#anyway! as always. the rule of whatever this is. if it's not fun anymore: kick it to the curb

[brother-emperors]

liciniicrassi >> sforzesco

[saltyr3mix]

Outsider smp Owen hair head cannons: I've had thoughts about this and wanted to share. Ok so, Owens Minecraft skin that he uses in the smp has hair buns. and i will die on this hill. I think through the entire time in the maze Owen had space buns or pigtails.

Owen is also like 35. So there is a 35 year old man. traumatized by being a child soldier and war criminal....even if he doesn't know it at first. And he wears space buns. I don't know why but that makes me so incredibly happy.

And also this means hes matching with Apo and Magic. Who also have their hair tied up in a similar way.

If you want my full personal head cannon. Owen didn't know what to do with his hair at all when he first entered. At first it wasn't even long enough to tie up. But months passed and he was getting extremely annoyed when it would fall into his eyes while training or stick to the back of his neck after long days in the maze. He was complaining to Apo about this one day and Apo's like. Hold on man i've got this.

The demon comes back with some twine, thin cloth. Or whatever the closest to rubber bands that they have in the clearing. And does Owen's hair up in buns. Owen laughs at first thinking he looks slightly ridiculous. But slowly learns to love them. when they eventually fall out he goes back to Apo asking to do them up again. Apo eventually teaches him how to do it himself and the pair have matching buns through out the more peaceful time of clearing. Sometimes they even dragged Rasbi in. They often placed flowers and other pretty forestry in each other's buns as decoration.

Flash forward several months/ years depending on what you believe. And Magic enters the scene. Owen wants nothing to do with Apo at the moment because he was lied and betrayed to by the demon. One day he comes out with his hair down, everyone a bit surprised they hadn't seen it like this scene the very early days of the clearing. Magic figures out that he's upset and offers to help. He needing something to distract himself and not wanting to have to deal with the mess of long hair in his face when entering the maze, lets the younger mess with his hair. Magic tries a a few styles, just some funny ones to cheer him up a bit. even threatening to dye it crazy colors. In the end Owens hair is up in buns again. But whereas Apo's were small and tight better for just keeping the hair from being a bother. Magics had more volume and airy. They were more for display than function. But he wore them around anyways to match magic and even use them to make fun of her at times. Only it would always end up backfiring. He no longer puts flowers in them. Flash forward again and Owens is cleaning Apo's blood off his spear. In the reflection he sees the buns and flash back to soldier rules on hair length kick in. He picks up some sheers and cuts it all off down to appropriate length. The others cant tell if that was a good or bad thing. Magic is a bit upset they don't match anymore. But Owen assures her that it was only having hair that long was bothering him. By the time Owens locked up having committed multiple murders his hairs a bit out grown again. Not helping with the heat. He can't help but hate that it only proves how much hes fallen from his soldier glory.

Anyway, i also think at one point he dyed a streak of his hair orange. It might have even been a prank on him from either Oeca or Apo that dyed his hair that way. But it didn't stick around only last for a handful of weeks.

And yeah! Outsiders may be long over but i've finally found a place to talk about it so im going to! Sorry not Sorry for the rant he means a lot to me. And if you like this idea let me know.....i might write a fic about it....i've certainly thought about it but idk if i would have the time.

[ymaohoh]

“We could always just…do it anyway?" - Fic - Oneshot

"Packet’s ripped, sweetheart. We seem to be without a condom.” His fingers stilled and Chrissy was biting her plump little lip that tasted of strawberries and magic. She was watching him closely, her cheeks flushed and panting from being so close to what promised to be a world-shattering orgasm. “We could always just…do it anyway? Without a condom, I mean.” Eddie and Chrissy have unsafe sex against a wall. Eddie's POV

Porn with very little plot. Oneshot. Rated very Mature. Use protection kids.

Word count: 3,630

Also available at Archive

-----

So Chrissy and Eddie are animals, right?

For some wild crazy reason Chrissy can’t get enough of Eddie, and Eddie believes firmly that any time spent not kissing or touching Chrissy Cunningham is…well, a fucking travesty really. They’d only been together as boyfriend and girlfriend for a few months but already it was ride or die and they both submitted to this without reason or logic or hesitation. They’d bought non-refundable one way tickets for the ride of their lives and they were so fucking blissfully messed-up happy.

They couldn’t do much about it in his crappy trailer (the walls were so thin, man, and Wayne worked random hours. He wanted his baby to scream and pant without worrying about being overheard, okay? And besides…it was cramped. Chrissy was a champ but it must’ve been embarrassing sneaking into the shower, freshly fucked and bow-legged - fuck yes, while his uncle slept nearby)... so that meant having to think outside the box if they wanted undisturbed one on one time. And…boy… was Eddie crafty. Creativity had always been one of his strengths and he rose to the challenge like the DM he was born to play.

Hotels and motels and all that sneaky stuff cost money and he was saving for his future now (their future) so they were out. His van was okay but the suspension was taking a pounding and there wasn’t room in the back for all the crazy shit Eddie wanted to do to Chrissy’s perfect and flexible body. Chrissy’s place was also ruled out because (you know) her parents despised him entirely and were one shit-eating grin away from kicking Chrissy out which wasn’t the worst idea (he would never ever forgive them for the spiteful lies they twisted into Chrissy’s brain about food and her body and…ugh) but they were so close to graduating and Chrissy wanted to go to college so…yeah, her place was a no go.

(Not to say they hadn’t fooled around there when Eddie braved the trellis beneath her window (like Romeo and Juliet right?) but Chrissy could never really relax and it wasn’t as fun. He would love to fuck her in her parents bed as a solid fuck you but Chrissy wasn’t quite there yet. Maybe he’d suggest it right before they fucked off to California or wherever she wanted to study. Eddie would follow her wherever, obviously.)

So really that left sneaking around and finding whatever stolen moments they could. Rick’s place by Lover’s Lake (still in prison - hang in there buddy), their picnic bench in the woods, the empty locker room after cheer practice, backstage at The Hideout. Fucking whenever he could get her alone really…and all the other spaces in the inbetween? Well they were filled with making out, groping, sucking purple marks on their necks. You get the drift. Chrissy was like a strawberry sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles and he was starving.

So yes they were the queen and king of PDA (Queen takes King, naturally) but their friends, to their credit, didn’t protest too much because honestly it was a long time coming and they were just happy they didn’t have to put up with anymore longing glances or Eddie’s soft eyes. They still mumbled words like disgusting and perverts and can’t you at least have lunch before you start sucking face, Jesus when Eddie and Chrissy got really ramped out…but it was cool.

They were sex crazed maniacs riding the waves of hormones and lust and love, falling deeper and deeper into whatever sin your chosen deity prescribed to.

(Chrissy had hang ups like this at first - another gift from her mommy dearest - but when Eddie ate her out for the first time she’d cried out such wicked delightful things that made even Eddie blush).

However, they might be dumbasses in love for the first and last time but they 99.9% of the time practiced safe sex. Despite giving much evidence to the contrary, Eddie wasn’t a complete fucking idiot and he always made sure to have protection ready to go. Like he said, they had big plans after graduating, and though it might’ve been hilarious to invite Mrs Cunningham to a shotgun wedding (trailer trash all the way, baby), he knew Chrissy wanted to wait for all that stuff and what she wanted she would get. As for Eddie? Well, he was a simple fellow - he’d knock her up and marry her tomorrow - but liked the idea of driving Chrissy around California and chasing their dreams even more. All that romantic stuff, right? He wanted it. Fuck, he loved her so much.

Yet, even the best laid plans sometimes get a little crooked and maybe Eddie was a bit of a fucking idiot. Chrissy would afterwards blame the weed and Eddie blamed Chrissy’s perfect tits, but that’s besides the point.

The night in question took place after a spectacularly awesome gig at The Hideout. It was the first time Chrissy brought along her cheerleading friends from the team (which made his bandmates fucking gag) and the twerps from his D&D circle came too with their babysitting club which meant Harrington, Wheeler, Buckley. Besides those fun new additions, there was an actual crowd. Not huge by any standards, but it was a decent turn out for Hawkins. Word seemed to have traveled that watching Corroded Coffin might actually be a good night out and for the first time in decades The Hideout staff had to earn their wages. Enthused, the band were on their A-game and Eddie had never played so fucking well.

Plus Chrissy was standing front row jumping around like a freak and whooping (like his own personal cheerleader) and looked so pretty and wonderful and fuck. What a rush. He was riding a high.

So afterwards they rolled some joints backstage to chase another illicit high and ordered more beers. It wasn’t a party exactly but they had some well-earned fun. By the time last orders were called Gareth had to be carried to his car. It was so rock and roll.

Which left Eddie and Chrissy utterly and blissfully alone. You can see where this is going, right?

It was actually impressive that they managed to clear up and carry the rest of the band's equipment outside to his van, before totally sucking face. Eddie was amped up and grinning like a maniac because Chrissy was singing his songs under her breath and wearing the shiny strawberry lip gloss that drove him wild. She was wearing a baby blue summer dress that made her look like a fairytale princess (floaty sleeves and all) but it was short enough to show off her creamy thighs. It was one of his favourites (and when he asked if she’d worn it on purpose, just for him, she’d blushed and said of course, dummy he’d felt on top of the world).

So Eddie pushed Chrissy back against the alley wall and kissed her until they were breathless. He became totally lost in the magic of her like he always did, and melted when her talented little fingers slipped beneath his heavy belt.

“You witch,” he said. His voice sounded loud and heavy. “Weaving your dark fairy magic on me.”

Chrissy laughed and it sounded breathless and happy. Christ, maybe she really was a witch? He was in her fucking thrall, alright. She looked like a fairy in that dress and with those big twinkling blue eyes. Her long blonde hair (kissed by fire and sunsets and summer so it looked pink) fell down her back in waves. Seriously, how the fuck had he ever ever managed any of this?

His fairy-witch-elf-angel kissed him again. “I thought you were supposed to be the one with powers. Didn’t you seduce me away from my perfect wholesome boring life with your black magic?”

“And blood sacrifices to Satan. Don’t forget those,” Eddie reminded her. Her fingers roamed lower and traced against the length of his cock which of course was already hard and ready. “I’m not some cheap date you can seduce and fuck in an alley, you know.”

“You sure about that?”

Eddie cradled her face in his hands and dragged her mouth up so he could kiss into it slow and deliberate. She goddamn sighed into his mouth and he felt her body uncurl like a fucking flower for him. He didn’t think he would ever get enough of doing this to her and it still blew his mind that he was the one who could coax and draw out such reactions from her. Chrissy was so wonderfully responsive to his touch and well…him.

He moved one hand beneath her skirt (dresses were the best) and against her panties and yep…Chrissy was already so so wet for him.

“You’re such a groupie, Chrissy Cunningham.”

He pushed aside the thin material and traced a finger around her clit in a way he knew made Chrissy melt into a puddle of syrup and honey and all things sweet.

“Only for you, Eddie,” she whispered. She shut her eyes and let her head roll back against the brick wall. “You played so fucking well tonight, baby. You looked so good. I was so proud of you.” And just like that she was no witch or fairy but a goddamn angel. Eddie pressed kisses against her jaw, her chin, her nose.

She was like an arrow to the chest, seriously. Bullseye.

“You were?” he murmured. “You my number one fan, Chriss?”

“I’ve got the band shirt to prove it. If I’m real lucky the hot guitarist might just sign my tits.”

Eddie huffed a laugh against the crook of her neck. He loved it when she cursed.

“I can arrange that. Hear he’s got a thing for girls with big blue eyes and a pretty wet cunt that has his name written all over it.”

Chrissy actually moaned at that and Eddie quickened his fingers. He pressed his hips against her so she could feel just how hard she made him.

“I fucking loved watching you dance in the front row, right where you belong,” he said. “God, you know I only play for you, baby. You’re my inspiration, my fucking muse. None of this matters without you, Chriss.”

He slipped a finger inside her wet pussy and then - because she really was getting off on this, so was he - another. Chrissy told him once that she loved the feeling of his metal rings against her clit so he made sure they scraped against it just enough.

“Eddie!” she hissed.

“Yeah baby?”

“I just…just fucking love how you easy you get me off. Fuck. I fucking love you, you mean and scary freak.”

He kissed the corner of her smiling mouth and then pressed another to her neck.

“I love you too, baby girl. Going to practice my ass off so when we leave this dump I can find work and buy you all the pretty things you deserve.”

“Told you I don’t need any of that.”

He nipped her neck this time and she hissed again.

“Want to take care of you.”

“Eddie…only need you.”

He added another finger - three now, fuck yes - and took hold of her perfect ass with the other.

“Going to buy you a diamond. Size of my fist.”

Chrissy had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from fucking screaming.

Her hands moved against his cock again and felt that it was weeping and ready for her. Her hands were trembling but she made short work of unbuckling his belt (she was so perfect).

“I need you to fuck me, Eddie. Need to feel you inside me.”

“Already?”

“Mmm.”

“You don’t want to ride my knuckles ‘till you come first?”

“I’m seriously going to lose it if you don’t fuck me against this wall right now, Eddie Munson.”

Eddie didn’t need anymore convincing (crap it was hot when she started bossing him around. Was this a new kink to explore? Chrissy could tease just about anything out of him honestly and he was living for it). He removed his hand from her ass and dug around in his jacket pocket for…Ah. There it was.

He looked away from the vision that was her for a millisecond so as to rip open the foil packet, but then noticed…

Oh for fuck’s sake.

Well things had been going far too well for him recently - maybe he deserved some cosmic retribution or kick up the ass to remind him he wasn’t actually living in a dream.

“Uh…Chriss? Bad news on that front.”

“Mm?”

“Packet’s ripped, sweetheart. We seem to be without a condom.”

“Oh…”

His fingers had stilled and Chrissy was biting her plump little lip that tasted of strawberries and magic. She was watching him closely, her cheeks flushed and panting from being so close to what promised to be a world-shattering orgasm.

Eddie could feel her trembling and threw the packet away, intent on getting back to her and her needs right away. He was just about to drop to his knees and eat out her pretty wet cunt, when she said very hesitantly…

“We could always just…do it anyway? Without a condom, I mean.”

Eddie pressed a kiss to her lips. “Baby, no. We’ve talked about this…you know?”

“Amanda from the cheer team told me there’s a morning-after pill I can take. She told me where to get it from too. You can drive us tomorrow, easy…use a fake name…”

Chrissy’s hands were once again moving across his cock and he felt himself instinctively lean into her. He began moving his fingers again too and was rewarded by a soft moan that sounded like a fucking melody of everything good and perfect.

Eddie felt like his brain might explode. He was a guy, okay, who had a beautiful angel coming apart on one hand (literally) and on the other the idea of stopping this and saying they could wait, they could fuck tomorrow after he went to a store. But Eddie wasn’t capable of really resisting Chrissy anything, you know, nor could he resist the way her eyes were fluttering shut in pleasure or the way she was gripping so tight around his fingers. It wasn’t like he was pressuring her into this either - Chrissy said she wanted this.

And yeah, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t either. A part of him fucking loved everything about the idea.

“You sure, Chriss?”

“Yeah, baby…” she nodded and licked her lips. Oh yeah, he was gone. “I want you to fuck me right now, Eddie.”

She must have seen the exact moment the sensible part of his brain totally shut down, because she kissed him hard and licked her tongue against his. Eddie groaned against her lips and his fingers were again digging up into her causing her to gasp.

“Fucking hell, sweetheart, okay…I’ve got you.”

Eddie withdrew his fingers (causing her to pout in a way that made his knees almost buckle) and grabbed hold of her thighs, before lifting and pushing her hard against the brick wall. Chrissy twisted her legs around his waist and seemed to pull him even closer with her thighs.

“You are a witch,” he murmured against the shell of her ear. “You know I’m your slave, baby. You say jump and I fucking jump.”

“You just make me crazy, Eddie. Can’t help it. Don’t want to wait another second.”

God this was irresponsible, but at the same time Eddie’s heart was shaking and he was overcome with a giant wave of fucking need and want. The fact Chrissy wanted him so badly as to forgo being sensible and safe was a huge fucking turn on. He was going to fuck Chrissy Cunningham bareback.

Bareback, raw, like a damn caveman.

Chrissy was shifting in his arms so the head of his dick pushed against her hot dripping opening and that was all Eddie needed really, and he moved his hips and pushed right into her. Right up to the fucking hilt.

“Holy shit.”

One of Chrissy’s hands wound into his hair and the sharp tug made him curse again. Her other hand pressed flat against the wall behind them, nails scratching at the brickwork as if she couldn’t contain just how much shining hot pleasure was currently coursing through her body.

Like bottled lightning, baby. Plug him into a power cord because he was going to light her up.

Eddie rocked against her again, using his weight to pin her up. He brought his face down into her neck where he hissed and fucking spat kisses against her skin. He began fucking up into her fast and careless.

“You feel so unbelievably good, Chriss. My god. Just so hot and warm and…like velvet or silk, baby. It’s fucking addictive, is what this is.”

This was fucking dangerous because he was right, it was insanely addictive (and he knew addictions). The greediness was already taking root inside him and he knew he would miss this desperately when it was gone. He’d have to store away every sensation in his memory like a treasured jewel. What a difference that little bit of rubber made, right? He suddenly wanted to set fire to the store and buy these pills in bulk, if it just meant he could do this to Chrissy every day and every night.

“Can feel you so deep and warm inside me, Eddie,” Chrissy was moaning. “There’s literally nothing between us. Just your skin and mine, and I’m riding your bare dick.”

“Feels fucking amazing, baby. Too good.”

“This is so so hot.”

“You like me fucking you bareback?”

“Yes…”

“This is gunna be feeding my dreams for weeks, sweetheart. You going to think of my bare naked cock when you touch yourself too? Think about how close we are right now?”

Chrissy cried out then and threw her head back. Her hair fell around her shoulders like a halo.

“God, Eddie. I’m so close already.”

“I know, I can fucking feel you are. You’re so hot and tight.”

Her words were encouraging him onwards and he began holding her thighs so tight he might’ve been worried about making bruises if he wasn’t so distracted.

“Chrissy?”

She whimpered.

“You going to come on my cock, sweetheart? Squirt your pretty pussy juices all over my cock? You’ve not done that before.”

“Yeah…”

“An’ then I’m gunna’ come inside you, Chriss. Going to come inside you so deep you can feel me there tomorrow. I’m going to fucking drown you.”

“Yes please, baby. I want it so bad. Oh Eddie…I want this so much…”

“You do? Let me hear it.”

“Want your cum in me so bad. Where it’s supposed to be, you know? Right where it belongs.”

“God Chriss! Fuck. Really do wanna knock you up when you talk like that.”

Eddie the Freak knocking up the goddamn prom queen herself. Had an excellent ring to it honestly.

“Oh Eddie!

Chrissy screamed out as she came and her nails dug into his scalp. Eddie kept thrusting up into her as she rode out her waves and waves of pleasure and the feeling of her tight dripping cunt pulsing around him soon dragged him over the edge too.

“Come inside me Eddie. Let me fucking feel you.”

Eddie swore into her neck as she fucking milked his cock and he came so hard and fast that he thought he might drop her. Fucking hell. This is fucking heaven. Chrissy’s pussy is fucking heaven.

She squeezed every last drop out of him.

Trembling, Eddie kissed her when he was done and gently lowered her down. Chrissy’s knees nearly buckled and she had to hang on to his jacket for support, but she whispered she was okay. As he pulled out from her, his cum trickled freely down her thighs. He looked down at his softening cock and saw it glisten with Chrissy’s wet juices.

“That was…”

“Fucking hot.”

Chrissy giggled and she leant back against the wall again. Eddie tied his belt back in place and joined her so they were leaning side by side. He struggled to catch his breath.

“Want my shirt to…you know? Tidy up?”

“No. I…” she tucked a strand of (tangled, freshly fucked) hair behind her ear. “I kind of like it. I know that sounds weird but it’s…you…you know? Reminds me what the fuck we just did.”

Eddie felt like his heart might just burst again. Chrissy’s fingers laced through his own.

“We should get back. We need to get up early for the…”

“Yeah. Amanda says we’ve got some time, but it’s more effective against a pregnancy the sooner you take it, you know?”

Eddie found himself bringing their clasped hands up to his lips. He looked at Chrissy - this witch, elf, fairy, minx - who had so thoroughly and effectively became such a huge part of his life. Sure he had a life before her but nothing really stood out, you know? She came along (came back into technically) and made everything just click. Suddenly he had his person, and a life and a fucking future infront of him. He wanted it all - everything - with her and he wanted it all right now. He was greedy, needy, for it. He couldn’t fucking wait.

Chrissy was watching him with a soft look in her eyes. Could she read his mind now? He wouldn’t put it past her.

“...one day, Eddie,” she said quietly. “We’ll do that again one day for real.”

Eddie nodded and slid his arm around her shoulder as they walked to his van. "Yeah, I'd really like that, Chriss."

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

A/N: Full disclosure - I have no idea about contraception history but a very quick google tells me the morning after pill was available for access in 1984 in the UK. Who knows about Hawkins/the US. I imagine it would be tricky for Chrissy to get it honestly, but this is basically just porn without plot. Go with it. But not too much. Use protection. Stay safe kids.

[umazane-muesli]

Jukebox January: Day 1

This is a tag started by @esskuesli ! Here is the info :)

I know it's past midnight in my timezone but uuuuh please let's pretend it's still January 1 and I'm not late (or let's pretend my lateness is totally intentional in honour of birthday boy and notorious late boy Jan Peteh)

Also I hope you won't mind, I kind of want to bend the rules a little bit... there are things that I want to include on some days that are not songs (but still start with each letter), like albums, genres, etc. I hope that's okay.

I included some spotify links for convenience but it's limited to 10 per post, so not all songs have them, sorry.

Anyway, here's my list for today:

A sem ti povedal - Live from Arena Stožice by Joker Out

Considering the nature of this blog, I just had to kick this off with a Joker Out song. I love both the studio and the live versions, but in honour of the concert movie (which I haven't watched yet lol), here is the Stožice version with the beautiful trumpet intro.

Aikuinen (feat. Vinttikoira) by Käärijä

Aaaaand here is a Käärijä song as well, of course. Aikuinen is one of my favourite of his songs, both for the music and the very relatable lyrics (or at least their translation, I still don't speak Finnish).

Avalanche by Leonard Cohen

A good portion of the songs I listen to are because of some other brainrot, be it tv shows, movies, books or anything else. Honestly you could track whatever I've been obsessed with in any given year just by looking at what Leonard Cohen song is on my spotify wrapped (his songs are good for soundtracks, what can I say). This one was used in Our flag means death, but also it's just a damn good song.

Look, is this a bit cringe? Yes. But is it fun to belt out while drunk at some lame village party? Also yes. It's a classic 80s French song (if you grow up in some rural swiss village that didn't know rap existed until like 2005 you'll know a lot of those)(yes i'm exaggerating a bit but still)

While we're on the topic of slightly cringe, I don't listen to them anymore, but shoutout to 15 year old me who was doodling little aliens everywhere because of this album. It's gonna be okay buddy I promise.

Literally nothing I love more than a good overdramatic 80s power ballad. Hell yes.

I love this song and also I have a little bit of a soft spot for Paulo Londra (even though I know nothing about him other than his music) because he's from Córdoba (Argentina) where I lived for a little bit, so it reminds me of good times :)

I used to listen to Charlie Winston when I was much younger and honestly his new album is a banger, I've enjoyed getting back into his music.

