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echodrops · 1 year

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The Promises I Made (2022)

...Aha ha ha...

Well, at least that’s over, I guess? I feel such a bone deep exhaustion I don’t even know what to say about this last year. Does anyone? One more year older, I suppose. Last year at this time I felt like I really needed to take it easy on myself going into 2022, but that just led to me drifting aimlessly through this last year as if stuck in a bad dream. Things really are still very rough...

2023 seems to be gearing up for another year of “Who knows?” Will it be better? Will another disaster strike? Let’s hope the former, and not the latter!

This year, like every year, there will be a new set of 50 promises to keep (or break), but in the mean time, here’s how I did on the promises from 2022!

Promises I Made (2022):

1) Get the Utah house chimney repaired before it falls down.

Status: Kept. It doesn’t look “brand new,” but it is properly sealed now and with new mortar between the bricks. Crisis averted.

2) Get both bedroom floors sanded in the Utah house upstairs.

Status: Broken. The Utah house needed a lot of improvements and unfortunately this wasn’t one of them that got done.

3) Get the Utah house sprinklers up and working ALL the way for this summer.

Status: Broken. I literally tried so hard to get someone out to work on these damn sprinklers and not a single person got back to me on this. Guess I’ll have to try again next May...

4) Actually get the back fence fixed up and the greenery back there trimmed and managed.

Status: Broken. I hate those goddamn vines so much. I HATE THEM.

4) Get an official exercise routine including walking/jogging, please.

Status: Somewhat kept. Most of the year I was pretty bad on this; however, I have a new puppy and she is learning to walk so I do got 4-5 miles a day now that she’s managed to work up to that.

5) Related to that, lose at least 20 pounds. 2020-2021 was not kind to me and the stress eating was real.

Status: Ugh, broken. See the above “sat around and did nothing but work for 3/4s of the year.”

6) Successfully set up and use the Roomba my family got for me to hopefully cut down on allergies.

Status: Broken. Okay listen. I was all ready to do this, then I got a P U P P Y. Who chews everything. The Roomba would not survive. It’s stationary until she gets a bit bigger and stops chewing.

7) Keep up with the specialist appointments that my doctor is making for me. No more getting confused on dates and missing…

Status: Kept. I actually managed to get in to see the RIGHT specialist this year who actually diagnosed my issues correctly. Too bad the recommended treatment is surgery that will be several thousand out of pocket...

8) Go see the dentist again because I think I broke/chipped one of my old fillings and it is not feeling good.

Status: Kept. The old filling was indeed broken, but it has been fixed!

9) Finish all the books I received as gifts from 2020 through 2021. It’s rude not to finish books people gave you out of love.

Status: ...Ahahaha. Broken. More books appeared, rather than disappeared, from the list.

10) Organize my documents (especially student papers)—my desktop and documents folders give me nightmares just looking at them.

Status: Damn, broken. I could have done this, but I didn’t think to do it before I left town for the holiday, and now I’m not on my home computer to do it. RIP.

11) Get my new SSD hard drive fully installed and working before going back to work.

Status: Kept.

12) Get a decent paper shredder to shred old mail.

Status: Broken. I completely forgot I made this promise. I do still need a shredder though. D;

13) Get the fucking post office to STOP delivering other people’s mail to my house. 90% of the mail that comes to the mailbox isn’t even for me and it is driving me C R A Z Y.

Status: Broken. Jesus fucking Christ. I am trying so hard. I talked to the postmaster TWICE and they still won’t stop delivering other people’s mail.

14) Get the Texas house dishwasher fixed… I’m so tired of washing dishes by hand… How do people do this, oof.

Status: Broken. I could have and I just didn’t.

15) Get a plumber to stop the dripping spare bathroom faucet and also check behind the wall in the side bathroom… This is gonna be expensive, ugh.

Status: Kept. It was fucking expensive.

16) Talk to an HR rep about my retirement savings so that I can consolidate my retirement accounts. I have been putting this off for like five years now.

Status: Broken. I completely forgot I made this promise. But damn I also still need to do this, lol.

17) Do at least one artwork to actually use that new paint program I bought.

Status: Broken. Oof.

18) Pay my credit debt down by at least $2000. I’m still paying off the hell year but I hope I can make progress on this.

Status: Broken. I was doing so good for a while there, then my car had a major issue that cost over $2000, my back fence blew down in a storm and cost $1700 to re-fence, and I had to pay over $800 for the above-mentioned plumbing fixes... Back in debt again. Fuck you, 2020s.

19) Be a super prepared boss and be ahead of the game on all major requirements for the semester, rather than feeling like I’m playing catch-up all the time.

Status: Broken. Spring 2021 was really good. I thought I did really well that semester. Fall 2021... was a nightmare. Just a complete disaster. I felt so far behind on everything from Day 1. I’m just praying I can do better this year.

20) See a groove-billed ani. This will be the year!

Status: DUDE, I kept this promise so hard that I no only saw a groove-billed ani, I ALSO saw a smooth-billed ani, which is like 100 times rarer. I saw some great birds this year!

21) Make it to 3500 followers on tumblr. You should follow me. I’m awesome. :D

Status: Broken. Despite the porn bots best efforts in November/December, I did not, in fact, make it to 3500. I would have had to POST something to get new followers, after all.

22) Update HaaH at least once. I will do this, no matter what.

Status: Broken. Jesus fucking Christ, I’m so bad at this.

23) Finish streaming all the new Marvel stuff with Kacchan.

Status: Broken. I was REALLY, REALLY close to caught up. Then Marvel released like 50 new movies and 500 new TV shows and I am very much giving up on this lmaooo.

24) Save up to finally buy one of those Ember heated tea mugs.

Status: Kept. My family bought me one for Christmas!

25) Do a better job of working with and representing the other disciplines in my department. I’m really good at advocating for English, but Communication and the foreign languages under my department need more support, and I need to step up for them.

Status: Kept, though mostly by necessity. All our full-time Spanish instructors retired so guess who had to help redo all the Spanish curriculum despite not speaking Spanish???

26) Use the sugar scrub Echo. Just use it. Pamperrrrrr yourself for once…

Status: Broken. It’s RIGHT THERE. Every day, I look right at it, and did I use it? Not even once.

27) Help my parents save money on their bills by consolidating their services and making some calls to retention of these companies for them.

Status: Somewhat kept? I honestly did try very hard on this one and was prevented from succeeding by my parents just being completely unwilling to change, even to save themselves money. Oof.

28) Bird watch in at least three brand new locations this year. I have a tendency to just go back to the places I know, and I’m probably missing some really great birding sites.

Status: Broken. I bird watched one brand new location this year, but alas, only one.

29) Keep up my medicine prescriptions successfully without letting them lapse.

Status: Kept. The new medicine is like the one thing standing between me and death, so I don’t usually forget it anymore lol.

30) Play with my dog and cat more often. They’re bored because I’m working too much, I know.

Status: Somewhat kept. I tried this year to cut down on the amount of work I brought home, but other situations made it really difficult to do so. My poor cat in particular definitely needs more attention.

31) Call an exterminator to finally get the ants that keep coming in from somewhere actually dealt with, instead of just spraying them with bug spray even other week and calling it good.

Status: Kept, in that the ants are gone? After I went away for the summer, there was no water running in the house, so the ants stopped coming in, and even after I came back at the end of summer, they just never came back? So I’m counting that as a promise kept?

32) This is super nerdy, but my bro got me the FFXIV cookbook and made me promise to actually use it, so I guess I’d better at least try to make something from it.

Status: Ooops. I forgot I made this promise. Broken.

33) Speaking of FFXIV: This year, I’ll obtain every in-game orchestrion roll. I’m already 80% of the way there.

Status: Broken. See, the issue with this promise is that they keep adding MORE orchestrion rolls... Not sure what I was thinking lol.

34) Get a new rose bush for the front of the Texas house and keep it alive.

Status: I did not do this. Broken.

35) Get King’s prescriptions moved to the closer vet so I don’t have to keep driving two hours away each month to get his medicine.

Status: Kept, in a sense. I was able to move his medicine over to the new vet, but unfortunately, there didn’t end up being any point to it. At the end of January in 2022, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He lived until April 2022 and then passed away. My beloved boy...

36) Buy the Noragami volumes I am missing from my collection and do a full re-read of the series so that I can write meta about it again. Right now it just feels like there are so many things I can’t properly remember…

Status: Broken. I still greatly want to do this, but at this point, I’m kind of just waiting for the end of the manga so that I can officially catch up and re-read it from start to finish.

37) Go to Zion National Park with Derby.

Status: Kept. We hiked so much.

38) Go horseback riding on the island. I’ve never ridden on a beach before!

Status: Broken. I did not do this, RIP.

39) Eat healthier. Maybe cutting out snacks is too much to ask, but at least replace some average meals with salads, etc. and overall make an effort to actually eat better. Sometimes the fact that I feel garbage is my own fault.

Status: Mostly broken. The stress was so real this year.

40) Related to feeling like garbage: NO MORE WORKING AFTER 9PM. If it’s a real emergency, okay, but otherwise, it is time to set a boundary about working from home after hours.

Status: Broken. I must have been on crack when I made this promise, because honestly there is no way I could possibly have done the job I have without working to midnight many nights of the year... Someone save me...

41) Get a new office chair, an actual nice one, and some plastic to go under the chair to make it easier to move around.

Status: Broken. I... probably should have remembered to check in on the promises more than a few times this year because I also totally forgot this one.

42) Finish decorating the main office. I’ll feel better if my workplace reflects the level of professionalism and school spirit that I envisioned it having this year.

Status: Broken. I know exactly what I want to do with the rest of the office that isn’t decorated, I just never got around to it. T_T

43) Ensure our department successfully meets all its IEP goals this year.

Status: Kept! We were the first department to confirm completion of all goals!

44) Try to be more comprehensive with giving feedback to students. I’m always good at providing detailed comments on essays, but I’d like to spend more time commenting on smaller assignments too this year.

Status: Broken. I was trying in Spring 2022, but in fall, I was double over-loaded on courses on top of all the administrative work I had and could barely keep up grading at all, let alone give more feedback.

45) Write an FFXIV fic. Even if it’s just a one-shot, write something for this series. I need to express my love…

Status: Kept! I wrote a whole bunch for #FFXIVWrites and even received an art prize for participating! <3

46) Be more proactive about the cleaning. No more accidentally forgetting to take the trash can out to the curb. At least once a month do a full dust and vacuum of the house, not just the one room I spend the most time in (my office lol).

Status: Surprisingly, kept. I don’t really know why, but my house was somehow much cleaner in the latter half of this year. Did I unlock the secret stress cleaning routine?

47) Participate in NaNoWriMo. Even if I don’t finish, just participating again will feel great.

Status: Broken. There was zero chance I could have done this while overloaded on courses.

48) Get a screen door put on the side door of the Texas house. This really needs to happen and I can’t believe I just remembered.

Status: Broken, although not for lack of trying. I did actually have someone come to try to measure for a screen door, but it turns out the door is not a standard size and it would be way too much money to get a custom screen door made.

49) Don’t forget anyone’s birthday or any other holidays this year. (I forgot a close friend’s birthday last year due to being stressed with work and I’m still upset with myself over it.)

Status: Mostly kept. I did better this year--not perfect, but better!

50) I will keep my promises!

Status: OOF. Mostly broken promises this year. 2022 was another hard one. I’m on the struggle buss.

Kept: 16

Somewhat kept/somewhat broken: 3

Broken: 31

Good luck, 2023′s Echo!

#50 promises #new year's resolutions #IRL stuff

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odvunir · 2 years

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i usually feel better when i ramble about my day so

i've been trying to get my toilet fixed for a year (it wasnt properly installed in the floor so it wobbled when you sat on it / there was a leak under it and lots of little bits of soaked wood) but finally got a maintenance guy scheduled today

i woke up 3 hours early to a combo of that text + my cat pooping on the floor it's an ongoing issue i'm trying to figure out atm, pls no suggestions i am already moving forward with plans to figure out the root cause, i'm just a little frazzled because there's so many things it COULD be so i'm probably going to be cleaning up more messes for a while. i think it's a combination of hating the litter, only having 2 boxes instead of 3, and constipation

i already had a big grocery trip planned because the only thing in my kitchen right now is condiments, eggs, and ramen and i'm AWARE you can make good food with that but i've eaten... like, not kidding maybe 150 boiled eggs in the past few months. love them! but i'm autistic and hardboiled egg texture can sometimes be a little much so that on top of needing a bunch of supplies was stressful, because i had already trimmed a lot of items off my grocery list due to low funds.

in general money has been pretty tight, which has been very stressful. i'm kind of just barely skirting by on bills, which sucks because i'd love to be able to save up for things like a desktop in case my laptop can't be fixed, getting real internet set up and not having to use my phone, having a savings in general. but not having a vehicle means i have to doordash groceries at times and try to arrange big trips with a friend, which means i am usually paying doordash fees + tips, or buying food for my friend in exchange for their kindness.

that + paypal fees really all adds up omg. and i feel like there's a dip in people buying designs / comms right now due to the holiday season, inflation, cons... and i know i can't blame people for cutting art out of their budget, but i also can't help but get wracked with anxiety at the feeling like i can't really raise prices, despite desperately needing to. i have the next two weeks blocked off to work on designs and i just keep wigging out like "what if i have to sell them all for $25" or "what if i can never make more than $75 per design consistently" and of course in the middle of that, the site i get the most attention on is being ruled by a wax figure incel

i know that going back to freelancing was the right decision and times are just tight right now, and things do get a little better every month. and after posting that i needed help i got the help i needed + more within a few hours, which i cannot tell you how grateful i am

sorry if this seems super unorganized there's a couple with a child parked right outside my window and the children are hanging out of the window and screaming HELLO EVERYONE. HELLO EVERYBODY. HEY LADY I SEE YOU I REALLY WANNA TALK TO YOU. HELLO HEY LADY. I REALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU. I SEE YOU. and honking the horn

anyway

the toilet got fixed, i tried to go back to bed to rest but couldn't sleep much. and also i tried to make dinner tonight and completely ruined it, like i kept trying to "fix" it and it went so far off the rails. i got it to taste OKAY. but i don't want to eat it. and i don't want to waste it and throw it away. probably just gonna throw it away and have some ramen honestly DSFSDF it's too sad to eat.

i'm tired physically and mentally and i hope one day i have enough money for that to not be so bad

#crossposts this from toyhouse and doesnt edit how jumbled it is #im just going through it a mild bit #theres other stuff going on much more private than that but yknow

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shop-korea · 5 months

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THURSDAYS - 5P - PARKING - LOT 33

SW 2 AV - SW 2 ST - MEN - VOLUNTEERS

JUST 2 FEMALES - ONE - BLOND YES IN

CHARGE - POOR - AND - HOMELESS

IN SPITE - OF - LOTS - OF - FOOD YES

GIVEN - HOMELESS - GO - 2 - TRASH

CAN - 4 - FOOD - THERE - WAS - GIRL

MIAMI - POLICE - NEVER - ARRESTED

SLEPT - NEAR - ELEVATOR - OTHER

NO - PANTY - HAIR - SHOWING - YES

BELOW - WAIST - JUST - WEARING A

SHIRT - WAS - VERY - DIRTY - AND FL

MIAMI - POLICE - NEVER - ARRESTED

INDECENT - EXPOSURE - BUT - HAITI

MALE - POLICE - WAS - GOING 2 GIVE

ME - $2,500 - FINE - 4 - USING - AIR

MAT - ON - A - PARK - HAITI - MALE

SAID - WALMART - SELLS - ILLEGAL

PRODUCTS - BLK - MAN

3:25P - EARLIER - BLK - AMERICAN

WITH - BLOND - TOP - BRAIDED - AS

PUBLIX - TGIF - FRIDAY - SOON WILL

B - CHRISTMAS - EVE - MY - FAVORITE

BROWNIES - CRISPY - LIKE - THE BEST

$10.99 - SO - CAME - BACK - 2 LIBRARY

2:15P - WHO - WAS - GOING - 2 - TALK 2

ME - SAID - WENT - THERE

BOUGHT - MINI - CROISSANT - 13 - FOR

$3.99 - WAS - EATING - BROWNIES AND

KEPT - 4 - DISPLAY - LOOKED - SO - YES

BEAUTIFUL - SO - HE - WAS - POINTING

BLK - MALE - TOOK - EARPLUGS - OFF

HE - WANTED - SOME - OF - $10.99 ME

SAID - NO - HE - WAS - GOING - 2 GRAB

I - HID - RIGHT - AWAY - BROWNIES

THESE - ARE - SMALL - CRISPY - FL

QUITE - GOOD - NOW - I'M - SLEEPY

HE's - LIKE - MANY - HOMELESS - R

BULLIMIA - NERVOSA - CAN'T - CONTROL

EATING - CONTINUOUS - EATING - SO - ME

FOOL - TODAY - LAST - DAY - IN - LIBRARY

SAT - 2 - MONDAY - CHRISTMAS - CLOSED

DAYS - THEN - NEW YEAR's - DAY

THEY - DON'T - EAT - FOOD - RIGHT AWAY

HORD - FOOD - LIKE - MAGAZINES - BUT

MIAMI - WEATHER - SPOILS - ALL - FAST

USED - MY - PORTABLE - FAN - 2 - BRING

BROWNIE - 4 - SOMEONE - WAS - JUST

ABLE - 2 - GIVE - WHEN - I - ASKED FOR

SOMETHING - SWEET - SO - GIVING YES

BACK - MADE - DECISION - SINCE TRUE

ALWAYS - 1 HR - WAIT - WHEN - EARLY

SINCE - MALES - FEEDING - MALES

PATHETIC - WHAT - THEY - GAVE ME

NO - LONGER - GOING - THERE

THURSDAYS - BLK - MALE - WANTED

2 - ROB - ME - RIGHT - AWAY - OF YES

BROWNIES - LOVED - JUST - LOOKING

AT - THEM - FULL - INSURANCE - 4 HAI

TABLETS - SMARTPHONES - DURING

CHANGE - OF - WEATHER - JUST YES

COLDER - SAMSUNG - GALAXY

OUTDOOR - AND - INDOOR YES

BECOMES - STRANGE - INSURANCE

2 - GET - NEW - BUT - THESE - ARE

WELL - ELECTRONICS - INCOMPETENT

AS - THE - FUTURE - WE - BUY - THE

$1 MILLION - PER - JAPANESE - YES

TABLET - $1 MILLION - 4 - SMARTPHONE

$1 MILLION - 4 - SMARTPHONE

CHINA - IS - GOOD

CHINA - THE - KING OF PRICES

AS - WE - PRAY - AND - HAVE - CHINA - BE

OUR - ELECTRONICS - WONDER

I'M - TAKING - HOW - 2 - CREATE

TABLET - DESKTOP - SMARTPHONE

IN - PARIS - FRANCE

TOGETHER - WITH - CHINA - I'M CREATING

MY - OWN - EVERYTHING - IN - ELECTRONICS

THEN - SELLING - 2 - DEFEAT - APPLE - USA

SAMSUNG - KOREA - DEFEATING - ALL THEM

SMARTPHONE - $9.95

TABLET - $5.95

PC - COMPUTER - $10.95

LAPTOP - $5.95

CREATING - MY - OWN - OF - THE - ABOVE

WITH - CHINA - AS - MANUFACTURER THEN

WE - CREATE - CHEAPER - AND - WORKS - 2

BLK - MALE - WANTED - 2 - GRAB - MY

CHRISTMAS - BROWNIES - BECAUSE

HE - SAID - SO - THUS - NO - MORE

THURSDAYS - WON'T - GO - THERE - ANYMORE

SUNDAY - 12P - BLANKET - AND - FOOD

WILL - B - MALES - SERVING - HOMEBOYS

HOMELESS - FAGS - NON-VIRGINS - ALL 2

SO - WON'T - GO - THERE - ANYMORE

YESTERDAY - HATE - THAT - WITH MY

FACE - GOT - PATHETIC - AMOUNT - JUST

LIKE - ALL - MALES - THEN - LANDED - A

PATHETIC - CHOCOLATE - DONUT - ON

SPANISH - RICE - MADE - ME - VOMIT

SO - NO - MORE - THURSDAYS - THIS

SUNDAY - BLK - MALE - WAS - SMILING

ME - NOT - WRINKLED - NECK - LIKE - A

TURKEY - BECAUSE - WANTED - 2 STEAL

MY - BROWNIES - SO - JUST - GOING

FRIDAYS - 5:30P EDT - JUST - ALLAH

ISLAM - 4 WIVES - BETTER - MALES 2

BETTER - LOOKING - NO - MORE - THIS

SUNDAY - NO - MORE - THURSDAYS

IN - USA - THEY - SLAP - BOX - HIT

WOMEN - BLKS - ROB - WOMEN 2

YESTERDAY - THE - CHURCH - MALES

PROVE - 2 - ME - UGLY - WRINKLED FL

GETS - LITTLE - RICE - BROKEN - YES

COOKIE - NO - SALAD - GIVEN - ME

GOOD - THAT's - HOW - THEY - TREAT

PREGNANCY - SO - LA FITNESS EACH

THURSDAY

INTERMITTENT - FASTING

AGAIN - JESUS - IS - LORD

JUST - AVOIDED - ROBBERY - IN - YES

PROGRESS - NEW - LOCATION - IN THE

MAIN - LIBRARY - WAS - ALMOST

GRABBED - OF - $10.99 - BROWNIES

JESUS - IS - LORD

HISPANICS - BLKS - AS - HOMELESS

BULIMIA - NERVOSA - THEY - CAN'T

GET - ENOUGH - OF - FOOD - JUST

FRIDAYS - FR - NOW - ON -

MALES - OF - ISLAM - 4 WIVES

VERY - TALL - AND - HANDSOME

MERCEDES BENZ - AND PORSCH

NO - MORE - THURSDAYS

NO - MORE - THIS - SUNDAY

BLKS - HISPANICS - WHEN - THEY

EAT - TALKING - OUT LOUD - THUS

FOOD - SEEN - COMING - OUT - ITS

DISGUSTING - SO - NO - MORE - YES

THURSDAYS

JUST - ISLAM - 4 WIVES - FRIDAYS

5:30P - LOT 33 - OR - LOT - 38 YES

FARTHER - DOWN - SW 2ND AVE

SMALL - LOTS - PRAY - 4 - ME F

ALMOST - ROBBED - OF - EXPENSIVE

BROWNIES - $10.99 - NO - MORE

THURSDAYS - CHRISTIAN - MEN

PERVERTED - 'WOMEN - GO - 2 BACK

OF - LINE - ABUSED - TORTURED - SO

THEY - LOOK - AT - ME - NOT SMILING

WRINKLED - PRUNE - BAG - FR

CHRISTIANS - OF - ONE WORLD

SPANISH - AND - ENGLISH

JESUS - IS - LORD

SURVIVED - ROBBERY - FR - BLK

MALE - SURVIVED - YESTERDAY

RATIONING - ALL - OUR - MEALS

DONE - WTH - THURSDAYS

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dbphantom · 1 year

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[H2O s2 spoilers] Charlotte has literally done nothing wrong up until now and yet the show STILL paints her as such a bad person in Pressure Cooker.

