#but all the weird little books that get crushed now unless you go the difficult creator-owned route makes me so sad. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

talkfantasytome · 3 years

Text

'Twas Never Meant to Be - An Opinion

I have a lot of thoughts about this, and really need to get them out. So, let's talk about Elain and Azriel.

First off, I want to warn you, this post is a beast. Like, over 7.5k words beast. It just kept going. I'm sorry, but I didn't know what to take out and, honestly, I didn't want to spend a lot of time heavily editing it. Tread knowingly. I will not be offended if anyone chooses not to read it, or not to read it all.

Secondly, I want to say that this post is not meant to be a pro-Gwynriel or pro-Elucian post. Regardless of my personal ships, I want to explain why I, personally, do not believe Elain and Azriel would be right for each other. And these reasonings go far beyond "because I'd prefer them with someone else". In fact, these beliefs and feelings are first and foremost in my mind when considering all three of these ships, and any feelings I may or may not have on other ships are always second to my belief that they would not be right together. I will do my best to keep Gwyn and Lucien out of the comparison, unless using them as a way to point to something that would be wrong between Elain and Azriel - versus stating any reason why the other would be right.

The first two reasons I will share are ones I have been holding on to for quite a while, and have only become stronger with more content (Silver Flames). I have, personally, not seen much around these two thoughts, but recognize that they may be out there already, as there is no new thought under the sun. So, here goes:

Step Away From the Characters

Honestly, my first reason really has nothing to do with the characters themselves at all, but it's something I can't get out of my head. It's a personal thing, I know, as everyone might see it differently, but I can't help but feel like the three brothers ending up with the three sisters would be too perfect, too convenient.

I know that it's a shit argument when talking about an SJM book, and the more I read about the series, and the more books that come out within it, the more I recognize this. It makes me sad. But personally, I can't get behind this storyline, this ending that is so perfect it makes my skin crawl. It's not how life works, and it doesn't really make sense. If it were three adoptive sisters, as the bat boys are, it would actually make more sense, because it would stand to reason that you would have a two groups that mirror each other. That one girl who mirrored Rhys, let's say, then befriended to the point of sisterhood ones that mirrored the boys that Rhys befriended to the point of brotherhood. But Nesta, Elain, and Feyre are sisters by blood, not by choice, and so it isn't an automatic that they would be that reflection to the boys. And even though the boys lived together, and weren't fully brought together by choice as much as Mrs. Rhys's mother, they still chose to stay together and be brothers.

We have never, not fully, seen the Archerons make those same choices. These boys live together (or used to), work together, truly share their lives. The Archerons don't. The girls were disconnected before becoming Fae, and they are still disconnected after it. You see it more clearly with Nesta, of course, trying to stay away from the group, stay separate. But you see it with Feyre and Elain too. You see how Elain practically gives up on Nesta, and how Feyre discredits and dismisses Elain as anything more than just a kind soul who likes to garden. You can't, for two seconds, convince me that the Archerons have as similar or as bonded relationships to each other as the bat boys, and that alone tells us that we should not expect them to mirror the boys.

I would also like to note, looking back at the characters for a second, that it has been observed by others how Feyre and Nesta do seem to have similar energies a lot. On top of that, you could argue that Nesta mirrors all three bat boys in one way or another. It's one theory as to why she and Rhys struggle so much with each other, because they're too similar. And, you can't convince me that Az and Nesta don't share a bond because of their own similarities. Nesta's fire was cold as ice. Rhys once observed Azriels rage as an 'icy rage'. I don't think I need to mention how Nesta mirrors Cassian, but it's there too. So, the fact that she would be the sister who ended up with a mate from the Night Court, one of these three brothers, just made a lot of sense. But Elain, who is so different from her sisters, she doesn't have that same energy. It's not a bad thing, but it helps make sense why she would be the one with a mate from outside this Court.

Beyond this, however, I still struggle with the three and three come together concept. And that's coming from someone who actually has, within her family, a story of two brothers marrying two sisters - my great grandparents (or great great, I can never remember). So, I know stuff like this does happen, though admittedly my only experience is with two and two, and naturally I do believe that the likelihood of the full group being with the full other group goes down with each additional number. Regardless of that, though, it is an author's job to tell a story that we can connect to, and having such convenient and perfect endings makes it difficult to do just that. Because life isn't like that.

So I struggle with the concept of this. Like I said, the more I get to know these books, this series, the more I understand that this is not a great argument for why Elain and Azriel aren't endgame considering how other things have played out, but I still think it's a good argument for why they shouldn't be. However, I would also say that the argument that they will end up together because it's three brothers and three sisters is completely off base and illogical, for reasons I've mentioned above. What is the purpose of that? How does that drive the plot and the story and world? How does it connect us to them better? It doesn't. All it does is be just a convenient little bow that has no true purpose, unless there is true purpose as to why each sister ended up with each brother. And I don't really see a purpose as to why Elain would end up with Az except that they're both the last sibling, and that they currently like each other. But that doesn't mean they're right for each other, and I don't see how them being together will spur the story and the world forward the way Feyre and Rhys did, and the way Nesta and Cassian can and/or will.

As someone who dabbles in writing, I have thought about these types of things, and I'm always adjusting plans and thoughts when I realize I've gone into that too perfect la la land, and I'd like to believe that all writers do that. SJM has had some convenient endings, but I will say I've not yet felt like any ending was just too perfect. The closest was, of course, ACOWAR. But even then, you still had threads, misunderstandings, questions, and things you weren't happy about. Yes, the ending felt a bit perfect, but we still lost the Bone Carver, Mr. Archeron, the Suriel, etc. There were still things that made it less than completely perfect. And much of what was done in the ending did move this story forward, and provide the opening for what we are now getting. And, in the same vein, I like to think that SJM would recognize how this would be too much. But, I don't hold out a lot of hope on this reasoning alone, it's really just something I had to get off my chest.

Share Life With Me

This next point is huge for me, in my mind. Again, it is based off of my own personal opinions of some characters, as well, so I do understand that some people may not agree with this argument. That's fine, but you will not sway me.

It all comes down to one thing. What does Az want?

In the Az POV chapter we are finally told, out right, that he does want Elain. But, my question - does he really?

I have been thinking about this since long before Silver Flames, since we all knew Az had a crush, but it wasn't as cemented until Silver Flames came out, and we saw how Nesta and Cassian would develop as a couple. Because, and here's the kicker, I don't believe Az actually wants Elain.

Yes, you read that right. I know he thinks he wants Elain. I know he believes she's kind and beautiful. And I recognize that there was a sexual tension there - I'm not blind. But I don't believe that Elain is the end goal Azriel is actually looking for.

I believe that she is a representation of that end goal.

This mostly comes down to his conversation with Rhys, his belief about the Cauldron:

"The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another." He had never before dared speak the words aloud.

Okay, first - Az, please see point above. Also, I can't help but feel like SJM put that in here almost to show that this isn't actually a valid argument.

Second, let's dissect that argument for a moment. Now, perhaps Az is just trying to find what he considers a more 'objective' reason for why Elain should be his, why they should be together. However, if that were the case, then why would he have never dared speak those words aloud? Most likely because he knows it's not a solid argument, and logical Az knows this. But this is 2 AM, you just stopped me from kissing the girl I fancy Az, and he definitely is not being his most logical self.

It's also not a logical or good argument because of one simple word. Given. "…the third was given to another." Az, you're better than this. I truly want to believe you're better than this. I understand that the mating bond is weird, and inherently at least slightly sexist, but that doesn't give any male the right to really look at it that way. Especially when you consider the explanation that the mating bond will be present between two perfect equals. This is seen in ACOMAF when Feyre can't believe Rhys would be her mate, because that's what it would mean, that she's his equal. This also paints Elain as an object, which, no matter what anyone's feelings are toward the character, is not okay. She is a person. A fictional one, but still a person, she cannot be given unless she chooses to give herself. The Cauldron simply dictated who it believes is best for her, and vice versa. I'm not saying the Cauldron was right, or that she and Lucien would be good together, but that's what the mating bond is. To argue that the Cauldron was wrong because two brothers got two of the sisters, but the third was given to another is inherently wrong, because Elain cannot be given away.

It also shows that maybe Az really isn't truly seeing Elain for who she is, if he is thinking of it this way. I do believe that Az is a feminist, or, at least, more of a feminist than most of the males in Prythian (which, sadly, doesn't seem to be saying much). So I don't believe this is a comment based on a sexism in Az we haven't seen yet, I truly don't. I believe that it is a comment made by someone whose judgement is clouded, and who is, as I stated earlier, using Elain as a representation of what he's really looking for. He seems to idolize her, put her on a pedestal, believe that she is all light, all good. (Az, please see my previous post on that little nugget.) He objectifies her not because he truly believes she is an object, but because she has become a symbol in his mind - she is not the person Elain to him. She is the one he should have, the one who will bring him what he wants. Note I didn't say the one he wants. Whenever a person puts another on a pedestal the way Az has with Elain, whenever someone idolizes them, or believes that said person will fix all of their woes, they are subconsciously objectifying them. That being is no longer seen as a true person, with all the flaws and struggles and ugly parts. They are something else. And those types of feelings about another person never end in a good relationship, because at least one side is always expecting too much from the other, and they rarely learn to cope with what they didn't expect. And, for the record, you should never really be 'coping' with your partners flaws, but that's a conversation for another day.

Beyond being not a truly logical argument, and showing us how Azriel has actually objectified Elain in his mind, I also believe this statement gives us insight into what Az actually wants. He could have said a number of things to express a belief (or desire) that the Cauldron was wrong. He could have talked about his feelings for Elain. About how he thinks their personalities are too compatible for them to not be rightfully mates. Pretty much, he could have said something about Elain, and how they are right together because of who they are.

But he didn't.

Instead, Az brought up his two brothers and their mates. How they each got one, so surely the third should be his. And why did he do this? Again, maybe 2 AM Az who had lost his logic just thought this was an objective reason. But I think there's more to it than that. I think he brought up those other relationships as a way to point toward what it is he really wants. Because that's what's on his mind. It's not that Elain is perfect for him, that she is everything he could have ever hoped for in a female. It's that she is the sister of his brother's two mates, and he wants what his brothers have. So, clearly, that must mean that it's Elain who can give him that.

Again, Az, please read my first point. Because that's not a guarantee just because they're related.

Now, I imagine most people are saying, "Well, duh. We all know he wants what they have. He said so earlier on in the chapter." And he did:

Azriel couldn't stop it. The envy in his chest. Of Cassian, and Rhys.

So, it's not new. But, this argument he provided highlights that so specifically. He wants what his brothers have. Not a mate, per se. No. What they have.

But, wait, a mate is what they have. What are you saying?

Yes, a mate is what each of them have. But, as we know, not all mates are perfect for each other. Rhys and Feyre, and Cassian and Nesta are both examples of how right the mating bond can be. But, let's instead look at what they both have, in points, instead of just saying they have a mate. Here are, from my interpretation, the main common aspects of these two relationships:

Love. Sure, Nesta and Cassian hadn't said it yet. But, yes, they love each other, they're just both stubborn and scared and maybe not ready to say it.

Heavy sexual attraction and chemistry. This may not always be the most important piece of a relationship, but it's blatant in both of theirs, and it's clear that Az wants that as well. Which is fair.

Friendship. It's hard to see it at times, because these books are so much about the romance, but I do believe that both couples are truly friends who like to spend time together. Who can have fun together. We don't get to see this enough - and I do wish we saw more of it - but it is there. It's there when Cassian throws his head back laughing at something Nesta said. Or when Rhys is thrilled when sassy Feyre appears. And yes, it is in part the mating bond, making them want to be near each other, but they still enjoy that time together. Mates who aren't right for each other wouldn't.

True partners. In these two relationships, they are more than just each other's mate, lover, friend. They are and/or are becoming partners. In their relationships, Rhys and Cass have found a female who they can share their lives with. Completely and fully. In Feyre, Rhys has found a High Lady, a female who is his true equal, who can rule the Court with him. They work together, plan together. And Rhys can come home at night and tell her everything about his day. In Nesta, Cass has found someone who, I believe, will grow to command with him. Likely female units, but she is still mirroring Cass in that way. She may not become his true equal in terms of being Commander of the Night Court, but she would still be his partner. He will still be able to strategize with her, the two working together to determine where each unit will go. He will command the Illyrians, and by his side she will command the Valkyries. And he can come home, at the end of the day, and tell her everything about his day.

It's this last piece that I want to really dig into, because that is what separates Rhys and Cassian's relationships from others we have seen, in my opinion, and thus that is what Az wants. It's not just a mate, he wants what his brothers have, a true partner who he can fully share his life with. Because that is what makes their relationships so special.

And, in the end, I do not believe Elain can be that for him.

I am not trying to discredit Elain, or say that she is simple, or that she can't do anything but garden and be a housewife. No. That is not my point. I do think, however, that what it would entail to be a true partner to Az is something she does not want to do. And that is okay! It is okay for her to want to garden and bake. It's okay to not wish to be involved in all of the plotting and planning and little missions and quests that the Inner Circle does. It's okay to not want to train. To be happy as you are.

But she can't do both. She can't be a true partner to Azriel and remain as she is. Now, perhaps she does want more, and I have misread her. It's possible, I am not infallible. However, she hasn't ever truly shown us anything that tells me otherwise. And, no, I don't believe her offering to find the Dread Trove in Silver Flames counts as I don't believe she offered to do so out of the goodness of her heart or because she wanted to do it. I believe she wanted to prove Nesta wrong. (Again, you can see this in my previous post.) So, to be a true partner to Azriel, she may have to change everything that she is. And that's not fair to her.

And, even if I am way off on a lot of this. Even if she does want to do more for the Night Court. There is one thing that we have learned about Elain:

She does not wish to fight, she does not wish to train.

I'm sorry, you can't convince me otherwise. Not when she has had ample opportunity to do so in the year, year and a half since Hybern, and still hasn't. It was different with Nesta, who was dealing with a lot of other things, but Elain has been, for the most part, fairly healthy. Her not training is her choice because of who she is.

Again, this is okay! I am not insulting Elain for this, not at all. I get it. I don't particularly love working out - the main exercise I get is from rock climbing twice a week, that's it. So I get it. However, you cannot work with Azriel and not be trained, not know how to fight. Even if Elain could be silent, or infiltrate courts easily, and learn secrets, you need those skills, even if it's just a fallback to ensure you can escape should something go wrong. But it also helps to understand these types of things, to understand battle and politics and everything else. It's not about whether she can do this, it's about whether she wants to do this, and I'm not sure she does. So she would either have to change who she is, and be unhappy to become Az's partner, or she wouldn't be able to be that. And, admittedly, if she were unhappy, he still wouldn't have what his brothers have.

However, on top of that, I also don't know if Azriel would let Elain be his true partner. Think about when they're at dinner, talking about how Nesta needs to scry, and how they'll have to rely on Elain if she doesn't - what Azriel says.

“There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.”

Sidebar - I've not seen anyone talk about how Cassian was absolutely in the right for defending Nesta. So I did. You can see my soap box here.

Now, back to the point. This is one example of how Az is constantly trying to protect Elain from, well, kinda everything. So, even if Elain did want to do all of those things, would Az even be okay with it? He obviously can't stop her from training or anything like that - and if he tries should she ever want to, he's dead to me. But, would he really share his life with her? Tell her about those 'unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond their scars'? I don't believe he would. I don't believe he could truly handle her working with him because, again, he has put her on this pedestal of beauty and grace and goodness (that she may not have). And the things he does are not good, at least not by his standards. He wouldn't be able to truly include her until he started to look at her as her own person again, which I also don't see happening. And, even then, he still wouldn't want to share with her all he'd done, believing her likely to judge those things, to be too pure to even hear about them. Regardless of whether that is true or not about Elain, it would hinder him from being able to have a true partner in her. When Azriel comes home at night, he would not tell her everything about his day.

Love Yourself, Az

This, I know for a fact, is not a new revelation. I have seen a lot about this, and have seen some posts that even helped me along with this as well, but I can't not address Az's shadows. I would link to the first post I saw about this but, admittedly, I can't find it. So, just know, I'm not the only one thinking this, and I recognize that some of this may come off as similar to others, but I couldn't not talk about this because it just feels so important.

Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around.

It wasn't until the Azriel POV chapter that I fully understood what lay behind the fact that Az's shadows would retreat around Elain, when we get a direct comparison to how they react to Gwyn's breath:

"How was the party?" Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.

Before this, I didn't realize how bad a sign it is, for his shadows to retreat. I just thought they did that when he was around someone he was attracted to, almost as a sense that the other person lightened him up. But, with this comparison, and in general what we see from Az when around Elain, I see just how wrong I was. His shadows hiding isn't a sign of him lightening up - no, it's a sign of him retreating more into himself, trying to be something that he isn't around that person, in the hopes that they'll accept him if he is.

In the end, it's toxic.

He can't be who he truly is around Elain. That's not something that will lead to a healthy, happy relationship. He may have the girl he thinks he wants, but he won't have the relationship we all know he is desperate for. Whereas, around Gwyn, we see his shadows reach out to another person, jump out, dance with her breath, sing to her. He is able to fully embrace who he is around her. He will be able to be himself with her, love himself with her. And whether or not Gwyn is the right person to him, what this tells us is that Elain can't be that person. That she, like Mor, would be toxic to Az.

On top of that, I can't not point out the word usage here.

While I did observe this on my own, I am not the first to point it out - pagesofmoonlight talks about this in detail, about the usage of the term 'skittered' in regards to how the shadows retreat from Elain. It's not just a general hiding, or even a 'lightening' of Az, as I once thought. It's a gut reaction to her, her breath. They run from her. When I read that word, I literally picture a wave of something, and the shadows seeing it and running from it in fear.

Similarly, in comparison, with Gwyn's breath, the shadows 'darted' out to it. That, also, is not just a general they reached out to it for warmth or contact. Now, they darted - that is a very quick move, often done with a need or desire to get to where you're going as quickly as possible. The shadows needed or wanted to be with that breath, so they darted to it.

Like I said, this post isn't meant to be promoting one ship over Elain and Azriel. But what Gwyn provides here is a comparison, is a sign of what could and should be, whether with her or another person. Even if she isn't endgame, she shows us this problem between Elain and Azriel.

Home is Where You Shine

This entire post, which has become MASSIVE, has been very focused on Azriel, and why Elain is not right for him. But I want to touch on a reason why Az isn't right for Elain.

Azriel is a part of the Night Court. It is his home. It is where he belongs. He fits here, it is right for him. He can and does fine here. I don't think anyone can deny this. But Elain - she does not.

First, let's look at when Nesta is in the Spring Court.

Nesta’s throat constricted, and she surveyed the swaying cherry blossoms overhead. Elain would love this place. So many flowers, all in bloom, so much green—the light, vibrant green of new grass—so many birds singing and such warm, buttery sunshine. Nesta felt like a storm cloud standing amid it all. But Elain … The Spring Court had been made for someone like her.

I'm not saying Elain will end up in the Spring Court, but I do believe it is telling that Nesta would think about another court this way. We've not, to my recollection, really ever seen another character think about how well someone would fit in a different court. Feyre did, if I remember correctly, mention enjoying other courts at times, thinking they were beautiful, but never did she think about how right someone within her court would be in a different court. Because no one else in the Inner Circle would fit so well in another court. For whatever reason it is, everyone else is perfectly suited for the Night Court, and they can handle it.

It takes a lot to be a part of the Night Court. The masks they all wear, the reputation they have, the responsibilities that fall on their shoulders. It's not an insult or an attack on any character to say that they may not fit there, that they may be more in tune with the beauty of Spring, the warmth of Summer, the light of Day. And Elain, who is gentle and kind and not one to pretend to be what she isn't - likely because she's never felt the need to - I can understand how it would be hard.

Secondly, and I know it's a point of contention, and a well-discussed piece of Silver Flames, but I do want to talk about the Solstice Ball, and Cassian's observations.

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.

I will try not to go too far into the information about Elain in the black dress, as it's been discussed a lot from both sides, though I do think it is telling, because Cassian isn't just saying it's the one dress. It's very specific about how Elainin black was ridiculous, not that dress. It may seem shallow, but in the end, black is a crucial color in the Night Court, and that type of symbolism is often used to depict things just like this. It would not be the first time, and it certainly won't be the last that a writer uses color this way. However, I have seen a number of posts about this, on both sides, and I do understand both arguments, even if I disagree with one because I don't think it's meant to just be a skewed POV.

I would like to note, however, that the main argument I've seen is that there was once another time Elain was described in a dress that did little to complement her, but it's a very different description. That other time, it's mentioned specifically that the dress and color/shade of the dress did little to complement her 'sallow skin'. First of all, this is specifically discussing how the color didn't work with her skin, not how the color 'drained the life out of her'. Secondly, I would say it is very important to note that 'sallow' means "of a sickly, yellowish or lightish brown color". It is not discussing her skin as it typically is, but how it is when she was in the midst of her own depression after becoming High Fae. It's not that the dress didn't complement her, it's just that it didn't help make her skin look better than the sickly state it was currently in. Whereas, in this reflection, Elain is healthy, and still the black is draining her. Not the dress, not the shade - black. Point blank.

It's also important to recognize that this isn't meant to insult Elain, I believe it is a symbol of how she doesn't shine in the Night Court, how this court could potentially 'suck the life out of her'. Yes, it's just a dress. Yes, there's a chance they wanted her to look plain, but I don't believe that.

They were always going to have Nesta dance with Eris, and they all knew that, despite Elain's beauty, and no matter how lovely she looked, Eris would gravitate to Nesta. He'd already shown interest in her, he'd already become intrigued. He looked at Elain first, I believe, to get a look at his brother's mate. Because he wasn't looking at Elain with interest. No, it was an 'assessing gaze'. There was no reason to make Elain look plain. In fact, there was every reason to make sure she looked just as beautiful as Nesta. Think about what Cassian said just before this:

Both sisters wore black. Both walked behind Rhys and Feyre, a silent indicator that they were a part of the royal family. Had mighty powers of their own. They’d planned it that way, wanting Eris to see for himself how valuable Nesta was.

Why would they want her to look plain, considering this? They wanted Nesta and Elain to walk in the procession behind Feyre and Rhys, as a sign, a symbol. Yes, they wanted Eris to see and understand how valuable Nesta was, as it is said, but they didn't want Elain to look any less valuable. First, doing so would have made Nesta look less valuable by comparison. But, on top of that, I highly doubt they had any fears that Eris would prefer Elain - if they believed Eris about Lucien, then I think they'd believe that Eris wouldn't wish to take away his brother's mate. In fact, I imagine Eris would more likely help Lucien with Elain - but, that just be my Eris stan status coming out.

What is clear is that it was purposeful that they put both Nesta and Elain in black, as a symbol that they are a part of this family. My guess is that they found a dress for Elain that did her the most justice, and that she was comfortable wearing but, in the end, black just doesn't work on her. And is that fact not telling when that is the color of the family?

While this was in draft mode, I also found this post from yazthebookish, who goes deeper into this, and how it wasn't just Cassian who observed how ridiculous Nesta looked in black. So, for those who want to talk about how it is a skewed perspective, there were actually three that made this observation, and I absolutely agree that SJM wouldn't shove this in there solely to say that they purposefully tried to make sure Nesta outshone Elain. As they pointed out, Nesta is gorgeous in her own right. Cassian met her and Elain together, and he was instantly drawn to Nesta. As I mentioned earlier, Eris has been intrigued by her since long before this - see the High Lords meeting in ACOWAR. Helion would gladly get into her leathers, and while I'm aware that's not saying much, his focus on her is slightly higher than you see it on others he would also slide into bed with. She doesn't need Elain to dull herself down to shine.

I also think the one observation about how the black 'wore her' matters. It makes me wonder more about this court, both the general Night Court, and the people in the Inner Circle. Is the court wearing her? Is it sucking the life out of her? Is this why we don't see as much spine from Elain? We got some in this book, but it was all in an attempt to prove she belongs to this court. Something she feels the need to do, as we see in Cassian's reflection:

When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed.

…but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.

First of all, just quickly, I want to mention the ellipses before it says 'it sucked the life from her', and what came right before that. Is Cassian talking about the black? Or is he talking about being a part of this court? I don't have the answer, just food for thought.

I can't help but notice that Elain seems to feel the need to constantly prove, declare, and claim that she is part of this court. She has to push her way through, and while I know it's in part because so many people try to protect her, I think it's more than that. I believe Elain wants to be a part of the Night Court, but in the end it's not suited to her, and so she has to force her way in, when even Nesta, who everyone has been so displeased with, manages to fall in much easier. It's not because they don't like Elain, that's obvious. I believe it's because, in the end, they all see it.

It reminds me a lot of Tywin Lannister's quote from GoT (TV series, I won't read the books until George RR Martin finishes them):

Any man who must say, "I am the King", is no true king.

Could you not adjust this to: "Any person who must say, 'I am part of this court', is not truly part of this court."

I don't think Nesta has once said that. Feyre, maybe, but not in the same way as much as in letting certain people outside the court know. But, to have to say that within the court - it signifies that either you, yourself, don't believe yourself part of the court, or that maybe you aren't truly. Or that you are, but you recognize that maybe it's not the right fit, even if you really want it to be.

In the end, while I don't think Elain can't fit or find a nice life in the Night Court, the final point is that she doesn't shine in the Night Court. And that's not the same as saying she fully doesn't belong. But, shouldn't home be a place where you shine? Where you can be everything you are, and it is absolutely right? Isn't that what Nesta found in Silver Flames, in the House, with Cassian, and Gwyn, and Emerie,…and the House? She didn't have to be anything other than who she was, with any of them, and she still found a place that not only provided her comfort, but where she could truly shine. And she's found it in the Night Court, as well.

Elain hasn't. And maybe that's just because we haven't seen her story play out yet. I'm not so stuck up to believe there's no way I could be wrong. In fact, what bugs me the most about a lot of posts around these different beliefs is the use of 'when' instead of 'if', because no one wants to admit that, at this point in time, no matter what side you're on, it very much is an 'if'. None of us know what SJM has planned. All we can do is use the information we've been given to make as educated a guess as possible. This is mine, and SJM may prove me completely wrong, and that's okay. She may end up giving Elain a more similar arc to Nesta, and show how she develops and grows into someone who flourishes in the Night Court with Az by her side, and should she do that, I hope it's in a way I can understand and not something poorly developed and difficult to grasp.

A Mate is A Mate is A Mate

I won't talk too much about how she and Azriel aren't mates and how that automatically means they couldn't work. It could, in concept. I won't address the theories about her ending up with multiple mates. I do not agree with these theories, as they conflict with the canon we have. Until SJM puts out canon information that can explain a contradiction to what we've been given, any theory that truly contradicts the canon provided I will not consider, whether I like it or not. Multiple mates is not a thing. Being able to sever the mating bond so that someone can have a new mate is not a thing. I do recognize that females can reject the mating bond, and I am not saying whether or not I think Elain should or shouldn't do this with Lucien. Nor am I saying that having a story where someone does reject the mating bond to see how that plays out wouldn't be great.

I will point out, however, that it is often discussed as a thing females do. Females reject the mating bond. Males who have a female that rejected the mating bond grow incredibly uncomfortable, and they truly struggle.

...there will always be a ... tug. For the females, it is usually easier to ignore, but the males ... It can drive them mad.

I'm not going to include all the stuff about males thinking their mate belongs to them. Grow up, Prythian. Get with the program. But, considering this, considering the other pieces we get, I do not know if a male can be with another person, truly, in a loving relationship if he has a mate. Maybe one day, years and years and years after the rejection. Or maybe, if his mate doesn't fit his preferences - if that is a thing (and honestly, we don't yet know the status of same-sex mates, but if they are a thing - please let them be - then I have a harder time believing that those who have specific preferences would end up in a mating pair with the wrong gender).

I am not saying this to say that Elain and Lucien should be together. I am saying this because, considering all these things, right now, canon information essentially tells us that, should Az find his mate, he will go to her, need to be around her. Think about Cassian when Feyre asked why he bothers with Nesta:

Because I can't stay away.

Think about how Lucien couldn't help but try to find Elain, despite direct orders of being told not to. Or about how the second Rhys heard Feyre say 'no' in her mind to Tamlin, he was there to take her away. They just can't help it. The mating bond has a stronger pull on males.