A Curious Thing by Amy Macdonald

This is not a song but an album, and it's very dear to my heart. Amy Macdonald is one of the artists I've consistently been listening to for the longest. I love all of her albums, but A Curious Thing is one of the first albums I bought with my own money as a teenager, when I went to London with my mom. It was the first time I was ever on a plane, so now every time I fly I listen to this album. Very silly ritual, I know, but I still do it.

And now a bunch of miscellaneous songs about which I don't really have anything to say but I still enjoy:

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Cassie and Roxy sick day hijinks 🤙

Ohh Cassie and Roxy having sick days is fun. Especially when you remember that Roxy is still new to the general concept of illnesses and being able to get them herself. Obviously, she's familiar with some things, like common colds and stuff, and could scan someone when she was worried to check for these things, but she's never been as aware of it as she is now that it's something she has to actually deal with. And while she's struggled from her physical needs not being met before, she never equated them to sickness so... yeah Cassie and Eddie (her dad) have some explaining to do on her first sick day lmao

Cassie catches a bug and gets all sniffly and tired, and Roxy can tell something is wrong, but she can't just scan her anymore so she's drawing a complete blank. "Roxy, I'm sick. That's it." is followed by a very long pause before she looks to Eddie like she's demanding answers cause what do you mean Cassie's sick?? She can't be sick!! What do you mean these things happen??? No no no what the fuck are you talking about what are germs??? What do you mean-

Yeah she's having a time of it lmao. Cassie finds it amusing how instead of being curious about it, she's just straight up outraged. Seriously, Roxy looks like she's about to go to war with whatever caused her to get sick and the back and forth between her and Eddie is making her smile. She kinda just wants to sleep though... and maybe a hug... As soon as Roxy wraps her head around the fact that they can't just make the illness go away, and Eddie's got it through her thick skull what she does need, Cassie has been carried to either the couch her back to her bed and made comfy. Roxy won't leave her side.

Eddie comes and checks on them to find Cassie cuddled up to her, fast asleep while Roxy looks like a very fidgety and restless kicked puppy struggling to not to make sad dog noises. She's trying to be so quiet and so supportive but god DAMN she's BORED and she's so UPSET cause she can't do MORE and make it all go AWAY :( Eddie has to practically drag her away before she explodes and she can visit the Plex like she always does. She's worried that everyone else is going to worry about her not being there and she's never not been there and she's so reliant on being able to go there but she can't leave Cassie on her own when she's suffering so she's just :(

She still visits the Plex on a daily basis, though its not for as long as normal and when she's back, she goes straight back to clinging to Cassie. When she wakes up, she's smiling again because Roxy is all over her, getting her juice, dragging Eddie away from his work to help her make soup (she doesn't really help she's too busy fussing) and carrying her rather unnecessarily over to the couch so she can be with them. Cassie insists she can walk on her own but Roxy sweeps her off her feet, spins her around a few times to make her smile again and carries her anyway. Eddie has always doted on her of course, but now there's two of them doing it and she both feels incredibly loved, and like she can't breathe.

She asks Roxy ever so sweetly if she can borrow her Nerfgun and when she's given it thirty seconds later, she shoots her with it. Right on the nose. Every time Roxy starts smothering her, she gets shot now. Thems the rules. Sad dog noises have returned and she and Eddie are being So Brave about her shooting them so they know to back off now lmao

Roxy is still cuddling her the second she can though. As soon as Cassie gives the go ahead, she's snuggled to death and honestly? It's making her feel much better. Sister hugs are the best medicine!

Now there is a warning made here, that if Roxy isn't careful, she'll get sick too. That gives her pause. Can she get sick...? Eddie had described what Cassie was feeling as similar to what Roxy was feeling when she wasn't being cared for and she doesn't want to go through that ever again... But she can't leave Cassie to go through it on her own! She's Roxanne Wolf! She's Cassie's sister! She can tough it out! She'll be fine!

She has never been more wrong in her life.

Cassie gets better. She's right as rain again! Hooray!! Roxy's so happy for her!! They have a picnic at the park to celebrate!! It all seems to be sunshine and rainbows now!! Back to normal!!

As soon as she leaves her room a few days later, all sniffly and sleepy, with a blanket still over her head and her Happy Frog plushie, Eddie and Cassie start worrying a little. They check her temperature, and start asking questions trying to figure out what specifically is wrong. She's annoyed because she's always sleepy when she wakes up why are they fussing this time? They back off after Eddie suggests she might have had a bad night and just not remember... until Roxy barely eats anything from her breakfast. Cassie is checking that temperature again the second she turns away from a mostly full bowl of cereal and Eddie is already at the medicine cupboard making plans to run out and get some Lucozade. Roxy just puts her head on the table and lets them fuss. She's about to fall back to sleep when one of them says she'll have to stay home today.

Psh, what illness? She's fine! Haha she's not cold! The aches will go away once she stretches her legs, she's sure! What? Why didn't she eat anything?? Well... she may have had a snack before she came to the table before she remembered they would worry if she didn't get up for breakfast. Haha, yeah that's all! She's fine! Bad night was all, she'll be right as rain later!

I'm sure you can see where this is going lmao

The animatronics at the Plex can't give her a health scan anymore because that required the main network to be functioning, and given her new appearance, might set off the intruder systems. Yeah best not. Roxy is so lucky. They would have smothered her in seconds. As it is, she's able to brush it off as a bad night, and not liking the food Eddie packed her for lunch. The sniffles? Don't need to be explained. People used to come to the plex with them all the time, they hardly bat an eye. They're not sold on her being fine though.

She gets back to the flat, barely touches her food again, and the second she lays her head down, she's out. And the next day, she's so obviously sick that she can't wriggle her way out of it either. Did Cassie and Eddie believe her yesterday? No. Absolutely not. But she looked like she was panicking really bad so they let her go. Not today though, ohhh no. Today, Doctor Cassie is on the case!

If she wasn't so tired, Roxy would have screamed bloody murder at both her and Eddie. Instead she's full of sad puppy dog noises. She doesn't want to be sick!! It's not fair!! Let her go home to the Plex!! They said she could go whenever she wanted so why not now?! Cassie is about to explain for the fifth time, before Eddie puts a hand on shoulder and whispers something to her. Doctor Cassie nods in agreement and Assistant Doctor Eddie takes this one. "Okay then Roxy. You're free to go to the Plex. But if you can't get there on your own without seriously struggling, you need to listen to Doctor Cassie's orders, and rest here. If you can get there fine, we'll leave you be. Deal?" Roxy growls out an agreement and immediately makes her attempt.

She makes it about two steps before she goes lightheaded and falls. She takes a solid minute to register that Cassie is holding her head in her lap, and another minute to realise she's on the floor. Well shit. She just had to make a deal like that, didn't she?! What was she thinking?! God damn she's mad about it.

They let her make another attempt and she doesn't manage to stand up this time. They still let her try getting back to her bed, because she wants to do it herself so bad. They prop her up here and there and she face plants her bed, fully prepared to sleep for eternity, but nooooo she needs to hydrate and try some food and fucking. Medicine. She wants none of it. She's buried herself under the blankets and she's not coming back out, fuck those guys.

This is how it goes the entire time. Roxy's recovery is a fucking snails pace until Eddie shows up with a video recording of everyone at the Plex telling her that they love her and miss her so much, but also can she please take her medicine??? She cries for a bit about it, before letting Doctor Cassie do the Lucozade thing on her which is better than nothing, and when that helps a lot, she takes actual medicine and oh god it tastes awful what is wrong with Cassie how can she like this?! Cassie is laughing about it of course.

But up until then? Roxy is uncooperative. Cassie is fully committed to her bit as Doctor Cassie and while she's normally so very patient, by the end of the second day, she's this close to throttling Roxy. She tried to take her temperature and it turned into tug of war because Roxy wouldn't give the thermometer back. It was funny at first that Roxy kept acting like she was dying, and saying she must be on her deathbed now, until she actually seemed distressed about it, so Doctor Cassie and Assistant Doctor Eddie had to very gently walk her through it all again. Just in case she genuinely believed it. Turns out, she did, so it was a good job they stopped sniggering about it! Cassie is carrying a stehoscope around with her and has taken to explaining bacterias, viruses, and other such stuff to Roxy which has the added effect of helping her sleep. She's interested, but she's so sleepy :(

And speaking of sleep, Cassie is returning the favour of Roxy snuggling her to death when she was sick! It's making her feel so much better, she's so appreciative it's unreal. Cassie stays with her most of the day while Eddie drops by for a few hours at a time to see how she's doing and to pass on messages from the Plex. Roxy is actually devastated that she physically can't go home and it's tearing her apart, and contributing to her refusal to cooperate with medicines and stuff. She wants to feel better, but her emotions are dragging her into the pit over this... which is why Eddie's job of bringing her videos from the Plex is so important. It makes her cry that she can't physically be there, yeah, but it's better than her fever addled brain from worrying constantly.

But yeah! Tl;dr: Cassie is cooperative, but has to keep shooting Roxy with a Nerfgun so she doesn't fret herself into the ground, and Roxy is uncooperative and was for a little while convinced she was actually dying because she felt so fucking awful. She's still saying she's dying, but she clarifies on occasion that this time she knows she's not but feels like she is.

Oh and also: Roxy absolutely cries to the rest of her family about how she was dying and Doctor Cassie and Assistant Doctor Eddie brought her back from the dead. "WHAT??? EDDIE WHAT??? YOU SAID IT WASN'T BAD!!!" "EDDIE WHY'D YOU LIE TO US?!" "EDDDIIIEEEE!!!!" and Cassie gets to sit there and laugh because she deserves it lmao

[lana-starscream]

Season 2 Premere

omg yippie, the new season starts this weekend! (Sunday for me, David McLane's Bravest Soldier)

Idk why this shit never works for me lol whatever

i have seen this listed (on their youtube i think) as episode 53, as season 9 (when taking all the other WOWs into consideration), and as Season 2 (since the Viacom/CBS deal), but all that shit is for nerds. Here's the real Gospel from WOWE.com:

WHO ATTACKED THE BEAST?: this shit has been so compelling, but nobody (oddly) has talked about it in a while. hopefully this has been weighing on the guilty parties' mind and keeping them up at night. I would not be shocked if it was traced back to Lana Star. I think she's ultimately the puppet master behind everything, but the Beast was most likely attacked by either Penelope Pink (eager to please Lana as her protege of the season) or Vicky Lynn Mc Coy (typical enforcer stuff)

even MORE compelling is the return of Adriana Gambino! i am a BIIIIG GambinoHead, so this is very exciting to me. Will we see her reunited with old tag team partner GiGi Gianii? (they both loved fashion, family and being italian!) Gigi is using the music Adriana had originally, and it feels like they have been wanting to use this character since the AXS era, so it will be interesting to see if they actually get into the murder cover up that the website still references. A girl can only dream!!

come on Dave, i know you have this in you.

Without immediately going off on another tangent, AJ Mendez missing from commentary is going to hurt on this one. She loved BOTH of these women so much.

Anyway, they seem to also be behind Jennifer Florez, and as if they want her in the mold of Stephy Slays. I think the Jen-Z thing is corny, just like Stephy's Millennial Superhero schtick. Following this, she might be one of those generic faces that gets squashed to make the other guy look good. (Adriana does need to come back hot, she did vanish for 30 episodes or so) In fact, I think that might even be the angle. I will toke on my purple doob if theres a video package of her from the previous season working in the murder angle and her not being in WOW)

That all being said, I think this is Adriana Gambino's win here.

Another bittersweet match- I don't believe the Heavy Metal Sisters are together anymore, so Fury is out on her own. I'm sure she'll do fine, She's beautiful and hi hello Fury if you're reading this i am free anytime baby xoxoxo.

Anyway.

Tormenta has been a fun addition to WOW and any excuse to see Sophia Lopez is always welcome with me.

Having said this, I think Fury is going to win, she has to make a good impression on day 1 too. (That might be an overarching theme here, wild!)

the now Title-less Carlson twins (in cute new gear tho) vs Crystal Waters & Sandy Shore. Spring Break joined up late in the season (and separately for a minute) and have mostly been fodder for other tag teams so far. Will that trend continue? Maybe Miami has something to prove? Maybe Lana has them in the doghouse? Maybe there will be an extensive video package to belabor every detail of this?

Giving this win to Miami Sweet Heat, but mostly for the sake of keeping Lana Star happy.

Big WOW welcome to all my fellow ChantillyHeads!!! She rules. She has an absolutely dated gimmick and perfect hair (it looks so good every season), she always makes her opponent look good, and she hits super hard. This is easily going to be a Penelope victory, but fingies crossed Chantilly gets a few good kicks in.

ALRIGHT WOW you know what i want:

More Exile

Exodus singles match

Lana Star mayyyyybe getting another blonde??

[just-horrible-things]

Asking Ariadne if she’s a sadist because I want to see what she says, and Riven I want to know if he’s lonely and also what his favourite restraints are -S

7. Are you a sadist?

Ariadne as a trainee: “What? No.” A slight flush. “I… don’t think so, anyway.”

Ariadne as an interrogator, speaking to someone she doesn’t trust: “Don’t insult me. I don’t do this for pleasure. We are fighting a war against the warlocks, terrorists and revolutionaries who want to tear this country apart. There’s no room for squeamishness about methods.”

Ariadne as an interrogator, speaking to someone she trusts: “I think you have to be, to do this job without losing your mind. At least a little. I’m not proud of it. It’s not about the… kicks, or whatever you want to call it. I don’t let it rule me. It’s about results, always.”

Ariadne post-Resistance, speaking to someone she doesn’t trust: “I don’t do that anymore, I swear I don’t. I was awful, I know I was awful but I work for Reyan now and I’d never do it again.”

Ariadne post-Resistance, speaking to someone she trusts: “Yes. I’m… sick. Fucked up. I don’t… I don’t know how to get rid of that part of me but I won’t act on it, never again.”

12. Are you lonely?

Riven: “Why would I be? I have plenty of friends, I’m a valued member of a respected organization. If I want to get laid it’s not hard to pick up chicks. The uniform helps, heh.”

“If it’s because I’m single, I’ve never been interested in romance. Why tie myself down? And I honestly don’t understand why anyone wants to live with a partner. That sounds so annoying. I like having my space to myself.”

39. Favorite method of restraint?

Riven: “It’s not creative, but you can’t go wrong with cuffs round the wrists. Fix them to the wall, fix them to the floor, fix them to the ceiling – all good. Extra fun if the wrists are broken.”

[darkacademicfrom2021]

It’s very ambiguous

Pairing: Loki x reader (gender neutral)

Summary: You have finally come to age; your soulmate mark draws itself in your skin. You can't figure out who it connects you with, but, oh dear, you can only hope and wish it is to him. But Loki won't make it easy for you to find out. Will you both overcome the pride and fear that would involve your love?

Word count: 4.6 K

Warnings: a bit of angst. (English is not my mother tongue and it’s my first time writing fanfiction in english, so forgive me if there’s any errors, and feel free to correct them!)

Sighing at your reflection, you stared for the Norns know how long to the fresh image that drew itself in the side of your abdomen.

You thanked it was easy to hide; saving you endless mockery from your friends if they saw that. The vivid portrayal of who you loved the most, in the most ambiguous drawing you could’ve ever gotten. How ironic.

What the Heavens would that mean, you asked yourself at least five times until the impatient knocking on the bathroom door pulled you out of your thoughts.

“Hurry up, we’re late”, said Sif. You knew she was already all dressed up for the Ball, and she would kill you, seeing you were still on your robes. You opened the bathroom door slowly, with burrowed frows. You couldn’t hide it, as much as you tried to. “Oh, for God’s sa…” she started complaining, but stopped as soon as she realized you were in a terrible state of mind.

“I got it”, you explained after she made you get out of the bathroom and sat you on the edge of the bed. “I got the mark. Impossible to guess”.

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll know who they is when the time is right”, said she, comforting you and eyeing the outfit you’d chosen earlier. “But crytime is over. Guess what time it is now. Yes, you guessed right. The Ball”.

The last thing you wanted to do in that moment was to dance; or to stay in a chair drinking wine the entirety of the night, for that matter. You didn’t need another reminder of your frustrated attempts at making him notice you. And you knew he wasn’t the one (if he were your soulmate, it would’ve already happened years; no, decades ago). But you still couldn’t help but falling in love at every little smirk, every little comment, every little thing he did. Dear, you were lost, completely gone in love.

That’s why you knew you wouldn’t find your soulmate for a long, long time. At least not until your crush for Loki had finally gone away.

“I’d rather stay”, you stated, and she rolled her eyes.

“Well, I want to go, and I can’t go alone. Please, at least do it for me”.

“Why would you want to go? Ever since we’re on age of being asked to dance, we have only gotten invitations from… well, anyone except them. And in the Balls we can’t even be their friends”.

“We can be friends, if they talk to us first we can talk back”.

“Yeah, we could, but they don’t talk first. They never do”.

Both of you were completely lost for the princes. But, unlike you, Sif had a chance with Thor. She was graceful, divine, a wonderful woman; a whole Goddess, an amazing warrior. There was no question Thor would sooner or later find love in her friend. But you… why would a prince like Loki lay his eyes on you? Romantically, he never showed a single trace of interest in anyone, much less someone in his friendgroup. You were the closest to him, yet he never said a thing.

He probably knew you drooled over him. He must have noticed how you looked at him in the library when he read to you, how you always defended him from everyone else’s mockery, how you intentionally pretended like you didn’t know any better in spells so that he could help you out. How your heartbeat raced when he fell asleep on your lap. He must have noticed, yet he said nothing.

She finally managed to convince you to go, with the condition that if you weren’t asked to dance at all, or even talk, you’d go back to your manor early.

You got in your best clothes, and undressing the best attitude possible, you both arrived at the palace and entered the ballroom as quick as your feet let you. The ambient was marvelous. Subtle lighting, most of them by candles. The golden details that characterized Asgard so well were everywhere. Both King and Queen were sat in their thrones, waiting patiently for the rest of the royal family to arrive before giving the annual speech and getting the party started.

“Do you think they’re not coming?” asked Sif as you got comfortable in your seats, eyeing the entrances.

“They can’t miss it, they’re sort of the hosts”, you said, “but… well, I don’t know. The other day after training, Thor mentioned something about this year being particularly difficult for them”, you added in such a low whisper that Sif had to pull closer.

“What did he say? He didn’t mention anything to me”, she whispered back. You two looked like you were merely gossiping, if it weren’t for the lack of giggling that would usually follow.

“He said… he said something along the lines of ‘we’re expected so much more than before in these dances, they’re more than just for fun now’, and, Sif, I think he meant…”, but she abruptly interrupted you.

“Courting? Oh, for the Norns, they’re not expected to choose a partner now, so soon, aren’t they?”.

“Soon? Sif, they’re already at each other’s throats for who’s becoming King, and they have been for a while”.

“They’re not exactly competing, anyways. You don’t have to worry about this. It’s not like Loki’s the one winning” said she, earning a subtle kick in the leg. “Auch!”.

“Would you stop being so hard on him?”.

“You know I’m right!”. 

“You know it hurts him. If you think so, at least keep it to yourself, Sif”.

You could’ve kept lecturing her if it weren’t for the sarcastic clapping of the Queen upon seeing the arrival of her sons. You read the ‘you’re late!’ on her lips and the apologetic looks on their faces. But nothing of that distracted you from admiring how marvelous Loki could get sometimes. Just when you thought he couldn't look any better, he outdid himself. You let out a sigh and Sif laughed.

“You’re staring”.

“And rightfully so. Look at him”.

But no matter how much you looked at him for the whole evening, you couldn’t get even a gaze from him. He didn’t even eyed you from the distance. You would’ve even gotten actually mad at him if it weren’t for the fact that he wasn’t looking anywhere. He didn’t seem like he was avoiding you; he was actively staring at the floor, with the saddest look on his face. And Thor looked pissed off.

“There’s a story in there and I will ask for as many details as possible once Loki spills the beans to you”, said Sif, elbowing you.

“I don’t think he will. Look, it looks like more than a fight. He looks so upset”.

You could only wish you were brave enough to break the stupid rule of the royals approach first so you could take his hand tightly and comfort him in whatever he was going through. As you always did. As he always let you.

The music played for three hours. Everyone was on their feet, dancing away, drinking away and chatting away, as one should in a Ball dance. Everyone except you and certain dark prince you didn’t even bother staring at anymore. You gave up looking for his attention an hour after the dance properly started, and it did nothing good to your pride to have been trying for that long anyways.

Sif got her chance, of course. Thor took his time, but after long he gave up with whatever quarrel he was having with his brother and approached her decisively. You were past pissed. Disappointed. After another sip of your wine, you couldn’t resist and stole a glance to Loki’s seat. To your surprise, you met his gaze. The God of Mischief was staring at you, and he apparently has been for Gods know how long. He quickly dropped his head and went back to looking at the floor, now with a completely red face.

You soon realized he was even more upset than before, as he watched Thor and Sif dance. And then you understood. Everything fell into place. Of course. Of course he liked Sif. Who wouldn’t. That’s why he fought with Thor. That’s why he was so worked up. You didn’t even need to read his mind to confirm it. 

You waited, still holding your eyes on him. You waited for another half an hour, but your patience was already on thin ice and he didn’t look like he would do anything more, anyways. So you did what you should’ve done hours ago. You got up and left.

“No, brother, you can go, I’ll let Mother know I’m staying”, said Loki from his room.

He could hear Thor’s patience shatter in pieces from the other side of the door.

“Don’t be ridiculous, we can’t miss the Ball. Father will kill you”.

“It’s not my problem”.

“I think it is quite your problem, brother”. Loki sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for his mockery. Thor sensed it and lowered his tone of voice, insisting. “Tell me what it is, Loki. I promise I’ll try to help out”.

But he only scoffed and locked the door, to start pacing around the room, feeding his anxiety even more. He covered his arm with his palm and tried his best to make it go away. It’s just an accidental illusion. I’m making it out of nervousness. I need to make it go away, he kept saying under his breath. But it didn’t go away. It wasn’t an illusion.

“Oh, FOR THE NINE REALMS”, he kicked his chair as a sudden burst of anger ate him alive.

“Loki, let me in!”, insisted Thor. “I’m going in”.

“You can’t help me”.

“I might, if you just tell me what is it. You love the dances. Come on”.

“I do love dances, Thor, I’m not particularly fond of the weight this one has on us; not this year” he growled from the floor, knees on his chest. “Not with what I had planned, I can’t do it now” he whispered. Thor pretended like he didn’t listen to that last bit.

Loki had been circling around the idea of asking you to dance for the last few months. It was all he wanted; to caress your hand and gently hold you by the waist, to move at the pace of the music, to feel your heart on his chest, his rising heartbeat with every breath you took. He wanted you, and if that wasn’t possible (and he was sure it wasn’t) he wanted to dance with you all night long.

But now, he would have to court you and marry you if he did. And, of course, it was what he wanted. It was definitely all he wanted. But he knew you wouldn’t. And he wouldn’t risk your beautiful friendship over anything in the world. What if he lost you forever? He could never bring himself to lose you, in any form or way.

“Brother, let me in. Or get out of the room. We’re late”.

“You’re late, Thor. Must I repeat myself? I’m not going”.

“I’m kicking the door”.

Loki sighed, and waited to hear Thor’s intense footsteps get closer and closer to the door to open it just in time and see him land on his face. Thor got up off the floor with blood on his nose.

“It combines with your crimson cape, brother, no need to worry” said Loki mockingly.

But Thor paid little attention to his silvertongue. Instead, his eyes were fixed on his arm. Then, he understood exactly why he was acting so terrified. Loki covered his arm as soon as he realized, mortified, but it was now too late and Thor had already seen it.

