#and couple times of people randomly screaming then looking around with a shit-eating grin

[nico-the-overlord]

I need people to understand that they aren’t funny for making random noises in public just to intentionally annoy or scare people.

[jxmieoleksiaks]

Paradise -> Mat Barzal

This is for @antoineroussel​ ‘s summer fic exchange! I had the lovely, and awesome @texanstarslove   I was so excited when I found out I had you, but wanted to wait until the season ended, though I know just like me, you didn’t need a repeat of last year. I think your writing is amazing, and I’ll never forget you randomly boosted me, and I’ve gained a lot of followers since then. I really hope you enjoy. I’m also so sorry this took so long 💚

Word Count: 2,390 Smut: Mentions Language: Yes

It was like deja vu. The team had lost again, to the same team, in the same round, for the second year in a row. This time though, it stung a little more, as their were fans, and they were in Tampa. It didn’t help the players were making fun of the guys getting a little emotional. You were too, and not only because you were heartbroken about the loss, it was your boyfriend Mat. He worked his butt off all season, and off season to stay in shape, and be best for his team. You knew he would get emotional, and he did, the first night after the loss, being the toughest. He was proud of him and his teammates, and vowed to make sure this didn’t happen again.

Mat was one of the toughest guys you knew. From the random night you met him at the bar, to when he had the two black eyes in last years playoffs, literally nothing stopped him. The idea of love never existed in your mind. Seeing your parents loveless marriage and hoping one day they would divorce and you could live with your mother, made you think that actual love never existed. But with Mat it was easy, you two could have nights out, and nights in and have the same amount of fun, you could see a future with him, but you were not in any rush for major things to happen.

It was now July, and you two had decided to take a vacation, a much needed one in fact. With last years bubble, and this years crazy season, he needed a vacation just as much as you did, someone who worked 40 hours a week, and also had to log in some on the weekend.

“Okay, where should we go?” You asked Mat, who was reclined at the end of the couch, while your legs were across his waist, laying on the couch, with your laptop sitting on you with vacation websites on.

“Somewhere warm?” He questioned, as he was watching the NBA finals.

‘That narrows it down a bit.” You laughed.

“You know what I mean!” He laughed back. “No where that’s like, not beach like, does that help?” He asked, taking a drink of the beer he was drinking.

“Yes, thanks.” You shook your head and started to google places you two could go.

As much as you loved Disney, and wanted to go there, you two needed some private time, and that was not the place for it. You looked a couple more places, and gasped at the website you were on.

“Look at this!” You exclaimed and sat up.

He looked to his left and noticed a vacation website for a resort in the Maldives. There were resorts. and private villa’s, and as you saw on your many hours of Tik Tok scrolling, it was pretty affordable.

“Oh that looks really cool.” He nodded, grabbing the MacBook from you to look around.

“It’s perfect, I heard it’s pretty adorable too.”

“Babe, that shouldn’t be the deciding factor, I can afford to take you to somewhere you really wanna go.” He said seriously. You did appreciate that about him, but in the back of your mind, you didn’t want people to think you were using him for his money, which was not the case whatsoever. You loved him for him, and you were just someone who worked and cheered on your boyfriend.

“Yeah, but I wanna go here!” You smiled. “Let me and a cool resort, and then we can think about booking it.” You smiled as you got off the couch quickly to grab a glass of wine, loving the fact you were about to book a romantic and fun vacation.

The trip was booked about three hours later, and in two weeks you would be heading to an island paradise. You never flew across the ocean before, so that part. made you nervous, but you couldn’t be more excited to finally get some peace and quiet with Mat.

You and Mat were now sitting at the gate in JFK, getting ready to catch the first flight, which landed in Dubai. You had an iced latte in your hand, which made the nerves you were having a little bit worse. Along with never flying across the ocean, you’ve never had a 19 hour flight before, and that was nerve-racking to you.

“Babe, are you okay?” He asked you, sounding concerned.

“Yeah, I think it’s the flight that makes me nervous.” You said, before taking a sip of the coffee.

“It’s gonna be alright, I promise, plus we have first class, and that should make things a little more comfortable. If you feel uneasy, just lean on me.” He placed a kiss on the top of your head, making your mind ease, and heart feel warm with love.

Movies, laughs, and naps made the flight, and it’s connecting in Dubai, made it so much easier to do, and now you two were on a boat with other couples, and three families to make their way to the resort. When the two of you checked in, and headed to your bungalow, you felt like you could cry. The water was a type of blue you had only seen in movies. The sky, was something out of a book, that you could imagine with your eyes closed. It was perfect.

“Holy shit, you gotta see this patio!” Mat said as he was walking around the place you were staying the next week. You walked outside and saw a private deck, with some chairs, but also a swing. You just imagined watching the sunset with the both of you on the swing.

“I don’t know how I was able to find this place and pull it off so easy. This is a literal Oasis.” You said, your eyes almost bulging out of your head with how beautiful it was.

“Ah, well, the view is almost as beautiful as you.” He grinned.

“Mat, nothing is as beautiful as this view, shh.” You laughed and rolled your eyes, but you knew he meant those words.

You never purposely pushed his complements down, it’s just who you were.  You never really got complements before meeting him, so it was kind of..a reaction.  The first time he compared you to the beautiful full moon, one April night, you almost cried with laughter. You thought he was quoting a movie or something, but you could tell he really meant it. He knows that you’re going to shove them off, knowing that something that happens in nature, and in space is something amazing, but he really thought you hung the moon.

There was a little cafe in the main part of the resort, away from all the bungalows. You could get your morning cup of coffee, while eating breakfast and looking out at the views, and people watch too. It was the middle day of your trip, and you were already dreading of leaving, but didn’t want to think about that just yet. You two were going to do your own things today, he wanted to golf, and you wanted to check out the resort spa. You had gotten up before he did, and went over to the cafe, leaving him a note, since he didn’t wake up for anything, and kisses his forehead.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Mat questioned, as he sat down with a cup of coffee, already dressed for a day out on the green.

“I tried…You don’t wake up for shit!” You laughed. “If we were home, and the dog went missing, I would scream, you would snore.” A giggle left your mouth as he rolled his eyes, he knew it was true, and so did you.

“When we finish up, we can change and go out to the bar, that’s over the water.” He said, taking a sip of coffee.  

Your heart about fluttered, the views from the bar looked amazing, the bar after dark, over the ocean, thought you could do that in your bungalow, something about drinks around other people, and being so close to Mat, excited you to no end.

You and Mat planned on going to the bar when he cleaned up from his day of golf, but a nap called the both of you, and you two didn’t get there until after the sunset. You were a little bummed, until you saw the bar, and it’s area surrounded in hanging lights,

“Wow.” You sighed, after the waiter took the drink orders. “How does this place keep getting better…” You said, unable to believe you were here.

“I hope these drinks are good.” He chuckled, throwing your own feelings back to you.

“Oh, so now I get the shoved response?” You playfully rolled your eyes, before looking at the ocean in front of you.

The tequila sunrises and Screw Drivers the two of you were drinking, were really making you two feel really good.  You don’t remember when you decided to sit on Mat’s lap, but he was pretty comfortable, and was keeping a good grip on you.

“You know, you could stick your hand up my dress and no one would know.” You giggled, before taking the last sip of your tequila sunrise.

“There’s no one around?” He looked around.

“I..don’t think so, it’s dark, there could be people around us, but that’s more fun.” The alcohol was running through you,

“As much as I love that idea, and how I would love for you to just ride me, I think it would be better to do this in the room, no?” He asked, his lips against your neck.

You never had the idea of something pubic, but he was right, your private space was made for the adventures you two had in bed, and though you two were having a lot of fun doing that already, you always had time for more, and agreed.

“Let’s go back.” You whispered before you hopped off his lap.

He paid the bill and left a decent tip for the waiter, he did hear the both of you slightly slur and probably thought you two were up to something when you hopped on his lap. You grabbed Mat’s hand and headed back to the bungalow.

You were first into where you were staying, and he quickly picked you up after you set your bag down on the table. You giggled as he placed you on the bed and hovered over you.

“I don’t know how you do it, you just look so damn beautiful.” He whispered before he quickly pressed his lips onto yours. You wrapped your arms around him as he kissed you deeply, you two may have been a little tipsy, but you could feel the love in every kiss, and every movement after.

You two probably would have woke neighbors if you had any. The way Mat made you feel was something no on else had been able to do. With the couple of years you two had been together, he knew where to touch you, how to do it, and what to do, to make you come undone in a matter of moments. A lot of people would say men don’t care that their woman didn’t cum, but he did, and he made sure you did every time.

You let out a load moan, and released as Mat groaned. After a moment of staying connected, he pulled out, and after you ran to the bathroom, you two were now laying in bed, bare and the moon shining into your room.

“This trip has been perfect so far.” You sighed quietly, as you set your head on his chest.

“You did good babe, I have to admit it.” He chuckled as he played with your hair.

“Is it bad I had no idea where this place was until I had to google it?” You asked, not being the best with geography, but honestly not knowing where it was.

“You really think I knew where this place is, babe….” He said, knowing he wasn’t that great with geography either.

“Fuck what happens if we get on the wrong flight or something?!” You asked.

“Siri will help us, because we can’t help our way around a map. I’m not the leader in any of these hockey trips for a reason.” He shook his head, and you covered your face trying not to laugh so hard.

“Listen, I know the last couple of seasons didn’t go as planned, but I don’t know if I could be more proud of you, you just…work so hard, and I see it, and I hope others do too. If you go to the Olympics, and they let family in, I’m screaming my ass off for team Canada.” You said, meaning every single word.

“I like heading that from the guys, but babe, you know it means so much coming from you.” He said. “And trust me, if I even make the Olympic team, I’d love to have you there. You’d be screaming the loudest, and probably freak out some of the others, and I want nothing more than that.” He started to laugh more.

Even with your normal type job, you wanted to be there for him as much as you could. You had even worked remotely to support him in the playoffs, and knowing he would do the same for you if he had the chance meant so much. You knew he was the one, even though you two were a little busy to think about the M word, you knew, when you both were ready, you would be the one, that he would ask, you, and you would say yes.

“Babe?” He asked you.

“What’s up?” You were a little nervous, he sounded a little unsure of himself.

“You’re gonna plan our next vacation when we get back, right? You’ve done great with this one, and now I need you to plan everything.”

You hid your face in his chest, and started laughing again.

“I love you.” You told him.

“I love you too babe, he kissed the top of your head, something you always wanted him to do, and it brought you comfort, the feeling that you had right at this moment.

[levis-hazelnut]

Summary: when you and your best friend, Hanji, were younger, you had made up stories about your dream guys - what they would look like and how you would meet. What happens when the one you had made up appears to be real?

Warning(s): suggestions of sex. please do tell me if there are anymore.

Taglist (closed): @castellandiangelo @fandom-addict19​ @20coldhearts​

Status: completed

part 10 > part 11 > part 12 (final)

series masterlist

(a/n: sorry this is me just being thirsty for levi, it’s completely self indulgent and barely has a plot)

I think what I’m about to tell you right now is probably one of the biggest surprises.

So, you know how both of my relationships never lasted longer than five months? Well, my relationship with Levi has been going on for eleven months now. Almost a whole year. Which means I’ve been living in heaven for the past eleven months.

This man is just amazing in every way possible (but please don’t tell him I said this because he’s going to piss me off). He can pretend that he doesn’t care about anything all he wants because I know how much of a sweetheart he actually is, and I hate him for making me fall even more in love with him.

And another reason why I hate him is because--

That god awful sound of my ringtone screamed into my ear and I knew who it was, seeing as how there was only one person who would call me at eight a.m. on a Saturday.

With a few grumbled curses, I blindly reached for my phone and answered it, “What?”

“Good morning to you, too, darlin’.”

“For god’s sake, just tell me what you want. I’m trying to sleep.”

“I’d like for you to get your ass out of bed since our exam starts in less than twenty minutes.”

... Wasn’t it the weekend?

“... Excuse me? Exam? Since when?”

“Look at your calendar, please, you idiot.”

“I may or may not have put it into my calendar because I relied on you,” I muttered, jumping out of bed and scrambling to find some clothes before quickly brushing my teeth and trying to fix my bed head.

“Also, stop by at the café before you come. I want tea.”

“Are you fucking dumb? I’m not stopping to get you tea when I’ll already be late.”

“It’s on the way. It’ll only add a couple of minutes to your journey.”

“If I’m late, I swear I’m going to--”

“It won’t be my fault if you’re late. Thank you for getting me tea. Love you. Bye.”

He cut the phone before I could even reply and I rolled my eyes, slamming the apartment door behind me as I rushed down the stairs and made my way to the café to get Levi his precious tea since I’m such a loving girlfriend.

With a shrill ring of the bell above the door, my arrival was announced as I looked to the counter to see Eren talking to Levi, with a cup of tea in his hands.

I frowned, marching towards them to slap the back of the raven’s head.

“What the hell?” he spat, flicking my forehead in retaliation.

“What happened to getting you tea, so I can be late to the exam?”

“There is no exam, darlin’.”

“What do you mean? Why did you tell me that there was an exam? Why would you make me lose precious hours of sleep?”

“Seeing as how you don’t remember, I’ll remind you. Last night you asked me to help you study. For the exams. But I didn’t think you’d get out of bed for our study session.”

“Stop knowing me so well and let me sleep. Now, you have to buy me a cof--” I cut myself off when he presented a hot cup to me and the aroma of coffee wafted around my nose, calming me down after I took a sip. “Thank you, babe.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied before turning to the male with turquoise orbs. “Thanks for the drinks.”

“No problem. I also cleared a table in the corner for you guys, so that you wouldn’t get too distracted.”

“Aw, thank you, Eren,” I grinned. “Come on, let’s get this shit over with,” I huffed, dragging the raven towards the table, where we both sat down, and he took things out of his bag before tucking it under the table.

“What do you want to focus on?” he asked, and then glancing at me when I didn’t respond because I was too busy focusing on the black t-shirt he was wearing. Perfectly fitted around his arms, tight around his torso and pecs, exposing the ripples that I love to run my fingers over. And he was wearing a couple of silver rings on his hands, and I didn’t think he’d be able to look more attractive.

“... You,” I replied to his question with a smirk, causing him to roll his eyes.

“I will walk out of this café if you don’t stop staring at me like a freaking weirdo and if you don’t pay attention to what I’m saying.”

“But I’m tired,” I whined, facepalming the table.

“That’s not my fault.”

“I will fucking kill you, Levi. You were the one that decided to call me for five hours last night. And the one who thought it’d be a wonderful idea to wake me up at eight in the morning.”

“... Fine. We don’t have to start straight away,” he told me, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, causing his biceps to bulge even more.

“Don’t sit like that.”

“Why?” he questioned, raising a single brow.

“Because I’m sure you don’t want to get fucked in a café.”

“Why are you always so horny, you freak?”

“You’re asking me that question while looking like that?” I scoffed with the roll of my eyes. “The audacity.”

“Just drink your coffee before it gets cold.”

“I will. By the way, do we have to stay in here? Can we go to the library or somewhere quieter?”

“Why? So you can fuck me?”

“No, you idiot. I just won’t be able to concentrate with all these people.”

“But you’ll get too sleepy if it’s quiet.”

“True,” I mumbled. “Okay, then. Just give me like half an hour and I should be ready to study.”

“What am I going to do for thirty minutes?”

“Maybe talk to your girlfriend, smartass,” I retorted, laying my head on the table again, squishing my cheek against it. There was no response, so the only sounds were the chatter of customers, glass clinking, and air conditioning because of the sweltering weather. I glanced at my boyfriend, wondering why he was silent, only to find that he was gazing at me. “You okay?”

“Mhm,” was his reply, which was unusual, before he took a sip of his tea.

“What are you thinking about?”

“About how we ended up here. Together. In a relationship.”

A tender smile conquered my lips as I reached my hand out for his, interlocking our fingers. “Thank you, Levi. For loving me like no one else did. And no matter how much you get on my nerves, I’m always going to appreciate you being here for me.”

“I’m not good with this shit, so yeah, same thing goes to you,” he said awkwardly, causing me to laugh.

“Can’t believe it’s going to be our one-year anniversary in about two weeks.”

“Going to be a year since I entered hell.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, kicking his shin, despite knowing he was joking.

“... You know what, let’s just go,” the raven-haired male randomly stated, standing up and gently tugging on my hand as our fingers were still intertwined. To my one-word question of: “Where?” he replied, “I don’t know, but I don’t feel like it’s day that we should study. We have plenty of time for that, so let’s do something.”

My hues shone brightly as I grinned and gladly accepted his offer, getting out of my seat and grabbing my coffee as he packed his things away prior to leading me out of the stuffy building, bidding farewell to Eren.

“Let’s go to your place. We’ll make breakfast, have it on the balcony, and do whatever after.”

“'Kay, then. But can we slip in a nap after breakfast because I’m still tired?” I requested.

“Of course.”

So, we made way to mine and Hanji’s apartment, relieved that I didn’t have to study all day today and could simply relax with the raven. That fact made me smile a little as I unlocked the door to the apartment, stepping inside and kicking my shoes off as Levi did the same, following you to your bedroom.

“Ten minutes, please. Then, we begin our date,” I sighed, plopping down onto my bed and he made himself comfortable, shifting my head onto his lap. Then, his slender digits began to soothingly drift through my tresses that were completely tangled, so he had gently unknotted my hair to make it easier to run his fingers through it.

“Remind me to never wake you up this early on a weekend again.”

“I always tell you, asshole. And you never listen to me.”

“Well, I’ve finally learnt my lesson. So, hush.”

After my ten-minute rest, I went to splash my face with water to wake me up a little, while Levi was in the kitchen, preparing everything for breakfast, seeing as how the only thing he ate for breakfast was tea and toast, and I only had coffee.

“Hey, darlin’, what do you want to eat?”

“Mmm, maybe crepes... Let me help.”

So, in the next forty minutes, I ended up with flour on my face and clothes, while that idiot was just smirking at me, and I had slipped because there was water on the floor. And all of it was amusing to my boyfriend, who seemed to be in a great mood since he kept chuckling (not that I was complaining because it was a beautiful sound). The annoying thing, though, was that I was too irritated to mock him wearing my floral apron that made him lose his debonair flair.

“You’re an idiot with her own comedy show,” he teased.

“I don’t know if that is a compliment or not.”

“It isn’t. I’m calling you an idiot.”

“Shut up. You’re the reason I’m covered in flour.”

“Just go sit down and eat. I’ll clean everything up.”

“You better, you clean-freak,” I mumbled, doing as he said, taking a seat at the table on the balcony as he placed down the plates and mugs before sitting opposite me. The sun grinned down on him, giving him an ethereal appearance and making him even more gorgeous. 

There was idle chatter as we ate because I was too exhausted and agitated to carry a proper conversation that had too much information for my brain to register.

Once we were done, the raven stood up to take the dishes to the kitchen and wash them (husband material right there) as Hanji approached me with a yawn, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes.

“How come you’re awake so e-- Oh,” she said when she noticed Levi.

“Yeah, he made me get out of bed early for no reason,” I complained as I stood up to help him. “There’s leftover batter for crepes, by the way.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks. Also, why is there flour everywhere?”

“Because of that idiot.” I rolled my eyes.

“You’re the idiot, darlin’,” he called from the kitchen before appearing before us, shooting an annoying and teasing look my way, and shot him a glare in return.

 From someone else’s perspective that don’t know us, we’d probably look like we hate each other, when in reality, this was basically our love language - annoying each other and glaring.

“I will punch you, Ackerman. However, I need to clean up, so you’re lucky.”

“Not like you would’ve, anyway. And before you say anything else, just go shower.”

Once again, I rolled my eyes but left the room to do as he said, grabbing some clothes and a towel before going into the bathroom. Just as I was about to close the door, however, it opened slightly and Levi stepped inside, shutting and locking the door.

“What are you doing?” I inquired.

“I said I’ll clean everything up, didn’t I? That includes you,” he whispered with a smirk, leaning in to latch his lips onto mine, tugging at the hem of my shirt.

~/~

Soft kisses were pressed along my hairline and my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, down to my jaw and further down to my shoulders. Lips continued to migrate, travelling to my neck where there were soft nibbles and flicks of a tongue against the flesh of my neck.

My fingers were tangled in ebony locks, damp and fragrant from our recent shower, and my nails gently scratched against Levi’s scalp as I drifted my hand through his hair. His touches were light and almost careful, like he didn’t want to hurt me, even though his teeth contrasted that when he sunk his teeth into my skin a couple of times before kissing the spot he bit as a wordless apology.

We were simply lying down in my bed, relaxing in a comfortable silence. I laid on my back with my eyes lidded, while Levi laid on his side, resting his head on my chest as he continued to pepper my skin in soft kisses and gentle nips.

These would always be my favourite moments. Just moments filled with adoration, silent declarations of love, and serenity. No teasing, annoying, or glaring. No retorts, no eye rolling, no grumbles. Only warmth, tenderness, affection.

“Darlin’?” he uttered in a hushed voice, but when I didn’t respond, he lifted his head to gaze at me, finding that I had fallen asleep. His ashen hues were full of fondness, admiring my relaxed visage before he pecked my lips and assumed his original position - his head on my chest and an arm slung over my torso.

While I was asleep, he was on his phone, scrolling through social media, occasionally sighing because he was bored. But he wouldn’t wake me up because I deserved to sleep.

It wasn’t until about twelve o’clock when I woke up with Levi’s head still laying on my chest, however, his grey orbs were hidden. So, with little movement, I attempted to reach for my phone, only to find that his fingers were entangled with mine, which made me smile softly because I hadn’t been holding his hand before I fell asleep.

And when I pressed my lips against his knuckles, his eyes fluttered open to meet mine, and there was a smile shimmering in his beautiful eyes.

“Finally awake, sleepyhead,” he hummed placing a single kiss on my jaw.

“Mhm. Did you miss me?” I murmured, unhinging my jaw and letting out a yawn.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, putting up an act to support his lie. “No.”

I giggled softly, kissing his forehead. “Whatever you say, babe. Anyway, what are we doing for the rest of the day?”

“I was thinking something outside because the weather’s nice.”

“Oh, I know! There’s a funfair at the park just ten minutes away. Let’s go there.”

“Sure. We’ll leave in about an hour?” he suggested, and I hummed in agreement, tugging my boyfriend closer so I could nuzzle my face into his chest before we got out of bed. “Then, we can come back later and make dinner together.”

“That sounds nice,” I said in a hushed voice, feeling sleep taking over me once again. However, Levi attempted to save me before I completely gave in.

“Don’t fall asleep.”

“Shhh.”

For the umpteenth time that day, the raven rolled his eyes but he couldn’t help the smile that edged onto his lips every time.

He doesn’t know what it was. But every time I would do or say something, even if it was the most stupid and idiotic thing he’s seen, he feels something warm flutter inside. And he realises how much he’s fallen for me, which has changed him. In a good way.

And all this time I thought I was a bad influence.

[helloliriels]

Prompt #2: Allergies

February 2021 Johnlock prompt challenge, hosted by @ohlooktheresabee. Daily entry by 🐝 @helloliriels🐝 *** 🐝🐝🐝 Gonna have to cheat on this one, down sick, but since bees & allergies go together, here it is. Enjoy! 🐝🐝🐝 ***

Do Bees Kiss? or just Sting? 

Q: Do bees "kiss"?

             Why do bees "kiss"?  I went to Wikipedia.

A: When bees "kiss" they are actually passing nectar to other bees.

*******************************************

Sherlock kisses John.

It was early morning. And John was getting ready for work.