And, maybe Az would be able to deny the bond. To reject it himself, who knows. But, based on everything we've been told, that would be incredibly difficult. And, considering how much he wants what his brothers have, would he want to?

Obviously, there is reason to believe Az does have a mate, and we've met her. And I know some people disagree with this. I would be interested to hear any theories about why he and Gwyn aren't mates, so long as they don't involve Elain. It's not that I have anything against her, it's just that those arguments don't actually point to Gwyn and Az not being mates, just that the person believes Elain and Az belong together regardless, which is not an argument for why they're not mates. But if there are any reasons or signs found in the books and canon information that distinctly point against Gwyn and Az being mates, then I'm open to hearing those points. And, as I mentioned, I do not entertain any canon-conflicting theories, such as the multiple mates one.

As it stands, though, I do think we have been directed toward the idea that Gwyn and Az are mates, and can believe that the mating bond will snap into place. Once it does, I have a hard time believing Az will actually be able to stay away. And that, even if Gwyn ends up rejecting that bond, I don't know that he'll be able to be with Elain after it, knowing Elain isn't his first choice.

Final Thoughts

Like I said earlier, I'm not against Elain rejecting the mating bond, or anyone doing so. I will say this, though - how much more powerful would it be to have someone reject the mating bond not because they wish to be with someone else, but just because they do not wish to be with that person? Is it not more empowering to see a female (or male, if they can do it) choose to be single, and live their life as they are solely because they just do not wish to be with that person? Instead of it being more of an, 'well, it's just, I'd rather be with him'. Sadly, I do not think Elain is set up to be that person. Gwyn could, potentially, be, though I'll admit I don't believe it, considering the attention Gwyn pays to him. But I do think it's worth noting that, in my opinion, the mating bond can be rejected even if there is not another male in the picture.

However, despite all the questions and uncertainties, until we get answers, this is my personal view, based on what I've seen in the books, and how I've interpreted it. I personally feel that, regardless of who I hope ends up with whom, SJM has placed a number of clues and hints to show that Elain and Azriel aren't meant to be together, that they wouldn't be right together. And that, if they were to be together, the relationship would likely be unhealthy, and potentially toxic.

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

This post is also not meant to insult or attack Elain in any way, nor Azriel. Nor am I trying to insult or attack those who ship them together. We are all welcome to our own opinions. I promise to respect yours, please respect mine.

#acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #sarah j mass #azriel #elain archeron #nesta archeron #cassian #feyre archeron #rhysand #gwyn berdara #lucien #gwynriel #elucien #anti elriel

188 notes · View notes

firecooking · 3 years

Text

Lugnut Headcannons 🔩

- I've already talked about it but Lugnut keeps his broken combs and keeps replacing his comb with the same one, it's his comfort object

- And also as I've said his motorcycle is a death trap, no mater how broken or dangerous she is that's his baby girl

- Lugnut's the least mechanically inclined of the Rodents, he's great at fixing things on the fly without much forethought but the moment you ask him to sit down and think before fixing something he can't remember what a motorcycle is

- However; Lugnut is the only Rodent that's artistically inclined, his bread and butter is pin striping, but he's painted something on just about all the Rodent's bikes, weather it be a little emblem or a full on paint scheme, it's just an innate skill

- Lugnut is also much quicker to give up trying if it's not something he's good at, unfortunately the only thing he's inherently good at is art, it's a struggle to teach him new skills like cooking, or math

- Lugnut's still in school [barely] but he has a job delivering news papers to businesses [paper boy with extra steps] and it normally has him awake before 3 am, he's very sleepy on weekdays

- Lugnut milk sensitivity, send tweet

- Lugnut despises his birth name, he won't respond to it, he won't use his last name when introducing himself, he's not going to tell you his real name unless it's for something official and even then its a struggle

- Lugnut's named after his father, he does not like his father, nobody likes his father

- Lugnut can be extremely naive and innocent to the point of being dumb as a bag of rocks

- Lugnut's also just not book smart at all, he's barely passing any classes and he's very glad that he's graduating sooner rather than later at this point, Butchys had his foot down about his finishing school for years to Lugnuts dismay

- Lugnut will follow Butchy to hell and back, he's constantly on his heels and around him, they're very close and have been friends since childhood, the other Rodents call him Butchy's Puppy behind both of their backs [Butchy would snap someone in half for upsetting or making fun of his puppy of course]

- Lugnut has the social skills of a tin can, he's extremely blunt and he's very bad around new people in a social setting, most of the time he locks up and just stays quiet until he's gotten used to a new person

- Lugnut's atrocious with girls, not in a romantic way just in general, it's 110% because he's scared of Struts, CheeChee and Lela on some level [as he should be] and he takes that attitude with other girls and it makes it very difficult for him to not be weird about it

- Lugnut is a simp, he's mainly Butchy's simp but anyone could say like "man it's be real great if I had a glass of water right now" and it could be desert for 100 miles and he'll find one

- Lugnut's Gay, he's Very Gay, he's also not quite sure if he's gay so occasionally he makes an attempt to ask out\date\make a pass on a girl and usually he gets laughed at [99% of the time it turns out the girls either a Lesbian or dating someone and he gets decked by someone as well]

- "No I'm very platonically friends with Butchy" "Lugnut your picking him flowers" "It's a guy thing you wouldn't get it"

- No Lugnut's not told Butchy he has a crush, he's never told any guy he's likes he likes them, he's a wreak [he catches feels very easily]

- Lugnut's very good with first aid, he's not quite as good as Butchy [who has the older brother skill bonus] but he's very responsive and quick to help, he's also way more willing to do stitches and other more major things on himself and others, he's never been to an ER and he's not going to start now

- He's also [unfortunately] very good with bruises, he can half the life of a bruise and if he's quick enough he can get it faded before it even gets dark, most people are grossed out by most of his bruise tricks like only icing with steak or brushing them every morning with your toothbrush

- Lugnut's constantly at other Rodents homes, he's not a fan of going home so he'll couch surf for a solid week sometimes, until he has to go back, Butchy and Lela barely notice him, CheeChee makes him do her chores, Struts can only handle A Night At Most

- Lugnut's always wearing his gloves, he's got sensory issues and he's got many years worth of cuts and scrapes and scars that he'd rather cover

- Lugnut's also constantly bumming hand-me-downs off the other Rodents, he often wears ratty jeans and shirts covered in paint and grease, he doesn't get the chance to buy much new and new clothes don't last long on him, he's also been growing like a weed so his jacket doesn't quite fit any more

- Lugnut is VERY particular about how he looks despite his clothes being ratty, you'll never catch him with his collar our of place and shirt not tucked, he can take an hour to get ready in the morning

- he also is constantly messing with his hair, not in a fiddly way but in a stim way, he's autistic [every one is autistic because I said so] and VERY tactile, he can get handsy with others when he's not paying attention to himself, like Butchy and Lela he's always down for a good fist fight just because

- Lugnut occasionally smokes, he gets his ass beat every time he does by the closest Rodent [Normally Butchy]

- Lugnut can't stand the smell or sight of alcohol, he also doesn't like the sound of glass breaking, most people don't press the topic

- The only thing Lugnut's not fiddly about is taking showers, he doesn't take them at home and it normally takes a ton of bitching to get him to do it [most often Butchy and Lela have to basically lock in in a bathroom]

#the fire burns #lugnut teen beach movie #butchy teen beach movie #teen beach movie #teen beach 2 #lela teen beach movie #cheechee teen beach movie #struts teen beach movie

25 notes · View notes

gubler-me-up · 4 years

Text

Broken Telephone

Request: Spencer Request. You're new to the team, having transferred from the NYPD and are also studying for a Doctorate at the same time. Spencer falls in love with you straight away, but saddens when he hears you talking to JJ about a guy you do a load of fun activities with a guy and a little girl. He assumes you're taken and it breaks his heart. Eventually, he finds out you were talking about your cousin and his daughter & asks you out on a date, and you say yes.

A/N: Thanks for the request, anon! This was a really cute, fun request to write! Starting it was tough though because I didn’t know the exact tone I wanted for it. I hope it’s okay though! When I was reading through the beginning part before I edited it I was like “I have a whole degree in English and I can’t even write properly i hate it here” LOL the first paragraph was a MESS but I fixed it. I think the rest is fine! Enjoy, love!!

Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader

Category: Fluff

Content warning: None

Word count: 1.7k

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

Upgrading from NYPD to the BAU was probably your greatest career move to date. You hated how NYPD operated and dealt with crimes. It made you so frustrated. If you weren’t born and raised in New York you wouldn’t even be a part of NYPD. You felt as if New York would always be your home, but sometimes you had to branch out to find what’s best for you.

Moving to Washington, D.C. was a completely new start for you and you felt as if it were only right you changed a few things about yourself. First, you cut your hair shorter. Very cliche of a restart arc, but you thought you’d feel free with less weight weighing your head down. You also bought an actual house. After years of living in a small, cramped apartment you thought it was right to invest in something bigger and more welcoming.

The biggest thing you were proud of during the transition to the BAU was finishing your Ph.D. in Linguistics. You had wanted to complete it years ago, but found it difficult to focus on it while at NYPD. With the bureau they allowed you to work on your Ph.D. as long as you worked your agreed-upon hours every week. It felt amazing to finally have a support net to motivate you towards your dreams.

You weren’t the only one excited about your Ph.D. though. Your coworker, Dr. Spencer Reid, couldn’t wait to see you during your time in to discuss your Ph.D. with you. As soon as you walked to your desk, he’d be the first one to greet you with a huge, lovable smile, rosy red cheeks and a sparkle in his eyes. You had never seen someone so animated over linguistics before. If you two weren’t talking about linguistics or random facts he would spurt out, the conversation was about you.

On one particular day though, the good doctor was running late to work. You were kind of disappointed you weren’t greeted with a daily dose of facts early in the morning. The second best thing happened when JJ walked towards your desk with two Starbucks coffees.

“Ugh, if I knew you a few years earlier, I would have married you before Will could ever dream to,” you said.

She laughed. “I don’t think Spence would allow that to happen without a fight. He’s been quite the busy bee around you.”

She handed you your drink as you pondered on what she said. Just maybe he had a slight crush on you. The way he expressed his interest was adorable for sure. You preferred his way of flirting over the typical sexualized pick-up lines many men in your life have used.

“Are you saying super-genius Dr. Spencer Reid has a crush on me? I won’t believe it until he runs some tests about your theory,” you said as you took a sip of your coffee.

“Maybe he’ll ask you out one of these days between statistics,” she said.

You smiled. “That would be nice. I just hope he doesn’t do it this weekend. Remember I told you how Adrian was visiting this weekend? He’s bringing the little one with him.”

“Oh, really? What’s their name?”

“Her name’s Rhea. She’s the cutest little thing ever.”

You pulled out your phone to look for a picture of them. You found a picture of the three of you from a few months ago before you left for D.C. You turned your phone to JJ and she instantly melted.

“Oh my gosh, she’s adorable,” she said.

You proudly smiled. “Right. She’s the cutest four-year-old I know. I think I was the happiest one in the room when I met her for the first time. Adrian was a puddle of tears and nerves from the reality of taking care of this little girl forever. He treats her like an absolute princess.”

“You both are lucky to have her in your lives. She looks like a ray of sunshine.”

“She is. We do so many fun things together. The last time we hung out we went to this trampoline park. This weekend we’re going to the food festival.”

“That does sound like a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll bring Will and the kids there.”

You were going to respond to JJ until you noticed Reid sitting at his desk which was diagonally across from yours. You hadn’t even noticed him come in at all let alone sit down to start his workday. He had already buried his nose deep into case files. JJ looked at Reid with as much confusion as you did. He was never quiet unless something was troubling him.

“No fact today for me, doctor?” You joked.

He looked up at you. He had no sparkle in his eye or a blush painted on his face. He looked disappointed. You were confused as to what made your chatty doctor become so mute.

“I just wanted to start these case files,” he said.

“You sure there isn’t anything wrong, Spence?” JJ asked.

“No, I’m fine. I just gotta finish these before Hotch comes in,” he said.

He then buried his face back into the file without uttering another word. You and JJ looked at each other. You were concerned there was something wrong, but JJ’s look said to leave it alone for now. You sighed and took another long sip of your coffee. You stared at him out of the corner of your eye. You hoped whatever he was going through he’d tell you eventually.

————

You packed your things up to leave 20 minutes ago, but stuck around your desk until you saw Reid also getting ready to leave. You wanted to inquire about his miserable attitude towards you. You noticed throughout the day he was normal with everyone else except you. When you tried to spark conversation, he would give you quick, to the point answers before he made a B-line back to his desk. He gave you no choice but to crack him.

As soon as you saw him put his books and files into his satchel. He swung the strap around his shoulder and made his way to the door. He didn’t even look at you the whole time he got ready to leave. This was getting ridiculous to you. You picked up your purse and ran towards him before he caught the elevator.

“Spencer,” you called out.

He turned to look at you. “What’s up?”

You looked at him confused. “What’s up with me? What’s up with you?”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you haven’t talked to me or even looked at me longer than a second today.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“You weren’t too busy to tell Morgan how many microscopic mites were living on his face today.”

“I thought it was valuable information he needed to know.”

“And you didn’t think it would be valuable to tell me?”

“In the moment, no.”

He went to go press the button for the elevator but you stopped his hand. You grabbed his hand tightly to make sure he didn’t escape your grip. He looked at you as if he was uncomfortable with you touching him. You knew awhile ago he had thing about not liking to shake hands, but you had stepped over that barrier with him a long time ago.

“I don’t think you should be doing this,” he quietly said.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Why not?”

“I feel as if I’ve been intruding,” he said.

“Intruding on what?”

“Your family life.”

You let go of his hand as you stood there in shock. You didn’t understand what he meant when he said that. If he wanted to ask you out all he had to do was ask and you’d sort out your schedule. Adrian and Rhea would understand if you took a few hours to go on your first date in over two years.

“You think you’re intruding on my family life? How so?” You asked.

“If you really want to know I wanted to take you to the food festival this weekend because I know how much you love unique foods, but then I heard you and JJ talking about your partner and daughter coming this-“

“Hold up, wait,” you said before bursting into an uncontrollable laugh.

He looked at you funny. You watched as he stared in confusion as you laughed at his interpretation of your conversation with JJ. To be fair you had never mentioned Adrian and Rhea to him before, but you didn’t know he’d be eavesdropping in your conversation with JJ.

“You think Adrian’s my partner and Rhea’s my kid? Well, I’m proud to say that for once in Dr. Spencer Reid’s life he is completely, utterly wrong.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Adrian’s my cousin and Rhea’s his daughter. They’re coming to visit me from New York for the weekend. Adrian’s basically like a big brother to me.”

His face went from confused to embarrassed in a fraction of a second. His face turned to that noticeable red and an awkward smile spread across his face. You continued to laugh at his demeanour as you pressed the elevator button, so the two of you could actually get going.

“Oh. I’m so sorry for being weird to you, Y/N. I just felt terrible for thinking about asking you on a date while you were in a committed relationship,” he said.

“I get it, I do. I think you can make it up to me though,” you said.

The elevator dinged and the two of you stepped inside. He looked at you in amusement. You looked back at him with a big smile on your face and big, hopeful eyes. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Would you like to go on a date?” He asked.

You nodded your head. “I’d love to. We can even go to the food festival, so you can meet Adrian and Rhea in person.”

“That would be nice. I heard you telling JJ how lovely they are.”

“I bet they seem even lovelier now that you know they’re not my partner and child.”

“You can say that.”

—–

MASTERLIST

#spencer reid #dr. spencer reid #dr.spencer reid #Spencerreid #Criminal Minds #criminalminds #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds imagine #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fluff #mgg #mgg imagine #Matthew Gray Gubler #spencer reid request #spencer reid prompt

968 notes · View notes

itstheendofthegoddamnworld · 4 years

Text

Male Selkie: Jaemos

Anon ask: Could you write a love/lemon story about a lonely 17 year old who goes to the ocean to shed seven tears into the sea in hopes to summon a male selkie? And perhaps you could have the selkie be named Jaemos or Robert. As for looks the selkie should have a fair complexion, sparkly hazel eyes, and gorgeous curly brown hair. Tysm. ;)

I would feel uncomfortable writing a lemon since the reader would be under 18, but I will probs write another part to this soon.

Warnings: some language

Male monster x GN Reader

Seven Tears to Shed

It seemed easy enough, but it appeared ridiculous. But in the end, what more could you lose?

The water waded through you, swaying and parting as you got deeper into the lake of sapphire. Hopping into your small boat and sailing out, you appreciated the weather being so calm – thank God – with few to no ripples that swayed the boat you sat on the further you got out. You didn’t want to be dealing with nausea if the boat was swaying from bad weather, so that was something to be thankful for.

Would this work though? You held your scepticism, unveiling the crude crumpled note from your jeans pocket, the scribbles of jotted notes you had taken that you had copied so plainly. Seven tears to shed to gain another. The fable was spread from fisherman wives than to book and to social media; some holding the theories that it worked compared to some who thought of it as nothing more than a hoax.

But you liked to think of yourself as someone who expected so much but only got so far for disappointment, knowing full well that this would not go so well.

You looked to the jotted down instructions, each numbered with your own notes added to help your thoughts. Now, the easier part was done, the hardest was getting into the mood to cry. Easier said than done. You snorted, looking over the calm water, seeing the glum figure you couldn’t recognise staring back up at you.

Number one: Someone you once loved.

You snorted unflattering in the cold air to yourself, “This is ridiculous.”

But the ridiculousness of it all would help. Someone you once loved, simple: your crush of Jeremy Miller in the 7th grade. Popular, smart, blond hair and blue-eyed, he was the golden child, not a jock like all the other boys your age, Jeremy was well known for his love for acting. You had only shared a conversation with him maybe once, and that had been by accident, but you and your naïve mind looked way into his simple word of kindness for someone like you. But that crush died and crumbled like ash to the ground when you found out that your secret crush on him had been spread thanks to your cheerleader Eloise got hold of your diary, choosing to tell everyone and him. He turned out to be just as much as a dickhead as she had been, and for the rest of the year, you chose to hide along the school walls, the standing joke everyone looked for.

That first tear had come easier than you had expected: the anger helped especially. It ran down your cheek and slipped into the water with little force to break the surface, disappearing. So long, fucker. You anger dissipated before moving on.

Number two: Someone you lost.

This was more sentimental to you, and upon seeing the way how your handwriting became illegible, shaky to the end of the line, it told you it would be rather difficult. You clasped the side of the boat with an unsettling exhale, the one person that only came to mind was your grandmother you had lost a few years ago. Old age had taken her but it had taken her away so beautifully, bringing her to join the nature you were surrounded by now. You could feel her no matter where you went, a twirl of the breeze in your hair, a canary’s singing when your window was open, you knew she was always there.

The second tear was followed with a cry that resounded in your chest, too close to your heart, and took some time to finally calm. The water rippled with its decent to guide your tear gently, engulfing it smoothly. You wiped the back of your red wet face with the back of your sleeve, telling yourself to resume before you got too caught in the moment.

Number three and four were similar, both requiring you to of lost something but for you to gain it once again. In the end, it didn’t matter whether that thing was personal to you, you had to say goodbye to it. You had lost the happiness you once felt as a child, but to the benefit of it all, you resided to your privacy by drawing. It wasn’t much, but it helped keep bad thoughts away on some days, allowing you to do what you loved best.

Number five was someone you missed the most in your life, and although the memories stung like the previous tears, the face that stuck was your best friend at the time, Jade. And although the good times could be seen, it didn’t hide the stuck up and two-sided personality she wielded, using you for her own gain. In the end, the friendship ended with much more ease than sorrow. But seven years’ worth of torment could get anyone relieved for it to be over, and so those tears were in her farewell.

Number six and seven had arrived with little to no faith you held in how it would end. Proving that maybe after all that crying, it would be pointless. You sighed heavily, reading over the last two, drawling the right thoughts.

Number six: Yourself

Though there were many things you loathed of yourself, you didn’t want others to feel sympathetic to your story, nor other the fact that you were indeed lonely. Your story was long and convoluted, but you wished someone was good and decent enough to read it from the beginning. This farewell for your own loneliness was the one you wished to see gone the quickest.

All these tears: one for anger, two for loss, two for relief, one in farewell whilst the last was for a new beginning. It could be anything you wanted, wished or craved for – but better beginnings sounded all too promising.

Number seven: A final wish

“I wish… I just wish for someone patient to listen, not to question, but let me feel something.” You said aloud, finally ripping at the paper as you scattered it to the wind, allowing that final droplet to run down your cheek.

You weren’t expecting instant miracles and in those seconds of having said your wants and crying away the past, you listened to the rush of water surging closer to your boat, and at that moment when you opened them, you were surprised with a little visitor.

The fur of the seal was plump and grey, silvery in contrast to the murky waters as it twirled and moved closer to your boat, its wide black eyes staring up into yours as it made eye contact with you as it continued to travel, passing by you and coming up behind the boat, where you believed it would disappear on with its journey.

You snorted to yourself, “I’m losing it. I can’t believe I was talking to a seal.”

“Correct, but I suppose that’s what people like to believe.” A sudden voice was so clear as rain, smooth and whimsical startled you so that you almost rocked off the side of your boat, coming from behind you. “These waters have never been so calm, heh, though… it’s not every day someone comes to shed their seven tears.”

This couldn’t be true… you were in the middle of a lake, yet you were certain you could hear a clear voice almost next to you. “Who’s there?” Your confusion and worry were evident in your tone, where the voice - clearly male - replied, “You could call me what you want, but I would like to call myself your listener.”

“That’s bullshit—you must’ve followed me… there’s no way you could’ve magically appeared… unless,” then it hit you. The grey seal, following along the side of your boat when you cried your final tear, moving behind the boat. No-

You turned to peer over the edge of your boat with some hesitancy, believing all you would see would be a small adorable seal, when in fact you were totally wrong. The first thing that came into your sight was the blinding porcelain white skin that seemed almost blinding in the deep waters. They were drenched, with only their mop of wet curly brown hair on show, and wide hazel eyes that seemed to almost sparkle in the water’s surface. This man was too beautiful to be anything but your saviour. No, maybe a swimmer coming through or just a weird dude who was creeping on a 17-year-old-

“You seem lost, dear,” the handsome male stretched up until more of his bare torso was out from the water. “Penny for your thoughts?”

This person could’ve been a madman, preying on young people like you, and you were out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to defend yourself with. That’s what you should’ve been thinking, but your mind only came to think of one thing at that moment.

“You’re a seal?”

“A selkie, your people usually call me, though it’s not every day I’m called that.” The male laughed, supporting himself so casually by propping his lithe arms against your boat. “Any other questions?”

You shook your head in disbelief, trying to gauge at what you were really believing. Was your head that mad that you were imagining a completely different creature to you? “Were you listening to me? Listening to me cry?”

“As creepy as it seems, to shed seven tears grants you the final everlasting wish you so dream for,” the selkie replied. “You wished for someone – a friend – perhaps, and well… here I am.”

“So, you listen to everyone crying and you grant wishes? Do you grant the same wishes to everyone?”

“Not quite,” he laughed. “Everyone has different wishes, and so did you, but I just so happen to give the perfect gift of all.”

You titled your head, eyebrows raised incredulously, “Yourself?”

“My power does not lie between what I allow and grant, but… I thought I would allow myself to help with your certain request.”

There was an awkward pause that waved itself in the air between the two of you. “So, you’re like my friend or something?”

“I’m a protector, whatever you wished for, so a listener,” there was a loud thud that resonated within the boat, and when you looked, he had thrown something thick like a grey blanket in, sopping wet. “That there is yours to keep.”

“What—your skin?”

“You don’t know many things about selkies, do you, dear?” He laughed, pointing to the pelt. “When a human catches a selkie and keeps its pelt, the selkie cannot transform or return to the water. So, forever more until you get bored of me, I am forever bound to you.”

You snorted out in disbelief, “No, you can’t be serious.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I cannot lie, I tell the truth as we speak.” This man-

“No, listen, I’m 17. What are my parents going to say when I return with some naked stranger who I found in a lake? They’ll think I’m insane, more so than already!” I can’t be this guy’s carer, I can barely even look after myself.

“Hey,” the selkie’s voice was calm yet cheerful when he brought you out of your freak-out. “We’ll get through this together. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind me looking after you.” If only you knew my parents. You dreaded, before finally coming up with an idea.

“I cannot keep your pelt.”

The pale male’s face had dropped suddenly at the drastic sombreness of your words, his eyes turned downcast. “Oh, right.” He went to let go of the boat’s side but you were quicker to grab his hand, making him turn back to you with surprise. “No, what I mean is, for the safety of both of us, you can stay here. Where you’re at home, and I can come to visit, since if you are to be my listener, we need to make sure you’re comfortable too, right?”

He wanted to reply to you, his mouth opening and shutting but finally, he said, “I guess. But, you must promise. If we are to be friends, we must trust each other. I am certain on my word, are you?”

You still couldn’t believe everything that today had thrown at you, let alone you were wanting to agree, but you were too curious for your own good. “Yeah, sure. I promise.”

He beamed a white smile back at you again, your chest rising and falling as something warm replaced what was usually so empty, fading again before you could realise. It was… nice.

“What’s your name then, Mr seal?”

The selkie was halfway through putting back on the seal pelt, melding seamlessly with his human body as if he was zipping up a costume without needing a zipper. It looked comical to you, but it was still amazing to witness.

“Jaemos, or Robert, though that was thanks to some little girl deciding to call me that one time,” he laughed to himself, his teeth just as white as his skin. His bright eyes looked back into yours once more. “Whatever is easier to remember.”

“Jaemos it is then since it was the first option.” You smiled softly, grabbing at the ores to begin your way back to the shore before you looked back on him. “Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, could you lend me a flipper to push me back to shore?”

“You would never be too much trouble, dear,” he replied, lifting himself onto the side you were on so suddenly, almost like he was throwing himself in the boat, before affectionately twisting a piece of your hair behind your ear, laughing when he saw your beet-red cheeks warm. “That’s something troubled people would say.”

#male selkie #male monster x reader #gn reader #selkie boyfriend #male monster x gn reader #merman x human reader #exophilia #monster exophilia #modern au #selkie exophilia #anon ask #monster requests #selkie #my writing

205 notes · View notes

peeterparkr · 4 years

Text

perfidy;tom holland|3

chapter 3: the background music

enemies to lovers au/enemies with benefits

story summary: Tom and you have been sworn enemies since you were young. However, you happened to be best friends with the twins. When one of your friends challenged you to break Tom’s heart, you immediately accepted to get back at him for all the times he’s hurt you. Old feelings might come back, while both of you try to go past your pride and your lies.

chapter summary: you get a chance to get closer to Tom, and you take it.

pairing: tom holland x y/n

warnings: swearing, alcohol, mentions of sex (? didn’t proof read

word count: 6k (whoops)

here’s a playlist

previous chapter next chapter series masterlist wanna be tagged?

Hi! I’ve been super busy I’m sorry! And I rewrote this like a thousand times but I like where this is going, so please! Tell me what you think, comments and reblogs are very welcome. (Btw it’d be cool if you listened to the songs)

It’s been a while since you felt your heart halt with excitement. You hadn’t felt your stomach jolt with butterflies since your first date with Timmy. And you kind of missed it, that ever lasting and wonderful joy to experience on a first encounter. The smiles, the tingle and the hand shaking. The little hints of flirting that led to asking someone out. It’s like walking into a movie theatre, with a promise of joy, with the taste of popcorn, and you find yourself walking in with excitement and getting transported into a whole new other world.

Love, like any movie, can be good, can be bad. Like a good story, one that’s promising and you can’t stop watching, and you want to see yourself in the emotions, and feel the air and the breeze.

Love is like movies, some of them you like, some of them you don’t. Movies make us cry, make us feel. Some of them make us laugh, some of them not so much.

And love, it has its own background music. Like in films, there are songs that just transport you back to that moment, to that scene. With Timmy, it was a calm song, too calm for your own convenience.