“Do you need any other reason to invite them to dance with you?”, he said with a grin of pride.

“It's not them. I’m certain”.

“How are you so certain? It’s such an ambiguous drawing, and you haven’t seen theirs!”.

“They doesn’t even have a soulmate mark yet. They told me the other day”.

“You didn’t have one at that time either, it must have changed. Come on”.

Loki sighed and put on a long sleeved outfit, while letting Thor rant about how much he was sure you’d reciprocate his feelings. And Loki couldn’t say anything against it, because it would only bring ruin to everyone; to spill the obvious secret that haunted him everyday.

The fact that you lusted over Thor.

And it hurted him like anything else, because he knew even though you didn’t say anything. He knew he was the lesser prince. The one that gets looked over. The shadow in his brother’s spotlight. The always-prince, never-King. It hurted like Hell.

But there was nothing he could do about it. And now he had a mark that linked him to the Norns know who, but he only had eyes for you.

Because you were always there. You were the one to defend him against his own insecurities, and everyone else’s accusations. The one to laugh the loudest at his jokes, the one to hold him the tightest when you were in fear, the one to call him first to anything. And you were perfect. But you, for obvious reasons, didn’t think the same of him. You thought the world of him, but not in the way he wished.

And he wouldn’t even get to see you happy from someone else’s love, because his brother didn’t even have eyes for you. The idiot of Thor could not see your brightness, and Loki wondered how could anyone not fall in love with you.

“You need to try, Loki, you’ll never know if you don’t risk a little”.

“A little? To you this is a little? Do you have any idea what would happen to me if I lost them forever? If the person that I love the most leaves me because I just decided to stop hiding my feelings?”, yelled Loki, completely angered.

“Ah, there it is. If I decided to stop hiding my feelings”, repeated Thor, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?!”.

“You are afraid; so incredibly afraid of letting anyone know you fully. That is your problem, Loki. They’ll accept you no matter what, because they already know you. You think you’re hiding, well, you’re not so good with this little lie of yours”, said finally Thor, tired of biting his tongue about it.

“You know nothing about their feelings”.

“I know enough”.

“Believe me, you don’t. And you don’t get to say a word about my love life, or anything about this situation, for that matter. You don’t get to make light of my situation, as you do with everything regarding me. Now, leave. Me. Alone”.

They continued fighting about it until one of their tutors had enough of their unpunctuality and came to look for them. Both entered the ballroom still highly upset at each other and said nothing about it all night. Frigga knew exactly what they were talking about, and didn’t make too much of a fuss about the delay in their arrival.

Loki tried to not look at you in the entirety of the night; avoided all the eye contact he could with anyone, specially you. He was too afraid you’d choose that exact time to practice your special abilities at mind reading (since you’ve done this at previous dances, when Loki didn’t approach you), and if he didn’t see you, you couldn’t do it. Because if you dared reading his mind you’d only find yourself. And in those little moments he got to glance at you, while you were distracted with something else, he sank in sadness, because all he wanted was to embrace you and dance with you. You looked as fantastic as you always were and more. You looked especially excellent. And it didn’t go unnoticed to him that you looked annoyed. From the eye-sided glances he got to steal from you, he saw you staring at the seat he and his brother were in. You were expectant. You wanted to be taken out to dance. And Loki’s suspicions about your crush on Thor only got reassured when he asked Sif for a dance and you looked the most annoyed you’d ever looked in ages.

You left the dance early. After about ten minutes Loki decided to go after you. Outside of the ballroom you could still be a friend; that was the whole point of swallowing his feelings. He wandered the palace until he heard fireballs collapsing against the huge walls of your typical training spot, but he lingered his entrance to observe you in an incredibly angry state of your magic.

“You’ll set the palace on fire” said a gut-wrenching familiar voice. Of course Thor was there. Of course Thor would get earlier to comfort you in something that he destroyed.

“Then so be it”, you answered with a crack in your voice. Loki didn’t mean to invade your privacy, but he couldn’t help himself but to listen.

“I know why you’re upset. Believe me, it upsets me too”.

“You have no idea what upsets me”, you answered, and Thor chuckled. Loki could sense that Thor was thinking about how similar you and Loki were. You threw another fireball against the wall.

“Let me guess”.

“Enlighten me, your majesty”.

“You didn’t get to dance with the man you like”.

“You know nothing about the man I like”.

“When will you all stop treating me as if I were blind? Come on, why won’t you tell me? I’m your friend. I know you’re burning up in love and you still think you don’t have a chance because… because what? Because he’s the prince of Asgard?” said Thor. You stopped your magic and stared at him with teary eyes.

“Because the prince of Asgard I love, is in love with Sif. And there’s nothing I can do about it” you answered. Loki’s heart broke. Hearing you admit your raw feelings to Thor that way, and Thor not even understanding you were talking about him.

“What makes you think he’s in love with Sif?!” insisted, still clueless.

But Loki didn’t need to hear any more of that. He ran through the halls of the palace until he got to lock himself in his room.

“What makes you think he’s in love with Sif?!”, Thor asked, and you scoffed. You lowered your gaze to the floor, trying to make the tears go unnoticed. They didn’t, and Thor hugged you tightly.

Thor was almost like a brother to you. You grew up together, but it was more than that. You were always for each other. He never had to ask about your love for Loki, he always knew. And you never had to ask about his crush in Sif; it was transparent. So you both supported each other. You didn’t even bother telling him how she felt about him, it was bound to happen. Now, you and Loki, on the other hand…

“He is, you can’t deny it”.

“I’m denying it, I assure you”. You wiped your tears away and touched your mark over your clothes. He smiled. “You got the mark, didn’t you?”.

“Yeah”.

“What is it?”.

“Ugh, it doesn’t matter. Maybe I should just forget him and start looking for my soulmate. If the mark showed up today, then it must be for something. There has to be a reason”. Thor nodded, still smiling. “What are you so happy about, dumbass? My heart’s broken".

“Nothing. You keep on looking. Can I see it?”, said he, patting your back.

“It’s too ambiguous, you won’t guess it”.

“So I expected”.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know anything?”.

“Nothing whatsoever”.

You got in your fighting position. Loki bent down in his seat, focusing on the next fight. He was sure you’d win; he has been teaching you new moves and you completely mastered them. And your rival didn’t know any better, anyways.

One kick from your opponent; you avoided it and threw a punch. Another kick. Another punch. The rival grabbed your leg, making you lose your balance and almost fall down, but you used that impulse to push him away and get him to the ground. He got up and started using magic. A blue light shone around him and started getting closer to your feet. You closed your eyes and focused intensely; soon, water drops started emerging from the tips of your fingers. They quickly transformed into a stream of water that wrapped your opponent from head to toes, making his electricity magic attack him, instead of you. Loki smiled.

Your rival pushed further his strength and one of the electrified waterjets hit your leg. You fell to the ground with a scream. It hurted, a lot. Loki gasped and Thor had to grab his shoulder to remind him it was just a training fight. For his tranquility, you got up on your feet soon and started using your magic again.

An aura of sparks and wind formed around you while you closed your fists, extremely concentrated. Your opponent waited without attacking, but behind the shield of his armour. Loki saw Thor smile proudly; this was the part he taught you. For your fire side of your powers, Thor was the one to train you thoroughly. Loki sighed, frustrated because you haven’t yet shown what Loki had taught you with such enthusiasm. He still observed you with attention.

“This part is awesome, look, brother”, whispered Thor in his ear, which only made him angrier.

“I’m sure it is. They is awesome. And wait until you see what I taught them”. Thor chuckled.

“No need for jealousy, Loki. They’s all yours”. Loki rolled his eyes and directed his attention to the fight again.

The sparks and wind grew bigger and bigger around you, circling your whole body. Once the sparks became fire, you directed your whole energy to your opponent, sending him against the wall. If it weren’t for the gigant fire-proof shield, he would’ve gotten completely roasted.

You put your guard down, and as you did so, the wind and fire around you dispersed. Loki got to see you again once the magic flew down, and realized you had your clothes slightly lifted up. He tried not to look out of respect, but Thor gasped, and that drew his attention directly to what surprised his brother. And it did not disappoint. Loki’s chest got as tight as it has ever been. His breathing became irregular and unsteady, and his face got completely red. You didn’t notice your shirt had lifted up, so you didn’t realize what was going on. You got closer to your defeated rival and shaked his hand.

“You win. I see you’ve been well trained”, he said.

“I have”, you answered, and directed your gaze to the princes who were watching the fight. You walked closer to them to chatter, as you always did, but Loki got up fast and ran out of the training room. Thor told you to follow him, and Loki heard your footsteps behind him for the entirety of the hall, until you two got to the gardens.

Loki was shaking. He didn’t want you to be there. He didn’t want you to see him that vulnerable. And you knew it, so you didn’t get closer than two meters apart.

“Loki”, you said after a while, behind his back. “What’s wrong?”.

He turned around, face still red. He was usually cold, but at that moment he was burning up inside and out. Maybe he was burning out of love for you. Maybe out of anger, for being so pessimistic and making himself a martyr when his brother was clearly right. Maybe out of rage to himself, for waiting so long to make a move and losing so much time lost in his own head. But you were still standing there, concerned. And he had to say something, because you still didn’t know anything.

“I saw your mark”, he stated. Now you were the one with the red face.

“Oh… I, I don’t, uh…”, you stuttered, and he got closer to you. He grabbed both of your hands and you looked at him in the eyes, clueless. “I try not to give it that much attention”.

“Why?”, he asked. “It’s your soulmate. The person you’ll love the most”.

“I already love someone” you said, in a burst of confidence. Loki swallowed in nervousness. Your hands started to get sweaty. “I… ugh. Sorry. I don’t want to say…”.

“Who? Tell me, I’m your best friend”.

“I don’t want you to be”, you finally said. “It’s you, Loki. It’s always been you. I don’t care about this stupid soulmate mark, because I know I’m in love with you and I always have been”.

Loki stayed silent, which only made your anxiety increase. He finally looked at you in the eyes and formed a subtle smile.

“I thought you loved Thor”.

“What? Why would I…?”.

“I heard you after the Ball; you said the prince you love was in love with Sif”.

“Yeah, you”.

“I’m… what? I’m not… I’m not in love with Sif, darling”.

Your heart stirred, and you weren’t sure if it was because of the pet name he just gave you, or the fact that you got it all wrong. He wasn’t in love with Sif?

“I’m sorry, did we both think…?”.

“We’re idiots, apparently”.

You both laughed. That was it; that cotidianity, that normality that felt, even in the most embarrassing and intense moments, completely fine. Because you were, before anything, friends.

You hugged him. He returned the hug and caressed your neck and back with one hand. You felt his heartbeat rise, and from that position, he whispered in your ear with that beautifully deep and raspy voice; “I saw your mark”.

“I don’t care about it. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, ignore my feelings if necessary. But my heart only beats for you”, you whispered back. He sank his nose on the crook of your neck and felt his mouth form a smile against your skin. You shivered and felt warmth in your stomach.

“I don’t want to ignore your feelings”.

“I love you”, you said once again, regretting it in that instant. You couldn't stop your words from falling out of your mouth. You felt like you sounded desperate.

“I love you too, my dear”.

You, in shock, looked at him in the eyes. He kept smiling, and putting a strand of your hair behind an ear, placed a small kiss on your red cheek.

“I don’t know what to do next. I like being your friend”, you said. “And I don’t think we’re meant to be. I got a mark, and you haven’t, so it’s obvious we won’t end up together anyways. And I want you by my side for all my life; even if it’s just as a friend, you know? I don’t want to lose you”. Loki chuckled at your rant. “What?”.

“What makes you think I didn’t get my mark yet?”.

“Well, I… I don’t know. Did you?”.

“Yes”.

“What does it look like?”.

He smiled.

“It’s very ambiguous”, said he, sarcastically.

“Hard to guess, is it?” you chuckled, realizing what was going on. Loki lifted his sleeve, uncovering an identical soulmate mark to yours.

“Hard to guess, yet so obvious”, he said. He grabbed your waist and neck and both melted in a long, desired kiss. You sank your fingers in his hair, caressing his scalp. “Yours?”

“It’s very ambiguous too, you know?”.

[intheticklecloset]

Dare You To (SK8 the Infinity)

Summary: During a game of Uno Dare, Reki is challenged first not to smile and then - failing that - not to stop Langa from tickling him for a minute. When he fails the second time, the others decide a little playful punishment is in order.

A/N: YES!! I LOVE lee Reki! I love writing for him, that cute little ticklish redhead!! *ahem* Anyway, I've never heard of Dodge or Dare, and I honestly didn't feel like watching a clip of whatever show it's from to learn how it works, so I modified things just a tad, but I think I got the general idea of what you wanted in there. Enjoy! ^^

