#anyway now the question is: do i try for the white rabbit cards or save up for whoever the next episode 7 ssr is

[egophiliac]

Did peepaw come home?!

HE DID! :D! luckily it only took me three ten-pulls; I think my past experience of being so thoroughly denied a Fairy Gala Ortho made me more worried than I should have been. may the gacha blessings pay forward to everyone else! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

so far this is hands-down the funniest Lilia card, because he'll say something all edgy and badass in that deeper ~General Vanrouge~ tone and then follow it up immediately with one of the non-card-specific cutesy Lilia lines, and it gets me every time

[kirishoshego]

Slumber Party//RumixHawks

!!MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

Happy Eastern everyone! This is a little easter special and who better to choose than Rumi aka Bunny Hero Miruko? I usually don’t write about people with an animal quirk, so this is my first time and also the first time writing about a female character :)

Inspo: Slumber Party by Ashnikko

Summary: Hawks invites you to the annual Hero Eastern Party where you caught Rumis eyes and because Hawks was too much of a chicken to ask you out, she decided to have some fun with you.

TW:nsfw: lots of oral sex (everyone is receiving), unprotected penetration, lots of titty play, some sort of voyeurism, getting caught, threesome, chocking, hair pulling, spitting, a bit of manipulation/corruption, slight dirty talk, teeny bit of praise (calling you a good girl) 

At first you were a bit hesitant to accept the invitation of Keigo when he stood in front of your doorstep with the letter in his hand. 

“If you don’t want to that’s totally fine! Take your time to think about it. Just know, it would make me really happy if you decide to join me on friday,” he told you with a beaming smile.

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to, absolutely not. You would love to meet all the great Pro Heros, some more than others. The problem was, you didn’t know why-out of all people he could have asked-he asked you. So far, the two of you had been friends, nothing more, nothing less. There were a couple of times where you weren’t 100% sure if he was flirting with you, it was obvious, really, but maybe you just wanted him to flirt with you. But who could say no to the charming bird, a hint of a blush on his cheeks while he scratched the back of his head.

“I would love to, actually,” you let him know, taking the fancily decorated piece of paper from his hand. “Awesome! Great! I mean, cool. I will pick you up at five?”  “Sure, no problem,” was this a date? Should you ask him? Or did he just invite you because you knew how interested you were in the Hero Agency? “Wear something red, i’ll wear a red tuxedo so we match,” he called to you as he already walked away.

Filthy imagines of Keigo in a red suit filled your brain, his hand adored by golden rings roaming over your body, his golden orbs burning into yours while he fucked you in the car before you went in, wanting to mark you as his, let you know your his. But you weren’t. Not yet. 

A soft knock on your door pulled you away from the lengthy mirror reflecting your body cladded in a red dress. It was dead on five o’clock, as if he waited in front of your door, counting down the seconds to be here on time, not a minute too late nor too early. Opening the door you were met with one of the most beautiful men on earth, waiting to escort you. His suit color matched with his wings perfectly, the black shirt underneath adored by golden details. The smile was quickly knocked off, shock now written all over his chiseled face. “Wow, Y/N, you look... stunning,” he complimented you, not being able to take his eyes of your beautiful frame. “Thank you Keigo, so do you,” was all you could say, your mind occupied with picturing his shirt on the floor while he fucked you from behind. “Shall we? The others are waiting for us,” your eyes fell on a limousine parked in front of your home, windows tinted black, making it impossible to see who else was inside.

While walking up the car Hawks informed you that Fat Gum, Mt Lady and Miruko would be riding with you and you felt your anxious the closer you got. “Don’t worry, they are all very nice. Most of the time...” he assured you, before opening the door for you, being greeted with warm welcomes. “So you’re Y/L/N Y/N? We’ve heard a lot about you,” Toyomitsu said when you sat down next to him, noticing Miruko’s eyes taking in every inch of your body.  “Yeah but bird boy never mentioned how gorgeous you are,” added the tan woman sitting across from you, making you blush. “It must have simply slipped my mind,” he said, giving her a warning glare across the vehicle, his hand suddenly on your thigh. She smirked at him before turning her attention back to you, who currently thanked Taishiro for a piece of the cookie he was munching on.  “Y/N, how did someone like you get in contact with our Pro Hero #2?” asked Yu, a hint of jealousy on her face, earning a slight jab to the sight from the woman next to her. “What? She isn’t a hero and he basically has no life besides the agency,” “As far as you know Takeyama,” Hawks was suddenly rather tense, he thought the Heros would show a bit more etiquette in front of a stranger. “We met a couple of years ago when she was a waitress in my favorite restaurant,” he shortly explained, his grip on your leg tightening. He already wasn’t in the mood for the party and endless speeches, he had no time for this.  These parties always brought some danger with them. So many Heros on one spot? Perfect target for an attack. If he hadn’t helped Endeavour with the safety system and checking it himself afterwards again, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy your company in peace.  Mt Lady warmed up to you after you gave her some compliments on her dress and appearance in general, telling her the hero work she had done was impressive. Not once did Miruko’s eyes leave you, much to Hawks dismay. He may or may not accidentally let it slip that she was one of your favorite heroes and he knew about Miruko’s recent break up with her partner, meaning nothing could hold her back if she decided to make a move on you. Also meaning he had to tonight, which he planned on anyway but now he knew his feelings for you were real, otherwise he wouldn’t feel as territorial about you the way he did. Hawks simply won’t leave your side tonight, that’s it.  When arriving at the party paparazzis where everywhere, police trying their best to keep them all behind the lines, some fans could be spotted in between them, yelling out every name of whatever Hero was appearing. When Hawks stepped outside the madding crowds attention was on him and him only. Cameras tried to get the best picture of him to sell to the biggest magazines, but his focus first was on you, taking your hand as you stepped outside the car, the others following close by.  “Please wait here for me,” Hawks told you before walking up the crowds, talking to his fans, signing whatever they gave to him, the best he could with the security keeping a close eye on them.  “Come on, you can wait for him there, it’s so loud here,” said Miruko, her hand at the small of your back, sending shivers up and down your spine while you looked at her through your lashes. “I’m not making you nervous, am I?” she asked with a small smirk and a certain glim in her red eyes, a strand of her white hair falling in front of her face. “Great, then let’s go inside,” she waved to some fans, posing for a few pictures with you next to her before stepping into the big hall flooded with warm light emerging from the massive golden chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling. The floor was made out of marble tiles, a red carped rolled out and smaller ones leading to every room on the long floor. You could spot Best Jeanist talking to Aizawa in front of the golden door that lead to the party about a student named Bakugo. Music was blaring through the speakers as you enter with Miruko, no less than Present Mic being in charge of the music.  “So... You and Hawks. Is that something serious?” Miruko asked you, taking a glass of orange juice from the tray a waiter offered the two of you as you took a glass with your favorite beverage.  “Oh, we’re just friends, nothing more, I’m single” you told her, checking behind you to see if he walked in already but no sight of him so far.  “Good to know,” she smiled at you before asking her next question. “What are you currently doing? Hawks mentioned you-” before she could finish her sentence a red wing cut appeared between the two of you, attached to it a rather unpleased looking Keigo. “I thought I told you to wait for me, I’ve been looking for you,” he told you, glaring at the rabbit behind his wing who looked at him innocently. “Sorry Keigo, it was just so loud,” you apologized, adding: “But I was in good company the whole time, nothing could have happened,” you tried to calm him down, a warm smile on your face as he grabbed your hand into his, pulling you away rather rough. “I want you to meet everyone,” he told you, looking to Rumi over his shoulder, shaking his head while she sipped on her juice.  You talked to every Hero possible, all that matters was that Hawks could keep you away from Rumi. Rabbits weren’t hunters, not like Hawks, she should know not to try him, he thought. But then again Usagiyama wasn’t like the rabbits he knew. She knew she can get whatever she wants and wasn’t afraid to let anyone know either and if she played her cards right she would be able to get you. Something he doesn’t like to think about. It was 7.30 p.m when Yamada turned the music down, the attention now turning to him. The blond activated his quirk, letting everyone in the room know: “Dear Ladys and Gentleman, dear Non-binary, today we want to celebrate Eastern, thanking each and everyone of you for keeping us save and sound from all evil. Also of course, a big thank you for those not being able to attend as they are on patrol today, keeping their eyes out for any danger. Special shout out to Endeavour and Hawks for making sure we’re save in here as well. Speaking of our Heros, the top three prepared a speech for us, will you please step up here and let the guests hear what you have to say?”  The three of them walked up to the stage, applause erupting from the whole group as they made their way up, the spotlight on them, but Hawks’ eyes on you. While Pro Hero #1 held his speech he kept you in his sight, watching the entrances every now and then just in case. Once in a while he would also try to find Miruko and he wasn’t happy when he noticed that she slowly made her way over to you.  She whispered something into your ear and he could see that whatever she told you got you flustered, your eyes now leaving him as you looked at her. “...Hawks speech...” was all he could read from your lips and sure enough it was finally his turn to say something. He tried to keep it as simple as possible, his wings itching, hoping this was over soon enough so he could return to you. Before he could leave the stage Endeavour’s large hand held him back, a stern look on his face. “Don’t you dare walk away now, have some manners,” he warned him, making the winged man huff in annoyance. As he stepped besides Enji his eyes fell to where you were standing just mere seconds ago, all that was left an empty spot. His phone bussed, once twice. He knew it was the Rabbit considering she was no where in sight. Best Jeanist of course took his sweet time and the longer it took the louder Hawks imaginary clock was ticking. You on the other hand were enjoying yourself a lot. Rubi had let you to her hotel room that she has rented, it was far up and you enjoyed the view over the city. “We’ll go down there when the buffet is open, don’t worry. Hawks will understand that we left, neither one of us is really enjoying these things,” she told you, watching you taking in the view, while she was enjoying hers. “Y/N, I have heart a rumor, can I ask you something about it?” the woman behind you spoke up, making you turn around, noticing the way she licked her lips, biting on them softly before letting go. “Of course, anything Miruko,” the way she was watching you made you tingle. “Great. Hawks told me that I’m one of your favorite heroes, is that true?” she walked closer to you, her hips swaying from side to side. “He told you?” it was embarrassing to know that Hawks would tell her about the little crush you had on her, why would he tell her? To tease you? “He said was that you were excited to meet me,” ‘oh’ was all that could leave your lips at this point, wanting to die on the spot. “That’s nothing bad darling, the opposed to be exact. Taking that in consideration, you want me to be happy, right?” her voice was sultry, her body now right in front of yours while her hands once again returned to the small of your back. “Yes,” you whispered, her thumb tracing your agape lips. “That’s a good girl. If I tell you it would make me happy to kiss you and taste you, you won’t say no, right? You’re save with me, I’m #5 after all,” you could feel her breath on your lips by now, knowing that as soon as her thumb will leave your lips her mouth is on yours. “Yea,” your breath hitched when she pulled you flush against her, feeling her chest press up against you, heat radiating off of her. She smelled amazing, you noticed, a mix of her own smell with her perfume. Without another word her lips crashed into yours. Sitting down on the velvety arm chair that was placed in the corner of the luxurious room, she pulled you on top of her while her tongue slipped into your mouth. Her hands traveled up open your dress, letting it fall loosely around your waist. Once your chest was exposed to her she could do whatever she wanted to. Warm hand cupped your right tit, massaging the soft skin, thumb circling over your erect nub. You clenched your legs around nothing, feeling your pussy craving for attention, to be touched and played with. Moans slipped past your lips, making her push her cladded, muscular thigh between your legs and giving you some friction where you most craved it. It was hard to hide how badly you needed more, trying your best to move your hips without her noticing, but failing miserably. “It’s okay darling, you can grind on my thigh if you wanna,” she remarked against your puffy lips, captured once again in a wild kiss. You were slowly grinding yourself down, her other hand on your hip, holding you down while every now and then bouncing her leg to hear you whine and huff. Her fingers were now pinching your nipples, circling around them,  Your hips circled on top of her thigh, going up and down, feeling a knot build in the pit of your stomach. Miruko noticed how you pushed down harder, your hips going faster. She decided to help you out, letting go of your lips and wrapping her plum lips around your other side, sucking and flicking her tongue over your your mouth sensitive spot. Red eyes watched you through thick, white lashes, the way your mouth fell open as soft moans tumbled from in between them, the way your eyes were almost shut close, pleasure written all over your face. “Gonna cum for me? All over my thigh? I bet you thought about this a hundred times already huh? Just wait til I really do something, I’ll give you the best cunnilingus in your life, something Hawks can only dream to give you,” the combination of her thigh rubbing against you and the attention she gave your tits send you over the edge within seconds, loud moans making the white haired woman wet, ready to eat you out before pleasing her.  She moved your hips against her thigh, making you ride out your orgasm before tapping your ass to signal she wants you up. Your dress now fell down completely and she helped you step out of it before leading you to the bed, pushing you down on it. Putting on a little show for you while getting herself undressed you couldn’t wrap your head around how fucking beautiful Miruko was. Her arms flexed while she pulled her shirt off, hair swaying when the top was gone completely, covering her chest a bit before she opened her white lace bra, her boobs springing free and all you wanted in that moment was to play with them, lick them and please her. When she bend down to pull off her pants she made sure you had a good view on her ass, watching it jiggle, the muscles in her legs flexing as she stepped out of it.  Rumi crawled up to you, her hips between your legs as she kissed you again,  now trailing open kisses down your body, stopping at your boobs once again, sucking them, sharp tongue spelling her name across them before continuing her way down, hands gripping the thin fabric covering you up pulling them off of you slowly. Before she gave you what you were begging for, she bit and sucked your inner thigh, enjoying the way you huffed in annoyance, body tensing up every time she would halt in front of your glistering pussy. One time she blew some cold air onto your clit, making you jolt a bit in surprise. Just as you were about to beg again she licked a long strip from the top to the bottom, wrapping her lips around your clit and sucking on it. The way she performed french on you turned you into a moaning mess. Every now and then she dipped her tongue into your hole, collecting your wetness before returning to your nub. The beating of big wings made you open your eyes and you sat up in shock, your eyes meeting pissed of golden orbs. Miruko pulled away from you, a string of saliva still connected to your cunt. “How nice of you to join us,” she told him, a smirk on her lips. “What a coincidence your window was left open,” he remarked, climbing through it. “That wasn’t a coincidence,” she let him know, pushing your hand down as you tried to cover yourself up. “And your texts? ‘I've been picturing her naked ever since you showed us a picture of her’ and ‘she looks like a fucking painting, something I’ve been praying for, thank you for bringing her, you’re a true wing man?’What about those? And when you send me the picture with your hotel room number?” “Well, I was simply hoping you would join us, it’s eastern after all, there is no better pair than a rabbit and a little chicken, wouldn’t you agree? And just look how needy she is. It would only be fair if we take care of her,” the both of you could see Hawks’ dick harden while his wings puffed up a bit, before sitting down onto the same chair Rumi made you cum a few minutes ago. “Show me your talents then, let’s see how fast you can make her cum,” he told the woman between your legs, opening his pants and pulling out his throbbing cock. You watched how spit on it, wetting it so he can wrap his hand around himself, slowly pumping up and down.  Of course she didn’t need to be told twice, her tongue spelling your name between your legs, pushing two fingers into you. Curling motions send waves of pleasure through your body. You didn’t know where to look, watching you getting eaten out or Hawks basically fucking himself on the arm chair. He wasn’t massive in length, bigger than what you were used to definitely, what made you gulp was his thickness. He couldn’t even wrap his hand  around himself completely, how would that ever fit into you? The man caught you as you eyed him or rather his meat in his hand, raising his eyebrows.  “What? Wanna have a taste?” he asked you and all you could was nod, another moan of yours filling the room. “Sit on Miruko’s face then,” Hawks ordered, making the tan woman stop for a moment to turn on her back, pulling your right on top of her again so you sat up straight, not giving you a moment to catch your breath. The feathered man stood up, his clothes joining the pile on the floor. Stepping on to the bed he made sure he could balance himself against the wall to stand still. Next thing you knew was his hand in your hair making you look up to him as he spit into your mouth for some extra wetness, shoving his hard cock down your throat without a warning. Nothing was able to hold him back from fucking your in pleasure twisted face, the moans you tried to let out thanks to Miruko sending vibrations through Keigo’s shaft. Tears mixed with mascara ran down your cheeks, trying so hard to breath but the way he pounded into you made it impossible. The hand that wasn’t inside of you found its way back to your tits so she could play with you again, feeling you clench around her hard. Another orgasm came crashing down, legs shaking as Hawks pulled out, letting you basically scream out a string of curse words, catching your breath. “Isn’t she such a good girl? Letting us fuck her however we want to?” he praised you, holding your cheeks between his hand. “Should have seen how she fucked herself on my thigh,” Rumi told him, thumb wiping across her lips before sitting up, pushing the now wet finger into your mouth so you could taste yourself.  “Want a taste?” she asked Hawks, pulling him in for a kiss as she pushed her tongue past his lips, letting him taste whatever was left of your juices.  “Delicious baby, can’t wait to have a taste later,” the naked man let you know, pulling you to him by your hair, both of their eyes on you. “Now it would only be fair if you let Miruko cum too don’t you think? Don’t worry I’ll fuck your needy little cunt,” Hawks delivered a small slap to your clit followed by a small moan of yours. He pushed you down onto the mattress, pulling you close to him by your thighs, his dick dipping into your entrance but pulling out again, teasing you as he stroked up and down slowly.  “Stop teasing Keigo,” you whined, buckling your hips up to get him into you more but he only swatted your thigh, leaving a pink spot behind. Agonizing slow he pushed past your opening, pressing in little by little into your velvety heat. His shaft was unbelievably thick, stretching you out just right, making you feel stuffed full. “Please,” you whined, your pussy throbbing, needing more, craving for every inch of him. “Please what?” he asked you, raising his eyebrow, pushing in further. “Please fuck me,” you sounded so desperate, so fucked already, how could he say no to this? Never would he deny you his dick. Throwing your legs over his shoulder he pushed in balls deep, waiting for Miruko to be comfortable. Your hands clasped her thick thighs, nails digging into her skin as Hawks started moving, slowly at first to let you adjust to his size, watching you lapping at the heat of the strong woman on top of you. Her face twisted up in sheer pleasure as you showed off your tongue skills below her. “That mouth is heaven,” he groaned, earning a nod of agreement. “Fuck... Especially when she moans, you gotta fuck her harder, she likes that,” she panted, eyes rolling in the back of her head for a short moment. Hawks hands on your legs tightened, surely leaving marks behind in the next morning as he picked up his speed, pounding into you harder, his balls slapping  the swell of your ass every time. This caused your moans to turn louder, the vibration that were sent to Miruko’s clit even harder now.  The dark hotel room, only illuminated by the moon light and a small light at the door, was filled with some of the filthiest sound you ever heard, your sweat and perfumes mixing, every now and then a breeze of fresh air slipping through the open window. Hawks was close to releasing his load inside of you, watching you eat out another woman almost making him lose control. And Miruko was close as well, feeling the knot on her stomach almost ready to be released and he could sense that, dipping down to lick her tits, sucking and playing with them. The new surprising sensation made her push herself more onto you, while  you continued to lick her wet cunt, making her release all over your face. After she came down from her orgasm she pulled away from you, letting Hawks have full control over you. He took this opportunity to wrap his hand around your throat, his lips now on yours, tasting the other hero. Your thighs were pressed flushed against his chest, your knees on his shoulders and your ankles locked behind his head. The new position made him hit your g-spot over and over again, grunts of him filling your ear. “You like that, don’t you? Getting fucked by the two of us? Two of the worlds biggest Pro Heros having their way with you, what a dirty little girl you are,” he groaned into your ear. He tightened his hand around your throat, cutting of your blood flow as he made you look into his face. Keigo had something taunting on his face and the look got you clenching around him. “You’re close aren’t you baby?” he asked you, a ‘yes’ falling from your lips as nothing more than a tang. ”Let everyone know who you belong to, let them know you’re mine, mine alone,” he growled, eyes on the woman walking into the small hotel bathroom who simply winked at him, mouthing ‘all yours’ before disappearing. even though you thought it wasn’t possible he put all of his energy into the next thrusts and you screamed out his names as you came around him, legs shaking against him, eyes watery and head completely fucked. Hawks followed moments later, the snaps of his hips turning sloppier before completely halting, making you feel his dick throb inside your wet walls.  Keigo pulled out of you slowly, letting your legs gently fall down, making sure he didn’t choke you too hard. His hands caressed your face while you were in full bliss. He could hear Miruko turn off the shower, stepping outside in nothing but a small towel around her figure.  “How about you sneak some food up for us, I don’t think any of us are really in the mood for the party anymore,” she said, her eyes falling onto your still shaking frame. “Sounds like a plan, I will be back in a few, you got this?” he asked with a smile on his face.  “Oh yeah totally,”  With that he got dressed as proper as he could, flying down again to grab a big pile of food for the three of you while Rumi helped you cleaning up, letting you borrow one of her big shirts she packed.

©KirishoShego// do not repost on any plattform

[jounetsunosymphonia]

Alex in Wonderland (Mankai Stage Spring 2019 translation)

translation for the stage version of spring’s second play! song can be found in full here

i’m including a little bit of spoken lines before the song starts because...yeah. it’s technically still part of the thing. but u just won’t get to hear it and i’m sorry for that.

cast list Usui Masumi (Makishima Hikaru) as Alex Chigasaki Itaru (Tateishi Toshiki) as Mad Hatter, Professor Minagi Tsuzuru (Maekawa Yuuki) as White Rabbit, Usaka Sakuma Sakuya (Yokota Ryugi) as Cheshire Cat, Nekota Citron (Furuya Yamato) as King of Hearts, Shintani (i’m not sure this is actually his name i can’t hear very well and i don’t have the script sdjfndjsh if anyone knows lmk!!)

[bell chimes]

Shintani: A~h. They’re late.

Nekota: Hey!

Usaka: Sorry to keep you waiting!

(all three of them like, fist bumping and going EYYYY at each other. yeah)

Usaka: So something really funny happened at my club today--

Nekota: Oh, if it isn’t Alex! Good morning--

Alex: (walks past them)

Nekota: Eh, he’s totally ignoring us? Don’t you recognise us? It’s Nekota, Usaka, and Shintani!

Shintani: We’re in the same class so...let’s be friends! (holds out his hand for a fist bump c’mon alex don’t leave him hanging like that)

Alex: No thanks, I’m not interested. (sits down to read his book)

Usaka: Man, he’s sour. What’s he even coming to school for?

Shintani: (puts his hand down with the most hurt look on his face i’m so sad)

Nekota: Nah, it’s fine, right? Everyone’s different! But anyway-- (nekota and usaka exit)

Shintani: (running after them) What is it~?

Professor: Now, are you sitting here reading on your own again? Why don’t you act a little more like a college student and go have fun with your friends?

Alex: That would be a waste of my time. Books give me knowledge, meanwhile all they can give me are pointless conversations and boredom.

Professor: Though you might hate humans, you like animals, do you not?

Alex: For the most part, yes, but...that’s because they’re fluffy. Fluffiness can heal people, it’s not pointless at all.

Professor: Do you really hate useless things so much?

Alex: Of course. I didn’t come to university to waste time being unproductive.