But Tom, not that you loved him, somehow had his own soundtrack. 80’s chaotic rock n’ roll. Rolling Stones vibes. Every time he walked into the room, it felt like one of those scenes in a movie, a bar with little lightning when the guy with blue jeans and white t-shirt walked in, cigarette in the edge of his mouth, walking in vainly, as if he thought everyone had their eyes on him. They probably did, if you were honest that made you hate him even more, but somehow it was interesting. A character that probably had no other personality trait than being an asshole.

It wasn’t always like that. Not that notorious, at least. Tom had changed from a 60’s chaotic rock n roll. Always rock n roll. You could picture it, if you had to imagine a scene from your childhood with Tom, you’d probably play The Kinks. Picture Book.

When Tom and you were younger, it was absolutely clear you didn’t get along. Constant hair pulling, insults, and pranks. A parade of hatred, yelling, fighting and very unnecessary arguments over very stupid stuff. And yes, Tom was still wrong, Robin Hood was not the superior Disney movie, just to clear that out.

Everyone said it: Those two can’t hate each other more. They were right.

At school, if you ever crossed paths, there’d be trouble. You’d often be at the principal’s office after having a heated argument with Tom or a prank, or…whatever you guys had come up with this time.

It was quite clear.

Your mother and Nikki, however, had a very different opinion on your relationship than anyone else, they were aware of your attitude and Tom’s, but they were still convinced they would fix it, and you didn’t blame them, you’d also be pissed if in the future your children didn’t get along with Harry’s or Sam’s, you’d try to force it as well. At a point, they stopped forcing the ‘future romantic relationship’ bullshit dream and settled with trying to get you guys getting along without fighting. They were sure that the fighting was probably because you had only a few things in common, so they pushed your activities together.

Add in some Johnny B. Goode to remember the following.

First, it was piano lessons. First class and you had already knocked down the piano while yelling at each other. You weren’t welcomed for a second class. Then it was baseball, and Tom had hit your nose with the ball, it had been an accident ‘allegedly’. It wasn’t. You weren’t welcome for that class either. Painting classes, you had painted Tom’s clothes all green and made his hair pink. The teacher had claimed she’d never seen two kids more unfit for art than you two.

So, yeah, it didn’t work out.

Eventually, Nikki and your mother decided to stop trying, or at least they gave up the extra classes. At least not together, Tom started ballet and you found joy in photography classes. You were getting along better since you didn’t have to actually spend time together.

So they’d just ask how your relationship was going and whenever they wanted to have tea together they’d avoid bringing you two together unless you were cool with each other. It made it very difficult that you were very good friends with the twins.

But you had had your secrets, even after everything, you still crushed on him from time to time. However, the last time you had had any kind of feelings like those had been when he had taken you to prom. Of course it had awakened something in you, but those feelings had never come back because he had broken your heart. What else could you expect from someone like him? After that, you’d promised yourself you’d never fall again for him. Not that you fell for him, but you promised that his smile would never make your stomach jolt with joy.

It hadn’t.

Let’s go 70’s music now, maybe. Come and Get Your Love-Redbone.

Even on your 18th birthday, the last time you ackwloedged you had made out---kissed- with him hadn’t brought any feelings. Or maybe, they had surfaced but they had been very different feelings. They were mostly confused and disgusted. THere had been one more thing but... You decided to ignore it. But you hadn’t really felt anything for him, less when you realized how big of an asshole he was to you.

You were sure he had never felt anything for you. He had made it very clear. ‘I’d rather eat a frog than kiss you’. Yet, he had kissed you.

You had once bothered him about it: “Hey Holland, I know why your face looks like that, you said you’d rather eat a frog than kiss me, so you ended up never swallowing that frog!”

However you were now facing a predicament. You had a month, a month to make him fall in love with you when he clearly had no interest in you.

That’s all you could think about as you had arrived at his parents’ place. You had been quiet on the ride back home. You hadn’t even told him how it had gone. But he had let you choose the music. You’d love to change the soundtrack on your relationship with Tom, maybe an 80’s more type of funky music.

You hadn’t told your friends about it, but you had told them you’d be going to a bar later to celebrate. But you had been quiet. You needed to think of something fast because you knew how your boss liked to work, and this was the opportunity of a lifetime. You’d be away for two months and if you didn’t come back with a script for her you’d be screwed. This was the worst timing, Tom was going to start filming in exactly three days, sure he’d start in London and then go to America, but you had to do something quick and come up with a lame excuse to hang out with him. Change the background music in your scenes with him.

How does one make your enemy fall in love with you? You thought of the possibility of changing the script and sending in an idea to Alessandra, maybe you could talk about something that was actually happening to you. The story of your breakup with Timmy? That could work, although your breakup had been extremely boring. No one would like to watch something as calm and boring and that probably was playing the worst music in history.

And if you thought about it, with Tom, it was like one of those sexy chaotic rock n’ roll songs.

How would you make him fall in love with you? And why did you want him to? That’s all you had been thinking about on the way home. Because there was a part of you that wanted him to feel the way you felt back when you were younger. You wanted him to feel that agony of knowing that you liked someone who would rather go eat a frog than to ever like you back. Someone who constantly found ways to hurt you. Who could ever fall in love with such a beast like him?

Tom led the way to the door. And you gave it a thought, all of this was now just a scene, something you were writing, but writing it along the way. And you pictured it on the script. How you could start and use some childhood scenes, and then, to this exact moment, with a little bit more of imagination.

Ext. 1989 London Suburbs-Day.

Y/N gets out of the car, an 86 blue porsche. Tom is playing with the keys and heading to the door.

Y/N

Hey, Tom?

You saw it, you could write it.

“Hey, Tom?” You asked. And you had to take a look at him, and really stare. So he’d know. You knew him, that was your weapon. You knew what he liked, what he didn’t, you knew the girls he’d dated. You had that in your favor, and you knew that Tom loved being noticed.

He noticed that you were staring and you saw him slightly concerned.

“Oh, you’re talking, good,” he said as he cleared his throat and then you finally arrived at his face, arching your eyebrows as your eyes met his.. He’d grown up, but you could still see that kid you once knew. “Are you okay?” He asked. And you saw him, he was weirded out. He noticed you were staring.

“Thanks for the ride, it meant a lot to me.” For starters, you could try to be nice.

He gave you an awkward smile. “Sure.”

You walked to the door now, but he stopped you.

“How did it go?” He asked. And you only patted him on the shoulder.

“Good, thanks for worrying,” and you placed a kiss on his cheek. And you thought of the camera, maybe a close up to the lipstick stain you’d left.

He went red and paused, triumphantly you opened the door and there was his whole family. Of course Nikki would do this. They knew how big this was and they loved making a big deal about it, especially since Tom had driven you.

This was awkward, it wasn’t like you didn’t feel comfortable with the Hollands, au contraire, but there was that pinch of guilt holding you back, you knew what you were going to do and you felt like everyone knew about it. Especially since they saw Tom was trying to scratch the remaining lipstick on his cheek.

But you walked in, Nikki was on the phone, and she dedicated a big smile to you.

“It’s your mum!” she mouthed. Your parents were currently having a perfect vacation in Paris, and if you were honest with yourself, you’d rather be third wheeling your parents than trying to come up with ways to make your biggest enemy fall in love with you. It sounded so dramatic, an enemy. Calling him that seemed so immature and childish. But there was no other way to call him. He was your mortal enemy.

Dom was the one to approach you and hugged you hello.

You didn’t know if they sensed your tension.

“Hey y/n, what’s with the long face?” Sam asked as he grinned looking at you, walking over. “Who died?”

“Her hopes and dreams, probably,” Tom said behind you. “And her sex life,” he laughed, earning a glare by Nikki.

“Tom,” Nikki turned stern.

“What? Didn’t she just break up?” Tom pushed with a smirk.

Nikki crossed her arms, “Thomas,” her voice was firm as she watched him leave for the kitchen, but then softened as she looked at you. “Y/N, long time no see! I see Tom drove you,” Nikki grinned.

“Yeah, he did, didn’t leave me alone” you chuckled. “He was nice, that didn’t last” you chuckled.

“Your brother is coming, too, by the way,” she informed you. Great. But how did it go?” She grinned. “Do you have a job now?”

“I….”

Harry tackled you from behind. “Yes, idiot! How did it go?”

You chuckled as you turned around to finally hug him. “Hi!” You wanted to tell Harry everything, everything, you hadn’t seen him in a while, he was too busy with his own things and his new girlfriend, Emma.

“Oh, you don’t know how much I missed you,” he said.

“Me too,” you grinned. “How are things with Emma? How are you?”

“Good, great, things are… great, I’ve got some news!” He chuckled. “But, okay, tell me everything about the interview, I’m so sorry I couldn’t-”

“Hey, it’s alright! It went amazing! I… Well, it’s complicated, but I kind of nailed it.”

“Really?” Tom asked as he was opening up a bag of crisps. “Then why were you quiet all this time?”

“I didn’t want to talk to you,” you snapped. “Never share good news with your enemy.”

Tom rolled his eyes and forced a laugh.

You turned back to Harry. “But, hey, what is the news?”

“Um… let’s just… Have lunch.”

Before you knew it, you were sitting down listening to Harry and Sam, both of them making you laugh with their stories. Tom sat at the other edge of the table, far from you. This was how it usually went, him far away from you and avoiding any eye contact with you. Everyone understood it, and they didn’t try to push it that far anymore. There were times when you turned to eat, when things were bad, but right now it seemed like it was bothering Tom. You could see he wanted to join the conversation at times but he remained on his phone, or talking to his parents.

Your brother arrived and he sat near Tom, they were friends, and they could talk to each other. And although your brother was aware of your relationship with Tom, he had grown up with him, too so there couldn’t be any hard feelings against them. Besides, everyone in the family was aware of it. This was between you and Tom only, nothing to drag them in.

You caught Tom’s eyes a few times, and you had, against your will, dedicated him a smile or two. He hadn’t smiled back.

“Okay, so what’s the big deal, y/n?” James asked. “I mean, I love coming over for lunch here but, how did it go? Are you an official writer?”

You chuckled as you saw them looking at you. “I well…”

They frowned.

“Well, they asked me to write a script, for a new series, pitch in an idea, they’re giving me two months to write it and if they like it, I am officially working for them.”

“That’s nuts,” Harry frowned.

“That sounds like the worst job offer,” Paddy pointed out.

“Pads,” Sam frowned at him.

“It’s a competition kind of thing, if they like it enough, they’ll produce it,” you explained. “That’s why I’m not as...excited.”

“But it’s a chance,” Tom pointed out. “I… talked to your friend, he… Charlie, that’s his name?” He asked. “And he told me about that and how they’re only choosing between three people.”

Your eyes widened. He had talked to Charlie and that made you feel uncomfortable. “Yes, well, it’s a shot, it’s better than having nothing.”

“But wait, until then you have like… No job?” Sam asked.

You bit your lip. “Yup, but hey it’s… a good shot, I honestly thought Alessandra was going to fire me.”

“That’s nonsense,” James pitched in. “But okay, I’m still proud of you, little one,” he grinned.

You knew it wasn’t a big shot, but it was a chance.

“Yes, it’s still good.” Harry pursed his lips.

Nikki and Dom watched you, and you saw it in their eyes the same pity your parents usually had.

“But hey!” You tried to change the subject. “Harry’s got news too, right?”

Harry popped his lips. “Yeah, uh… I got… Well, I actually, ...it got in, the screenplay, they’re producing it,” Harry explained, and he said it with the softest voice as if he was trying not to hurt you. But this was weird, you already knew that part. “But well, we’re starting the production in a week in… Scotland.”

“That’s amazing!” You grinned.

And his whole family started to cheer for him, and the tension in the room faded out.

Except when Tom finally… realized something. “Wait, in a week?” Tom asked. “Then… you’re not...coming to help me out?”

And the table went quiet. Harry was Tom’s assistant, he knew schedules, clothes, everything. Harry was basically Tom’s boss.

“Yeah, I wanted to talk about that, too,” Harry bit his lip. “I can’t… I would’ve told you sooner so we could find another assistant but-”

“No, no, don’t apologize,” Tom cleared his throat. “I’m super excited I just… I need to find an assistant.”

And then you saw it. A chance, as if you had just wished upon a star and it had granted you an opportunity. If this hadn’t been the situation you probably would’ve called him out on being so selfish and arrogant and vain as you usually did, but this was unexpected as if the universe was trying to help you with your plan.

The family started to give him so options and they were trying to find a balance between finding somehting that could soothe stupid Tom and congratulate Harry

“What if… I’m your assistant?” You said, loud enough for all them to quiet down.

Tom laughed. “What?”

“Yeah, think about it,” you shrugged. “I don’t have a job right now, and it’ll be what? Two months filming? It’s a perfect time for me to help you out and write”

Tom frowned, staring at you. “You can’t be serious?”

“Why not?” You grinned.

“Because you can’t stand each other,” this time your brother popped in. “And being his assistant would mean spending this entire two months with him.”

“And he gets pretty annoying,” Sam said.

“I’m used to that, I can handle that,” you said.

“I can’t handle you,” Tom frowned.

“Now, now, Tom it might be… a good idea,” Nikkie said, and of course she would agree. Of course she wanted you to be around him, with hopes of you getting along. And right now, you wanted more than getting along.

“Yes, you’re both adults now, you can be decent, right?” Dom intruded.

“I can,” you smiled.

“No, you can’t,” Tom clenched his jaw.

“Oh, c’mon, Tom, help her out,” Harry said. “Besides, I’m sure she’ll be great, she'd be amazing at planning.”

Tom looked away. “I’ll… think about it.”

Lunch became quiet on Tom’s side of the table, while you kept talking to Harry and Sam. You weren’t quiet, and eventually ended up in the living room, having a laugh and waiting for it to get dark so you could go to the bar where you’d meet your friends.

You borrowed a hoodie and then you were good to go, Sam, Harry and you were about to walk out when you bumped into Tom who had also stayed, talking to your brother, who had just left.

Tom looked at the three of you and walked past you.

“Have fun.”

Usually, he wouldn’t be invited, but right now you were under very different circumstances. It felt different. And there was still that tinge in your ear telling you to back away, no one should play with fire unless you want to get burned.

“You can come, too,” you said as you turned around.

“What?” Tom frowned as he stopped.

“You’re invited,” you cleared up, as he slightly turned to you.

“Really?”

“Sure,” you smiled. “C’mon it’s my way to pay you for the ride.”

He clenched his jaw, but he quickly accepted it and joined you.

Before you knew it, you had a beer in your hand and he was sitting right beside you. You didn’t understand how or why, but he had been the one to sit without a warning. You were in your favorite booth at the end of the pub where you had a little bit more privacy. And you watched Tom, and his cap.

You didn’t stand him, why were you going to risk it all for this? And the idea of being his assistant was giving you a headache.

But you thought about it, how stupid it was of Alessandra to ask for a script based on real life. It was probably one of her most stupid ideas, and you knew that she probably was doing it because she believed of herself as a teacher that was giving the key of art to the interns. When in reality she was only pushing everyone back. But maybe this would be a challenge for you, you’d never written anything remotely close to a love story, only when younger, maybe, but you didn’t like writing love because it didn’t feel like a challenge to you. Maybe it was now.

Somehow, Charlie and Danielle had decided that the perfect way to get the evening going was to ask about your childhood.

There was a live group playing music, and somehow you felt it was a sign. 70’s and 80’s rock n’ roll. It suited the vibe, as the light was dimmed out.

“Man, I—If I’m honest, I think we probably have everything filmed,” Tom said, as he answered Danielle’s question of your childhood. “Y/N and Harry used to carry that camera everywhere.”

The beer in your hand was bittersweet, you had stopped counting how many you had had, Tom kept ordering you both beer, something advised by Harry and Sam, who had pointed out you both needed to be a little bit tipsy to stand each other.

“Really?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, we should pick that up again, you know?” You nodded, as you let down your beer, you brushed your fingers against Tom’s. “It's good to have memories.”

Harry grinned. “I mean we didn’t really stop.”

“No, but you know, we used to literally film everything we’d be filming this!” You pointed out.

Tom chuckled as he took out his phone. “Hey everyone, it’s Tom and I’m kind of drunk here,” he admitted to the camera. “On my side, you’ll be able to see a troll, one of a kind, viewer discretion is advised,” he pointed at you as you glared at him.

“Oh, piss off.”

“See? Oh maybe I’m wrong, are you a witch?” He smirked as he pointed the camera at you.

“Change a letter there, sweetheart,” Charlie grinned. ��It’s not a w it’s a b.”

Harry snickered. “Oh, don’t give him ideas.”

Tom shook his head. “Nah, she’s more of a witch,” Tom said carefully as he turned to you. “The wicked witch of the east.”

“It’s the west, dumbass,” you corrected him.

“No, because the one who died is the one from the east,” he winked at you. “And I’m Glinda.”

“You know she’s the real villain of the story right?” You frowned.

“She is not.”

“No, she’s not but—“you chuckled. “I’m drunk. I dunno.”

But the conversation was flowing and you were hinting some flirting at Tom sometimes, like casually touching his shoulder or batting your eyes a bit more, and he was catching up on it. But your nature would show up and you’d end up mocking each other and rolling your eyes. If anything, you could blame it on the alcohol.

“You know, you know what you two need?” Charlie said between drunken giggles. Tom was recording again as he made silly faces to the camera but then started to record you.

“A burger,” you answered, turning back to Charlie.

“With chips, yes,” Tom agreed and you laughed and slightly leaned against him. You had significantly gotten closer to him through the night and you were sure his hand had landed several times on your waist. His hand was slightly now behind your shoulders, resting against the booth.

“No, you guys need to bone,” Charlie snaked. You felt your heart falling down and you quickly shifted away from Tom. He retracted his hand to himself.

Harry burst into laughter. “This dude is mental.”

“These two?” Sam threw his head back. “oh gosh, if you told them to screw they would actually bring nails and screw,” Sam laughed.

“Yes, I’d rather have grounds in my coffee than have to spend 5 minutes with him,” you said.

“And I’d rather eat a frog,” Tom chuckled.

“Just swallow the one in your mouth,” you giggled, poking his cheeks then proceeded to make more faces at his camera.

“I’m serious, all that hatred you’re showing it’s only a facade,” Charlie said. “All of it would be gone if you gave in to that sexual tension you’ve got going on.”

“Gross,” you stated

“It’s simple psychology,” Charlie explained, “you’re both rude to each other because you can’t have the other.”

Harry coughed, “That would never happen.” You saw Harry gulp down his beer,

“Why can’t people just accept we don’t like each other?” You wondered as you watched them.

“You’re like my soulmate but for hate,” Tom zoned out for a minute. “My soulhate.”

“Besides it’d be weird,” Harry pointed out. “We grew up together.”

“That would make it weird?” Tom raised his brow.

Charlie took a long sip of his vodka. “I’m just saying.”

“Well, don’t,” you rolled your eyes.

But the night continued, Charlie and Danielle left eventually leaving you with the Holland’s. The twins left and, you hadn’t accepted their offer to drive you home. Surprisingly Tom hadn’t left either, it seemed like he had picked up on your little flirting game. This was a good start.

“So, you really do want to be my new assistant?” He asked, as he snatched your drink out of your hand, taking a sip.

“I actually do,” you sassed as you took it back, sipping it. “I need a job and might as well have something to kind of do with a big star, you know?”

He watched you. “You think we will last without fighting?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Well, you’ve got a better idea? Have anyone else for the job? You start in three days” you pointed out.

He rolled his eyes. “I know, I know.”

“Besides, I know you, Tom, for better or for worse,” you admitted.

He clenched his jaw. “I guess. You do realize we’ll have to spend an awful lot of time together? And that you’ll have to travel with me?” He was condescending.

“It’ll be strictly business, won’t it?”

“Yes but-“

“I’ll be as professional as I can be, Thomas Stanley Holland,” you grinned

“Don’t call me that.”

You giggled. “Little Stanley…”

Tom frowned. LY/N, see? This. This is what I mean.”

“Ah, c’mon Stan,” you laughed. “I won’t be showing all your embarrassing pictures and telling your stories to everybody.”

Tom stood up, ready to leave. “That’s it.”

You pulled him back down. “Tommy, I’m joking.”

He glared at you. “I don’t trust you.”

“You think I trust you?” You laughed. “We both can lose a lot here, Tommy, I won’t be risking my career in spite of yours.”

He bit his lip, looking away.

“Tommy, please.”

“I...fine. But I need you to understand… You’ll be spending time with me.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” you said, but it came out very poisonous, earning a scoff from Tom. “Why are you scared?”

“Because I honestly think this is the most time we’ve shared without tearing each other apart,” he shrugged.

You stared down at the half full bottle that you’d been sharing. You took it into your hands.

“Ah, it’s the beer, probably,” you grinned

He took it from your hands and sipped it. “Right, alcohol makes us nice to each other.”

“You call this nice?” You took the beer back.

“I’m not trying to ruin your life so yes,” he smirked, taking it back.

“Am I ruining yours?”

“Kind of,” he admitted.

You smirked as you finally took the beer back and downed it. “Good.”

“Shall I remain drunk all the time, then?” He laughed, his laughter was dragged.

“Dunno, it’s up to you, you do tend to get a little nicer,”

He laughed. “Me? You’re the one who hasn’t been able to keep her hands to herself,” he pointed out as your hand had brushed his.

You clenched your jaw. “And you haven’t pushed me away,” you smirked, as you took his hand and pushed it away.

Tom licked his lips as he stared at you. “Well.” He shrugged, as he placed his arm back behind you, resting it back on the chair.

“See? Alcohol.”

He laughed. “I can’t be drunk all the time.”

“I can.”

“Y/N.”

“Tom, I’m joking, and I genuinely want to help you,” you said. “Besides, I’ll have time to write this script.”

He rested his hand on his head, you could smell the alcohol even from that distance. “What will you write about?”

“Dunno, I’ll see.”

“You’re good, don’t worry.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’ve never read me.”

“I’ve read many of your scripts,” Tom scoffed. “Not only the ones when we were little, I...also the ones you’ve shown to Harry, they’re all good.”

You frowned. “Thanks.”

“I don’t see why you’re so stressed about this.”

“Because… it’s complicated,” you shrugged. “It’s not...something I usually write.”

“Hm. Is it a love story what you need to write?” He mocked.

“I well, kind of, so shut up, you know I hate writing those,” you rolled your eyes.

“Hm, you do, now?”

“Yes, I don’t think I’ve ever written some true authentic love story,” you admitted. And you hadn’t, you really hadn’t.

“Because you’re the villain of the stories, you said it when we were kids. The villains will never…”

“Never find love, I know. Maybe you’re right. But you’re the villain in my story so…” You wrinkled your nose.

“We’re doomed.” He bit his lip.

“Or…” You grinned.

“Or?” He frowned.

“Maybe the villains end up falling for each other,” you suggested, shooting your shot.

He laughed to himself and turned away. A slight blush upon his. “Hm, hinting a crush again, y/n? I think I’ve been clear with you before, you’re not my type.” His voice had turned darker.

“Oh, please, Tom, I’d never fall for some jerk like you,” you pushed.

“You did once.”

“I was 9 and stupid”

“Oh, right you’re not 9 anymore, but you’re still stupid,” he grinned.

You shrugged. “But not as stupid as to be one of those many who’d fall for you, you know?” “Ah, the I’m not like other girls cliché,” Tom laughed, rolling his eyes.

“Yes, but it’s not really a cliché here,” you pointed out. “I mean if we’re honest, I know you enough to know you’re an asshole, and everyone else sees you through the cameras, you know?”

He raised his brows. “I guess… yet...You’ve always been different, y/n, you know? Like, I’m always on the edge with you.”

You grinned. “Are you now?”

“Yeah, one minute you’re flirting then the other you’re doing this,” he pointed at your glaring face, as you felt yourself blushing ignoring his gaze. “it’s weird. I never know if you’re flirting or not.”

“I’m not,” you crossed your arms. “Not with you.”

“Then who were you flirting with all night? Harry? Sam?” Tom pushed.

“No… Charlie.”

“Charlie? The gay guy,” Tom laughed.

You flipped him off.

He smired. “See? Just two seconds ago you had your hand in my hair.”

“Alcohol.”

The lights were dimmed.

“We should… get out of here, I’ll get us an uber.”

You walked out, tipsy enough to walk and just slightly cold. You knew that asking for his jacket would earn only a laugh from him. He had been just nice enough now, and you knew this could blow up. But you felt dizzy, and to keep yourself steady you grabbed his arm. He didn’t move as he stared at his phone.

“You’re always like that, you know?”

“Like what?”

“You’re like polar opposites in one person,” he commented.

You pushed him away. “Ah great, am I bipolar now?”

“No, no, that’s not…”He closed his eyes. “Not what I meant.”

The car arrived and you both hopped into the backseat.

“That’s not what I meant,” he continued.

“Then what did you mean?” You crossed your arms.

“I don’t know.”

You glanced at him. “And you’re worse, you’ve been playing with me since kids.”

“What does that---?” He frowned. “I never-”

“You always gave me hope.”

“I didn’t. Maybe you were too busy dreaming with me and misread everything, I’ve never liked you.

“I’m not implying you liked me,” you snapped.

“Then?”

“I’m implying you were an asshole.”

The driver widened his eyes as he looked at you from the mirror, you saw he was trying to suppress a smile.

Tom clenched his jaw. “Ah, that I am, but, please, sweetheart but you and I could never be.”

“I know, mainly because I despise you.”

He scooted closer. “And because I’m cool and you’re you.”

“And I’m me?” You saw him getting extremely closer.

He held your chin. “Look at us, y/n we come from different worlds.” He was leaning in.

“As long as I remember we grew up in the same one, yet you still managed to become an asshole,” you pushed his face away from yours.

“I think we’re getting a little bit mean again,” Tom rolled his eyes.

You remained quiet.

“I don’t know y/n, maybe they’re all right, I—”

“Who?”

“Everyone maybe we—have to I dunno,” He placed his hand on your leg and you raised your brows.

“What?”

He slowly wrapped his arm behind your shoulder and leaned closer. “I feel like we need to loosen up a little y/n.”

You felt your heart racing, you were angry, you didn’t like this and you didn’t want him to believe that you actually still fancied him, but this was all working, this is exactly where you technically wanted to have him. So, you had to give in.

“And what do you suggest?” Your voice was low.

“I don’t know, I’m giving in to all your flirting,” He laughed as he scooted closer.

You turned around, and laughed. “My flirting?

It felt like late 60’s, rock n roll

Tom, turned your head back to him. “Please you’ve been doing it since you came out of that interview.”

“Hm,” you nodded. “I remember being quiet.”

“And I remember those lips on my cheek,” he gently poked your lips, and maybe it was the alcohol speaking for itself but you wanted to kiss him, and kiss every single spot on his skin.

You cleared your throat. “Ah, please Tom, I was being nice,” you rolled your eyes.

But then you felt his lips against your neck, you instinctively closed your eyes.

“Hm, maybe be nicer?” he kept kissing your neck.

“Nicer?”

“You know, lips on mine,” he whispered.