Sherlock bloody Holmes of course, pays no attention to people's privacy or morning routines, and can't be bothered to explain why he's standing in John's way as he makes his toast and goes about his business...  but there he is. Every place John needs to be. Waiting for something.

John is just about done and ready to head out the door - No thanks to Sherlock for making him late again - when he gets the shock of his life.

Sherlock kisses him.

A small peck on the lips. Almost chaste. Like those kisses you give to your crush in kindergarten. Or to your mum. When she insists.

John thinks it's an experiment. He knows it is. 

It must be. 

He gives Sherlock a 'you done now?' look, then goes around him when he gets no reply. 

Sherlock heads off to do his own morning routine. John sighs. Dropping the butter knife in the sink with a loud clank. Exasperated. He doesn't have time for this shit. 

Why do I bloody put up with it? 

He fumbles with his keys and jacket. Noting now that the genius has decided to get OUT of his GOD damn way of course, he is twice as late!!

He heads out the door in a rush. Slamming it, just a little in revenge on the way out.

***

Talking to Greg later that evening - around the corner from a crime scene where Sherlock is currently arguing with Anderson - he tells him about it off-hand. Confession of a sort. Get it off his mind. Greg will think it's damn funny.  "Pompous git, gave me a kiss earlier..."

"Wha???!!!....," Greg mouths a mock 'O' in awe as he turns to look at John, eyes wide in amazement...  a look that fully says, 'finally! It's going down!'

"I know right?" Playing it up, John laughs it off. Great joke. Were not a couple! He shrugs.

"What else happened?? What did he say?" Greg was dying to know now, taking his hands out and shaking John for more details. The man wanted details?! John could see this was the happiest moment of Papa Lestrade's life. It was almost a bummer to have to disappoint him...

         🐝   ***REST UNDER THE CUT***   🐝

"No, no, nothing like that." John reassured, "God I wish!" (It came out before he had time to stop himself). And Lestrade looked taken aback.

He added a little "Haha," like he had meant it as a joke after all.

He really didn't.

         Sobering thought.

Thinking better to explain himself, he added - "Hey, don't tell Sherlock I just said that?... by the way. Bit not good. It was just an experiment after all, I'm sure. You know how he is."

Greg was still just... flabbergasted. A balloon deflating. Open mouthed staring at John. No words.

John's half sad-smile said more than he probably intended. Shouldn't have mentioned it after all, he thought. "Well!" He added cheerfully, slapping Greg on the shoulder. "Was a fun case tonight. Sherlock will be happy. Solved it in under 5 minutes!" He prepared to leave, and shot off a parting, "See you round." With a half-smile. He bowed his head and walked off to follow Sherlock who was now leaving. John had his hands in his pockets now. Quite unlike him. Shuffling along. 

Greg watched as John kicked some debris in his path in frustration, mindlessly, as they left. He had never seen the man looking so downtrodden...  

At least, not after such a brilliantly resolved case! John was usually on cloud nine after watching the curly haired genius work. It was rather embarrassing really. The puppy eyes that looked up in worship at Sherlock as he dished out deductions, it was almost criminal. But lately he was getting more and more moody... Greg wondered.

And here, with this new evidence, Sherlock had managed to...   He stopped. Shaking his head. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable...

Greg took one last look over his shoulder at their retreating forms, before heading out himself. 

 "Unbelievable."

*** 

The week goes on.                       

Sherlock continues to kiss him, Randomly. Small pecks mostly. But sometimes a smooch. Nothing more. No explanations. Just kisses.

Experiment.

Must be. John kept telling himself.

Experiments require further data. It was the only possible explanation...

Sherlock had never shown any signs of wanting... relationship in his life. Mister 'girlfriends aren't his area' and 'married to his work', and... 'alone protects me'...  had never expressed any interest in any men either (that John knew of?). Hell, he'd even turned down some of the most bloody gorgeous ones they had met so far, both men and women. So John doubted that he was interested in that sort of thing. Some people just aren't.

The only really odd thing about it, is - Sherlock isn't saying anything to address the kisses.... 

It must be like having toes on the kitchen table, to him. John thought. A dummy hanging itself from their rafters. Or penicillin growing in the bread box. I'm just a thing. A dummy for this latest experiment.

At that last thought, a realization dawned on John. A horrifying, terrible realization. How had he not seen it sooner?!

Was Sherlock going to break out some rare dye, or some insane chemical powder he'd concocted - to dust and test John's lips for lip prints left at a crime scene next?? John could just see himself going to work with purple lips and a chemical burn that would take weeks to heal. Perhaps even suffering an allergic reaction...

All because Sherlock did not realize the exotic stuff would not COME OFF!!! and was actually quite dangerous.

He pinches the bridge of his nose at the thought. Exasperated. 

His brain hurts now. 

    This was happening a lot lately. 

The thought of what he was going to be subjected to next....the worry. Was almost worst. Well, it is worse - than the kisses, John thinks.

The kisses. 

Damn. Need to stop thinking about this.

John did his best to push it out of his mind. Not wishing to upset the equilibrium of their friendship. Crazy as it might be right now. At least this is one way, he was getting what he wanted? Or something like it. Gift horse and all. One doesn't ask...

He is tempted to ask however, about how you would go about setting up a mind palace? Just so he could keep the memories locked forever away in there to return to. But that would be more than telling.

So he just closes his eyes most of the time, when he knows it's going to happen; and stores it in the best way he knows how. Memorization. Skills learnt in public school. Repetition. 

Sherlock was certainly giving him that. 

John smiles despite himself. He gives it about a week before the worst will come out.

           He isn't wrong.

***

The height of ridiculousness comes one morning, almost exactly a week later. 

John is there in the kitchen, fork in hand - eating his breakfast, and reading the paper out of the corner of his eye. Completely non-plussed, while Sherlock continues to dive in for a small kiss. Between. Every. Single. Bite. The paper rattles a bit each time. 

John isn't even looking at him anymore.

Or acknowledging that this is happening.

At all.

He's got his back to the cabinets, facing out. And his slippered foot keeps tapping away.

Sherlock, as anyone watching would have seen - was acting as childishly as could be imagined. Not unlike when you see two kids who won't stop hitting one another, while say 'I'm not hitting you". If he hadn't been the recipient of it, John might have thought it was quite funny.

He wasn't sure how long this was going to go on. And clearly had decided to take the saint's role and be above it all; when Sherlock dives in for one more kiss. 

This time, he presses in deep, and opens his mouth a little. Holding it there. Breathing his air. 

  Waiting.

  Watching with a perplexed furrow of his brow,

                  for John's reaction.

Oh god. John thinks. Feeling the warm breath, and the warmer lips pressed up against his own.

What is now a very REAL, albeit awkward, kiss.

Sherlock does not have much experience in this area, after all.

John's breathing stops. He swallows hard. Tries to remember not to drop his fork.

His heart has just jumped out of his chest. And is now screaming at him. Pumping and pulsing like it's running a marathon. And his eyes scan around the room, as if someone might materialize from thin air, who could help, or at least explain all of THIS to him?!!!

     ...WHat the HeLL wAs GoiNg On??!!!

Lips still connected, breath shared, he looks up at Sherlock at last. Unable, really to avoid it at this point. He makes eye contact. 

His eyes full of fear, his eyebrows raised in question.

And showing... Honestly showing something else entirely, he hadn't meant to show at all.

Longing.

He looks like he is about to cry. He is about to cry. This. THIS. Is too much.

Sherlock can't have THIS from him. Not without a relationship. 

He pulls away. And turns his head, his lips out of reach. Closing his eyes. His signal, that he is DONE.

Done with this bloody experiment. Done with his stupid, unfeeling, selfish flatmate. Just done.

***

He feels, more than sees, Sherlock grin his way out of the kiss. Backing off just the slightest bit. But still not going away. 

When he looks back a few moments later, having calmed down his own breathing. And collected his feelings. Sherlock is still standing there. Looking down at him. A wicked grin on his face. At that look, John is stunned. Has this all been a JOKE to the man?!! 

He has only a moment to think before Sherlock's lips are on his again.

John drops everything this time. Throws, more like. Literally - newspaper, plate, fork, all of it - down. And pulls down on Sherlock's neck, forcibly dragging him closer. If Sherlock wants to kiss, then GOD DAMN IT, he is going to get fucking KISSED! And John releases everything that has been pent up inside of him, all week. All month. All of the years he has known and been in love, with Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock was now holding onto him also, arms wrapping around his middle. Keeping him upright, somehow. While John was snogging him senseless.

That should teach him. John thinks as he pulls away. Completely out of breath and panting with the exertion he had just enforced. And glares up at his flatmate. Absolute daggers.

But Sherlock...  is now blushing, and looking pleased as punch. The response John sees, is also the kindest, and gentlest look in his eyes.

More love than he has ever dared to hope for from anyone, let alone, from his companion. More love than John thought the man standing before him, was capable of feeling. 

Contrary to everything Sherlock had tried to tell everyone, loudly, since the day John had met him. This was Sherlock being human. 

And it was all for him.

It was like a wall had come down. And the great genius' emotions were laid bare - exposed before John, for what they really were. Insecurity. Inexperience. He was offering himself up as a gift to be taken. A student to be taught. And John had... Oh.

Oh.

John blushes. He had just taught. Hadn't he?

Sherlock smiled. Glad to see John finally catching up. A puzzle at last, solved. 

A sweet little shrug of, forgive me? but this was the only way I know how... accompanied his smile. And John found himself laughing with relief at the expression. Giddy with it.

He pulled Sherlock back in to himself, gently this time. And gave him more of a sweet, first-date kiss.

With Sherlock's permission, it deepened it into a full, gorgeous, lovers kiss - His hand gripped tight in the expensive fabric of Sherlock's shirt, to keep him in place. Buttons be damned.

This kiss was;

Full of all the things John had wanted to say; 

Full of all the things Sherlock had been trying to say;

Full of all the things they had both held back for so long.

When it ended, John felt Sherlock lick a tiny bit of honey off of the corner of his mouth. Humming as he did so.

A little like a buzz.

🐝🍯🐝 Not unlike a bee.🐝🍯🐝

John shivered in anticipation. As Sherlock led the way...

If this was what loving Sherlock Holmes was going to be like... Watson smiled, then sign him up as beekeeper.

***************************************

posted on AO3 by helloliriels

More great fics and daily updates under the February 2021 Johnlock prompt challenge from ohlooktheresabee on AO3

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

What a Time to be Alive - Diego Hargreeves x Reader

Chapter 2- The Frankel Footage

Summary: After receiving a surprise visit from Five, you quit your bar tending job, quickly followed him to find Diego, and then broke Diego out of the mental hospital all in one day. Now you, Diego, and Lila, are free and ready to tackle whatever new problem awaits.

If anyone else wants tagged just hit me up.      Tagged: @white-wolf-buckaroo

You three ran for a couple blocks out of sight and away from any nosy law enforcement officers and their annoying sirens. Through back ally’s and down side streets, until you came upon a cluster of parked cars. Where you three hid behind trying not to be seen.

“This way” Diego whispers while getting up to race across the street, you and Lila trailing after him.

Hiding behind an apartment building, you and Lila look back from where you just came. “All right, we can’t stay here for too long. They’re gonna be looking for us.” Diego quietly warns.

“The cops or those large Scandinavian fellas” Lila asks, still on lookout.

“Both” you say quickly, turning to follow Diego’s lead.

He suddenly jumps up on a dumpster then on top of an outhouse type building. “D, what are you doing?” You ask confused, not quite catching onto his plans just yet.

Grabbing clothes off the line and throwing them to you, he replies, “Me and you aren’t gonna get very far dressed like a lobotomy case.”

“Fair point”

“Hey what about me?” Asks Lila, as Diego jumps down off of the small shed, walking back over to the two of you, and quickly throwing her some clothes in the process.

Diego turns around while taking off his shirt, “Look, I appreciate your help, but now we...” He points to you for a second, who’s changing into a different shirt, from the previous hospital staff attire. “Go our separate ways.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re gonna be looking for us, together. You stand a better chance on your own.”

“What, you guys need me, we could make a good team, I don’t mind third wheeling.”

“No”

“Okay did you forget how great I am at causing distractions, or sneaking in small weapons, or when I saved your ass when...” Police sirens begin shouting through the air, cutting her off mid-sentence, catching all of your attentions with it. Sending a surge of panic through you, there was no way in hell were you getting caught.

“Oh shit” Lila whispers, turning to abruptly dodge under a car and out of sight like a literal ninja, who is this strange woman?

Looking at Diego you happen to spot a hiding place behind a small pillar of bricks. Grabbing his arms once again, you pull him with you towards the spot, hugging him tightly as you look over his shoulder. Hearing the whrr of a siren, you listen and watch as the cop car rolls past, agonizingly slow. Looking up at him once again, you can’t help but notice the close proximity between the two of you, your face breaks out into a large grin. Relishing in the contact that you’ve been so deeply deprived of.

“Is that a knife in your pants or are you just happy to see me?” You ask while flashing him a cheeky smile.

“Why are you like this?” He whispers grinning back down at you, amused at your never ending ability to joke around at the most inappropriate times.

“Hey guys, let’s take my car.” Lila says, while eyeing up one of the parked on the street.

Looking back into Diego’s dark eyes, you swiftly catch his lips with yours, not being able hold yourself back anymore. He tenses for a split second before he melts into you, relaxing completely. The kiss is sweet, hungry, and full of longing. You can both tell how much you’ve truly missed each other.

Breaking away, Diego follows your lips, disappointed in such a small intimate moment being ruined. “We gotta go, our getaway driver is here.” You beam, satisfied with what you could get.

Jumping into the stolen car, you take the passenger seat making Diego sit in the back.

“Let’s roll kids” Lila says grinning, as she hastily backs out of the parking spot.

——

After sleeping in the front seat next to Lila, and Diego grumpily trying to find a comfy position in the back. You three made it through the night and are now currently up and ready to roll. Diego in the passenger seat now, with you at the wheel and Lila in the back. Parked in front of some library that Diego insisted on going to you as you could only assume it had to do with the president, most likely.

“All right, here’s the plan: Oswald finishes his shift at 4:30 p.m. Once he walks out those doors, we force him into the front seat.” Diego tells you, while looking out the window intensely.

“I’m in the front seat” You reply while looking out at some birds eating something in the grass.

“Okay, fine. In the back seat.”

“I’m in the back seat.” Lila says, also unimpressed by Diego’s plan. She makes knowing eye contact with you in the mirror.

“Okay in the trunk, Y/N is gonna pin his arms, I’m gonna cut off his trigger finger and tell him he has 24 hours to exit Dallas.”

“That’s your plan?” Lila asks. Sharing another glance with you.

“You got a problem with it?” He questions sassily.

“Why don’t we just kill him” You say with a casual shrug.

“What?

“I agree with Y/N, I mean, you think he’s gonna shoot the president right?”

“Right”

“Fine, so we kill him. Put a bullet between his eyes.” She says, as you make a finger gun and a boom sound. “Problem solved”

“No, no, no, we’re not going to kill a man before he’s committed a crime.” He says, annoyed.

“That’s stupid” She retorts back, tired of Diego’s dumb idea already.

“Excuse me?”

“In fact, your whole plan is stupid. What, chopping off a guys finger?” She smiles amused.

“No, it’s not just any finger, it’s his trigger finger, all right. You can’t shoot a gun without a trigger finger.” He says defensively.

“What if he’s ambidextrous?” You ask, egging him on.

Diego looks at you in defeat at both of yours and Lila’s points. She finally says, “How do you get through a day?

“Both of you get out. I can do this on my own.” He grumbles quickly.

“Dr. Moncton was right, this hero complex is no joke. I mean, Y/N how do you even put up with his shit.” She wonders turning to you.

“Don’t answer that. This is not what this is about.” He’s says, you laughing at his sour mood and Lila’s call out.

“D, she makes a compelling argument.”

Nodding at you she quips back, “Of course it is, you want to prove to Daddy that you’re a big success.” She says, realization clear on her features.

Snorting you raise your eyebrows at Diego, who says, “No, out of the three of us, you don’t know anything about me, Lila.”

“I don’t have to be Y/N to know anything about you. You are an open book written for very dumb children.” She says matter-of-factly.

Holding in laughter you face away from Diego, as you peer out the window so he won’t see the amusement clear on your face.

You love Diego, and fight crime with Diego, but you don’t do it out of a hero complex like he does. You do it because it’s fun and it helps people sometimes. You’ve never seeked it out in the way that he did, like buying a patrol caller, walking into crime scenes to gather information, and continuously wearing that stupidly adorable childhood domino mask. You prefer to stay in the shadows and hunt down rapists and human traffickers when the opportunity arises. So yeah, Lila calling out Diego on his shit, that he doesn’t realize is his shit, does entertain you.

“I’m not. Trying. To. Be A. Hero, okay!” He says slowly with frustration lacing his voice, like we can’t understand him.

“Then why are we doing this?” You reply facing him again. All of a sudden Five appears in the back seat next to Lila, who screams and backs away. Clearly not expecting a 13 year old boy to just teleport randomly into the car.

“Because he’s an idiot” Five replies smartly, with a smug grin on his young face.

Calming down again she looks at Five confused, “Who the hell are you, I mean Diego did tell me Y/N is kinda like a vampire but not really a vampire, so?”

Giving Diego your what-the-fuck-did-you-tell-her-about-me face, he briefly grins at you when Five answers her, “Hi. I’m his loving brother.”

“Who left me to rot in a nut house.”

“To protect you from yourself.”

“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to him, I’m gonna cry.” You reply, while wiping a fake tear away.

Rolling his eyes Diego points to the three of you, “Okay, all of you, out.” Diego says done with all of your shit.

“Lose the crazy lady, you two are coming with me. We have important business.” Five says frustrated.

Diego turns to look out the front window. “I am not going anywhere with you.”

Looking out the window, Five spots a security guard walking down the street. “Okay, fine.”

Not buying into Five’s surrender, you follow his gaze seeing the officer walking away from all of you. With a big smile plastered on his face, Five takes this moment of improvisation to call out loudly. “Officer!”

“Hey!” Diego snaps, reaching past you in record time, silencing Five by grabbing his jacket. “What are you doing?”

Grinning like the little shit he is, Five answers sassily, “I hear there’s a reward out for you two, and an unidentified jailbreaker accomplice last seen helping two patients escape.”

“He’s bluffing.” Lila says.

Watching the intense stare down between the two of them you reply, “He’s not.” Knowing better then to doubt Five. Cause let’s be honest he would watch you get arrested for fun any day of the week.

“Fine. We’ll go with you.” He says defeated yet again.

“What about me?” Lila asks.

“She yells at Diego when he’s being an idiot, crazy lady can come too.” You tell them while nodding to her.

“You yell at me when I’m being an idiot too, Y/N.” Diego remarks bluntly.

“That’s fair. But I feel like she’s good at playing eye spy, and you’re definitely not. You have no patience, I swear.”

“I don’t know what I just got myself into but I’m glad I met you guys.” Lila exclaims enthusiastically, pleased at your positive answer.

--

A short drive later, you, Diego, Five and Lila begin walking up the steps into Five’s new friends building. Not being overly impressed by much and concerned for this mans mental well being at the fact that he’s Five’s so-called “friend”, you keep walking as Five leads you three up the stairs. When you reach the top, you hear footsteps and the sound of a gun click. Glancing up, you observe a scrawny looking man with confusion and fight in his eyes. He starts to speak all stressed out and loud, barking at you four. “Where did you get the film? The Frankel Footage. The truth this time.” He demands while still holding up the gun at the four of you. Oh yeah, this is Five’s new friend? Seems about right.

“You know this lunatic?” Diego wonders at Five.

“God, his hearts beating so loud, I’m gonna have a headache.” You groan, this guy is on full adrenaline, jeesh.

Five sighs, “New acquaintance. He’s harmless.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lila asks, puzzled.

Without warning this new friend of Five’s starts to yell, sounding like an off cord scratchy violin in your hyper sensitive ears. A quiet room with sudden loud noises makes your hearing extra perceptive. It’s not exactly a beneficial attribute to have at the moment.

“Are you or are you not an enemy of the people?!”

Giving you a precious moment of peace, Diego answers back. “Such an open-ended question, yeah.”

“Really depends on the people.” Adds Five calmly.

Raising the gun up higher the angry guy speaks again, less loud this time. “You move one more muscle, I will blow y’alls brains out.”

“Yeah good luck with that, you’ll deeply regret it in a couple seconds.” You tell him bluntly as he gives you a weird look.

“You want to take this or should I?” Diego asks Five. Always ready to throw hands at any given moment.

“No, I got him.” He replies with apprehensive determination.

An abrupt flash later, Five is in front of the mysteriously angry gunman. Grabbing the gun and pushing the barrel upward where it then goes off. Shooting a bullet into the ceiling. And sending a symphony of booming racket directly into your ears.

“Fucking hell” You mumble while pursing your lips together as the pain in your ears wears off.

Looking back up, you watch as Diego unloads the gun and the crazy southern guy looks at everyone in confusion.

“What the hell just happened?” Lila asks with an amused smile, clearly not expecting anything more weird to take place again.

——

After the fun little greeting Elliot gave you, you and Diego tied him up, you know just normal couple things. So Five could play some home movies, or in other words that Frankel Footage Elliot was yapping about earlier. Leaving him in a dentist’s chair, Lila sat down and started to paint his toe nails some kind of green color. While Five was playing the old film footage, Diego sat on a counter to his left, knees up and knife in one hand. Meanwhile you sat cross legged on the same counter near his shoes leaning your right knee on Diego’s bent legs.

“I love old couples. I’m always so proud of them for not murdering each other.” She says randomly.

“Why are we watching this?” Diego suddenly asks Five, who’s intensely focused on the footage. “Shush” He’s tells him, hyper focused on the projection screen.

The people on the screen begin talking about who they are and where they happen to be at the moment. Dallas, Texas. November 22, 1963. Oh, shit. You think, knowing exactly where this specific moment is going to lead.

Leaning in closer Diego says, “This is it. The grassy knoll. Kennedy’s about to get shot. How do you have this?” He quickly questions Five.

“Hazel died to get me this footage. It must be the key to stopping doomsday.”

“Hazel?” You ask curiously, remembering the masked guy who shanked you with an old iron antique boat when you first met him and Cha Cha shooting up the Umbrella Academy. Damn, he’s already dead.

“Long story.”

“What’s doomsday?” Wonders Lila in confusion.

“Longer story.”

“What exactly did he say to you?” Diego questions in bewilderment.

“Well, he was killed before he could explain. But whatever he wanted us to see, it’s on this film.” He answers earnestly.

Without warning, gunshots go off in the background, signaling that President Kennedy's been shot. All of you watch closer with wide eyes as you three try to spot what Hazel was talking about. Five rewinds the tape for better inspection, moving around to slide the projector back. Giving everyone a better view to watch the footage. “It can’t be.” He says astonished.

“Okay, you guys gonna fill me in now? What the hell is this shit we’re watching?” Demands Lila, weirded out by how the three of you are acting towards this random footage.

Standing up and walking closer to the screen, you, Diego, and Five look on in stunned shock, spotting him. “What the fuck?” You say perplexed.

“No, that’s impossible.” 

“Clearly, it’s not.” Mutters Five.

From behind you three, you hear the muffled voice of Elliot. “What...what is it?”

“Dad” Diego and Five whisper dumbfounded. You only look on in deep thought. How could he have been there, and what the hell was old Reggie doing there in the first place?

——

“Of course Dad would be involved in the assassination. I should have know.”

“No, you’re jumping to conclusions.” Replies Five, while pacing back and forth.

“It’s a bit of a stretch, Diego.” You tell him shrugging.

