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pasiveagressive · 3 years

Text

Pen Pal // h.s.

Warning: light language, there is a mention of self harm, and some verbal abuse.

Highschool AU This is really long for me 9.4k words and it’s not really done I am thinking a part 2 and maybe even a 3. Let me know what you think!

When she was five she was given a project from her teacher saying that she had to write to a pen pal. She had no idea what a pen pal was and how she got one, but she had told the class that a pen pal was someone who lived far away and we wrote a letter to them. Their letters were going to England to another class and they had to write them and they had to write back. This sounded fun. Teacher had a hat in her hands and when she passed it around we had to pick out a piece of paper that contained a name and an address. She took her's out and saw the name, it was a boy, she didn't like boys, well that wasn't true, the only boy's she liked were her brother, her best friend and her daddy. The teacher told the class they had to write to their pen pals for the whole school year.

#####

When she was ten, she still wrote to her pen pal, she didn't understand why she had been writing him for the last five years, but she had been. He was funny and easy to talk too, she thought that perhaps this boy was going to be her first crush, something she thought one of her brother's friends would be, but she was pretty sure this boy was. He helped her through a lot, like when Mommy and Daddy argued and doors slammed or when Mommy packed up her suitcases and left or when Daddy didn't come down from his room and her brother had to take care of her or when Daddy changed. He helped her a lot, and she helped him too, they sometimes even helped each other with their homework. She had found a true friend in him, and she hoped he felt the same about her.

#####

When she was twelve her Daddy let her have an E-Mail and she told the boy, he too had an E-mail and they talked on MSN all the time, but they still wrote letters to each other, personally hand written pieces of paper seemed much nicer than typed words on a screen. Her brother was about to be in high school now and she would be starting middle school next year. The boy had started middle school this year and it was the first time, she realized, that she knew how old he was. They would talk about homework; friends and she asked him questions about boys. The boy didn't answer a lot of them but she didn't mind, the only boy she cared about noticing her was him, but then something dawned on her. They may never meet.

When she was fifteen she started High School and the boy was a year ahead of her. Her mother had returned to the city, remarried, and she wanted to see her children, but she refused to go, as far as she was concerned her mother had abandoned her and her brother and her Father had taken care of them, but he had changed even more. Her brother would soon be off to college and she would still be here, her father wasn't so bad, only when he disapproved of something did he get angry, he never struck her, her brother would never allow it, he was protective over his baby sister especially now that boy's had started to notice her. She still wrote to the boy and told him all about her problems, it had been ten years and she could still confide in him and he confided in her and she liked it that way. It meant that somewhere she had someone who cared, someone who listened. Someone who knew her better than anyone.

###

She was sixteen when her world began to change, she still wrote to the boy and now she had a boyfriend, one of her brother's friends, she was a cheerleader and he was a soccer player and was on the swim team. Then she got a letter, it said that he had received a scholarship to her school and he was coming to New York, she was ecstatic and began to write him back when the pen suddenly fell from her hands as she realized something she had been denying. She had feelings for the boy with the elegant handwriting and who always wrote in blue pen. He couldn't come here, not when she had a boyfriend, but who was she kidding, they didn't know what each other looked like, so maybe she could hide who she was from him, the only thing he knew about he was her name and there was more than one Y/N in her school, but he never called her by her real name, when he was ten he gave her a nickname and nobody knew it except for him. She realized how ridiculous she was being, this boy had no romantic interest in her and if he did, what did it matter? She has a boyfriend now.

What she didn't know was when he came to New York her whole life would change and he would be a part of that change.

She had feelings for the boy with the elegant script and blue pen, and they were not going to go away.

"Ugh, how can you eat so much?"

Y/N Y/L/N looked at a friend with thinly veiled disgust, she had no idea where Maya put it all and considering she was eating cafeteria food, it made it just that much worse. Especially because today's menu was all seafood.

"Excuse me for being one of the few girls in the world that acknowledges a love for food." She said and then took a bite out of a fish stick and grinned.

"Hey, I like food just not too much." Y/N said, eyeing what could only be Maya's twentieth piece of fried fish.

"That's because you, my friend, are a cheerleader and must stay in impeccable shape." Maya winked and then went back to eating.

Y/N sighed, it was true, part of the reason as to why she didn't eat a lot was cheerleading, she needed to stay small so she could tumble and be thrown in the air. Maya seemed to resent her for the fact that she was a cheerleader, but Y/N could not help it if Maya did not have great hand eye coordination. She knew Maya didn't really like her, but she put up with having her around because Will and Joel liked her. She didn't know why Maya hated her, she thought it was partly because she was part of the in crowd and Maya thought that they were all snobs.

Y/N was no snob.

Someone patted her head and she turned to look and was looking into the kind eyes of her best friend.

Will Davis.

His brown hair was in his eyes, covering the chocolate orbs. He sat down, his skinny frame folding easily on the chair. He had to push his glasses from the end of his nose back up to where they were supposed to be. Y/N couldn't help but grin at him, he was so normal, that was why she opted to sit with him at lunch and not the—as Maya bluntly puts it—the popular hoes.

Y/N looked over at her other friends, they were crowded around their table near the window, laughing and joking, she saw her best friend Isabella and her brother Jack, they looked annoyingly happy. She was well aware that Jack liked Isabella but his feelings were not reciprocated, but Jack was a star at school, everyone wanted to be with him, especially Kayla.

Y/N hated Kayla.

"Well, I'm done; I'm going to go prepare for class." She smiled at the group and dumped the contents of her tray into the garbage and left her tray on top, leaving the cafeteria, she straightened out her uniform and remembered something.

She had had practice this morning and all of her bag was still in her locker, crammed into the small space. She had gotten a lift with her brother today so she had to put all of her stuff in his car. Huffing, she spun back around and walked over to her brother's table, feeling the eyes of her other friends on her, as if she was betraying them.

She knew that they thought sooner or later she would stop sitting with them and sit with the 'popular' crowd, but she sat with them because they were superficial, they were fun to be around and she liked them, even Maya on her good days.

"Jacky," she said, arriving at the table and stopping in front of her brother. He seemed to be in an overly animated conversation with Liam, her more or less boyfriend.

"Yes?" He looked up at her, sounding bored.

"I need your keys so I can put my stuff in your car." She held her hand out expectantly but Jack made no move to hand over the keys. She was aware that the group was staring and acutely aware that Kayla was practically drooling over her brother, she didn't see the big deal. She could admit that he was nice looking but hot? No way, then again he was her brother it would be weird if she thought he was a god like the rest of the school.

Jack was nearly eighteen and this was his senior year, along with Liam, Kayla and a few others. He received a lot of female attention and people were always asking if they were really related, Y/N could see why, they looked nothing alike.

Jack had silvery blonde hair and dark eyes, he was tall and had a soccer player's build, where Y/N had Y/C/H and Y/C/E, and had a frame that was slightly toned from nearly four years of cheerleading.

Y/N never understood why she was a cheerleader, she wasn't a girly girl and she didn't dress up a lot, she was more into art, but then cheerleading provided her with confidence and made her feel alive like nothing had before, she loved the feeling of being tossed into the air and soaring like a bird. It was freeing.

"How do I know that you aren't going to joy ride and leave me stranded here?" Y/N scoffed at this.

"Honestly, even if I was going to do that, you would never be stranded, I'm sure there are a million people who would give you a ride." She batted her lashes innocently at him.

He could never deny giving his sister anything, he loved her, he had taken care of her when Father had been unfit, he watched over her, he protected her.

"Fine, here, but give them straight back." He said firmly and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah yeah." She said turning back and going to her locker. Maybe she should joyride, just to teach him a lesson, then again, that would be one time that Jack didn't protect her.

Y/N walked to her locker, putting in the combination and opening it; grabbing her bag she hauled it over her shoulder and was about to head out to the student parking lot when a hand gently grabbed her waist pulling her back. She raised her eyes to see Liam, smiling down at her.

Liam was her boyfriend, she supposed, they had been together for over a month now and Y/N was very happy. He was very good looking with brown hair that had a messy on purpose look, brown eyes, like melting chocolate, a tall stature and the build of a soccer player mixed in with the grace of a swimmer.

"Hey," he said as he moved, causing her to walk back and feel the cool metal of the locker's behind her.

"Hey," she said smiling. Liam's hand snaked out to play with a strand of her hair. He always played with her hair, Y/N didn't understand the fascination, it was a big frizz ball as far as she was concerned.

"Any plans tonight?" He asked while still fiddling with her hair.

"Sure, with the most wonderful man." Liam looked confused and let her hair fall back. "You should meet him, ever heard of Edgar Allen Poe?" She smirked as he shook his head.

"You are a devil woman." He moved so that Y/N could do what she had originally planned and put her bag in her brother's car.

"Walk with me?" She asked and he nodded, taking her bag and holding her hand.

She knew a lot of girls didn't understand why Liam was dating her; she didn't understand it herself, he was popular, the whole female population of Anchor Academy wanted him and threw dagger looks at her in the halls, but she revelled in it, for once she was envied, for once people wanted to be her.

Y/N deposited her bag in the boot of her brother's truck and turned to the back seat where she knew she had left her pencil box, she slid them into her brown leather backpack and locked the car—after closing the door—and spun to Liam. He had his hands on her hips and was staring down at her with a burning intensity.

"Do you want to do something tonight?" He asked in a shaky voice. They had never been this close before, they hadn't even done more than pecks, she didn't know what was stopping her but she knew she was grateful that he was patient, she wondered how long that would last.

"I can't, I'm sorry, but I have to finish this assignment." The bell rang then and Y/N now understood the meaning of the phrase saved by the bell. "I need to go, but I'll see you tomorrow?" She got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, waving as she headed to class.

Y/N wasn't exactly lying to Liam, she did need to finish this assignment, but it wasn't due for another two weeks. Y/N knew why she didn't go out a lot on school days, but that was her secret.

#####

Y/N sat at her computer desk, researching for this English paper when her chat window came up.

Hello Y/N

Y/N smiled and typed back. They had been friends for eleven years now, he knew her inside and out as she knew him, except for the fact that they had no idea what the other looked like, she thought and he agreed that it would be better to keep their faces hidden, like real pen pals.

Y/N remembered the day she had been told she had to write to him and the day he walked into her life, never walking out.

Y/N sat at her seat next to her new friend Will. He was funny looking; he had really big glasses and funny hair. They were friends because Y/N saw him reading and she wanted to read too.

"Okay guy, we are doing a fun new assignment called Pen Pals! This means, each of you will select a name from this hat," She held the hat out for show. "And you will write that person a letter and then they will write you one and you will keep replying until the end of the year. Does that sound like fun?" The teacher was overexcited, Y/N didn't see the big deal, she was writing to a stranger. Her mom always told her never to talk to strangers.

The hat was passed around and Y/N dipped her hand in and pulled out a piece of paper, handing the hat to Will. She opened the paper and saw the name of her 'Pen Pal'.

Harry Styles

Under his name was what she thought was an address. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil and began to write her first letter.

Dear Harry...

You're distracting me from homework, Y/N replied to Harry. When she had started that assignment she had no idea she was going to make a lifelong friend, a best friend and she had, in Harry, he had been her first crush, even if she hadn't officially met him, Y/N had wanted him to be her first kiss too, but that was impossible in case she was able to get a plane to England and the little savings she had in her piggy bank, Father gave her money but she always used that on the weekends, going to movies or restaurants or clubs.

Really, what are you doing?

She was about to respond when he wrote something else and she giggled.

More importantly, what are you wearing? ;)

Y/N shook her head; Harry was always a cocky smartass.

Edgar Allan Poe

You're wearing Edgar Allan Poe? Lucky guy

Oh haha! I am studying Edgar Allan Poe and wearing nothing

Harry didn't reply, which was uncommon for him, not much rendered him speechless, in the time they had spoken, be it through letter or internet, she had learnt a lot about Harry and his life, what he was like and what he was hiding, she felt as if she was one of the only people who knew the real Harry and somehow that made her feel lucky.

What poem?

He ignored the naked comment. Smooth.

Instead of typing the title, which he would then Google, Y/N wrote the poem to him, perhaps he could shed some light on it for she was having no luck.

Romance, who loves to nod and sing,

With drowsy head and folded wing,

Among the green leaves as they shake

Far down within some shadowy lake,

To me a painted paroquet

Hath been- a most familiar bird-

Taught me my alphabet to say-

To lisp my very earliest word

While in the wild wood I did lie,

A child- with a most knowing eye.

Of late, eternal Condor years

So shake the very Heaven on high

With tumult as they thunder by,

I have no time for idle cares

Through gazing on the unquiet sky.

And when an hour with calmer wings

Its down upon my spirit flings-

That little time with lyre and rhyme

To while away- forbidden things!

My heart would feel to be a crime

Unless it trembled with the strings.

Y/N awaited his response as she read over the lines of the poem herself. The poem was called Romance and Y/N really hoped Harry didn't read something onto the title.

Well Y/N, it seems you have a pickle in your hands here.

Ever the asshole, Harry didn't help her at all. She sighed, deciding he was too distracting for her to actually get work done.

I'm signing off, you really are no help. Talk to you soon.

Y/N logged off before he could respond. For another hour she pondered what the poem could mean and then gave up and decided to concentrate on her art assignment. She was supposed to draw something that meant a lot to her but she couldn't think of anything except for Harry and she couldn't very well draw him, she had no idea what he looked like.

Then an idea no, more like an image, came to fruition within her thoughts and she began sketching, not knowing where this idea had come from, but she was going with it, it was all the help she was going to get.

Y/N awoke the next morning and sauntered into the kitchen, pouring herself some cereal she went to get milk when she saw the envelope sitting there, with her name written on the front in elegant script and written in blue biro. She knew who it was from immediately and sitting at the table, her breakfast forgotten, she opened the letter and started reading.

She was glad she didn't eat, because she probably would have just thrown it all up with the nausea she felt.

Harry was coming to New York, not only that he was coming to her school.

That was bad, he would see her, who she really was, who her friends were, what her friends were like, her brother and he would see what she looked like. Y/N suddenly felt extremely self conscious and opted not to wear her original outfit and instead wear baggy jeans, a tank top, a giant hoodie and ugly sneakers.

She didn't want Harry to see her because she knew, she knew that he would be beautiful and she was not, he would laugh at her and never speak to her again.

Y/N didn't think she could handle losing her friend, her best friend, her soul mate.

Y/N had never changed outfits so many times in her life.

She had gone from baggy, to slutty, to loose fitting, to tight, to exposing, to completely covered, and finally she decided to go for a mix and ended up in something she would normally wear. Looking at herself in the mirror she realised that being friends with Isabella had influenced her style way too much.

And even scarier, she had never put in this much effort to look nice for Liam.

Y/N was wearing a loose grey shirt with a leather belt that emphasised her small waist, a pair of black skinny jeans covered her legs and her feet were enclosed in ballet flats. Her hair was pinned on one side and her makeup was light, she wore no jewellery and she had her bag slung around her shoulders.

Y/N descended the stairs and grabbed a berry yogurt from the fridge for breakfast and waited for her brother.

Jack came down the stairs a few minutes later and nodded at her, picking up his backpack and an apple, grabbing his keys they were about to leave when their father came out from the study.

He was always in the study.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" He asked Y/N, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol. Y/N looked down at her attire, not seeing anything wrong with it.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked cautiously, standing closer to Jack.

When her father drank, he drank until he couldn't see anymore and he always asked or commented on Y/N's looks and she knew why. She looked exactly like her mother. Jack always came to her rescue when he started on a tirade, she was grateful to have such a loving brother.

"It looks like you are trying to impress a man. I want to know who?" Y/N cringed back at the look her father gave her. She hated it when he was like this.

Ever since their mother had abandoned them, Y/N's father had indulged in Alcohol and, as a result, had lost his job. They had nearly lost their home until, one day; their father had snapped out of it and got himself together. He got another job and was earning good money, Jack got a part time job for extra money and Y/N also got a summer job to pay for art classes.

He still drank and when he did, Y/N would rather avoid him.

"No one sir, I was just trying out a new style."

"What's it called? Whore?"

"Father." Jack stepped in, standing between Y/N and their father. "Enough. You're drunk."

"Just like your mother, she abandoned you kids, I stayed and this is how you repay me? By looking like something out of a x-rated movie?"

Y/N bit her lip and kept her tears at bay.

He wasn't her daddy right now. He was the thing that their mother had made.

"Y/N," Jack whispered. "Go to the car." Y/N did and waited for Jack.

When he appeared she was fidgeting with her outfit.

"Y/N, you look beautiful. Don't listen to him."

She smiled as he unlocked the car. She put her stuff on the back seat and sat, buckling her seat belt and fiddling with the music as he took off towards school.

"But out of pure curiosity, who are you trying to impress?"

My pen pal from kindergarten who just moved to this school.

"No one, just trying something new."

#####

Harry rolled his eyes, walking along behind the chick giving him the tour of the school.

Isabella? That was her name he thought. She seemed to like to talk and look at herself and look at Harry. Typical Barbie teenager, he could have her in minutes if he wanted, but he was far too anxious about where he was and who he knew was here. He felt oddly nervous, but he didn't know why. He knew that he was good looking—okay, that was an understatement—he could get any girl he wanted with a snap of his fingers, but it was different now.

He knew everything about Y/N—except for what she looked like, which was a big thing for Harry. He could admit that he was shallow, he always went for the easy girls as opposed to any other girl, but he doubted that Y/N was easy.

The fact that she had a boyfriend said so.

Harry clenched his jaw at that thought, it was ridiculous to get annoyed over one word, but Y/N having a boyfriend was not the way he had pictured their first meeting to go. He expected her to fall into his arms or his bed, depending on the location.

He had to stop thinking of Y/N like that. They were friends, best friends, and had been since she was five and he was six, he loved her like a friend and cared about her. He lived for the days they would talk for hours. He loved being able to open up to her.

He loved having a girl as his friend that cared about him even though she had no idea what he looked like.

"And this is the cafeteria. You can sit with me, you said you played soccer right?" Harry nodded at Isabella's question. "Good, I sit with some soccer players." They walked into the room; it was white and blue with long tables and benches. There was a lineup for the food but Harry wrinkled his nose.

He never ate cafeteria food; he always brought his own lunch.

He had told his Grandmother this and she had packed him a lunch. His stomach growled thinking about it.

"Did you want some food?" She asked.

"I have some with me." He responded, giving her his signature smirk. She smiled back at him and batted her eyelashes as she trotted off to a table in the back with a group of boys and girls. Isabella sat and gestured to a spare seat next to her in which Harry took.

"Everyone," She announced, gesturing to the group as a whole. "This is Harry Styles, he's new. He moved here from England and he too plays soccer."

"Interested in trying out? We need a new player." A boy with light silver-white hair asked.

"Sure," Harry responded nonchalantly, when really the prospect of playing the game he loved so much gave him a kick of adrenaline.

"Excellent. Come to practice this afternoon." He reached over offering his hand. "I'm Jack, captain, goalie." Harry shook his hand, recognising the name.

My older brother, Jack, is starting second grade next year.

Jack starts high school soon.

My brother got into the soccer team.

Jack was made captain!

So, this was Y/N's brother. He studied the boy, trying to imagine his features on a girl. An image rose. Dark eyes, contrasting with a pale complexion, tall and stringy, like a beanstalk, with a bit of athleticism due to cheerleading and long silvery hair.

Harry wasn't entirely put off by the image.

"That's Isabella, as you know." Jack continued, pointing to the girl next to him. "Cherr captain. Laney and Kayla are also cheerleaders. Liam, Jared are also on the team. The others are around somewhere, but we all prefer each other's company."

Harry acknowledged everyone with a nod, noting that Liam was a boy with dark hair and eyes and was also, he suspected, Y/N's boyfriend.

This guy, one of my brothers' friends, asked me out so I won't be able to talk tonight.

Liam, the guy I went on a date with, asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes.

Harry knew he was much better looking.

Harry looked around the cafeteria, trying to see if he could spot her.

"Ah," Jack said and here comes the most important member of our group.

Harry looked to where Jack was pointing and saw a girl walking towards them, tray in hand. Her eyes met Harry's and everything seemed to go silent. She was beautiful, not a generic beauty, but someone who didn't know how beautiful they were. Hair in a braid at her side, big luminous eyes widened as they looked at Harry. A small frame, with some muscle.

"Who?" Harry asked, not able to tear his eyes from her. His study happened in a split second; no one noticed that they had shared a moment.

A moment he would never forget.

"My sister."

The moment he first saw his Y/N.

#####

"Come on Y/N, you don't want to miss him, he is so hot." Stella, her partner in science, pushed Y/N out of the class.

She was trying to get Y/N to the cafeteria to see the new boy, she had heard about him all day and received an excited message from Isabella saying she was escorting him. She had heard he was hot but she knew something about him that no one else did.

The new boy was Harry Styles, her pen pal for over ten years.

Y/N was nervous as her and Stella approached the cafeteria, Stella scanned the room and her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"He isn't here yet. Let's line up, by the time we get our food, he should be here."

Y/N waited in line, noting that her brother and boyfriend came through and immediately sat down. They never ate school food. Y/N was envious. She hated the oily, bland food they made. She made a note to go car shopping sooner so that she could leave during lunch and buy something.

Y/N got her tray and on it placed an apple juice, a salad, a chocolate muffin and a small bowl of Mac 'n' Cheese.

Y/N decided to sit at her Brother's table today—well Isabella had decided for her—and as she made her way over, she stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes met with him.