She admits if she knew Don was Cleo's dad she wouldn't have shown up and looks visibly uncomfortable (but still trying to be polite) when she realizes it's Cleo's house and has to sit there and watch Cleo openly be rude to her mother by giving away a gift bought as a gesture of goodwill.

Charlotte KNOWS Lewis and Cleo are talking about her and instead of being rude and nasty about it (LIKE CLEO WAS IN EPISODE 3 WHEN SHE MADE ASSUMPTIONS) is just like "yeah, your dad is really struggling right now, you probably wanna go back in there and help him..?" like OMG that was so sweet of her. Yeah she interrupted their conversation, but come on she was trying to be nice. Characters interrupt each other all the time on this show- it's a teen drama, that's how it works. Despite everything Cleo had already done to her, Charlotte was still looking out for her dad.

Then Charlotte accidentally knocks a thing of flour into Cleo and goes up to her room after Cleo storms off to personally apologize for even BEING THERE because she can tell Cleo is Absolutely Furious about her showing up, and openly asks her if she can spend time with/date Lewis because she understands the two of them were together and she SEES how Cleo is reacting, and CLEO GIVES HER THE GO-AHEAD, BUT STILL TREATS HER AWFULLY ANYWAY. She didn't HAVE to ask for permission, but she does anyway!! AFTER APOLOGIZING FOR SIMPLY SHOWING UP TO HER MOM'S WORK EVENT.

and THEN at the end of the episode Cleo is like "even if it IS Charlotte (who I hate for literally no reason other than she stood up for herself when I tried to shame her in public for hanging out with my ex-boyfriend who I broke up with), it's Lewis's choice" but then gives her an actual death glare at the very end of the episode when Charlotte is literally just looking at her and evil music swells all because Charlotte smiles. WHAT!!!!!

IF YOU WANTED ME TO HATE CHARLOTTE SO BAD WHY DID YOU MAKE CLEO SO UNREASONABLE AND MEAN THIS SEASON AND CHARLOTTE AN ACTUAL SWEETHEART WHO HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG OTHER THAN ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKING A BOWL OF FLOUR INTO SOMEONE AND PINING AFTER A GUY WHO IS- I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH- SINGLE!!!

anyway brb making a list of all the times the girls openly use their powers or are just straight-up reckless in public SOLELY IN SEASON 2 so i can compare it to them getting really mad at Charlotte and holding her to a huge double-standard because she used her powers to mess with Nate a little bit because HUUUUUUH??? if you have any examples hit me up because im currently doing a rewatch and im on ep 6 and already have a few... most notably Emma using her powers during the soccer game to dunk on a seven-year-old, but also Cleo using her powers at school to [checks notes] take a shortcut across a field with a sprinkler instead of just walking around. I have a few from memory as well that i just haven't gotten up to yet (like Emma and Rikki harassing Lewis at his job and almost getting him arrested because they left the gate open)

>>>>>oh i see... tumblr desktop does not warn you if you have over 30 tags. noted... rip my essay on how Lewis also isn't 100% in the right here [with Charlotte. with Cleo he did nothing wrong (being overbearing... ok i get it, but she could have sat him down and talked to him abt how she was feeling before immediately jumping to breaking up) and even took her aside more than once to ask her if she was okay, if this is what she really wanted, and where he stands with her- to which she lies to his face during and says everything's fine, she's just protecting the secret, she isn't jealous At All, she doesn't want to get back together] because he unintentionally is leading Charlotte on bc he's not communicating the best, and then when they DO get together he's clearly not as invested in their relationship as she is, or how Charlotte was kinda jumping the gun a little but while their relationship is kinda messy in itself, it just doesn't compare to how annoyed Cleo makes me this season, i won't lie. also i did rant about the marine park incident again. it still really bothers me lolol

#H2O: Just Add Water #H2O Just Add Water #H2O JAW #maybe im just not picking up on subtle facial cues but Charlotte is literally just a sweetheart in the first 90% of #this season. a sweetheart who also doesn't take shit from Cleo trying to embarrass her publicly and reading her diary.#you'd think Cleo would know how shitty it is to do that to a person given Kim did it to her but NO! SHE DOES IT ANYWAY!!#cleo is so immature in s2 it is SO embarrassing... especially the fishing rod bit... girl that is like 100 dollars at the cheapest!!!#i get she's the main character so she gets to get away with everything ever but MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN...!#i don't think she ever actually apologizes to lewis or charlotte for the way she acted in this episode. solely to annette so she could get #the business deal for her dad... it's so SO shitty of her. like oh my god charlotte apologizes and you can't even give her the same grace #also THE ROD THING!! you unspooled his entire line (sending this massive bout of fishing line into the ocean) and dragged it into the #water where he likely wouldn't be able to get it back. and he's still SOMEHOW willing to show up to your house to speak in person and u #don't even give him the time of day to Actually Listen because you are being SO IMMATURE about EVERYTHING #Cleo you literally did ALL OF THIS TO YOURSELF!!!! PLEASE GET A GRIP GIRL!!!!#YOU broke up with Lewis. YOU embarrassed yourself trying to call Charlotte out and she stood up for herself. YOU threw a total fit over #Lewis and Charlotte fishing together to the point he felt it was necessary to talk to you in person. WTF!!!!!! <- angry #aaaAAAAAAAAA-#this is what i MEANT when i said I CAN'T WATCH SEASON 2 WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY!!! I C A N ' T #also minor thing but Emma being so OOC in this episode she doesn't try to stop them from harassing Annette and Charlotte with their magic #THAT IS OBSCENE EMMA WOULD'VE PUT A STOP TO THAT BEHAVIOR IMMEDIATELY!!! INSTEAD SHE JUST GOES ALONG WITH IT #as if Emma wouldn't be very willing to give Charlotte a chance after everything she saw Cleo do like 3 episodes ago reading her diary and #snooping on her life because she's 'sus' when she literally isn't she just has a crush on Cleo's ex-boyfriend #who. and i cannot emphasize this enough. CLEO BROKE UP WITH IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!#why does it take until EPISODE <S I X> FOR CLEO TO REALIZE *SHE* BROKE UP WITH LEWIS SO SHE'S TREATING HIM UNFAIRLY???#SDKJGHKAFJGHAKLJHGKLJH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #im fine im fine.#spoilers #H2O spoilers #H2O JAW spoilers #H2O Just Add Water spoilers

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free-pancakes · 3 years

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Ok this is super cheesy but here goes; hanji: "you don't look like a professional criminal" levi: "oh sorry, let me go make myself look like Hannibal lector or something" sorry its rlly cheap but I wanna see some sort of crime au or whatever. Love ur drabbles btw! Keep it up! :)

oh gosh anon, this has been sitting in my inbox for months, i'm so sorry! might be a lil boring, but! i'm all for stupid levihan banter and it made me really happy to write this :) hope u like it!

Under the cover of night, a hooded figure crept through darkness. On the security cameras, it was nothing but a questionable shadow—blink once and it was gone. That’s how it always went.

“What the—“

Reiner turned, peering down the outdoor alleyway. His fellow security guard was no longer standing under a small lamp hanging above the corner of the building.

“B-Bertholdt?” he called?

Before Reiner could call out once more, he heard a voice whispering behind him into his right ear.

“If you open the door, I’ll let you off easy.”

Eyeing the crowbar on the ground, Reiner reached quickly. But he was too late—a hand grabbed him by the forearm. He struggled and was quickly brought to the ground.

“How could someone so small bring me down so fast??” he thought. Before he could even elbow back, he felt a needle sink into his neck, and he yelled out.

The hooded figure stood up.

“Just a small sedative—don’t worry. You won’t remember that a guy half your size took u down in less than...” He peered at his wristwatch—“20 seconds.”

As the hooded teen stood up, a small buzz vibrated in his pocket.

He unlocked his phone, the glow lighting up his face, the dark circles under his eyes now looking much more prominent.

A text from Erwin: “Levi, thermal imaging shows no one else in the building. Meet back with Nanaba in an hour.”

Levi shoved his phone back into his pocket, and got to work. He lifted a limp Reiner off the ground and dragged his arm up to the sensor, pressing his thumb against the fingerprint scanner—“Access Granted” blinked on the small screen as he heard the little click of the door unlocking from the inside. He dusted his hands off on his grey denim jeans, and crept inside.

The slight squeaking of his sneakers on the metal floor panels echoed as he searched for the room he was looking for. On his way he saw a pair of glasses resting on a side table at the end of a hallway, which he found quite strange—who’d just forget their glasses? Erwin confirmed no one else was around. After a few seconds, he decided to shrug it off.

Finally, he reached the last door in the winding hallway. Shining a special penlight, he watched as fingerprints appeared on the keypad on the doorknob, and once he figured out his code, he punched it in with the end of his penlight, and he was in.

Levi breathed a sigh of relief, and pulled down his hood. His least favorite part of the job—he had always been more of the fighter of their team, the brawn, not exactly the brains. But Mike made sure he learned how to break into computer systems, and Levi absolutely hated that process, with Mike’s constant teasing at how dense his brain was to this stuff. Levi grumbled as he sat down, figuring his way in.

Maybe 10 minutes passed, and he continued to struggle figuring his way through the complicated firewalls. In frustration he buried his head into hands for a few seconds, and took a deep breath. Before he could look back up, he suddenly felt a hand pat his back encouragingly.

“There, there, you almost got it!”

Completely startled, Levi jumped up, knocking down the chair he was sitting on and assumed a fighting stance, fists up beside his face. He was caught off guard and completely unprepared: he had no more sedative syringes left, no other weapons on hand. He stared at the person who stood before him, probably the same age as him—no more than 19—a smile on their face, brown hair falling out of the poor hair tie trying to hold the mess up, a can of soda in their right hand and a small bag of chips in their left and— they were wearing the same pair of glasses he saw outside?

His mind raced.

How did they sneak in without him noticing just now? Why are they holding snacks in their hands? Why in God’s name were they smiling at him? And most importantly, they were wearing those glasses, so they had to have been around when a Erwin did the thermal scan—how did they manage to go undetected??

Obnoxious crunching roused him from his thoughts. Mouth full of half-chewed chips, they answered: “Oh! Yes! My friend Moblit and I managed to invent this little guy help us evade thermal scanners! No one knows we’ve been spending nights here for years!” They said as they pointed down to a small metal band around their ankle.

Levi was so shocked, he didn’t even realized he said that last thought out loud. He didn’t know what to do exactly, but they didn’t… seem like a threat…

Levi grumbled, and returned to his work, and she blabbered on and on about how their “cooling band” or whatever the hell they called it work as he kept trying to break through the firewall. He almost regretted not tying them up and slapping tape over their mouth so he could concentrate—the next comment was the last straw.

“You’re pretty scrawny, I was quite shocked when I watched you take down those 2 buffoons that call themselves security guards. You know… you don't look like a professional criminal!”

Levi almost threw the keyboard against the wall.

“Oh sorry, let me go make myself look like Hannibal Lector or something, Four-Eyes!”

They smiled.

“Wow, a nickname! So we’re friends already, Levi!”

Levi paused, “…How did you know my name?”

“It’s right here! Levi Ackerman… Address: 126—“ they listed off as they read off the driver’s license ID they pulled out of his wallet.

Levi snatched his wallet back. “When the hell did you take that??”

He almost screamed in annoyance. “Instead of just sitting here annoying the hell out of me or some shit, why don’t you help me or something??”

They walked up behind Levi, rested their chin nonchalantly on his shoulder, and reached their arms around him towards the keyboard.

Levi felt blood rush to his cheeks. Why—what? Why did they have to type this way?? Why was he blushing??

And in less than 30 seconds, they broke into the computer, the “Zeke Inc.” logo disappearing, and the desktop glowing, open on the screen.

Levi’s jaw dropped, and when he finally registered what happened, he yelled:

“WHY DIDN’T YOU DO THAT FROM THE BEGINNING??”

They put their hands on their hips and retorted:

“Well, you didn’t ask until now!”

Before Levi could flip the desk in frustration, an alarm sounded from his phone. He only had 5 minutes left before he had to make his way out of there. Quickly, he rushed in, scrolling through shipments for supplies, rerouting their destinations.

“Oh… so you’re like a… a gloomy Robin Hood huh? Small boy steals from big boy company to distribute resources to those who need it? A criminal… or an anti-hero maybe!”

“Oh wait!” They leaned in next to Levi once more—“Here, this is faster,” they whispered while hitting a few more keyboard shortcuts, doubling the amount of shipments.

“Hange, what are you doing??” A young boy stood in the doorway, the same metal band on his ankle.

Levi’s alarm sounded, and he began to wipe down the keyboard of his fingerprints and grab his backpack.

“Hange are you sure we can trust him?” Moblit asked as Hange took off the metal band from their ankle.

Hange winked in response.

“Oi, Levi!”

Levi turned in the doorway, quickly raising his hands to catch the band Hange threw at him.

“Take it!” They yelled, and the heavy door shut right in front of him, leaving him alone in his thoughts.

Levi stared at the band in his palm, and gently wrapped his fingers around it.

“Thanks,” he whispered, and ran off.

As Levi ran under the night sky, he looked at the intricate tech in his hand, and noticed the color yellow peeking out from under it. Flipping it over in his palm, he found a yellow sticky note, which read:

“We’ll trade you our tech for housing if you have space, gloomy Robin Hood! Maybe we could even steal from something big like Marley Corp. someday! If you’re in, find me back here tomorrow night! - Four-Eyes”

Levi carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket.

“Levi?” Nanaba called as he approached.

“Didn’t recognize you—are you… happy about something?”

Levi inadvertently reached his hand up to his face, feeling how his lips curved upwards. He couldn’t remember the last time he ever smiled. His mind was fixated on the note in his pocket, the image of Hange’s face smiling at him etched clearly in his mind.

“…I guess I am, Nana.”

#levihan #levihan fanfic #levi ackerman #hange zoe #levi x hanji #levihan fanfiction #ask #replies #drabble #moblit berner #erwin smith #nanaba

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dirtyoatmeall · 3 years

Text

Burnout (Pro!Bakugo x Vet!Reader)

A/N: another sefl indulgent fic, I;ve been having a hard time at work and felt really burnt out today so I wrote this to mke me feel better, not sure how it turned out. I hope you like this.

Pairing: Bakugo x reader- married, female pronouns used for reader I believe.

Word count:~1.5k

Warnings: Cursing

You sigh as you glance at the clock, it was close to 8pm, almost 2 hours since the clinic closed. You reviewed your chart again, trying to remember if there was anything else you noted during the exam. You released the chart and moved the follow up task to the assistants. You took note of how many charts you had left, and switched to look at your tasks. You had been trying to keep up with them, but an emergency had come in and you ended up working through your lunch, a time you usually used to call owners back between bites of your food. You turned to look at your coworker, the closing assistant who instead of leaving when they finished closing, had instead elected to sit in the other office chair, scrolling through her phone.

“Y’know you don’t have to stay, I’m probably gonna be here awhile.” You tried not to sound so exhausted when you spoke, but it was obvious from the look on your face. She just smiled and shook her head, “You know I don’t have anything to do, and this isn’t the best area, I don’t like leaving you by yourself here.” You smiled and nodded once, turning back to your charts, occasionally making small talk about the appointments through-out the day.

It was a tough day. You were the only doctor working, you knew you were going to be short-staffed looking at the schedule but someone ended up calling out, so everyone was always running around, not having a moment of rest. It seemed like the phones were always ringing and every owner had about 50 million questions. Your spay ran long, and you just couldn’t seem to catch your breath. You preformed 3 euthanasia as well. You had cried in the bathroom after each one, as well as after a client yelled at you for 10 minutes on the phone, over prices you didn’t set and circumstances you didn’t have control over. You still tried to maintain the fun atmosphere in the back, trying to keep morale up, you couldn’t tell if it worked.

After another 45 minutes, you closed out your desktop, packing up your bag as your coworker does the same. The two of you leave together and you exchange farewells as you get in your car. You gripped the steering wheel, as you sat in the dark and leaned forward so your forehead rested against the top of the steering wheel. You cried for another 15 minutes before sitting up and taking a deep breath, wiping the tears from your cheeks. You turn on your car and put on some music before pulling out of the clinic parking lot.

It took you only about 20 minutes to get home, checking yourself in the mirror before getting out of the car, making sure you didn’t look like an absolute mess. You had completely forgotten to text your husband you would be late, it wasn’t the first time you had, and most likely wouldn’t be the last. Your shoulders sag as you approach the door, all you wanted was to curl up with your husband and sleep for the next 50 years. You open the door quietly, incase Katsuki was already asleep, and toed off your shoes, dropping your bag unceremoniously on the couch on the way to the kitchen.

You had thought Katuski had just left the light on for you, but you were surprised to find your husband sitting at the dining table, scrolling through his phone, looking up when you enter. “Oh,” you say, pausing in the doorway before walking up to him, “I thought you’d be asleep by now.” He simply stood up to meet you, wrapping his arms your waist and leaning down to place a quick kiss on your lips. You wrap your arms around his neck and pretty much collapse against him, resting your face in the crook of his neck, enjoying the warmth your husband provides. “What kind of asshole doesn’t wait up for his wife?” He says gruffly, actions betraying his tone as he softly rubs your back. “Hard day?” He asks quietly, like he already knows the answer. You nod against his neck and softly curse as you feel hot tears well up. You had thought you had cried everything out earlier, but apparently not.

Katsuki stiffens for half a second, not expecting waterworks as he gently cups the side of your face, bringing you to look at him. You take in his features, the hard lines of his nose, the various scars and freckles that adorn his face, and his crimson eyes, that soften whenever they meet yours, which now held worry in them. This wasn’t the first time you had cried after work, but it usually was out of frustration after going over complicated cases, nothing this bad this unprompted had happened before. You hiccup through the sobs, closing your eyes briefly as he wipes at your tears. His other hand came to cup your other cheek, and your hands grip his wrists loosely. “What happened?” He says gently, before kissing your forehead and leading you toward the bedroom.

You mull over the day, sniffling as you changed from your scrubs into a pair of sleep shorts and one of Katsuki’s shirts. While you changed and began recounting the day, your husband was getting the bed ready, climbing in and opening his arms to you as you clambered after him, curling into his side, sobs growing heavier as you went over the argument you had. “I-I can’t even count how many times I was told I don’t know what I’m doing, that I’m bad at my job, and-“ You grip his shirt tightly in your fist as you take a deep breath. Katsuki didn’t say a word, and you looked up to meet his eyes through your tears. “And what if- what if they’re right?” You lip wobbles as you look away from him for a second before meeting is eyes again, slightly worried at his response. His forehead furrows for a moment as he thinks of what to say.

“Fuck them.” He says simply, and you blink once before snorting and resting your head on his chest. “I’m serious, you went to school for 8 fucking years, working your ass off for this degree just for some extra to tell you that you don’t know what you’re talking about because he didn’t want to fucking pay for it? Nah, that’s not gonna fly. Did you tell your hospital manager?” He questioned and you nodded. “Yeah, one of the girls told her about it while I was crying in the bathroom.” He sighs at your admission, “You cried at work?” You laughed bitterly as you thought of just how much you’ve cried today. “Yeah this is like the 5th time today.” He held you a bit tighter, kissing the crown of your head. “ You need to take a break. You’ve been working non-stop while what’s-her-face is on maternity leave. You’re getting burnt out. I hate watching you destroy yourself like this. You keep giving and giving, soon enough there’s not going to be anymore of you to give.”

You nod at his words, you know they’re true, you’ve been working 10 hour shifts, many of them without a lunch break, way too often lately. You know the statistics, you had mandatory mental health classes in grad school to help you develop coping mechanism and ways to prevent burnout, but it never quite translated properly into the workforce. They always stressed time off, but doctor schedules were made months in advance, and it’s hard to know exactly when you’re going to be feeling this way. “I’ve got a week off coming up soon, if you can get it off too maybe we can go somewhere.” You husband smiles into your hair, squeezing your hip. “I’m one of the top heroes, of course I can get it off. We can go to that seaside town you love so fucking much, maybe we can finally fuck on the beach this time.” You snort, rolling your eyes at his words.

You shift, sitting up slightly, face to face with Katsuki, who had one of his signature smirks on his face. You smile and kiss him gently, cupping his cheek before pulling away. “ I am so lucky to have you Katsuki. I love you so much.” He pulls you back for another kiss before tugging you back down to his side, getting ready to finally commit to sleep. “Of course you are, I’m a fucking catch.” You laugh again and pinch his hip and you settle into him. He retaliates by pinching your ass, kissing your hair as he exhales, listening to you soft breaths. “I love you too, brat.”

#My writing #my hero academia #my hero academy #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia imagine #bakugo #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #bakugou x reader #bakugou x y/n #bnha bakugo katsuki #bakugo kastuki x reader #mha #boku no hero #boku no hero academia #bakugou katuski x reader

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calientecoochie · 3 years

Text

It Happened So Fast-

•2•

“AHH”

The red giant backed up and put his hands up in the air and waved them frantically. “<Wha-hooooahh! Calm down. Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you! That’s wasn’t very manly was it. Gah, bad first impression, I guess, ha.” The redhead rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“<You’re Red Riot. The~huh~ the Red Riot>” Yes, yes you were gaping like a fish in a desert. How could a man be so tall?! He is literally towering over everybody here. What is he like 7’?! Does his bones hurt? What the hell is a Bakugo... Oh, he staring at me. How long have I been staring!

“<Uhmm>” Red Riot waves his hands in front of your face, “Helloooo, anybody, homeeeee?” His voice sounds so velvety and heroic. “<I should really work on my introductions...this happens way more often then it should. Let me write that down so I don’t forget.>” The Pro Hero stares down at you, “<I’ll give you a lift, Y/N, since you’re like in a trance. LET’S GO TO MY OFFICE! I CAN SHOW YOU PICTURES FROM MY UA DAYS AND SOME COOL AWARDS. SO MANLY!>” With that your new boss lifted you up and threw you over his broad shoulders.

He continued to talk Y/N’s ear off with you not understanding much of what Red was saying but, appreciating it either way seeing as it was helping you unwind from the earlier shock. As the pair walked through the agency, Y/N took in the place. Even though, the place is a big on inside as it was on the outside, it wasn’t as daunting as you thought it would be. The people and heroes around here are smiling and waving towards you. You were handed a balloon with a crudely drawn face (it was meant to resemble you) with a many , “おめでとう” thrown your way as you and your boss entered the elevator.