“What else is he doing standing on the grassy knoll, holding an open umbrella on a sunny day in Dallas the exact same moment the president gets shot?!” Diego yells back at the two of you.

“It doesn’t look good, I admit.” Replies Five.

“No, he’s the signalman for the whole goddamn thing.” He says convincing himself.

“Easy Diego. Seriously.”

“No, it makes sense. This is what Hazel was obviously trying to tell you.” Diego says looking intently at Five. “We have to stop Dad from killing the president.”

“Diego, calm down, all right. Dad was no Boy Scout, but presidential assassination? It’s never been his thing.” Five argues, and you’d have to agree, Diego’s truly jumping ahead of himself.

“How would you know? You skipped out on his golden years.” Diego snaps back.

“Skipped out?” Five scoffed stepping closer, “You think I had it easy, Diego? I was alone for 45 years.” Deciding he’d had enough of Diego’s dad and killing the president shit, Five growls back at Diego. “You know what? We don’t have time for this right now. Dads clearly in Dallas, right? Let’s just go talk to him. Maybe he can help fix the timeline.” He ends with, walking around the room.

“Dallas is a big place. We need to find him first.” Diego replies bluntly.

“Gee, if only we had some magical, old times way of finding people and their addresses.” Five sasses back while putting his hands on his small hips.

“Alright smart-ass, I’ll find the phone book.” You quip, getting up off the counter and walking towards Elliot’s office. Finding the thing laying under a couple of papers and a stapler, you grab it and set it down on the nearby desktop.

“Let’s start simple. His name.” Five says as Diego reads off the names in the H section. “Shit, nothing here.”

“Try his company, what was it Five?” You ask while standing behind them.

“D.S. Umbrella Manufacturing Co.” Five says without missing a beat.

“Yeah, I know the name. Thanks.” Diego replies sarcastically. Continuing his search by flipping through the pages. “Uh....Holy shit. D.S. Umbrella.” He looks at Five surprised, “Eighty-two Olive. Let’s go.” He says, shutting the phone book.

Pulling up the white film screen and walking through the doorway Diego turns to Five. “He okay to leave here like that?” Referring to Elliot who was still tied to the dentist chair.

“Yeah, he’s fine. What about the girl?”

“She’s chilling in the dark room getting some air. So where are we going?” You remark casually.

“The hell is she doing in there, or you?” Diego wonders.

“We were having some quality girl time, nothing you’d be interested in, I promise.” You say winking at him.

———

Pulling up to the building of the hour, you all get out, shutting the doors and walking up to the glass doors. All collectively feeling a bit uneasy about meeting Sir Reginald Hargreeves, that is if he decides to make an appearance or not.

“How long’s it been since you’ve seen the old man?” You ask Five, who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Forty-Five years.”

“That’s a trip.”

“No kidding.” Five sighs, leaning against the brick wall as Diego makes an attempt to lock pick the doors. “You know, when I was stuck out there in the apocalypse, there wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t hear his voice in my head.”

“What was he saying?” Asked Diego, still fiddling with the lock.

“I told you so.” 

“Well, if Dad’s here, he’s never met you before, so he can’t say, I told you so.” Diego says trying to boost Five’s dampened mood.

“I’m sure he’ll find a way.” Five says while looking back around at the grassy yard. Catching your eye, you nod to him to help Diego out. A flash later and he’s on the other side of the door, unlocking it with ease and letting you two inside. “Right. Gotta remember that” Diego says, clearing his throat, standing up and walking through the now unlocked glass doors. You following right behind him, as Five holds the door open.

Walking fully inside the office building, Five goes to turn on a lamp only for it to flicker off again within seconds of being turned on. “Shit. Guess Dad wasn’t much for home decor.” Says Diego eyeing up the place.

You look around the room yourself, fully taking in your surroundings, as your eyes immediately begin adjusting in the dark room, you’re now able to see everything clearly. Observing the lack of care and vacancy in the area you nod to Five. “This feels more like a front, some kind of decoy maybe?”

“A front for what?” Diego asks, confused.

“Beats me” Replies Five still uneasy about being in here.

“Well, me and Y/N will take the left. Yell if you, uh....get in trouble. Y/N will hear you.” Remarks Diego, swinging the door open.

“Don’t get shot, remember your safety training.” You smirk at Five jokingly, as you walk through the open door that Diego is holding open for you.

“How could I forget.” Fives replies back, slightly amused at your ability to seem calm in a place like this.

Walking down the hallway, Diego opens a door leading into someone’s office. The air smells old and stale to you, clearly no ones actually been in here in quite a while. Diego blows off dust laying lightly on top of a file, who just leaves a random file lying around for anyone to snatch? He starts to flip through it, concentrated on finding a scrap of evidence. When your ears prick up at the sound of light footsteps that apparently Diego can’t hear yet. Then a door opens and the footsteps sound like they’re retreating out the doorway. Diego abruptly looks up at you for reassurance, wanting to know for sure you heard what he just heard too. You nod at him, making your way towards the door to find this mystery person. Diego walks towards the door hot on your heels, catching up and moving past you swiftly. Determined to catch sight of the cryptic individual himself.

Opening the doors, you catch a glimpse of the mystery man briskly walking into the thick foggy night air and out of sight.

“I’ll go after him, you circle around and hopefully catch him off guard if he decides to run.” Telling you the plans, Diego turns ready to catch up with the guy, giving you a flash of a nervous smile before he goes. And then he’s gone, into the fog and out of sight. Yeah fuck that, it’s dark out and this guy could be legitimately dangerous for all you know, idiot. Following behind Diego from a distance were he wouldn’t be able to notice you. Not that it’d be hard anyways, considering you’re kinda a master of stealth yourself.

You climb up into the rafters of this weird barn type building, you hear the faintest sounds of Five yelling for you two from within the office building. As you’re about to jump down to help, you spot Diego walking when another figure drops out of the shadows kicking him in the ribs. Great. Deciding you’d like to sit back and watch for a bit, you climb closer for a better view. Diego then throws a knife and the stranger ducks, completely missing him. “Damn, I bet he’d be fantastic at laser tag.” You mumble letting your intrusive thoughts work their way out subconsciously.

Watching Diego twirl around and make some compelling hits gives you time to get closer and bring yourself nearer to the ground. Incase you needed to lend a hand or two if things got messy. As you finally drop yourself onto the damp floor, you look up to see Diego apparently losing the fight a bit. Getting flipped onto his knees for a second before he runs forward pulling out some type of metal stick from a bunch of wooden crates. Where he then proceeds to backflip off said crates and stick the landing with ease. Show off. He starts swinging it around, advancing on the stranger who’s doing a decent job at holding his own ground.

That is, until the guy looses his dark face-covering, only to reveal, holy shit, the one and only asshole himself, Sir Reginald Hargreeves. Diego must have been just as shocked too, because the next moment you hear a soft “dad” from Diego’s lips. And then Reginald lunges, you see a flash of gold and hide a muffled scream as a small knife plunges into Diego’s side. You hear “amateur” before he turns around and casually walks out of the barn without a single fuck to give.

Gasping you ignore the need to question Sir Reginald, racing over to Diego who’s lying on the floor wide eyed in bewilderment as to what just unfolded a couple seconds ago.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, Diego what the fuck!?” You say panicked, ripping your thin jacket off and covering his stab wound with it.

Moaning in pain he looks at you. “I should have let you take him.” He whispers tiredly.

“Shut up I know, FIVE get the fuck over here!” You scream in a desperate panic.

Teleporting to you, he looks down surprised. “Jesus Diego I leave you alone for 5 minutes and this is what happens.” He says bluntly while shaking his head.

“Just go get the car.” You growl at him, while pressing the fabric into Diego's side to help stop the bleeding.

[everythingoesnk]

I love you, John

summary; in the fandom we say brian’s the 5th beatle. well now he’s the 6th bc in this you’re a member of the band. basically you’re in love with john but he’s dating yoko and............. it’s all a disaster

word count; 2 966

warnings; angst at its finest. i’m sorry if u find it trashy but i tried and that’s what counts

********

There was no way you could face this feeling. It damaged your mental health to the point of insufferable anxiety.

Nobody knew about those episodes.

Was it something that you enjoyed, seeing front row how your friendship shattered to useless fragments? Did you look like you didn’t care about how he distanced himself more each time without looking back? Like nothing or no one else mattered? Of course not.

He was alien to the fact he wasn’t the only one suffering.

At least this was the reason you found that made the most sense to his coldness and passively behaviour towards everyone. Or the justification you wanted to believe, refusing to accept that reality was that he didn’t mind everything falling apart.

The tortuous thought that John wanted to see it all reduced to ashes crossed your mind every once in a while.

Paul sighed loudly when he didn’t get any answer from you after calling multiple times. He randomly pounded several piano keys at once, creating a frightening awful sound, then dragged himself to his feet and anxiously left the room.

None of that made you tore your eyes away from John, though.

He was talking to Yoko, who was sitting on the floor beside him, nodding her head as she followed with her gaze what he was pointing at in the music sheet. Occasionally she’d interrupt him to opine. When that happened he would shut up and listen.

John was very polite when asking for thoughts, always open to new ideas and constantly seeking people's opinions on his work.

Ringo’s eyes were glued on you, George noticed, and he knew the drummer was thinking the same exact thing he was. Ringo nodded in his direction and left to find something to eat: you’d been rehearsing for three hours and he hadn't had breakfast in the morning.

"We're all getting used to it"

Outwardly speaking, George's nonchalant-wannabe words had no apparent reaction in you. On the inside, they crushed your soul deeper into misery.

You hummed an ‘approving’ sound to dodge the pressure of having to form a proper sentence.

Concentration back again on tuning the knobs of the guitar, George put his aside on the floor and watched you closely. Then sighed and pressed his lips together.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?”

"The ticking"

Pokerfaced, you stopped your actions to sneak a look at him.

"What ticking?” you asked grimly.

"Yours," he replied, pointing a finger at you. “You’re about to explode”

“We have a comedian in the building, how appropriate” you proclaimed nodding your head at him mockingly.

He grinned and dropped his gaze to the floor before speaking to you again.

“Come with me,” he said, getting up, “I’m craving a smoke”

“I’ll join in a moment. I want to finish writing down a couple of things first”

"Oh yeah?" George wasn’t convinced at all.

He removed a strand of hair from his face. In vain ‘cause it returned shortly to the same place where he’d shoved it away from.

“Yes"

George stared at you, hands on the hips.

Sunk in your seat, you glanced at him too without blinking.

"I’m inspired," you added, one last attempt to make him believe you.

You could try. You could try giving that song you’d been working on a new chance.

"Okay," he nodded, lowering the guard, and kissed your forehead, "you know where to find me"

"Sure, Geo"

You smiled and rapidly shot him a big grin, thumbs held up as well, when he turned around to take a good last look at you before closing the door behind his back.

As soon as he was nowhere around, your smile was found gone.

It was only you, John and Yoko now.

//

It must have been the tenth time that, desperately, you ran your hands through your hair.

Perhaps the problem was you. And you were just exaggerating everything.

But did she have to stick her nose in something that had nothing to do with her?

You didn’t mind her discussing the songs. But never in a million years could you believe she had the ovaries to criticize them. To criticize your work. Paul’s work, George’s and Richie’s work.

Never John’s, though. It must be said to add a little more context to you losing it.

You weren't nosy, but she didn't try to be inconspicuous either.

That bitch’d been talking shit about what she referred to as ‘Ringo’s lame thing’, claiming that Octopus’s Garden was kind of embarrassing and that it didn’t deserve to be on a Beatles record. She didn’t even bother asking about the meaning behind it, the ignorant cretin.

You bit your tongue until you just couldn't anymore.

"God," you exhaled.

Yoko heard your sigh but said nothing about it, bowing her head. She wished John’d do the same, but deep down she knew he’d have something to say.

And of course, he did.

"What's up?" he asked lifting an eyebrow, eyes jumping from you to Yoko and back.

"One gets tired of listening to bullshit" you warranted in a singsong voice, not looking up from the paper and without interrupting your writing.

It took a few seconds for you to get a response.

"Nothing she said was bullshit," John defended, hinting that her opinion was as valid as anyones.

You understood his words differently.

"Rich’s mad excited about it and it’s a great song,” you hurried to argue, this time meeting his stare, “the number of hours and dedication he's putting into it is inhuman. You should know that”

A little –huge— bit of your protective side towards Ringo was showing, but you didn’t care. Octopus’s Garden was beautiful and you’d die defending so if necessary.

"I didn't mean—"

“Are you sure?” you interrupted, turning your body in his direction, leaning in before spitting the poison out, “because lately she seems to speak for you. Whatever Yoko says, there you are giving your approval”

John stood still for at least a minute, momentarily speechless.

Yoko approached him to tell him to forget it and leave before things got uglier.

When you called the conversation off after he hadn’t spoken a word, trying to handle what you just so hostilely reprimanded, you went back to your thing, conscious that you were too unstable and broken to even pick the pencil up again.

Sure you didn’t want him to know you weren’t as strong as you wanted to appear to be, but you had to close your eyes for a moment and exhale after he moved to stand next to you.

He didn’t know the power he had on you. It’d take a snap of his fingers to ruin you for eternity.

“You’ve to fix your shit and get over it,” John grunted, fed up with the constant attacks that Yoko directly and indirectly received. It all got too much to handle.

You laughed in his face.

“Fix my shit? How, John, when the shit’s in the same room?”

John paused again, shocked.

His eyes languidly turned cold and hard.

Could you maybe have gone a step too far? There was no denying. Were you regretful? Not at all. Did your heart, constricted in your breast painfully hindering your catch of air, speed up its pace at the look John was giving you, scared about what he was going to say next? Absolutely.

"What the fuck’s wrong with you? I've had enough of the continuous offences to my wife! Now this?!” he snapped, yelling.

You avoided by all means raising your voice since it’s pretty much known that doing so does not make you any more right. The tone was something you could take control over, unfortunately, it was way more difficult to hide how it trembled.

“If I started to say what I was fed up with we’d never finish the album. And we have to, right, John? The sooner the better,” you challenged in a cold-blooded boost of courage, knowing you were entering a difficult and muddy territory.

The bomb timer George talked about earlier was at its limit.

That John asked Yoko afterwards to leave you two alone was just the appetizer of what was coming.

“(Y/N), you have attitude problems. The way you treat Yoko is horrible and unfair. She just wants to help” he tried to let you know where he was coming from, going back to a more suitable tone to appeal you.

“When we ask her for help, her presence will be welcomed”

“Enough now. Enough, (Y/N)” he shook his head and glanced at you fiercely. You swallowed. "Shit, what the hell’s going on with you and your twisted mind? You’re unbearable"

“Am I unbearable?” you gasped, blood heating your face, and immediately stood up. “You’re insufferable!! Twenty-four hours together like… like… like two fucking creeps!” you screamed, quickly forgetting about the ‘not raising your voice’ thing, gesturing an awful lot to express your irritation.

His expression of disbelief morphed onto one of monumental anger.

"And don't come at me with that ‘attitude problems’ crap. I’m not the only one who wants her out” you lectured in a bitter fit of temper, voice unwillingly shaky.

“If you have a problem with Yoko being around, the door is right there” he answered, pronounced tightness clear in his words.

Your heart sank to the very bottom of the Earth’s core, and the floor beneath your feet started trembling, just like you hallucinated once after dropping acid with Paul: the whole body in an uninterrupted burning perception that you could just blow up and die.

John was unpredictable, but you never expected him to show you the way out. He flushed your feelings down the toilet just like that.

“Damn right the door’s right there. I’m getting the fuck out” you stressed, turning around to leave so he wouldn’t see the sea of tears that started to overflow down your face.

From the very beginning of your friendship, you knew you had a massive soft spot reserved for him in your heart, but as years passed you were assured you were deeply and profoundly in love with every part of him. You adored and cared about John more than you did to yourself, which sounds and is scary, but you couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was the way that it was.

At this point you didn’t even care anymore that he didn’t return the same feelings, you just wanted him in your life one way or the other. His happiness was everything that mattered to you. It’d always remain that way no matter what happened.

John rubbed his eyes and sighed loudly.

“Don’t leave,” he said hopelessly, looking defeated, arms hanging on his sides, “I don’t want you to be mad at me”

“I’M NOT MAD AT YOU, IDIOT!” you exploded, whirling around to face him. “And I hate that! I hate it!”

Tears and tears kept streaming down your face. You knew you were being embarrassingly cringey and you’d punch yourself later for that.

There was no coming back now: the timer detonated and the pieces of your broken heart were all over the place, imaginarily staining the carpet as small volcanoes attached to them kept erupting and painting all red.

An anguish heaving pain in the pit of your stomach and throat was bit by bit killing you.

Nine years. Nine years in love with this man and he didn’t have the slimmest clue about how you felt.

He was about to find out.

John was surprised to meet your bloodshot eyes and quivering lips. He panicked when he saw that tears were also coming out of your nose down to your lips.

“I hate that you could hurt me over and over and that I’d always find ways to forgive you” you cried, and you wished you had a tissue to blow out your nose in it.

John was at a loss of words.

“Because I love you” you wailed, and rolled your eyes afterwards at that because it was so inconvenient and wrong to say it out loud.

In his consciousness, a voice snapped at him to take action and comfort you, but his feet seemed to be rooted to where he was standing. You were so vulnerable and fragile, full body shaking and shoulders tight, air constantly bursting in and out of your mouth, impossible to control your sobs. All because of him.

“I don’t… I don’t…” John struggled, heartbeat racing a million miles per second.

“I know you don’t!” you sputtered, an excruciating feeling that he’d never want to be with you choking you extremely. "Up until now I thought I could live with it, but you keep bringing her here! Why do you have to bring her?” you sobbed, covering your face.

John couldn’t quite tell whether it was your statement and confession what made his heart heavier with misery or the nicotine in the amount of tobacco smoke still hovering in the room, demanding it to work harder.

By the time he felt sorrowness suffocating him, he couldn’t deny it was the first option.

“(Y/N), I’m so sorry…”

As he watched you gulp for air, he couldn’t feel more incompetent and clueless.

You compressed your lips so he wouldn’t get to hear you sobbing; turning your back at him to hide your blotchy face, you heard footsteps approaching you.

John went to put a hand on your shoulder and hold you, but you winced and complained, stepping away from him, as if the contact burned your skin.

Staring at him in the eye, you shook your head.

“Do not touch me”

“(Y/N), we have to sit down and talk this through. I cannot—“

“I don’t want to keep talking about it. I said my part and I know what’s crossing your mind. ‘Poor (Y/N), I feel so bad for her, I hope she gets over it soon’. Nine years, John”

He swallowed.

“I’m sure there’s a way—“

“There isn’t! I love you and you don’t love me! What is there to discuss?”

Glancing across at him, you could perfectly see how he cared and how frightened and terrified he was about the situation. You were one of the most important people in his life, and to think that he thought he knew you, but missed what you were genuinely feeling towards him for almost a decade… He felt horrible.

Yoko was the love of his life, but he also loved you with all his heart.

He was sorry that it wasn’t enough.

“John”

George stepped into the room and walked further in to pull you towards him. He'd been watching for just a few seconds, because as soon as he saw what was going on, he intended to leave, at the end of the day it was none of his business, but he knew you needed him and therefore took the decision to end the scene.

Rubbing your back, he whispered in your hair if you wanted to leave. You just nodded.

“Wait, George. I need to talk to her”

“You heard her. She doesn’t want to”

John got mad at him.

“All I’m asking is a few minutes. Don’t expect me to drop it when she’s like that”

Maybe by ‘that’ he meant that you looked like a train just ran you over. Casually, that’s how you felt. If not worse.

You rested your head on George’s shoulder and murmured something about needing to go now because you couldn’t be in John’s presence no more.

“(Y/N), please” you heard John beg.

George and you walked to the door and he told you to wait outside, touching your cheek with a small smile on his lips, encouraging you to take it as an opportunity to calm down.

You obliged, but heard everything they were saying anyway.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” John cursed. “Why won’t you let me speak to her? This is serious, please”

John tried to get to the door but George barred the way.

“Are you gonna tell her you love her?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

John stared at his bandmate blankly, the expression of confusion on his face speaking for itself.

“Are you gonna tell her you’re leaving Yoko to spend your life with her?” George continued, making a point that he knew John would understand.

You bit your lip at that and wept silently.

John’s eyes were slowly piling up hot tears.

“That’s what I thought” George spoke in an undertone.

After that, George left him and found you sitting on the ground in the corridor. He took a seat next to you.

Spontaneous sobs and shiverings that you couldn’t hold back happened every now and then. You were grateful that George wouldn’t address them.

“I’m pathetic”

“No you’re not”

“Yes I am” you shook your head and sniffed, feeling lamentable. “I didn’t know I’d end up confessing one day. I assumed I’d carry it to the crave”

Two staff members from the cleaning crew walked by, and you stopped talking. When they were gone, George turned to look at you.

“I believe things happen for a reason and that fate is written. You and John not being a thing may be for the best. It’s gonna be hard, but you have to move on”

“Move on…”

He nodded.

You moved to face him and stared strongly into his eyes. That was it.

“Move on” you repeated out loud as a mantra, staring off into nowhere.

George furrowed an eyebrow.

“Yes…?”

You inhaled and exhaled at the same time that you closed and opened your eyes. Moving on would be the first step to a better stage within yourself.

“I’m leaving”

Puzzlement clouded George’s features.

“Leave… where?”

“The band, Geo. I’m quitting the band”

[timeaftertime-chriscornellfanfic]

Chapter 7 - I’m Entering Without A Sound

Seattle Washington, July 29 1980

(Andi is 18, Chris is 16)

CHRIS: "I'm sorry if the shirt's a little big..." I say as Andi comes out of the bathroom, her gorgeous dark curls falling down around her shoulders as she adjusts the Black Sabbath Master Of Reality shirt  - her favorite Sabbath album by the way - that I was able to find for her in a thrift store downtown.

"That's ok, I like the leggings though," She says so cutely as she looks down at the black distressed leggings I picked out at the same store with a pair of old Doc Marten's.

" - and the boots are a little scuffed up but - "

"No, it's perfect, I love them," She says glancing back at me with those beautiful brown eyes, flipping her curls out of her face.

n the months since I met her - well really since she randomly just showed up in my bathroom - Andi and I have become really close. Incredibly close in fact. When she first got here she ended up staying here in this time for a couple of weeks and obviously since she didn't have a place to stay, I asked her to stay in the basement with me. Not to you know, like, do anything of course - even though I imagine it all the fucking time- but since there was a spare room at the back with just a box spring and a mattress, I made a makeshift little bed for her grabbing blankets and anything I could find in the house. When I went to go and make sure that it was alright with my mom, Andi stopped me and told me not to.

For a little while, it felt like I was hiding her in the basement since she pretty much refused to go with me anywhere, like when I had band practice or when I had to work. Obviously she wouldn't be able to come to work with me but, you know what I mean. She was so afraid that she would 'mess up' things in this time if she interacted with people aside from me. Even though she already met my mom once really quickly, Andi insisted that I can't tell my mom because of the whole 'messing up things' in this time.

It was confusing at first but I understood, and I really loved having Andi here with me. We pretty much bonded over music, laying on the floor of my basement in front of my stereo, talking about our favorite bands and listening to hours and hours of The Beatles, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. She told me more about the bands from her time like Guns N Roses, Metallica and Slayer. She explained that Slayer was like an even more demonic version of Venom, but even faster, bridging on speed metal - whatever that is. She told me she's been trying to work on playing Slash's solo part in 'Sweet Child O' Mine' from Guns N Roses, but she can't seem to get the tone right.

