REALLY ON THE EDGE.
DARIUS: IT'S TRUE.
MISHA: YOU WOULD GO FOR DAYS WITHOUT SLEEPING, YOU WERE A PSYCHOLOGICAL MESS AT THAT POINT AND I DO REMEMBER GOING UP THERE AND WORRYING ABOUT YOU AND CHECKING ON YOU.
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DARIUS: I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT I HAVE NOT NEEDED YOU LESS AS I GOT OLDER.
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DARIUS: YEAH, SO, HERE IS THE THING ABOUT THE OSCARS. I HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS AT ALL. BUT THE OSCARS COINCIDED WITH - AS YOU KNOW, MISHA, COINCIDED WITH A REALLY CRAZY TIME FOR ME BECAUSE MY BEST HAVE A VERY SICK CHILD.
- BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY SICK CHILD. SO AROUND THE TIME OF THE TIME OF THE OSCARS, LEADING UP TO THE OSCARS IS MAYBE ONE OF THE DARKEST, MOST DIFFICULT TIMES OF MY LIFE DEFINITIVELY. AND YOU KNOW I HAVE HAD SOME DARK TIMES.
SO, SO OFTEN WE LOOK AT THESE THINGS AND IT LOOKS LIKE ONE THING. AND WE NEVER KNOW THE SUBPLOT THAT LIVES BEHIND IT, AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BEYOND THE IMAGE OF PERFECTNESS AND SUCCESS.
MISHA: I THINK THAT IS EXACERBATED IN THIS MOMENT IN OUR SOCIETY BECAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERYONE IS ALWAYS SHOWCASING THE MOST PERFECT VERSION OF THEIR WIVES AND FAMILIES.
AND OF COURSE, YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE, AND YOU ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THE HARD CHAPTER, APPARENT SUFFERING THROUGH A SICK CHILD AND WHAT YOUR CHILD IS GOING THROUGH IS JUST SO HARD AND SO HEARTBREAKING. AND TO HAVE THAT MOMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD YOUR WHOLE LIFE, YOU JUST REACHED THE APEX OF YOUR CAREER, YOU MAY NEVER AGAIN BE AT THE OSCARS, AND ANYONE WHO EVER THINKS THEY ARE GOING TO WIND UP AT THE OSCARS IS DELUSIONAL, IT JUST DOESN'T WIND UP AT THE OSCARS IS DELUSIONAL, IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. AND YET YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF THERE AT THIS INCREDIBLE TRIUMPHANT UNLIKELY MOMENT.
DARIUS: I DID ALWAYS KNOW I WOULD BE THERE BUT GO ON.
MISHA: AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE SUFFERING THROUGH THE MOST EXHAUSTING AND MOST EMOTIONALLY DRAINING THING IMAGINABLE, AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A KIND OF CRUEL JOKE FROM THE UNIVERSE, IT SEEMED.
DARIUS: IT WAS THE CRUELEST DICHOTOMY. AND I THINK WHAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME AT THAT TIME IS I WAS NAVIGATING A LOT, PRESS, THE OSCARS, I WAS DIRECTING SOMETHING ELSE OF THE TIME, RUNNING BACK AND FORTH AT THE HOSPITAL, SLEEPING ON A HOSPITAL COT, DOING ALL THE STUFF, THAT I NEEDED SOMETHING NEAR ME THAT I UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW?
I NEEDED SOMEONE NEAR ME THAT I FELT GROUNDING RIGHT THEN. AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE TRUTH OF IT, IS LIKE, YOU ARE THE PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE -- FACE OF THE EARTH THAT I COULD CALL ON AT THAT MOMENT AND I NEEDED IT.
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These are some of the moments from the zoom. It was quite emotional as you can tell from the little bit of transcript I'm posting. You can tell how close these two are and how much they have been there for each other over the years, how well they know each other. They have one of those rare life long friendships.
I do wanna say this and I'm not saying it to be rude or anything but I remember there was a cameo that Misha did and he said he was helping a friend with a sick child and the person who bought the cameo got mad cuz their question wasn't answered and they said cruel things about Misha. Well, shame on you.
We may not have had this information at the time but you never assume when someone mentions a sick kid and don't mention how bad it is, it could be nothing or it could be something major like with Darius' kid. Misha could have not done the cameo at all but he did when he had his best friend and his best friends kid on his mind and was worried about. Shame on anyone who said mean things from that cameo. Misha always does the best he can for all of us.
Anyway, I hope we get to see more from these two in the future. They are both amazingly talented individuals.