You rolled your eyes. “You’re drunk, Tom”

“Maybe, but you are, too,” and with that he sealed the deal and closed the gap, combining your lips with yours. And maybe the driver had done it on purpose, or maybe it was faith or your imagination,, trying to get a perfect soundtrack for you, but ‘You Shook Me’ by Led Zeppelin was just the exact song you needed to listen to while kissing your enemy. But how far were you going to let yourself go?

previous chapter next chapter series masterlist wanna be tagged?

tag list @clairesrainbow @underoosmarvel @wronglanemendes @itsvianny @jake-and-amy-are-married @starlightfound @kill-the-stereo @originalpinkpowerranger @spidxrparkxr @mukesnugget @anxiousdesignerdancerbandlover @organicpurplepants @happywolves81 @nedthegay @skylar-mendes @sentimentalquackson @savannah0111 @spidermansmj14 @soccerstud004 @marinaabernardii @applenter @silver-winter-wolf @dark-infernal-instruments @claredolphinbear24 @bookgirlunicorn @tomshufflepuff @avengersgirllorianna @nevertoofarfromivar @saintlavrents @herofiennestiffinashardinscott. @tomzfrog @tohollandback @morganhoran1671 @awkwardfangirl2014 @spideysimpossiblegirl @everythingbooknerd @xapham @xapham @xxtomxo @tomhollandisagod @danicarosaline @laurfangirl424 @vintageroses1014516 @cinnamon-roll-peter @the-lost-fairy-tale @lala-florez @fufaation15 @healthyassdonut @ilcveyou3000 @xxtomxo @socorroann @muffinmari25 @cassindeansass @rogers-obsessed-barnes-curious @southsidespidey @nathaliabakes @nathaliabakes @marvelstuck @embrace-themagic @bradfordbantams @sanniegirl1214 @gioandreolli @peterpandco @fairytaleparker @underooling @griff1ndor @chubby-cheek-calum @thatweirdomimic @avengersgirllorianna @reginalaufeyson-holmes @better-daisy @yeahimcrying @allmonstersxarehuman @spider-manholland @clairesrainbow @georiaang @sebxstianbarnes @kissingtrutharchives @snoopy3000 @prettymessygurl @spideyparkerstark @fanfic-4-you @lexshead @officiallyunofficialperson @mannien @whitewolfandthefox @melodiclovesong @bizzlepotter @localfangirlx @xxpeachyxo @acceptance07 @witchything @witchything @swaggyspiderman @localfangirlx @queengemsworld @liberty01 @stiles-banshees @itsjusttor @stretchkingblog97 @annathesillyfriend @dangerousluv1 @tomshufflepuff @thewayilookatbacon @petersdiaries @emjaywrites @swaggyspiderman @infamousmany @jungeunave @bullshitstars23 @ispiderdudei @calhtlland @literalfsngirltrash @quacksonhq @it-is-rebel-owl-ma-dudes @desir-ae @pxkajesus @unbelievableholland @peterporkpie @justanotherusername80 @smolpeachees @thenoddingbunny-blog @quackeroos @spideyyeet @astoldbydanid @hollandcreep @itscaminow @milly7110 @iriaaarb @laurieteddy @rubberducky-jrr @rebekkah4766 @farfromtom @fancyxholland @seaveyheartful @oh-whatabeautiful-parker @coveredinthemessimade @shameless-self-promo-of-a-shrub @dreaming-lia @thatdamjoke @annathesillyfriend @l0ove-sick-blues @witchything @witchything @bookworm06 @sandtopearl @lala-florez @ohfudgeiamgorgeous @chaoticpete @shezzalocked @ @lowkey-love-loki @yoinkyourheart @cosmicholland @frenchfrostpudding @badbitchydecisions @w4ybefor3nir4na @americaswritings @ilovepeterparker13 @lukesbabylon @iamaunicorn4704 @simple-things @oh-annaa @herondale-snow-carstairs @sip-portteam @farialia @t-holland2080 @tony-starks-ego @quaksonhehe0 @stargazerholland @marvelslut-musicalnerd @hotrubycrab @sovereignparker @peter-parker-tony-stank-trash @belleknows @mysticalinsomniac

585 notes · View notes

zigtheeortega · 4 years

Text

out of time

✿ pairing: sienna x danny

✿ word count: 3354

✿ warnings: death, loss

✿ author’s note: well, i thought i’d just flesh out what we didn’t get to see, since i highly doubt they’ll expand on it since it’s off screen. it’s not my best work, but it was written out of spite so hopefully that makes up for the lack of quality LMAO. anyways, i tagged everybody who liked this post and added it to the end since there were quite a few! [sidenote: i wrote this post after i’d started this fic so if you see similarities, that’s why] i really hope you like it and that i did both sienna and danny justice!

•─────────✦✿✦────────•

She sprinted down the hallway, pager still beeping erratically on her hip, the weight of the numbers enough to make her feel like she was slugging through wet concrete.

No, no, not him, please, not him, she chanted to herself, vision blurring with tears before she had the chance to let the negative possibilities set in.

He’s gonna be okay. It’s okay. We’re okay.

Thankfully she was only one floor away, taking the steps two at a time, shoes squeaking against the waxy floor. Sweat formed on her brow as she shoved through the stair’s exit door, pushing past every intern in her way.

Normally she’d stop to apologize, but not today. She didn’t know how much time she had. It could be minutes, and she wasn’t going to waste even a second apologizing when someone’s life was on the line.

She saw the small crowd forming outside of the room and barrelled towards them without a second thought, tearing her way to the front.

When she saw Spencer’s terrorized gaze, her chest tightened involuntarily. Her body covered the entrance to the room, so she could barely see into the room, but she did catch a glimpse of something that made her blood run cold.

A purple pant leg strewn across the floor, ankle relaxed, unmoving, peeking out behind Spencer’s side.

“Sienna, stop. You can’t go any further,” Ethan murmured, gently holding her in place with his arm.

“But I have to – Danny – he’s –” she struggled against his grip, lip wobbling.

“Please,” he said, more of a statement than a question, like he was holding back, too, the strain in his voice enough to stop her in her tracks.

She watched, helpless, as Spencer and Rafael scrambled to seal the room, Bobby convulsing on the ground, Travis passed out, and Danny getting weaker and weaker by the second.

It was like turning on the news and seeing tragedy after tragedy – she always felt absolutely helpless. Her empathy always felt like a curse in those moments. She couldn’t stop herself from feeling everything, whether she wanted to or not.

She wrapped her arms around herself, digging her fingernails into her side, rocking from foot to foot. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Danny’s frail form on the ground.

“Hey, I came here as fast as I could,” a voice huffed at her side. She turned, met with Jackie’s concerned gaze, hands on her hips as she panted, tiny sweat stains dotting her teal scrubs.

“It’s… All of them, Jackie, –” she couldn’t find the words to quite describe the soul crushing weight of the situation.

Bobby, Rafael, Spencer, and Danny… people that had been her emotional rocks through the lowest points of her life.

Bobby was her unsung hero. He’d keep guard while she cried in the supply closet so she wasn’t disturbed, in return for a dozen of her chocolate chip cookies. After the first few times, she brought him baked goods weekly regardless of whether she had a breakdown or not.

Rafael was her empath twin, as weird as it sounded. She’d branded them that as a joke, between giggles, on her late night break at the cafeteria. Despite it being stated jokingly, it was true – they found themselves confiding in each other each time they faced a difficult situation, bonding over the fact that their jobs took a lot more out of them than the normal person.

Spencer was her late night confidante, the person who she’d crawl into bed with at 3 a.m. after having another detailed nightmare where she was cursed with endless terminal patients. There weren’t that many people she’d platonically cuddle and sob until she was a snotting mess next to.

And Danny… he was the future. He was a vision of what she’d always wanted.

It took her too long to break away from Wayne’s hold. She knew he was toxic, but she didn’t want to admit it – how was she supposed to admit that she’d been wrong for that long?

With Danny, she was comfortable. He got her in a way no one else did. He had the potential to be every single role that her friends played simultaneously.

God, and she’d told him she needed time. She hadn’t properly healed from Wayne so she needed some time before she moved on and –

Now it’s too late, she thought to herself as she watched them wheel out Travis and Danny in glass cases.

And Bobby in a body bag.

“Holy shit,” Jackie breathed, eyes widening. “Fuck – Oh my god, Sienna –”

The tears were already flowing as she slammed her face into Jackie’s chest, body wracked with inconsolable sobs.

She’d never hugged Jackie like this before, as she hated physical affection unless it was… PG-13.

Jackie stiffened, but wrapped her arms around Sienna’s shoulders, patting her back, slowly melting into the embrace.

“We’ll visit him as soon as we can,” she said in her ear, holding Sienna up as she nearly crumbled.

––––

Danny’s body was still, the only movement his heaving chest as he took shallow, labored breaths, his normally warm skin tone muted, drained of color.

“Hey, it’s me,” she called as she closed the door behind her, voice shaky, tote bag at her side. “I hope you can hear me.”

No response.

“Uh… I brought some of our favs. Secret of Ninradell and some music to play so hopefully it makes your dreams a little sweeter – ” she forced a laugh, trying to keep her brave face. “I brought some cookies that I baked last night – uh, I’m sorry they’re not fresh – I –”

Her voice cracked, and she rolled her lips together to keep her chin from trembling. She dragged a nearby chair closer to the glass box, sliding into it, never taking her eyes from his face.

God, why did it have to be you? She thought to herself, covering her mouth with her hands as she cried, her soft sobs muted by the loud machines monitoring his vitals.

She popped open the cover of the hardback, highlighter in hand. “I’m gonna read this to you, if that’s okay? I’m highlighting passages that remind me of you,” she smiled sadly, watching his eyes roll underneath their lids. He was dreaming.

“I know you hate when I mark up books. That’s the librarian speaking, huh?” She giggled, remembering the time he told her about his job in the campus library, and his deep hatred for the Dewey decimal system.

She began reading, trying her best at different accents, failing miserably, but it distracted her from reality if just momentarily.

Her year had been full of blow after crushing blow, both professionally and personally. Losing Wayne, breaking the news to terminal patients, dealing with the toll it took on her mental health, as well as dealing with an intern that was using her – she wasn’t stupid. She just would rather suck it up than have someone upset with her that was supposed to look up to her. Stupid, but she couldn’t handle the thought of disappointing another person.

Hours later, voice hoarse, pages and pages marked up, her hands stained with neon yellow ink, she was drifting off to sleep where she sat – but a groan startled her awake.

“Uhhhhhh,” he moaned, visibly in pain, writhing uncomfortably.

“Danny? Hey, I’m here,” she rushed forward to the box, pressing her hand up against the side, hoping he could feel the warmth of her hand through the glass.

“Sienna…?” He asked, eyes fluttering open and closed. He couldn’t focus on her face.

“I’m here. I’m not leaving.”

“Good,” he croaked, weakly flopping his hand to touch the glass.

He didn’t know it, but those two words were enough to strengthen her withering resolve. She fell asleep cradling the glass, arm slung over the top.

–––

She was ripped from her sleep by intense beeping from the machines surrounding Danny, and she glanced down, peering through the glass at Danny’s quivering form, switching between violent shakes and gentle shivers.

She slammed the emergency button and quickly went to work trying to find the source of the issue, waiting for the nurses to come as back up.

“Danny. Danny, stay with me. Listen to my voice. Hold on, alright? Nurses are heading here now, and we’re going to take care of you,” she said calmly, betraying her shaking hands.

They set to work immediately, trying to keep him from slipping into unconsciousness, all four nurses working swiftly, nimble fingers and precise movements, never getting into each others’ way.

Sienna watched from outside as they worked, glass box open, desperately wishing she had a hazmat suit. Ethan and Jackie observed, giving calm commands.

“Sienna!”

She turned, eyes red rimmed from crying and lack of sleep, startling Elijah as he rolled to a stop next to her.

“Jackie asked me to send an intern up to bring you a hazmat suit… but I thought I’d bring it myself, to check on you,” he said, eyebrows furrowed, handing the folded hazmat suit from his lap to her arms.

“Don’t feel like you need to talk to me right now, alright? I’ll wait out here, if you need me.” He gave her a sympathetic smile as he patted her arm.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, hastily throwing on the hazmat suit and ripping at the zipper, growing more and more frustrated as it caught on her clothes. “Come on. Come on, come on –”

“Here, let me help,” Elijah offered. “Bend down and I’ll zip it up.”

She followed his instruction and squatted as Elijah glided the zipper upwards, patting her back softly when he was done.

And like before, she had no time to thank him. She didn’t want to miss one second with Danny.

She burst into the room, not disturbing the hive-like efficiency of the nurses.

She watched as they poked and prodded and worked tirelessly to keep him conscious. There was an undeniable tension in the air, stretched so thin it could snap at any moment.

The strained atmosphere of the room didn’t come from the doctors – it came from the nurses. Sienna knew how much Danny meant to his coworkers. He was always the first to resolve conflict and make people feel at ease.

They were tight knit; losing Danny would be a crushing blow.

“Please, Jackie, tell me what’s happening,” she said between panicky breaths, unable to contain her anxiety. “I need to know.”

“We’re trying to stabilize him… but we’re not sure what’s causing him to go into shock in the first place,” Jackie said, brows furrowed.

Three long, painful minutes later, his heart rate returned to normal, his whole body in a feverish sweat.

“That took a lot out of him,” Sienna whispered, watching a nurse press a damp, cool cloth to his forehead and neck.

“You know we have to get rid of your bag, right? It’s contaminated,” Jackie grimaced, motioning to the nurse that was zipping it into a sealed bag, about to throw it away.

“No, you can’t – I didn’t even get to finish reading Ninradell to him last night,” Sienna pleaded, rushing forward to the nurse.

“You can’t take it out of this room,” Ethan shook his head, his statement dismissive, but his tone of voice sympathetic.

“Can I at least finish reading it to him? I promise I’ll dispose of it properly. I just… I need some more time with him.”

“I don’t think –” “I’ll stay with her,” Jackie nodded, holding Ethan’s gaze. “Don’t worry, I’ll page you if anything happens.”

With one firm tilt of his chin, he left the room, presumably towards Spencer and Rafael.

“We think he can hear what’s going on around him, so it’s actually a great idea to read to him,” Jackie said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “It might help pull him through this.”

Jackie grabbed the bag from the nurse wordlessly, handing it back to Sienna. “You can take a break,” she said to the group of nurses anxiously huddled next to Danny. “We’ll watch over him.”

One of them started sealing the box, but Sienna stopped them with a frantic “Wait.”

“Keep it open. I’ll seal it later,” Jackie ordered gently.

She slipped into the seat next to him, holding firmly onto the edge of the glass.

Jackie must’ve noticed she was debating whether or not she should touch him, so she confirmed it for her. “You can touch him. Don’t be afraid.”

“But I am,” she said, voice cracking, tears threatening to spill. It was tiresome how much she’d cried over the past twelve hours.

She was thankful he’d held on for that long, but she had no idea when it was coming. From his steadily declining health as well as appearance, it was inevitable.

“I’m so scared,” Sienna whispered, refusing to look at her, eyes trained on the rise and fall of his chest.

“You have every right to be, babe. I’m so sorry,” Jackie said, striding over to rest an arm around her shoulders.

“I… told him I needed more time to be me, you know? I needed to figure out more about me because with Wayne and with surviving last year and the stuff with Spencer and Mrs. Martinez and – and –” she cut herself off, trying to regain her composure.

“You lost sight of who you were.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it. Everything I thought I knew was thrown out the window and it’s like I haven’t even had time to recover,” she said, her voice still wavering.

“I did the same thing last year. But you can’t beat yourself up about it. You never in a million years would’ve guessed that this could happen.”

Sienna took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to unravel the tight coil in her chest. “But he was the only thing making coming to work worth it. I like him a lot and I just… told him to wait.”

“If he had a problem with that, he would’ve moved on.”

She glanced up, met with Jackie’s soft expression, sympathetic and kind – so much different than the tough exterior she was used to. “Don’t blame yourself, Sienna. It’ll break you.”

She knew she was right, but the nagging voice at the back of her mind wouldn’t allow her to let it go.

She cracked the book open, flipping to the last page she’d read from, about two-thirds into it. But before she could start reading, Danny stirred.

His hand twitched, his fingers flexing like he was grabbing for something. Without a second thought she grasped his hand between her glove-clad palms, the book clamoring onto the ground.

“Sienna…” he whispered, trying to open his eyes, but they fluttered shut, like a weight pulling at his lashes.

She wanted desperately to see his bright eyes again, to hear him to reassure her that it’d all work out. That she’d be okay. That he’d be okay.

“Hey, I’m here,” she said, lightly squeezing her hand.

He moaned, presumably in pain, wiggling like he couldn’t stay still.

“How bad is your pain on a scale 1-10? I’m gonna count up and you squeeze my hand to stop me, alright?”

He gave a weak tilt of his chin, a single nod the only thing he could muster.

She began counting. “One… two… three…”

Nothing.

She kept counting, feeling a weak squeeze when she said “Nine.”

“I’ve never felt this bad before,” he whispered, Sienna having to lean in to hear him.

“Danny, if it’s a ten, you need to tell me,” she chewed the inside of her lip, already racking her brain for the best pain medicine that wouldn’t react with the mystery poison.

“It’s not at a ten…” He stirred, wincing, managing a weak smile. “Because you’re here with me.”

He sighed, like it took a lot out of him to say two sentences.

“That was so sweet,” she said, glancing up at Jackie, knowing her haunted expression would ruin the moment if she let him see it.

Jackie looked equally as upset, her jaw set, fists clenched at her side.

“Stop it, Dr. Varma… you’ve done –” he took another deep, shuddering breath. “You’ve done so much for me already.”

“So have you. You’re a trooper,” Jackie nodded, looking up at the ceiling. Sienna couldn’t tell if she was trying to hold back tears or keep herself from thinking about it. “Thanks for holding out for us, Danny.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can, though,” he said, gripping Sienna’s hand, opening his eyes unexpectedly.

She shook her head, holding his hand to her chest. “No, don’t think like that. You can hold on for a while longer. I believe in you.”

“Sienna… You’re my favorite person,” he breathed, looking up at her with a spark of life in his eyes, a contrast from the gaunt look of his face. His dark circles gave the allusion that his eyes were sunken in, a skeleton of who he was less than 24 hours ago.

It scared the hell out of her how quickly he changed – and how content he looked with slipping away.

“You have to let them test on me,” he squeezed her hand. “It’ll help.”

“No, you’re gonna be fine –”

“It’s okay,” he reassured her, a soft smile adorning his lips, pale and cracked. “You’ll be okay.”

He craned his neck, trying to hold his head up. Sienna slipped her hand underneath the nape of his neck, supporting him. He tilted his head forward, lightly pressing his damp forehead against her hazmat suit.

She leaned forward, pressing hers against the loose protective fabric, feeling the warmth of his skin through it.

“You can’t go, I – your family hasn’t even gotten to visit you –” She choked, the warm tears dotting the thick plastic screen, streaking down to fall farther into her suit.

“They couldn’t get here in time,” he said, matter-of-factly.

They sat there like that for a while. Her concept of time was thrown out the window as soon as she got the initial page, so it could’ve been ten seconds or ten minutes.

“Thank you for reading to me.”

She laughed, sniffling. “We spent all night talking about Ninradell, so it was only fitting I stayed up all night to read it to you.”

Another little while passed. Talking took so much out of him, that he had to take a few breaks between his speech so he wouldn’t pass out from exhaustion. “Don’t blame yourself,” he said, cutting through the silence. “You couldn’t have stopped this.”

She stared at her hands, clasped around his own, drained of color. He’d closed his eyes, so thankfully he couldn’t see her pained expression.

“I know. I can’t help but feel responsible for everything, even when it’s out of my control… I’m so sorry,” she said, voice breaking for the millionth time. She could barely form words without choking on them.

She cursed herself for not being stronger. Overwhelming emotion was enough to render her speechless, meanwhile Danny was pushing through searing pain in order to leave her with words she’d carry with her forever.

He’d mustered his last bit of energy to tell her to be kind to herself.

The machine behind him beeped. His heart rate had slowed to a crawl, and he was gone before Jackie could spring to action.

And when his hand went limp in between her palms, she let out an inhuman wail that no one, not even Spencer, had heard before.

––––

tags: @saintniceguy ; @part-of-the-circus ; @vandalasal ; @dudebro-lahela ; @averysheart-raleighsdick ; @cptnvers ; @bringing-back-socks-with-sandals ; @la-huerta ; @ironysyndrome ; @anotordinarygoldfish ; @pumpkinbutt ; @browneyedmissy ; @soo-empty ; @anonymous2094 ; @lumpyspaceprincessismybitch ; @lady-stirling ; @papinaveensbitch ; @writinghereandthere ; @unusualvisionsblog ; @beccadavenport ; @messofakind ; @violinet ; @serafinedupont ; @raleiighcarrera ; @pixeljazzy ; @pixelsandkink ; @altairadtaz

#open heart #sienna trinh #danny cardinal #sienna x danny #danny x sienna #my fic #jade writes choices fics #sorry if i normally tag u and forgot !!!#prob need to make a taglist but i am SO inconsistent im sorry #also im sorry if this isn't great LMAO again i wrote this out of rage and pure spite so #like i said hopefully that makes up for it !!!#very nervous ab this one !!!!#tw death #tw loss

82 notes · View notes

sambergscott · 4 years

Text

your son is going to love you

Summary: Peralta dads are cursed, destined to have terrible relationships with their sons. When Jake finds out *he's* going to have a son, he spirals. Amy helps.

goes without saying that if you haven’t watched 7x10 yet maybe don’t read this

She wakes up at 2am needing to pee.

She’s been waking up needing to pee a lot lately.

It’s like their baby has no respect for her sleeping pattern, perfectly honed over the years to maximise productivity, while still fitting in the full 8 hours of sleep needed a day. Their baby doesn’t care about the 8 hour recommendation, he laughs in the face of scientists. With the bad back and heart burn and constant kick, kick, kicking of her bladder, she’s averaging 4.7. She thought babies didn’t start keeping you up all night until they were born but, oh, how wrong she was.

She pats her husband to wake him up and come keep her company. If she’s awake because of their baby, then damn it, he’s going to be awake, too. But he’s not there, leaving her hand awkwardly patting a bare mattress.

“Jake?” She murmurs groggily, sitting up and switching on her bedside lamp. She’s half-expecting him to be sitting in the armchair playing Mario Party on his Switch (he has become a little bit addicted in the last few months and it wouldn’t be the first time she’s found him trying to beat Wario in the early hours of the morning) or have left a note beside her bed that he had a lead on a case and needed to go in with a scribbled ‘love you’ underneath and a lopsided heart. The armchair is empty, but there’s a light on down the hall and since there’s no way she forgot to turn it off before bed (she triple checks), she figures that it must be Jake.

Forgetting the whole reason why she woke up in the first place, she grabs Jake’s hoodie from the floor for warmth and pads into their living-kitchen-dining area. It’s the open plan-ness that made her fall in love with the apartment upon first visit and submit all her paperwork as soon as she was out the door. It’s the open plan-ness that would make the Property Brothers proud and the dumb people who go on that show foam at the mouth with jealousy. It’s the open plan-ness that allows her to see her husband straight away, snacking on the unfinished party food.

(Apparently people don’t feel like eating after a man cuts his thumb off and spurts blood everywhere. Who’d have thought?)

There’s a weird, pensive look on his face that draws her towards him.

“You OK, babe?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he responds. He pops a tomato from the salad bowl in his mouth, then another, then another.

She narrows her eyes. He never eats tomatoes unless they’re in ketchup or on top of a famous Sal’s pizza. Something is wrong.

She thinks back on their day, mentally rewinding the events from waking up to the morning briefing to their private sex reveal in the break room and finding out they’re having a boy (the empty cake box and blue frosting around Scully’s mouth was very surprising indeed). They were both floating on Cloud 9 all afternoon, came home and Zoomed the entire family, falling asleep on the couch around 9.30pm because pregnancy is exhausting.

Nothing particularly awful stands out.

Unless...

“Are you thinking about your Grandpa?”

He’d been so excited to see him again, so excited to reunite Walter Peralta with Roger, The Admiral with the Captain. To be honest, Amy was less than impressed. He’d been nice enough to her, asked her about her job, about the baby, small talked about the weather. But he never asked her about Jake, probed about the 20 odd years of his grandson’s life that he’d missed out on. Which is frustrating because she has a lot of embarrassing stories ready to tell and a whole photo album of Jake on her phone. He couldn’t care less about Roger or Jake, storming out of the sex reveal party after calling his son a screw up and turning off his phone so they couldn’t get in contact with him. He’s a selfish dick and her husband deserves better. Still, he won’t be thinking about what a monster Walter turned out to be, he’ll be finding ways to blame himself that yet another father walked out of his life again.

He nods silently and she leads him to the couch.

“Talk to me, Jake.”

He releases a shaky breath. “The Peralta’s are cursed.”

“With devastatingly handsome good looks?” She half-jokes, trying to lighten the mood. Because, hello, her husband is hot; she constantly overhears other women in the precinct talking about his glow up and it would be impossible to ignore the female attention he gets in bars and even just walking down the street before he scratches his face to show off his wedding band and wraps one arm proudly around his wife’s shoulders. She’s seen the pictures of a young Roger Peralta, too, and with that charm smile... she gets it.

“Thank you,” he smiles briefly, “but no. Peralta dads are cursed with terrible relationships with their sons.”

“That’s not going to be you,” she says without hesitation, without a shred of doubt.

“How do you know?” He launches into a scathing personal indictment that leaves his cheeks stinging with tears. “I’m immature, obsessed with my work, messy, always late. My dad was never around when I was a kid. I don’t even know what dads do with their sons! And what if it’s in my genes? To be a crappy dad, abandon my kid like a dozen Peralta fathers before me. Your parents still don’t think I’m good enough. You didn’t even like me at first. It only makes sense that our baby would hate me, too.”

“Woah, babe. Slow down. Let’s unpack that one at a time.” She wipes away his tears with his hoodie sleeve and squeezes his hand. “First of all, you are way more mature now than you used to be. We bought a family friendly Sedan. You read parenting books. You were eating fruit, like, two minutes ago.”

“Tomatoes are fruits?”

“What? Yes, how do you not - not the point.” She shakes her head. “And so what, you enjoy your job. That’s a good thing, Jake! Do you understand how rare that is? You’re doing the thing you love while providing a decent income for our family. And besides, I’m way more obsessed than you. I have FOMOW, but that doesn’t mean I won’t love our kid more than anything. And as for the messy, late thing, if I can look past it because of how much I love you, so will our son.”

“Love you, too,” he mumbles.

“Now onto your point about not knowing what dads do, that is a straight up lie and we both know it, Peralta. You’re always hanging out with Charles and Nikolaj and Lord Knows Terry doesn’t shut up about all the activities he does with his girls.”

“I know what they do when I’m around, but what do you do when it’s 5am and they won’t go back to sleep?” He frets. “At what age do you introduce them to Die Hard? In Cry Hard With A Vengeance,” he quotes the parenting book she originally bought him as a joke but has kind of become his Torah, “Bruce Willis says right away, but what if he’s not ready to understand the complex plots? What if he prefers Timothy Olyphant to William Atherton? Oh my God, what if our son doesn’t think Die Hard is a Christmas movie?”

He’s spiralling and it’s a good job he’s with the only person who can truly calm him down.

“I think Bruce Willis is just trying to promote his franchise and that we’ll be watching more Paw Patrol than Die Hard for the next few years, babe, but I’m sure when he is old enough, he will love the movies as much as you.”

“Right,” he agrees, “you’re totally right. Action thrillers aren’t very baby friendly. I’ll just watch it on mute with subtitles.”

She laughs, her eyes crinkling in the corners. She loves him so much. Which segways them nicely onto his final two points.

“My parents do love you. Sure, they’re critical, but that’s just the way they are. They’re the same way to all of us. My mom complains to everyone she meets about how I can’t cook, how Tony hasn’t settled down and made her any beautiful grandbabies yet, even Perfect David faces her wrath when he goes a week without phoning her. If the worst thing my mom has to say about you is that you’re below average in height, you’re doing OK. And as for me apparently not liking you at first, I did like you.”

He furrows his brow. “But you said you found me annoying and difficult to be around.”

“Yet I didn’t ask to switch desks, continued working cases with you and went to Shaw’s whenever I was invited.” She stares at him pointedly. “If I really found you difficult to be around, I wouldn’t have stayed. I thought you were cute and funny and good at your job and yeah, you were annoying too, but,” she shrugs, “it never put me off.”

“So what you’re saying is that you had a crush on me first,” he grins.

“No. You obviously had a crush on me back then, too. What I’m saying is that I love you, our son loves you and you’re going to be a great dad.”

He blushes, ducking his head. “My dad said the same thing. About our son loving me.”

“He’s right,” she replies. “I feel him kick every time you get home from work, every time you sing to Taylor Swift in the car, every time I mention your name. Why didn’t you believe him?”

“I don’t know, still nervous about the curse, I guess.” He twists his wedding band on his finger.

Amy bites her lip. “Are you not excited about us having a boy?”

She has to ask. His excitement looked genuine in the break room, but it’s no secret that he was hoping for a girl. A mini-Amy, he said. While she’s always been more accustomed to boys considering the Santiago’s have, like, a million of them, Jake couldn’t get over the image of a little girl in dresses and doing ballet and with long, dark hair that he eventually learns to braid.