'There's just something about the way he plays it' she said. 'I just can't get it quite right'

I just love the way she talks about her music. The way her eyes light up when she explains how it makes her feel, it's the exact same feeling I get. She just knows... she gets me. Every time she says she wishes she could just play it for me, once again, she's afraid it will affect the time line - or something - and probably because I don't have a guitar here for her to show me. Maybe I'll fix that soon...

I told her more about my band - The Jones Street Band - a cover band obviously named after the next street over where we practice. We play everything from AC/DC to Rush to even punk shit like the Ramones. I really love it when we get into covering some Police tunes, since being a drummer, I can really just go all out y'know?

When I saw her leave the first time, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. She was obviously worried about how I would react but it wasn't anything that scared me. It was actually really amazing and sad to see her disappear. Sad in the sense that I had no idea when she would show up again or if she would show up again but amazing in the sense that there are some things in this world you can't explain. Magical moments that can change your life forever. She warned me before it happened, taking my hand and thanking me for letting her stay and just as she touched me, her clothes fell to the floor and she was gone.

When she came back a month later, I was actually surprised. I honestly thought that I was never going to see her again. She once again appeared in my bathroom, completely naked and it was hilarious because I was in there taking a shower when it happened. She scared the shit out of me. I scrambled for a couple of towels to cover us both as I helped her up to sit on the toilet seat. After she was able to catch her breath, we both just started laughing. She was probably laughing at my girly scream 'cause I swear, I thought I was going to die. Ok, I'm being dramatic but seriously, she really startled me. That's when I decided to make sure I left some clothes for her.

The third time was in June and she ended up staying here for another couple of weeks. During that time we just basically spent everyday together. Since she is still going to school, I asked her how in the hell does she keep up with everything especially since she ends up leaving for periods of time. All she would say is that she manages and that she is able to keep up alright.

When she left that third time, that's when I knew I was falling for her. I had never experienced the amount loneliness like I had when she left that third time. I missed her so much, way more than I thought I could ever miss anyone in my life. She had become my best friend and when she left I knew, I wanted to be just more than friends with her. There just isn't any way that I could tell her yet. Even now, because I don't want to end up messing up the time line either.

Damn, this is complicated.

Before she left though, she did tell me little bit more about how we met in her time and left me a list of dates of when she would be here. When I asked her how she knew when she would be here, she just shrugged and said that she just knew. She was pretty vague on explaining when we would meet for the first time for her, but she said we would meet backstage in the dressing room at The Central on February 13th 1988 but she wouldn't tell me much more than that. Other than when we do meet, to go easy on her and to not say too much because once again she was afraid that she would mess up the time line which would defeat the existence of those dates she gave me which may make it so I would never see her again, but here she is, her beautiful self standing in my living room as she ties up the bottom of the Black Sabbath shirt I found for her.

"Thank you for um... leaving some clothes for me this time, I forgot to say something the last time but I didn't know if I was coming back here or not," She says.

"You're welcome," I say and we sit down in our usual spot on the floor in front of my stereo.

"Um... I'm sorry I hate to ask but, I'm really hungry. Would you happen to have anything - ?" She looks at me with those beautiful dark eyes furrowing her brow.

"Oh yea, of course... jeeze don't be sorry. Um... is a sandwich ok?" I ask as I stand up.

"Anything," She exhales. I give her a small smile and head to the basement stairs, climbing 2 at a time and make my way into the kitchen. Realizing I'm hungry myself, I quickly make us both a sandwich, grab 2 cans of Coke and hurriedly make my way back downstairs.

"Did you write this?" She asks, holding a piece of paper in her hands and flipping her curls out of her face.

"Uhhh... yea but - " I cut myself off and scramble over to the floor, setting the sandwiches and drinks down on the coffee table and quickly take the paper from her hand.

"You're not supposed to see that - I mean it's not finished yet," I say nervously, feeling my voice shake as she looks at me confused.

"What is it?" She asks so cutely, shuffling a little closer to me.

"Um..." I hesitate.

"Is it a poem?" She grins.

"No, not really" I say glancing over the messiness that is my handwriting, a combination of lower and upper case letters scribbled across the page.

"Is it a song?" She raises her eyebrow with a cute little smirk spreading across those perfect full but tiny lips. I glance at her and begin to feel nervous and look back down at the page, then quickly fold it up.

"No, it's... it's nothing," I exhale, running my fingers through my hair.

"Chris, come on tell me, what is it?" She asks so sweetly. I glance back at her and I realize she's moved even closer to me, and all I want to do is just kiss those perfect lips of hers.

"Uh, here... you um, said you were hungry?" I change the subject, stuffing the paper in my jeans pocket and grab one of the sandwiches I made and offer it to her.

"Yea," She says her expression falling a little as she takes it from me, taking a bite. Suddenly she stops eating and sets the sandwich back down on the plate and I can tell by the expression on her face that she isn't feeling well.

"Andi?"

"Chris, I think I have to go," She says.

"No, wait you just got here," I say worriedly reaching for her hand.

"I know, bu -but I'll be back -" She stammers a little which is normal when she's about to go.

"Andi -?"

"Bye Chris,"

"Wait - " and as she leans in to hug me, all that is left is her clothes in a slump on the floor.

*******************************************************************************************

[soundofseventeen]

Ice Cream (Lee Chan)

Hello! Quick Dino post today! (I’m sorry it’s not that great I’m between jobs right now and wanted to post something I’m sorry)

Hi, Erin’s been really busy and lowkey stressed with work and her vacation planning so she let add on to this so I hope it’s okay with y’all!! i may have added a few extra prompts. Okay, back to my stuff!! Enjoy!!! -Bee

Requested

You used to be extremely close to your older brother. You and Chan did almost everything together, and he took his job as your big brother extremely. If someone teased you at school, he always backed you up, then took you for ice cream to make you feel better. Even when he wanted to hang out with his own friends, he’d still let you tag along, keeping an eye on you so you didn’t get lost. He was your best friend for most of your childhood. 

As you got older, you kept that closeness, but still had to grow apart a bit. Started to make your own friends, have your own lives, do your own things. He still tried to keep an eye on you though, just to make sure that you were doing okay. If he felt like something was wrong, he’d randomly toss your shoes at you and tell you to follow him. He’d take you for ice cream again, just to see if you’d talk to him about it or even just smile a little bit. 

Things started to change when he went to be a trainee. At first it was extremely difficult, not seeing him every day, not being able to talk to him or hang out with him. You missed him so much. Part of you worried that this would all be for nothing, and he would never debut and come home heartbroken. But, you knew better. 

You were a proud sibling when he debuted, showing everyone you could your big brother and his group. You admired him so much and everything he was able to accomplish and wanted the rest of the world to see him like you did. 

Of course, as time went on, he kept working with his group, and you kept living your life from home. While his schedule got crazier, it got so much harder to be in contact with him. He’d still send you updates, especially from tour. You always got excited when he would send you things on tour, knowing it was some cool or bazaar photo of him or one of his members. 

You tried to visit him a lot, but it was difficult to find good days for it. Between your two schedules, it rarely seemed to work out. But it always made you smile when it worked out. You’d get to hear dumb stories about him from his members (who all adopted you as their little sibling as well), and even had them all try to teach your their dances (and laughed when you failed). 

While you tried to make these visits, it only became harder still to see him. His free time seemed to always be filled with something he could do for his group or his career. You couldn’t blame him, this was his dream and you knew he had to go for it. You were usually able to let things go, knowing that he never wanted to miss things or forget things, it just happened. 

The first time it really hurt was when he missed your birthday. You had spent the day celebrating with your friends and parents, but you still found yourself checking your phone all day for that message from him. Some years he sent a video just from himself, some years with some members screaming in the back, sometimes he actually called you. But this year... Nothing. You didn’t want to ask him about it, but you also wanted to hear from him. 

Your parents were confused when you went to bed upset, not wanting to make them feel like they didn’t celebrate your day enough. You knew Chan was busy, but he always, always remembered your birthday. 

You were even more confused when your dad knocked on your door, telling you there was someone at the door for you. Thinking it was Chan, you quickly ran to the door, heart falling when it was some random delivery dude. You took the package, walking into your kitchen. 

You were started to pout again when you looked at the box, seeing it was sent from Pledis Entertainment. Your eyes widened, knowing that was Chan’s company. You quickly opened it, pulling out a smaller box and a card. You opened the card, quickly reading. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I’m so sorry I couldn’t celebrate with you today. We had an unexpected travel day today and I couldn’t find a chance to call you. I hope you did everything amazing you could today and didn’t suffer too much without your big brother. 

I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you, and miss you the most (don’t tell mom and dad). Love you. x Chan 

PS, I know you’re probably upset at not hearing from me today, so I gotta make it up somehow.

You grinned to yourself, opening the box, seeing an ice cream cone charm along with a coupon for a free cone at your local ice cream shop. You shook your head, of course he would get you ice cream. You snapped a picture of yourself that night, imagining he was there with you and it made you feel a little better.

The second time was around Christmas when he pinky promised you he’d be there at home, waiting by the tree so you could open one gift before the clock struck midnight. So you had brought all the blankets you owned and made a makeshift bed a couple of days before his flight landed and slept there every night in hopes you’d wake up to the familiar face. Christmas Eve came and with the most devastated expression you’d ever seen on a human, he apologized on the other end of the video call, explaining the latest thing that had come up and promised to make it up to you. 

“I’m trying to cheer you up,” he said when you shook your head, as if telling it’s okay. “I will fight you, and I’m not hanging up until you either smile.”

“Chan, you’re busy and I’m not gonna take up more of your time. Go, be a choreographer for your friends. I have to go to sleep now.” You had felt the energy leave your body with the bad news and all you wanted was to curl up into a ball and sleep the sadness away.

“Can you at least open my gift to you? I wanna see your reaction.”

“Chan, they’re waiting for you. I’ll open it and, stop doing that face! I’ll open it if you stop. Is it this one?” You held up a gift wrapped with little elves you saw he labelled after his members, which made you smile involuntarily. It had your name on it, so you assumed it was. You shook it, surprised by the rattling noises it made. 

“Yeah! Open it! It isn’t much, but it was the best I could do.”

 It ended up being a puzzle of a picture you had taken once upon a time where he had taken one of your toys, making you cry and him smiling evilly. (Just because he was also your best friend didn’t mean he didn’t play the his role of the older brother tormenting the younger sibling and inside the box you had found another coupon for the ice cream place. There was no explanation but you also didn’t have the heart to use it this time, so you let it expire.

The more time passed after that, the more empty promises he made, each time making it up with a coupon as if it solved everything. Sometimes you used them, but you’d only take a few licks and then throw it away. Ice cream, you realized, didn’t taste as good when it was bought under the pretense of a guilty conscience.You hated the distance, despised the consequences of Chan being an idol, resented Chan for not being here like he used to be. All you got were “I’m sorry,”s and lousy pieces of paper for ice cream and even after awhile, those stopped too which hurt more than anything. And suddenly, Iksan frustrated you and you knew you had to get out soon, so after begging your parents day and night, you snuck out and took bus by bus until you landed in Seoul City.

 It brought a strange sense of comfort to you, despite being here a handful of times. The streets were always different but it always smelled the same: fried rice and steamed vegetables mixed with smog and dog shit. It wasn’t a long trip so you weren’t exactly tired, but you needed food before you became irritated. You settled for a ramen place that you’ve been to a handful of times just because you could already taste it in your mouth.

It took a particularly long time to get food, especially with the staff running and forth with takeout plates and writing on the Styrofoam with markers what each little box contained and how it was customized but you forgot about it once someone acknowledged you and apologized for the delay, explaining that is was a common order for a big party of people, though two or three only showed up, despite it all. You smiled and shook your head, placing your own order and patiently waiting for your number to be called, thankful that yours came out relatively quickly. You watched the employees throwing whatever they found on the counter that contained the meals, packets of sauces, extra chopsticks, and the drinks. You counted 13 of them. It did seem like a coincidence, but then again small gatherings with caffeine addicts was a common practice nowadays. You texted your parents who you knew were gonna ground you when you got home, but that’d be a problem for later, and scrolled through social media, seeing the antics and lifestyles of everyone you followed. 

A moment later a little bell sounded, signaling a customer followed by a pair arguing over which brand had the better soda...in Chinese.You looked up at them curiously, eyes widening you recognized Junhui (arguing Pepsi) and Minghao (defending Coke). They broke their squabble long enough to tell the cashier they were there for an order and resume it, this time in Korean.

“Coke is a classic. Coke has been around longer than Pepsi and you can go just about anywhere to eat and they serve it.”

“Coke also has a disgusting aftertaste to it. And you can taste the cheapness of it. I figured a refined man such as yourself would know that by now.

”Minghao stared at him, debating whether to stay quiet or to fire back; he chose the latter. “Bold words coming from someone who wanted to buy a Rubik’s cube from a street vendor for the price of three.”

“That is not relevant. You know what...Y/N, please come here. Yeah, don’t think we couldn’t see you. Let me ask you this. Thank you. Have a nice day.” They waited for the shock to wear off your face and cupping the bowl in your hands, followed them out to hear Junhui’s question. “Is Coke or Pepsi better? Say Pepsi because I’m trying to prove a point here.” You slid into the backseat, Hao driving and Jun turning around to keep pestering you.

“I still say Coke.You will never go to a store that doesn’t sell it. By the way, brace yourself when we go inside Pledis. Your parents called Chan earlier and he’s been freaking out all morning. I told him not to worry because you’re smart enough to know what to do by now, but what can you do? Jun, be careful! You’re tilting the plates. Never mind, I’m calling Wonwoo. He’ll help us.”

“Beat you to it,” Junhui smiled broadly. “He’s already waiting for us outside. We just have to show up. Okay answer me Y/N! This is life or death. Your answer determines the fate of the universe.” 

You saw Mingaho staring at you in the rearview mirror. “What brought this on?”

“I wish I knew. He’s been asking everyone since we woke up. Jihoon hyung is the one who refuses to answer because he thinks it’s all the same. So I guess you’re the tie breaker.”

“It’s soda. You’re gonna drink it either way.”

“But what if you’re at a party that offers both? Which are you gonna take?”

“The first one I pull out.” Your eyes narrowed at the driver who snickered. “What’s so funny?”

“You said ‘pull out’.”

“And I’m the child.” Junhui snorted.

*

“What were you thinking?” Chan ran his hand several times through his hair, waiting for you to respond to his questions.“I got tired and wanted to do something different.”

“By running away?” He put his chopsticks down, trying to make the pieces connect in his head. “That’s not like you.”

“You left Iksan too, remember? And no one said anything about it.”

“I left because I have a job. I can’t just come and go as I please, you dummy.” He stopped, nodding slowly and letting the biggest smile you hadn’t seen he got the news he’d be debuting in Seventeen. “I get it now.”

“What?”

“You miss me, don’t you Y/N?”

“...Among other things,” you confessed after a moment. “It’s not the easiest thing to forget I had an older brother that was always there.”

“This is hard for me too. I have to constantly remind myself that Jisoo hyung is in the room next door, not you.” He remembered something that made him smile. “The other day I jumped on Jihoon hyung while he was asleep because I thought it was you. Apparently you’re not the only one who covers yourself with blankets. He locked me out until Mingyu hyung came home but I’d do it again.”

“You look like you have so much fun.”

“I do but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you either.” He stacked his your plastic bowl on top of his takeout box, getting ready to dispose of them. “You know, if you didn’t want ice cream anymore, you could’ve just said so.”

“How’d you…”

“Dad.”

“Figures. It’s not that I was tired of it; it just seemed that they always showed up when you couldn’t and I hated that. It was never a random day when the rain was falling and watering the plants or when the sun was out, making it too hot to go outside.”

“Come on then. Let’s go have ice cream, just you and me and then I’ll take you home.”

“That’s a two hour commute though! You don’t have to do that.” “You should’ve thought of that before you came all the way here. Now let’s go. We have an overdue bonding session waiting for us.” His phone went off and he read the text message and rolled his eyes, the corner of his lip quirking up.

“What?”

“It’s just Jun hyung.”“What’d he say?”

“He wants to know if you’re team coke or pepsi.”

“Just tell him Coke.” 

You managed to hear a “Nooooooooo,” echo through the wing as you walked out, you and Chan laughing as you passed by. You hadn’t expected to see your brother today, but you were glad you did.

[dancingwithdylan21]

I Fucking Knew It

Summary: It’s Thanksgiving at the Stilinski household and a certain guest catches Stiles’ attention.

Pairing: Fuckboy!Stiles x Reader

Prompt: “I won’t tell anyone that you’re scared of a girl.”

~

A sense of calm washes over Stiles Stilinski as he sets foot inside his Beacon Hills childhood home. The delicious aroma of turkey is wafting throughout and it immediately overtakes him. Not wasting any time, he hightails it towards the kitchen to visit with his favorite person of all time. 

“Hey Mom! Happy Thanksgiving!”

Claudia beams at the sound of her son’s familiar voice and pulls him into a tight hug, “Hi honey! I’m so glad you made it home.”

“Me too.” He delivers with a warm smile before kissing her on the cheek.

Unfortunately Stiles has been missing in action lately, he hasn’t celebrated a holiday with his family in some time. His crazy consuming job at the bureau keeping his ass in Washington DC for the last year.

“Who’s coming today?” Stiles asks twisting the cap off of a frosty beer. “Anyone good?”

“Everyone! They’ll all be happy to see you.“

“Naturally.” He smirks before chucking a cube of cheese into his mouth, earning himself an eye roll from Claudia.

The house soon starts bustling as family and friends start to pile in with goodies in hand. The constant focus on Stiles is overwhelming him to say the least - how many times does he have to answer the same shit?

The agent sneaks away to the kitchen for alone time, only to find his long time best friends making out aka devouring each other, "What the fuck, guys. People eat in here.” He scrunches up his face at Scott and Alison.

Scott detaches from his girlfriend’s lips, “Yeah I was just about to eat something.” He winks making Alison giggle.

“Stop it right now. I refuse to be nauseous on Thanksgiving!” Stiles huffs loudly. 

“Dude, chill...” 

“No, McCall. There’s way too many delicious things to eat...”

Claudia grins walking into the room, the sound of the two boys bickering is oddly comforting. It’s finally feeling like old times again around here. The couple start laughing on their way out of the kitchen making Stiles finally smile with victory. 

"The Andersons just came in the door.” Claudia informs checking on the cinnamon cookies in the oven. "Stiles go say hi to Y/N and see what she wants to drink.”

A confused expression breaks out on the agent’s face, "Who?” He moves around the corner, not prepared for what he’s about to see.

You’re easily the most gorgeous girl that Stiles has ever laid his eyes on and it makes his heart speed up. He’s been staring, not even aware until you break him out of his trance with a friendly wave. A nervous smile appears on his lips before rushing back into the kitchen.

"Smooth, moron.” Stiles groans to himself.

“What does she want?” Claudia wonders with her back to him.

“Huh?” Stiles says distracted.

“What does Y/N want to drink?” His mom sighs, wiping her hands on the apron that she’s wearing.

"I didn’t ask.” Stiles answers with a frown. "Who is she?”

Claudia halts her movements, locking eyes with her son like he’s a mad man, "She lived down the street, sweetheart. You two played video games constantly. Almost everyday.”

“Wait what…”

“I always had to yell about going out and getting some fresh air.” She finishes with a chuckle.

"That's…there’s no way that’s her.” Stiles adds with wide eyes, his mouth now turning dry.

“Yup. That’s her.”

“But she moved away in the eighth grade with her family. I never saw her again.” Stiles squints at his mother, trying to search for any signs of a lie.

“I know. She moved back about a year ago. You’d know that if you ever came home for the holidays.” Claudia sasses with a hand flying to her hip.

Stiles ignores his mom’s comment, too distracted when the image of you as a kid pops into his head. "She was such a tomboy. I forgot she was a girl most of the time.” Stiles adds surprised.

“Not anymore.” Mary sing songs, unable to hold back a laugh over her son’s deer in headlights look.

Stiles is unbelievably caught off guard, still not convinced that you’re the girl who he spent countless hours with. There’s really only one way to find out the truth. He’s going to test you. First he just needs to find the balls to approach you.

"Hi Mary!” You stroll into the kitchen wearing an infectious smile, not missing how your childhood friend tenses up.

“Hi sweetie! You look beautiful.” She greets, wrapping her arms around you for a hug.

Stiles gives you a quick smile when you turn towards him but it barely lasts before he looks away. Well this is strange, you’ve always heard that he’s such a ladies man. It definitely doesn’t seem it though.

You’re about to strike up a conversation with Stiles when Scott mischievously barrels into the room. Without warning, he hoists you up off the ground making you squeal in surprise. When he finally sets you down, you notice that Stiles has weirdly disappeared. 

“Need any help?” You ask Claudia, giving Scott his cue to excuse himself before he’s put to work as well.

“You can move the cinnamon cookies onto a platter.” She gestures to the baking sheets behind her. "It’s been awhile since you’ve seen Stiles huh?”

“Yeah. Seems like forever ago.” You admit. “He seems sorta…quiet. Which I didn’t expect because I’ve heard that he’s a real charmer. And also always talking.”

Claudia bursts out laughing, "Yeah. I usually can’t get the boy to shut up. I think it’s because of you.” She playfully winks.

“Me?” You furrow your brows.

“My ridiculous son doesn’t believe that you’re the girl who grew up down the street.”

“Huh.” You giggle softly. “That’s funny.”

~

Stiles searches like crazy for his best friend, finally spotting him hanging out in the backyard. "Ya know the girl that you picked up in the kitchen?”

"Uh yeah…” Scott shoots him an amused look. "What about her?”

“My mom said that she’s the Y/N from when we were younger but it’s not, right?” Stiles studies his reaction closely.

Scott knows what he’s about to do is wrong but he can’t help himself, “Nah. Different Y/N. Your mom always gets the two confused, man.”

“That makes more sense! There’s no way that’s the same girl.” Stiles snickers at him.

Scott refrains from rolling his eyes, a smirk then appears when he sees you walking in their direction. His friend soon catches on, resulting in opposite reactions from each guy.

“Hey.” You grin wide at them, getting a friendly smile from Scott and an awkward one from Stiles.

A ringtone breaks the silence causing Stiles to veer off to the side to answer it. He starts pacing as he talks, his unusual amount of energy is definitely entertaining you.

"Is he always this weird, Scotty?”

“Yup.” He cracks a knowing smile. “It’s worse than normal because of you though.”

“That’s what his mom said too! I don’t get it.” You sigh watching Stiles.

Scott shrugs, "Just a heads up…he asked if you were really the Y/N from down the street. I may have lied and said no.”

“McCall!” You gasp causing you both to erupt into laughter.

“I know, I know. He makes it too easy sometimes.”

“Jeez. Was I that shitty looking back then?” You frown getting a shocked reaction from Scott.

“Not at all, Y/N.” He assures you. “You were just different than the other girls we were around. All they cared about was makeup and going to the mall. You were more into sports and video games.”

"Yeah that’s true…”

“Plus you always wore your brother’s clothes for some reason.” Scott chuckles at the memory.

“Yeah well…I hated all the girly shit back then. My brother’s t-shirts had skulls and stuff so I liked them. My mom wouldn’t buy them for me.” You explain with a giggle.

Stiles ends his call and heads back over to you both, the action makes Scott suddenly announce that he needs more beer. Awesome. Now you and Stiles are standing here alone.

So…you gonna talk to me or run away again?” You speak up with a giggle.

Stiles hesitates then rubs the back of his neck, “I didn’t run away, Y/N.”

You shrug lazily, “Don’t worry, dude. I won’t tell anyone that you’re scared of a girl.”

