#but im grown now. classes should be simple. i should be fine. i have to finish this soon.

[kellystar321]

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[slygirl666]

lack of self control pt. 1 (F.W)

A/N my first Fred x reader, technically a Slytherin reader agin but they are adults in this. Fred lives after  the war in this, because he shouldn't have died. 100% inspired by the song strawberry lipstick by YUNGBLUD was suposed to be a one shot but now it’s split into like 2 parts sorry

warnings: language really that should be it for this part, Smut in the next part can be a one shot

word count: 3,383

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Fred and George spent the day interviewing witches and wizards to work at the shop. George was going to be on his honeymoon soon, him and Angielina planned on spending two months in Italy. The boys had been meaning to hire help for a while so it just made sense.  

George sat back with a sigh looking at the clock above Fred’s head. “Angie’s gonna kill me if i'm not back for dinner, can you take the last one on your own?” “Of course mate,” Fred smiled tiredly at George who packed up and left. It had only been two years since the war but to Fred, who nearly died it was like yesterday. His life felt like it's hardly moved since then, George would be getting married in two weeks, Ron was already married, Ginny was engaged. Maybe He’d be like Charlie and grow up alone doing what he loved.

Or not the man yearn for something new and exciting.

There was a knock on his office door, and that when you walked into his life...again

* * *

It was Fred's sixth year when he had first noticed you. You were just outside of Honeydukes with a group of giggling girls by your side. Someone had handed you a bright red lolli. He watched carefully as your face twisted into one of complete innocence before placing it on your tongue and pulling it into your mouth, then pulled it out of your puckered lips with an exaggerated ‘pop.’ after that he entered the store as you drowned in a fit of giggles handing the candy off to the girl next to you.

At that point Fred hadn't even known your name. What he did know was that you were enticing and he wanted to see more of you.

* * *

“Hello, Y/N Y/L/N.” you stuck out a hand.

“I remember we went to Hogwarts together.” Fred Gladly took your hand shaking it.

“I’m surprised the famous Fred Weasley remembers me. “ you  let out a laugh as she said his name.

“How could I not? I was a part of that little stunt you had pulled on Umbridge,” he laughed watching your face go red. “Although that was just as much as a surprise to me.”

  You hid behind your hand embarrassed. “Merlin, I can’t believe you remember that, I was so Bold back then.”

“No i think you really just wanted her to shut up.” he let out a laugh.

* * *

The First time Fred spoke to you was in detention, with Dolores Umbridge. You had been sitting at a desk writing your lines when she pulled the lanky ginger boy in by the ear. She had started him on his lines before she was called away for another ‘emergency.’

He remembered you from that Hogsmeade trip last year. “What are you in for?”

You took a second before turning to him, “she said my uniform was against regulations.”

He took her in noticing the silver and green tie around her neck. “There's nothing wrong with it.”

“Exactly.” you rolled your eyes annoyed. “I told her it’s not my fault I'm a little shapely, then she screamed out ‘detention’. And the last time I wore my pants to class, she said it wasn’t ladylike to wear trousers.”

Fred laughed, “I’m Fred Weasley by the way.”

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you shook his hand.

It took another week before he saw you again, he was entering his DADA class as sixth years exited. Umbridge was calmly talking to you about how a young lady shouldn’t paint her face like a tart and she didn't want to see that in her class.

“You have no right to say that to a student,” your voice was scary and even. “You do not know me.”

“Maybe not miss Y/L/N,” she giggled. “But I do know of your reputation with the boys.”

Fred was a little concerned he went to put a hand on your shoulder fully intending to drag you out of that horrid women's classroom. You looked at him, eyes glimmering with mischief as you bit your lip.

“Right,” you nodded, voice turning sweet. “And my reputation says everything about me.”

Without a moment's hesitation you had pulled Fred by the tie for a fiery kiss. Fred couldn’t tell if it had been ten second or ten minutes when you pulled away. You licked your lips dragging the pad of your thumb across him bottom lip. “I got some of my lipstick on you.”

You pulled your thumb into your mouth walking away from a shouting Umbridge, laughing class and a dazed Fred.

* * *

You had gotten through the interview quickly. “Well Y/N, I’ll be talking with George tomorrow, if you get the job expect an owl in the next week or so.”

“Thank you,” you had gotten up going for another hand shake. “It was good to see you again Fred, hopefully it won't be the last time.”

Fred watched as you walked down the stairs to the front door, he mentally scolded himself feeling like a sixteen year old boy again. You hadn’t changed one bit. You still held yourself as though you knew you were desirable and you wanted to show it.

Fred mentally scolded himself, as far as he knew you were married or in a serious relationship. He sighed, closing up the shop.

It had taken two days for you to get an owl saying you got the job. You were ecstatic, you found a job, it didn’t hurt that you were working for the man of your school girl dreams as well.

You were called to the joke shop the day after for training, the twins were going to show you how to handle products and where everything went.

You had spent all day in the back room memorizing most of the products, when the crowd died down George had led you to the front of the shop where he showed you how to work the displays and demonstrations. It had been a long day and worse for the twins because they spent the day between you and their customers.

“I say you join us for a drink at the pub.” George smiled at her, “my Fiancé is meeting us there tonight.”

“George she just spent the entire day here i dont think she wan-”

“That would be lovely, I have no reason to be home so soon.” you raised your eyebrows at fred, “i could really use a drink too.”

“We’ll lead the way,” George smiled at her. The three of them went down the stairs where George locked the doors. He walked ahead of you and Fred, leading you to the exit of Digon Alley.

“Is it a muggle pub?” you whispered up to Fred who nodded at you.

“Muggle London is awfully busy on weekends.” he offered his arm. You linked your hesitantly through him. “We go here every few weeks for a few drinks, some of our family will most likely be joining us.”

You nodded at him, slightly intimidated by the idea of meeting a family full of famous people. By the time you three got to the pub there was already a rather large table with a generous amount of redheads.

They greeted Fred and George before noticing you.

“I never knew you had a girlfriend, Fred,” a thick French accent cut through the silence. Fred shook his head at her.

“Sweetheart, i think that's their new employee.” A man she recognized as Bill Weasley, give or take a few years since the last time she saw him, wrapped his arm around the pretty french woman.

“That is correct, im Y/N Y/L/N.” you waved rather awkwardly.

“Bloody hell aren’t you the girl who shagged someone on Umbridge’s desk before dropping out?” Ron went slack jawed as Hermione slapped his arm crying ‘Ronald.’

You snorted the Slytherin in you coming out, “is that really what they said? I just snogged your brother in front of the entire seventh year before entering private lessons.”

Ron’s jaw dropped. Angelina laughed, “Merlin, I remember that, we made fun of Freddie boy here for a whole month.”

“Yeah,” you laughed, then turned to Fred. “did I ever apologise for that?”

“No need to,” George chuckled. “Freddie thought about that day for years.”

“Then i'm not sorry,” you smirked at the amused crowd. Who started talking among themselves. They asked you questions about the time you spent out of Hogwarts and the brief time you were in the healer program.

You got along with the weasley family just fine. They eventually moved on to talking about family affairs. You got up feeling a bit awkward now. “I should get going.” some of the family playfully booed. “Sorry someone has to feed the cats at home.”

Fred got up letting you slide out of your seat, “see you tomorrow, Y/L/N.”

You nodded going to the bathroom to apparate out.

* * *

It was another week that went by fairly uneventfully, the Twins had given you a simple uniform guideline, of a pencil skirt or slacks, a plum button up and a dusty orange bowtie, colores both of them seemed to favor.

You were in the shop ringing up the last customer of the day when you heard laughter and yelling.

“George this isn’t funny,” you walked up the stairs curiously. “Mum s’ gone mad I swear. I’ve told her so many times, she doesn't have to set me up. I'm a grown man.”

“Fred, George,” you knocked softly on the door before opening it. “We're done downstairs, I wanted to be sure you two were fine.”

“Why don't you just bring Y/N.” George’s face lit up. “It would shut mum up.”

“George, don’t drag her into-”

“Into what?” you looked at the twins amused.

“Mum wants to set Fred up with her friend's daughter for my wedding,” George laughed. “Lovely girl, but exceptionally clingy and loud.”

“I’ve been ‘set up’ with her for most family events,” Fred groaned, “would you go?”

“Sure your family is lovely.” you shrugged. George laughed, “now I’m going home now, George just send me the details.”

You winked at the boys and walked out of the store.

“Freddy you’re drooling,” George let out another laugh.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have made the skirt an option.” Fred grumbled to his brother.

“Well look at the bright side, you have a date with one of the prettiest witches you know.”

Fred shoved his brother diving into paper work to distract his thoughts of you.

But you made sure to make that difficult for him wearing that skirt every day you could, it was hard not to notice his stare that traced every curve of your body when he thought you weren’t looking.

The wedding was tomorrow meaning the shop would be closed for the rest of the weekend. George being busy ment you and Fred were stuck at the shop alone. You sat on the counter cross legged as you and Fred looked at the store layout next to you, you two were preparing for the back to school rush that was sure to happen.

“Well if the Pygmy puff sells a lot with the female crowd, what if we put a love potion display across from it. You know just a little push.” you leaned closer to the paper then looked to Fred.

“That is a wicked idea.” he looked up at you, “where have you been! Georgie and i always wonder where to put the love potions this time of the year.”

“You boys just needed a womens’ touch.” you giggled catching a red painted lip between your teeth.

Fred looked up at you, you were only inches away from each other, he audibly swallowed eyes moving from your lips to eyes. “Yeah I think we found it.” he got close, you could feel his breath on you before muttering a “to hell with it.”

Just then he kissed you. It was a soft gentle kiss so you would have the s[ace to move away, but you didn’t want to. Bringing your arms up to his neck pulling him closer. He tasted like sweet coffee.

Eventually you needed air. The separation seemed  to bring the two of you back to reality. You giggled at him, his eyes were half lidded, lips smeared with the vivid red you had on your own. You took your thumb whipping it across his lips, showing him the red. “I got some of my lipstick on you.”

He laughed, “it wouldn't be the first time.”

“Uh yes,” You smiled at him getting off the counter. “I should get going, I'll see you tomorrow Fred.”

You walked out realizing that tomorrow would be a very interesting day.

* * *

You paced in your apartment in muggle London. You were dressed in a pale green sundress, you looked in the mirror adjusting it, the dress fell just above your knees but the neckline was rather daring considering your chest size was generous. You had given your hair a light curl making sure it covered your back to hide your battle scars. With some shimmery eye makeup and that same red lipstick you wore when you wanted to feel confident you were ready for George’s wedding. That you were going to, with Fred. Your boss, who you kissed last night.

“Merlin,” you muttered, going for a shot of firewhiskey to calm your nerves. There was a rhythmic knock at your door.

Fred was at your doorstep ready to escort you to the Burrow for the wedding, you agreed to go early so his mother believed he had a date. Plus he was the best man he needed to be there early.  

“You look rather dashing,” you gave him a once over he was wearing a button down, rolled up to his elbow and a black vest and bowtie.

“And you look exceptionally pretty today,” he smiled at you. Holding a hand out for you. You didn't hesitate to grab it, he pulled you close. He took his wand out then there was a familiar nauseous pull in your stomach.

You and Fred  landed outside of the tallest most spectacular building you’ve ever seen. “It’s not much but it's home.” he smirked at the look of awe on your face.

Not letting go of your hand he guided you inside.

A plump redhead woman with grey streaks in her hair excitedly walked towards you. “You must be Freddies date.” she pulled you in for a hug.

“yes , Ma’am, Y/N Y/L/N.” you went a bit rigged at the sudden hug.

“Oh, none of that. Call me Molly,” she let you go eyes searching every inch of you. “You’re a pretty thing aren’t you. I almost thought Georgie was lying when he said Fred had a plus one.”

She laughed, you stifled a giggle as Fred whined at his mother. The woman turned to fuss over him, it was funny he was a giant compared to her, yet he still managed to look like a disgruntled five year old as his mother fixed his tie.

The ceremony was short and sweet, something you were thankful for, it took all of thirty minutes for the bride and groom to say ‘I do.’ the thing you weren't expecting was to sit at the family table. They served appetizers as guests mingled. You looked in awe as all the weasleys talked and laughed together all around you.

“They are really something else, aren’t they,” Harry potter sat next to you looking amused. “I had that same look on my face the first time I came here, about ten years ago.”

“They're all so close,” you smiled fondly. “Im Y/N Y/L/N, by the way. It's nice to officially meet you.” He smiled, shaking your hand.

Soon Fred was called to give as Speech as dinner was being served, “Hello, I am Fred Weasley the handsomer of the Weasley twins. But we aren't here to discuss that were here to congratulate Angelina and George. So George has known Angelina since first year and was completely in love with her by fourth year, not that he'd admit it. So i tried to push him during our school days, i even asked her on a date at some point, which caused a row but he was to dence to say anything.” Fred took a deep breath, “it only took ‘round twelve years but were here now, and that's what matters.”

People clapped, Fred held up a hand, “by the way we switched suits before the wedding, Angelina you are now legally Mrs. Fred Weasley.”

“He’s missing an ear you dumbass,” Angelina laughed, the crowd of people joining her.

You were amused when you had talked to your own family; they were rather cold, always talking about how the marriage will bring a long line of great purebloods to come. This was about family though. It was rather charming.

The rest of the wedding went on with warmth and adoration soon everyone was joining the newlyweds on the makeshift dance floor. Fred held a hand out for you, taking a large gulp of wine, you gladly took it to join the rest.

“So, are you enjoying yourself?” Fred playfully spun you around before pulling you back to him to resume swaying dramatically.

“yeah , everyone is lovely,” you smiled up at him. You couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated movements.

The two of you playfully danced to a song you had never heard before, Fred continued hid goofy slow dancing. Eventually he dipped you causing another fit of laughter. When the song ended he led you to a table. “I’ll go get you another drink.” he winked and walked towards were they served the drinks.

Ginny Weasley sat at the table, her heels in front of her on the table as she looked you up and down. “So, a girl can finally keep up with Freddie,” she smirked as your face heated up.

“Were just friends,” you protested.

“Sure, sure.” She shook her head as Harry came and sat next to her.

“Gin, stop teasing,” he rubbed her shoulders affectionately.

“You can’t tell me what to do harry,” she gave him a playful look. “Plus he deserves it. Do you know how many years he gave me grief about you.”

Fred returned with two glasses of wine. “Hope they aren’t giving you a hard time.”

“I told you no need to worry,” you rolled your eyes. “Seriously, your family is absolutely lovely.”

The rest of the night went by with a few more glasses of wine, and more silly dances. By the end of the night you were a bit more than tipsy.

“We have extra room here, Freddie,” Molly smiled at her son as he talked about flueing you home.

“Mum, we’re going to go,” Fred groaned at her. “Comon, we’ll flu to my flat then get you home.”

Fred led you to the fireplace.

You got to his flat above the Joke shop, he didn’t want you apperateing drunk.

“You can take the bed, I think I have some sweats or something you could borrow.” he scratched his head walking over to the dresser.

“It’s fine Fred I can take the couch,” he handed you a pair of sweats and a plain shirt. You put the sweats on, they hugged your hips a bit because Merlin, this man is skinny. You struggled reaching for the zipper. “Can you help with the dress?”

You heard his footsteps get closer to you. He gently pushed your hair over your shoulder, slowly trailing the zipper down. His eyes followed the skin that was exposed. You could feel them on the large gash scar across your back.

“I got it during the battle,” his hand traced it. “That was the day I was officially deemed a blood traitor.”

You turned to look at him,  his eyes met yours, hands finding his way to your hips, turning you to face him. “I have my fair share of scars from it too, want to see?”

He licked his lips, eyes shining as you nodded at him. That's when he broke pulling you in for a searing kiss.

[iamtheempress]

Lets Talk

She nursed a nice bruise on her face in the bathroom, one that bloomed from her cheek to the top of her brow, extending a green fingertip to her cheek to heal it slowly, hopefully bringing back some natural skin tone to her cheek again.

 A normal practice for treating her wounds all her life, all while keeping herself awake and conscious with an energy drink that was half empty and the ever present feeling of anticipation. The source of anticipation lingering on that phone beside her, a burner phone she bought at the beginning of the day.

Chiaki's eyes flickered to her burner phone right next to her, waiting for a reply from a face shed only met during a fight earlier that morning with her father. 

Heroes against Villains, that old fight that will seemingly never ever cease, she cant remember why the incident happened but she just knew that she and her father were first responders along with a handful of other heroes.

 She inspects the faded mark on her face and closes the door to the bathroom, quietly as to not wake her mother who had tried to quell her worried eldest daughter, Aoi had retired to bed about an hour ago… the media had picked up on the travesty of a fight that happened earlier that day. Causing a nasty uproar from civilians and the media alike.

It was everywhere, newspapers, radio stations, the internet and she can hear the newscaster announce it clearly. "Pro Hero Witch is in the Literal Hot Seat today, is she someone we need to keep an eye on? Her power was in full effect keeping a fifteen-story building from crushing her and her battered teammate, FullCharge. Who had beaten the negligent heroin enough to make her heal him, after she did this the building she was supporting fell upon her and 5 other civilian lives, after letting the villain come to know as Dabi escape-'' she turned off the tv sick and tired of hearing of how useless she’s been, the ensuing argument she had with her family left scars on her psyche she wouldn't bat an eyelash at, she couldn't care about her reputation when she let people die on her watch. 

Useless. Lazy. A joke. 

She let those 5 civilians die so callously, she didn't know them and yet she doesn't feel as bad, atleast not right now. Casualties are a norm for heros, right?

The icing on the cake was to hear the media call her that word negatively again. 

Witch… 

A name she used to take her power back from a horrible nickname in her childhood. Now once again weighing on her like chains to the floor.

 She walked to bed holding the phone and lamenting, falling to her bed with a resounding flop.. It's her fault.. she let Dabi go, and everyone saw it.

 She let everyone down and even had her phone blown up by her friends. She turned her attention to the group chat and took a peek from behind the iron curtain of guilt. Bakugou's name was the first to catch her eye.

Bakugou: Chili. Hey dumbass answer us! We have been trying to call you all day and you leave us on read. Answer us goddammit! We don't want to confront you ourselves and see what your deal is but we will if you don't answer us for the rest of the night.

Midoriya: We will give you another 30 and we're coming over, we promise we're not going to gang up on you, Chili…That wouldn't be right. 

Chiaki: How can i trust that, you all saw my situation, no one did a damn thing to help me, i get im also the healer but that includes people defending me in order to heal at a distance or else I HAVE THE TARGET on me. I cant face any of you. 

Bakugou, Izuku, Shouto and more are typing…

She wept rubbing her eyes with her sleeve and making her tear up. Out of everyone… she assumed someone would understand but they all seemed to give her the same look, it made her heart stop. Once again she's the bad guy in a situation she lost control over. With guilt in her heart, she recalled the last moments before he got away. 

Dabi got her father off of her. No hesitation, blasted him clean off of her with enough force it could have singed her head to toe, but he didn’t. She went to get up and saw her father immolated in blue flames as she turned to see the same man she was sent to apprehend was standing fixed about 10 feet from her, his eyes trained solid on her. She looks up at the buildinh started to grown from the integrity being lost from the fight, it began to collapse down on them until she suspended it above the both of them, mere feet from his head; they stared at one another like deer in headlights. A sinister smirk spread across his features before disappearing from her view, in the kick up of dirt and rubble, 

Chiaki couldn’t bring herself to apprehend him. 

Why..? Did he see the desperation in her eyes or the fact that she barely had a leg to stand on when her own father took her down a size, when he saw insubordination over saving herself and not her father who was completely fine? Or was there another ulterior motive to keeping her alive?

Upon trying to close her eyes, and hopefully forget about this whole day.  

The burner phone buzzed to life. 

The screen could have been the brightest thing in the room, a beacon in the night beckoning her. Distant thunder rumbled to indicate the dire decision she's made, as well as a storm that was approaching.

 Her heart stopped, she lifted the phone slightly and slid her thumb over the screen. To see the text message from an unavailable number. 

“How is that eye feeling, Witch?” 

The text read, her fingers flew across the keyboard. 

“It’s been better, I fixed it up. Is this really Dabi?” upon sending the message the text came up as read. Is she really thinking of doing this… he messaged her back quickly. “Maybe I am, I have seen the news today and that shot of you and I standing before the building collapsed on us was cinematic so I have to give you props for that. I’m guessing the reason you wanted to speak to me was not make pleasantries and talk about our days.” 

“You want to join the League.” 

There it is. The question that lain heavily upon her mind. Shed never considered it as much as she has recently. The ridicule of her graduating class, her power seen as something not all heroes should use for good. She proved time and time again how she is not something to worry about.. But here she was.. Being abused and taken advantage of by the people she cared for. 

“Yes. I do.” She sent it with no hesitation and sat up in her bed looking down upon the phone, he made quick work of messaging her back, again. 

“We havent recruited anyone worth our time in a while. From what I saw recently as well as today. We were considering reaching out to you..but this works much better. Meet tonight?” Her golden eyes widened and her mouth popped open out of sheer shock. “Around what time? Ill be there” She stands up, with a loud crack of lightning the rain poured outside, she cursed and saw a location pop up on her phone.

An old and run down apartment complex outside of city limits. “Now. Get going. Text me when you're close.” Chiaki sprung out of bed without a second thought. Redressing herself in simple attire, something to not be seen on the streets so easily especially at night. Black leggings, worn in combat boots her mother gave her, a large black hoodie and that burner phone.

 While tying her hair up in a bun she saw her phone, the one with her best friends messaging her… and Midoriya’s name front and center..

Izuku: “Hey, cmon, Chili. We know you’re there.. We saw what happened and we want to know if your alright…We can see you reading our messages”

Izuku: What happened with your dad wasn't right but something doesn't add up from that fight, Chili.”

Bakugou: “It makes just as little sense to me too dumbass! Why did he spare you and go for FullCharge.”

Bakugou: “You better not have done something youll regret dumbass we cant lose you!”

Kiri: “I already have Shouto were on our way to talk to you, Spooky, were not mad..”

Her heart stopped in her throat as she started typing to them. She could see them all stop typing in unison. 

“Theres nothing to talk about. You all have made up your mind about me..i can see it. I sound like im just a problem to all of you. Consider me gone.” Chiaki tossed her old phone to the bed and scrawled a note. 

“I loved you all.. I'm sorry I'm not who you wanted me to be.”

With one message her phone began to blow up. Without looking back, she was gone. Hopping from her window to the road below with a splash into a puddle and starting her jog, leaving the only home she's known her whole damn life, as well as leaving her hero life behind her.

About a solid 30 minutes later she noticed she saw the buildings become more and more dilapidated marked with graffiti as sirens shrieked down streets and seedy characters crept behind alleyways, the city limits were within a mile away, and so was the old apartment building. 

Impatient and eager to meet him face to face, she messaged him.. "About a block or two away." she pulled her hood up as she exited a mini markets awning that was closed, rain started to shower down upon her, her light hair hidden beneath the oversized hood, the old marquis sign coming into sight. 

The phone vibrated in her pocket, Chiaki pulled it out and the words shone bright across her face. “You better not be some spy.. I won’t be too happy. So in your best interest, i'd be 100% transparent with me.”  She texts back quickly. “I am an open book and got little to hide.”

The text was read and the old marquis was above her, “No turning back now… the guys will be looking for me in no time.” She said to herself and entered the lobby of the closed apartment building, through the heavy wooden doors. It looked like it used to be grand but now it was so in disrepair that the wallpaper was torn back from walls and holes were created from years of neglect. 

Chiaki pulled her hood back and looked around, listening to the silence of the apartment, she took a breath and emanated a glow from her hands, her fingers and thumb lit up like bright green glow sticks.

From behind a darkened figure glided his scarred palm across the tattered wall approaching her slowly, he speaks up, cutting the silence and startling her. "Ah..There you are, you certainly didn't waste your time, Witch" she gasped and whipped around to see him, Dabi. She let out a nervous laugh and took a step forward, if she were not in this situation she wouldn't hesitate to take him down but this instance she felt on equal ground to him so she felt no threat.

 "I don’t dodge opportunities, especially ones like this, I would have contacted someone sooner but I wanted a reason to do this.. And you seemed like someone I wanted to contact first hand." Dabi approaches her until he is within mere feet of Chiaki, his feet shuffling with each stride, he's easily taller than her by more than a couple inches, being 5”2’ is sometimes a hindrance.

He blows air out of his nose with a laugh. “You were in luck then.. I had my eye on you for a while and finding intel for you was far more complicated than we expected. Chiaki Nakamura is it?”  one hand stuffed into his pants pocket and the other out to gesture towards her, his scarred hand fanned out, talking with his hands was natural for him to do it seems. His cyan blue eyes raking down her front and back to her eyes. Unblinking and just as dark and spellbinding as before, all the while being intensely overwhelming in every aspect physical. Chiaki’s heart bounced in her chest to her throat. 

His head lulls to the side.

 "Thats my name..” The young pro speaks softly, Dabi noticed the apprehension in her voice,"Oh are you nervous little Witch..?"  he didn't need her scurrying off or anything so he took to sauntering slowly around her, sizing her up like a hungry shark. She didn’t speak but caught his eyes through his black hair that curtained his eyes. “Just a bit but if i were any more scared i wouldn’t be here..” He looked upon her glowing green hands, it made her mildly conscious of the fact that they were shaking.

“Then my reputation precedes me even to fresh faces like you.” He says with a hoarse chuckle, he backs up with his arms spread open, she catches a glimpse of his long scarred arms, they flopped back down to his sides, She laughs gently in turn, her eyes fixed on his face, being this close she could see the gold sheen to the staples on his mouth and under his eyes. 

“If that nervous behavior is because you’re scared and having second thoughts about this.. And want to go back to playing around as a hero, i won't hesitate to fry you where you stand, but i'm hoping you're using that common sense of yours so i don't have to.” She listens intently, unwavering and dimming her hands back down, as to not allow her quirk to radiate outside the building.. Dabi’s mouth doesn’t even move beyond a normal straight line but his eyes say everything: He doesn’t see her as a stranger.. Despite this being their first time meeting amicably.

 “rest assured i won’t hurt you, from what I have seen already we need someone with a quirk like yours around, but when it comes to me bringing you back to the bar.. They won’t allow you in unless I check you for a wire, lift your arms.” He instructs and she lifts her arms just enough for him.

 His hands starting to traverse her arms and waist make her face swell with heat, a much more embarrassing position to be in… He was thorough and rough with the patdown, his face remained the same unchanging and stoic, her eyes trained on his face and the rough scars that covered the bottom portion of his face to the part directly under his tear ducts. Besides that he doesn't look bad.. The scars only add that intense look to him, the reason why people were scared of his looks. 

“I wanted to know something..” She caught his attention with a low hum, his brow raising and his lips curling upward. “What was the deal with you getting my father off of me..why didnt you attack me.” His hands finished patting down her body and he tuts her pulling the burner phone from her pocket.