“<Here we go! Can you stand?>” Red sets you down on your feet with ease as he presses the button to his floor. He drums his fingers across the steel doors then turn towards you with one of his award winning smiles. You swear it melt the steel in these elevators, it’s so bright. “<Not going to freak out on my again are you? Y/N>” He tested your name on his tongue, “<Am I saying that right? Ah, I forgot to ask, would you prefer Japanese> or English?” He look at you thoughtfully.

“That’s right. I have not been responding have I?”

“Nope! You have not but, that’s cool. I have a great feeling about you so, I know you’ll be a strong backbone to this company!”

All you could do was stare back in a dream-like state. Look at you! Shame! Getting all star-struck and dumb even being in this man’s presence. Tsk tsk. Better keep this conversation rolling so it doesn’t get awkward. “You were right..”

“Huh, right about what?

“My name. You said it correctly. Ha, pretty funny too, I’m used to people pronouncing it wrong.”

“Well, that’s not very fair to you. It’s your name and it’s a manly name!” Red puffed through his nostrils and smirked.

You bowed you head to hide your blush, “ Thank you, Red Riot.” Why are you acting like this it is so NOT professional at. All.

Red Riot let out a boisterous laugh that you swore shook the elevator, “You don’t have to refer to me by my hero name you know? Just call me Kirishima or even Kiri. Honestly, anything is cool as long as I don’t get called sir. That makes me feel old. Red Riot is reserved for field work though.” With that he winked at you.

“Oh, then, thank you Kir-!”

D I N G

“We’re here!!” He yoinks you from the elevator into his suave office, “ Hasa De Lo Eiji!!”

You heard Sero’s voice speak up, “Casa De La, Ei, casa de la...” He sitting upside down in one of Kirishima’s office chairs surfing his phone looking through Twatter. You thought he was ignoring you until he started waving and kicking his lanky legs excitedly.

Denki was just spinning in Kirishima’s main seat, “<YOU FOUND THEM, MAN?!>”

“<Well, they wasn’t exactly hiding and don’t think there’s many people of their skin tone here in Japan, Denk...>” You only caught a bits and pieces of their conversation, making you giggle a bit.

Denki looked over to you, “Oohoo, you like that, huh? Say how about we get to know each other better? One on one? There’s this really cool place in Shinjuku I’ve been dying to try. Would love to have someone to try it with. Being alone is such a bummer~” While Denki was distracted, Kirishima took his chance and sat in his friend’s lap causing Denki to sputter and attempt to push his taller, “built like a German, concrete home” friend off of him. Shame, you were actually about to take Denki up on his offer. You did want to see what Japan had to offer and it did suck to be alone sometimes.

The day continued as you four began to talk about you, their hero work, the past and, what was in store for the upcoming week. Soon, Denki and Sero left to attended to their own business (they went to Shinjuku), which just left you and Kirishima. You though it would it be awkward, however, it strangely felt like home. This was different from what your country’s media always portrayed of him: Hardy, cold and relentless. Even though that’s what drew you to him, this Kirishima was a nice change of pace as well.

“Hey, hey, Y/N you’re staring again.” The redhead smiled.

“Didn’t mean to, Kirishima. It’s just that you’re so different in real life! I hope you don’t mind me saying but, though you were this boulder of destruction.”

“Not too disappointing, I hope.” He leans his head in his hand, laughing a tiny bit.

“No! Of course not!”

“I’m joking, I’m joking!”

You both just laugh and it dies downs leaving a comfortable silence betwixt you again.

“Well, you got the job for sure!”

“Really t—that’s it?!”

“Yup”

“No strenuous questions?”

“Nope”

“No previous references or written letters from previous employers?”

“Nnurp” he audibly pop his lips to add emphasis to his negatory.

“No-“

“Do you want the job?”

“Of course! It’s just that yo-“

“Then you have it. I have a good feeling about you! I learned to trust my instincts. Obviously, yours brought here to freaking Japan-“

“Well, my friend sent me the email...”

“YOU put in for it and YOU got it. Enjoy it :)”

You rubbed your chin in thought. Starting to overthink the situation and your new way too laidback boss. Was this a mistake? Did I make a good call? As if he could read you mind, Kiri laid his firm hand upon your shoulder, “Let’s get some grub! I can take you home afterwards!”

With that, you’re new life began and with each day you grew more confident in your choices. You learned so many new tips and tricks, learned about and met new people (some more despicable then others), it was like a dream come true. First, you needed Kiri told hold your hand at the beginning, which made you doubt yourself from time to time. However, you got better and faster, already your talent to the max.

The only thing you hated doing the most were the public conferences. They always asked the same questions hoping for different answers or asked about way too personal questions about the heroes within Kirishima’s agency. Questions that would make the man on moon blush. However, you always seemed to Beyoncé your way out of their scandalous questions and steer it right back to where you wanted it.

Of course, your work never went unnoticed or unappreciated. The agency always made sure to make feel wanted and needed. Hah, Bakugo even came in and tried to recruit you for his own agency, in front of your boss. It’s all just been so crazy. It’s almost insane to think it’s almost been a year here. You even remember your old life. To think, you thought the email was a joke. What would I be doing if I never answered it... No point on dwelling on it you guess.

You hear heavy footsteps coming toward your door.

*Clink Click*

“Hmm, I thought these lights shut off automatically... strange” It was your boss! “Let me flu-Oh! Oh, you’re still here?! Y/N , it’s practically morning right now. Why are you still working?”

“You wouldn’t know I was still here if you weren’t here yourself so, Red, what’s your excuse?” You looked up at him playfully smug.

You don’t remember if he’s been flushed from rushing into the office or for his new nickname but, he looked away and swore he tripped on his words when he spoke. “Other than it being my agency, Y/N so, MY responsibility, I like to go for early morning runs. You could probs just call it conditioning from school days. It helps keep my mind from overthinking I guess.

“Overthinking? About what?”

“Heh, what not about” There was a strange unplaceable tone in his voice. He said that sentence barely above a whisper but, you caught it. Kirishima look back towards you and beams. Is he- is he putting up a mask?! Not wanting to strain your work relationship you choose not to press him on the matter. Turning back to your desktop to continue your work until Kiri blocked it. Damn his thick man body!

“Could you please move,Kirishima.”

“Nuh-uh, not until you tell me why you’re still up here working at this ungodly hour.”

You leaned into your seat giving up on trying to move him, you sigh and then smile to yourself not sure if he could see it or not, “ Fine, I’ll spill. I work this late because I love this job. Nowhere else has given me this opportunity and I’m so thankful. I’ve felt so lost for the longest and about gave up on myself. I work this late because I love my friend, they were the ones who even let this opportunity land in my lap even though, they could have easily taken this job. They had more experience. I love my coworkers. Ha, I’ve never been so overwhelmed by support by so many strangers. It’s really emotional and I would hate to let them down. I do all of this because I love and appreciate you, Red... you’ve always stayed by my side and gave encouragement when I needed. Lacking in my work would be like spitting in your face and I would hate for that to happen...”

You keep your eyes shut for a few more seconds soaking in what you just said. It’s been eating at you forever. You’ve long forgotten about how Kiri was like a barnacle stuck to screen and I guess he did as well, seeing as was standing up straight, mouth opening and closing and fiddling with his hands. You look up at him, “That’s why I’m here. You don’t have to worry over me. I’m not a child. Plus, I got YOU and your HERO amigos/amigas on speed dial.” Sero’s been trying to teach you Spanish 💀, it is not working.

“...Do you mean that? You love me?”

“Of course I do, Red.” Kirishima drawn closer to Y/N, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I just thought it would be too soon to make a call..”

“I love you , Kirishima...”

“Y-you could call me, Eij-“

“As much as I love Sero and Denki! You all mean so much to me!”

You noted that Kirishima seemed to deflate at your next sentence and even took a step back, “Red, you okay? Need water?”

Kiri shook his head, “N-No I guess I’m just coming down from my runners high! Ha, it always makes me a bit woozy y’know.”

“Oh~”

“Yeahhhh. Welp! Just dont Forget it’s your day off tomorrow okay. No coming in! No matter how much you //luhhhh// us.” That was weird. Luh? ,”Oh I also have a question. The hero gala is coming up soon and we have to bring a +1. Would you like to come with me? I’ll cover your clothes~!”

“The Hero Gala?? Are you sure wouldn’t you want to bring another, I don’t know, hero?”

“Well, I could but, I asked you. You were my first choice either way. If it’ll help you could think about it like good PR.”

As you always do, you think about it. Unlike the other times, your mind was already made up.

“Yes, Red, I would love to go.”

#bnha x black!reader #y/n x bnha #y/n x mha #y/n x kirishima #y/n #fanfic #reader x kirishima #mha x black!reader #mha kirishima #pro hero kirishima #mha #bnha

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fantastic-bby · 4 years

Text

The Diamond Support

Pairing: (F)Reader x Bang Chan

Word count: 8.2k

Genre: Twitch Streamer!Bang Chan || College AU || Fluff || A bit of crack || It kinda feels like a Cinderella spin off, but I don’t know anymore

Summary: When Chan gets extremely drunk during a college party, he ends up playing a game of League of Legends with a girl he doesn’t know. He wakes up the next morning hungover and with almost no recollection of what happened the night before. He only realises that there’s a new summoner name in his friends’ list while he’s doing a stream and he’s determined to find out who ‘The Diamond Support’ is...

Warnings: -

Masterlist

“Aaaaaand that’s all for today! Thank you for joining me today, and thank you for all of the donations, they are very appreciated.” He clapped his hands together, trying his best to read the many passing comments. “I hope maybe I can invite more of you guys to play with me next time. Bye guys!” Chan waved as he turned the stream off. He leaned back in his chair and took his headphones off, hanging them around his neck as he ran his hand through his messy blond hair.

Chan looked at the calendar hanging on the wall of the room; the next day marked his third year as a streamer. Honestly, it didn’t seem that much of a special day for him anymore. Chan found himself lacking enthusiasm with his streams with every passing day. He didn’t exactly know why he was becoming less and less invested in streaming. He loved gaming, he loved talking to his subscribers but he found himself feeling bored during streams nowadays. He had tried playing new games, but nothing seemed to fill the void he had in his heart.

He pushed himself away from his desk to allow himself room to stretch his arms and legs out. At first, he blamed it on stress, but Chan managed to set up a schedule that would allow him to finish his assignments and study with enough time to stream for at least one game of League of Legends or PUBG. Although the work was increasing, Chan was still able to stream and study comfortably - or maybe it wasn’t as comfortable as it used to be. He used the money he earned from streaming to buy himself an apartment and upgrade his crappy laptop setup into a proper desktop; dual monitors, a comfortable gaming chair, and the best CPU he could afford.

To Chan, gaming was still a hobby. He never saw it as a job because he knew that if he saw gaming as a job, he would start hating it. Thus why he never wanted to become a professional gamer despite the fact that he had the skills to join a pro team. Chan was high ranking in all the games he could play; Diamond in League of Legends, Divine in Dota 2, and Elite in PUBG. But, there was something about gaming that he could never see himself devoting his entire being to.

The fact that he was a streamer surprised no one; he was an excellent gamer. What surprised the people around him was his choice in majoring in music composition. His parents knew he loved making music, but they never really expected him to study it. They assumed Chan was choosing a more technical major - a more gaming major. When he had come out saying he wanted to learn music and not something game related, his parents were surprised but they supported him nonetheless.

“Chris,” The door opened and Chan ended up jumping in his chair from the sudden intrusion.

“Dude, knock.” He scolded as he turned to see his flatmate poking his head into the gaming room.

“Do you wanna go to a party tonight?” Felix completely ignored the fact that he didn’t knock and left the older male to stare at him for a moment.

“Depends on whose party it is.” He shrugged as he turned back to one of his monitors.

“Minho hyung.” He stated. “He’s celebrating something and he said it’s just going to be a small gathering.” Chan took note of Felix’s smooth transition from English to Korean; he was getting more fluent as the days went by.

“Small gathering?” Chan turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. “We both know that’s a lie.” He chuckled.

“That’s what I said, but Minho hyung said he promises it’s a small gathering this time.” Felix added. Chan looked around his bedroom for a moment. He had time to spare. He finished all of his major assignments and the ones he hadn’t finished yet weren’t due until Monday.

“Sure.”

»»————-　　————-««

“Small gathering, my ass.” Chan grumbled as he tried to squeeze his way through the crowd of dancing college students while holding onto Felix’s hand so as to not lose the poor boy. The two of them managed to find Jisung sitting on the kitchen counter of the house.

“Where’s Minho hyung?” Felix questioned as he sat himself beside the performing arts major. Jisung looked around the crowded house - his house - before shrugging.

“He was here a minute ago. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to his ‘small gathering’.” He grumbled. All he wanted to do that night was have a good time with his friends. Even though they knew Minho tended to invite more than just his friends, Jisung - along with his housemates Changbin, Jeongin and Hyunjin - still agreed to having the ‘small gathering’. “Have a drink. It’s supposed to be a fruit punch, but it either has tequila, vodka, or both.”

“What is he celebrating anyway?” Chan asked as he sat himself on the edge of the counter.

“Something about passing a test he thought he would fail…? It was really vague, I think he just wanted to have a party. It’s been a while since we actually let him have a party, so it’s understandable, I guess.” Jisung told the two. Chan looked around the crowd, finally able to spot Minho in the middle of the crowd dancing with a handful of sorority girls and frat guys that he was friends with.

“You know, when I first met Minho, I never thought he was a party guy.” Chan chuckled. “Look at him now. He’s practically friends with the entire university.”

“He’s the embodiment of a tsundere.” Felix chuckled as well as he followed his gaze. Minho locked eyes with Felix and he seemed to perk up even more as he made his way through the crowd and over to his friends.

“Hey! You guys made it!” He cheered as he hugged the both of them.

“What are we celebrating, Minho hyung?” Felix questioned when he pulled away.

“I got the job as a backup dancer!” Minho announced and his three friends immediately lit up.

“Oh my god, dude! Congratulations!” Chan cheered.

“That makes this party totally acceptable!” Jisung laughed as he finally poured himself a cup of the spiked punch. “I thought you were just bored.” He confessed.

“I told you it was something huge.” Minho shrugged as he watched them each pick up their own solo cups. To be fair, his exact words were ‘Let’s have a party. I passed the test’. “I wanted this party because I know you guys are stressed. Let loose, go wild, whatever happens, I’ll settle it, okay?” He turned more towards Chan and patted him on the back before disappearing into the crowd once again. Chan had mentioned his growing stress to Minho, so it made sense that he was directing it more to the streamer.

“I guess partying once in a while wouldn’t hurt.” Felix shrugged before he disappeared into the crowd to follow Minho. Jisung turned to Chan and they both shrugged before downing their drinks. It didn’t take long for Chan to get drunk. He was a lightweight and everyone knew that. By ten o’clock, he found himself so drunk, he could barely hold his head up as he conversed with a girl that sober Chan would know he had never met before.

“So, I guess I’m like a reeeaaaaallyyyyy good gamer.” Chan slurred as he talked to the girl, his entire Korean vocabulary slowly going out the door. “I’m diamond in League of Legends and I’m an AD carry.” He continued.

“Are you? I’m a diamond support.” You raised an eyebrow, amused by his messy mix of Korean and English. You were obviously not drunk at all, but to Chan, he could barely tell the difference due to his intoxicated state.

“I’m Chris. Some people call me Chan, some people call me Chris.” He introduced himself and extended his hand to you. You shook his hand and laughed when he stumbled out of his seat. “I can prove I’m a good AD carry.” He furrowed his brows. “These guys have a gaming room. Let’s play a game together.” He suggested.

“Sure, but it can’t be ranked. I’m not losing any LP because of you.” You joked as you followed him. He stumbled around, forcing you to let him lean on you until you reached the gaming room and sat down at two of the computers. The housemates weren’t making as much as Chan would on his own time, but they were still working enough to afford renting the house together as well as decorating it and living comfortably.

“Alright, you’re a support? Support me. Let’s lane together.” Chan mumbled out as he squinted his eyes, the alcohol making it hard for him to see or know what was going on. You simply laughed and watched as he tried to make his way around the game. You knew he wouldn’t be able to play properly, but he was cute and you weren’t going to pass up the chance to play a game with Chan.

As expected, the game was a complete failure. Chan looked like he could make out what was happening on screen and he was completely feeding the enemy team, but you simply let him, laughing as you watched him play and did your best to support him.

Throughout the game, it had somehow processed in his head that you were his best friend and he ended up being even more of a mess before. Chan’s mistake for thinking you were someone he knew, made him more comfortable and loose. "You're really pretty, support girl. I like you." He slurred.

"Thanks, Chris. You're cute, too." You chuckled, blaming his sudden affection towards a complete stranger on his intoxicated state. You watched as he slowly leaned his head against the table.

“I think I’m a bit sleepy, support girl.” He mumbled out softly. You hadn’t exactly told him your name and he resorted to calling you ‘support girl’ - which you had no problem with.

“You should rest a bit, Chris.” You told him gently.

“I don’t understand you.” He grumbled as he turned to you. Why weren’t you surprised Korean wasn’t processing in his mind?

“I’ll get your flatmate, Felix, was it? I’ll get him to bring you home.” You told him in English before leaving the game room and returning to the party downstairs to find Minho. You knew he was friends with Chan, and Minho was the only other person you knew personally. “Minho!” You called out as you pushed yourself into the centre of the living room where Minho was. He turned around to see you and he smiled.

“(Y/n)! What’s up?”

“Do you know who Felix is? Chris is upstairs and he looks like he might either pass out or throw up on your computers!” You were forced to yell due to how loud the music was.

“Felix? He’s right here!” Minho pulled Felix up from the side but the silver haired boy was pretty much as drunk as Chan was. “I don’t think he can bring Chan home, though. I’ll get someone else to take him home, don’t worry!” He reassured you, but you didn’t know how you felt about leaving Chan in the gaming room for any longer.

“Do you know where he lives? I can take them home!” You suggested and Minho eyed you for a moment.

“Why? You don’t usually care about people you don’t know.” His head cocked to the side, a smug look on his face, but you simply slapped his shoulder to get whatever idea he had out of his mind.

“If I don’t take him home now, you can say goodbye to your Razor setup!” You warned, snickering when you saw Minho’s face drop. His hands immediately pushed Felix into your arms.

“I’ll text you their address. Don’t let him throw up on my computer!” Minho yelled as he watched you pull Felix out of the crowd and to a more quiet area.

“Who are you?” Felix slurred as he looked up at you in confusion.

“I’m going to get you and Chris home. Just sit here patiently and I’ll go get Chris.” You stated as you sat him down at the foot of the stairs before quickly making your way back to the gaming room. You knew better than to let Chan throw up all over the computers and you were more scared of Minho than you’d like to admit. You stepped into the gaming room to see him on the verge of passing out; his head resting on the desk with his eyes half lidded.

“Chris, I’m taking you home.” You told him gently and he nodded as he pulled himself off of the chair, stumbling in the process. You caught him before he could fall over and he leaned himself against you.

“You’re like a real support, but you’re carrying me instead.” He snorted and you giggled. You knew Chan was adorable, but you never thought he would be this adorable. You had always seen Chan around campus whenever you were on your way to class. You were a business major, meaning you had no classes together at all. You weren’t the most extroverted person either, but somehow, Minho had pushed himself into your life when you joined the dance club.

Minho was an interesting character. He didn’t seem like the outgoing and extroverted type, but he really was one. He was friends with most of the university students and he had even managed to make friends with you; a girl who didn’t care about making friends in university and someone who just wanted to graduate so you could get on with your life.

You were also one of the many students that were aware of Chan’s streams. He was quite locally famous because of his high ranks and his enthusiasm. You were one of his viewers, but he didn’t have to know that. He also didn’t have to know that you had been harbouring a small crush on him; a crush that you were hiding from every living being on the planet.

You felt like Chan was out of your league. He was handsome, he was athletic, he was an absolute sweetheart, and he was a hell of a good gamer. You decided against trying to get to know him, scared that he would somehow discover your crush on him and would end up rejecting you. You didn’t have time for rejection. You just wanted to graduate without any unwanted events - which was why you figured it would be better that he didn’t remember your name.

“Chris! This random girl said she’s taking us home.” Felix whined out in English when he saw you dragging his flatmate down the stairs. You giggled when he did - he seemed too drunk to converse in Korean as well. Chan had also given up on trying to speak Korean, the both of them breaking out into their pure Australian accents.

“It’s okay, Felix. She’s my support.” Chan slurred, waving his hand at Felix’s whining.

“Let’s go, Felix.” You helped him stand up and fortunately, he wasn’t as drunk as Chan which meant he could actually walk on his own. Unfortunately, Chan had to lean his entire weight onto you so as to not fall and slam his face onto the ground. You guide the two out of the house, bidding Minho goodbye, and begin your journey dragging home the two drunk students back to their apartment.

Felix had caught on to the fact that Chan was calling you ‘support girl’ and that was what he was calling you as well. “Look! Support girl! There’s a puppy!” Felix announced excitedly as he ran towards the puppy. By the way he ran, you thought he had sobered up, but instead, you watched as he tripped over a bush and face planted into someone’s garden.

“Oh my god,” You grimaced. “Chris, I’m gonna set you down here. Don’t go anywhere.” You sat Chan onto the ground and he listened, but you didn’t think it was because he wanted to. You were pretty sure if he tried, he would end up being a hazard to himself as well as the world around him. You quickly made your way to Felix and helped the silver haired Aussie stand up on his feet.

“Support girl, there’s a puppy over there.” He whined and pointed in the direction of the puppy. Your eyes followed to where his finger was pointing and you had to stifle your laughter when you saw what he was pointing at.

“Felix, that’s not a puppy. It’s a rock.” You chuckled as you helped him stand. “Can you walk on your own?” You questioned warily when you saw him stumble.

“I’m fineeee. I’m not that drunk.” He nodded and started walking towards Chan. You had to conclude he couldn’t because he tripped - again. This time into Chan. The older male let out a yell when Felix fell into him and you could only shake your head in amusement as you made your way over to them. The journey back to their apartment was filled with continuous stumbling as Felix kept tripping and Chan laughing at him whenever he did.

“Support girl!” Felix called out and you stopped walking, causing Chan to stop as well since he was leaning on you. “What’s your name?” He questioned.

“If I tell you, you guys wouldn’t even remember when you wake up, so it’s okay.” You chuckled as you urged him to continue walking. He obliged.

“Hey, support girl,” He called out again and you responded with a hum. “Why is the sky blue?” Felix questioned.