Stiles’ demeanor instantly shifts, he smugly cocks his head at you, "Oh please, sweetheart. No one would believe you.”

Well shit. There’s the Stiles that you’ve heard so much about. That seems to break the ice and you both continue on with the small talk. But in the back of Stiles’ mind, he keeps wondering if maybe you are the girl from his childhood.

Back then you two were very competitive and constantly played Mario Kart on Wii. He always picked Mario and you always picked Luigi. You both would trash talk all day about whose choice is better.

Even when you weren’t playing, Stiles would randomly exclaim “Mario!” making you always shout “Luigi!” in response. He finally decides it’s now or never to man up and test you about his possible theory.

“Mario.” Stiles states casually, no doubt now eyeing you.

“What?” You play dumb like a pro but it’s literally killing you to not scream "Luigi”.

“Um…”

“Did you say Mario?” You quirk an eyebrow at the brunette. He clears his throat loudly with a slight redness flushing his cheeks.

“Uh...”

“Who’s that?” You question innocently.

Stiles shakes his head at you, "Never mind.” He’s now avoiding eye contact and it’s the cutest thing ever.

You offer him a kind smile and continue to pretend that you’re clueless. Up until a minute ago, the dynamic between you and Stiles drastically improved. It definitely helped when he became less scared of you.

You find yourself sneaking peeks at Stiles, his handsome features almost leaving you breathless. Of course he’s guilty of doing the same thing, trying hard not to get caught.

“Would you like to go out sometime?” Stiles inquires with a boyish grin.

“I’d love to.” You sweetly peck his cheek then start walking backwards. "I’m gonna run inside and grab us a snack. Ok?”

You spin around fast, not allowing Stiles to respond before you rush off towards the deck. After a quick glance at him, you start climbing up the stairs and then pause at the slider door. Without a second thought, you peer over the deck railing and call Stiles’ name.

"One more thing…”

“Yeah?”

“Luigi!” You exclaim proudly before booking it into the house with a laugh.

Stiles’ mouth drops open at your confession, "I fucking knew it.” He chuckles to himself.

~

Masterlist 

[siriuslystarbucks]

Proposing Is A Great First Date

On the one hand, it seemed like a mistake to propose to Sirius when they weren't even dating. On the other hand, fuck you Moony this is a great idea.

Remus blinked at him, expression incredulous. "How is this a great idea? I don't think it's exaggerating when I say this is the worst idea you've ever had." James definitely thought that was an exaggeration, because he remembered some of his ideas at Hogwarts and they weren't gems. "Do you even fancy him?"

"He's my best mate."

"That's not the same."

"Course not, this is better."

Remus looked like he was about to scream in frustration. "James, you don't marry someone because you're friends."

"My parents say that you should be best friends with the person you marry. Sirius is my best friend, therefore-"

"No. Absolutely not. That is not what they meant."

"You know that for sure?"

"Yes! I do!"

"Now who's exaggerating? Besides, they didn't say anything about it when I told them I was going to propose."

Remus was a gaping statue at that. "I can't believe you did better than me at school. James. Do your parents know that you aren't dating?"

James blinked at him guilelessly. "Why wouldn't they? I never told them we were together."

((Read the rest below or on AO3))

"Think about it! How many married couples do you know that are 'just friends'?"

"I wouldn't know, would I? I'm not a nosy bastard." The unlike you went unsaid.

"You are so," Remus mumbled, but that wasn't the point. He rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the last traces of his patience hanging on by a spider's web. "James, I want you to do one thing for me. Just one."

"What is it?" James asked suspiciously, clearly not trusting that Remus wouldn't say 'don't propose to Sirius'.

"Tell Regulus about this. And not just that you're proposing, I want you to explain that you and his brother aren't dating."

"I don't see what's in this for me."

"If he gives you the all clear after knowing the entire situation, then go ahead and ask Sirius. I'll stop badgering you about it, solemnly swear."

"Deal."

They walked away from that agreement, both of them confident that things would turn out in their favour. Remus thought of Regulus as the most reasonable person within their group-- extended though it was these days-- and Reg had grown rather protective of his brother since they reconnected. He'd talk some sense into James, whether the Marauder liked it or not. James was confident that Regulus would agree with his reasoning for, well, the same reason as Remus. Regulus was smart and cared about Sirius, so clearly he'd agree with him. Because honestly, who was going to love Sirius better than James? Answer: no one.

James apparated home to his and Sirius's flat-- a temporary location while they looked at new houses and Potter properties alike-- and sent a floo message to Reg asking if they could meet for lunch or a cuppa.

He didn't know what Remus was freaking out over, it's not like Sirius was going to say no. At least, he didn't think he would. Sirius would get randomly commitment-phobic at times, and sad though it would be, that was a possibility for when he proposed. He really hoped that wouldn't happen, because what did people do when they got turned down in a proposal? There was no graceful way of bowing out or pretending you were fine if that happened. And what would he do with the ring? He'd already bought it, and okay honestly he'd bought the ring thinking that it would look nice on Sirius's hand, and then the jeweler asked him when he was planning on asking, and as he made up a story about who it was and how they got together, the plan to propose to Sirius formed.

A minute later, the floo roared, and Regulus stepped into the room, brushing soot from his robes. "I've got half an hour and plenty of energy to gossip; let's do this."

James was a bit surprised since he'd been thinking about meeting later today, but then he remembered that he'd forgotten to specify a time. Besides, the sooner they talked, the sooner he could propose. "Come in," James said, nodding at the kitchen table, "I'll put the kettle on." It only took a minute to flick his wand at the kettle until it was hissing, to grab the cream and sugar for the table, and to set the tea bags in mugs to steep.

"So," Regulus said, swirling the tea bag through the water by the string, "what's new?"

"I'm planning on proposing to Sirius, and Remus thinks it's a bad idea."

"Ah. So you called me to take sides?"

"Basically."

"Why's he against it?"

"He says that since we're not dating it would be stupid."

Regulus didn't react to that, just kept dragging his tea bag through the liquid as he looked at James. "You're not together?"

"No."

"Hm." He added some sugar, then went back to stirring it. "It is unusual. But," he said with a shrug, "the sort of unusual that Sirius likes being a part of."

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"I don't think it's a completely horrible one."

James grinned. "Thanks."

Regulus didn't point out that his response wasn't necessarily agreeing with James, but he was also aware that arguing wouldn't do a bloody thing. So he kept any additional feelings about it to himself and brought the mug up to his lips for a drink. "Alistair is on another level with the hippogriff shit he's been pulling, recently. Lucy's not going to take it forever, and I, for one, hope I get to be there when he gets fired."

James laughed, diving head first into the gossip like he always did when they met up.

*

James cleaned up the flat, making sure everything looked perfect for when Sirius got home. Which he did, a few minutes after James finished and was contemplating if he had the time to clean the ceiling fan. He'd decided that he did, which meant that right as Sirius walked in, James was putting a chair under the fixture about to step up.

"Are we having a dinner party?" Sirius asked, looking around the spotless flat.

"A dinner party with a guest list of two: you and me."

"Isn't that true every night?"

"Yeah, but tonight's special."

"How so?"

"You'll see," James said with a wink.

"I'm not very good at waiting," Sirius warned, but there was a smile on his face that meant he was excited for whatever James had planned.

James put the chair back at the kitchen table and dusted it off even though there was nothing there. "Well we won't have a problem then will we? Food should be here in twenty minutes."

"And you're not going to tell me what all this is about until after we eat."

"You need to take a shower before then, it'll be like no time at all has passed before you know." It would also give James the time to retrieve the ring and dress in something proposal worthy.

However, James found all of his clothes markedly unworthy, and was dressed in the same thing when Sirius got out of the shower, as he had been when Sirius got in. Oh well, it's not like Sirius's answer was dependent on how nice he looked. He walked out of the loo dressed only in boxers and still toweling off his hair, and James's heart beat harder in his chest.

"I hope you realise that I'm giving up a lot to dress in anything other than sweats to your special dinner."

"Our special dinner," James corrected. In his failure to find a new wardrobe, he'd forgotten to retrieve the ring, and it would be suspicious for him to grab it now.

There was a knock on the door, and James left to go answer it. He set the food on the table and started unpacking it, only knowing that Sirius had arrived when arms circled around his waist and Sirius's chin rested on his shoulder. "Ooo Indian, you're spoiling me." He pressed a kiss to James's cheek, making him feel warm inside.

"You deserve it."

Sirius laughed, walking around towards the table and sitting down. "You are great for my ego, I hope you know that."

"We get along pretty great, don't we?"

"Er yeah Jamie, that's why we're best mates."

"Well yes, but have you ever thought that maybe we should do more than share a flat together?"

"I thought we were planning on moving to a house soon. Does that count?"

"You know what I mean."

"I really don't." Sirius opened one of the cartons and dug in. "Perhaps you should enlighten me?"

"Will you marry me?"

Sirius froze. He finished chewing and set his food down. He looked at James like he was expecting for him to laugh and say 'just joking'. "We're not a couple."

"I know, but what does that matter?"

"What does it- James! People get married when they're so in love that they can't bear to spend the rest of their life without them."

"That's how I feel about you," James replied.

"You're in love with me?"

"I- well I love you, isn't that enough?"

"Not for a marriage."

"You're saying no."

Sirius covered his face with his hands. "Of course I'm saying no. James, you can't just ask me to marry you when we still have the opportunity to meet other people and fall in love."

James swallowed thickly. "I guess I should have listened to Remus then huh."

Sirius froze, then dropped his hands. "You talked to Remus?"

"Yeah, wanted to know if he'd be happy for us. It was stupid," James said, pushing himself back from the table, "I never should have-" He stopped when Sirius grabbed his arm.

"Did Remus say anything about-" Sirius cleared his throat "-me?"

James blinked. "Well I mean, we were talking about my idea, so a little bit yeah. Why?"

"Nothing, forget about it," he said, dropping his hand, but James didn't move.

"No no no, why did you ask that? What were you afraid Remus told me?"

Sirius cleared his throat again, and when he talked it was quiet. "That I'm in love with you. That I have been since we were fourth years running around Hogwarts together. He- Remus, he always thought I should tell you. Guess if I had we could've avoided this..." he trailed off trying to think of a word to accurately describe what just happened, but he couldn't so he remained silent.

"Oh."

"I'm not really that hungry, thanks for it though, it tastes great," Sirius said, rushing from the table and past James towards his room, closing the door resolutely behind him.

There was a single, very awkward day in which they avoided each other and only glimpsed each other once as James was scrounging about for food, and Sirius was headed on his way out. James thought about it and figured out what he was feeling, then sat on the couch and waited for Sirius to get home. It took a ridiculously long time in his opinion. How long did Sirius need to be out and about anyways? There weren’t people more interesting than him, after all.

It's not like James was impatient or anything, but the beautiful speech he'd planned-- talking about their many years of friendship and how James hadn't been able to realise that it was love love he felt until he'd heard Sirius say it-- went out the window. It felt like the timing was no longer perfect and that annoyed him, so when Sirius came home, he just sorta threw the ring at him and said, "I love you too, you prat. If we have a long engagement we can get through all the dating milestones before the wedding."

With a fumbling hand, Sirius caught the ring box, peeking it open. "You... bought me a ring."

"Well I wasn't bloody well going to propose without one, was I? And by the way," he said, getting to his feet and walking over to Sirius, "if anyone asks, you said yes the first time I asked."

"Technically I haven't said yes yet."

"I know you want to date, so we might as well save ourselves the time and start planning the wedding."

"I don't think this is how relationships go," Sirius commented, but he put the ring on his finger and admired the way it looked. "We haven't even had our first kiss."

"We've kissed before."

"Drinking games don't count."

"Now's the perfect time to fit one in that does count."

Sirius fisted a hand in James's shirt and pulled him forward, sealing their mouths together like he never intended to let go.

"The next time you jerk me around like that," Sirius growled, "I will kill you. When I say 'I love you', you say it back. Let's try. James, I love you."

"Aww you love me? That's so cute, my fiance-"

"I am going to bloody kill you."

[bnha-archive]

Maybe some angst headcanons about Tamaki, Kirishima, and Mirio’s s/o dying in battle? If that’s too angsty I understand lol.

uH I love angst, bet. It’ll be titled like the other angst headcanons about losing a loved one but geared around combat. Also, WOW this got super angsty!!

SPOILERS FOR MIRIO’S HEADCANON

G

Headcanon: Losing a Loved One

Eijiro Kirishima

He kept telling himself that you’ve had worse, being thrown threw through a wall wouldn’t be enough to take you out of the fight–let alone… but he didn’t want to dwell on that possibility. 

It happened so fast.

One moment you were running back to the fight.

The next, you had been launched into a building, crashing through what must have been concrete.

He stumbles over rubble and debris (he’s bleeding from a couple of different places), calling for you.

Finally, he spotted you: face down with half of a wall collapsed on top of you.

He calls your name again and you stir, well you try to. The lower half of your body is pinned down.

He can’t lift it–there’s too much and relieving the pressure might hurt you more than helping. 

He hands shake as takes your bloodied ones in his own. 

Your eyes are hazy and he tries to keep you conscious and talking.

“H-hey! It’s gonna be alright. We’ll get Uraraka over here and Midoriya–we���ll get you out of there! We can go see that movie you keep talking about, the one from that book series?”

But you know the truth he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

“I love you, Eijiro. I love you so much. You’re such a great hero.” 

The light leaves your eyes and your hand goes limp. 

The world around him went silent, the air stilled.

No

He didn’t remember what happened after that. 

According to Midoriya, he passed out from blood loss and shock–still holding your hand. 

As soon as he wakes up, he asks about you.

The look shared between Midoriya and Uraraka share tells him enough.

His time in the hospital blurs together, people come to visit him–Mina, Sero, Kaminari, and Bakugou.

Bakugou would visit the most, bringing good, games, books and what might even be called a ‘cheerful’ attitude (well as cheery as Bakugou could get)

He offered Kirishima a place to stay if he didn’t ‘want to stay in that dusty-ass apartment’. 

Kirishima appreciated the excuse to not go back to the home that the two of you had shared.

Going there… he couldn’t face it. 

Your funeral had been a public affair–thousands of people had turned up to mourn your loss.

Eijiro sees the tears of civilians: men, women, and children (some of whom were wearing homemade merch).

It was only after your funeral when he was finally alone that he cried. 

Kirishima would retire from the Hero scene two years later on the anniversary of your death.

The only person who gave him a hard time was Bakugou, “You think taking yourself out of action is gonna make you feel better? That it’s gonna make it easier to grieve or some shit?”

“I’ve been through therapy, Katsuki. I tried throwing myself into work–but that didn’t help. I’m not unbreakable anymore man. And if I can’t do my job, what’s the point?”

The blond just scoffed but didn’t make any more attempts to dissuade his friend.

Time, that’s what everyone said he needed. Time to heal.

But he knows there’s no amount of time that could bring back his confidence as an invincible shield. 

Mirio Togata (spoilers)

Overhaul was taunting him for losing his quirk. The villain was practically baiting the rest of the team… and you knew it.

You held your ground in front of your battered boyfriend and Eri as Nighteye charged the yakuza. 

“I’ve got your back, now get out of here Mirio and take Eri!” You gave him a grin that hid the exhaustion and anger. 

Midoriya appeared to get the two of them out of the room.

You turn to help your teacher, who faced off with Overhaul.

“Alright, you sonovabitch, you’ll pay for what you did!”

Those were the last words Mirio ever heard you say–he lead Eri away. 

At that moment, two spikes shot out of the ground and rammed themselves through the body of Nighteye.

You screamed as if you were the one who had been impaled as you threw yourself at Overhaul with the intent to kill.

Another spike appeared where your abdomen should have been and blood spurted out of your mouth. 

You tried to move, to unimpale yourself, to keep fighting–the adrenaline fueling you.

But you were stuck.

And the corners of your vision started to go dark…

You thought of Mirio and panicked–he would be so upset! Not the mention how angry Nighteye would be at you for becoming sloppy at the last moment.

I’m sorry

They would find your body among the rubble, expression pained and eyes looking toward where Mirio had escaped with dried tears on your cheeks. 

In a fell swoop, Lemillion lost two of the most important people in his life and his quirk.

He had lost everything…

But he couldn’t sit around doing nothing. 

With gusto, he takes up the role of being Eri’s companion.

He wasn’t sure how to live in a world without you, without Nighteye. 

Mirio knew that the two of them would have scolded him if he just moped around all day. 

Nejire and Amajiki weren’t sure how to help, other than being there for him if he needed it (which he did).

He would find a new purpose.

Bonus:

Everything went dark and silent around Nighteye. Mirio’s face faded from view as a great sorrow overtook the pro’s heart–he lost one pupil to Overhaul and other he had to leave behind. But he knew that Mirio would be alright, he had seen it after all.

“Sir!” His eyes snap open and he sees you in front of him–holding a small pile of manilla files and an attentive expression. “I brought the files you asked for, is there anything else?”

It was his office, spacious, organized and sprinkled with All Might merchandise. He looks to you, young and whole… and he allows a small smile. “No, this is just what I needed. Thank you.”

Tamaki Amajiki

He was foolish for thinking that something this good would stay in his life.

Foolish for believing you when you said you wouldn’t leave him. 

But… he wanted to believe you–wanted to stay with you for as long as possible.

Apparently, the universe had decided the expiration date for the relationship was today. 

It was supposed to be his day off–you were only going to go to Fatgum’s office to drop off some completed paperwork, then you’d be home. 

But duty called and you were available so of course, you dropped everything to go help.

He loves loved that about you, your selfless nature and willingness to sacrifice.

Just this once though, he wished you could have been more selfish. 

He fell asleep on the couch waiting for you to come home and only awoke when his cellphone rang 3 hours later.

“…Fat?” He mumbled in a sleepy haze

“Have ya been watchin’ the news, Tamaki?”

“No, I fell asleep… did something happen?” The silence on the other end sent his stomach turning in knots. It’s then that the dots connect. “Fat… please tell me that everything is ok and everyone is fine.” More silence.“Please.”

“Meet me at the office.”

So he did.

From the Pro’s office, the two took a car to a nearby hospital, Fatgum explaining best he could.

Apparently, you’d shielded a civilian family from an explosion and took heavy damage. But with your quirk (No Pain) you’d walked it off.

No one had known until it was too late–you collapsed on the pavement and medical examination proved their worse fears.

The explosive force had given you a severe concussion which had only been exacerbated by continued combat.

In short, you received so much damage that your body shut itself down to cope. And in doing so had put you into a coma. 

Tamaki wanted to believe that you would be alright.

He wanted to believe that you would wake up.

But he knows deep down there’s no chance of it.

Brain scans revealed limited and low activity.

Hell, you couldn’t even regulate your own body right so machines had to do it for you.

This wasn’t the first time you had been in a coma, your quirk made you highly susceptible to them.

But this would be the first and last time you wouldn’t wake up from one.

Eventually, all signs of brain activity ceased–and the only thing that kept your heart going was machinery. 

You were gone even though a monitor making noise said otherwise.

You were given a Hero’s Funeral–big names from all across the country appeared to honor your passing. 

If pressed, Tamaki would confess he doesn’t remember much of what happened during or after the funeral. 

Fatgum decided to consign the younger man to desk-duty, insisting that it would be temporary.

But Suneater knew that there was no way that he could go out into the public sphere.

The chance of him messing up was too great.

Mirio would show up randomly at his apartment or work with food and then proceed to eat with his best friend.

 Tamaki never said it, but he was grateful for the company.

Well, the company of someone who was still alive anyway.

He would see you flit by his desk, he could hear you as you would hum as you read reports. 

Sometimes, he delved into his mind and relived some of his fondest memories of you. 

And then there would be the days when he realized he couldn’t remember what your voice sounded like. 

Or how you smelled

Or what your eye color was.

He was terrified of forgetting you.

[largebeeffriedrice]

Choose Your Deity Carefully - Chapter 1

You can also find it on AO3 if that tickles your fancy more than reading it here on Tumblr. -shrugs- 

Anyway. This is just Loki story I randomly decided to start writing. Enjoy?

~

CHAPTER 1: BAD LUCK PERSONIFIED

~

Ever since I could remember, I had always loved Saturdays. Most likely because it was the first free day you have when attending school. But even as I got older--- and had other commitments that warranted eating up my free time--- I had still always loved that day.

Until a few weeks ago.

My luck had radically changed and the worse of it always happened on the first day of the weekend.

I was constantly being called into work (even though we weren't open on Saturdays), whole baskets of laundry would disappear as soon as the washer or dryer would shut off at the laundry mat, drinks were spilled, food dropped and stepped on, dogs chasing me on my walk home, nice clothes ripping, and lots and lots of puddles but no rain.

While some of my bad luck would seep into other parts of the week, like Megan from accounting losing my paycheck two weeks in a row, Saturday still took the brunt of the force. It was honestly starting to really bum me out.

This particular day, I was finding myself trying to wave down a taxi with one shoe missing, half of my hair shorter than the rest, and fake blood smeared down my thighs. I don't even want to go into the details on how all of this happened. Let's just say I was never going to agree to attend a nephew's birthday party at Chucky Cheese's ever again.

After the fifth unoccupied taxi blew past me, I let myself slouch against the 'no littering' sign next to me and started to full on sob.

Dear Reader, I am not afraid to tell you that they were no-punches-pulled cries and wails that left my mouth at that moment.

What makeup I had been able to put on was most likely streaking and blotting across my cheeks as tears flowed unbidden from my eyes.

Pitifully, I heard myself say, "Why does this shit keep happening? Am I not praying enough or something? I will literally worship whatever deity I have to if it means my luck changes."

There was no way I could have known what was coming. If I had then I would never have uttered those words.

But I'm not capable of messing with the flow of time, like some people, so when a gentle warm breeze had suddenly brushed against me on that cool October day... I had let it trick me into relaxing and feeling hopeful.

Which is probably what made me so accepting of the small bit of luck that happened next.

The wind had soothed my emotional mind just enough that I had stood myself back up straight and attempted to wipe at the makeup melting down my face.

That was when a black Toyota Venza had pulled up in front of me and the window had rolled down quickly to reveal a tall, dark-haired man wearing a nondescript black hoodie.

"Excuse me, Madam," his baritone voice eased my frayed nerves immediately and I found myself moving closer to the car without a second thought to my safety, "I'm here to pick up Adelia Bergs?"

All I could do was blink owlishly at him. I hadn't ordered or called for a car. That was one of my other bad luck moments: I'd left my phone sitting in the bathroom in my apartment. At least I hope that's where I left it.

"That's my name but I think you must be looking for another Adelia Bergs since I didn't call for a car," I said while trying not to sound disappointed and also like I could cry again at any moment. Not that I really felt that way, what with his beautiful green eyes watching me carefully, but I just knew how easy it was to make me start balling.

He looked down at the console of the vehicle before picking up and reaching out his phone for me to see, "Is this your address? Because that's where I'm heading."

At that moment I was so alarmed and shocked to see my address that I completely failed to hear the snicker he released at my gasp and blindly missed his impish grin when I dumbly nodded my head.

"Yeah, that's so weird. I don't know how this happened but I guess you're taking me home."

Then I did the stupidest thing any woman has ever done. I stepped into the unmarked vehicle of a man who somehow knew my name and address even though I hadn't given it to him.

It was assuredly the worst my luck had ever been.

~

"Oh, it would have been way easier to turn down that street. I guess it's okay. This way just takes longer," he seemed not to notice my soft words as he continued to just drive along with traffic.

After hopping into the back of the wagon--- have you ever seen a Venza? it's a wagon--- I'd tried to secretively use the rearview mirror to clean up my face but ended up stopping when I caught the reflection of his piercing eyes squinting back at me.