 “You see.. That moment was televised and the moments leading up were not, and if they were, they didn't televise your abuse period or the reason behind it. It was pretty tragic, I heard your father's harsh words.. even more brutal pounding id say, he blocked all of your defences, your little friends didn't come for your rescue, they stood around." She stood stock still listening to him,

"Our Pro Hero lil Witch being ‘saved’ by me when i had enough of seeing someone who is more useful then her partners let on, being beaten to a pulp, and then when things seemed to be working in your favor and the fabled heroes would have gotten me, you in turn...stopped an entire highrise building from squishing me to death.” He leans forward and drops his voice an octave, dipping into a form of seductive and joking. 

“Kinda humiliating isn’t it? Being saved by a well known villain isn't really what the public wants to see.." he shrugs and steps back looks down at his palm, his long fingers moving around trying to catch her attention like he could light a flame at any moment,  with the other hand in his pocket. "I saw someone who needed help in more ways than one.” Her eyes widened as he stuffed the phone into his pocket “I saw someone who I had my eye on for a while being beaten for not doing something as useful as aiding her teammate… and for her own safety right?” He questions as he leans back against the wall adjacent to her.

 “Yeah.. that's right.. How do you know all that? I mean like, not alot of people know that about my quirk, i cant heal at a distance and provide backup unless i have backup...” He snaps his fingers and points at her. “Exactly my point. Your dear old dad didn't take his much more volatile daughter into account and only used you as a support to him, fueling his ego and making you look bad to the rest of the world.” his demeanor was so foreign to her, he spoke so eloquently and with conviction, a sadistic and perverse form of understanding that drew her in like a super magnet.

 She stood blanched, thunderstruck by how he's describing the situation to her, It's like he's in her head reading every emotion as plain on her face. “Yes. He never took me seriously… as a hero.. No one really ever did.” Dabi's eyes softened as their eyes remained locked in a stare of...mutual understanding on his part… she knew little of his past or who he was, but the weight of not being good enough or a lost cause caused his fists to clench.. he not dare ask anything personal yet.. he has a job to do and earn her trust and read her and her situation like a book. Foreshadowing the type of person she was made to be over years of unfair treatment and situations outside of their control.

 “Getting closer.. Go on, Witch.” She swallowed air and kept spilling her guts..  “I use my quirk to even help anyone or… do something for the good of others and its never highlighted in the slightest, no job well done or whatever. No sort of fanfare or recognition, i come home and.. get judged and told I'm not as good as… as him, from him.” SHe clasps her hands together and opens them up again, Dabi’s eyes watching the little light show from her fingertips and then fade away again. The more his eyes looked to her hands the more he wanted to see the beautiful little auras again, it was then Dabi realized her quirk is easy to be triggered, or atleast constantly active. “But when… i do one thing thats out of character for a… normal pro hero… all eyes are on you..and I was treated like a...pariah” 

Dabi nods his head and his smooth voice lulled her ears “Understand now? They only want you when you're useful to them, you're treated as backup, but in the right hands you could be so much more..” Her head hung low, like she just discovered it, that despite her power and the fact shes equally as dangerous maybe even more so she's treated as lesser than everyone else. 

Dabi mentally kicked himself, making such a pretty face sulk and look dour, he couldn't just stand there and allow her to beat herself up over how others treat her. Dabi took a step forward to her and found himself raising his hand to her chin and made her look right up at him, her chin betwixt the pads of his forefinger and thumb. “Come on now… don't be so down on yourself, they might see you as only an asset and a tool to use and expand upon themselves, as nothing more then a battery that never quits, but with us, you can reach a version of yourself you have never seen before.. And we can help you with that. We will make sure you surpass your expectations'' She caught herself staring. 

Eyes glazed over in tears that threatened to fall, and with a blink they were gone. “Excuse my ignorance but… you're serious like you can do that?” She asked with trepidation and abit of excitement that she had to cage off to not seem too eager. 

“It's not a promise, Nakamura. Its a fact that is going to be a reality. Now..” He turned on his heel and gave them some distance in the lobby, he was almost shrouded in darkness. “Give me a demonstration on what you can do.” He instructs. 

Chiaki blinks and becomes blanched. A demonstration. In here? She clasps her hands together and pulls them apart that green glow emanating from her hands to her elbows, pretty gold and green eyes enveloped in pure green with irises, her hands splayed out fingers slowly dancing and expanding outward, like licks of fire.

 “Brace yourself.” She curled in her fingers to drain the energy from surrounding lights and power, making the environment for everyone else but her heavy and sluggish. Dabi had a bead of sweat roll down his face and a headache grow slowly. “And just as it was pulled away I can give it back on my own terms.” She points a manicured finger at Dabi. The headache vanishes without a trace and his energy restored , almost knocking him on his ass from the dizzying feeling of having the wind knocked into you.

 The lights and the power entirely shut down for a full block and the bulbs bust outside. She holds a ball of concentrated energy in her palm and absorbs it into her skin, a content smile spreading across her delicate features and bowing forward and standing back up straight.

 “Oh yeah, they're going to thank me for insisting you be our new recruit... Warn me before you use your quirk on me again, will you?” She snorts and cocks a brow up at him. “So.. do it again later and knock you on your ass?” Chiaki giggled, Dabi quizzically tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, as if he's breaking down her words in his head, he flipped his black hair from his face as chuckles amused.

 “I knew I liked you for a reason, sarcastic little thing. ” she blushes and covers her mouth embarrassed. “I think it would be smart if we left.. I don't know if my friends are out looking for me or not..and honestly i would rather not face them head on yet.. And i don't want you to be hurt.” Chiaki looks back at him and blushes not realizing how worried she was for his safety, "What already thinking of me? Don't get so soft on me now, Nakamura.." Dabi chuckles and his hands return to his pockets and with a half turn he nods his head in the opposite direction of her, signalling her to follow him towards the exit of the building, he stops before the door. 

"Wait..you mean those UA kids..? trust me, Nakamura.. they arent your friends.. i don't need to know what you went through today after our little scene, you know as well as i that they're already plotting against you from what you did.." his words rang true along with his velveteen voice, the tall and slender Villain seemed to know more than he let on.

Chiaki became quiet and more confident with her decision. She made this choice, and she really didn't regret a damn thing. "And that very thing you have done today, Chiaki.." he slammed his hand into the wall, anchored his hand beside her head, making her damn near jump out of her skin. Lightning cracked outside illuminating the scars that adorned his features.

  The trench coat splaying open and just a bit of his shirt collar dipping down to reveal the purple scar stretches to his chest, gold tint staples fixed secure into what skin he had left to him that remained unscarred.

 Her eyes wandered from his chest back to his brilliant blue eyes. "Made me realize that you were worth contacting. Trust me, Nakamura.. we will bring out the best in you, UA would have easily tainted your view on the world and how ‘justice’ is delivered; but it seems like you know the world for what it really is." he gave her cheek a pat and a pinch, his gaze remained on her and a sickly grin twisted on his features when he notices her eyes wandering to the purple skin and his pronounced collar dipping further down his chest.. His hand engulfed her chin, capturing it and making her look him in the eyes. 

"Yknow, staring at people in the League will getcha in trouble or hurt, Not me though.. just don't get too used to it, anyone who stares  that long at me i consider mice…but honestly i don't see you scurrying off anytime soon." He backs off when she blushes brighter and gives him a shove. 

"Ah quit! Its kinda hard to not stare if you haven't noticed, Dabi." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started texting someone facing the heavy door, when he received a reply he put it back into his pocket, and sighed opening the heavy metal door with a creak, rain poured down into the street as he spoke up so she could hear him. "its what we ugly folk are used to i'm afraid." Chiaki merely scoffs and pulls back up the hood and opened her palm flat and above his and her head together she created a translucent green umbrella like barrier protecting them from the downpour,  "Ugly is abit of a stretch, Dabi..." she mutters and follows him into the alley where the rain continued ro shower down bouncing off the barrier, a singular street lamp illuminating the barren street leaving the only city she had ever known, Dabi replayed that phrase in his head and he momentarily closed his eyes.

 Its been years since he got compliments.. it was strange but not unwelcome. "Ohhhh little mouse, your gonna get along very well with me.. stick by my side and everyone will like you… eventually.. Your about to meet one of them anyway." As he said this casually as the street became a black and purple haze, a portal opened up and swirled as a literal exit from the city.. to wherever the hell she was going next. 

Chiaki gasped and took an apprehensive step forward.

 "Scared?" Dabi asked, with a little smirk on his lips. "Just a bit…" Dabi extended his hand for her, inviting her with him "Cmon. Trust me. Trust a burnt man with nothing to lose." He chides playfully. Chiaki accepts his invitation, his hand warm and textured with the staples.. Dabis heart skipped a beat at the contact.

 Soft and small hands engulfed by his own as he guided her through the portal, stunning blue eyes never deviating from her gold and green ones.. like they were captivated by one another.. before she knew it, she was in a completely different location. She blinked and looked around, thunderstruck almost by the environment.

A bar that reeked of booze and smoke of different varieties. "Welcome home, for now." He says in a flat tone, she pulled off her hood and looked around.

 Dabi still had his back to her and looked at his palm for a moment that felt like an eternity, the ghost of her hand remaining in his own, strange emotions bubbled up from nowhere, he shoved them back down and spoke up. 

"Everyone seems to be out by now, usually the bar is never empty. The person who summoned that portal is here...Kurogiri, which means our leader Shigaraki is here. He’ll meet you at some point..when he's not on his damn video games." he nudged her shoulder with his elbow and shook his wet hair out. Turning to look down at her, "Nice place...you guys bounce from place to place often?" She asks in what felt like a shy whisper, the resounding echo from the hall made her feel like she was shouting. 

"Haven't in a while.. hoping we won't have too again. Wont say where because it doesn't matter. Anyway, wanna come up to my room? There's an old couch up there you can crash on. Unless you want my bed, heh.. Wouldn't mind you in bed with me.” He breathily chuckles and pinches her chin starting to lead the way, “Don't get any ideas! I'm just tired.. I haven't had any sleep and its like.. Almost 2:30 in the morning.” She yawned and dragged her feet behind him.

Chiaki follows him up the stairs and down the long corridor to the last door on the left, he opened it to find a bedroom with a king sized mattress pushed to the wall and the windows covered in blackout curtains, an old couch directly under it and  a flat screen across the room as well as his own computer and cans of empty energy drinks by it, as well as an ashtray that looked like it was used normally. 

“This room is mine, go ‘head.” He invites her in, noting the tired look on her face, he found it almost innocent if it weren't for the remnants of blush still ghosted on the apples of her cheeks.

Dabi had booted the door closed behind him as she kicked off her boots, he spoke up again, watching her movements, as they seemed to have gotten lazier. “Not much of an interior decorator but it works for me, sprucing the room up would be too much effort.” 

Making himself comfortable he sheds the trench coat and shuffles through a cabinet in the desk where his computer is located,”I'm getting pretty tired and by the looks of it you are too, so im afraid im gonna have to restrain you. Cmere.” He says, pulling out a pair of handcuffs that catches Chiaki’s attention, her brow instantly rising in confusion and a hint of worry. Dabis eyes flicker up to her when she whips around at the chain jingling as he approaches her, twirling the cuffs around his finger 

 “W-wait why do you need to restrain me?” She asks a little wary, “Its so you dont pull anything while I'm sleeping… can't be too careful, little mouse.” He states clasping the cuffs around her wrists in the front, they clicked almost to the point where he could get two fingers under them. Chiaki looked at him with big innocent eyes and then down to the cuffs on her wrists. “Tsk..you do this to all the new recruits or am i just that special.” He chuckles and turns his back to her. “You’re a first, to both be cuffed and able to sleep in my bed. Consider yourself ‘special’”

She looks back up to find Dabi stripping his white shirt off and tossing it to the couch, a blush forming on her face and a pang in her heart as she looks at him closely, hes much better looking up close… fit and lean, along with the added look of his scars that dressed his torso into his pants only made him 2 times more appealing and more her type. “Holy shit..” She says out loud with her jaw slacked abit. “Checking me out, little mouse? Remember what I said about staring.” He chuckled and laid back in bed exhausted, pulling the sheets up her body comfortably. “Sorry was just admiring the view, Dabi.” She teased rolling her eyes and settling into bed, Dabi’s eyes widened briefly and felt that sweet warm feeling creeping up his chest again, this time he let it simmer there.

“im going to sleep.. Too tired to think, that energy drink i had acouple hours ago finally wore off." Chiaki yawned and stretched, facing away from him to ease the situation, that situation being she wanted to face him and find comfort from him. 

A sort of comfort she longed for for years, acceptance and safety.. Funny she found safety with a villain.. With villains alike. This caused her to giggle to herself, he raises a brow and looked over to her with his arms tucked behind his head 

Instead as Dabi turned off the light and the distant thunder rolled she spoke up “Dabi..” “Hm?” She turned back over and some light from the opened part of the black out curtains illuminated her eyes, Dabi once again caught himself peering into them wistfully finding himself looking her over. 

 A genuine glow in her eye, appreciation and a connection the two have never felt before, “Thank you, for bringing me in.. you wont regret it,” She brings her bound hands up to pull the pillow further up under her head, and licked her lips, swallowing her fear and letting a wall down, even just alittle bit to him. Dabi mused and observed her closely, finally seeing the opposite end of what its like to have someone in need go to him of all people. “i haven't felt anything beyond disappointment for a long long time, so to say i feel comfortable with someone i was fighting not even a day ago says anything, i hope you understand and i'm not stepping over any boundaries.” He grinned, and responded with an amused chuckle. “Getting soft on me again, better not make that a habit with anyone else here, I just might get jealous.” Dabi grazed his finger against her cheek, she leaned against his hand and smiled angelically.

“I'm starting to like that fire in your eye. ” He ghosts his knuckles down her cheek as her eyes closed slowly, blinking exausted as the cold air kicked on from the ac unit above them, she shivered and threw all caution to the wind, Dabi stiffened as she moved closer to his end of the bed, she ducked her head abit beneath the blanket to snuggle against his warm chest, his heart hammered with nerves he still couldnt place a name too, the same hand that stroked her cheek rested on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing slow circles into the sweatshirts fabric. 

Comforting and confusing thoughts swirled through the villains mind as he soon came to realize he remained awake for all but another 20 minutes, the soft rise and fall of her chest and side indicated she had long fallen asleep in his arms. 

Dabi rested his chin against her head and attempted to find the sleep he had long since forgotten in his past life. Acceptance and comfort from someone. 

He sighed and whispered in a husky tone of voice.

“Glad we had that talk, Little Mouse…”

XXX~

Hey yall its my first MHA fic. You might see more of her and Dabi in the future cuz honestly this was fun!

[holicanth]

Joy and Union

Day 2 of Shinoweek 2021 - Winter, Friends/Family

Words: 2.3k

Genre: Fluff, friendship, FRIENDSHIP!!!

Warnings: Self-hate, suicidal thoughts.

Tags: Shinohina, Hinata’s worries and fears. Kiba acts like a clown, Team 8, Team 8 is chaotic and share one braincell. 

Author’s Note: This is a onehsot. Wanted to make something light to counter the absolute shitstorm im about to make tomorrow :”v Hope you like it :D

Summary: A simple task—to tail a group of chuunin-level gangsters who had been extorting money from one of Konoha's poorer regions. The group was interested in the mining industry of the area, but have tried to take the compound with illegitimate force.

An insect user has to be able to adapt to all forms of weather, using chakra to regulate body temperature and balance at all times.

 It takes a while for Shino to master this technique, but now he uses it almost automatically.

 The reason being his persistence to use cloaks and the like in the heat of summer.

 Shino knows that there is nothing wrong with his skin. It isn't scarred, tan, or even rough. The Aburames are all born with extremely regenerartive skin, but Shino fears the disgust reflected on his comrades when they see bugs dig out a hole from inside him

 (He used to be more blatant with it, reveling in their shock. But Shino learns that this has left him more alienated than accepted)

 So in summer months he would cover up with loose robes, with enough ventilation to help his bugs move freely. Of course, Shino prefers the warm embrace of sunlight, but he finds that the winter months can be more comfortable than they seem.

 It was during a reconnaissance mission, dead winter, and Team 8 was assigned to a small village to Konoha's North. 

 A simple task—to tail a group of chuunin-level gangsters who had been extorting money from one of Konoha's poorer regions. The group was interested in the mining industry of the area, but have tried to take the compound with illegitimate force.

 Kiba and Akamaru left to chase after the gang leader, while Shino and Hinata were to guard and uphold the mine from other assailants.

 It was a quiet morning. The villagers were scared (as they should be) and have decided to hide themselves in their homes. Shino's bugs were less effective during winter, but enough to ward unsuspecting intruders.

 Meanwhile Hinata was observing all around with her Byakugan. She has been up for a few long hours. 

 Shino is not a fool. He notices the pattern that Hinata's behavior takes during missions. To do her best. To never give up. To prove that she is worthy of something.  Even if it pushes her over the brink. He’s always hated the way she thinks so poorly of herself, as if she deserved all the discomfort that comes from being a shinobi. He understands the feeling well, though.

 "You know that you can leave this to me, right?" Shino muses next to her, "Rest, Hinata. You'll overwork yourself."

 Hinata deactivates her Byakugan, lightly rubbing her eyes in an attempt to release strain

 "B-But your bugs can't move much during winter, Shino-kun. You need extra chakra to regulate their temperatures." She glances at him, worry apparent on her voice. "You’ve saved me from their attack before. I don’t think you should move much…”

 The aforementioned gang was comprised of a compilation of rouge ninja from all sorts of villages. They have a particularly bad reputation within poorer villages but are in esteemed positions in Sunagakure. They’re particularly dangerous for their rejection of manipulation of Suna politics. Not only that, they have weapon masters, innovators, and a single scientist who aid them in their operation.

 The whole gang have been on the prowl for a long while, keeping themselves low for the last five years. Three months ago they’ve begun to act more hostile. Starting from a robbery in October to in a mining heist in December. An anonymous tip signaled that the whole gang are on the move, and going on extortion operations as a collective. This information went to the Hokage’s office, who then decided that the elite of the Konoha 9 were to deal with the issue. ‘They’re probably pissed that Gaara’s kazekage now’, Tsunade mentions.

 A series of sneezes distracted Shino's thoughts back to Hinata.

 Without thinking, Shino had automatically gave Hinata his coat. Winter is harsh towards insect-users, but Shino thinks he can handle this. Of course he can, after everything Hinata has done for the mission.

 "Aren't you cold Shino-kun?" 

 They had a scuffle before, in which one of them surprised them with a Fire-style jutsu, resulting in the loss of 40% of Shino’s kikaichu. Kiba had been fast enough to dodge, but Hinata had to be shielded by Shino. Luckily, both of them were left unscathed. Leaving Hinata to her guilt and her disappointment.

 "No, I'm fine. I'll be on guard now, you've done enough, Hinata."

 Hinata has always felt lacking. Even if she excelled physically to her teammates, even when she's the de facto taijutsu master in her team. She was always too kind, they'd say. She's too forgiving. From the very beginning, Hinata has left Kiba and Shino to do the dirty work for her. Murdering a team of genins during the Chuunin exams was just the beginning of it.

 And Hinata doesn't reject this. She was truly grateful that she didn't play an active part in these deeds.

 (And all the while she weeps in regret.

She believed that Shinobi are meant to protect those precious to them.

She never thought that a Shinobi would do such immoral things.

But she never grew out of this mindset, either.)

 Years has passed, and they've all grown into more mature, well-adjusted shinobis. She thinks about how to apologize to them. How to reverse the horrible things they've done in her stead. A shinobi is, ultimately, someone who protect those who are important to them. This is what she had trained so hard for. To protect and nurture. The idea of having to harm others in the name of protection—she detests it with her whole being.

 Sometimes she thinks,

That if she dies, the souls of those her team has taken would be put at peace.

 "It will be fine, Hinata. Don't worry, I can handle this amount of cold." Shino says, as he turned his back on her, facing to step outside the cave.

 The Kikaichu were not fully recovered. Should another ambush take place, there was a high chance that Shino would be injured.

 (Something in her urges her to rebel against his words. She didn't want it to continue like this—to have Kiba and Shino go out of their way for her.

 Especially Shino.)

 In a sudden fit, her hands clamped themselves around the boy.

 She has always known that Shino was tall, but now that she's close to him did she realize how different their heights are. Hinata notices too that Shino was not as skinny as she thought he was, but she hadn't noticed rhe boy's confusion.

 "Hinata what-" 

 Her ears were red.

 "I'm sorry, Shi-Shino-kun, I..I was--"

 Panic. She had to find an excuse immediately.

 "I-I just think that you're warm Shino," she blushes, looking to the side "You're good at regulating your body temperarure so..."

 If she could turn back time Hinata wishes that she could pull herself out of this situation. How silly of her. Hinata makes sure that she was always careful in every action--something she learned from her family the hard way--but she's found herself becoming clumsier than ever. 

 A trait she inherited from Kiba she supposed, 

 But this was not time to reminisce. 

 She has yet to release her hold. She thinks that she shouldn't. Her mouth doesn't form the words that she wants, and she's left speechless with the rush of emotions that gobble her. Her heart tears with a feeling of sorrow. Was she going to be left behind? She despises the way that her sincerity gets in the way of her job.

 (Shino Aburame was not someone skittish. Had it been anyone else he'd have felt a bit odd, resistant even, but the fact that it was Hinata eases his mind.)

 He doesn't bother her clutching on to him like this. But he doesn't immediately welcome the hug either. The idea of skinship was something he choose not to familiarize with, as people were always quick to avoid his advances, anyways.

 (Shino had always been isolating himself against his peers. He strives so hard to be level-headed. He tries his best to do well in class. But none of that made him any more likable--with all the bugs and unfriendly demeanor.)

 It started with a slight tap on the back, to one arm wrapped around her, and finally Shino eases himself enough to reciprocate the hug. Their eyes met. Somewhere, somehow, a strong feeling of compassion gripped him. In an instant, he felt an innate understanding rush to his head, as if he was absorbing all of Hinata’s emotions as they hugged.

 (Silence fell still on them—the serenity of the scene filling them with an odd elation. Hinata’s mind was previously occupied with dark thoughts, but now she can think of nothing but the winter and Shino’s warmth.)

  A lucid, fuzzy feeling overtakes Hinata. Her arms hugged tighter and she smiles into Shino's chest. At first, she was afraid that he'd jump out of her grip. Afraid that, like her family, Shino would have downright rejected any affectionate gesture. 

 (And the thought terrified her to death. The idea of being separated from her teammates. Separated from her home.)

 Shino was pleasantly surprised at himself, too. How simple it was to connect with someone—how easy it had been for Hinata to break his walls. For the first time in a while, Shino feels the joy of having a genuine union with someone, and God did he crave for it so badly.

 (Try as he might, but he has always lingered nearby her. Like a moth to a flame.

 It felt so natural for Shino, yet his own insecurities had lead him to stubbornly reject all attempts of friendship)

 They stayed like that for a minute. And that minute soon grew into half an hour. And just like that, Akamaru comes barking while dragging a group of chuunins tied by rope.

 Both of them had known that the gang was strong, feared even. What they didn’t expect was Kiba to be so fast in tracking them down, defeating them single-handedly, and bringing them back to the village. He was always feisty and feral from the beginning, but Kiba really changes when someone hurts his teammates.

 "Gee, look who's getting nice and cozy while I do all the work for us. I am so getting a day off after this..." Kiba mused, hauling the unconscious criminals to be taken by Akamaru to Kurenai.

 "Kiba-kun! I'm... um... It's not like that..."

 "Hinata thinks that I am a heater." Shino says, deadpan. "You can come near if you're cold, too."

 Kiba processes Shino's words as his brain buffers. Shino? Allowing physical contact? It must be raining cats and dogs outside. Kiba was in disbelief but there was also a sense of pride in knowing that his teammate's ice cold facade had began to thaw.

 Kiba had always been wary of Shino (In a good sense). He made sure not to overstep his boundaries after learning from several prank attempts that you can never escape Shino’s bugs, especially when he decides to use centipedes. Regardless, Kiba acknowledges his existence and understands that some people are a little bit more difficult to get by,

 "Hmph. You think I'd need some warming up after all that chasing?" He pouts, looking to the side. 

 "Because you're fucking right!!" He yells as he tackles both of them to the snow, a cheeky grin lit on his face. Kiba’s brashness made both Hinata and Shino tumble into the snow. Now they’re all tired and not warm. Damn Kiba. His big idiot energy did not register the fact that snow is, indeed, cold. 

 "Kiba you stupid--now you've got us all cold!" Shino's remark gained light laughter from his teammates. 

 "That's right,” Kiba replies with a hearty laughter. Because we're going to the hot springs after this mission."

 "Hot springs?" Hinata asked, turning to face Kiba "Where do we get the money for that? All the hot springs in the area are luxurious ones..."

 Konoha’s northern side was known for it’s winter hot springs. A luxurious view of the mountains as you aid your body in the springs. The nearest one was renowned and popular among ninjas, claiming that the water had rejuvenating properties and could make one younger.

 "That. Is something I can deal with." Kiba replies, in his leader-esque voice. 

 "And how would that be?" Shino is suspicious, but he seems to already know what Kiba is up to.

 "You see...These criminals we're after are pretty bad, yeah? Extortion and all that. So when I wrang them up, I happen to find pouches of coins nearby."

There is a lot to be questioned from the word “happen to find”.

 "Their pouches are awfully thick, stealing more profit than the ones they took from this village from God knows where. This is clearly our jackpot."

 "Kiba-kun... I don't think that's allowed..."

 "It is," He replies, sitting up, "We can return most of the money back, take a small fraction of it as added bonus. Don’t underestimate the Inuzuka’s Puppy Eyes Jutsu! Now, if we leave before they wake up, it’ll be in the bag!" 

 The three of them looked at each other. Nodded. And off they went, finishing affairs with the village chief and storming out of the village. This wasn't the first time Team 8 commited petty crimes, but getting away with it is part of a shinobi's skillset. Or so Kiba thinks.

 Shino never thought winter could make him feel so giddy. He should have been freezing to death, especially when Hinata was borrowing his longcoat. But the andrenaline from Kiba's mischief was infectious, and he was unexpectedly more riled up than usual. Hinata too, was under the adrenaline rush. 

 If the old Shino saw him now, he’d berate him for being so loose. For willingly participate in childish mischief, during a mission, nonetheless. Oh, but Shino couldn’t care less for formalities that day! He’d brush the conduct as “misdemeanor due to injury” and sleep it off.

 Shino finds that the winter months are more comfortable than they seem. Warm food, hot springs, and a good night's rest with your comrades. He wishes to meet many more winter months with his precious friends, together.

:)

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Life After Snowpiercer: Whos Left?

Summary- 5.3k. Curtis x Y/N. Curtis takes Yona and Timmy towards the back of the train, finding unexpected survivors along the way. You are caught in a situation not so simple to escape from. Violence 

a/n- The scenes involving gun fire, I cant claim to know exactly how they work, seeing as Ive never dealt with them, so details might be sketchy. 