His eyes were bright, emerald green and his hair was shaggy and brunette, falling under his chin and just above his eyes. His skin was sun kissed and he had an athlete's build. He was the most handsome boy Y/N had ever seen. Then it registered.

She had never seen this boy before, he was sitting with her brother, her boyfriend and Isabella and he, too, was staring at her.

She felt a lump build in her throat and she didn't need Stella's input.

"That's him, the new boy."

Y/N gulped and suddenly felt the urge to run and hide.

The new boy.

Her boy.

Her best friend.

Harry Styles, her Harry.

Y/N was able to move from her spot once Stella broke the trance she had been in.

She didn't look at him when she got to the table, taking a seat next to Liam and realising with annoyance that Harry was across from her. She couldn't look at him, then they would all know. They would know she knew Harry, she cared for Harry and she couldn't let that happen.

"Hey baby," Liam said as she settled in her seat. Leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. Y/N's eyes inadvertently went to Harry as his lips made contact. His eyes blazed and his jaw tightened as Liam kissed her, but Y/N didn't understand why.

"Ow," Liam said as he pulled away, glaring at Jack. "Who just throws bread at someone?"

"That's my sister," Jack said. "Next time, it won't be bread."

"Jack, you are so overprotective. I am not a baby anymore" Y/N said, looking at her brother. It was the first words she had spoken since seeing Harry. She didn't look at him or tried not to anyway.

"Y/N!" Isabella said excitedly, drawing her attention. "This is Harry Styles; new guy from England, your brother is letting him try out for the team!"

Isabella, I know more about him than you, shut up and stop looking at him like that!

Y/N let her gaze go to Harry.

"Really? You must be something special to get that stubborn JACKass to let you try out." She smiled innocently at Jack.

"Oh you have no idea." Harry replied, his voice like heaven.

"We'll see about that." Liam said, slinging his arm around Y/N. "Are you coming to see his tryout babe?"

Y/N looked over at Harry who smirked at her quickly before glancing down at his untouched lunch. He seemed to have packed lunch, Y/N found that cute.

"Wouldn't miss it."

###

Y/N changed into some workout clothes.

"Alright," Isabella said as they stretched on the field. "We are going to practice the cheers for next weeks game, because frankly you suck at it. Let's go!"

Isabella was nothing if not direct.

She looked out at the field and saw Liam; he smiled and waved to her. Jack saw this and whacked him over the head.

Y/N couldn't help but laugh at that.

Then she noticed Harry and all laughter died as they looked at one another from across the field. He was shirtless, and boy did he look good, and he made it no secret to check her out. Y/N turned from him before Liam or Jack saw the look Harry was giving her.

She was distracted all through practice, but luckily, she wasn't the worse one here. A lot of the other girls were distracted by Harry too. Y/N tried not to dwell on that.

As the cheerleaders were packing, Y/N noticed Jack and Harry shaking hands and smiling.

He must have made the team

She saw Liam then and he began to walk over to her, she smiled and walked over to him, after having packed up what she was supposed to, and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers.

"So, Harry is a pretty good player isn't he?" Y/N said as she pulled away from Liam, taking his hand and walking to where she would change.

"Yeah, I guess so, hopefully he will be enough to get us out of this slump."

"I'm sure he will be." They had reached the entrance to the girl's locker room and Y/N looked up at Liam, his brown eyes smiling at her.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

Y/N was about to say no, that Jack gave her a lift to school and would take her home but then she thought about how little time she spent with Liam and nodded, hurrying to get changed and coming back out in record time.

"That was fast." He commented, smirking at her as he took her school bag.

"Well, I wanted to spend time with you." Y/N crinkled her nose. The girl's locker room always smelled like perfume, too much perfume and all of different scents. It got quite difficult to breathe in there.

"Cutie."Liam bent down and brushed his lips over Y/N's.

Liam pulled back grinned, Y/N stood and stared up at him, unable to form words.

The kiss was small, short and...Nice.

"Why Miss Y/L/N I do believe my kissing has stunned you into silence. I am quite good."

Y/N shook her head and shoved his arm playfully, about to say something smartass back to him when something caught her eyes. A flash, retreating into the boys' locker room.

Harry?

She turned back to Liam and they continued walking, they were nearly at his car when she remembered something. Slapping a hand to her forehead. Liam looked down at her in concern.

"Shoot, I forgot my homework in my locker. I'll be right back." She began to run towards the school.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I'll meet you at the car in a couple of minutes." She called back to him, dashing into the doors and running to her locker.

She put in the combination and got the book she needed, shutting her locker door she turned to go and jumped, seeing something she hadn't noticed before.

"Well, alone at last."

Y/N looked up at the person before her, feeling her insides melt.

"Harry," She breathed, unable to say anything but his name.

"Well Y/N, we meet at last."

Y/N looked up at Harry. She wasn't ready for this, no matter how many times she told herself she was, she wasn't and she realised she never would be ready to meet Harry. He was someone that she could turn to when she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was someone she could tell everything to—she had told everything to him and he was her best friend, someone who knew her better than anyone and now that he was here, she regretted telling him all those things. She regretted letting Harry in.

"I should go," she mumbled and started to walk away. Harry grabbed her arm and she spun, nearly head butting his chest. For a moment she stood frozen and, annoyingly, a song started playing through her head, one that she should not be thinking about when she had a boyfriend.

At last, my love has come along, my lonely days are over.

"Y/N" Harry whispered and she saw how close their faces were, his lips mere centimetres from hers. If she leaned forward, just a little, they would kiss and she had thought about kissing Harry plenty. Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing. His eyes travelled down to her lips and then back to her eyes. He was about to say something. Y/N wanted to hear it, she wanted to hear what he had to say to her, but the trance they were in was broken when Harry smirked down at her and spoke.

"I always imagined our meeting to go a little...differently."

Y/N didn't like his tone and managed to step out of his grip on her arm.

"You've imagined our meeting?" She asked, her voice coming out a little breathlessly.

"All the time, Y/N," she tried not to think of how her nickname—the name only he called her—sounded like a caress. "I mean, we've known each other for years and we have never met. I've always wondered what it would be like." He grinned wickedly at her and Y/N felt herself respond with a small, teasing, smile. One Isabella had taught her.

Damn her flirting classes to the pits of hell!

"Well, it's great to, you know, finally meet you. We should definitely hang out some—" Harry placed a hand over her mouth and moved his eyes in the direction of an empty room. Y/N felt her brow furrowed in confusion and then she registered the sound of footsteps. She didn't have time to respond before Harry was walking towards the room, with her in tow, locking the door and pulling the blind down.

"Harry," She hissed. "What are you—?"

"Y/N?"

The voice came from the hallway and Y/N widened her eyes as she recognised it. Harry put a finger to his lips in the international sign for silence.

"Y/N, baby?"

Liam was walking past the door and Y/N had to resist the urge to yell out his name, Harry saw this and leaned into her, whispering in her ear. His breath caused her to shiver.

"Y/N, I just want to talk to you alone."

"Harry, he's my ride home and my boyfriend," she said defensively.

"Text him and tell him you need to do something really quickly and you'll be out soon."

Y/N looked up at Harry, planning on defying him and then she thought about it. She would never be alone with Harry again and she had wanted to meet him—talk to him in person—for years. Perhaps she should listen.

She took her phone out and sent a quick text to Liam.

Hey babe. Running late, meet you out the front in a few? Sorry for taking so long xox

Harry gave her an approving look as they heard Liam's phone go off and he headed back down the hallway, leaving the school.

"Okay, you have five minutes, what?" She asked Harry.

The Harry in her head looked like the Harry before her except for the attitude. Her Harry was sweet, funny and romantic. Harry, though funny, didn't seem to have anything sweet in him.

"Cute," Harry said and she looked up seeing one corner of his mouth was turned up in a smile.

"What is?" She asked.

"You," he grinned and Y/N grinned back. Then her smiled faded as he kept looking her up and down. Y/N squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny. He was looking at her like...like a piece of meat, ogling her. This was not how she imagined Harry would look at her; she imagined kindness to shine from his eyes and a feeling of safety to wrap around her.

Right now, all she felt was...uncomfortable.

"Look Harry," Y/N said, raising her eyes to his. "I really need to go," she said firmly, trying to get him to shake off the look of a stranger checking out the best piece of ass. He didn't.

"Oh Y/N, I have been waiting to meet you for over ten years and you're just going to walk away from me?" He shook his head. "I thought we were friends, best friends."

"We were—are—but Harry, I really need to go. I'll—I'll talk to you later, tonight, okay?" He gave her a curious look.

"No girl," he said slowly, "has ever walked away from me. It is unfamiliar and quite disconcerting. I don't like it very much but it seems to make you far more endearing. I enjoy a good chase, Y/N," he raised his eyebrows suggestively. "But be warned, I am quite good at catching what I want."

Y/N looked at him with disgust and shoved past him.

So this was who her best friend really was, an asshat that liked to use girls. Well, she wasn't going to be one of them.

"If I had known this is what you were really like," she said, hand on the door knob, turning to face him, "I never would have kept writing to you."

Harry drummed his fingers in time with the music on the steering wheel of his car.

He was driving to a local corner store, a mini mart of sorts, to get some things for his grandmother. He didn't mind helping her. She was letting him live with her, rent free and even gave him money for doing her favours. Harry didn't want to take it, but she was pushy and would put it in his wallet while he was asleep.

He smiled at the thought.

"I never would have kept writing to you."

His smile fell as that unpleasant thought worked its way into his mind and he slammed his hand, hard, on the steering wheel, berating himself. He couldn't believe how bad his meeting with Y/N went. He was such an ass. He knew he was, he could proudly admit it and also admit to the fact that there was no hidden reason behind his being an ass, no woman who scorned him, no abusive relationship with his parents and no reason at all.

Except that he was an ass and he enjoyed being an ass.

Mostly.

His arrogance only got him so far in life. Sometimes he would have to reel it in and suck up his pride and stop being an ass. Perhaps he should have done that with Y/N.

She had always been there for him, since he was six years old and first received her letter. When he found out she was a girl he was instantly annoyed, girls had cooties, but he wrote back anyway. That stupid egg headed boyfriend of hers had called her baby and Harry had to suppress a laugh at that, he had had so many babies in his short life and knew that more would come. But there is only one Y/N

It had been a week since Y/N had spoken to him and if she did look at him, she glared. It bothered Harry, more than he was willing to admit, that this girl he had known for so long—and had finally met—may hate him. He had no one but himself to blame, it was easy to act differently when typing on a computer or writing a letter.

Harry only acted that way with family and very close friends. Never had he acted the way he had with Y/N with any other girl. He had never given them special nicknames or blown off parties to 'hang out'. He never stayed up all night talking or anxiously awaiting a reply.

He had never wanted someone like he wanted Y/N.

Not in a physical way, although she was remarkably good looking. He wanted Y/N on an emotional level too. He wanted to kiss her if he wanted and do things to her he had done before with other girls, but he also wanted to be able to talk to her, to tell her how he felt and have her listen and in turn, listen to her.

Was this love he was feeling? Had he fallen in love with the girl who never wrote in cursive and never stuck to one pen colour?

Harry thought about it and a startling revelation came to him.

He was most definitely in love with Y/N.

There was no other way to explain his feelings and even—dear god!—the silly grin that was now on his face as he thought about it. He pulled up to a red light and groaned, hitting the steering wheel.

I'm in love with my best friend and treated her like crap.

God he was stupid.

Y/N had been a constant in his life. He had always been able to turn to her for comfort and she had turned to him. He knew more about her than anyone probably did. He knew that when her mother left, Y/N had cut one line along her wrist and then looked at herself in disgust for doing it because her mother didn't deserve her blood. He knew that she hadn't spoken to her mother—Val—since she walked out, and he knew what her father would call her when he was drunk.

He knew her favourite colours, movies, T.V. shows, books and what she wanted to do. He knew her fears and her dreams. He knew that she loved carrots and detested broccoli. He knew that she would only ever dot her I's with hearts if hell froze over, and she liked to draw smiley faces on the toes of her converse.

He smiled thinking about it all and then he saw her in his memory, the way she had looked when he had first laid eyes on her and his heart sped up.

I am in love, aren't I?

He didn't understand how he was in love. He always thought he would fall in love when he was older. He knew Y/N, inside and out and he realised that he had been falling in love with her, slowly, since that first letter and had been in love with her long before he saw her.

Harry jolted with surprise at that, as the light turned green and he continued to drive, he was shallow. He knew it. He only ever paid attention to a girl if she was good looking and flaunted it; tight tops, pants, short skirts, the lot. If you didn't have any of that, he wasn't interested.

With Y/N it was different, he had never seen her before and yet he always wanted to spend his time with her. Re-reading her letters, seeing if she was online, anything really. He made excuses to stay in and talk to her. He would rush home if he knew he would receive a letter from her and butterflies would go crazy in his stomach as he saw the envelope.

She always wrote on nice stationery and sprayed the letter with perfume.

He loved going on her words, tracing them with his fingers.

God, Harry thought as he pulled into the car park for the store and got out, locking his silver Audi and moving to the entrance of the store.

He froze for a moment, the last thought in his mind, whirring around as he looked at the one person behind the counter and his heart soared. They didn't see him and he ducked into an aisle as he calmed his heart and that thought that was still nagging at him.

God, I'm in love with Y/N.

#####

"Isabella, I only have a short break, what do you want?"

Y/N held the phone against her ear and shoulder as she listened to Isabella babble about the upcoming school dance. She rolled her eyes, her school had too many dances. This one was a welcoming back dance, although it wasn't scheduled for another month or so, but Isabella always had to start preparing early.

"I'm thinking blue, maybe. I think I look good in blue and gold for you. Maybe not blue, that would clash with the gold. I know, red! I'll wear red and gold and you can wear gold and red!" She chirped excitedly.

"What's the difference?" Y/N asked, opening her chocolate bar.

"Red is my feature colour, so it will be the colour of my dress and nails and lip stick and I will have gold shoes and accessories. Gold will be your feature colour and red you sub colour. Duh Y/N, have I taught you nothing?"

She rolled her eyes, thankful that Izzy couldn't see her.

"Alright, but red and gold remind me of curtains."

"Curtains?"

"Yeah, like older mansions always had red curtains and gold ropes and poles," she shrugged. "Reminds me of curtains, plus, red doesn't go with skin tone.”

"So what colour would you suggest for yourself?"

"Black."

There was a pause and then Isabella yelled into the phone.

"Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N! You are not going to another dance in a black dress! For the love of God! Wear some colour!"

"But black is—"

"Black is a colour you wear once in a while. Not. At. Every. Social. Function," Isabella ground out and Y/N winced. "That's it! I managed to get you to dress like a girl everyday now I have to get you to dress in colours when we go out. I am scheduling a shopping trip...Two weeks before the dance. For now, we will browse online."

"Isabella—"

"What are you wearing right now?"

"A skirt and top."

"Elaborate, Y/N. Shape, colour, design?"

She sighed but continued, knowing Isabella wouldn't stop until she had an answer.

"A green skirt that is longer at the back and zips up the front and a white tank top tucked into the waist band of the skirt. My shoes are white enclosed with a wedge heel design and I am wearing gold bracelets and a silver necklace with a heart on it."

"Good girl, see? If it weren't for me, you'd be dressed like Will." Y/N didn't try to deny it.

"Isabella, I really think—"

"No excuses. It's written. It's done. Get your fabulously dressed butt back to work and call me later."

Isabella hung up and Y/N stared at the phone for a moment before sighing and putting it back in her bra—girl's gotta do what a girl's got to do—and headed back out to the register, where Mr. Stark had been managing the register.

Mr. Stark owned the small convenience store that Y/N worked at and had been good friends with her father—still was apparently, and she got the job with no problems. The pay was good and the hours flexible.

Smiling at the old man, she took her seat behind the register and waited, flipping through a magazine as she did. She heard the bell above the door chime but didn't look up, until she felt a tingle go through her and when she looked, no one was there. She frowned and then shrugged. They probably went down an aisle.

Returning to her magazine, Y/N thought through Isabella's words.

Did she need to wear more colours? Did Isabella have a point in helping her change her wardrobe from drabby to, as she says, fabby?

Looking down at herself, her style had definitely changed and Y/N liked it, maybe she should stop wearing black dresses to every dance.

Y/N saw in her peripheral a customer approach and stowed her magazine away, scanner in hand. Looking up she saw, to her dismay, who it was that was placing the items down. Locking her jaw, she decided not to acknowledge him and started scanning and placing in the paper bags that Mr. Stark used, insisting it was better than plastic. When she finished scanning, she was annoyed to find that she had to acknowledge his presence.

"Will that be all?" She asked, not quite meeting Harry's eyes. The green seemed to blaze into her.

"I think so, Y/N." The name was like a caress and Y/N had to suppress a shiver of delight. "Actually," Harry amended and Y/N looked up from typing in the total. "One more thing, when do you get off?"

"Do you use that line on every girl?" She asked, typing in the total as Harry fished bills from his wallet and handed them to her.

"Only girls I like." Y/N didn't pause in counting his change, but his words caused a thrill to go through her. "So, when do you get off?"

"Why?" She asked, handing him back his change.

"Because I want to talk, don't friends usually talk?"

"Friends yes, I wasn't aware we were friends Harry," she responded, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Y/N," He sighed. "What I said, it was completely out of line. I—I'm sorry. I was so nervous meeting you. I mean, you imagine something for so long you want it to go perfectly and then you lose all sense and start blabbering." He ran a hand through his hair and Y/N finally met his gaze.

She could see that he was sorry, in the depths of green there was regret.

"I get off at 4," she said, which was an hour away.

"Would you mind—would you mind if I took you home?"

Y/N looked up at him and saw that he was nervous. Harry had always seemed so confident in his letters and typing that she hadn't thought he could get nervous and with his looks, she thought there was no need. Although what he had said to her still hurt, she had known Harry was a player, he had told her as much, but she had never thought—never imagined—that he would treat her like one of those countless other girls, and that hurt more than words could describe.

Her decision was made as she quickly mulled that over and she told him her answer.

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rhenuvee · 4 years

Text

“Your Tip, Love.” (Fred Weasley x reader)

A/N: Can students get part-time jobs...? Idk but just go with it dude.

Taglist: @obsessedwithrandomthings

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

Why did your mom tell you to get a job? You weren’t poor, nor was this to look good or have work experience. She just hated when you had nothing to do at Hogwarts. It didn’t have to be a good job, but your mom knew that if you didn’t have anything to do you’d die of boredom.

And that’s why you’ve been working at Honeydukes starting this year. On the contrary, standing in the middle of the shop and offering samples of candies seemed to lose your interest very quickly throughout the weeks. At least you got discounts on the candies.

“(Y/n)! Could you get me a Bertie Bott’s every flavour beans- pretty please?”

“No!”

Unfortunately, it was highly embarrassing when your friends burst into the shop and demanded free candies from you. Even worse if you see a classmate or someone you worked on an assignment with. Every Saturday, it was a ritual of you crossing your fingers and praying to every great wizard you didn’t see a familiar face and make it awkward.

This Saturday, it seemed to be going fairly well. The customers who were willing to try a sample were very nice, and no one you knew came in. Ahh, today was going to be-

“George hurry up!”

You froze. You recognized that voice- you definitely spoke too soon.

Fred Weasley, you definitely knew him, who wouldn’t? Famous prankster along with George and Lee. One of Gryffindor’s star beaters. And you for sure wouldn’t forget him after that one time you were paired with him to do that assignment in potions.

You remember awkwardly walking to the table for you to work together. You felt sweaty- did you stand too far or too close to him? He did help you which was the opposite of his usual antics. Except you noticed from the corner of your eyes that he was grinning the whole time... why was this important?

You did not realize until your friend flat out told you- they thought you liked him, and that he liked you. They somehow noticed how smiley he was around you- which you did have to admit was out of place because y’all were in potions! And of course they saw your awkward and knew how clammy your hands would get when you were nervous. It was a day of relentless teasing.

But back to a present time problem- Fred, George and Lee had just walked into the store. They were bound to see you, you were practically a sitting duck.

Your panic mode gave you three options:

Fight - “Hi Fred!” but who were you kidding, your confidence was level 0.

Flight - Run away and have Mr. and Mrs. Flume scold you? Plus, wouldn’t that make you a tad dramatic?

Freeze - And then you could-

“Are those chocolate frogs?” asked Lee Jordan. You were snapped out of your thoughts and your face started to get hot instantly.

“Um, yeah would you like one?” you said shyly stretching out the tray of sweets.

“Free samples? Wicked.” The boys each took one chocolate frog from the tray and started to browse around the shop for any other sweets that interested them.

You weren’t able to see Fred’s reaction to seeing you, but knowing that he didn’t say anything made you guess that he didn’t recognize you, or something along those line. You turned your head in the boys’ direction. They were distracted by the shelves of candies and were not making things awkward with you.

You sighed a breath of relief and checked the watch on your left wrist. Your shift was almost done, and you could finally return to your dorm and flop on the bed.

The three boys paid for their treats and left the store. You took one last glance at them as they exited and then back to your watch.

“Hey (y/n).” You lifted your head to come to sight of Fred, who was in the middle of holding the door slightly open for himself.

“It was nice seeing you.” he said with a wink. With that he left, and you seemed to still be initiating the third panic mode option with your jaw dropped. Did Fred Weasley just say it was nice to see you?!

The moment Mr. Flume bid you goodbye for the week, you bolted back to the castle immediately.

---

It was another Saturday at Honeydukes. Fred had not said anything to you about last week, and you were grateful. Little did you know, that older Weasley twin had a plan.

“(Y/n)!” shouted your friend Maya.