Professor: Hmm. Productivity, you say. ...Alex, say there is a treasure of gold that only your friends can see, but is invisible to you. What could it be?

Alex: If we think about it logically, Professor, a situation like that could never exist in reality. Therefore, the only conclusion is that it is a dream. Please stop with the pointless questions.

Professor: Alex, what you have in intelligence, you lack in imagination. Here, try drinking this. (SIR DON’T OFFER YOUR STUDENT ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES. SIR.)

Alex: And this is?

Professor: Plain black tea. Perhaps it’ll help loosen up your rigid way of thinking.

Alex: I doubt it, but I’ll take your word for it. I know you won’t let me leave til I drink it, anyway...

Professor: You’re a tough one, as usual.

(alex drinks the tea and stuff starts to get funky! from this point onward is the actual song)

White Rabbit: Oh dear, I’m late! You, get out of my way!

Alex: What’s with the ears? You’re in college, but you’re still dressing up like that?

White Rabbit: Enough of that, just let me through. It’ll all be over for me if I’m late!

(commotion ensues as white rabbit tries to carry alex out of the way, and throws him down to wonderland)

Alex: Ah---!

White Rabbit: I’m going to be terribly late!

Professor: Now, Alex. It’s time to search for that golden treasure!

(i’m not typing this all out it’s the same lalala as in wonderland a go go dnfjsdhsd)

Cheshire Cat That’s my favourite napping spot Get out of the way! Go away!

Alex: What are you--?! Where am I...

Cheshire Cat I’m Cheshire and this is Wonderland!

Alex: Wonderland, you say? That’s absurd! Even making me put on this kind of costume...

Alex I need to return to my own world Have you seen someone with white rabbit ears?

Cheshire Cat If you mean White Rabbit, he’s seeing the King

Alex Take me there, he’s the one who brought me here

Cheshire Cat You’re one to demand something of me! Well, it’s fine~! This fellow and the King should be fun to see

[spring telepathy time part 1] Sakuya: (Isn’t this amazing, Masumi-kun? It’s only the first show, but we’ve already settled down like this!)

Masumi: (You seem like you’re enjoying yourself, as usual.)

Sakuya: (Yeah! Maybe it isn’t enough for me to just be doing that, but...this really is fun!)

(more funny stuff where they’re thinking while still acting as the character bc...sakuya is talking as himself here, but    walking on all fours as cheshire. and masumi is responding to him perfectly normally. it’s hilarious.)

Cheshire Cat: Follow me.

Masumi: (That’s fine...I think you’re fine that way.)

-

King of Hearts: The court has decided, the White Rabbit will be put to death.

White Rabbit: Please wait. I was only late by three seconds!

King of Hearts: For the crime of stealing away my time, White Rabbit is sentenced to death. Off with his head!

Alex: Wait. Don’t just murder that rabbit!

King of Hearts: What is it to you? Are you a friend of his?

Alex: No. But I need him around.

King of Hearts: Then you can take his place.

Alex: Eh?

King of Hearts: We’ll have another trial by croquet just for this. Now, the preparations for the trial!

-

Alex: Hold on. This is a flamingo and a hedgehog.

King of Hearts: And what of it?

Alex: I can’t do this...not to these cute little babies...

King of Hearts: Then you have chosen death. Off with his head!

[spring telepathy time part 2] Citron: (I’m saying the lines properly. I’m getting better at Japanese!)

Masumi: (If you’re going to act onstage, that’s only to be expected.)

Citron: (I hate kings, but I like this role. I’ll move upstage more like you said, Masumi!)

Masumi: (Good. We’ll get along better if you’re not forcing it.) (you all need to know that this entire time he’s just holding the flamingo and hedgehog plushies to his chest like little baby. son.)

-

White Rabbit: Ah--! I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?

King of Hearts(??? i think): What are you--

White Rabbit: Take that! (he smacks the cards. it’s cute.) Let’s go. This is thanks for you saving me. That way, I don’t owe you anything!

King of Hearts: What do you think you’re doing! Seize them!

-

White Rabbit: Whew, we finally shook them off...

Alex: Tell me how to get back to the surface.

White Rabbit: No idea.

Alex: Huh?

Cheshire Cat: My, my, looks like you finally found White Rabbit~

Alex: And yet I haven’t achieved my goal. I want to return to the surface.

Cheshire Cat: Then you should go ask the Hatter.

-

Alex: Professor?!

White Rabbit: This guy wants to go back to...his own world, he says.

Alex: If I drink that tea again, I should be able to return home! Mad Hatter: Now, I’ve never heard of anything like that. Isn’t that right? (directed at the audience) What do you all think we should do with this young man? Hmm, I see! Alex: ...who have you been talking to. Mad Hatter: Reality is not limited to what you can see. There are those in this world who sink a lot of money into things that cannot be seen. Like, say, items in a game.

Alex: I’m getting a headache...

[spring telepathy time part 3] Masumi: Don’t do weird adlibs like that.

Itaru: I told you, let’s just do things our own way. Besides, you look like you’re having fun too. Is that for the director?

Masumi: Of course. But today, it’s not just that. Acting...is fun.

Itaru: Hmm~? What was that?

Masumi: Shut up!

-

Mad Hatter Then I shall tell you! The world is always the world that you are in!

Alex: Huh?

Mad Hatter You are me, and he is you, and I am he

Alex: Enough of the Zen questions and answers! Just send me back to the world I came from!

Mad Hatter The only one who can rescue you from what you’re telling me is yourself.

-

King of Hearts: Found you!

Alex: What are you doing here?!

Mad Hatter: You ask why, well, that’s the King’s seat.

King of Hearts: Off with his head!

Alex: Wait! I don’t want to die here!

King of Hearts: Then you should ask one of your friends. If the White Rabbit will take his place, then Alex will live.

White Rabbit: I don’t owe him anything anymore. In the first place, we aren’t even friends.

King of Hearts: And you?

Mad Hatter: You must be joking. I have no need for friends.

King of Hearts: And you?

Cheshire Cat: Isn’t having friends pointless?

Alex: Haha...we’d get along. I feel the same way.

Alex: ...get along...? You are me...he is you...I am he...could it be that this world is my subconscious? How absurd!

King of Hearts: For the crime of having no friends, you are sentenced to death!

Alex: You’re only being so aggressive because you do want friends, don’t you?

King of Hearts: Huh? Just who do you think you’re talking to?!

Alex: You’re lonely. So you push everyone away to protect yourself.

King of Hearts: How do you know that?

Alex: ...because I’m the same.

King of Hearts: What...?

Alex: So...if you’ll have me...can we be friends?

King of Hearts: Friends...with me?!

Alex: I don’t know what it’s like to have friends, so I was afraid of having anything to do with anyone. You’re the same, aren’t you? But since we’re each other’s first friends, even if we’re both awkward, we’ll be able to forgive each other.

[spring telepathy part 4] Masumi: Tsuzuru, this is just what’s in the script and not my own words.

Tsuzuru: But you’re acting it out even better than I expected!

Masumi: Of course I am. For Director’s sake...and because I’m an actor.

Tsuzuru: They’re lines I don’t think you’d be able to say if you didn’t really think them, Masumi.

-

King of Hearts: Let’s...let’s be friends!

Alex: I also want you to stop doing terrible things to animals.

King of Hearts: I will. An official decree! Free all the animals, and all of the prisoners. Ten days of consecutive holidays for all the land!

White Rabbit: My dream vacation?!

Alex: He’s way too happy about this...

King of Hearts: Now, everyone! A party for the whole country, and a toast to my friend, Alex!

Everyone: Yay!!

the lalalas from wonderland a-go go

King of Hearts: Let’s carry Alex into the air!

Everyone: Yay! Heave-ho!

-

this is like, the part where it’s just alex and hatter for a bit and everyone goes away. like a dream. woooo.

Professor: Good morning. How are you feeling?

Alex: Awful. Like I just wasted a bunch of time.

Professor: That’s the answer to my earlier question. That which only you cannot see, is the treasure of spare time.

-

[i’ve lost count of the spring telepathy times] Itaru: So, do you get it? What it means to be an adult.

Masumi: Yes, with you as a cautionary tale.

-

Professor: Was it a bad dream?

Alex: I didn’t...hate it.

Professor: My! How honest.

Alex: I just don’t want any more of that tea.

-

Masumi: I won’t grow up to be like you.

Itaru: Well, if you’ve ever got any worries, you can come talk to me.

Masumi: No thanks. I’ve had enough of arcades.

Itaru: Come on, it’s the last scene.

Masumi: Don’t you tell me what to do. Let’s go.

-

Alex We are alone, but

Hatter We are not alone

Alex and Hatter If you close your eyes, Everyone will always be there smiling in your heart

Alex There, in Wonderland

Hatter (in Wonderland)

Alex I found

Alex and Hatter An important key

All Now unlock your dreams and your heart It’s a fantasy!

(and as always, they go into the actual song here. tl from the wiki, as usual.)

Alex Since I've fallen into this Wonderland, Why don't you and I go on a journey together?

Hatter Although this world is filled with uncertainty, As long as

Alex I'm with you

Alex and Hatter It seems like we'll be just fine.

Alex and Hatter Since we've fallen into this Wonderland, Why don't you and I go on a journey together? Although this world is filled with uncertainty, As long as I'm with you It seems like we'll be just fine As long as I'm with with you, it seems like we'll be just fine

[rottmntquotes]

Petition Episode (Joke Script Part 1)

(Screen opens up on Donnie; He is sitting in his lab, working on his Self-Cleaning Toothpick, and whistling the show’s theme song. A beat or two passes before Leo races into the lab, and the camera focuses on Leo as he scrambles around, constantly falling onto his face. In an attempt to get Leo to leave, Donnie turns in his swivel chair to face Leo.)

Donnie: Leon, what do you want?

Leo: DONNIE! You have to see this!

Donnie: See what, exactly?

(Leo shoves his phone in Donnie’s face, smiling with enough force to split his face in half. With surprise clear on his face, Donnie slowly takes the phone, raising a brow and turning his focus to the commercial playing on the screen.)

Announcer #1: Hello, hello, hello! Are you a bored soul? A lonely pony? A group or duo who has nothing better to do than sit around at home and work on meaningless inventions?

Donnie: Hold on, wha-

Leo: SHhhhHHHhhHHH!

(Donnie glares at Leo briefly, sighing heavily before looking back at the phone screen.)

Announcer #1: If you answered yes to one, two, or all of those questions, then you may be eligible to try out for a new show filmed down here in the Hidden City!

(Donnie’s eyes widen slightly; He looks at Leo, silently asking for an explanation.)

Leo: It’s a commercial Draxum showed me! He managed to pass through a mystic wall that allows me to get news and stuff from the Hidden City!

(Donnie hums, handing the phone to Leo and thinking intensely. Leo waits as patiently as possible, glancing around and reaching for Donnie’s Self-Cleaning Toothpick. Donnie slaps Leo’s hand away, coming to a conclusion.)

Donnie: I assume there is a reason behind you showing me this commercial?

Leo: Yeah there is! (He jumps up onto Donnie’s desktop to sit next to Donnie) I wanna do it!

Donnie: How does that affect me?

Leo: Because I wanna do it with you, doofus! We rarely do anything together anymore!

Donnie: We went to get ice cream together just two days ago.

Leo: Okay, but-

Donnie: And the day before that we played six rounds of cards.

Leo: Don-

Donnie: And two days before that we watched a marathon of your favorite Jupiter Jim movies.

(Leo scoffs, throwing one leg over the other and sighing dramatically.)

Leo: Fine! Be that way! I guess it is too much to ask!

(Donnie lifts a brow, smirking lightly.)

Leo: It’s not like I want to spend more time with my favorite big brother anyways! Oh, woe is me to have my brotherhood left in twain!

Donnie: Are you done?

Leo: Hold up, not yet. (He leaps up to stand on the desktop, leaning back and placing the back of his right hand on his forehead, and pouting) I cannot believe what my life has come to! Whatever shall I do without the love of my entire family?! I feel myself withering away! Oh! Ancestors, is that you?

(Donnie shakes his head, now smiling widely.)

Donnie: Nardo, if I agree to go, will you stop?

(Leo drops his act, nodding rapidly. Donnie sighs, reluctantly agreeing.)

Leo: Heck yeah! Let’s go participate in a Hidden City game!

(The screen switches to the Hidden City, where the boys are following a map given to them by Hueso to find the studio of the game. Leo is constantly making near contact with random Yokai, and Donnie tries his damndest to keep this from happening to his best ability.)

Leo: Okay, acording to the map, the studio should be right-

(A Fox Yokai interrupts Leo with a loud cheer. She is dressed in a red dress with purple highlights, and her tail and head tuft are purple as well. The twins are less than impressed by this look, and show it with their confused/slightly disgusted frowns.)

Donnie: Uhm, can we help you, ma’am?

Fox Yokai: Yes! I am one of the announcers of the game, and you are the last Yokai on the roster!

Donnie: Wait, the last-

(Leo pushes Donnie to the side, knocking Donnie onto the ground unintentionally. Leo then shakes the Yokai’s hand and introduces himself.)

Fox Yokai: Yes, I know who you are, and I also know who your brother is. We will go over the formalities later, for now we must get into the building.

(Leo helps Donnie up, shaking with excitement. Donnie rolls his eyes, placing his right hand on Leo’s head.)

Donnie: I don’t trust this Yokai. She knew too much about us before we even spoke.

Leo: You’re just being paranoid. (He removes Donnie’s hand) No need to be! We’re here together! And we’ve got each other’s backs! Our Twin Trust hasn’t failed us before, after all.

(Donnie grumbles, unable to deny Leo’s claim.)

Leo: C’mooooon, Don! Just this one thing! Then I’ll do whatever you want to do the next time we hang out! I promise!

Donnie: Ugh... fine. But on one condition.

(Leo tilts his head.)

Donnie: You have to assure me that this isn’t like that stupid Maze of Death.

Leo: Don, please. I would know if this was anything like that maze. And, it isn’t. You have my 100% Leo Guarantee!

(Almost instantly, the camera switches over to Raph, Mikey, and Splinter, who are sitting in the living room. All of a sudden, Draxum appears out of nowhere, startling everyone.)

Draxum: JITSU! WHERE IS THE BLUE ONE?!

Splinter: What are you talking about?!

Draxum: I showed your son a commercial of one of the most dangerous Hidden City games in an attempt to get him out of my apartment!

Raph: WHAT?!

Mikey: Barry! How many times have I told you that that’s not an efficient way to get rid of the twins?!

Draxum: I know, I know! But now isn’t the time to worry about that! (Turns To Face Splinter) Your son, depending on when he inevitably left, is about to sign himself up for a Hidden City game that ends in death nearly 97.55% of the time!

(Raph faints, his body thudding so hard that it makes everyone jump. Mikey chuckles nervously, tending to Raph and leaving Splinter and Draxum to talk things out.)

Splinter: What made you think that showing Leonardo such a commercial was a good idea?!

Draxum: He would not stop talking to me! It was the only thing I could show him that kept his interest! When he said he was going to show the purple one and ask if they could go together, I thought he was joking! That’s his thing! It’s was he does!

(Splinter groans, pinching the middle of his snout before sighing heavily and looking back at his sons. Mikey had managed to wake Raph up, and they were now looking straight at their father.)

Splinter: We must go and save your brothers. Goodness knows what they have gotten themselves into.

(The camera switches to the twins, who are standing in the middle of a group of large Yokai. Donnie is visibly worried, his legs are shaking, his hands clenching around his Tech Bō, and his eyes are shifting around to keep track of his surroundings. Leo is visibly excited, he is standing straight, smiling cheek to cheek, and biting his lip to keep from shouting his joy. The group is standing outside a large house, and they are looking at the Fox Yokai, and a brown and white Rabbit Yokai. The Fox Yokai is clearly happy, and the Rabbit Yokai is clearly disinterested in the situation.)

Leo: *Whispering* Are you ready Don?

Donnie: *Whispering Angrily* N-not r-r-really...

Leo: *Whispering* Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I’m here with you, remember? Twin Trust.

(Donnie calms down substantially, sighing ruefully and leaning against Leo.)

Donnie: Remind me never to do stuff like this with you again.

Leo: No.

Donnie: And why not?

Leo: Because you know you have fun bonding with me.

Donnie: Yeah, when I’m not being threatened with death.

(Leo chuckles, giving Donnie a sideways hug. The twins look forward, waiting for the Yokai to begin explaining what is expected of them. Beside the twins, the Yokai around them are getting slightly antsy. Donnie and Leo share a look of uncertainty. Leo seems more put together than Donnie, but neither objects to the idea anymore. Donnie then looks at the ground, thinking to himself.

“This is not going to end well...”)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*This was completely experimental, and I’ll keep going based on the feedback I get. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I think would make a neat episode.

[thisartemisnevermisses]

Freefall 1/-

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warning: angst, fluff, mild smutt, romance, adventure, reconciliation, cursing, anxiety.

Summary:

After the events of ‘Going Under’ you start a new life in Tokyo. Realizing those events changed you in more than one way. You’re not just the nice analyzer girl, you take life in your own hands again. Only to be pulled back into the rabbit whole.

After almost 2 years the Avengers call upon your help. Recapturing the one person that made your life a living hell. Going on a manhunt, or more likely woman hunt, with the one person you hoped to leave behind for good. Will things spark again between the two of you or are you as cold as ice?

A/N: SO here's the first chapter of Freefall. The one you’ve been waiting for!  It's a stand alone story by itself, but if you want to know the backstory, I recommend reading Going Under. 

Chapter 01: Kako / The Past

From a distance Wanda watched the Raft rise from its waters. With every second they got closer to this prison, her anxiety got bigger. Only 24 hours ago they got a request to visit the Raft. The inmate with number 235 asked for a meeting with no other than Captain America himself. He asked Wanda to come with her, knowing her ability to read minds and emotions to come in handy. A shaky breath escaped her lips, it had been 2 years since she had sabotaged everything, since she took advantage of her trust. Wanda hooped she could contain herself from hurting her, hopefully she could stay calm. “Don’t worry, I will do the talking, she won’t get the opportunity to speak to you”, Steve put his hands over Wanda’s trying to calm her nerves.

The quinjet landed on the helipad, where Lieutenant Campbell awaited their arrival. “Captain Rogers, Miss Maximoff, glad you could make it so quick”, he greeted, giving them a hand, “She’s going to dive soon, please go inside”, Lieutenant Campbell motioned for the door, as the dive alarm sounded. Wanda stopped at the entrance, something felt off, she couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something off. “Miss Maximoff are you coming?” the Lieutenant asked, “Nervous, ma’am?”, eyeing her, “I’m not fond of tight spaces”, Wanda smiles, lying to the Lieutenant, she didn’t trust him. Speeding up her pass, so she was walking next to Steve, “Somethings off Steve, I can’t figure out what it is, but keep your eyes open”, she whispered to the tall Avenger.

Once they went through security and had a clearance card, they were escorted towards an interrogations room. It was a cold white room, with a metal table and chairs. A big glass window framed the left wall and cameras on each side of the room. It felt like an eternity before prisoner 235 was escorted in. Once she was cuffed to the table, the soldier accompany her, took his place in the corner. Wanda looked him over, there was something about him. He seemed familiar, like she had seen him elsewhere. Steve also looked at the soldier, for a moment he thought he saw Rumlow in the solider. But shook it away, knowing Rumlow was in a prison in Russia. Looking at the person in front of him, how he would love to wipe that smug smile of her face, “What do you want, Sharon?”, Steve asks clenching his jaw. “Ooh, just wanted to see your face again, you know how I’m, always wanting to see your face. By the way that beard looks good on you Stevie”, Sharon smiles, leaning back in her chair. “Good to see you to, Wanda”, grinning at the reaction she get from Wanda. “You requested for me Sharon, So what do you want, Cause I’m not believing that you just wanted to see me”, Steve looked from her to the solider, in some way he was distracted by him. “I just wanted to let you know, that things are going to change, Stevie. Oh you can search all you want Wanda, but you won’t find anything in my thoughts. I’m a quick learner”, Sharon tappet her head, seeing the anxiety in Wanda’s face made her smile. “I don’t know where you think you’re going, but this is your new home for quite a while know”, Steve shifts in his chair, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen. “4 minutes, sir,” the soldier announced, his voice awakening Wanda’s mistrust in him. “Well, I’m kind of tired of the same old colors and they won’t let me redecorate it, so I think it’s time to move…to something more…..” Sharon’s eyes glistered dangerously. “It’s a trap..”, Wanda whispered, “Wanda, what did you say?” Steve turned towards her. “It’s a trap”, she spoke, her eyes widening when she finally could read the thoughts of the soldier in the room. “Steve, it’s a trap, that’s Rumlow”, finally finding her voice, pointing towards the soldier in the room. With a swift movement Sharon had her cuffs off and a high pitching noise filled the room. It was deafening and disturbing all communications. It was soon followed by blast, making a whole in the wall, catching Steve and Wanda off-guard. Burying both of them underneath the rubble. Wanda was unconscious, Steve lay on the ground, a ringing in his ears and feeling disoriented. Trying to find something to lean on and stand up, but failing with every attempt. A grunt escapes his mouth, “Wanda, you okay? Wanda?”, trying to find her, feeling around in the debris for her. Fighting off his state of unconscious’s he focuses on Sharon. She’s standing next to the soldier smiling wildly at Steve. Registering that the soldier had taken off his headgear, he recognizes him as Rumlow, “How’d you escape?” Steve, whispers, his voice barely audible. “What’s that Stevie? What did you say?” Sharon comes close to him, kneeing in front of him, “You’re…not..getting away with this”, he swallows thick. “Oh, Stevie, but I’m, I’m sweetie”, she smiles manically, “You can give your girl a message from me, Stevie. She can enjoy her happily ever after with you for now, but soon it will be my destiny to be with you. I’m going to change our fates”, she spoke into his ear, the buzz still ringing in his head, making the message incoherent with his hearing. “You what?” he replies squeezing his eyes, feeling the dizziness take over, “I’m going to make sure that our fates are entwined and with that you will never have met y/n”, she smiled, quickly reverting to Rumlow, who gave her a gun, exiting the room through the whole. “Y/N, she’s not with me, I…” Steve spoke soft, before the darkness took hold of him.

You fumble with your keys, trying to prey them out of your pocket. Cursing under your breath, when they fall to the ground and you hear the phone ring for a second time. It was urgent, for that phone had never rung the past two years. When you finally get your door open, you throw all your belonging into the next available corner and pick up the phone.

“Moshi Moshi..” you pick up your phone, for it stays quiet on the other side of the line, “Hello, Dare ga soko ni imasu ka? Who’s there?” you ask.

“Y/N?” a voice says, in the back of your mind you recognize that voice.

“Yes, who’s this?....Bucky, is this you…?” you stand up and walk towards your bed, getting the gun from under your pillow, trying to analyze your surroundings. Was someone here, had something happened?

“Y/N….It’s…, we need your help, she’s on the lose.” The voice tells you.

“You mean…”, your stomach turns, when the voice interrupts you with a yes.