Chapter 5 / Masterlist

The group followed you, but hell if you knew where you were going, more and more people came out of the cars scattered around, equally in as much shock as you. Somewhere someone was wailing uncontrollably, there was still who knows how many guards in the car you all left, and right now the mix of people looking at You, of all people to tell them what to do. It was just overwhelming. Almost to much. You could feel your breathing rush in hurried huffs, and your senses starting to swarm.

Babygirl Breathe. 

Curtis Its to much. 

Think, you need to get them out of the cold first, Shelter. Pick the best car. 

Okay....

“Alright everyone were not gonna last out here, and its gonna be dark soon.” Shadows were starting to stretch around you all, and the sky above you all was going from a bright blue hue to purplish and bits of stars were scattering around. When you looked up, it was still like out of a dream. When did you last gaze at stars? “Is there any car anyone knows of that might have food, blankets... anything?” 

Everyone looked among one another, when someone you were least suspecting to see stepped forward, Paul, who had been taken from the tail end years ago cleared his throat. “That one on the end, its full of protein bars, the machinery is all broke, but that one and the one behind are still connected together when I came out, and it was abandoned before Curtis came through. Plenty of room for all of us.” You nod in agreement, and sure everyone stayed together, you all moved as a group. Falling back to where Paul brought up the rear, you walked beside him, silent for a bit. 

“Paul... have you been in that car this whole time?” You did the math, it was five or six cars up if the old maps in Gilliams place were correct. 

“Yea, it wasnt a bad gig” The man shrugged his shoulder. “Lonely, but I still got to see people a few times a day. They came to collect the bars, hand me the red letters.” 

Your brows come together, the ones Curtis depended on. “Red letters, the ones giving us clues on how to break out?” 

“Oh I dont know what they said, I was just told to place them in random bars and make sure they went out to the tail end.” Paul just stated as if it was common knowledge.

Fucking hell, this whole time it was a set up. The thought occurred to you, the weight of it was so heavy in your chest, you held back a sob. All those hours Curtis planned around the information sent. All of it just a set up. Why? 

“How was Curtis when he went through?” Was he okay? How long ago was this? Must have been a couple days ago at least. 

“He was fine Y/N, shocked to see me, and and pissed about the red letters, but hey, I do what Im told. Okay, this should be the one.” He broke away from you, and climbed up to the door, ducking inside. You glance over your shoulder, and your old car is barely in view, and you could see a few men standing near it, but unable to really tell if it the armed guards. Hopefully they are unable to get there shit together and try anything. Luckily you and the kids had a good amount of weapons collected before you bolted to the outside. 

Paul called from inside “Y’all can come on in.” Sara limped up next to you, pressing a red rag to her shoulder, looking up. “I’m gonna need help this time” You nod and lope an arm around her waist, feeling her weight lean into you. “I got you this time Sara, were in this together.” The woman flashed you a grateful smile, and together you two wait for the crowd to disperse inside. Once it was just the two of you, you climb up first and reach back, taking her good arm, and as quickly as you were able, you help her up into the doorway, and together you two enter. 

It was dim, but nothing like the tail end darkness, so your sight adjusts quickly, already people are huddling together, passing along protein bars, and mostly its quiet except for the occasional hushed whispers. The person wailing endlessly had since stopped in one of the many cars you all passed. Exhaustion and Shock kept you from searching them out. You should, guilt eats at you. But you turn away from the door for now, checking over the people instead. So far all the kids, including a few from the other cars all seemed fine. You knew Sara was bad off, and you found a few others with lacerations, bad bruises and concussions, and at least two who had a shoulder thrown out of joint. But the reports of those that couldn’t be helped was outstanding. 

The one thing you were relieved to find was that no one seemed to be fighting. It was a mix of all sorts of factions, there were at least ten cars that dropped, and it ranged from you tail enders, a few from the prison section from what you could tell by there clothing, and a few “lower class” carts that were still much better off then you all were. But now everyone simply were together, there was no breaking of class. Hopefully it would just stay that way. All in all, there were about 30 of you crammed in as tight as possible to stay warm. 

You moved back to the entrance and set on the edge, with the gun you had brought with you, keeping an eye on the landscape. Watching for any others to follow there trail, friend or foe. You roll up the collar of your coat you were wearing. It wasnt keeping you very warm, but better then nothing. Your eyes half closed hours later, and nodding off.

It was so damn cold... 

I know it is baby, you should close your eyes. 

Liar, thats just my mind playing tricks. 

All you could hear was his agreeing laughter, yea you couldnt sleep.

“Miss?” A warm hand came to your face, the back of it touching your wind burned ruddy cheeks, making you gasp in surprise and jump slightly. 

“Wh-at? Oh sorry... I must have nodded off.” 

The man smiled, settling down in the doorway across from you, his jacket was slightly heavier, but still clouds of breath escaped him to glide into the night. “Its okay, you should let me take over for a while? I know we dont know each other, but its not on just you to watch. I can help any more that might arrive inside.” 

You eye him, and he had warm eyes from what you can tell, god you wish you knew if you could trust him. “Im not just looking for more survivors. Our tail end was being held under guard. When we left, it was escaping them as well. Not many survived, but enough.” 

“Yes, we saw the guards come through after the revolution passed through.” Another sign of Curtis, further up from Pauls car. You couldn’t help but smile hearing about him, fuck you missed him terribly. You hid your smile in your coat, finally it passed and you turned back to the man. “He is a stubborn man when he wants something. And he wanted us out of the tail end.” 

“That he does, we had no cause to stand in there way, he passed us peacefully. Some of out people actually joined his cause. Its not as bad as your car, but we are tired of the imprisonment as well. My name is John by the way.” He held his hand out, and you unfolded yours from your sleeve, shaking his and gave your name as well. You werent going to give up your post, and he relaxed on the opposite side, apparently not willing to leave. You two were quiet for a time, when piercing through the night was the worst sound youve heard in a while. It kareened from the top of the cliff, a scream that echoed around the valley you were all stuck in. 

It made you jump up, leaning out of the doorway to look up. And John did the same, cussing softly “Fuck what was that?” You shook your head. 

“Nothing good.... “

 During the time You were settling the survivors in the car, Curtis paused panting, it had long since grown dark out, following the light of the stars above them, it made the snow glow silver, stretching out in front of them. The train didn’t seem this long when he was fighting his way through the cars. Of course then it was adrenaline fueling him on. This time it was exhaustion. “Timmy, lets take a break buddy.” The boy on his back tightened his arms around Curtis neck, not wanting to let go, muttering sleepily in against his neck. “Okay... just swing around man.” Curtis coached him, and soon he had the boy slid around to his chest, stepping over to stand next to Yona, who was already curled up against the side of the train to get out of the wind. She needed more clothes, better clothes, fuck. 

“Yona, take Timmy... “ Curtis pried the boys arms from around his neck, and she sleepily reached up to take the kid, drawing him into her. Curtis shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over them. Looking into the dark car they were huddling against, maybe there was some blankets in there. He heard rustling inside, but nothing more. Grabbing an outside bar, he pulled himself into the entrance to look inside He couldn’t make out anyone in the shadows, but that meant nothing. “I’m coming in, I don’t want any trouble.” 

Hearing nothing more, he slid inside, it didnt look like he was going to have much luck. Nothing but bodies scattered around, and axes, the smell of blood, dried blood prominent. Shit, this was the car from the bridge. Thats when he saw that the tied prisoners he had left behind were killed to, deep ax cuts to there neck, squatting near one, he studied the man, drawing his own conclusions. They must have finished off the rest after he left. Breathing in deeply and rubbing a hand against his face. They had the right to after all the torture they had endured over the years, but part of him was still disappointed in the death. So much fucken death. 

At least it was quicker then starving and shit, he thought. 

Its still wrong Curtis, they were unarmed at this point. 

Yea I know, but can you blame them. We were unarmed and starving in the tail end and they never gave a shit. 

A touch of your hand and sigh, you just were so damn tired in his mind. 

“Curtis?” a voice from the other end mentioned, and he pushed to a stand, brows furrowed at the noise, he swore he heard his name. “Hello?” 

“Curtis! back here!” It was louder, more urgent. He recognized that voice, Tam from the back, she had come up behind them once the fighting was done, helping the injured. Curtis made his way over the scattered bodies and debris scattered around, and what did he find, fuck he found a small group of his people, helping one another up, and others laying out side by side, ones that had injuries, preventing them from moving to much. Tam moved to grasp Curtis pulling him into an affectionate hug “Damn are we glad to see you! We lost most everyone Curtis, were all thats left. They came back through and pinned us down, claimed 74 percent of us were to be killed.” The tears streamed down her face freely, as she released him and pulled back. “they were about to march us back when the train, I’m guessing went off the track? It caught them unaware enough we were able to fight back. There wasn’t many.... but we just didn’t know what to do, what was ahead, if you, Tonya, Nam... the rest were still alive?” 

Curtis shook his head, swallowing down the sorrow. “No, they didn’t make it. Its just me, Yona, and I was able to get Timmy back. Not Andy, I never saw him.” 

Tams head hung for the loss of there friends, and Curtis turned his attention back to the door. “I got to go get Yona and Timmy, now that I know its you all, we we will stay here. Tomorrow those that can, we are going to see about whats left of the tail end. I was told they went over a cliff... but I have to know.” 

Tam nodded, as well as a few others that came to join in the conversation, Curtis questioned. “No ones seen Y/N, have they?” Maybe you didn’t listen, he could hope.

“No, she stayed in the back with the kids.... just like you told her she had to.” They had all seen you drag her back into Gilliams quarters just before it all started. Curtis sighed to himself, not his finest moment thinking back on it. It tore him to think now how you two left things. How you might not be.... 

STOP IT! You cant think that way. 

I shouldn’t have done that babygirl, left you in anger. 

No WE shouldn’t, we will fix this, go get the kids now. 

Turning away from the group, he made his way back, and looking out the door, he saw his two charges still under his jacket, hiding away. “Timmy, Yona, lets get inside, its safe.” Yona first poked her head out from there little hideaway, and pushed Timmy into a stand, the two of them making there way to the entrance. Reaching down, Curtis grasped Timmys arm and hauled him up the side, pulling him in “Go all the way to the back, Tam and them are up there.” The boy nodded and started to head towards the back, Curtis leaned down and took a wrapped Yoda by the arm, and she was slightly heavier, grunting with the effort and pain lacing his ribs as she scrambled best she could up the side, landing with a oof when she fell in. “Sorry Yona” He apologized while she brushed herself off and made to take off his coat to return it. “ no you hang onto it for now. I will take it back tomorrow morning. Maybe they have something back there you can use before we head out.”

“But your gonna freeze Curtis” Her head tilted, studying him. He dismissed it with a shake of his head and together they headed back to the group. Tam was kneeling next to Timmy, cupping his face and studying some of the bruises on his face. The boy was starting to come out of the trance state Curtis first found him in, talking more. He had yet to ask about his mother, and Curtis figured right now it would be to much to have that discussion, Not yet anyways. If he wasn’t asking, Curtis was content to let it just stay silent till they were all in a better place. 

“Our wounded, how bad are they?” Curtis asked another as he headed over to see whom was over there, it wasn’t your, or the it was Our, they were a group again, looking out for one another best they could. There looked like five or six, some perfectly silent, another one was groaning in his sleep. Tam came over, her arms folded around her “Bad, I don’t know if they will all make it. What I wouldn’t give for Y/N to be here, at least we would have some direction in what to do” Curtis clenched his jaw hearing this. 

Fuck I wish you were here to baby. He sighed inwardly, what he wouldn’t give to hear you tell him it would be okay. 

“The one i’m most worried about is Edgar, the wound is deep, and it took a while for the wound to clot. I mean hes conscious...” 

“Wait! Edgars alive?!” Curtis scanned over the covered people again, looking for anyone familiar. 

“Yea, hes that one up at the end, wait... you didn’t know Curtis?” Tam followed along behind and Curtis made his way over, and sure enough, Edgar was fast asleep, pale as hell, but damn it the kid was alive. “No, we left in such a hurry after the bridge...” He rushed his words to Tam, just in shock. Curtis collapsed to his knees next to him, relief just washing over him. “Fuck man its good to see you” He whispered, and beside him Edgar groaned and opened his eyes. 

“Yea man, its good to see you to.”

What happened hung in the air, but left unsaid for now, Curtis knew he had yet another apology to make, another mistake. Edgar went to sit up and Tam immediately put a stop to that. 

“You lay your ass back down Edgar. You lost to much blood to be moving around any, and that wound reopens, no telling if we can get it to stop.” With a roll of his eyes he fell back to lay still. Curtis looked questioning up at Tam.

“The knife missed the spine and vitals, but its deep enough to leave a gaping hole. It needs to be sewed up, or cauterized. But we just don’t have the materials.” Edgar raised enough to lean on his elbow. 

“Well someone should go looking for that shite, right?” Curtis was relieved to hear that accent of his once more, never thought he would hear it again. “I cant be laying up here the whole damn time.” 

It occurred to Curtis that maybe they could do one. “Yona... Yona, has my jacket. Nam gave me a smoke just before, theres some matches in the pocket.” Tam hurried over to where Yona was sleeping, searching in the pockets of his jacket. Rewarded when she pulled out the old half disintegrated book of matches, and miraculously they were still dry. Curtis started looking around for things to burn, searching the deads pockets for anything flammable. Finally having an plan in place, meant he could at least fix part of something. 

Having enough materials gathered, Curtis collected one of the Axes, cleaning off the dried blood caking the edge. He hoped the fire would burn off any other debris to keep from infecting Edgar. Tam worked on getting the fire hot, and Edgar laid on his stomach, watching the flames. Curtis eyes would glance up once in a while to catch his expression. Clouded, unsure if it was from pain, or remembering how Curtis how turned away when Masons men had the knife to his throat. Curtis couldn’t forget it, He shouldn’t have left him. 

“Edgar I---” 

“Stop man, were not doing this. Not now, not ever.” Edgar glared at him to shut him up, and Curtis closed his mouth, running the rag once more over the blades edge, there was a tiny spot, he swore he could see it although the axe gleamed spotless. 

Moments later, Tam blew lightly on the fire, and it went from hot reddish orange to white hot laces of blue. “I think this is as hot as were gonna get it Curtis, put the blade in.” She sat back, and rested her hands on her knee. “Edgar, your ready for this?”

“As ready as I’m gonna be” He winced a bit and settled in. Giving the axe time to heat, the trio remained silent, all till there was a slight smolder rising from the head pushed in the coals. “Bite on this” Tam informed, holding out a cloth. Reluctantly, cause damn this was gonna hurt like a bitch, Edgar wedged it in his mouth, nodding. 

Curtis moved to hes shoulders, his uninjured arm pressing on either side of his shoulder blades. Putting his weight behind it, he was sure Edgar would thrash, and it was vital to keep him as still as possible. He felt the man drawing in deep breaths and surprisingly he seemed relaxed under his hold, calm. Tam moved in close to Edgars side, lifting the handle of the ax and drawing it out of the fire. They had seconds to sear it shut, having the metal hot enough to scar him closed. Curtis gave a curt, ‘Im ready’ nod, and Tam laid the broad side of the axe right over the wound. 

It was a hiss at first, the scent of burning flesh rising almost immediately, and Edgar tensed rigidly, trying to push away and the noise. The noise was probably the hardest part to deal with. Not the smell, not feeling Edgar try to escape pain. It rose so sharply, that Edgar lost what he was biting on, and it just seemed magnified from where they were in the hollowed car. Curtis almost lost his hold on him, having to dig in his heel and lean fully into him. “Come on Edgar, its gonna be okay, were almost done” 

His words had no meaning, and finally after a bit, Edgar just collapsed under him, Tam yanked the axe away, and Curtis broke into a sob, dropping his forehead to lean against the passed out Edgars head. “Fuck, I’m so sorry... “ his voice dragged out. Edgar was like his brother, this on top of everything else just fuck was tearing him. After a few moments to calm himself down, Curtis leaned over to check that he was breathing fine. Thank fuck he passed out, Curtis could hear your worry edging your voice. The wound, make sure its sealed Curtis.... 

His hand slid down Edgars back, and deep redness had settled in, around the cut it was black, a few shallow boils forming, but all in all, the hole was shut. “I think we got it Tam” He said as released his hold on Edgar and Tam as careful as could be dragged the blanket up to where the wound was still red hot, not daring to put anything on it. 

“What do you wanna do next Curtis?” Tam moved over to sit next to him, drawing her legs up and staring into the fire that was loosing its drive to burn, having scored most of the material into ash at this point. Curtis nudged some of it with his boot, shifting the coals. Already he was falling into that leader roll, he could sense others were listening into there conversation, waiting to see what he would say. 

I wonder how they would feel if they knew I caused the train to derail. 

No different babes, now were not prisoners anymore, were actually free to make our own choices for our future. 

“Going to check on the end cars like my original plan was. There is probably survivors and we have to check on our people, if they survived, there might be some that need help with injuries. Then back towards the front, theres food up there, the cars up there are in better shape.”

“What about the front enders?” Tam questioned, and Curtis looked at her with a shrug.

“They either accept us, or we will push them out. Thats been the goal this whole time, and I’m not stopping now.” So matter of fact, Tam went silent, and together they waited till morning to come seeping in, a new day, a new way of life. 

You were watching the beginning of your first sunrise, and you couldn’t help the tears that yet again got caught in your lashes. There are different kinds, and in the past few days you shed them all. Grief, pain, fear... but these felt different, rewarding. There salty drops fell on your lips and a flick of the tongue collected them before you brushed them away. John stretched and with a pop of his arms over his head, he moved to a stand. “I’ve seen many of these over the years... “ You look up in surprise, then consider, well maybe his section had windows. “... But this is the best damn sunset i’ve seen.” 

“Its the first one I’ve seen in seventeen years” You remarked, blinking against the light bouncing off the ice and snow. “And I have to say its more beautiful then I remember it being.” 

I wish you could see this Handsome, a wistful tone in your thoughts. 

I am baby, almost the best thing I’ve ever seen.... almost. 

Love you to Curtis. 

While you were admiring the arrival of light, a flash out of the corner of your eye catches your attention, and you tilt your head to the side to see what it was. Mistake.... as you found out when a sharp whizz blew over your head and bounced off the metal with a loud ping and sparks flew, both you and John tumbling back with wide eyed gasps. “What the fuck!” he exclaimed and you scramble low to rest the weapon you stole from them the day before out the entrance of the car. 

“Remember how I told you we were being held under guard? Well... I might have stabbed one in the eye just before the train derailed. They want us back for other things as well.” 

“Do you even know how to use that Y/N?” John asked as he to ducked out of line of sight, staying further hidden then you. 

“No, but I can give an educated guess. How about you see if there is someone back there who does?” You use the scope to look, they were still a distance off, and with luck John would be back sooner with someone who knew how to use one of these thing. So far nothing more has been fired, since you no longer made yourself a target, but you tried to study them, count how many there were. So far give made up the line, but who knows, some might be on the other side of the train, holding back... You scanned away from the edge, across the landscape, but that didn’t hold anything worth noticing. Maybe, just maybe there were only five left. Five fully trained to use there weapons men. FUCK. 

“Hey, found someone!” John exclaimed and a petite woman slid up beside you, glancing over the edge. “These bastards wanna play fire with fire? Lets give them some back.” Well damn, you hand it over immediately as she made herself comfortable. “Johanna by the way, nice to meet you Y/N” she caught you by surprise knowing your name, and she smirked. “Hey I was a few car up from John, weve all heard of you tail enders and your revolution. About fucken time.” She peered into the scope and flipped off the safety. Seeming to take measure of where she was aiming, Johnana proved patient. John had long sense disappeared back among the group to gather more bullets, hopefully they had enough to keep this new threat back.

It was so sudden, her finger was resting on the trigger, and then a couple shots went off, she barely flinched at the moment, but you cringed with them both. A curse muttered from her lips as she pulled back “They are sticking pretty close to the train, hard to get a shot off at this side angle, but they are now at least aware were not defenseless.” 

Curtis shook his head at Yona, who stood defiant before him, her arms crossed over her chest and head tilted to the side. “Your not going, thats that. Stay here and help look after the others.” 

“That is foolish, I can help.” She pushed, trying her hardest to convince him. “My dad... he might be out there.” A softer tone making her look down, trying to also convince herself that maybe, just maybe he survived. Curtis squatted down closer to her level, his hands cupping her face to make her look at him. 

“Yona, I swear if hes alive, I will bring him back, okay? After everything he did for us, you have my word. I really need you here, Timmy trusts you more then these others, and Edgar needs to be taken cared of. Please, can you do this for me?” 

This seemed ot appease the young woman, who gave a nod relenting and once they both agreed to these terms, she went to Edgars side, kneeling beside him and touching his forehead. The man was still asleep, and Curtis hoped it wasnt a sign of any kind of fever, although Tam remained nearby constantly hovering. His back was still an angry red, but it wasn’t as intense feeling of heat rolling from the wound, so that was something. 

Gathering others to join him, they all worked there way out of the train. Mostly they had axes shared among them, there were a few discarded rifles from the earlier battle at the bridge, in which Curtis himself collected one, slinging it around to hang off his back. They went in a single file, the few of them that joined, and every car they came to, they checked for survivors. After the brutal cold night, they weren’t successful in find any stragglers. Before they even got to the cliffs edge, a noise was brought to them. Sounds like... gunshots. The whole group looked at one another and sped up, pushing through the snow as fast as they could break through it. Once they reached the cliff, they looked down to see what the hell was going on. 

The cars below were scattered around, some on there sides, some had still somehow remained upright, but it was a mess, there old car, the tail end was on its side, dented and half split at the seam. It must have hit the hardest the way it was bounced away from the others, sure its momentum had dragged the rest down with it.. From what Curtis could see, the survivors were pinned in one car, the one that seemed to still be upright, by the cliff face. Those outside of the car, Wilfords men, the ones Wilford issued the kill orders to. Shots were exchanged with from a group of men pressing along another car for coverage. But a scan of showed others coming up the backside. Shit... He was sure none of them had any idea there was more then what those that was shooting at them. 

Curtis swung the weapon he carried around, and took aim best he could. There was no telling at this distance and his general inexperience if he was close to any of the targets, the couple others that also had the same advantage took up sentry on each side of him. Picking a target, Curtis took a breath and steadied himself till his sight wasn’t shaking. A breath out, and he pulled that trigger. The resounding BOOM flooded the valley, snow spitting up feet from the man. He missed but the guy stumbled back and raced around the corner of the car. Curtis other companions also fired at around the same time. And one aimed just so, the guard falling back with a burst of red scattering across the snow. Direct kill shot. 

Surprised at now being shot above, the rest scrambled away, heading away from the cliff face and using the demolished cars for cover, they soon were out of sight for the time being. Curtis swung the rifle in a sweeping motion, checking before going to the pinned car, and studying it for movement. 

Thats when he caught a glimpse. It was not even a second, and Curtis could only guess that it was actually You, but it was enough for his chest to tighten painfully, and all those other things just narrow into one single thought. 

YOU WERE ALIVE. 

@curtisbbq @what-is-your-plan-today @p8tn0lish @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123

@jtargaryen18 @thatweirdwalangpake @official-and-unstable-satan​

[wakandascrystal]

BET. II

Erik x BlackReader

Summary: Erik and his friends place a bet to get with you little does he know who you and family are.

Part 1

......................................

“Ahh Ray Charles.. Ray Sings, Basie Swings. How did you know? I’m going to enjoy this..“ Your father held the vinyl closely reading all the fine print on the back of the casing.

“How could I not? Ray was all you listened to back then. Your one and only obsession.“ You smiled fondly at the older man. He seemed to be really happy about the gift. That made you feel good. Job well done.

He called one of the four men that stood guard around his office. Dressed in black suits with black earpieces. One hurried towards him. With quickness he took the vinyl from his hands and pulled out the vinyl to insert it into the gramophone.

He dropped the needle and Oh, What A Beautiful Morning started playing. Ray Charles voice filling the wide space. Your father's office was the backdrop of your childhood when you were still innocent and hopeful. You used to run between the wooden chairs and hide behind the large curtains. Minding your blissful business.You missed these days but thinking about the past did nothing but let pain into your heart. Now you were back years later, a grown women. Wiser, intelligent and sometimes harsh.

 Your father's smile took you out of your train of thought. He seemed happy these days. You didn't live with him so seeing him was a treat. You would told anyone this but you were much closer to him the your mother. There were reasons for that, none that made your mother seem unfit but you felt more willing to share your woes and problems with your father. It just felt right.

Next moment the guards left, moving swiftly and closed the door behind them. Offering much needed privacy. While they left he poured himself a glass of whiskey. 

“Thats is not true, Ray is not my only obsession...speaking of..how is your Mother doing?“ He carried on the conversation as if nothing had happened.

“For a divorced couple you both do sure ask about each other a lot.“ You placed your bag on his wooden table and sat down on the leather chairs. Your large dreadlocks laid down the sides of your body. 

“She is the Mother of my beautiful children how could I not care about her well being Y/N?“ He was being sarcastic to cover up his true feelings. He felt bad that you had figured him out already. He sometimes forgets how in ture you are with people's motives and emotions.if only he knew that you didn't judge him one bit. You loved that he wanted her back but you couldn't make your mom fall for him. Not after what happened. 

“I guess, but I know you miss her ...and not in that way in the other way...in the making a 4th child way.“ You took a sip of his whiskey since you already decided to be cheeky with him.

“Y/N!! I am your father!!“ He gently reminds you.  

“And I am your daughter, who can see through your bullshit....I have a good idea! Marry her again!!“

“Y/N!“

“Okay I'm sorry about swearing but you know i'm right.“ You cross your legs and arms.

He leaned back and siped what was left of his whisky. A coy smile on his face thinking about his ex wife.

“How are the twins by the way?” 

“They are fine. Somewhere in Spain, partying. They are young, Dad. Let them live okay. Don't do what you did with me.  Look, now i'm a introverted bitch who cares more about her hair care collection than a real relationship. Call them ...ask how they are doing...show them ...that you care even if it looks small. We love affection.“

“Okay I won't be strict on the boys and ill send them love letters every 2 seconds”

You rolled your eyes

“- But your mother will defendant be strict with them. I can't help you there. Speaking about relationships..you still up on my offer?”

You let out a sigh thinking about his offer. 

“No..I love you dad but i have to decline.I appreciate it I really do but..but you know I'm not a fan of your line of work... and I know what your gonna say. The money raised us, yes and it came when we really needed it. It's a double standard but I can't have someone with such a risky ...lifestyle. I worry about you and Uncle Ronny too much already. Just for my piece of mind I can't go out with the men you have in mind.“ 

“Don't worry sweetheart. Your old man understands.“

“I mean do you know any teachers, bus drivers, an IT guy...hell you know any barrestas.“ He laughed and your sense of humour.

He was glad you were very open with him. Unlike your younger brothers you had reached maturity that surprised him but sometimes you being alone with no one did worry him. 

“Dad Im happy. Don't worry. I really dont need a man. I'm good.“ You tried to convince him.