“That’s a dumb question, Lix.” Chan mumbled out softly, his head against your shoulder.

“It has something to do with light.” You shrugged. Felix seemed to find the answer acceptable because he didn’t ask any more questions of the sky. Instead, he started asking about gaming.

“What games do you play, support girl?” He questioned.

“I play a few. League of Legends is my favourite, but I play PUBG and CS:GO sometimes.” You hummed out.

“Are you ranked?” Felix questioned further.

“I only play ranked in League. I’m a diamond.” You told him.

“Wow!” He exclaimed excitedly and turned around to skip towards you. “That’s such a high rank! Chris is diamond, too!” You giggled at the way his eyes sparkled with wonder as he looked at you. Alcohol really made everything more amazing to him, it seemed.

“We played a game together. That’s how I know Chris.” You explained.

“She’s really good, Felix.” Chan piped in softly. You turned to face him and you saw the way he was looking at you. The corners of his eyes were crinkled as he smiled. "We should hang out more, you’re really pretty.” He added. You felt your face heat up, a faint blush growing on your cheeks.

“You’re blushing!” Felix gasped. “Chris, she’s blushing!” He pointed out.

“She’s not blushing, Lix. She’s probably just tipsy.” Chan shook his head before leaning his head on your shoulder once again. He lifts his head for a second to see Felix trip over - yet another - rock, his entire body falling forward and hitting the concrete with a thud. Chan bellowed with laughter.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Felix whined as he picked himself off of the ground.

“Hey, we’re at your building.” You pointed out, grabbing their attention. You followed the directions that Minho had sent to you and got the two into the lift, pressing the tenth floor as per Minho’s instructions. Felix’s energy was drained in a flash. He was leaning against the walls of the lift and closed his eyes as though he was about to fall asleep. “Stay awake, Felix. We’re almost at your place.” You waved your hand in front of his face and his eyes shot open.

“Just a bit more?” He questioned and you nodded.

“Just a bit more.” The doors opened to their floor and you brought them to their apartment, pressing in the code that Minho had sent to you. The lock opened with a beep and you pulled the door open, Felix immediately making his way to his bedroom while you dragged Chan to his.

“How’d we get to my bedroom?” Chan questioned with furrowed brows as he looked around.

“I brought you here, Chris. Get some rest.” You laid him down on his bed, tucking him in gently.

“Goodnight, support girl.” He mumbled out softly as he pulled his blanket up to his chin and watched you with soft eyes. You smiled as you left his room, turning around to see him fast asleep already.

“Goodnight, Chris.” You wished softly before you left their apartment.

»»————-　　————-««

When Chan woke up, the first thing he noticed was the sound of what could only be Felix tripping over their living room couch. The second thing he noticed was the headache that was pounding in his skull. The night was a complete blur to him as he looked around his bedroom. Wait, how did he even get home? He couldn’t remember what happened after he was dancing with Minho. Chan pulled himself out of bed and out into the kitchen where Felix was making coffee.

“Good morning.” Felix greeted him groggily. Chan responded with a hum and sat at the counter as he rubbed his temples.

“How did we get back to our apartment?” He questioned. Felix turned around and stared at him for a moment.

“Uhh, I think someone dragged us home.” He shrugged, his mind still trying to remember exactly who brought them home.

“I feel sorry for them, then. We’re a handful when we’re drunk.” Chan chuckled. Felix laughed in agreement as he placed a mug of coffee in front of Chan.

“I hope they didn’t suffer too much.” He joked as he sat beside his flatmate. The two sat together in silence, hoping the coffee would help ease their hangovers. Chan took a quick shower after he finished his coffee before returning to his bedroom, ready to start his stream while Felix ordered take out for lunch.

“Good afternoon, morning, evening, night, whatever time it is for you guys. I’m a little bit hungover, but I’ll be able to get through today.” He greeted through the screen once his stream was on. “Today is a special day - some of you may know this - but today marks my third year since I started streaming. Whooo!” He cheered, reading a few of the comments congratulating him and cheering along with him. “For today, I’m going to play a few games, but I’ll start with PUBG. Hopefully, it’s a lucky day for me and I’ll be able to survive throughout the entire game.”

With that, Chan began his stream. His games were going smoothly. He was honestly having a great time due to his win streak. He was interrupted halfway when Felix handed him a bag of kimchi fried rice.

“This is my flatmate, everyone. His name is Felix.” Chan introduced as he spooned some rice into his mouth. Felix waved awkwardly to the camera before leaving his flatmate to return to his stream. His stream was going smoothly as he passed the second hour. It was when he saw a new friend in his League of Legends that he was suddenly hit with the memories of the night before.

“Woah,” He leaned back in his chair. Chan was hit with the memory of him trying to play League while drunk, the presence of an unknown person playing with him. “Hold on a minute, guys. I just remembered something.” He muttered out when he caught a glimpse of comments asking if he was okay. He went through his match history, seeing the defeat from the night before.

Chan looked to the comments before deciding that he should just continue with his stream before diving into trying to figure out who played with him the night before. So, he continued. He played a few games, his winning streak still blessing his gameplay, and he finished the stream feeling satisfied with his match history.

Though, he still wanted to figure out who ‘The Diamond Support’ was. He decided against giving out your account name to his viewers, not wanting random people to start sending you friend requests. He clicked on the profile and as the name implied: it was a diamond ranked support main. Chan looked through the match details. The match started at 10:30 - that meant he was still at Minho’s party since he knew that he wasn’t using his computer.

The image of him looking up at you while he felt so much adoration flashed across his mind. He remembered you dragging him home, his head on your shoulder as you tried to babysit both him and Felix. Then, Chan felt embarrassment wash over. You're really pretty, support girl. I like you. He let out a long and whiny groan as he slammed his forehead onto the desk. Why did he have to be so embarrassing when he was drunk?

Chan needed to find you. He needed to know who you were. There was something about you that was pulling him towards you, but all he had was your summoner name. You were most likely a student - Minho may be friends with everyone, but it was unlikely that he would invite a random stranger who wasn’t a student to a college party. Chan wanted to know who you were and he ended up sending you a message asking whether you were free for a game.

What Chan wasn't aware of was the fact that your cat pushed your laptop off of your desk, sending it to the ground and deeming it unusable. You weren't able to finish your assignments without using the computers at the library and you weren't able to open your League account.

Sunday rolled by and Chan was sitting in front of his desk, staring at your summoner name. There was no reply and you still weren’t coming online. He assumed you were busy. College had a habit of sucking the life and meaning out of the souls of students, and maybe you just didn’t have time to come online.

Monday came by and you had to come online eventually. Chan hoped that if he wandered around campus, he would be able to bump into you. Therefore, he dragged Felix around campus, hoping you’d cross paths.

“Dude, where are we going?” Felix questioned as they made their way to the main office.

“Something’s wrong with one of my applications.” Chan shrugged as he pushed open the door. He wasn’t exactly lying. There was something wrong with his TA application and he had to fix it at the main office. His graduation was coming up, and he decided that working as a TA for a while would be a good start to his life after studying.

“Are you sure we’re not just going to sit around and wait for that support to show up?” He cocked an eyebrow when Chan’s movements seemed to falter.

“Just wait out here. I’ll be out in a bit.” He dodged the question, gesturing to the chairs and Felix let out a sigh as he sat down. Felix looked around at the people that were going in and out of the office, his arms raising above him to and his legs stretching out in front of him. His eyes were closed until he felt something hit one of his feet and a loud thud followed.

Felix shot his eyes open to see you on the ground, the binders and files in your hands scattered all around you.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” You muttered out as you scrambled to pick them up. He immediately crouched down beside you and started to help you with the files.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” He quickly apologised as he picked them up. You were too panicked to realise it was Felix even when he handed you a few of the binders.

“No, it’s okay. I was rushing.” You shook your hand as you took the binders. “Thank you.” You quickly thanked him before leaving. Felix was about to call out for you when he realised he didn’t know your name. As he sat back down, he couldn’t help but feel as though he had met you before - he just didn’t know when. He racked his brain to try and figure out why you were so familiar. Just as he seemed to almost touch the memory of you, Chan stepped out of the office.

“Alright, let’s head to the cafe.” Chan urged and Felix obliged, the two of them making their way out of the main office and towards the in-campus cafe. Felix couldn’t get you out of his mind. Where had he seen you? He thought about it as he walked with Chan. He honestly felt bad that he couldn’t remember you. “You okay?” Chan’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” He blinked at Chan a couple of times. “Oh, I accidentally tripped this girl at the office. She looked really familiar, but I don’t ever remember meeting her.” He simpered.

“Maybe she’s in one of your classes. You don’t exactly mingle with any of your classmates that much.” He suggested. Felix exhaled softly. Maybe you were one of his classmates. He didn’t talk to the other culinary students unless he had to. He continued to think about it silently as they approached the cafe when it hit him.

Oh fuck.

“Uh, chan hyung,” He started and Chan responded with a hum. “I think she was your support.” Chan’s movements made a halt and he slowly turned to Felix.

“Did you ask her for her name?” He questioned.

“She looked like she was in a rush.” Felix confessed softly. Chan stared at him with an unreadable expression. “I don’t even think she knew who she was bumping into!” He defended but his flatmate still didn’t reply. Felix wasn’t wrong. You were in such a rush to deliver the documents that you didn’t even realise it was Felix you had bumped into. Chan walked away from Felix wordlessly and he let out a whine in response. “Hyung! It’s not like you won’t meet her eventually. She’ll have to get onto League at some point!” He whined as he chased after his flatmate.

Felix realised after they left the cafe exactly what was going on. Chan was waiting for you to magically appear by wandering around the campus. They had visited almost every building and shop on campus when Chan decided to stop at the campus’s centre fountain.

“Chris, I don’t think she’s just going to suddenly show up.” Felix reasoned as they sat at the bench in front of the fountain. “And I know for a fact that you didn’t sleep last night.” He added. Chan let out a soft sigh.

Felix was right. Chan couldn’t sleep that night because he had an assignment due at eight a.m. on Monday. He had to pull an all nighter and only managed to sleep at nine. Even then, he got up at ten to head to the office. He was functioning on one hour of sleep, and Felix knew if he didn’t get any rest soon, Chan would most likely collapse. “Come on - if she doesn’t come online by tonight, we can ask Minho hyung if he’s ever played League with her.” He suggested and Chan nodded silently.

»»————-　　————-««

"She still hasn't said anything?" Felix questioned.

"She hasn't even come online since that night." Chan sighed and leaned back onto the couch. The two were spending their Tuesday night binge watching Brooklyn 99 because Felix wanted to help take his mind off of you.

"What are you gonna do if she doesn’t come online at all?" He glanced over at the blond male.

"I guess I'll try looking for her around campus again. She's probably friends with Minho, so maybe I could find her through him." He shrugged. Despite his inability to remember much of what happened, Chan remembered feeling so much excitement and comfort when he played with you. Even while being dragged home, he felt so safe with you by his side.

Chan met up with Minho the next day in the library, hoping that maybe his outgoing friend could help him figure who you were.

"The Diamond Support? Sorry, hyung, but I don't play League of Legends." Minho shook his head.

"Really? You don't know anyone whose summoner name is The Diamond Support?" Chan questioned and he responded with another shake of his head.

"Try asking Jeongin. He's part of the gaming club and he plays League almost every night." Minho suggested.

"Is he at the house?"

"Jeongin's with his girlfriend." He stated.

"Jeongin has a girlfriend?" Chan questioned incredulously and Minho nodded.

"She's a med student. According to him, she's going to take pediatrics." He told him.

"Makes sense. Jeongin's all about kids." He simpered. "Do you know anyone else who's in the gaming club that could help? I don’t wanna disturb him if he’s with his girlfriend." Minho let out a hum as he thought about it before he snapped his fingers.

"You could try asking Seungmin! He's part of the gaming club, too." Minho suggested. "I'm not sure what his schedule is, but he might be able to help you. He usually hangs around the park since he's always taking pictures, you could check if he's there." He added.

"Alright, thanks, Minho." Chan left the library and headed towards the park. It was understandable why all the photography students hung around the area since it always seemed to be the most photogenic spot no matter what season it was.

It didn’t take him long to find Seungmin. He was usually under the same cherry blossom tree, taking pictures of the animals around him. Chan never really knew why it was always the same tree. Whenever he would ask, Seungmin would shrug and reply with a ‘it always has the best view’. Chan never saw much difference, but he trusted that Seungmin could. He was always able to find the best places to take pictures.

Chan spotted him crouched under said tree, his camera to his face and his lens aimed towards a squirrel in front of him. Chan waited patiently - not wanting to frustrate the photography student - until the squirrel scurried up a tree and Seungmin stood up to look at the photo.

"Seungmin, can I talk to you?" He questioned. Seungmin turned around, his features lighting up and a small smile curling his lips when he realised who it was.

"What's up?" He greeted as he sat on the grass, patting the spot beside him. Chan obliged, sitting himself beside the young photography student.

"You're in the gaming club, right?" Chan started and Seungmin perked up further at the mention of his club.

“Are you finally thinking of joining the club? Hyung, if you join, we could start a team that could make it to nationals!” He exclaimed.

“No, I’m not going to join the team.” He stated and Seungmin deflated. “Do you know anyone whose summoner name is ‘The Diamond Support’ in League?” He asked.

“Never heard of them.” He shook his head. “None of the students in the gaming club has that summoner name.” Chan let out a groan as he laid down onto the grass, his head resting on a root protruding from the soil.

“I played a game of League at Minho’s party with a girl, but I was so drunk I don’t remember her name or much about her. I just remember playing with her and thinking she was really fun to hang out with.” He explained as he brought his arm over his eyes.

“Do you know what she’s majoring in?” Chan shook his head and Seungmin let out a thoughtful hum for a moment. “Then, why don’t you try asking Yunho hyung? He knows more students who play League who aren’t part of the gaming club.” He suggested. Chan lifted his arm from his face and looked at him.

“I’m going to end up running all over campus before I find her.” He sighed.

“Why do you want to find her so badly?” He questioned as he started picking up a handful of dandelions that sprouted around them as well as the fallen petals of the cherry blossom tree, scattering them on Chan’s stomach and chest.

“I don’t know why, I just can’t let her go without knowing- what are you doing?” Chan questioned. He didn’t move, but he was just watching as Seungmin kept covering him with various plants.

“Taking a picture - put your arm back over your face.” Seungmin stated as he brought his camera up to his face. He obliged and waited until he heard the click of the camera to move his arm. Seungmin pulled the camera away from himself and showed the picture to Chan who let out a pleased hum when he saw the picture. He had managed to make Chan look like he had asked a professional photographer to take a picture of him.

“Anyways,” Chan shook his head to bring his mind back. “I just remember feeling so comfortable around her. I just really want to know who she is.” He explained as he sat up, brushing off the flora from his torso.

“I think Yunho hyung might know who she is. I feel like he knows more people by their summoner names than their actual names.” Seungmin joked as he placed his camera down beside himself. “Yunho hyung spends a lot of his time at the boba cafe right outside of campus. He’s probably there right now.” He told the blond male who was starting to stand up.

“Thanks, Seungmin. I’ll think about joining the team, but I can’t guarantee that I will.” He clarified as he brushed his pants off before leaving the park to head on over to the shuttle bus.

Chan was lucky the university’s shuttle bus took them out of campus, or else he’d have to walk a whole ten minutes just to get to the cafe from the gates. He couldn't believe he was actually looking for you like this. He didn't have your number, you weren't coming online, and he seriously felt like he had no other way in trying to find you. Every time he felt like he was close to finding you, you would manage to slip past him.

Chan stepped off of the shuttle bus and made his way to the small boba cafe. As expected, Yunho was sitting at a table inside with Seonghwa and San. Yunho caught sight of Chan and immediately raised his arm up.

“Hyung! Over here!" He called, waving him over. "Seungmin told me you were looking for me." Yunho smiled as Chan approached their table.

“Yeah, I’m looking for a girl who played League of Legends with me at Minho’s party, but I only remember her summoner name.” He explained.

“I know most of the League players on this campus. What’s her summoner name?” He questioned.

“The Diamond Support.” Yunho’s face contorted in confusion at the mention of the name and he turned to San, silently asking if the name was familiar to him. The pair weren’t part of any gaming clubs, but they were among the students who spent most of their free time gaming.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of them before.” San shook his head.

“The name doesn’t sound familiar. Sorry, hyung.” He gave Chan a sorry look. Chan let out a another groan and sat himself on the empty seat beside Seonghwa.

“I messaged her on her account, but she hasn’t even come online since that night. I asked Minho, but he doesn’t play League of Legends. He told me to look for Seungmin, but Seungmin said none of the gaming club students use that name, so he told me to look for you, but if you guys don’t know who she is, then how am I supposed to find her?” He rambled on exasperatedly.

“Why do you want to find her so badly?” Seonghwa questioned.

“I don’t know, honestly.” Chan sighed out. “I just remember her dragging my drunk ass home, and I remember looking up at her and just thinking, ‘wow, she’s gorgeous’ and that I felt so comfortable around her.” He muttered out. “I remember having so much fun playing the game with her even though I was super drunk.”

“If she dragged you home, doesn’t that mean she told Minho? I doubt that you would’ve been able to even remember your address.” San pointed out.

“Yeah, have you ever seen yourself drunk, hyung? I’m pretty sure Minho hyung would’ve texted her your address.” Yunho chuckled. Chan gave him a look as he thought about it. Why didn’t he think of asking Minho whether he knew who took him home?

“Wait, were you guys at the party, too?” He questioned and the three of them nodded.

“Minho hyung invites almost everyone, hyung.” San stated.

“You were really out of it that night, hyung.” Seonghwa pointed out. “You looked like you were ready to take off your shirt and start dancing.” He snorted.

“You disappeared with a girl and I assume she’s the one you’re talking about.” Yunho added.

“Do you know who she was?” Chan shot up from his chair, the three younger students flinching when he did.

“No, but I think she’s part of the dance club. I don’t know her name, but I think it’s her.” He guessed as he took a sip of his milk tea. “I couldn’t see properly because of the flashing lights.”

“Where did they even get those lights? Minho hyung’s parties look like a club rather than a normal house party.” San chuckled.

“He bought them online without telling the others because he knew they would say no. Hyunjin was actually pretty pissed because he wanted to buy a nicer set of lights.” Chan explained softly. “Wait, so do you know anyone who knows her?” He questioned, wanting to get back to the main task at hand.

“You seriously need to ask Minho hyung. He’s the president and he knows all of the students in the dance club. Maybe he knows who the girl was.” Yunho shrugged. Chan felt like he wanted to cry. He had actually spent the past three days trying to look for you. He actually tried walking around campus on Sunday night after a nap, hoping he would bump into you. He barely ever left his apartment right after a nap.

As he left the boba cafe, he was starting to think maybe he should just give up. One more. Chan thought to himself as he made his way to Minho’s house. The sun was starting to set and he was getting tired. If he couldn’t figure out who you were, he was going to give up. He stood outside the front door to his friends’ house, raising his fist to knock on the door. Instead, the door swung open and there you were. You were flustered at his sudden appearance and you were more so when you saw how he was staring at you.

“Uhh, Minho! Chris is here.” You called into the house. Chan continued to stare at you as Minho came to the door.

“Hyung? What’s up?” Minho questioned. Chan looked between you and Minho.

“Wh- I’m- I-It’s you!” He pointed to you. “You’re The Diamond Support, right?!” He questioned. You were so shocked by his sudden appearance that it took you a moment before you realised he was asking you something and you nodded. “I’ve been trying to figure out who you were ever since Friday night.” He let out a relieved sigh.

“Oh, it was (Y/n)?” Minho turned to you. “Hyung, she brought you home. If you wanted to know who she was, you could’ve just asked who brought you home.” He stated simply as he turned back to Chan.

“I didn’t think you knew who brought me home.” Chan confessed. “I wanna play more games with you.” He blurted out as he turned to you and you were flustered from how straightforward he was being.

“W-What?” You stammered.

“Y-You wanna play a game together?” He stuttered out, his confidence seeming to falter the longer he was standing in front of you. “You’re a really good support. I somehow managed to get six kills even while I was so drunk I don’t even know how I managed to remember my password.” You blinked at him a couple times as you thought back to it.

“Oh, you only got those six kills because the enemy team was really bad.” You giggled softly.

“You were still my support, and I had a lot of fun playing with you.” Chris confessed. Minho had let himself back into the house to give the two of you privacy and you couldn’t help but feel like the whole affair was oddly endearing. Christopher Bang, the guy you had a crush on, had spent his entire day running around campus trying to figure out who you were. The guy whose stream you looked forward to whenever you had a stressful day of class, had been waiting for a reply from you for almost four days.

“Chris, I-I honestly don’t know how to react.” You said as you stared at him in shock. His expression dropped slightly, the fear of being suddenly rejected washing over him. “But, sure, I’ll play with you.” You smiled when you saw the corners of his lips lifting and his shoulders relax.

“Are you just leaving? I could walk you home.” Chan offered and you nodded as you walked down the steps with him by your side. “What were you doing here?” He questioned.

“Oh, my cat pushed my laptop off of my desk. Since it’s broken, I can’t play any games, so Jeongin invited me over to use their gaming room.” You explained.

“Your cat pushed your laptop off the desk?” He repeated and you nodded. His eyes flickered with realisation. “That’s why you didn’t come online over the weekend.” He muttered out and you nodded once again.

“I’ve had to use the computers at the library to finish my assignments and today’s the first time I actually played League since Friday. I only saw your message just now.” You hummed out. “I sent you a reply, but I wasn’t expecting you to suddenly show up at the house. If I knew you were coming, I would’ve waited for you and we could’ve played there.” You told him.

The two of you continued to walk together in a comfortable silence. You couldn’t help but think back to when you had to drag Chan home. The calming yet playful aura he let out then still seemed to surround the both of you.

“Wait, you spent the whole day running around campus to look for me?” You questioned when it hit you and you couldn’t help the guilty feeling starting to bubble in your chest.

“Yeah, but I didn’t know your name, so I was trying to find anyone who knew you by your summoner name.” His hand moved to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

“You could’ve asked Jeongin. I play League with him all the time.” You stated. Chan stared at you for a moment.

“Jeongin was with his girlfriend and I didn’t want to bother him.” He chuckled softly. “But, I guess if I did just head on to him first, I would’ve met you earlier.”

“Maybe it was fate.” You shrugged. You weren’t one to believe in fate, but seeing the way everything for him just led to you, maybe you were supposed to end up meeting anyway.

“Are we like gaming soulmates or something?” Chan joked, causing you to breathe out a laugh.

“Maybe we are, Bang Carry Chan.” You glanced over at him when you mentioned his streamer name and his entire being seemed to light up even more.