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ohheyitsokay · 3 years
Text
to date a single father (1/2)
Pairing: Francisco Morales (Frankie) x (f) reader 
Warnings: mentions of trauma, drugs, and violence. a little angst? mostly fluff
Wordcount: 2.8k (I haven’t even gotten to the scene that inspired this thought process, guys...)
Part 2/2!
Summary: Frankie has a little girl in kindergarten and you’re the prettiest school teacher he’s ever seen. Being a single dad makes navigating relationships hard, that’s all.
Notes: I don’t really want kids but his baby is a part of his character so I thought it would be interesting to explore. I didn’t know how to put this in the warnings but obviously this topic can be a loaded one for some people, please be kind to yourself. 
>>
You first met Frankie outside the elementary school where you worked. You taught older kids, and they got let out a few minutes earlier to get their little siblings and to spread out traffic.
Most parents were in their minivan’s, on their phones, honking, or chatting through open windows. The sun was shining, sinking into your skin, and the kids were trickling out of the school.
He caught your eye, because he was standing nearby, hovering nervously, looking a touch lost. And maybe in small part because his hair was curling out from under his hat in soft tufts and his eyes were warm and bright.
“Can I help you, sir?” You asked cautiously, eyes still dutifully scanning the pick up area, making sure the students were safe.
He looked startled, then sheepish.
“My daughter’s in kindergarten,” he said, taking off his baseball cap to rake his hair to the side before replacing it. “It’s her first day.”
Ah. That explains his mother hen mannerisms.
“She'll be out in just a moment,” you said smiling at him. You explained the staggered release and noted how the crease between his brows smoothed a little bit.
You got to see parents with their kids often, and you were no stranger to the occasional handsome dad, but when his little girl came running towards him, nothing could have prepared you. His face lit up and she jumped straight into his arms yelling happily. As he spun her around for some wild reason your heart threatened to hammer right out of your chest.
He put her down and she chattered about her first day. As they walked away, he waved at you, and you smiled weakly before tearing your eyes away.
The kindergarten teacher appeared at your side. Her arm casually shot out, causing a running kid to almost crash into it, but effectively stopping him from sprinting somewhere more dangerous. She gave him a look before turning to grin at you.
“What?” you asked, trying to play off your odd behavior the best you could. You definitely weren’t staring at the most handsome dad you’d ever seen being adorable with his daughter. And by no means had you been neglecting your supervising duties to do so. She raised an eyebrow and against your will, your face was flushed.
“I’ve never seen you like this!” she said gleefully, laughing at you.
“There’s nothing to see!” you flapped your hand at her, knowing you were lying through your teeth.
“Isn’t there?” she knew you a little better than would be best in this circumstance. “Hon, I’ve worked with you five years and I haven’t seen a single person - real or from your stories – make you so flustered.”
You shook your head and started to walk back towards the school, calling behind you, “I wasn’t!”
“Would it help to know he’s single?” she chirped after you.
And you hated yourself because you stopped dead, heart pounding, before you walked away just about as quickly as you could.
That night, Frankie hated himself a little bit too, because he couldn’t get the pretty school teacher out of his head.
-
Over the first few weeks of the fall semester, this because normal for the two of you. Frankie kept coming early, and so when your let your class out, you would go stand and talk to him, both falling in love a little bit, and you would then get teased mercilessly by the other teachers. He would go home and day dream about seeing you outside of school, holding your hand, meeting your eyes and not having to look away.
He told the boys about you and accepted their bad advice and excited teasing with stride. You also gave up trying to deny it from your closest friends and they had the best time playing matchmaker for you, even if it was horribly embarrassing.
Every couple of days, your friend would keep his daughter inside extra long to help clean up or something, so you’d have more time to talk. On top of that, the older teachers made of habit of floating by and announcing how pretty you looked or how talented you were, and mentioning you were single with broad winks.
“Our sweet girl is just such a good teacher!” one man said. “I’d love it if she would marry my son one day. If she runs a household like her classroom, I could die happy!”
You felt like you could melt into the concrete. Frankie was grinning, his eyes alight with laughter as they met yours. He tried to ignore the feelings bubbling inside of him at the thought.
The next day, an older woman was apparently feeling protective over you, approaching Frankie and him a hard stare down. He fidgeted, shooting you a panicked look before she began asking him questions rapid fire.
When she was satisfied and moved on you finally turned to him saying, “I’m so sorry about this, Mr. Morales,” and he shrugged.