Word Count: 1,758

~~~

“Ha! No way he’ll be able to do that,” Miya laughed, enjoying the way Reki’s face went red in response to both his challenge and the dare that had been put before him.

They were playing Uno Dare – a new take on the card game they were already familiar with – and so far, Reki wasn’t doing too great. He’d already failed to balance a single card on his head, stand on one foot until his next turn, and do ten push-ups in ten seconds. (Actually, he couldn’t even do ten, period.) And now Langa – who was seated on his right – had the audacity to play a dare card and dare him not to smile until his next turn.

“I can do it!” he insisted, pouting, shooting Miya and Langa a glare each. “It won’t be hard with you guys picking on me.”

Joe smirked at him, attempting to share a glance with Cherry, who promptly ignored him.

“Well? Take your turn,” the pink-haired skater said, gesturing to the pile.

Reki frowned, determined to win this dare so he wouldn’t have to draw another two cards. He already had more than anyone else in the circle. He glanced at his hand briefly, played a card, and stared at the discard pile. He didn’t want to see anyone’s faces. He didn’t want to accidentally slip up again. He would win this dare if it was the last thing he did.

Langa pinched his side.

“He-eey?!” Reki screeched, jolting to the side. Thankfully he was able to keep himself from smiling, but when he made eye contact with his friend it was difficult to keep a straight face. He saw the devious smirk and suddenly grew flustered. “D-Don’t…I know what you’re thinking, but don’t! That’s cheating!”

Cherry took his turn, which passed the flow of the game to Miya. But the evil little skater just sat there, smirking, watching Reki intently.

Langa reached for him again. Reki’s hand shot down to grab Langa’s wrist, the anticipation nearly forcing him to smile already, but he held firm.

“No tickling!” he cried when Langa’s other hand reached for him. Reki thought it was going for his side, but suddenly his friend shot down to his knee and squeezed, making him squeak. He broke into a wide smile in the split second before he could push Langa away and regain composure, but it was too late. With Miya watching him like a hawk, there was no hiding that he’d lost the dare.

“Told you!” Miya laughed again, taking the liberty of drawing two cards for Reki and handing them over. “Here, slime, take your punishment.”

“No way!” Reki exclaimed, looking around the circle at the two adults with them. “Langa cheated!”

“There’s nothing in the rules that says other players can’t try to mess with you,” Joe said, chuckling. “So technically, he didn’t cheat.”

Reki glared at Langa, who smiled calmly back at him, winking. The redhead demanded, “I want a do-over! Give me another dare, or let me try that one again without you cheating.”

“I didn’t cheat,” Langa replied. “I thought that had been established. Take your cards, Reki.”

“No!”

Cherry sighed, but Miya quickly piped in again before any of them could get scolded. “Fine, you big baby. How about this – if you can take Langa tickling you for one minute without fighting back or saying ‘stop,’ you don’t have to draw your two cards. That’s your new dare.”

Reki’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Langa laughed. “Oh, come now. You can take a minute, can’t you?”

“Of…of course I can!” Reki swallowed, setting his cards face-down in front of him and clenching his fists in his lap. “Bring it on!”

Miya pulled out his phone and got the timer set up, then counted down from three, and the challenge was on. Langa – sneaky, sneaky Langa – immediately slipped his hands under Reki’s shirt to scribble at his bare skin, skittering over his sides and lower ribs, and Reki burst into giggles, gripping his knees so he wouldn’t fight back on instinct. Langa was not going to make him lose two challenges in a row!

“You’ve always been super ticklish, Reki,” Langa purred into his ear, making him squeal and arch his back.

“Don’t – dohohohohn’t tehehehease me! Thahahat’s cheating, too!”

“Everything is cheating to you when you’re losing.” Langa smirked, moving gradually around to his belly, which they both knew was his worst spot. “Do you really think you can handle a whole minute of your tummy being tickled?”

Reki whined, starting to bring his arms in protectively but stopping himself just in time, squirming in place as Langa finally reached his weakest spot. “Hohohohohow muhuhuhuch lohohohonger?!”

Miya smirked. “You still have forty seconds.”

“Whahahahat? No wahahahahay!” Reki cried. Langa began to circle around his belly button, and his giggles grew into frantic cackles, his whole body shaking from the effort not to protect himself. “Plehehehehease, not thehehehehere, Langa!”

“Where? Here?” Langa dipped his finger into his friend’s navel, and Reki screamed, bringing his arms in at the same time he fell back onto the floor, pushing and kicking at his blue-haired friend.

Miya stopped the timer. “Dude, you lost again! How are you so ticklish?!”

“Shut up!” Reki snapped, blushing as he sat back up. “Fine, whatever, I’ll take the stupid cards. Let’s just move on.”

“No way!” Miya declared, putting his cards down as well and nearly lunging across the circle to tackle him back onto the floor, reaching up into his underarms in a flash. “As punishment, now you have to have two people tickle you!”

“Wha—?! Nohohohohohoho, Miyahahahaha!” Reki squealed, laughing all over again. He was just beginning to muster up the energy to push the little skater away when he suddenly felt fingers digging into his open belly once more, making him shriek and start thrashing more violently. “GOD, NOHOHOHOHOHO!! NOT THEHEHEHEHEHERE!! NOT BOHOHOHOHOTH OF YOU!!”

“Tickle, tickle!” Miya taunted, grinning. He kept digging and scribbling in the redhead’s underarms while Langa got back to work scribbling over his belly and eventually digging into his navel again.

Reki bucked and thrashed and kicked, laughing up a storm but unable to get away. He was in the midst of pleading for mercy when he suddenly felt another weight on him – this one sitting on his legs, pinning them to the floor so he couldn’t kick.

“Jeez, kid, you’re gonna hurt somebody if you keep that up,” Joe’s teasing voice came from somewhere by his feet. Seconds later there were fingers scribbling over his soles.

“NONONO PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, NOHOHOHOHOHO!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!” Reki begged, laughter coming out in shrieky, uncontrolled bursts. He flailed his arms wildly, unable to do anything else at this point. “WHY?! I SAHAHAHAHAHAID I’D TAHAHAHAHAKE THE CARDS, YOU JEHEHEHEHEHERKS!!”

“Because it’s fun,” Langa replied, leaning down to blow a raspberry over his belly button. “Plus, if you let us tickle you a little more, we might even let you off the hook so you don’t have to draw any more cards.”

“LEHEHEHEHEHEHET YOU?!” Reki screamed. “I CAHAHAHAHAN’T STOP YOU!!”

“Oh! Well then, this should be a pretty easy win for you.” Langa blew another raspberry. “It’s unbelievable how ticklish your tummy is, Reki.”

“STOHOHOHOHOHOHOP CAHAHAHAHAHALLING IT THAHAHAHAHAHAT!!” Reki’s voice was pleading now, mirthful tears springing to his eyes for how hard he was laughing, having three spots tickled at once. “AND NO RAHAHAHAHAHASPBERRIES!!”

“You’re so picky,” Miya muttered, sliding down slightly to squeeze at his upper ribs.

Reki started to push him off, finally able to muster up some strength once his underarms were left alone, but that was the exact moment that Cherry decided to join in, grabbing his arms and pulling them above his head, pinning them down, doing nothing more than making him more helpless and watching his companions draw laugh after screaming laugh from his core, now that he couldn’t move almost at all.

“NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Reki tossed his head back and screeched loudly, hysterically, unable to hold back or protest or anything anymore. All he could do was lie there and take it and hope desperately that they’d get bored soon and leave him alone. It was true – he was incredibly ticklish, but especially on the three spots that were being assaulted right now, and Reki wasn’t sure he’d be able to take much more of this impromptu tickle torture. “G-GUYS, NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

Miya smirked. “Tickle, tickle, slime~”

Langa blew another raspberry. “You’ve got such a cute, ticklish little tummy, Reki~”

“Your laugh is pretty great, dude, not gonna lie,” Joe added, still scribbling over his feet, his touch lighter than the other two’s. “Don’t know if I’ve ever heard you this happy before.”

“I CAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAN’T!!” Reki cackled, a tear sliding down his cheek as he laughed helplessly. “PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! I GIVE!! I’LL TAHAHAHAHAHAKE THE CAHAHAHAHAHARDS!! GUYS!!!”

After another few seconds, the three of them silently agreed that they’d had their fun, and all four of them let Reki go, climbing off of him and releasing his limbs so he could curl into a ball, still giggling into the carpet.

“Aw, man!” Miya whined, drawing the redhead’s attention to him. “Look! All of his kicking ruined the game!”

It was true. There were Uno Dare cards splayed everywhere. No one could tell where one person’s cards ended and another’s began, and the draw and discard piles were intermixed as well.

“S-So you…you t-tortured me for…for nothing?” Reki gasped incredulously, pushing himself into a seated position, staring at the failure of a game before them. “What was the point, then?!”

“For fun,” Langa replied, gently nudging his shoulder with a smile. “Come on, you didn’t really hate that, did you?

Reki’s blush quickly spread all the way to his ears and neck. He hunched his shoulders and looked away. “Shut up, dude.”

“Cheer up, dude.” Langa pulled him into a hug, poking his sides sporadically to get him smiling and giggling again. “Tell you what, the next time we play you get a free pass on any dare, and you don’t have to draw any cards in place of it. I think you’ve earned that much, don’t you, Miya?”

Miya scoffed, but he was smiling. “Yeah, whatever. You get a free pass, slime.”

Reki giggled, squirming in Langa’s soft, tickly hug. “Okay, okahahahay, I’ll take it!”

The others smiled at him, Langa let him go, and they got to work gathering up the cards so they could shuffle and play again.

Miya handed him the deck. “Your turn to deal, loser.”

“What?!” Reki exclaimed.

Everyone laughed.

[ryozoro]

Hades Playlist - i.

NOW PLAYING : I n t e r l u d e [J. Cole]

cw; name calling, blood, mentions of murder, major spoilers

“Fate is a very weighty word to throw around before breakfast.”

Despite the red-light district thriving through the night, it looked just as beautiful during the early morning. Yn was roaming the streets on her pedal bike for the first time since winter break as she plotted different ways to surprise her big brother at his newly opened bike shop. She had already purchased his favorite breakfast meal from the little café she worked at, and all that she was left to do was see the said man. Getting out of thoughts and returning to reality, she stopped at the side of the traffic light to press the ‘crossing’ button and to text Draken to make sure he was at work before she made the trip.

“hey there pretty girl, ya wanna come ride something more interesting than the little kiddie bike yer on right now?” some bleach blonde junior high kid called out to her, smirking as he man spread and took up most of the space on the park bench. “I know ya hear me pretty girl,” he leaned and rested his elbows onto his knees, “maybe ya want me to come over and beg for yer attention, huh? Want me to come and make ya listen to me?”

She scoffed and waited for the light to signal for her to cross, but its as if the gods wanted to punish her and traffic kept flowing out of her favor. Getting restless, she pocketed her phone and tapped on her bar handles in hopes of the cars to all be generous and let her through; of course, this did not happen and the young fuck boy in training had began to approach her alongside his friend who were hyping him up and recording the event.

“You might be older than me,” he walked up behind her and kicked her bike tire before circling around and leaning against the basket in the front, “but that doesn’t change the fact that I hit girls.” Yn had to refrain from spitting in his face because Draken always said ‘never start anything with others first, let them choose their fate.’ In other words, big bro just didn’t want her to put herself at risk due to minor inconveniences that were presented towards her.

Just as the light switched from a hand to a walking figure, yn politely smiled at the boy in hopes of him getting the hint that she did not wish to engage with him anymore, but – of course – that was just asking too much of him. He turned back and looked at the sign noticing it was their turn to cross, and he surprisingly moved out the way. Yn smiled realizing that her brother did know it best when he said that the ‘dumb young boys will leave you alone after they realize you’re not going to give them the time of day,’ and she moved to pedal across the cross walk with a large smile.

However, big bro’s words are not the golden rule amongst men and the boys did not leave her alone; in fact, they decided to run at her hit the back tire with a bat and caused her to lose control and fall in the middle of the walkway. The drivers were kind enough to wait for her to get up and cross the street with scraped knees and a dirty pull over. She turned back to glare at the boys, but their backs were already facing her as they leisurely walked away laughing. This wasn’t going to ruin her day, after all, she still gets to surprise her brother with her presence and might even have the chance to see his hot amazing friends whom you grew up around. After realizing that the former gang members might all be hanging around her brother’s workplace, she got up with a huge smile and skipped the rest of her way on the crosswalk. Once to the other side, yn hopped back on her bike without checking her bloodied shins and made her way on the quickest route to the shop.

Glancing up at the familiar billboards that danced in sky and looking down at the alleys being populated with street cats and new gen delinquents, she realized she was only a block down from seeing the man who has always put her first and raised her to strive to her fullest potential. Smiling as closed her eyes for just a second - she swears it – to bask in the excitement and next thing she knew, she was on the ground covered in coffee. She could hear faint voices but those were cancelled out by her skin screaming at her to get up and quickly remove any rubble and dirt that had entered. Moving to get up, she took note of blood staining the concrete and became slightly alarmed.

“Oi, you dumb bitch, you should watch where you’re going,” a man’s voice echoed through her head, “you got a drip of blood on my Milano’s.” Trying to get up, yn went to wipe her eyes, but as soon as she lifted her hands, she felt them share the similar sting that her knees and chin felt. “You deaf or something? Ha, lucky for you I’ll take the food in your basket and whatever is in your wallet as an exchange. Pin code for your card must be included, love.” Hearing as she was about to get stripped dry of her hard-earned cash, she shot a glare up at the well-dressed man’s body just to be sent in a more state of terror when she noticed the tattoo that decorated his temple; it was the infamous Bonten symbol.

“I say we just take her to the back alley and make her pretty throat match the rest of her bloody body,” she turned and seen a pinkette with long hair and two scars that sat on each corner of his ?beautiful? mouth. to be completely honest, he would have been very much at the top of her most attractive list if he weren’t just plotting to slice her neck right in front of her; she wondered if he ever heard of the Element of Surprise. “She hasn’t even apologized yet and it’s been at least 45 seconds, that is pretty rude don’t you think, Mochi-kun?”

“It is very rude,” the built man with slicked back blonde hair spoke up, “do you want me to take her in the alleyway?” He squatted down to meet yn at eye level and she didn’t know if it was the fact he was able to stare into her soul with lifeless eyes or the extremely structured shoulders that could break her bones if he had tackled her, but she genuinely felt that she was going to die. “You seem like a worthless kill if I am being honest, and I don’t like claiming meaningless prizes. So, if you want to live,” ‘Mochi-kun’ reached over and gripped her bloodied chin, “or are you going to be good dog and run your pockets?”

She couldn’t believe it; for all her life, death threats have never been directly shot at her as Draken and the others have always been there. Of course, she emptied her pockets as quick as she could and began wiping the man’s Milano’s with her cloth lens wipe.

“Good girl,” the man with the temple tattoo said mockingly, “but I’m gonna need you to put your pretty mouth to work since you don’t know – or rather – you act like you don’t know how to speak.” She felt her eyes began to fill with tears as she looked up from the ground; they mistook it for fear, but yn was just angry she was powerless to them. “Don’t worry, I like older women, so I won’t need your mouth for that,” he laughed loudly in her face, “lick the blood off.” Her glare returned and tears began to spill over her cheeks. “Be a good bitch, and lick my –“

“What are you idiots doing?” a man with a long pink and purple mullet-like hairstyle came from behind her. “Are you guys bullying young kids again? Oh, wait, you’re not a kid.” He stared at you through his multi-colored bangs and tilted his head, “Why are you all bloody like a sewer rat walking through the back alley of feral cats?” he pushed the girl’s forehead back, straining her neck to hold eye contact with him, “you’re not some whore, are you?” He craned his neck back to the man who has been treating her like a dog, giving yn a full view of his Bonten symbol tattooed across the middle of his pretty throat. “Neh, Koko, you do realize that if you want a girl’s attention you can’t just rough her up in hopes that she takes you to bed.” He turns back to yn before sighing, “You’re cute,” for some reason she felt herself swelling with pride, “but you’re not my type,” – well there goes her ego.

“Oh what-fucking-ever,” ‘Koko’ mumbled as he gently pushed her away, “I didn’t want some inexperienced princess anyway, so don’t get your hopes up.” He quickly bent down and took all the cash from her wallet and began to slide out the card, but a baton quickly swatted at his hands.

“Your obsession with money is crazy, but you can’t take hers if you still owe me 45,000 yen.” Yn turned to see a man with pushed back purple and pink hair holding the offending stick. Unlike the other members, his tattoo was in the same place as the mullet man – maybe they took over the organization after her other big brotherly figure, Mikey, left. She drank in his appearance, and although he was thinner than the other members, something about him just screamed ‘stay away;’ but for the first time in her life, yn didn’t want to listen to such obvious red flags. “Oh no, you’re bloodied up like a rat –“

“I have already said that nii-chan,” the mullet head said, “what do you say? Wanna jut get rid of her like Sanzu-san suggested?” The now known younger brother asks. She began to tremble but not out of fear, no, out of a weird feeling at the pits of her stomach that came about as soon as the stranger stumbled onto the scene. “Oi,” the younger brother flicked your chin, reminding your body that it is supposed to be in a state of stinging pain, “staring is rude. What are you – a deer in headlights?”

“Now, now, Ridou,” the man continued to meet yn’s gaze as he motioned for her to take his hand, “where’s the fun in hurting a good little lamb? Especially one who shows that she knows to yield to her Sheppard.” Against her better judgement, yn took his hand and allowed him to help her up. “Look at you go,” he smirked and scanned over her body through hooded lids, “such a strong little girl you are standing on wobbly legs after the big bad wolves tried to tear you down.”

She should feel offended, mocked, and appalled, but she couldn’t – not with the voids he called eyes staring at her. “T-thanks,” she weakly mumbled as she began to gather her bag back together and prop her bike back up, “I know you guys said you needed the pin number, but I can’t give it to you.” She hung her head and balled her fists; she was waiting for someone to hit her but that never came. Looking up she sees the ‘older brother’ standing in front of the brooding ‘Koko’ and the other members just staring around the streets.

“That’s fine, little one,” the older brother said, “we don’t need your card. Koko here will be fine with just the cash. But I will need payment of the sort since I did calm the bully over here, don’t you think?” He smiled at yn, quickly scanning her student ID and then turning back to her face, “You’re 18, yeah?” she nodded, and he smiled lazily, “Good, give me something of yours that is valuable. I want to talk to you again and if I take it, you are going to want to take it back, correct?”

“I – um,” she began to go through the bag and seen that the only things she deemed valuable were her phone and the spare keys to her room in the brothel, “all I have is my k-keys and phone.” She huffed out in hopes that he took mercy and just let her go already; if she kept in his presence any longer, she feared that every piece of knowledge on common sense would fly out of her brain.

“Well, no one wants a pedal bike here and your phone and keys wouldn’t be of use to me,” he spoke in a rather degrading tone, “how about, you give me that pretty little necklace that you’re wearing… hmm, ... oh! Give me your number as well. After all, how are you going to know when I want you to take back your precious gems without being able to plan a proper date?” His smile was too secretive to be comforting, but this was probably the best way to saving her own life.

“Okay,” she replied quickly, “just please, don’t break the necklace…” her hands shook as she unclasped it and placed it into the man’s hands. “That’s a gift from my brother, so I promise you I’ll come and get it whenever you ask.” Yn put her hands on her bar handles before straddling the bike.

“Thank you,” he smiled and put away the baton before fishing out his phone, “put your number in it and call to make sure you’re not fucking with me, yeah?” He tilted his head and softly hummed at the soft sound of her phone vibrating in her bag. “Thank you, yn-chan.”

“No, thank you,” she lightly coughed and waited for him to look back up at her after saving all her contact information. Once he finally looked up, she flinched but proceeded to stare him dead in his lovely irises, “May I have your name… if ya don’t mind that it.”

“Haitani Ran,” the older man laughed and shifted his weight onto his hip, “and I expect you to text me whenever you get the chance.” He turned around and the other members began to follow. For what felt like an eternity, yn finally let out a small breath, well at least until he had turned back around. “Oh!” Haitani-san smiled at her, “Leave it under ‘Ran-senpai’ so your brother and friends don’t get spooked. Don’t want the fun to end before it has barely even started.” With that, he turned back around and waved half-assed before disappearing into the distance.

Yn decided to just to walk the rest of the block because riding the bike has been nothing but bad luck so far. Once at the shop, she sighed and made her way to the back where she knew would be unlocked because no one dared walk up into her big brother’s place of work. Parking her bike, she quickly takes her phone back out with 3 texts from an unknown number.

Unknown: hey little lamb, its yer senpai <3

Unknown: yer probs with yer bro so ill call you later, mm around midnight so stay up

Unknown: text me back soon or I mite accidentally break your pretty necklace and youll have to  owe me a big favor for ignoring me :)

“what the actual fuck,” yn whispered as she quickly began typing away. She didn’t know if she be upset with his back-to-back messages treating her like she was his property, or mad at herself for feeling this little need inside of her that wants to please him. Yes, all of the gang members were extremely hot and DANGEROUS, but something about ‘Ran Senpai’ gave her the cold chills; what made it worse was the urge that she possessed to go against all her morals for him.

Yn: hi! Im sorry,, I was just trying to get to my brother’s shop

Yn: wait,, do you know draken-nii?

She tilted her head and rocked lightly from side to side, waiting for a reply instead of going in and surprising her brother like she initially had planned to do. While she waited, she changed his name to ‘Tani Senpai <3’ with a small smile as she imagined Draken freaking out over the fact that a boy has caught her interest. Of course, she wasn’t romantically interested in the man, but his face isn’t one that she would mind seeing from time to time – at a safe distance that is.

Tani Senpai <3: mhm, some good and bad history

Yn: oh?

Tani Senpai <3: you do know curiosity killed the cat, right little lamb?

Yn: you flirt a lot

Yn: how old are you ?

Tani Senpai <3: 28 years young bb

Yn: youre ten whole years older than me?? You look so,, young.

Tani Senpai <3: I have aged, but trust me, I am rather youthful in different aspects.

Yn: do you by chance,, like memes?

Tani Senpai <3: ofc, especially hornee ones.

Yn: haha.. well I gotta go,

Tani Senpai <3: mhm go ahead baby, remember. Midnight <3

 Yn: aye aye captain.

She felt another vibration as she placed her phone in her backpack, but she was finally able to see and surprise her brother and that is exactly what she planned to do. Quietly pulling the door open, she noted that the music blaring and Draken’s back was to her as he was fixing up what looked like Pah-chin’s old CBX 400F. It was a cute sight if she was being completely honest; her brother rebuilding his old friendships. She seen the other boys’ bikes lined up too: Draken’s Zephyr, Mitsuya’s little Impulse, Kazu-kun’s Rocket, Mikey’s CB250T, and even the late Baji’s Goki.

“Pah-san still has the old thing,” she decided to speak up instead of tackling her brother, “are you guys gonna give it to some younger kids?” right as she finished her sentence, draken whipped his head back and went to cradle yn to his chest. Suddenly, all of the stinging on her skin had vanished and she was giggling while circling her arms around her brother’s waist. “How are you ya wannabe greaser?”

“I’m doing fine you idiot, how are -,” draken lifted his head to get a good look at her, but all his excitement drained as he was met with a sight of dried blood and scraped skin. “Who the fuck did this to you? I’ll kill them right fucking now, what the hell happened yn?”

“DRAKEN,” he stopped and stared at you expecting an answer, “I tired riding my bike down the big hill by the park and this happened, okay? I’m okay.” She stared at him with a soft expression and relaxed once she noticed he slumped in his posture, “I know you said to stop riding down the hill because it’ll bite me in the ass one day, so I guess today was the day.” Yn laughed and draken tried to fight the small smile that was threatening to fall on his lips.

“Go sit on the counter and watch the store for a bit, I’m gonna get the first aid kit in the back and I guess I’ll patch ya up.” With that, he disappeared into the office hall and left yn to be lost in thought. She had never lied to Draken this heavy before. It might not seem like a big deal to others, but she just told her brother she fell down a hill instead of saying that some /Bonten/ men were just threatening her life 20 minutes ago and they treated her like a dog; well, she didn’t feel that bad anymore, considering that he would have gone and wasted his life against men that played dirty. “Get out of your head, I’m back.” Draken teased her before getting an alcohol wipe and wiping the dried blood, “don’t squirm too much, loser. iss’ gonna sting a bit tho, so try to not hit me.”

It went a lot more smooth than she had expected, yeah, the cleansing wipe and ointment burned, but now she was bandaged and able to not worry about even more blood staining her clothes til they go to the brothel.

“Here,” he handed her a spare shirt and some sweats, “I don’t like seeing you all beat up, makes me want to fight the side walk. You know where the bathroom is.” Draken slightly punched her shoulder before heading back to seat near the bike, “once you’re done, we can go meet the boys for breakfast. I bet yer hungry.”

“Yer the best, ya know that,” yn smiled before taking her bag and clothes to the bathroom. “It won’t be long,” she turned before entering the hall, “make sure the cute one is there!”

“Stop trying to fuck my friends,” Draken called out in an irritated tone as she walked away laughing. It was an ongoing joke yn had played on her brother, where she would pretend to have some crush on his friends and it’d just make him twenty times more protective around them; he never knew if she was serious or not so he had to be cautious.

Once in the bathroom, yn quickly changed into the clothes her brother had lent her and stared at herself in the mirror. She laughed when she realized she kind of looked like one of the main characters from her favorite psychological thrillers. Yn took out her phone and decided to message Mana, mitsuya’s younger sister and yn’s best friend from home, with a picture of her bandaged state and the caption, ‘take out my ankles next time, daddy <3.’ It honestly surprised her to get a reply that fast as Mana was always one to sleep until noon. She didn’t know what scared her more, the fact she sent it the wrong person, or the fact the person knew exactly what she was talking about.

Tani Senpai <3: you look hot like that

Tani Senpai <3: like being called daddy, but in this context arent I supposed to call you mommy or something LMAO

Tani Senpai <3: I can break your ankles with my baton

Tani Senpai <3: make you my little housewife and call you ‘Bum.’

Tani Senpai <3: don’t worry, I won’t turn into ashes ;) <3