“I wouldn't be this...concerned if ...if you were active.“ 

“No! I'm not having this conversation with you.“  You were shocked. He had due restriction when it came to your sex life.

“Baby listen you can't be ...scared your whole life. I know what happened when you were young and I know how damaging that experience was to you. You were so young and brave-.“

You cut him off.

“Brave? I wasn't brave dad. I just.....I just layed there and he-” Your voice cracked. You squeezed your thighs remembering the pain “..I Know I can't think like that, that a man who wants me will treat me that way but ...it's so hard. The thought of opening up to a stranger ..it's bit crazy.” 

You wanted him to knew you were afraid but at the say time you didn't. You wanted to live up to this strong daughter image but you had your moments of weakness. Bearing them deep in your soul was better than reliving them. 

“You forgave him, made some calls and you took care of him.”

“Is that what we calling murder now.“ You pushed your hair back.

“You know you didn't have to do it.“ He leaned back into his chair. The smirk on your face worried him.

“I'm glad I did.“

“but... you became stronger. I dont think you should let that event lead you stray from love..potential love. You are-”

“Putting a bullet through his head was never going to take the pain away.“ You whispered

“Does it make me a bad person that I loved the sound of his ...agony... The scream he let out when Uncle Ronnie started cutting off his fingers. Does that make me a bad person?” You voice was soft and dry.

“You wanted revenge....Anyone would have. You a good girl Y/N. You deserve to be happy, I'll make sure of it. If anyone tries anything. I mean anything with you. They so much as move a hair out of place. Call me and they will wish they were never born.“

You wink at him trying to lighten the heavy mood

“Speaking of that..... I did met someone!“ You looked down fearing his reaction. It was bad timing but you wanted him to know 

“Really now?“ he looked surprised.

“Yes..and I have his number. He seemed kind and he said he came out of a bad break up about a year ago. I'm not sure about him but he..he made feel comfortable.“

”Well I’m very happy to hear that. When are you planning to meet the young man.“

“I’m not sure maybe tomorrow maybe next week, maybe never.“ 

“Okay then. Tell me when you or if you do meet him. But I do need to leave unfortunately. I'm leaving the country for a bit. Business of course but please do get comfortably. I will see you in 4 days.“

You got up from your chair and gave your father a hug. He was warm and large just how you liked. Your face rested on his chest. Hearing his calm heart beat.

“Thank you for being understanding, for being patient with me and supportive. Please stay safe and come back in one piece.“

“Always. Now please. Get some rest. Eat something.” He gave you a kiss on the cheek and you left his office.

You strolled making your way to your ride. You instructed Frank, your driver to take you to the Hilton hotel. You had been living there since you arrived. The suite you booked was beautiful and you wish you could live there forever. There were no memory, no stress, no anxiety, no fears. when you layed in your bubble bath in the lavish hotel room you at peace. Milky bubble bath sat still around your curvy brown form, hair up away from the fragranced  soapy water. 

You remember telling your father you didn't need a man. That was true you didn't need one but having someone would be nice. The gilded hotel rooms, marble floors and first class flights to any country. They would be so much better with someone. Someone who cared and loved you. Maybe giving Someone a chance would a right start but you really didn't want to date. The process seemed tedious and time consuming. 

But Erik seemed....different. Well that's what you thought. He was a gorgeous black man, there was question about that but beautiful men are everywhere. Your priority was finding someone with a good heart, maybe some who is simple. No flashy lifestyle. Someone would have patience and be slow with you.

Taking a chance climbed out of the warm tub heading to get your phone on the messy bed...Wrapped in a towel you decided to call him.

***************************

“You are a punk, look hoe I'm beating your ass.“ Erik shouted

They were in a heated basketball video game. The guys had brought drinks, weed and snacks to Coles place. It was a friday so they wanted to unwind. 

“Trey, I will body you next round I swear. How could you let this fool win.”  Jadyn complained 

“...And you put money on this nigga.“ Trey called Cole out.

“”What? I thought I could win...I really did have it..“

“Don't lie! You never had it.“ Erik mocked him.

“Ahh I wouldn't be talking if I was you ...shawty still hasn't texted your ass..“ Cole gave back the same energy.

“..She will ..just give her time.“ Erik really didn't expect you to take time long to text him. It pissed him off. He underestimated your thirst.

Any girl with half a brain would have texted him by now.  He was used to that. There was no instant gratification with you. He felt ashamed a bit that you didn't fall to his feet and he tried to avoid talking about the bet.

“..Stop all that..just reload the next game..i'm going to the bathroom... “

He up and left. Minutes later he heard Cole telling him he had a phone call from an unknown number.

“Let it ring...“ He shouted back as he dried his hands

“So E who’s calling you so late. Its almost 11. Early booty call.“

Erik made his way back to the living room.

“Nah all my booty calls are saved. I have Friday Linda big Titties, double cheek up Nikki, Lisa Titties could be bigger ....and my absolute favorite.....Nasty Keke. Now that bitch is crazy. “

“Call it back maybe it's an important call from the hospital or something.“ He stopped playing the game.

“Man why would you say that...playing with my guilty conscious and shit.“

He dialed up the number and called it.

It would be an understatement to say he did not expect your voice. It was sweet with just enough of nervousness to make it sound more attractive.

“Hey“ Erik’s voice involentarly went high as well and all the 3 men in the room with him looked at him. 

“Are you alone?“ You asked. Erik signaled them to turn of the games and stay quiet then proceed to put the call on speaker.

“Yeah It's just me. I..I didn't expect you to call.“ 

“Oh ...Im sorry. Its just I feel like calling is better? Don't you think?“ You waited for him to answer. Tip toeing around your room. 

“Don't apologise...I mean..Yeah..Calls are more personal. Makes the person in the other end feel..... real.“ 

All 3 men knew Erik was talking shit but for a small moment Erik forgot about the Bet. It was actually nice to have a female call him like this. It had never happened before. They always just texted him. Texted him where to pick them up and when to. They never really wanted to get to know him. 

“Did your father like the gift?“ He asked 

“Yes, he did. He’s a big fan of Ray.“ You hated how nervous you were. It really annoyed you. You didn't understand because you weren't this emotional when you meet him back at the music store. Why did you feel like this now. You liked how deep his voice was, You tried not to be affected by its smoothness.

“ - and hows that heart of yours?“ Erik remembered the lie he had told before.

“His doing much better now that you called. You made a brother wait 2 weeks.”  You let out a playful laugh

“Believe or not but I have other things to deal with...but you're very corny Sir. Do you know that?“

“Yes. I'm just trying to be myself. Corny all day. How was your day Y/N?“

“Well, I facetimed my brothers, Dwayne and Dean. They on vacation right now. Then I visited my dad. I actually gave him the ...gift today. Now i'm at home...its a hotel but still.. Nothing much really and you? A handsome man like you surely has tons of women -“

Erik knew that in order to gain your trust he had to destroy any doubt you might have about him. That yeah, a tall, handsome man could be available like that.

“Its 11: 20 and Im on the phone with you ..what women?”

The line went silent for too long. You didn't know what say. Erik and his friends could hear your soft breaths. You were lying face up on the bed now.

“You still there“ he asked.

“There’s a Japanes restaurant downtown... Nine o'clock sharp. Tomorrow.“ You hold your breath.

Erik stood up and did a victory dab and the men smiled

“Let me pick you up, Where do you live?“

“No you dont have to...you know what yes“ Erik thought your outburst was strange but he didn't dwell to much on it.

But that would be hard to explain. Why you had a 6.2ft armed guard following you at all times ....at any given moment he was always next to you. You didn't want him to see that. It would be too early to explain to him. Joe, your bodyguard didn't like leaving you alone. He would meet your father's wrath if anything happen to you. So you would have to talk to him and make sure he stays low.

You would just cross that bridge when you got there.

 “......Yeah. I'm excited.“

You regretted saying that. It just came out to fast. You really didn't want Erik to think you were forward.

“Me too.“ Your heart melted a little. For some reason you thought he would make fun of you.

“Have a nice night Erik. I'm going to bed now."

"Okay goodnight Princess."

You bit you lip and hung up before you moaned out loud. Rolling around in bed you giggled from the adrenaline from the pet name paired up with his voice. You couldn't believe what you just did. You felt a sense of victory. You felt proud of yourself. You hoped Erik felt the same.

**************

He hung up and the boys went wild with excitement.

" fuck that....I'm not letting you anywhere near my girl no more. You too smooth nigga." Trey said laughing with excitement.

"She eat that shit up like breakfast. I hope yall have got my cash ready."Erik said 

“You better send us some evidence though.“ Trey reminded him

“Yeah whatever. I need to leave anyway get ready for my date and shit. I think i'll stop by Tati’s house first. That girl knows how to throw it back. I'm out.“ He got his belongings and left. Meanwhile you left to call Joe. He had rather stand guard outside the hotel door then inside. He liked to give you your private space. You called him. 

“Joe could you come in for a bit i need to talk to you.“

“Sure.“ By the time you had slipped into pjs he was standing in the living room area.

“Joe...Please take a seat. There is something i need to tell you....“

“Yes “ the incredibly large man sat down legs wide on the soft couch.

“I'm going on a date tomorrow.“ You would be lying if you said you didn't expect his reaction to the new.

“..and who the fuck is that punk.“

Joe had watched you grow up in front of his eyes. he was assigned to you when you were 12. He knew you better than most people in your life so he cared for you a lot and he had his own way of showing it.

“Joe please. He’s nice. And he's taking me out tomorrow.“

“Is he that nigga that was bugging you at that music shop. Him and his friends were acting too fresh for my liking. Eyeing you like a piece of meat. “

“okay i get it men are weird but the reason i called you in ..was to ask you ...to not come.“

“Forget it. If something happens to you ..your father will kill me.“

“I know...Its just i dont want him to know. Can you at least just keep a low profile.“

“Okay. I'll try...but if he so much as hurts you ill...“ You covered his mouth quickly.

“I think you forgetting that i can take care of myself.“

***********************************

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[theokotrain]

Vestige - Interlude: The Party

Wattpad Version

As the night fills the sky

All my fears are dissipating

'Cause I feel reassured

That I might make it through

And if all my luck should burn

Then I guess it burned for you

---

April 13th, 2012

I was sitting on my bed, back against the bed frame with my knees raised in front of me, holding up my laptop. I had been spending the last few hours writing an essay for my English class, specifically answering the topic question my teacher had given everybody: "How do our past experiences influence our decisions?". The question was simple enough, it's a pretty universally recognized idea that stuff that happens to us has an effect on our decision making. I mean, that's what it means to grow, right? You gain more knowledge as you live through life and form new memories, and that helps you make more informed decisions in the future.

I've never really been too good at writing anything analytical, especially non-fiction. Essays and research papers that required informed arguments that helped to prove your point? Those were an entirely unknown game to me, one which I had never managed to breeze through. Of course, we were supposed to use some of the books we've read this year as evidence for our arguments, so that at least made it a bit easier, even if most of the books were ones from nearly five decades ago and definitely out of touch at this point. The sound of my laptop's keys clicking as I typed away were the only sounds I could pick up in the room. I had my earphones in for a bit, but those always hurt my ears after a while, so I had taken them out.

Looking at the time in the corner of my laptop screen, it was 4:43 PM. I started writing as soon as I got home from class, so I've only been going for about an hour. Unfortunately, this essay is a non-insignificant amount of my course grade, so I needed to finish this as soon as possible.

God, it's a Friday! I could be out doing something actually fun with Shae and the other guys. Isn't that the whole point of high school? That's what it always seemed like in movies, at least, but I guess I've been a victim of false advertising.

After a bit more time passes, the sound of my phone ringing from my desk brings me out of my writing trance. I sigh, setting my laptop next to me on the bed, not wanting to get out of bed, but eventually forcing myself into maneuvering over to the desk, I grab the phone and flip it open, looking to see the Caller ID.

Shaela.

I instantly accept the call, it's almost second nature at this point. She calls me at least once a day so she can tell me about whatever person is pissing her off that day, or whatever drama she's heard from her other friends. I was never really one for gossip, or whatever, but I did appreciate talking to her.

I put the phone up to my ear, "What's up?" I say, a tinge of fatigue in my voice.

"Hey! Just warning you that I'm like five minutes from your place and you don't have a say in the matter." She replied bluntly. I can hear the sound of cars driving by on the other side of the phone, so she's obviously outside, confirming her words.

I take a deep breath before speaking, "...Why?" I said with exasperated sarcasm.

"Because! I have something to tell you, and if I say it over the phone then I seriously doubt it'll work out in the way I'm hoping it does."

"That clears up nothing, actually, and now I regret picking up."

"Even if you didn't answer, that doesn't stop your parents from letting their son's lovely goody-two-shoes of a friend stop by for a visit!" She exclaimed, a mischievous tone subtly layered in her voice.

She's not wrong.

"Wow, you make this sound like you're sneaking into a high-security building or something." I say, utterly confused at her motives. "Obviously you can come over, but I'm not exactly filled with confidence at whatever you're planning."

"Like I said, I can't tell you yet, but it's gonna be awesome!" She said. There was an unusual perkiness to her that made itself pretty clear over the phone.

Before I can say anything, I'm met with the dial tone, signalling that she had hung up. The only thing I can do at this point is wait for her to get here, I guess. She always lets herself in when she comes over, so I don't make the effort to meet her downstairs. A sudden ping sound fills the quiet room, seeming to come from my laptop. I get back into bed, looking to see where the notification came from.

It's a message from Tyler.

He's definitely the newest member of our little group, if even that. I'm the only person in the group that he's actually friends with so far, despite my efforts to bring him along on any plans we all make. I only met the Grey Wolf back in February, at the beginning of the second semester, in the school's photography class. Nobody I knew signed up for it, and due to our prestigious high school's advanced budget for technology, we were forced to be paired up for shared computer use in the Photography Room. I suppose Tyler was also fortunate enough to not know anybody in the class, as we ended up being paired together by the teacher. He was definitely someone I could only describe as uninterested, as the first week or two I spent with him in that class consisted of him either giving me one word answers or answering in the most blunt, bored tone he could manage. Though, it seemed that it took a bit of persistence on my part to push him to be more open, and since then he's grown to be a pretty great friend.

Tyler: u goin to that party tonight ive been hearin about?

Party? I wasn't made aware of anything like that, at least... not yet. Something in the back of my brain was telling me that Shae had ulterior motives about coming to my place so suddenly, but I'm still hoping that I'm wrong. I hate parties.

Jake: party? havent heard anything, are u going?

Tyler: thinkin about it

think its gonna be over at chris's place, guess his parents r gone for the weekend or somethin

Jake: chrisssss? ughh that guy is such an asshole

Tyler: yeah u dont havee to go, but itd prob be more fun to have someone u actually know there

The way he worded that was directed at me, but I could tell he didn't want to go on his own.

Jake: i guess ill think about it

Tyler: sickk, call me if u make up ur mind

Before I can type my farewells over IM, Shaela energetically bursts through the door.

"Jesus! You scared the shit outta me, don't you knock?" I said, mildly exasperated.

"Oh come on, I literally called you a few minutes ago, you had plenty of time to not make a situation where it'd be a bad idea for me to barge in," She replies, laughing, before setting her bag on the ground and dramatically falling into my bed. "Today was garbage."

"What happened?"

"Ugh, Claire decided to just not show up, I guess, on the day we're supposed to present that stupid History project? And, obviously, she didn't give me her part of the project or anything, so I had tell Mr Thomas about the situation, which was fucking embarrassing." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Luckily, he said he wouldn't reduce my grade for handing it in late, since I actually had my part finished. God, what a bitch- I must've called her like thirty times before class to get her to email me her part, and every time it went straight to voicemail - and she told me last night that she'd have it ready for today!"

"Have you gotten a hold of her yet?" I asked, closing my laptop and setting it beside me.

Shae turns her head to me, shaking her head, "Nope, she's been ghosting me all day."

"Sounds like typical Claire."

"Yeah, I shouldn't have partnered with her, but apparently I can't say no to anyone, so..." I chuckle lightly in response. "Anyways! I didn't just come here to complain to you!" She says, sitting up on the bed, now facing towards me.

"Right... So what was so important that you just had to tell me in person?" I say, sarcastically.

"Like I said, if I asked you over the phone you would've definitely said no, and my ability to pressure you into doing things isn't as effective unless it's in person!" She responded.

I subtly rolled my eyes, but it's clear she noticed from the stare-down she gave me, "Okay, so what is it?"

"Soooooo..." She says, trying to find the rest of the words, "There's a party."

Wow.

"Wh- did everybody know about that party except for me?!?" I exclaimed.

Shaela's face quickly turns to an expression of shock, "Who told you?"

"Tyler did, like, not even five minutes ago." I say, bluntly.

"What? How does he know Chris?"

"Friend-of-a-friend, I'm guessing?"

"Hmm..." She hummed, thinking about something, "So, did you tell him you were going?"

"I specifically said I'd think about it, nothing definite." I made it clear in my tone that I wasn't particularly interested.

"Oh, come on, dude! It'll be fun!"

I didn't really have an interest in going, but I know it'd make Shae happy, plus it'd be nice to hang out with Tyler again even if we've only known each other for a couple months.

"...Fine. But, if Chris or any of his buddies start shit, I'm leaving."

"Awesome!"

"Lemme just call Tyler and let him know," I said as I grabbed my phone and flipped it open, finding Tyler in my contact list and dialling.

"You gonna bring him with-" The phone rings a few times before he picks up and I extend my hand out towards Shae in a shushing motion. She rolls her eyes, smirking.

"Hey? So are ya gonna go?" He said eagerly.

"Well, Shae showed up at my door literally right after you messaged me, asking the same thing!" I exclaimed in a fake-preppy voice. "So, I guess I have no choice since she'll probably just drag me there if I say no," I joked. She nods her head toward me in response.

"Oh, is she going too?" He inquired.

"Yeah, I guess so! Your place is kinda on the way to Chris', so we could probably meet you at your place and go from there."

"Yeah! Sounds good!" He quickly responded.

I laughed, "Okay, we'll call you when we get there?"

"Sure thing!"

We exchanged our farewells, and hung up. The party wasn't for at least another hour or two, so Shae and I had some time to burn, of which I was entirely out of ideas. I figured I could at least spend this time actually being productive, so I grabbed my laptop and continued on writing my English essay as Shae resumed her previous conversation topic of stuff at school that was pissing her off. It was pretty entertaining, to be fair. She was telling me about how Chris had gotten in a fight with this other kid in our grade yesterday after class, which I wasn't lucky enough to witness, but it was obviously all anyone would talk about for basically the entire day today so word spread around fast. The part I hadn't heard about was that both Chris and the other guy, Nathan, got suspended for a week because of it. Chris was generally an asshole to everybody, including myself, so I didn't feel too bad about that. Although, I didn't know Nathan all that well. Other than having a few classes together, I don't think I've ever held an actual conversation with the guy. I think it was safe to assume that Chris was the one who started it, and Shae seemed to agree with me, even though she hadn't seen the fight either.

"But, apparently Nathan's gonna show up tonight!" She exclaimed coyly.

"...Remind me again why you want me to go to this specific party?"

"You'll have a great time! It's not like we'll be involved in the drama anyway so think of it more as entertainment!"

"I think you and I have different definitions of the word 'entertainment'," I joked.

"I'm sure you can go run off somewhere with Tyler if you're not having fun," She said, her tone reminding me of my mom.

"Oh yeah? What about you?"

"I can't just leave Alex at a party with Chris, those two start shit between each other so much and I'd rather not deal with the aftermath of that today."

"I'm guessing it's safe to assume that Elliot's going too, then?"

"He's not big on parties, but he'll usually go if everyone else is, unlike somebody," She says, gesturing towards me.

"Good one," I reply, unmoving as I keep typing away at my assignment.

"Well, we should probably leave soon since we're stopping at Tyler's place on the way.

I saved the document I had been working on, closing my laptop. "Sounds good to me!"

---

"I can't believe you actually agreed to go." Tyler joked as we walked towards the road from his house.

"Yeah, me either." I replied. I definitely didn't put in any effort in dressing up for the party, opting for a snug space-themed graphic tee, along with black jeans and a white zip-up hoodie. Shae and Tyler both stand on opposite sides of me as we walk down the sidewalk.

"Luckily I learned the subtle techniques in convincing you to do things against your better judgement, so now you get to have fun for once!" Shae exclaimed.

"It's not my fault that going to a party is literally the last thing on earth I'd do for fun in any normal situation." I retorted, putting my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

"Oh yeah? And what do you consider a 'normal situation'?" Shae asks.

"Any situation where you guys aren't the ones trying to get me to go! I'm only doing this for you two, y'know." I said, looking over at both of them.

"What about Elliot and Alex?" Tyler chimed in.

"They aren't the ones asking me to go to this party." I sarcastically remarked, trying to keep the conversation light-hearted. "Speaking of the party- this is Chris we're talking about, there's gonna be beer, right?"

"Uh, duh?" Shae replied.

"Yeah, that's a definite no for me, I'm already enough of a disappointment to my parents,"

"No one's making you drink, Jake. At least you'd be safe if some old hag called the cops about the noise." Shae said.

"I think at that point we're guilty by association, so we'd just make a run for it if that happens," Tyler joked.

"Dude, the chance of me outrunning a police officer successfully is about as likely as me not wanting to punch Chris tonight."

"And the chance of you winning that fight is just as low!" Shae retorted, Tyler laughing in response.

"I specifically said 'want' because of that very reason!"

"Wow, I'd pay money to see you fight that guy." Tyler said, nudging his elbow into my side.

It isn't a secret that I'm not exactly athletic. I mean, I'm definitely not weak, but fighting basically any animal of a similar size to mine was not a situation that favoured my victory.

"That sounds more like just getting the shit kicked outta me for your entertainment." I remarked, lightly punching Tyler's shoulder in return.

"Absolutely worth every penny!" Shae exclaimed. Luckily, the place wasn't any more than ten minutes away from Tyler's place, so I didn't have to endure listening to these two talk about me getting beat up for much longer.

We finally make it to Chris' house, and I'm suddenly filled with an impending sense of regret. Obviously, my parents would never in a million years agree to me going to a party like this. As far as they know, I'm just spending the evening hanging out with Shae at Tyler's house. So yeah, this entire night had a lot of potential for disaster.

Shae can clearly see my hesitation, because she grabs my hand, leading me up the walkway, Tyler following closely behind.

"I wonder if Elliot and Alex beat us here?" She says, knocking on the front door.

"I doubt they had anything to do earlier, hell they probably came straight here after school, knowing Alex." I said, laughing.

Our conversation is cut short by the opening door, revealing the familiar black cat.

"Oh, look, the Stephenson kid brought his girlfriend!" Chris exclaimed mockingly, looking back into the house, before peering around my shoulder, "And... Tyler?" He said, inquisitively.

I lean over, blocking Tyler from his line of sight, "Yeah, hey, not dating by the way!" I said. I've known Shae since I first moved to Vestige, around the time I turned five years old, so it wasn't uncommon for rumours to go around that we were dating. I've always thought of her more as a sister, if anything.

"I asked them to come!" Tyler said. That was only partly true, but according to Tyler, they've been 'somewhat-friends' for quite a while now, so saying that would at least mean less mild-harassment from Chris for tonight.

"Oh, uh, okay... come on in! But you're on the hook for any shit they pull, Tyler!" He said, opening the door wider.

---

The party had been going on for a few hours at this point. I could recognize most of the animals here from school, but not enough to actually hold a conversation with any of them, so most of my time here had just been spent with Shae and Tyler. The place hasn't been incredibly crowded luckily, but there were easily about forty others in this part of the house alone. I'm assuming only high school grades were invited, but there were a considerable number of students to meet that requirement. The issue at hand for me, other than how crowded this place is, is that both Shae and Tyler ditched me to go... somewhere? I think Shae saw some of her friends and went somewhere with them, but Tyler was pretty secretive about where he was going, only telling me that he'd be back in a bit. So I've been standing here in this random corner of the house with a drink in hand, trying to make myself look busy and not awkward, which is exactly why I didn't want to go to this party in the first place!

"Jake!" A voice shouted from a ways away.

I turn my head in confusion, revealing Alex, walking towards me from across the room.

"Oh, Alex! Hey! What's up dude!" I finish the last bit of my soda, waving at him. Because this was Chris' party, there was obviously beer too, but I didn't feel like coming home drunk and my parents finding out.

"I didn't think you'd wanna come to something like this! Feeling the regret yet?"

"I like parties! It's the times like these when I'm standing in a corner by myself with nothing to do that I hate, which seems to happen every time I go to a party!" I exclaimed, pausing for a moment. "Okay, maybe I do hate parties- I've had to explain this so many times today I'm about ready to jump into Lake Ambuscade."

' "Wow, sounds like somebody needs to socialize instead of stewing in a corner for the rest of the night!"

"Socialize? Really? I know just about everybody here and just about none of them are worth talking-"

"Hang with me and Elliot, then? Justin set up some racing games in the other room, we were gonna join, but we could use a fourth... You in?" He said, his tone obviously trying to sound coercing.

"God, please, anything to get me out of this corner for the next three hours." I said, Alex returning my words with a laugh.

"Well, come on then! We'll have to hurry if we want to get one of the good controllers!" He exclaimed, motioning to follow him.

As we move through the various cliques, I recognize a few faces here and there, though not enough to actually want to talk to them. There's been music playing since we got here, and I have yet to recognize a single song, they all seem to be some form of drone-y bass-heavy music that I can't say I've heard in any normal situations. I'm doing my best to follow Alex, although he keeps weaving between the other animals faster than I can keep up, resulting in me having to shove past everyone near me in an effort to speed myself up. Luckily, it seems that no one notices me anyway.

When we arrive in the other room, it seems to just be another living room, but decorated with a galore of punk band posters, shelves holding more DVD cases than I would ever care to count, and even a mini-fridge. Maybe Chris is the type to have a 'man cave' or something? Just hearing that phrase almost makes me want to vomit, but there aren't any more accurate words that come to mind. The room isn't massive or anything, but the TV resting upon the wall across the room seems to challenge that idea, looking almost eighty inches in size. Luckily no randoms from the party were in here, sitting about ten feet away from the TV is Elliot, leaning back in a purple bean bag chair that seems almost three times bigger than him, and Justin, the cougar I'd only known slightly through Alex, laying down sideways on the couch directly in front of the gigantic screen.

"Whatttt! You took the bean bag chair? Lameee..." Alex whined.

"You're the one who wanted to go get Jake, you snooze you lose!" Elliot retorted, looking oddly proud of himself.

"Damn, wish I had a room like this at my house..." I mumbled, looking around the room.

"Are we gonna play or what?" Justin said, cutting through the momentary silence.

"Duh!" Alex claimed.

Justin sits up, taking the spot on the couch closest to Elliot. I opt for the leftmost seat, and Alex sits in-between the both of us. Elliot grabs the other three controllers and tosses them over at us, one by one. Luckily, there weren't any garbage third-party controllers, so at least none of us would have to deal with that. I will admit, it did feel kinda weird going to someone's party just to play games away from everybody, but I would be lying if I said I didn't prefer that, even though I rarely play games, if ever.