“I don’t mind,” he turned away from you, eyes searching for his daughter, and you almost didn’t hear him add, “It’s worth it.”
Silently you agreed, but before you could say anything, you saw his little one incoming. Instead of her dotting father, she hugged your legs, catching you entirely off guard. Frankie made a choking sound, his heart having leapt into his throat at the sight of you with his kid. The sky was cloudy that day – but he was feeling warm inside.
You talked to her for a bit before she moved on to him and they walked off waving, leaving you standing there in confusion.
Her teacher, on cue, slid up to your side.
“She’s been talking about you in class recently.”
“What? Why?” you were panicking. Never in your life did you picture yourself hoping a tiny little girl liked you, but here you were.
Her smile was soft as she said, “She thinks you’re nice and likes very much that her daddy has a girlfriend that is pretty because she thinks that means she’s going to become a princess.”
This was overwhelming. “I’m not his girlfriend!” you wailed, “I don’t even know what I’m doing!”
She hugged you tight, and whispered that you would figure it out. She promised you were doing just fine, and despite your anxiety, you half believed her.
-
Weeks later, you still weren’t his girlfriend, but you and him were just about the only people who didn’t think so. You let out class as early as you could most days, and he was always there to greet you as soon as you stepped outside. Sometimes he would have an “extra" drink for you from a nearby coffee shop, and he always got your order right. (He did remember his daughter’s teacher's, and well as hot chocolate for the little matchmaker.) Once, it was raining and the two of your shared an umbrella.
Now, your school was getting a new vice principal, and there was a social evening planned for parents and students to come and meet him. You were jittery with nerves, the thought of seeing Frankie in a new setting putting you on edge. You’d even put on a prettier than average outfit as if it were a date, and your coworkers were beyond excited.
Streamers were hung, pitchers were filled with lemonade, and you settled in a seat along the edge, hoping beyond hope that Frankie would find you and everyone else would leave you alone.
You had no such luck. After the new vice principal had been introduced to the staff, he made his rounds, greeting everyone personally before stopping on you. You made polite small talk, but he didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in moving on, settling next to you.
He began leaning close, mentioning how many good things he’d heard about you and you realized he was flirting with you. There was a sinking feeling in your stomach. He wasn’t a bad guy, and maybe a few months ago you wouldn’t have minded so much, but now you just felt weird and uncomfortable. Politeness and politics were part of the job, but you scooted your chair away from his, unable to stop yourself.
When Frankie walked in with the other parents and students, his daughter pointed excitedly at you, tugging his hand. His eyes found you, but jealousy reared inside of him, along with a touch of hurt. There was a new man by your side, and he wasn’t being shy about his interest in you. Frankie didn’t know what do so he pulled his little one in the opposite direction, saying, “Snacks first, yeah?” knowing it would buy him some time.
He watched you out of the corner of his eye, thankful when other teachers seemed to approach the two of you to pull the man’s attention away. There was another roar of jealousy, though, as the man tapped the microphone and introduced himself. Looking at him on the small stage, in a suit and tie, Frankie felt scruffy.
He couldn’t be bothered to listen to him, his mind running. Would you prefer a guy like this? Successful and suave? Baggage free?
He followed his daughter, her attention short, as she ran to play with her friends. He hovered close to keep an eye on them, unable to shake the habit. Some other parents were talking to him, and he tried his best to be polite but he couldn’t keep his eyes away from the man, who was making his way back towards you.
It didn’t take long, however, for Frankie to see how uncomfortable you were, and a small, warm feeling bloomed in his chest in place of the jealousy. He kept the little one in his line of sight as he moved carefully through the crowds and behind the man. He caught your eye, and the warm feeling grew when your eyes widened and you visibly relaxed. Spurred on, he made a little symbol with his fingers over his chest - something Santi often did jokingly. It was an “S" shape, similar to the one Superman wore.
Do you need saving? he mouthed and you grinned, nodding slighting, so as not to betray him to your captor.
He didn’t need to hear more, butting into the conversation politely, but with determination. When the vice principal protested, Frankie confidently wrapped an arm around your shoulders and leveled his eyes at the other man. For all he was a sweetheart in a baseball cap, Francisco Morales could still gaze with the same intensity he had in the military.
The rest of your rescue went smoothly. He guided you back towards where the younger students were playing, and you were still grinning at him.
“Thanks you, Mr. Morales,” your heart was happy, you felt like you were flying. “You really are m- a hero.”
In that moment, Frankie knew he was a goner. To be your hero, and his daughter’s? That was maybe all he ever wanted.