“You watch my streams?” He questioned. You nodded and his smile widened. “I haven’t been really into my streams lately, honestly. It feels exactly like what I didn’t want to game for; a job.” He sighed.

“Well, if you try to avoid it becoming a job, it might just make you feel like it is.” You stated and Chan seemed to agree with it, his head nodding slightly.

“That night we played together was the first time I felt that excited in a really long time. It reminded me of the first time I played League.” He chuckled. Your heart skipped a beat and you turned your gaze in front of you. “I think we have good team synergy.” Chan added when you didn’t say anything. He hadn’t felt this nervous around a girl in a while, too. He was trying his best not to scare you off.

“I think we do.” You nodded, glancing over at him. “I like our synergy.” You added.

“So, whenever you’re free, do you want to play a game at the guys’ house?” Chan suggested and you nodded. You didn’t want any unwanted events, but games with Chan were more than welcome in your heart.

#kwritersworldnet #stray kids imagines #stray kids scenarios #stray kids drabbles #stray kids one shot #bang chan #bang chan stray kids #christopher bang #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop drabbles #kpop one shot

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stereksecretsanta · 3 years

Text

Merry Christmas, nephilimeq!

For @nephilimeq :)

When Stiles can’t decide what to get for Derek’s Secret Santa present, he decides to give Derek himself. It doesn’t go quite like he thought it would.

Or, the one where Stiles expected sex, but got to help Derek with his computer virus instead (but still somehow ended up with a boyfriend for Christmas).

*****

A Gift to Unwrap

“I’m so glad we’re doing Secret Santa this year, I can’t afford to buy you all shit again,” Stiles said, lounging on Derek’s couch with his head off the side and his feet in the hair.

Lydia smacked his ankle when it got too close to her. “It’s not like you gave us all great gifts last year. You gave me pens.”

“What was wrong with pens? You like pens.”

“They were from the dollar store, Stiles.”

“Whatever,” Stiles flipped over, sitting properly. “I hope I get Derek, he appreciates my gifts.”

“Derek?” Allison looked over at him from her armchair, “he’s the worst to buy for, he isn’t happy with anything.”

“Hey, Derek loved the birthday present I got him!”

Allison and Lydia shared a confused look. It was just the three of them here, planning out secret santa as everyone else on the pack went for midnight wolf patrol. Stiles didn’t mind, he liked when team humans got to hang.

“Derek doesn’t celebrate his birthday…” Lydia finally said, turning back to him.

“Yeah, I know,” Stiles shrugged, “I just got him a photo album and filled it with all the family pictures of the Hales I could find. I dropped it off in the morning, we had some coffee, and I left. Derek didn’t have to celebrate, and I only had to spend like 5 bucks.”

They were both frowning now though. “How long did that take you?” Allison asked.

“Uh…” Stiles scratched his head, “a month or so?”

“A month or so?” Allison shook her head. “This year you gave me gum for my birthday!”

“Hey, you like gum!’

Lydia smirked, “don’t take it personally, Ally, Stiles only buys good presents for people he loves.”

“Woah- what? Who said - I don’t love anyone!”

Lydia laughed, “Stiles, you once bought me a TV! This year I got more dollar store pens. But Derek gets a whole photo album that you spent a month on? You’ve moved on from me and right on to him,” she grinned, “did you add little notes in it too?”

Stiles blushed, “no!… not that many! Shut up!”

“Relax, Derek likes you too,” she said. All nonchalant, like this wasn’t brand new information.

“What- what do you mean? Not that it - I don’t love him, or anything, but like what do you mean by that.”

“Okay,” Allison said, leaning back, “I can see it now.”

“Um, no? There’s nothing to see?”

“I guess we’ll find out next week,” Lydia said with a wink, “when you both get each other for Secret Santa.”

“You can’t just… cheat like that. Can you? Oh my God, what do you think he’ll get me?” They both laughed. Stiles was starting to see their point. “… not that it matters, what he gets me.”

“He’ll get you something sweet, I’m sure,” Lydia said. “You’ve kind of already outdone yourself with the photo album, but I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Aw, this is so sweet!” Allison said, smiling at Stiles blush. “Aw at New Years you two can kiss!”

Stiles didn’t even try to deny he liked that idea. And now that he was thinking about it, it was definitely not the first time he liked the idea of Derek kissing him.

Shit.

“Guys, I might like Derek…”

They looked at each other and laughed.

–

That weekend, when they pulled their Secret Santa names out of the hat, Stiles wasn’t surprised he pulled Derek’s name out. Lydia was a witch, she could do anything.

He watched carefully as Derek read his. He made no reaction, but Stiles noticed him glance towards him a minute later. Did you get Stiles’ name too? Was Lydia really doing this?

Was it normal to be this excited for Secret Santa?

Stiles wasn’t sure - but he didn’t care. He couldn’t wait for Christmas.

–

He realized as soon as he stepped into the mall, Lydia was right. He should have fucking waited to do the photo album for Christmas.

No one cared about their 26th birthday. It was a stupid age. Why did he go so big? Stiles had turned 22 this year, and Derek had just taken him out for dinner. He should have done that.

What the hell was he going to do now?

He had $20 he could spend and that was it. He walked past the dollar store but shook his head. Looked into H&M and scoffed. Derek would hate everything in this mall. Stiles wasn’t sure where he bought his ridiculously soft shirts, but it wasn’t here.

And they were probably more than $20s.

Cursing, Stiles back tracked. What could he do? He did the sentimental thing already, but maybe he could.. Add to that? Get… What, video recordings of his family?

No, that would just be creepy. He wasn’t fucking stalking the dead.

He could… draw him a picture? He was shit at art. He could… take him on a trip? At some point.. When neither of them were working.. And it was super cheap?

God he was doomed.

Stiles walked past La Senza and paused. The mannequin was dressed in a skimpy bra, but that wasn’t what he was looking at. It was also covered in bows, like the mannequin itself was the present.

Could… Stiles… be the present?

No, that was ridiculous.

Unless…?

No. Derek deserved a real present.

But maybe..?

Stiles bit his lip in thought. It would be better than dollar store pens at least.

He turned and made his way to the craft store. Time to spend his $20 on high end ribbon.

–

Stiles had on his tightest skinny jeans, the ones that Jackson said made his ass pop. He wore the shirt Lydia had given him, the one he thought had been a size too small but she insisted fit him better than anything else he owned.

Now, for the important layer. He pulled out the red ribbon.

He tied a loop around his chest, making a bow on his front. He tied another around his leg and made a bow on his thigh. He looped a ribbon down his left arm, starting from his shoulder and ending with a bow on his wrist.

He looked at himself in the mirror, a bit worried he had over done it.

“Well, my dad didn’t believe I was gay before, he should see me now.”

Although he and his dad had already had that talk. More than once, actually, after he caught Danny in his room in senior year. That had been awkward.

But they were good now. And Derek wouldn’t be such a surprise to him, he didn’t think…

You know, if Derek… actually liked him back. And wanted to date him. And be introduced to Stiles father as his boyfriend-

He was getting ahead of himself.

He took a deep breath. “Even if he doesn’t like me, the present is he has me for a full day. He can make me clean his windows if he wants.”

WIth that, Stiles pulled on his dad’s trench coat.

It was show time.

–

Stiles usually barged into Derek’s loft like he owned the place, but it felt weird to do that now, so he knocked.

It took a minute before Derek opened the door. He already looked confused, and his eyebrow rose up at the sight of him.

“Stiles.”

“Evening, Derek.”

“Why did you knock…. Why are you dressed like you’re going to flash me?”

Stiles felt his cheeks warm, “it’s, uh, for Secret Santa!”

“You’re going to flash me for Secret Santa?”

“No! I am,” he gestured at himself, “fully clothed underhere, I will have you know. But it is part of the present.”

Derek raised a brow, “the gift exchange is tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but… mine starts today.”

Derek shrugged, then stepped back to wave Stiles inside.

Palms sweating, Stiles stepped in and only hesitated a moment before he opened his coat. “Ta da!” He said, dropping the coat dramatically to the floor, “I am your present!”

Derek looked him up and down, eyes lingering on the bows, “okay.”

Stiles swallowed. He shouldn’t have worn his tightest clothes, could Derek see his sweat through his shirt already?

Fuck, could he smell it?

“And, uh, you can do whatever you want with me. For the next 24 hours.” Derek nodded, his eyes still on the bow on Stiles chest. Shit, maybe this was stupid. “Sorry, I thought… I’m kind of broke, and I - this was dumb-”

“No, it’s good,” Derek stepped toward him. Stiles’ heart started to race, he clenched his fists so they wouldn’t shake. This was the plan, right? This was the fucking point of the gift - make a big decleration and give himself to Derek, for a whole day, to do whatever.

But fuck, what if Derek was into weird shit? Stiles wasn’t a virgin, but he’d only been with two people before, and did that guy from college really count if all they did was handjobs? Stiles didn’t even remember his name. And fuck, what if this made Derek think all he wanted was sex? What if he was ruining a potentially amazing relationship because of one stupid -

All Derek did was reach behind him and close the door.

Of course.

Stiles cleared his throat.

“So, uh…”

“Come with me.”

Stiles obeyed, following Derek to the couch. Was Derek going to throw him on it? Ravish him?

He passed Stiles a laptop.

“You’re good at this stuff, right? I think I have a virus or something.”

“… what?”

“I have you for 24 hours, tonight you can help me with my laptop.”

“Oh, oh, okay, sure.” Stiles sat down, glancing down at the screen. He felt stupid for being relieved.

“After you figure out the virus thing, you can also help me get a netflix. And figure out how to get it on the TV? Lydia is refusing to set up pack movie nights anymore if we’re all going to complain about watching The Notebook everytime.”

“Alright,” Stiles leaned back on the couch, diving right in. By the state of Derek’s desktop, he had a feeling this might actually take him 24 hours.

–

Stiles slept over at Derek’s house that night, though it went very differently than he had imagined. He borrowed Derek’s sweats and a baggy T. He slept on the couch. He worked on his laptop until 2 am, and woke up to Derek making breakfast. Stiles joined him in the kitchen, making coffee beside him as he cracked eggs into a pan.

It was nice. Domestic.

Derek smiled at him as he passed over a mug of coffee, and Stiles smiled back.

This was way better than his original plan.

“So, your computer’s up and running, and can connect to the TV. What else do you need help with?”

“Cleaning.”

“… cleaning what?”

“The loft. The pack is coming over tonight for the Secret Santa exchange. Clean up, and when you’re done, help me make the Christmas cookies.”

Stiles shrugged, “okay.”

–

Cleaning wasn’t hard. Derek kept his place pretty impeccable anyway, so all Stiles had to do was some dusting and sweeping. Then he joined Derek in the kitchen, where he had already started baking.

The rest of the day went by so fast, Stiles ran out of time to go home. He changed back into the clothes he was wearing last night, minus the bows, and came back to find the pack already arriving.

He smiled at Derek as they passed out the food together. He imagined what it would be like if he really did live here, really did help Derek with every pack night. He thought they would make a good pair.

And when their shoulders brushed when they sat down together, Stiles didn’t feel nervous. In fact, he leaned into the touch a bit. And he didn’t miss the soft smile Derek sent his way when he did.

Yeah… he thought they would be great together.

The night went by in a blur, Stiles too focused on Derek’s warmth beside him to really pay attention to any of the presents everyone was opening.

He didn’t even notice people had started leaving until it was only him, Lydia and Allison left.

And Lydia and Allison were getting ready to go.

“Oh. I guess I should get ready to go too.”

“Aw, but you two look so cozy,” Allison said with a smirk.

Stiles flushed. Derek, thankfully, either didn’t notice her comment or ignored it. “I haven’t given you your gift yet,” he said. “You can’t leave.”

“Have fun getting your gift, Stiles,” Lydia said, winking, before she shut the door.

Stiles felt his face grow even hotter, but Derek still didn’t comment on it as he got up to get his present. Bless this man. Bless him and his new social tact.

Derek came back out with a present so big, Stiles felt a pang of regret for going with his stupid idea. He could have at least given him… socks, or something.

“Derek, you didn’t have to-”

“I did. After the photo album, I did.” He cleared his throat, “it’s not that big of a deal, I just didn’t know how to wrap it.”

Stiles didn’t believe him. The way Derek was carefully holding it, he didn’t think Derek fully believed it either.

When he ripped open the wrapping paper, he gasped, “Derek…”

It was a painting. A painting of him in his grad cap and gown, from his university graduation last summer. Beside him was his dad, in his suit, just like in their pictures, and on the other side…

“I tried to make her look a bit older, without changing her too much… your dad gave me a picture.”

“She’s beautiful,” Stiles whispered. His mother looked just like he remembered, he even knew the dress, but… there were wrinkles that he never got to see her have. A few gray hairs she never got to grow. His eyes started to burn, so he put the picture down on the table, taking a deep breath. “Derek, you really didn’t have to…”

“You didn’t have to give me the photo album.”

Stiles licked his lips. Derek leaned forward.

“I knew what you were doing. With your gift, I mean, I knew what you were trying to do.”

“You don’t - I shouldn’t have, I don’t want to force anything. It was stupid.”

“It wasn’t stupid, it was cute. I was just surprised. And you smelled really nervous, sweaty,” Stiles cursed himself, he knew Derek had smelled the sweat. “I didn’t want our first anything together to be with you under pressure. I want us to both want it.”

Stiles looked at Derek, how beautiful and sincere he was. He thought maybe he was already in love with this man.

“Do I smell nervous now?”

“No.”

They leaned forward at the same time, the kiss was soft. Perfect. Derek’s beard was smooth under his fingers.

When they pulled back, Derek grinned. “Can I unwrap my present now?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

The End <3

#nephilimeq #stereksanta20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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angrymongol01-archived · 3 years

Text

A/N: Am reposting two of my shelved discontinued fem!Hinata fics from my old blog here (for exposure ig? Also I didn't delete them completely there, they're just posted privately lol); for those who've read the original post before and wondering why this blog repost another blog's work, supplies~!! OP here, filling this blog with some Haikyuu content from last October. Enjoy ^^;; ALSO DO NOT SEND HATE ORZ smh

My Masterlist

Prologue | 01 | Omake 01

tho it doesn't looked like an extra chapter at all smh ahaha

Omake 01

wc: 1.9k words

warning: mentions of thigh touching (and probs kidnapping but not implied), a bit of OOC-ness, a few ‘damn’ mentions.

note: indented paragraphs -> flashbacks

*NOTE: since purple/violet is unavailable via PC (using desktop beta lol), I'll use yellow for Ushijima instead.

“…ta…nata…Hinata!”

A female’s voice continued calling her from her deep slumber.

The faint smell of ammonia wafted in the air.

Eyelids slowly opened as she regained consciousness.

“Ah, thank goodness you’re awake now, Hina-chan!”

“Yachi-san?” She groggily glanced at her friend.

“I’ll tell the others she’s awake!” Suddenly, the owner of that voice earlier, Date Tech’s manager, Nametsu Mai, stood up and headed outside the door. Yachi nodded her thanks.

“W-what happened… Where am I? Is this not our—the managers’—room?” she asked.

Hinata started to sit up from where she was laying but wobbled.

Luckily, Yachi and their second-year senpai Kinoshita Hisashi helped her out and gently positioned their fellow member on one corner of the classroom-slash-makeshift sleeping area.

Her senpai sheepishly replied to Hinata, “This is Date Tech’s sleeping quarters. We were having our first practice match of the day, against them, when Sugawara-san called to inform that they’ve found you together with Shiratorizawa, and their captain carried you on—“

The decoy shivered, thinking about the restroom incident hours ago.

“—and fainted on Ushijima’s shoulder. Ma~n, Suga-san’s so furious back then Kageyama had to stop him from killing them.” Kinoshita chuckled.

“Your room’s kinda far away from where they found you, so the managers decided to drop you off here since it’s the nearest one.”

Hinata sweatdropped, a bit embarrassed.

“Ah… thank you, and sorry for whatever inconvenience I have caused earlier…”

Yachi shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine! You’ve done nothing wrong, Hina-chan~,” she grinned at the orange-haired girl.

Smiled back also.

Then she suddenly facepalmed. “I forgot about the practice match! Is it still going yet?”

“It finished an hour ago, we lost—2-1,” a scowling Kageyama answered, trudging towards the three.

“K-k-kageyama…!!!” the female middle blocker blanched with fear, hands gripping the blanket draped on her lap, while the raven-haired setter shot a menacing glare at her, which she averted. “I’m… I’m sorry for—“

“Are you alright?” he quietly asked Hinata, his hand perched on her head.

His deep blue eyes swimming with concern and worry.

She felt a slight flush on her cheeks while meeting his gaze.

“H-hai, I’m fine!” the chibi assured Kageyama. “Nothing to worry about, Bakayama-kun~!”

And she smiled at him.

The boy suddenly became hot and turned to look away from her, hiding his flustered face with the back of his hand.

“H-hinata boke… idiot,” Kageyama stuttered, his heart thumping louder than normal.

Ahh… he sure is whipped for Hinata, that Kageyama boy, Kinoshita thought, shaking his head.

While their blonde manager only giggled.

Recovering from his blushing mess a while ago, the raven-haired setter took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes at Hinata and quipped.

“But I guess you do know that we lost in the match earlier because of your carelessness around your surroundings, right, dumbass?”

He smirked.

This pissed the female decoy and threw in some punches at Kageyama, which he constantly dodged. “Shut up, you!! I said I’m sorry, alright?!”

“No, you did not!”

“Yes, I did, Bakayama!”

There goes their ‘lovers’ quarrel’ again… hahaha…

“Hinata!” Sugawara’s sweet voice boomed inside the room as he entered together with their team’s captain Sawamura Daichi. Beside them tagged along Hinata’s friend from Date Tech, fellow middle blocker Aone Takanobu.

“Ah, Sugawara-san!” The first-year idiot duo stopped their bickering when the gray-haired setter all of a sudden hugged her.

Hc’d Suga and Hinata are chummy-chummy but in a mother/daughter sort of way.

He is, after all, Karasuno’s Sugamama.

“Honey, are you alright now? Did those Shiratorizawa bastards hurt you? Don’t lie to me!” She blinked in reply, baffled.

He might cry in an instant now—

“Oi, Suga, calm down,” Daichi said, drawing circles at the fellow third-year’s back to calm him down.

Aone then stepped closer besides Hinata and sat with his legs crossed, his eyes gazing at hers like Kageyama’s.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, his deep voice nearly startled both Hinata, Yachi and Kinoshita.

Date Tech’s one-third of the famous Iron Wall is a man of few words, and his replies were mostly grunts, hand gestures, and nods.

So it’s rare for him to speak, or ask a question, especially to a member of the opposite sex—or, in this case, at Karasuno’s Number 10. At Hinata Shouyou.

She held both hands at Aone’s now flustered cheeks, and grinned.

“I’m okay now, Aone-san! Don’t worry too much~ nn?” She tilted her head while looking at him.

C-cute… she’s cute, No-Eyebrows thought to himself. Even the other boys thought so, too.

Then he nodded.

Hinata patted his shoulders. “Good!”

Ahhh the power of friendship, feat. AoHina—

“Say, Hina-chan,” Yachi looked at the orange-haired girl. “Care to say to us why you fainted on Ushijima-san’s shoulder?”

The chibi stilled herself, cheeks starting to get a bit red. Kageyama noticed it.

“A-a-ano!! H-hinata-chan, it’s o-okay if you d-don’t have to tell us! S-sorry for asking such a foolish q-question—“

“Yachi-san, calm yourself down, too—,” the captain sweatdropped.

Looking at the people around her, Hinata slowly opened her mouth to speak.

“My thighs are kind of ticklish when being touched,” she muttered, face in an embarrassed state.

“Ha?” “Ticklish?”

“He—Ushijima-san touched the back of my thighs, but just to keep myself from falling down his shoulder!” the female middle blocker said aloud, pouting. “That’s why I… f-fainted earlier.”

Her partner remembered the face she made while being carried on Ushijima Wakatoshi’s shoulder.

“USHIJIMA-SA—hyaah! …P-please… stop—“

A vein pop ticked on the raven-haired setter’s face, his jawline twitching slightly.

Kageyama’s fists gripped hard, his face a big scowling mess.

Damn that Ushiwaka guy—

Another dark aura emitted on another corner as vein pops ticked on both Dadchi and Sugamama.

Wearing their scary faces.

Both Hinata, Yachi and Kinoshita panicked, while Aone furrowed his brows.

“Did you bring some shovels, Daichi?”

“They’re inside the bus compartment, Suga.”

“Good. We’re digging some graves for some perverted volleyball dorks to bury down later—wanna help us, Kageyama?”

———

Meanwhile, at Shiratorizawa’s side of the training camp, the members were at the sidelines, taking a break from practice when—

“ACHOO!!!” Tendou sniffled for the nth time already ever since coming back to the gym with Ushijima after the incident with Karasuno’s Number 10. “Uh, yizz…”

“Tendou-san, are you really alright?” their team’s first-year ace-in-the-making Goshiki Tsutomu asked, his face scrunched with worry. “You’re sneezing constantly.”

The redhead shook it off with a wave of his hand in reply, and smiled grimly.

“Yeah, I’m a-OK, thanks for your concern, Tsutomu-kun!”

“Oi, are you sick?” Shiratorizawa’s team mom third-year setter Semi Eita stared at his fellow third-year teammate with disgust. “If you are, please stay away from us! We don’t wanna get infected by your cold… Goshiki, don’t go near him!” “Eh? But, senpai—“

Tendou narrowed his eyes on him. “Semi-Semi, if I do have a cold, I will first go straight at ya and share my germs, duh!”

“DON’T CALL ME BY THAT STUPID NICKNAME, YOU IDIOT!” the team mom seethed, throwing a pack of tissues at the middle blocker in reply, hitting his arm.

A quarrel ensued at Shiratorizawa—

“Okay, guys, that’s enough! Save your bickering later at lunch period,” another third-year, Oohira Reon, chided and managed to stop both Tendou and Semi from tearing off their heads.

While the rest of the team just sighed and/or watched at a distance.

“Ano sa…”

Some of them turned their heads at the semi-deep voice of second-year starting setter Shirabu Kenjiro.

Idk how to describe voice ranges ‘cept high-pitch, deep blah blah sorry—

“Tendou-san, you mentioned earlier that you and Ushijima-san met Karasuno’s Number 10, right?”

“Aye~ we have!” the redhead then nudged Ushijima, who was sitting near him, on the side. “Right, Wakatoshi-kun?”

He nodded. “Un. We met Hinata Shouyou early this morning, outside the gym.”

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! You two met that cute sunshine already upon arrival!?!!” Both their libero, Yamagata Hayato, and middle blocker, Kawanishi Taichi, squawked at their captain.