“Oh hi Maya!” you said surprised that she came to Honeydukes.

“Just wanted to visit, wouldn’t want you to be lonely.” she joked. You rolled your eyes playfully. You couldn’t deny it though, you did enjoy when your friends made a bit of time to be with you at your shift.

You were talking for a bit, until you saw who you did and did not want to see. You watched with wide eyes as Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins entered the store.

“Hey isn’t that Fred Weasley? The guy you get all nervous around?” she whispered in your ear.

“Maya!” you scolded attempting to bump into her with your tray of sweets.

“Oh I see how it is...” she winked in amusement of the scowl on your face. She then went to the shelves in the back.

“Maya where are you going?” you asked almost frantically.

“Hm? Oh nothing, these chocolates look really interesting...” she said clearly putting on an act to seem busy. You were definitely going to get her back for that.

“Are those sugar quills free samples?” asked a voice which made you turn your head back to the front. You came to face Ron Weasley, who you knew as the twins’ younger brother.

“Yeah, feel free to take one.” You tried to sound less shaky, you hoped it worked. Ron’s eyes widened and started taking a few quills.

“Ronald!” scolded Hermione hitting his arm. Ron was taken aback. “She said take one, not an all you can eat buffet!”

“Alright I’m sorry!” Ron said slightly embarrassed.

“It’s okay, really!” you said trying to reassure them, you didn’t want to make it more weird. Hermione shook her head at him as Harry and the twins were snickering. They all parted ways within the store, except Fred didn’t budge.

“Sorry about my brother.” he said sheepishly.

“It’s fine, it’s no big deal anyway.” you said. Your heart was pounding, the fact that you uttered a full sentence to Fred was an accomplishment.

“What’s a girl like you doing, working at Honeydukes?” Fred asked while picking up one of your sugar quills.

“Oh, my mom doesn’t like when I don’t have anything to do. I mean it’s fine really, I get a discount on candy.” you explained. “W-what about you?”

“Me? Well rumour has it that there’s a really cute girl who works at Honeydukes who displays the sweets every Saturday.” he said smirking. Your face went beet red- he was talking about you?!

“R-really...?” you asked attempting to sound oblivious.

“Yes, and she’s especially cute when she gets all quiet around me.” He was making you more embarrassed than intended. Way for him to call you out sis. You were about to say something, but the trio and George finished paying for their candies and were heading out.

“Fred, stop flirting, let’s go!” called George holding the door open for him. Your brain was going haywire- Fred Weasley flirting with you?? Fred chuckled.

“Be patient you prat.” George rolled his eyes in return. You watched as Fred fished in his pockets for coins and placed them on your display tray.

“Your tip, love.” he said. He bent down to your height and kissed your cheek. You were left with the feeling of his soft lips on your face. You couldn’t utter a single word out. Fred waved at your paralyzed state and left with George shaking his head and laughing at his twin’s romantic gesture.

“Oh my god...” said a voice behind you. You turned your head slowly and saw Maya.

“Maya! What the fu-”

“Did Fred just kiss you?!” she squealed. She looked more excited than you.

“I-” you couldn’t even English at this point. You knew she was going to tease you for this big time, so you had to change the subject. “Maya, did you really take ten minutes to admire those chocolates in the back?”

“Yes.”

---

Your shift was almost done for today, however your heart was fluttering the whole time thinking of Fred. Oh god, how were you supposed to face him now?

Suddenly you heard a thump coming from the cellar of the store. You didn’t go down there often, so you felt a little uneasy when you walked in slowly to check.

“Mr. Flume? Mrs. Flume?” you called out quietly. No answer. You looked left and right, there was nobody you could see.

Your whole body did a small jump as you saw a tile on the floor move. The tile kept moving until you saw it lift and move to the side. You were shocked to see Fred emerge.

“Oh hello love.” he said casually.

“Fred! What are you doing?!” you whisper-yelled as you went to help him get out. As soon as he stepped out, he dusted off his clothes.

“I missed you.” he said a smirk playing on his lips. Fred making you flustered twice in one shift? Your heart couldn’t take it.

“S-stop playing with me, why did you- no, how did you come here?! What was that?!” you asked pushing him up the stairs back to the shop. He purposely resisted a little to make your life harder. As soon as you both reached the top of the stairs, he leaned against wall.

“Didn’t know you spoke that much, (y/n).” he teased. You groaned.

“Fred, I already saw you this morning, why are you-”

“Go on a date with me.” You backed into the doorway from hearing what he had just asked you. You noticed that there wasn’t a playful grin on his face, but instead looked almost worried.

“Okay.” you said smiling.

“Okay?” he asked repeating your reply. You realized how short and blunt your answer seemed. No wonder you’ve been single all this time.

“I-I mean yes! I’d love to go on a date with you.” you said shyly. He walked over to your small form and lightly pinned you against the wall.

“Can I kiss you then?” he asked brushing your jawline with this thumb. You managed to nod in response. With that, he closed the remaining gap between you and locked his lips with yours.

The kiss made you dizzier ten times more than the simple peck from hours ago. And bloody hell was he a good kisser. Your arms went up to link around his neck, bringing him closer and deepening the kiss.

“Um (y/n), it’s the end of your shift you and your boyfriend can leave now...”

You both broke off immediately in embarrassment as you recognized the voice as Mrs. Flume. She was standing awkwardly behind the cashier. Oh god, you were going to get fired for sure.

“...I told him to use the front door but he just had to pull a Santa Clause-“ The three of you turned your heads to the door to see Lee and George mid sentence stopping to see you and Fred with your hands on each other and Mrs. Flume catching you in the act.

“Oh my- Mrs. Flume we’re so sorry!” said George pretending to be scared and apologizing a million times.

“Yes yes it will never happen again!” shouted Lee being just as dramatic.

“You know how couples get..” said George pushing you and Fred out the door quickly.

“U-uhm I’m so sorry Mrs. Flume, S-see you next week!” you stuttered out without even looking her in the eye. As you stopped outside you panted as Fred was giggling the entire time.

“Why are you laughing? Fred!” you said playfully slapping him on the arm as he continued laughing.

“Oh Merlin, (y/n) you don’t know how funny that was- your reaction was adorable!”

“You should be glad, we saved both your arses.” Said Lee proudly with George nodding along.

“Now you can finally go on your date!” Said George cheerfully. “But if I see you both snogging when you get back I won’t be there to save either of you again.”

You blushed at the thought of you and Fred snogging again. Fred scoffed and waved them off. He took your hand in his as you started to walk on your date.

“By the way, I don’t care what George says. There will be snogging, a hundred percent.”

—————————————————

Please message me if you’d like to be a part of my tag list. I write for 3 fandoms so specify which one!

#fred weasley #george weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley oneshot #fred weasley one shot #fred weasley imagine #fred weasley fanfiction #fred weasley fic #fred and george #weasley twins #hp fanfic #fred weasley fluff

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docholligay · 4 years

Text

Midnight in the Garden

A commission from @phrdycg!! Who asked for Futaba and Claudine, “ “Truth does not do as much good in the world as the appearance of truth does evil” I hope this is along the lines of what you were looking for! I’ll continue in this vein very soon!

What did it even mean to be honest? Futaba wasn’t sure anymore. She realized this position was ever so slightly dramatic, when she looked at it from a certain angle, but even knowing such, it was nearly impossible for her to separate herself from the idea.

She was in love with Kaoruko, she supposed. That was what she had always assumed, following her around, managing her life, taking care of her. People had been teasing her about it since she was a small child, and she had fallen into it as easily as falling asleep after a long day. And perhaps that was why she was able to do whatever it was Kaoruko needed. It had never occurred to her to do anything else.

And that was love, wasn’t it? An honest sort of love? To know that you would do anything the person asked, to be devoted to them, to stay by them when everyone else fell away.

But somehow it felt less honest, of late. Futaba couldn’t quite put her finger on it. There was something in her that seemed to sour, when she thought of making another breakfast, and serving it in bed, again, and rushing Kaoruko to get dressed, and making sure that she wasn’t late for class. It was what she had always done. It was what she had always known.

It was what people has said she was perfectly made for.

But lately, she had looked at herself in the mirror and seen someone new. Someone who wanted, in a way Futaba never had. There was the glimmer of desire in her eye, and not for acting with Kaoruko, or being alongside her, or serving her, but to find something for her own sake. FOr awhile, she had thought it was just the school--everyone here was so competitive that it would be impossible for her not to be swept up in it.

But she was beginning to wonder.

She had accepted the truth of her life for so long that it seemed like some form of betrayal to imagine anything else.

And the truth was that she loved Kaoruko. If she ever doubted that, she thought with a grin, Kaoruko would be happy to correct her. It was only the revues, only the strange twist their lives had taken, that made her feel any different.

She thought of the feel of the halberd in her hand, and her pulse quickened. It was the only time she had ever raised any kind of a protest to Kaoruko, the only time she had ever competed against her in earnest.

Futaba had faltered, at the end. She had allowed Kaoruko to win, and she knew this, no matter how accidental it looked. The stage had seen Futaba’s truth, and it had exposed it for what it was, and her cape had drifted to the ground sure as any cherry blossom in the spring.

That was the truth of her, Futaba knew. That she would bow and fall before Kaoruko, any day of the week, that she was, in some twisted way, born to serve her. It didn’t do any good to try to fight that--if it had been said of her since she was small, said to her since she was small, how could it not be true?

____

Claudine was mad.

This really wasn’t anything that unusual, when taken with the whole of Claudine’s experience. She was, to hear all of the students talk, very French, with her passions and loud voice and proud carriage. Her mother was very soft-spoken, and her father was bombastic, but whatever that truth was, it was lost in the other, greater truth they all knew--that to be so mercurial could not possibly be a Japanese trait.

Claudine was furious, actually, though mad had an appeal to it that spanned both the British and the American English understandings of the word, both of which seemed to apply whenever Maya Tendou was involved. The neatness of having one word to explain both feelings was pleasing to her. It was only Maya who could call these feelings up, only Maya who could make Claudine doubt everything she thought and felt.

Maya had never said she loved Claudine, and yet somehow, Claudine still believed it to be true. She believed it to be true because for it not to be was something far too harrowing indeed. It was true that it was no declaration of eternal troth, thew two of them sharing a kiss in the garden at moonlight, and it was true that no oaths had been spoken as they whispered back and forth below the silken canopy of Claudine’s bed. But still, Claudine felt these things must be understood to be true.

It was not right, to be in every way the actor, in one’s life.

And yet something stil nagged at Claudine, that perhaps Maya was the perfect actor, and perhaps she knew no other way to be. Was Maya acting? Would she know it if she was?

No, she couldn’t be. Claudine only thought that because she was angry, and she was only angry because the stage had favored Maya, again, rising before her like some sort of spurning wave, throwing the light into Claudine’s eyes until she was as blind and starstruck as every audience who had ever seen Maya work upon them.

It had been a part of their love--and Claudine refused to call it anything else--from the very first, the rise and fall of the stage, the sound of their heels on the boards every beat of their hearts. It had been thrilling, at the first, every encounter an audition, every time Maya said her name that most tantalizing of callbacks. Later, however, Claudine had been wondering about the truth she knew, that Maya had loved her from the first. Was it love, or was it excitement? Was it only the tangle between the two of them, the thrill of the chase, all that much more exciting with an edge of desire?

Claudine was furious, because she had lost, she reminded herself, but even the truth of that she wondered at.

She thought back to the revue itself. It had, as always, been passionate and quick, heavy and hot under the glittering lights, as they danced their tango back and forth across the floorboards, the stage groaning and rising to meet them. Maya had cut the delicate gold rope that twisted about Claudine’s neck, the rich velvet of her pride falling to the floor. Claudine had not heard anything but that terrible utterance of two words: Position Zero.

And then Maya had left.

Certainly she should have known better, certainly, even riding the high crashing wave of the stage’s approval. The victory was about them, yes, but Maya gave herself too much credit. It was the whims and wishes of the stage, as well, of that audience they could not see under the lights, who judged them with appraising eyes and whispers only they could hear. Perhaps that was the great insult of it, to know that Claudine was found wanting before them for reasons she could only imagine.

But it didn’t matter, did it? Because Maya loved her. And that was true, wasn’t it? Even if she did not say so, Maya was a woman who said less, and did more, and didn’t she... ? Claudine thought of her walking away, as Claudine stood on stage, the red of her cape pooling about her ankles.

She walked out of her room, pulling the coat off her hook, and headed out into the night.

______

I want coffee tmrw :( :( With xtra whip :) :)

Futaba looked down at her cell phone and for one brief moment, nearly pitched it into the small fountain pond next to her. But she never would have done that, any more than she would have forgotten about Kaoruko entirely, any more than she would have stopped herself from bringing that oversweet latte tomorrow morning. Any more than she would have let herself beat Kaoruko in the revue.

She looked up at the sky again against the chill of the night, the moon gleaming brightly against a cloudless sky, stars glittering against the darkness of it like a jewelry store case.

The moonlight is a messenger of love, she had once heard it said, thought she couldn’t remember where. It felt like no such thing, sitting here. It felt like the slender knife of the night, long and cold and sharp, as she sat here and thought about her life. Thought about that girl in the mirror, who longed for something Futaba could not give her, could even articulate.

“I love her.” Futaba spoke it to the open air, a small bit of steam curling out of her mouth as the temperature dipped further.

She closed her eyes and thought of Kaoruko. When was the first time? At the edge of her mind there was seeing this tiny thing, dressed in traditional garb, posing in the street. She looked like a doll any tourist might pick up, clearly the same age as Futaba but nothing like her, decorated and gleaming against Futaba’s skinned knees and loose-fitting t-shirt.

Futaba had been so young. She had never seen any girl like Kaoruko, never known that there were girls like her in the world, and when Kaoruko had taken her hand, and kissed her cheek, it had seemed magical. Kaoruko had seen the secret that lay at the center of her heart, and named it.

“It’s a beautiful night.” A elegant, pearled voice curled through the air like the steam from Futaba’s own lips.

Futaba startled, nearly knocking herself into the pool and disturbing the reflected stars there.

“Je regrette,” Claudine said, coming through the bushes, “I never meant to scare you.”

“You didn’t--” Futaba stopped herself. If she was going to seek the truth, she may as well also provide it. “It’s okay.”

Claudine said nothing, simply stood looking at the garden in the night as the fountain dripped on in its symphony behind Futaba. The wind blew her hair back in an elegant arc, and Futaba shivered with the touch of it. She remembered herself, in that shiver, and stood.

“Claudine, it’s cold,” She started to remove her scarf, “You should go back inside.”

A smile lit her lips, carved out by the moon, and she looked over to Futaba. “Not too cold for you to be sitting out here on stone.”

It was just a statement, Futaba knew, but there was something about it that sounded like a riddle she’d be utterly unable to answer. She fumbled for a moment with her reply, coiling the scarf in her hands. It now seemed so foolish to offer it.

“I was thinking.” It did not explain the cold, but it might explain her distraction from it.

Claudine nodded. “It’s hard to know the truth, isn’t it? Of ourselves most of all.”

Another statement that sounded like a riddle. Futaba met Claudine’s gaze, her bright eyes reflecting that shard of moonlight, carrying it forward into Futaba’s chest. She was so unlike Kaoruko, and yet she made Futaba think of her, in ways she could not explain. The way her words wound around like country roads, the way she tilted her head and seemed to really see Futaba when she looked at her, the way her perfume seemed to announce her comings and goings into every room. The way she looked like a thing too composed to be quite real.

Futaba’s mouth hung open, her breath caught in her throat as she tried to come up with something to say.

Claudine didn’t wait. “Walk with me, Futaba?”

Futaba nodded, and extended her arm in a gesture she hoped seemed more gallant than silly.

Claudine took it, and they strolled through the dark of the garden together, lit by moonlight, their truths rumbling around them, waiting to be discovered.

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thekitteninlove · 3 years

Text

Okay, so i wrote another fanfic. This one is much longer, 3000+ words or 6 pages. I put some more romance in it too, since i realized the other ones kinda lack that and i want more romance. This is my way of coping with my love for Dean

Characters: Dean Tweedle

Warning: R 18+

Title: Teacher's pet, part 1

I was in the schoolyard with my friend, Maya. We were on a break, so we decided to just take a walk outside.

“So, do you wanna go to the club tonight?” she asked me

“Again? Didn’t you go to one yesterday? When do you sleep?”. Our personalities were completely different. Unlike me, she was an extrovert who liked to party. She was always cheerful, so her presence lightened my mood.

“Well, you know, during classes or after I get back from school. So, what do you say? Wanna come?”

“Nope, you know I don’t like those kinda places. The music is too damn loud. I’m gonna go deaf in there. Besides which I have to study for the finals”

“Ugh, we still have plenty of time. You should take a break and relax sometimes. You know how the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“I think I take enough breaks. I have my own way of having fun. I’m worried that if I take more breaks I’ll fall behind in my studies and I don’t want to disappoint the teachers”. Actually, I think I have a fear of disappointing them. I wonder if this fear has a name.

“Right. How could I forget you’re teacher’s pet whose hobby is to please the teachers.”

“You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing, but my future is at stake here”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so dramatic. It’s not like your future will be destroyed if you spend a bit more time socializing. How about getting a boyfriend? Love will definitely make you happier.”

Love? I immediately thought of Dean and my heart started beating faster. I don’t know when I started having those feelings for him. It feels like it happened gradually. The feelings kept getting stronger and stronger. I began to look forward to his lessons, although I don’t particularly enjoy history. I think I love him, but he only sees me as his student, nothing more. He’s the perfect teacher, always going out of his way to help his students. He’s out of my league. I doubt he’d even consider a girl like me a potential partner. But I can’t find anyone else I’d like to date. Most of the boys in my class were acting like 5 year olds. During breaks, the classroom becomes a battlefield because they start fighting over trivial stuff, which is why we’re outside. They put bugs in girls’ bags or they play with paper airplanes. They’re high schoolers, not primary school kids, but they don’t seem to have matured much since then. There are a few other boys who act their age, but their taken. Figures. I sighed.

“I noticed how you’ve been looking at Dean” Maya said after a moment with a grin on her face. “You look at him like he’s the love of your life”

“What!? No way! Was I that obvious? Has anyone else noticed that? I don’t want him to know that. That’ll be embarrassing.” I felt my cheeks redden. I didn’t realize I was letting my emotions show on my face. I hope he didn’t notice that

“Emma, you should tell him your feelings or you’ll regret you never did that. What’s there to lose? At least give it a go. You can’t know what someone else is feeling unless you ask them.”

“Ugh, i… I guess you have a point. I’ll try to tell him how I feel” I was a bit reluctant and scared that he was going to reject me and break my heart.

“You’ll not ‘try’, you’ll do it. And don’t say ‘tie me up, teacher’. Confess like a normal person. ‘I love you’ is all you need to say to convey your feelings”

“Hey, why would you think I’d say that?” I was shocked at what she said and I tried to push away the thoughts of Dean tying me up and having his way with me

“Because that’s how masochists confess their love, duh” she said matter-of-factly

“I’m not a masochist”. Well, I guess I was a bit, but I wasn’t going to admit that.

“Uh-huh, sure thing.” She said in a teasing voice

Dammit, I need to change the subject. “So, uh… how’s it going with your boyfriend? I’ve seen him stealing your bag many times just to get your attention. He’s so childish, how can you stand that?”

“Well, he can get annoying at times, but I still like him. What I like the most about him is that he has a great sense of humor. I always laugh at his jokes”

That’s true. I really like his jokes too. I, on the other hand, suck at telling jokes. People think I’m serious when I make them. I should just give up. I like him, but he certainly isn’t my type.

The sound of the bell signaled the end of the break, so we made our way back to class. Hopefully, they didn’t destroy anything.

After the lectures were over I went to the library. I was still thinking about what my friend said. How will I go about it? What if he rejects me? I heard about the broken heart syndrome. It’s like a heart attack, but it can be caused by a sudden rush of extreme emotions. I hope he won’t break my heart, figuratively and literally speaking. I’m so anxious I can hardly concentrate on this book. Next time I get the chance to speak with him privately I need to tell him I love him. But he’s so busy. I wish I had more opportunities to talk to him. I doubt I could find a man as good as him anywhere else. He’s the only one I desire. I wonder why I feel so attracted to him. I’ve read in a book that researchers study animal behavior to explain certain behaviors in humans. It says that people are looking for a mate whose genes would increase the chance of survival of their offspring. Maybe I subconsciously want Dean’s genes. But is there all there is to it? I was so distracted by my thoughts I couldn’t hear the footsteps behind me.

“The library is closed. You’re not supposed to be here” said a stern voice behind me

“Whoa!” I exclaimed in surprise and turned around to find Dean standing there with an amused expression on his face. When I looked toward the windows I realized it was already dusk. Time passes so fast

“It’s closing time.” He corrected himself. “You need to go home”

“Oh, right” I was about to pack my things and go, but then I realized that this might be the opportunity I was looking for. “Um, I need to tell you something” I was starting to get nervous

“Yes? Do you need help with something?” he asked

His kindness warmed my heart. This was one of the things I loved about him. “Uh, i… I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately” I was quite anxious, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “but I’ve only recently realized that i…” I felt that my heart was about to explode from all the intense emotions I was feeling. Nervousness. Love. Excitement. I felt a surge of adrenaline, like I just drank coffee. Never before have I felt this way. It was something new. I felt like I was suffocating, like I was drowning in my own feelings. “I love you” I finally said it and looked at him expectantly

He opened his eyes wide. It was clear he wasn’t aware of this. Silence fell between us and after a moment that seemed to last forever he said in a confused voice “Are you sure? I’m not as good as you think I am”

Huh? He’s less confident than I thought he was. Well, that fine by me. He doesn’t have to be that confident for me to like him. “I think I am and I want to get to know you better. So would you like to go on a date?” I was feeling hopeful. He didn’t reject me straight away. It seems like I might just have a chance with him.