“Yn,” Draken called out, “you okay in there?”

“Don’t worry about it nii-Chan,” she giggled in hopes of masking her terror, “just bumped into a wound. I’ll be out soon.”

“Okay,” draken slipped a pad and a tampon under the door, “don’t know if you might want these -,”

“LEAVE YOU IDIOT,” yn genuinely laughed and heard draken’s heavy chuckles through the door, “thank you though, I’ll be out soon.”

“I’ll be outside on the bike, bubs.”

After hearing draken’s foot steps vanish, she quickly began typing.

Yn: that wasn’t meant for you -

Tani Senpai <3: shame, I love killing stalking

Yn: wait,, really? 👀

Tani Senpai <3: mhm,, we’ll talk about it later tonite ‘bum ;)

Yn: .. deal :)

Despite every shitty thing that has happened to her since she got back, it felt as if they were supposed to meet; fate as one would call it. She was offering herself to one of the most dangerous men who rule the underworld, and she didn’t even find herself to minding.

masterlist | next

an: hi hello, hope yer all eating well :)

ryozoro©

[restlessfandoming]

“the president and the troublemaker” (part 1) (chilumi fic)

“Lumine is the student council president and Childe is the school’s number one troublemaker. They cross paths more than they’d like. Especially when Childe finds out Lumine’s big secret. Highschool AU à la Kaichou wa Maid-sama.”

if anyone has seen maid-sama, Lumine and Childe sometimes reminded me of Misaki and Usui so i had to write it hehe :3 if you haven’t seen it, i highly suggest it, its a very cute anime and if you like chilumi, you’ll definitely like the main couple in it! its on netflix! :D

[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link]

* * *

“the president and the troublemaker” (part 1)

“Childe, for the last time, earrings are against the school uniform code,” Lumine said to him, eyes narrowing at the red jewelry dangling from his ear. He may have towered over her, but she was the student council president—she had to enforce the rules no matter what. 

Childe tilted his head, fingers grazing over his earring. “A tiny thing like this? Surely you can let me off the hook, Madame President?” 

“No exceptions. Remove it now or I will forcibly confiscate it from you.” 

He scoffed, turning away. “I’d like to see you try.”

Lumine clenched her jaw, watching his back retreat down the hallway. Oh, she could easily take it from him. But this wasn’t the place to use brute force. As much as he boiled her blood, she wouldn’t dare reveal her secret here. 

Childe, the school’s number one troublemaker: always getting into fights, never listening to authorities, doing whatever he pleased. And the worst part? He always got away with it. 

The girls of the school fawned over his good looks, the boys envied his strength, and the elders fell victim to his charisma. 

Not Lumine though. She refused to be influenced by him. Maybe that’s why he always seemed so annoyed by her. Good. 

She ripped out a page of her student council notebook, scribbling out Childe’s name and dress code violation, pocketing it to turn in later. 

She practically stomped her way into the student council room, earning a glance from the Vice President—her twin brother Aether. 

“Childe?” he asked, going back to typing on his laptop. 

Lumine slumped in her chair. “Yes,” she nearly growled. “How did you know?”

“Because he always puts you in the worst of moods,” her brother answered. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to put him in his place.”

“And get kicked out of school for murder? No thank you; I’m not ruining an absolutely clean record for the likes of someone like Childe.” She flipped through her notebook, seeing all her citations on said troublemaker. “Soon enough, that boy is going to get expelled, mark my words.”

Suddenly, the door burst open, and the student council reporter—a student named Bennett—dashed in, holding the side of his face.

“Madame President!” he announced. “There’s a fight breaking out in the hallway!”

Both Aether and Lumine stood. “What happened to your face, Bennett?” Aether asked. 

The reporter let out a sheepish laugh. “I, uh, tried to break up the fight but ended up getting punched in the face.”

“Okay, c’mon, let’s get you to the nurse,” Aether said, walking Bennett out the door. 

Lumine quickly walked out after them, hearing the commotion down the hallway. As she turned the corner, there was a crowd of students circled around the tussle. 

“Out of the way!” Lumine shouted. 

At the sound of her voice, many students scattered back to their classrooms, leaving only the perpetrators still fighting: a short boy with cropped blue hair and—Childe.

“Hey!” she yelled. “Break. It. Up! Or it’s suspension for the both of you!” 

The short boy gave Childe a harsh shove, adjusting his odd cap with tassels on the sides. “You don’t have to fight me every time you see me, you brute,” the boy hissed. 

Childe laughed. “C’mon, Scaramouche, don’t be like that,” the ginger said. “We were just having some fun, Madame President; no need to make a big fuss out of it.” 

Lumine glared at him. “Why are you always at the center of trouble?” 

Childe shrugged. “Life’s too boring.” 

Taking out her notebook, she scoffed. “Well, it’s about to get a whole lot more boring for you. Detention. After school. Both of you.” 

“It was just some play fighting between friends, Pres,” Childe insisted. “Don’t be so stuck-up.” 

“Not play fighting when one of my council members gets hit in the face,” she retorted angrily. 

“Can I at least be let off the hook?” Scaramouche interjected. “He was the one who attacked me.” 

The blonde sighed. “Fine. This was your first offense anyways.” 

“Today’s his first day after all,” Childe supplied. 

“It’s his first day and you welcomed him by attacking him?” Lumine asked, crossing her arms. 

He smiled. “What can I say? We know each other.” 

I want to punch that smile off his face. “Scaramouche, go back to class. Childe, you’re coming with me to in-school suspension.” 

Scaramouche muttered something under his breath and walked away, while Childe cheerfully waved goodbye to him. 

Lumine started walking down the other way, towards the ISS room, Childe’s footsteps falling in behind her. Most of the way was done in silence. Until—

“Say, Pres, why are you so stuck-up?” Childe asked. 

Lumine grit her teeth. “Have you ever thought maybe I’m not stuck-up, and maybe you’re just a troublemaker?” 

“Hey, at least I make your life a little more interesting, don’t I?”

“Not interesting. So much more unbearable.” 

“Maybe you should loosen up. Being like this won’t make you many friends.” 

“And fighting people will?” 

“Fighting is fun. You’re telling me you’ve never watched a fight and found it entertaining?”

Lumine stopped in her tracks. “Of course not. You only do it when something’s seriously on the line. Not for fun.” 

“Uh-uhm, excuse me,” a timid voice said. 

Lumine turned to find a girl, she looked young, probably a freshman, clutching a card. “Can I help you?” the president asked.

“A-actually,” the girl responded, “can I t-talk to Ch-Childe? A-Alone?” 

The blonde glanced at Childe, who shrugged back at her. Letting out a sigh, she said, “Yes, go ahead.” She was doing this for the girl. Not Childe. 

She walked ahead and turned the corner until she was out of sight and unable to hear. After a minute or so, the freshman girl ran past her, hysterically crying. Brows furrowed, she went back to Childe. 

“So, where are we going?” he asked nonchalantly. 

Asshole. “What the hell did you do to her?” Lumine asked. “Do I really need to write you up again?”  

“What? All I did was reject her confession.”

A glare at him. “Be nicer. Don’t make girls cry.” She continued walking. 

“Or maybe she should just be stronger.” 

“Don’t you dare insult a girl’s strength in front of me.” 

“I’m not insulting the strength of a woman. I’m just saying people in general could do better if only they were stronger.” His strides quickened, and soon he was in front of her. He flicked the earring dangling from his ear. “For instance, if you had the strength, you could easily rip this from my ear, and you could stop stacking up those useless dress code citations for me.” 

Lumine had to clench her teeth to stop herself from murdering him on the spot. “I’m your student council president. I don’t solve things through violence. Which is why you and I are different.” Lie, her gut hissed. 

She stopped, throwing open the door to her left, gesturing into the room. “You’ll spend the rest of the school day here.” She turned in, looking at the teacher. “Mr. Diluc, you have a student here for in-school suspension for the rest of the day.” 

Mr. Diluc glanced up from his book, expressionless. “Childe. Back so soon?” 

Childe sauntered in, taking a seat. “You know our Pres. Always working on cleaning up the school from scum like me.” 

“Good for her,” Diluc said. “Thank you, Lumine.”

Lumine nodded and closed the door behind her. Finally.

At least Childe wouldn’t be causing anymore trouble today. 

* * *

Lumine shivered as the chilling locker room hit her bare skin. Shedding her hoodie, she donned a simple black sports tank top and shorts. 

“Are they ever going to get heaters for these locker rooms?” she muttered. 

“It’s an underground fighting ring,” Aether said, “You think they can afford state-of-the-art locker rooms?” He tossed her a roll of hand wraps. 

She caught it, unraveling it, and started to wrap them around her knuckles. “You’re right. As long as they pay me, I shouldn’t be complaining.” 

Aether nodded, taking her gloves out from her gym bag. “Are you ever going to tell Mom how you get all this cash?”

“Never. She’d probably die of a heart attack.” 

“And your injuries?” 

“I try not to get any,” she said with a smirk. “If I do, then, hey, the restaurant business can be dangerous...and I can be clumsy.” 

And that was her big secret. 

In the night, Lumine was a top tier fighter in Teyvat’s underground fighting ring. She was known as “The Outlander.” 

After their father had walked out on them years ago, Lumine, Aether, and their mother were left with a huge amount of his debt to pay off. Their mother took on two jobs to support them, leaving her exhausted, sickly, and barely home. Lumine and Aether couldn’t find decent paying jobs at their age, so Lumine took matters into her own hands. 

Through her tenacity, she trained hard and started showing up to the underground fights, learning her way through the system, and eventually began fighting herself. Sure, it was illegal due to the violence and betting system, but it made good money—fast. Enough money to support their family, pay off the debt, and save some aside for her and Aether’s future.

Aether of course still worked as a cashier at a local grocery store (next to the restaurant Lumine claimed she worked at); Lumine would never let her dear brother participate in her line of work. He was only allowed to come along to cheer her on.   

She was also good at it. After some training, her instructors all praised her natural fighting instincts. In a matter of months, she had become one of the top fighters in her area. 

It was out of necessity. They needed the money. 

Of course, no one knew who she really was. She always fought with a mask on—she couldn’t let her identity be compromised. A high school student beating up all these grown adults? A chance she could be recognized and reported to authorities? No. Way. Plus, people liked the mysterious Outlander figure. Might as well milk it. 

The cheers above her swelled, and Lumine did her final stretches and prepped to go out on stage. 

“You ready to fight tonight?” Aether asked. 

Lumine slipped her mask on. “Always.” 

She made her way up the staircase, and the buzzing crowd grew louder and louder, until she entered the arena, and the cheers became deafening. 

The arena was probably around the size of her school gym, maybe smaller, but packed to the brim with cheering fans and a boxing cage in the middle. 

She made her way up to the cage, chants of “Outlander” swirling around her, and took her walk around the area, getting a feel for the night. Eventually, her mind blurred out the crowd, focusing on becoming in tune with her body. 

Tonight, her opponent was another member of the Hilichurl gang: a gang notorious for entering lots of members into these types of fights, even if they weren’t good, as a way to try and earn any kind of money for their gang. It was an easy win. Lumine barely got hit. (The Hilichurl on the other hand ended the night sobbing his heart out on stage. Lumine felt kind of bad. Kind of.)

Soon enough, she and Aether were on their way home with a fresh wad of cash in their bag, practically skipping their way past the dim street lights. As they made their way towards their bus home, Lumine rifled through her bag, realizing she had left one of her textbooks in the locker room from when she had been studying before the fight. 

She cursed. Now she had to go all the way back to the arena. “Aether, you need to get home—the next bus won’t be here for another hour.” 

“Lumine, I am not leaving you alone in this sketchy part of town.” 

“And you have to be there when Mom gets back, otherwise she’ll get suspicious.” Lumine was already turning around. “Tell her I had to stay behind at the restaurant to help clean up.” 

Her brother pursed his lips. 

“Aether. I’ll be fine. Did you seriously forget what I did to get that stack of cash?” she reassured. 

He sighed. “Fine, fine. You’re right.” He hugged his sister. “Still. Be careful, please.” 

She held up her fist which was still wrapped in the fighter’s tape. “Of course. See you back home.” 

With that, the twins went separate ways. 

Now maskless, Lumine went the back ways to the arena, entering through a side door, avoiding the still rowdy crowd of spectators gathered for the late night fights. She successfully grabbed her textbook, and walked back out the side door. Straight into somebody. 

Shit. “Excuse me,” she mumbled, keeping her head down, hoping they wouldn’t ask why some little high school girl was sneaking around the underground fighting arena. 

But then the person spoke. 

“Wow,” a familiar voice said. 

Lumine looked up, wide eyed. Shitshitshitshit—

“This is a surprise,” Childe said, “Madame President.”

* * *

[part 2]

[heshoes]

She was his best friend and they shared everything together already anyway. What difference would it make if it were a hat, shampoo, or the same bed sometimes? So what? That's what the Uni Daze were about, having fun, traditions, getting serious, new relationships, friendships, heart ache, break-ups, make ups, secrets, the occasional/casual bajingo here and there, and possibly, just maybe, finding the love of your life and hoping that it all works out.

Warnings: smut, slow burn, angst, mentions of abortion, mentions of verbal abuse

Harry Styles x OC (Face claim Zendaya)

Uni Daze Masterlist

Chapter 2 ( Word Count 6.7K )

Harry

My school day was absolutely long but it kept me busy and busy to me is a good thing. It keeps me balanced though I know Chelle would disagree since he keeps telling me as such over the phone.

"The only reason you think that trying to fit 72 hours in a 24 hour day is a balance is because of your parents. Just because they're work driven arseholes doesn't mean that you have to follow in their footsteps.”

"That's impossible to do, I don't work that much. My parent's aren't arsehole's they're just successful. Is that so wrong to want success?”

"It is when its your last year of uni and you're being a kill joy.”

"I said I would go out for drinks, Chelle. How is my compliance to something that I don't want to do being a kill joy?”

"Because you're not doing it with a smile. You've become boring. Your sex life and your regular life has turned about as vanilla as a middle aged man. We never had to beg you to come out last year or over the summer, Harrow. Think of it as a week of extended holidays. No one does anything the first week of classes anyway. It's all rules and instructions on how to prepare. We've been in uni for three years. We should know the jist of it by now.”

"But it's not summer anymore, Chelle and you know some professors like to give assignments in the first few days. We have two papers already in seminar for fucks sake.”

Michelle sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah, but, those aren't due for ages, Haz. Fun is due right now.”

"This is the year to pull your shit together. Everyone can't not study and get perfect marks like you. Sorry.”

"The phrase 'can't not' is a double edged sword.”

"What?" I spun around in my desk at work, handing a first year her keys. Its only the first day and she's already lost her keys and has to use her spare for a fifty pound charge. She looks nervous as well and her face is kind of red. She grins at me and says a shy 'thank you' before walking away, staring back at me and kind of tripping over her own feet on her way to the lift. I tried not to laugh, but honestly it was kind of funny.

"You know, a double edged sword? A double negative?You can't say 'can't not' next to each other in a sentence. It's repetitive of itself. You should be embarrassed. This is primary school stuff Harrow. Mr. “I have to take the UKCAT this year.”"

"Whatever Chelle! See? That's what I mean. I need a balance. I need to be able to be involved in school. I should have taken it more serious when we first started out.”

"You do realize balance means a good amount of your job, school work, AND a social life which includes parties and pubs and going out with your mates without a grumble?”

"I'm going out for drinks tonight! You're starting to piss me off."

"If the truth is anything it's annoying, Harry." I nodded my head and began to swivel around in my chair. I'd just gotten to work and had three and a half more hours to go. I'm glad I have a job and all but this one is fucking boring.

Speaking of truth.

"Do the boys know about your um...your new team?”

"No. Actually they don’t."

Oh.

“Oh?"

"Yeah, um, I was hoping that it was something that we could keep between me and you for now. Just until I can figure things out. I'd love to say that I'm for sure just this one thing. I know I said it this morning, but I'm still not sure, okay?”

"Yeah. Sure, of course." I stopped spinning in my seat and dizzying myself when I heard my manager's voice,"Look I've gotta go. I'm not supposed to be on the phone and my boss is coming.”

"Oh so there is some rebellion left in you? You're living on the edge now, Hazland. Why can't you use your phone? All you do is sit in a chair and answer phones and make people keys when they lock themselves out of their dorm.”

"Bye Michelle!" I quickly hung up the phone and stuck it into my pocket smiling awkwardly at Professor Forrester as he approached the front desk with someone else right next to him. She had on a Cambridge work shirt much like myself letting me know that I more than likely wouldn't be alone for the rest of my shift.

"Rion, this is Harry," Professor Forrester spoke to her before addressing me, "today is her first day here at the university and working. I told her that she would be in good hands if I left her here with you. Show her the ropes and maybe show her around campus when you're not at work? I've got to go," Professor Forrester turned to face the new girl before he nodded back at me, "any questions you have, ask him. He'll know all of the answers.”

She nodded her head up and down slowly before giving a shy grin and we were left alone as Forrester left the building.

“Hi."

“Hello."

"I'm Harry.”

She laughed to herself before nodding her head at me.

"So I was told. Nice to meet you.”

Rion, I think her name was, sat down in her seat next to mine after speaking back to me, lowering her rucksack down to the ground before pulling out a book. It was a good idea really. Maybe I should have brought one? I barely get the chance to read, especially living with Michelle. She always finds a way to interrupt, either that or my ADD kicks in, all the more reason for me to put in more effort at school. I took out my phone once I knew that Forrester was gone, but I really had nothing to do with it. I had no new text messages besides Michelle.

Chelle: Drinksssssss 🍻🍺🍺🍺🍻🍻🍻😉

I grinned before shaking my head and replying back to her, something just as stupid as she sent me.

To Chelle: Tortureeeeeeee😣🔫🍺😒

Chelle: Dramatic!

Ignoring her last text, I took out my earphones and turned up the music on my phone as I placed them in my ears. I suppose it was a bit loud because out of the corner of my eye I could see Rion scrunching her nose while she tried to read.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you.”

"No disturbance, I was just trying to figure the tune. Runaway?”

“Wh-what?"

She laughed before she pointed to the phone in my hand and repeated herself.

"Is that Runaway by Ed Sheeran?”

I nodded my head, not able to stop the stupid grin that cut across my face.

"You know Ed Sheeran that’s not on top 40?”

"Who doesn't? The man's a musical genius.”

She smiled at me before she turned back to her book, but I couldn't help but to keep talking to her.

"What school did you used to go to? Um, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Nope, don't mind at all. I used to go to Bristol Uni. How about yourself? Have you been at Cambridge all of your university career?”

I nodded my head and she looked impressed, but I'm sure she wouldn't be if she knew that I was a legacy and that I slacked off for the first three and a half years. Good thing that I'm getting my shit together now.

"Yeah, it’s alright here.”

"Just alright?”

"One of the best alrights I guess. Welcome to Cambridge and congratulations.”

"Thank you.”

I smiled at her and the conversation was on the verge of ending, but before I stuck my other ear bud in I paid closer attention to the book that she had in her hand.

"Scott Fitzgerald."

"Pardon?" Rion raised an eyebrow at me.

"That's F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

She raised her book showing me the spine, shocked that I hadn't seen the cover but still got the author right.

"You know F. Scott Fitzgerald?" She smiled at me while relaying my words back to me.

"Who doesn't? The man was a written genius. Not to mention that the book you're reading happens to be one of my favorites.”

She smiled again.

"Usually people only notice Fitzgerald if The Great Gatsby is involved." She turned her chair towards mine giving me a better view of her.

"Gatsby is a classic, but I think that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has more character.”

We continued to talk and before I knew it the shift was over. No one else needed keys and the phone barely rung. I probably would have stayed beyond the time that I was supposed to get off talking and creating awkward conversation with Rion had it not been for Michelle's reminders:

Chelle: Tonight is gonna be fun 😊

Chelle: You're off work in 1⃣5⃣ min🎉🎊

Chelle: I'm gonna get you so fucked up!😝

Chelle: I'm excited 😬

To Chelle: No 💩. Too excited I reckon 😐

I laughed to myself as I gathered my things to leave the building, not fully believing that I allowed Michelle to talk me into drinking tonight, even though part of me knew that I wouldn't be able to break tradition. Rion put her book away, that she never really got into reading and followed behind me out the door and to the parking lot. She seemed cool from what I got to know about her in the amount of time that I did and since she's new, I figure that it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Hey, a couple of my friends and I are getting together tonight to The Mill. Its a pub right up the road on Mill lane, if you're not busy, you should, um, you should come.”

"Mill pub? On a Monday?”

"Yeah, it's kind of a tradition that we started when we started here." I rub my shoulder as I wait for her answer. I don't know why I feel nervous about it but I do.

"It sounds like fun, but I shouldn’t, not tonight at least. I wouldn't be able to bear it if I missed class tomorrow because of a hangover, and I kind of also have plans.”

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it like you didn't have anything else to do or-”

"No it's fine it's just... I have a date.”

"Right. Sorry again.”

"I'll see you around though I hope?”

"Yeah, I'll see you at work.”

Rion nodded her head while giving me a content smile before she got into her car and as she pulled off, she waved to me. I waved back but as soon as her car was out of sight, I slapped myself in the face with the palm of my hand. Maybe six months is too long to go without any type of real interaction with the opposite sex besides Michelle, but honestly she doesn't count...or maybe she counts for both now?

I cleared my head of my thoughts as I got into my car that I feel like I'm too tall for. Even with the seat pushed down as low as it can go, I still can feel the top of my head brush against the roofing of it. By now I'm sure I've saved up enough to get a new one. A new car could be my mini treat to myself for cutting myself off from a social life. The more that I think about the way that my conversation with Rion just ended the more that I start to agree with Michelle and the more excited I get for the night of boozy tradition.

As soon as eleven thirty-five hit, my phone rang. When I answered it Michelle's voice came through clear as if she were sitting here next to me in the car, even though background noise and music blares in the room around her.

"Everyone is here but you. Are you en route?”

"Everyone?" I ask her with skepticism in my tone. I would be shocked if everyone showed up.

"Yes everyone. Niall, Darragh, and Zayn. Everyone but you. Are you on your way?”

I don't know why I even asked her if everyone would be there. I knew that Louis wouldn't show even though it was him and Darragh who started this tradition..

"Yeah, I'm on my way. This should be fun.”

"That's the spirit I've been looking for Harrow. It sounds like you've had a change of heart since earlier.”

"Yeah, I think I've been looking at my textbooks too long and not at real people. One night won't kill me I suppose.”

"If one night is done right, then yes, yes it will. And what do you mean you don't see real people? I see you everyday.”

"You're not a real person, Michelle. I'm not quite sure what you are yet.”

"I think I might have an idea by now." Michelle said while chuckling on the other end of the line.

"And what would that be?”

"Getting lucky tonight. Get here soon and I can be your wing-lady.”

The pub was in the early stages of being crowded when I got there and I couldn't deny how excited I was to see the boys, Michelle included even though I saw her only just this morning. The last time that we were all together was in the middle of June, but after that we really hadn't had time to hang out. Everyone had gotten busy and into their own things. Besides keeping in touch over the phone occasionally, we haven't really talked that much either.

The first person that I saw when I got in was Niall. He sat next to Darragh with a cigarette hanging from his lips, patting down his jeans in search of a lighter no doubt. When we made eye contact, he stuck his arms out to the side with his fingers spread wide and a smile on his face. Darragh looked at him as if he lost his mind until he followed Niall's line of vision and then quickly stood from his seat.

"Harry! How are you lad? Drinks are on Liam so order the most expensive thing possible.”

I received two claps on the back from each of them when I reached the table and then a smack on my ass that made me jump and then turn around find the guilty culprit. I should have known who it was straight away.

"Chelle! That actually hurt.”

She laughed at my discomfort with some kind of frothy drink in her hand as I grabbed my bum cheek and rubbed it over my jeans.

"Probably because there's barely any meat there to cushion the blow.”

I shook my head at her and squinted my eyes before I responded, "It's not about what's back there, its all about what's in the front. Girls don't date me for my bum.”

“Well, according to you, girls don't date you at all, not recently at least.”

Niall and Darragh started to laugh and a stream of smoke came through Niall's nose reminding me of an angry bull from a cartoon before he took another drag from his cigarette, this time intentionally blowing a ring of smoke before sucking it back in through his nostrils. I probably could have strangled Michelle in that moment, but it was true. My mind goes back to Rion and work and I can feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"Mitch told us about your six month drought.”

"Stop calling me Mitch!”

Niall ignored Michelle's outburst before continuing, "She says you haven't gotten laid since your birthday.”

"Do you know what a penis fly catcher even looks like anymore?" Darragh added to Niall's teasing causing my nose to scrunch.

"Penis fly catcher?”

"Yeah, it's better than what you call it. What do you say again? Bajango?”

"No Darragh," Niall cuts in, "Django was a movie. He says bajingo. It makes sense to me.”

Michelle scrunches her nose in disgust and confusion at our conversation but doesn't say anything. Really though, what more could be added to this?

"It's not that big of a deal guys." I bring the conversation back to where it was before it drifted into a dark place so quickly. It can't be that bad. Can it? Perhaps it is? I don't even know at this point anymore.

"Oi leave him alone," Zayn chimed in as he walked up to the table with Liam with two beers in hand, passing me one before he sat down, "its alright Harry sex isn't everything...but six months is a long ass time. But enough about that. What has everyone been up to?”

It was almost like a show and tell as we went around the table talking about what we'd missed out on over the summer since we hadn't seen each other. Niall and Darragh went to Ibiza for the month of July staying in hostels and partying until all hours of the morning. Apparently Niall is in love with a girl he met there, but he doesn't remember her name so I don't know how accurate that is

Zayn spent a good amount of time in France with his girlfriend, sorry, fiancé. The fucker got engaged in France. Everyone thought that he and Daphne were gonna be a short lived thing since they met at a club and all, but people find love and fall in it in mysterious ways I guess. Michelle would be a prime example of that...but love is not involved with her apparently. A player not to be played anymore. I still have questions to ask her about that but I guess I'll have to wait until later since she doesn't want the guys to know that she's traded outies for innies. I could out her like she did me and my drought, but that's way more personal and I've decided that I'm not that much of an asshole, if I'm one at all that is.