Their faces looked like (‘◉⌓◉’), with Kawanishi gripping the collar of Shirabu’s shirt, shaking wildly.

“T-taichi, stop shaking me, goddammit—!” Whack!

Said second-year middle blocker started to wail in a dramatic way.

“WHYYYYYYYYYYY—!!”

Dunno how to grasp Kawanishi’s personality here tbh so stfu dejk—

“We were about to bring her here back though…” Then Ushijima’s usual stoic face darkened a bit.

“…if only those Karasuno setters didn’t show up.”

“Ah, that Kageyama guy and their vice-captain, isn’t it? Number 2?” Shirabu pointed out. “That guy’s really scary even though he has the face of an angel; their captain also.”

Oohira asked, “Wait… so you two attempted to kidnap the girl?”

“No, no, ‘kidnapping’ will only cause us trouble,” Tendou said, waving his hand in a disapproving way.

“Let’s call it ‘luring her with some sweets then put her inside a potato sack’—“

“ARE YOU A DOWNRIGHT LOLICON!?!!” Semi screamed straight at the Guess Monster’s face, pissed at his earlier statement.

Tendou vs Semi, Round 2–

“I-I heard from Date Tech’s Koganegawa-san that Hinata-chan fainted on you, Ushijima-san,” Goshiki stammered, red tinge on both his cheeks due to embarrassment, maybe? “Is that true?”

Ushiwaka nodded curtly. “Ye—“

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! SHE DID WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?!!” Both Yamagata and Kawanishi squawked again, interrupting his response.

Their faces now looked like (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾, with Kawanishi again gripping the collar of Shirabu’s shirt, shaking wildly.

“KAWANISHIIIIII!” An uppercut.

Chaos ensued inside the Shiratorizawa Academy (High School Division) Men’s Volleyball Club.

Their captain declared to himself, his olive-colored eyes shone with determination:

We will take Hinata Shouyou here, in Shiratorizawa. She should have (come here). Whatever the consequences be.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU SLACKING OFF, YOU NIMRODS!!! GET YOUR ASSES BACK TO PRACTICE!!!!”

“HAI!!!!”

———

How did the supposed-to-be ‘rumor’ begin? It all started when…

“Aaaarrrggghhh!! This is not right, Ryuu!”

“Huh? What d’you mean ‘not right’, Noya?”

“I want to sit next to our cute kouhai Shouyou on the bus earlier, but it’s always that bastard Kageyama who gets to sit beside her!! Hnnnnnngh—!!! He gets to touch Shouyou’s hair whenever she dozes off, or place her head on his shoulder to sleep on! Or-or maybe even take a candid shot of her sleeping cutely—dammit!!! This is frustrating!!!!!”

“Ahhh~ I know how you feel, bro! I, too, want to sit next to our precious Hinata-chan on the bus! B-but… Noya, what about Kiyoko-san?”

“Ryuu bro, our loyalty is always on our beautiful goddess Kiyoko-san—BUT SHE’S DIFFERENT FROM SHOUYOU! Our kouhai is literally the epitome of a living sunshine~! She cures our blues away! Remember that time during our match with Wakunan, when you were kind of down about Daichi-san’s injury then Shouyou suddenly hugged and peppered you with words of encouragement?”

“Oh, yeah! It calmed my senses down… and also! Remember when you came back from your suspension, and me and Hinata noticed bruises—“

idk I really need to refresh my HQ knowledge by rereading the whole manga orz—

“—on your arms? Ma~n, she freaked out and began applying those with some ointment she had in her bag. And you told me later that time Hinata’s hands were very soft even though she spiked and blocked so many balls in her lifetime? Also that expression on your face! So priceless!”

“Ahhhh~ I wanna touch Shouyou’s soft hands again longer! Not just a high five—but holding hands!”

“Me too~ Damn, I wish there’d be some kind of (rotational?) seating arrangement whenever we’re on the bus, traveling to matches and stuff…”

“Ryuu! Noya! Heya!”

“Tora! Our shitty (city) boy from Tokyo—wassup!”

“We can’t wait to play another game against you guys later! ww”

“Same here!”

“Ah, what are you guys talking about?”

“OUR PRECIOUS KOUHAI HINATA/SHOUYOU!!!”

“Eh? Shrimpy-chan? What about her?”

“It’s like this….—“

The two crows and mohawked cat walked their way inside the camp premises, talking.

Unbeknownst to them, two eagles accidentally eavesdropped on the earlier conversation.

DO NOT REPOST/EDIT WITHOUT PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME, KIDS. LIKES ESPECIALLY REBLOGS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED. ALL WORKS © angrymongol01 - 2021.

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avis-writeshq · 4 years

Note

Can you write a song fic? Do you do those? With Oikawa based on the song Ours by Taylor Swift? Love your blog btw!

Oikawa Tooru x Reader: Ours

Requested: Yep, by anon!

Pairing: Oikawa Tooru x Fem!Reader

Summary: Elevator buttons and morning air, sometimes people suck. But when there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (cough, Oikawa), you can’t help but keep moving.

Warnings: Fluff, small angst if you look carefully, trash writing

Other: I loooooovveeee this song! It’s basically a baby ‘Lover’ aw! Thanks for the request anon!

Word count: 1,647

Things you probably wanna know, for all you ‘x reader’ illiterates:

Y/N: Your Name

(H/C): Hair Colour / Color

(E/C): Eye Colour / Color

(N/N): Nickname

***

You shuffled awkwardly into the tiny gap in the elevator, clutching your brief case tightly. You silently cursed the chatty café worker who tried to get you to buy 3 banana breads when you only wanted 1. You glanced around though your peripheral vision; you knew all these people. The janitor in the corner and the annoying office lady who always has a little lipstick on her teeth… even the frustrating office prankster who worked in the stall right next to you. And yet… you didn’t know their names. You would’ve thought that after 2 years of working in the same company you would get used to your colleagues, right?

Wrong.

You closed your eyes tightly, waiting to reach the 42nd floor. You needed to get through the day. Well, unless one of your co-workers decided to test your patience.

Patience… how could a random annoying person test your patience? Honestly, you probably dealt with the worst. A fond smile drifted onto your face at the thought. At least he genuinely apologised when he annoyed you.

The soft ding of the elevator brought you out of your reverie. You tried to take a step forward, only to be pushed over by the rest of the people who were once occupying the elevator.

“H-hey!” You yelped, dropping your case to the floor despite the iron-grip you had on it. “Friggin hell…”

Apparently respect is an uncommon thing around here. You let out a soft sigh, “Tooru�� when you get back, you owe me chocolate and a Disney marathon.”

With that, you walked over to your little stall and dropped the case to the floor. Turning your computer on, you couldn’t help but stare at the desktop image. It was a selfie of you and Oikawa. He was doing a peace sign at the camera while pressing a kiss to your cheek. You shook your head. Come on, focus.

Oikawa is in America; being in the National Volleyball tournament was his dream. And this was your dream job. Yeah… what a lie.

Your lunch break took way longer to come than expected. You fished out your store-bought salad and headed to the staff room. There were a few other staff members inside – a lot of the others preferred to go out for lunch instead of staying in the drab office.

“Hey, isn’t that L/N Y/N?”

Your name caught your attention and you listened into the conversation.

“Why is she working here while her boyfriend is all the way in America? Isn’t she scared of him finding someone better?”

Well, they weren’t being subtle about their rudeness. But the truth is, you were scared, even if it was just a little bit. You didn’t want to be, you trusted him, but there was a small nagging doubt in the back of your head. You knew what Tooru would say if he heard what you were thinking.

“You know you’re better than them,” he told you once when you finally drew out the confidence to tell you how you felt. “Don’t you worry your pretty little mind. I’m yours. Forever and always.”

The day seemed to go on and on, but then the clock hit 5 o’clock and you bolted out of the office building. Finally! You got out of that cramped little stall. You let out a long sigh as you boarded the train, scrolling through your social media.

“So… you’re Oikawa’s little toy, huh?”

You froze at the icy tone of the woman next to you. She was, for lack of better words, completely and utterly gorgeous. Her ruby painted lips and her large hoop earrings, as well as her long platinum hair, gave her a superior vibe and you shuffled awkwardly at her words. Toy?

“What are you-”

“Oh? Tooru didn’t mention me?” A sickly sweet smile stretched across her face. “I am Tachibana Reina.” She looked you up and down, her smile quickly replaced with a scowl. “I wonder why Oikawa went for the likes of you.”

You said nothing, thinking of another comeback. No matter how hard you tried, she had a point. There was nothing that special to you. The only thing you were ‘known for’ was your crazy dance moves – and you swore everyone who witnessed that to secrecy. You shook your head mentally. You can’t think like that. You shouldn’t care about what people have to say about you and Tooru. After all, he was your boyfriend. He was yours, not anyone else’s and he was like a loyal puppy. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt you and you probably trusted him more than you trust yourself.

“Maybe because I’m real,” you answered backhandedly.

“What did you say?!” Whoop, she’s angry now.

You shrug casually, getting up just as the train stopped. “Well, it was nice talking to you. See you never.” And with a smile and a wave, you hopped off the train.

***

“Hey!”

The tired man on the other side of the screen smiled at your energetic form. “Hello, my love.”

You grin, “Are you tired? Sorry, it must be really early there…”

“I was just about to do my morning run,” Oikawa hummed letting out a yawn. “It’s nice to know that my lovely girlfriend is thinking about me. Well? How was your day?”

“The usual,” you shrugged. “Was shoved over in the elevator, had a bunch of office ladies gossip about me behind my back, the works. Oh, but I did manage to flip off one of your crazy exes so that was nice.”

He snorted, but a glimmer of concern was in his eyes. “Did they say anything?”

“Well, your lovely ex, Tachibana I think her last name was, decided to shoot some insightful words to me,” you rolled your eyes. “I’m fine though, no biggie.”

Oikawa gazed at you through the screen and a charming smile lit up his features. “You’re perfect, Y/N-chan~. Don’t listen to them, okay?”

“I haven’t been for the past 5 years, thanks for noticing. Now go do your run dummy.”

“I’m coming home tonight~ see you later!”

And after pressing the big red button and putting your phone on charge, you slowly drifted to sleep.

***

Life seemed to hate you. Eh, you were used to it by now. The elevator was packed again today, and you did your best to push your way through. And… you got hit in the face with a briefcase, someone spilled coffee on your white shirt, and you almost landed flat on your face when someone ‘accidentally’ tripped you over. You groaned, reminding yourself to take the stairs next time, even if you have to walk up 42 floors and die halfway.

And the whole day went the same. You had to deal with the same old shenanigans. People talking behind your back, the random paper aeroplanes that missed your head by an inch, that 1 staff member who liked to steal people’s food even though it was clearly labelled… man, you better get that dumb promotion or you were so out of there.

5 o’clock seemed to never come as you stared blankly at your computer screen. ‘Woah, Tooru is in another magazine. Good job, babe, if you don’t treat me to chocolate, yaint seeing a camera ever again.’ You thought to yourself, spooning another spoon of yogurt into your mouth.

“So… when is Oikawa coming back?” A haughty voice questioned from behind you in fake sympathy.

Your eyebrow twitched in annoyance. “Why would you like to know?”

“It must be hard… long-distance relationships are the worst.” She smirked at you.

“It’s not as bad as people make it out to be. I trust him.” A soft smile graced your features and the woman scoffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder and leaving you to your peace.

***

So, according to Miyagi Airlines, Tooru’s flight would arrive at 5:30, which allowed you more than enough time to scoot your butt to the airport. You let out a sigh, scrolling through the pictures on your phone as you sat in the train. Reminiscing the times during High School seemed to be the best thing you could have done and you felt all the negative emotions that you built through the day seemed to evaporate. All the memories of the old volleyball team at Aoba Josai, meeting Tooru for the first time in your first year… yeah, those were the best times. You smiled wistfully at your phone. Damn, you couldn’t wait to bury him alive in hugs and kisses.

As soon as the train came to a stop, you ran out through the doors and scoured the airport for the America-to-Japan flight. Aha, bridge 8.

And that’s where you saw him. Glasses on his gorgeous tired face, his chocolate brown locks messy and tousled like always… you swore you fell in love all over again. And then, he saw you. His once tired expression was replaced with a bright smile that shone like a thousand stars. As he dropped his backpack to a random chair, you threw your briefcase to the side before wrapping your arms around him.

He buried his head into your shoulder, peppering light kisses against your neck as he did so.

“I missed you.” He murmured, tangling his long fingers into your hair as he pressed his lips to yours.

You smiled into the kiss, whispering against his lips, “I missed you, too.”

And the smiles and laughs that overtook your features were bright and loud, despite the small tears that pricked in your eyes that he gently wiped away.

“You owe me a Disney marathon,” you said, as he picked his suitcase up from the baggage claim.

“Yeah, I had a feeling,” he grinned, entwining his fingers with yours.

You smiled, squeezing his hand lightly. You could get used to this.

[The stakes are high. The water’s rough. But this love is ours.]

All characters except for the reader and my OC’s (listedbelow) are the work of Haruichi Furudate(古館春一).This is not part of the canon work by any means. I do not claim ownership overthe characters or the Haikyuu storyline and plot. Without Furudate Sensei’swork, myself as well as many other writers are unable to create these stories.

My OC’s:

Fukuhara Aneko(福原あねこ)

Hasegawa Sakura (長谷川さくら)

Emiko Etsudo (えつどうえみこ)

Tachibana Reina (橘れいな)

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t100ficrecsblog · 4 years

Text

an interview with @mobi-on-a-mission (she/her)

what are you working on right now? I'm in between fics right now after posting The Cockroach recently for Chopped! I'll likely start something new soon (I'm thinking of a canonverse forbidden lovers fic?), but we'll see where the muse takes me! When I'm not busy writing fic or being a human disaster I like to beta read. I beta read several fics for the Bellarke Big Bang, and I'm really excited to read them in their final form once that comes out! Beta reading may not be the first thing people think of with writing, but it's really elevated my experience with fanfic. It's a great way to let out my inner critic, participate in the writing process from a different angle, and read new fics before anyone else (hehe!) while helping out other writers. Going beyond 'this doesn't work' to 'this particular aspect isn't coming through right and here are some ideas on how to fix it' is the crucial step and has really made me a better writer!

I'm also excited to be accepting prompts for Bellarke Writers for Black Lives Matter. Send me a prompt and a donation to an organization of your choice which supports the BLM movement, and I'll write you a fanfic!

what’s something you’d like to write one day? I usually write whatever I want to write! One thing I've never tried though is an ot3. I enjoy them but at this point I don't think I could do that sort of relationship justice.

what is the fanwork you’re most proud of? Honestly I'm proud of all my fics. Each one carries its own challenges and rewards, so I never get in a rut! The work I'm most proud of, though, has got to be Revive. It's a canon compliant through s6 Memori pregnancy multichap that I wrote during hiatus. It's by far the longest fic I've ever written, and I wrote it at a time when I was still very uncomfortable writing fic. I must have had my eyes closed half the time I was drafting it, I was so nervous! But I finished it and posted it and from there on writing was just that much easier. I haven't looked back since.

why did you first start writing fic? I wrote my first "fic" in 2014, when I was 14 years old. Then I came back a year later with a really short oneshot. Both of those were for Supernatural, and they're still on my ao3. I was extremely nervous about writing, especially with the fear that my family would find out what I was doing. That fear kept me from writing for years and years, pining to write something. That is, until last July. I'd had enough. So I sat myself down and made myself write, every dad for three days until The Best Back Rubs (my first fic for The 100) was written. Again after that fic I had trouble writing. Four months later though I started writing Revive and like I said earlier, I just kept writing after that!

what frustrates you most about fic writing? The most frustrating thing about fic writing is lukewarm reception. As much as I hate to admit it, validation is important to me and I like to feel like people are enjoying what I write. When I spend a lot of time on a fic and get excited about posting it, a part of me is expecting a whole bunch of comments and kudos and hits. Sometimes that doesn't happen though! Usually that doesn't happen. I have to remind myself that those responses are not reflective of my value as a writer. My friends are a huge help with this!

what are your top five songs right now?

Sweet - Cigarrettes After Sex Foreigner's God - Hozier One More Hour - Anthony Ramos Combustible - Cœur de Pirate Undrunk - FLETCHER

what are your inspirations? My inspiration is a little bit different for every fic I write. I tend toward canonverse, so I pull from interesting aspects of canon and then let my imagination run wild with *what if*s. My own life inspires my writing as well. This helps me to add in little details to make the story feel more real. I've been inspired by writing prompts and movies and songs and other fics and snow falling outside my window!

The one thing that's constant is other writers. I learn so much from reading, beta reading, and of course talking to my friends! They help to give me ideas as well as motivation to keep going. Writing can be a lonely pursuit, but it doesn't have to be. There's only so much going on in my brain—connecting with others is what brings things to the next level.

what first attracted you to Memori? what attracts you now? From the first time they locked eyes, I shipped it a little! But in the beginning, I wasn't that invested in Memori. I kind of took them for granted until s5. But more on that later. What first attracted me to Memori was how non-traditional they are in that they're not standard cut good guys yet they were allowed to meet and fall in love. Add on top of that how they make each other better in a nuanced and imperfect way, and I'm hooked! I also really liked how they didn't beat around the bush with getting together. In a world where slowburn is seen as peak romance, it was refreshing to see a couple that was just like 'you? I like you' and then they got together and eventually became what is (in my possibly biased eyes) the strongest couple on the show at this point. Getting into s5, that's when I really became invested in the ship. It hurt to see their relationship problems like that, but it allowed them to grow from it in a beautiful way. Through it all, they have so much love for each other. They're imperfect people and they make mistakes, but at the end of the day they learn from it and become better as a couple than they are alone. Their devotion to each other really is something else!

Besides Memori, what character or pairing do you like best on t100? Funny story: I actually decided to start watching The 100 after reading Bellarke smut on ao3! It was a non-traditional introduction to the story, but something must have clicked with me and I was a Bellarke shipper from the start (even though I frankly detested Bellamy in the beginning). I still ship them, even though Memori has taken my heart! Oh yeah and I got to give a shoutout to Niytavia as well because apparently canon isn't going to feed us with content for them.

why did you decide to start writing for bellarkefic-for-blm? It's pretty simple, really: Black lives matter should not be a controversial statement, and this is one of the ways I can help make our world a little less sucky for Black people.

what’s your writing process like (esp for prompts, chopped!, etc)? Every fic I write begins with a hodge podge of ideas. Sometimes I scribble them in a notebook and sometimes I use the computer, but it's always a creative mess! Recently I've been using Notion, a free editor which has a great desktop app. A writer friend turned me on to it and now I use it for writing as well as other life stuff too! It's easy to drag and reorganize ideas, so it really helps take a brainstorm mess to a working outline. Once an idea starts taking form I organize my ideas into related pieces and some end up getting thrown out. I craft "scenes" out of this and soon it becomes clear what pieces I'm missing. I fill in those pieces, throw out or rework stuff that doesn't work together, and pretty soon I have an outline.

I absolutely love getting prompts! I haven't gotten one through Bellarke Writers for Black Lives Matter (yet!), but I've written in a few rounds of Chopped. Most recently wrote for Chopped 3.0 Round 2 and won 1st place for best overall with my Memori fic The Cockroach. The biggest difference that comes when writing from a prompt like that is I need to make sure the fic not only fits the prompt but breathes life into it!

what are some things you’d like to recommend? Remember how I mentioned I beta read? Yeah. Right now my friend Kara, aka @queenemori, is writing a slowburn Memori actors au called We Don't Need To Say It. It's out of this world amazing and I am so hype to be a part of the process. The first chapters are up on ao3 and I cannot recommend it enough. ed’s note: this fic just updated!

For writers who are looking for a push, I highly recommend participating in Chopped. Fandom events are fun, the prompts make you get creative, and writing deadlines inspire you to actually get them finished and out there!

I know some of you need to hear this: drink some water! It's good for you and it's yummy yummy in your tummy!

The best place to find @mobi-on-a-mission is right here on Tumblr. Her AO3 is here. Request a fic written by her via @bellarkefic-for-blm.

#bellarkefic4blm #emori kom spacekru #john murphy #bellarke #niytavia #the 100 fanfiction #bellarkefic for blm interviews

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shelbyshoe · 4 years

Text

Fairies After Dark

Chapter 4

Natsu, a Horde vampire, desires nothing more than to find his father and leave his brother behind. Lucy, an immortal Valkyrie, just needs to get this Horde bounty off her head. Doesn’t help the assassin after her is a gorgeous vampire with cherry pink hair.

Rated: M (sexual content, violence, and harsh language)

Words: 10118

FF.net link here.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

NALU set in the Immortals After Dark universe by Kresley Cole. I highly recommend the book series. Check out the wiki for more information. Not required to understand the story, but recommended as the universe is fantastic. Hope you enjoy!

I'm trying to help you find our family! What was that in the basement about trusting me with your life? I want to help him help us!

-Lucy Heartfilia (AKA Lucy the Celestial Valkyrie)

I'm under the firm belief that I'm in charge of my own destiny.

-Natsu Dragneel (AKA Natsu the Salamander)

“Okay, I may have deserved that.” Natsu’s hand pressed against his bleeding nose. Gray’s eyes were dark with rage. He had his hands around his waistband as if he wanted to remove his pants. If Natsu didn’t know that Gray stripped before a fight as an unconscious habit, the action would have appeared lewd. “Just keep your pants on, please.”

“You deserve more than that, but I need you. You’ll live for now.”

“How soft hearted of you,” Natsu said. Gray sneered and moved forward. The snow had piled up and made it hard to trudge through. The old pale castle stood proud surrounded by the vast white blanket.

“What’s the deal with you and that blond Valkyrie?” Gray’s curiosity slipped in his tone.

“I know you’re anxious to get your hands on me, Gray. But alas, I am loyal to one.” Natsu squashed down the nerves that rose at Lucy’s absence, but she was safe with the other Valkyrie. Gray paused in the snow.

“You found your bride?” Gray threw the words at him like an accusation.

“Don’t be jealous. I’m sure there’s a great woman or man out there for you too. Until then, why not snuggle up with that little witch you had your eyes on?” Natsu wiped the blood above his lips. Snuggling was all an un-blooded vampire could do anyway. Gray’s eyes widened at Natsu’s suggestion. Bullseye. He knew there was interest in the witch. He’d save that information for another time.

“I hate you.” Gray continued forward and refused to speak to him until they reached the castle doors. The snow had piled in front of the large entry. Instead of knocking, Gray moved to the far side of the door to a black panel. He pressed a finger against a button and waited.

“State your name and business,” a voice said from the speaker.

“That’s some tech for such an old place. I’m sure it was a bitch to install electricity,” Natsu said. Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu.