“Well,” he smiled “if you think you can handle me then I accept your invitation. I also want to get to know my pet better”

Wow! I can’t believe it! He said yes! YES, YES, YES! Damn, I’m so lucky. This is the luckiest day of my life. How come this hunk doesn’t have a girlfriend? Well, who cares about that, he’s mine now. I felt like dancing with joy.

He began to close the distance between us. “I will teach you about real love”. He lifted my chin up with his index finger and I looked up into his beautiful dark grey eyes. My heart began to beat faster as he moved closer and then pressed his lips against mine. I felt a rush of excitement at the sensation of his warm lips brushing against mine. I didn’t expect this. He then licked my lips and I slightly parted them to let him slip his tongue in. Our tongues coiled around each other and I felt the need to move even closer to him. I put my hands in his hair to deepen the kiss and he put his arms on my hips and pushed me against the bookshelves. He then pressed his body against mine and I let out a small gasp.

“You’re my pet. I won’t let anyone else have you. I’m your only master, do you understand?”

“Yes, master” I don’t want anyone else but him. My heart belongs to him.

“Good girl.” He smiled and kissed me again. This time he was more passionate than before. I ran my hands through his hair as he removed his gloves and slowly slid one of his hands up my outer thigh and used the other to massage my lower back.

“Mmmh” I felt myself gradually becoming hotter. I want him to do more. I want his genes in me. I hope we won’t get caught, but by now most of the students and staff should’ve left. He’s usually among the last ones to leave. He broke away from the kiss and started nibbling my neck, while his hands slid under my skirt and took off my undies, then I felt his hand rub me between my legs. I was trying not to make much noise in case there were still people in the school, but it was getting hard to control my voice and I let out a moan. “Ahh, Dean, I want you in” I was breathing hard and tightly gripping his hair. He slowly inserted two fingers in me and moved them in and out. At this point I couldn’t think straight as I pushed myself against his hand wanting more. “Ohh, I love you, Dean. I want you so badly”. He then used his other hand to take off his pants and underwear, took out a condom from his pocket and put it on.

“Put your legs around me, I’ll hold you” he said as he put his hands on my hips to hold me up

I did as he said and then he began to insert his shaft little by little in me. He tried not to move too much so that I could adjust to it. I put my hands on his back and held him tightly to me. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I’d be surprised if he didn’t hear it. My desire for him overcame my anxiety and I began to move my hips back and forth. He then gripped my hips more tightly and began to move too. I was digging my nails into his back, moaning and calling his name. “Ahhh, I love you” I said in between breaths. I could hear him moaning close to my ear, which made me even more aroused. I then felt his warm and wet tongue on my neck and a bit of pain as he bit it. “Oh~, Dean~”. I felt myself getting closer and closer to the climax. He began moving faster and I could feel he was starting to lose the last bit of control he had on his body.

“Ohhh, you’re… mmh… such a… haa… naughty pet” he managed to say between moans “for tempting me… aah… I’ll… nnnh… punish you” he then bit my neck again and I moaned out his name as I arched my back and came. His movements became erratic and he soon came after me as he moaned my name in my ear.

We were breathing hard and it took a while until we regained our composure and got dressed.

“We need to clean ourselves, so we can go to my place to take a bath if you want to. I know you live farther away and you’re sweaty. You’ll catch a cold if you stay for too long outside like this” he said

It was nice of him to suggest this and I agreed to his proposal. I needed to clean myself. ASAP

It only took a few minutes to reach his apartment. After he turned on the water for the bath we sat down at the table to eat some food. This feels like a dream. I can’t believe this actually happened. I didn’t think he’d do this. Dum warned me that he was a corrupted teacher, but I didn’t believe him. But now I see he’s not as perfect as I imagined him to be. Although I don’t mind it. It felt better than I imagined it would be like. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I remembered what we did. To think he’d do something like that… Curiosity got the better of me and I asked him “Why did you agree to date me and why…” I trailed off trying to find the right words “why did you touch me like that?”

He stopped eating and turned his gaze to me. “I’ve had my sights set on you for a long time now. But I’m a teacher and hitting on a student would be considered outrageous. I was relieved to hear that you were feeling the same way about me. I was starting to worry that I needed to wait until you graduated to confess my love to you. Although…” he paused “we’ll have to keep this a secret. The others might jump to some false conclusions and I don’t want that. I care about my reputation. So could you keep it a secret?”

I was a bit disappointed that we had to keep this a secret, but as long as I could stay by his side I was happy. “Sure thing” I responded

“Great. I think the bath is almost ready, so let me spoil you for all your hard work”

We went to the bathroom, where he started taking off his clothes one by one. I watched him strip taking in his muscular body. Mmh, lookin’ good there, teach’. Looks like someone’s going to the gym. I heard he knows martial arts. Perhaps because he felt like I was staring at him he looked at me and grinned.

“Aren’t you going to undress?”

Oh, right, I should do it too. After we took off our clothes we went to soak in the warm water. The bathtub was large enough for both of us, so we sat across from each other. Ugh, it feels a bit awkward. The strained silence was broken by his voice.

“They say that actions speak louder than words. I want to praise you for being such a good pet, so come over here and let me spoil you” he said with a smile

I moved closer to him. Then, as I was closing the distance, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss. It was hot and passionate and I felt like I was melting in his arms. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine and his hands holding me tightly to his chest. I wrapped my legs around his hips as I placed my hands on his back. I could feel his thing harden, so I slid one of my hands down to stroke it. He then let out a moan and bit my lip, which made me gasp. He then placed his hands on my butt and squeezed it.

“Mmmh, Dean”

His lips moved to my ear and whispered “Your grades are… mmh… so good, I need to… haa… praise you… nnh… more” then licked my ear

“Yes, praise me more, teacher~” I said in a husky voice. I stopped stroking his cock and began to move my hips against his, feeling his hardness between my legs. It was getting hotter and hotter and that wasn’t only because of the water.

He grabbed my hips and began to put it in and I heard his voice close to my year “You’re such a… nnnh… good pet… ahhh” his hips were moving to and fro now and he was panting hard “a really… ohh… good pet… mmmh”

“Ahhh, I love you… mmh… master~” I was holding him tightly and moaning. I need him so much. I love him more than anything else in the world. I was getting closer and closer to my peak and as I felt him tighten his hold on my hips I moaned out his name and came. I felt him take it out and i realized he hasn’t finished yet, so I put my hands on his shaft and started rubbing it

“Ahhh… yes… do it like that… mmh” I heard him moan. He then gripped my shoulders and started licking my neck. “faster… nnh”

I started moving my hands faster around his thing. I felt it throbbing under my hands. It feels so good to hear his moans and know that I’m the one making him feel this way. After some more rubbing he came and took me in his arms. He began to caress my back, moving his hand down my back and back again. This feels so relaxing. We stayed like that for a while and then got out of the water. Since it was so late he let me stay at his place and lent me one of his shirts to sleep in.

We were lying in bed, in each other’s arms, when he said “I don’t want to ever let you go, even after you graduate… will you still want to stay by my side? Even though you know how I truly am?”

“Yes, I will. My heart belongs to you. I’m all yours”

“I’m all yours too” he said and gave me a quick kiss

I felt so relaxed and happy right now like I’ve never had before. My friend was right. Love makes you happier.

#ikerev #ikemen revolution #ikerev dean #dean tweedle #smut

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suchdan-veryphil · 4 years

Text

I’ll Be In Touch- A Dad!Ben Solo Imagine

Request:

Anonymous said: hi idk if ur taking requests atm but i absolutely loved ur dad ben solo fic i always re read it. Could u do another dad!ben solo where he’s like a single dad and the reader is his child’s teacher and he gets all flustered at a parent teacher conference cos he’s like woah?? thank uu

Word Count: 1,976

Trigger Warnings: I don’t even think there’s swearing here. Pure floof.

A/N: I LOVE DAD!BEN SOLO !!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS REQUEST! Also I’m trying my best to make some of these more gender-inclusive. If there is anything that I can do better, please let me know!

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

Ben’s POV:

If it were up to me, I’d get a long note in the mail about how Maya is doing in class. But, here I was waiting on the world’s smallest chair to meet with her teacher. I looked around and down the hallway, the walls covered with drawings and pieces of art by the children. Curious, I stood up and walked across the hall to look at the hand turkeys on the wall.

I looked closer at all of them, looking for Maya’s name on one. When my eyes landed on it, I knew it was hers. The black scribbles covered the page and she decorated it in blue and purple stars. My lips curled into a smile as I compared it to the other kids’ pieces that were splashed in neat bright colors. I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me.

Definitely my kid.

I was brought back to where my feet were by the sound of a couple being escorted out by Maya’s teacher.

“Thank you, guys! I’ll see you at the family game night!” their voice was soft and gentle, but also full of excitement, catching my attention. I turned to face them, knowing my time-slot was next.

I looked down expecting to see a 72-year-old grandmother hunched over a cane, wearing some reading glasses. I was pleasantly surprised as my eyes were met with a young adult, shorter than me, with a smile that blinded me. I felt a pull at my chest that I hadn’t felt since I met Maya’s mother 8 years ago. I stayed quiet as I walked closer, unsure of what I would even say. I forced a smile that I’m sure came out as more of a grimace, and I instantly regretted it. Rarely did I leave my house except to go to work and go shopping with my spunky 5-year-old so human interaction was not my specialty.

“Mr. Solo? Maya’s dad, right? Come on in!” They turned to walk into the classroom and sit behind their desk. I looked around at the walls and tiny tables, all decorated in bright colors, broken crayons, and welcoming feelings.

“Take a seat! Make yourself comfortable,”

I sat in the only other adult-sized chair in the room across from the person who hung out with my kid 5 days a week.

“Mr. Solo-”

“Ben, you can call me Ben,” I cleared my throat as I crossed my ankle over my knee and made my best effort to make eye contact with them. They smiled at me and nodded.

“Ben, thank you. You can call me Y/N, then. Thank you for being on time, a lot of parents are rolling in here five or ten minutes late,” they smiled at me and pulled a folder off of the top of a pile.

“Oh, yea- well I usually try to be a few minutes early to everything to avoid … being la- being late...” I mentally slapped myself as I cleared my throat.

Idiot... Just focus on Maya.

I watched as they smiled and nodded at my comment. “That’s a sturdy plan, Ben. So, I guess I’ll start with Maya’s strengths in the classroom and then we can move into some challenges and any questions that I have or that you have, okay?”

I nodded and leaned in as they opened the folder and took out a few worksheets. “So, in kindergarten reading levels is really what we focus on and Maya is a very strong reader. I can see her moving into the first grade level before the year is over!” They took out two pieces of paper from the folder and placed them in front of me.

“She loves reading non-fiction, and she will memorize a book before she puts it down,” Y/N said as they chuckled a little. I smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what they meant.

“Yea, well, I blame myself for that. I did the same thing when I was little. I still do it sometimes, it’s weird. But, there are lots of useless facts up here, thanks to that weird …. thing …” I stopped myself and laughed a little as I read over Maya’s reading scores. I couldn’t prevent the smile of pride that spread across my face as I read the comments on her persistence and positivity.

“Well, I personally don’t believe in useless facts, Mr. So-Ben,”

I looked up and smiled at them before I put the paper back on the desk.

“Her math is a little bit more of a challenge for her, I’ve noticed. She wants to know, and she wants to learn but I find that when she doesn’t understand after a few tries, she gets frustrated and needs to take a break, which is completely encouraged except she doesn’t want to return to the task at hand.”

I nodded my head and shifted in my seat a little bit.

Stop fidgeting, they’re gonna think you’re weird.

Focusing back on Y/N, I looked at the papers they were showing me. They continued to go into detail about how Maya is a great student and that she just needs help with being persistent. Although, I would be a hypocrite if I said that I didn’t also have a short fuse at times. I was fully aware of how similar my daughter and I were, from our temper to our preferred activities but I was proud of myself and of her.

“How is she doing socially?” I asked and sat back.

“She is thriving socially, Ben. Your daughter is the cutest little munchkin in the mornings. She stands right where you’re sitting and she’ll greet every single one of her classmates by name. She’s quite the charmer.”

“Really? That’s too funny. She talks about her two best friends, Jordan and Tia. She told me how she likes to sit with Tia on her right and Jordan on her left because the two of them like to talk to each other and she doesn’t want to be distracted, so she separates them,” I chuckled at the thought of my 5 year old plopping herself between two other tiny humans to prevent them from distracting her from the coursework.

“Oh Tia and Jordan. The three of them are something else. I had to separate those two one time and Maya has taken it upon herself to be the peacekeeper ever since. It’s very sweet. It seems like you’ve got quite the leader on your hands,” Y/N smiled as the words flowed.

It was refreshing to talk to someone who wasn’t my mom about Maya. I truly had a lot of pride in the way I’ve been raising her despite my struggles. To hear that she was doing well and was a pleasure to have in class took a weight, that I wasn’t even aware I was carrying, off of my shoulders.

“That’s Maya...” I trailed off and bit my lip as I thought about it.

“Did you have any questions for me, Ben?” They asked as they began to pile the papers back into the folder.

“Um...” suddenly every question that I had for Y/N was gone. I sighed and shook my head. ‘They’ve all left me,”

They chuckled and nodded their head. “That’s okay. Do you want to take down my cell number? Some parents use it for really urgent questions or updates on their kiddos during a hard day,”

For some reason, I could feel myself get giddy over the fact that they were offering me their personal number.

Don’t freak out, they just said that other parents have it, too. Get it together, Ben.

“Sure, that would be very helpful. You don’t mind if I text you if I remember those questions?”

“Not at all, that’s what I’m here for,”

It took me a second, but I finally went fumbling for my phone to take the number down. I handed it over so that they could just plug it in and I could save it. When I got it back, I noticed that they had texted themselves a quick message saying, “Ben Solo’s number”. I slid the phone back into my pocket, trying to hold back the smile that was beginning to pull at my face.

“Perfect, so uh... did you have any questions for me?” I asked, unsure of what to say now.

“I don’t at the moment but if I think of anything, I’ll shoot you a text,” They seemed so confident when they spoke, which was not helping my growing-by-the-second crush on them.

“Perfect, so then I’ll be in touch. Thank you, Y/N,”

“Of course, any time Ben.” With that, they handed me the folder with Maya’s work in it and smiled as they stood with me to escort me out.

“Talk to you soon,” I mentally slapped myself again. I really couldn’t just shut up for an entire thirty seconds.

“I sure hope so. Have a good night and tell Maya I said hi,” they stopped at the doorway and bit their lip gently as I turned to face them. I wasn’t sure if I was being flirted with so I just smiled and waved.

The entire ride home, all I could think about was how absolutely ridiculous I must have sounded during that entire twenty minute meeting. I also questioned whether or not we were flirting or if they were just the nicest person on the planet.

I parked in the driveway and as I turned off the engine, I could see Maya run out to the front yard.

“Daddy! You’re home!”

I smiled wide and climbed out of the vehicle to meet her. She continued to run towards me and I picked her up as soon as she got close enough.

“I miss’t you daddy,” she said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I missed you, too, ewok,” I squeezed her a little to let her know that I meant it before looking over to see my mom standing with her hands on her hips.

“She is exactly like you were as a child, stubborn and charming.”

I smiled and nodded my head as I walked towards her, Maya still snugly hanging onto my body.

“I know, but where do you think that I got it from?”

“Your father,” Mom didn’t miss a beat, and I didn’t argue with her. “How was your meeting?”

I suddenly felt awkward again as I recalled my interaction with Y/N. “Fine.”

“How’s our little one doing in school?”

“Nana I am doin’ amazing, I read and I write,”

“And she needs help in math, isn’t that right kid?” I looked at her with a small smile before I kissed her cheek and started walking into the home.

“Well that’s good. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” My mom held the door for me and Maya before making her way to the kitchen. “I was just finishing up dinner,”

I sat on the couch with my little rebel and rubbed her back as she sat contently with me. My phone chirped in my pocket and I reached in to grab it before it went off a second time. Confused, I took a hard stare at it.

Y/N: I have a question. -5:23PM

Y/N: Are you free next weekend? -5:23PM

I didn’t even realize what my face was doing until Maya poked my cheek. “Daddy, you’re happy! Who is that?”

I locked my screen and put my phone down calmly before I shook my head. “A friend, sweetie, that’s all.”

“Do they want to eat dinner with us?”

I laughed a little and shrugged. “I don’t think Nana made enough for that many people, maybe another time.” I chuckled and rested my cheek on top of her head, just thinking about Y/N and asking myself how in the galaxy did they not find me absolutely weird.

But, I wasn’t complaining.

#ben solo #ben solo imagine #kylo x reader #kylo ren #kylo ren imagines #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren fluff #ben solo x reader #ben solo one shot #ben solo deserved better #star wars imagine #star wars #Star Wars Fic #kylo ren one shot #ben solo fluff #dad!ben solo #dad!kylo ren

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iggy-of-fans · 5 years

Text

Of Being a Ladybug 12

Previous Master Post

Okay, NOTES! Please read! Now, I don’t think I ever went into detail about DC timelines or ages… Damien is a year older than Marinette (putting him at 15 years old right now, the average age for the Robin to take over a leadership position), Making Tim 22 and Stephanie 21 (unless anyone can tell me where the hell I can find her actual age in comparison to the others), Jason is 24, Richard is about to turn 30. Cassandra Cain is 24, and Barbara Gordon died in the Joker attack (I have plans).

So in the hands of good we have the (dormant) Turtle, Juleka as the fox (Ruse), Luka as Vipereon, Chloe as Vespa and Kagami as Ryouko. Marlene Seely (my OC) has taken on the Ladybug Mantle and is known as Kaefer.

Loose on the world at large: The Mouse Miraculous (Thief in India), The Horse Miraculous (human trafficker in Germany), The Black Cat (causing destruction at random in Paris), The Butterfly (also in Paris), Monkey Miraculous (in Jump City, causing all weapons but Death Stroke’s to fail), Peacock Miraculous (dormant).

SEND ME ASKS!!!!

The cons of missing jewelry

*!!*

Alya walked into her school for the last week before winter break. Mandatory counselling, restricted internet and computer use, controlled and regulated interaction with friends, bi-weekly community-service… Alya was happy to be preparing for Lycée the following year. Francois-Dupont had agreed to wipe clean their records for a full year of good behaviour, but they had to adhere to a very strict regime put into place by their new principle, a Monsieur Asselah. French-Muslim born, Bilal Asselah came to the school at the beginning of this year and had come down on the student body for their descending grades and lack of emotional control. He enforced counselling and even therapy sessions on all students. He enforced anti-bullying rules. He enforced equality among the students and equal treatment to all. Monsieur Asselah was also very quiet, hard to anger, and polite. Alya liked him, for all that she wasn’t allowed to speak with her old group of friends anymore. She also knew (from counselling) that she was one of the few still having a hard time moving on. Alya was stuck in the past, but hopefully moving to Lycée will help her think of the bigger picture.

“Yeah, Luka really missed her. He hasn’t picked that guitar up since she left. He was gone way longer than he was supposed to but being with Marinette was more important to him…” Alya stopped dead in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Juleka walking next to an unfamiliar girl with brown hair. The girl nodded.

“So weird. I didn’t know him before, but seeing how relaxed he was? I bet you they start dating soon!”

“I don’t know… Luka always had a thing for her, but Marinette always… I don’t know…”

Alya was struck. How long had it been since she thought about Marinette? She tried not to, really, because thinking about Marinette meant thinking about Ladybug and the new fox hero (that still gave her a twinge in her chest, that still made her eyes sting with frustration) and Alya didn’t have much time to focus on the things she couldn’t fix. A part of her, a small part, recognized that had Alya simply listened to Marinette, had she trusted her best friend, Alya wouldn’t be in as much trouble now. Marinette hadn’t tried to find Alya to bestow the fox miraculous to. She hadn’t said goodbye. Or tried to send a single letter to her. Alya hadn’t thought much of Marinette in the past year. But it sure hurt to hear Juleka and some random stranger knew where she was and Alya didn’t.

‘Hello Loner… I am Mourning Cloak. You and I, we both lost someone precious. Let’s wreak some havoc and see if they won’t come back…’

“Yes, Mourning Cloak.”

_ - _

Adrien sat forward as he watched the News in Paris. Another random Akuma with no actual direction. Another sighting of Svart Katt, fighting against the Parisian heroes and causing destruction for fun. Adrien frowned. How… How could Plagg let Wilhelm use him like this? How could Wilhelm think this was what he’d wanted? The TV went blank and Adrien almost screamed.

“You shouldn’t be watching those things. You’re away from there now” his aunt Amelie walked further into the room, putting the remote down on a shelf as she walked. Adrien had never told them that he had been Chat Noir, which is how he was acquitted. Only that he had never known anything was amiss. His aunt and cousin did their best to shield him from the masses, from the news, and from the situation in Paris. But they couldn’t hide everything, and Adrien knew that his father had tried to get in contact multiple times since the first sighting of Svart.

“You don’t understand Aunty…”

“No! Enough! Adrien, you need to live in the now! And right now, you are in London, not Paris. Now, get ready, we’re meeting with the Johnson & Johnson agents” and with that she walked out of the room.

Adrien sighed. How had he messed up so badly?