“You need to come back, we need your help. Lexi’s almost there, please…”, then the line is death. Followed by a knock on your door. Looking through the peephole, you see a woman standing. She looks much like Lexie, but you can’t trust your gut at this point. “What’s the safe word”, you ask, getting the safety pin of your gun. “Come on Y/N, you know it’s me. I don’t want to say it”, the woman pleads. “Save word”, you answer sternly awaiting the answer of the woman. “Fine, Lexipedia rules”, she answers with a sigh. Opening the door you see Lexi standing. Her once long hair, has made way for a short hairdo, the side’s shaven and long on top. Her once round face, now sculpted, high cheekbones framing her face. The young girl she ones was gone. Looking at you she whispers your name, “You’ve changed, a lot…” looking you over with wide eyes. Pulling her inside your apartment, checking the hallway for witnesses. “Yeah, I’m not the only one who’s changed”, you say using your gun to point at Lexi’s appearance. “Could you put the gun away and give me a hug?” she exclaims, opening her arms for her to welcome you. “Sorry, occupation hazard, I’m trigger-happy”, you smile, putting the gun in its holster and hugging Lexi. “Good to see you Lexi. I’ve missed you”, you say soft, swallowing the tears away. “So what’s up with this?” she asks, while fumbling with a lock of your hair. “What, I just dyed it”, you shrug walking towards the fridge, “Just dyed, it’s almost black and a lot shorter then I can remember”, Lexi follows you into the kitchen. “Well, starting over means starting over completely, so figured why not a make-over”, pouring in a drink. “Yeah, how’s working as a field agent going?” Lexi asks, taking her drink. “Shall we cut the small talk and leave that for the plane? What’s with the mysterious phone call? Who was that anyway?” you ask finishing your drink in one take. “Sharon, she…she escaped the Raft with assistance of Rumlow. He’s escaped Russia and infiltrated the Raft to help her escape. They’re both on the loose. The last thing we know, is that they took a plane towards Morocco. We don’t know why, but were trying to analyze everything we found in her cell”, Lexi explains avoiding your second question. “Okay, I will start packing, where were headed?” you ask walking into your bedroom. “Lexi, answer me”, you peek out of the bedroom, only to see her fumbling with the hem of her shirt, looking at the ground. “Lexi, were…are..we..going?” you ask her amplifying every word. “Backtothecompound”, she mumbles, closing her eyes awaiting your reaction. “To the compound? You serious? Why don’t we go to Morocco?” you ask her calmly, “We don’t really know why she’s going to Morocco. Analyzing those document is priority one, following after her comes second”, she smiles apologetic. Putting the last things in your backpack you sigh, “Fine, you can fill me in when were on the plane. I assume that’s not a pizza box in your bag, so let me see the footage in the plane, okay? Let’s go”, you motion for Lexi to walk into the corridor, punching in your access code to secure your apartment, locking the door behind you. Hopefully you were back soon and could get on with your own life. Trying to discard the thoughts of a certain tall Avenger, you walk beside Lexi towards the elevator.

“Wow, that’s fucked up”, closing the laptop, looking at Lexi, “How did Rumlow managed to get in, let alone get the explosives in?” Lexi looks at you apologetic, “I can’t answer you this, this is the only footage that hasn’t been corrupted, as if she meant for you to see what happens”, Lexi explains. Well the two years in prison had given Sharon enough time to think up an escape plan, “What’s the last thing she tells Steve before exiting the room?” firing another question at Lexi, “I’m sorry I can’t tell you that, only Steve can and he’s, well, let’s just say he’s not himself right now”, Lexi answers, avoiding your gaze.

Taking a sip of your drink, “Who else escaped with them? Anyone I need to know of?” you ask Lexi seeing her squirm with your question.

“Oh, just, Willis Strycker and Mariah Dillard, no one in particular?” Lexi shrugs, hoping you wouldn’t freak out.

“Only a world-class sniper and a master manipulator are on Sharon’s team, no big deal right? It’s going to be fun then”, you mock finishing your drink, “I’m going to try get some sleep, flying into a different time zone, is something I’m not used to anymore”, you turn away from Lexi, trying to find a comfortable position so sleep can take you over. The only problem is, is that your dreams are filled with blue stormy eyes, big warm arms and an all too familiar voice.  

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

with you [chapter one]

Summary: Clementine pops the question, Louis has nightmares, Violet can’t let go of the past, Mitch doesn't know how to handle gross feelings, Ruby's a goddamn sweetheart, Willy doesn’t ever remember to knock, Aasim can't dance, and James is here, too.

Nothing like a wedding to bring this family together.

Note: Holy shit, you mean I’m finally posting actual [with you] stuff again? Yeah, I can’t believe it either. If for whatever reason you don’t know why this is being re-uploaded, then you can find all the information on this post here. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. 

Otherwise, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my stories and for the support y’all have given me through this nonsense haha. It truly means a lot, and I can’t tell you how nervous I am about posting this because I AM proud of it and I want y’all to like it, too! 

So, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you! ❤️

Ch1 | Ch2

Read on: AO3 | FF.net | Wattpad

---

A supply run to the train stationed was a spur of the moment decision. 

While finishing up their morning hunting trip- checking and resetting traps, hunting adult rabbits and capturing any babies for their ever-growing rabbit farm- it seemed their duties were done. Just as they were ready to head back, Louis mentioned it wasn’t too far away.

“Up for a little adventure?”

Given that they’ve torn the place apart, Clementine wasn’t sure if it’s really an adventure to travel that way anymore, but AJ was more than willing to go back and look around. 

She figured it wouldn’t be so awful to go and collect anything they might’ve missed from their previous trips, though she felt this was more of an excuse to stay out longer, to enjoy the cool air and each other’s company.

Aasim deemed it a waste of time, choosing to take back everything they collected and meet up with Mitch and Willy, mumbling something about repairing one of the gates. 

Up ahead, but not too far, Louis tells some crazy, exaggerated story as AJ hangs on to every word. Something about Aasim and a shark, she gathers. It’s ridiculous enough to make her rolls her eyes but smile all the same, especially when AJ calls him out on absurd details.

“Aasim doesn’t have a peg leg!”

“Or does he? Tell me this, has anyone actually ever seen Aasim’s bare leg? No, and that’s because it’s a peg stuffed into a boot.”

“No, it’s not!”

Clementine spots a walker lingering in the trees from the corner of her eye, its head twitching with interest at the sound of the boys’ laughter. 

It’s the first one she’s spotted today, likely due to James doing his part of their arrangement.

They worked out a decent system when first offering him a place to stay; anywhere they plan to hunt or scavenge, they let James know in advance so he can gather and lead stray walkers away, making trips a lot easier and quicker. In exchange, he’s welcome to stay in a room and eat with them whenever he wants. 

He rarely stays multiple nights in a row, but Clementine’s glad to see him and the others get along when he does stick around. 

She picks up a large rock and chucks it. The walker follows the noise with a low gurgle.

The decrepit train station is empty. 

The dead couple remains as left; slumped over, tied to their chairs, and still holding hands. 

They try and gather as much as they can, like salvageable, leftover food hidden beneath the trap door, duct tape and a few bandages. Clementine finds a working lighter beneath the table, stuffing it in her pocket as heavy thump vibrates behind her. 

“Oh-ho!” Louis calls out from behind the counter. “Looks like I found your secret stash.”

Clementine quirks a brow, leaning over the counter to peer down at him. He flashes her a bright smile and waves a beaten up chocolate bar.

“Seriously?” When she tries to reach for it, he teasingly jerks it away.

“I don’t think so, darling,” he pockets the bar. “Gotta save stuff like that for a special occasion.”

“Special occasion,” she scoffs. “Like?”

“Like when it’s your birthday, or if it’s someone else’s birthday and you forgot to get them a present,” Louis glances away, shrugging a shoulder with a sheepish grin, “or, y’know, for date night.”

“Date night, huh?” 

“Woah...”

From behind her, AJ shuffling around the dead couple, unfolding something small and gray. Upon a closer look, Clementine can tell it’s a wallet, and from it, AJ pulls out a five-dollar bill.

“Look at that,” Louis approaches the boy with a grin, “looks like dinner’s on AJ.”

“Huh?”

Louis takes the wallet and pulls out some credit cards. “By the looks of it, we’re getting a three-course meal.”

“With extra dessert,” Clementine smiles.

“Triple dessert.”

“Quadruple dessert.”

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about!”

AJ looks between the two of them, clearly confused. “I don’t get it.”

Louis goes to explain, but something small falls from the wallet with a soft thump. A plastic casing preserves a photo with handwriting on the back and a bent corner. 

“Oh.”

“What is it?” AJ asks.

Louis holds up the picture, motioning to the couple. “It’s, uhm... their wedding photo.”

“Wedding photo?” AJ studies the picture. Clementine moves around them to look as well.

It’s jarring, the idea that the young couple are the same people as the decaying bodies in the chairs before them. They’re both so clean and happy with wide smiles and life in their bright eyes. 

The woman’s beautiful, Clementine thinks, with her hair braided back into a bun of curls and her cheeks a pretty pink. Her dress glows white with glittering details, and the diamond ring is visible on her hand resting against her husband's chest.

“They look...” AJ’s mouth twists as he searches for the right words.

“Happy?” Louis offers.

“Well, yeah, they’re smiling, but...” AJ looks at the dead bodies. “I don’t know. It’s weird. Why’re they dressed like that?”

Louis laughs, “Well, little dude, back before the walkers came, people used to get married. It was a pretty big deal, and when they did, they’d have a wedding. Think of it like a huge party with lots and lots of people to celebrate the couple’s marriage.”

“Okay,” AJ says. He takes the photo and studies it. “What does that mean? To be married?”

“Uh, well,” Louis scratches his neck, “it’s what people used to do to prove they really loved each other, I guess. It was, like, this big step to take to marry someone and call them your wife, or your husband.”

“Everyone did it?”

“No, not everyone.”

“How come?”

“Uh, well,” Louis says, “it wasn’t for everyone, I guess.”

“But anyone could do it?”

“I think so.”

“Even me?” asks AJ. “I can get married?”

Clementine smiles. “You’re a little young for that right now.”

AJ frowns and crosses his arms. “How old do I gotta be?”

“Well, there isn’t really a set age-”

“And I can marry who I want?”

“Yes, but,” Clementine shoots Louis a glance, looking for help with an explanation. He shrugs a shoulder in response, clearly amused.  “It’s not something people do anymore.”

“Why not? I mean, you just throw a party. We’ve done that before. And I can marry whoever I love? Like you, right?”

At that, Louis laughs. Clementine sighs. “Uh...”

“Marriage wasn’t for that kind of love, buddy,” Louis says, “it’s a bit more complicated than that.” He puts the picture back into the wallet and tucks it into the dead man’s pocket. “These two didn’t love each other like you and Clem do. They got married because...” Louis’ smile almost turns sad, “they were in love, as a couple.”

“Oh...” AJ thinks, “oh, like a kissing love.”

“A kissing love,” Louis agrees. “Exactly.” 

He winks at Clementine, making her roll her eyes and suppress a smile. 

“Like you and Clem?”

Warmth rushes to Clementine’s cheeks as a loud, nervous laugh escapes Louis.

Before AJ can ask his next question, there’s a soft bang against the door. The conversation’s forgotten as they glance among themselves, silently telling each other to stay on their guard, get low and carefully maneuver to the door. 

AJ peeks out the window, confirming their suspicions. 

“Monster.”

Clementine nods. “Just one?”

“Looks like it.”

They all stand, relaxing a little. The door’s closed, so one walker isn’t a threat.

Louis hauls a hefty bag over his shoulder. “Well, I think we’ve gotten all we can get,” he says. “We should head back.”

“Right.”

Louis hesitates, glancing back at the walker couple. It’s quick, but she catches it. The look in his eyes is like whenever someone mentions Marlon or Brody or other fallen classmates, or whenever he brings up his parents in passing. Almost a sad nostalgia, with maybe some pity and longing. She hasn’t quite deciphered that one yet. 

Regardless, it’s gone when he turns back to AJ, Chairles in hand, saying, “Think we can take that deadhead?”

Clementine remains behind as they go, the crack and squelsh of the walker skull being struck echoing from outside as she approaches the couple, glancing down at the man’s rotten hand entwined with his wife’s.

He still has his ring on.

“Clem?”

“...Coming.”

---

It stuck with her for the rest of the day. 

From when they entered the gates of the school again, continued with their daily chores, all throughout dinner, to now sitting on the couch with Louis in front of the burning firepit. His arm rests comfortably behind her as he chats with Omar, allowing her to lean back into his shoulder and chest. 

From what she could tell, he wasn't thinking about it, and neither was AJ. 

He let the conversation of marriage go after Louis moved onto another topic. She knew he was trying to avoid the obvious question on AJ’s mind to spare everyone the awkwardness. 

“Like you and Clem?”

Like Louis and her...

Marriage isn’t something she thinks about. Not truly, anyway.

Sure, there had been that dumb “marry, ‘flip’, kill” question that seemed to come up during their card games, and sure, from all the groups she’d been in, some had married couples.

Like Kenny and Katjaa.

Christa and Omid.

David and Kate. 

Rebecca and Alvin.

And before the walkers, her parents had been married. Happily married with little to no problems. 

She doesn’t remember a lot about them, but some things stood out in her brain when she concentrated hard enough.

Like how her father would always kiss her mother’s cheek before going to work and after coming home. It didn’t matter if she was cooking, or still in bed, or working on a project, or on the phone, he always kissed her. It was like some unspoken rule.

And how they laughed together. Her father had this deep, rumbling voice that practically shook the house when he laughed, and his laugh only made her mother laugh harder.

And the cute names they called each other. 

Sweetheart. That’s what her father called her mother. 

Sweetheart.

But, marriage isn’t something that stuck in her brain, not something she actively thinks about. 

Seeing that wedding photo, the couple who chose to die together tied to those chairs, and actually talking about it, hearing Louis talk about it, seeing him look back at them the way he did... it stuck with her.

And-

Something lightly tugs as her hair, breaking her thoughts. She cranks her neck to look up at Louis as he pulls something from the messy ponytail of her hair. 

“Sorry, you had some grass there,” he grins, holding up a green stem before flicking it away. “Figured you wouldn’t notice with how zoned out you were. Where’d you go?”

“Nowhere.”

“You went somewhere.”

“I was just enjoying the fire.”

“Hm,” Louis nods before reaching up to tip the hat off her head. “Here, turn around.” 

She shifts around with her back to him and hat in hand as Louis, as gently as possible, frees the purple band from her hair. His long fingers attempt to comb through the absolute mess of curls, and if she weren’t so used to him doing this by now, she’d be embarrassed by the disaster placed upon her head.

“Haven’t heard from James in a while,” Louis mentions. “Didn’t see him out there, either.”

“There were barely any walkers today, so he’s out there somewhere. Probably in his camp.”

“He does know that he as a bed here, right?” Louis begins braiding her thick locks, weaving chucks of curls the best he can, “I mean, it’s nothing fancy, but it has to be better than sleeping on the ground. Or in a tree.”

“Maybe you should tell him that,” she suggests with the hint of a grin, glancing back at him with a perked brow.

Louis chuckles. “Yeah, because I’m gonna get through to him.” He jerks his chin over to the tables where Mitch and Willy sit together with Ruby and Aasim. “If you and Mitch can’t convince him to stay permanently, then I’m afraid no one ever will.”

Louis ties off the braid, placing it over her shoulder to look at. 

He’s gotten better at this. The first time he ever braided her hair, it was, for lack of a better term, very ugly. 

Aasim was appalled upon seeing it, insisting he shows Louis how it’s done. Which was a bizarre thing to learn about him- Aasim could braid hair quickly and beautifully. 

Since then, Louis’ skills have improved immensely. 

Facing him again, she smiles, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Thank you.”

He goes to speak, but Ruby’s approaching figure catches their attention.

“Ya got watch, Lou,” she jerks her thumb back at the post. “You and Aasim.”

“Aw, seriously?” Louis pouts, which quickly turns into a smirk. “Hey, wanna switch? I can take your morning shift and you can go with Aasim tonight?”

“Nope,” Ruby shakes her head, pointing back at the tower. “Get goin.’“

Louis slouches, mumbling quietly, “I tried, my dude...”

“Don’t keep ‘im waitin’.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis stands, reaching his arms high over his head to stretch out his body. He lets out a satisfied groan as they fall back to his sides. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Ruby nods before walking off.

His foot taps hers. “Guess I’ll see you tonight,” he says, leaning forward. His fingers caress her jawline as he lightly pulls her towards him and places a quick, soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll try not to wake you.”

“Goodnight,” is all Clementine can muster up to say.

“Goodnight.” 

He leaves her with a smile. 

And as she watches him walk away, twirling the end of the braid around her finger, it occurs to her with a single, strange thought.

I want to marry that boy.

---

Clementine tries to fall asleep, but she’s restless. She doesn’t know how long she’s laid there, but no position, no angle allows sleep to take her.

AJ snores quietly in his bed on the other side of the room, and Louis still won’t be back for a few hours, leaving her with nothing but a near-silent room and noisy thoughts. 

It’s maddening. 

Not bothering to gather her boots or grab her hat, she tiptoes out of bed and slips out, quietly closing the door behind her to not disturb AJ. 

Footsteps thump against the wooden floors causing her to turn, alert and listening. 

Violet keeps her eyes forward as she walks down the hall, not giving Clementine any acknowledgment as if she were nothing but the door itself. 

Clementine watches her, a greeting caught in her throat that she pushes down. 

By now, she knows better. 

To say it’d been awful between the two of them ever since the delta fight two years ago would be an understatement. She still can’t even breathe in Violet’s direction without getting ‘fuck you’ eyes, and talking was completely out of question. Not that Clementine didn’t still try, but it seems that Violet’s determined to keep herself in the shadows of the school. 

She’s gotten a little better, though. Two years ago, she’d only talk to Tenn and Louis. As time went on, she expanded her daily communications to Ruby, Omar, and Aasim.

Not her, though. 

Louis once tried to help them patch things up. 

It didn’t go over well.

Clementine tries to put it out of her mind as she moves down the opposite direction. Down by the entrance doors, grumbles echo through the quiet air where she finds Ruby grimacing at something in her hands.

“Hey,” she greets.

“Oh, Clem,” Ruby smiles. “Thought you went off ta bed?”

“Can’t sleep.”

Ruby expression softens. “Bad dreams?”

“No.”

“AJ snorin’ too loud?”

Clementine chuckles. “No, I’m just not tired, I guess.”

“Ah, well, ya wanna help me fix Willy’s shirt?” she holds up a dirty blue shirt with a tear along the side. “Got it caught again and didn’t bother stopin’ to untangle himself.”

“Sure.”

Clementine kept the shirt still and flattened against the table while Ruby goes to work.

“Wish that runt would be more careful,” she murmurs, “always tearing his clothes up. What’ll happen if he ruins all of ‘em? That boy’ll be in nothin’ but rags here pretty quick.”

“You could have him sew his own stuff.”

Ruby scoffs. “Yeah, right.”

Clementine watches her steady hand as she sews in comfortable silence. Being around Ruby like this is peaceful. The two had gotten close over the years, and for that, she’s grateful. She adores Ruby.

“So, somethin’s got you wanderin’ around this late. What’s on yer mind?”

Clementine hesitates, thoughts going back to earlier at the train station, as well as racking her brain for any time she’s ever talked “romance” with the girl before her. Aside from a few comments about her and Louis, nothing sticks out. 

 ”Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure, hon.”

“Have you ever liked someone? Like, had a crush?”

The redness on her cheeks brightens as Ruby blinks down at her needlework, processing just what the question entails. “I-uh- what in the world are ya askin’ me that for?”

“Just curious if anyone ever caught your fancy,” Clementine replies. She didn’t think the question would actually make her flustered.

Ruby pokes herself with the needle, hissing a cuss.

“Well,” she says, “hate ta disappoint you, but no.”

“Never?”

Ruby shakes her head. “Nu-uh.”

Clementine thinks back to Aasim and Louis’ constant teasing of the poor boy.

“You don’t like anyone here like that? Not even a little?”

Ruby hesitates.

“No.” 

She finishes sewing up the shirt and holds it up in front of her. 

“Why the sudden question?” she asks. 

“I don’t know,” Clementine answers honestly. “Just was curious, I guess.”

Ruby shifts her weight onto one foot and scratches at her arm. After an awkward silence, she sighs. 

“Well... alright, can ya keep a secret?”

Clementine perks up, nodding, “Yeah, of course.”

“Don’t get excited. He, uh... he’s not real.”

“What?”

Ruby’s blush deepens. “Sometime after all the adults left, I had a hard time sleepin’ at night. Ms. Martin was startin’ ta worry ‘bout me. She told me I should try readin’, it’ll take my mind offa everything, and I remember tellin’ her how stupid that was. But...” Ruby sighs, “I still let her read ta me before bed one night. A love story called ‘The Woodsman.’ Well, kinda a love story. She read it so well and,” she grins sheepishly, “I guess I kinda fell in love with Milo.”

Clementine smiles back. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Milo’s this handsome woodsman doin’ everythin’ he can to help support him and his family, right. He’s kind, like, genuinely kind. And the way he describes and talks about Abigail just is enough ta melt your heart. Or make ya cry, mostly both.”

“Do they end up together?”

“No- Well, sorta? Ya see, Abigail’s taken and forced ta live on top this big ‘ol mountain by this old, ugly witch as punishment fer Milo killin’ one of her wolves- uh, it makes more sense when ya read it,” she explains, running her fingers over the fresh stitching in Willy’s shirt, her mouth twisting. “Milo tries and tries again ta climb the mountain and save her, but every time he gets a little bit closer, he slips and tumbles down.”

“Shit.”

“Everything he does, he does it fer her. To free her of that witch’s cruelty. And the crazy part’s that he doesn’t even know if she loves him back. He don’t care if she does or not, he keeps climbin’ anyway and it eventually kills him,” Ruby shakes her head. “Never makes it back to Abigail.”

“That’s... awful.”

“Can’t tell ya how many times that part’s made me cry,” Ruby laughs dryly, “and it’s even worse ‘cause as he’s laying at the bottom dyin’, he’s still thinkin’ ‘bout how only he knows she’s up there and only he can save her and... he dies. He dies and becomes a star.”

“A star?”

“In the sky. High up there and he watches and protects her from the witch until eventually, Abigail dies, too.”

“And becomes a star, right?”

Ruby nods. “Right.” 

She folds up Willy’s shirt neatly, draping it over her arm.

 “After we lost Ms. Martin, I went through some of her things and found the book. Can’t tell ya how many times I’ve read it. Guess I always liked the idea of someone lovin’ me that much, enough ta fall down a mountain over and over again just ta save me. It’s justa silly fairytale,  ‘cause I know someone like that doesn’t exist, but… thinkin’ they do still helps me sleep at night.” 

“That’s not silly,” Clementine grins. “I think it’s really sweet.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Ruby smirks. “Don’t want ‘em ta think I’m too soft.”

Clementine laughs. “I won’t.”

Ruby’s gaze falls as she mulls over something, something sorrowful passing over her brow. Clementine nudges her. 

“Hey, you’ll find your Milo someday.”

“...Ya think so?”

“I do.”

With a sincere, thankful grin, she says, “Well, sorry I blabbered so much. Think it’s time I hit the hay. Thanks fer helpin’ me and... fer listenin.’”

“Thanks for sharing that with me. It sounds like a good read.”