Liam was arrested and his parents flipped out. For what I'm kind of scared to ask, but I'm sure it was something accidental. Sometimes I wonder how Liam even got into Cambridge, but I guess that they don't test for common sense, only book smarts.

When it got to Michelle's turn, she just talked about how she flew back home for a few weeks at the very start of summer to visit family and then came back here, but of course that's not anything that I didn't already know. When she came back was when I noticed all of the girlfriends that she had. It was odd to me because Michelle generally hated girls and hanging out with them, but then again, she obviously doesn't hate them that much.

When I told them that the most exciting part of my summer had been joining a book club for some work that I had to get ready to do for senior class, studying for the UKCAT that's not until the end of the school year, and sometimes coming here to Mill pub with Michelle I realized that what she said was true. My life had become vanilla, but I'm honestly kind of alright with it.

We continued to talk, share, laugh and drink until it was at least half three in the morning. I was waiting to see if Michelle was going to change her mind and let the lads know about her newfound liking but she kept it private between me and her the way that she said she would and it kind of made me smile. That along with the ridiculous amount of beer and shots consumed brought a goofy smile to my face by the end of the night.

By exactly three forty-five I was seeing double and couldn't drive home. Niall and Darragh had left to go back to their apartment that happened to be a few blocks down from ours, and Zayn and Liam stayed behind at the bar to drink deciding that they were too far gone now and might as well finish strong. They also decided that class tomorrow isn't important.

Michelle would have stayed behind with them I'm sure, but she has the tendency to be this odd motherly type when I get beyond the legal limit. I think she just likes to laugh at me because I start to say foolish things when my tongue loosens up in my mouth and my words slur. I tried to get up from the table discreetly so that I could walk home while Mitch, Zayn, and Liam continued to chat, but I knocked over a chair.

“Oh shit. I'm sorry bro." I chuckled to myself like an idiot as I picked up the chair earning the lads attention.

"Where are you going?" Michelle's eyes seemed to widen as she took in the state of me.

"Home. I've got class in the morrow-morning.”

"Do you honestly think that you're going to make it to class? Look at you, you can barely stand. My job is complete.” Michelle grins in triumph and I squint my eyes at her trying to figure out when she was going to tell me that she was a triplet.

"You're a horrible people and I don't know why we're friends." I think I was looking at her when I said it, but it could have very well been one of her sisters.

"Alright, and that's my cue. We'll see you later guys." Michelle spoke to Liam and Zayn as stood from the table, a little wobbly at best bus still in a better condition than I was in.

"You don't have to walk me home, Michelle. I'm not no kid.”

Michelle laughed as I stumbled, almost tripping on a crack in the pavement.

"Since I live there too I'm not technically walking you home. I'm walking home with you.”

I checked to see if my car was locked before we began our walk. The crisp early morning air sobered me up a bit, but I was still highly intoxicated and grinning.

"How was your first day of classes?" Michelle asked me breaking the silence of our trek back to our flat.

"Hmm, was okay. Good actually... I met this…met this girl.”

"You did? You were holding out on us at the pub! Who is it? Do I know who she is?”

"No, I don't think you do," I paused to hiccup hoping that was all that I had to do, "She's new here and you don't like girls. I mean, well, you know what I mean. You wouldn't know her.”

Michelle laughed while shaking her head.

“So it's a first year? I'm ashamed of you! I know you haven't dated in a while but that's sweeping the bottom of the barrel, Harrow.”

“No not a first year," hiccup "She's around my age, just new to Cambridge.”

“Oh," Michelle spoke putting her key in the door before she opened it "Where'd you meet her?”

“Work. I kind of asked her to come to the pub with me, but she said she had a date and I kind of sounded like a blubbering idiot when I asked her. I don't know.”

“Harry! You can't just invite people to come to the pub and we haven't met them yet! What if she was awful? Good thing she didn't come. That tradition is sacred for us. Whatever you said to her was probably fine. She just had other plans... Do you know why I've recently started calling you Harrow Harry?”

“Because it's one of the many odd nicknames you've created for me?”

“No. Harrow as in the adjective, it just so happens to fit with you. Har•row when used in verbal tense, means to cause distress to. You're causing unnecessary distress to yourself when you worry about things like the UKCAT and assignments that aren't due until the end of the year, and whatever you've said to this mystery bird that you've met at work. Fun. You used to be much less tense and more fun. You need to chill out and relax. You need to I don't know, get some maybe.”

I rolled my eyes before running my hand through my hair and walking into the kitchen, opening the cabinet in search of my favorite drunken snack, grabbing it when I found it and heading for my room. Quickly stripping off into my boxers, I fell against my bed before I turned on my television and got under the covers. I ate my snack in peace before Michelle knocked on my door twice and then let herself in.

"I could have been naked! you could at least wait for me to say come in.”

“Yeah well, its not like I've never seen a penis before and they're not really my main thing anymore you know?” Michelle climbed into bed with me, intruding while I tried to hide my snacks.

"What are you eating?”

“Nothing.” I slowed my chewing in hopes that she would lose interest.

"Harry I see them! Are those teddy grahams?”

“No!”

“They are! They're a snack for a five year old.”

“Teddy grahams don't have an age limit.”

“You should be embarrassed.” Chelle spoke before grabbing the box and taking a handful for herself, moving around too much for my drunken stomach to handle.

"Oohh these are nice. These are new sheets aren't they?”

"Chelle! Stop moving! Why are you in my room? Get out!”

“My room is too hot, so I've decided that we're going to have a sleepover. You get the better ventilation. You should trade with me.”

“What?”

“I'll sleep on the floor. It really is dreadful in my room.”

I sigh before I grab my pillows and comforter and toss them on the ground leaving Michelle the bed as I make my way to the floor.

“Aww Harry you're the sweetest, but I can really take the floor.”

“No, it's fine. Just don't do anything perverted while you're up there.”

“What like masturbate? I'm not you.”

I chuckled turning to face her from my position on the floor.

“Exactly, but if you do at least that I’m asleep first…Thats just common courtesy. ”

“Sure thing, Harlot. I can do that for you.” Michelle responded without pause causing me to chuckle before my head hit the pillow.

****

“ My head,” I groaned, waking up on the floor with my covers wrapped around me too tight much like a swaddling cloth. After successfully the blanket away from me in an attempt to escape confinement, I sat up slowly only to make the headache worse than it already was and add a new pain to the mix. “My back.”

I had almost forgotten that I slept on the floor to be nice and allowed Michelle to stay in my bed, but when I turned around to look at it I quickly discovered that she wasn't there. I could hear fumbling around in the kitchen and when I stood to follow the noise, the pounding in my head grew. When I reached the small space that we mostly use to microwave shitty food and store alcohol and juice, I saw that Michelle was fully dressed. I mean, well, if you can call an oversized sweater and tights with ladders down the legs in random places dressed then thats what she was.

“Morning, sunshine. How do you feel.”

“Like my head might explode all over the kitchen and I still have to get ready for class. Today is going to be long as shit,” my words slurred proving that there was still traces of alcohol in my bloodstream and when I swayed back and forth feeling as if I might lose my balance, I knew, “I'm still fucked.”

Michelle laughed at me before she flipped her pancake onto a plate and ran it back and forth below my nose. I snatched it from her and took a bite of the buttery breakfast cake without using the fork that she offered.

“Don't be such a savage, Haz. I'm not going to take the food from you after I've clearly been slaving over the oven for five whole minutes so that you could eat. Slow down, chew your food, and sit like a civilized human being. If you eat like that you're going to require the heimlich maneuver and unfortunately I don't know it. You'll turn blue and die in front of me on a Tuesday afternoon and that would put a slight damper on my day.”

“Afternoon?” I asked her while chewing around the pancake, “Afternoon?”

“Yes, Styles. Thats what I said.”

I put the plate that I was holding down on our small kitchen bench before I walked out into living room to squint at the only other clock that we had besides our cell phones, only to confirm what Chelle had just said. I rubbed my hands over my eyes hoping that it was just an illusion and what I'd seen was wrong because if it was the truth, I'd missed all of my morning classes for the day.

“Three eleven? It can't be three eleven! I had classes from nine until two!”

“And you slept through them like a baby.”

“Fuck! Michelle why didn't you wake me up? What's the point of having an Ultimate Alarm if it's not going to be used?”

“Harry, remember that little chat we had yesterday about distress and the use of your nickname? And in order for me to wake you up, I would have had to been up too. Even if I was, I wouldn't be using the Ultimate Alarm to save you with the splitting hangover that I had,” Michelle shakes her head in clear disgust before she continued, “too loud.”

My eyes widened as I looked at my friend, bewildered, annoyed, and somewhere deep down, somewhat amused. I waved my hand between the two of us before I gave up and ran it over my face exasperatedly. This is not how I intended to start the year off. My hand ascended from my face to sliding through my hair in distress, “Thats the point of the alarm, Michelle. It's supposed to be loud. It's supposed to wake you up.”

“Harry, calm down. When we got to sleep it was like seven in the morning anyway. I don't know how you expected to be up, awake, and alert in class. Don't you have like seven others that you can go to tonight? Over achiever.”

“If I shower now I can make it to my organic chemistry class.”

“Gross.”

I looked over to Michelle and frowned before I continued, “ Thanks for throwing me off by the way, making pancakes at three in the afternoon and making me think that it was morning.”

“Whatever time of day that you wake up is morning to me. I was feeling like pancakes, so I made pancakes. You didn't seem to mind them by the way that you were eating them a few minutes ago, arsehole.”

The mention of the food reminded me of how dry my throat was and how alcohol will leave your mouth feeling like you'd guzzled sand if you consume enough of it. I felt like a raisin.

“Do we have anymore orange juice?”

"No. Sorry I finished that all yesterday morning when you almost killed me and Alison with that damn fog horn.”

“Alison?” I smirked at Michelle before I started to tease. "Usually a player doesn't remember a conquests name.”

“You would know," she retorted back while squinting her eyes, “ you used to be one. But don't worry, Harry. I'll get so good at it that you won't ever catch one of them leaving the next morning ever again. I'll be like a black widow or is it a praying mantises that kill all other intimacy as soon as they've finished with them? I'll send them on their way so that I can sleep in my bed alone. It'll be like a switch.”

Michelle grinned as she spoke, silently approving her idea as I thought about how lonely it sounded. It actually saddened me. Michelle isn't the type that can handle being cold hearted and callous enough to kick people out of bed. After being in a monogamous relationship for three years, I could tell that she was the type who craved intimacy. She deserved it. What she just explained to me sounded like eventually it would take its toll on her and she would break down like she did before, substituting my shirt sleeves for tissues.

I keep my opinions to myself, not having enough time before my next class starts to really sit down with her and talk about them. If it's one thing that I cherish about Michelle and I's relationship is that we can literally almost talk about anything, if we had the proper amount of time to do so. I shake my head at her before I head down the hall, calling back to her.

“I never was a player, Mitch. I just wasn't steady in my relationships like you.”

"Whatever you say, Harold. Please go put on trousers…I don't want to see your moose knuckle.”

****

I'd made it to my chemistry lecture on time, and though I tried my hardest, it was extremely difficult to keep my eyes open. Even though I'd slept past all of my morning classes, I still didn't get the best rest from sleeping on the floor. Michelle was irritatingly right again. The only thing that was really mentioned today since it was still the very beginning of the school year, was instruction and what the professor expected from us as a class, so when my eyes closed momentarily as I sat at the back of the room, I didn't feel so bad. Before I knew it the lecture was over and I was rustled awake my the movement of students as they gathered their bags to leave the room.

"You've got a bit of dribble there." A familiar voice laughed as I stepped out of the classroom I wiped my mouth sheepishly before smiling at her.

“Rion, hi how are you?”

“I'm good. Getting around campus well enough, but how are you? You look pretty worn out and its only the second official day of the school year. Did your tradition get the best of you last night? You've got imprint marks from your sweater on your face.”

My hand went to the side of my face that she pointed out, the imprints from my clothing giving away my previous position before I flashed her a quick grin and responded ,Um, uh yeah kind of. I may or may not have missed all of my classes this morning. Mitch didn't wake me up, bad influence I guess.”

“Mitch?”

"Oh, um sh- Mitch is just...Mitch is my roommate." I explained in a panic I didn't want to scare her off with the details. I think I might actually have a chance with Rion, if I don't put my foot in my mouth that is.

“Oh I see.”

Rion smiled at me and I didn't even realize that we've been walking and talking this entire time. Conversation flows easily with her even though I stumble over my words. I feel like I'm just remembering how to talk to the opposite sex besides Michelle and feel kind of pathetic, but Rion doesn't seem to mind as she continues to smile laugh and start on new topics of conversation.

“So how long were you out for?”

“I didn't go to sleep until seven this morning and my head was pounding when I woke up. I really have no one to blame but myself. I told my friends that I would only have one drink and ended the night on my ass. I still have to go back to the pub and get my car, because I had to end up walking home. How I got to the right apartment on the first try is a mystery to me.”

Rion giggled in a cute way before tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear allowing me to see her features more. Her neck was slender and long, connecting to her shoulders delicately. She had a small tattoo that looked to be a ballet flat behind her left ear. Those tattoos placed just there always seemed like they might hurt, like they deserved to be kissed better even though the ache from the needle has been long gone. I could envision my lips on just that spot. I must have glanced at her just a bit longer than I should have causing a rosy hue to make its presence known on her cheeks. It made me smile before I quickly changed the subject this time, not wanting her to think that I was rude or weird for staring.

"How did your date go?"

She took deep breath before deciding if she wanted give a response or not and we ended up in the courtyard right before the student parking lot.

"It came and went, I suppose. Nothing really interesting to report. It sounds like I would have had more fun if I had taken the offer to go out for drinks with you. I'm usually not really big on drinking on the weekdays, but after that date I honestly might have taken a shot or four."

I smiled, selfishly happy that she didn't have a good time. I want to ask her out, but I feel like its too damn soon. I only met her yesterday anyway. Maybe its a good thing that she turned me down. When the time is right to ask her I'm sure I'll know. Hopefully I will.

"I'm sorry it didn't go as planned. Someone should take you out and show you a good time."

"Yeah, hopefully someone will sooner rather than later."

I think the emphasis that she put on the word someone was aimed at me, but I could be wrong. I don't know what else to say so I cap the conversation off with a , "Yeah" and mentally slap myself in the face before I grin awkwardly at her. I look around the parking lot as we come up to a white Toyota and she takes her keys out signaling that the tiny car is hers.

"Oh, well I'll let you go and get on with the rest of your day. Good seeing you."

"Okay, yeah." She responds quietly before she puts the key in the lock to open the door.

This has to be the most awkward I've felt in a while. I radiate awkward and though I don't want to believe it's because of what Michelle and the boys said, I'm kind of starting to think that they might be right myself.

"Wait, Harry?"

"Yes?" I turn my head to look over my shoulder before turning around to face her.

"I can take you to go get your car if you'd like. It looks like it might rain and it would suck if you were to get all wet."

All wet. I blush at her word choice and from that point on I know. Michelle, Niall, and Darragh were right.

"No. No its okay. You don't have to and I mean, don't you have other classes?"

She shakes her head and then opens her other car door, "I'm done for the day. Really I don't have a problem taking you. Get in."

I walk back towards her, thanking her and then giving her directions to the pub from the main campus. When we pull up, sure enough my car is there. Along with a ticket taped to the window for leaving it in the lot overnight. I sigh and rub my hands over my eyes before I get out and thank Rion again. Just as she's about to pull off, I call her name causing her to stop the car and reverse.

"Yes?" She looks at me eagerly with her eyes slightly widened and and traces of a grin on her face. I scratched my head out of embarrassment before I speak while pointing to the passenger side of the car.

"I left my book bag in your car."

"Oh, sorry. Here you go." The grin falls as she unlocks her car door so that I can get my bookbag. This time when she pulls off, I wave an awkward goodbye to her before getting in my car, knocking my head against the steering wheel in defeat causing the horn to honk.

[kasey-writes-stuff]

Car rides with punzo

You,Punz,Dream,Sapnap,Karl,Alex and your friend em had all been hanging out in real life most of you had already hung out in real life at least a time or two before. You and punz however had never hung out in real life and with your friends all knowing the feelings you held for each other, but the two of you being blind they sent you two alone to go get stocked up on snacks and drinks and other various things...

You and Punz got in the car opting to take his car... which you guessed it was stick shift! As if you needed anymore reason to fall for him, you internally sighed to yourself. Punz couldn’t help but glance to you as he started the car, admiring your beauty as you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear... He snapped himself out of it just in time as you turned to admire him... you admired him for a few short moments before fiddling with your phone..

“You can play your playlist if you want to” He says as you begin the drive to the store, you smile softly and respond “Okay thanks” You don’t want to spend too long picking a song but you also don’t wanna pick something you’re afraid he might not like... Suddenly an idea hits you and you smile to yourself as you watch and wait for Punz’s reaction... he’s confused for a spilt second but then he realizes what it is and begins to laugh

“Really this is what you choose?” You laugh a bit as well “What do you not like this song anymore” You pause the song and he glances at you smiling “No, no it’s not that I just didn’t expect it” You scoff light heartedly “Oh really what did you expect then?” He shrugged nonchalantly “I don’t know I just assumed you’d turn on some boy band like one direction or something” You roll your eyes light heartedly “Well I mean I could’ve but I didn’t know if you would like it or not so...” He glances at you his eyes soft as ever “I will listen to literally anything you want to” you smile softly feeling yourself blush, a few moments pass and you press play again

Punz begins singing the lyrics and his eyes widen as he hears you singing not expecting you to actually know the words and figuring you only turned this on for a joke, he looks at you with the biggest smile on his face as he continues singing...

“It started out on a Wednesday and I couldn’t figure out why you would be mad at me oh woah.. you say it’s nothing but it never ever changes just like that... it’s always whatever anyways every time we try and talk I’m out of here any day.. its always something no, it never ever changes just like that...”

The drop hits and you both begin screaming the lyrics! “I GET THE SHIVERS! WHENEVER I’M THINKING ABOUT YOU! JUST WANNA LEAVE AND LIVE WITHOUT YOU! BE ON MY OWN AGAIN! I GET THE SHIVERS! WHENEVER YOU GO OUT OF LINE YEA! I FEEL IT CREEPING DOWN MY SPINE YEA! WANNA BE LONE AGAIN! WAITING FOR THE” You head banging along as punz tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat... “It’s almost night time waiting for the right time gotta get this right I’m scared to death scared of your eyes looking into my eyes scared that I’ll back out and hold my breathe... wake up one morning and see your face I can feel it coming back these shivers are everyday.. I say it’s over I get out of bed to leave.. yea just like that!” Ironically you guys make eye contact for a moment before quickly breaking it and once more screaming the lyrics “ I GOT THE SHIVERS! WHENEVER I WOULD THINK ABOUT YOU! NOW THAT I LEFT I LIVE WITHOUT YOU! I’M ON MY OWN AGAIN! I GOT THE SHIVERS YOU AINT OUTTA LINE YEA! NOW ITS LIKE EVERYTHING IS FINE YEA! CAUSE NOW I’M LONE AGAIN!” You both jam along to the rest of the song and after that you play some 5SOS and TØP to keep up with the hype energy that had been created..

in no time you made it to the store, you were about to open your door when punz said “No” you looked at him oddly but then smiled softly as he opened your door for you and gestured outwards “m’lady” you rolled your eyes as you lightly shoved his chest while getting out of the car “You’re such a nerd” He scoffed as he shut the car door “Excuse me I am not a nerd I was being a gentleman” He lightly poked your side in retaliation, causing for you to squeak and cover it “Come on gentleman nerd let’s go get snacks” He smirked slightly at your reaction but if you were to look into his eyes you would see nothing but pure softness...

you both made it inside and quickly found the chip and cookie aisle piling the cart full of plenty of different options and even multiples of some knowing how much some of the others could eat... It was so hard to not hold his hand as he pushed the cart... after that you went to the drinks getting plenty of sodas and energy drinks but you also were at least semi responsible and got a case of water... Suddenly as you had just finished getting the soda and he was about to ask if there was anything else you wanted to get he noticed you staring at his hand and began blushing... he softly held his hand out and you glanced at him as he smiled lightly... you carefully took his hand interlocking your fingers

“We should get some nerf guns!” You look at him excitedly and he nods smiling at your excitement, his smile morphing into a slight smirk“We really should so I can kick your butt and show you who the supreme nerfer is” You scoff and use your other hand to lightly poke his side as he did to you earlier, he jumps a wobbly smile appearing on his face as he quickly holds his hand up in defense, you giggle and say “Yea we’ll see about that” And so you fit as many nerf guns and bullets into the cart as possible quickly heading back to the house...

On the ride back you let punz pick the music and on instinct you can’t help but wanna hold your hand over his as he drives... what can you say your main love language is touch alright... you cautiously lay your hand on top of his, he smiles lightly and nods signaling that it’s okay, so you make it back to the house the two of you arms filled to the brim with items as you wish to try and make as few trips as possible...

“You know help would be nice” you light heartedly joke and the guys an Em laugh rolling their eyes before helping you both finish carrying things in, soon you finish and finally get to rest.. promptly dropping yourself onto Dream, Punz and Karl.. your head on Karl’s lap, torso on dreams, and legs on Punz’s, Dream being Dream had to be dramatic and complain

“Sheesh do you have to flop so hard I am a living human you know?!” You laugh and say “Really are you?” You poke his face and he rolls his eyes you giggle a bit and then sigh contently as Karl begins absentmindedly running his fingers through your hair, Dream gently scratches your stomach causing for you to giggle and squirm slightly

Punz smiles at you in a daze just in complete awe at your cuteness, Alex notices and laughs “Hey punz you should take a video it’ll last longer you know that right?” He shakes his head blushing lightly “w-what take a video of what” George rolls his eyes “you know what” Dream smirked “videos do last a lot longer but I mean this also happens pretty often so there’s a pretty big guarantee you’ll see this again” punz smiled softly as he awed “Well that’s good to know at least” You shook your head a bit as you sat up “Shut up and let’s go get this nerf war started!” You ran grabbing as many bullets as possible along with the gun you thought you’d best be able to use, all the others quickly following along and grabbing their own guns and bullets and so with that the war began! No real rules set no true end game it was just all utter chaos but so much fun... after a few minutes you guys take a break and then decide to separate into teams you,Dream,em and George on one team, Karl,Punz, and Alex on the other.. if you got shot in the head you were out... things were intense it was down to you and punz... you ran down the hallway and into a bedroom.. you quickly realized that was not the best plan, Punz came running in after you but before he could shoot you yelled

“WAIT DON’T SHOOT!” He raised his eyebrow cautiously lowering his gun.. “why not” You smirked “So I can shoot you instead” you quickly aimed for his head luckily not missing, you giggled dropping the gun, suddenly punz said “You shouldn’t have done that” you looked up and tried to run past him out the door but to no avail as he caught you pinning you to the floor... suddenly he realized your position as did you, you both blushed purfusly.... you slowly looked up to him locking eyes, and before you knew it you closed the distance and your lips met... after a few moments you broke apart, Punz slowly climbing off you gently rubbing his neck embarrassingly, you did the same and you both began to speak

“So-“ you both giggled “you first” “no you first” you groaned giggling “okay okay I’ll go first... I so I... I really like you” punz sighed in relief “Oh thank god because I really like you too..” you smiled softly “Really?” He smiled softly “Yes really you idiot I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it” you scooted over sitting in his lap

He gently scooped you into his arms gently leaving a kiss on your cheek as he swiftly picked you up, suddenly you both heard loud thuds and looked at each other... as punz walked out carrying you, you couldn’t help but giggle and shake your heads at the site before you, the guys and Em all piled on top of each other obviously their covert attempt to try and spy on you guys failed

“Hello boys, hello em” they all waved and said a chorus of hi’s, soon after you all dig into the snacks and settled down to watching some movies

[alecmagnuslwb]

Right In Front of Him - @doubleredweek Day 3

Read on AO3

Roy Harper came back wrong or at least that’s what everyone says.

He died bloody and violent and just shy of being an adult at the hands of a monster that wasn’t even his problem to begin with. Wrong place, wrong time. That’s what they called it. The young son of a billionaire killed by Gotham’s most notorious monster in the hopes of a payout or just for fun. Speedy and Green Arrow were never mentioned, Star City had replacements in the form of Oliver’s other son and daughter in no time to keep their father and the memory of their dead brother safe.

Jason never even got the chance to meet his big brother’s best friend and by the time Oliver Queen had slipped past Batman’s prudish defenses and no one kills in my city rules and avenged his son Jason had already picked up his mother’s bad habit.

Robin couldn’t be a drug addict, Bruce made that abundantly clear. And while Oliver Queen happily sat in prison doing the only thing he could to avenge the son he never expected, but loved all the same, Jason’s father labeled his son a problem.