< ( ^ ^ ) >

Batman walked the halls of the Justice Tower with quiet steps and clenched fists. This was his first meeting with them since taking Marinette in. Marinette had a dancing lesson that night.

“Batman, you finally made it!” Flash called from the left.

“… my daughter needed me…” he was usually the last person to volunteer personal information but seeing Diana flinch in her seat was well worth it.

“How is Maria?” Diana asked gently as he took his seat.

He didn’t answer. Instead he turned he gaze to Superman, telling the room to shut up and listen. As Superman went on to give reports about recent problems around the world, caused by the accursed Miraculous Jewelry, Batman sat in his seat, impassive. In his head he kept a constant monologue of “Do not Kill. Do not Attack. Do not Shout. Do not, Do not, Do not…”

When the meeting concluded, Batman made to make a quick exit. He couldn’t be around them. Not right now, when he felt like he might actually attack them, whether verbally or physically.

‘Marinette need you to pick her up from dance. Marinette needs you to help her with her physics homework. Marinette needs help in filling out her University application.’

“Bruce! Please, how is Maria?” Diana had followed his brisk exit.

“Who is Maria?” he asked instead. If he sounded like he normally did when fighting Joker, well…

Diana stepped back. “Maria, my -- ”

“Your Nothing! Her name is Marinette! Marinette Wayne, and she is alive and growing and coming out of her shell, not thanks to anything you did! How… How could you have possibly thought anything you did to her was acceptable?! How would shaving her hair and telling her to basically kill herself help her?!” Bruce couldn’t hold back his fury anymore. He shoved his cowl off his head and glared at her as he stepped into her space. “You had one job, Diana. To protect her. You failed.”

He turned on his heel and slammed the elevator button to get the hell away from this place. He would tell Alfred to take over meetings until it became relevant to him. Otherwise, he was going to avoid this place like the plague.

^ ^ ^ ^

In Arkham, a maniac laugh could be heard through out the halls. Freedom!

TAG LIST IS FULL!!!

@maya-custodios-dionach @dur55 @driftingmoonlitpetals @kill-the-purses @annabellabrookes @a-marlene-s @queenmj10 @loveswifi @elmokingkong @aestheticnpoetic @animalgirl05 @northernbluetongue @lilacandcream @yin-390 @silvergold-swirl @reyna-avila-ramirez-alreanaldo @goblinwhoships @weird-pale-blonde-person @ @moonlightstar64 @krispydefendorpolice @kuroko26 @ladylupa @jardimazul @welcometopradasa @thatrandomfandomgirl @imanerddealwith @sidd-hit-my-butt-ham @loysydark @nataladriana9 @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @sassakitty @enchanted-nerd @maya-custodios-dinoch @a-marlene-s @whomthefyck @myazael @blackrosee3 @dahjokester @lntimancy @vixen-uchiha @juhave @dorkus-minimus @captainartsypants @darknightchan @dagnysdawn

#of being a ladybug #daminette #ml x dc #BAMF Marinette #minor lukanette #Marinette deserves better

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ambrosiaiswriting · 4 years

Text

the trials and tribulations of passing on a sunflower

by ambrosia

In any other situation, Sol would be thrilled to carry around a long-stemmed sunflower with her backpack and iced coffee. She would have taken extra time to pull her dark curls under a silk yellow bandana and put on her favorite white sundress to complete the whole look. Sol revels in the idea of drifting between the biology department and the Union, leaving nothing but intrigued gazes and yellow petals in her wake.

Instead, the sunflower simply serves as a reminder of her mission for the day ahead, filling her with anxiety. She has a plan, she’ll be fine.

It had started out as a simple task. Lila, her roommate, had brought home a large bouquet of golden sunflowers from the flower shop she worked on the weekends. Sol thought she was going to distribute them into various vases throughout their apartment, but instead, Lila had left a few at every door in their floor of the apartment building. Each bunch was tied with twine and a note that read: A Random Act of Kindness. Pay it forward to someone new to spread the sunshine.

That’s all it was, a random act of kindness. Lila had said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Just pass on the sunflower to someone who is yet to receive one.

Yet despite its simplicity, the act has been the only thing on her mind from the moment she had decided who to give it to. She has a plan and it was going to work out. It has to.

Now, she sits in her Molecular Biology lecture twenty minutes before class starts, her knee frantically bouncing underneath the table. The annoying flower in question glares at her from the seat beside her, sticking out of her backpack.

The only other person in the lecture hall is a boy sitting at the end of the front row as he always does, hunched so far into his book that she thinks it will swallow him whole. Some part of her wishes he had questioned her sunflower, just so she could tell him her foolproof plan, but he hadn’t even glanced up when she had walked in. Maybe it’s for the better; she doesn’t want to jinx her plan.

Just as Sol plugs in her headphones, her phone begins to vibrate with an incoming FaceTime call. Sol looks up to see if the boy notices, but he just turns a page, undisturbed. Sol slides low in her seat. “I have class, what do you want?” she says to the caller.

Maya’s smile flashes across the screen for just a moment before she slips away from view. She’s in her room, and Sol can hear the creak of her dresser as she digs through it. Just in frame is her desk with a single sunflower on top. “What, do I need a reason to call my best friend?”

Sol stares down the sunflower as she speaks. “When you know I’m in class? Yeah. I’m busy, Maya, call someone else.”

“Wait!” Maya appears back in front of the phone. “I promise it’s just a second.” She holds two pairs of silver earrings for Sol to see. “Which one goes better with my blue dress?”

Sol drags a hand across her face, but it's mostly to hide her growing smile. Despite how Maya loves to bother her in every waking moment, there is a smidge of pride that she came to Sol for fashion advice. “Did you seriously call me for this? Where are you going? Why aren’t you in class? It’s 10 am. Also, do the star ones, I don’t like either of those.”

“Eh, it’s fine. I can afford to skip one day.” Maya reaches for the star drop earrings that Sol adores. “These?”

“Maya! You can’t just skip class because you can. Do you have a presentation or something?”

There’s a gleam in her eye when Maya winks. “Or something.”

“I swear if you’re going on a date, I will force you to make dinner tonight.” Sol glares at her best friend through the screen, but she’s smiling. By now, students have started trickling in, starting a low murmur of conversation. Sol spots a stranger near the front of the hall carrying a sunflower of their own and she finds herself grinning wider. Lila would be thrilled it's already spreading. Another classmate points silently to the seat currently occupied by Sol’s backpack and she moves it to her lap to give them space. The sunflower tickles her nose.

Maya’s smile grows when she spots it, and she raises an eyebrow. “You’ve been carrying your sunflower around all day? Won’t it need water?”

“It’s only 10 am. Besides, I don’t have time to go back to the apartment, I have class all day!”

Her roommate leans on her elbows to put her face right up near the camera. Her green eyes glimmer with amusement at Sol’s annoyance. “I have class too, remember? But unlike you, I intend on following through with my plans.”

Sol’s jaw almost drops but she slips into a smirk. “Yeah, okay, we’ll see who’s laughing when you miss something important in class today.”

“Oh, don’t worry! I’ll ask my new friend, he always takes good notes. Did I tell you about him? He—”

“I’m hanging up, Maya.” Sol tucks her phone away, and pulls out her laptop. If biology wasn’t going to be the end of her, Maya and her sunflowers would.

Sol goes to the library with the sole intention of printing out her lab report. However, just as she turns into the building, she spots the bathrooms and decides to make a detour. It’s only been a few hours since she took the sunflower out of its vase this morning, but late summer heat seems to have taken its toll on the plant. The large flower droops slightly, the thick petals folding in over themselves.

Carefully, Sol takes a strip of paper towel and lets the water run over it. She squeezes it to let out the excess water, but accidentally lets out too much. Sol clicks her tongue, dissatisfied, and throws it out. Again, she takes another strip, but only pats it instead of squeezing. It seems to do the trick because the damp towel still feels cool on her skin.

Sol is about to tuck the bottom of the sunflower into the towel when someone clears their throat behind her. “Can you hurry it up? I need to wash my hands.”

Startled, Sol quickly steps to the side, clutching the towel and flower to her chest. “Sorry.” Her heart jumps to her throat and Sol can feel the heat blooming from her neck. She feels her hands betray her, unable to finish wrapping up the sunflower. All she can do is stand, gaze burning into the floor, desperately hoping for the stranger to forget her. The stranger yanks down the paper towel dispenser, each motion pounding into Sol’s forehead as she trained her eyes away.

The stranger raises her eyebrows, eyeing the flower, before letting the door slam shut behind her.

Only when she is certain the bathroom is empty, Sol feels the embarrassment leak out of her limbs into a more manageable frustration. Watching herself in the mirror, she inhales slowly, holds it, then lets it go. The overwhelming wave of panic settles as quickly as it had come. It’s times like this where she wishes for Maya’s natural charisma. Maybe then she wouldn’t find herself losing all coherence every time something unexpected happened. She doesn’t realize she has been rubbing a golden petal between her fingers until it plucks off the center.

After wrapping the damp towel around the base of the flower, Sol steadies herself and heads out of the bathroom in search of the printers. She has more pressing matters to worry about, after all. She remembers her call with Maya, and curiosity prickles her skin. Why was she getting so dressed up? Sol knows this sunflower act of kindness is just as important to Maya as it is to her, so why was she wasting time elsewhere? Of course, there’s the possibility that Maya has given up on the challenge altogether, but even as the thought enters her mind she brushes it away. The day Maya backs out of a challenge, especially one that she initiated, is the day Sol can learn to breathe instead of panic.

Just as she has located the printers, mind still racing about Maya, a notification pulls her out of her thoughts.

lila (!! <3): turn around

She does, and the sight of Lila draws the tension from her shoulders at once. Sol’s smile is bright and immediate as she says, “I didn’t know you were close, I would have come found you.”

“I had to drop something off in South Campus so I was just cutting through the library. I see you still have our friend here.” Their friend, the sunflower, says nothing.

Sol slides her card into the printer and watches as it roars to life. “Don’t worry, I’ll pass it along before I come home tonight. It’s going to be perfect.”

“You and your constant need to be the best.” Lila rolls her eyes, but fondly. It twists something in Sol’s sternum.

Sol places a hand on her chest, letting her jaw fall open. “You wound me.”

“It’s supposed to be a simple act of kindness, Sol. You get a sunflower and pass it on to someone who hasn’t had one yet. Spreading positivity, not competition.”

The printer slowly begins to work, the fourteen pages stacking on top of each other in utmost precision. “Maya started it! I had full intentions of passing it on, but she had to make it a thing.” She’s only giving the half-truth and they both know it.

Lila raises her eyebrows. “If you say so.”

“I am truly, truly hurt that you came all the way to the library just to attack me. I’m just standing here, printing out this lab report, and I am being attacked.” She stretches out every word for the greatest effect, and it’s worth it to see Lila’s nose scrunch in amusement.

“You’re being so dramatic, you’re literally proving my point.”

Sol bumps Lila’s shoulder. “I’m serious! Diana will accept my sunflower and the deed will be done. Like I said, it was my idea first!”

When Lila had given Sol the sunflower the night before, after getting overwhelmingly flustered, she had mentioned how she was going to pass the sunflower on to Diana, the TA graduate student in her music theory class. Maya, who was also in the class, had fixed her with a challenging stare and said, “Not if I do it first.” The rest was completely out of her control. So, if anything, this is all Maya’s fault.

“Why do you have to give it to Diana specifically anyways?”

Sol takes her complete lab report and places it in her folder. “Are you kidding me? Lila, do you even know me? Diana is the dream. She was a child star on Broadway, I know all the lyrics in every Broadway show ever. She was a bio major in undergrad, I’m a bio major. She’s now getting her Masters in music theory, I enjoy music theory. I could literally go on forever.” Sol looks at Lila to make sure she understands the sheer gravity of this situation. “I want to be her. This sunflower is the perfect conversation starter!”

“Or you could just go to her office hours like a normal person?” Lila says it as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“That’s the whole problem! Why would she care about any normal person? If I do this, she’ll remember me! She’ll mentor me and talk about me to all her famous friends, it’ll be perfect.”

Lila nods slowly, and Sol thinks she might actually understand. “And why does Maya want this just as badly?”

Sol zips up her backpack with a flourish. “Because Maya makes everything a challenge and she likes to annoy me in every possible way.”

“She’s your best friend, that’s her job.” Lila takes the sunflower from where it’s sitting beside the printer and hands it to her.

“Unfortunately.” A tingle crawls up her spine as their fingers brush. “It’s fine! It was my idea, so I will get there first. Just make sure we have ice cream at home, Maya will need it when she mourns her failures tonight!”

Lila steps back from her, pointing in the opposite direction of Sol’s next class. She shakes her head, amused. “I gotta go. You’re a crazy person, you know that? Both of you are crazy.”

A laugh draws itself from her throat. “You still love us though.”

Instead of chirping back like Sol expects her to, Lila just looks at her, eyes warm. “I do.”

Despite her careful planning, Sol only gets to the music room just in time for her music theory class. After leaving Lila at the library, she’d finished lunch and endured an achingly long chemistry lab, only now making it to class with five minutes to spare. Sol squeezes between the rows to her usual seat in the front. Diana and Maya are nowhere to be found.

Setting her backpack at her feet, Sol draws in a slow breath. One, two, three. Out again. It’s just a flower, a simple act of kindness. Her getting there before Maya is simply a plus and a warning to never challenge her again. She can already see Lila’s exasperated sigh at them, but it only serves to make her smile.

Carefully, Sol takes the long-stemmed sunflower from her bag and lays it across her lap. She holds it with just the tips of her fingers, afraid she'll snap it if she handles it wrong.

For once, sitting in the front corner pays off. Her bag fits neatly beside her and she can turn in her seat to get a perfect view of the door. The hall fills with muted late afternoon conversations, most people too dazed to sit up straight. The September heat swells both inside and outside, making every move require all her effort. Sol lazily wonders if Maya really went on a date in the middle of the day. Then, at least she knows dinner is covered. Honestly, after lab, all Sol wants to do is bundle up in bed with her laptop and some ice cream. Now that the moment is finally here, she feels the weight of the day pile onto her chest. Her limbs feel syrupy and she lets her head fall back on the wall, eyes flitting closed.

Diana enters with a flourish, as she always does. Her portable speaker plays the first movement of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as she makes her way to the front of the hall, her bag in one hand and a swath of speckled tissue paper in the other. The conversations fall out as she walks, her blonde hair swishing down her back. Despite being only a few years older than most of them, she carries more authority than half the professors at this school. Oh my god, Sol wants to be her.

At once, the lethargy seeps out of her bones and she sits up in her seat. She cradles the sunflower in her lap. This is it. This is it.

Setting her things down beside the podium, Diana faces the class, her smile wide. “Good—”

The portable speaker suddenly switches from the chirping of violins to the swell of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s All I Ask of You. Sol’s heart drops to her feet. There is one person who listens to Phantom of the Opera as if it is the very source of her life.

Maya throws open the double doors of the lecture hall, her teeth flashing blindingly white. Her old high school prom dress billows around her legs like water. It’s a sheer blue tulle, layered and flowing, and it drags behind her as she struts down the aisle towards Diana. Her hair is in a ponytail high on her head, allowing the fluorescent lights to glint off her star drop earrings.

In her entrance, Sol almost didn’t see a guy trailing behind her, a single sunflower in his hand. Maya meets Sol’s eyes from across the hall and winks. Sol digs her nails into her palms to keep from screaming.

“Diana!” Maya’s voice echoes, startling both Sol and their TA. “I have something for you.”

Diana chuckles awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maya?”

Maya finally meets her at the front of the hall, beaming. “Diana.” She takes the sunflower from the guy, holding out in front of her. “I wanted to—”

In one swift motion, Sol whips out her water bottle and inhales as she takes a sip. The water lodges itself in the wrong tube and in a moment she’s overwhelmed with a coughing fit.

The entire lecture hall turns to her, suddenly drawn from Maya’s spectacle. Sol tries to clear her throat but it only makes things worse and she falls out of her seat. She swallows and there’s a beat of silence. “I’m fine!” The last syllable chokes out of her and sends her into another round.

Diana and Maya both come up beside her, mirroring worry. It’s Diana who speaks first, crouching beside her. “Sol, are you okay? Do you need to step outside?”

She feels her face heat up profusely, painfully aware of the sheer number of people watching her. Worth it. Her breathing finally evens out and it pulls a small laugh from her. “Yeah, sorry. It went down the wrong pipe.”

Diana flashes her an apologetic smile, helping her up. “Be careful, I really don’t wanna call an ambulance on anyone.”

“Actually,” Sol stands, sunflower in hand and heart pounding with anticipation. “I wanted to give you something.”

Maya’s jaw drops from behind Diana. It’s Sol’s turn to wink. Adrenaline courses through her veins.

“Diana!” Maya steps between them, her hands out in front of her. “I asked first, remember? We’ll finish what I’m doing and then ask Sol.”

“Well, considering I almost died, I think we can make an exception for me, right?” She thinks she hears the beginnings of someone chanting fight, fight, fight, and it only serves to rile her up.

“You’re not dying anymore!”

“Maya—”

“Ladies!” The hall falls silent once again. She looks from them to their respective sunflowers, and a half-pitying half-amused grin pulls at her lips. “I’m flattered but,” She steps back towards the podium and pulls out a single sunflower from the folds of tissue paper she had brought with her. “I was already given one.”

Maya and Sol look back at each other, gaping. A beat of silence. Maya starts laughing first, full of life, and it’s contagious. Sol doesn’t really know what’s funnier, the foolish ends they were willing to go to in order to pass on a flower or that Diana already has one, but it has her laughing so hard she clutches her stomach. Maya hugs her once she’s calmed down, sighing. “I think we’re both a little crazy, right?”

Sol flicks her star drop earrings, grinning wide. “Just a little.”

After class, and after a generous apology to Diana, Sol finds herself outside the music building clutching her sunflower. The petals droop slightly with the setting sun and she feels like she should ask for the flower’s forgiveness too.

She bounces on her toes as she waits for Maya to come out, watching the last few stragglers on this side of campus trudge towards the dorms or the buses. She still feels a little silly, but there’s a layer of calm surrounding her now. The news must have already spread because when Sol pulls out her phone, there’s a message at the top.

lila (!! <3): so much for a random act of kindness. i expect a retelling just as dramatic when you two get home tonight! i can’t believe i’m living with two crazy people.

Lila’s going to have a field day with this when they go home. Sol can’t wait to see her reaction in person. It curls her mouth into a smile.

The only person left is a boy she vaguely recognizes, sitting on the front steps of the music hall. He sits in the last rays of sunlight, bent over his book and chewing his lip, deep in thought.

Sol considers asking where she might know him from. She’ll know it the moment he tells her, it’s on the tip of her tongue, but it feels weirdly violating to ask. Instead, she places her sunflower beside him on the step.

He doesn’t notice at first, still wrapped up in his own world, but when he does, he looks around as if it were meant for someone else. Silently, he points to himself.

“Yeah. Pass it on, okay?”

His smile is surprisingly brilliant for someone of no words.

Her heart swells.

a/n: if you read this far, thank you! this is what i wrote for my creative writing final and it’s just a bit of fun. we love dramatic college students.

#ambrosia is writing #writing #my writing #short story #writeblr #solo #wtwcommunity #creative writing #story #sunflower

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an-avid-reader · 4 years

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The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

my rating: 5/5 stars

On the night of a party gone wrong in Garden Heights, or “the hood”, Starr and her childhood best friend, Khalil, drive away only to be stopped by a white police officer. Khalil, unarmed, gets shot right in front of Starr’s eyes. Alas, Starr’s worlds—Garden Heights and Williamson, a predominantly white prep school—collide as word of Khalil’s death spreads and she is the only witness. Will Starr be able to bring justice to Khalil via riot and protests, or will he be remembered as a drug dealer and a thug?

"Funny how it works with white kids though. It's dope to be black until it's hard to be black"

Link to Goodreads || Spoiler-free review

A few things to check out:

Dear White People (Netflix)

When They See Us (Netflix)

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Book)

A list of places to donate to / one YT video if you’re unable to donate

Here’s a post that is much more comprehensive

let me know if any of the links don’t work, I will update them :)

There’s a reason why this book has quite a few awards on the front—this book covers what some may consider a “taboo” topic aka racism, but it’s an issue. I’m writing this review slightly earlier than before I’m posting it, but right now the current news is about George Floyd’s death, which is arguably more brutal than what happened in this book, but the fact that some police officers still think race has something to do with one’s intentions is outrageous and disgusting. Even in Canada, there have been instances of racism across history (spoiler: Canada isn’t a ‘saint nation’, even though the population is very diverse).

For these reasons, I think this book, while it is triggering, I think it should be fit into the curriculum for students to read so that they may be educated on racism, and how it can literally kill others, as well as to try and dismantle the systematic racism that is imposed on us from a young age. I can never sit here and tell you that I can experience what Starr went through (or what any POC—black or otherwise—has ever been through), I can only educate myself and emphasize with what’s been said/done to you—please call me out if I’ve said something that may be offensive and feel free to correct me if I’ve said anything wrong.

Alright now on with the book review! This book is so raw and powerful, Thomas does a great job of describing the scenes and the emotions Starr goes through during each scene. We get to see how she feels about dating a white boy while being black herself, how her neighbourhood is beautiful despite it being described as the hood, we also get to see how Starr’s demeanor completely changes while she’s at school vs when she’s visiting her family. While Thomas’ writing may be simple, she does a great job of capturing those moments and the emotions tied within the scene.