“I’d let you borrow it if ya want.”

“I think I’d like that.”

Ruby beams at her, smile wide across her face. She gathers all her things and is just about to walk back to her room when Clementine stops her.

“Ruby?”

“Hm?”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Don’t hafta,” Ruby says. “Just ‘cause I shared, I mean.”

“I know.”

“Well, alright, then.”

Clementine hesitates, and in a whisper, she says, “I think I’m in love with Louis.”

Ruby laughs. “Oh, hon, that ain’t no secret,” she grins, “it’s all over yer face when yer together. His, too.”

“No, I mean...I really love him.” Clementine laughs again, this time feeling silly herself. “Y’know, if Louis were cursed by some witch and put on top of a mountain, I’d never stop climbing to get him back. Is that crazy?”

“No,” Ruby walks toward her, reaching down to grab her hands. “Not at all.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Ruby says firmly. “In fact, you should tell him that.”

“Yeah?” Clementine smirks. “’Hey, Louis, by the way, if you ever happen to get cursed and kidnapped by a witch, I promise to save you.’”

That makes Ruby giggle. “Well, if any one of us were ta get cursed, it’d probably be him.” 

They laugh together now. 

“Does he already know? You ever tell him how much you love ‘im?”

“I have,” Clementine says. “Lots.”

“Good. Ya never know in this world... don’t want any more regrets than we already got.”

“I know. Believe me, I know.”

---

He shouldn’t still be thinking about it, but he is. 

Even now, up on the watchtower looking over the silent forest, Louis thinks about all the times he, Clementine, and AJ have gone back to the train station, trying to remember if he ever stopped to actually look at the walker couple hunched over in their chairs together. 

No, he barely paid them a glance once he knew they were taken care of. 

Now, they’re all he can think about. 

“You’re quiet,” Aasim mentions, lowering his binoculars and paying him a side glance. 

“And you’re observant,” he retorts without missing a beat. 

Aasim’s gaze falls down to the deck of cards in Louis’ hands as he absently shuffles them, but says nothing more, rolling his eyes and turning back to peer through binoculars.  

Watch is uneventful as always. 

Not that he’s complaining- it’s what Louis prefers. 

A calm, quiet night of watch is better than a night of being constantly on edge, panicking at an extreme increase of incoming walkers, or catching assholes trying to sneak in. 

No, he appreciates the silence outside the walls.  

It gives him time to think about things. 

Back home- well, back in the old house he lived in before being sent away to Ericson, they had an incredible dining room on the first floor. Monochromatic, with dark hardwood floors and a glass chandelier above the dining table. 

There was a fireplace, too. They only used it during the winter, but above the mantle hung a beautifully framed photo of his parents on their wedding day. Around the holidays, when the fire was ablaze and his jam-packed stocking hung from the mantle, his mom would string lights around the frame, the same lights trimming the rest of the room. 

And for the life of him, Louis can’t actually remember what the photo itself looked like, what his mother’s wedding dress looked like or if his father had his beard or not. He can’t even remember what color the background was. 

The only thing he remembers about it is seeing it poke out of a cardboard box the morning he was being brought to Ericson, surrounded by several belongings packed away, ready for a move away from the freshly bare walls and empty fireplace. 

Of course, all three of them were going in different directions. 

He hasn’t thought about that for a long time, but thumbing through the walker’s wallet and seeing their wedding photo struck something. 

His parents were happily married at one time, just like the walker couple. They fell in love, had a wedding, had him, and then everything went downhill from there, didn’t it? 

“Tomorrow, we should work on expanding the kennel for the rabbits,” Aasim mentions. “We’ve got two who could have babies any day now.”

“Lucy one of ‘em?”

Aasim frowns. “Dude, I told you not to name them.” 

“I didn’t. Willy did.”

“...Wait, seriously?” Aasim sighs, rubbing at his brow. “I told Mitch to keep him away from them. They’re not pets, they’re food.”

Leaning forward with his elbows against the wooden edge, Louis rubs his eyes and sighs. 

He needs to stop thinking about this shit- his parents, marriage- it’s all in the past and nothing will come out of letting it weigh on his mind. 

He forces himself to think about how at the end of his shift, he gets to go back inside and up to his dorm where Clementine’s waiting for him, then he’ll get to climb in their warm bed and finally get some sleep.

Hopefully. 

Shit, he needs a distraction. 

“You even see anything out there?” he asks.

“No, everything’s quiet.”

“Good.”

Moving closer to Aasim, Louis shuffles his deck of cards one last time before dealing out seven to Aasim and himself, setting the rest between them. Picking up his cards, he moves his fours all together and waits for Aasim to get the idea. 

With a sigh, Aasim follows suit. 

“Usual rules?”

“With a twist.”

“Of course.”

“Winner gets to ask the loser a question.” 

“Fine.”

“Alright... got any fours?” Louis asks.

“Go fish.” 

“Damn.”

He draws a card. 

Aasim rearranges his cards, asking, “Got any sevens?”

"Double damn.”

Louis hands him his seven.

“Nines?” Aasim asks. 

“Go fish.” 

---

The night sky is a comfort compared to inside, the cool air offering more solace than her own bed.

Rubble crunches and kicks beneath as Violet drags her feet, her focus stuck on the cracked cement, fallen bricks, and the upcoming bell laying motionless on the side. It’s rusted over from years of being left in the rain, a sickening metallic smell emanating off of it.

She comes to a stop, her gaze stuck without really looking at it, as if her thoughts have smeared her visual focus. Thinking back on it, there isn’t a time where she remembers the bell actually being attached where it was meant to be. Not that it really matters. She’s not here to admire the fallen bell and it’s greater purpose, nor to mourn its untimely fall.

“Vi?”

She nearly jumps, whirling around to find Tenn watching her, his fingers twisting nervously and concern furrowing his brow.

“Shit, Tenn,” she curses, fully facing him while crossing her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m on patrol,” he says, reaching into his pocket to proudly pull out his patrolling knife, the same one AJ uses when he walks around at night. “I saw you come out here and you looked mad.”

“So you followed me without saying anything?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he offers a soft grin. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t,” she lies, rolling her eyes. “I’m fine.”

He nods slowly but doesn’t turn to leave, instead eying her over-sized coat and the bell she stands beside.

"It’s a little cold out here. Why don’t you come inside? It’s late.”

“I said I’m fine, Tenn. I’m just getting some fresh air.”

“Then, do you want some company? I can take a break from patrol and go up there with you.” 

She knows he’s trying. He’s always trying with her, trying to get her to talk to him the way she used to or smile or… something. 

Sometimes he as bad as Louis in that regard.

“No.”

“Oh.”

She hates to think it or feel it or whatever, but right now she can’t deal with him. She can’t deal with anybody. She can barely stand to look him in the eye and his voice gnaws at her eardrums, too loud and too damn concerned. 

She just... really needs some quiet. 

When he doesn’t move or say anything else, Violet turns on her heels and approaches the stairs, only for him to call after her.

“Are you sure? I can climb up with you-”

“I said I’m fine, Tennessee,” she snaps much harsher than intended. “Go back on patrol.” 

The effect of her words is instant in his soft, slightly hurt expression.

Fuck.

“Oh-okay,” he stutters out, nodding. “Just- just be careful not to slip, and if you need anything...” he trails off, waiting for any type of response. When he doesn’t get any, he turns and walks back the way he came, adding, “Goodnight, Vi.” 

She watches him go, wanting nothing more than to bang her head against the bell until it rings. 

Why the hell did she have to do that? Why couldn’t she just say, “Thank you, Tenn, I would love the company” or “Thank you, Tenn, but I want to be alone right now” or-

It doesn’t matter now. Tenn’s gone, back on patrol and doing his best to protect them and the school from danger. She’s proud of him for that, though she’s never had the opportunity to tell him that. 

No, that’s a complete lie. 

She’s had plenty of opportunities. Every time she sees him practicing his bow with Willy or learning defensive strategies from AJ, she could easily walk over there and tell him how good he’s doing. 

But she doesn’t, because each and every time those things happen, Clementine’s there with him. 

And that just-

Fuck. 

A yawn builds up in her throat as she takes the first set of stairs to the wall. She shakes it off, beginning her climb to the top.

Another sleepless night that will undoubtedly lead to a deep sleep in the morning. Seems to be her usual schedule these days; complete daily tasks with as little issue as possible, eat dinner, retire early and pretend to try and fall asleep for the rest of the night until dawn breaks, then actually sleep until breakfast is long over.

It’s not so bad when she has night watch, but tonight’s not the case.

In fact, tonight’s a completely different story.

She managed to fall asleep peacefully with a full belly and a relaxed state of mind, something that’s rare even now. She’d been hopeful curled up in bed with the comforter wrapped around her, and that was stupid.

“Shit,” she hisses when her foot slips, causing a short pang of panic in her gut before she catches her self, holding tight and waiting as Tenn’s words repeat in her mind. 

She wonders how long it would take them to find her body -her walker body- if she did fall, as morbid as that may be. 

Deeming herself safe, she continues her climb.

It was a good dream.

Of course it was.

The one night she finds some peace and her own brain has to fuck it up with false, happy realities. On top of it all, she crossed paths with Clementine on her way here and that made everything worse.

Now it’s all she can think about.

The mere sight of her pisses Violet off.

Though, at this point in her life, she’s not even sure if she can accurately pinpoint why. They haven’t spoken- really spoken- in nearly two years but the pain is still present in every second she’s near and Violet can’t stand it. She refuses to stand it.

Never again.

The breeze is stronger at the top, sweet against her face and through her hair. It’s one of her favorite feelings to be up here alone beneath the stars, the wind calming and the sight breathtaking.

Planting herself down in her usual spot, Violet takes a few deep breaths and pulls off her jacket, digging around in the pockets for her notebook and an old green glitter pen.

The notebook isn’t traditional in style, but completely handmade with loose leaf paper sewn together and her name decorating the cover. It was a gift she received two years ago from Tenn, Aasim, and Ruby when everything seemed to finally calm down after the delta.  

It’s a gift that she’s held onto earnestly, one that she used regularly, one that she needed.

Aasim said it was for her thoughts because “writing’s easier than talking sometimes,” and that’s one hell of an understatement.

She refused to write in it at first, knowing that once she did, everything that happened would become more real and the weight of that would crush her into dust. It wasn’t until that fight with Louis that she began writing in it, listing a number of ways she could possibly apologize to him.

Now, it contained everything; memories, different constellations she found in the night sky, thoughts, observations, mini diary entries…

Sometimes she wrote about her parents, her grandma. Sometimes she wrote about the others, sometimes she wrote about Louis, about Minnie, about Tenn.

Sometimes she wrote about Clementine.

Sometimes… she wrote about the delta, the interrogation room, about the cold water, the walkers, the explosion…

And sometimes, she tore pages out and tried to forget.

Opening up to the next blank page, Violet draws a series of dots representative of stars before connecting them in the shape of two birds. Next to one, she draws a speech bubble and writes, “Fly away with me!”

She sighs.

It was a good dream, far from a nightmare and somehow, that made it worse.

She and Minnie were in the fishing shack, lying on the bed and holding hands, talking in muffled, obscured voices. Everything around them was warped, but they were together without any chaos.

Violet always wanted to do that.

She always wanted to go there with Minnie, carve their initials on the wall together, then cuddle in bed while Minnie sang to her until the sun set. When night fell upon them, the need to be together kept them in that bed, even at the cost of worrying the others.

That never happened.

The closest Violet ever got to the fantasy was waking up early and going there by herself to carve the initials, then leading Minnie back as a surprise.

That was the first time they ever kissed.

But, that was it.

They grabbed their spears and went fishing.

The only thing memorable about the kiss is that it was her first. Quick and a little awkward, but enjoyable, she thinks.

Maybe.

Fuck, it was so long ago.

Violet rubs her face on the sleeve of her shirt, murmuring “stop” several times under her breath.

While being up here is calming and peaceful, now that she’s sitting alone beneath these stars, Violet realizes just how lonely it can be.

Yeah, lonely.

It’s fucked but it’s nights like this that she wishes for the comfort of another beside her to talk to about this stuff, but when someone offers her it to her like Tenn did, she refuses it. 

Why?  

Because she actually longed for the comfort of a girl who aided in her suffering at the hands of an evil bitch hellbent of kidnapping as many as she could for her army? A girl who had a face she once loved but eyes as hollow as cold space itself and who was a lovely yet sorrowful memory she’s held on to for far too long, but just can’t seem to loosen her grasp of?

That comfort is a falsity, a pipe dream and she knows it. 

No, she longed the comfort of friends who desperately want to help her no matter how much she pushes them away. Someone who understood the pain she felt and comforted her with beautiful art and kind words, or someone who saved her life and loved her and never stopped trying.

Someone there in the flesh who offered himself to her every day who she repeatedly turned away from.

Because isn’t that who she is now…?

A person who craves the comfort of interaction but also flees from it the first chance she gets.

One big, stupid, fucking contradiction.

But at least she has the night sky, right? 

No matter what, the moon and the stars would never truly leave, they’d come back to her every single night, and that’s more than she could say for most. 

---

Clementine’s still awake when Louis sneaks in. 

He tries his best to be quiet, stopping at the door to slip off his boots and jacket, tiptoeing around before slowly sliding into bed with her with a huff.

She lifts her head off the pillow, silently watching him rub at his tired eyes. 

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Shit,” he curses, startled, but relaxes when she sits up on her elbows. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she sighs. “Been in and out.”

Louis scoots closer to her so that her chin rests against his shoulder. He entwines their fingers, bringing their hands to rest against his chest. 

He’s freezing from being outside, so she yanks the blanket up closer to fully cover them, causing him to let out a content sigh.

“How was watch?” she asks.

“Same ol’, same ol’,” he replies. “Convinced Aasim to play go-fish with a twist ‘til he got mad,” he yawns. “Asked him when he’s finally going to confess his undying love to Ruby and he threatened to throw my deck over the wall.”

Clementine chuckles. “Sounds about right.” 

They find a pleasant position with her arm around his waist and her body pressed snug against his back. He kisses the back of her hand as his eyes flutter shut, the day's exhaustion catches up with him.

"Guess we’re going to expand the kennel tomorrow,” he says. “Lucy and another rabbit are going to have babies soon, so that’ll be a lot of fun.”

“Hmm.”

“How was your night?”

“Better now.” 

The corner of his mouth twitches into a grin.

Their hands raise and fall with every breath he takes, and soon he’s fast asleep. His heartbeat is soft against her hand, the rhythm a sweet lull. She keeps herself awake a little longer to make sure he remains peaceful.

She runs her thumb over his, thinking back to the couple in the train station, wondering what their last kiss was like, what their final words to each other were. She wonders if there were a lot of things left unspoken, things that wanted to be said, needed to be said.

She squeezes his hand and allows her eyes to rest.

[never---ending---story]

How do I passive Aggressively Say ‘Fuck You’ In Flower

Possible Triggers: Swearing

word count: 3058

—————————————————

Eli’s eyes scanned over the words of the gardening magazine he was reading. He wasn’t necessarily processing them but he knew that if Nicolette found out she’d scold him for not trying. Which was completely fair, he wasn’t trying. He just needed extra money. The only thing that seemed to catch his interest was the flower meanings but last time Nicolette caught him reading the same book on flower meanings she said that if he didn’t learn how to pot a plant he’d be dead, and he really couldn’t afford to die with his scholarship on the line. So sitting behind the counter of a flower shop it was. A flower shop that was mainly just him sitting at a counter reading about how to actually take care of a plant. He may be learning how to save human lives but for the sake of all, you hold dear don’t let him plant sit. Nicolette was teaching him, but it was difficult for him to catch on.

Honestly, as much as Eli wanted to have a plant, to be able to say he had a son named Carl who was actually just a mason jar with a small cactus sitting in it, he just didn’t understand why they needed to be so high maintenance. It didn’t make sense. He could take care of a rabbit but not a fucking shrub. Eli heaved a sigh and pushed his glasses up his nose. He was bored beyond belief and was extremely relieved to hear the bell above the door jingle. He sat up.

“Mr.davidson we just got- oh” Eli was expecting the same old man who came on every day to get a flower for his wife, but instead it was a really cute boy.  The guy looked to be about his age with feathery black hair and annoyed brown eyes. He looked upset. He had on platform boots, pale blue jeans, and a black t-shirt with a simple doodle of a mountainscape. He had a set scowl on his lips as he walked up to the counter, leaning against it.

“How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in a flower bouquet?’ he asked with an indignant tone. That question had definitely caught Eli off guard.

“Uhm,” he thought about it “meadowsweet flowers mean uselessness”

“That’s a bit harsh don’t you think?” the guy questioned

Eli shrugged “You’re the one asking how to say fuck you in flower.” Eli bit his lip and thought for a moment “I do think I can arrange a bouquet to say that though. Unless you just want orange lilies. They mean hatred. That’s close enough right”

The corner of the guy’s lip twitched but it went away as soon as it appeared. “Tell me about the bouquet oh wise flower boy”

Eli let himself smile at him “Well it has meadowsweet, which as I already said, mean uselessness. Foxgloves mean insincerity, Geraniums -- stupidity, yellow carnations-- you have disappointed me and the orange lilies.”

The guy considered that “would you get that for me flower boy?”

Eli chuckled “Sure thing sir,” he said, stepping from behind the counter, “would you like a card with that?” he asked as he grabbed the Geraniums.

The guy propped his head on his hand, still leaning on the counter “sure. I’ll let you fetch my bouquet of doom while I think of what to put”

Eli nodded and shuffled around picking out the nicest flowers he found for this special boy, even if his bouquet was less than friendly. Once he had gathered all the flowers, he grabbed a sheet of paper to wrap them up. No matter how many times Nicolette had taught him how to wrap them he always messed up, but this time it didn’t quite matter for this bouquet of pissed off glory. He looked up at the man who wanted the flowers. He had a teasing smirk on his face as he watched Eli struggle to wrap the flowers.

“And the card?” Eli asked 

The guy’s smirk only grew as Eli grabbed a small card and pen that had a paper flower on the end. “Dear dad” he began “Fuck you, I don’t need you anyway. I’m 22. Signed, Damien” he said, sounding satisfied. Damien huh? Eli went to write that down but after the first few letters he looked up.

“What?”

“You heard me,” the guy looked at Eli’s tag “Elijah?”

“Just call me Eli. Jesus, what did your dad do to you?” 

Damien shrugged “Disowned me. I should’ve seen it coming”

Eli finished writing and stapled it to the paper, binding the flowers “Then I guess he deserves this bouquet. Wanna throw in some butterfly weed.”

“Depends oh wise flower sage. What does it mean?”

“It means ‘leave me’. Kinda like fuck off” 

The man considered this and nodded after a pause “By all means throw it in.”

Eli laughed a bit and once again left the counter space, walking to the left side of the store. He grabbed two butterfly weed flowers and slid them into the bouquet. “Anything else?”

Damien shook his head “Nope. That’s it.”

Eli quickly rang up the guy for his flowers and scribbled his number on his receipt writing, “tell me how it goes >:D”

Damien inspected his receipt for a moment and caught Eli’s eyes when he looked up. He had a mischievous grin plastered on his face

“Sure thing blondie,” he said pocketing the receipt

Eli chuckled “He deserves a worse bouquet but unfortunately I don’t think you want to accidentally send him a death threat”

A chuckle sounded from Damien and he nodded “Yup, don’t want any police at my apartment.” he paused for a moment “thanks Eli”

Eli nodded in response “It’s my job. Your bouquet was fun though”

Damien laughed “I can only imagine.” he glanced at the clock on the wall “Shit I’ve got to get going” he muttered and then turned back to Eli “I’ll text you”

Eli nodded “You better. Now get to where ever you need to go”

Damien nodded and ran out of the shop yelling “TO MY DAD’S HOUSE”

Eli was leaning behind the counter tapping his fingers on the wooden surface. The door to the flower shop was cracked open so a cool breeze swept through. Spring had arrived. Spring meant more flowers. More flowers that Eli had already planted. Now he was sitting bored, wishing no one, in particular, would walk through the doors with his black fringe and platform boots. As soon as he thought about him his heart lept. Footsteps echoed across the tile of the shop and Eli’s eyes shot up.

“Damien-” he was sad to realize that this time it was Mr.Davidson. “Good afternoon  Mr.Davidson how can I help you?” he asked lazily

Mr.Davidson was a cheery only man with blue eyes and shiny white hair. He smiled at Eli.

“Hello, Elijah,” he said happily with a sweet smile. He adjusted his tan cardigan over his shoulders “I’m looking for some tulips. Those are in season aren’t they son?”

Eli walked out from behind the counter. He couldn’t help but smile at the short, happily go lucky old man, “they sure are sir. Are you looking for seeds this time around or just flowers?”

Mr.Davidson glanced around the shop as he contemplated, “well, I think I’ll get flowers.” he looked back to Eli, “Now, do you know what those signify, Elijah.”

Eli nodded as he led Mr.Davidson over to their tulip selection “Perfect love,” he answered wistfully, “it’s awfully sweet that you’re getting these for your wife sir.”

The old man looked at the flowers “Well I love her and feel she deserves them” the old man said, “I think I’ll get a bouquet.”

Eli sighed “Do you want me to wrap those for you?” he heard another set of steps enter the shop and looked over his shoulder to see Damien. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks as Damien met his eyes “I’ll be with you in a minute.” he squeaked.

Mr.Davidson raised an eyebrow at Eli “You don’t need to wrap them. I do think that you like that boy over there though.”

Eli flushed more, and he looked away ash he started to pick out flowers. He made sure nothing was amiss and cut the stems, handing the flowers to the old man.

“Thirteen  dollars even,” he said holding the bouquet out to the old man who smiled and happily handed sawyer fifteen dollars 

“Keep the change,” he said before walking out. Eli waved to him and turned to Damien

“Sorry I’m once again the only one working. Sawyer’s got a stomach bug.” he walked up to him and smiled “What vengeful bouquet do you need this time”

Damien chuckled “How do you say: Sorry, you’re not my type in flower”

Eli raised his eyebrows “Ooo did someone ask you out?” he said wiggling his shoulders up and down, pretending like that didn’t make his heart sink to the floor.

“Yeah” Damien replied starting to walk around the shop “She’s my math tutor. Name’s Nicolette.”

Eli practically choked on air and Damien turned to him with an alarmed expression as he started laughing.

“She’s-” Eli put a hand over his mouth and laughed a bit more “She’s my boss, dude! I can’t believe you rejected her she’s so cool. Scary, but cool.”

Damien’s eyes widened “Well, it’s not my fault I like guys!”

The boy in the floral apron paused for a second. Damien was gay? Eli turned his attention back to Damien. “Yeah, okay. Fair point.”

Damien crossed his arms and looked protective of himself. Eli faltered when he realized why.

“Hey don’t worry. I’m gay too. I happens to the best of us” he nudged Damien’s shoulders “I think I know a flower that will work. Do you still want to be her friend?” Eli asked, changing the subject.

Damien looked at him with an expression Eli couldn’t discern. He uncrossed his arms. “Well, yeah. I do. She’s a good tutor”

Eli smiled at him, “She’s good at math!” he said cheerfully “I think yellow roses would fit perfectly. They signify friendship.”