After Justin turns the console on, he goes through the menus, launching the game. I can't say I recognize the title, but it seems to be a pretty standard racing game. He goes into the custom mode, opting for a four-player split-screen match, choosing 'R1' as the category of cars to race in. As everyone chooses their cars, I scroll through the list, not really knowing what to pick. I've never been good with car stuff, so I pick an 'Aston Martin Lola' just based on the number-rating system the game ranks the cars with.

"You guys ready?" Justin asks.

"Oh yeah, get ready to eat my dust you guys!" Elliot exclaims, challengingly.

"Oddly prideful words for someone about to lose!" Alex replies, laughing.

The countdown begins, as the cameras slowly show the view of each car as it moves to the rear. When it starts, I somehow manage the fuckup of spinning my tires out, leaving me a few seconds behind the others as the car swerves back and forth. I curse under my breath as I try to regain control of the car, and swiftly pick up speed. The track seems like nothing I haven't seen before, a typical professional track, with rows and rows of audience seating to the side. Unfortunately, I'm now in last place. The next few moments of the track are a few quick corners, allowing me the chance to catch up, at least a little.

Unexpectedly, the track turns off of the main road, going into a forested area. The road is considerably more narrow at this point, so it takes a conscious effort to not drive into the trees by the asphalt. It looks like the road stretches on forever, as I still can't make out any upcoming turns. I guess the car I chose for the race had a better top speed than Justin's, as I'm quickly catching up to him, moving into third place. I'm gripping my controller to an uncomfortable degree, but I can't seem to relax the tension as I try to make my way into second place. I don't think I can pick up any more speed in this car, so me moving up is reliant on the road staying straight for just a bit longer. After what feels like a lifetime, the front of my car finally starts making it past Elliot's, then the midsection, and finally, I'm in second. The sound of all four car engines is drowning out any remnants of the video game music, and I feel the sudden urge to curse out whoever turned the TV volume up this high. My eyes are focused entirely on Alex's car as I make my final push into first place. If I were actually driving this fast in the real world, I'd be scared out of my fucking mind. Out of nowhere, Alex, and the others, begins to slow down considerably.

Oh fuck.

It's at that point I notice that there is a sharp right turn rapidly approaching. I've been pushing the top-speed of this car since the beginning of this stretch of road, and now I'm going too quickly to stop in time. What's the button to use the handbrake, again? I figure that the only way for me to not fuck up this race for myself is to try to drift around the corner. Considering I've never played this game before, it's going to prove to be a challenge. But, it's either that, or just ending up in dead-last again.

I hold down the A button, and pull the joystick as far to the right as possible. Suddenly, all I can hear from the game is the loud skidding sounds of my tires against the asphalt. To my surprise, I cut the corner a bit early, now going over the grass. I try to do a bit of directional-corrections and start heading back onto the track. Going over the grass definitely slowed me down a fair bit, but it definitely was a significantly better outcome over just crashing into the wall. And, to my surprise, the corner of my screen reads... first?!?

"How the fuck...?" Alex questions, seemingly in disbelief.

"I wish I could tell you." I replied, eyes wide at whatever the fuck just happened.

The distance I managed to gain on Alex isn't by a whole lot, but there's only about a quarter of the track left before we reach the finish line, so I have a chance at winning this. The track hurriedly changes from the forest as it reenters the main track. The long, straight roads seem to end as the road becomes a slow series of sharp turns, never giving me the opportunity to get back up to speed. It seems like the high top speed was my only advantage, because at every corner we take, I turn my camera around, revealing the other cars inching closer and closer to me.

I can see the finish line on the mini-map, just a few more turns away. I know that I'm not gonna be able to distance myself from Alex and the others at this point, so my only feasible strategy is to keep moving, cutting the corners as fast as I can, and getting to the finish line before they can pass me. Unfortunately, Alex's car seems to be getting too close for comfort now, meaning I might have to take some risks to ensure I can stay in first. As we approach the final turn, leading into the finish line, I realise I'm gonna have to try to drift this corner. I can feel my pointer finger practically cracking the plastic on the controller from the amount of pressure I'm putting on the right trigger. In a final plea to win, I push down on the A button, pulling the handbrake. The car starts to smoothly skid around the corner. Luckily, there are barriers on the sides of the road this time, preventing me from sliding onto the grass. To my surprise, the drift seems to work better than expected. That is, until, like the fucking idiot I am, make a slight overcorrection towards the left barriers as I exit the drift. I managed to avoid driving directly into the wall, but it did slow me down a bit.

Alex is immediately behind me, and I put all of my strength into accelerating towards the finish line. I'd be fucked if I broke the controller, cause I can't really afford the fifty dollars to buy a new one, but winning this race is more important to me at the moment. The finish line is only about five-hundred metres away, and Alex is slowly beginning to pass. All I can do at this point is push the gas as much as I can, and pray that I can cross the finish line before he can get back into first place. The finish line gets closer and closer, and it seems like it's gonna be too close for me to accurately tell the winner. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest from how stressful this fucking game has been, and now, we're about to find out whose efforts paid off. As each car makes its way over the finish line, each of our dedicated sections of the screen turns to slow motion. When it's finally over, the text fades in on each screen, revealing our place...

...

...

...Second?!?

"FUCK!" I shouted, realising I had been holding my breath since the final stretch of the race.

"HA! Dude, you suck!" Alex exclaimed, playfully shoving me.

"I think that was the most effort I've put into anything in my life." I said, setting my controller on the coffee table in front of me.

"Wow, that's dramatic," Justin remarked.

"Yeah, that's the usual for Jake," Elliot replied, laughing.

"You probably woulda won if you picked a better car, dude. That track was way too close-quarters so you should've gone with a car with better acceleration." Alex said.

"Wha- do you own this game?" I questioned, looking accusatory.

"...Yeah? It came out a few months ago, pretty popular right now." He replied.

"Ugh, this is what I get for playing with a bunch of gamers." I exclaimed, applying a disgusted tone to the last word.

"Not my fault you only play like one game a month!" Alex joked.

"Even then, I was like this close to beating you anyway!" I said, gesturing a minuscule distance between my thumb and pointer finger.

A voice interrupts our argument, coming from right outside the room, "Uh huh...

...

Really? That's bullshit! Come on...

...

Dude, give me a couple of days, I'll make it right!

...

Yeah, I swear."

It seems that we all stopped talking to listen in at the same time. "That sounds like Tyler... who's he arguing with?" Elliot asked. I can't make out the voice of whoever he's talking to, it just sounds like mumbling.

They seem to pause for a moment, and the sound of a single set of footsteps can be heard.

"Fuck..." Tyler says to himself, still out of view.

"...I should probably see what's up, you guys can keep playing without me." I say, getting up from my spot on the couch.

"Yeah, you do that! Less competition for me," Alex exclaims, laughing to himself.

"Hey, I can still beat your ass at this game, I know exactly which car to pick this time!" Elliot argued.

"Yeah, right! Guess we'll find out!"

I leave as the three start up another game, kind of glad I don't have to have another near-heart attack from playing again. When I get back into the dimly-lit hallway, Tyler is nowhere to be seen.

I look around, heading into the main room of the house to see if I can spot him. It's pretty difficult to see anything, because of how dim it is here, plus the sheer amount of animals crowding up the place. Despite that, I manage to spot the Grey Wolf a ways away, hurrying quickly into the bathroom.

As I shove my way through a few groups of teens, I almost fall over a few times, gaining confused stares from a few in the room. I lightly knock on the bathroom door, waiting for a response, "Hey, you okay Tyler?" After a few moments, I'm returned with no answer, "...Tyler-" Before I can finish my sentence, Tyler swiftly pulls open the bathroom door, pulling me in and shutting the door behind me, before sitting down on the side of the bathtub. As I'm about to say something, I hear the sound of him sniffling.

...Is he crying?

He's looking towards the floor, so I can't confirm it visually, but the sound definitely gives it away.

"Whoa, what's wrong? Did something happen?" I asked worriedly, not yet choosing to bring up the argument we overheard.

There's a few seconds of silence as he tries to bring himself together, not very successfully. "I- I... I don't- I don't think I can-"

"It's fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I tried to reassure him. He raises his head for a moment to look at me, trying to find words to say, instead opting to go back to crying, head in his hands. I've never been good with situations like this, so I sit down next to him, putting my hand on his upper back, softly patting.

"I'm sorry- I'm a fucking idiot. I shouldn't have asked you to come."

"Hey! I've been having fun! Don't worry about me, it seems like you're the one who shouldn't have come." I joke, in some effort to lighten the mood.

Shit, was that inconsiderate of me to say?

To my surprise, he manages to let out a light laugh, "Yeah, I'm starting to realise that."

"...Do you wanna leave, then? They know I didn't want to go here in the first place, so you could just say you're being nice and walking me home." I didn't know if he would actually take up that offer, but I know some guys have a weird thing about not wanting to seem 'uncool' and leaving a party early was definitely considered that.

He thinks for a moment, still sniffling pretty noticeably. "...okay, just- give me a minute, I don't want to go out there looking like this." He mumbles, looking towards the door.

"Yeah, that's fine." I said, continuing to rub around his neck area.

This definitely wasn't how I expected the night to go. But it was a sort of 'two-birds-with-one-stone' kind of situation. I get to help out Tyler, which is usually the other way around, I get to leave early, and hopefully Shae stops bugging me about going to parties, at least for a while.

Now that I think about it, that analogy is pretty messed up.

A few silent minutes go by as I sit next to the still-crying Tyler, waiting for him to recollect himself. Even though he hasn't actually said anything here, in the two months I've known him, this is probably the most vulnerable I've ever seen him. When I first met him, it was pretty accurate to describe him as the kind of guy who acts like he never feels emotion. Hell, even I refuse to be open about my feelings, but most of my friends see through that nowadays. Even now, I don't really understand why I do that. I guess it's just easier to not talk about shit like that? Is that why Tyler does it?

"I think I'm good now," He said, shaking his hands as he stood up.

"Okay, let's get out of this dumpster fire." I sarcastically remarked. Tyler shot me a confused look in return. "Whatever, let's just go."

I open the bathroom door, grabbing his arm as I lead him out into the main room. Almost immediately the voice of a certain black cat perks up behind us.

"Oh? And what did you two get up to in there?" Chris remarked, laughing, "I didn't know you guys were THAT kind of friends!"

God damnit. This stupid fucking feline.

"Yeah, it's too loud out here for me, I needed a break, he came with." I explained, Tyler standing closely behind me with a confused look on his face. Just roll with it, dude, I think to myself, knowing I probably shouldn't say that out loud.

"You know, I would believe that, but normal guys actually just go outside when they need a break." He replied.

"Well, hey! That's where we're going right now, so it all checks out!" I say in the bitchiest voice I can muster.

"Heh, sure thing, Jake." He said, sounding weirdly satisfied with himself. I didn't want to spend any more time in this fucking house than I needed to, especially while talking to Chris, so I continue on, pulling Tyler by the hand towards the exit. After a few moments, we make it to the front door. I promptly open it and we both head outside.

We're immediately greeted by the light of the moon and the starry sky as we head down the walkway toward the street. One of the few benefits of living in such a backwater town was the absence of any significant light pollution. I've been to Portland a few times for school field trips and such, and seeing the sheer difference in visible stars was absolutely staggering. I could only imagine what it would be like to go stargazing in the middle of nowhere.

"At least it's a nice night out." I said.

"Yeah..." Tyler replied, his mind clearly in a completely different place.

"I should probably tell Shae where we went, so she doesn't freak out trying to find us back there." I joked, pulling out my cell phone. Texting on my flip phone was an arduous task, but I didn't want to call her, so I had not much of a choice.

I send the text, and close my phone, returning it to my pocket. As we walk down the road, we stew in the silence, the only auditory sounds coming from the party still close by, and the local crickets chirping.

I won't lie, as much as I usually appreciate quiet, this is the loudest silence I've ever been stuck in. It goes on for more than five minutes. I could tell he wanted to say something, and I was eager to find out whatever was going on that started this in the first place. But, like the coward I am, I try to lighten the mood.

"Hopefully that satisfied your quota of me going to parties with you for a while, cause I do not plan on having the energy for something like that again for at least a few months." I said, awkwardly laughing. He doesn't respond, at least for a while, as he raises his hand, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "...Uhh, are you sure you don't wanna talk about it? I mean-"

"Can I tell you something?" He interrupted, his voice still cracking like it was in the bathroom.

"...Sure?" I replied, slightly confused.

"It's just that- I don't really know- like what-"

"-to say? Just think for a minute. No rush." That's what my dad always says whenever my mind spirals. I used to be really anxious, although I've been getting better at controlling my thoughts in the past few years.

When I went to text Shae a few minutes ago, my phone's clock read 9:48 PM. I'm supposed to be home at ten and we're still at least twenty minutes away, not even including the detour we'll take to get to Tyler's place. Which brings me to the realisation that, when we get to his house, I'm gonna have to walk the rest of the way home by myself, in the dark. If I get murdered by some serial killer this late at night I'm gonna fucking haunt Shae from the afterlife-

"I think I'm gay," He quickly says, his voice holding a noticeable increase in energy compared to what I've been used to tonight.

Well... can't say that's exactly what I was expecting. Was I expecting anything in particular? I honestly don't know anymore. His words took me by surprise, my brain is kind of scrambled right now. I look over at him - he's looking back at me, probably trying to gauge my reaction. I did my best to conceal any facial reaction, but it's pretty clear that my lack of a response is starting to become noticeable.

"...You... think?"

"Well, like- I don't know. I guess I've just been thinking for a while, and it makes sense... all things considered." He replied anxiously.

"That- That's great! Does anyone else know?"

"I only really realised a few weeks ago, so... no. But compared to anyone else, I probably trust you the most to not like- tell anyone?" He said, looking over at me again.

"Well, I appreciate the completely undeserved confidence you have in me," I joked, realising too late that now probably isn't the time for that, "Yeah, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," He replies, a genuine smile strewn across his face.

A few minutes go by as we walk down the road, absorbing the positive energy we created. Having only known Tyler for a little over two months, it definitely surprised me knowing that he trusted me more than anyone else to keep a secret like that... I mean, despite the short amount of time since I met him, I'm as close to him as I've been to Shaela for the past eight years. Maybe even closer? I barely even tell Shae about my actual problems, at least the non-surface level stuff. So yeah, I guess it makes sense that he would trust me with something so important, I know I would absolutely trust him if it were me in that situation.

"...So, do you think you're gonna tell your dad?"

He didn't say anything for a moment as he stared down at the ground beneath him, "I'll probably have to tell him soon, if he has to find out from some asshole that isn't me it'd make it ten times more difficult than if I just said it myself."

I agreed, and we let the conversation cut itself off as we finally approached Tyler's house. I followed him up the walkway and stood on the patio, making sure he actually got inside. He tries the doorknob eagerly, to no avail. Realising that it was locked, he reaches into his pocket for his key - again, to no avail.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Tyler mumbled under his breath, clearly done with tonight. All of the lights were off in the house, signalling that his dad was not awake.

"Maybe you'll wake him up if you knock? Then he can let you in."

"Nonono, he thinks I'm staying at your place! If he finds out I went to a party I'm in deep shit," He whispered.

Of course. If I had to lie to my parents, why would I expect anything different from anyone else?

"Okay, uhh... maybe we can make that lie... not a lie?" I said, sounding weirder than I'd like.

Tyler looked at me, confused for a moment, eyes widening as he realised what I meant, "I can't let you do that, I've already forced you through too much shit tonight."

"Oh, come on, of course you can sleep at my place for the night! My parents think I'm at your house right now, so I can just tell them that we both went over there early in the morning. They love you anyway, so it won't be a problem!"

He didn't move at all, still looking reluctant, "Are you sure it won't be... weird? I don't want to put you in an awkward situation cause of w- what I told you."

"Dude, that couch in my room has a hide-a-bed if you don't want to share mine. Either way, we're friends, aren't we? I trust you."

After a few moments of silence, he speaks up, "...I guess so-"

"Great, then it's settled!" I said, putting my arm around his shoulder as I led him back down the walkway.

---

Once we make it to my place, walk up the creaky wooden steps of my patio as I fish the house key out of my pocket. Tyler's standing closely behind me, looking awkward as ever, clearly not knowing what to do with his hands as he switches between putting them in his pockets and clasping them together.

I turn the key on the lock and try the door, noticing that It's completely pitch black inside the house. My parents usually go to bed at 10 PM, and it was well past that at this point. I lock the door behind us as I reach for my pocket, grabbing my phone and flipping it open to use as a barely-useful flashlight. I take Tyler's wrist as I lead him through the furniture of my living room and up the stairs. The only sounds in the house come from the soft ticking of a clock in the kitchen, the sound of which has always freaked me out whenever I'd come downstairs at three in the morning. Despite my best efforts to be as quiet as possible, the old wooden boards of the stairs prove my effort to be futile as they creak with every step. I can only hope that both of my parents have fallen asleep by now, or else they'd definitely have heard us. As I take Tyler down the hallway, walls strung with various family photos and art fit for a motel, I hear no sounds coming from the master bedroom, relaxing some of my tension.

Once we make it to my room, I breathe a sigh of relief as I turn on the overhead light, hoping my mom doesn't find out and try to lecture me in the morning, "Okay, hide-a-bed or mine, your choice!"

"Hide-a-bed." He replies.

"Sure thing, lemme show you how to set it up," I say as I remove each couch cushion one by one. The couch is sitting directly under my massive bedroom window, illuminated by the glow of the moon. Under the cushions is a black folded-up contraption, bearing a metal handle. I grab the handle and start pulling the bed out from the couch. As the first section of the bed comes out, Tyler stands next to me and helps unfold the second section, and finally the third.

I move over to open the closet door, "I have some spare pillows and blankets in here."

"So, why do you have a spare bed... thingy... in your room anyway?" He asked.

"My cousins' family came to visit from the other side of the country a few years back, so my parents made the cousins stay in my room and gave me our old couch that used to be in the living room. They were here for like two weeks, it was fucking awful," I remarked, pulling a comforter out of the closet and unfolding it out on the mattress.

"That sounds miserable," Tyler sympathized.

"It was, but hey, now I got a sick as fuck couch in my room! And it works as a great place for certain friends to sleep when they wanna spend the night," I said sarcastically, looking over at Tyler as I grabbed the pillows from the closet, tossing them to one end of the bed.

He turned his head, baffled, "Was that a dig on me?" He questioned.

"Depends on how you took it I suppose," I replied, smiling cunningly.

"You're the one who offered, dude- are you sure you didn't drink at the party? You've at least doubled your usual level of sarcasm." He retorted.

"Nope, unless somebody spiked my soda!" I joked, but the realisation slowly set in, "Oh shit- maybe someone spiked my soda?!?"

"Don't freak out, I seriously doubt someone would spike your drink,"

"God, I hope so, if my parents found out I went to that party, that'd be one thing, but if I got drunk? I doubt I'd see the outside world for months," I sighed.

"Even if you were drunk, it's not like you would still be drunk in the morning for them to find out, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, letting out a yawn shortly thereafter. "Fuck, I didn't realise how tired I am." Looking at my alarm clock, it was 10:37 PM. That wasn't terribly late, I've definitely stayed up later when there was an assignment due the next day that I forgot about, but even before I met up with Alex and Elliot, that party was just wearing me down. "At least I can sleep in 'till like noon tomorrow. You sure you don't need anything before I pass out from exhaustion?"

"No, I'm okay, I think. And, thank you... Jake." He replied, smiling at me.

"No problem, dude!" I quietly exclaimed as I turned off the bedroom lights and hopped into bed. I can practically feel my muscles dissolve as I lean into the mattress, pulling the heavy blankets over me as I close my eyes.

I can't help but feel something itching in the back of my brain. I never did find out why Tyler was even crying back at the party. Was it related to what he told me after? He sounded pretty upset when he was talking to whoever it was in the hallway, too, so maybe that was why? We've already talked about so much shit tonight, though, and I definitely did not have the energy to have another huge conversation about something like that. It could definitely wait until tomorrow.

Soon, I feel my consciousness drift away, the only sound I can make out being the slow breathing of Tyler, across the room.

---

As I wake up, I'm blinded by the bright sun shining in through my windows, directly into my eyes. I glance over at my alarm clock, feeling incredibly groggy and sore, noticing that it's 11:13 AM. Usually, the latest I'd sleep in on weekends was only around ten, but I guess it took a lot of my energy yesterday to try to tune the party out. At least it's over.

I slowly sit up, yawning as I lean back against the bed frame. I glanced around the room, noticing that the hide-a-bed had been folded back into the couch, Tyler nowhere to be seen. I reach over to my bedside table to check my phone, finding an unread text from him, sent a few hours ago.

Tyler: hey

woke up early, figured youd want 2 sleep in.

will call u later, might have somthin big i wanna share, will see

A pair of oddly cryptic messages. Guess that confirms he isn't here anymore.

At least it was a Saturday, meaning that I had full permission to be a slob. I get out of bed, deciding to skip my usual shower until after breakfast. Other than the snacks that were out at the party, I ate practically nothing last night. I could almost feel my stomach turning itself inside out, so I hurried out of my room and downstairs to the kitchen to have some breakfast.

The first thing I notice when I get downstairs is my mom, sitting on the couch with a book. I head straight to the kitchen, trying not to make myself stand out.

"Jake! Finally woken up, I see." She remarked, still looking at her book.

"Hey, mom!" There's a moment of silence as I grab a bowl out of the cupboard, as well as a box of cereal, and begin to pour.

She speaks up, "Your friend, Tyler, seemed to be in a hurry to leave this morning, anything I should know about?"

"...Not that I know of? Like what?" I questioned as I poured some milk from the fridge, grabbed a spoon, and sat at the kitchen counter.

"Well, it's not like we didn't notice that you weren't home by ten like your father asked you to be, so obviously you must have a good excuse for why you didn't at least call to let us know you'd be late?" She replied. I could tell when she started talking all responsible-parent-like, it meant that she was gonna lecture me about something.

I sighed, thinking of the right thing to say. "...Well, Tyler was going through some things... so I was trying to help him with that, I guess. Time just kinda flew by and I wasn't able to get home 'till later."

"So he spent the night here? Weren't you at his house?" She asked as I ate a spoonful of cereal.

"Yeah... we went out for a bit and once I noticed how late it was I offered to let him spend the night at our house since it was closer," I said. Almost entirely a lie, but definitely preferable to the truth.

"Jake..." She said, setting her book down on the coffee table in front of the couch, walking over to me, and resting a hand on my shoulder. "You're sixteen now, obviously we don't expect you to tell us everything you're up to nowadays. But we worry about you! I worry about you. Just for future reference, please let us know if you're gonna be home late or anything like that."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," I said, looking up at her.

"Great! Now, I have to go meet a friend for lunch, please try not to burn the house down while I'm out!" She said as she grabbed her purse and keys off of the counter, hurring out the door.

"No promises, love you!" I said as she closed the door behind her.

Well, I guess that went... better than expected? I doubt she believed that story I made up, but I guess as long as I don't break curfew without telling them, I should be fine.

Having the house to myself wasn't totally uncommon. Considering my dad was gone during the day five days a week, and my mom would head out to go meet friends or run errands pretty often, I got some much needed alone time often enough to not go mad.

As I finish my bowl of cereal, I realise that I probably should go shower as soon as possible, considering the night I had. I put my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher and head back upstairs. I grab a towel from my room and head into the bathroom, grabbing my various fur care products out of the cabinet for after the shower. As I turn the shower on, I hear the sound of my ringtone going off in the pocket of my pants on the floor. I sigh annoyedly, walking over and trying to figure out which pocket my phone was in. When I flip open the phone, the Caller ID reads out Tyler's name.

"Tyler! What's up?" I ask eagerly, hoping to find out what the news he cryptically texted about was.

"Jake- fuck, I messed up, I shouldn't have- what am I gonna do?" He said anxiously, sounding almost out of breath.

"Hey! Slow down, what's wrong?" I questioned.

"I'm such a fucking idiot! Why did I think this would be a good idea? Jake, I'm so sorry-"

"Tyler! Calm. Down. Just take a few deep breaths," I said. After a few moments, I can hear his breathing steadying on the other side of the call. "Okay, good. Now, what's wrong?"

There's a short pause as he tries to find the right words to say. It sounds like he's been crying. What even the fuck has been the past twenty-four hours?

"Can- do you think I could crash at y- your place for a few more nights? I don't know what to do."

[gladuisnocturno]

It all started at First Aid Class

Let me paint you a picture and tell me if it sounds familiar. Quirky girl meets a dorky boy. The two hit it off almost immediately. A girl with troubles making friends and a boy trying too hard to be liked, seemingly out of nowhere encountered each other…and all of those insecurities just banished. It just felt natural, it was as if they had known each other since the beginning. They shared laughs, they shared dreams and over time, they began to share more and more. What drove them, what scared them, what gave them guilt and what gave them hope and in every step of their journey, no matter what the world threw at them, they were always there for each other. A simple meeting built a bond that couldn't be broken. It just felt right.

It's been a few years since that encounter, but the spark of that friendship only grew larger. Jaune and Ruby had been through a lot. They had their victories, their challenges…and their losses, but they faced it all together.

Their journey now took them to Atlas Academy, a place of wonders and distrust, but somewhere that reminded them of their old home at Beacon. Teams RWBY and JNPR had fought through Grimm, terrorists, and villains, but after all of their adventures, they now found themselves with a little bit of time for themselves.

General Ironwood had granted them the title of Huntsmen and with it, the teams had finally reached what they had worked so hard to become, but of course, the circumstances meant that they were still a bit inexperienced. Fortunately, the General gave them free leeway to make use of Atlas Academy's resources to further their growth as true Huntsmen. Students, teachers, facilities, and of course classes. They would have been crazy not to take the opportunity…then again, something happened at a certain class…something that made things…a bit awkward for everyone.

"Yang, for the love of the gods! Turn down the music!" Weiss yelled. As usual, she was trying to focus on her studies, she had taken a few too many supplementary classes, something that of course pleased her…yeah, I don't get either, but neither did Yang. Her blonde teammate kept on dancing in their dorm.

"Come on! Throw those books away and have some fun for once, Weiss!".

"Books are fun! How dare you?!".

And thus, another argument, but as usual, Blake found herself having to mediate between the two.

"She is…kind of right, Yang…." Blake said rather nervously, hiding her shame behind her book.

Yang and Blake had been developing a special bond lately, so as soon as she heard that, Yang responded with awkward shock, "Oh!..I…I thought you were enjoying it…I'm sorry..".

"No! No! I was! It's just that…maybe you can turn the volume down just a little?" Her cat ears retracted as she quickly tried to cheer Yang up. "It's fine! Really! Maybe we can read later!"

"No, if it's bothering you…"

"Is not! Really! I promis…"

"UGH! Just kiss already!" Weiss rolled her eyes, getting third wheeled was becoming a recurring thing in their spared time and at this point, she just wanted them to get it over with.