“How can I repay you?” you asked, earnestly, the request and it’s potential making him weak in the knees.
He squeezed you gently.
“How about you call me Frankie?” he said, before taking a shaky breath. “And maybe consider going out to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
You froze, your heart beat filling your whole body. He went to pull his arm away, but your hand caught his on your shoulder, keeping it around you.
“I’d love to, Frankie,” you managed.
Frankie found himself in a similar state of speechlessness, happiness flowing off of him, unable to make his mouth stop smiling. He settled for squeezing you again, both of you glowing and too overwhelmed to notice the high fives and quiet cheers from the staff around you.
-
The next 24 hours, Frankie was a bundle of nerves and excitement. He had spent weeks adoring you, seeing how wonderful you were, sharing as much of himself as he could. Now that he finally had the opportunity to take you on a date, he was terrified of blowing it. Calling Santi was almost a waste of time, the other man was too excited and gave him advice that required flirting skills he knew he didn’t have. He wanted to put his best foot forward, after all. He even left his hat home, cursing himself because the little pink brush he tried to use only made his curls fluffier.
But when he picked you up, time slowed down.
The two of you climbing into his truck, making small talk before you said, “I’m sorry you had to get a sitter for tonight, by the way.”
And he was forced to pause, looking at you. Beautiful, in the passenger seat, somehow thinking of him and his life. His mind was running as fast as his heart, and he didn’t have the slightest clue what to do.
“Frankie? Is everything okay?” his eyes met yours, and they were so earnest you knew to wait.
Gently, you put your hand on the middle console, palm up, offering. His hand fit into yours immediately, clinging to it like a lifeline.
“I… I gotta be honest with you,” he said, in a way that made you sure each word was thought out. “I think you’re really something special. But… I’m really afraid of this. I’m afraid of how much I like you. I had this whole dinner planned … but I can’t. I have all this baggage and I like you too much. I’m not trying to scare you off but … but I guess now is better than later?” his mind vaguely realized he self sabotaged, but it was all true. He was in too deep.
You took a breath, waiting a moment to make sure it was your turn. You felt the cool upholstery, the evening sun, and a tremble in his hand.
“Frankie… I can’t promise you I’ll want to stay, once I know it. But I really like you too,” his eyes met yours and you ran your thumb over his knuckles. “Please, just give it chance? Give me a chance to make that choice? I promise I’m in this just as deep as you are and I’m not perfect either but maybe we can get burgers, and just… just talk? Figure it out together, now?”
He would have squeezed your hand but he realized he was already gripping it too tightly. You knew he agreed though, because his eyes told you, and the two of you drove off.
You ordered bunches of extra fries along with your meals, and he parked a bit outside of town, where the two of you could see the sun beginning to set.
And he told you all of it as the two of you ate. The breeze was warm, running its fingers through the fields as he talked. He hadn’t expected his secrets to pour out of him but once he started, it felt as though a dam had broken.
He told you about his missions, the Delta Force, his friends. The drugs, the rehab, the back slides. The other woman, his baby, the heart break. Even the trauma, the therapy, and being a single dad.
You listened and in turn, told him about your life. Your hardships, your secrets, as forthcoming and he was. You were honest about how scared you were at the prospect of becoming a mother figure for his daughter. About how unprepared you felt for those hurdles. And when you were done, the two of you sat in silence, looking at the rising stars. Eventually, you spoke again.
“Francisco Morales, I still really like you,” you smiled at him, shrugging a bit. “If you’re okay with it, I’d really like to try this thing, with you.”
There was nothing more wonderful than the hope in his eyes at that moment.
“Yes, please,” his voice was a bit raspy. He took a couple of slow breaths. “I have to get home soon but can I be honest with you for just a little bit longer?”
“Of course,” you said, confused.
He hopped out of the truck, jogging over to your side and helping you step down. The door closed behind you but he moved closer instead of backing up.
“I had all these plans to take this slow, do everything right,” his voice was soft, and he was gently pushing into your space, allowing you to stop him at any time. “You deserved it, and I wanted to show you I could do it. But,” his hands found your body, one of them tugging your hips into his and the other settling on the back of your neck, half in your hair. “But I’d really like to skip some steps,” his forehead was on yours, gaze steady, his voice deep and warm.
“Can we skip to the part where I can kiss you? The part where I can tell you how much you mean to me, and hold you?”
You aren’t sure if you managed to say yes before his mouth was pressing against yours, kissing you for all he was worth.
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