"I think for the things we need to talk about... the long way is the best way."

Before he was even done with his sentence, his body had suddenly vanished in a quick glow of green light and reappeared next to me in the backseat.

I almost screamed. Truly, I impressed myself by not screeching loudly and not jumping forward into the driver seat to grab the steering wheel. I think it was because after he had reappeared, my mind had immediately noticed that the wheel was still moving.

Clearly, magic. As if I didn't already know that from the teleportation act but I just readily accepted it.

Why not? My day had been really strange and shitty up to this point anyway.

Plus, I lived in a world where a guy had been woken up from an ice block after 70 years and my second cousin (twice removed) went to a school for people with superpowers.

So, instead of panicking about magic, I freaked out about a strange man suddenly sitting close to me in the back seat of a vehicle.

"Hold your horses there, mortal. I'm not going to eat you," a devilish grin spread across his slim face, as he surprisingly grabbed my hands in a gentle grip to stop me from pulling at the door handle, "unless you really want me to."

"No, that's quite alright. No eating here tonight. Thank you," I tried to smile back, a nervous habit, but still struggled to pull my hands back to myself. It's not like I knew what to do with my hands once I got them free but that didn't stop me from wishing he'd release them.

"Okay. But just know that I grant more favors for sexual acts," his words brought my struggling to a halt and he finally let go of my wrists with a haunting chuckle.

"Favors? Sexual acts?"

"Well, you said you'd worship any deity that helped you, right?"

I just sat there silently. The fact that this guy somehow knew about me saying that led me to believe that there was really no need to answer him. Yet, he arched a dark eyebrow at me and waited until I finally nodded my head.

The motion made me feel a little dizzy and I murmured, "How can you help me?"

The tall man--- deity? god?--- huffed playfully and waved his hand close to me, causing gold sparks and mist to appear and swirl in the air.

The magic seemed to move and dance until a smaller, golden form of myself appeared. Tiny me peeped up and then quickly looked away in a bashful manner. Seemingly embarrassed about me looming over her.

"For every act of worship or offering that you make to me," tiny me turned to the man and curtsied low for him, "I will grant you a favor. Like a day of good luck in exchange for some pretty graffiti art, as an example. But the bigger the favor asked then the pricier the offering I will require."

The little gold version of myself jumped around the middle of the seat. It was honestly kind of hard to guess what kind of tasks she was acting out in order to please the deity, but the way his eyes gleefully scrunched up at the sight of her made me wish to know. Whether to actually perform them or avoid them I was unsure of.

"Am I allowed to refuse?"

My tinier version suddenly glowered up at me in shock, her hand coming up to cover her mouth before she slowly seemed to blow away into dust.

When I lifted my eyes from her disappearing particles I was a little unnerved to find the man staring blankly at me. His eyes were dark and his facial expression was tight but neutral.

That was apparently the wrong thing for me to say. Though if I could go back to even this moment, I'd have warned myself to stick with being apprehensive.

"You could," he finally, carefully said. "But where would be the fun in that?"

His face still gave nothing away and we rode in silence for a few more moments; with us just staring at one another.

Was I up for the task of actually actively worshipping someone? Not someone. Something?

What if he asked for a virgin sacrifice? I did not have the balls to do that. I couldn't even commit to "accidentally" tripping people; there was no way I was going to murder someone just to please an otherworldly being.

I let myself look out my window for roughly a minute before glancing back at him and asking, "Can I think about it?"

This seemed to renew him and a half smirk appeared while he reassured me, "Of course, of course. I'd think a couple days would be fair. Wouldn't you say?"

Not really sure why he asked if that was fair since he gave me no time to answer. My hand was suddenly being firmly grasped in his and bobbed up and down in a handshake.

"I will see you later then, darling," the dark-haired deity made to open the car door, even though the vehicle was still moving, and I quickly yelped and tried to reach out for him.

My fingers stopped just an inch away from his hoodie and I stared unblinkingly at him. He was no longer retreating from the car but instead was fixing me with a half amused, half anxious glare. I couldn't convince my body to move and had to helplessly watch as he brought his hand up to press his fingertips against mine.

"It's best to not touch me without my permission. I'd hate to take it the wrong way."

Was the wrong way considered sexual or violent? That was all my mind could come up with for what he was implying. Which stung a little since truly I had reached out to try and help him NOT end up as roadkill.

Thankfully, I found that I was at least allowed to talk, "How will I contact you to let you know if I made up my mind?"

His fingertips retreated and his voice dropped lower than before as he said, "Perform your first act of worship, mortal."

I fell into the seat as my body suddenly moved and finished reaching out to him. But my hand came up empty and I sprung back up to look around. Now the backseat was void of anything but myself.

"Sweetheart, we're here," a cheery feminine voice from the front seat drawled at me and I whipped my head around to the source.

In the driver's seat sat a younger woman, probably just starting college, turned in the seat looking back at me. Her brown eyes gazed over my half leaning pose and her face scrunched up in confusion as she asked, "Did my driving knock you around back there?"

"No, no," I quickly assured her while patting my pockets for my wallet. I could feel every ounce of blood drain from my face when every pocket came up surprisingly walletless.

The only recovery I could think of was, "I was just looking to see if my wallet had fallen out back here. I can't seem to find it anywhere which makes me think I left it at the party. I'm not sure how I'm going to pay you."

"Wow, that sucks, hon! Maybe you should try and call a friend to look for it? But at least someone already paid for this ride for you."

Owlish blinking habits returned.

"The ride was paid for. By who?"

She scrambled to grab her phone from its mount on the dashboard and hurriedly brought it to her face. She typed and swiped before saying, "It failed to put the last name on here. But the first name is Loki."

"What?"

I was stuck between feeling confused and admittedly scared, while she seemed to find it funny.

"I guess someone pranked you."

Oh, yes, dear driver. I was in for a very long and embarrassing prank.

[khymer-vulture]

Happy Halloween everyone! got a holiday related fic for everyone! Hope you all are having a good one! :D

Set after Covering Our Tracks

The season felt so much colder than it needed to be, with a couple periods of cold snaps on a few nights, Zack could sense that it was going to be a very cold winter when it arrives. Though him and Ray had already made plans on what to do when winter came, he just hated when it showed signs of an early arrival – it was only October, for goodness sake.

The two had arrived into town last night, but now they’ve gotten full glimpses of the place to figure out what kind of town they were in, it seemed like one of those community type towns, given the team effort in keeping the place clean. Zack seemed to notice the place was heavily decorated, banners, window decals, and pumpkins all over the place. He’s seen them time and time again, but never really knew why, or even bothered to ask anyone.

“Huh…this shit again…” he mumbled aloud.

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“The shit people put all over the buildings, I see ‘em every fucking year,” Zack said.

“Oh, the Halloween decorations. Of course they’re everywhere, it happens every October…and tonight is Halloween,” Rachel replied.

“Th’ fuck is that?”

“Halloween? It’s this silly holiday, kind of horror themed, if you want to put it simply,” Ray said, “I know you wouldn’t care to hear the details of the history, but people like to decorate their homes as scary as possible. Others dress up in costumes, while kids go door to door to get free candy.”

“…Wait…kids just randomly show up and get candy? Shit, why haven’t I heard of this when I was a little brat?”

“Well, you do get candy now,” Rachel teased.

Zack’s retort was to mess up the girl’s hair. As the girl tried to fend him off, a thought came to her mind.

“Hey Zack, this may actually be a good thing,” Ray said, “on Halloween, everyone is going to be walking around in all sorts of costumes. The police won’t pay attention on looking out for you. That means tonight you can freely blend in and walk the streets instead of sneaking in the back alley.”

Zack raised a brow, “What are we going to do? I mean, yeah that sounds kind of sweet, but I’m gonna be surrounded by dumbasses and their fucking smiles.”

“Some of them will wear masks,” Ray said, “don’t worry about them, I was thinking maybe we’d spend this time to hang out, and not worry about hiding out or anything.”

“We pretty much hang out every day,” Zack grumbled, but Ray seemed to give him a pleading look. It was kind of annoying, but it was slightly cute, and it was enough to break down his mental wall of stubbornness, “Fine, fuck! I’ll fucking humor you, jeez.”

“Thank you, Zack. I know we’re together a lot, but I thought taking advantage of a situation like this would be interesting, “Rachel said, “just one night to roam about and be a little carefree.”

Even if it was just for one night, at least he didn’t have to worry about scouting for cops, or hostile strangers, they’ll be wandering the streets with other people – despite everyone getting all dressed up, it was almost like being normal. Damn, why didn’t he learn of Halloween sooner?

As soon as the sun set, the streets were getting filled with different people, many in different outfits and costumes. There were the small sums of families taking their children to get candy or visit haunted houses, while the more grown Halloween goers were finding different spots to congregate and party. Rachel stepped out, with no one giving her a second glance, but Zack seemed a little hesitant to walk out into the public. Slowly, he put one foot forward and emerged from the back alley, like Ray, no one really stopped to look at him.

“See? We’re blended in,” Ray said, then took his hand.

“I guess, it still feels fuckin’ weird,” Zack replied, “so, where are we going?”

“Let’s walk downtown for a while, maybe we’ll find a place to call it a night when we’re done,” Ray said.

It felt incredibly awkward to pass by so many crowds in the open, while the entire populace remained blissfully unaware that an actual killer walked among them, and not in some silly outfit. It was different, and a little nice to walk freely, but there was so many tempting faces to hack down. Ray sensed a firm squeeze in her hand, so she squeezed right back to bring Zack’s attention to her.

“Relax, Zack…we’re just walking.”

“Easier said than done, Ray…these peeps are like fucking sheep in front of a hungry wolf, ya’ know?” Isaac grumbled.

“Want something to eat to get your mind off of it?”

“Food sounds pretty fucking awesome right now,” Zack said.

There were some shops taking the opportunity for customers during the holiday, definitely a change in something else besides convenience store snacks for the night. Ray got something simple, like a sandwich, but she let Zack pick out whatever he knew would fill his belly. She quietly giggled to herself when she took notice that he avoided pizza, then again, she was to blame for that.

“Not going to give it a second chance? It’s not going to be spicy,” she teased.

“Hell to the fuck no, fool me fucking once, Ray,” Zack growled before chowing down on a burger, “that fucking slice was like biting into actual hellfire itself.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Ray said.

“Meh, it’s back then…don’t care about it now…”

They decided to stand there, next to the window of the shop, watching different people pass them by, the smiles did get on Zack’s nerves a little, but he was too preoccupied to really give a huge damn about it. Ray seemed pretty calm the entire time, observing the different costumes from the creative to the simple, and even pointed a couple to catch Zack’s interest. There were even some props that appeared stationary at first, but would spring to life when motion was detected, and it scared some people senseless. Watching the passerbys jump or scream from surprise made Zack let out a laugh, they could see much scarier things because of him, but for them to cower so easily was amusing.

“They don’t know what it’s really like to be scared,” he murmured with a sinister grin. “Will gotta admit though, this night ain’t too bad. Sure, peeps are agitating to look at, but actually roaming around instead of skulking has been pretty awesome. Watching ‘em get scared shitless is a plus.”

“Yeah, some people scare others or see if they can tough out being scared on Halloween,” Ray said, “that’s why some places make haunted houses. You’ll get bored of them though, everything is props and the shock value is nothing you’re already used to.”

“Saves us both some wasted time,” Zack said, then stood straight up. “Hey, let’s head back in the alley real quick. Need to find a spigot to wash up real quick.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you want to find a hotel instead?”

“Nah, just need to wash my hands and face,” Zack replied, “hands are a mess, and my scars are feeling a little agitated.”

Fair enough, Ray and Zack made their way to the back alley once more to locate a water spigot on one of the sides of a building. They managed to locate one in between a couple buildings, with part of the alley leading back out. Isaac was ready to turn the faucet, but he was uneasy of random visitors sneaking up on him.

“Hey, Ray. Do me a favor and keep an eye out, don’t want some asshole showing up unwanted,” he said.

“Got it.”

Rachel stood by the entrance of the alley to keep an eye out, she leaned against one of the buildings, as she could hear the water begin to run and the familiar rips of the fabric bandages being torn off. She’s already seen his scars before, and still remains unbothered by it, but she knew it was other people that were not to be trusted.  Isaac held his hands under the water and splashed some of it on his face, letting the cool liquid soothe his skin and clean off any grime.

“Feeling better, Zack?”

“Yeah, fucking refreshed,” he shouts to her, “just gotta cover up my ugly mug again.”

“Oh stop, you’re not ugl-” she said, with her sentence being cut off. Someone stood right in front of her and slightly towered over Rachel, with a hand propped at her side, as if to cut off any retreat.

It was a man, almost about Zack’s age, and from the familiar stench he had, he was wasted. Even in a cheesy Viking costume, she could see the hazed and inebriated expression on his face, but also predatory.

“Hey, what’s a cute thing like you doing alone? The back alleys are dangerous and no place for a young lady such as yourself.”

Rachel’s expression was flat and emotionless, she was not amused or interested in this stranger and his obvious intentions, judging from his body language.

“I’m aware, but I’m not interested in your company,” she said in a firm tone.

“Aww, come on, don’t be that way.”

Rachel was ready to smack away any face and limb to come in her direction.

“Is someone there, Ray?” Zack calls out.

“Unfortunately…”

The man’s demeanor began to change, she could see a growing jealousy in his expression, “Who the hell was that.”

“My company, now go away.”

The man huffed, he glanced ahead of Ray to see Zack wrapping a scarf around his head, and stand up to inspect what was going on. Isaac carried his scythe beside himself as he walked forward to Rachel and saw the man hovering slightly over her in some attempt to make him feel domineering. Zack growled to himself, he’s seen the body language before, but seeing it being displayed to Rachel, made his blood boil.

“Th’ fuck do you want? She ain’t interested, now piss off.”

Alcohol was the obvious decision maker for the man, tossing away all common sense to size up against this potential rival. Isaac was unintimidated, more annoyed, than anything else. Whatever punch the man was going to swing, he could block it or dodge it without a single care in the world. Like an open book, the man quickly began to try and throw punches in Zack direction, only for him to quickly move out of the way or bring an arm up to shield himself.

“Is that really how hard you can hit?” Zack taunted.

“Fuck you, asshole, why would anyone want to be with a skinny loser like you?”

He may appear thin, but there was a lot more to Zack than meets the eye, Isaac dodged one more punch from the man, but quickly grasped his arm to pull the man close and swiftly slammed his head against the drunk’s, then watched him reel back in pain.

Ray was ready to tell Zack for them to find another place to go, but the drunk quickly got back to his violent senses and charged at Zack, to try and tackle him to the ground. The impact made him drop his scythe, but his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground, he held the man with both hands to try and topple him onto the concrete and get them off. Isaac angrily growled as he roughly shoved him back and readied a fist for a vicious punch. The drunk reacted within seconds by grasping Zack’s scarf around his face, then was knocked back by the fierce blow. The punch knocked the man onto the ground, but he managed to get himself to sit back up, and noticed the shredded cloth in his hand.

Zack was stunned, the man ripped open a means of keeping his face concealed, and left his scars exposed for all to see.

“What in the hell?” the man muttered, “Christ, you’re a fucking freak.”

Freak.

A familiar insult Zack’s heard time and time again, not only has this person seen his face, but also insulted it and showed disgust. This infuriated Zack, he felt the stir of painful memories flood his mind, but also a strong desire to shut the drunkard up for good. Zack quickly lunged at the man before he could rise back to his feet, using one hand to pin him to the ground by the shoulder, and brought his arm back for an even stronger blow. There was no time to grab his scythe and eviscerate him, he wanted the guy to suffer for even exposing his appearance to begin with.

Blow after blow became much more brutal, he swung so hard that the impact even caused his own knuckles to bust and bleed. Rachel wanted to look away, and even heard a loud snap coming from the man - Zack had punched the man so hard, that he broke his jaw. The man was broken and bloodied, his eyes were even bruised and swollen from each swing.

The streets were still crowded, there was no way the two could hide a corpse, and Ray needed to stop the fight before a lethal blow was dealt. She rushed up to Zack’s side and quickly caught the man’s arm before he could swing once more, Zack glared at what stopped him, but he could see the pleading expression in her eyes.

“Zack, enough. Your point is made.”

“No, fuck that…I wanna kill him!” Zack hissed. He had that murderous gleam in his eye. “I’m not letting this fucker live with what he said.”

Soon, he felt Rachel’s hand on his cheek to keep his attention on her, such a warm touch on his skin made him freeze a little.

“I understand your frustration, but we’re still in the public. There’s no place to hide him. You knocked him out, he’s drunk, and I’m pretty sure he’s got a concussion now,” Ray said, “he’s going to forget. Leave him and let’s go.”

To ease his frustration, she took off her over shirt and handed it to Zack for him to use as a temporary face mask.

“Let’s hurry before others get curious and find out he’s not a prop,” Ray said, “I need to patch up your knuckles too.”

Isaac glanced at the battered and unconscious man, then grumbled to himself, if he wasn’t a wanted criminal, then he’d gladly finish the prick off. He tied the piece of clothing over his face, then walked over to retrieve his scythe. Zack even noticed the toppled headgear that belonged to the man during the scuffle, he huffed and scooped it up to place on his head.

“Mine now, fucker.”

Rachel took Zack by the hand to make their way down the street, it was starting to get late and the heavier crowds were dispersing - it was time for the duo to find a room to retire in for the night. Zack didn’t even have to really hide himself this time, the proprietor of the motel just assumed Isaac’s appearance was mostly a costume, and allowed them to book a room without question.

Zack was still agitated by the ordeal, but most of his frustration was being calmed from Ray nursing his wounds. His knuckles weren’t too bad, just a couple splits in the skin from rough impact, nothing an extra padding of bandages wouldn’t fix. He even allowed Ray to rewrap his face, feeling that strong sense of trust to allow her to see his appearance again.

“That hat looks ridiculous on you, Zack,” Rachel teased, as she took it off.

“Don’t hate, it’s my trophy now, and I’m gonna wear it proudly.”

Ray lightly rolled her eyes with a smirk, then carefully applied the wrappings over his scars, but she felt him lightly grasp her wrist.

“Hey, don’t wrap the whole face up tonight, you can do that later.”

“Okay…by the way…sorry tonight took a pretty heavy turn,” Ray spoke.

“Why are you sorry about it? It wasn’t your fault, it was that asshole trying to act all big,” Zack replied with a huff.

“I-I know, but I’m still partially at fault, that jerk did it to get my attention.”

Zack had a growl in his voice, “He shouldn’t have even tried, you’re still a brat, and whatever he wants with you ain’t his business. So, it ain’t your fault, he’s just being a nosy shit…plus, I could sense you were gettin’ uncomfortable, if he didn’t throw the first punch, I sure as hell was going to.”

“My hero,” she giggled, then felt him quickly bonk her on the head.

“Dumb shit…” Zack gruffly replied, then realized something, “Fuck, that guy…what if he doesn’t forget and tries to snitch about what happened tonight?”

“You broke his jaw, Zack…I don’t think he’ll be talking for a long time,” Ray replied, “then again, he was talking more out of his ass to begin with.”

Zack was silent for a moment before letting out an amused snort, followed by a snicker. He rarely ever heard Rachel swear, but her comment just now tickled the hell out of his funny bone, and immediately let out a hearty laugh.

“Holy shit, Ray…god damn, that was a good one.”

Ray began to laugh as well, she had to admit, it was pretty clever, then felt the man drop the plastic costume headgear atop her head.

“Alright, I’ll have to admit, the whole Halloween thing was pretty sweet. First time to roam around the place without folks staring at me or getting scared shitless. Back alleys are still a home turf for me, but trying something different was alright too,” Zack said, “Next time though, we’re getting candy - no ands, ifs, or buts.”

Ray quietly chuckled, “I’ll scope out for candy bowls, I really can’t see you going door to door and saying ‘Trick or Treat’ beside a bunch of little kids.”

“You’re supposed to do that?”

“Not really, but it’s still a funny thought,” Ray replied, keeping an amused grin.

Zack lightly rolled his eyes, “Whatever, smart ass. Get yer’ butt to bed.”

Rachel stood to her feet to go wash up and prepare herself for bed, Zack felt like saying one more thing to her.

“I guess you could say I had some fun, even if we didn’t do a hell of a lot, it’s still better than loafing around in a room and watching nothing on the TV, ya’ know?”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, maybe we can do something like it again, no interruptions this time.”

“I’ll sock ‘em before they get a chance to,” Zack said with a devious grin, “but yeah, I wouldn’t mind.”

He finally let Rachel go about her business before he would eventually hop into bed as well. The pair were always together during travel or camping out for the night, but the two haven’t casually hung out to unwind. Zack felt a strange level of comfort to accompany her under a different circumstance, even though it ended rather abruptly. He did seem interested how the next time would turn out.

Zack would also have to admit though, this supposed holiday did seem to be right up his alley, and was glad he got to experience some of it.

[artificialqueens]

your body as a museum of careless gestures (biadore) - dylann

A/N:

Adore’s impulsive, sure.

But she’s more “don’t sober up at all for 36 hours because you’re sad you can’t randomly drop your own responsibilities and fly out to Europe” impulsive than “actually fly out to Europe” impulsive.

(or

Bianca is vulnerable, homesickness is a real bitch, Europe is very far away and plane tickets are unreasonably priced. Also, old patterns are hard to break, especially when you don’t even want to break them.

A reunion fic, everyone. That’s what this is.

Drag names and she/her pronouns for both throughout most of this. Shoutout to Dare for some solid constructive criticism and noticing my missing paragraph breaks.

Content warnings for mentions of weed and alcohol; sex; minor breathplay)

They FaceTime once, in early August, while Bianca’s at an airport somewhere in Europe, and Adore’s shitfaced in Seattle.

She’s home after a local show, still in full makeup, but she’s pulled her wig off and her own hair is piled up at the top of her head in a messy approximation of a bun. Her phone keeps flashing on every couple of minutes, lighting up with various notifications.

Bianca liking a recent Instagram post, or the occasional tweet, or commenting on pictures they’re both tagged in. It’s the clear signs of someone who’s bored and in some sort of situation where they can’t do much besides fuck about on their phone.

Adore knows she shouldn’t text because— well, because she isn’t having the best night anyway, and while talking to Bianca might help at first, it’d probably fuck her up worse in the long run.

She’s stripped down to her underwear and the remnants of a practically destroyed Sex Pistols tank top when her phone buzzes again. It’s another Facebook comment, and she caves.

To Bea 🍹 (3:27:02am) how the fuck bored are you??

Bianca fires back a 😂 almost immediately, and then types a response. The three dots that indicate her thinking pop up a few times, until she settles on

To Adore 🔞 Delano (3:30:03am) Airport. Plane’s delayed.

(3:30:12am) cafe’s not even open, I hate Europe.

Adore mutters “No, you don’t,” to herself as she situates herself in the middle of her bed. Last night’s bowl is still half-packed at the sill of her open window, and she thanks past-Adore for being so considerate as she picks it up and takes a hit. 

And then she remembers Bianca can’t actually hear her.

To Bea 🍹 (3:31:45am) no you dont

(3:31:57am) can i call you???

To Adore 🔞 Delano (3:32:05am) 🙃👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

Adore props her phone on her nightstand, and tilts the small reading lamp so it hits her face from the right angle. She’s wearing very light sea green contacts, and she knows for a fact her eyes look stunning.

The connection takes a moment and then the black screen lights up to reveal Roy who looks like a parody of an airplane traveller. He’s clearly exhausted and bleary-eyed under the rim of his baseball cap, and he’s wearing a plush fuchsia pink travel pillow around his neck like a goddamn statement piece.