Oliver got five years, the one and only time Jason can remember hearing about a rich guy using his money to get a lesser sentence being reasonable and justified. He thinks the jury probably wasn’t feeling too bad for the dead psychopath who had been terrorizing their city for decades either.

And then the son he avenged came back, but he came back angry. He’d been angry and vengeful and grateful and a million conflicting feelings that made the once shining bright example of the sidekick into a rogue, an outlaw.

The entire Arrow family still wanted him back anyways, no matter how wrong everyone said he came back, no matter how many lives his bow started taking. He kept his distance though, the rage of the Lazarus pit he’d been thrown in under control but still boiling under his skin.

And then for some inexplicable reason he picked up Jason. Grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him from a prison in the middle of nowhere that he’d quite literally joked and drank his way into and certain death because Dick tentatively reached out and asked him to.

Why Dick didn’t just do it himself Jason could care less.

Roy helped him get clean, helped him get back into the work of being a hero or well as close to one as he could get with a new identity and new suit and didn’t even bat an eye at some of Jason’s poorer choices.

Hell he hadn’t even mentioned when Jason started a brief affair with their teammate, who also happened to be his brother’s former fiancée.

Jason’s never said it out loud, but the broken angry sidekick that everyone wants to take ten steps back from is Jason’s saving grace. His best friend, the closest thing to home he’s had since Bruce sent him packing, quite possibly the love of his life.

And Roy doesn’t have a single clue.

He just loads his arrows and doesn’t know it drives Jason crazy when he slips past him a steadying hand on his lower back. He doesn’t know that Jason twistedly savors when Roy’s hurt and needs to be patched up just so he can get a little closer to his skin. He doesn’t know how much it makes Jason’s unlovable heart clench knowing that he’s the first and only person Roy has let get close since he came back from the dead. He doesn’t see it and Jason resigns himself to what they have, forcing himself to be content with what they are so he can keep him close.

“You should pick up this time,” Jason says frankly tired of watching Roy pace back and forth across their shared loft in nothing but a pair of low hanging sweatpants. He cares too, but he also really needs Roy to take a call in the other room and put on a shirt while he’s there.

“I don’t know if I can,” Roy says finally stopping his pacing. He pulls out a chair at the small rickety kitchen table where Jason is trying to figure out how exactly they’re going to pay rent this month flipping it backwards and sitting in it his arms resting on the back. He tosses his phone on the table the weekly missed collect call shining brightly on the screen.

“Why not?” Jason says looking up from his budgeting that’s giving him a headache. If Roy would just let them tap into the fund that Oliver has set up for him for things other than technical gear he wouldn’t be doing this. But that’s a conversation for another time, right now it’s the phone call conversation that needs to be had. As long as his good behavior continues Oliver only has a year left on his sentence and Jason knows he’ll call every single one of those fifty-two weeks if Roy continues to not pick up.

“He’s in there because of me,” Roy says running a frustrated hand through the floppy red hair on the top of his head scratching a little harder than necessary at the shaved down sides. “No matter what he says he has to blame me for some of that.”

“Roy,” Jason says reaching out and grabbing his hand that’s scratching far too hard and resting it on the table. “Oliver Queen has never been quiet or subtle about his opinions, if he in any way blamed you he would have said it by now.”

Roy sighs looking down at where their hands are still touching. Jason swallows hard once pulling his hand back quickly.

“He doesn’t regret what he did, you coming back didn’t change that at all,” Jason continues on trailing his fingers along the little marks along his inner elbow a nervous habit he’s never quite been able to shake. “A monster who killed you, who would have killed hundreds more if he’d been allowed to live is gone because he had to do something for you. Because he wanted to do something for you, you coming back was just the icing on the revenge cake for him.”

Roy sighs rubbing at his forehead like a headache is coming on. “How can you be sure about that?”

“Because I may have been three sheets to the wind the whole time the trial was going on, but I still saw the news. I saw his face in that courtroom and I know what someone with no regrets look like,” Jason says. He scratches at his elbow one last time before reaching out to place a hand on Roy’s wrist reassuringly. Roy’s not big on touch these days, like coming back made him sensitive to everything, but that rule doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to them much anymore.

“Plus, he calls every single week, and every time Dinah goes up to visit him he asks about you which results in her calling every other week too,” Jason adds on.

“If it was Bruce would you pick up?” Roy counters.

“Fuck no,” Jason says without missing a beat. “It’s a completely different situation and you know it, but nice try with the deflecting.”

Oliver is painfully sincere in a way Bruce could never be. The bridges were burned between he and Jason long ago, a call wouldn’t be anywhere near what Jason would need to think of him as his father again. Oliver and Roy’s bridge however is perfectly intact just a little neglected and in need of some care. It’s just waiting for Roy to walk across it again and whether Roy admits it or not he’s ready.

He doesn’t have the wake up screaming nightmares as much anymore, he hasn’t killed a criminal in months and the rage in him still boils, but only when it’s justified.

Roy chuckles with one of those tilted little half smiles of his. “Caught me,” he says just as the phone rings the familiar number popping up like clockwork. He takes a deep breath and slips his wrist out from under Jason’s fingers before he picks up his phone.

On the other side of the phone Jason hears the tinny robotic voice asking if he’s willing to accept a collect call from Blackgate Penitentiary and for the first time in nearly two years of calls, he says yes giving Jason a small nervous smile as he walks into the other room.

Roy’s not gone as long as he’d thought he’d be, he guesses that even with all the good behavior and the perks of being rich in prison Oliver still only gets so long on a phone call. Jason’s making dinner when Roy rolls out of his room, a shirt blissfully covering up his tattooed and scarred chest now.

“If Ollie is bulking up the way he claims he is in prison he’s gonna be able to kick Bruce’s ass when he gets out,” Roy says walking into the kitchen leaning back against the counter a reasonable distance from the open flame Jason is working over, but still a little closer than needed. Jason’s not complaining about the choice.

Jason chuckles as he stirs the contents of the pan in front of him.

“So it went well I guess?” he says turning down the flame so he can focus his attention on Roy.

Roy rubs at the light stubble on his jaw tracing along the scar that moves from the bottom of his ear to the corner of his lips, one of the many unhealed remnants of the day he died.

“Weirdly well, I mean there’s a lot still, but it was a good start. Thank you,” Roy says reaching out a hand and dragging his fingertips lightly down Jason’s arm a barely there breath of a touch, it’s unexpectedly intimate.

Jason just shrugs ignoring the tingling feeling of Roy’s fingertips against his bare arm. “I basically just told you to suck it up, it’s no big deal,” he says shaking off any gratitude.

“Not just for pushing me today, I just mean for a lot of stuff,” Roy says with a shrug not quite meeting Jason’s eye. He may not be biologically related to Oliver but that sincerity when he truly means something is a tone they share. It’s rare when Roy lets it out, harder for him to let slip through than it is for his father, but it’s there and Jason is grateful every single time.

“It’s nothing,” he says with a smile. “If the messed-up sidekicks don’t stick together I mean who will.”

Roy laughs at that and steps a little closer. Closer than he’s probably ever been before. Neither of them speaks or moves for a moment and for the first time since Roy pulled him out of that makeshift prison he can’t read what’s going on in Roy’s unearthly green eyes. He remembers Dick saying Roy had been hard to read without words even before he came back, how whatever was going on in his head always seemed out of reach, how he was an open book but only when he wanted to be. Jason has prided himself in being able to pick up on everything in every moment up until now.

And then Roy’s expression shifts like he’s made up his mind about something and before Jason can ask what it is Roy’s hands are on his neck and his lips are connecting with Jason’s. Jason responds immediately his hands flailing a little uselessly before they settle at Roy’s waist. The kiss doesn’t last long barely a few beats, but it’s everything Jason has been yearning for. It’s better than any fix he’s ever gotten.

“Sorry, I’ve wanted to do that for so long and I probably should have given you a warning or something,” Roy says when he pulls back trying to put much more distance between them than Jason wants.

“No,” he reassures quickly pulling Roy back in with his hold on his waist. “No, it’s okay. It’s more than okay.”

“Yeah?” Roy asks, quietly vulnerable in the small space between them.

“Yeah,” Jason says smiling. Roy nods and leans back in kissing Jason slow and softer than he ever thought the big bad Arsenal would kiss.

And it’s in that moment that Jason realizes maybe Roy does have a clue.

[wandasallerdyce]

Annoying - Stiles Stilinski

Request - Stiles Stilinski x M!reader. AU Stiles is a jock bisexual kid in the school who is really cocky because he is good looking and fools around with a lot of guys. He's the sort of a heartbreaker. The reader dislikes him. The two of them have to go to detention. Stiles likes the reader and is sorta flirty with him and tries to get him interested. The reader thinks Stiles is hot but annoying and cocky. Stiles feels something he's never felt before. You could imply smut.

Notes - slight cursing in the story. Finally finished a request after being busy for months. I rushed the ending so if it’s bad, ignore that part rq 🙂

It was well known around the school that you weren’t very fond of Stiles. To begin with, he always pestered you with flirty remarks 24/7. It was starting to get annoying. It was kind of cute at first, even almost deciding to give into him, but then you found out about the real Stiles. He would fuck anything that moved. Literally. One day you’d see him holding a pretty girl, and the next day he’d have a boy wrapped around his fingers. You were angered to say the least, but also heartbroken.

You couldn’t deny that you held romantic feelings toward said boy. He was tall and attractive, and seemed to be funny at times. But you couldn’t be with someone who was only looking for a quick fuck and didn’t care about you after. As much as your heart longed for his touch, you knew you had to spare yourself from pain. You couldn’t be someone he could just forget existed right after.

But it seemed as the world hated you today. A Friday of all days did the world have to end. It all started when you were only a minute late to class, seeing as there was a long line in the bathroom (ugh, why did they all collectively had to use it at that time?!). Apparently your history teacher thought that going to the bathroom when needed wasn’t necessary and gave you after school detention. To add insult to injury, the one and only Stiles Stilinski had detention too.

Oh how you were about to chew out whatever spirits were out there for putting you in this position. He stared at you as you entered the class, and gave you a smirk. Gosh, how you wanted to kiss- slap that smirk right off his face. You walked all the way to the back of the class and fell into the chair whilst pulling your (f/c) hoodie to hide your face. All was good until Stiles threw a paper ball at you. You looked up and glared at him, responding with that same, stupid smirk. You opened the ball and read what was scribbled in it. ‘How did the beautiful and oh so perfect (y/n) end up in detention?’ it read.

You rolled your eyes and wrote back down an explanation. It kept going back and forth until he eventually told you that he was in here for being in a fight. How unsurprising. The teacher watching over both of you got bored to the point where they sent you both to help out the janitor or something. All was well until Stiles decided to shove both of you guys in a closet. “Yknow, things would’ve been easier if you stopped avoiding me.” Stiles said, with hands in his pockets. “Who says I’m avoiding you? I’m simply just not interested in talking to you.” You retorted back.

“Ouch, that hurt. But, since I’m an understanding person, I’ll forgive you.” Stiles said while giving you a small smile. You squinted your eyes and stared at him, making sure you heard right. “Weird. You never offer forgiveness. Anyways, I don’t want it so get out of my way.” You simply replied while making your way towards the exist. Stiles quickly jumps in front of you, blocking the exist. “Move it, Stilinski. I won’t hesitate to kick you where the sun doesn’t shine.” You stated, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Listen, I’m sorry (y/n), but just hear me out please.” Stiles begged. “Fine, 5 minutes. Make them quick, I have somewhere to be.” You bluntly said. “Alright, so basically, um, I like you and- and I’ve stopped messing around with people because I want to be with you. Ever since we met in class that one time, I’ve wanted to be with you, romantically, not sexually. You changed me (y/n), for the better. And I love you even more for that. I want to make it up to you, take you out on nice dates and all that stuff. I want to make you happy, that is it you’d let me.” Stiles blurted out, tumbling and stuttering out his sentences.

It was kind of… cute if you were being honest, but then you remembered the Stiles you had come to known. “Stiles… I’d love to be with you but, I don’t know if it’s right for the both of us. You can have anyone you want, so go for them, not me.” You said while fidgeting with your hands. “But I want you, (y/n). You’re the only person keeping me sane in this school. Hell, I’ll even give up my popularity if it means I get to be with you. I… I love you (y/n).” He said, and with that your head shot up. He said it. The 3 word sentence, he said it!

“Stiles, you love me?” You asked, while gasping. “Always have, you were just busy avoiding me to notice…” Stiles stated, grabbing your hand and holding it. And that’s when you knew that you couldn’t contain your feelings for the brunette jock anymore. You grabbed his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It was slow, but you could definitely feel the flood of emotions in it. Your lips were moving in sync, and although Stiles’ lips were slightly chapped, they were still soft to kiss.

When you pulled away, the both of you were breathless. “Well, that was something.” Stiles said, shock still evident on his face. The both of you stood there, an awkward silence lingering too long. You looked directly into his eyes and decided to speak up. “Listen Stiles, I love you too but if we’re going to be together, I need you to know some things.” You said as he slowly nodded, telling you to continue. “If we want to make this work, please wait for when I’m ready for sex. I want this to be sweet in the beginning, I don’t want to feel pressured. Secondly, please don’t touch me that often, at least not in the first couple of months. Lastly, just be yourself around me Stiles. I want to have fun, not date some A.I..” You said, ending your rules for him.

“I can do that, it’s easy peesy. And don’t worry, I won’t pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to.” He said reassuringly. “Cmon, let’s get out of here and go to my house to watch some cheesy movie.” You said, grabbing a hold of his hand. “Ah, yes, a cheesy movie where I can pretend we’re the main characters kissing!” Stiles stated excitedly. “Don’t make me regret giving you a chance, Stilinski.”

FIN

[mochegato]

Pixie Spy

Chapter 4

Chapter 1     Chapter 2     Chapter 3

Marinette’s eyes fluttered open after only a few hours of sleep.  It wasn’t enough, but she hadn’t gotten enough sleep in years.  At this point, she didn’t think her body would let her sleep a healthy amount, it was too programmed to go without.  One day, after they defeated Hawkmoth and she had moved away from Paris, she was going to sleep for a week… after she cried for two weeks straight, or maybe she would alternate the two.  She was going to buy the plushest bed she could afford, or likely Adrien could afford since she barely had enough money to cover groceries, and sleep in every single day in that bed.

Until then, rest was minimal and often, like last night, fitful to say the least.  She had tried to calm down enough to sleep comfortably, but calming down actually seemed to be part of the problem.  To make up for the adrenaline of the night before wearing off and her body calming, her mind started racing.  With no immediate threats to deal with, anxiety was setting in and taking over, coming up with new and better things to worry about because fuck you, that’s why. Anxiety needs no reason.  It certainly never had for her.

She quietly slid out of bed careful not to move too quickly and accidentally wake up Adrien or the kwamis.  She walked out onto the balcony seeking the morning sun on her face, hoping the new day’s light might bring her some peace.  She stared out at the morning colors blending from pink to orange to yellow to varying variants of blue.  She scanned over the gorgeous colors until her mind caught on one particular shade of blue, reminding her of bright blue eyes filled with concern and determination.  

She twisted to face away from the sky and lean against the balcony grabbing it tightly and relaxing her grip over and over again.  He said he wanted to help and she wanted to let him, which was ridiculous because he was Red Hood.  He was the most violent of Gotham’s vigilantes.  She didn’t know too much about the bats, that was Alya’s area, but she knew at least that much.  He was the last one they should trust to help.  So why was she still questioning it?  Why did she feel like she could trust him?  Her instincts on people were usually good, but he made her mind go haywire and she didn’t trust herself to be impartial when it came to him.  

“Argggg” she groaned running her hands over her face and fisting her hands in her hair.  Everything felt wrong.  She needed something to distract her anxiety so it wouldn’t take over completely and drag her down into a never-ending cycle of could-have and should-have and why-didn’t-I’s.  More accurately, she needed to hit something, a lot and hard.  She quietly changed into workout gear and quickly wrapped up her hands and feet before padding over to the sparring area.  She stalked over to the dummy glaring at it like it was the cause of all of her problems.  She started practicing as she ran through the prominent events from her previous night.

“You don’t seem excited to be here.”  Jab.

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”  Jab. Jab.

“I’m Jason.” Jab. Hook.

“Wanna Dance?” Jab. Cross. Hook.

“Was the occasion to look stunning?” Jab. Jab. Palm strike. Knee.

“You’re Jason Todd.” Hook. Punch. Jab. Punch. Uppercut.

“I have to go.” Jab.  Elbow strike. Palm strike.

“Are you okay?” Double side punch. Elbow strike.

“I can help.” Kick.  Knee. Kick.

“You left some valuable details out.” Side kick. Straight cross. Jab. Jab. Jab.

“You wanted me to meet the Waynes.” Jab. Jab. Right hook.

“You’re still a kid, you should have fun.”  Double side punch. Crescent kick.

“I don’t enjoy Hell.  DO NOT make me go back.” Jab. Hook kick. Straight cross.

“Change your mind?” Jab.  Left hook. Crescent kick.

“Your life is supposed to be more than the fucking suit.” Palm strike. Elbow strike. Hook kick.

“Dramatic much?” Punch. Punch. Front kick leading to a back flip.

“That rule needs to be finessed.”  Uppercut.  Uppercut. Jab.  Right hook.

“He can help.” Side kick. Elbow strike. Crescent kick. Jab.

“You kids really do need help.” Double side punch. Uppercut. Left hook.

“You won’t be able to move on.” Elbow strike. Jab. Uppercut.

“Think about what I said.” Knee. Palm strike. Jab.

“I can help.” Uppercut.  Uppercut. Left hook. Right hook.

“I can help.” Hammer fist. Side kick. Knife hands. Back kick.

“I can help.” Roundhouse Kick. Jumping downward punch.

She let the velocity of the punch to carry her to the floor.  She landed in a crouch and collapsed to her hands and knees panting for breath, sweat dripping on the floor pads.  Instead of helping clear her head, the practice had just made everything worse. God, she was too tired to deal with this.  She was too tired to think and this anxiety induced doubt was giving her a headache.  She needed to think clearly, but she was too tired to think clearly, and until they defeated Hawkmoth she wouldn’t be able to get the sleep she so desperately needed, so… round and round she’d go, where she’d stop not even Hawkmoth knew.  

She fought the flinch that wanted appear when she heard shuffling near her and glanced up just enough to notice bare feet and the bottoms of Adrien’s pajamas as he crouched next to her.  He had turned sneaking up on her into a game and despite knowing he wasn’t trying to do that this time, she refused to give him that win.  “Hey Marinette, you okay?” Adrien asked gently, his voice laced with concern as he laid a hand on her shoulder.  

Marinette nodded but continued looking down at the mat instead of at him, avoiding his eyes.  She didn’t want to talk about the doubts her anxiety was pushing.  The logical part of her brain knew that talking about her doubts would help her figure out what was really a concern and what was just the anxiety, which is exactly what she needed.  But the illogical part of her brain, the part that anxiety had dominion over, thought that if she didn’t talk about it, she would be able to pretend like it never existed, that it would all dissolve like one of Alya’s illusions.  And the illogical side knew that if she spoke her feelings out loud, that would speak them into existence, making them impossible to box up and bury somewhere until she was better equipped to ignore it, like after she died.  And the illogical part knew if she had to confront all her doubts right now she would die.

As is often the case, the illogical part of her brain was far more persuasive than the logical part, offering the comfort of avoidance rather than the terror of confrontation the logical part was pushing.  But then again, Adrien always had a way of quieting the illogical part without even trying.  All of her friends did.

“You want to talk about it?  Or just want to keep imagining the dummy is Constantine and continue to beat the shit out of it?” Adrien prompted her with a gentle smile. She looked up at him as she stood back up on shaky legs.

She shook her head, “I’m wasn’t.  I’m still deciding how upset I am with Constantine. I mean, we knew it was coming.  I wasn’t expecting him to make us waste two weeks so he could do it though.”  She growled bitterly as she grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator and walked over to bench next to the sparring mat.  She sat and let her breathing slow for a moment before continuing on.

“Don’t get me wrong.  I was FURIOUS when I thought he did it to avoid an ex… and fuck, I might still be.  I’m too tired to tell anymore.” She gave a tired sigh and ran her hand through her hair that was now plastered to her face.  “But that’s not why he did it.  He saw where we were going to end up and the asshole wanted to redirect us.  He did it to protect us.  And I… I would have done the same so… I don’t know.  It seems like that should make a difference.”

“We are not fucking children.  We don’t need that motherfucker protecting us.  We know what we are doing and we are handling it just fine.  There is no immediate threat that warranted that.” Adrien growled.  He gave her a wicked smile, “And I am never too tired to be a vindictive dick.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’ve been spending too much time with Felix.” She looked away and gave a humorless chuckle.  “Honestly?  I expected it to be worse.  I prepared for so much worse.  I’m relieved this is all it was.  I expected him to go directly to the Justice League or one of the other groups he works with and say something like ‘Hey, don’t go to Paris for… reasons.  And don’t bring your full armory.’  Get them all involved.  And that was if he didn’t just straight out tell them about what is going on.”

Adrien glared at her, “Seriously?  He knew we didn’t want them involved and he did it anyway.  He got them involved.  We trusted him and he broke his promise to us.  I don’t care why he did it or if it could have been worse, he did it.”

“But he didn’t break his promise,” she noted tiredly.  “He orchestrated all of that for us so he wouldn’t break it… He bent his word just enough to keep from breaking it and making it unforgivable.  But he still left us in control and is letting us make the decision for what happens next.  He didn’t completely fuck us over and he easily could have.”

“We,” he motioned between them to indicate the two of them, “have very different definitions of unforgivable.  He didn’t keep his word.  He did betray us.  He manipulated us and the situation to bring in the Justice League.  He did exactly what we told him not to do.  He ignored our decision so he could take away control.  We don’t control this, he caused it.  And on top of everything else, we wasted two weeks so he could betray us.  He could have at least had the decency to betray us without wasting our time.”

She shook her head, “No, he moved one piece in the sequence. One piece that allows the option to follow our current path OR choose a new one.  We define the new path.  It is up to us to decide if we will redirect the pieces back to the original path or let the new sequence take effect.”

“This is not dominoes.”

“It is.  Dominoes, the butterfly effect, whatever you want to call it, that’s life.  That’s everything that happens in our lives, everyone’s lives.  One change now changes what happens in the future.  You know that.  And if you need a reminder, I’m sure Alix would be more than willing to go over it with you, how one decision changes everything.  It is her job to identify the piece that will make the sequence turn out ideally.” Adrien growled at that but glanced away. She continued, “But he’s letting us decide to accept the help or not.  He’s letting us decide the next move.  He made his move, now it’s our turn.”

“So you’re just going to forgive him?  Let him off for lying to us, manipulating us, allowing Paris to suffer while he played his little game of dominoes?” Adrien accused, voice rising as he did.

Marinette sighed deeply, looking down at nothing in particular, “No, I just… I guess I’m too tired to fight this particular fight. You are welcome to though.  I won’t stop you from hanging him over the side of the building for a while.  But, yeah… the time.  The lost time.  And the last few weeks were…” she paused letting out another long sigh, looking up to the ceiling and hitting her head gently on the wall as she remembered the events of the last few weeks, “well they would have happened regardless, but…” she tapered off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

“But the oncoming ones might not have to happen and you know with the way akumas and amoks have been going lately, they will probably be just as bad.”  Adrien fumed.

He looked over to her as he vented and finally noticed how tired she looked.  He studied her closely.  She looked like she had relaxed but he knew her well enough to know her tells, the slight tension in her shoulders, the minute tightening around her eyes, the slightly strained smile that nobody who didn’t know her would think was anything less than sincere.  

He was still upset with Constantine and he was definitely going to have a discussion with him next time he saw him, a discussion that involved a few of the moves Marinette had demonstrated on the dummy earlier.  But his anger wasn’t helping Marinette and that was the primary focus for him.  “But until then, we need to focus on preparing for the aftermath of Constantine’s intervention.”

“I’m not worried, it’s just Batman.  We can handle him,” she gave him a smile that was meant to reassure but didn’t have the emotion behind it.  “Thank God it isn’t the rest of them.  Honestly, this is the best case scenario.  It’s just the bats and now we know their real identities.  That is going to massively enhance our intel on them.  We can discover Bruce Wayne’s pressure points as well as Batman’s, and use them to get him to back off.”

Adrien nodded, “A project for Alya and Chloe. We can let them know when they come over later.” He noted she still hadn’t really relaxed.  Her shoulders and smile still tense, so the Constantine issue wasn’t what was causing her to feel so distressed.  “So, if this impromptu session isn’t about Constantine… Did something else happen last night?  Was it that bad?”

She suddenly looked far more tired than she was a few moments before, her shoulders lowering into a slump. “No, the night was amazing actually,” she said quietly.

“So what's the problem? Why were you in here working out your frustrations instead of sleeping?”

“Because it was so amazing,” she sighed defeated. Logical finally defeated illogical as she started dumping everything she was feeling onto Adrien.  “Because it was great.  I was having fun and I really wanted to stay there.  It made me want to have more.  But I can't have that.  We can't have that,” she motioned between the two of them.  “We can't even leave Paris,” she chuckled bitterly. “It was just a reminder that we’re stuck.”