“Of course I am,” he’s quick to assure her. “Stupid excited. Never been more excited for anything. Not even the Ninja Turtles reboot. But still... nervous.” He rubs his hand over his face, muffling his voice. “Everyone is assuming what kind of dad I’m going to be. Whether I’m going to be good at it or not. To be fair, the only person who doubted me is that murderer I arrested last week, obviously not my biggest fan. Everyone else is convinced I can do it. What if I can’t? What if I’m genetically wired to be a bad dad? What if I disappoint you and our baby and Charles who has been dreaming about this forever?”

“Jake,” she softens her voice, pulling his hand away from his face, “the fact you are so worried about being a bad dad proves that you will not be one. Nor could you ever disappoint us.”

“But you’re my wife. You have to say that.”

“I would never have married you and become your wife if I thought you were the kind of person who could abandon your kid,” she promises him. “You have been perfect so far, dealing with all the vitamins and over-scheduled sex and washing my clothes when I sweat through them and holding my hair back when I’m being sick. You’ve been to every doctor’s appointment, read every binder, bought me every weird food craving. You hang out with the bump every night, talking and singing to it. I know you’re going to be a great dad, Jake, because you already are one.”

She kisses him and it’s soft and tender and filled with love, only interrupted by the kick, kick, kicking of their son.

“Hey,” Jake says in his best authoritative dad voice/John McClane dealing with German terrorists voice (he’s been practising in front of the mirror following Bruce’s advice), pointing a warning finger at the bump. “I’m going to kiss your mom as much as I want, Peralta. I loved her first.”

Amy giggles, stroking her fingers through Jake’s unruly curls. His bedhead is always wild and it’s maybe her favourite thing in the entire world. She silently sends a message of her own to their son to inherit his dad’s hair. And eyes. And handsome smile.

He kicks again as if to say ‘OK, mom’.

And then she really needs to pee.

#b99 fic #jake x amy #my writing #let me know what you think!!!!#love love LOVED writing it

192 notes · View notes

darquedeath4444 · 4 years

Text

Naruto Fantasy Week - Day 2 - Mythical/Monstrous

For @naruto-fantasy-week

Day 2: Mythical/Monstrous

Team Seven

Kakashi moves into a supposedly empty mansion, only to find out that it is inhabited by a possibly crazy trio of kids.

====

It is the growing feeling of being crushed, unique to a busy city, that drives Kakashi away from the concrete jungle and to a more rural area. He still has work so he can't move far, but luckily an hour by car from the heart of the metropolis lands him in the countryside. Jiraiya, an old family friend, had offered to lend one of his many mansions to him and Kakashi had seen no reason to not take it.

Jiraiya's mansion, now temporarily his, is located a little up in the mountains. There are a handful of other mansions located nearby, but they are far enough away that unless Kakashi actively goes looking, he will most likely never meet their occupants.

The key Jiraiya had handed him along with the address is big and old fashioned, and Kakashi finds himself increasingly excited as he pulls up in front of his new living space. Large wooden double doors mark the entrance of the place, and there is a satisfying click when he unlocks them.

The inside is dark, but there is enough light for Kakashi to make out a large set of stairs on the far side of the entrance. There are doors leading both left and right, and he can see the mouth of a corridor at the top of the stairs.

He cannot wait to explore.

Somebody purposefully clears their throat and Kakashi’s head whips up. A girl dressed in a witch outfit is perched on the rails of the second floor. How had he missed such a big, pointy hat during his first scan of the room?

“Oh my, are you lost?” The girl asks. “You look lost. I guess that makes you mine.”

Kakashi stares, but before he can tell her that Halloween is months away, another voice cuts in from behind him.

“He’s clearly an intruder. That makes him mine.”

Kakashi freezes and slowly glances over his shoulder. A raven-haired boy stands with his back against the doorframe. He wonders if the dramatic fluttering of his cloak had been an available upgrade that came with the online bought vampire outfit.

The girl lets out a scoff. “You said that about the last guy!” She exclaims angrily. “Thanks to you we no longer get the newspaper!”

“He smelt like an intruder!”

“And clearly we can’t trust your sense of smell!”

“Or maybe, he’s a visitor?” A third voice chirps in from the top of the stairs. A blond boy stares down at him with bright blue eyes and a friendly grin plastered onto his face. “Say, are you the guy the pervy old man said would be living here from now on?”

“Wait, really?” The girl pushes herself off the ledge and Kakashi feels his body moving towards her automatically because the fall from her height will be sure to break her ankles, despite knowing he will never get there in time, only to skid to an abrupt half and take two steps back because she lands nimbly on some surface he clearly cannot see a little above the actual floor.

Of course there is an invisible ground there, because what, was she standing on air?

The girl skips over and leans into his face. “They look nothing alike,” she says.

“No one said they were related,” the Vampire wannabe says. “Just that they were family friends?”

“Something like that.” The blond hops onto the handrail of the stairs and gracefully slides down. “What’s your name again? Bakashi?”

“Kakashi,” the pink girl says. She elbows the blond. “Be nice.” The wolf boy chuckles. “Right, sorry about that.”

Kakashi hears the sharp sound of heels clicking on wood, and the vampire boy is behind him. “Why’re you wearing a mask?” He asks. “Are you sick? Do you have a cold? We don’t want human colds here.”

The blond laughs. “More like the remedy to said colds come from Sakura and they make you wish you’d rather suffered through a few coughs-”

The girl, Sakura, whacks the blond upside the head. “Rude,” she snaps. “That’s not what you said the last time you ate something weird and wanted something for your upset stomach.”

“That’s cause the idiot eats anything he finds,” the raven says. “Like an idiot.”

“What did you say bastard?”

“Boys,” Sakura says, and Kakashi gets the impression that she is used to this.

“Uh, can I ask a question?” He asks slowly.

The blond turns to him. “Yeah, sure?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh.” The boy scratches the back of his head. “Right, we didn’t say. I’m Naruto, the bastard over there is Sasuke, and the pink chic-girl, the pink girl is Sakura.”

Sakura slowly lowers her clenched fist, a tight smile on her face. “Nice to meet you, Kakashi.”

“Hn.”

Kakashi feels a headache coming. “And why are you here? Do you know Jiraiya?”

Naruto brightens. “Yeah! He used to be our link to the human world, but recently he said something about writing a book? So we were looking for a replacement and BAM, here you are.”

Kakashi blinks. Link to the human world? “So you are a bunch of shut-ins?”

“What, no!” Sakura exclaimed. “What gave you that impression?”

Kakashi pointedly looks at their outfits and from the way the girl blushes she knows what he is trying to say.

“Well, we don’t actually have to dress like this, but it gets us in the mood, you know? Besides, it was you humans that imagined us to be like this, so if you’ve got a complaint, go take it up with your ancestors or something.” She flicks the tip of her hat. “Like, what is this even for?”

“At least you can find a look for yourself without having to look like a dirty mop!” Naruto retorts. “Half the stuff I’ve got to look through has chest hair.”

“Fur,” Sasuke says. “I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be fur.” The boy is standing straight with his cloak wrapped around himself, like a vampire from a movie. He is repeatedly biting his lip and, as Kakashi watches, finally seems to grasp the ‘one visible sharp tooth’ thing.

“You don’t even have to change your wardrobe,” Naruto continues. “You’re all black and doom and gloom, to begin with.”

Sasuke scoffs. “Admit it, you’re just jealous this looks good on me.” He tilts his head a little and Kakashi has to admit, he can be the promotion character to a Halloween party or something.

“You know, that set included gloves too?” Sakura says offhandedly. “But it was such a bother to get the ketch-blood, it was such a bother to get the blood out every single time, so we scrapped it.” She claps her hands together. “Anyways, we didn’t know you were arriving so soon, Kakahi,” she says. “We were planning to clean the place up a bit, maybe get something nice to eat?”

“Like a welcoming party!” Naruto chirps.

Sakura ignores him. “But since you came early without notice, we’ve got none of that done. The place is a mess, not that anyone seems bothered by it.”

“You’re the one with the broom,” Naruto says.

Sakura looks offended. “You want me to clean with it? How would you feel if I swept the floor with your tail?”

“Sad.”

“Exactly.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Anyways, what she means to say is, absolutely nothing is prepared for your arrival. Unless you have food on you, you’re going hungry tonight.”

“Did you just assume what she was going to say?”

The two boys start bickering again and Kakashi feels the strength leave his body in one go. He staggers backwards, scrambling for his phone, to talk to Jiraiya, to try and make sense of anything. He turns on his phone and is met with the message screen. He scrolls down to the text Jiraiya had sent him, the one with the address on it, and he scans through it.

Hi Kakashi!

I’ve attached the map and the address to the message, just in case. The place is in good condition, I’ve made sure of it. There’s no other person occupying the place, so use it as you like. All I ask if for you to take up the small project I left behind, it’s nothing too difficult. You’ll see when you get there and you’ll come to love it I’m sure.

Anyways, that’s all for now. I’ll see you sometime soon!

“Jiraiya mentions nothing about occupants in his house,” he said. “I don’t doubt you know him, but are you supposed to be here?”

“Lemme see that.” Naruto snatches the phone from him and squints at the screen. “Uhh...ah! See, he says ‘no other person’. Person. There is definitely no other person here.”

Kakashi pointedly looks at him and Naruto grins. “Person. We’re not persons-”

“People,” Sasuke corrects.

“Shut it. As I was saying, we’re definitely not people.”

Kakashi rolls his eyes. “What, you classify as a vampire, witch, and-” he stares at Naruto. “Cat man?”

Sasuke chokes on his spit and Sakura has a smile on her face.

“What? I’m a wolf!” Naruto says indignantly.

“Right, anyways, you say you’re not people.”

The three of them nod.

“And you, what, live here?”

“That’s right,” Sakura says. “We work here too.”

Kakashi is left stricken once again, but the three in front of him seem to take this as the end of his questions.

“Now that’s done with, let’s move onto the tour!” Naruto grabs him by the shoulder and begins pushing him towards the stairs. “There’s a lot to see, and a whole bunch of things to be careful of. You don’t want to step onto the third-floor cause that’s the attic and Sasuke’s occupied the entirety of it as his lair or something. You might want to be careful of which room you pick as yours too, cause the bats aren’t very smart and they hit the windows when they’re trying to head in for the day. The far wing is Sakura’s area and she makes a whole load of weird stuff. She claims they're potions and whatnot but I swear she’s just mixing poison to mess with the rest of us. Regardless, the air there is nasty. If you’re not careful you might wake up the next day with a hand growing out of your stomach.”

"I suggest staying out of the dungeons as well,” Sakura helpfully says. “It smells like a pack of wet dogs down there. Unless you wish to never be able to smell anything for the rest of your life, stay far away.”

“And buy earplugs then next time you go down to the city,” Sasuke adds. “Because ear pain-inducing howling is apparently what passes as singing among his kind.”

Kakashi’s brain chooses that moment to decide that it is officially overloaded. He faints.

====

Kakashi wakes up to a comfortable bed and an unfamiliar ceiling. There is an eerie smoke wafting around and he turns his head slowly, catching a glimpse of Sakura approaching him with a cup in hand.

“How’re you feeling?”

Kakashi thinks this over for a second. “No idea, honestly.” Sakura laughs and holds up the cup. “It’s water. You can ask questions, I’ll try to answer them.” Kakashi sits up and gratefully takes the cup. He drinks until it is empty. “Where’s…” He waves a hand.

“Naruto and Sasuke?” Sakura takes the cup from him and places it on the bedside table. “A client came by, so they’re dealing with her.”

“Client?”

Sakura nods. “I said we work here too, remember?”

“Right. You never said what you do though.” Kakashi looks around. The room he is in is small but well furnished. There is a doorway that leads off somewhere, and a shelf stocked full of something near it. The curtains are open and he can see that the sun is already setting. “How long was I out for?”

“Just a few hours. And yeah, we didn’t, but you didn’t ask.”

Sakura is smiling at him happily, and Kakashi swallows. “Oh, so, what do you do?”

The girl claps her hands together. “This gets a little long, but you know? So, there’s this woman, she’s called Tsunade. She’s like our leader. And where we come from, we’re put into groups of three. Our group was me, Naruto and Sasuke, and Tsunade, she didn’t like us very much. Well, I think she liked me because I was her apprentice and everything, but Naruto and Sasuke got into a lot of trouble. One day, Tsunade decided that she was done with them, and by extension me, and she sent us off to solve cases out in the human world before she considers taking us back-”

“I’m sorry, wait a second.” Kakashi notes that Sakura is not a very good storyteller. “So, this Tsunade is your leader, and as punishment or something she sent the three of you here to solve cases.”

Sakura slowly nods through his analysis. “Yup.”

“Where did she send you off from?”

“Our house. We lived in a big mansion, but she kicked the three of us out.”

“Right, and what do you mean by ‘cases’?” “We’re like private consultants!” Sakura turns to look at the clock located above the doorway. “Like, our current client is Ino. We know her from back home, by the way. She’s a siren, see, and recently some human dude’s been pestering her. Probably a victim to her voice, the poor bloke. Some people are just more sensitive to it. Anyways, she came by for something to make him more resistant to the pull, so I’m whipping together a potion to do just that. You could call us troubleshooters for those of our kind who live out in the human world.”

“And by your kind, you mean…”

“The supernatural,” Sakura says. “The magical, the fantasy, the mythical and monstrous.”

Kakashi swallows. He is either stuck in the grasps of a trio of crazy kids, or he is stuck in the grasps of a trio of creatures he had previously thought only to exist in books and movies. “Does Jiraiya know about this?”

“Of course! He’s actually a close friend of Tsunade’s. They drink together a lot. He’s in the human world a lot yeah? And he’s well known there too. When there’s a particularly difficult case that needs a shove from the human side he’s the one we usually talk to.” She gets to her feet. “Give me a second, I need to go check the cauldron.”

The girl vanishes through the doorway and Kakashi stares after her. Seconds later, he hears a platter of footsteps and Naruto bursts through the door. “Sakura-chan! Oh, Kakashi! You’re awake! Perfect timing!” Sakura sticks her head out from the other room. “I’m almost done. If the pig’s complaining, tell her she can-”

“No, no!” Naruto rushes towards her. “Gaara’s here, like we promised.”

Sakura raises both eyebrows. “I didn’t think he’d come,” she admits.

“Well, I never doubted.” Naruto is grinning, and Kakashi assumes this is another case. Sakura smiles at her friend’s enthusiasm. “Well, he came at a good time. Kakashi’s up and ready to go.” Kakashi blinks. “Me? Go where?”

Naruto rolls his eyes. “Gaara’s house, duh.”

“Why?”

“Gaara’s like us, but it’s a little weird cause he seems artificial. We suspect he was once human, and someone forcefully planted a supernatural into him.”

“Why?” Was that even possible? “How?”

Naruto laughs. “That’s what you’re going to go find out.”

Kakashi cannot see where this is going. He doesn't know how it had come to this. “No?”

“We tracked down Gaara’s family, but we need someone to go look into it. You’re human, you’re perfect for the role!”

“What? No, I-I don’t-you can’t-” Kakashi wants to pull his hair out. He wants to faint again, because then at least he doesn’t have to think at all. “Can’t you just, like, can’t Sakura make a truth serum or-or-Sasuke go turn them into vampire slaves by sucking their blood or something?”

Somewhere, somehow, he has begun talking and thinking as though he has accepted that they are supernatural. He does not even question it.

“We can’t hurt humans,” Sakura tells him. “Unless they deserve it, of course. That’s one of the rules Tsunade put in place.”

Naruto gives his shoulder a pat. “Come on, Kakashi. It’s late today and I know you humans need sleep, so you can go tomorrow. I’ll have Gaara write down the address or something.” “Gaara should stay the night too,” Sakura says. “Like you said, it’s late.”

“Cool! I’ll go tell him that. Sasuke’s entertaining him right now.”

Sakura hands the blond a bottle. “Give that to the pig while you’re at it.”

Kakashi blinks. He is done, he decides. He thanks whatever resides above the clouds when he faints a second time.

Naruto Fantasy Week Master List

#narutofantasyweek #Team 7 #sasuke #sakura #naruto #kakashi #yeah they be up to a lot of shenanigans #i drew something for this one #but i didn't finish it sooo #hopefully it'll be done by halloween

58 notes · View notes

dontbesoweirdkira · 5 years

Note

Hi there! Just found your blog and I like it so far. Btw being Present Mics favorite student headcanons were amazing, as a bnha nerd may I request a part 2 where Mic meets readers parents and other stuff? Sorry if my English is bad.

A/N:Thank you so much for liking my blog and choosing to request, that means a whole lot! I got you with the Present Mic headcanons, please let me know if you want any more Present Mic stuff i’m here. I’m sorry this request took so long to come out, i was busy with a few thing please love me

-So i would feel this year would be a lot of fun, just like last year but the only difference being you are working harder towards your hero license and school is becoming much more difficult. This means that you have to up your game with your quirk skills and tactics while staying on top of your studies. You are stressed to say the least.

-Like i said previously present Mic knows when you are having a hard time, believe it or not he is quite attentive and super smart so he quickly asses the situation and realizes a few things. He sees you’re struggling with your quirk and school so he takes matters into his own hands.

-He offers to train you and offers extra help with school to you, he only wants to see you succeed even if that means sacrificing his free time.

-”oh- no no Mr.Hizashi that’s so sweet but i know you’re really busy-”

-”SHHHSHHSHSSJSJ Y/N I SHALL GET YOU THAT HERO LICENSE AND HELP YOU PICK UP YOUR GRADES EVEN IF THAT MEANS RISKING A FEW HOURS OF REST, I CANNOT LOSE TO YAGI AND DEKU- i-i- Mean icareaboutyourhealthandgradesandireallywannahelp”

-tHaT soCCer dAD rIvaLrY iS stiLl haPPeNinG

-Everyday after school you guys meet up at the park or one of the training centers to train for a few hours

-”Now Y/N, breath in and when you breath out use that force to push your quirk-”

-Honestly you thought the training wouldn’t be as hard as it was (it’s Present Mic after all) but boi were you wrong

-”Get up off the ground Y/N, you’ve only been running for .3 seconds”

-”.3 SeCoNdS????? I DID THREE MILES NONSTOP YaMaDA!”

-” hUstLe y/NnNNnN”

-Aizawa comes to your trainings and observes bEcAusE hEs nOSeYy

-He actually helps out and help with things present might not have thought of or isn’t the best at

-This year your relationship with Present actually takes a deeper turn, you find yourself around him more often both in school and after school. You both learn more about each other's quirks and personalities a lot more.

-You thought you already knew a lot about him, given he was like an open book it seemed. But Hizashi is a much deeper and emotional person than you honestly thought and he truly had such a more serious, kindred spirited side to him

-Like sometimes when you guys are taking a break from training he will open up about his life at UA and how it was for him. He told you how he felt kind of odd and awkward and how that’s probably why he can relate to you so so much uwu

-”You know Y/N as much I am super bubbly and “overly confidant” , i still feel super out of place sometimes. I guess i always have it isn’t a new feeling, although I have Aizawa and the other teachers, sometimes I still feel...not understood? If that makes any sense?? But like I totally understand how you feel, and you are not alone...seriously. Thank you for being open to me and allowing me to teach and train you. Kind of makes me feel wanted and useful..haha-”

-iM sOft

-He always thought of you as a little “sidekick” however recently he kind of looks at you as his own daughter and he’s really protective and fatherly over you. He’s more on top of you and making sure all your ducks are in a row. He’s not controlling or anything like that tho so don’t worry

-”Did you eat yet, Y/N?”

-”are you okay Y/N? You look exhausted.”

-”make sure you finish that report for class, okay? If you need any help let me know.”

-pRotEccS yOu fRom bOys

-If he sees a teacher kind of poking at you and making you feel uncomfortable or feel bad for being a “teacher's pet” he will immediately have them stop. He feels bad you have to get crap from him being a bit biased towards you

-You guys have a secret handshake

-HE’S STILL THE BIGGEST cRacK hEAd I swEar

-*crushes you in a hug* “MISS. AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHAAATtattatSSSSSs UpPPPPPPPPPPPp”

-”YO Yo yO AMERiCaAAaAAAA HOw Is IT CrACkINGGGG”

-”YNNNNNNNNN AMErIcAAAA YoUU foRgoT yoUr lUnCH Box iN mY cLaSS *whispers* i put a donut in there for you”

-USES YOU FOR ENGLISH CONVERSATION EXAMPLES IN CLASS ALL THE TIME

-HE EMBArASSES YOU SO MUCH ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY THIS DUDE NEEDS TO SIT TF DOWN AND LET YOU LIVE POOR GIRL

-It’s okay because he lets you skip class to pass out in the library after being exhausted from everything

-You take his weird sunglasses and strut around with them all the time

-”BlUghH I’m a rich fashion model. WAIT OMG HIZASHI ARE THESE CHILDREN SIZED GLASsES?!?!”

-EmaiLS yOU

-” ohiyo americAa,

It’s me MiC and iM waTchING tHat drAmaA you recommended to me and Im cRyING. Also i heard from the sleepy teacher that there may or may not be a pop quiz in his class on last weeks topic...Anyways I’ll see you tomorrow...unless...Nah just joking okay mic is out!

-Hiz

sEnt fRom ToaSter oVeN”

-You get about ten of these things a week from him. help this poor man ;-;

-Made a few youtube videos with him

-He helped you pick out your hero name and outfit, you are so ready to be a hero i swear

-Once you do get your hero license..he is such big boi proud like he’s in tears, snot running out his nose, eyes all puffy and his voice is cracking. He even got you a little teddy bear with a little candy bag attached to it.

-”LOOK LOOOK MR.HIZASHIIIII LOOOK I GOT IT I FINALLY GOT IT THANK YOU SO SO MUCH HIZASHIII I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH THANK YOU”

-”See kiddo, i knew you could do it!”

-” Pfft all thanks to you!! Oh and Hey, Mr.Hizashi? My parent(s) are coming up this weekend to celebrate me getting my license. I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner? They’d like to personally thank you for helping me.”

-THIS MAN IS THE UTMOST HONORED LIKE LET ME TELL YOU HE SAYS YES IN A HEARTBEAT AND IS AT THE RESTAURANT ON LITERAL TIME

-He somes in a very nice suit with his hair tied into a perfectly neat bun. And is thAT GLasses he’s wearing?????? (so cute omg)

-Him meeting your parent(s) was a pretty chill experience

-”Mr.Hizashi, right? SO NIce to finally meet you and thank you for everything you have done for Y/N.”

-”Ah, it was my pleasure. And please, call me Yamada.”

-At first it was kind of awkward but once the conversation got going, you guys were there for hours

-and i mean HoURs

-”um excuse mE, wHen aRe yoU gUyS lIkE idk LEAVING???”

-Haha but no, the literal talk was just them hyping you up and how the waiter dramatically fell coming over to the table

-”yeS Y/N is such a great kid i can’t believe you raised such a strong and patient daughter”

-”Did he just trip and act like he didn’t just dropped our food on the ground??”

-”One time Y/N tripped and dropped her easy bake cookies and she didn’t even cry, that’s when we knew she was going to be a pro hero.”

-”did he step on the fries and up it on the plate and try to serve it to us???”

-Also your parent(s) grew up around the same time as Present so they had a lot to talk about and it was interesting learning about each other different childhoods and cultures.

-Your parent(s) seriously enjoyed Hizashi and they would love to talk to him again. Vise versa, it was a great time for Hizashi as well and prepare to hear about it the next time you see him.

-”Thank you Y/N for inviting me and allowing me to meet your parent(s) it was very nice getting to know them. Next time they come up, I must treat them out instead.”

BonUs

-Let’s just make up a different scenario where maybe your parents were kind of rude and not as nice and welcoming, both to you Yamada

-When you heard your parents were coming up to visit you in Japan, you were at first excited. You were still in this frenzy of like “wow i got my hero license” so you weren't thinking about it too much plus you were excited about being treated out to dinner and having your favorite teacher tag along.

-Everything was great...that was until you started to think about it more and started to question was that such a great idea?? Let’s just say your parents aren’t the nicest people (person). For some reason it seems like they were never proud of you, no matter how well or bad you literally did.

-Won a championship game? Eh good, but could be better

-4.00 GPA? That’s okay but thousand of kids get that, you have to do better.

-You want to be a pro hero?? Ha in your dreams, that kid next door has a better chance of becoming one than you do.

-You started to realise they were one of the biggest reasons you wanted to exchange to Japan so much. It was far away from them and super peaceful. You wanted to tell Present to not come, but he seemed so excited, and you wanted to tell him how dreaded your parents were. But you didn’t want him to worry and get others involved. So you just hoped and prayed that they would be nice? And everything was okay?

-Everything was okay...for the first five minutes.

-Well everyone greeted each other and sat down to eat, then the condescending comments started to pour in.

-”Yeah, well I think Y/N will make a perfect Hero in the near future. She’s gotten a lot stronger with her quirk and-”

-”Pfft, let’s not get ahead of ourselves now, Although Y/N has gotten her License that doesn’t mean she’s hero material. We watched the sports festival and compared to the other students, she’s severely overshinned. I just don’t think a year or so of training can fix that. She has to do better.”

-For a second hizashi just sat there with his face utter disbelief. How could someone just say that about their child...in front of their child...so camly?

-He looked over towards your uncomfortable figure, your face was colored with complete dismay, He felt so sad and slightly angry. You didn’t look in a position to defend yourself so he started to speak up for you

-”I really hope the both of you are seriously joking.” he snapped back with a sassy firm tone in his voice which made you look towards the three adults

-”No we are not, Y/N is pretty average and for you to put in her head that she could possibly become a Pro? Haha I understand teachers are supposed to be supportive but like come on now, just be honest with yourself.”

-Hizashi slammed his hands against the table, gaining the attention of everyone in the restaurant, including yourself who was previously looking down to avoid confrontation.

-”How DARE you. Y/N is PERFECTLY CAPABLE of becoming a hero, her quirk,skills, technique and intelligence is all was stronger than you can even imagine. Do not downgrade her just because you’re too idiotic and narrowminded to see that. She is the sweetest kid I have ever met and quite frankly the purest. Disgusting how you talk about your own child like that. AND IN FRONT OF HER?? Now with all due respect, I think you guys need to do a self reflection and change the wrongs you have within you. If you need any help i don't mind emailing you a list of things.”

-SKSKSKSKSKSKS WOT???? DID MR.HIZASHI THE ALWAYS HAPPY AND CRACKHEADY TEACHER JUST PUT YOUR PARENTS IN THEIR PLACE???? IN FRONT OF A WHOLE RESTURANT??? BEST. TEACHER. EVER.

-on you still wore an embarrassed kind or dismayed face and when Present say that. hE tHoUghT yOU wErE eIthER mAd oR sCaREd oF Him. cri

-In reality you were literally so joyful and happy. LIKE DUUUDEEE. MARRY ME LOLOL. Seriously you were super thankful that he did that for you.

-He looked around and suddenly realised that all eyes were on him. Aww poor man felt so flustered he didn’t mean to make a fuss and disturb others, he was just so angry your parents were such a*ssholes.

-He turned to you and bowed while simply muttering “I’m sorry Y/N”, then grabbed his coat and walked out.

-Without even thinking you jumped up and rushed out the door with him, leaving your dumbfounded parents at the restaurant

-”m-Mr.Hizashi wait up!” you called out from behind the blonde haired man, he stopped in his tracks then pivoted in place to face you

-”y/n im very sorry to you and your family i didn’t mean any disrespect. I understand if you may not want to be around me any more or allow me to train you.”

-”ARE YOU SERIOUS THAT WAS EPIC LIKE SERIOUSLY THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I CAn rEMEBER I SWEAR YOU ARE SO AWESOME MRHIZASHI THANK YOU THANK YOU LIKE YOU’RE THE DAD I ALWAYS WANTED I FREAKING LOVE YOU AND DID YOU SEE THEIR FACES HAHA BOOM I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TELL ME I-”

-cutting you off from your frenzy and gave you a big bear hug, “haha don’t ever let what they have said about you ever ring in your head...okay L/N? I belive in you and i know you are going to be fucking great.”

-”Really?” you smiled

-”HECK YEAHHHHH, AMERICAAAAAA”

263 notes · View notes

dark-strangeson-virgil · 4 years

Text

High School AU!