The other boy nodded

“I could throw in some pansies” Eli added as he started to gather the yellow roses “Pansy was a name given to flamboyant gay guys like a hundred years ago

Damien snorted “that’d be great actually.”

Soon enough Eli was back behind the counter, facing the challenge of wrapping flowers. He heaved a heavy sigh and grabbed the paper.

Damien looked at him and smiled. “Do you want help there, flower boy?”

Eli looked up and bit his lip “Well, um”

Damien just chuckled “of course you do.” he said and then he walked behind the counter. He got way to close for what would usually be Eli’s comfort zone, but he couldn’t bring himself to care apart from being a bit flustered.

Damien pulled the flowers and wrapping paper over to himself. He looked over at Eli with a grin, you forgot the tissue paper.

Eli sighed “right, right” he grabbed a yellow piece of tissue paper and handed it to Damien who took it gratefully. The boy in black put the tissue paper under the flowers (but over the wrapping paper) and began to fold the paper.

As much as the silence was comfortable, Eli didn’t want that. He wanted to talk. So he did.

“So what’s with the platform boots?” He asked “You’re taller than me now, and I’m 5’10”

Damien looked over at him “I’m also 5’10. I just like to feel tall” he said with a shrug going back to folding the flowers “they’re only adding like three inches to my height and I’m 5’9”

Eli smiled “I’m taller than you?” he asked leaning against the counter.

Damien rolled his eyes “I guess so. Good thing I never take off these shoes. I’ll always be 2 inches taller if I can help it.”

Eli smiled “What color ribbon do you want to tie it off with?” he asked, sitting up straight.

Damien shrugged “surprise me, flower boy.”

Eli nodded and opened the drawer under the counter that held the ribbon. He grabbed green and cut off what Damien would need.

Damien tied a neat bow “Easy,” he said holding the flowers up. He looked over at Eli with a grin “no offense though”

Eli snorted “yeah okay.” he said, rolling his eyes. There was a moment of silence between them and Damien smelled the flowers and smiled. Eli felt his heart do a somersault.

“I’ll pay for the flowers” he blurted out.

Damien’s head snapped into Eli’s direction “really?”

Eli nodded hastily “yeah, I mean, you did wrap them. It’s how I’ll repay you.”

Eli could’ve sworn he saw Damien’s cheeks flush before he ducked his head away for a moment. Eli chewed on the inside of his cheek. 

“You’re an angel thank you,” he said.

Eli nodded “of course. Anything for a-” as Damien walked past him, he kissed Eli on the cheek and Eli stopped talking.

“I’ll see you soon Eli. I’ve gotta go” he said before walking out of the store. Eli stood in his place, feet glued to the ground as blood rushed to his cheeks. Did that just happen?

Eli hummed a tune idly to himself fanned himself with a magazine. He didn’t have much to do anyway. Classes were out and summer was in full swing. People came and went from the shop but Eli didn’t care. He was just excited that a certain someone was going to stop by. He had been texting Damien the night before who said that he needed to pick up some flowers. They had been texting a lot recently, but they never got the chance to meet up in real life. Between Eli’s classes and the job at the flower shop, he didn’t have time. Neither did Damien, he had classes when Damien didn’t. Luckily it was summer now, and they could sneak a chance. Eli wanted a different change though. He didn’t just want to hang out with Damien. Sure, hanging out is nice, but what Eli really wanted as a date of some kind. Maybe going to a coffee shop or a nice walk through the park. He didn’t know, nor care.

In his daydream, he had failed to notice someone walk in. The very someone he had been waiting for. 

Damien snapped his fingers in front of Eli’s face who jumped. He looked up at Damien. “I hate you” he hissed with no real malice. Beside him, his co-worker, Sawyer, was laughing at him. 

“You’re such a wimp sometimes,” he said, chuckling a bit.

“I’m not a wimp!” Eli fought “I’m studying to be a doctor!”

Sawyer stuck his tongue out at him and went back to texting someone on his phone.

Eli turned his attention back to Damien “that’s Sawyer” he said with a sigh, “anyway, what do you need. You didn’t cheat on someone this time did you?”

Damien shook his head “I’d never do that. I need a bouquet that means I think I’m in love with you.”

Eli froze, eyes wide with shock because, for some reason, he knew that was pointed at him. Maybe it was the blush on Damien’s cheeks or the shifting of Damien’s brown eyes.

“Well um…” he smiled at the boy in front of him “Well roses obviously stand for love, but begonia’s stand for deep thinking. Those two together could mean that you... y’know. Think you love someone.”

Damien smiled “well that sounds perfect to me,” He said sweetly.

Eli kept his eyes on Damien as he stepped out from behind the counter.

“Who are the flowers for?” he asked innocently, walking over to where the store had roses.

Damien grinned his beautiful grin “You’ll see Eli.”

Eli had grabbed three flowers but he turned to Damien “Eli? I thought I was flower boy” he said with mock offense.

Damien chuckled softly “Shut up flower boy.”

Soon enough Eli had gathered the flowers and he handed them over to Damien to wrap. “You’re good at it” he had said to which Sawyer called him a bitch for not trusting him to do it. He was getting awfully good at ruining cute moments.

Damien quickly wrapped the flowers up in red wrapping paper. He did it quickly but still managed to make it look pretty. Eli shoved him onto the other side of the counter.

“You have to pay this time,” he said with a small smirk.

Damien stuck out his bottom lip, “you’re so mean to me.”

Eli rolled his eyes as an idea popped into his head. He stuck a price barcode sticker onto the flower bouquet and scanned it.

“That’s going to be 13 dollars and a kiss,” he said cooly looking up.

Damien looked shocked but hid it quickly. “A price is a price” he replied, setting thirteen dollars on the counter. Then, in what seemed like without a second thought, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Eli’s lips to which Eli happily kissed back. They were at an awkward angle leaning over the counter, but neither of them seemed to mind. Eli easily fixed it by making them meet in the middle. Damien was the one to break it. 

“I think I’m all paid up then,” he said, picking up the flowers, “they’re are for you by the way,” he said. Damien put the flowers in front of Eli once again. Eli picked them up. “Thank you,” he said.

Damien nodded and kissed Eli one last time. “I’ve gotta go. Call me when you’re done working flower boy.” Damien winked before turning around and leaving the flower shop.

As the door swung shut, Sawyer spoke up. “What the hell just happened?” he said aloud.

Eli looked over at Sawyer and felt blood rush to his cheeks

Sawyer looked at the door and then to Eli, his platinum hair swishing with each dramatic turn of his head. “That was the smoothest shit I’ve seen.” he muttered, “You’re supposed to be an awkward baby!”

Eli laughed at Sawyer’s confusion, embarrassment fading away. He didn’t need to feel embarrassed about Damien, not now, not ever.

[jess-the-vampire]

Tom Vs The Forces Of Evil (Au) Chapter 20

Previous/

Tom took a seat on his bed, back in his old room, and by old room he should say new and permanent room on earth. Turning it back was almost a joy in fact, he kinda missed it, the Diaz guest room had life once again from the plain white walls and simple setup it used to have. Tom's crown sat on his dresser, newly taken here from the castle, all his things were currently being cleared out in fact. Tom held the letter down in his hands, sighing, he wasn't sure whether he liked getting updates about his parents. He did like hearing about their improvements on trying to fix the damage the mewman royal society did to the, for years, but it was kind've bittersweet to think about them No matter how much better he'll get, he was never going to be his dad.