As we get to see Starr becoming a witness and taking legal action, I wasn’t sure where the story was headed. Would Khalil get justice and would the cop go to jail? How would Starr’s mental health be affected? Will her family be okay? (Don’t you just love it when there’s so much more conflict in the story that needs to be resolved and yet there are only 2 chapters left) Etc. etc. The thing about The Hate U Give is that there are multiple story lines, which help to drive the story forwards. Those plotlines didn’t feel out of place or forced—everything seemed to progress at a reasonable pace.

I feel like one of the key parts of this story are the characters and their dynamics to the story. The most obvious being between Starr and her family. Although Starr has her own secrets that she keeps from her dad (*cough cough* Chris *cough cough*), I feel like they still have a strong bond, especially as the story went on and her dad, Maverick, stood behind Starr, even when things went south. (I could also 100% relate to Starr bickering with her brothers—even her half-brother). Then there’s Chris, which I kinda feel weird about him...which I feel like it’s a spoiler so I’ll talk about it under the cut. Overall, I’m glad that while he doesn’t understand what Starr has been through, he doesn’t judge her—he listens to her story and he also stays by Starr’s side at all times. I appreciate that Thomas didn’t put too much focus on the romance, otherwise I think it would’ve detracted from the main message. Finally, there are Starr friends. Even though we only got to know Khalil for a bit at the beginning, I like that Starr’s friendship with him was sprinkled throughout the story, even if it was in subtle ways. You could tell that, while their friendship may have fallen apart, Starr really cared for him and he was at the forefront of her mind. We also get to see Maya and Haliey’s friendship with Starr...and I can’t talk much about that without spoilers :/ let’s just say...it was interesting…

While I can’t exactly relate to Starr on an emotional/traumatic/life experience level, I love that we are both Harry Potter fans and she runs a Tumblr (which idk why but I’m always taken aback when books have Tumblrs?? Yet here we are). I appreciate that she tries to see the best in people, until they prove her wrong (or give her a reason to not like them). I think Starr is a strong role model in the sense that she stands up for herself and is determined to get justice, although she’s not cocky about it. It’s quite the opposite, she doubts herself—I just remember that there were so many parts where she blamed herself for not recalling every single detail of the incident or not putting emphasis on the type of person Khalil was to avoid him getting stereotyped. Starr also questioned her relationship with Chris, albeit she seemed a bit naive at some points. Because of Starr’s strong personality and her core values, the message of The Hate U Give is so much stronger, hence why I feel like everyone should read this novel.

Finally, I learned a lot from this novel. Regardless of the fact that this is a fictional book, it is very much based on the realities of Black people and the hardships they must endure on a daily basis. To be honest, I feel so dumb for not even realizing that the title spells out THUG and runs parallel with Tupac’s meaning of THUG LIFE. Mind you, now when I look at the cover, it’s all I see. I also didn’t realize that Black kids and teens are taught how to act around the police—all to be avoided to get arrested, shot, or killed—which is frankly, messed up. Thomas also takes the time to address the names she used, intentionally to give another layer of the book, which I feel that it is based on reality. I can definitely see why this book has received so many awards—and if this book were implemented in schools, it would allow the discussion on racism to be opened and it would also allow kids to see that not all authors are white, old men (looking at you, Shakespeare, which tbh the only good play I read was Macbeth).

I wanted to thank you for reading my review; if you’ve read this book, I’d love to know your thoughts. Below the cut, I have a spoiler section that I wanted to include (which I might add in future reviews, idk though).

Please stay safe and healthy,

~ Cassandra / an-avid-reader

THE REMAINDER OF THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Okay, I’m not going to lie, but I thought that no one knew about Chris; didn’t Starr mention within the first few chapters that she can’t introduce him to her family because she’s afraid of what they’ll say/judge her for dating a white boy? But then, it turns out it’s just her dad that doesn’t know about him??? Idk if my memory is really that bad or if it’s such a slim detail (maybe it actually is an inconsistency o.O). But anyways, I love how Maverick was just playing with him (and making it clear that Chris would be in big trouble if he hurt Starr). I’m also not sure if he has a fetish for Black women (which Starr also pointed that out)—which I don’t know how to feel about that. I know some people have a thing for people of colour (Asians are commonly a fetish too, for example) but then some guys also have a thing for super short girls? Um yeah. I’ll probably leave it at that.

I’m not sure if it was just me, but I deadass thought Seven was going to be a gangbanger. He was sooooo suspicious anytime King was mentioned (which I get King is with Seven’s biological mom, but still I can’t be the only one who was suspicious, right?). I have to give him props though for putting his sisters’ needs before his own and for also listening to Iesha’s point of view. This man doesn’t give on people easily, and that’s a nice change.

The last thing I wanted to include in this spoiler section is Haliey. I just— wtf man. She perfectly embodies the issue and idk she gave me such Karen vibes. It’s so frustrating that she just accepted the newspaper’s article story at face value—I don’t even think she even took the time to listen to the other point of view. I’m so glad that Starr punched her in the face, even though that resulted in her getting in trouble. And it’s not even towards just Starr that she was racist! When Maya opened up about Haliey’s comments, I was pretty infuriated. I think Haliey’s comments came from a place of ignorance or a lack of education, but it just bothered me that she just brushed it off. Smh “it was just a joke” or “get over it” *rolls eyes* Just apologize, Haliey, and educate yourself, please. Actually, maybe she could take lessons from Mr. Warren, their english teacher because he was lowkey a G. I was pleased to see he was a teacher (who are often seen as role models) that actually gave a crap about Starr and what she was going through. I guess we just need to be more attentive to what people have to say and be more empathetic when they’re hurt.

#just one more ~ queue #book review #the hate u give #angie thomas #blm #black awareness #booklr #reading #read #favourite

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issa-me-addy · 4 years

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Better Than Words (OC x Bucky Barnes)

Room #234

PART TWO/?

A/N: HELLO, so funny story I fell into a very long depressive episode and forgot that I had started posting a fic but I will be posting several chapters within the next few days just.... cos here is the link to PART ONE! And a kind reminder that this takes place in an AU after Spiderman: Homecoming where the Avengers have reassembled and the following all live in the Avengers tower: Tony, Pepper, Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Wanda & Vision. Peter Parker’s identity is still in tact and he spends his free time training at the Avengers tower under a “Stark internship”.

also here is my masterlist!

Word Count: 2073

Warnings: fluff, mild angst, and slow burn

It had taken nearly a week for Maya to stop over analyzing whether she made a weird impression when she met Bucky, and it was August now. She had to clear her mind to polish up her lesson plans and start worrying more about getting her classroom ready for September.

She had always had a vision of what her classroom would look like, ever since she decided that she wanted to teach. This ideal classroom included filled bookcases, walls covered up and down with art and references to her favorite books and characters, both classic and contemporary. Every person Maya opened her mouth to in the past several months knew just how excited she was about this classroom.

Maya was practically itching to talk about it and luckily for her, Nat came in the day that she got the keys to her classroom.

She found herself waving Nat down as soon as she walked in through the door. Maya didn’t even wait for her to take a seat before opening her mouth. “So I’ve been hoarding a lot of stuff for the new classroom--”

Nat laughed. “Yeah, I helped you pick out more than half of it.”

Maya stopped in her tracks and slapped on a comical pout. “Nat… You know it’s for the children…”

“Yeah, of course. For the children,” she smiled back to Maya, only pausing to talk to MJ, letting her know she just wanted her usual coffee and pastry.

Maya grinned from ear to ear, waiting for Nat’s shoulders to square back to her’s. “Anyways! I got my keys today and I was thinking, well-- Now, I know that this is kind of, you know… our spot, BUT I was wondering if you were free for the rest of the day? I was thinking, we could, maybe, caffeinate and you could help me move everything into my new classroom, maybe?”

Maya knew asking this was a bit of a longshot, hence all the rambling. It was never verbally spoken, but she knew that Nat, Steve and everyone from Avengers’ tower knew not to make real connections outside of their small circle. And Maya wasn’t stupid by any means, she knew that it made sense. She always thought about it long and hard, understanding that getting close to anyone who wasn’t super human, anyone that wasn’t capable of truly defending themselves was, in a way, selfish of them. Maya continued to make arguments in her head about how Nat wouldn’t have let herself get close to her, and that she wouldn’t joke about her and Steve if that was really the case. This only confused her more if anything, but nonetheless, she kept her fingers crossed because she genuinely considered Nat to be her friend.

Nat paused for a moment, and Maya could see her genuinely weighing out her options as Nat’s head tilted back and forth. Then, her head dropped between her shoulders and her hand came up to rub the back of her neck. “You know what? Yeah. I just had some training scheduled with Steve but moving things is a work out, right? Actually, should I ask him if he wants to help us out?”

Maya exhaled a bit and took a moment to process her answer-- in the end she couldn’t help but smile. “Yes! Oh my God, thank you! And, yeah, I was going to ask if he could help anyways because I have some heavy furniture that I need to be brought into my classroom. The chair and desk that the school left for me just don’t make the cut you know?” She was still rambling, but more so because of her excitement than her anxiety now. “And with his help, we can knock it all out sooner! As thanks, maybe I can make you guys dinner tonight? Or another night?”

Her friend couldn’t help but laugh a bit at her ability to get so many words out in one breath. Before responding, Nat pulled out her phone. “Hold on. Let me call Steve first.”

Nat was on the phone for maybe a minute, only pausing to confirm which school.

“Midtown Sci and Tech. It’s in Queens,” Maya grinned, only getting more and more excited by the minute.

Nat nodded, “Midtown Tech… Yeah, in Queens… Yeah, I’m sure that’s fine! Also, steal Happy’s SUV-- there’s some furniture you’ll be moving… Awesome, see you in a bit.” Then a click and the phone call ended.

“Steve said Bucky’s coming along. I hope you don’t mind.”

Maya’s brain nearly short circuited. It’s not that she minded but she felt a bit blind sided, especially having only met him once prior for less than the duration of a commercial break.

Despite this she reminded herself to smile. “Oh! Oh yeah, that’s fine! I guess I need all the help that I can get.”

MJ called out Nat’s name, leaving her coffee and pastry on the counter.

Nat stood up and grabbed her order, simultaneously asking, “Do you want to get another coffee before we start loading stuff up? The guys won’t be here for 20 minutes probably. Steve has to choose between two dozen different white t-shirts.”

They both laughed.

“No thanks, we can just head up now. I have a few last minute things to pack before we start loading the cars. Thanks again, Nat. I really do appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. Lead the way!” And with that, Maya and Nat made their way out of the coffee shop and directly into the door to the left of the cafe entrance, which opened up to a staircase that led directly to Maya’s front door.

The two girls spent the next 20 minutes packing up the last couple of boxes and were already loading a few into Maya’s car by the time Steve and Bucky pulled into the spot right behind Maya’s blue Toyota.

“Hey, short stack,” Steve greeted Maya, holding the door open for her and Nat to walk back up to the apartment.

“Sup, gramps,” Maya teased, stepping through the door, closely followed by Nat, then Steve, then Bucky.

Once they got up the stairs, it was Maya that held the door open for everyone to file in. As they did, she realized just how small it was. The mere height and broadness of Steve and Bucky made the previously vast space feel tiny very suddenly.

The studio was made up of one large rectangle and a door that led to the bathroom.

As you walked in through the door, the kitchen appeared to the left. You could only see where it ended distinctly because of the dining table, which was scattered with filing boxes overflowing with books that Maya had been hoarding nearly her entire life.

Past the dining table was the entertainment stand, which was really just a short, long bookshelf where she stored her personal books, movies and CD collection. It was also home to a dozen or so personal journals that Maya refused to leave at her parents’ house out of sheer paranoia.

Opposite to the television was an old leather couch and a small, pale wooden coffee table sat in between the two. Both the couch and coffee table were stacked with more books and a few more boxes dedicated to student freebies, desk supplies, as well as classroom decorations. And leaning against the wall were the boxes holding all the unassembled furniture Maya previously made the UPS man haul up the stairs similarly to the way she was going to make Steve and Bucky lug them back down.

Just to the right of the television was the door to the bathroom and to the right of that was a massive wooden wardrobe. Across from the wardrobe sat Maya’s full sized bed, which looked mighty comfortable with the abundance of pillows alongside a questionable amount of stuffed animals for a fully grown and independent woman.

The desk was a hybrid nightstand, as it was pressed up against the wall and sandwiched between the bed and the couch. And as for the walls, miscellaneous things were hanging up and a photo collage above the desk was in the works.

Maya had to take a moment to understand how her apartment would look from a newcomers perspective for the first time and she grew a little embarrassed. After taking a breath she internally hoped that they wouldn’t make any comments about the state of her living space.

Steve and Bucky took this time to look around for themselves.

And Steve was quite impressed. “Nice set up! Is it just you?”

“Yup! Just me! I was thinking about getting a cat or something. I had a lot of pets growing up and just having the company would be really nice.”

A smile was almost immediately slapped across Steve’s face, “Ooooohhhh! There’s a great adoption place Bucky and I have volunteered at. It’s not far from here, actually. We can bring you another time, huh Buck?”

Bucky nodded, hands shoved in his pockets, “Yeah. We could do that.”

Maya took this moment to finally greet Bucky, “Yeah, that’d be great actually! Also, thank you James, for coming to help.”

Her words were short and sweet because she barely let him get out a nod and a ‘No problem’ before giving directions.

“Okay, if you guys could take all the big furniture and bigger boxes of books on the couch to the SUV, that would be amazing! Nat and I will handle the rest of the stuff in the kitchen and the smaller boxes on the couch. Then, we’ll head to Midtown.”

After brief nods the guys got to work right away and Nat grabbed another one of the boxes cluttering the dining table before making her way downstairs again.

It only really took fifteen minutes for the four of them to finish packing up the cars. This mostly had to do with the fact that Bucky and Steve didn’t need help lugging boxes of books down the stairs. Nor did they need breaks after several times up and down the stairs, unlike Maya.

Once the boxes all trickled out, Maya smiled at the cleaner state of her apartment. After a moment she grabbed the building and classroom keys out of her desk drawer, double checked her bag and did some last minute grabs. Half a dozen locks later, she’s meeting the other three downstairs by the cars.

“You guys know how to get there right?” Maya asked Steve before thinking long and hard about whether she’d forgotten anything.

He nodded before pushing the button to close the trunk to the SUV. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure. We’ll be right behind you anyways.”

“Aw, no racing?” Nat taunts him.

“Not like you stand a chance,” Bucky retorts.

“Is that so, James?” Maya asks, mostly joking. She realizes, quickly though, that her competitive side is what gives her the courage to speak to Bucky in such a tone.

“It’s not even a question, sweetheart.” Bucky laughs, before patting the top of her car’s hood. “Let’s just get a move on, yeah?”

“They just know they would have lost,” Nat sneers before climbing into the passenger seat of Maya’s car.

It’s on the drive there that Nat directly asks Maya about her potential relationship with Steve: “Are you sure? You wouldn’t even give poor Stevie a chance?”

Maya can’t help but blush in response. “It’s not Steve. I would be interested, yeah but-- I don’t know. I don’t feel anything romantic for Steve for whatever reason. I mean, he’s great! And I love being around him, but I just feel like he’s a great best friend, good brother type. You know?”

Nat huffed a bit. “I just think that you guys would be great together. You already get along so well and have a lot in common. It just feels really obvious to me.”

“Sometimes the obvious path isn’t always the right one.”

“Did you just quote a Pixar film to me?”

“Nat you realize that you didn’t even skip a beat; you knew exactly what I was quoting.”

“Oh hush, Steve’s the one that made me watch it!”

“In any case, don’t get your hopes up. OR Steve’s! I don’t want things to be weird with him just because you think we’re cute together.”

Nat can’t help but roll her eyes. “Just keep an open mind, yeah?”

Maya presses her lips together and nods. “Of course.”

TAGLIST: @asuperconfusedgirl @amisutcliff

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

Pressure builds on schools to reopen during pandemic (AP) Pressure is building on school systems around the U.S. to reopen classrooms to students who have been learning online for nearly a year, pitting politicians against teachers who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In Chicago, the rancor is so great that teachers are on the brink of striking. In California, a frustrated Gov. Gavin Newsom implored schools to find a way to reopen. In Cincinnati, some students returned to classrooms Tuesday after a judge threw out a teachers union lawsuit over safety concerns. While some communities maintain that online classes remain the safest option for everyone, some parents, with backing from politicians and administrators, have complained that their children’s education is suffering from sitting at home in front of their computers and that the isolation is damaging them emotionally. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a recent study that there is little evidence of the virus spreading at schools when precautions are taken, such as masks, distancing and proper ventilation. But many teachers have balked at returning without getting vaccinated first.

House Dems make case for conviction; Trump denies charges (AP) Donald Trump endangered the lives of all members of Congress when he aimed a mob of supporters “like a loaded cannon” at the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats said Tuesday in making their most detailed case yet for why the former president should be convicted and permanently barred from office. Trump denied the allegations through his lawyers and called the trial unconstitutional. The dueling filings offer the first public glimpse of the arguments that will be presented to the Senate beginning next week. The impeachment trial represents a remarkable reckoning with the violence in the Capitol last month, which the senators witnessed firsthand, and with Trump’s presidency overall. Held in the very chamber where the insurrectionists stood on Jan. 6, it will pit Democratic demands for a final measure of accountability against the desire of many Republicans to turn the page and move on. The impeachment trial, Trump’s second, begins in earnest on Feb. 9.

Activists wary of broader law enforcement after Capitol riot (AP) As federal officials grapple with how to confront the national security threat from domestic extremists after the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol, civil rights groups and communities of color are watching warily for any moves to expand law enforcement power or authority. They say their communities have felt the brunt of security scrutiny over the last two decades and fear new tools meant to target right-wing extremism or white nationalists risk harming Muslims, Black Americans and other groups, even if unintentionally. “The answer ought to be to sort of pause. Because the instinct to do something is something I’m really quite afraid of,” said Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, one of more than 130 civil and human rights organizations that say the FBI already has the tools it needs. “There’s an entire federal code in place that allows you to successfully go after this violence before you need to sort of say, ‘Oh, wait, you know, there’s this existing gap and we need more power,’” she added.

Jeff Bezos steps down (CJR) Jeff Bezos said yesterday that he will soon step down as CEO of Amazon. Andy Jassy, who runs the company’s cloud computing division, will replace him; Bezos will become executive chair, a role he says will give him more time to focus on outside commitments, including his ownership of the Washington Post. (As CNN’s Brian Fung noted, not many people can say “I’m quitting to spend more time with my newspaper and space rockets.”)

Dozen state police charged in the massacre of 19 in Mexico (AP) A dozen state police officers have been arrested for allegedly killing 19 people, including Guatemalan migrants, whose bodies were found shot and burned near the U.S. border late in January, Mexican authorities announced Tuesday. Tamaulipas state Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said all 12 officers were in custody and face charges of homicide, abuse of authority and making false statements. The killings revived memories of the gruesome 2010 massacre of 72 migrants near the town of San Fernando in the same gang-ridden state. But those killings were done by a drug cartel, while it is likely many people will find it more shocking that the Jan. 22 slayings allegedly were carried out by law enforcement. The attorney general did not say what motive the officers might have had, though corrupt local and state police in Mexico are often in the pay of drug cartels. Cartels in Mexico often charge migrant smugglers for crossing their territory, and kidnap or kill migrants whose smugglers have not paid or paid a rival gang.

Common pots prepared by neighbors feeding thousands in Peru (AP) At dawn, Genoveva Satalaya and her neighbors walk through Lima’s food markets hoping to find a kind merchant who will donate food to help fill the “common pot” that is feeding their neighborhood. The survival strategy that first appeared in Peru’s capital during the country’s civil conflict four decades ago has been vital since the coronavirus pandemic arrived in this South American nation. With the country again under a lockdown, Satalaya’s pot is feeding 120 people, including seniors, children and pregnant women. Satalaya and her neighbors prepare lunch Monday through Friday. There’s not enough food for weekday breakfasts or dinners or weekend meals. The common pots, also seen in other Latin American countries, have emerged as a symbol of the struggles of the region. Thousands of them are in use throughout Peru at levels not seen since the 1980s and 1990s during the armed conflict between the state and the Shining Path terrorist group. There are almost a thousand common pots in Lima that are recognized by officials in the municipality, but many, including the one run by Satalaya, are not registered and do not receive any kind of help. The government announced last week that it would send aid to many common pots, but since there are so many, the help may not reach every neighborhood.

Tycoon Ordered to Demolish His $70M Home (The Daily Beast) A French property tycoon has been ordered to tear down his $70m faux-Italianate palazzo in the hills of Provence after losing a 15-year legal battle over the 32,000 square foot structure, which was built without planning permission. Patrick Diter has been given 18 months to scrub every last trace of “Chateau Diter,” including its 18 bedrooms, two helipads, swimming pool, bell tower, Roman colonnade and orangery, from the landscape above Monaco. Subscription newsletter AirMail reports that France’s highest judicial court upheld a previous ruling in the appellate courts that the illegal château near the Provençal village of Grasse must be removed and the countryside restored to its original state. If the court orders are not complied with by June 2022, Diter will pay a fine of $600 per day. The court also slapped Diter with fines totaling $550,000.