Roman Ryder:

Junior, second semester

Theater kid, but has never been the lead (in his freshman year he actually got a callback for the school musical and the director told him they were seriously considering casting him in the lead role, causing Roman to panic and spend that night in his room crying)

(He ran into the choir teacher’s room the next day asking for his name to be taken off the audition list, it was the only semester he didn’t do theater)

(He was crying because he felt like he was letting his teacher down and was disappointed in himself but just the idea of being in front of so many people made him want to throw up)

Clearly has some issues with self confidence and potentially a bit of anxiety, but began seeing a therapist in his freshman year after the callback incident and has been slowly been working on building his confidence

He decided to try again his second semester and has been in every school musical since, though he’s specifically requested to not get the lead because it’s still too much for him. The director is very understanding.

His dad and brother come to every one of his performances, and he can always hear Remus’ whistling loudest in the applause during curtain call

His friends usually come too, and knowing that they’re all proud of him really boosts his confidence

(Especially when he’s standing on the stage during the curtain call and sees Virgil clapping and smiling wider than he’s ever seen, looking so genuinely proud. Roman cried backstage after seeing that his first time, which may be slightly related to the fact that he’s had a crush on the boy for a while now)

His mother manages to make it to almost all of them, even though it’s difficult considering her hectic work schedule (she’s a trauma surgeon at the local hospital)

Despite popular belief, he does pretty well in school. He has an A in every class except English (He’s barely passing with a C)

He loves writing, but he doesn’t like having his creativity stifled with the strict guidelines of the essays they’re forced to write, and the old fashioned novels with outdated concepts they’re always forced to read in his class (not the typical high school assigned novels, more obscure ones that their teacher is convinced will eventually rise to popularity)

Loves writing in his spare time, mainly short stories

Multiple short stories of his have been put on the school website, though always under a pseudonym because he doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea knowing it’s his work they’re reading (he only submitted the first one because hardly any students even check the school’s website, but he could never be too careful)

His real passion, though (besides theater/singing, of course) is photography. Loves finding beauty in the world around him. Wants to be a photographer after college, ideally for natural geographic

HE. LOVES. ANIMALS.

Like, all animals. Dogs, bats, fish, literally any animal. He’s not picky.

He and Remus own a pit bull named Emma who he absolutely ADORES

Owns and can play a guitar, but tends to only do so in the late hours of the night when he can’t sleep. Not really a super prominent hobby of his.

Only ever officially came out to his family and close friends, the first of which being Logan. (It was really awkward at the time but Roman laughs now, thinking back on how disastrous such a simple conversation became) (Logan was completely accepting, that wasn’t the problem, Roman was just a disaster and Logan was painfully blunt, but we don’t talk about it) Everyone else just gradually found out through the small pride pin on his backpack or his pride vans he wore often

Remus Ryder:

Junior, Second Semester

Is actually a pretty good artist, his emotions aren’t always super clear or understandable to him and his thoughts can be kind of erratic so it’s a good way to express what he’s thinking/feeling

Is a really good cook, usually his group of friends will hang out at his house after school and he’ll cook dinner

Sometimes he adds interesting ingredients to try and “spice up” the recipes. Usually these ingredients worry the others, but he actually ends up making amazing creations most of the time. Trust his creative process people.

(There was that time Logan had to stop him from adding strawberry jam to spaghetti. And the time Logan had been sick and Remus had ended up putting 2 jars of pickle juice into a chili recipe. They ended up ordering pizza that night.)

(Sometimes he asks Roman to help because he feels like they aren’t quite as close as when they were kids, they’re in the same friend group and talk often but it’s not quite the same as when they were younger, but he’d never admit)

(Roman pretends to be annoyed, but he secretly enjoys spending time together just as much, getting to talk about things they can’t always talk to their other friends about)

Wants to be a graphic designer when he grows up, he really enjoys making art and worries that if he just made it a hobby he would forget about it or not have the time.

He knows how much Logan likes talking about his interests, so he makes a point of looking up the things Logan talks about a lot so Logan actually feels like he’s having a conversation. (Of course, they’re all very Remus-y facts. Logan went through a HUGE ocean phase earlier on in his junior year, so Remus spent HOURS researching the creepiest fish that lurk lower in the ocean, but it’s really the thought that counts. Logan doesn’t mind his gruesome details so it’s a win-win.)

Oh and of COURSE Remus has a huge crush on Logan. Unlike the others, he doesn’t necessarily try to hide his crush. He just usually turns it into a bit of a joke, acting like he’s “jokingly” flirting with Logan because, despite his chaotic nature, one of his biggest fears is rejection so he doesn’t actually plan on confessing any time soon.

He did really well in science after freshman year. He loved Biology and Chemistry, which surprised everyone at first. That’s curently the only class he has an A in.

He drags his friends to go camping at least once every summer because he really likes camping. He can be as chaotic as he wants and there’s nobody to judge him. (Well, his friends are there but he knows that they’re not going to judge him.)

He tries to make bets with his friends a lot. Even over dumb things. He’s a money hungry little rat boy.

He’s not big on extracurriculars but he is a part of his school’s art club/honors group after school. He once did an extremely detailed painting of a green octopus, which won him first place in the district-wide art competition.

He is banned from Pixie Stix. Permanently. They used to have them a lot at sleepovers, but two separate times Remus mixed all 4 flavors and snorted them, then whined about his nose hurting for like an hour. After that they banned Pixie Stix.

Doesn’t really like traditional reading much, but he has a small collection of comic books that he goes to if he’s bored because they keep his attention much easier.

Logan Sharpe:

Junior, second semester

Is incredibly good in school but hates the public school system

Pays baseball, started in Little League as a kid as bonding time between him and his dad, then slowly began to enjoy having a way to get his energy out after spending hours sitting in desks at school and more time doing homework

He has a specific baseball bat that he’s had since he was a kid (it wasn’t his first bat since that was a flimsy plastic one, but he got it when he was pretty young) and he doesn’t actually use it often (unless he feels like he needs luck, it’s his only superstitious thing yes he knows it’s not logical it’s just one small thing iTS FINE-) but he covers it in stickers

After his friends saw it they began buying any stickers they saw that reminded them of Logan, just as small presents whenever they felt like it. His bat is almost completely covered at this point, and he’s resorted to layering stickers over less important ones, but he doesn’t care. He’s just very happy his friends are thinking of him :’)

Wants to be a vet when he grows up, for him it’s slightly less emotional than dealing with human patients but still makes him feel like he’s doing good (people tend to think he doesn’t have many emotions but he actually enjoys helping others and making people happy)

Plus he really does love learning, and the medical field allows him to just expand his knowledge even further

He has study sessions with Janus every Tuesday and sometimes Thursdays if one of them really needs it, and he actually really looks forward to them. They don’t talk much, they spend most of the time silently studying or working on homework for their own classes, occasionally asking the other for clarification on something. He has a hard time studying in big groups, especially considering his friends’ tendency to easily get distracted, so he likes being able to quietly focus.

Usually they carpool home together after these study sessions, and talk together on the way home. It’s nice having someone who he can sometimes have simple small talk with, but sometimes they have serious conversations and it surprisingly doesn’t feel weird. Neither of them are great at opening up, and sometimes having someone who’s just as unfamiliar as you with something can make it a bit easier.

Surprisingly likes baking, his dad works at a bakery (if you can’t tell he kinda looks up to his dad) so he’s been around baked goods since he was really young and has a ton of recipes memorized by now. Sometime’s he’ll join Remus in the kitchen on sleepover nights. He helps Remus a bit with the cooking, and Remus returns the favor by helping him bake dessert for all of them. Plus this way he can stop Remus from getting distracted or getting a bit too crazy with changing recipes)

(One time Remus tried to add strawberry jam to spaghetti and Logan knew he had to put his foot down. It took 20 minutes of convincing but he eventually managed to get him to put down the Crofter’s. Logan loves jelly arugably more than the others, but there’s a time and place for everything)

(Somehow it was this exact moment when Logan realizes he liked Remus as more than a friend, and he has absolutely no idea how that happened.)

Usually when his friends are sad he invites whoever it is over to bake, focusing on something else makes it easier for him to try to understand what they’re going through and give thoughtful advice. Plus both the process and the treats at the end usually help cheer everyone up)

(Yes he has gotten into a cliche flour fight with each of the others at least once, and they’re actually some of his fondest memories. He felt so carefree in those moments, just letting himself be happy without worrying about any judgement or his image.)

He actually did officially come out to his friends, but it was pretty simple. He pretty much just said, “I know that the majority of you (actually all of them but a few hadn’t quite come out at the time) have already announced the fact that you are gay, so I’m assuming none of you will be offended by the fact that I am as well. Anyways…”

He just kinda… said it and moved on. The others were a bit shocked but just went with the flow. (of course they all supported him though)

(He had actually been just a bit worried about how the others would react. Hr knew that it was illogical, considering many of them were gay themselves, but he couldn’t help worrying, so he tried to just get it out and move on as quickly as possible. Their small gestures of showing they accept and care for him, such as Roman buying a rainbow-striped tie for him for his birthday, really make him happy because it validates his feelings and helps him understand there’s no need to worry when he’s with his friends.)

Virgil Alvaro:

Sophomore, second semester

On the school’s swimming team in the spring, has the record at their school for fastest lap with a breaststroke and butterfly stroke

Best friends with Patton, they’ve known each other since 6th grade and have always been practically inseparable

Orchestra kid, he’s played the violin since 4th grade (Even with his stage fright he loves the concerts, because he can feel proud and accomplished from his work without having to be in a spotlight by himself, with all eyes on him)

Longer, black hair (like down to his shoulders) but dyed a purple-pink gradient at the tips (He was originally just going for purple but while looking for reference photos online Patton saw a purple-pink gradient and loved it, and Virgil loves making his best friend happy)

(Plus he actually really likes the colors, but don’t tell anyone)

Does debate in the fall, he likes how it helps him see sides to issues he hadn’t considered before. Some friends told him it may help with his anxiety, and it makes him feel like people care about what he has to say

Loves showing up to support his friends in their extracirriculars (usually they all go together to support each other but even if the others can’t come he tries his hardest)

Will never admit it, but he’s a theater fan so he loves going to watch Roman’s musicals (and it’s not at ALL related to his tiny crush on Roman, why would you think that? It’s not even that big a deal we don’t even need to brING IT UP-)

Is a decent student, mostly B’s with a couple A’s sprinkled in. Used to be a straight A student but eventually kinda broke down because the pressure to get good grades was making his anxiety way worse, so after talking with his parents they told him as long as we was trying in classes and he was passing they were proud of him

Yes he was one of those gifted kids who had a high school reading level in second grade and got put in all the “smart” groups, but then got burnt out at the end of middle school. It’s why he’s such a perfectionist with his own work and it was a big contributor to his anxiety.

Absolutely LOVES history class, it’s been his favorite class since he was young

Is close with his history teacher (very sarcastic old man who somehow manages to be both strict on grading and one of the most fun, relaxed teachers he’s ever met)

He isn’t always great at having difficult conversations, so instead of formally coming out he just kinda started saying “haha same” whenever one of the others would make a gay joke, or commenting on how cute a guy in one of their classes was

Wants to be a teacher after college, he enjoys feeling like he’s making a positive differnece in people’s lives, and he’s personally dealt with unsympathetic teachers who didn’t have faith in him and only made his anxiety worse, so he wants to stop that from happening to other children if he can.

Also, he hates the school system almost as much as Logan, so he’s hoping being a teacher will give him the opportunity to try and improve the way kids learn, even if it’s just in his classroom

His hoodie is a comfort item for him, if he’s feeling extremely anxious and isn’t able to reach any of his friends to help him calm down usually fiddling with his sleeves or zipper helps calm him down pretty well (even if it’s usually only a temporary solution, as one of his friends almost always comes to help)

He likes to share earbuds with either Roman or Patton. As much as he hates to admit it, he actually really likes the musicals Roman listens to and he and Patton’s music tastes actually overlap at some points (cough cough MCR) and listening to music with someone else makes him feel less alone

Patton Myron:

Junior, second semester

Everyone assumes that he’s not very smart, but he actually has mostly A’s with only 2 B’s (woith those being Gym and History, it's hard for him to memorize specific dates)

Does tutoring on the weekends, his best subjects are Science and Math since they generally involve less memorization and are easy to understand for him

He joined band his freshman year and has loved it since, is first chair trumpet

Also does marching band in the fall, and always invited his friends to come sit with him and the rest of the band in the stands (he also convinces Janus to join marching band their sophomore year because he feels like they don’t talk enough, which actually helps the two bond)

Ends up getting a huge crush on Janus second semester of sophomore year.

Uses SO MANY emojis in his texts. He thinks they’re absolutely adorable, and the others are not big fans of emojis but don’t have the heart to be annoyed by it.

Virgil started using emojis ironically occasionally, and it made Patton so happy! (Eventually it was habitual, and he’s not sure when he started actually using them unironically)

Met Virgil in 6th grade when they were paired up on a project about bugs, Virgil cried because he was scared of leaf bugs the first day of the project so Patton tried to make him as comfortable as possible to help him calm down, and their friendship grew from there

LOVES fashion, he loves trying things out even if they don’t always look good. He saw that “gay brunch” meme one time and spent the next week at school dressing up in each of the outfits. Roman caught on immediately and did it with him on the last day. (His favorite outfit was the frog one. “It’s just so adorable and comfy and I love it!”)

YES, he’s worn skirts to school. Not often, but when he does he looks amazing.

He’s always trying to get Virgil to try out more color/”spice”, as he says it, in his style. He knows standing out is scary for Virgil, so every time Vee steps out of his comfort zone Patton’s super proud of him and makes sure to let him know. (Look I’m a sucker for sweet BFF Moxiety)

He listened to Virgil’s favorite bands once to try and relate to him more when Vee was going through a particularly rough time and ended up actually liking My Chemical Romance. He gets sad sometimes even if he doesn’t talk about it, so he likes that their music discusses that, but that band in particular also seems to have songs that show you life does get better rather than just convincing you to wallow in the sadness, especially on Black Parade and Danger Days (Ex. Famous Last Words). It’s morbid optimism but he loves it.

(Virgil actually cried when Patton told him, he had been really sturggling with his anxiety and knowing his best friend did that for him and actually liked his music got him when he was feeling extra sensitive. The two of them spent like 10 minutes fixing Virgil’s makeup in the bathroom, and only the two of them know about this.)

Never exactly came out, but is very open and proud. He has Vans that he painted rainbow that he wears at least once a week, among various other pride-related clothing and accessories.

Wants to be a nurse, he wants to do his part to make the world a better place

Gets a little overwhelmed when there’s too much noise, so he carries around a pair of earplugs to help keep him calm in loud classrooms/hallways.

When he gets sad (which happens more often than he admits) he does makeup. It’s a creative outlet that lets him get his feelings out, and he’s become amazingly good at it over the years. Occasionally he does makeup on the others, usually all together at sleepovers. (His favorite look he’s done was when he gave logan a galaxy-themed blue look. He was so proud of himself after that particular makeover, and Logan actually liked it!) He has the photo of all of them together in their makeup that night hanging on his vanity mirror.

One day Roman called him “puffball” as a joke, but now that’s sort of become his nickname within their group.

Remy Somnus:

Senior, second semester

Is head of sound for the tech crew in theater, has adipted all of the younger tech kids and will fight anyone who messes with any of his children

He’s the one who goes on energy drink and snack runs during tech week because that’s the only way the crew is functioning. None of them are sleepng or eating well. He even gets some for a few of his favorite actors (Including Roman, although Roman always tries to insist that Remy doesn’t have to do that for him.)

Him and Emile have also collectively adopted all of the others in their friend group (They’re the oldest so they have the right to) and HAVE turned into protective mama and papa bear over these children in multiple cases

He plays several instruments. Bass/electric guitar, flute (he was never a band kid, he just took private lessons when he was younger), the keyboard and the drums. He helped teach Janus when he was first trying to learn percussion

Wants to be a musician when he grows up

He's a vegetarian, and has been since middle school. He's been trying to learn how to cook from Remus so he can make his own meals rather than relying on Remus and Logan to make a vegetarian friendly addition to their meal of choice for him

Is not a morning person. Despite coming into school with Starbucks in hand almost every morning, it's still better to wait around 45 minutes after school starts to try and have a legitimate conversation with him, otherwise you'll likely just get grunting and mumbling as your response.

This bitch ADORES the vintage aesthetic. He wears his vintage’ ‘50’s leather jacket almost every day along with his sunglasses, and he has a whole collection of vintage t-shirts in his closet. Oh, and his record player is pretty much his most prized possession. When his friends don’t know what to get him for a present the go-to is always a record, and he loves it every time.

He does love older music, but he also listens to modern music so basically any album will make him happy.

He really loves cinnamon. He carries cinnamon gum around with him at all times. Some of his friends hate the smell, but they’ve learned to deal with it. Luckily, Emile also loves the taste of cinnamon gum.

He tends to spoil his friends. He goes all out for birthdays or gifts of any kind, and ALL of their families attend the holiday parties at his house because they’re the best.

Is honestly a total softie. Although he loves planning elaborate, fun dates, his favorite times with Emile are when the two of them just stay in, make homemade dinner and watch rom-coms together.

He also loves when they watch horror movies because Emile gets all scared and cuddles up to him for protection and it’s absolutely adorable.

Janus Cameron:

Junior, second semester

Patton convinced him to join the band his sophomore year (he was very confused at first because although they had been in the same friend group, he and Patton had barely interacted at this point. He had actually begun to wonder if Patton just didn’t like him), he plays percussion in both band class and marching band. He doesn’t always say it but he’s glad he and Patton became closer because of it.

He’s actually had a huge crush on Patton since end of freshman year, so he’s very happy that Patton at least considers him a legitimate friend now (Can you tell I love YEARNING and PINING)

He has an addiction to hot cheetos, you’ll hardly ever find him without a bag in his backpack. He doesn’t know how it happened but at this point he’s just accepted it.

Sometimes he forgets to grab a bag before school, and usually Virgil will run to get him some during lunch because he doesn’t like his friends being sad. Even if Virgil for some reason can’t one of the others usually will.

Has ginger hair but is kinda embarrassed about it so he usually dyes it black. Only his friends know his natural hair color and they’ve only ever seen his roots.

He also has freckles like every ginger, but they’re concentrated on the left side of his face. The right side has a typical amount, while the left has an extreme abundance of freckles. Nobody knows how it happened, but it did.

Loves. Sparkles.

He’s the kind of ultra sassy, dramaic gay that would adore sparkles and would absolutely rock them. For their sophomore winter formal he wore a black glittery vest, a yellow dress shirt, a black tie and black dress pants. (Patton literally swooned when he first saw him walk in, Logan caught it all on video and mercilessly teases Patton over it any chance he gets)

He reads a lot in his spare time. It’s calming and easy to lose yourself in. (Wow I really am projecting onto all of these characters huh)

His favorite books are mystery novels because he likes all the twists and turns and the satisfaction of the final reveal. However, he HATES cliffhangers. One time a book he was reading ended abruptly and what happened was unclear and he threw the book at his wall. It left a dent, and his friends point it out EVERY time they come over.

Sometimes when Patton, Roman or Virgil can’t sleep they call him and he reads to them. For Patton and Roman it’s super soft fluffy romance novels (that’s the only reason he owns any of those novels to begin wih. He really cares about his friends, even if he doesn’t show it) and for Virgil it’s sci-fi or fantasy because it really sucks him into a world completely different from his own.

Wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up. (Like Remus, he was a big fan of Logan’s ocean phase)

He obviously has a pet snake. He got her sophomore year and he absolutely loves her. Her name is Cuddles (Yes it was Patton’s suggestion. Janus loves the name too though.)

He loves video games and has a huge collection. He doesn’t have a lot of time to play, but he still tries when he can. Whenever his friends come over they end up playing all night because he has a bunch of old consoles. (Especially Nintendo. He owns every. Single. Nintendo. Console.)

He listens to jazz! Logan’s the only other one who really likes it but they add a few jazz songs to “The Playlist” anyways. (The playlist is what they play in the background whenever they stay over at each other’s houses, whether it’s for playing video games or cooking.)

Roman’s been trying to convince both him and Virgil to join the tech crew for theater so he has more friends in theater. Virgil’s pretty sold on the idea and plans to join his senior year (All it took was Roman’s puppy eyes and he had practically melted into a puddle and agreed on the spot). Janus knows it would be difficult while also doing marching band, but he knows he could work around it especially once marching season is over so he’s actually considering it.

Emile Picani:

Senior, second semester

Does both colorguard and winter guard, is the team captain. He joined as a sophomore and has loved it ever since.

He loves marching season, but he prefers winter guard because he loves having a full, detailed show

He also loves the weapon line! Saber’s his favorite (he’s also a really amazing dancer because he took gymnastics when he was younger so he’s frequently put on the dancing line), but he just adores the sport in general

Has been dating Remy since sophomore year (sophomore year was a pretty eventful year for Emile overall), people were confused at first but at this point it’s rare to see one without the other so everyone’s very used to it

Wants to be a therapist when he grows up (wow, shocker I know), has a high sense of empathy and wants to help people any way he can. He’s seen some of the people in his life struggle with mental health and he knows how difficult it can be, so all he wants is to make some people’s journey easier.

Loves cartoons, but is kinda embarrassed about it. He wears cartoon-related shirts, but he never openly talks about it unless it’s with people he trusts. (One time in freshman year a kid in the grade above him made fun of him for his Steven Universe shirt and Remy had to be held back from going after the kid)

Gets pretty good grades, mostly B’s with a few A’s. He knows being a therapist is going to require extensive work ethic so he made sure he had good work ethic early on in school so he’d be able to get through and get his degree

Blushes so easily. Literally the smallest compliment can set his face aflame. It's honestly adorable.

He just has that soft aesthetic. He loves cardigans, sweatpants, loose t-shirts, etc. He likes being comfy.

He has a whole wall dedicated to Funko Pops in his room. He’s even customized a few Funko’s to match some of his favorite characters that they don’t make figurines for.

He ALSO has a bucket of stuffed animals in his room, all of which he loves equally. He’s one of those people who worries about giving more attention to some of his stuffies than the others, so they rotate onto his bed. (He used to keep them all on his bed but he could barely fit so he developed this system instead.)

He and Remy try to have date nights at least once a week, like an adorable married couple. They really love spending time together.

One time on a date night they spent like 3 minutes just staring at each other from across the table at a restaurant with these goofy grins on their faces. This was pretty soon after they got together. The poor waiter had to bring them back to reality when he brought them their food.

(A/N: Wow. I’m really glad I finally finished this. I had this idea that was supposed to be a short introduction to these characters in this AU and ended up writing over 5K words. This is my first time writing anything fandom-related, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Big thank you to @coconut-cluster for giving me the encouragement I needed on the Logan sticker baseball bat idea, I was nervous and didn’t know how it would go. Thank you for reading!

41 notes · View notes

aestheticdisposition · 4 years

Text

Kara and Lena go the same self-laundry place and Lena takes Kara’s clothes off the washer, puts her clothes in and leaves Kara’s on the floor. Later, they confront each other. (You can find it on AO3 but for some reason the link doesn’t work when I put it here 😅)

It had been an extremely difficult and exhausting day for Kara. She woke up late, realizing the phone charger was plugged in her phone but not in the actual plug on the wall, which meant her alarm didn’t ring, resulting in her sleeping in. Honestly, it wasn’t the first time she’d done something like this. In fact, she’s been doing similar things for about a month now.

She used her super speed to shower and get dressed but she really couldn’t afford to take her time to eat and enjoy a good cup of coffee, which was what really was frustrating about waking up late.

Deciding to fly to work today, she took off from her window and into the sky, already feeling the cool breeze relax her a bit. But it didn’t last long. As soon as she set foot in her office, Snapper barged in and told her off for being late (again). Kara pretended to listen to him and after a while he left with a glare accompanied with a scoff. She was finally left alone to finish a fluff piece about this cat breed that apparently had no fur on them? Don’t get her wrong, she loved animals but she was more of a dog person. Plus, cats in general were scary. She was a bit intimidated but she would never admit that out loud.

Several robberies (some with hostages), three fires, two alien attacks, some death glares from Snapper and only five pancakes later, she found herself leaving the Catco building. Greeting some of her co-workers goodnight, she set off to that self-laundry place she heard of from Alex. She sneezed on her washing machine a few days ago and froze it and she hadn’t gotten the chance to replace it with everything going on.

Alex keeps telling her that she needs to be a little more organized, but can you really blame her? She has two jobs she has to balance and a very demanding stomach that has to be filled every hour or so. It’s not her fault she sometimes forgets things. Or break some other things. Or cry when she sees dogs running, with their cute little ears bouncing up and down. But that’s irrelevant.

So anyway, tonight was the perfect night for laundry. The perfect way to end such a day. Honestly, the only good thing about this situation was getting food while she waited for the clothes to finish being washed. But food made everything better for Kara so it wasn’t that bad. It could be worse.

Somewhere not really afar, Lena was sat in her office. It was nearing 8 o’ clock at night and she was still working. Her day hadn’t been any better. She spent it in meetings with white, rich, sexist men who were looking down on her for deciding to take over Luthor-Corp, L-Corp now. God, they think they know everything, even how the tech that she herself developed works! It truly is infuriating.

It takes years of practice to master self-control at such level and in times like these, she thanks Lillian and her stupid grin for teaching her how to keep a neutral expression and not start throwing punches.

And like all this wasn’t enough, her heel broke. In the middle of her walking. She almost fell straight down her face but thankfully she caught herself just on time. But then she realized that what she had held onto was the shelf where she stores all her drinks. It broke and everything fell down (including her). Thank God she was alone.

Needless to say, her office still smells like whiskey. Anyway, she had to wear her sneakers for the rest of the day.

She also had to do laundry. She couldn’t escape it this time with some poor excuse she usually makes up. It needed to be done or she wouldn’t have clean clothes for tomorrow. Sighing, she decided it was best to leave work.

She exited her building and began walking to the self-laundry place she bought a few months ago. Yes, she bought it. It wasn’t like she tried to get closer to a very pretty girl who worked there and whom she helplessly crushed on or something like that. No, it’s nothing like that (even though Lena cried like a baby when she found out that said girl decided to move cities with her boyfriend).

Lena was a Luthor and Luthors are business people with no feelings and own multiple companies and make even more money. At least, that’s what she tells herself when she feels embarrassed of her decision. Nevertheless, she never had the heart to sell it. She’s become friends with an old man whom she regularly bumped into there. And by friends, she means that he was kind enough to smile at her or even make small talk.

But this very situation right now? It was literally a nightmare.

A fashion nightmare, to be specific. Another reason why everyone looked at her weird. She was a Luthor which meant that pretty much everyone judged her for her family’s doing but now, although she hates to admit it, she can understand why people looked at her direction. I mean, it’s not every day you run into a very rich CEO wearing her usual expensive blouse, paired with an also very expensive skirt and… running shoes. They just don’t go with the outfit. At all.

After a few agonizing minutes, she reached the laundry place. Greeting the old man, she rounded the corner and went to her washing machine only to find out that it was already being used. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone.

“Um, excuse me, have you seen…”

But her words died in her throat when she turned around and realized that she was talking to herself. The old man must have left.

She waited for about ten minutes before she started getting irritated. I mean, this was her washing machine. There literally was a sign that wrote “Lena Luthor’s, Do Not Use” at the top of the machine. Didn’t that person notice it? Wait, was it too small? Maybe she should get it replaced.

But it wasn’t small and anyone could see it. Laughing bitterly, she thinks to herself that this must be another man’s doing. One who is rude and disrespectful towards all women. She could just use another washer, truth be told, but she was done being patient with people who did not seem to have some common sense and were always looking for trouble.

Slamming her purse on the bench she is currently sitting, she stops the washer.

“If you want to be a disrespectful asshole, I can be an even worse one” she murmurs to herself.

She gathered all the stranger’s clothes and dumped them on the floor. She instantly felt bad but, oh well, too late now, what’s done is done. She loaded her own clothes in and started the machine.

The small screen read one hour before it finished, which gave her a little time to go and find a good book in the library. After that, she would definitely return. She has to see that idiot’s face when he realizes what’s been done.

Meanwhile, Kara was getting something to eat. Everything was finally organized. Her clothes were being washed and would be finished in a little while, she was now buying food to eat and she still had time for a good bath and a movie when she goes home. Alex would be proud.