Tom threw the letter on the bedside table and took a long breath, he was wearing Marco's hoodie today, it was softer then usual thanks to Ms Diaz cleaning it up after Tom arrived back on earth. The Diazes were more then ecstatic for Tom's return, literally throwing him a party as soon as he walked in. Tom was starting to get used to this family throwing him parties whether he deserved it or not. Marco still saved him a slice of his birthday cake, and Tom ate it happily, despite it being a bit old and a lot less tasty then it would've been if things hadn't gone the way they had. Tom didn't care though, being back might  have felt surreal at first but he eased into it again. He got to leave his room when he wanted again, eat whenever, and all of his magic stuff for the most part wasn't being held from him. All the gifts his friends had given him for his birthday were here in his grasp again, and Star was at least kind enough to return his journal, which he swore Janna looked at beforehand. Marco got his wallet back at least, and Tom had a feeling he was planning to keep Janna's key as payback until Janna was seen using it to sneak into Marco's room days earlier. Star was more then excited for Tom to be back on earth, she called him every day now, sometimes to brag how the rescue of Tom got her in with the counsel and that she took what place the arrested king had recently. And well....the monsters were finally being approached with a new tone. Tom wasn't sure if it was the newly found displeasure of his family amoungst other mewmans or what, but it did sound as if his own people had recently had a slight bit of a new view on monsters after seeing their own. Tom smiled to himself, maybe if there was hope for him to not be treated like crap, he'd be able to provide some for others. He's finished putting on his eyeliner a few minutes ago, and his hair was messy under his hat. He wasn't sure if he was ready to leave yet, everything was still weird, it felt weird to be back. He was so sure he'd never come back and now here he was. He didn't know who he was more nervous to see, his friends who were worried sick when he left during his birthday party, the band setting up in the backyard, or Marco. Marco and him were friends still, but the kiss was something unresolved. "-we're bonded, and you know? I think that means good things for us.", Marco smiled happily, Tom blushed and nodded in agreement. "Pfftt, well, I guess if the almighty gods of whatever think we deserve to always be friends no matter what...I guess it's hard to be angry at that....", Marco smiled at that comment, "Let's just promise when supernatural things happen to us, we don't hide them from each other?". Tom nodded, "Yeah, let's not do that...but hey...marco?". "Yeah?" "I'm glad that...at least I got bonded to someone I'd like to spend time with for the rest of my stupid mortal days...", Marco grinned, "Me too..". Tom smiled warmly, that had only been a few days ago, finally talking about the moon and it took a load off of both of them. They even talked about Jackie, and Tom felt a lot better explaining his feelings to Marco then keeping them to himself. At least Marco wasn't angry at him, feelings weren't exactly things people can control easily or really help in general. Tom just needed help, he needed time to handle these emotions, and to express them healthily. The kiss however, that was a bit fuzzy for understandable reasons. Tom wasn't even sure what to make of that, was that even him, or was it something else? He still didn't quite know what that even was or that he could even remotely do that kind of thing, was Marco even remotely fine with it, he did kiss back didn't he? Did that mean they were dating now? Marco didn't seem upset about it.... Tom remembered his first kiss with Star, where he barely even had the courage to do it but did it anyway cause he didn't want to seem nervous. He was freaked out during that because he thought he was a bad kisser or Star wouldn't like him after, but at least then they were both trying to kiss each other. Tom wasn't pulling her into it in a giant bug state, and possibly not himself during it. "Tom?", Marco walked in, wearing his hoodie with a notice dress underneath this time around. He looked really happy to see Tom though, it's like the kiss thing only seemed to be bothering Tom and didn't bother Marco at all since it happened. I mean, this was Marco's first kiss! Shouldn't he be saying something about it!!?? "H-hey marco!!", Tom said weakly, "Everyone ready downstairs?". Marco nodded and took a seat next to him, "my parents are finishing up some of the snacks, but yeah everyone is here, well...everyone that cared enough did at least...". Tom smiled softly, " How's janna?", and Marco rolled his eyes in response." She's showing off her "Battle scars" which will be finished healing in a few days or so, so I guess she's making the most out of her situation...". Tom giggled, "Honestly she should be fully healed by now, does it really take that long for humans to heal from injuries like that?". "They can when you're Janna, someone who finds a way to make them last longer by doing other dangerous things....", Marco kicked his feet on the bed, "You nervous? I know you're still getting used to being back on earth after everything you went through on mewni..". "Maybe a little....but that's not the only thing, I just.....I-", Marco held his shoulder, "Tom, it's ok, the kiss is not something to worry about....it happened. I'm not upset about it, i'm just happy to have you back.". Tom didn't seem to buy it though, "Marco, I didn't want to make things weird....I-I don't know what came over m-". "Tom, today is an important day...", Marco took his hands, "I don't want you to worry, you deserve a break after what happened.....stress-free...I want you to go out and not worry about your dad, or jealously, or even what you did....I want you to go out there, stuff your face with pizza nuggets, and jam out onstage with your favorite band..". "I get to go onstage?", the mewman had stars in his eyes. "Yes you do..", the human replied mischievously, "Honestly you should thank Star, she got you into everything....whether the way she did it was justified or not..". Tom grinned widely and dragged Marco off the bed, from the corner Marshmallow made some excited noises. Tom raced over and took the rabbit out of his cage, then grabbed Marco's arm once again and finally left his room, wand in his pocket. Tom headed down the stairs, Marco following behind him. Tom was cut short however, as he was met by an assortment of hugs. Star, Janna, Jackie, and Marco's parent's held him tightly and Tom held marshmallow up and out of the line of fire so the poor bunny didn't get squished by all of their hugs. They removed themselves from him one by one and Tom felt his face heat up, "Geez guys, It's not like you haven't seen me that long ago....". Star, wearing a sparkly pink dress, because of course she was, with a bow wrapped around her tail, jumped up and down in place. "No but today we're partyiinngggg~ And you look awesome and clean and the band outside is sooooo cooooollll~!!", Tom nodded, "Well you were the one that got the to show up today! Honestly I can't thank you enough for it....". She smiled and shoved a present into his more open arm, Angie carefully took the rabbit out of Tom's hands for safety as Tom held onto the sparkly present. "I know you said we didn't have to bring gifts but weeeeeeellll-", Tom carefully unwrapped it to find a brand new journal, a love sentence one. He smiled, "Thanks Star, means a lot....". "Oh and i also tapped a smaller book about the underworld to the back, y'know.....if you wanna read up on it more!", Tom turned the journal around to find a smaller book attached to it, "Awesome, thanks for it.....it's super cool Star...". Tom looked around the decorated room, it was almost like he'd never left. Except he did, he did leave and terrible things happened and he suffered and his wand broke and he dipped down like he never had before and now he was back, and free. He put the books down, and looked at his surroundings, other people were waving to him now and asking him questions. Honestly, Tom would be asking a lot of questions too if he was them, it's not everyday a classmate vanishes and comes back with such wild tales. Marco trialed behind him, never leaving his side as people came up to talk to him. Marco was probably watching out in case someone said something mean or asked something insensitive to Tom, but Tom seemed to muster everything he had to be polite and calm. Just like he wanted. Ponyhead was here of course, hanging out with Janna and Star for the most part. But of course that didn't stop her from nudging Marco away and hugging her friend before they made plans to hang out sometime and she headed off to flirt, "Happy 2nd birthday besstieee!!~". Marco rubbed his arm, "Y'know, i don't hate her, but i don't think she's still very fond of me...". Tom laughed and wrapped his arm around Marco, "Thanks for this....this is...nice, all of it." "Well, if it weren't nice after everything else that happened, well I might as well turn in my friend card.....we all needed this to be honest.", Tom smiled and Marco pulled out a camera, "C'mon, let's get a picture together, to remember this....". Tom obliged, and Marco held out his arm to take them pic of them, the camera snapped the pic and Marco checked it out only to find Janna photobombing said pic. The girl grinned at them from behind as Marco groaned, "Hey lovebirds!!". "We saw you when I came down..", Tom said, laughing. Janna slapped him on the back, "Yeah, and then you both wandered off to check out more of your party and so did the rest of us, so how about that kiss you guys had huh?". Tom and Marco's faces became scarlet and Marco crossed his arms, "How did you know about the kiss? Who told you?". Janna raised an eyebrow along with her usual brand of smirking , "You did, just now". Marco gaped at her, embarrassed, but Tom got involved before Marco felt any worse. "Marco and I are still talking about it, but frankly it's not really your concern Janna....", the prince was challenging her, defensive over his friend. Marco tended to give up on trying to fight against Janna considering she always was one step-ahead of him, but Tom didn't seem worried one bit. "Well, I gotta say it, I knew it...told you things would work out in the end didn't I?", Tom rolled his eyes, "Janna.....". She shrugged, "C'mon I wasn't wrong, you got to admit your crush on him, and you're both still hanging out just like before, and hey, you even got a kiss in...". "So how you holding up?", Tom changed the subject immediately, "I suppose you're doing better considering the lack of bandages or earth magic bands...". She shrugged, "To be honest, I'm healed. I don't feel sore anywhere and my burns seem to all be gone, honestly you outta teach me what your dad was doing cause I got a cool idea for a prank at the school and those spells would be so perfect for-". "Then why are you showing off your "Battle scars"?", Tom interrupted again, using air quotes. Janna pulled down a sleeve to expose a scar that had clearly not come from her injuries considering both Tom and Marco had witnessed her being fixed up, "Halloween make-up, I told them your dad turned into a giant bee and-". "Ok, thank you Janna!", Tom clasped his hands together, "I'll see you later..." She patted both boys on the backs, "Eh, you'll see me tonight once I unlock the window to Marco's room to find his diary...". Marco stepped in and pushed her away, "Ok then, it was great to see you too Janna, now please go do something else..". Marco returned, red-faces and frustrated, and Tom had to laugh at his cute face. "Careful Marco, she bites, not barks...", Marco groaned, "You know, part of me wishes i didn't invite her, but i know she would've invited herself anyway so honestly what was the point!?". He threw his arms up in the air and Tom laughed as they both headed to the kitchen for some snacks. - Marco watched Tom head out into the backyard to meet Justin Towers, promising to catch up with him in a second. Marco stayed back and it didn't take long before Jackie leaned up next to him, also watching Tom nervously saying hello to his idol. "Everything is set up?", She asked him, still watching the happy mewman prince. "Yeah...", Marco replied, "You're weirdly ok with this....you know? Are you sure it's ok?". Jackie smiled, "Marco, it's fine, I told you on the phone a few days ago.  Stuff happened and it's ok, we're still hanging out and everything, and you and Tom have been talking it out...". "It's just....I want to try ok? I mean maybe it won't work out and be incredibility awkward and i'll ruin everything and i'll suck....but....i'll never know for certain if I don't try." Tom was smiling like he'd never smiled before, taking a picture with his idol, what a dork. Marco smiled, and Jackie took note of his expression, "Marco, we were friends first....we're still friends. I'm not gonna stop my friend from being happy, we're not dating and you're allowed to feel the way you do.....and besides...you guys are great together..". "Would you date me? If I asked you?", Marco asked awkwardly, avoiding eye contact, "You uh...you don't have to answer that If you don't want to....". Jackie laughed, "Marco, yeah, of course I would, and honestly....Tom's a lucky guy.". Marco hugged her, "Thanks Jackie....this means a lot to me..". "Hey, you'll always know where to find me...", She returned the hug to him easily, "Go get your prince, Princess Marco...". Marco nodded and ran off to go see Tom who looked excited out of his mind, "Marco look! He signed a picture of us! I gotta frame this!". Marco grinned from ear to ear, Tom looked like he was about to burst. "That's wonderful Tom!! Also Star managed to get them to play all your favorite songs tonight!", Tom smiled towards the band, "you guys are spoiling me too much I swear, you know when i'm here i'm not exactly much of a prince you have to bow to, ya know?". "So you don't want Love Sentence to play for you?", Marco teased, Tom fake-punched his friend and laughed. "Shut up Marco, you know this is awesome, but how the heck do you expect me to make your next birthday even better then the ones you've thrown for me? How do I top LOVE SENTENCE?!". "Well I think you could always use a good challenge...you're really just gonna have to try won't you?", Tom shook his head, "Don't mock me, like how can I make a party of your cooler, can I uhh-....maybe i can get Star to bring back Mackie Hand or....wait maybe that's too extreme.." Marco slapped Tom on the back, "More extreme then that time you tried to bake with your wand?" "Well, it SHOULD have worked!", Tom argued back. "Dude, how is using a fire blast to back cookies going to work in any reality!!!, Marco said back, then next thing  he knew someone tapped him on the shoulder. Marco whisked around to see one of the band members looking at him, "Hey so you're marco? The kid who lives here?". "Well, if you mean the kid who lives here and whose parents own here, then yeah....that's me..", The man smiled, "I know we're going on in about an hour or so, but me and the guys wanted to ask more about....". He looked at the pink-haired boy watching them with immense curiosity, then he switched back to Marco,"About the thing....". Marco nodded, understanding, he looked over to Tom and gave him a sign he'd be right back and went to find a more private part to talk to the member. Tom started kicking at the dirt for a bit, when he heard a portal opening up, and to his surprise Moon and the high commission stepped out. Moon spotted him and walked over to the confused mewman, "Ah good, we didn't miss a lot did we?". Tom shook his head but the look of utter confusion never left his face, and it must've been clear since Moon seemed to notice it. "Star didn't tell you I was coming did she?", Tom shook his head again, "Sorry, originally it was going to just be me, but.....we have a lot to make up for....and...I convinced them to come. Your party isn't much but...". "You came to support me..", Tom finished, hugging his arms, "How is.....everything?". She sighed, "You father......and mother....they're getting better, slowly...but surely. Never though one day Star's methods would be this handy, but...I don't think things are ever fully going to get better....they....this was how they were raised...how they grew Tom..". "I know..", he said quietly, "It's ok...". He didn't exactly sound "OK", he sounded quite sad, maybe it was the fact Tom knew he'd never get real parents, maybe that in the end his parents were victims like him, or maybe it was him thinking back to his messed up life. But whatever it was, it was still a bit upsetting to him, and Moon placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Tom..", Tom nodded, not saying anything in response. Marco walked back to Tom and Tom snapped out of his funk immediately, Moon smiled at Marco, and Marco also looked surprised to see her here since he hadn't invited her himself. "Marco, er, how are things back on earth for Tom?", Marco put an arm around Tom, which seemed to make him feel a little bit better. "He's doing fine, we're hanging out, talking, he got his room back and everything! Even Marshmallow seems in better spirits here then Mewni.", Tom smiled to his friend. "Well, that's good to hear...I-Um, keep me updated and such....ok?", Marco nodded, and Tom did so as well. Moon looked around to find the commission messing with some humans and her daughter  showing Janna a fire spell and like a race car she was off, "STAR DON'T YOU DARE!!". Tom leaned against Marco and the human let him, "Rough times?". "I'm going through a lot, I thought when I was free and on earth...I'd be happy....and yet...I feel sad....", he bit his lip, "I just...why don't I feel...happy? Is something wrong with me...?". Marco got into his Dr Marco PHD character immediately, "No Tom, this is perfectly normal, you're a kid who went through a lot of things a kid should never have had to go through. It's hard to get over things like this, especially when they happened so recently, it's perfectly normal for you to feel this way..". "I just don't want to feel bad right now, i'm supposed to be having a great time...", Marco sighed, "Don't force yourself to have a good time ok? It's gonna take some time for everything to wash over...I didn't expect you to come back here after all that and just be how you used to be...". Tom nodded, "Ok..thanks, can we just move on from it for a bit? I do really want to enjoy this party and stuff, without thinking about....all that hard stuff..". Marco seemed to understand and replied, "Yeah, we can. You're still young Tom...you've still got a childhood to finish up and...you can worry about those things when you're ready..". Tom smiled, "Good, cause honestly i'd rather be eating nachos and watching lame movies with you....". Marco smiled and Tom bit his lip, "So....do I want to know why one of the band members needed to pull you aside? Or is this an earth thing I'm not aware of?". Marco laughed, and to Tom his laugh was still like music, "Tom, you don't honestly want me to ruin the rest of the night for you, do you?". "Maybe...", Tom said, playfully, "You know how both of us are when it comes to keeping secrets from each other after all?". Marco rolled his eyes, ugh Tom could be such a prick about these things, "Tom, c'mon... I think my parents would like to take some pictures of you.." "Marcoooooo~ What's going on?", He teases, and Marco dragged him along back to the house, "C'mon, picture now, surprise later.". Tom groaned as the human boy dragged his arm back to the house and out of the backyard, "Aw c'mon! But your parents take HUNDREDS of pictures!!". - It was getting dark out, and Tom was surprised at just how many people were even at this party, neither him or marco were all that popular in school, but this seemed to boost them up quite a bit by the looks of it. Then again, it's always possible Moon and the Diazes invited all these random people and kids themselves. The stage looked amazing, Tom wondered how they set this up in one day but had the feeling Star was responsible somehow considering the party person she normally was. But anyways after spending some time taking pictures and spraying magic silly string on Marco to get him back, Tom was super eager for the main event. They had a cake of course, but that was for later, after mostly everyone had left. And besides, this was the part of Tom's party he had to miss out on BEFORE it happened, the cake could wait. Tom had never been to a concert before, I mean he could suppose his song day would have counted if his father hadn't moved the date due to....their sessions. But seeing his favorite band live, playing for him was something he'd never seen before. No prince event on mewni was quiet as exciting as this, nor did it allow him to dress like himself without wearing bowties or frills. This was just a causal event, for him, set up by his friends. Yeah, he didn't deserve this, nor did he deserve such great friends. And yet here he was, up front at this concert, waiting for his favorite band to go onstage with Marco, Janna, Ponyhead, Jackie, and Star next to him. Some looked a bit more eager then others, but he had a feeling Janna and Ponyhead would both sneak off at some point during this show anyway. Smoke was filling he stage, and cheers came from everywhere. Even Tom and Marco themselves were screaming to high heavens, over a boyband getting ready to come onstage. Tom grabbed Marco's hand and squeezed in excitement as the band magically appeared and the smoke cleared. "HOW'S EVERYONE TONIGHT!!", Tom couldn't contain his excitement when Justin spoke onstage, this was so much cooler then any adventure he'd been on. Justin had taken a picture with him, talking to him, gave him an autograph, and now he was performing for him. He wasn't sure how Star got this to work, but he owed her big time for getting this to happen. Everyone cheered at the lead singer's question and he smiled in response, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!". The crowd roared even louder, and that only seemed to make him happier, "WELL, IT'S GREAT HAVING YOU ALL HERE TONIGHT, BUT I WANT YOU GUYS TO GIVE A HAND TO THE REAL STAR OF TONIGHT!! TOM!". To Tom's surprise the lights were aimed on him as the crowd cheered and whistled at him. He blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he felt all eyes on him, Justin grinned and kept the audience going using arm movements. "HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TOM!!" The music started and the lights were just on the band and Tom smiled as Awesome feeling came on, one of his absolute favorite songs. And He and Marco were singing along and dancing together, and Tom could only wish this moment would last forever. Favorite song and after favorite song came on, and Tom and Marco sang every word together. Jackie and Star were also having some fun to the music as well, but it was clear most of their focus for now was on each other as the concert kept going on. Then there was the finale, and Tom was awestruck as Justin actually helped him onstage for the final song. Tom didn't seem too happy about leaving Marco behind though, although Marco seemed to be egging him on considering what an amazing thing it was. However, Tom reached a hand out shortly after the song came on, and Marco took it. Lights were showing on them as well as Marco was invited onstage with Tom, Tom could see Star and Jackie cheering in the front for them and pumping their fists. Even Janna and ponyhead were cheering him on from....the roof. Marco was sure going to have some stern words for them when this was all said and done that was for sure. Marco didn't seem too comfortable being in front of so many people like this, but Tom felt the same way and took his hand to clam him down. He coaxed the boy to dance with him and the nervousness left and never came back, even after they took a bow and the place started to clear out. Tom felt a rush of adrenaline he'd never felt before after such an event, that even watching everyone leave couldn't make him sad again. Tom and Marco's feet swung off the empty stage, and Tom kept glancing over to Marco, who was pretending not to notice him playfully. Tom was still suspicious there was something else Marco wasn't telling him, and he was keeping his guard up just in case. "How was tonight Tom?", Marco asked, "Am I still your best friend or what?". Tom rolled his eyes and playfully punched Marco, "I owe you a lot....well, you and Star both. This has been one of the best nights in a long time, I don't know how to describe it, it just feels....amazing..". "More amazing then anything you've gotten as a prince?", Tom laughed, "Yeah, way better then anything I've gotten as a prince." They sat in silence, watching the stars and the moon above them, it was such a nice night out, so peaceful. "You know something else I like about you Marco...?", Tom asked, gettign Marco's attention. "Besides the many things you've already said you liked about me? I'm not sure what to say...", Tom lied down on the stage, feet still hanging of and hands placed onto his chest, "You don't see me as a freak, or a prince, you.....like me for me..you did all this to make me happy...". "That's what friends do...", Marco said simply, he lied down next to Tom, facing the stars above them. "No one should've gone through what you did, and you really needed something to pick you up after everything that happened...we all did. Star and Her mom were trapped, Janna was hurt, Ponyhead saw you almost die....and I....was freaked out." Tom sighed, "My world hit you hard, it really did, if even Marco Diaz the misunderstood badboy couldn't handle it...". They started up at the moon silently, "I'm glad to be here, with you, I really am. I just wish things were better, that you saw the better parts of my world. My world isn't all full of horrible people and bad fathers, it's....full of amazing creatures, and places, just like earth." "We should go see it sometime, not just for a mission or anything, just....go see the parts you like.", the human suggested,"I know we tried once and It freaked you out, but we can go to other places, and our friends can come too! It could be more fun that way!". "It could be, as long as we all be careful ok?", Marco smiled, "Looks like my "Safe kid" instincts have rubbed off on you..". "Doesn't sound like a bad thing to me...", Tom smiled back. "TOM, MARCO!!?? C'MON!!! IT'S CAKE TIME!!, Star called out from the house, both boys shot up and exchanged looks. Marco headed off the stage, and Tom followed after, running their way inside where Marco's parents, moon and the high commission, and their closest friends were, but also much to Tom's surprise, the Love Sentence Members were also here. Maybe he expected as a band they had other places to be, or they were here for the gig, but here they were, spending time in Marco's living room and talking to one another. Tom wasn't sure what to say, was he supposed to ask why they were here? Was he supposed to be excited? Play it cool? Then he looked over at Marco suspiciously, which Marco took note of and tried to change the subject. "Ok! Cake Time!", he clapped his hands together and everyone made their way around the table Janna and ponyhead were also here and Marco made a mental note to inspect the roof for any damage after cake time was over. Tom sat in his seat, right in front of his new cake, and everyone was gathered around him. Well, at least everyone that was close to him plus his idols and some magical adults at least, all singing to him so he could blow out his candles. Deja vu. They finished singing and Tom was supposed to blow out his candles and make a wish, earth magic like this was still a mystery to him but honestly he didn't mind having a wish right now. He took a moment to think, and blew out his candles, cheering occurred, and everyone started eating some cake. It was good, really good, it was homemade of course and Tom was sure Star was probably involved somehow. Luckily however, there was no glitter embedded in this cake, so if she did play a part in these, he was thankful Marco probably stopped her. Everyone....looked so happy, they were all talking together and laughing and it was nice. It was like Tom had a new big family, one that looked happy to each at the table together and who didn't make him want to hide in plain sight. The hardest part, was saying goodbye. Tom knew he was going to see all of them very soon and it wasn't forever, but he didn't want to watch them go either. Star of course, couldn't leave without a big group hug. She was a pretty strong demon overall, and she looked the most sad to leave her friends, her tail lacked even the typical bounce it always seemed to have as she gave Tom one last big hug. "I promise to call you tomorrow, and we can gossip and hang out ok?" Tom nodded and then she whispered something into the prince's ear, "Marco's a keeper by the way, for planning this party for you, don't lose him ok?". Tom blushed, then nodded , and Star smiled at him before walking over to her Mom. Moon looked over to Tom and nodded at him, Tom nodded back, he was sure to be getting memos from her from now on, and probably visits when possible. Which, honestly was fine with Tom for now, as long as he had more nights like this to help. Star waved to both Janna and Ponyhead and signaled Jackie to call her before she and her mother disappeared in a burst of flames. The high Commission left quickly afterwards, disappeared into another portal, they probably had some important things to get back to anyway. But they did all wave to Tom on their way out, which was fine enough. Janna of course promised to visit through the window as often as possible, making Marco be sure to put locks on everything he could, and then seal them with duck-tape. Ponyhead had the longest goodbye ever, and marco was just waiting for her to head out, only for her to keep talking to Tom about their next hangout and other things Marco didn't really care too much about overall. But eventually she made her way through a portal after some hugs and promises to call and Marco let out a sigh of relief. Jackie's was pleasant, she exchanged hugs with both of them, and she seemed pretty happy. Tom and her were still friends, and he was working through his complicated feelings, and she didn't seem at all the least bit upset about the situation. Marco still felt a bit guilty though. Before she left, she looked back at Marco and smiled at him, Marco looked into her eyes and she nodded at him. Marco nodded back, he understood what she was trying to say, even without really saying everything, like she practically read his mind. "See you tomorrow Tom and Marco!", She said, Tom and Marco both waving at her as she closed the door behind her. "See you tomorrow Jackie!", Marco said softly, he looked over to Tom who was now staring at the boyband that was still in the room with them. Marco's parents were cleaning up, and Tom had a feeling that whatever Marco was planning, they were slightly in on it. Marco got Tom's attention and took him somewhere slightly more private, "Hey, your belated birthday isn't over just yet, I do kinda have one more surprise for you...". Tom smirked, "Oh did you now? I'm shocked.... does it have anything to do with the boyband lounging around in your living room?", he raised an eyebrow and an amused Marco shook his head at him. "Nope, can't say, I just need you to meet me on the roof...". "The what now?", Tom asked, "Why the roof?". Marco began to push him upstairs, "Don't question it, it's supposed to be a surprise after all. Now get up there and i'll meet up with you in a few minutes ok? ". Tom looked at him before he went anywhere, "Can I bring my rabbit?". Marco thought for a moment, "Sure, go ahead. I think my parents put him back in his cage in your room. Just keep an eye on him ok? I don't want him to get hurt.". Tom grinned, "Don't worry, i'll make sure he's fine, I'll meet you up there..". Tom's wings flapped and he made his way up the stairs, Marco looked back to his parents and the bandmates with a knowing smile. "C'mon, let's get ready." - Tom waited on the roof, looking at the stars, a little pink was rabbit sitting on his lap ,snoring happily. Tom missed seeing the stars now that he thought about it, he was usually locked in his room when he was on mewni, and his balcony sure didn't make it easy when it was gone. But here he was, watching the Stars above, waiting for Marco to show up to do who knows what. It had to be something pretty good right? If the band was involved and Marco wanted Tom to watch the stars with him, and he didn't mind Tom having his rabbit.. Tom took a moment to wonder before Marco climbed  his way up through Tom's balcony wearing a nicer dress, still wearing Tom's armband of course. Marco even seemed to have fix his hair and put a little bit of make-up on, and Tom froze a bit. Was this a date? This felt like a date, romantic setting, a boyband somewhere around here,Marco looking oddly fancy to just spend time on the roof with his roommate. Tom felt his stomach jump, and his face got even redder cause wow Marco looked really good. Like REALLY good, and he clearly looked that way for him. Marco seemed to know based on his expression, he gave him a knowing smile that send flutters through him. Tom hated that Marco knew sometimes, that he knew with a simple smile he could make Tom feel the way he did about him. He felt powerless, powerless to a simple mortal with a mole and a stupid red hoodie. "You like it don't you?", Marco asked, still pleased with himself, "Sorry I kept you waiting a bit....hope the rabbit kept you company while my mom kept fiddling with my make-up..". Tom gave out a weak laugh to hide his reddened cheeks , "Well, she did a good job, the uh....eyeliner really brings out your eyes..". Marco smiled, "You're blushing Tom~", Tom pouted and turned his head away from the human boy. Marco smiled and while tom's head was turned placed his own hand upon the prince's, grasping it and making the alien jump a bit. What was he supposed to even say? Was he supposed to acknowledge the obvious? Or would that make things too awkward? Tom wasn't even sure what the heck was going on or even what Marco brought him up here for?! Tom bit his lip and tried to look at anything that wasn't the adorable human sitting next to him. "Tom, it's ok...nothing to be worried about....I mean, unless you're bothered cause I can totally go down and change if I'm making you uncomfortable if I'm bothering y-", he was about to remove his hand but Tom grabbed it tightly, "No, Marco....this is fine, i'm just....maybe a bit overwhelmed..". "Overwhelmed?" "It's just...you're dressed up, and I know you're hiding something....and maybe...I just kinda feel like...", he couldn't finish his sentence, there was no way in heck he was gonna be able to finish it. Marco smiled, "You're cute when you're being awkward..". Tom said nothing, leaving them in silence. Marco sighed, "Ok, you clearly want to know what's going on....and I was planning to make a big speech about it and it was going to be really corny and awkward and weird, and we might start crying and singing together but let's actually cut to the chase..before this gets more weird." Tom looked over to see the stage light up once again, the band was onstage, humming a melody, and entirely new song since Tom sure didn't recognize it. Tom looked closer to find the lights were spelling out a message, Marco was trying to hide his face a little bit, embarrased himself as Tom read the message. Will U Go Out With Me Tom? Tom froze, he didn't know what to do first, should he say yes right away? Hug Marco? Cry? Kiss him? He kinda felt like he wanted to do all at once overall, but instead opted for tackling Marco and freaking out his poor rabbit, who woke up immediately between the two. "I guess that's a yes?", Marco asked, unsure if this was all too much for Tom. It wasn't. "YOU SET ALL THIS UP TO ASK ME OUT!!?", Tom didn't even remotely care how close their faces were or that Tom was straddling Marco, none of that mattered now. He was sure he blew it, that even after Marco admitted he liked him, the kiss ruined things and only set them back. This was both a surprise, and a relief. "You like it?", Marco felt so proud of himself, Tom's excitement and expression was priceless. "My family and jackie, and pretty much everyone helped set this up, well...most of it was me but they helped pick out the outfit and recommended ideas...I just thought well, I want to try....with you..if that's ok?". Tom felt tears run down his cheek form his happiness, "But I thought I scared you off...because of the kiss, and what about Jackie...?" "Jackie is still my friend, we're still close. But It was my choice, and I just kinda...wanted to try....see where it goes...with us? The kiss....was unexpected but...if you think i'm going to be completely done with you over that then you're crazy..". "B-but I kissed you without your permission! I wasn't entirely myself...I think...I stole your first kiss and I shouldn't have and i'm really sorry...". Marco covered his mouth with one of his hands, "Tom it's ok, it's not your fault...". Marco bit his lip for a moment, "If anything...It's mine, you were under...something...but I...kissed you back. I knew what was up, and yet...part of me...still wanted to kiss you. I'm sorry I made you feel like this for so long...I guess maybe..I was just kinda embarrassed to admit that well..". Marco trailed off, not sure about finishing the sentence, but Tom seemed to understand what he was referring to. Tom's eyes shifted over, "Does that mean...you...liked it?". "Yeah....", that answer shot through Tom like a lightning bolt, "It was....It was nice....". Marco looked at Tom, blushing and nervous as the rabbit between him and Tom make some noises. "So uh....Tom? You uh-....you got any plans to get off me? I mean I don't mind either way i'm just curious cause I'm rather we didn't fall off my roof..". Tom got up off of Marco and tried to clam down his poor rabbit, who looked looked terrified. "Sorry....I uh....I didn't mean to well....", he was stuttering like crazy, was he always this awkward? "Anyways I uh...", Tom coughed into his hand, still not entirely over the fact Marco liked kissing him. The band had stopped singing and there was silence again, Marco cleared his throat, "You uh....you still haven't given me a yes or a no....". Tom just looked at him for a moment, lips parted, eyes wide, he felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Marco was looking right at him, and Marco wasn't leaving anytime soon, Tom took a deep breath mentally, he could do this. Tom smiled and fought back happy tears going down his face, before leaning in to kiss Marco's cheek, "Yes...". It was very brief, and lasted only seconds, but Marco looked as if the most amazing thing in the world just happened, all because of a simple cheek kiss. Before he could say anything, Marco pressed their lips together. He kept his eyes shut tight and Tom closed his own, his marks were starting to glow a faint pink and he knew it, but that didn't matter right now. Things were finally starting to look up. Tom's new wand started to glow and snow started to fall from the sky, snow, in summer. Marco separated from him and watched in awe as snow fell around them, "So you really can make it snow...you're a boy of many mysteries Tom Butterfly..." Their fingers were intertwined, and the rabbit fell asleep once again. There were good things and bad things out there, things were changing and they were changing faster then ever for Tom. But it was time to open up a new chapter, starting with his return to earth. There were many things he needed to figure out about himself, and places he needed to see. and sitting there, holding Marco's hand, watching the stars above and wondering about his future, he needed to be ready. Someday he was still going to be king, and someday, he was going to come back to earth, with a radio, and a snowfall and glob dammit if he forgot to do that. "You know what's funny Marco?", Tom said softly, and Marco let out a hmm as he leaned his head on Marco's shoulder. "You skipped the speech and the crying and all the sappiness, and yet here we are, still sappy, still crying, and still weird...". "You want to hear the overly long speech and sappy about you being my friend and how I feel about you?" "Maybeeeeee.....I'd love to hear how cute you think I am or how amazing I am from your perspective, mind if I record it with my wand?". Marco punched him on the shoulder and pecked his cheek. "I hate you...", he said through grumbles, an obvious smile on his face. "I love you too Marco Diaz...", the prince returned through light tears. It was good to be back home.

[ruetheend]

BITTERBLOSSOMS - CHAPTER 6: SNOWDIN FOREST, FELLOW APPRENTICES.

The story so far: Frisk came face-to-face with Sans. A tall, grim-looking Sans who seems unhinged and dangerous. After facing her demise at his hands, she respawns to find a new person stalking her in the woods...

Click to read the chapter below.

Chapter 6

Author’s Note: Best read on AO3. For original readers of this fic who are wondering where all the chapters have gone, check out my update.

"How curious..." The voice from behind the rabbit mask seemed feminine, but Frisk couldn't be certain. "Have you heard of me? It seems you may well have. I do not know you, however, stranger. My apologies."

"Ugh... it's you." Flowey rolled his eyes at the figure. "You scared us half to death, you dumb kid!"

"Hmm... I don't seem to recall you either, flower stranger." The red hooded person tilted their head and lifted a black, gloved hand to their mask. They touched a big X where lips would usually be. The mask reminded Frisk of someone with a perpetual sour face. "Also, I am not a 'dumb kid.' I am a 'dumb' teen..."

"Um, what is going on here? Who are you? Where's Sans- er, the skeleton?" Frisk asked, her voice drenched in confusion at this entire scenario. She felt incredibly alarmed. Even more alarmed than she felt when dealing with Sans a moment ago. Who was this person? Was it one of her other, former friends in some sort of disguise? This person... their white mask and this red robe...

"So... you don't know my identity?" The masked one asked.

"SIGH," Flowey said aloud rather than sighing. "Frisk, this is Hel. She is... just a weird person. It would be best to ignore her. Er... Frisk?" Flowey gave Frisk a solid poke with a leaf.

"Huh???" Frisk nearly dropped Flowey to the ground, but he saved himself by grabbing onto her with a 'hey!' She had been so transfixed on the Hel person's color scheme that she was almost completely lost in her own world. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I am Hel. Just Hel," she replied. "Who I exactly am does not concern you... or maybe it does, I am not quite sure."

"Oooo-kay," Frisk gave a nervous smile. Hel? She rattled the name around in her brain, but couldn't make any connections. "So, Hel, about my previous question-"

"Ah, yes, the skeleton. You are referring to master, I suppose," Hel tilted her head the other way and hummed. "You could tell he was a skeleton? Did you see his face?"

"Oh, um, yeah," Frisk nodded. "He has a big head." Flowey nearly chuckled at that line.

"Yeah, he has a HUUUGE head, that guy. I've never seen a head so big!" Flowey piled on. "Also, he sucks!"

"Hmm, the master does suck sometimes, yes," Hel nodded. "I find it quite interesting you were able to perceive his visage. Most cannot remember his features that well. This must mean... you must be my fellow apprentices!"

"Uhh, apprentices?" Flowey deadpanned.

"Yes," Hel walked past the two of them and took a step onto the bridge. "The fact that you have both seen the master and remember his features... you are certainly his apprentices. The same as I!"

"Just play along, for now, Frisk," Flowey muttered to her. "I've run into Hel a few times, and she is mostly harmless."

"Sure," Frisk whispered back to her flower friend. She called out to Hel, "Definitely. That is us... his other apprentices."

Hel stood with her back turned to the pair and hummed contemplatively for a moment. Then she turned and suddenly announced, "This makes me an elder apprentice! I have leveled up!" Frisk and Flowey exchanged looks like they already regretted their life choices. "What are your names, my fellow apprentices?"

"Frisk."

"Flowey."

"Frisk and Flowey!" Hel rubbed the bottom of her rabbit mask like it was her own chin. "Very well, you must be properly initiated." Hel dropped her hand and it disappeared into her red robes. "Frisk, you look very much like a human. It is quite uncanny."

"It sure is," Flowey blurted out with a laugh. "Frisk is all fleshy with hair mostly on her head, just like a human would be!"

"... hmm, that is an interesting take," Hel tilted her head. "I was referring to her appearance juxtaposed to those images found in the human histories. However..." Hel scurried up, bringing her mask right up to Frisk's face. Frisk could practically smell Hel's breakfast... which seemed to be very sugary smelling. "Your eyes, Frisk, aren't quite as large as a human. But... MK doesn't know that." Frisk couldn't see it, but she could hear a large smile in that last phrase.

Hel pulled back and nodded at Flowey and Frisk. "Let us proceed with the initiation. Follow me."

The trio walked over the bridge and reached Sans' sentry point. The sentry point was there and so was Sans! His head rested in his arms, his whole head obscured by his hood and fluffy looking sleeves. Frisk thought he looked incredibly comfortable and had a sudden urge to cuddle up with him.

"Behold, our infamous ice-human," Hel gestured at an ice sculpture that seemed to have taken the place of the convenient lamp. Frisk gasped for a moment, as it reminded her of this universe's Chara. Flowey, too, looked unsettled. "This is our reminder of what a human looks like... it has been a long time since one fell down, you see." Hel nodded along with her explanation. "Anyway, just stand behind it. Flowey... be a flower!"

Frisk obliged Hel's request, placing Flowey down on the ground next to Ice-Chara. Flowey pretended to be a normal flower. Hel clapped her hands together, exclaiming, "Perfect! It is amazing how easily you seem to be obscured behind this ice-human..." Hel sounded delighted and malicious all at once. "Now... I see my friend coming toward us. On cue, please step out from behind that ice-human."

Frisk could see through the convenient Ice-Chara well enough. She could see Monster Kid running up to greet Hel.