"WHAT?!".

"WE-WE WERENT GOING TO…"

"Fine! Then don't! whatever. Just, turn down the volume. I don't want to get distracted with neither your music nor your 'will they, wont they' routine". Weiss said without taking her gaze from her books, leaving Yang and Blake to fluster and murmur in embarrassment.

Blake crawled to her bed and hid once again in her book, but Yang was a notoriously sore loser. Her embarrassment however only let her mumble her snappy comeback, "….At least I have a will they wont….".

"AH! FORGET IT! Where is Ruby?! I can't deal with the two of you alone!". Weiss, said even more frustrated. She would have been lying if that comment didn't sting though.

"She should still be in her first aid class, right?" Blake responded.

"Oh yeah, that started today".

Weiss took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but her frustration still lingered…if only she knew it was going to get worse. " Sigh.  Why she even took that anyways?".

"Why else do you think? Jaune asked her to take it with him".

"Seriously?! The guy healed me from a stab wound with his semblance and he needs first aid classes?".

"Nora said he didn't want to rely on his semblance though. Honestly, I can relate to that". Yang responded, she completely understood where he was coming from. She had to learn that her semblance, while useful, should not be more than a tool for the right moments.

Jaune himself had been working towards becoming a good guardian, protecting his loved ones and the people that needed him was the path he chose, so learning first aid was just a part of his formation. Ruby in turn was more used to protecting by attacking, she was a prodigy in combat, and dealing with threats was her way of guarding those in need, however, knowing how to treat a wound was a useful skill that she wanted to learn as well.

"Fine. Then I'll go to the library. You two have fun…but not too much…".

"WEISS!" Blake yelled in embarrassment while Yang just turned red.

Weiss chuckled a bit, "You two are adorable" she said to herself as she opened the door. To everyone's surprise, a twister of roses trampled everything in the room, throwing Weiss and Yang to the floor and leaving the room full of petals. The red whirlwind rushed to the top bed bunk and hid under the sheets.

"RUBY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!". Weiss yelled, surprised, a bit angry at the sudden rose storm that hit her in the face but also genuinely worried for her best friend.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!". Ruby yelled before hiding her face against her pillow.

Yang, Blake, and Weiss all jumped at the scene, all concerned. It wasn't usual for Ruby to act this way.

"Rubes! What happened?" Yang asked her little sister, climbing to her side trying to console her.

"…issed me….".

"What?".

Ruby turned her face away from the pillow a little. She had some tears in her eyes and her blushing face was redder than her hood. "Jaune kissed me…".

Yang froze. Her eyes wide and an awkward and confused smile covered her face. She slowly climbed down and walked backward, still facing her sister and still with that weird smile on her face.

"What did she say?" Blake asked.

"Jaune…kissed her….".

"Jaune kissed her?".

"Yeah…"

The room went silent for a minute. Blake served water to her friends and the three of them cleared their throats. Once refreshed, they took a deep breath and responded in the most naturally and calmly way possible.

"….JAUNE KISSED YOU!?".

"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD!"

Ruby kept on hugging her pillow as tightly as possible, trying to shield herself from the embarrassment, but her older sister didn't exactly make things easy for her.

Yang picked her up as if she was still a 5-year-old, hugging her and swinging her around with joy, "You had your first kiss! I'm so proud of you!".

"Yang! Let me go!" Ruby whined, freeing herself from her sister's hug with a temper tantrum.

"But this is so cute!".

"Shouldn't you be upset? I mean, Jaune just took advantage of your little sister!" Blake argued, but Yang just kept a joyful smile.

"Well, yeah, if it was any other person I would be pissed. But this is Jaune we are talking about. I mean, I once saw him apologize to a bunch of baby spiders for killing their mom, he was crying the entire time and cried, even more, when the baby spiders crawled in his mouth". Yang responded chuckling with a big smile.

Weiss was curious. She had some unpleasant times with Jaune back at Beacon. At the time she sure would have bought that he would be the kind of guy to steal a kiss from a girl…but that was a long time ago. Jaune wasn't the sort of person she once thought he was. He had grown a lot since then, he left those habits behind him and Weiss knew perfectly well that Yang was right, he cared a lot about Ruby and would never take advantage of her.

"Here" Weiss told her partner before passing her a glass of water that Ruby instantly drank entirely. "Better?".

"…Mhm".

"Good. Now, tell us what happened".

Ruby took a deep breath. "It-It all started at first-aid class…".

Classes at Atlas Academy normally were given in large auditoriums full of students listening to a conference from one of the many teachers of the academy. However, the first aid class was a more private and personal course. It was an elective, students had the option to take the class or chose another and since this wasn't a particularly exciting course, not many took it. Still, Jaune was very intimidated by the group of around 12 students sitting around him.

"Come on, where are you? Please don't leave me alone here…" He kept saying to himself, begging for his friend to finally arrive.

The door was opened but to Jaune's misfortune, it wasn't who he wanted it to be. Instead, it was the teacher in charge of that morning's class.

"Good morning students. Please have a sit" Winter Schnee walked with elegance and authority everywhere she went. "I'm afraid Mrs. Silva is undisposed today. As such, I've been assigned to substitute her. For those who don't know me, I am Special Agent Winter Schnee. Today we will go over basic first aid techniques following the training guides of the Atl…"

The sound of the door slamming open was more than enough to throw Winter off her tracks and of course, the entire classroom quickly turned towards the sound.

"IM HERE! I made it in….time…".

Jaune just chuckled awkwardly, seeing how Ruby tried her best to keep her cool as she walked down to her seat.

"Ms. Rose, you are late".

"I'm sorry, Winter! Nora challenged me to a waffle eating contest and I could have beaten her if only…".

"Just take a seat! And it's Ms. Schnee".

"Right, sorry. Ms. Schnee. Hehe" She said, she was clearly a bit embarrassed but as soon as she sat next to Jaune, that embarrassment didn't matter at all. She was just happy to see him and so was he of seeing her.

"I was totally gonna win though", She whispered to Jaune who immediately chuckled.

"Against, Nora? Please, I've seen her eat a full pie in less than a minute".

"Oh, so you are a man of low faith, I see! I'll show you!".

"She had already eaten a full cake and a milkshake".

"Ok, then maybe I was 5 waffles behind, but the match didn't end so if you think about it…"

Two white summoned Nervermores flew at high speed and landed on their heads, pecking them slightly.

"Ow! OW!".

"Ow! That hurts!".

"Rose! Arc! May I remind you; you are in the middle of a class!?".

"Sorry, Ms. Schnee…". The two said with shameful voices but as soon as Winter turned to her board, Jaune and Ruby just took a quick look at each other and chuckled at the sight of the other's smile.

The class continued as Winter went over multiple techniques of first aid in a variety of situations. Jaune and Ruby took the class seriously for the most part, but of course, there were moments in which neither could avoid just goof around with the other. Whether it was Jaune throwing small paper balls at her or Ruby making funny drawings of him, the two were occasionally caught by the serious gaze of their teacher but neither could stop having fun with the other, it was just the way they were.

It had been so long since the two got to have some time to breathe and just enjoy each other's company. Ever since the Fall…it was rare to see either smile. Jaune was haunted by the sorrow of losing Pyrrha that night, while Ruby was filled with guilt for not having been able to save her and for dragging Jaune in this mission, knowing full well how much he was suffering.

The journey hadn't been easy. The weight of the world resting on their shoulders, it was unbearable at times. Ruby in particular tended to push through her doubts and sorrow, but of course, she had her limits. Some nights she would wake up sweating and with tears in her eyes, desperately wiping them out before someone noticed it. Everyone relied on her to continue going, which she did gladly, but she would be lying if she said it didn't affect her at times…but then, there were moments like this one. Moments in which she could forget for a moment all the pressure of the world and just enjoy herself. She enjoyed just letting loose with her friends, her team, her family. And of all those people, there was one she just enjoyed hanging around the most. Jaune was always there for her when she was in doubt when she needed help and especially when she needed someone to smile at her, Jaune was always there.

Jaune began his journey without knowing what even meant to be a true hero. He was put in a position of responsibility that he never thought he would be able to handle. He worked to better himself, he learned through many mistakes, and eventually…his fears became true…he failed and people got hurt because of him. The Fall of Beacon left a dark void in his heart. To say he had been in a dark place would be an understatement…and yet, here he was, with a smile once again. Ruby had always been there for him. When he had doubts, she was the first one to inspire him. When the world told him to stop trying, Ruby was the one who inspired him to keep going. The moment he began to fall into that dark self-hating place, Ruby was always there brightening his day. She shared a laugh with him, she shared her tears with him and he in turn did the same.

Friends until the end. It was amazing how a bond that strong was born from a simple meeting….It just felt right.

"I really thought you were leaving me alone here".

"Pff. Have I ever let you down? Plus, I don't know why you were so scared".

"We are in a room full of people I've never seen in my life. What if I had to talk to one of them?!".

"So? You did that with me when we met and had no issue".

"Yeah, but you are special".

"Eh?...".

Jaune's face turned red and without noticing he started sweating a little. Special? He just called her special? Of course, she was special to him but up to that point, he had never outright said it. He began to panic a little, afraid that he had accidentally said something embarrassing.

Unbeknown to him, Ruby's mind did linger on that word for a moment. Special? He just called her special? What did that mean? What was is it special about her? Why did he think she was special? Special how?...Did she want him to think she was special? All questions that rushed Ruby's head as fast as a bullet train.

Jaune began to stutter "I-I mean. Not special…well, yeah, when I first saw you there was something special about…Well, no, I mean…".

Neither could hide their blushes and the two just wished the world ended right there and then to end the embarrassing conversation. They were never as relieved as the moment the white Nevermores hit them on the head again.

"ROSE! ARC! That's enough! The two of you should be ashamed", she had no idea how right she was. "You two are licensed huntsmen now and are here just behaving like children! Instead of acting like fools maybe you could make yourselves useful. Stand up and come down here".

Jaune and Ruby complied, still a bit uncomfortable with their heads down in shame. They stood in front of the class as Winter began to give them instructions.

"Ms. Rose, please lay on you back. Mr. Arc, please kneel next to her".

The two of them did as told. Having all those eyes staring at them just made the entire experience more and more awkward by the minute. But the moment Ruby laid on her back, she got a bit of a confidence boost since she couldn't really see the audience. This gave her an idea.

"Hey, Jaune. Are you scared?".

"I wanna die!".

"Come on. We have been through worse. Don't worry, just look at me and ignore the audience. Trust me".

Look at her? After what he said earlier? Even with his eyes closed, he felt embarrassed just being near her. But seeing the audience staring and judging him freaked him out more. Something that Ruby said gave him confidence though. She asked him to trust her and there was no one in the world he trusted more than her.

Jaune took his eyes away from the audience and centered them on Ruby…and nothing else mattered. She just kept smiling and humming and all his anxiety slowly banished. She then began to make funny faces and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. She truly was special to him.

"Ok, class. This is a demonstration of assisted artificial respiration. Mr. Arc if you may".

"Eh…yeah…assisted…yeah, I know what that is…".

"You…weren't paying attention at the classes, were you?".

"Of course, I was!...So I put my hands here and…".

Winter rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What you are doing is CPR and you have your hands wrong!  Sigh.  To perform assisted artificial respiration, you must first cover the patience's nose like this", Winter grabbed Jaune's hand and helped him pitch Ruby's nose.

"OW!".

"Ah! I'm sorry!".

"I'm just messing with you! Hahah".

"Aw, give me a break. Hehe".

Winter rolled her eyes at the goofiness of her students. "Take this seriously. Your friend is in mortal danger, Mr. Arc". Those words hit Jaune deeper than she could imagine, but it was everything he needed to stop playing and learn every skill he could to protect his loved ones.

"Now, grab her mouth like this". She put his hand on her face and slightly opened Ruby's mouth.

"Ok, then what?".

"Then you put your mouth against hers and blow".

"Right. I put my mouth against…hers…WAIT WHAT?!".

"HE IS GOING TO DO WHAT?!".

The audience burst in laughter and Winter just grew more annoyed. "You two are unbelievable. Assisted artificial respiration is better known as mouth-to-mouth resurrection. Your friend is not breathing and you must fill her lungs with air through her mouth".

" Yo-You can't be serious!".

"Well, no, this is a demonstration. You are not going to actually blow air into her. That would be dangerous. Just press your mouth against hers and…".

Ruby tried to stand up. "You know, maybe we can see a video on the internet! I'm sure if we ignore the kitty videos and the lets players, we can find someone doing…".

"Lay down! You are supposed to be unconscious!".

"Doesn't that make it worse?!".

"For the love of…. You are in a desperate situation, Arc! Rose just got attacked by a Grimm. She hit some rocks and now is not breathing. Every second that passes, her life in danger. It is up to you to do something or else she will die. What will you d…".

Before Winter could finish, the mere idea of losing Ruby had pushed Jaune to ignore everything in the world. He had to give it his all, he couldn't lose her, he was not going to lose her…so he did it.

Ruby's eyes showed her shock…his lips…and hers…Her mind went blank. Her heart just kept pounding faster and faster. What was happening? How did this happen? Jaune was her friend, her best friend. And here he was, with his lips against hers. She didn't know how to feel, she couldn't understand…but a part of her was enjoying it. She soon relaxed, slowly closed her eyes..and let herself go.

Jaune wasn't thinking. He got carried away by the scenario and just went for it. He even forgot to cover her nose. The only thing in his mind was trying to help Ruby…but at one moment, he realized what was happening. He had his eyes closed and let himself get trapped by the soft and sweet lips of his best friend. It felt odd. She was his best friend. She was special to him…maybe the most special person to him…He shouldn't have but he couldn't deny it, he was enjoying every single second of what was happening.

Jaune and Ruby stayed there for a few seconds that felt like hours and a part of them wished it was years. It was confusing, it was sweet…it just felt right.

Their closed eyes just showed the sweet joy they were feeling….yet something happened that shocked them back into reality. Their eyes got wide and they stared at each other. Jaune stood back is awe of what just had happened, while Ruby stood covering her mouth with both hands. Their eyes didn't disconnect from each other and the two blushed and shook nervously.

"Ru…" That was all Jaune could murmur, before Ruby's eyes became a bit teary and a vortex of rose petals rushed out the classroom at max speed.

"Wa-WAIT!".

"And then I ran here…". The little huntress finished her story, whimpering in shame and confusion as her friends stood around her chair focused on the story.

The first one to break the silence was her dear sister. "It's ok, Rubes. You didn't do anything wrong".

"Yang, my friendship with Jaune is over! How do you want me to see him in the eyes again?!".

Blake stepped in, "It wasn't a kiss though. He was just using a first-aid technique, it was part of the class, nothing else".

"Blake is right. Besides, just because your lips touched doesn't mean you can´t be friends anymore. Nothing bad happened" Weiss continued as she showed her support to her dear friend. The three gave her a soft smile as if saying "you poor thing" to their brave leader…poor poor girls, they weren't mentally prepared.

"There was tongue…".

"…."

"Guys?".

"JAUNE, I TRUSTED YOU!":

"I TOLD YOU! ALL MEN ARE PIGS!".

"YOU DID THAT IN FRONT OF MY SISTER!?".

All four girls had their own freakout. To say that dorm was in chaos was putting it slightly. But after a few seconds of constant screams, a chilling knock on the door sent goosebumps to their spines.

The knocks grew stronger and stronger until they were outright slams. And an aura of a powerful beast could be felt behind it.

"Oh, no…you don't think…".

Another slam made a dent on the thick metal door.

"Yang! You answer!".

"Blake! I thought we had something special!".

Another dent appeared.

Weiss shallowed as she built up courage. "Co-Come in!".

The door opened with enough impact to shake everything in the room. "One of you is coming with me…".

"Nora. We can talk about th…". Weiss tried to reason with the ragging berserker in her doorstep, but before she could finish, Nora put her on her shoulder and made her way out with the princess as her hostage.

"AHHH! HELP ME!".

"You will be missed, Weiss!".

"I'll dedicate my first book to you!".

"SCREW YOU, GUYS!".

Nora dragged Weiss to the gardens of Atlas Academy, sitting her on a bench.

"That was extremely unnecessary!".

"Shut it! Princess! You know why I brought you here!" Nora pointed at Weiss accusatorily…before wiggling her finger to play with her prisoner's nose.

Weiss shook her hands to get her off her, "St-Stop it!". She took a deep breath before addressing the matter. "So, you heard".

"Heard?! Jaune came in rushing like a bullet! I have never seen him so embarrassed in my life and I was there when he got a wedgie from an Ursa".

"Don't remind me, he was giving me flowers that day".

Nora certainly was upset but her demeanor didn't show anger. She was mainly frustrated with the whole situation and worried for her two friends. Jaune in particular…she wasn't sure how his heart would take it. "Seriously, of all ways for this to happen. You know how hard it was to get Jaune to smile again?!".

"Hey, don't look at me, I had nothing to do with this! Besides, if you are so worried about Jaune, why aren't you with him?".

Nora scoffed "Please! It's not like I left him alone. Ren and Oscar and keeping an eye on him".

"You left him with Ren and Oscar…".

"Yeah. Why?".

"I don't get it! Why you took your hand off her nose? Wouldn't the air come out from there?".

"She put her tongue in my mouth! Who cares about the first-aid technique, Oscar!?".

"But are you sure it was a kiss though? Many cultures have varied ways of greeting a friend or family. The customs in Patch might be more exotic than we think".

"Ren, just…Just give me another tea…".

"This really isn't his day, is it?".

"Would you take this seriously?!" Nora was growing ever more frustrated by the time and Weiss began to notice this situation had her unusually nervous.

"Nora. Calm down. This isn't that big of a deal. I'm sure they can makeup, they are inseparable". Weiss reassured her.

Nora sat next to her, letting herself fall as if her worries were weighing her down. "It's just… You don't understand. When we traveled to Haven, I had to see Jaune and Ruby get eaten by their own regrets. Ruby had nightmares every night. Jaune barely slept". Nora took a deep breath, the memories of that road trip with team RJNR were as sweet as they were sorrowful. "Jaune's heart…it took him so long to start to heal. It made me so happy seeing him goof around and have a smile again after so long. But you know who managed to bring joy to him before he began to stand up on his own again? Little Ruby Rose".

Weiss was beginning to understand where Nora was coming from, "You are afraid they'll drift apart over this?".

"Ruby worked so hard to take his mind off…what happened. But every time she gave him joy, something else happened that pushed him back into that pit and every time that happened Ruby fell back into hers. I knew she regretted bringing us in that trip, I knew she felt guilty and was hurting just as, if not more than the rest of us. But I didn't know how to tell her everything would be ok…But you know who did?".

"Hehe. Of course, I do. Even before the Fall, Jaune and Ruby always knew what to say to each other". Weiss chuckled just remembering those good old days when all her family, her true family just spent time simply enjoying each other's company at Beacon.

"Yes, I am very afraid they'll drift apart. They are great for each other, Weiss! That's why I brought you here, I need your help".

Weiss was a bit surprised by her words. "Wait…You mean…you want them to be together?".

"They bring the best on each other and are happier when the other is around. Let me tell you a little story. We swore to never tell you guys…but I already told Yang so…".

Weiss rolled her eyes, just thinking that of course, Nora did.

"There was this one night we were setting our camp. We were getting everything ready when Jaune noticed his sleeping bag was full of ants. He started swinging it around but the thing was completely covered. Jaune didn't have anywhere to sleep…so."

"No! They did not!".

"Yep. Ruby told him they could share hers".

"Why didn't he share it with Ren?".

"Because I'm an amazing matchmaker, that's why! They ended up spooning each other that night!".

"Ruby was the big spoon, wasn't she?".

"It's called a jetpack".

"Ren is a little spoon too, noted".

"Every night was another nightmare, another sleepless night that just ate them from inside…but that night…that night they sleep so peacefully. Ren and I couldn't believe it. That was the one night they had a deep sleep…and it was while one was embracing the other".

Weiss understood completely. Ruby and Jaune were in a panic for the same reason, it wasn't just embarrassment. They were special to each other and just like Nora, what scared them the most was losing that bond due to a silly mistake…if only they could see it. "Are you sure they like each other?".

"Come on! I've been dealing with Jaune's love life since day 1 at Beacon. Trust me, they are head over heels for each other!".

"Then what's the big deal? They are not going to drift apart; all they need to do is be open with one another".

Nora launched herself at Weiss and put her face uncomfortably close to the snow princess' "As if it was that easy! You have done it before, haven't you? That fear of making things awkward by saying the wrong thing. If you care too much for someone, screwing things up would be as painful as tabbing your hand! Just spitting your feelings is not as easy as…".

"I never said it was easy, but if that person matters that much to you, you have to be honest to them and to yourself.".

"It's more complicated that…".

"I…feel we aren't talking about Jaune and Ruby anymore….".

Nora sat back down, her gaze drifting to the distance, "…It's hard to tell the person you love how much you love them…and there is always that fear that they won't say it back…".

Weiss delicately put her hand on Nora's shoulder who turned to see her reassuring smile. "You know what I love about you and Ren? You show your love to each other. Even in the smallest moments, Ren is always showing how much he cares about you. Give him time, someday he might find the courage to say it, but until then remember that actions speak way louder…and Ren does love you".

Nora became a bit teary-eyed, but she wasn't going to let the ice queen win, "Stop it. Hehe.  Sniff.  This isn't about me".

"Nora…you have to be open with Ren if this worries you so much. Hell, you would all be happier if you were more….That's it" Weiss stood up revitalized and with a plan in mind. "I know what to do".

"RUBY STOP!"

"I'll drink my pain away! I LEARNED FROM THE BEST!"

"I doubt Qrow was passing out on milk…".

"GIVE ME THE BOTTLE! YOU HAD ENOUGH!".

"NO! LET ME GO! YANG!".

"What the…" Weiss entered the room, amazed at the bizarre scene. Of course, this wasn't the weirdest thing she had found her teammates doing in their dorm by a long shot…which really is saying something.

"Weiss! Do something!". Ruby pleaded but Weiss planted her palm on her face.

"For the love of, Ok! Listen up! All of you!". Maybe in another life, Weiss would have done for an excellent general, because as soon as she spoke, all her teammates stood with attention. "We have exactly an hour to have Ruby ready".

"For what?" Ruby said concerned but Weiss was done with everyone's nonsense.

"Quiet! Yang, take her to the shower; she reeks of milk".

"On it!".

"Wa-WAIT! AHH!" Ruby continued complaining but Yang just carried her as if made of cardboard.

"Blake, help me find her an outfit. Nothing too formal but what I would call 'casual elegance', and no heels! I cannot put her under more stress".

"I think I got an idea, but…Weiss, what's going on?".

Weiss gave her a confident smile, the one she usually got when all her chess pieces fell into place. "Tonight, everything changes. For everyone".

Night fell and the gardens of Atlas Academy lite up with gorgeous lamps that displayed the snow lowly and softly falling on the bushes and trees. The sound of the running water of a fountain was a sweet melody that brought attention to its beautiful depiction of two huntsmen standing side by side against all adversity.

"Weiss, this is insane! Please let me go back to my bed".

"And run and hide for the rest of your life? Not a chance, you are braver than that, besides, you look so pretty!" Weiss said while fixing Ruby's clothes and hair, she wasn't going to let her be messy this night, but of course, she knew her best friend far too well, she wasn't going to put her in a dress she would be too embarrassed to wear, but between the skirt and one of Blake's shirts, Ruby looked comfortable and pretty, the exact balance Weiss was looking for.

"Weiss, I don't want to see him. It makes me nervous just thinking how Ill mess this u…".

"You won't! Ruby, you care a lot about Jaune and he cares so much for you. I get it, you guys did something embarrassing, who cares?! That doesn't change anything between you. But you have to talk about it".

"But…what if…".

Weiss hugged her tightly, she was there for her and she wanted to show it. "You know how you feel about him. But Ruby, you have to be honest with yourself. I know it is scary, but it's a leap of faith you must take".

"But…what should I say…?".

"The truth. All of it. Let your heart go wild. Be honest and I'm sure he'll be honest with you too. You are special to him, I'm sure of it".

Ruby hugged her even tighter, she needed those arms she could rely on more than anything at that moment.

"Besides, if he rejects you, I'll push him off Atlas".

"Hahaha. No, you wouldn't".

"There is a reason we are doing this outdoors, hehe".

The two separated a little, giving each other a loving smile, "You got this, Ruby. Just be honest with yourself".

"Thank you".

With those words, Ruby turned around and walked off to the meeting spot. Her legs were shaking, but with all the support Weiss gave her, how couldn't she try?

The snow kept falling but Ruby didn't know if her shivers were of cold or excitement or both. She had so many things in her mind, what she was going to say, what she was going to do…how did she actually felt? The more she reflected the more she kept wondering what she feared the most, for Jaune to not have feelings for her or him having them and her hurting him. He was her best friend, he was family…but…was he also…

Her feet stopped as soon as she noticed the figure of her tall friend. Jaune was rather nervous himself. Nora had made him take off his armor and go out mainly wearing his jacket, but somehow this made him feel vulnerable.

"But, Nora…".

"No buts!" her voice came from his scroll, "You are doing this and is final! Plus, you look so handsome!".

"You are sounding like my mom…".

"Yeah, talk about your mom. A great conversation starter, big guy".

"Star.." Jaune turned around and immediately froze seeing Ruby standing behind him.

"Good luck!" with that final message, Nora ended the call and Jaune and Ruby found themselves alone.

"..hey…".

"….hey".

"This feels wrong, why are we spying?".

"Oscar, sweetie, you need to learn to listen to big sis Nora!"

"Shhhh! It's starting!".

The entire team hid behind the bushes, ready to listen to their leaders. They were all wondering how things would go, but Weiss just had one wish, for the two to open their hearts.

The awkward silence was as cold as the snow. Jaune and Ruby had decided to share a bench. For a minute, all their conversation was silence followed by a few "hey"s and "so"s…but at least they were trying.

Jaune began to wonder how did he end up in this situation. How after everything they had been through, an awkward kiss had changed the way he acted around Ruby. It was always so natural to talk to her. From the start, he never had fear or anxiety talking to her. It was always so easy….then why was it different this time? He made a mistake, but this was still Ruby. She was the most amazing person he knew, she was kind, brave, strong, funny...beautiful. She was special…so why should this be different from normal?

"R-Ruby…" She was surprised to see him force those words out. He did his best to put himself together. "Ruby, I'm so sorry!". She was shocked, but at this point, he couldn't stop. "I-I didn't mean to…kiss you. I wouldn't steal a kiss from you, no, no, no! I don't mean from you; I mean from anyone. Not that I want to kiss other people besides you...wait! No, that's not what I…"

"I'm sorry too!" To Jaune's surprise, Ruby had jumped in as well "It was my fault! If I had paid attention to the class or…or…I didn't mean to….I didn't mean to put my tongue in your mouth!".

"IT WAS HER?!".

"I owe Jaune an apology".

"Oh, so is not a custom in Patch?".

"What?! No!".

"It was my fault! I shouldn't have asked you to go on that class in the first place!".