“This is General Fullbuster. I need to speak to Master Fernandes,” Gray said into the com.

“Master? Wow,” Natsu mouthed.

“Who is with you?” the voice asked.

“A recruit,” Gray said. Natsu followed his gaze up to a camera above the panel. He waved at it and posed for the gatekeeper— to Gray’s dismay. A loud click came from the door in reply. Gray pushed past him and entered the front room lit with electric wall fixtures. Natsu whistled low at the grandeur of the interior. The Forebearer castle just as ancient and boring as the Horde’s dark fortress.

“Does Jellal own all this? Rich man. We could make a financial agreement for information. How about that for a plan?” Natsu nudged Gray with his shoulder. “Take the money and run am I right?”

“At least show a little respect. Aren’t you afraid since you’re in the castle of your enemy?” Gray asked.

“The Forebearers aren’t my enemy. That’s all the Horde’s business,” Natsu said.

“You have no sense of loyalty.” Gray led Natsu up the grand staircase, because of course there was one of those, and to an ornate door. He knocked lightly on the filigree that swirled across the wood surface.

“Come in,” a man’s voice called from inside. The room was a spacious study. Books lined the walls that came to a point at a grandiose wooden desk. Bears and wolves carved into the rich brown oak. A man stood behind it wearing a white jacket like the one Gray discarded in the snow. His back turned to them and he stared down a tall window that overlooked the grounds.

“We shouldn’t punch our guests, Gray.” His dark blue hair stuck out at different angles. When he turned, Natsu noticed a crimson tattoo stretched down his cheek. Muscles in Gray’s jaw contracted, but he only nodded to his commander.

“Wow, you give me snide comebacks all the time. As soon as master chews you out, you’re silent?” Natsu said.

“Welcome, Natsu Dragneel.” The man regarded them with a smile. There was power behind that cool voice— a similar sense of power he’d felt when speaking to Zeref. “I’m Jellal Fernandes. What brings you here?”

“Tell him.” Gray gestured toward Jellal with impatience.

“Long story short, I need to find a Valkyrie named Mavis the Fairy Tactician.” Natsu flopped into one of the many leather armchairs. His body bounced on the plush cushion. Jellal’s gaze trailed Natsu. If the name was any significance to him, he didn’t show it on his face. The man was a true diplomat.

“Why does a Horde vampire want to know where a Valkyrie is?” Jellal sat at the desk and leaned back into his own leather chair. His eyes pierced through Natsu. How much did he feel like revealing? Gray stood like a statue with his arms crossed. Natsu was on his own. The first time he’d felt intimidated in enemy territory.

“The Valkyrie sent me and Gray here to ask you that question. They suspect the Black Wizard has her.” Natsu picked at some chipped gold paint on the armrest. When Jellal regarded Gray, he nodded in confirmation.

“Wouldn’t you know better than any of us? He is your brother.” Jellal didn’t sound accusing, in fact, he sat back in his chair with his elbow upon the armrest and cheek resting in his palm. His demeanor was as calm as it was when they first entered the study. Natsu suspected it was all for show.

“Zeref and I aren’t exactly close.”

“In that case, I think we can help each other.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Natsu leaned forward in the chair.

“You’re not seriously going to help him,” Gray said. Jellal shot him a sharp look.

“I happen to know that we have a common enemy. I’m willing to work with the enemy of my enemy.”

“You were in the last Accession war,” Natsu said.

“I was.”

“You must know what happened to the Valkyrie.”

“You can’t just ask for information without coming to some deal!” Gray’s entire body rippled with tension and eyes darkened. His composure, that he worked so hard to keep up, fell apart in front of them.

“Leave us, Gray.” Jellal’s voice was a silky threat.

“I can’t leave you with—”

“That will be all, Fullbuster.” Jellal pointed to the door. Gray clenched his fists at his sides and traced from the room. “I met her on the battlefield, but we didn’t fight. What the Fairy Tactician lacked in fighting ability she made up for in intelligence.”

“Did you kill her?”

“No, Zeref took her.” And there was the truth that he already knew.

“What happened, Jellal?” Natsu asked. Jellal raised a brow.

“Few people address me by my first name.”

“What happened?” Natsu’s body went still. He had no time for word circles and pleasantries. He was no politician.

“I was in the middle of destroying Horde vampires and a few of their demon allies. The Black Wizard traced to the Valkyrie’s camp there. We Forebearers weren’t exactly allies with the Valkyrie, but we weren’t enemies either. Made sure to steer clear.”

“Did he kill her?”

“You believe a mere vampire could kill a Valkyrie so easily? Even Zeref would have had a time with the task. No, I believe he took her with him. They argued on the battlefield. He overpowered her and took her under his arm. Never saw her again.”

“What would they have to argue about?” None of it made sense to Natsu. If Zeref wanted to kill his enemy, he would have. Why go through the trouble to abduct her, and then never say anything to anyone about it? Something was off.

“You ask the same questions I have. I can’t allow Zeref to have what he wants. As his brother, you know better than I do that the Horde king wants to see the world burn.” That’s where Natsu disagreed with him. Zeref appeared a vampire on a mission, a mission that was slowly eating away at him, physically and mentally. He felt purpose, not a blind animalistic need to kill. “I have told you all I know about the Fairy Tactician. I hope it is some help to the Valkyrie. Now, it is my turn to ask questions.” Jellal lay his hands flat on the desktop. His eyes bore into him like blades. This was what the Forebearer leader wanted— an audience with him. “Why stay with the Horde if you have no allegiances to them?”

“Gray didn’t fill you in?”

“He says you’re a fool.”

“What do you think?”

“I think you have more intelligence than you allow others to see. I think you have some greater plan.”

“I’ll always take a compliment, but I have to admit I don’t have an agenda.” Natsu stretched in the chair and pulled his legs over one armrest. “We don’t have to straddle the fence here, Jellal. You’ve had Gray hound me for years. You want me in your ranks.”

“The Accession is upon us. These are dangerous times, Salamander. We must all pick sides in the end. Why stand by the side of someone, who will fall, who you have no allegiance to?”

“We all know the Forebearers are weak without a full-blooded vampire in their ranks. That’s the only reason you want me. Are you suggesting I show allegiance to you?”

“Allegiance to the cause, the collective, not just me. We want you because I believe you’re stronger than Zeref.” His words hung in the air like a thick fog. Natsu sat straight in his armchair. Jellal’s gaze remained unwavering.

“What makes you think that?” Natsu asked. Jellal’s words, not something he expected to hear, nor did he agree.

“You have empathy for others, even if you’d like Gray to believe otherwise.” Jellal pointed to his own frozen heart. “I also happen to know you’ve been blooded, and it adds to your strength.” Natsu’s blood ran cold in his rejuvenated veins. Every blooded vampire had one weakness, and Jellal knew his. Would he use that to his advantage? Take what was Natsu’s to ensure his loyalty?

“Are you threatening me?” When he and Gray had entered the study, he’d discovered two exits counting the secret one behind one of the bookshelves. He scented the dusty air from the next room. He could tear out Jellal’s heart and jump out the fucking window if he had to. No one would lay a hand on him or his bride. If he died here, she’d be in danger. That outcome was unacceptable.

“So, it’s true what they say about blooded vampires. I can feel your power from here, but don’t fear. I don’t plan on hurting you or your new bride.” Jellal held his hands up in front of him. “In fact, you’d both be an asset.”

“If I don’t want a part of your forbearing, then you’d do what? Leave me be?” The possible threat he was under made it hard to concentrate on anything but cutting Jellal’s throat out. He was sure his eyes were as dark as Gray’s were upon leaving the room.

“All I ask is that we help each other to stop Zeref from getting whatever it is he’s looking for. I’m not threatening you, Natsu.”

“You know he’s looking for something?” Natsu had barely figured it out himself, and he was around Zeref a considerable amount compared to the Forebearers.

“I have friends in low places to keep an eye on him. So, what will it be?” Jellal sat with his hands clasped on the desktop. Taking advantage of expedient situations was what Jellal was all about. Not a bad way to live.

“On two conditions. My bride and I have full protection from the Forebearers, and you tell me everything you know about that lead on Igneel’s whereabouts.”

“Now we’re negotiating.” Jellal grinned and stood to walk around his desk. Natsu stood as well, ready to take him on if necessary. “It’s a deal.”

“What?” Having everything fall into his lap so easily was not how Natsu expected this conversation to go. Had he missed something?

“If you work with us, you will have your protection and information.”

“I will have the freedom to come and go, to make my own decisions, and you’ll tell me about Igneel? All that just for helping you with whatever it is Zeref is planning?”

“Correct.”

“Swear on it,” Natsu said. Jellal raised a brow but nodded. Swearing to the Lore was the only true way to keep your promises. Whoever breaks a vow to the Lore, is at the mercy of the merciless gods. Some die a brutal death. Others found their fates toyed with, touched by deities. He’d heard whispers of curses and plague. Whatever happened when one broke a vow to the Lore, it wasn’t good, and everyone knew it.

“I swear to the Lore that the Forebearers will protect you and your bride, and we will divulge all that we know about Igneel, so long as you aid us in finding what Zeref is looking for.” Jellal’s voice firm in his vow.

“Are you not powerful enough to find what Zeref wants yourself?”

“You’re just asking that now?” Jellal said. “Gray, you can come in. I know you’ve been listening at the door.” The door to the study pushed open. Gray stood before Jellal and ignored Natsu’s presence.

“Don’t be sad, Gray. Now we’ll be able to spend more time together.” Natsu patted him on the back and felt his muscles bunch beneath his touch.

“We are done here. I hope to see you soon, Natsu.” Jellal bowed and traced from the room. Gray grabbed the front of Natsu’s shirt roughly and traced them away.

♥♥♥

“Go away, Cana.” The last woman in the world Lucy wanted a discussion with knocked at the door to Levy’s abandoned room. One of the witches had conjured it to look like a guest room. The walls were a dusty gray, the furniture was light wood, and the bedspread and adornments throughout the room were a trendy Himalayan pink. The room aesthetically unlike any other part of the house. After going through Levy’s dungeon, she guessed there would be no rooms alike after the witch got her hands on them. She lay on the bed with her hair fanned out beneath her. One of her arms draped over her face, which muffled her voice.

“I have no idea what you just said.” Cana closed the door behind her and sat at the chair to a dainty vanity. “Wow, this room looks different.”

“What do you want?” Now that Cana let herself into the room, there was no removing her.

“You’re really hard on the poor vampire.” There was a clatter of perfumes falling over on the vanity surface. Lucy sat up and leaned on her elbows.

“The poor vampire? Do you hear yourself?” Cana didn’t even attempt to right the little glass bottles and opened the drawer to fiddle with the makeup inside.

“He’s not so bad. Different than those other vampires we’ve seen. Isn’t raving mad with bloodlust and such.” This conversation was the most lucid Lucy had ever heard from Cana.

“Do you like him or something?” Lucy couldn’t stop the feelings that bubbled at the pit of her stomach. The image of Cana’s hands all over him invaded like a virus. She squashed the reaction down and attempted a passive attitude about anything to do with Natsu.

“And what if I did?” Cana grinned and locked eyes with Lucy.

“Then you can have him.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded uncertain of that. Cana laughed and uncapped a tube of lipstick. The dark bullet twisted to the top in a lethal deep red. She leaned against the vanity to look closer into the mirror and applied the shade. The color matched her skin tone perfectly. Her long wavy brown hair brushed against the surface of the vanity. At that moment, Cana was a painting from the renaissance. Was this the type of woman Natsu liked? Now, the sickening jealously simmered at the surface. Cana flashed her a knowing look through the mirror and tilted it so that Lucy could see her own face. Her once warm gaze was a turbulent swirling silver.

“I don’t think you believe that.” Cana stood from the vanity, kept the mirror facing Lucy, and chucked the closed tube of lipstick into her pocket. A new lipstick appeared where Cana had taken the other. “And no, Lucy, I don’t. He’s all yours.” She left the room with the door closed behind her. Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off herself. She really did care for the damn vampire. How, in such a brief time, had she formed any kind of attachment to him? Was fate forcing her hand? She knew her body responded to him. He was highly attractive and anything but boring. One thing she knew, she didn’t love him. Their relationship never passed physical. Lucy left the room and entered Levy’s library. Was she hiding away from the mirror? She sat at Levy’s plush armchair and opened a book that had draped across the armrest. Diverting her thoughts with its pages didn’t have the effect she searched for, but it did occupy her time.

The once stillness of the coven house burst into a chaotic sound that flowed up from downstairs. Erza’s was the loudest voice. The vampires had returned, and Cana’s words replayed in her head. Lucy slumped in the chair and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Her heart slowed in her chest from the peak of envy that Cana elicited from her. She couldn’t show her face when she looked as crazy as she did in that mirror. Damn you, Cana. She stood anyway and placed the book where she had found it. Her feet took her down the stairs toward the noise.

“What do you mean he wants to help us?” Erza had her hands in fists against her shapely hips. Both men stood in the summoning circle. Gray appeared just as peeved as Erza and wore his ever-present scowl. Natsu had fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose.

“I thought you’d be happy to have more support,” Natsu said. Their aggression made their voices rise.

“Can we not yell? The energy in here is going to make me nauseous.” Lucy stood at the end of the stairs leaning against the newel. Natsu’s hand dropped as soon as he heard her voice. This time, she didn’t attempt to shut out her heart jumping at his attention. There was a streak of blood wiped from his upper lip, his hair dripped against his shoulder, and snow melted against his wet boots. He was a mess yet remained as gorgeous as the first time she had seen him.

“I can’t just believe him,” Erza said.

“Are you calling him a liar?” Gray asked.

“Aw I didn’t know you trusted me, Gray,” Natsu said.

“I didn’t mean you, asshole. I meant Jellal.” The grin on Natsu’s face suggested he already knew.

“I need confirmation from Zeref himself.” The room stilled at Erza’s words.

“No.” Natsu shook off the rest of the snow, which flung on Gray, who protested. A slow hiss of steam came off his unnaturally heated skin.

“Excuse me?” Erza said.

“You want me to risk Zeref knowing about Lucy.” Natsu ran his fingers through his hair to fluff it up. “I can’t do that.”

“How else are you supposed to find out if Jellal is telling the truth?” Erza asked.

“Jellal isn’t a liar,” Gray said.

“I actually agree with icicle butt.” Natsu pointed his thumb in Gray’s direction. “And I hate agreeing with him.”

“What makes you so sure?” Lucy asked.

“The Forebearers have wanted me on their side since I joined the Horde,” Natsu said.

“There would be a better balance of power,” Erza agreed. She had a finger pressed against her lips in thought. “That doesn’t change that you need to speak to Zeref to find out what he has done with her.”

“What makes you think the Forebearers are so weak that we need him?” Gray asked. His temper appearing to rise with each comment.

“Forebearers are nothing but mortals playing with immortality.” Erza’s eyes flashed wicked silver. Gray stepped toward Erza with malice in his gaze and a hand at his waistband.

“What would you know about—” Gray began.

“If I have to go to Zeref, at least let me go alone.” Natsu’s eyes were firmly on Lucy as if asking for her permission to risk his life against the Horde king.

“There is no way I can trust you to go alone.” Erza manifested a dagger, her eyes challenging Gray. Lucy tried to see things from Natsu’s point of view. Arguing would interfere in gaining a single thing from this conversation. He knew it. If he went alone, he could avoid bringing Lucy up. He could ask his questions and return with information as he did with the Forebearer leader. Zeref wouldn’t question him alone but accompanied by a Forebearer or Valkyrie would peak his suspicion. She knew his resolve as soon as she met his gaze, yet she felt uncertain with herself. As repulsed as she was by the idea that this vampire wanted to protect her, she still felt the pang in her heart over his prodigious concern.

“I’m not going with him,” Gray protested, “Unlike the Forebearers, who see reason, the Horde wouldn’t hesitate to kill me on sight. Animals.”

“Just say yes and I’ll be gone.” Natsu remained where he was with eyes on her. He ignored the other comments. The only person in this room who could tell him what to do was Lucy. He gave her this power. The control she felt she had lost down in the dungeons came rushing back. He said he’d prove to her he was different. So far, she could say he kept that promise. He returned with information from Jellal, as he said he would, and continued to help the Valkyrie look for Mavis—for nothing but her hand.

“Go then and don’t die,” she said. The grin he gave her could light up a city. He saluted the rest of the room and traced out of existence. Everyone stood silenced.

“Well, that was entertaining,” Cana said from the couch.

♥♥♥

Natsu stood in the darkened study of the Horde castle. The fireplace no longer lit, and the chairs moved from the hearth. The door stood ajar to the long dark hallway. The old-world embellishments lined the hall as much as the study room. Paintings of monsters framed in gold. Bust statues of Horde throughout time. The only sounds in the castle halls were the windows, which took a beating from the harsh wind outside. Where was everybody? Not even a servant rushed down the desolate halls. No lamps lit the space. He relied on his keen vision in the dark, a useful vampire trait. He trotted down the grand staircase as silent and cold as the rest of the rooms. There was a sound from the door beneath the stairs. The same door that made its way to the massive catacombs that winded beneath the castle. When Natsu lived here, he avoided these lower rooms as much as possible. A layer of magic surrounded them and set his nerves on edge. He much preferred the higher places as it was. He was happy to be here alone. Gray would have traced out immediately, and he hoped Lucy never had to see this part of his life. The pure-blood vampires did not share his taste of life and color. He was out to prove to her that he was different from them.

The lower he went down the stairs to the catacombs, the colder the air became. The floors here were a matted layer of dust except the path made by recent shoes. He shivered. The hall widened out to more crumbling stone. The dark cast eerie shadows against the walls. Natsu almost tripped over some debris that had come loose from the ancient ceiling. He passed empty alcoves carved out of the stone walls that once held tombs. The witch would love it here. The whole place reminded Natsu of the dungeons below the coven house. He heard a faint dripping from farther down the tunnels. The shuffling of feet followed, but he couldn’t tell from where the sound came from. Natsu turned to see if someone followed him down, but he sensed no one else with him. They said the dead walked the Horde catacombs, enemies, and allies, but Natsu never believed these stories. A muffled voice arose from down a tunnel at his right. He couldn’t make out what they said, but a small voice replied. He followed the sound and came to a door with soft light emanating from where the door lifted off the ground. The entrance opened a crack and a small face peered out at him. The girl was short with long vibrant blue hair. Her large eyes studied him from the room.

“Let him in.” Zeref’s voice was weaker than Natsu remembered. The door opened wider to allow Natsu in and revealed a small room lit by a torch on the wall. The girl sat at a round wooden table where Zeref sat. The warm light lit her face and cast sinister shadows across her delicate features.

“Are we summoning the devil in here?” Natsu asked, “Maybe turn on a light?” Zeref glared at him but didn’t remark.

“Continue.” Zeref swept his hand over her pile of sticks, stones, and bones scattered across the aged wooden surface. As much as the environment, the creepy girl, and Zeref’s ever crumbling composure put Natsu on edge, it was the deep sigh that passed through Zeref’s lips that chilled him the most.

“You’re blooded,” Natsu said. How long had he been so? Who blooded him? His eyes snapped to the girl in front of him. Too young.

“You finally noticed. Sit down please, Natsu.” Natsu followed his orders, as he felt too disturbed to argue. From his angle, the shadows made out Zeref’s sallow cheeks and dark rimmed eyes. Was he still wearing the same clothes as yesterday?

“Don’t look at me like that.” Zeref hadn’t turned his head. He leaned into the palm of his hand with his elbow propped up on the table. The exhaustion settled into his features and creases in his wrinkled clothes. Natsu glanced at the girl who gazed at her pile of bones. “This is Wendy the Wind Seer, my oracle.” She gazed in Natsu’s direction, but her mind was far away. She didn’t reply right away. In the silence, Natsu heard the dripping water again.

“We’ve met before.” Wendy’s voice was light and feminine. Her frame was small in the wooden chair she sat in. How old was she?

“I highly doubt that. No offense, but I would have remembered you.” Natsu pushed his chair back and kicked his feet up on the table. Zeref shot him another glare. “What’s going on, Zeref? Where is everyone and why are we in the catacombs?” Wendy picked up the items from the table and threw them back down, so they rolled and rattled across the wood.

“I thought you would have already figured it out by now.” Zeref lifted one of the bones that had rolled next to his hand.

“All I know is that you’re looking for something.” Natsu laid his hands against his chest as he leaned back in his chair. Zeref’s hair had grown so long that when a dark strand fell into his eyes, he tucked it behind his ear. He observed him for a minute and eyed Wendy.

“I still can’t see you with my sight, Natsu,” she said.

“What does that even mean?” Natsu asked.

“Could mean many things.” Wendy pointed to two stones that had landed next to each other. “Your destiny is changing too rapidly to track, or you will die by mystical circumstances that block my sight.”

“Probably the former. I’m under the firm belief that I’m in charge of my destiny.” Natsu rocked back in the chair so that it balanced on its two back legs.

“I’m thinking it’s the latter,” Zeref said. His eyes wearily took in the objects on the table.

“Glass half empty much?” Natsu retorted.

“Why are you here, Natsu?” Zeref asked. Natsu observed as Wendy did another toss of her stones. Each one carved and painted with runes. The same pair as last time came together in front of them.

“Interesting,” Wendy said.

“Let’s get to the point. Where is Mavis the Fairy Tactician?” Natsu kept his posture casual, but his muscles tensed.

“I told you that you’d figure it out.” If Zeref felt bothered by this question, he didn’t allow it to show. “She’s in Dacia.” The chair creaked when its legs met the ground again. Natsu glanced between the two of them and laughed. What a joke. Dacia was a fairy tale told to young vampires as bedtime stories. A land ever moving and shrouded in mist. Dacian vampires lived there in peace. No wars reached its walls and no sun cast through the misty clouds during the day. A vampire paradise. The tales spoke of a mystical castle and fountains that ran red with blood. Zeref might as well have told Natsu that Mavis was in Narnia.

“That’s funny. But really, where is she?” Natsu didn’t miss the way Zeref’s jaw tensed and his hands gripped into fists.

“You think I would joke about where my bride is?” Zeref glared at Natsu with eyes glowing red.

“Your what?”

“Mavis is my bride.” He appeared irritated talking about this. “Dacia, as you know, is constantly moving. Once you enter its barrier, you can’t leave without the cloak of mist. If one were to escape from its city walls, an assassin would dispatch. Because no one is to know the true location of the kingdom, all must die if they leave.”

“Huh, so you are serious.” Natsu had to believe so since Zeref didn’t show discomfort from a lie. His mouth would burn as if the sun had scorched his skin. Yet, the only discomfort appeared in his impatience with the conversation.

“Sometimes, Natsu, I wonder how we are related at all.”