She went for potstickers of course and almost swallowed them whole without chewing them first. It was just so satisfying to be able and treat yourself after a hard day. Her night was a hundred percent better that her day. After relaxing with the help of three more potsticker orders, she decided to leave the restaurant, leaving a small tip for the waiter she had become great friends with.

Scratching her skin in thought, she chose donuts for desert. Then, she would go straight to the laundry place because she must have taken a bit more time than she initially intended.

She ended up getting ice-cream too. Three scoops.

But no one could prepare her for what she saw upon entering. She almost dropped her food.

Her poor clothes laid down and wet in the middle of the floor. The washer she had put her clothes in was working but apparently somebody else’s clothes were inside. It didn’t take her long to realize what had happened.

How could people be so cruel? She works so hard to keep everyone safe and they treat her like this. They don’t know she’s Supergirl so it doesn’t really count but still. Has she done so little to show everyone that you should treat others with respect, even if you don’t know them? And besides, it’s not like it has a name written on it or something, this is a public place! Anyone can use whichever they want! (Unless it is already working, obviously!)

At that moment, her eyes begin to water. Her vanilla ice-cream, long forgotten starts to melt and droplets fall onto the floor making it dirty.

This was when Lena returned from the bookstore. Kara of course heard her and turned around and almost forgot about all her problems, including wet and still dirty clothes.

Wow. This was all Kara could think. This woman is gorgeous; long, dark brown hair, almost black, neated in a very elegant bun revealing her sharp jawline, her eyes were piercing green. They reminded her of kryptonite. She was wearing a blue, long-sleeved blouse that showed off her cleavage just the right amount and a pencil skirt that hugged her in all the right places, revealing her curvy figure. She was absolutely breathtaking. (Although something was terribly wrong with her choice of footwear).

The woman looked oddly familiar, though she couldn’t put her finger on it. Was she a model?

On the other hand, the sight of this, very attractive might she add, woman broke Lena’s heart. So it wasn’t some arrogant man. This woman seems small and sweet and kind-hearted and judging by the tears in her eyes and the two very full bags of donuts she is carrying along with some ice-cream which is slowly melting in her hand, she never meant any harm.

Lena almost started crying with her.

Her blonde hair fell down her shoulders in soft curls that made her want to run her hand through it, just to see if it was as soft as it looked like. She could tell her eyes were blue even behind the pair of glasses and were a bit glassy from the tears. They matched the pale blue sweater she wore, which was tacked in a pair of pants. She was adorable.

Yes, Lena was now officially the worst citizen in this planet. In the entire universe.

Kara is still standing there, ice-cream melting in her hand, staring at the woman.

“Umm… hello” the woman says, giving an end to the awkward silence.

“Hi…” Kara replies. “Are you the one who got my clothes out of the washer?” she asks suddenly a bit angry.

“W-what? No, I don’t… Okay, yes I am.” Lena replies. Her first instinct was to dodge the question but really, it was no use. They were the only people in the room.

“Why would you do that?” Kara asks, sniffing her nose. Her night was going so well up until this point.

“Well why would you use my washing machine when you could have easily used another one?” the other woman says while raising her voice a little.

“Your washing machine?” Kara asks with a scoff “Your washing machine? Does it have your name written on it? Have you bought-”

“Actually yes, it does have my name, right on top of it.” Lena interrupts “I also own this place” she adds powerfully, looking at the other woman straight in the eye. (She really does have pretty eyes).

Kara whips her head at the machine’s direction and sees a (rather huge) sign that reads “Lena Luthor’s, Do Not Use”. Crap. This is Lena Luthor. The Lena Luthor? That’s why she looked so familiar! So, the washer was hers and she was right after all… Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she turned around to face the woman once again.

“Well, I’m sorry I used it I honestly didn’t see the sign, but this doesn’t justify why you went and threw all my clothes on the floor.” Kara says, a little steadier and more confident this time.

Now it’s Lena’s turn to be taken aback. Of all the things she expected, this wasn’t one of them. The blonde didn’t even seem fazed by her last name. She expected an outburst of hate, worst case scenario she could have gotten stoned by the donuts she was caring.

“I waited for you but you were taking too long so this seemed like the most logical thing to do.” Lena says emotionless.

“And what was the least logical thing? Just use another darn washer?” the blonde emphasizes taking a few steps towards Lena while also making some motions with her arms.

Lena cringed a bit as drops of now fully melted ice-cream landed all over the floor and one on her shoe too, forming a perfect white circle on her black sneakers. She took a few steps back, mainly to prevent more ice-cream from showering her.

Wait, who uses the word darn nowadays?

“Look who’s talking! You are supposed to be here when the machine is working, but instead you got up and left! And I was kind enough to wait for you too, but as I said, you took too long.”

Now Lena is angry. Who does she think this woman is? Just because she’s-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the washer when all of a sudden, it started making some weird noises. Few seconds later, water came out from under it (along with some smoke from the top of it), making the floor all wet.

“Oh my God now you broke it too!” Lena shouts frustrated with how her night is going.

“I broke it? If I remember correctly it is you who started it the last time before it broke!” Kara shouts equally as loud as Lena.

Lena chooses not to reply. Partly because she is too irritated to function and partly because the woman is right, she couldn’t have broken it. Now she just stares blankly at the washing machine trying to figure out what’s wrong with it.

“A tube must be leaking somewhere inside it” Lena diagnoses.

“What?”

“I said a tube must be leaking somewhere inside this thing.” she repeats.

Deciding that she will have to wear the same clothes tomorrow, she gets up and takes her phone, ready to take over the situation and solve this problem.

At the same time, Kara looks at the mess she’s made with her ice-cream. She could clean it… or she could also just leave it as it is. No, that wouldn’t be nice… Rejecting her last thought, she digs into her purse and finds some baby wipes. She briefly hears the woman speak on the phone with a plumper about the leak. Well, she did say she’s the boss, she’d better act like it. But Alex didn’t mention that Lena Luthor was the owner. Maybe she didn’t know it.

As she was about to get on her knees, the other woman speaks up.

“What are you doing?”

“Um… Trying to clean up?” she says, stating the obvious.

“You don’t have to. I’ll have someone take care of it.”

“Are you sure?” she blinks. “It wouldn’t take more than five minutes” she tries to argue.

“Yes, you don’t have to.”

“Okay…”

Putting the baby wipes back in her purse (after cleaning her hands), she picks her clothes off the floor and puts them in another washing machine. She can feel the woman’s eyes on her the whole time. What’s her problem now? Can’t she do laundry like a regular person?

“What?” she asks flatly.

The woman, Lena, laughs a little without answering. Ignoring her, she makes sure everything is good to go and presses the start button. Then, she collapses on one of the benches, sighing deeply.

Lena silently observes the blonde from her spot. She’s really pretty and she seems masculine. She slaps herself internally.

“No, bad Lena” she mumbles. Oh great, now she’s talking to herself and as if she were a dog. She’s going insane. What’s next? Following Lex’s paths and losing all of her hair? She shivered at the thought.

She copies the other woman and starts unloading her clothes off the now broken washing machine and puts them in the one next to it. The whole time she does this, she’s thinking of how badly she behaved. She’s the boss, she should be good with her clients! They’re giving their money to her!

And more specifically, this woman who is sitting right there (and is probably watching me this whole time oh God oh God please don’t embarrass yourself), who was kind enough and didn’t leave after the freaking boss dumped her clothes on the floor, who was considerate enough and offered to clean up her ice-cream that she herself ruined.

She has to do something. She is Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp, a multi-billion company. She is a genius and more importantly, she is a good person. And she is going to prove it right now.

“I’m sorry”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry,” she states again more loudly and clearly. Seeing she has all the woman’s attention, she continues “I apologize for my previous actions, it wasn’t fair of me to do what I did. It was unacceptable, especially when such behavior is initiated from a person of authority. I let personal reasons cloud my judgement and I guarantee you that it shall not be repeated. I offer you one year of free subscription as a way of saying sorry ” she finishes her little speech with a small, true smile, one not a lot of people have the privilege to witness.

Kara just sits there and blinks. Okay, she did not expect that. That woman seemed so full of herself.

“Umm… wow… Th-thank you for.. for your words. I should apologize too. I should have been more observant. My sister always tells me to be a bit more… put together and I had a really, really bad day today so your words right now mean the world to me, you have no idea, but I couldn’t possibly accept your offer. It’s simply too much. I’m about to get my own washer actually sometime during next week. I just came her today because it… also broke, somehow, I’ll get out of your hair soon, I promise and I am rumbling again I am so sorry.”

Great, she managed to embarrass herself to Lena Luthor. Why couldn’t she just be like her alter-ego once in her life? Wait, was that a giggle she heard? At least she made her laugh. That’s something.

“Well, I’m a bit saddened by the fact that I will not be seeing you around for long.” She did not mean to flirt, why did she flirt? This isn’t going the way she planned it in her head.

“Haha, I’m not sure I’ll be any good news for the place. It’s only my first time here and there’s already a broken washer and the floor is sticky and full of my ice-cream so…”

Lena laughed at her response but decided to put an end to their conversation. Had the conditions been different, she would attempt some small talk, but she was too exhausted and tired to do anything but sit and stare at the wall.

At the other end of the room, Kara is sat at a bench and her donuts are all she can think about. They must be at the perfect temperature right now. She can smell them from inside the bags and they make her mouth water. However, it would be rude not to offer Lena one.

“Hey Lena, um… you do eat donuts right?” she asks gesturing at the bag she’s holding.

“Well, I am human.” Lena replies smiling from her seat.

Kara, like the gentlewoman she is, gets up and offers her the bag so she can choose.

“These are simple, just some sugar on top of them, these are so good, they have marshmallows on top as you can see and chocolate on the inside, but these, oh these are my favorite, the ultimate best. I’m telling you, you haven’t put anything better in your mouth” she explains to Lena. Realizing what she just said, she starts blushing. Oh Rao.

“Hmmm… I think I’ll try… this one. This seems good.” Lena says while examining it in her hand.

“Ah, good choice! I promise you, you will not be let down.” Kara states grinning.

“Thank you…”

“Oh, right, my name is Kara, God where are my manners.” Kara says in a rush while offering her hand to Lena.

But Lena’s hands are both dirty with chocolate so she ends up shaking her elbow instead.

So now they wait for the washers to finish while sitting next to each other. Kara offers Lena another donut but Lena kindly declines, so she ends up eating everything else on her own.

It’s late and both women can’t wait to go home. Kara doesn’t have time for the movie she wanted to watch and Lena is too tired to answer emails instead of going straight to bed. It’s already eleven at night and the city has quieted down. Less cars honking, less motorbikes revving to disturb Kara’s sensitive ears and Lena’s headache.

Kara wishes she could speak to Lena a bit more. She seems like a very interesting woman. She is a Luthor so that means that whatever she’s doing is immediately written in magazines. It’s easy to follow her scientific progress and with some more digging, she’s sure she can find some other facts about the woman sitting next to her.

But she doesn’t want to stalk her, it doesn’t feel right.

This woman deserves more. She is not sure if she is able to give it to her. After all, a Super and a Luthor? But she is willing to try. She can tell the woman is tired by her body language and her heartbeat and she has a sudden urge to make her pain go away, even if it’s just a little.

They have much in common actually. Both carry the weight of the world on their shoulders- Kara with being Supergirl and Lena with her technology that saves thousands of lives. Both betrayed by family, Lena left with a broken name, Kara with a broken planet and both with broken hearts. Both were adopted, despite the fact that clearly Kara had more luck than Lena in this part. The list can go on.

They didn’t start off very well, truth be told, but the start of a journey doesn’t determine its end. And Kara has hope.

But what was she supposed to say? Hi, it looks like you could use a friend and I’m available? That’s rude. She doesn’t even know if the other woman wants to be friends with her. Maybe she could ask what happened to her shoes. Surely, she couldn’t have worn sneakers with this outfit. But what if she did? Lena could get offended if she asked something like this.

Kara opted for silence. It was the safest.

Soon enough, the washers dinged signalizing that they are finished. The women stand up half-heartedly and go get their clothes. In a little while, they will be on her own again.

Ten minutes later, they exit together the (now a bit ruined) shop and Lena turns to Kara.

“So… again, I’m sorry for what I did. Please, do consider my offer of one-year free subscription, it is the least I can do. And thank you for the donut; you were right it was delicious.” Lena states with a tired smile.

“Apology accepted, we were both at fault back there. And I’m sorry too. Um… I will consider your offer although I suppose I won’t need it cause I’m buying a new washer. And you’re welcome. For the donut.” Kara ends grinning.

“Are you on foot?” Lena asks tilting her head a bit.

“Oh no I flew to work today… on-on a bus. Yeah on a bus. Aha. Yup. Definitely. Why?”

“My driver is about to come pick me up and I was wondering if you want me to drop you off somewhere since it’s gotten quiet late.” Lena says while switching her weight from one foot to the other.

“Oh no I wouldn’t want to get you out of your way. I’ll be fine honestly, it’s not the first time. My sister, Alex, she works for the FBI and she has taught me a trick or two so I’ll be absolutely fine, I promise haha, no biggie… and I’m also a good runner I’m sure I can escape any situation and I will uhh… I’ll just stop talking right now…” Kara shut her mouth embarrassed of her word vomit once again. She planned on flying home tonight because firstly, she doesn’t have a car and secondly, even if she did, she flew to work in the morning too.

“I don’t want anything bad happen to you. You may be able to protect yourself from a human mugger but what if an alien decides to show up? It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

“Right… because aliens are dangerous and could… seriously injure me... because I’m a human and I most certainly not indestructible.” Kara tries hard not to cringe at this conversation right now. She can hear Alex laughing in the distance somewhere in the DEO.

“Of course not, unless you’re Supergirl,” Lena stares for a moment “but even if you were I would still offer you a ride. I imagine flying must be tiring”

“Haha,” Kara fakes a laugh (horribly too) “I wouldn’t know since I’m not her.” She hasn’t hoped for call from Alex so badly before.

Thankfully, a nice black car with tinted windows pulls up in front of them interrupting their conversation and Kara has to stop her jaw from crashing onto the floor. She’s not a big fan of cars but man is she shocked. Of course Lena Luthor would drive something like this. Why is she even surprised?

“The offer still stands” Lena now fully turns to her.

“Which one?” Kara jokes.

“Both” Lena replies elegantly. How can she be so graceful all the time?

“Well since you asked so nicely I will not decline being taken home” Kara beams.

“Excellent” the other woman smiles back, her eyes wrinkling a bit.

Lena moves forward and opens the door for Kara. Mumbling a shy ‘thank you’, Kara gets in and tries not to gasp. The car is very clean and tidy, too clean and tidy. She almost asks if she’s allowed to sit or if they want her to float instead so that she doesn’t dirty the seats (don’t worry, she stops herself just on time).

The car ride was silent and lasted only fifteen minutes before the driver pulled up in front of Kara’s building.

“Thank you for the ride and for the- for everything actually. Thank you” Kara smiles, expressing her gratitude. She swallows her disappointment and grits her teeth. Why is she such a coward? She’s fought the deadliest of aliens, yet she’s afraid to... do something, anything regarding the green-eyed woman. Just say that she’d like to see her again. Anything! “Goodnight Lena.”

As she is about to get out of the car, Lena speaks up.

“Wait, Kara!” Oh Rao, did I forget something? My purse, my phone, does my cape show?

“Yes?” Kara replies a bit too eagerly.

“I was wondering if maybe… you know… if I could have your number? I really liked the donut you gave me and I would like to buy one myself. I could give you a call and you could tell me where I could find the shop? We can visit it together too if you want? I could also buy you some ice-cream since I pretty much ruined it.” Lena suggests, betrayed by her trembling voice.

“YES! I mean yes, yeah, why not. Sure, we can arrange that.” Kara almost shouts.

“Good.”

“Good!” Kara’s face is about to tear in half because of how hard she is smiling. “Okay goodnight!”

“Wait Kara, you never gave me your number!” Lena says in a rush.

“Oh right, sorry!” Getting inside the car once again, Lena handed her her phone and Kara, careful not to break the screen from her nerves, typed in her number.

“There you go! I saved myself as ‘Kara the donut girl’ in case you forget who Kara is” she says, handing the phone back to Lena.

“That would be impossible; you’re a hard one to forget. In a good way.” Lena adds hurriedly.

“Well, for the hundredth time in a span of half an hour, goodnight” laughing, she slowly backed away from the car and to her front door.

“Goodnight Kara” Lena smiles for one last time before she shuts the door and the car starts moving.

Kara sighs happily and turns so she can enter her building. That night, she slept better than any other night since she can remember. The next morning, she woke up in time and even smiled at Snapper. Needless to say, she had donuts for lunch.

#supercorp #katie mcgrath #melissa benoist #humour #happy ending #lena luthor #kara danvers #kara x lena #supercorp endgame #fanfic #fluff

26 notes · View notes

written-prose-things · 4 years

Text

What did you just call me?

Summary: When an unknown hunter walks into Beacon Hills, Derek goes into Over Protective Alpha mode. Everyone gets puts into groups, which they're supposed to stick with at all times. Stiles gets stuck with Derek. Ya know, The Alpha He Has A Crush On. Over the next three days, they both realise exactly how much fun their normal life can be as well.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5 | AO3

Stiles wakes up slowly. He groans and rolls over. His bed doesn’t usually feel this warm or soft… now that he thinks about it, his bed isn’t even this big.

Stiles should run away from where-ever he is, but the bed is too soft. But the soft sheets of the bed and it’s warmth clutch Stiles, who only opens his eyes and stares at the room.

Derek is standing by the open door that leads to the roof, facing Stiles. The light of the rising sun casts a halo behind his head. He looks worried, on-edge.

Stiles tries to lighten the mood by asking him, “Were you watching me sleep?”

Derek shakes his head like he can’t believe he’s friends with an idiot like Stiles. Stiles mocks him even more, “Oh, what shiny skin you have, Mr Wolf.”

Derek’s stress dissolves into a barely hidden smile at that and Stiles feels a warmth rise in his gut over having solved at least some of the alpha’s stress. He climbs out of Derek’s bed slowly, hating the fact that he can’t stay there forever.

Derek nods at the in-suite bathroom, “I’ve taken out a spare brush for you. Why don’t you come downstairs in five minutes for breakfast?”

Stiles hums and walks to the bathroom slowly. Just as he’s about to close the door, he realises that his father didn’t have a night shift yesterday.

He opened the door again and skidded onto the wooden floor of Derek’s bedroom. The alpha was on the first steps of the landing, but his face was towards Stiles, obviously having detected the shift in his scent.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dad, he didn’t have a night shift yesterday! I didn’t go home, he’s going to ground me forever Derek. Now you’ll have to hang around my bedroom forever!”

Derek shakes his head and asks Stiles slowly, “So what can we do now?”

“Nothing! Derek, how do you not understand? There is nothing to do. My death is imminent.”

Derek rolls his eyes, “No, you can still make a good impression if you show up at your house not looking like you’ve slept under a bridge.”

Stiles cuts a glance to the mirror in the corner. He’s slept in his clothes from yesterday, which look rumpled and have spots of drool on them. Stiles only realises a moment later that, the drool spots are on Derek’s jacket… which he’s still wearing.

Stiles turns to look at Derek meekly, “I’ll get this dry cleaned.”

Derek replies, “No!”

His unexpected volume makes Stiles almost jump out of his skin.

Stiles holds his hands up, “Come on man, it’s the least that I can do.”

Derek replies softly, reigning his emotions in, “No, it’s fine. I’ll take care of it.”

Stiles nods, it’s been a long time since he’s been fazed by Derek’s emotional rollercoaster, “Okay. I’ll just, fix myself? And then we can leave...”

Derek nods, “Breakfast first.”

Stiles turns back to the bathroom without giving him an answer, it’s useless to argue with the alpha.

-x-

Stiles looks at himself in the bathroom mirror. When he looks kind of okay, Stiles walks out of the bathroom.

That’s when the loft’s door opens loudly.

Stiles startles.

Who would show up at the loft this early? The betas usually sleep for as long as possible. Stiles creeps to the mouth of the stairs, trying to get a good look at whoever’s come in.

That’s when he hears Jackson and Derek’s voices, which are audible to Stiles if he concentrates enough.

Stiles assumes that in their urgency, they’ve forgotten that he’s still around.

“Yes, he was here! I don’t know-” Derek says, impatiently.

They ruffle a sheet of paper around, which makes their voices hard to hear.

Jackson says shortly, “How did you not figure it out- if he was here, what might he have-”

“I know, Jackson. Stiles was here.”

Stiles decides that he isn’t going to get any answers unless he goes down to ask questions.

He steps on the stairs loudly, alerting the ‘wolves, who’s conversation ceases immediately.

“Who came here?” Stiles asks.

Derek looks like he’s at the end of his rope, without any explanation.

Jackson starts talking.“Peter came by.”

Stiles shakes his head, “He couldn’t have been here. I’ve fixed my mountain ash at the loft’s door.”

Jackson amends, “He took a round of the building. I smelt him when I was doing my patrol with Allison and Erica.”

Stiles huffs, “So now we have a hunter and Peter? I don’t want to jinx us, but could this get any worse?”

Derek huffs, “Let’s get you back home first, then we can figure everything else out.”

Stiles frets, “But how are we going to handle him?”

Derek shrugs, “It doesn’t matter right now.”

Jackson nods at the nods of them, “I’m going then.”

-x-

Stiles stops the jeep at the top of his street and pulls his key out.

Derek raises an eyebrow, “Stiles, your house is 500 meters that way.”

Stiles huffs, “If I take Roscoe home, dad might realise that I wasn’t at home.”

Derek replies sarcastically, “Of course. Your dad the sheriff won't see an empty bed and think, that his son's missing. No, no, the lack of the jeep will be the deciding factor.”

Stiles huffs, “Just listen to me, okay? I’ve been doing this for the past four years.”

Derek nods and jumps out of the jeep after Stiles, “Why do I get the feeling that you’re going to make us climb through the window?”

Stiles shrugs, “Because I’m going to make us climb through a window.”

-x-

Stiles pulls Derek back to stand in the shadow of a tree as he stares at the house.

Stiles whispers furiously, “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m going to climb through the window? Like you asked me to?”

“So who’s going to help me?”

Derek quirks an eyebrow, “Can’t you levitate yourself yet?”

Stiles shakes his head, “Did you not see what I did to the worms yesterday, Derek? Didn’t you see? I can only levitates things, Derek. And I am not a thing!”

Derek runs a hand over his eyes, like carrying Stiles is going to be a pain for him.“Okay, your dad is still in his room. I think he’s sleeping.”

Derek takes his hand and leads him along their fence towards Stiles’ window. Derek’s hands are hard and rough, the paws of a ‘wolf. When Cora had been around, Stiles had seen her rub a moisturiser into the alpha’s paws after full moons. Stiles realises that since she’s left, no one has been doing it for Derek. Stiles decides to ask the alpha about it later.

Derek stops them when they’re close enough to the window and whispers, “Don’t scream.”

Stiles doesn’t have enough time to process the command before Derek pulls his into a fireman’s carry and leaps onto the roof.

Stiles screams.

Derek slips a little, a few slats fall down and crash.

Derek barely holds onto the window sill. He mutters lowly, “Your dad’s coming.”

“What’re you waiting for then? Jump down!”

“Stiles, I can either put you in the bedroom or drop you to the ground.”

Stiles gulps. It’s a difficult choice but Stiles opts to face his father’s anger and not a few broken bones. He climbs into his bedroom just as the door opens.

His father walks in, “Stiles, Where have you be-”

His dad stops mid-sentence.

Stiles realises that the situation must look extremely weird. Stiles is standing with one foot outside the window, where an ex-accused murderer is standing.

Stiles’ father rubs his index finger and thumb across his eyebrow and sighs, “I give up. Do what you want. I’m going to the station. We’ll talk later.”

Derek nods at his father, “Sheriff.”

His dad acknowledges him, “Derek.” before leaving through the door and promptly walking out of the house.

A moment later, Stiles hears the tell-tale sign of his father’s car leaving. Derek climbs into his room a moment later.

Before Stiles can settle on his bed, Derek grads him down the stairs by the scruff of his neck. “You’re not sleeping again. You’re late enough. I’ll make you some breakfast and then you can go to school.”

Stiles snorts, “You’d make a good house-husband some day Derek.”

Derek huffs out a laugh and shoves Stiles towards the table in the kitchen.

-x-

Stiles asks Derek, between bites of his pancake, “I’m free after school today.”

Derek huffs, “I know.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

Derek stiffens. His fork frozen halfway to his mouth.

Stiles backtracks quickly, “I mean not that we have to do something. It’s just that, if we’re going to have to stick together, I’d rather that we do something fun…But I’m fine either way. I’m sure you must want a break from me.”

Derek clears his throat, “No, It’s not like that. I do want to hang out with you… It’s just that I was thinking about going after Peter?”

Stiles nods, “Yeah. I can help with that.”

Derek shakes his head, “Stiles, I have to do this alone.”

Stiles nods, “Okay, but then what about the rule?”

Derek looks down at his empty plate, “Don’t worry, I’ve spoken to the pack, they’ll stay with you today.”

He picks up his plate and puts it in the dishwasher.

Stiles calls out to him as Derek walks out of the door, Roscoe’s key in his hand, “But what about you?”

Derek turns to look at him as he opens the door, “I can take care of myself.”

Stiles replies with another question, “But what about the rule?”

He quickly finishes his pancakes, adds his plate to the dishwasher and walks out of the house.

He sits in the jeep for a moment after taking the keys from Derek.

“You’re hiding something, right?”

Derek doesn’t answer, but Stiles can read him like a book.

Stiles shrugs, “I’m not upset.”

He wants to prove to the alpha that he’s just as mature as the rest of the pack.That he can handle whatever’s going on just as well as them.

But Stiles can’t keep himself from ranting.

Stiles parks the car on the corner of the street and turns to look at Derek, “Actually, you know what? I am upset. I’m upset that you don’t value me as much as everyone else in the pack. That I have to keep working to gain your trust every step of the way while you just prance around with everyone else, holding secret tea parties and telling them everything.If you don’t want me around all you have to do is say it!”

The ride to the school is short and quiet. Derek seems lost in thought. Stiles scolds himself, he should know better than to pick a fight with the alpha before he heads off to meet his uncle.

When Stiles parks the jeep in the parking lot, he sees the pack pulling into the school as well.

Stiles stays inside the car as the pack walks towards them.

“Derek-”

“I’m not listening to this again. Once the pack’s here, I’ll leaving.”

#stiles stilinski #derek hale #sterek

9 notes · View notes

70ships-moved · 3 years

Text

untitled | honeymoon suite

very brief summary: patrick can’t sleep. his solution? interview your boyfriend.

pairing: malcolm (oc) / patrick (s/i) | honeymoon suite

words: 2088 (yikes!)

notes: this is the very first fic i wrote about malcolm and it turned a year old like two months ago (wow! i didn’t even know that until now), i didn’t want to change or edit too much because this holds a special place in my non existent heart :), written in the pov of my s/i (first person)

Today I found a magazine with one of my idols (and celebrity crushes) on the cover in my nightstand drawer stashed away like a porno magazine. I remember the exact day I bought it too. I was at a bookstore and I saw it in the checkout area and the moment I saw who was on the cover, I made a mad dash for the checkout area. I did contemplate it though; the magazine was like twelve bucks which is stupid for something no one really buys but skims through and puts back. (When was the last time you bought a magazine? Man, wait until you hear about the internet.) But for who was on the cover, I was more than willing to pay the stupid twelve dollars.

Like any child that picks up a book, I looked at the pictures and read some of the interview. My only takeaway from the interview was that he liked this Bolognese recipe he found- or made himself. I didn’t read it all. He puts bacon bits in it, and he says it’s even good when cold. I took this magazine with me to school almost every day. I really liked the guy, okay? I’d show it to my best and only friend at school at the time who hated my obsession with him. It was weird because she was one of those friends who would always get an ugly boyfriend and would force you to compliment him- no matter how ugly you thought he was but proceeded to get mad at you when you were being honest about his looks. I could handle her opinions about this man I claimed to love but have never met in my life.