Adore lets out a delighted laugh, and then goes,

“You look horrible.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Roy laughs, giving his camera a long look. “Isn’t it, like, way past your bedtime?”

“Has anyone ever told you you use emoji like a thirteen year old girl with a secret Instagram account?” Adore fires back.

“Are you calling me old?” Roy asks, feigning offense well enough that it makes Adore break and she shoots the camera a shit-eating grin as she nods and lights up her bowl again.

“Call me old one more time and I’ll buy a house somewhere in central Europe, take up farming, and never fucking come back,” Roy threatens lightly.

“No one would miss you here,” Adore says, perhaps a second too late to be funny.

Roy doesn’t answer, which is fine. Adore is usually obsessed with filling silences, like it’s her personal responsibility to make sure everyone’s constantly entertained. Roy’s an exception.

They’ve been silent around each other enough that it hasn’t felt awkward in years. 

“How’s Europe?” she asks eventually.

“Fun. Loud. Really fucking hot,“ Roy shrugs. He reaches up and presses his thumb against the bridge of his nose before rubbing along the outline of his eye socket. It’s rare and unsettling to see him that quiet and clearly drained.

Adore smokes and watches him as she contemplates how okay it’d be to say what’s actually on her mind.

“Hey, Bea?” she says quietly, as she shifts to lie down on her stomach.

“Yeah?”

“You look really tired. But um— I hope you’re just tired? Europe’s not making you, like, sad, is it?” Adore trails off for a second and presses her eyes shut as she refocuses. “That’s dumb. I mean. A continent can’t make you sad, right? I don’t know—“

“I’m fine,” Roy says and his face lights up with a small, fond smile which makes him look more like himself. “How are you doing? You look—“

“Fucking wasted?” Adore supplies. She aims for a joke but it just kind of comes out tired and flat. Plus, selling Roy the whole act is kind of pointless. “Yeah. I had a weird night, I don’t know. The whole album thing is fucking stressing me out.”

“People are gonna love it,” Roy says quickly, earnestly. He seems more awake. “They’re gonna eat that shit up.”

“You’re supposed to say that ‘cause you love me,” Adore whines jokingly, but then he just shrugs and nods in agreement, which makes her soften. “Thanks. Honestly. It’s just so— people wanna hear the old shit, you know? And the new stuff’s so different, I just— what if they don’t wanna hear it?”

“They keep asking for the old stuff ‘cause they haven’t heard your new stuff,” Roy reasons. He’s holding his headphones’ microphone close to his lips and it sort of feels like he’s in the room and talking directly to her if she closes her eyes.

“You’re right. Thanks, Bea,” she sighs, and then bites her lip as she adds softly, “I miss you.”

“Come to Europe,” Roy laughs a little. He can always recognize when she’s on the brink of some sad spiral and can usually pull her right back out. Adore opens her eyes to watch him laugh at the camera.

It’s impossible not to smile back.

“Right, are you gonna fly me out?” she laughs, making a show of pursing her lips at the camera.

“You wish,” Roy grins, and then his eyes drift over to something out of frame. Some sort of airport announcement comes through the speaker of Adore’s phone, entirely too far away and jumbled to be understandable.

“Hey, listen, I gotta go,” Roy says. “I might finally get to make it to a plane.”

“Awesome, fly safe,” Adore nods, scrunching up her nose as she fights off a yawn.

“You get some rest,” Roy adds. “This was fun, let’s—“

“More often. Yeah. I’ll call you.”

Adore smiles, and they say their goodbyes and hang up.

And then they don’t talk again for weeks.

***

The morning after the last FaceTime call, Adore had woken up with a screenshot of her own bank account, and a bunch of screenshots of various potential flights on her phone. Looking at them (and maybe the hangover) had made her sick, and she’d deleted them with her eyes half closed.

Adore’s impulsive, sure.

But she’s more “don’t sober up at all for 36 hours because you’re sad you can’t randomly drop your own responsibilities and fly out to Europe” impulsive than “actually fly out to Europe” impulsive.

It’d been days, maybe weeks, after the call when an ad had popped up on her Instagram feed, quite aggressively advertising Bianca’s upcoming gig on Fire Island.

New York is, in comparison to central Europe, closer.

Closer, easier to get to, slightly more reasonable.

So Adore had called her manager and said she’d do that one interview she had scheduled over the phone, and that she was going to be out of town for a few days. Her manager wasn’t impressed, but it was just a weekend, and she’d already made up her mind.

She doesn’t really call or let anyone else know she’s going.

When she walks into the club, the security guard gives her and her ID a long, curious look, but other than that, it’s dark enough that no one really notices or pays attention to her.

She’s wearing a Bianca t-shirt she’s mercilessly cut up into a douchey tank top tucked into a short, faux leather mini skirt with an unnecessarily chunky zipper in the front. Underneath the tank top, she’s in a lacy black bandeau that only draws attention to the boy chest, which is the exact effect she’s aiming for. The tight fishnet covering her legs culminates in heeled combat boots. Her hair is long and black and just messy enough that from afar, she looks like she could be just another girl here for the show.

It’s great, and she feels kind of incognito, even though she’s not necessarily trying to hide. She’s just not here to put on a show, either.

When she gets a drink, the bartender shoots her a knowing grin and says this one’s on the house, she only smiles back and thanks him and doesn’t argue. There’s being lowkey, and then there’s just being plain stupid.

The club is already pretty full, and it’s crowded by the time Bianca takes the stage to host.

Adore doesn’t quite care for the actual event and she lets herself be distracted watching her even when she’s off to the side, and clearly not supposed to be pulling the focus.

It’s impossible for Bianca not to pull focus. In a bodycon dress that somehow manages to be both leopard and floral and still be incredible, she looks like every wet dream Adore’s ever had. Bianca’s focused and attentive, she watches each performance and laughs along, and her lips are so shiny, and her eyes are so bright, and Adore is so tempted to make her way over to the stage and pull her off now, like she can’t wait another minute.

But the reality is, she’s waited this long and now that she’s here, Adore wants to do this right. So she sits back, accepts a couple more drinks from the bartender, and lives out her groupie fantasy, screaming and howling with laugher as if she’s just there to prove she can be louder than everyone else in the club.

At the end of the show, Bianca performs a number and the crowd goes wild, and Adore wants to be cheering with them, except she’s transfixed, breathless as she watches Bianca in her element.

“It never fucking gets old,” Adore yells at the bartender once Bianca’s left the stage. Her ears are ringing.

“She’s great,” he agrees, sliding another refill across the bar for her.

“She’s the best,” Adore corrects. “Can you send her a large gin backstage? Tell her it’s from a fan who claims to know her.

The bartender laughs and fixes a drink, and Adore, who’s only human, watches the sway of his hips as he walks through an unmarked door behind the bar which presumably leads backstage.

When Bianca comes out (from a different door, off to the side), she scans the club past the faces of people who notice her and either try to flock to her, or take a few steps back in some sort of classical awe. She glances around with a look Adore has come to realize means she’s expecting to see an acquaintance who’s dropped her name in hopes for a drink and a catchup.

Then, Bianca notices her and her entire face shifts.

Adore watches her face go from a public, performative smile through shock, through defeat, all the way to blossoming into a genuine smile within a split second. Bianca mouths something in her direction and heads over, and Adore’s heart is pounding so hard in her chest that it makes her cough.

Then, Bianca’s in front of her and pulling her into a hug, and saying into her ear,

“You motherfucker.”

Adore laughs loudly, pulling back just enough to catch Bianca’s eyes and grin at her.

“You absolute motherfucker,” Bianca repeats. “You could’ve called—“

“I wanted to surprise you,” Adore shrugs, as if it’s that simple, and Bianca softens.

“Well, I am surprised,” she laughs. Her hands are still around Adore’s waist and she’s becoming more aware of that by the second. “But I left my drink in the dressing room so we’re gonna have to continue being surprised there.”

Adore just nods. She picks up her glass and follows Bianca through the crowd. When Bianca reaches back, she slips her hand in hers, and hopes the club is just dark and confusing enough that no one would see.

***

“I can’t believe you just pulled this shit,” Bianca says as they walk into the dressing room, which is cool and only illuminated by the lightbulbs that line the mirror.

She closes her eyes for a split second and Adore watches her stage poise and energy leave her body like air from a recently popped balloon.

“I wanted to see your face,” Adore shrugs, and squeezes her hand as she brings herself closer. “Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve watched you—“

“Tonight wasn’t that good,” Bianca says quietly. “It’s not even technically my show…“

Adore bites her lip, and takes a sip of her drink as she says,

“I wasn’t gonna push but— are you okay? I mean, you seem—“

“I’m okay,”

Bianca pulls her hand away from Adore’s and walks around to sit down on the makeup chair, her back turned to the room. Adore just kind of stands there, swallowing uneasily once they break contact. Bianca is never like this, and witnessing it is terrifying, and Adore’s chest is tight as she attempts to figure out how she’d help the most.

“I just feel like I’ve been away for so long, you know?” Bianca says suddenly. Her voice is barely audible over the dull, unrecognizable bass that filters through the walls. “I’m not even sure if I’m away from— This summer’s just going by so fast. I feel like I’m always catching up with people. Like, tonight, when I stepped out—“

“You looked fucking terrified,” Adore supplies. She’s taken one cautious step towards Bianca’s chair and is hovering there.

“‘cause I was,” Bianca agrees, and it comes out in a shaky laugh. “Fuck, Adore, I was so worried I was gonna have to sit down and have a chat with some local queen I haven’t seen in years and make it look like I’m having the time of my life, you know?”

“Yeah. I know.”

Years of sharing dressing rooms have taught Adore that usually, Bianca would be out of all of her drag by this point. Now, she’s just sitting there, her eyes distant as she looks into the mirror but not really at herself.

Adore sighs and walks the rest of the distance to the makeup table, planting herself directly behind the chair. She drapes her arms over Bianca’s shoulders and crosses her wrists at her chest. Bianca’s hand comes up to cover her wrist, pressing down just a little, as if she’s afraid Adore might pull back.

Bianca’s nails are a dark shade of greenish gold and they glitter as they catch the mirror light. Adore wants to tell her she’s never looked more beautiful.

“It just gets kinda lonely,” Bianca says, quiet enough that Adore isn’t sure if it’s for her at all. She doesn’t answer.

Instead, she moves her hand just a little underneath Bianca’s, so she can run her thumb along the side of Bianca’s hand. Bianca sighs and closes her eyes again. Her eyelashes cast long shadows down her cheeks.

Adore doesn’t move, just lets Bianca breathe and take in the physical weight of her presence, lets her be quiet until she seems a little bit more grounded. Adore can feel it under her arms when Bianca exhales a long breath and her shoulders relax.

“Well, I’m here now,” Adore says finally, quiet and intimate, and it feels like dipping one toe in cool water.

She hasn’t planned this far in advance, never knows quite where they stand when they’ve been away from each other for so long, only knows that she’s here, and she’s here for Bianca, in whatever capacity Bianca needs her to be.

“Yeah— motherfucker,” Bianca repeats softly, in an almost-laugh. “You’re here.”

Then, she makes the choice for Adore.

Bianca pushes the chair back and stands up, turning around to face Adore in one swift, decisive motion. Adore catches her eyes and when Bianca tilts her chin down in the slightest of nods, it’s enough.

Adore launches herself forward, resting a gentle hand at the curve of Bianca’s neck as she kisses her with all the intent of an innocent death row inmate who’s been granted one last wish. Bianca responds almost immediately, her hands coming to rest at the small of Adore’s back. Adore (who, again, is only human) rolls her hips into the touch, which gets a noise halfway between a groan and a laugh from Bianca. It sounds more like her than anything Adore’s heard from her so far tonight.

“Missed you,” Bianca whispers once she pulls back. Up close, her eyes are so incredibly bright.

“I’m here.”

“You are.”

They exchange reassurances in a terribly familiar rhythm, and something in Adore’s chest twists a little. It must show on her face because Bianca says “Shhh” even though she’s silent, and is then she’s kissing her again.

This one lasts longer. Bianca licks her way past Adore’s dark plum lips and all Adore can do is respond in small, breathless sounds as she drops one hand down to grip the table behind Bianca, essentially trapping Bianca between herself and the tabletop.

A bunch of lipsticks fall down and maybe something rolls off the table, and Adore lets out a careless laugh into Bianca’s mouth. Her world feels lighter than it has in months. She doesn’t want to think about it at all.

Bianca distracts her, luckily, as she drops her hands past her ass to brush her fingers under Adore’s skirt. Underneath the thin layer of fishnet, Adore’s — unsurprisingly — untucked and wearing the tiniest briefs which leave most of her ass bare. Upon making that discovery for herself, Bianca lets out a laugh which is both appreciation and utter defeat.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Adore Delano,” she hums, pulling back to draw in a very deep breath.

It’s overdramatic but earnest and Adore feels so fucking wanted.

“I dress to impress,” she says sweetly.

“Jesus,” Bianca whispers, and her exasperated smile reaches all the way to her eyes. “Shut up.”

Adore laughs loudly, and it comes from deep in her chest. This is easier than anything else she’s done in so long. She knows Bianca feels the exact same way because she’s still laughing as she kisses her again.

By the time Bianca pulls back again, Adore’s hard and dizzy and the only coherent thought in her head is a vague curiosity about whether the door to the dressing room locks.

“Where are you staying?” Bianca is asking quietly. The outline of her lipliner has blurred and her eyes are dark and bearing so much promise it makes Adore’s head spin.

She grins in response.

She has one bag — a way too expensive designer carryon — that she’d dropped at a friend’s apartment before explaining that no, she didn’t need a place to crash, just storage room, thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.

She hadn’t bothered with a plan B.

“You bitch,” Bianca laughs fondly. “Yeah. Come on.”

***

Bianca’s hotel room is tiny and taken over almost entirely by the bed in the center. There’s a suitcase half-open in one corner. The lights are off, and the room is instead illuminated by the pale orange glow of street lamps filtering through the (truly hideous) cream tulle curtains.

Adore’s head is swimming. She lets herself fall back onto the mattress, laughing breathlessly as she props herself up on her elbows to look at Bianca who pauses a few steps away to kick off her heels.

“Hold on—“ Bianca starts, heading over to the small table in front of the mirror.

“No, no, no,” Adore says quickly. “No time. Come here—“

Bianca laughs as she stretches to pull the zipper of her own dress down.

“Fine. Just this, then,” she negotiates and Adore nods, and falls silent as she watches her strip and unclip her wig to pull it off.

It’s rare for Bianca to stay in drag when they hook up, but de-dragging takes too long, and Adore is too turned on to survive waiting for her any longer than she absolutely has to.

Plus,

“You look so fucking beautiful,” Adore whispers, lowering herself onto her back as Bianca crawls on top of her. She’s completely naked now and it’s purely instinct when Adore reaches for her cock. Bianca catches her wrist and pulls her hand away, her lips curving in an amused smirk.

“You’re so fucking impatient,” she says quietly and Adore responds with a low groan because Yeah, no shit, aren’t you?

“You’re right,” Bianca agrees, still smirking like some wicked demon of temptation from the depths of Hell when she comes down to catch Adore’s lips in a messy kiss. Adore’s all about hyperbole when it comes to Bianca.

And then Bianca’s grinding her hips down as she licks a hot stripe down the side of Adore’s neck, and literally nothing in Adore’s entire life has ever felt nearly as good.

“That’s cute,” Bianca comments, her lips almost brushing the thin strip of leather. Adore’s wearing a simple one-ring choker, and her face turns a deep shade of pink the second Bianca decides to acknowledge it.

“Told you,” she smirks, and manages to school her voice into an almost challenging singsong. “I dress to impress.”

“Stop talking,” Bianca replies lowly, hooking a finger through the ring to tug Adore up as she kisses her again. Adore’s eyes fall shut and she gasps helplessly into the kiss, and then all she can do is part her lips for Bianca’s tongue.

Adore’s tank top and the lacy bandeau are long gone. She’s still wearing the skirt, and tights, and briefs, and that’s three layers too many, and she’s so uncomfortably hard, and Bianca knows and is ignoring her because apparently, Bianca likes to torture people.

(Which is, on occasion, actually true. And welcomed. Just—)

“Bea,” Adore whines, actually whines, because this is unbearable. “Not right now, Jesus, please.”

“No?”

“No. Come on, I’m done waiting, fuck me now, please,” the last word comes out indignant, as if she’s only saying it to be polite but she doesn’t really want to. It works for Bianca, apparently, because she lets go of the choker and refocuses both of her hands’ attention to unzipping Adore’s skirt.

The zipper goes all the way down and the skirt comes undone.

“You thought this through,” Bianca hums, audibly entertained, and Adore drives her hips up in response because Hurry up, yeah I have, I want this, I’m ready, hurry up.

Bianca peels her tights and her underwear down her legs at the same time and brings them all the way down to her ankles but doesn’t take them off.

“I like the boots,” she explains, breath heavy and hot against the inside of Adore’s thigh. “We’re keeping them on.”

Adore feels filthy, like this part of it is somehow taboo, and her dick is already slick with precome against her stomach. She crosses her ankles and lets her knees fall open to the sides, and Bianca responds with an appreciative groan which makes her twitch.

Adore keeps her eyes closed as she listens to the distant sound of a plastic cap popping open, and then two lubed up fingers are pressing against her and she’s gone.

Bianca preps her quickly, efficiently, because any attempt she makes at slowing down is met by Adore with disjointed sounds of protest and helpless jerks of her hips.

“Now,” she moans eventually as she hovers with her hips pushed off the mattress, desperately trying to get more of Bianca. “Now, I’m ready, come on, fuck me now.”

A moment passes in which Bianca considers making her beg, just to get a rise out of her, but Adore is a picture of uncensored want with her messy hair spilling across the pillows, and her flushed dick, and the small crease in her forehead, and frankly, Bianca’s growing too impatient to tease.

Adore cries out loudly when Bianca pushes into her, sending stars flying behind her closed eyelids. Bianca’s propped a pillow under her hips and the angle is torturous and absolutely fucking perfect. Adore’s thighs shake with tension as Bianca thrusts all the way in, almost too slowly, letting Adore adjust to the sensation. It’s already so much, and yet not nearly enough.

Bianca moves experimentally and it draws a soft whimper from Adore. “Yeah— I’m ready, come on.”

And then, Bianca’s off. She grips Adore’s hips to tilt her up and picks up the pace as her nails dig half-moons into Adore’s ass. Adore is incoherent, meeting each thrust with small moans and broken, disconnected swearwords. Her lips are parted and swollen and glossy with spit, and Bianca stares in admiration for a moment before arching down to kiss her.

Bianca kisses like Adore’s darkest secret is hiding at the back of her mouth and there’s never going to be another way to get to it. It’s disorienting, like walking through darkness. Adore’s ears are ringing. Bianca pulls one hand away from her hips and a second later she’s tugging on Adore’s choker again. This time, she hooks her index finger under the strap and pinches it between the knuckle of her middle finger and her thumb. The leather digs into Adore’s throat and she feels it like fireworks at the back of her skull.

Bianca keeps her lips just out of reach as she tightens her grip on the choker, and it drives Adore to  crane her neck, desperately chasing after a kiss she can’t quite reach. The leather digs into her neck and she coughs right as Bianca thrusts her cock deeper inside of her, at a slightly different angle which makes Adore want to scream.

The sound that comes out is closer to a strangled whine, and Bianca meets it with a low laugh which makes Adore blush. Her chest is so tight she feels like she’s one second, one stray touch, one jerk of Bianca’s hips away from bursting wide open.

“Bea—“ she starts, and it’s barely sound. She gasps, dragging in more air. Bianca’s grip doesn’t falter. “Bea. I’m—“

Adore’s voice breaks a loud moan as Bianca drops her hand to her cock. Bianca laughs quietly, breathlessly, as she tightens her grip and gives her a few experimental strokes. Adore accompanies each stroke with a whimper as Bianca picks up her pace so her hand can match the rhythm of her hips. Adore’s brow is beaded with sweat and her hair is sticking to her face and she looks absolutely gone as she drives her hips up, over and over, in an endless race to meet Bianca halfway.

She comes first, with Bianca’s name in a sharp moan on her lips, cum streaking through Bianca’s fingers and onto her stomach.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” Bianca groans quietly, arching down to trace kisses along the red mark lining Adore’s neck as she keeps fucking into her in deep, quick thrusts, chasing her own release.

Adore is shaking, spent and oversensitive and unabashedly loud as each move sends a new wave of aftershocks through her body.

When Bianca comes, she goes perfectly still, perfectly silent, her eyes pressed tightly shut and her lips parted in a soundless scream. Adore, who’s watching her through heavy, hooded eyelids, chokes out a moan instead of her.

Then, the only sound Adore can focus on is her own heartbeat pounding in her ears as Bianca lowers herself down, burrowing her face against Adore’s neck. She doesn’t quite kiss this time, just rests there, her breath warm against the cooling sweat on Adore’s skin.

Adore drifts. It takes a minute, or maybe an hour, she’d never know for sure, and Bianca’s growing soft inside of her but neither of them moves. Adore’s limbs feel heavy, inoperable, and she thinks distractedly that maybe that’s not too big of a deal, maybe she can just be there for the rest of her natural existence and she would be okay with that.

Then Bianca moves. She pulls herself away slowly, carefully, like she doesn’t mean to disturb, and Adore still winces at the loss.

“Gotta get you cleaned up,” Bianca says softly. Her voice sounds raw, spent, and Adore finds herself hoping it’s still like that tomorrow. She wants people to talk to Bianca and know.

The sound of the bathroom sink running and Bianca’s footsteps sound so far away and Adore closes her eyes, lets them lull her into a half-sleep as her body cools down and stops shaking.

Minutes later, perhaps, Bianca returns with a warm, damp towel, and Adore breathes steadily as she cleans her up, too tired and too gone to do much but accept it. Then it’s more footsteps, to the bathroom and back.

Then, Bianca’s hands are working her boots open and pulling them off, along with the mess of fabric tangled around her ankles. It feels private in a new sort of way, as if this is where the moment would usually have to break but Bianca’s not letting that happen. Adore’s chest tightens and she lets out the smallest noise as she swallows dryly.

“You okay?” Bianca asks, all gentle attentiveness, as she climbs up and rests behind her, one arm coming to drape over Adore’s hips, her hand angled up to rest at her sternum.

“Yeah.” Adore’s throat scratches, and she knows she’ll wake up needing water. Bianca makes a sound like she doesn’t quite believe her, so Adore amends, “I’m here.”

Bianca laughs. It’s almost inaudible but Adore feels it against her back.

“Yeah,” Bianca whispers. She presses her lips against Adore’s shoulder and holds them there for a long time. “You are.”

***

A/N: the title is from this poem which you should definitely read, it’s beautiful.

[lamesorrow]

Decisions, Decisions

Time: Many, many decades ago.

-

The idiotic couple that tried to tame her had obviously never dealt with Corner trash. For instance, they never even noticed when Little walked out of the dining hall with a shiny new knife hidden up her sleeve.

Now that knife was going to be Little's ticket to freedom.

“Her” bedroom was located on the first floor, which was annoying but not excessively so. What was important was that the room had a window—a large window with not a single metal bar, locked but otherwise perfect. Little could hardly believe her luck. Truly, the elves who ran the orphanage were stupid beyond words.

The only problem was her room-mate: a red-haired girl even younger than Little. She was shy and didn't speak much—in fact, Little has been stuck at the orphanage for two days now and so far she has never heard the girl utter a single word to anyone except the caretaker woman. Definitely not a promising escape partner, that one.