“Same actually.” Hearing Zeref this frazzled and speaking so frankly to Natsu put him on edge. Had he fallen into a bizarre dimension where he and Zeref could be this casual around each other?

“I had originally sent the Minstrel out to search for a lead, but you already know how that ended,” Zeref said. His words explained what Gajeel knew. Natsu held back the question at the tip of his tongue. What did Zeref think to find out from Ultear the Queen of Time? If he brought her up, Zeref would know he was looking into him behind his back. Natsu would keep some information to himself. For Lucy’s safety.

“So, what does the oracle have to do with it?” he asked instead.

“My name is Wendy, not oracle, and I’m sitting right here.”

“Tomato, potato, doesn’t matter as long as you answer to both.” Natsu shrugged and eyed the stones that came together again. “What’s going on there?” He pointed to them.

“Another is linked to your destiny.” He regretted asking as soon as the words left her mouth. He feared to see Zeref’s reaction. Would he know he found his bride?

“I need you to help me find her, Natsu.” Zeref eyed him like a jungle cat. A chill ran up Natsu’s spine. Was he not going to ask him?

“Why would I?” Gods, was he going to ask him about Lucy?

“Whoever has her is planning to use her for something that could destroy us all.”

“Dacia is moving again,” Wendy said. Her eyes glowed as she stared down at one of the bones. Her head tilted to one side, eyeing it like prey. The dripping down the tunnels was louder in his ears. Or was that his heart? He hadn’t had enough time with it to tell the difference.

“Where?” Zeref’s attention snapped to Wendy as if he revered her. Her words leading to his salvation, his bride. What would it be like so far away from his bride? What would he do if the Valkyrie did not protect Lucy? If someone had taken her from him? His blood seared at the thought. He took in Zeref’s posture again. He leaned into the table, both palms placed on the cracking wood, his claws digging into the grain. His eyes a crazed obsidian in the dim catacombs. He was losing his mind looking for her. For once since their first meeting, Natsu felt a pang of sympathy for his brother.

“The image is fractured between dimensions,” Wendy said.

“Which ones?” Zeref’s tone rose.

“Gaia and—” She cut off her own words. Her mouth shut in a grim line. Natsu realized the glow in her eyes was a turbulent smoke that swirled within.

“What dimension?” Zeref had come to his feet. The craze in his voice forced Natsu to still. Power emanated off him in waves.

“Pandemonia.” Wendy trembled in her chair and didn’t raise her eyes to meet Zeref. His jaw clenched; a vein protruded from his skin. What little thread of his sanity he had held on to had snapped. He took the table in his grasp. Wood splintered and tore beneath his grip, and he flipped the table over with a roar. The objects the oracle had used to search for Mavis flew into the air and smashed to the ground. A few of the bones fractured against the ancient stone walls. He breathed heavily with hands at his temples. Natsu’s heart raced, but he worked to keep his breathing even enough that no one would notice that air left his lips.

“Nice, brother, now we have to buy a new table.” Natsu slouched in his chair trying to appear calm. Zeref allowed his hands to fall to his sides.

“These emotions are so tiresome.”

“Look, you now have two leads to where she is. Just check both?” Natsu said. Zeref tilted his head back and closed his eyes. A long unsteady breath left his mouth.

“Pandemonia is a hell dimension, Natsu.”

“So?”

“Hell dimensions move faster than Gaia. If done incorrectly, one could be torn to shreds trying to get there,” Wendy said. “None of us have been there before. It’s untraceable.”

“We don’t have the time to look in both places anyway,” Zeref added.

“Not to mention, leaving a hell dimension is harder than entering one,” Wendy continued. Zeref groaned.

“Bummer. Well, I guess I’ll be going.” Natsu didn’t want to spend any more time here than he had to. He got all the information he needed, and as sorry as he felt for Zeref, his bride came first now. He stood and brushed off the wood shavings that had clung to his clothes.

“Natsu.” Zeref’s eyes were a clear deep green and compelling. The green that confirmed their relation. The green of their family line, their blood bond. “Please.” The sound that came out of the man before him was pitiful. Zeref had never been this vulnerable in front of him.

“Why is there no one in the castle?” Natsu hadn’t pushed for the answer before but it gnawed at him now.

“The Dacians know I’m looking for her. They’ve been sending mist assassins. I couldn’t allow Horde deaths over this.” The raw truth struck Natsu.

“Why do you care?”

“I care.” Zeref held his hand clenched to his chest, his clothes creasing beneath his grasp. “I care so much it’s eating away at me.” His brows came together in what looked like pain. From a lie? No. He wasn’t lying. He was simply hurting. Natsu’s own fresh emotions rose to the forefront. After centuries of a desolate existence. No emotion. No pain. He’d been hollow before her. This was a gift, but now it was a curse. He pained for his brother, whether he wanted to or not. His heart gave him away. What had Jellal said? You have empathy for others. He thought this before Natsu’s blooding, and before he could feel. Really feel. It burned worse than the scorching pain of a lie on his tongue.

“I’ll find her,” Natsu said. Zeref’s face softened in benevolence he’d never seen from his brother. “I can get to Pandemonia.”

“How?”

“I’ve walked dimensions before.” Is that your tagline? She’d asked him. Natsu the Dimension Walker. Just as he’d told her. Igneel posed it as a challenge, and Natsu always stepped up to challenges.

“There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get back, even if you wanted to.” He wasn’t wrong, but Natsu would find a way. The Valkyrie would do anything to get their sister back, and Zeref would do anything for his bride. They would find a way to get him out if they had to. What was he going to do if he did find Mavis there? Would he hand her over to her family, or the brother who would tear the world down for her? A problem for later.

“I’ll find a way.” How much he missed Lucy hit him like a wall. “For now, I have to go.” Zeref nodded and eyed the crumbled table on the floor. Wendy sat with her legs pulled up in her chair. The king of the Horde held out a hand to her.

“I apologize for my outburst.” Her eyes widened at his apology. The vampire before him, the vicious king who had committed so many atrocities, showed a kindness that surprised Natsu. He took that moment to turn to the door to leave the catacombs and trace back to Lucy. “Before I forget, have you found the Minstrel’s killer?” Zeref asked. Natsu’s hand hovered over the door.

“I had someone look into it.” Natsu’s gaze remained on the exit. It wasn’t a lie. Gajeel was the one who discovered Lucy was the killer, not him. This answer satisfied Zeref.

“For now, focus on Pandemonia. We will find the murderer in time. No one can kill one of our own and live.”

“Whatever you say. Just one less thing for me to worry about.” Natsu worked to keep his voice steady. Zeref didn’t know who killed the Minstrel. For now, that was good enough.

“Oh, and Natsu, tell your bride I wish her well.” His fingers shook against the doorknob. Of course, Zeref knew he had a bride. His heart quickened, too loud to have hidden, too full to have fooled his own brother. His emotions laid bare even before the Forebearer leader. He turned the knob and closed the door behind him. He prayed Zeref would never find out that his bride and the murderer was the same.

♥♥♥

Lucy sat on the last step of the coven’s staircase with her legs pulled to her chest, and her forehead pressed against her knees. Erza hadn’t spoken to her since she’d ordered Natsu to go. She spent her time waiting for him to return on the porch. Cana merely patted her on the back and said she had to go. Lucy supposed that was her way of comforting her. Gray sat inside the summoning circle that he found he physically couldn’t leave. The room was silent with only the two of them.

“You shouldn’t trust him,” Gray said. She turned her head, so she leaned on her cheek, sure there was a red mark on her forehead.

“What makes you think I can trust you?” she asked. This vampire was the opposite of Natsu in every way. From his dark hair to his righteous attitude.

“What reasons do I have to lie to you?”

“You hate Natsu.”

“What do you really know about him?”

“I know he’s kept his word so far.”

“Ah, but how long will that last? He’s never been known to stay anywhere. Always about no commitments and looking for his father.” His father? Was that who he was looking for? He’d said he was looking for someone important to him. Whatever reaction she had; Gray noticed. “Oh, he didn’t tell you about his father. Not surprised.”

“What do you know?” Lucy sat up at attention. What did he know about Natsu? The image from the book of Lore flashed through her mind. Gray shrugged and glanced out the window to Erza’s back.

“He wasn’t lying then,” she said. Gray raised a brow. “About the Forebearers wanting him on their side. You were using this information against him. That’s why you won’t tell me.”

“He’d do anything for his father. He’d dump you in the nearest ditch if it meant he would see his father again.”

“How do you even know—”

“He told me he was looking for someone. I investigated it myself after he joined the Horde. His father abandoned him. Poor bastard. Looked for him like a lost puppy before I found him.”

“He has no other family?”

“Other than Zeref? No. I don’t blame him for not caring about the Black Wizard.” Gray spit into the fireplace at the sound of his tagline on his lips. His face scrunched in disgust. “Bastard is responsible for a lot of Forebearer deaths.”

“Doesn’t Zeref care that their father is missing?” Lucy asked. Gray laughed darkly.

“Igneel is not Natsu’s birth father. He adopted him.” Gray’s tone made it sound like Natsu’s adoption was a dirty secret, but Lucy didn’t feel that way. It was no different from her relationship with her own sisters. Other than the gods, they didn’t share the same mothers. Yet they still called each other family. Now she knew his father’s name was Igneel. The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t place where she’d heard it before.

“Well, he’s working for the Forebearer’s now. Aren’t you going to tell him what you know?”

“He has to complete his end of the deal.”

“What deal?” The door to the basement opened and shut. Levy couldn’t be alone as there were too many footsteps. Gray stood, his eyes turned a pitch-black, his fangs sharpened, and their conversation left forgotten.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Gray said. An edge to his voice that wasn’t there before.

“He’s with Natsu. Chill, leech,” Levy said at the threshold between the living room and the stairs. Behind her was the vampire who traveled with Natsu.

“Natsu would travel with another murderer.” Gray stood with hands pressed to the invisible barrier around the circle. “You’re lucky this barrier is here, witch.”

“That a threat?” Gajeel said. Lucy couldn’t see his face from where she sat, but she could hear the anger in his voice. He was protecting Levy. What went on in the basement? Levy turned her gaze to Lucy. Her eyes lit with excitement. She left Gajeel where he stood and sat beside her.

“You okay, Lu?” she asked. The cheerful note gave her away.

“You were that thirsty, huh?” Lucy said. Levy laughed and took her hand in her smaller ones. She trailed the creases of her palm with her index finger absent-mindedly.

“If you’re thinking of a specific murder, I probably won’t remember,” Gajeel said.

“Lyon Vastia, you bastard. You killed a Forebearer!” Gray seethed in the circle, pacing as much as the space allowed. His hand gripping his pants. What was that about?

“Name doesn’t ring a bell,” Gajeel said.

“During the last Accession!”

“Nope, still nothing.” Gajeel and Gray barked at each other loud enough to gather Erza’s attention. She marched into the living room in full armor.

“Explain, witch!” Erza pointed her spear at Gajeel’s throat. Levy waved her hand in nonchalance.

“He’s under my protection, Valkyrie. He won’t do anything, I promise,” Levy said. She did a double take to Lucy’s palm. Erza remained deathly still. The continued tension in the house wore Lucy down. She just wanted to go back to Val Hall and hide in her bed for a few days.

“Lucy, when was the last time I read your palm?” Levy asked.

“I don’t know. A year ago?”

“Your lifeline forks and breaks here.” Levy lifted her other hand and stared down at it. Gajeel, as if feeling her absence came to stand behind her and leaned over to see Lucy’s palm too. “They both do.”

“Levy, in plain words, please?” Lucy said.

“Your destiny splits, changes, and in a horrible way.”

“How is it different from the last time you read it?”

“Anatomy doesn’t just change randomly, shrimp,” Gajeel said. He peered at Lucy’s hand with interest.

“Is anyone listening to me?” Erza sounded as though a blood vessel was about to pop. Lucy leaned to look around Gajeel’s frame that obstructed her view.

“I’m listening, Erza,” Lucy offered.

“Being ignored doesn’t feel good does it?” Gray said.

“I wouldn’t test her, Gray,” Lucy said.

“I feel like everyone has tested me today,” Erza grumbled.

“You want tea or something? Take a seat on the couch. Loosen up, Erza,” Levy said drawing in the air with her fingers. The words cup and tea appeared and transformed into their meanings. The levitating steaming cup of tea floated over to Erza, which she took with a shocked expression. To Lucy’s surprise, the fierce Valkyrie took the cup and sat on the couch. “You’re in the house of the witches, which favors us. If you wish to destroy something, or kill someone, you might as well leave.” She stood with hands on her hips. “That goes for every one of you.”

“I like a witch in charge,” Gajeel said. His shark grin spread across his face. The little witch looked up at him with a bigger smirk.

“I’m going to hurl,” Gray said. Levy glared at him but chose to sit beside Lucy again.

“Immortals are special,” Levy said, taking Lucy’s hand. “Why can’t their palm readings change?”

“Stop struggling, you fool.” Erza watched Gray fight to break free and sipped her tea. Who knew, all she needed was a firm hand to tell her to calm down for her to do so. Lucy gathered Erza didn’t want to break the relationship they had with the house of witches.

“Where’s Natsu?” Gajeel peered around the room. “I’m used to his loudmouth. And I hate to admit it, but I’d rather hear him than this creep.” He pointed to Gray.

“I sent him to speak to Zeref,” she said. Gajeel’s face fell.

“You did what? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His voice like a blade against her own restless heart.

“Gajeel, do you need a cup of tea too?” Levy gave him a sharp look and held Lucy’s hand tighter.

“It was the only way to get Erza to trust him. He knew that. We have to know where Mavis is, and the only one who knows that is Zeref.” Lucy could rationalize it out loud for herself all she wanted, but the tightness in her chest would stay. Where was he? As if she summoned him, he appeared in front of her. The room went still. Natsu took in everyone’s startled faces.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” His tone was light and playful, but she knew something wasn’t right. His eyes traveled along her face and down the rest of her body, inspecting her. Did he think something happened to her?

“Yeah, it’s called ugly,” Gajeel said. Levy hit him with the back of her hand.

“Your face is fine, Natsu,” Levy assured.

“I know it is.” Natsu placed his hands beneath his chin playfully.

“I hate all of you,” Gray said.

“I see you’re as cheerful as ever, Gray,” Natsu said.

“Where is she?” Erza had moved without anyone’s notice. The teacup sat abandoned on the side table. She stood beside Gajeel with arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m not sure,” Natsu said. When Erza moved to lunge at his throat, he held a hand up. “She could be in two places.”

“Zeref doesn’t know?” Lucy asked. How could he not know? Didn’t he take her himself?

“Someone took her from him. He says they want to use her for something,” Natsu said. Erza’s face paled.

“Where is she, Natsu?” Lucy asked. At the sound of her voice, Natsu’s shoulders loosened. He spoke directly to her.

“Either she is somewhere on Gaia or Pandemonia,” Natsu said. Erza laughed. The sound started slow and worked up to a full howl. She turned and sat down on the couch.

“Pandemonia?” Lucy had never heard of the place. “Where is that?” Natsu gave her a sympathetic frown.

“It’s another dimension,” Natsu said.

“Don’t play coy now, Natsu Dragneel. Tell her what kind of dimension she’s in.” Erza’s voice was like fire in her throat. Lucy stared up at Natsu, imploring him forward.

“It’s a hell dimension,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Lucy didn’t hear him right.

“Pandemonia is a hell dimension!” Erza spat the words at Natsu. He stood grounded and focused on Lucy’s face. “Lava, fire, dead earth, and lots of dragons. The land is so desolate that only winged demons call it home, and they fight among each other.” Lucy pictured Mavis in a place like that. What would winged demons do to a Valkyrie so far from power, from her family?

“How are we going to get to her?” Lucy asked.

“The question is how are you going to get back?” Levy held fast to Lucy’s hands. There was genuine concern on her face. “You think you can travel there. Don’t you, Natsu?” For once, Natsu had nothing to say.

“Have you been there before?” Erza asked. “Are you thinking to trace there? That’s dangerous.” A vampire could only trace to a place if they’d traveled there before.

“I’d have to walk dimensions to get to it. I haven’t been there to trace.”

“Haven’t you walked dimensions before?” Lucy asked. She hated how hopeful her voice sounded. But at least there was a lead on Mavis, and there was no guarantee that she was in hell. He said she could be on Gaia.

“I have.” Natsu squatted in front of Lucy so they were eye-to-eye, his hands at her knees. His presence was so close that she could feel his heat on her skin. What was he doing to her? She held back from reaching out for him. “But it’s dangerous. If I go, I go alone.” This again? The anxiety she felt when he went to Zeref was nothing compared to what she’d feel when he left for a hell dimension. She shook her head. She would prove that she could take care of herself. Not just for Natsu, or Erza, but for herself.

“If you go, I go with you.”

“Lucy, I don’t think—” Levy began.

“No one is changing my mind.” Lucy pushed as much power into her voice as she could. Natsu sighed loud enough to get everyone’s attention. It wasn’t everyday one heard a vampire sigh. The sound reminded all and sundry that she blooded him, that she was his bride.

“Well, if you’re up for it.” Natsu shook his head, but a smirk pulled up the corners of his lips. She was up for it.

“Lucy, I can’t have you—” Erza said.

“No, Erza. We need to split up. Someone has to look for her here on Gaia.” Lucy took Natsu’s hand when he offered to lift her to her feet. Levy allowed her hands to slip through her fingers.

“Did he say where on Gaia?” Erza asked. Natsu shook his head.

“But, there’s one more thing.” Natsu glanced up at Gajeel, who quirked a brow. “She’s been taken to Dacia.” Gajeel gave a sharp laugh through his nose.

“You’re a riot, Salamander.” Gajeel’s smile faded when Natsu shook his head. He was serious.

“What’s Dacia?” Lucy asked.

“You can’t be serious,” Erza said.

“That’s some made up shit. You can’t believe she’s there,” Gajeel added.

“Natsu, what is Dacia?” Lucy asked.

“Dacia is a vampiric dimension that moves within other dimensions. It’s cloaked in mist, and no one is to leave once they’ve entered,” Natsu said. While everyone continued to believe what he said was a lie, his appearance was grave.

“How can you find it then?” Lucy asked.

“Lucy, Dacia is a fairy tale,” Erza said. She pointed to Natsu—her voice sharper than before. “You better not be pulling us around to help Zeref.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Born vampires can’t lie,” Lucy said.

“Finally, someone remembers.” Gajeel nodded in approval.

“You believe Zeref?” Erza asked.

“Yes.” Natsu stood resolute. “If he could just trace to her, he wouldn’t have tried to contact Ultear the Queen of Time to help him.”

“Sorceri, huh?” Erza shook her head. “You lot are the worst.”

“Look, you can find her and ask her.” Natsu shrugged. “I’m the only one in this room who can travel dimensions. Unless anyone would like to try?” The room stilled.

“Yeah, let him go. He’ll be torn to bits,” Gray added from his spot in the living room.

“Lucy, you can’t go,” Erza said as if Gray’s words were a reminder.

“Go find Ultear, Erza,” Lucy said. “If he goes, I go.”

“You’re putting him over your family?”

“I’m trying to help you find our family!” Lucy’s frustration hit the breaking point. Erza constantly questioned her resolve. “What was that in the basement about trusting me with your life? I want to help him help us! I want to make sure he doesn’t just run off with her.” Natsu opened his mouth to retort, but Lucy pressed her hand to his lips to stop him. “I don’t need anything from you too.”

“Then it’s decided,” Levy said. “I can tweak the summoning circle to grab Ultear.”

“Can I go now?” Gray asked.

“No, we need you.” Erza pointed to him. “Go to Jellal. If he wants to help Natsu, then he wants to help us. I need to speak with him. If he can help us in any way to find her, I need to know.” Gray eyed Levy.

“Fine, I’ll let you out.” The witch stood in a huff.

“Then we best be going.” Natsu grinned with cheer in his voice.

“You’re awfully chipper,” Lucy said.

“Bunny, he’s just happy he’s been offered a challenge,” Gajeel said.

“Bunny?” Lucy said.

“Be careful, Lucy,” Erza said. She nodded to her older sister with understanding. The voices in the living room came to a pitch as they all discussed their missing sister. Just as quickly all their voices ceased as she took Natsu’s hand and traced to Pandemonia.

Or what she thought was Pandemonia. The air was thick with humidity. A flock of birds darted out from the immense number of trees that surrounded them. The sound of chirping bugs almost deafening. The whole place smelt of damp earth. They were still on Gaia.

“Where are we?” she asked. Natsu turned her to face him and placed both hands on her face. His lips pressed against hers. She took in a sharp breath with how right they felt. He released her and stepped back.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he said. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in again. He groaned when she deepened the kiss. His arms wrapped around her to pull their hips together.

“That was for helping me,” she said, “and keeping your word.” His eyes had blown out in black. The sight of them just made her need rise.

“I like when your eyes do that,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Go all silver.” A bird cawed in the distance, and a prehistoric looking bush rustled behind her. She grabbed his arms and kept him close in a start.

“I’ll ask again. Where are we?” Lucy glanced around her feet for possible giant jungle bugs.

“The Amazon,” he said.

“Why are we not in Pandemonia?” She took a step out of his grasp. Were Erza’s accusations true? Was he pulling them around to help Zeref?

“There’s a portal here.” Natsu pointed up above the tree line. To an ancient structure shrouded in foliage.

“And where is there?”

“A place I came across the last time I went to a different hell dimension.” He stepped forward and began to push through the brush toward it.

“What were you doing in a hell dimension before?” She followed behind him wishing she had brought a knife instead of her whip.

“I was looking for someone there,” he said. Was he talking about his father? It clawed at her that he hadn’t told her about him. She didn’t know why. If she didn’t trust him, why should he trust her?

“Must be someone important to go that far. How does dimension walking work anyway?” she asked. Natsu made a steady stream of fire with his hand to cleanly cut through the brush in front of him without starting an inferno.

“This teleporter travels down a ley line that is parallel to another. The one we need is the other one.”

“So, we’re just going to walk from one to the other?”

“Kind of.” She had no idea what he was talking about, but she surmised it wouldn’t be as simple as that. The structure loomed into view. The dark stone covered in lengthy vines. There was a clearing around the monument where trees didn’t dare to grow. The sight of it had her instincts on high alert. They shouldn’t be here.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Natsu turned with his back to the entrance— opened wide to lure them in. Was she ready for this? Her reply silenced by the sound of the earth opening beneath their feet.

“Lucy!” Natsu grabbed her to him and held her as their bodies plummeted into darkness. She guessed her reply didn’t matter, as she was in this adventure, whether she liked it or not.

#nalu #fairy tail #nalu fan fiction #fairy tail fan fiction #ft fan fiction #fairies after dark #fad ch 4 #reblogging tomorrow as well

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