“You know, we had the horse miraculous. You could go someplace else for school and then come back when you need to.” Adrien offered halfheartedly.  He knew this argument.  They’d had it enough to know she was right.  She wouldn’t give in and neither would he.  Neither of them would abandon the other to escape alone.  They were both stuck.  They didn’t really have any options until they defeated Hawkmoth. But it still felt good to say it out loud, pretend like they did.  Sometimes it was her offering the escape options, sometimes it was him.  But they both knew that neither of them would accept it.

“But then only one of us gets to escape and I’m not leaving you behind,” she looked him in the eye with a determined look to make sure he understood how serious he was.  When he nodded at her letting her know he understood, she looked away to look at nothing. “I just, I feel like I can't move. Every move I make is wrong. I’m confined.  I can’t do anything.  Neither one of us can do anything.  I can’t study fashion, you can’t study teaching.  We can’t start our future.  Hawkmoth won't let us.  He’s keeping us right here, in this moment in time and we can’t break out of it.” She said tugging gently on her hair as she spoke.  “And last night just reminded me of that.  That I’m stuck here, that my priority isn’t me, can’t be me or my future… my happiness.”

He ran his hands over her shoulders and upper arms trying to bring her focus back to him, speaking in calm tones to ground her, “That’s what this whole thing was about though, wasn’t it?  Why we let the bastard help in the first place… to tip the balance, to end this, to break out.”  He smiled gently at her again continuing with the well-established script of this conversation.

“You know, if you can’t study fashion right now, maybe you can delay it.  You can keep doing commissions and bulking up your portfolio,” she opened her mouth to object but he beat her to it, already knowing her response.  “I could help you financially until this all is over.  You could move in with me so you don’t have to pay rent.  I can get an apartment with an extra room and an office you can use… and I can buy the groceries.  You wouldn’t have to pay for anything.  And when we defeat him, then you can go to school.”

“I’m not taking your money, Kitty.  And your father would blow a gasket and probably cut you off unless you kicked me out.”

“I have money saved and I don't want to work there anyway. It's not my legacy.  And we could get married, like I said before.  Then he couldn’t object.  And that way you’re not taking my money, you’re sharing it with me and you’d be my next of kin and have full access to my money whenever you needed it instead of having to ask me for everything.  And yeah, we would kill each other after a few months, but it would be a lot of fun to pretend for a while.” He waggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh.  “I could support you.  We could be happy… you know, for a while.”

“You think getting married would make your dad less likely to lash out and destroy both your happiness and my future?”  She chuckled at him and looked off through the balcony doors, voice becoming wistful, “Even if he wasn’t an obstacle, you deserve to find someone that will make you really happy.  Longer than I would.  Someone you truly love.  Someone that will make you feel safe and loved and valued with just a look. Someone that looks at you like you’re the most important person in the world.  Someone who’s world lights up just by being near you.  Someone who lights up your world.  Someone who makes you feel like they would walk happily to the ends this world and the next to keep you safe,” she gave a small grin, “you know, someone who looks at you like Plagg looks at cheese.”  

He watched her as she studied something in the sky, eyes glassy with unshed tears, hands twisting around each other, and regret lacing her expression.  “That guy really got to you didn’t he?”

She looked back at him surprised.  “Yeah,” she breathed out, looking back at the sky, “which is stupid because I only knew him for like an hour and I won’t ever see him again, except to kick him out of Paris whenever they come here.  I should just move on but… everything is stupid.  I’m stupid.”

He nodded, “Maybe,” he started until he felt the punch to his shoulder.

“The fuck Chaton!” Marinette exclaimed.  “This is your pep talk?  You need to work on your motivation thing.  Triangle, bitch, study.”

He doubled over laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him.  It took a few minutes before he could calm down and his expression turned soft again.  “I meant maybe you should move on because you barely know him, BUT I think sometimes you just know that someone is going to have a huge impact on your life.  We knew it when we met.  You knew it when you met Alya.  I knew it when I met Nino.  Maybe your instincts are telling you something your anxiety doesn’t want to hear. Your instincts have always been right and they’ve only gotten stronger.  I trust them.” He paused to give her the most sincere look he could, “I trust you.  You should, too.”

Marinette smiled at him eyes shining with gratitude, “I love you, you goofball.”

“I know.  I love you too,” he said with a smug smile.  “Is that a yes to getting married?”

“You know, there is absolutely no reason we would have to get married.  We could just be roommates.”

“Yeah, but I really, really want to see the look on my Dad’s face if we did.  Do you think he would have an aneurism?” she rolled her eyes and shoved him away.

“Oh my god, what ancient, vindictive god did I piss off to end up with you in my life?”  

“Plagg, it had to be Plagg” Adrien said giggling.

He pulled her in for a tight hug but jumped back from her. “Oh ew gross.  You’re still sweaty.  Go take a shower and then take a nap.  The others won’t be here for a few hours.  You have time,” he shoved her away to get cleaned up before the rest of their team appeared for a debriefing on the mission. “Also, I am absolutely telling Chloe and Alya about the boy if you don’t.”

She glared at him “You wouldn’t” she hissed at him.

“Oh I would and will.  I’m not dealing with either of them if they find out I knew and didn’t tell them.”

“You better watch it, Kitty.  I’ll take you up on that marriage offer and make your life absolutely fucking miserable.”  She lobbed her water bottle at him, getting up to take a shower.

<><><><><> 

A few hours later after a peaceful but still too short nap, Alya and Nino joined Marinette and Adrien in the Base to hang out and do a post mortem on the night before.  They were snacking and chatting idly about the week to come, enjoying the kind of relaxed atmosphere they hadn’t been allowed for the past few weeks while they had planned for the gala mission, the discussion of which they were intentionally avoiding until Chloe could get there.  They were in the middle of discussing Nino’s upcoming nightclub gig when Marinette’s phone started ringing.  Seeing Chloe’s name pop up on the screen, Marinette answered and put the phone on speaker, “Hey Chlo, what’s up?  You on your way up.”

Marinette jerked back and nearly dropped the phone at Chloe’s shriek, “What the hell did you do at that gala, Dupain-Cheng?”  

Adrien’s face split into a giddy grin and he yelled back from his spot in a nearby chair, “No one yet, but give her and that Wayne kid a few days and that may change.” Marinette spluttered before glaring at him.

“Chaton…” she gritted out threateningly.

“Dupain-Cheng bagged a Wayne?” Chloe shrieked even louder, making Marinette bring her hands up to plug her ears and wiggle them around trying to get the sudden ringing to stop.

“Wait what?! Why aren’t we talking about this already?” Alya gasped offended that she didn’t already know all the details.

“No I haven't... we didn’t… I didn’t bag anything.” Marinette corrected with a glare to Adrien.

“Don’t worry Dudette, I have faith in you,” Nino offered with both finger guns and a sarcastic grin.  “You will.” Marinette stuck her tongue out and threw a handful of chips at him in retaliation.

“Bitch, I TOLD you what would happen if you wore that dress and those shoes.  Do not EVER doubt me again.  I am a goddamned Godsend to you people.  You don’t deserve my presence let alone my guidance in your lives.” Chloe sneered haughtily.  

Marinette rolled her eyes trying to keep a straight face as Alya silently mocked Chloe.  Nino was having a significantly less successful time, his muffled giggles bubbling out from behind the pillow he was holding over his face.  “Okay, you’re a gift from the gods, now what happened?” Marinette inquired.

“The manager just told me the Waynes called this morning to book the rest of the penthouse suites on our floor for a week starting tomorrow.” Chloe hissed.  “Wouldn’t have anything to do with your illicit activities last night would it?” Marinette could feel Chloe’s raised eyebrow and the hand on her cocked hip through the phone.  “Or I guess maybe it was your more licit activities that got their interest.”

“Fuuuuuck, we have until tomorrow then,” she groaned and looked over to Adrien with a cringe.

“We have until tomorrow for what?  What the hell happened?  What did you do?  Wait, did Lady Luck get lucky?” Alya asked grinning at the impending chaos.

Marinette huffed and threw chips at her too, “Back off, Als. Your Trixx is showing.”  Trixx floated up next to her chosen and smiled, patting her on the head.  “And proud of you, Kit.” Alya grinned from the praise as though it didn’t prove Marinette’s point.

“See, I knew my faith in you was justified,” Nino grinned at Marinette.

“Nino, I have more chips and I’m not afraid to use them,” Marinette threatened.

“Whatever, I’m coming right up.  Don’t you dare tell that story until I get there.  And pick up any chips you threw Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe ordered, hanging up before Marinette could respond.

As soon as the call ended, Alya turned to Marinette eagerly, “Okay, she’s off the phone, now spill.”

“I’m not spilling anything until Chloe gets here.  I’m not dealing with Pissed Off Chloe,” Marinette deferred. It was a convenient excuse and gave her time she needed to figure out how to phrase things so she didn’t have to admit more than they absolutely needed to know.  And absolutely NOT discuss Jason.  There were far more significant issues to discuss, less handsome, but more significant.  

“Okay, while we wait for her to get here, tell me one thing,” Alya interrupted her plotting to stare her down, “did you or did you not have to enact the Escape Plan version of your dress?”

Marinette groaned and rubbed her hands over her face.  She had a feeling she was going to be doing that a lot during the upcoming conversation.  “Do we have alcohol?  Is it too early to start drinking?” she gave Adrien a pleading look.

“Yes it is and yes she did,” Adrien interjected.

“Shit,” Nino whispered.  “That can’t be good.  Maybe you should rethink that alcohol ban, dude.”  He patted Marinette’s knee comfortingly.  “Did you at least get the files we were hoping for?”  

“Yeah.  We at least got that out of last night,” Marinette said with a tired smile.  “I’ll start working on the translation today, see how worth it the mission was.”

Before anyone could respond, the suite door slammed open and shut again as Chloe stormed in.  “What the fuck, Dupain-Cheng?”

“Oh good, she’s here,” Alya jumped in.  “Chloe sit your prissy ass down so we can start.”

“Excuse you, I believe you meant sit my amazingly toned, prissy ass down, thank you very much.” Chloe huffed, plopping down on top of Alya.

“Clearly what I meant, sweet cheeks,” she waggled her eyebrows at Chloe who rolled her eyes in response.  “Now get if off me.  I’m not a chair,” Alya complained, unceremoniously dumping Chloe on the floor and completely ignoring her offended squawk before she moved to sprawl across an arm chair instead.  “Okay Chloe’s here, now spill.”

“I will,” not if she could help it she wouldn’t, “but first we need to brace for Batman and the batfamily to arrive in Paris.” Marinette warned them, not at all trying to deflect the conversation.

“What do you mean Batman?  How did he find out?” Nino asked confused.

Marinette huffed out a sigh, looking up to the ceiling for inspiration.  With Alya’s interruption she hadn’t had time to think of what to say.  What was the least incriminating way to say what happened without flat out lying?  “They saw us in the cave, or rather there was surveillance which I’m sure they were monitoring.  They had to have heard Constantine talking to me.  He didn’t say anything specific, but enough.  Enough for them to know something is happening here.” Adrien gave her a deadpan look and raised an unamused eyebrow at her.  She narrowed her eyes back at him and wrinkled her nose in defiance.  She wasn’t going there unless she had to and so far, she didn’t have to.  They were going to have to drag her into that conversation kicking and screaming.

“What does that have to do with Bruce Wayne?” Chloe asked annoyed by the seeming non-sequitur.

“Bruce Wayne is Batman.” Adrien said.

“Fuck!  NO WAY! Really?” Nino yelled excitedly, “Dude, that is so cool!”  

“No wonder Batman has so many gadgets, he has his company and billions of dollars make them.” Alya reasoned.  “God, how did nobody figure that out before?  Of course he is, where else would he get all those vehicles and gadgets?”

“Right,” Adrien said nodding solemnly to them, “so, we’re going to need you two,” he said indicating Alya and Chloe, “to do a workup on them, both sides of the mask.  I know you already know everything there is to know about the Bats, Alya, but now we know their real identities which means you can do the same for the Waynes, or at least you and Chloe can.  The rest of us don’t need to know the details, at least not yet.  Right now, we just need to know what their pressure points are, their weaknesses, what makes them tick, what drives them, what scares them, and what makes them go haywire.  They’re coming here for a confrontation.  We want to make this a onetime thing and we need to know the buttons to push to make that happen.”

“On it.  I’ll start compiling information and get the start of it to you tonight so you can start the profile,” she nodded toward Chloe giving her a sly wink before she turned back to Adrien with an exaggerated innocent expression, “… but I have a ton of calculus I need to get done for school tomorrow, too.  I’ll need your help for that, Sunshine.”  

Adrien rolled his eyes. “That worked out conveniently for you. Were you hoping something would come up and that’s why you waited to do it?”

She shrugged, the mask of false innocence starting to falter as she struggled to contain a smug grin, “Maybe.  And the fact that something always comes up when you two are involved has absolutely no bearing on this conversation.”

“Are you going to make me do your physics homework too?” he snarked back at her.

“…physics homework?” Nino exclaimed.

“Oooh, yeah, what did you get for number 13 on that?  I spent an hour and couldn’t figure it out.” Chloe asked.  “Got the criminal psych homework done though if anyone needs it.”

“Don’t need that but I will take you up on that physics homework offer, Sunshine.  Thanks for volunteering.” Alya responded with a smirk.

Marinette rubbed her temples, “It’s like herding cats,” she muttered to herself.

“Want me to try the same thing with them that Tikki and I did to the cat?” Trixx asked with a grin, suddenly appearing at her shoulder, munching on a piece of fruit as they did lazy summersaults in the air.

“No, that would just distract them more.  Plus if they aren’t pursuing the Jason thing, I’m not going to push it.” She sighed at the kwami before closing her eyes and resting her head on the back of the couch, making her miss the kwami smirking and floating over to whisper something in Alya’s ear.  

“Yes, let’s get back to the immanent bat invasion,” Alya fixed Marinette with a wicked grin. “Let’s start with you bagging a bat.  Does that have anything to do with them coming?”  

Marinette groaned and hit her head on the back of the couch.  She glanced over at Alya to find both her and Trixx looking at her with matching devious expressions.  She glowered at Trixx and muttered “Traitor” none too quietly, which only made Trixx’s grin widen.  She tried to come up with a way to redirect them to something else.  Anything else at this point.  “Not the part I wanted to focus on…” she started only to be interrupted by Chloe.

“Oh, I’m sure.  But it’s definitely what we want more details on Dupain-Cheng.  Because as I recall, your goal was to NOT get noticed.  And yet, a few hours later, here we are with reservations for an entire floor… almost, by the very people who were not supposed to notice you.  Not that we don’t appreciate the revenue,” Chloe admonished with no heat behind it.

“They deserve to hear the rest.” Adrien shrugged at her, a smug smile pulling at his lips.

“Nothing happened,” Marinette exclaimed.

“But she wanted it to,” Adrien singsonged with a smile.  Marinette threw the rest of her bowl of chips at him. “Not helping, Chaton.” She growled at him.

“Depends on which side you’re on,” he smirked.

“Bitch, I did not let you borrow my Jimmy Choo’s to NOT hear details,” Chloe demanded.  “You somehow ended up with a Wayne, and you got their attention enough for the entire family to drop everything and come running.  I want to know every sordid detail.  If there aren’t any make them up.  I want dirty!”

Alya shot her a concerned look, “You okay fam?”

Chloe huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, “No, but whatever.  I’ll deal with that later myself.”

“Oh god, Chloe.  Could you not!  I already had to listen to Constantine.  I don’t need you adding to my nightmares tonight.”  Adrien objected.

“You couldn’t handle me, sweetie,” she sneered at him.  “But, let’s focus on Marinette honeypotting a Wayne.”

She sputtered, “I did not honeypot him.  I… I have no idea what that is, but that is NOT what I did,” she defended herself before giving into her curiosity, “What is honey potting?”

“It’s when… Holy shit, Chloe,” Adrien realized, shocked. He started laughing loudly. “You’re a genius.  You don’t even know anything that happened and you still figured out that’s exactly what Constantine did.”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Adrikins.  I have skills.” Chloe boasted confidently.  “Marinette?”

“Are you interested in the honeypot thing or me almost breaking a man’s wrist for trying to stick it up my skirt?” Marinette offered instead.

“… uh, yeah that one.  I want to hear about that.” Nino answered, suddenly much more concerned about the night.

“So…” Marinette started.  But before she could get more than that out Chloe interrupted her, “Those skills include noting when a conversation has been redirected.  You were about to discuss your honeypotting experience, Marinette.”

Marinette groaned.  She was so close to getting away with it.  So very close.  Damn Chloe. “I want it noted for the record that I still don’t know what that word means.  And the wrist thing really did happen.” She eyed Chloe and Adrien before continuing, “I needed cover to get into a better position to watch the Waynes…” she glared at a cackling Adrien who was being spurred on by Plagg grumbling “needed” while Tikki tried to shush them.  “SO,” she announced over them, “I danced with someone who was definitely not one of the people we went over in our meetings.  There was no briefing on him and I know because I sure as fuck would have remembered.  I mentioned a supervillain to him because I was stupid and not thinking and commiserating about living in a city with supervillains.  I didn’t think it would get back to Batman.  I didn’t think there was any way it could.  What are the odds?  But I forgot my luck outside of the suit.” She glared at Tikki who winced.

“Luck doesn’t always give you what you think you need.  It is about the right person getting the right thing at the exact right time.” Tikki said carefully.  Marinette rolled her eyes.  

“It never gives me what I think I need.  Never, not once have I actually gotten like, a hammer when I needed to break something open to get to an akuma.  Noooo, I get a leaf of lettuce that I have to use in addition to 19 more steps in order to get to the akumatized item.  Meanwhile, this asshole,” she indicated Adrien who gave an offended scoff, “gets a screwdriver when we need to unscrew something.  What is that about?”

“The path to your destiny is sometimes complicated,” Tikki offered weakly floating back slightly so she was behind Plagg and Wayzz.  The latter of whom decided to risk his immortality by adding, “And often the trials on the journey to your destiny teach you exactly what you need in order to achieve it.” Marinette fixed him with a glare so potent the mini god slunk away, hiding behind Nino.

“Anyway,” Marinette turned her glare from Wayzz to look back at the humans in the room. “Turns out the dead Wayne son isn’t so dead.  He’s very much alive and dancing at galas with women who were supposed to go undetected by the Waynes.  AND he’s one of the bats.  So the man I was commiserating with, the one I let my guard down for one moment to, was a bat.  So now Bruce Wayne, Batman knows.  Because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut for one fucking night.”

“Marinette, you okay?  It doesn’t sound like nothing happened.” Nino asked gently moving to next to her and wrap an arm around her.

“Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen because he's an American vigilante, a bat, and a violent one who can't be allowed to stay here and I can't leave.  So it doesn't matter if I had fun with him.  It doesn't matter if we danced and flirted.  It doesn't matter if he was handsome and charming and sweet and protective with a soft spot for kids.  It doesn't matter if the way he looked at me made me feel happy and protected and lighter.  Because I have to be here and he can't be.”  Well shit she groaned to herself.  That was significantly more than she meant to say.  As it turns out, they didn’t have to drag her kicking and screaming into the conversation.  They just had to give her room to saunter her own ass into it.

Alya scooted over to the other side of her and hugged her, “Oh, Marinette.”

“Until we take down Hawkmoth,” Nino nodded solemnly.

“Well that’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.  We make an exception and let the one she wants to bang into the country.” Chloe scoffed as though it were the most obvious solution.

Marinette looked up at her in shock and chuckled lightly, “if that’s the requirement, we’ll have to let the oldest son into the country too so Adrien can get a shot at him.”

“No, you need it more than him.  He can wait until we kick Hawkmoth’s ass.” She looked over at Adrien with only the slightest hint of sympathy “sorry Adrikins.”

“You only say that because you haven’t seen the oldest.”

“No, I have.  He’ll still be there after we win.  You can embarrass yourself in front of him then.”

Adrien pouted at her.  “I could bag him.  I have skills, too.”

“Sure you could Romeo,” Nino said getting up and patting Adrien on the shoulder.  “Come on, let’s move this party to Chloe’s room.  We can order lunch and start on the homework for Alya and Marinette.” Nino ushered them towards the door.

“Why the hell am I doing homework for Marinette?” Chloe groused.

“Oh right you weren’t here yet, Dudette.  Marinette needs to start translating the files.” Nino explained, swinging an arm around Chloe’s shoulders.

“You guys go ahead, we’ll be right there,” Alya called out to them, reaching out to hold Marinette back.

Alya waited until they were gone before moving to sit on the armrest on the couch.  She stared at Marinette seriously, “So, spill girl.”

“I already told you about the night.  What more do you want?” Marinette asked defeated.

“No, you told them.  Now tell me.  There is speaking with friend honesty and then there is best friend honesty.  I want the best friend honesty. What was your boy like?” she prompted Marinette.  Marinette looked so defeated.  She needed Marinette to remember the more fun parts of the night, the parts that reminded them that they were still teenagers under their suits and responsibilities.  She wanted to get Marinette’s mind off of the negative and what was to come, to focus on being happy for once, and tease out what impact this boy had on her best friend. Which, knowing her best friend, she was going to try to suppress for the safety of Paris.  God, she hated Hawkmoth for so very many things but this was at the top of the list, the impact he had on everyone’s mentality, especially Marinette’s.  

“Alya,” Marinette sighed, “I haven’t assessed him yet.”

“No!  I want Marinette’s reaction not Ladybug’s.” Alya chided her.

“We’re the same person, Alya.” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Yes but with different priorities and insights.  I want Marinette’s insights.  No guilt, no responsibilities, no angst, not what went wrong, not what you could have done better.  Just the fun part, the teenage girl perspective.  What.  Was. He.  Like?” she poked Marinette with her foot after each word to accentuate the question.

Marinette sighed again but Alya could see the glint of a smile on her lips as she thought through the night with him.  The prominent details flashing in Marinette’s mind. “He was sweet.  He was clever.  Kind.  Mischievous. He doesn’t like pretense.  He likes blunt, honest.  Knows how to handle himself.  He stopped to help a kid, Alya, a kid.  Really protective of kids.  Respectful. Gentle.  He has the most brilliant eyes and heartwarming smile and he focused on me the entire time, like nothing else mattered.”  She looked off at nothing and cocked her head to the side.  A sad expression suddenly appeared on her face.  “He’s Red Hood, you know the scary one.  But he was so gentle and sweet.  How do I reconcile that?”

“No, I said no angst.  We’re not reconciling anything right now.  We’re not going to discuss that he stopped killing a while ago and that is why he is working with Batman.” She snuck into the conversation.  As the group’s expert on superheroes, she could give Marinette a lengthy, highly detailed essay on each of the Bats, their history, and speculations about them, but she wasn’t ready to discuss Red Hood’s history with Marinette and Marinette wasn’t ready to hear it yet.  She would go over it with Chloe later and they would distill it to the bare basics Marinette needed to know before facing them tomorrow. Today, they focus on the good. Tomorrow they focus on Paris. “Instead, we’re going to focus on the fact that he’s a good guy now who made you very happy for a while last night.  So, what does this good guy look like?”

Marinette paused to consider what Alya had said.  “Nope,” Alya threw a nearby pillow at her head, “not now. There will be plenty of time for that later, after you’ve gotten your work for tomorrow done, eaten something other than chips, and slept a human amount of time.  Now.  What. Does.  He.  Look. Like?” She poked Marinette with her foot after each word again to push her into answering.  

Marinette grabbed her foot on the last word and glared at her. “God, why are you such a bitch?”

“You love me and if I don’t worry about you doing those things, you won’t do them.  Now answer before I have to kick you again.  I’ll do it.” Alya threatened with a mock glare, her foot raised slightly, ready to kick.

Marinette rolled her eyes and shoved her best friend’s foot back at her.  She knew exactly what Alya was doing, it’s the same thing she does for her when Alya gets too caught up in a self-deprecating spiral, but she needed something to smile about so she went with it.  She looked to the side, focusing on nothing while she tried to think of how to describe his looks.  “Tall,” she nodded absentmindedly as she continued, “He was very tall with dark hair and blue eyes, a sharp jaw and broad shoulders.  He had a shock of white hair at the front that was begging to be touched.” She absentmindedly touched her bangs in the same place his streak was and stared off into space with a dreamy look on her face.  “He had this smile that made you weak in the knees. His eyes sparkled when he was talking to me until he discovered why I was there and then they were filled with such sincere concern that took your breath away.”

“He was that good looking, huh?” Alya asked with an amused raised brow.

“Come on Alya, it wasn't just the looks, the personality too,” Marinette admonished her.

“Right, right. Of course...” Alya nodded seriously, “but...” she prompted Marinette to continue.

“He was sexier than Adonis and Henry Cavill’s lovechild, with a personality to match.” Marinette said with a deadly serious expression.

Alya stared at her amused and opened her mouth to speak but Marinette continued, “One look melted ice the next town over.”  Alya beamed at her excitement.  “He is the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever seen, and one of my best friends is an actual supermodel who hangs out with other supermodels.  And this ice meltingly sexy Advill lovechild looked at me like I made his life complete.”

“So you wanted to kiss him?” she teased her friend with a knowing glint in her eyes.

“I wanted to rip his clothes off with my teeth,” Marinette corrected.

Alya balked at the unexpected admission before doubling over with raucous laughter.  Her laughter got louder as Marinette joined her.  Alya gasped for air but she couldn’t catch her breath which made her laugh harder until she was laughing so hard she fell backwards off the armrest landing on the floor with a resounding thump, causing them both to laugh even harder.

 Chapter 5

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As always, if I forgot you please, please let me know.  I’m a bit scatterbrained lately.

Note: was one of those sequences stolen directly from Big Hero 6?  Yes, yes it was.

And the triangle comment is absolutely from Suicide Squad.  I was going to have Adrien comment about the movie but then I realized that is a DC movie so it probably doesn’t exist in this universe.

Also, I am letting everyone keep their original miraculouses just with a redesign because you know they will find a way to do it in the show so let’s pretend I’m following the same premise that they use to allow it.