After supper—during which Little shoved as much food into her mouth as she physically could, because while those short stays at the City's various orphanages always were damaging to her ego, only an idiot would pass on an opportunity to eat free food—the children were herded to their respective bedrooms.

Obedience made her insides twist and turn, but Little did as she was told without a single complaint. It was not her first party, after all. She still remembered how infernally difficult it was the first time the guards had snatched her off the street; back then she had no idea how to behave and as such ended up lashing out like a wild animal, prompting the caretakers to stuff her into a secure room that didn't even have a doorknob. If not for a stroke of good luck, Little would probably still be stuck at that damned orphanage. The thought of her narrowly avoided grim future made her shiver. She was never, ever going to let it happen again.

At least that brutal first learning experience had taught her what not to do. This time, when her short legs failed to keep her safe from the city guard's grasping fingers, Little approached her imprisonment with perfect calm. She communicated as clearly as she could, trying to temper her instantly recognizable Corner accent, and didn't bite anyone ever as they tore her clothes off and stuffed her into a tub full of foamy solution that soon became dotted with tiny corpses of dead fleas.

Truth be told, that bath and all the free food were the only thing Little didn't hate about her current situation. Her body didn't itch as much any more and her stomach stopped rumbling. That was nice.

For many that promise of basic hygiene and warm food was enough to keep them shackled. It was the reason why Little's group would randomly grow and shrink all the time. Granted, the ones that appeared and disappeared were usually kids from other districts. Softer, gentler and easier to tame than Corner trash. No wonder for many of them the comfort of an orphanage was more important than freedom.

Little couldn't wrap her head around it, but she tried not to judge. Not for empathy, of course, but for simple selfishness that came naturally to a girl like her. Other people's problems were not her problems. If they were happy then Little had no reason to care. She had her own shit to deal with.

Like winning back her freedom.

Little laid in bed for what she hoped was at least an hour, struggling against the comfort that had her eyelids slowly slide closed. Even a rat as street-hardened as her had a difficulty resisting the warmth and softness that enveloped her body. For one treacherous moment she even considered drifting off and staying at the orphanage for another night, so she pinched her cheek to sober herself up. This comfort was a damn trap, one that would rob her of freedom and independence.

When Redhead's breathing became soft and slow, Little scrunched up her nose and slowly pushed the covers down. She made no sound as she sneaked out of bed and crawled closer to the window. Her long ears were twitching every few seconds, trying to pick up the faintest noises—like the change in Redhead's breathing or soft footsteps outside the room.

Two days at the orphanage had given Little plenty of time to familiarize herself with the outlay of the building and come up with a decent escape route. All she had to do was get the window open.

She silently took off the sleeping gown and squeezed herself back in the clothes she was wearing during the day. A shirt, a skirt, a vest, socks, shoes... The guards had burned Little's own rags when she was stuck in the flea-killing bath, so now she had to improvise. She hated the clothes the orphanage had given her, but there was no way in hell she was going to show up in the Corner wearing a sleeping gown.

The knife was small and dull, but it was more than enough for Little's purposes. The girl slowly approached the window and cast a cautious glance at her room-mate. Luckily, Redhead was still asleep, arms loosely crossed over her chest.

Little suddenly realized that her fingers were itching around the knife. For some reason her head filled with a faint urge to take the blade and...

The girl watched Redhead's throat with eerie fascination.

She realized that she's curious. Curious to see if she could cut through the girl's throat. Curious to see if she could do it without making her scream. Curious to see if she would die. Curious to see how long it would take her to die. And so, so, so damn curious to see how the stupid caretakers would've reacted in the morning if they entered the room just to see the girl slaughtered like a pig...

Little blinked and thoughtfully looked at the knife in her hand. What would it feel like?

She shook her head and looked away. The urge was gone and Little was left to wonder just where the hell it came from in the first place. She was not violent by nature—at least not by the Corner's standards. Many of her friends wouldn't think twice about beating a beggar to death to steal his coins, but Little wasn't like that. Then again, maybe it's because she was so small and weak that she subconsciously knew it wouldn't end well? Maybe this sudden urge was a sign that she was finally growing up, turning into a proper bloodthirsty rat?

Little shook her head again and decided not to think about it for now. Maybe she would contemplate the odd feeling sometime later, when she's safely back in the Corner.

She sat on the windowsill and got to work. Luckily the lock was cheap and primitive. The knife was not an ideal tool, but the very tip of the blade could be pushed between the wood and the edge of a nail that secured the lock to the frame. Little bit down on the inside of her cheek and started patiently working the nail loose.

Every few minutes she had to pause and wait for Redhead to stop grunting or moving, but eventually Little managed to pull the nail out. The other one was much faster to deal with since now the elf could gently manipulate the lock itself to try and get the best angle.

The hinges didn't make a single sound when Little carefully pushed the window open. Last night she had meticulously coated them in oil from a small lamp she had smuggled into the room.

She slipped through the window and slowly closed it behind her, because it wouldn't be good if a gust of wind woke Redhead up. The she sat down on the wide windowsill and grinned.

Freedom! She could practically taste it.

Little held onto the windowsill as she slowly lowered herself to the ground, careful not to make any sound as she finally landed on her feet. She froze for a second, straining her ears to pick up any noise, but the night was silent—or at least as silent as a city night could be. She started slowly walking next to the wall, right under the line of windows. It was much less risky that way, even if it took more time.

All windows were dark—except one. Little chewed on the inside of her cheek and contemplated a large splash of light which poured from the caretakers' room and formed a large window-shaped mark on the grass.

Little hesitated, unsure what the next course of action should be. She could wait for them to go to sleep, but hell knows how long it would take... not to mention that the call of freedom was becoming impossible to ignore. She was out of the building and that alone was enough to make her giddy. She wanted to go and leave it all behind.

Despite the haughtiness of her thoughts, her steps were light and slow. Inch by inch... She found herself right under the caretakers' window. The worst was already behind her. Now all she had to—

She glanced at the light on the grass... and almost choked on a gasp when a shadow suddenly appeared right in the middle of it. Little pushed herself against the wall and bared her tiny fangs when she heard a soft creak and the window right above her swung open.

“I've had enough of this,” a female voice announced tiredly.

Move. Move. Move! Leave, go back, go back, go away...

The shadow didn't budge.

Little opened her mouth wide and tipped her head back. A while ago she had learned that she can breath much more quietly this way: breathing through the nose could always produce a soft whistling noise, not to mention it sometimes didn't provide enough air. Like this, with her mouth wide open, Little could breathe slowly and deeply and she could stay like that for a long time, as long as she didn't accidentally suck in a bug or dust or anything else that could make her cough.

“We never go anywhere. We never do anything. It's driving me insane—it's just the children, always the children.”

Little's ears twitched. The female caretaker's voice sounded tired and dejected. Wooden windowsill creaked slightly when the woman propped her hands on it and leaned forward. Shit. Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down...

“It was your idea, Sanya,” a male voice said. It took Little a moment to recognize it as belonging to the male caretaker—he barely spoke and seemed to rarely be present at the orphanage. “You said you need to do something meaningful with your life,” the man continued. His voice was firm but understanding, but the woman still grunted in frustration.

“I know!” she hissed. “I know. I want to enjoy this life. But each passing year—I can feel it draining me. I look at our girls and—it makes me feel so hopeless because I know we will never save all of them. It's hard. It's too hard...”

Shadows shifted. The woman turned around when her companion approached and Little idly watched a dark projection of an embrace.

“I know,” the man said quietly.

Little clenched her eyes shut. Her left leg, awkwardly curled up and yet forced to support most of her weight, was starting to pulse with piercing pain, but the young elf didn't want to risk moving it and causing any noise, not when the caretakers were so close.

She winced when she heard a soft smacking noise. Gross.

After a long minute, during which Little genuinely considered jumping into the room and stabbing those disgusting elves with her knife, the kiss finally ended. “How about,” the man whispered, and his voice was so low it sounded almost like a purr, “we go have a very nice, very relaxing, very long bath together? You said we never do anything any more. I might have some ideas...”

Little rolled her eyes. Then she rolled her eyes again when the woman giggled and initiated another round of disgusting smacking sounds.

She patiently waited for the door to close behind the elves and then spent another long minute in perfect silence before she finally allowed herself a deep sigh of relief. Her leg hurt so much she had to clench her teeth to stop herself from whining as she slowly stretched it out.

That was close. Way too close, Little thought grimly as she carefully pushed herself up to her feet. She idly wondered what the caretakers would've done if they discovered her curled up under their window. Lock her up in the basement, perhaps?

Little rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath. No matter, because she was not going to let herself get caught. Now the caretakers were gone, and they were going to be gone for a while, so Little had plenty of time to...

Her ears twitched and she slowly looked up. The window was still open... and this one had no bars either.

Huh.

Little hesitated. The window felt... inviting. But...

Sure, she was a cutpurse—and a pretty decent cutpurse at that. Smaller than most other rats, but also faster. She rarely left the market without at least a few copper coins in her pocket. She had never stolen anything from a house, though.

...Until now.

Thin fingers grabbed the edge of the window and the young elf clumsily pulled herself up. She was light and strong, but the skirt she was wearing made climbing difficult. Little cursed quietly under her breath and awkwardly crawled over the wide windowsill.

Her shoes clicked softly when she landed on the ground and the elf froze, listening for footsteps. The bathing area was on the opposite side of the building, but... better safe than sorry. When she made sure that the caretakers were not going to burst through the door to catch her, Little slowly walked across the room.

It was small and it would've probably felt somewhat cramped if not for the sparsely placed furniture. Just a wide bed, a cupboard and a vanity table. That last one immediately attracted Little's attention, but she was very disappointed to discover that it contained no jewellery spare for a few thin silver rings. Then again... the orphanage didn't look particularly rich, so perhaps it was no wonder that the caretakers couldn't afford expensive golden jewellery. Truth be told, Little wasn't entirely sure what to do with the rings in the first place. Find a fence, probably. She would have to figure out whether or not Old Copperfang was still in business...

Little gave the other contents of the vanity table an impassive look. She found a bottle of cheap perfume, a small wooden palette of colourful eyeshadows and a few waxy lipsticks. A dense hairbrush didn't interest her much, but the colours...

Little looked up. Her reflection in the mirror smirked at her devilishly from behind a curtain of curly black hair that the caretaker tried to style—futilely—only last night. Little tilted her head to the side and contemplated her face. Small, gaunt, with huge blue eyes... She raised the lipstick.

In a few seconds her reflection was decorated with a pair of red cat ears and whiskers. Little snickered to herself and drew some skulls around the edges of the mirror, then a chicken, then a crude dick... Too bad she didn't know how to write; she would've loved to leave a message to the people who tried to tame her, just to show them how much they had failed.

Then again, Little thought as she once again giggled at the drawings, they say a picture is worth a thousand words...

She opened the box of eyeshadow, and revelled in simple destructive pleasure as chalk started to crack under the pressure of her fingers. There was something incredibly satisfying about rubbing brown dust into the caretaker's pillowcase. Little gleefully went a step further and poured perfume over the sheets, but that turned out to be a poor decision as the suffocating smell quickly engulfed the entire room and made the elf's nose tingle.

Little pinched her nose and crept closer to the cupboard. She heard sometimes people store valuables under their clothes and she was eager to check if—

A sudden cry made the girl freeze in terror. She held her breath for a second and cursed loudly when that single cry immediately turned into an entire symphony of wailing coming from the adjacent room, where the youngest brats stayed in their cribs.

Shit, shit, shit, shit...

She threw herself at the window and crawled across the windowsill. Shit! She planned to be well on her way to the Corner by the time her caretakers returned from their disgusting bath. Why the hell did those little shits have to wake up now?!

Little ran across the courtyard and reached the narrow passage where the bulk of the orphanage met a small utility shed. It was a dead end where the caretakers stored some old barrels and chests. Children were not allowed to play there, but it's not like Little had ever cared for the rules, least of all in a situation like this.

She quickly climbed the barrels and jumped up. Like she expected, it didn't take much effort to climb the roof of the shed. From there all Little had to do was jump down and land in the narrow backstreet, which would lead her away from the damned prison.

She crouched at the edge of the roof and glanced over her shoulder. The caretakers' room was still empty. The brats were still howling.

She won.

Little bared her teeth in a ferocious grin, hopped off the roof and vanished in the shadows.

So long, suckers!

[astrofireworks]

astro witch coven au (moonbin)

introduction | rocky | eunwoo | moon bin | mj | jinjin

Astro’s resident Charmer

Rocky insists on calling him a Talisman creator but Bin personally thinks “charmer” fits his Very Attractive Face very well

He deals with charms and spells and puts them into objects to protect or to curse or to do stupid things like fly around Rocky's head

½ of the Lil Shit line  

I swear to god he’s such a little shit

Loves pranking the rest of the Coven

Loves charming multiple things to fly around Rocky’s head

And it pisses Rocky off so incredibly much

Once he made Rocky’s metal ladle fly about a metre above his head for about 10 minutes before Rocky glowered at him and threatened to slip a skin colour changing potion into his drink

He put it down pretty quickly

Rocky put the potion in his drink anyway as a lesson

Loves loves loves pranking Sanha

Once he stole a dead beetle from Rocky’s potion ingredients stash and asked Sanha to hold it temporarily while he went to the bathroom

But he added a Vibration spell beforehand and just as he left Sanha alone it started twitching

Sanha screamed so loudly nearly all his hyungs came running

I mean they all laughed but Sanha nearly cried

Once also he charmed several crystals with a Shouting spell

And put them all near places Sanha frequents like the bathroom and the stairs and the kitchen and whatnot

And every time Sanha went near those places it shouted, really loudly, “MJ, JINJIN, CHA EUNWOO, MOONBIN, ROCKY, YOON SANHA, A S T RO” in his ear

And Sanha yelped EVER Y T I M E it was hilarious

It also got Bin a whack on the head by Eunwoo because “even though it’s hilarious it’s not nice to bully a yoUNG CHILD, I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT” yeah

A ridiculously talented charmer Talisman Creator

His mum says it’s because he was born under some star or whatever Bin didn’t really listen because he was too busy doing other things

But when he was 8 his powers started to manifest very very strongly and his parents had to send him away to a stronger coven to train

I mean, his parents run a pretty small charm shop and they’re fairly good with energy and charms

But Bin’s magic became hard to control even for skilled witches like themselves he began dispelling excess energy into inanimate objects

Once Bin’s dad came home to find his pots and pans dancing around the kitchen and Su A crying because of the sheer amount of noise her brother was making

So Bin’s mum sent him away to a family friend

Speaking of which

Trained under Ravi from the VIXX coven

So he joined them when he was 8 and he was the most powerful young witch they’ve ever trained

Which is saying something because all the witches there had dealt with at least 3 apprentices each before

And the last most powerful witch they apprenticed ended up being part of their coven aka Hyuk

Story time

So when Bin’s mum brings him in to meet N Bin is really really afraid

He’s eight and he doesn’t want to live far away from his family with these strange tall beings he wants to stay home and he wants to run around with Su A and watch as his blue flows through with her lavender

And so he goes kicking and screaming to the VIXX coven

But when he gets there he sees sparkling, shiny crystals floating around N and he sees how they glow with a soft, pale blue light and his heart immediately aches because he wants to do that

And when N places a small Calming charm in his hand he feels the magic running through it and pulsing into his veins and he’s suddenly giddy with the power and peaceful all at once and he knows he wants to make this happen

And so he pushes up his tiny glasses and tugs on his mum’s hand and tells her quietly that he’ll see her later because he wants to go with Uncle N (cue N squawking indignantly that he is not An Uncle, thank you very much) to learn how to charm things

And his mum just pats his head and tells him with tears in her eyes that she’s proud of him and to behave and that she’ll see him during the weekend

But yeah the VIXX members quickly pick up Bin as part of their group it’s so cute

He’s apprenticed under Ravi but he takes lessons from everyone

I mean, he’s messed up a couple times and sometimes it’s hilarious

See: the time Ravi taught him to make a Waterproof charm and made Bin test it out on himself by dumping a bucketful of water on his head and seeing if he stayed dry

Hint: he didn’t

Which is a story in itself

And sometimes it’s alarming

When Bin thought he made a pretty good Fireproof talisman and threw the charmed pebble into the fire

It was Not Fireproof it was Flammable

RIP VIXX’s fireplace

Loves 2 sleep

No kidding

Naps everywhere

Anytime

As long as he’s not watching over some crystal formation or some energy channel he’s napping

He’s a tired baby please forgive him

Loves 2 eat

Also not kidding

Eats everything

Anywhere

Anytime

I woke up at 7am to watch Bin’s eating livestream he was adorable he was so painfully boyfriend please kill me

Eunwoo’s often wondered if he’s stored his stomach in a separate talisman or something and that’s why he can eat so much

But no, it’s really because Bin loves all and any food

But it’s also because he uses a shit ton of energy when he seals spells and charms into different talismans so he snacks all the time and eats a lot at meals

He likes to joke it’s him leaving a bit of himself in every talisman he creates but it’s not that much of a joke because it’s kind of true

Also loves to flirt

I’m kidding really he ‘flirts’ with everyone but he doesn’t really mean to do it????

It’s mostly his smile I think he just grins and everyone kind of lowkey falls under his spell

Haha see what I did there

And when he opens his mouth literally everything sounds flirty

(swings by the Seventeen coven to deliver charms to Mingyu)

“hey love, how’re you doing?” @ mingyu

not even a flirty sentence

but he’s grinning at Mingyu and Mingyu has a faint blush spreading across his cheeks

“wow uh Nothing Much” mmhmm very coherent Mingyu

no lie my roommate was once actually so flustered she actually said this out loud then walked into like 3 people

“Oh, and I added an extra crystal in there along with your order, by the way. I had an extra one lying around begging for a Happiness charm.” (adds on a wink) @ Mingyu

Mingyu, in his head: “mmasdhfkljsajskdfhlkasjd”

Bin: (accidentally has to deal with a glowering Wonwoo)

now Wonwoo deals with all the deliveries to the Seventeen coven house in case that one Charmer comes again and tries to flirt with his boy

ok but truth the very first time he went to deliver charms with Ken to learn his delivery route was when he was like 10 and Ken deemed him capable of controlling his powers outdoors  

and literally nearly everyone fell in love with this boy

all the old witches cooed over him

even the grumpy potions master over at the Bangtan coven loved Bin he actually smiled at Bin and gave him a piece of candy that Ken checked meticulously for signs of tampering even though Ken’s been going there for forever and he’s never even gotten a smile  

literally the most precious child my heart is in pain I love baby Bin

Changes hair colour every 2 or 3 weeks

Usually it’s a side effect of a spell

He’d be using too much energy to do something by accident and the energy would spill over in the atmosphere and dance around the closest living thing

It used to be a plant he kept next to the table and it used to sprout randomly coloured flowers but one day MJ swiped it for a blood ritual and it was never returned to him so

Now the energy hovers around him and sometimes when he straightens up all the excited energy floats around his head and runs through his hair

And you’d just see Bin’s eyes shining in concentration through a blue stream of magic

So sometimes you’ll see him in the morning with deep purple hair and in the afternoon you’ll see him with pastel blue hair

It throws Eunwoo off sometimes but Eunwoo loves all his colours anyway

Sometimes it dances around Eunwoo’s head and all Eunwoo does is lean back from the blue clouds and watch it flow excitedly

And sometimes Bin watches him

Is so so so incredibly soft for a small bean with a beautiful eyesmile it’s not even funny at this point

IT’S SO OBVIOUS TO ALL THE MEMBERS

To everyone but Eunwoo tbh

I mean the moment he met Eunwoo he was Whipped™ for that man

What’s that

You want to hear the story of how they met ????

Well I guess I gotta

Here we go

Bin was in the middle of training with Hyuk and Hyuk was trying to teach him a Pain hex charm

Which requires a lot of energy by the way since Pain hexes need the charmer to have an evil (? Negative?) intention

But Bin’s always discharged his negative energy by pulling pranks on all his members in the VIXX coven

So it was really difficult for him to pull negative energy from the air

(Hyuk said it’d get easier as it went on because the longer you live the angrier you get at the world but Bin isn’t sure if he wants that to happen)

And so sitting with 10 crystals floating around his head and Hyuk sitting opposite him Bin starts to cast the hex

Fast forward three hours

It’s just the same thing but with more frustration

And more light blue energy floating about his head

And Hyuk falling asleep

Fast forward another 2 hours and Bin’s passed out on the floor with a cut on his forehead because one of the crystals was a bit too zealous in its spinning

And Hyuk’s kneeling over him and smacking his face and he’s not moving at all and Hyuk is panicking slightly and he doesn’t know what to do and

Next thing they know Hongbin’s levitating Bin out the door and Ravi’s in the car and they’re driving as fast as they can to the nearest Healing house

And this was back when Eunwoo was still training with Snuper

So Ravi just bursts into the house and Hongbin’s shuffling Bin into the house and all the Healers look up from different spots around the house at the noise

And the first one downstairs is Eunwoo and he’s snapping out a thin sheet onto a Healing table so Hongbin can set Bin down and everything is happening all at once and way too fast

And Ravi’s talking a mile a minute at Eunwoo about the hex Bin was trying to master and the crystals are circling agitatedly around Bin’s head and Hongbin’s chewing on his lip and trying not to let tears slip out

But the more Ravi explains about the hex the more worried Eunwoo gets about this pale boy that’s getting increasingly weaker as time slips by so Eunwoo stares right into Bin’s face and places a single finger on Bin’s forehead because wow if anything, Eunwoo is sure this boy is too beautiful to die

And instantly a spark of green runs down Eunwoo’s arm and shocks into Bin and there’s a flash of blue as Bin jolts on the table

And suddenly the table is smoking with blue and green magic

It’s so heady it sends the two Charm witches reeling and Hongbin and Ravi have to sit down and the witch on the Healing table beside Bin’s blinks sleepily and starts to sit up

And suddenly Bin’s eyes fly open and meet Eunwoo’s and wo w

Wow

Woooooow

Bin has to blink a couple times because wow is he dead already?

He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his parents

Or his sister :(

But ??? he can ask this angel to help him tell them, I guess?

Wait

Do witches go to heaven

He’s not sure but he’s pretty sure he’s in heaven because there’s no way this angel belongs in hell

Wait

The angel’s talking

And he looks worried?????? The angel keeps blinking and Bin vaguely starts counting the number of beautiful long eyelashes

And suddenly Bin’s ears unclog and he hears Ravi and Hongbin murmuring worriedly and the angel asking him if he’s alright

Oh dear if Ravi and Hongbin are here does it mean they were killed too oh God Bin didn’t mean to do this he never meant for any of this to hap-

And then he hears Eunwoo say, “Oh thank goodness you’ve woken up, we thought you were going to die…”

And it’s the softest thing he’s ever heard wow how can someone have a voice like a windchime????

Wait

He’s alive

He’s ALIVE

And the first thing he says is

“Are you real? Like, not an angel?”

And he watches as the not-angel flushes

“Yeah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,”

And instantly even with his forehead stinging and his legs weak he props himself up on his forearms and grins through the pain at Eunwoo

“Well, did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?”

And immediately he feels Ravi roll his eyes and Hongbin smacks him on the back of his head

But Eunwoo is smiling and blushing and his smile is so so so beautiful Bin get stunned into silence once more and obeys Hongbin’s hands as he gets laid down once more on the table

Until he realises that this particular angel’s method of healing is by touch and he flushes

Truly a blessing

I guess you could say

He was touched by an angel

Please shoot me

(dabs) i’m nearly done with finals i’ve got 2 more papers on thursday and friday then i’ll write something short about how Eunwoo recruited Bin into Astro (dabs again)