"Yo, duuuude!" MK shouted excitedly as they ran up to Hel. "Guess what! I totally snuck into the Grimly Ghoulies concert last night!"

"Truly?" Hel sounded incredibly amused. She must have one of the worst poker faces behind that mask. "Did you have a fantastic time?"

"I sure did! I managed to get so close up, dude," MK hopped up and down. They seemed like a soda pop ready to explode. "Raghast even LOOKED at me, dude!!! I think some of his spittle landed on my face! I haven't bathed at all yet!"

"Hmmm, I'm pretty sure that was probably motor oil," Hel giggled. "That explains that black splotch on your face..."

"Anyway, you called me last night and said you had a total premonition, right?" MK beamed at Hel. "Something really cool was gonna happen as long as I came here, to this spot, at the exact time... which is pretty soon, right dude?"

"Oh, yes," Hel nodded eagerly. "I had a dream that a prophecy would be realized soon and that it would all... begin... right... now!"

That was her cue, Frisk was certain of it. She stepped out from behind the Ice-Chara. Flowey regrew his face but otherwise didn't do anything.

"AHHH! A HUMAN!!!" MK shouted, then jumped in front of Hel. "D-Don't worry, dude! I-I'll protect you!!!"

"Oh my stars~!" Hel gave one of the fakest performances Frisk had ever seen. "Whatever shall we do~? A human has fallen at last, but at what cost~?"

"Dude, let's go and warn everyone!!!" MK looked over at the sleeping Sans and their face faulted. "Er, the boss is here! Whatever happens, he can handle it! Let's beat it!" With that, MK ran away.

Hel laughed and laughed. Something about the laugh sounded familiar, but Frisk couldn't quite place it. "Um... so, was that good?"

"Yes! You are officially an apprentice of the master of Snowdin," Hel nodded repeatedly. "We got MK quite good... let's keep this jape afloat, yes?" Hel sounded a bit pleading. "I'll see you up ahead." With that, Hel turned and left with a skip in her step.

"What the hell was that about?" Frisk picked up Flowey once Hel was completely out of view. As she said the words, she heard Sans utter a chuckle. Flowey and Frisk both quickly turned to look at the sleeping skeleton, but he seemed to still be conked out. They both breathed a sigh of relief. "If he is anything like the one from my time... he will be out for quite a while."

"Are you sure?" Flowey cast a suspicious glance at him. "That crazy trashbag," Flowey shook his head. "I thought Snowdin would be the safest place on this trip, but it looks like it might've ended up more dangerous than we bargained for... You know..." Flowey looked up at Frisk with an apologetic look. "You can just... hard reset and go back to the ruins."

"About that," Frisk eyed Sans one last time, then whispered to Flowey, "I can't... I'm actually without those... extended options."

"That's great," Flowey said in a chipper voice. "Fantastic!"

"Shh! This guy is not exactly like the other one," Frisk hid somewhat behind the convenient Ice-Chara. "Try not to make loud noises or tell any jokes."

"Oh, that will be really hard for me to do."

Frisk investigated the Ice-Chara. It had a remarkable resemblance to him, but upon closer inspection, his face was different. He had huge, bishounen eyes and a wide, toothless grin. "Wow, this just... it looks like him, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does." Flowey replied simply. "Except that stupid face."

The temptation in her rose as her curiosity grew. Frisk simply had to inspect Sans and his sanstry station. She chuckled along with the sleeping Sans. Wait? Can he read my thoughts!? Nothing happened. It must have just been a coincidence. The human approached him carefully, and she could feel Flowey grow tense as they neared him. He didn't dare say a word, however, so close to the sleeping monster. Scattered around on the inside were various objects. Ketchup bottles, a few, small, thin clear cases with what looked like black tape wound up inside of them, and a set of playing cards- wait, no. A set of tarot cards? The one showing at the top was of two small figures being thrown from an exploding tower. That looked a bit metal.

Frisk looked down at the sleeping Sans. His face covered by that dark hood. She raised her hand and reached for it. Frisk really wanted to see his face again. Flowey lashed out a viney whip and restrained her grasp. Their eyes met, and Flowey simply shook his head at her. She sighed and realized Flowey was right. She walked away.

In the next area, Frisk saved at the usual save point. It was located there along with the strange, interdimensional box.

"Why did you try to touch that guy?" Flowey asked simply as Frisk opened the box. "You aren't stupid... You know he is totally dangerous, right?"

"I guess... I missed his face?" Frisk stated as evenly as she could. Her face turned a bit pink as she pulled out a pair of gloves from the box and inspected them very closely. They were worn, pink leather gloves. Same as usual. She wondered why it was still here... in the same box. With a shrug, she placed them back into the box, along with the human items she found from the ruins.

"You missed his face?" Flowey frowned as he noticed the pink creeping on Frisk's face. "You kind of broke down while talking to him earlier, you know, when you started to say whatever it was that made him start flipping out."

"The word has to do with his name, which I guess no one can say or even hear?" Frisk pondered aloud. "This kind of seems familiar to me... I feel like I heard about this happening before, in that other universe... but I also just can't seem to remember it either."

"Did you date him in that other universe?" Flowey asked abruptly. "Is he like your boyfriend or something???"

"W-What! N-No..." Frisk protested a bit too hard. "We never dated or anything..."

"Sure." Flowey sounded as hurt as he was curt. "I just think the way you are acting is kind of weird."

"Fine... I had a crush on him, okay?" Frisk admitted as she moved forward toward Snowdin town. "It was weird, just, growing up in the Underground, but then resetting everytime I reached the end."

"Resetting every time? I guess you didn't free everyone in one go, huh," Flowey whistled for a straight 5 seconds. "That's rough..."

"Hah hah, no thanks to you, buddy," Frisk clucked at her flower friend as they traveled.

"What do you mean! I wasn't there."

"Yeah, but the other you was... the yellow one," Frisk nodded matteroffactly as she explained. "You see, the other Flowey, he was kind of... incredibly awful. I used to reach King Asgore and hope that Flowey would give up and let me just... stay in the Underground. In the beginning, I wasn't really looking to save everyone actually..." Frisk admitted. This was the first time she could ever talk to someone about this. It felt strange.

"Really? What were you trying to do?" Flowey asked.

"Well... I just wanted to go home." Flowey stopped walking and looked up to the cavern ceiling. She never noticed how low it seemed until then. It felt like they were standing in a giant dome, but even so, the sky above ground didn't have a ceiling. "I was really scared. I thought Toriel was trying to eat me the first time through, Undyne and Mettaton genuinely tried to kill me a ton of times, and Asgore would never listen to me until it was too late. But..." Frisk looked down at Flowey. "I guess the two skeletons in Snowdin... they were always nice to me. One of them is your King Papyrus here, and the other is his brother-"

"The guy whose name can't be said?" Flowey guessed.

"Yeah, that same guy." Frisk nodded. "I know it sounds strange to you, but they are related in my universe. I guess they might not be in this one..."

"I don't think so... the king is such a cool guy," Flowey nodded back. "Sometimes he would come around and play with me when my parents were too busy doing their jobs... I guess being a king has a clear schedule."

"I don't know if that sounds right," Frisk gave him a small smile. "But the first time I ended up in the middle of nowhere, after fighting the big scary version of you, I got a phone call from Sans."

"Just call him Skeleton Guy or something," Flowey waved his leaf at her. "Hear you say whatever you are saying kind of makes my head hurt."

"Anyway, yes, I got a call from the Skeleton without a Name," Frisk rolled her eyes. She wondered how quickly she would get annoyed when it came to talking about Sans to other people in this universe. "He called me, and told me not to give up. Papyrus butted in and told me he was doing fine and not to worry about him."

"That does sound like something the king would say."

"Papyrus was always very kind..." Frisk looked off in the distance. "He was loud and obnoxious as heck... Even in that first run, I wasn't scared of him at all. He was always bragging about how cool he was... but I believed it. I still believe it, you know?"

"That definitely sounds like him!" Flowey chimed. "The king would always declare fun holidays randomly. Like, 'Snowy bologna day.'"

"I guess our Papyrus' are the same..." Frisk looked away from Flowey as she wiped at her eyes with a free hand. "T-That's good..."

"Did you have a crush on him too!?" Flowey exclaimed at her gesture.

"N-No!" Frisk blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Sure..." Flowey sighed.

"Look, I had limited options, okay!" Frisk rolled her eyes at him, flustered. "Anyway, once I was on the surface, my small crush on he who cannot be mentioned by name got pretty heavy. He was funny, he was always nice to me, and I just kind of grew a thing for him."

"I guess it helps that he is tall, huh..." Flowey said grimly as he eyed his own body.

"Huh? Oh no," Frisk waved away the issue. "It had nothing to do with looks... he is short in my universe."

"What? He's short?" Flowey raised a brow. "How short?"

"Um... about this tall?" Frisk held a hand up to her collarbone. "He's probably only 4 foot tall..."

Flowey turned a bit purple. "I-I see... cool, cool."

"Anyway... I think I see MK and Hel ahead... Guess we should be prepared for whatever they have in store for us." Flowey nodded at Frisk's words as they entered the next area.

[sunshinemiranda]

King of the Lost Boys - Anthony Ramos x Reader (Chapter 1)

Summary: Anthony, or Pan as he is known, is the leader of the messy gang of Lost Boys. He takes a particular interest that borders on feelings, and yet remember: love? He has never heard of it. 

Warnings: Alcohol! Swearing! Probably drugs! They’re Hoodlums™! 

Words: 6,451 (listen...kill me)

A/N: Day 3 of the Write-A-Thon already? Oh my goodness. So when I started this Peter Pan AU, I had no idea how it was going to go. Apparently, that meant this huge mess. This will be a three part series! Thank you to @hamilbye for letting me use her as a wonderful wingwoman in our story! Enjoy. 

The Lost Boys were a charming band of beautiful boys from the wrong side of town. They were the people your parents ushered you away from on the sidewalk, the boisterous laughs in the town square, the ones who spray-painted “the world is ours” on the water tower. They were the bad kids, the ones who smoked cigarettes when the lunch bell rang, the ones who barely made a celebrity appearance in class, and the ones who the students both idolized and feared. They called themselves the Lost Boys because that’s who they were: perpetually wandering the earth, purposeless, wild and free, made of ivy plants, cigarette smoke, sunshine, whiskey and worn leather jackets.

The first of the characters on the sidewalk is a grinning Lin-Manuel, affectionately nicknamed Slightly for his slim build and incredible talent at snatching wallets. He is the most confident of the bunch with an easy gait and a grin that seems to exude solidarity and assuredness. The only people allowed to call him Lin-Manuel are his parents. At school, he goes by Lin and if you break that rule, he’ll break your arm.

Next up is Daveed, also known as Diggs or Nibs. He is the personification of black satin fabric: smooth, beautiful to look at, and utterly desirable. His voice is a weapon of choice when it comes to coaxing a woman and there is no hiding the fact that he is the most popular of the gang, if the survey at school is any indication. A playboy in any context, it’s not odd to see him with a rotation of girls on his arm. There is never one for Diggs; it stems from his inability to make decisions, though he’d never admit it out loud.

Oak is just behind, his codename a source of embarrassment and status. Tootles, they call him, and anyone who giggles a little too hard will receive a glare hot enough to burn a forest down. He is the tallest of the Lost Boys and the strongest. There is no one in their right mind who would willingly attempt to enter a ring with Oak, but despite his size, he is the least violent of the group. In many attempts of gang wars, he is the first to move towards diplomacy and is known for his smooth, persuasive logic. Oak is the ultimate judge.

Chris is slow to follow but does so anyway. Curly, as the boys know him, is quiet and almost always attached at the hip to Slightly. The two had been throwing punches for each other since preschool. This boy is the one who speaks the least and yet secretly adores singing, though he’ll never perform for anyone. Always frowning, it seems, with a cigarette constantly drooping from his lips, Chris is the most mature of the boys. However, that isn’t to say he pulls away from the fights. Rumour has it that it takes Chris a single punch to knock a man’s front teeth out.

The Twins are next, two young men who are together more than they’re apart. Leslie and Jordan, brothers who spend all their time together, are prone to speaking scarily in unison and finishing each other’s sentences. The most mysterious of the group, not many people know their origin or background. One year, they simply appeared, like two sibling rabbits from a hat, blended seamlessly into the leather-studded background of the Lost Boy group and had been a part of that misshapen family ever since.

Pippa, or Tink, is the only female of the group. She was an innocent girl gone typically bad; dyed her hair, picked up a leather jacket and a cigarette and hadn’t been the same since. Respect throughout the school for the only girl in this band of boys grows daily and she has proven herself more than worthy time and time again. She is the right hand man, the second lieutenant, and the girl who is always by the side of the cavalry boy who leads this band of rebels. Tink seems to exude glitter; it is everywhere at once, in her hair, between her toes, underneath her fingernails. No one knows where it comes from.

The best is saved for last. At the front of the group is the leader of the pack, Anthony, or as the entire school whispers, Pan. His name is said with a mixture of awe and fear for this is the boy who resembles the stars, and speaks with a voice softer than a fire’s touch in the middle of winter, and who is built like an angel, whose each and every freckle must be a kiss from the sun. He is the boy who all the boys want to be and the boy who all the girls want to hold. Pan is flawless; he is the epitome of perfection, knows how to hold a cigarette just so, knows how to ruffle his hair to the side just slightly, knows how to snatch your heart with one crooked smile. Pan, the world murmurs, and everyone wonders how such an angel fell from the sky. He must have done something and everyone marvels at it. A boy like that cannot be evil, can he? But the truth is there, hidden in plain sight. It is in the creases of his leather jacket and in the scent of smoke and alcohol on his white t-shirts. This boy is dangerous. Beautifully so.

So now you know who the Lost Boys are, and now we can begin our story about a Pan who fell in love and nearly self-destruct at the thought. Take heed. It is not the gang that makes this boy threatening. It is the ease with which everyone falls in love with him that makes him dangerous.

Not every weekend promised entertainment and a memory that would follow you till the sun came up, but this one was. After a half hour of convincing and another half hour of getting ready, the night had become a prosperous oyster to be cracked open with coaxing hands to receive a shiny pearl. Nat, the one needing all the convincing, seemed to have an allergy to this kind of shellfish.

“How the hell are we even gonna get into this place? We’re minors, remember.”

Sidled up to the mirror in a violet dress, Nat was pouting as she pressed a mascara brush through her eyelashes. You, ready twenty minutes earlier, had been reduced to waiting outside the bathroom, eyes rolling every time Nat fretted.

“What do these fake ID’s look like to you? Just plastic decoration?”

“Oh, shut up. I get nervous. You know that.” She pulled away, looking at her reflection with a satisfied grin before looking over to you. “You look hot.”

A dove grey dress was hugging your body, black heels strapped to your ankles and you responded with a wordless smile. Rumours of an amazing bar that seemed to go easy on the ID process and went hard on promises of alcohol had all but set your school on fire. High school kids, when sniffing out rum, were better than freaking basset hounds. Tonight, with no classes the next morning and plenty of time to be hung-over, was the perfect opportunity to drag a girlfriend out to party.

“Ready?” You questioned, glancing at your phone before shoving it into your clutch.

“Yup. Let’s do this.” She grabbed her own purse before leading the way out of the small house your busy parents had left behind. A taxi had been idling outside and as you slid in, the smell of leather seats gave you a bit of a thrill. Tonight held promise. It was heavy in the air.

Belle Rêve was a messy, badly secured club in the sketchier part of the downtown area. It had opened about two months ago and had gained popularity faster than anyone had thought. Apparently, these people didn’t mind having a couple minors in the place, as long as you had a fake ID that they could pretend to look at and if you didn’t create too much of a stir.

“ID?” The bearded man at the door asked monotonously, and you flashed your best smile, handing over a card.

He glanced at it, grunted, handed it back and waved you through. Nat went through the same process, visibly nervous, and was waved through in moments. A contagious grin spread from your face to hers.

The place was dark, almost as dark as the night outside. Black light glow lightened the whites of waitress’ eyes and enhanced the predatory smiles of young men. A beat vibrated the floor so heavily that it made the lyrics of the song practically nonexistent and the occasional flash of the lights made everything feel light and surreal. Belle Rêve meant “beautiful dream” and God; the club certainly lived up to its name.

“Drinks?” Nat suggested, and you nodded, letting her pull you over to the bar to take a sight.

“Can we get a couple shots please?” You half-yelled over the music and the bartender nodded, disappearing before sliding two small glasses over to you and your friend.

“To this crazy idea,” Nat laughed and you could only grin back, knocking your glass against hers before tipping it back into your throat.

The burn was a welcome feeling and you straightened with adrenaline increasing in your veins, grin still on your face.

“Holy shit,” you laughed.

“I know. More?”

With a nod, Nat flagged down the bartender and you let your eyes wander around the place, trying to find any familiar faces. The sound of a laugh that miraculously carried over the music met your ear before you saw the source. It was a boyish, smooth kind of sound and it pleased you so wonderfully that your gaze was dragged, against its will, to the curly haired boy it had come from. He was turned away from you at the moment, surrounded by several other boys, all of them clad in leather jackets. The boy you were watching seemed to feel your gaze and he turned, a half smile tilting his lips up on one lopsided corner of his mouth. A breath stopped halfway up to your throat.

“Jesus fuck. Is that Anthony Ramos?” Nat’s voice cut into your hazy mind and posed the very question your mind had been repeating.

“Yes.” You swallowed, gaze still locked into his as he refused to stop staring.

You were not one to back down from a fight and, crossing your arms, you met his eyes and didn’t back down, frowning slightly. He grinned and finally, finally, half turned so he could break the connection between you.

You raised an eyebrow and smirked, as if to say, “See? I win” but he only smiled and turned back to his crowd.

Nat was staring at you, eyebrow cocked with a hand on her waist.

“What?” You questioned, eyes narrowing.

“Well, if you’re done eye-fucking our local bad boy, I’d like to have my best friend’s attention back.”

“Oh, shut up, we were just…having a staring contest.”

“Staring contests are for third graders. Third graders don’t undress each other mentally. Now take this freaking shot with me.”

Rolling your eyes with a good-natured smile, you reached out and downed another drink, slamming the glass down on the table. Before you could quip something to Nat about going to find some cute guys to dance with, a brunette waitress set a martini down in front of you.

“I didn’t order this,” you frowned, turning to face the woman (Pamela? Phoebe? The nametag was hard to read in the dark).

“It’s from him,” she threw a glance in the corner and you looked up to meet Anthony’s gaze all over again. He was grinning fully this time.

Frowning, you slid the martini away from you. “Tell him if he wants to talk to me he should do it himself and stop bothering the employees.”

The waitress grinned at that and walked away, moving to speak to him. He watched you during the entire exchange, his grin growing as he received the news. Content that he would stop bothering you and your friend, you turned away and back to Nat.

“What the fuck was that?” You huffed, leaning forward to rest your arms on the bar counter.

“That was a hot boy getting you a drink. For free. Should have just taken it and wasted his time.” Nat sent you a grin.

“You’re right, but with a guy like that, you gotta be careful not to stroke their ego too much.” You sent her a smile and she giggled.

“Hey, I’m gonna head to the bathroom. See you in a bit.” She gave your hand a quick squeeze before standing and finding her way across the club.

You turned back to the bar, leaning over to wave the bartender down. He was a bit busy hitting on a blushing boy on the other side of the bar and you rolled your eyes. Typical. What was a girl supposed to do to get a drink around here?

“Not a martini kind of girl, huh.” A smooth voice, all playful and soft, quipped from behind you.

You swivelled in your seat to come face to face with the same boy who you had been playing eye-games with, just five minutes before. Pan, as everyone knew him, was not just any boy. A drink from him was already impressive. A visit was like Halley’s comet: rare and a lucky chance to see. He was beautiful in the low blue lights of the club. His long, curly hair was tucked around one ear and that crooked grin was showing off his teeth again. The leather jacket he wore fit him so damn well.

“No, I prefer Sex on the Beach.” You gave a shrug, leaning back as you glanced up at him warily.

Everyone heard things about the Lost Boys and what they did, the kinds of people they were aligned with. This was the leader of an unpredictable group of boys approaching you and that could be a bad thing, but the thrill-seeking half of you wanted to wait it out.

“The act, or the drink?” He grinned, taking a seat on the bar stool Nat had abandoned.

“Oh, that’s real class. Haven’t heard that one before.” You rolled your eyes, turning to try and wave the bartender down again.

“Mm, thought not.” He watched you huff with an amused tilt of a brow. “Need some help getting that guy’s attention?”

“In fact, I do.”

“That’s odd. Didn’t think someone who looks like you would have trouble getting a man’s gaze.”

Jaw clenching, you whipped around to meet his eyes. It was time to end this. “Look, I don’t know what the fuck it is you want from me, but you’re probably not going to get it. Now can you please just go back to your gang of “quirky misfits”? I’m trying to enjoy myself.”

Your hands dropped from the air quotes you had added to your scathing remarks and turned away. Out of your peripheral, you could see his shoulders shaking. He was laughing.

“You’re all kinds of feisty, aren’t you? Hm. Okay.” He leaned over the bar and placed two fingers in his mouth, letting out a loud, New York-cab type whistle.

The bartender whipped around, shaken out of his next pick-up line to deliver to the unentertained boy he was hitting on. He walked over with a quick apology to Anthony.

“It’s fine, Isaac. All I need is a quick Sex on the Beach and then you’re free to get back to your, otherwise, very important business.” Anthony shot him a grin.

A moment later, Anthony took the drink and placed it down in front of you, lifting an eyebrow. You stayed silent, completely unwilling to speak to him.

“Take it.” He nodded toward the orange drink on the counter in front of you. “It’s a peace offering for us getting off on the wrong foot.”

Letting out a breath, you slid your hand out to pull the glass closer to you so you could bring it to your lips and take a sip. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

“What the hell do you want from me?” You murmured, setting down the glass and turning toward the leather jacket-clad leader of the pack.

“A dance.”

You scoffed, reaching to sip your drink again. “No, seriously. What do you want? A one-night stand? Someone to stroke your ego? You came to the wrong place, Pan, I’m not that girl.”

“First of all, I’d prefer it if you’d call me Anthony, and no, you’re not that girl. Which is why all I’m asking for is a dance.”

A pause flowed through the space between you. You reached the bottom of your Sex on the Beach and stared at the melting ice cubes. Wasn’t high school about living fast anyway?

“Fine. But only one dance.” You held your hand up to warn him physically, the drinks settling into your body as a buzz warmed your limbs.

“Wouldn’t dream of asking for anything else.” He grinned and stood in one fluid motion, taking your hand and pulling you onto the dance floor as he stepped forward.

The place was crowded with couples and friends, all of them not paying attention to any boundaries or courtesy of space. There were no rules on the Belle Rêve dance floor and Anthony seemed to be the king of the court. The moment he delved into the crowd, the flow of people seemed to break like water around a stone and he tugged you, almost immediately, to the centre. He turned to you, teeth gleaming in the darkness and reached for your arms, bringing them to wrap around his neck, his own touch drifting to find your waist. 

“What’s your name?” He pulled out that half-smile and the snarky comeback you were going to deliver died in your throat. He had a really good smile.

“(Y/N). And I know who you are.”