Hundreds Arrested as Navalny Sentenced (Foreign Policy) A Moscow court handed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny a prison sentence of two years and eight months on Tuesday, as authorities hope to put an end to a saga that has seen thousands of Russians take to the streets in protest over the last two weeks. The court found that Navalny had broken the terms of his probation for a previous conviction for stealing $500,000 from two companies. Navalny denies the charges, and the European Court of Human Rights at the time called the case “arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable.” The reasoning behind his probation breach is murky, as Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have approved Navalny’s transfer to a German hospital for treatment after he was poisoned in August. Navalny’s relatively short prison term could soon be extended, as investigators prepare a fraud case that could carry another ten-year sentence. But Tuesday’s sentence may be just enough if it means Navalny will not be a threat in September’s parliamentary elections. The Kremlin has dismissed international condemnation of the verdict. “You should not interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. And we recommend that everyone deal with their own problems,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

India farming protests resonate with US agriculture (AP) Images of thousands of farmers streaming into India’s capital on tractors and carrying banners to decry potentially devastating changes in agricultural policy can seem a world away, but the protests in New Delhi raise issues that resonate in the United States. Indian farmers have left their homes to march through New Delhi in a desperate effort to force the repeal of laws they believe would end guaranteed pricing and force them to sell to powerful corporations rather than government-run markets. Despite decades of economic growth, up to half of India’s population relies on growing crops on small parcels of land, typically less than 3 acres, and farmers worry that without guaranteed prices they will be forced to sell their land and lose their livelihoods. The images of farmers marching through New Delhi recall similar scenes in Washington, D.C., during the farming crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when hundreds of trucks and tractors flooded the National Mall. Thousands of farmers lost their land, in part because of government policies that caused soaring interest rates as demand for their products plunged, leading to falling land values. In Iowa—one of the hardest hit states—there were about 500 farm auctions a month in 1983 when families had no choice but to sell. Decades later, those memories remain fresh for Rick Juchems, whose parents had to sell their 640-acre farm in Iowa. Just as feared by those protesting in India, the American farmers lost their livelihoods and sense of identity. “We were just trying to stay alive,” said Juchems, who later was able to continue farming thanks to his in-laws. “That’s what you work all your life for and then it’s gone.”

Myanmar’s Army Is Back in Charge. It Never Truly Left. (NYT) The men in army green never truly retreated. As Myanmar presented a facade of democracy to the world, the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century still dominated the economy and the halls of power. They even got away with what international prosecutors say was genocide in their murderous offensives against Rohingya Muslims. With its pre-dawn coup on Monday—unseating an elected government and putting its leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, back under house arrest—the military, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, was once again flaunting its ultimate authority. Yet in the process of reasserting their command, the generals have ripped apart a prized project: a carefully constructed political system decades in the making that allowed them to camouflage their fists behind a veneer of democracy. Though they allowed elections, army officers also reserved a quarter of the Parliament’s seats and crucial cabinet positions for themselves. The public, which felt like it could express its political aspirations by delivering landslide victories to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, is furious. And the international community, which chose to focus more on the civilian part of the country’s civilian-military system, is now aware that one side of the scale clearly outweighs the other.

Iran reaches agreement with South Korea (Foreign Policy) Iran has agreed to release the crew of a South Korean oil tanker in what its foreign ministry called a “humanitarian” move after the vessel was impounded in early January. The vessel’s seizure was believed to be a bargaining chip to convince South Korea to free up $7 billion in Iranian funds currently frozen in South Korean banks as a result of U.S. sanctions. South Korea’s foreign ministry welcomed Iran’s decision to release the sailors, saying it was a necessary next step to “restore trust” before resolving the issue of the frozen funds. Regarding the funds, the ministry stated it “will do what it can in a speedy manner while discussing consultations with the United States on the issue.”

Tigray crisis: Ethiopia region at risk of huge ‘humanitarian disaster’ (BBC) Opposition parties in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have warned of a huge “humanitarian disaster” if aid is not delivered urgently. The parties said people were already dying from hunger and urged the international community to intervene. Ethiopia’s government says aid is being delivered and nearly 1.5 million people have been reached. The parties also said 52,000 people had been killed since the conflict started in November. They did not explain how they arrived at the estimate but said it included women, children and religious leaders. About two million people have been internally displaced in the conflict in Tigray. The government has heavily restricted access to the region for the media and aid agencies. On Monday, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said he had “rarely seen an aid response so impeded” in the 40 years he had worked in the humanitarian field. In a joint statement, three opposition parties—the Tigray Independence Party (TIP), Salsay Weyane Tigray, and National Congress of Great Tigray—said if food and medicine did not arrive quickly the “looming humanitarian disaster of biblical proportion” would become a “gruesome reality in Tigray”.

#headlines #news

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unlockthelore · 5 years

Text

The Boy In Black

Kurama had to admit that he was fairly amused with the imagination of his peers and the quick spread of the rumor. It came to his attention quickly, a few of his classmates huddled together talking fervently about one of the school’s legends. While he didn’t have much interest in it, after the altercation with Yatsude, he kept an ear out for anything that seemed untoward.

Humans chasing after pseudo legends was one thing but stumbling into something truly otherworldly would’ve made his and Hiei’s task in keeping their territory free of the Reikai much harder. He quirked a brow as the details were laid out — one of his classmates mentioning seeing a shadow flitting through the classrooms in pursuit of another.

The clanging of metal, the smell of smoke but there were no remnants of a fire or the materials to make one. A teacher that’d been conducting rounds blamed them for smoking but after finding nothing on them, and no other explanation, they were sent home.

Another classmate, this time a girl, mentioned that she’d also seen a shadow but its as after she nearly took a tumble down the steps. It felt as if something was dragging her but when she looked up, her hand was clutched by something that almost looked like a person wearing a hood. She couldn’t make out their face well, but they assured her that she was safe now.

And Kurama resisted the urge to roll his eyes or shake his head as she swooned. The fascination and interest with the otherworldly coupled with romance left a bitter taste on his tongue. His gaze flicking to Maya as she listened in to the stories, her laughter and the crinkling of her eyes making his chest ache until he averted his gaze.

The rumors only escalated from there. Some claiming that the specter was a spirit about their age and was a former student who died and now protected those that attended. Others believed that the specter spirited others away, the reminder of the few students that went missing before in the Yatsude incident fresh in the minds of Kurama’s classmates.

Some even approached Maya, referring to the short period that she couldn’t quite recall after her disappearance and to Kurama’s relief — she denied it. Stating that she must have just gotten turned around and woke up in her bed.

The mention of metal clanging and the fire making some believe that the specter was grotesque in appearance. And considering that the living couldn’t truly see the dead, the only way to gain their attention was by making noise. Kurama had to give points for creativity although he was sure the specter wouldn’t be pleased by such a thought.

But the most amusing part of the rumor were the few that found it romantic. Going off of and embellishing the story of one of his classmates, they believed the specter to be someone who came to the aid of a girl in need. And if they weren’t careful — it would steal their hearts.

Needless to say, he was in a good mood as he walked up the staircase to the rooftop. The fresh air would do him some good and being away from the others would give him clarity. Enough so that he wouldn’t say something untoward when he confronted the specter himself. Opening the door, it creaked on its hinges alerting the only other soul —

“You’ve made quite the name for yourself,” Kurama pointed out amusedly, letting the door close behind him as he rifled through the bag for the sandwich he bought. It wasn’t one of his favorites but he hardly had time to make a lunch for himself the night before.

Hiei’s lip curled back in a slight sneer and he glanced at Kurama from the corner of his eye as the youko sat down beside him. “The Boy in Black,” he muttered in exasperating disbelief. “It’s unoriginal.”

Kurama smirked, taking a bite of his sandwich. He had to agree that the name was fairly unoriginal and most of the rumors were unfounded. Quickly debunked with one theory after another before the rumor itself was just buzzing in the back of his mind and in the free time between classes. “Perhaps, but I have heard only talk of you all morning.”

Hiei sighed, shaking his head slightly. His dark hair had grown out some since their first meeting and Kurama could see where it might have been difficult to discern his features. He’d have to offer to give him a trim later, lest Hiei took his sword or his claws to his hair instead. Though with the curve of his jaw and his sharp features, Kurama couldn’t fathom why anyone would think he was grotesque. His crimson eyes glowing even in the daylight, the effect muting when he glanced his way.

“Which rumor was it this time?” He asked, seemingly tired by the conversation already. “The one about how I’ll kidnap them or stealing hearts.”

Kurama leant back, his back resting against the gated fence, fingers pressing into the bread leaving an imprint as he shifted it in his grasp. “The latter,” he said, glancing at him with an amused smile. “Apparently, you’re quite popular among the girls and some of the boys.”

Hiei didn’t seem happy by the news and if anything, he just looked even more weary. “At best, this should draw out the nothings…” His voice trailed off, the weary expression replaced with a stern gaze, sharp with interest as he peered out at the cityscape. “At worst… your classmates try to know if the rumor is true.”

“They most certainly will, many were discussing ways to find you.”

Kurama’s amusement was short-lived as he thought back to the demons that were stalking the students from his school. Searching for an opening or a means to be able to chink his armor. An admirable feat if they were actually a challenge. But as it stood, it was proving to be nothing more than a nuisance. Though, the idea of his classmates attempting to find Hiei to see if they would steal their hearts was both a little amusing and not.

“And I ‘m assuming you’re part of the reason I haven’t been found…”

At times, he wondered if he should be a bit concerned by how Hiei could read him. Shrugging half-heartedly, he took another bite of his sandwich before he spoke. “I may have convinced them that you were already spoken for.”

“Already spoken for…” Hiei muttered, and the skepticism in his voice twisted Kurama’s stomach into knots.

Wasn’t that what this was?

What they were?

He tampered the feelings of uncertainty and raised his gaze, meeting his eyes evenly. “It was hardly a lie.”

Hiei tipped his head to one side, his eyes narrowing and studying him. Kurama didn’t shy nor did he buckle beneath the gaze, keeping his head high. The fire demon’s soft hum giving away nothing as usual. Once he’d had his fill, he looked forward. “It’s hardly a lie,” he said, and the certainty in his words shook Kurama to the core.

What did that mean?

If it was anyone else, he would have deduced that meant that he understood. That he knew what he was implying or attempting to imply. This little dance they’d been doing around one another, coming close then moving further away, the new step that he was trying to lie down —

“In any case, there’s been less disappearances…”

Hope was buried as he looked down at his food, turning the remnants of his sandwich in his hand. “You’ve been quite thorough,” he complimented, rewarded with a scoff and a noise of disgust.

“Having lowlives creeping around makes me sick.”

Kurama nodded. He wasn’t thrilled about it either. If they kept to themselves and didn’t make much of a ruckus, then perhaps he would be more taken to letting them keep their measly existence. But they intruded on the sanctity of his human life and he wouldn’t take the slight lying down.

“Hopefully we will be back to normal before long…”

He lifted his sandwich to his lips, startling at the soft touch to his cheek, a light prodding that turned to a caress. The warmth of a familiar calloused palm and his heart leapt into his throat, chancing a glance up. Hiei had come closer to him, standing by his side with only a short distance between them and he’d been the first to reach out. Kurama melted against the warmth, lowering his sandwich and leaning into the touch. Looking up at the fire demon as he turned his head to press a kiss against his palm.

He couldn’t see the change in Hiei’s youki, masked though it was to keep this he was chasing from seeing him. But he could see the ghost of a smile playing on his lips and feel his thumb resting beneath his eye, gently brushing against his skin. The warmth from his skin loosened the knots in Kurama’s stomach and he stifled a sigh, pressing into the touch as his eyes fluttered shut.

“Careful…” Hiei murmured.

Kurama chuckled softly, opening his eyes and peering up at him. “Why should I?” He always erred on the side of danger, although he took calculated risks. But Hiei’s warnings were something different. When the fire demon cautioned him, he was quicker to listen lest he risk losing this entirely.

The faint smile broadened into a smirk, and Hiei’s fingers slipped beneath his chin, tipping Kurama’s head back. “I’ll steal your heart,” Hiei said plainly, but it was the look on his face that did Kurama in. His heart fluttering and eyes widening as the fire demon stared down at him, brushing his thumb against his chin then his lower lip.

“Is that a promise…?”

Hiei scratched his thumb along the underside of Kurama’s jaw, eliciting a shudder that the youko couldn’t suppress in time. Watching him through half-lidded eyes, his guard steadily falling as Hiei’s fingers explored his skin and the warmth crept into his bones.

“I might have already,” Hiei muttered in a voice that was both thoughtful and playful, with his trademark stoicism and something else beneath the surface.

Kurama sighed, melting into the touch. “… You may have.”

Hiei’s hand stilled and Kurama’s eyes widened when he realized what he let slip free. The fire demon’s head tilting to one side, eyebrow raised, the curiosity in his eyes.

“May have…?”

No good. That was absolutely no good. Averting his gaze, Kurama clutched his sandwich tighter and tried to ignore the heat rising to his face. Hiei’s gaze sweeping over his face and he was fairly aware that he was being observed. Though none of it mattered when he felt the soft press of something against his cheek, glancing out the corner of his eye in time to see him pull away.

“Then you didn’t lie at all,” Hiei murmured against his skin before he stepped away, his warmth sorely missed. Kurama wasn’t sure how Hiei could keep his composure when his own heart was racing. The fire demon straightening his cloak with his back to him, sparing a glance over his shoulder with a smile that stole Kurama’s breath away. “I’m spoken for.”

That smile is seared into his mind even though it quickly vanishes. Hiei’s gaze sharp and alert, centered on a brief flicker of a youki signature in the distance.

“And another shows its face..” He grumbled, nodding curtly to Kurama before heading off to find follow it. “I’ll see you at home.”

Kurama stared as he left, barely able to utter a farewell. Alone on the rooftop, the remnants of Hiei’s warmth clinging to his skin and the smell of woodsmoke and ash heavy in the air. It tells him that it wasn’t a dream. That Hiei was right there and he touched him, said those words to him, and he would be hard pressed never to forget them. His heart fluttering as he brushed his fingers beneath his chin and his lower lip, and it wasn’t for his still-beating heart then he would’ve thought the fire demon had taken it with him as he left.

“… I really am weak for you, aren’t I…?” He quietly asked himself.

#yyh #yu yu hakusho #kurama #hiei #kurahi #growing pains

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ninjakitten1699 · 5 years

Text

Times Have Changed

@cakeking-cole Rejected Prophecy AU. I hope you’re proud of yourself. Now, be prepared for Angst and Fluff in one!

Summary: Lloyd stares at the bottomless pit and has thoughts about jumping down but he’s found by someone else before he can.

Warning: suicidal thoughts, blood, violence, implied abuse

EDIT: There were some misspellings and details added, but here you go!

The blond ran down the halls of the history museum, trying to force his tears to stay where they were. He had just met his mother and had every right to act bitter towards her. How dare she leave him like that! She just left him behind, didn’t even bother to get him out of this hell, or even bother to chase after him.

He twisted and turned down the halls until he couldn’t anymore, stopping at a room. He looked around, seeing tapestries of Ninjago’s history above a pit. The pit was surrounded by red stanchions as if it would stop anyone from getting close. His feet carried him forward and he looked down into the pit.

It was dark already the few feet down. Lloyd guessed it was bottomless from where he stood. His common sense told him to back away but his thoughts took him elsewhere. He went under the red ropes and got close, looking down. He looked down into his hands in thought.

Would... Would the others miss him if he jumped?

He figured no.

They wouldn’t.

They hated him for apparently inheriting a prophecy he never wanted to be a part of. He could just.. jump. He’d never have to worry about being the chosen one ever again. Unfortunately he was needed for the prophecy to be done and over with. Besides he didn’t want some other kid to take the prophecy and then have to suffer the consequences. He didn’t want anyone to learn the true colors of those they admired. He pulled his hands back, covering his face before sitting down, his feet still close to the edge.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to be sitting so close to the bottomless pit like that.” He gasped in surprise, hearing the strangely accented voice and turning to see a strange man. He had a long grey mustache with his gray hair brushed back, a pair of round glasses over his dark colored eyes, and the infamous red museum uniform. “Hehe. Are you alright, young man?” He heard the voice leave this person.

“Oh. I’m- I’m sorry.. I didn’t see you.. behind me.” Lloyd wanted to facepalm at his stuttering and his wording. “You didn’t see me behind you?” The elder chuckled. “Well, it’s quite alright, I just know how to step lightly around these halls. I’ve worked here long enough to not be seen when I don’t want to be.” Lloyd sighed. He wished it were the same for him.

The man could see that the boy was troubled, although he had other things to do, he supposed he could pass the time. “But enough about me. What are you doing here?” Lloyd looked away, gripping on his gi before flickering his eyes to the pit. He remembered why he was there and tears began to form again.

The old man looked concerned for the boy before hearing voices just down the hall. “Where did that little brat go?” He looked down to see that it came from the brunet in red. His features seemed familiar to him. He must’ve inherited them from his father... His suspicions were confirmed when he saw an angry fire in the boy’s eyes. He knows that look from anywhere. He gritted his teeth, feeling the seething heat radiate off the child.

“Lloyd’s got to be around here somewhere. He couldn’t have gone far.” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blond boy flinch at the other’s tone. Ah, he remembered a time when his sibling would flinch at someone’s angry tone. FSM, he was pissed at that person for making his brother fearful. He heard more voices come down this way and looked again. This time seeing an all too familiar kimono, a walking staff, and that dreadful voice he hated.

This time the boy in green curled up, covering his head as if trying to block them out. He heard a sob come from him. “I see that your... friends have come to find you.” He forced himself to speak. The boy just curled up even further, forcing his sobs to stay in.

Oh he felt terrible for him. “Would you like some more time away from them?” He asked. The boy looked up at him, thinking about it before nodding slightly. He lent a hand to him and lead him away from the bottomless pit. “I’m Dr. Sander Saunders. I assume your name is Lloyd?” The boy nodded. “Well, I can assure you that if you’re ever at the museum again, you can come find me.”

The young boy’s eyes looked sad, but he at least got him to smile.

Five years had passed since then.

His brother had returned, their army was ready, Cyrus was forced to work under their watch, and there were plenty of slaves working on pieces for their device.

Krux had kept an eye on the boy ever since then. He had plenty of interactions with him before this happened. He spoke of detailed plans he had offered his team and it was clear he had a good chance of being a leader, but unfortunately the sad excuse of the shinobi in black refused to step down to him. That sounds familiar, he hummed. He and his brother had good ideas but they were always overruled by the two Garmadon siblings.

To be honest, it was hard to believe that Lord Garmadon’s child was the same person he’d been talking to. The first time he saw him, he was such a happy infant in his mother’s arms, but then he never saw him again until that day at the museum when he was close to the bottomless pit and it looked like he was... contemplating about something.

He saw him one other time, but he was so sure that something was terribly wrong with him. That something else had taken over his mind. He couldn’t interact with him that day and hadn’t seen him until the Day of the Departed.

He still felt bad for the boy. He looked so tired and may as well be as sickly pale as his father was. He couldn’t believe that those original four ninja were Wu’s students. He may hate Wu’s guts and spat venomous words at him when he finally got him imprisoned in this constant aging state, but he didn’t think that Wu seemed like the kind to turn a blind eye to his own family, especially with what happened to his brother. The Time Twin couldn’t ever do that to his own. Not to his twin brother, not even to his own mother when she pleaded for them not to go to war. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his brother call his name. “Krux!” The older twin looked at him, annoyed that his train of thoughts were interrupted but he softened when he saw that his brother looked concerned. “Sorry for raising my voice at you but.. are you alright?”

The old man sighed and nodded. “I’m fine.” ‘.. but that boy is not.’ He kept the last part to himself, not wanting to concern his brother any further. It’s not his job to worry. Krux was much better at it anyway. “Liar.” Acronix frowned at him. Krux chuckled. Seems like he couldn’t escape his brother’s perception skills. They always knew when the other was lying. Guess it was a twin thing.

“And so what if I am?” Krux spat back at him in a traditional fashion of siblings arguing. Acronix huffed at him. “I think you are. What’re you hiding?” He could try and beat around the bush and hopefully his brother would give up, but lately he hasn’t given up on anything. It’d be no use and he’d end up telling him later. “It’s... It’s about Garmadon’s son.” “The blond that the Ninja don’t listen to? What about him?” Acronix seemed so bold to simply state that.

Krux wanted to elaborate but where was he going to start? ‘Hey I met the child when he was contemplating suicide at an age younger than yours.’ Instead he just looked down, still feeling awful for how the Ninja treated him. From what he heard those shinobi were as close as brothers yet they refused to accept that they had another. Acronix could see the troubled expression forming on his older twin’s face, even if he just turned away from him.

Acronix remembered the first encounter he had with them. He saw how he was treated and he honestly couldn’t believe that the hothead was Ray and Maya’s kid. He was ready to ask his brother again. Unfortunately there was an interruption.

The Ninja decided to attack and the Iron Doom was left unguarded. Krux caught sight of the boy. My god... He was stretched thin from too much power usage. His eyes were sunken, his skin as pale as his father’s and... was that a bruise he could see on his face? Acronix could feel the seething hatred radiating off his brother.

He looked fearfully at him for a moment before seeing the blond in green trip over his own feet and skid and roll across the ground. He was surprised he heard nothing broke. “God dammit! You stupid brat!” He was forced to get up, but he couldn’t stay standing. Instead the fire ninja gripped on his wrist too hard, he released a yelp. “Ow! Kai!” He yelled. “Kai! Let go! You’re hurting me!”

“Let go! You’re hurting me!” An eight year old Acronix yelled at the bigger bully pulling on the pigtails he adorned. Krux knew how much he loved the long hair he grew, how happy it made him, how their mother was nothing but supportive to his decision, how much he loved his mother playing with his hair, styling it to however he wanted, and he wasn’t going to let someone take that away from him.

That was the last straw for Krux. He growled and grabbed his trademark katana that he kept with him for all these years and the Halt Time Blade, charging forward. Acronix looked terrified beyond reason. His brother never, not once in his life, charged in without thinking. Well, he only did so one other time when they were children and boy it did not end well.