"I shouldn't have made Winter mad! How was I supposed to know she was a big Weiss?!".

"…Why did I help those two…?".

"Look, it doesn't matter".

"Right! What matters is…".

"IM SORRY!" The two said at the same time, surprising the other. Ruby and Jaune sat there with a look of shock, staring into each other's eyes.

Silence had returned, but this time it wasn't as awkward. That small outburst felt liberating. It was as if a big weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The two still had ashamed faces, but looking at each other, the two couldn't help but to crack a laugh at their situation.

"Hahahahah".

"Hahahahahah!".

They laughed as hard as they could, barely being able to compose themselves.

"What are we doing?". Ruby asked, resting her hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"I guess…I guess we are being dumb". He responded with a soft smile on his face.

"Yeah. Big time. Hehe…Look, it was a silly mistake".

"Yeah…To be honest, I was really afraid. I just…I didn't want you to hate me. You are my best friend, Ruby".

She punched his arm lovely, "I would never hate you, silly. I actually thought you hated me. I mean I did take advantage of you…".

"You are right! I should report you! Or worst… I'm telling your sister!".

"Ha! Too slow as always! I already did!"

"Really?! How did she take it?".

"Dad is gonna kill me!".

"Surprisingly well".

The laughs kept coming as the two did what they did best, enjoy each other's company and bring in joy in one another.

Ruby paused, she started to wonder just how open she could be with him. He was her best friend. They had shared many things, especially in their darkest moments. She decided to test the waters, but might have overdone it a little, "If I'm honest…I was afraid I would hurt you".

"What do you mean?".

"…You told me…about your first kiss and…I was afraid you'll get hurt ag…".

"You could never hurt me" He stopped her. "Ruby…Yeah, I have some memories that pain me to this day. But those aren't the ones I treasure. Do you know which I do? The ones that make me happy and you happen to be in plenty of them". He caressed her hair lovely, something that made her skip a beat. "I do miss Pyrrha…but, not long ago, I realized that I couldn't continue hurting myself, especially because I was hurting the people I love. Ren, Nora, Oscar, Weiss, Blake, Yang…and You. I would never have made it to where I am if not for you. You could never hurt me because you make me stronger, Ruby".

Ruby smiled at him, her eyes tearing up a bit. Jaune was special to her, she now saw it clearly. Being a part of his life and him being a part of hers brought her so much joy.

"You really are a dummy, aren't you? Hehe".

"Oh, come on! I'm pouring out my heart here!".

"But it was so cheesy!".

"Well, yeah, but…".

"I'm messing with you…I happen to like cheese".

"Gods they are adorable and lame".

"I think it is sweet".

"….Ren….did you just….".

The awkward tension had banished. It was as if it had never been there. They were back to normal, joyful, playful…simply happy about being together.

The snow was starting to grow a bit stronger. Ruby was grateful for Blake lending her clothes, but her taste in shirts wasn't really wintery. She began to rub her arms and shiver.

As the silence continued, Ruby kept on thinking how relieved she felt, how she was able to be honest with the way she felt and Jaune returned that honesty. But a part of her was also glad this was all over and everything could go back to norm…

"Here. It's getting a bit cold…".

She was stunned. She felt it in slow motion, how the fabric of his jacket covered her skin. A look of shock was all she could give in return. She stared at him while he just sat there next to her, only a shirt on and a bright and warm smile.

"Maybe we should get back in. Come on. I think they have hot chocolate in the cafeteria". He stood up cheerfully and began to walk away. But Ruby didn't follow…she stayed seated.

"Uh…Ruby?".

"I enjoyed it".

His eyes got wide and his heart skipped a beat, but Ruby had finally made her mind. She was not going to be silent; she was going to be honest with herself, she was going to be honest with her feelings and honest with him.

"I enjoyed it, ok? It felt…I felt like I wanted it to last forever. I don't understand it yet but I do know that I enjoyed it and not just the kiss!" She stood up looking at him straight in the eyes. "I was so happy when you said I was special to you. Because YOU are special to me! I care about you and have done it for a long long time but I knew how much you were hurting; I knew all the pain you were going through and it killed me that I couldn't just take that pain away!".

Jaune was paralyzed on his spot. His heart rising with every word.

"It's embarrassing! It's weird! It's frustrating but I don't care!" Ruby began to rant and clench her fist in frustration and determination. "Weiss is right! Hiding your feelings isn't fair to yourself. Sometimes you might want to protect and respect someone, others you just can't put your feelings into words, but you should always be honest to yourself! Be honest with your feelings! Be honest with who you are, what you want, how sad you are, and how much joy you have in your heart when you see someone you love smile!

Weiss, looked attentively, she was worried but more than anything, she was proud. "Be honest, Ruby". She said with a soft smile.

"When you care about someone, that person is special to you. If you love them that much why wouldn't you be honest with them!? Why would you hide your doubts and fear from that person who is always there, with whom you share something so beautiful and special?!. Be honest! Be honest with your own feelings and be honest with that person you love! It's hard, it's scary but ARENT THEY WORTH IT?! You love them for a reason! BE HONEST!".

She didn't realize it, but those words hit hard to more people than she thought. Yang and Blake had been through many things together and still had a long way to go, but there was something clear to everyone, they cared for each other and their bond had been tempered in fire, it was stronger than steel. Yang grabbed Blake's hand, she was surprised, but the smile they shared gave the two of them warm.

Ren had never been good at expressing his feelings. He always kept them hidden, is not that he didn't have them nor that he didn't want to let them out, it was simply difficult to put his love into words. Nora knew this, it pained her but she was certain he loved her just as much as she loved him. Ren was never good at talking, but he always showed how much he loved her, still, his heart was pained and worried and Nora was determined. She knew how much she loved him and she was going to be there for him. Someday, somehow, she would get through him, she would help him be honest with himself…and until then, she was going to stand by his side, giving him all her love. To her surprise, even in these moments of uncertainty, Ren held her hand, he looked ashamed, he knew he had too much in his mind and didn't know how to say it, but Nora understood the gesture, a soft touch that said "You are special to me". She smiled and leaned on him, not a word was said and at the same time, they said it all.

"That's why….that's why I'll be honest wit h you!...I did enjoy it…because you are special to me…because I…I…".

"I couldn't sleep!" Jaune said, stopping and surprising Ruby. "That night in Argus! When we were split. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, Nora had to make me drink water! I was so worried about something happening to you! To all of you but especially you! I was terrified of losing you, Ruby!". She began to get tears in her eyes. "I did enjoy it but it wasn't meant to be a kiss! I was afraid! I let myself go by what Winter said. The idea of you getting hurt…I CAN'T BARE IT! Ruby you aren't only special to me, you are the most special person in my life! I've known for a long time, I just….I had so much hatred for myself…A part of me refused to be happy...but you were always there bringing me joy even in my darkest times…You were always there…you are always there and I want you to be there and I will be there for you! From the moment I met you I wanted to walk beside you, I just never realized just how much I want to be with you!".

The two stopped and began to breathe faster and faster. Exasperated….but somehow also relieved. They were there bringing out everything filling their hearts. They were being honest with the most important person in their lives.

"….Go out with me…" Ruby said, breaking the silence with a shy voice. "I want to be with you too…so…". Before she could realize it, her head was already down, hiding her face from the embarrassment and had grabbed her hands and pressed them on her chest as if holding her heart. "I know is silly….but…".

"Yes". And with one word, Ruby's head rushed back up, meeting Jaune's eyes. The two connected with a simple gaze. "Yes…of course, I will…".

They had shown the contents of their hearts…and the love was mutual and strong. Ruby and Jaune changed their shocked looks for joyful smiles as the two of them realized what happened. They were honest with themselves….and it just felt right.

"Jaune…".

"Ruby….".

The two got closer. Their bodies moved on their own. Without a moment to waste, Jaune caressed Ruby's face and the two got closer and closer and closer…

"MY BABY SISSSSS!".

"YANG?!"

"AHHHHH!".

And with that, Yang had exposed all of their friends hiding in the bushes. Jaune and Ruby had their jaws on the floor.

"Damnit, YANG! It was so close!" Weiss yelled in frustration.

"I've been waiting for this for SO LONG!" Nora worked so hard for months and now, she got robbed.

"I couldn't help it! It was so beautiful! Right Blake?".

"It was so cute!".

"Good job, Jaune. I was really moved". Ren smiled while giving a thumbs up.

"I'm so happy for you guys!". Oscar cheered.

Jaune and Ruby turned red. All those embarrassing things and their friends heard every single word. Had the world ended right there, they wouldn't have had any regrets…well, maybe just one regret.

"We have to celebrate!".

"Can it be inside? It's freezing here!".

As their friends all walked away, they followed behind, discreetly walking right beside each other. After all, they had promised to stay by each other's side…always.

Ruby sneakily grabbed Jaune's hand, caressing it tenderly with her thumb.

"Don't think you'll escape".

"Hehe. I wasn't planning to".

"You know…you do owe me".

"What?".

"Yeah. Apparently, my first kiss wasn't a real kiss after all…".

Jaune began to rub the back of his neck. "Haha…yeah…But I…can make it up to you lat…".

He didn't notice but she had a keener eye, as soon as she noticed their friends had gone a bit farther away, she took the chance and stole a sweet and lovely kiss.

"You know what? I enjoyed this one more" Ruby winked with a smile and blush before running back to her friends.

Jaune stood there but the sight of his special girl with a big smile brought nothing but joy to his heart. That warm love….it just felt right.

"Hey wait up! That's not fair!".

"Come and catch me if you want another!".

"Ruby!".

________________________________________________________________

Fan fiction for the 9 days of Lancaster 2020! 

This is honestly my first time writting romance but lancaster is worth it!

Prompts: Regret / Apology

@9dayshandler

[agentdagonet]

so this may be asking too much but… Headset Romance: The love story of two people who have never met. With Agent!Harry and Handler!Eggsy

Okay so I know that this is several thousand years late, but I hope that it was at least a little worth the wait?

Headset Romance

‘You’re a bloody peacock and that’s somethin’ I’ve learned from experience, Galahad. The fuck did you say that for? He’s def gonna remember your sorry arse now.’

'I found his company degrading- I can get the drive without playing nice with an adulterer.’

'If you say so, guv- but if this comes back to bite your arse I expect the whole song an’ dance. An’ a stiff drink.’

'And how will I deliver these things to you, oh faceless one?’

'You’re a fuckin’ secret agent, I’m pretty sure you can figure out a private youtube link and how to pay a drink forward. Or just do the performance for Merlin- he’ll make sure I get to see it.’

'Alternatively, you and I could simply go out after a job well done like normal people do after work.’

'We ain’t normal people, guv- on your left, yeah good- and I’m plenty satisfied with this arrangement.’

'You could be further satisfied.’

'Did you really jus’ try an’ pull that one on me? Next you’ll be saying somethin’ about the many benefits of physical interaction. Upstairs, third door on the right.’

'Well it’s not as if I haven’t suggested such things before. Got it.’

'Good, can’t go back the way you came but there’s another stairwell down the way- go up a floor and go down elsewhere. Minimal interaction means you can’ just punch your way outta this one.’

'Fists are so uncivilised-’

'Or any of your gadgets, neither. Jus’ get home safe and drop that drive at HQ.’

'Fine. In repayment for you taking away all of my fun, I’ll be sure to send you the most awful thing I can find in-’

'Oh there you are’

'Shit.’

'Lemme guess, it’s the prick you insulted earlier. An’ he ain’t too happy.’ There’s no response, but the view from the feed is answer enough. 'Knock 'im out and get the fuck outta there. This cover’s a bust now, anyway so it don’t matter how just get it done.’ Galahad doesn’t acknowledge him, though he does knock the target’s lights out as quietly as possible before making his way quickly but calmly from the event. Small favours.

'So I’m expectin’ that song an’ dance before you’re sent off on your next mission.’

'Is now really the time to rub it in my face?’

'Are you dyin’?’

'No.’

'Bein’ pursued?’

'No.’

'Injured in literally any way?’

'Well, my knuckles ache a bit.’

'That don’t count. An’ my point is that now is the perfect time to rub your mistakes in your face like a pup who’s pissed on a rug. I dunno how you survived twenty-somethin’ years without me.’

'Merlin had hair to pull out. And I resent that statement.’

'Y'mean you represent that statement. An’ I’m buying that man a cake. “Congratulations on Surviving Galahad” has a nice ring to it.’

'In what way do I represent a pup? I’m perfectly grown, thank you.’

'Oh I know you are; you’re a big boy, ain’t ya? But you listen to very few people, an’ even then do things your own way, and then you strut your way home expecting a bone and a belly rub for a job well done.’

'I’m hanging up now- obviously made it to the extraction point; I’ll debrief upon arrival.’

'Oh don’t take it personal, Galahad- you know you’re my favourite.’ The silence on the other line was answer enough. Eggsy closed the feed and smiled to himself, happy with the successful mission. He’d only been Galahad’s main handler for a couple years, but it was easily the most fulfilling job he’d ever had. Percival took him too seriously, Bors was a bit obsessed with explosions, and Lancelot was far more pun than professionalism.

It also wasn’t a bad thing that Galahad was incredibly witty. And fit. And so out of his league it wasn’t even funny. One glance in the mirror when he forgot (He assumed he forgot; no need to make assumptions and make things worse than they were) that the feed was running and Eggsy was completely gone for him. Lust at first sight, when he’d already been enamoured with his dry wit, made Harry’s inexplicable interest in him the worst temptation.

But he didn’t know much of anything about Eggsy besides his sarcasm. Well, that wasn’t quite true either, Eggsy mused as he wrote up his end of the mission report. Eggsy’d spoken about his sister, and his mum, and about the Prick with a capital P he’d managed to get rid of when Merlin had hired him. He’d talked about loads of shit. Just nothing he thought was worth the kind of fuss Galahad made of him- Galahad, who had never even met him, and probably just had a thing for a bit of rough.

Not that that was a bad thing- but Eggsy knew he’d want more than a tumble with him and he just didn’t think that was possible.

'Eggsy, I have something for you.’ Merlin spoke from the doorjamb, ever-present clipboard in his hand and a smirk on his face. There’s a ping from his monitor, and Eggsy opens a file under the watchful eye of Merlin labelled 'He Told Me So.' 

It’s a simple video, a sheepish smile on Harry’s face as he sits in the Kingsman plane, doing these silly little waves with his hands while he sings 'you told me so’ in varying pitches at a whisper. It’s obvious that he doesn’t want the pilot (a mate of Eggsy’s named Ryan, not that Harry knows that) to hear him and turn around, he’s flushed from his neck to the tips of his ears. It’s actually adorable.

'I don’t know how you get him to do these things, lad.’ Merlin’s chuckling behind him, eyes bright behind his specs. ‘I can barely get him to show up on time.’

‘What c’n I say, I’ve got the magic touch.’

‘If I didn’t know better I’d accuse you of having siren’s blood- he’d do just about anything you asked of him.’ Merlin nods his head at the screen, where Harry is paused mid-song. ‘This being the least of it. He’s also instructed me, in this e-mail, to tell you that your drink will be waiting for you at the pub down the street once he’s back on home soil. And not to sound terribly cliched, but  am not an owl so stop using me to send messages back and forth. Give him an e-mail or something if you refuse to give him your number.’ He grumbled a bit (sounds suspiciously like you oblivious bastards) before wandering off.

Eggsy finishes his report with a smile, and places an order at the bakery he knows Merlin prefers.

Harry got off the plane at HQ early the next morning, sun barely over the horizon, and immediately went to debrief with Arthur. Merlin would be sure to meet him there, the way he always did, and then Harry would get to go home and sleep in his own bed. Sounded like heaven.

‘Now, Galahad, it seems like the mission went off without issue?’

‘For the most part, yes.’

‘The most part?’

‘I’m afraid that alias is unusable now- I accidentally compromised the mission but managed to work around it to fulfill the objective.’

‘Excuse me, gentleman- dropping off some reports for Arthur.’ A young man came through, dropping a thick stack of files on Arthur’s desk with a nod. Nothing in particular stood out about him, accent as upper-class as most everyone at Kingsman (with the one notable exception that Harry could never track down) and his clothes, though casual, were obviously of high quality. He was probably one of Merlin’s minions.

‘Ah, Lunete, thank you.’

‘Sir.’ In lieu of goodbye, he nodded at them (and exchanged a wry smile with Merlin, confirming his suspicion) before leaving the Dining Room.

‘Now, to get back to things- there was no “accidentally” involved in your alias being compromised.’ Merlin turned a severe glare in his direction before turning back to Arthur. ‘I reviewed the footage personally, and he brought attention to himself by insulting the target. Claims he found his company degrading, and could accomplish the task without following the instructions of his handler. In the end he forcefully knocked the target unconscious because too much time had elapsed to use the amnesia darts.

‘Well, as he did achieve the objective, we can at least attest to his being correct on part of that- though you did lose us a useful alias and years of work.’ Arthur turned to Harry, who looked sheepish for a moment, intent on opening his mouth to defend himself, but Merlin redirected his attention once again.

‘Yes sir, he did- but I’d like to bring something to your attention; glasses, please.’ They looked up at the hidden screen, which was now displaying the details of his alias’ file. ‘This is the file for Atticus Grey as it was originally constructed.’ He typed something onto his clipboard, ‘this is what is associated with that person.’

‘Well, this is convenient.’ Arthur muttered to himself, saying what Harry had been thinking. By some kind of divine intervention, it seemed that all of the people he’d made connections with through Atticus were either in custody or dead. The former of which was adding to the latter every year.

‘So, even though he did in fact ruin this alias, it’s not an altogether unsalvageable situation. Honestly, we probably would have scrapped this alias within the next couple of missions anyway.

‘However, with this alias being scrapped a bit prematurely, my team will need a few days to make the new alias as airtight as possible. With most agents off on missions we’re prioritising handling over our background work- when Percival and Lancelot return we should be ready for wherever you wish to send Galahad next.’

‘Forcing our Galahad into some down time, are we?’

‘No idea what you’re talking about, sir, it’s just procedure.’ There’s a glint in Merlin’s eye that says otherwise, but nothing he says will change their minds. This wasn’t the first time they’d pulled such tricks, merely the most recent. Arthur dismissed Merlin with a smile, and he and Harry finished their tea with non-work related chatter.

‘I have some errands- a few days home shouldn’t be too tedious.’

He was wrong. Harry Hart was many things and now he would be adding wrong to the list. A few days on home soil with no clear objective or clear end in sight was tortuous. He’d taken to pestering Merlin for updates every few hours, which had resulted in him being locked out of his office and the direct link from his glasses being shut off. 

‘Any reason in particular there’s a picture of Merlin’s face taped to that punching bag?’ The voice comes from behind him, bemused and unfamiliar, and Harry turns to find the minion from before. Shit.

‘Needed to let off some steam- Merlin’s decided to force some down time upon me, but I have nothing to do.’

‘That so? Still doesn’t explain why you’re punching his face like that.’

‘Sure it does- he’s insufferable and I can’t take it out on him in person.’

‘Isn’t there anything else you can do to pass your time?’

‘I’ve already finished all of my reports- and I’m doing the only other thing I can here at the gym.’

‘You could go for a swim- or the obstacle course! That one’s always fun. Or family to visit, or something?’

‘Been there, done that; and the obstacle course is only fun the first few times. Doing it on repeat for days takes it away. And no, they all died years ago. Just me and Kingsman.’

‘You need to get out more. Come with me.’ Lunete had one shoulder propped against the doorjamb, hands in his pockets, and a smirk on his face like he’s got a fabulous joke but won’t share it.

‘Excuse me?’

‘Well I was going to head home and hang out with my mother and sister, but you need a night out. Come on, then.’

‘I barely know you.’

‘First off, we both work at Kingsman, so how dangerous can I be to you; and second your file’s public to those of us in the Lake, so I know all about you- you could come out and even the score?’

‘I think you’re just trying to keep me from beating Merlin the next time he emerges from his cave.’

‘Eh, that’s just a pleasant bonus.’

Eggsy ended up bringing Harry to the first pub he saw between the mews and Kingsman- in the opposite direction from the one Harry’d left his “you told me so” drink at. It wouldn’t do to be recognised since he was doing some serious posh-acting; he didn’t want the jig to be up too soon. 

On the one hand, it was annoying as fuck to act like someone he wasn’t for longer than he absolutely had to. Arthur and his cronies were bad enough on site let alone out in public. On the other, though, it was probably the closest he’d get to actual spy work even if it was all for his own benefit.

But, even as they sat across from one another at a booth and talked aimlessly about nothing, Eggsy could see Harry relaxing despite himself. He’d talk about some mishap in R&D and Harry would laugh until he was wiping at his eyes; and Harry would tell some story about his dog (the fuck kind of name was Mr. Pickle, anyway?) which would prompt him to talk about JB, and inevitably end up in giggles.

Eggsy relished the opportunity to see what Harry was like outside of a mission, and what he acted like with someone he wasn’t strangely obsessed with. Now that he thought about it, Harry probably saw him as a mystery he wanted to solve. He wouldn’t be interested once the mystique was gone, no matter what he said to the contrary.

Even more motivation to make this mask believable. No way for Harry to connect the two.

Harry, on the other hand, was enchanted with the surprisingly eloquent man. He lamented not having met him before, but resolved to get to know him better now. Merlin certainly wouldn’t begrudge him a friendship with one of his minions, would he?

—

‘Lunete! Package for you.’

‘Another one?’

It had been a few months since Eggsy’d taken Harry out to that pub in the guise of Lunete- and for some odd reason Harry had decided that the best way to cultivate a friendship with him was through obnoxious souvenirs. The kind of things Eggsy thought of when Harry threatened to gift him with “the most awful thing” he could find in wherever the fuck he was for a mission. Eggsy wondered if these were Harry’s idea of good souvenirs and, if so, allowed himself a shudder at the possibilities “the most awful thing” suggested.

Today’s mystery package wasn’t very large- which eliminated another taxidermied animal- and it wasn’t very heavy- which eliminated a new creepy looking statue.

If Eggsy hadn’t already known Harry outside of Lunete he’d have run for the hills after the first package. There’s eccentric and then there’s eccentric and while the former was interesting the latter was incredibly creepy. As it was Eggsy worried about his sanity, though he probably shouldn’t, as most of the Knights had something incredibly strange they loved. Gawaine had a collection of cat statues, Bors kept bits of rubble, and Percival collected local animal teeth. He’d resolved to never ask where he got them, no matter how elegant they looked once he’d polished them.

The sight of them with bits of gum still attached made an impression, to say the least.

Steeling himself, Eggsy cut the tape and pulled open the flaps before he could talk himself out of it, one eye closed while the other squinted into the box.

There was a note.

Lunete, I saw this while in Switzerland  and was captivated before remembering that I had no one to gift such a thing. But I remembered that you mentioned a sister all that time ago, and picked it up anyway. I’ve no idea how old she is (for all your chatter you’re surprisingly difficult to get information from) but if nothing else you can give it to your mother or something.

Reaching blindly into the packing chips he grasped the first solid object he came into contact with. It was box-like, cool to the touch, and thus far made no noise which eliminated several possibilities- and pulling it out Eggsy gasped.

It was elegant, carved in cherry wood and smooth as silk; the designs were all floral, likely roses or carnations or something. It wasn’t the kind of thing Eggsy would have picked up on a whim, but the kind of timeless beauty he could see being passed down or inherited. Opening the lid, Eggsy was a bit startled to be greeted with music- who made music boxes this gorgeous? The tune was familiar, if a bit sped up, but he couldn’t resist humming along.

And then, giggling to himself, he penned a response.

Well, Galahad, I certainly have no use for something as pretty as this myself, and Daisy’s a bit young for it, but my mother will love it. Thank you for the rarity that is a gift that doesn’t haunt my (or the rest of us Minions’) nightmares. Seriously. They’re haunting. But I’ll certainly be that someone who’ll watch over you.

Gershwin? Really? Could have at least been a typical Mozart or something but you had to go and get something classy and unexpected.

—

Eggsy certainly hadn’t expected his bit of fun to bite him in the arse quite so immediately. Harry’s flirting hadn’t lessened any over the coms, but now it was accompanied by humming. Incessant humming that matched the music box that now lay atop his mother’s dresser.

'Fuuuuuuck.’

'I’m not your agony aunt, Eggsy, take your self-created issues elsewhere.’

'But he’s gonna figure it out, Merls!’

'Again, not my problem. Get back to R&D or research Galahad’s next assignment, I don’t care, but get out of my hair.’

'But you don’t have any-’

'Finish that sentence and I’ll delight in telling him myself. I’ll make a power point with all the evidence, and finish with your address so he can-’

'Alright, alright. Fine. I’ll just go curl up and die at my desk. An’ you’ll have to break the news to Daisy.’

'Far be it for me to interrupt your plans for spontaneous expiration.’

—

'So, Eggsy,’

’Don’ even start, Galahad. Up the stairs and to your right- the painting of some posh knobhead with blue boots is hollow.’

'You don’t even know what I was going to say!’

'Half the shit from your mouth during these missions is either you tryin’ to talk me out of the plans I make to keep your sorry arse alive, or flirtin’ with me despite the fact that we’ve never actually met in person. As you ain’t fightin’ the plan, I assume your next words were gonna be some persuasive argument about the pleasures of the flesh. Again.’ He let a little of his irritation slip through, though mostly he was just nervous about Harry connecting him and Lunete. He knew it would happen eventually, but fuck it didn’t need to be now. 

’… Got the file.’ Harry said reluctantly, almost a sigh, and for a moment Eggsy wondered if he’d somehow gone too far despite not changing his reactions to his flirting in the first place. 'On my way to extraction.’ The playful edge that had come to be the highlight of these missions was missing. A Galahad subdued and not in the I-made-a-mistake-and-got-briefly-captured-again way.

It left Eggsy feeling off-kilter. And incredibly worried.

'Job well done, Galahad. Debrief at 1000.’ Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything after all.

—

'Dare I ask what happened to put this kicked puppy look on your face, Harry?’

'I’ve been ridiculous and making unwanted advances on a man I have never seen.’

'You’re always ridiculous.’

'I’ve never even met the man and his voice is the brightest part of my missions.’

'As I’ve already said once of late I am not an agony aunt and I have no desire or true advice to give you. Outside of, oh, I don’t know, perhaps asking to meet in person?’

'He shoots down my advances-’

'Likely because that’s what they are? Advances, obviously geared toward a goal that doesn’t happen to stop at friendship or likely involve it at all.’ Merlin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, 'Why do you care so much, anyway?’

'Eggsy’s never treated me like a superior officer. He’s never acted like he was beneath me for being behind the coms instead of in the field. He’s honest and rude and makes me laugh and somehow I’ve fallen for him despite not knowing the shape of his face or the colour of his eyes- the timbre of his laugh is enough.’

'I was expecting something more like “he’s a shit like me and I don’t want to ruin our working relationship” but leave it to you, Hart, to make it about feelings. What kind of spy are you?’

'A good one, I hope, to have made it this far into my lifespan.’

'Only by the grace of excellent handling.’