“Really now?” He chuckled; hands drifting to grasp your waist, using the newfound leverage to pull you flush against him without warning. “Then you should know to stay away from me.”

There was no response possible then, because your conversation devolved into a dance quickly. With your arms around his neck and his hands pressing into your pelvis, there was a lack of communication that made everything better. After a moment, your eyes closed and you leaned forward, head landing just under his chin. His heart was pounding in his chest and you could hear it louder than the beat. His hips moved fluidly, pressing against you with an insistence that made the hours in the day infinite and the world cease its spinning. People had been right to say that Anthony was a magical kind of boy.

At one point, your eyes flew open and you leaned back to watch him, only to find that his gaze was on you. His hair was wild; curls flying all over the place as your bodies moved amongst a hundred others. There was a sheen of sweat glistening on his collarbone and you had a sudden desire to reach out and lick the length of his neck. A slow grin pulled into place on your mouth and it seemed to bring one from him as well. He leaned forward to whisper against the shell of your ear, setting a shiver down your spine.

“What are you thinking about?”

You looked up at him, pausing. “I feel immortal.”

He threw his head back and laughed, and you made a silent commitment to save that image in your memory: him in your arms, laughing with his hair back and sweat lining his cheekbones. It was a beautiful picture.

“Baby, stay with me and you’ll never have to grow up.” He was still grinning as he promised this and the pet name didn’t go unnoticed.

After that, your eyes closed again and your head found its place against his chest. The song seemed to last forever, but then it ended and there was no point in moving, so one dance melded into three, and then a fourth. By that point, you were covered in sweat and mashed in between Anthony and some other girl’s back.

With him so close, and your view of his face obscured, it was easier to justify your acts. It was easier to pretend that none of this had consequences. You tilted your head just enough to kiss his neck, eyes still closed as if in denial. His skin tasted like smoke and ivy. He tilted his head to the side, giving you better access and you nipped harder and harder, until there was something to show for your work, a purple mark that clashed against his bronze skin beautifully.

You pulled back, eyes half-lidded and all hazy. He was grinning again.

“Guess I’m going to have to be covering that up for a while, huh.” He chuckled, reaching up to push a strand of your hair out of your face. His touch was warm and it took significant will power not to lean into it.

“Anthony,” you mumbled, eyes closing for a second as a decision ran through your mind. The music was pulsing under your feet, making everything seem magnified.

“Yeah?” He replies, already leaning towards you, his hand cupping your jaw with callused hands.

“Kiss me.”

There is not a second to lose, it seems, and he is there before the alarms in your head can go off. His mouth is vicious and insisting, yet pliant against yours and his hands tug you closer. The world is reduced to starbursts of colour under your closed lids and you cannot help the aching tug of your heart as you realize that this boy is better than any kind of adrenaline rush. He is drug-like; someone made of star matter that the human body cannot resist. This is why mortals should not be allowed to kiss angels that fall to the earth. It is too much. It is all too much.

You pull away, hand moving to press against your mouth, trying to scrub the tingle that refuses to go away. His eyes fly open and his mouth is already tilted into that half smile. Fuck, his hair was all ruffled from your grasp and it made you want to kiss him again.

“This is wrong.”

“Come on. I’m not that bad of a kisser, am I?”

“Anthony, this isn’t fucking funny. I can’t do this.” Your mind, in its self-destructive whirlwind, summons a face. “Oh fuck.”

“What?” He moves toward you cautiously, voice concerned now. “What’s wrong?”

“Nat, I lost her, shit, where did she go?” You push yourself onto your tiptoes, searching the room frantically. “I need to find her.”

“Is she the girl you came with?” He asks, eyes scanning the room too.

“Yeah.”

“I think I might know where she is. Come on.” He takes your hand and the warmth of his touch is too comforting for you to turn down at the moment. He leads you through the crowds and to the table where his crew is accumulated, all laughing and talking.

“Yo, Pan, what’s up?” Oak stands to reach out and grasp Anthony’s hand.

“Hey man. I need to know where Nibs is.”

“He was talking to this girl, took her off somewhere. Think maybe in the lounge.” Oak says all this with a shrug, gesturing down the hallway. Then he sees you, hidden behind Ant, your hand clasped in his. “Who’s this?”

“(Y/N) is that girl’s friend. I’m just helping her find her.” Anthony’s voice is oddly tense as he plays it off. Immediately, he lets go of your hand.

“Okay,” Oak raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. “Good luck.”

As soon as Anthony has led you far enough from his group, he reaches for your hand wordlessly and you don’t fight it. There is a submission to his touch that you seemed to have signed earlier in the night. It was pointless to pull away from something you wanted.

In the dim light, you spot a familiar head of hair, wrapped up in the embrace of what seems to be the professional womanizer of the Lost Boys. You reach over and grab Nat’s hand, giving a tug violent enough for her to stumble into you as she makes a sound of indignation.

“Nat, Jesus, I’ve been looking for you.”

She looks up at you, reaching a hand up to wipe the mouth that was just on Daveed’s, a sheepish smile on her face. “Oops. Sorry.”

“Diggs, come on, man.” Anthony is standing beside his friend, one hand on his hip. 

The culprit is still lounging on the red leather couch, giving a lazy shrug as his grin grows in size. “Pan, it’s not my fault girls love me this much.”

“You disgust me.” You snap at him, giving Nat’s hand a tug as you march toward the exit. A thought that Anthony is calling after you registers dimly but you pay no mind.

It isn’t till you’ve managed to push your way to the doors that he actually catches up and cuts ahead of you.

“(Y/N), wait up!” He puts a hand on your shoulder and you flinch out of his touch, turning to face him.

“What do you want, Anthony?”

“I just…when am I going to see you again?” He asks, voice soft. Nat makes a noise but you squeeze her hand viciously.

“I don’t know. Just leave it, okay? I’ll see you around.” You breathe out and turn away, pushing out of the doors to wave down a cab.

It’s too much. All of it, it’s accumulated so fast that it’s overwhelming. At the start of the night, Pan was just a name to you and the Lost Boys were simply a reputation with no substance. But by now, Pan has become a shadow like personality, the Lost Boys are a reality and Anthony is the centre of all your mind’s twisted thoughts. You were wrong to think a kiss with an angel would not prove consequential. You were wrong to think that Anthony would not be special. You were wrong, and there was no satisfaction in a feeling like that.

The taxi ride was silent. Nat, treated to one too many drinks by Daveed, had passed out on your lap and your hands idly pulled through the tangles left in her hair. There was too much room in the car that left your brain defenceless. Thoughts came and wait without your consent and too many slides of Anthony’s face were projected in your mind’s eye. A tingle that had never really disappeared tickled at your mouth and you reached a hand up to brush over the remnants of lipstick, trying to rub his presence off your mouth. It didn’t work.

With Nat’s arm draped around your shoulders and her groaning, the door was difficult to open quietly but not impossible. As soon as you had her on the couch, turned safely on her side in case she threw up in the night, you tugged the afghan around her and pressed a pillow under her head.

Tired, aching and frazzled, your bed looked wonderfully comfy at the moment. The dove grey dress came off and the battle heels were discarded, all in favour of a worn short sleeve shirt and a pair of shorts. The taste of peach schnapps was souring quickly in your mouth, so a toothbrush full of toothpaste was reached for. It was just as you were rinsing your mouth that the first tap sounded at your window.

Must have been the oak tree beside your window. As you busied yourself with wiping off streaked make-up, another came. Then one more, and then a steady tap, tap, tap, tap that had become so incessant that it couldn’t be a harmless tree branch.

Small shadows were hitting the windowpane, and your view revealed tiny, harmless pebbles smacking against the glass. You waited for the rocks to stop, and a pause came. Pushing the window up, you peeked your head out, squinting into the darkness.

“(Y/N), it’s me.” That voice, one you were not at all acquainted with but could pick out amongst a thousand others rang out quietly. It crossed your mind that you very much enjoyed the way he said your name.

“Pan?”

“I thought I told you to call me Anthony.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing in my fucking yard? Leave.”

“This is what I get for trying to be spontaneous. I should have known a girl like you would have seen it as creepy and not romantic. Hang on a minute, I’m gonna get up there.”

“Like fuck you are!”

He didn’t reply but instead let the rusting of the tree’s leaves fill the space instead. You stood, fretting, at the windowsill, leaning down as you tried to make out his form in the darkness. Through the night, you couldn’t quite tell how he had even managed to scale his way up to the small slice of roof next to your window. Pretty soon, his white teeth were illuminating the dark next to you. 

“Jesus, how did you get up here?”

“I flew.”

“You’re hilarious. Anthony, what are you doing here?” You were whispering furiously, arms crossed as you realized that he was encroaching on a private space that you had felt un-scrutinized in.  

“I came to see you.” He made himself comfortable on the tin roof and shot you another grin, looking down to idly brush at his jeans.

A breath filled your lungs and you stared at him, wide-eyed, for a moment. “You’re crazy. You are actually crazy.”

“So I’ve heard. Now are you going to join me, or am I just going to have to freeze, Titanic-style, on your freaking roof?”

You let out a disbelieving squeak, but paused, hands worrying at the hem of your shirt, before you cursed under your breath and pulled a leg up to crawl out the window. The metal was cool under your exposed thighs and the night air nipped at any exposed skin. A shiver ran down your spine. His mention of a very classic romantic comedy tucked itself away for further leverage. Why were you out here? Was it the request of a boy that your lack of control could not deny? Or was it just a simple agreement that yes, this could be enjoyable? Damn you and your inability to steel decisions.

“Anthony.”

“Mm.”

“Why are you here?”

“I thought we addressed this, sweetheart,” he turns toward you, pulling his legs up to cross them, a youthful grin on his face. “I’m here to see you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“Exactly. Me being here solves that.”

“Does it?”

“Absolutely.”

An attempt at a scoff bubbled up from your chest but came out in the form of a chuckle. His grin widened. You hadn’t quite meant to let him have the satisfaction of making you laugh but it seemed to be too late.

“Look, I’m sorry about Diggs.” Anthony let out a slow breath. “Women are his vice.”

“Yeah, I figured. I should have known, Nat is everybody’s type, she’s beautiful, and your friend doesn’t seem to be especially picky either. I’m not angry.”

He sent you a slow smile, all innocent and sunshine-y. Your heart dropped to your stomach as you stared, but you quickly turned to the sky. The temperature seemed to be dropping even further down and you shivered a little more violently, hands clenching into fists. Warm leather came down on your shoulders and tucked easily around your waist, a touch lingering for a moment and then pulling away.

“What is this for?” The leather jacket is worn but comfortable as you tug it a bit closer around you.

“Honey, you looked cold.” He deadpans. “What do you think it’s for?”

“I…” The scathing remark your brain was fighting to come up with seems to lose its light and the point of keeping up an argument becomes arbitrary. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” He grins.

A silence fell with heaviness, a proper mix of uncomfortable and content, as if neither one could decide whether this was an enjoyable pause or not. Thankfully, the question didn’t have to last long.

“Do you know the story of Altair and Vega?” His voice is soft, and you turned to see that his gaze was trained on the night sky.

“Like, the constellations?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…no, not really.”

“They were lovers,” he smiles, giving a gentle chuckle. “You can see them, just up there.” He scooted closer to point more accurately, and though the story’s focus was the constellations, almost all your attention was focused on the warmth his thigh provided as it pressed against yours.

“See, their parents didn’t approve of the match. Vega, she had immortal family who were gods and Altair was just a cow herder.” Out of your peripheral, you can see his eyes drift towards you at this.

“But they disobeyed their parents and spent every minute they could together. When their parents found out, they split them up on either side of a river. The Milky Way Galaxy spiral makes this little trail between them. They stare at each other from across the water and weep for their lost love.”

“Come on, are any of the constellation stories happy ones?” You interrupted, a nervous babble that seemed to spew out of your mouth without regarding your own thoughts. Luckily, he laughed.

“There’s more. The magpies sympathize with them; so once a year, they flock together over the river and make a bridge so that Altair can go to her and they spend a single day together. It’s enough for them. But it’s all they get.” He shoots you a soft smile.

Was this really the person who led the Lost Boys? The notorious leader of the pack who was put on a pedestal and revered for his playboy-ish ways? It couldn’t be. Pan’s mask was crumbling to reveal a boy named Anthony who wasn’t quite like the role he played.  

“Romantic constellations? Titanic? Don’t tell me the famous Pan is a secret softie at heart.” You shot him a grin, bumping your elbow into his ribs.

“Hey, not me.” He chuckled, holding his hands up. “I’m a badass through and through.”

“A badass who knows about lovers in the sky and has seen the most iconic sad romance movie of all time.”

“Yes.”

“Some badass.” You laugh again, a fuller sound this time and he takes note, turns to you with a delighted grin.

“So she knows how to laugh!” His grin only widens.

“Sometimes. And usually at better jokes than yours.”

“Ouch. And just when I was going to pull out another one of my constellation stories. How ungrateful.”

“He’s got another one?” You grinned, giggling. “Pan: confirmed softie.”

“Hey, this one is cool.” He pointed again, motioning to a star that gleamed a little brighter than its neighbours.

“See that? That’s the second star to the right.”

“To the right of what?”

“Just to the right. Now listen. That is my star. It always has been.”

“Anthony, no one is allowed to take a star, that’s not-“

“Are you gonna listen, or not?” He cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head with a chuckle.

You huffed, but nodded, properly reprimanded. He chuckled again and nodded. 

“That star has my name on it, I’m sure of it. And if you’re ever in trouble, or you need someone, and I’m not around…just look to the second star to the right, and know that it is my star always watching you, no matter what. Okay?” Anthony turned to you, a soft smile that knocked the breath straight out of your lungs. It was hard to breathe, and harder still to speak.

“Okay.”

He had pressed a hand to yours as he made his promise, then moved his touch to cradle your jaw. The night was cold and his touch was fire. The world ceased its rounds, just as it did in the club, and you were falling towards him with a speed that astounded you. His mouth is just there, millimetres from granting sweetness but no, no, no, stupid girl.

“Anthony, I can’t.”

He stops immediately, freezes where he is and his eyes flicker from your lips to your eyes in seconds.  

“Why?” His voice is barely a whisper.

“Because I can’t. We can’t, it-it doesn’t make sense. Let’s just not get ahead of ourselves. Okay?”

He pulls back, looks down at the hand that had just been cupping your face, then returns his gaze to yours. He’s smiling, all soft.

“Okay.”

Relief fills your body, but the cold left over from his near electrocuting touch bothers you more than you had hoped it would.

“Now, I need to get to sleep. And you need to get off my roof.” You shoo him with a laugh, and he grins.

“I suppose you’re right. Get some rest.” He calls as you turn to crawl back through your windowsill.

“Goodnight, Anthony.” You turn to see a last glance of the shadow perched on the precipice of your roof.

“Goodnight, (Y/N).”

You had been expecting him to swing onto the oak tree’s branches, but instead he crouched, balanced for a moment, and then jumped. The movement took you so badly by surprise that his name nearly came flying from your mouth, but after waiting to see the damage, you saw the shadow of his outline stepping across your lawn and soundlessly making his way down the street.

That boy really could fly.

With the cold finally kept outside, your limbs warmed quickly and you reached to rub some blood flow back into your bare arms, but underneath your touch was leather. Anthony’s jacket was still hanging loosely around your shoulders, scented of whiskey and mist. Taking it off gingerly, you ran an absent finger over the creases of the worn fabric, then perched it gently on the chair before retreating to curl up in bed.

Sleep came easy but dreams of a figure sprinkled with ivy leaves and a laugh that sounded like Anthony’s traipsed through your mind all night. Flashes of scenes at the club, the feeling of his body and his mouth on yours mixed together and by morning, all you could remember about the whirlpool of visions was the gleam of a familiar star. The second one to the right, to be quite specific.

[luna1350]

Magical Girl’s AU: Part 1

Marvin stands over his desk, practicing his latest magic trick.

“Step right up ladies and gentlemen, and take a peek inside this hat!”

He gestures to the black top hat sitting on his empty wooden desk. Marvin picks up the hat, showing the inside to the audience.

“As you can see, there is nothing in this hat. But if I tap it three times and swirl it around...” He does just that, careful to not swirl it too hard.

“You can see a rabbit inside this hat!”

He reaches inside to grab the rabbit, but he can only feel the satin lining of his hat. He peered inside, but the hat was completely empty.

“...where did the rabbit go?”

At that moment, a snow white rabbit darts out from under Marvin’s star decorated bed. He scoops the rabbit into his arms, and boops her on the nose.

“Oh Rose, we've gotta work on that one.”

He hugs her tightly before he hears the front door slam shut. Marvin puts Rose back in her cage, who proceeds to eat some lettuce, and heads downstairs.

The eggshell wall next to the stairs is filled with pictures of Marvin and Jackie both together and by themselves. Marvin walks into the living room where Jackie sits on the couch wearing a red shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

“Hey Jackie, how was work?” Marvin inquires as he sits down next to him.

Jackie looks to Marvin, tired.

“Long. How's the magic tricks going?”

“Fine, still gotta work on a few of them. Rose ended up under my bed this time” Marvin explains. Jackie rubs the younger one’s head.

“Well, it's better than in the drawer like last time.” He teases.

Marvin throws his fists into the air.

“I'm getting closer!” He exclaims.

“Yeah, one of these-” Jackie gets cut off as a crash comes from upstairs. The boys look up, watching the stairs. After a moment, they look to each other before proceeding to slowly walk up the stairs

Jackie looks around the corner before walking down the hallway, Marvin following close behind. They check each room, looking for the cause of the noise, until they reach Jackie's room. Jackie slowly pushes the door open, ready to strike if need be, and looks inside.

Jackie's room, which is covered in posters of Spiderman and various Superhero themed items, has broken glass littering the floor and bed. On his bed lies a robed figure who slowly sits up.

“Ugh...my head.” They say before catching sight of the two boys standing in the doorway. They scramble up, startled.

“Who are you?” They ask.

“Who are you?” Marvin shoots back.

“I asked you first!” They insist.

“I'm Jackie, and this is my brother Marvin. Now who are you?” He explains.

“There's no way you could be…” They trail off, incredulous. They shake their head.

“You can call me Rogue. And you...you two look like the princes I've been looking for” She says.

Marvin cocks his head to the side.

“Princes? I don't know what you're talking about. I think you just hit your head an-”

“No! I know what I'm talking about. I'm not crazy!” She says interrupting Jackie. She point to the boys.

“You two are some of the princes I've been searching for! We're on a mission to find all of you, and the rest of the court. Then, and only then can the kingdom be returned to its former glory!” She explains, making wild gestures. Jackie and Marvin only watch in confusion, ready to bolt if need be. Rogue merely sighs.

“Fine, I'll show you.” She reaches inside her robe and pulls out a typical black and white magician's wand, and a blue eye mask. Rogue holds them out to the boys.

“Take them. Trust me, I'm not going to kill you with them.” Rogue assures.

The boys slowly walk closer and grab the items out of her hands. Marvin takes the wand, and Jackie takes the mask.

“Now, hold those items into the air, and say your name followed by power. So say, 'Marvin power’ or whatever.” Rogue says.

The brothers look at each other before doing what Rogue said. Then, in a flash of blinding light, they were in totally different outfits.

Marvin had a decorated cat mask, with all the card suits, on his head. His long brown hair was pulled in a ponytail with a black hair tie. He also wore a blue short sleeve shirt with a dark blue bow and a black button center. A long black cape was tied around his neck and reached the bottom of his dark blue skirt, which fell down to his knees. The magician's wand was magically stuck to the side of his skirt. On his feet were a pair of black shoes with dark blue laces.

On Jackie's face was the dark blue mask, and he wore a bright red shirt with a blue bow and a black button. His shirt had a red hood on the back, and a blue cape tied around his neck. He also had a blue skirt that matched his cape, and red shoes with blue laces.

The boys look at their new outfits in shock.

“I'm wearing a skirt?” Jackie questions.

“What the hell are we wearing?” Marvin wonders.

“Those are your power outfits. They make it a little easier to use your powers” Rogue explains.

“Powers? We have powers?” Marvin asked. Rogue nods and looks to the side.

“But for the sake of plot convenience, and laziness, I won't tell them what they are.”

“....Rogue who are you talking to?” Jackie asks. She looks back to the two.

“No one. Anyway, you need to use your powers to find your brothers and save the rest of Jack's court.” Rogue explains.

Marvin cocks his head to the side again.

“Our brothers? Jack? Who is that?” Marvin inquires. Rogue tilts Jackie's blanket, letting the glass fall to the floor. Then she pats the bed and sits, Marvin and Jackie following suit.

“In another world far, far away, there lies the kingdom of Magnolia. The kingdom was ruled by King Jack and Queen Wiishu. They were benevolent rulers, beloved by all in their land and in their court. This kingdom had six princes: Jackie, Marvin, Anti, Henrik, Chase, and Jameson. And everything was perfect, until Peter attacked. He and his army decimated the kingdom, destroying everything. King Jack and Queen Wiishu combined the last of their powers and sent you and the rest of their court to Earth, where you were scattered across the globe and reborn.” Rogue looks up at the ceiling, zoning out before coming back to reality.

“So now that we know, what do we do now? How are we supposed to find everyone?” Jackie asks.

Rogue stands and looks out the window. Their robe blowing in the wind, but not enough to see what they actually look like. After a moment of looking at the city around them, she turns to them.

“Some of the members of Jack's court have been corrupted into these...monsters.” Rogue says as they leave the window, beginning to look around Jackie's room.

“How have they turned into monsters?” Marvin asks.

“I'm not exactly sure. They seem to have no memory of who they were, they're hostile to those who have awoken, and they seem to be collecting this...energy from people. Who knows where it goes or what it does. But it seems that defeating them and cleansing them seems to revert them back to their former selves.” Rogue explains.

Jackie's eyes sparkle with excitement and he jumps up off the bed.

“Are we going to be real life superheroes?” He squeals.

“I guess in a way you are.” Rogue says.

Jackie dances around the room as Marvin watches, smiling at his brother's antics. Rogue looks to the window, noticing that the sun is setting.

Under her hood, she frowns and pulls out two gold watch-like devices. On the glass of each one was a symbol for each ego. The blue mask for Jackie, and a cat mask for Marvin. Rogue hands them to the boys and watches as they put it on their wrists.

“These are communicator devices. You can use them to communicate with each other and other people. All you have to do is turn the top left knob to speak and turn it again to mute yourself. The one below that is a volume knob and the one on the other side of the watch triggers a holography map that you can interact with.” Rogue explains, pointing to each one.

The boys marvel at the devices and Rogue moves to the windowsill, brushing the glass off of it. She then slips through and stands on the edge outside. Her robe blowing almost enough for them to see her skin. She smiles, breathing the soon to be night air and looks to the window where the boys watch in interest.

“I'll let you know if there are any development with any monsters or your brothers. In the meantime, try out your powers. See what you can do. For now, farewell.” Rogue waves to the two before looking away.

She jumps off the windowsill on to the next roof, and the next roof. Never faltering, and never falling. Marvin and Jackie watch in awe, until I she's out of sight. Marvin steps back, his feel crunching on broken glass that Rogue had moved beside the window. He turns to his older brother and asks,

“This is great and all, but how are we going to fix this window?”