But now since they had experience in battle, who knows what Krux would do. Kai looked up, seeing an angry elder raising a blade above him. Krux froze him in time, engulfing him in a deep red. With no time to react, he got slashed across his chest.

“I should’ve killed you when you were just a child.” He growled at him when Kai finally returned to normal time and collapsed on the ground, struggling to get up and crawling away, before getting up and running away leaving a trail of red droplets. The hothead had all but forgotten the Green Ninja behind.

Krux huffed. Some protectors those Ninja are. He lent a hand down to the boy. The blond was understandably hesitant and scared but he took it. “Come along.” He nodded and followed him. Acronix looked at him. “Brother, he’s still associated with the enemy.”

“Well, times have changed, Acronix. Those children have no idea how to even treat one of their own right...” Krux sighed, wrapping his arm around the young Garmadon, keeping him upright.

“.. I won’t let the Departed Realm take anymore away from me.” ‘Anymore?’ Acronix looked confused at him, but decided not to question it. Instead he went to the other side and wrapped his arm around Lloyd, helping him walk.

Krux hadn’t lead him wrong before. He may as well support him to the end.

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thedcdunce · 5 years

Text

Robin

“I'm not like Tim, or Jason, or even Dick. I'm light-years ahead of all the past Robins in skill and training. I'm either your partner in this or I'm not.” - Robin

Real Name: Damian Wayne

Aliases:

Batman

Damian al Ghul

Demon's Son

Garth

Gray Son of Gotham

Hafid al Ghul

Ibn al Xu'ffasch

Knute Broody Junior

Redbird

Gender: Male

Height: 4′ 6″

Weight: 84 lbs (38 kg)

Eyes: Green

Hair: Black

Abilities:

Archery

Artistry

Business Management

Disguise

Driving

Martial Arts

Genius Level Intellect

Investigation

Intimidation

Medical Science

Music

Peak Human Condition

Pedagogy

Stealth

Swordsmanship

Throwing

Weaknesses:

Arrogance

Universe: Prime Earth

Base of Operations:

Gotham City

Mercy Hall, New York City

Titans Tower, San Francisco

Citizenship: American

Parents:

Bruce Wayne; father

Talia al Ghul; mother

Marital Status: Single

Occupation:

Vigilante

Adventurer

Student

First Appearance: Batman and Robin Vol 2 #1 (November, 2011)

Abilities

Archery

Artistry: Damian is considered as skilled with a brush as he is with a sword.

Business Management: Trained by his mother and the League of Assassins in the way of controlling a company with an iron grip. Even as a young boy he knows that in business there are wars and even in war there are assassins. Damian is involved with the Wayne Enterprises' board members. He even intimidated the board members by tracking down financial irregularities within the Wayne Enterprises' accounts.

Disguise: Damian has disguised himself as an elderly bus driver and a substitute teacher.

Driving: He learned to drive at the age of five.

Martial Arts: Trained by the League of Assassins. Damian may not be physically tough but he knows how to control his weight and has stated that he knows, "one thousand ways to kill a man." Damian's training has made him a formidable hand-to-hand combatant able to defeat or hold his own against multiple opponents, armed opponents or skilled hand-to-hand combatants.

Genius Level Intellect: Damian has inherited a genius IQ from his father.

Investigation: Damian, having been trained under the "World's Greatest Detective", has been able to deduce people's actions as well as solve mysteries with few amounts of data.

Intimidation

Medical Science

Music

Peak Human Condition

Pedagogy

Stealth: Damian was able to sneak into Gotham City and furthermore into the Batcave virtually undetected until he felt necessary. Of all the Robins, Damian may be the one that is the most silent.

Swordsmanship: Although Damian no longer uses his sword he may be unmatched with one if armed correctly.

Throwing: Damian is trained by the League of Assassins in shuriken throwing and further trained by Batman in Batarang throwing.

Weaknesses

Arrogance: More often than not, Damian believes himself to be better than he is, this has allowed him to underestimate opponents as well as irritate his allies.

History

Damian Wayne is the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul. This makes him an heir to the world's greatest crime-fighter, and its greatest super-villain Ra's al Ghul. Damian became the fifth Robin, working alongside his father as Batman.

Origins

Damian Wayne is the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul. Raised by Talia and trained by the League of Assassins, Damian became a skilled assassin by an early age. Coupled by his innate talent for the art and his lineage, Damian became a respected member of the League. Eventually, when Damian finally met his father, Batman, Damian defected and joined his father's cause. Batman granted Damian the mantle of Robin,and Damian became his father's latest crime-fighting partner.

After Bruce's death in the Final Crisis, his first protégé Dick Grayson took over the mantle of Batman and Damian became his Robin. Alongside Grayson, Damian faced new threats such as Doctor Hurt, Professor Pyg and Flamingo.

Born to Kill

After his father's resurrection, Bruce and Damian began patrolling together as Batman and Robin. Bruce tried teaching Damian, still a cold-hearted assassin, about the sanctity of life, but had trouble relating with his son. Damian began showing restraint, which Bruce commended, although Alfred still criticized him for not being supportive enough. Bruce bought Damian a dog named Titus. They were both targeted by a super-villain named Nobody. They were kidnapped by Nobody, who tried to show Batman that his no-kill methods were ineffective. He encouraged Robin's darker side and tried to take him as an apprentice. Robin angrily left the Batcave to work with Nobody, who asked him to execute a criminal. Robin revealed that he was lying, and refused to betray his father. Nobody decided to torture Robin, continuing his personal vendetta against Batman. When Batman discovered their location, he beat Nobody mercilessly and came close to killing him, but stopped when he realized Damian was watching the fight. Nobody swore that he would return and kill their friends, so Damian killed him with a move Nobody had taught him. Though deeply shaken by the killing, Bruce reacted with compassion rather than anger. When Damian regained consciousness, they talked about how difficult it is for Damian to adjust from the life of an assassin. Despite their differences, they played ball with Titus and began to enjoy spending more time together as father and son.

Batman Incorporated

Batman and Robin began working together against Damian's mother Talia al Ghul, revealed as the head of Leviathan. During a fight in a meat factory, Damian converted to vegetarianism and adopted a pet cow who he named Bat-Cow. He was believed dead when he was shot in the head by an assassin named Goatboy. It was revealed that Talia had created another clone as his replacement, the obedient fully-grown Heretic. Robin was shown to have faked his death, and is confined to the Batcave at Batman's orders. To avoid the bounty Talia placed on his head, he began using the name Redbird and switched to a new costume. This allowed him to team up with Jason Todd, who was using the Wingman identity. They worked together with Batman Incorporated to take down the League of Assassins' top killers. However, Batman told Damian he had to quit crime-fighting altogether. Bruce revealed that he has seen Damian's future, as told through "Batman in Bethlehem". If Damian did not retire, his actions would lead to a plague that would force the President to nuke Gotham. Batman Incorporated fought Leviathan in the streets, while Damian was forced to stay inside. Alfred Pennyworth got him a cat to take care of, who he also named Alfred. Damian refused to stay home while his allies were dying, and Alfred allowed him to leave knowing he could not be stopped. He flew his exo-skeleton into the center of the battle, where Leviathan had taken over Wayne Tower. He neutralized the child soldiers, and teamed up with Dick Grayson to take down the remaining assassins. The Heretic flew Grayson aside, and challenged Damian to a sword-fight. Despite his bravery and refusal to give up, Damian was impaled through the chest and killed.

Resurrection

After various trials and tribulations involving his corpse, mainly revolving around Ra's al Ghul and Apokolips, Batman managed to rescue his son's body and, through using the Omega Sanction infused within a Chaos Crystal shard, brought Damian back to life within the Batcave.

Teen Titans

On his 13th birthday Damian was sent a package by his grandfather Ra's al Ghul, which contained a dead robin. After meeting with his mother Talia, he discovered that it was a warning from his cousin Mara al Ghul, who had chosen him as her prey as part of an initiation ritual she must undertake in order to properly join the League of Assassins. Mara had been made leader of a group known as the Demon's Fist, which was originally supposed to be led by Damian but became hers when he chose to leave the League. They too had chosen targets that they must hunt down in order to ascend to the League. Damian decided to collect the other Demon's Fist members' targets in order to form the new Teen Titans; comprised of Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven and Kid Flash.

In the Name of the Father

While searching for a tree for Christmas, Jonathan Samuel Kent accidentally torched some woodlands near a swamp in Hamilton. He was subsequently rescued by Maya Ducard, the daughter of the villain Nobody, and Damian's pet dragon-bat Goliath. Jon later awakened in the Batcave and found out that Robin had been keeping him under surveillance for a long time. The two initially did not get along, and the situation was further complicated when Batman and Superman arrived, blaming each other for the conflict.

The ensuing melee was abruptly averted when Jon used his Freeze Breath to separate the two sides and allow him to explain the situation to his father. While their fathers were discussing the lab tests that Damian had performed on Jon, the two boys went off to look at Damian's pets. However, due to Damian's snide remarks and goading, Jon lost his temper and another brawl broke out between them. This was also put down quickly as Batman and Superman looked down on them in furious silence.

In order to properly discipline their sons and teach them the value of working together, Superman and Batman had them undergo a series of challenges. However their lack of teamwork and animosity toward each other caused them to fail every challenge. The boys finally managed to put aside their differences and worked together in order to save their fathers from an apparent threat in the Batcave, but this later turns out to be a ruse. At this point, Alfred declared them to be the Super Sons.

Super Sons Vs. Kid Amazo

Jonathan was paid a visit by Robin, posing as both his school's bus driver and his substitute teacher. He was later unwillingly recruited by Damian to help him investigate a series of break-ins at LexCorp. This misadventure was further complicated with the appearance of Lex Luthor, who tried to capture them both. The two boys managed to escape Luthor and followed a lead to a home in Providence, Rhode Island, where they encountered a family who still retained their powers from the Amazo Virus. However, one member by the name of Reggie Meyer was driven insane by the excessive use of his powers and took the alias of Kid Amazo. He had also stolen the Amazo Armor from LexCorp and had planned to use it and the abilities of the Super Sons to lure the Justice League into a trap. Thanks to the arrival of Lex Luthor and aid from Reggie's super-powered sister Sara, Kid Amazo was taken down. Not wanting to explain themselves, Robin and Superboy quickly left the area and headed back to Hamilton. However, their absences from their respective homes did not go unnoticed as they encountered both Lois Lane and Alfred Pennyworth while trying to sneak into Jon's home.

The boys were subsequently punished by their respective parents. Batman forbade Robin to go crime-fighting for a week while Superboy was forced to do his chores without using his superpowers. With the prospect of moving to Metropolis on his mind, Jon eventually ran off and headed to Gotham to speak with Damian in the Batcave. This resulted in another argument and a short fight, before Alfred arrived. They were later joined by Batman and Superman, and worked out their differences. With Superman's and Batman's permission, the two boys would be allowed to go on their own, provided that they would do so together.

Dark Knights: Metal

Damian aided in fighting the Dark Knights upon their invasion, forming the Gotham Resistance with Green Arrow, Killer Croc, Nightwing and Harley Quinn. They lost Croc, the Teen Titans and the Suicide Squad, but they defeated Mister Freeze, Riddler and Damian's evil Earth -22 self and made the discovery that beings from the Dark Multiverse can be killed by Nth Metal.

Fun Facts

Damian has declared himself a vegetarian.

Damian has a strong love for animals. Pets he has owned include Goliath, Bat-Cow, Titus, and Alfred.

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somerandomwriter1234 · 5 years

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Riley and Maya: Complicated Parenthood - Chapter 2 (A Person With Purpose)

Summary: In the ultimate twist of irony, former student rebel: Maya now finds herself as a teacher of sorts and has to plan her first field trip for her students. But will the field trip be a good one, and more importantly: what important life lesson will the students learn at the end of the trip?

Scene 1:

-In a classroom, Grace sat amongst many other students while they all did a writing assignment. As Grace attempted to write, she saw sitting just two seats away from her was a young boy named Connor sitting in a wheelchair whose head was tilted to the side and was very slowly using his right hand to move a pencil across the paper. Suddenly Connor dropped his pencil on the ground. Connor who could barely move his waist or shoulders, moved a hand up as he made a loud sound.

Connor: Paaaah! Paaah!

-A female teacher named Miss Amy walked over to Connor and picked up the pencil.

Miss Amy: Calm down Connor. I'll get your pencil.

Connor: Paaaah!

-An annoyed looking Grace glanced over at Connor and then Grace put one finger near her lips.

Grace: Shhh!

Miss Amy: Sorry. He's sorry. I'm sorry. Here's your pencil Connor.

-Connor made a smile as he was handed his pencil. Grace rolled her eyes away from Connor's direction as she went back to her writing assignment.

Scene 2:

-In the before/after care auditorium, many children were working on various activities and games as Maya and Farkle stood in a corner of the room talking to one another.

Maya: Farkle, I'm not an expert at setting up field trips.

Farkle: Well become one. Look. The other staff and I have other part time jobs we do during the day and we both already pull our weight around here quite a bit. Since this is your only job and I've kept your responsibilities rather minimal up until now, it only seems fair that you set up the next half day field trip we take the students on.

Maya: What about Smackle? Can't she set up this next field trip?

-Suddenly the two's thoughts were interrupted by Smackle's voice on the other side of the room being very loud. Farkle and Maya both turned their heads in Smackle's direction as she spoke.

Smackle: Gather around me now children! And I shall present to you all my conclusive evidence as to how the great Jedi Master: Yoda's ancestor was indeed Kermit the Frog!

-Farkle then turned his head to look right at a shocked looking Maya.

Maya: What the heck has happened to Smackle!?

Farkle: This job has… changed her. Trust me. It's better if we just let her do what she does. But look. If it'll make you feel any better: we'll all be present with you on the day of the field trip and will carry out the majority of things that need to be done. But I need you to choose the location we travel to, what we'll be doing there, and basically anything that needs to be done before the day of the trip. I know you won't let me down Maya.

-Farkle then walked away as Maya walked over to a table and sat down. Maya sighed and then turned her head to see Grace was right near her.

Maya: Oh. Hey there Grace.

Grace: Hey Miss Maya.

Maya: So… how's school been?

Grace: Okay. Although during writing time today, this one boy: Connor kept making a lot of noise because he kept dropping his pencil over and over.

Maya: How does dropping a pencil cause someone to make a lot of noise?

Grace: Because Connor can't move his body well and he doesn't really say any words. He has to sit in a wheelchair all day and have a teacher do most of his stuff for him.

Maya: Oh. I see.

Grace: Seriously. Why does he even come to our school anyway? He doesn't do any real reading, writing, math, or even talking. What good is he even gonna do for the world as he gets older? Having him around school is just a waste of time.

Maya: Grace, I… I… I think I just came up with an idea for our next field trip. If you excuse me, I have to go talk to Mr. Farkle about something important.

Scene 3:

-In a small theater like room, many children sat in chairs as they watched a group of teenagers and young adults finishing up a bit of singing. Some of the teenagers and young adults were sitting in wheelchairs, while others had hands and arms stuck in certain positions. When the singing ended, the children clapped. Some of the teenagers and young adults gave a bow and then left the stage they were on. Farkle then stood up and began to speak to all of the children.

Farkle: Thank you to all of my young friends that sat so well behaved through the show. Thank you to my actor friends who put on a great play. And of course thank you to Miss Maya for suggesting we bring everyone from after care to see what I do at my other job. I never would've thought to bring you all here to see the kind of work I do with individuals with disabilities until she suggested it. Plus, she put in a lot of work to arrange for our transportation on such short notice. So let's also give a quick clap for Miss Maya.

-Many of the children clapped as Maya sat behind all of the students and gave a quick wave. Once the clapping ended, Farkle spoke again.

Farkle: And of course the play couldn't have been done without the help from my amazing assistant director and friend: Leena Robins. Come on out Leena!

-From nearby, an adult female whose mouth was stuck in a partial smile came out and stood near Farkle.

Leena: Hiiiiiiiiiii everyone!

Farkle: Leena, thanks for taking care of all of the work backstage. I always appreciate it. I'll see you later tonight. Okay?

Leena: Okay. Biiiiiiiiiiiye.

-Leena walked away as Farkle looked at the children again.

Farkle: As you all know, everyone you saw performing and working on the stage crew today has some form of disability. From the kinds that are physical to ones in the mind. But from what I've learned as I've gotten to know Leena and everyone else here over the years is that God makes everyone with a purpose. We all were put on this Earth for a reason. And I've found that you start to really see the beauty in all people when you try to discover what reasons those around you are on this Earth for. And trust me when I say: even though there are many things the individuals that come here can't do, the few things they can do will really amaze you. Speaking of which, we even teach individuals here how to cook. And wait'll you all see the special meal they've prepared for you all in the dining room. Which is where we'll be headed next.

Scene 4:

-In a large dining room, many children sat at tables eating food. At one table sitting together were Maya, Farkle, and Grace.

Farkle: Mmm. Alvin must have prepared these biscuits. They are amazing! I'm gonna go get some seconds.

-Farkle then got up leaving Maya and Grace alone. As they sat together, Grace looked at Maya and spoke.

Grace: Miss Maya…

Maya: Yeah?

Grace: Why do so many people have to have disabilities?

Maya: Well… I don't know. But… if you really think about it… we all have disabilities in a way. Or maybe another word is disadvantages. We all have things we wish we had in our lives. Things that we know having around would make everything better. But sometimes… we just don't get to have or get to keep what we wanted.

Farkle: Well said.

-Maya and Grace turned their heads as they saw Farkle sit back down next to them.

Farkle: I never thought about it like that but Maya makes a good point Grace. Almost anyone could make the argument that they're deprived of something important. But even if you don't have that thing you wish you had or that ability you wish you had; that doesn't make you any less of a person. And that doesn't mean there isn't some kind of way you can contribute back to society.

Grace: Hmm.

-From nearby Leena walked over to the three and sat down with them.

Leena: Hiiiiii.

Farkle: And here she is. The girl that can never stop smiling. Grace, would you like to ask anything or say anything to Leena.

Grace: Uh…. hi Leena. Um… you do a good job following your teacher Mr. Farkle's directions.

Farkle: Oh, I'm not her teacher Grace. Like I said in the auditorium, Leena is an assistant. Not just in stage plays, but in everything that happens here. Leena's full time job is working in this building.

Grace: What? Really?

Leena: I work at desk. I clean up. I smiiiiiiiile at people. They feel better.

Farkle: Leena doesn't do phone calls or lead meetings. But she's actually an expert at keeping our paperwork and computer records organized. Plus she does great work cleaning up at night, and being a greeter when people come in during the day. When we use this building for our weekly blood drive, she's actually always the first person people see when they come in.

Grace: Wow. That's… interesting.

Leena: I hiiiiide cookies. You want one?

Grace: Uh, sure. Can I really?

Farkle: Yeah. They're the ones we give out at the blood drive. Go ahead. They're right near that table over there. But you only get one bag.

-Grace and Leena then got up and walked away together. Farkle made a small smile and then looked at Maya.

Farkle: I know that wasn't easy Maya.

Maya: Huh?

Farkle: When you said to Grace: we all have things we wish we had in our lives. Things that we know having around would make everything better.

Maya: Well… it's true.

Farkle: Yeah. So… listen… I know it still hurts inside considering everything that…

Maya: Yeah. It does.

Farkle: But… I'm glad that despite whatever you're feeling… that you've made time for these kids every day. I appreciate it. You've really made their lives a little better with each passing day.

-Maya then turned her head as she watched Grace and Leena getting a bag of cookies from the other side of the room.

Maya: Yeah… maybe.

Scene 5:

-In a school cafeteria, Grace walked into the room with a lunch tray looking for a place to sit. She saw most tables were taken. However there was a great deal of space at a table where Connor was at. Connor was sitting in his wheelchair holding a large pencil as the teacher: Miss Amy was sitting next to him. Grace then walked over to Connor and sat near him.

Grace: Hi. You mind if I sit here?

Miss Amy: Go ahead. Connor already finished eating earlier though. So he's just gonna draw near you if that's okay. Is it okay if she sits here Connor?

Connor: Aaaooooooo.

-Grace moved her head a bit to look at the paper in front of Connor. Suddenly Grace realized the picture was of a landscape with many brightly colored green trees and animals around them. Grace's face became very surprised.

Grace: Did Connor draw this?

Miss Amy: Yes he did. Most people are surprised when they see his work. But they forget: just because someone can't talk or get up, doesn't mean they can't do some amazing things with their hands.

Grace: I think I recognize this style. Are some of those pictures I saw hanging in the library his too?

Miss Amy: Yes they are. Connor is quite the busy artist. If he had never come to this school, people would've missed out on the opportunity to be touched and inspired by his amazing work.

Grace: Yeah. I guess so… Um… hey Connor. I draw too. You wanna see some of my work?

Connor: Aha! Aha!

Miss Amy: That usually means yes.

Grace: Okay. Well… let me you show you what I have.

-Grace then got out of her backpack several drawings. She then began to hold them out for Connor to see as the lunch period continued.

END OF CHAPTER 2

Upcoming Chapters For the Series:

-Chapter 3: Amazing Talents (Coming 4/27)

-Chapter 4: The Field Trip (Coming 4/30)

-Chapter 5: Shining Your Way (Coming 5/3)

*Note - To read the entire series in one convenient location, click here - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13266909/

#girl meets world #girl meets world fanfiction #gmw fanfic #riley and maya #riley x maya #rilaya #rilaya married

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