Four years later and I finally read the interview. It was a good read. The interviewer had nothing but nice things to say about him, mainly because he was and still is a sweetheart. And he only had nice things to say about the people he talked about. After reading the interview, I had something other than his good looks to admire. As far as I know, there isn’t a hateful bone in his body. When talking about his controversial relationship with his ex (long story short, the public wasn’t buying it), he said he only knew the girl he fell in love with and that’s saying something for a relationship that felt like it only lasted a week.

It inspired me to conduct my own interview with someone who I love just as much, my partner Malcolm. I’ve interviewed other people before rather awkwardly but this is Malcolm we’re talking about. He has walls. We all do. He's a bit on the reserved side but with the time I’ve spent with him, I’ve seen these walls come down. These demolished walls are my favorite part of him. I even went out of the way and got a recording device from a buddy who works in film. I like being extra.

It’s about 2 am. There’s this thing my body does where I just have to wake up at this time. It’s every day too. When this happens, I wake Malcolm up. He encourages me to do so because it is incredibly difficult for me to go back to sleep once awake. Also, it’s kind of boring being awake all by yourself. In these hours, I learned how to call from a private number (*67, for prank call purposes), learned useless but interesting facts about space and how sex can be one hell of a sleeping pill. Tonight, I wanted to do something different.

We’re sat in the kitchen area of the suite. The only thing separating us is the kitchen island. My recording device sits in the middle of us. Are you ready? “Mhm.” Great, I start with an over-the-top introduction of him. Ladies, guys, and people who don’t care what’s between their thighs, it’s two in the fucking morning and I can’t sleep but the man I’m sitting across from makes it all worth it. He’s got great hair and even great taste in men. He’s dating me! The man, the myth, future astronaut, and legend: Malcolm Hall! I feel like a podcast host. It’s a good feeling. “You’re so annoying.” That’s why he loves me.

I have a list of questions I wrote down in less than five minutes. They’re nothing special and I want this to be fun and not so serious. This man constantly throws himself at his work- spending endless hours at a desk. Serious is his middle name. When he’s not in his office, he’s at the bar talking to you about a film he saw with a margarita in front of him or playing blackjack with you and your coworkers. Maybe he’s in suite 505 kicking it with yours truly, telling me about his day while I struggle to put a face mask on his moving face. How are you doing? He chuckles. That fucking chuckle. “Tired. But I’m with you, so I can’t complain. How are you?” I’m not so tired but I can’t complain. You’re here.

I see you’re well-dressed for our interview. A bit too casual but you look good regardless. “Fuck off.” He says this in a whisper but it’s almost too quiet, it almost looks like he’s mouthing it. He’s in a bathrobe, his hair tossed from sleep; strands of it falling into his face. His face is resting in his palm as he looks at me with a tired smile, his eyes struggling to stay open. This is all unintentional, but I think this is extremely sexy of him. These small things have such a tremendous effect on me. They light the pit in my stomach and make me squirm in my seat a little. I’m messing. You look great as always. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.” I know. If I ever die in my sleep, I want to be in the best damn pair of silk pajamas there is.

The coffee machine makes a noise indicating that it’s done brewing his cup of caffeine. That’s a nice coffee maker. When did you get it? I’m going off-script. “This thing?” He taps the machine like the hood of a car. “It came with the room. The interior design people take care of that. I just run the place, so I don’t really know when it got here. But I do know that the other machines were really fucking old.” Oh, interesting. “Not really. You know, I was expecting you to give me much harder questions.” Really? Well, it’s important to expect the unexpected. “Now you’re scaring me.” Good. Part of me can’t tell if he knows I’m teasing him.

I’m not a coffee drinker like him but if it tasted as good as it smelt, then I could be. It’s a hazelnut blend. He mixes it with half-and-half and three scoops of sugar. His sips are slow and cautious. He seems to have bad luck with hot objects. He burnt his hand in a waffle iron one time and a dozen more times while preparing dinner. Maybe a hot object, liquid, or thing is the reason for the tape on his right hand. What happened to your hand? He looks up at me through his mug. “Masturbation incident.” By the way, I am madly in love with this man.

Do you remember when we met? This is a weird transition because it was on my list of questions and my timing couldn’t be any worse considering moments ago, I asked a question and the answer I received was masturbation. The question makes him smile though. He either remembers or he’s pretending to remember. “Yeah. Of course I do.” He takes both my hands, gliding his thumbs across my knuckles. I want dates, times, names, everything. “I don’t remember the exact date, but I believe it was March.” He’s correct. “It was at the hair salon and I booked an appointment with you.” He’s correct again. I cut his hair for free now- well, unless he’s pissed me off. Then, I charge him ten bucks. Twenty if I’m really upset.

Do you remember what time you showed up for your appointment? “Late. Very late.” He came in about two and a half hours late. I was pissed. “You were pissed.” He apologized profusely, and I still cut his hair. I remember it being soft and full. It still is. That's just one of the perks of having a hairstylist as a boyfriend. “I remember when you washed my hair. It’s my favorite part of you doing my hair.” I remember that too. The shampoo had a minty menthol smell. When it was on your head, it added a cooling factor and when you inhaled it, your lungs felt like winter. Basically, vapor rub for your hair.

He got lost in the way I massaged his scalp, his eyes closed and smiling. I can still hear his Yorkshire accent telling me “Tha’ feels good.” After I washed it, I blew it out and started cutting it. That’s when I told him his hair was soft. “Looking back on it, you kept your hands in my hair way too long.” It’s part of the job. “That’s what they all say.” He takes a long sip from his mug, his eyes not leaving mine. “Your hair was...interesting as well.” Interesting, in the way he’s using it, is slang for saying you don’t know whether you should like something because you’ve never seen it before. Back in the day, I’d dye my hair all types of colors. Shit, I thought I looked good.

“The Smiths played on the stereo and your singing was terrible.” That’s a lie. I’m not Morrissey but I try to stay on key. “I’m kidding. But when you moved around the shop, you were always swaying to the music. You were fun to watch.” He winks at me and my face heats up at the memory. I danced like no one was watching. “We talked and talked and next thing I knew, I was asking you out on a date.” The first date was meant to be memorable but due to one incident, I feel like our date was memorable for the wrong reasons. “We went bowling. I’ll never forget it.” I know why. “You slipped and fell in the aisle.” I was so embarrassed. Is that the only thing you remember? Whenever we talk about it, you always bring it up. “That’s how I break the ice. ‘My boyfriend and I went bowling and he fell in the aisle. It was our first date. It's nice to meet you.'"

I’m a little tired now, my eyes a bit heavy and my voice softening. He answered the first date question I had prepared, so I decided to move on to my last one. Have you ever been in love? “Yes. I’d say so. Are you or have you ever been in love?” I’m supposed to be asking the questions, but I answer anyway. Yeah. I am right now. It’s a funny feeling because I’ve never been in love before. “Really? Who with?” You. My eyes can’t take the weight and close. “Good answer.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

It’s a few minutes to 4 now. Our interview is done, and we’re ready for bed. We don’t go straight to sleep though. I listen to him talk some more with my head on his chest, his little chest hairs tickling my cheek. I begin to absently trace patterns across his chest. He says it tickles. His hand goes up my shirt, moving his hand up and down my back almost in a soothing rhythm. Sometimes, he stops, and I think he’s asleep, but I get the feeling that he realizes that I sensed he’s stopped and keeps going until I’m asleep. The hum of his chest when he speaks, combined with his hand and heartbeat is enough for me to call it a night.

His skin radiates a warmth that can’t be duplicated. His hands have a pattern like no other, each touch raising the hairs on my body. Despite it being hours since he’s showered, I can smell the scent of my cherry soap on him. This moment is something I never knew I needed and if it were to be taken away, I would be devastated. I close my eyes. I cannot think of any other place I’d rather be than here.

#puck.docx #💒 | honeymoon suite #self shipping #self shipping community #me getting ready to post this on my blog where ppl can read it: god i hope no one reads this #PLEASE i'm so embarrassed abt my love for this man that lives in my head #who pays NO bills i may add #a year later and i still can't come up with a title smh #ah and the person on the magazine was tom hiddleston who i still love to this day 😌#but fr i think this fic serves as a good introduction to this ship #it saves me the time of having to explain everything or at least that's what i think

1 note · View note

jess-the-vampire · 4 years

Text

The Demon Next Door, Chapter 5

Previous / Next

Another morning in echo creek and Marco quickly got out of bed, and got dressed, today was kinda going to be a big day for him.

Today was the day Tom planned to help him ask Jackie out, and he was quick to attempt to fix up his hair in the bathroom mirror and freshen himself up as best as possible. Not that he was expecting a kiss or anything, but if jackie saw him he wanted her to be impressed with him. He couldn't go in looking like his typical loser self while he had his crush to impress today could he? He could hear his parents yelling for him as he raced downstairs, shoving cereal into his mouth and gulping down his orange juice before waving to his folks.

"Marco? Everything ok?", His dad looked up from his book, worried marco was somehow cured or something.

"Yep, everything's good dad! Just gotta make it to the bus! Gonna see Tom and Star, and hopefully everything will go to plan today with jackie!".

His parents didn't question him any further as he grabbed his backpack and things, kissing his younger sister goodbye before racing out the door and to wait for the bus. Tom waved to Him as he head across the street to join him,"Hey, someone looks pretty happy today...and is that...cologne?.". Marco grinned ear to ear, "Is it too much? I hope it's not too much...I tried to fix myself up really well and I'm not sure if I look any different...what do you think?".

His neighbor looked him over and gave him a shrug, "You're about the same honestly, but that's not a bad thing either...".

"Maybe I should borrow your eyeliner...", marco mumbled, thinking about it as Tom quickly laughed it off, "Uh no, this might work for me, but I don't think it works for you...not unless you wanna try my style, your natural look is fine marco, promise...you don't gotta go overboard.". Well, easy for Tom to say, he wasn't the one out looking to impress his crush today, marco was, though Tom did look nice in his ripped jeans and ripped t-shit with a tank top underneath.

What a drama queen.

The bus pulled up and Marco sighed in relief as Star came running up to make it on time, not even acknowledging the two as she made it onto the bus before they did in a rush. She must've got held up or maybe even overslept again, Tom just shrugged to Marco and headed inside himself, Marco following after. He could tell some of the other students around him could smell the cologne he was wearing, most of them giving him odd expressions as he quickly made his way past them.

"Hey Star!", Marco felt he was in pretty good spirits that day, in fact this was the best he'd felt for some time, though as he got in the bus and sat next to the blonde he could immediately tell she was different. Usually he was the less chipper one next to star's bright personality but today it seemed to be the reverse, in fact star looked more frustrated then he had ever seen her. Marco's curious eyes looked her over as tom came aboard the bus and took the seat next to his on the opposite side.

Was this still about tom? Or something else?

Star seemed almost dull, her hair a mess over her face, her silence draining...

She wasn't like this unless she was upset with him.

"S-star? Um...you ok?", He looked to his blonde friend as she puffed some hair from her face, looking at the window and avoiding his gaze.

Was she tired? Did something really bad happen at home?

He wasn't used to star being so...gloomy, not unless she either had a fight with her mother or got in serious trouble, sometimes both. His sunny outlook suddenly faltered as he tried to get star to look at him, but she pouted and he could tell her eyes were wandering over to the with the reddish hair and dark clothes next to them. Marco crossed his arms, star was still upset over tom? It was kinda silly at first and he could excuse her weird crush behaviors before since it was harmless, but now it was getting silly.

Thankfully tom was wearing headphones and listening to music, allowing marco to look at Star directly and question her.

"You really need to stop this whole act with tom...", he said, getting her attention, "C'mon, you guys are my friends and I kinda want to be in the same room as you two without you acting like tom is the worst person to set foot on this earth, he's really cool, and you should like...talk to him instead of ignoring him...it's not cool.". Star's blue eyes turned away, "It's not an act marco, and besides...it's not like you've known him for that long anyway and you already consider him to be as much of a friend as me...".

"Star...do you feel left out as a friend? Cause I never meant to-".

"I can't talk about it...".

Marco's eyebrows were raised, Star rarely ever had things she didn't want to ramble on and on for hours about with him. Star was mostly an open book, she'd go off about something as silly as her breakfast that morning or the stuff janna got her into. Star wasn't exactly a good liar either, so this in itself was weird because she was clearly being truthful. Marco looked at her more curiously as she turned her head to look out the window, what could be so important she couldn't even tell him about it?

"Star...i'm your friend-".

"Marco, i can't talk about it...ok?", she told him, a little more aggressive this time before going back to her silence.

The ride to school was oddly silent, and Marco felt strange.

He didn't want to tap tom on the shoulder and talk to him because star was right next to him, but he couldn't talk to Star and there was no way he'd convince her to speak up on whatever the matter actually was. Star's usually peppy attitude was just...cold. He felt himself shrink a little on his seat and hope to god whatever it was, star would get out of it soon enough. He listened to the songs playing on the bus's radio as they finished their ride, star, marco, and tom getting off.

Thankfully star hadn't left marco's side, which was a good sign if anything.

He'd almost been expecting her to ditch them as soon as they got off the bus.

Especially with Tom next to him as well, the boy's face curious at the distress of star's as she faced away from him, marco walked with them, though neither still acknowledged each other. He simply kept quiet and smiled as jackie passed by on her skateboard, which got tom to break the odd silence. "Y'know marco, jackie seems actually really cool, easy to talk to...I can see why you kinda like her. Though uh...if i'm going to be your wing man on this...what exactly should I say?".

"Huh?".

"Well it's just, you clearly want me to talk to her and get her interested but...well...what does she really like? What should i mention to her exactly? I don't wanna stand there not knowing what to say...", he made a face that told marco he was a little unprepared and worried. "It's hard to kinda be a wing man when you really don't know much about who you're dealing with unfortunately, so anything you can tell me will help a whole lot, i promise".

Good point, he really didn't prep Tom how to even go about this.

"Uh well...I mean, uh...I dunno, I guess you just talk to her and then bring me up at some point or another?I uh...I'm not sure, talk about...skateboards or something...", that's when tom looked at marco with a questioning look, "Wait...marco, how much about jackie do you actually know? I mean you've known her for a long time right? Even if you've never talked, you know more about her then skateboards right? Like what kinda movies she likes? If she plays video games? Any of that?".

"Well...".

"Marco, you should know your crush a little better then that!".

Star snickered next to them, only briefly, before going back to being pouty.

"Sorry, I...got nothing in that regard...", he was giving tom an awkward shrug, accompanied by a shrug. Though Tom still shook his head, "Guess i'm going in blind, I'll talk to her around lunch, let's just get to our classes for the day and we can totally worry about all this stuff later...". Later, yeah, that probably was a good call, if jackie got weirded out by marco, at least if it was during lunch he'd only be extremely embarrassed for half the day as opposed to from the very beginning.

Though his nerves kept getting to him, even in class.

Tom seemed pretty focused on his work, but marco felt more anxious as he looked at jackie each and every time, wondering what would happen. Would Jackie be impressed by him? Repulsed by him? Would she make fun of him in front of everyone? Would she even feel the same way he did? Heck, what if she just assuemd he and star were dating and he was trying to two-time them or something? He wondered if he ever crossed Jackie's mind at all outside of time they saw each other.

Tom was sending him signals not to worry, but at this point he should know marco well enough to know he was kinda a bit of a worry-wart, even star knew that and it was why she messed with him so much and wanted him to get out of his shell. Though he had to admit, Star's behavior was also adding to his anxiety, he was almost left wondering if she had a fall out with her mother, though if she was she sure wasn't interested in talking about it with him.

Difficult as always, the blonde being her stubborn and frustrating self when things didn't seem to go her way.

He was going to have to ask her later, when she was in better spirits, there wasn't much he could do for now. When Star was like this, it was a lot better to wait for her to speak out more then anything, and maybe she'd be a little more eager to talk by lunch anyway. He slapped himself to focus, he could deal with it later, right now he needed to focus on making it to lunch, as that was the ticket today. He almost felt like it took forever for the bell to ring today, and the next class felt even longer.

The only sound he focused on being the ticking of the clock.

In the hallway between classes he could spot Star talking to Janna and that alone made him worry, Janna was one of the worst people Star could ever go to for anything. She was a sneaky girl with no boundaries and he didn't need the two of them getting into any shenanigans again, though as he moved on with the day nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. He couldn't have been more excited or nervous once lunchtime finally came around.

Good, time to finally get all this off his chest, get it all over with.

Tom had already saved him a seat at their usual table though Marco had noticed Star wasn't sitting there with him, in fact Star was sitting with-

"Janna?! Since when does she sit with her for lunch?", marco said, annoyed as he placed his lunch tray down. Tom looked over, Star giggling right next to the Filipino girl, the two snickering and it being the first time marco had seen Star smiling all day. Geez, star normally would at least tell marco if she was going to sit somewhere else today, but then again...he couldn't tell her where to sit. He took a hard plop onto his usual seat, half annoyed and half sad.

Tom simply shrugged, "Did you do anything to make her mad recently...?".

"I don't...I don't think I did...".

The tall boy's brow turned, his face becoming more distressed.

"I...I'm sorry if it's to do with me...", Tom suddenly got very meek, far from the angry or chill expression he tended to be, "I know Star doesn't seem to like me, I mean, I know you keep telling me she likes me but...maybe i'm just turning her off from spending any time with you...I really don't wanna keep you from spending time with her I know she's your best friend and...all that." The boy was quick to act grabbing a hold of tom's shoulder and having him look at him in the eyes.

"Tom, c'mon please, I promise i'll speak to star and figure it out soon...ok? Just...don't blame yourself...I mean...I really hope...the three of us could hang out together. I...don't want either of you to stop being my friends...I really don't.", this seemed to make the other boy feel a little better but marco could tell he still felt bad, and who could blame him? Ever since he showed up star basically was either rude to him or ditched marco entirely even marco would feel like it was his fault if he were Tom.

He peered over where Star was sitting and resisted the urge to confront her then and there, it'd probably be too soon and bad to do in public of all places.

Tom mumbled, trying to calm himself down, he was probably working himself up too much over nothing, and he promised to help marco out with jackie. Tom pulled himself together, nodding to his friend, "I'll be right back...". He got up and headed over where Jackie was sitting with a few of her friends, getting the blonde's attention rather easily. Marco squirmed in his seat, annoyed that he couldn't actually hear what Tom was saying to her, though it seemed like jackie was happy to see him.

Marco got worried, Tom seemed so distressed a minute ago, maybe they should just call this whole thing off today, do it another time. He started slapping himself mentally for letting Tom go up there, god, he needed to talk to star soon. Who knew how much worse Tom might feel if he didn't say something soon, Tom might even refuse to spend any time with him just because of Star, and marco was his only real friend since he had moved in here.

Though somehow Tom managed to pull himself together and talked to the girl, smiling and talking almost how he normally did with marco, marco's worry still there...but a little better.

How could Tom handle this so calmly? He talked to her without blushing or panicking or looking as silly as he usually did.

He had to admire it honestly, it was...actually kinda neat how charming he seemed to be.

Jackie even seemed to laugh in fact, and Marco found himself starting to sweat in his seat, did she reject him? Did she laugh at the fact he had feelings for her? He suddenly lost to urge to even look at the scene, turning away to try and go back to eating his poor lunch. He didn't know how much time had passed before Tom returned, taking a seat next to Marco, patting him on the back and getting his attention from all his worries and thoughts.

"You alright?".

"Oh uh...tom! Uh...how'd it go?".

"Well uh...", tom put his hands together and Marco suddenly felt very nervous, unsure of what to expect out of this. "So I went up, asked how she was, y'know...all the nice formalities and then I said I was one of your friends, and then I mentioned how you two knew each other since kindergarten...and then she said that you seemed like a kinda cool guy. And then I told her that yeah, you were super cool, you were really talented and fun and charming...".

Marco felt himself smile a little, Tom really thought he was that cool huh? and Charming? Him?

"And...what did she say?", he just wanted tom to rip the bandage off for now, just to get it out of his system, and Tom was quick to put his hands out and convince marco to relax. "Well, nothing mean if you were worried, actually, I told her about your karate stuff and she asked if she could maybe watch one of your tournaments or something, maybe hang out in the mall after if that was ok? I mean, it's technically not a date because I think she meant you, me, her, and maybe star if she shows up to it...but still.".

Though Marco was not upset, hugging tom and pulling him close, right in the middle of the cafeteria.

"Thank you...".

Tom was caught a little off guard at marco hugging him, but leaned into it, hugging him back. He smiled into marco's shoulder and snickered at the cologne he could get whiffs off on the boy, ignoring the giggles that may of erupted around them. This had been the happiest he'd seen Marco in awhile, in fact he could swear marco was crying tears of joy in response, Tom just holding him close and patting him on the back as Marco sighed, in utter bliss.

"You're welcome, Marco.."

He'd handled the jackie situation, and Tom seemed to feel a little better after helping Marco out...

That left one last thing for the boy to take care of.

"Wait! Star!"

Star turned around as Marco rushed up to her as soon as class ended, wanting to catch her before she got away from him too far. He was huffing and trying to get himself together, he was already pumped on adrenaline from jackie agreeing to watch him do karate. But right now he needed to deal with this current matter on star and he needed to do it as soon as he possibly could before something else happened, Star blinked at him before he fully composed himself and adjusted his hoodie.

"Star...c'mon...please tell me what's with you today, is it tom? Is it jackie? Did something happen at home?", his attitude adjusting, "You can't keep doing this to him, i'm so worried he thinks he did something super wrong and won't wanna be friends with me anymore...because of you. You didn't even sit with me at lunch and I was worried maybe you were mad at him or me or both, you didn't even say anything to either of us and...ugh star...c'mon...this isn't fair to either of us.".

Star simply stood where she did, having a hard time looking at marco, and marco only felt more worried, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Star please, if it's about tom...don't treat me this way just because he's a friend, I don't want to choose between you two, I want to have both of you as my friends. I really think Tom is cool and...I want to be friends with him, and i still want to be friends with you, I'm sorry if I made you feel outed or hurt or-".

"Marco, it's not tom..."., she spat out, eyes facing the concrete bellow her in dismay and shame.

He quickly silenced himself, "It's...not?".

She sighed, "I'm sorry marco...it's just...it's not something I can talk about with you...I didn't mean to avoid you so much today, but you were just going to keep asking and I wanted to wait until...it had passed before I...talked again. Marco...please...just trust whatever it is...I can't tell you for a reason.", her blue eyes became watery, "I didn't mean to hurt you so much, I just wanted to try and wait for it to blow over and you were already busy with jackie and tom so...I thought that'd be enough...".

"Star...".

"Look marco...I'll be ok, maybe...I'll get to talk about it someday, but...I-I can't.", she seemed so sad about whatever it was and marco wished he was able to read her mind on the matter, tapping his foot on the concrete as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey...come...to my next karate lesson, afterwards...we can all grab a bite to eat...is that ok?". He knew he was effectively turning spending time with jackie into even more of a group event but it'd have to do for now.

Maybe he could even get tom and star to go off together later on, but for now, he really couldn't abandon star at a time like this.

"Really?".

"Yeah.".

She finally smiled, almost like she always did.

"Thanks marco...heh...we better get on the bus right? Before it leaves?", her head tilted and he quickly pulled himself together, watching as tom hurried up behind them. "yeah, c'mon, let's get going! C'mon Tom!". Tom followed behind as they got into their usual seats, though with star in better spirits, even tom seemed to notice star's change in behavior and looked relieved. Took some strain from thinking he had ruined marco's relationship with her.

"Star's coming...", marco whispered, leaning his head over to tom.

"Hmm?'.

"She's joining us on our first karate class together, i mean, not as a student, but I invited her to watch with jackie while we practice."

Tom face suddenly started to go red, "What, are you gonna turn this into a double date now?", he was mostly kidding but it did come across that way. Marco shook his head, "Well, no no, but i mean...it could be one, if...well actually i shouldn't be too optimistic. Are you cool with it?". And much to his relief the boy smirked back, showing he was pretty excited, honestly since star didn't got to many of these it was nice having her along to join them, he missed that.

Now he just had to hope things went well.

Star was quick to head home as soon as the bus stopped, but tom waited, stopping marco in his tracks. The taller boy ran a hand through his hair and Marco paused, left wondering if something was wrong. He adjusted his backpack and watched as Tom spit out what he wanted to say, "M-marco...hey I uh...thanks for...uh, letting me be apart of your life. I really think I like living here...I uh...I really hope you get a chance to ask her out, i'm sure your skills outta impress her.".

"Well, I think you'll impress star, she likes wild types, and you're certainly wild...".

The two still stood there, tom's eyes wandering to his home across the street, he seemed almost dazed and a little...sad even. Was tom really ok? Maybe Marco overestimated how Tom was when it came to asking out people he liked or handled this stuff in general. He almost wanted to reach out and ask Tom what was wrong but instead Tom brought his gaze back to him and managed to put on a smile, his green eyes lighting up the street it felt to the human.

"Hey...marco...?".

"Yeah?".

"You...really think i have a chance with star?", he asked that with a hint of worry and pain behind his voice, and god tom needed more reassurance then marco thought.

Marco reached out and patter Tom's shoulder, giving him his biggest smile, "Honestly, you really did me a big favor today, and I really appreciate it, I think star would be lucky to be dating someone like you. And...well, if she doesn't return your feelings, I think you'll find someone perfect for you eventually anyway, don't worry.". Tom took a deep breath and sighed, "Yeah, thanks, sounds good...uh...text me later ok? I better get home before my mom worries.".

"Sounds good, i'm going to get inside and start working on how i'm gonna ask jackie to a date! I'll catch up with you later!"., marco hesitated for a moment, before quickly pulling tom into a short hug, it only lasted a couple seconds, before heading inside as Tom watched him go. A smile on his face as he turned around and headed his way home across the street, heading inside to tell his mother about his day at school, her gleefully playing with her son's hair.

Marco's parents were quick to ask him questions about jackie and how everything went and Marco simply smiled to them and told them things were going well. Even his little sister seemed in good spirits with him as he started working on his homework at the kitchen table, the buzzes of his phone with texts from Tom and Star on the details of the class coming up. Tom sending him a pick of him helping his mother make homemade pizza as Marco snickered at how much cheese tom piled onto the thing.

He had dinner with his family later before grabbing his backpack, telling his family goodnight and heading upstairs to turn in for the night.

He had work to still do.

Marco dumped his backpack on his bed and pulled open his drawers, pulling out his old plans on asking out jackie. He quickly scribbled out a whole bunch of them that had just involved talking to her, and moved on to the section where he asked her on a real date. They had so much time till he could invite her to the upcoming school dance, if he could just impress her on a few dates before that he'd certainty be her date for the dance for sure.

Jackie was desirable after all, she was considered universally pretty to everyone in school and if marco missed his chance, someone else would take it. Jackie got invited to so many popular parties after all, she was so likable and if he didn't make a move, she'd probably be asked out by a cheerleader, or a football player, heck...that weird girl who followed star around and dressed like her might of had a better chance then marco would if he didn't act soon.

He scribbled and scribbled for what felt like hours that night, plan after plan after plan to figure out how to go from karate to asking her out fully.

How did tom make it so easy to talk to her? I mean yeah, sure, he didn't have a crush on her like marco did, but he liked star and wasn't a blubbering mess. Sure, Star seemed to avoid him at every moment she could but Tom tried to talk to her normally, his feelings never seemed to get in the way of trying to get along with her, in fact marco wasn't sure if star could even tell the boy liked her at all, the impression she gave really left him little to work with in terms if she knew or not.

It was like it was so natural to tom to talk to people without freaking out.

And yet Tom was considered not very well liked back home and didn't have friends? Geez, wherever tom lives sure didn't sound like a fun place if someone like tom was so hated over there. But now he was getting too off topic, he could't focus so much on tom, he needed to maintain his focus on how he was supposed to speak to jackie without becoming a mess in front of her. Something he had failed at being able to do since kindergarten it seemed.

Maybe he could try do what tom did...like...tom...be as charming and funny and friendly and helping as he was.Marco let out a yawn, maybe he could rest his eyes for a bit and think of something soon...

and Marco felt himself fall to sleep thinking about nothing but the boy from across the street that night.

And little did he know, the feeling was mutual across the street as well.

#star vs the forces of evil #svtfoe #svstfoe #tom the demon #Tom Lucitor #marco #marco diaz #tomco #jackie lynn thomas #star butterfly #fanfiction #fanfic #my art

26 notes · View notes