'Ah, the great Merlin, so humble.’

'I was referring to Eggsy- you caused me to lose the last of my hair, I have no patience for your showmanship, and your unparalleled ability to destroy my tech means that I tolerate you at best when I’m handling you.’ And there it was, the shame, at reducing a brilliant handler to a seductive voice through no actions but his own.

'I don’t want to lose him.’ It’s whispered, eyes staring at a spot on the wall and completely missing the pitying look Merlin throws his way.

'Then be honest, you great pillock, and talk to him. Not your weird proposition shit, either- I have to go through your mission footage and some of that… You’re not going to get anywhere with some bad pickup lines and innuendo.’ Merlin pushes his glasses up his face and turned away, tapping at his clipboard, 'And that’s all I have for you today. Please vacate the premises or I shall be forced to do something terrible to another one of your fetishistic loo butterflies.’

'Fine, fine, I’m goi- wait, what do you mean another?!’

—

‘Eggsy.’ He’s holed up in a supply closet, as cliche as one can be, but he will be there for an undetermined amount of time and he is just absolutely done with the stilted, awkward, handling of this mission. 

‘Dare I ask, Galahad?’

‘I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me.’ He tries to press as much sincerity into the phrase as he can, hoping beyond hope that he can somehow repair what he hadn’t realised he was breaking. ‘I know that I can be a bit much, but I don’t want you to think that I’m this way with the rest of the Lake. I simply have no idea of how to keep your attention.’

‘It is literally my job, Galahad, to keep my attention focused on ou ad get your arse home safely.’ Eggsy was confused, and maybe a little hopeful. He’d felt bereft without Harry’s incessant nattering, but hadn’t known how to fix it- maybe this was it.

‘I was rather hoping to keep your attention while off-mission, as well.’ Eggsy nearly groaned, but took a moment to think on the situation. Harry wasn’t being actively flirty, the tone was all wrong; if Eggsy didn’t know any better he’d say that the great Harry Hart sounded nervous. 

‘With more soul-damaging relics from your missions like the ones you send Lunete?’ 

‘No- well, correction, not only with carefully-chosen pieces. I-’ Harry paused, and Eggsy realised that this was, indeed, an honest conversation that Harry was trying to have with him. ‘I would like for us to meet. Formally, face-to-face, give myself a visual to go with the auditory man who has consumed my attentions for quite some time. I understand that there is no reason for you to believe me, given my previous actions, but I’ll readily admit to having had no other idea of how to express my interest. Merlin can tell you that outside of a mission I’ve never been particularly graceful or smooth when it came to potential romantic partners.

‘I find that I’ve become enchanted with the idea of you, and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discover if my fantasies even touch upon the reality of you as a person.’

Eggsy literally had no idea of how to progress from here. Despite his own infatuations with the man, he’d dismissed Harry’s words as empty and with this revelation had no idea of how to progress. Forget the conundrum of Eggsy and Lunete being the same person- this was a problem now, and Merlin had probably known all along and that fucker hadn’t even tried to warn him.

          'We’ll see Galahad,’ Eggsy fought to keep his voice playful, to not give away his scrambling for a proper answer, 'you’ve got to get your way out of this shit first. An’ maybe, maybe, we’ll see about gettin’ a drink or something.’ And now Eggsy was back to cursing his mouth for running ahead of his brain and making promises he probably couldn’t keep.

Harry continued to pretend that the pounding of his heart was due to his circumstances in the mission and not due to the tantalising possibility of meeting Eggsy proper at long last.

—

Of course, Harry had managed the near impossible and completed the mission both on time and without any grievous injury to himself. Or to his target, which was a positive as he’d been tasked with surveillance and strictly told not to engage which are rules the man usually took as a challenge.

Merlin googled at the record when it was brought to him, and Eggsy took a seat across from the man as he reviewed the contents.

‘He didn’t make an uncouth comment and get chased from the grounds?’ The again went unsaid.

‘No.’

‘And he didn’t continue to press you about going out after you gave him a solid maybe?’ Merlin sounded as incredulous as Eggsy felt.

‘Nope.’ Eggsy was in more than a fair bit of shock. On the one hand, Harry had achieved the objective while Eggsy had been in his ear. So that was a point for both of them, for Eggsy’s success as Handler and Harry’s as Knight; but the hows of it. Harry had done all of it because Eggsy had said they might get to meet if Harry did what needed to be done. The mere idea of getting to meet had given Harry enough cause to have achieved a nearly impossible feat for him.

‘I’m no’ one to butt into personal business-’

‘I fuckin’ know that, Merlin- you practically set this shit up by keepin’ to yourself.’ Eggsy grumbled, crossing his arms and slumping in the chair.

‘But perhaps, lad, Harry’s more than a bit serious about this.’ Merlin continued as if uninterrupted, and Eggsy looked away.

‘D’you really think so?’

‘The only way you’re going to know is if you actually talk to him and stop with this weird double life you’ve made for yourself and no,’ Merlin wagged a finger angrily, ‘I am not going to help you fix this shit. You dug this hole, make your own way out of it.

‘I certainly hope that you continue to inspire this out of him and he doesn’t corrupt you instead.’

Eggsy stayed in that chair long after Merlin had returned to his own tasks, wondering just what he was going to do. He had two obvious options: he could meet Harry in person and come clean- or he could really chav it up and hope Harry wouldn’t be able to see Lunete in Eggsy.

But, to be honest, Eggsy was getting real tired of having to keep track of who he had to be at any given moment. What Lunete knew versus what Eggsy knew and where they could overlap believably with them both being in the Lake. It was getting exhausting, and even with the possibility of losing Harry entirely through this fiasco, Eggsy was just. So. Tired. And maybe that wasn’t the best reason to stop leading a double life but it was the one he had.

          So, there, that was one decision made- a pretty big one, too. Now he just had to hold himself to it. 

But that didn’t mean he had to make it easy for the man; maybe he could get one last bit of fun from this fiasco.

–

Harry’s office at headquarters was very secure. Merlin never let anyone in or out without his say so, even when the door was unlocked he’d lock it just as someone was reaching for the handle just to be a shit.

So the box on his desk was a terrifying surprise. First because he’d had no idea that anyone had been in his office- but mostly because of the contents. The outside was so unassuming that Harry had reached in without a second thought and immediately regretted the action. 

‘What the fuck is this shit?’

‘It happens to be a gift, you idiot, if you’d bothered to read the card prior to sticking your hand inside?’ Melin chimed in from the glasses, and Harry flipped him off smoothly with one hand as the other shut the glasses down. So what if he was right, it was the principle of the thing.

Harry pulled out the thing that had stabbed his finger, and was greeted with the most obnoxiously American thing he had ever seen. Intricately carved, it would be a work or artistry if it weren’t for the obnoxious colouring. A bald eagle sitting on a branch, a snake in its grasp, with everything but the bird in natural colours- the eagle was painted as the Americal Flag. It was the end of a wing that had stabbed him, curled upward in a parody of landing from flight. It was atrocious. 

‘What. the fuck. Is this shit?’ Harry warily stuck his arm back into the box of packing chips, feeling about for any additional hidden monstrosity, but came up empty. ‘No note?’ Harry began to turn the box about, half tempted to “accidentally” knock the statue from his desk- but he knew that if it had ended up here then the sender would discover the untimely demise. And, heaven forbid, send a replacement. On the end that had been facing his chair there was a small note, taped and half falling off the side of the cardboard. 

Let’s play hide and seek, Galahad. You’re it. -Eggsy

Harry pulled the note and examined the writing closely. The ink was partially bled through in some spots, as if he’d hesitated while writing it, and it looked to have been written by one of the Kingsman issued pens- not the ones with the poison, but the ones used for official paperwork, with the combustible ink. Just in case, you see, someone ever managed to get their hands on confidential paperwork. Which eliminated a great many people, as the only people to use them casually were the Minions, who used them for everything by default.

As if sparked by this train of thought, the ink began to eat through the paper. Well, that route of examination was out. Eggsy had mentioned more than once the trinkets Harry would send to Lunete, so it was entirely possible that this gift was poking fun at his habit of choosing memorable items for the man, but to that end it also firmly pointed Harry to a particular collective of Minions: Merlin’s favourites. Unfortunately, codenames meant very little overall within the walls of the place- but real names were rare. It was far more difficult to ask after Richard than Bors, for example, because much like in faerie courts real names held power and were rarely shared.

So asking for Eggsy would get him nowhere, unless he was asking Merlin directly, but the man had been of no help thus far and would likely continue on that trend for a while yet. So he was on his own to solve this mystery. Which meant he had to rely upon his already collected knowledge far more than present clues.

Eggsy was a man with a simple- no, humble- past, who had come to Kingsman from the Army where Merlin had spotted him causing some trouble. Eggsy’d been confronted by his SO and had been quite contrite to admit that he’d been messing with the tech because he was bored and had lost his sense of purpose when those around him didn’t seem to care about the why as much as the when. He’d had a note put into his file, and Merlin had snatched him up immediately. Harry was still unsure of why Merlin had been watching the man in the first place, as there were so many people potential to sort through at any time and only a finite number of places to put them. Harry figured it was like applying to an Ivy League school you didn’t know was considering you. Incredibly selective- so what had pulled Merlin’s attention to him?

But that wasn’t the concern at the moment. With what he knew about Eggsy, could he find him on the grounds? What did he care about, what did he mention liking about Kingsman, where would he have the highest likelihood of spotting the man in time to win this game. Harry wasn’t even entirely sure what he was competing for- but he was a vain man and desired victory for the sake of it just as much as any prize.

Harry had never bothered to learn the things a Handler would- but he could strategise if he could only decide what direction to go in. Top to bottom? One end to the other? From the centre outwards, or vice versa? Simplest would be top to bottom, as the roof provided a finite amount of space he could go- so to the roof it was. He wasn’t so desperate as to climb the sides of the building, and opted instead to take the service stairs to the top level and find a window that overlooked a bit of the roof and meander is way from there.

Which actually ended up being surprisingly difficult, but once he had found an acceptable exit he also stumbled upon another note taped to it.

Let’s play a game, mate- well, another one, waiting in one spot is just so boring y’know? I’m hanging out with the rest of the Minions til ‘bout 3 where you left me my drink way back when. Find me. That little shit had been here, how long ago was anyone’s guess, and instead of following through on whatever his original plot had been had changed the rules. As if Harry had known what they were in the first place, but the point remained that he’d changed the rules without warning or explanation.

But wasn’t that just like Eggsy, to at one moment follow plans to the letter and the next follow Harry’s lead on a whim? The fact that they were always successful could more likely be attributed to luck than any actual skill, but Harry was willing to take what the universe deigned to gift him. So he huffed a laugh and made his way back to his office, checking himself idly in the window as he removed his tie and popped a button or two. Going around to a pub while dressed to the nines, while safe in a Kingsman suit, was making himself a spectacle and if he intended to actually find Eggsy he needed to be able to blend in- at least a little. He removed his glasses, and mussed his hair just enough that it looked purposefully dishevelled as opposed to perfectly organised.

Harry made his way down to the pub, one he frequented and thus was able to pull favours with, and nodded at the barman who smoothly slid his pint down the bartop to his waiting hand as he sat at his regular spot at the bar. No words having to be exchanged, which freed him up to idly glance about the room. There were some outside seats but it was easier to hide in a crowd, and easier still to disappear with staff constantly moving about, if you knew when and how to do so. Which was usually a skill Knights honed and Minions of the Lake dismissed as unnecessary. The likelihood of their being spotted, let alone pursued, was miniscule- so why waste the energy that could be dedicated to other things instead?

There was a group of younger people in the corner booth, only a half dozen or so, about half wearing very familiar glasses. Now to spot his target proper. There was a young woman leaning intimately into the side of one of the men without glasses, with dark brown hair and pale eyes. That was Agravaine and Blanchefleur, then, as they were the topic of many Knights who were critical of relationships from within. And, honestly, how did they expect to achieve any sense of intimacy with someone outside of Kingsman, anyway? But that eliminated two suspects. There was his regular pilot, Houdain, with whom he’d shared many idle conversations of the last couple years. His accent was similar to Eggsy’s, but not so much so that he could ever have confused one for the other.

Three down, three to go.

There was another young woman with short cropped red hair, sans glasses but obviously sporting a pair of Kingsman brogues, bent nearly in double as she laughed- inelegantly snorting. She slapped the glasses off the man sat across from her in her antics, simply by waving her arms about, and Harry was grateful to know that she was not a Knight. If she were in this collective she obviously had immense amounts of talent behind the scenes, but something like that could make or break a mission. Which was entirely off topic, but Harry’s head was running in a million directions as he caught sight of the last two members of the table.

One was a driver that he knew quite well, Ither, who had always been up for a joyride while escaping their pursuants. The other was Lunete.

So Eggsy had lied, then. He wasn’t here after all. He turned back to his drink as a way to distract himself, observing the condensation run down the glass, and pretended that disappointment was not a bitter pill to swallow.

 Except, suddenly, he heard a very distinct ‘you’re fucking jokin’, bruv!’ he knew without a doubt that Eggsy was in that group. His head snapped up just in time to see Lunete slap Houdain playfully on the shoulder, the latter covering his mouth with one hand while shaking with laughter.

‘Swear down, Eggs, I couldn’ make that shit up if I tried.’

‘The fuck was Lancelot thinkin’, tryin’ to make a jump like that in that outfit? She gave someone a lucky view, then?’ Ither looked as if Christmas had come early, a very Grinch-like smirk on his face at the thought, but Houdain shook his head.

‘The street was clear, luck with her, so she didn’t flash no one- but lots o’ people complained about the thumpin’ from the roof, next day.’ Lunete shook his head as Houdain finished, but Harry’s mind had stopped a bit before.

Eggs. Eggsy. Harry ran the facts over in his mind as he took another idle gulp of his Guinness; Eggsy spoke often of Lunete’s gifts, he obviously knew Harry quite well after all the time of being in his ear, was well-liked and trusted by Merlin (who else would he trust his oldest friends’ safety to, if not someone he trusted?), and suddenly he couldn’t unlink the two. Lunete was Eggsy.

Lunete was Eggsy.

Lunete was Eggsy and he’d already had a drink with the man and he’d never let it on. He’d not even hinted that he’d been hiding anything; to hide such a thing from a Knight was impressive in and of itself. He’d been sure to keep their interactions regular, had never hinted at- well, hinted at what, exactly? Had Eggsy thought anything of their pint, that day, and what of the gifts? Why had he hidden himself so thoroughly within the walls of Kingsman that it took a ducking scavenger hunt for Harry to figure it out? It was not as if Kingsan was particularly judgemental- well, no, that was a lie. Arthur was a prick.

Ah. Prejudice based around the way one walks. And talks. The things that are the quickest to reveal oneself as “other” in a collective of men from money. Arthur was quick to anger and quicker to insult, if only ever backhandedly, so the ability to blend in was imperative- he guessed- to Eggsy being able to do as he needed. Drivers and Pilots were often silent until prompted and prodded into speaking- a Handler was easily identified and exposed by voice. To affect an accent in the presence of those who would look down on you for being different was entirely understandable.

But had Eggsy truly thought that Harry would judge him in that way? Had he not been clear with his affections through the coms? Short of screaming it from the rooftops he’d done all he could to show Eggsy that he thought the world of him. But… but perhaps that was what had kept him away. If someone is showy, you never take their actions or words at face value. Never. It’s survival one-oh-one, and Harry kicks himself for not connecting the dots sooner.

Every bit of tension in his body began to loosen as Eggsy turned around, just enough for Harry to admire the cut of his jaw and the upturn of his lip as he winked.  At him. That cheeky arsehole. Harry didn’t hear the particulars, but Eggsy was excusing himself from the group with a smile and making his way toward Harry- and what was Harry going to say when he finally got there?

‘Hey, Harry.’ Eggsy slid into the seat beside him and nudged one shoulder with his own, sloshing what little was left in Harry’s glass. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’

‘You led me here, and yet you’re the one claiming to be surprised?’

‘Weren’t sure you was gonna find that window, guv, but you managed that shit in record time you did.’

‘So you set me up to fail?’ Harry finished his drink before he turned and lifted a brow, and Eggsy had the gall to laugh.

‘Nah, I set you a challenge and you met it. Exceeded expectations and all that shit. So, now, I’m an open book- what d’you want to know?’ He lifted a hand to the barkeep and accepted to proffered drinks with a grin.

‘Why?’

‘Why’d I leave you messages?’

‘Why this double life in the first place? What’s the truth here, Eggsy?’ Harry looked away, tips of his ears pink, and Eggsy paused for a moment before speaking.

‘I was scared- terrified, even- of you connectin’ Lunete an’ Eggsy. You’re a posh man, you got class out your arse and you’re fit and funny and I knew you were leagues away from me in life. You’d flirt with Eggsy, but Lunete was a mystery an’ you treated him like any other bloke while at the pub an’ then started sendin’ gifts and shit.’ Eggsy ran a hand through his hair and looked ruefully at Harry, ‘You was thoughtful and flirty and it made me fall more for you that I had already.’

‘That doesn’t explain-’

‘Gettin’ there, Harry. Promise. When I started at Kingsman, I’d barely walked in and Arthur looked down his nose at me and sneered that he didn’ want to see my face again. I thought I’d been dismissed b’fore I could start, but Merlin drew me aside. Tol’ me to ignore Arthur an’ that he was my boss an’ til he said leave I weren’t to so much as think about the door. But,’ Eggsy shook his head, ‘he gave me the name Lunete, an’ said to make it someone Arthur wouldn’ look twice at.’

‘So you made yourself unremarkable.’ Harry concurred, and tipped his glass in his direction, but Eggsy shrugged.

‘I made myself what he was lookin’ for. Growin’ up at the Estates, after dad died, you learn how to read people an’ make yourself what you gotta be to get by, Jamal and Ryan know all the same shit I do- they just don’t gotta use it as often. But,’ Eggsy grinned, ‘to explain the rest of this shit you get a bit of a story.

‘See, you an’ I’ve met before all this shit. Merlin and I had a bit of a laugh about it once I’d settled in. Y’see, once upon a time,’ Eggsy reached into his collar and began to pull on a chain, ‘you came by my place an’ left this with me for safe keeping.’ He opened his palm, and Harry forgot to breathe.

‘Oh my god. Eggsy.’ Harry breathed, in disbelief at having forgotten the child. It was a memorable name, and yet Harry hadn’t recognised it when they’d crossed paths again. ‘Eggcy Unwin- you’re Lee’s boy.’ 

‘Yeah, an’ that’s the other thing- I didn’ know if you’d still fancy me, flirty and shit, once you knew that. Still don’t know, actually, but I got tired of pretendin’ at you. The way I figure, this shit goes one of two ways, yeah? Either we get on as mates an’ we move on, or this shit’s blown us to bits and we never speak again.’ Eggsy spoke as if either option was acceptable, but Harry could see the tension in his jaw and fondly thought of him as an idiot. As if there were only ever two choices when it came to life.

‘You’ve left something out, Eggsy.’ Harry spoke blandly, allowing himself a small smirk around the lip of his glass, before setting it down and facing Eggsy fully. He waited for Eggsy to look at him and not the tabletop, but he seemed to be doing everything in his power not to do so.

‘Oh?’ Eggsy didn’t dare look at Harry- he didn’t want a fatherly pat on the shoulder, or apologies for how his life’d turnt out- but when Harry’s hand landed heavily on the wrist clutching his glass his head snapped up.

Harry’s eyes flicked to his lips so quickly Eggsy swore he’d imagined it before there were lips against his own. Insistent yet chaste, Harry pulled Eggsy to him by framing his face with both hands. His fingertips cradling his jaw with what Eggsy could only describe as reverement. His eyes slipped closed, and just as Harry began to pull his hands away Eggsy made a soft noise of protest before leaning inward and pressing his insistently back. One hand held him steady on the countertop as the other wound itself into Harry’s hair as they began to lose time.

They broke apart to jeering from the other Minions, ‘get it, Eggs!’ and the two flipped the group off with a united two finger salute before dissolving into giggles.

‘Do they even recognise me?’ Harry breathed into Eggsy’s ear, and he shook his head in reply. ‘Well, they’re quite enthusiastic about your “getting it” from a man they don’t know.’

‘Like to hope they trust my judgement.’ Eggsy laughed, feeling high from the realisation that his antics hadn’t cost him a chance with the man before him. He pulled back, allowing himself to do a full once-over of Harry’s look- he looked gorgeous like this, ever so slightly undone, and Eggsy hadn’t let himself really realise it before that moment.

‘There’s never only two options, Eggsy. You know that as well as anyone.’ Harry smiled softly, running his thumb along his cheekbone.

‘Yeah, well, forgive me for puttin’ this option from my head after havin’ lied to you for so long. An’ forget the fact that  I’m nowhere near your league.’

‘We’re spies, Eggsy- lying is easy as breathing and takes half the thought of the truth. Not saying that I’m not a bit frustrated- but that’s more at my inability to be observant than your Parent Trap-ing me. And,’ Harry firmed the grip upon his face, ‘if I hear you dismiss yourself so easily again you’ll soon regret it. I love you, and if you find your own judgements are faulty then trust my own.’

‘You love me?’ Eggsy breathed, eyes wide like a child seeing art for the first time, and Harry allowed himself to drink his fill of the image before replying.

‘Well, I love what I know of you- both what you told me as Lunete and what I’ve come to know through our missions- and I look forward to loving the rest of you.’

‘Might take a while.’

‘Well, we have a while.’ The two pulled enough apart to finish their drinks, a pair of hands clasped between them as if to separate would break the spell.

[diningpageantry]

No Wait Unblock Me

Archive Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18215168/chapters/43133210

Chapter 2/10 of It’s A Handheld Disaster

Word Count: 1580

Chapter Summary: Simon and Baz finally get to "mutuals" status.

BAZ

For the third time today, I see a similar notification slide through my drop down.

bi-sammy sent you a picture

Part of me initially wants to sigh, roll my eyes, and swipe it away, because apparently part of me wishes to be alone for the rest of my life. Thankfully, the reasonable, tiny sliver of my mind makes sure I don’t make such a mistake.

Given the situation, one would think we’d parted ways. He makes a post, we stop the argument, all is fair in fandom and war. Except, now I believe Snow has grown under an impression that after one exchange, it qualifies us for somewhat of a friendship, and therefore reason to send me memes. Don’t get me wrong, memes are a fantastic waste of time and barely a waste of energy, but it’s strange that he’s not fucking off like most people.

Maybe I’m used to others being scared of me.

Maybe I’m used to others following my tactics of scaring them away.

Whatever I’ve done hasn’t worked, since this arse is immune to my attempts at coldness and mild animosity. I’m starting to suspect there’s something genuinely wrong with him, like he doesn’t get enough love and attention.

Guess that makes two of us.

I guess I somewhat crave this friendship. I’ll speak the truth to that and say yes, I smile when his memes pop up. They’re almost always fandom, and definitely made on Photoshop. This one, I see as I tap and let it load, is the crudely drawn Kirby graphic shoving burgers into his mouth, but over Kirby is photoshopped a picture of Huxley’s face and the burgers are Sam's ass.

It’s all poorly done and, sadly, extremely endearing.

My thumbs hover over my keyboard, cheeks creasing as I stare down at the picture. I lay back against my pillows, the curtains drawn and my hair pulled out of my face. It’s quite lonely; my life’s a sterile mixture of quarantined education and age old settled dust in my ancient room. It’s nice to have his somewhat obnoxious messages pop onto my screen, but it feels so odd. So foreign, and barely understood.

I want to understand.

gaystrell: why are you still messaging me?

I get an answer not even a minute later.

bi-sammy: do you want me to stop?

I don’t even hesitate to send out a reply, feeling a steadily growing lump in my throat, choking me mindless.

gaystrell: no.

bi-sammy: then why did you ask?

gaystrell: i just

gaystrell: don’t get it

bi-sammy: get what?

gaystrell: why you’d want to talk to me

bi-sammy: because youre cool

gaystrell: vexing me won’t get you “street cred”, if that’s what you’re after

bi-sammy: shit no wait that’s not what i meant

bi-sammy: dont block me fukc wait

bi-sammy: id just meant that you wrote all that shit and i thought it was really cool and

bi-sammy: i dont know

bi-sammy: i thought we could be friends since you did all that

bi-sammy: ill stop if you want me to

gaystrell: calm down you’re clogging my notifs

gaystrell: do that again and i /will/ block you

gaystrell: but………. if you actually do want to be friends i suppose i’m willing to give forth a little attention

bi-sammy: im osrry i dont speak posh cunt

gaystrell: too bad, blocked

bi-sammy: no wait unblock me

gaystrell: fine last chance

bi-sammy: bitch

gaystrell: b l o c k e d

bi-sammy: no but,,,,,,, i do want to be friends

I’m smiling like a fucking loon, scrolling through our brief exchange. It’s strange. Most people aren’t upfront about wanting to talk, or wanting someone to talk with. Wanting a friend, even. I have the people follow me and ask me questions, and of that only a small handful of those who actually interact eith me (and even in that, we usually only speak to give each other a helping hand).

And despite that, here’s someone who wants to try.

I suck my lower lip into my mouth, trying to think of my course of actions.

There’s a simple one I can take now (and probably should’ve taken as an initiative). I click his icon, and click “Follow” on his page.

It doesn’t take very long before I get a notification come through, starting that he mentioned me in a post.

It isn’t very long, but it gets its point across in the best way possible. It’s just a mobile screenshot, reading “gaystrell started following bi-sammy” with a quick caption.

god himself entered the groupchat. how do i block him?

SIMON

I wonder what it’d be like to see me in the moment. It’s a real shame Penn wasn’t around to capture it, since I’m in the middle of French class, but I must’ve smiled so stupidly that it caught the attention of the professor. He gave me a stern look until I set down my mobile.

The moment he turned away, I opened it back up and grinned.

At first, I didn’t believe what I was seeing. Him. Following me.

Us. Mutuals. Mutuals.

Of course I had to screenshot and post as a brag (barely humble, more metaphorically sucking my own knob for all my followers to see). Nobody really cares, as expected.

Well, nobody except the single message from none other than Mr. Bitch.

gaystrell: blocked. unfollowed. reported. waste of space.

My smile creases back my cheeks as they flush pink. I send back a quick message before turning my mobile over, foot tapping double the speed of the analogue on the wall.

bi-sammy: ;)

BAZ

He winked. Interesting.

I’m out of breath.

Fuck?

I lay my phone flat away from me, face down as I squint at my wall. I should respond in a composed fashion. I have to be clever, and not one-upping him is never an option. After all, does this qualify as flirting? Friendly banter? What am I doing with this random fucking bloke that I don’t even have a face to put to?

He’s my age. Roughly. Yes?

I check his tumblr again, as if I hadn’t just read his bio earlier.

simon // he/him // 17 // hold my fucking hand (please)

Maybe he’s just straight and I’m misreading it. Yes. Probably. Aren’t most people straight? Is that still a fact? (I highly doubt it, given how boring that must be.) But he winked at me. Somewhat prompted, I’ll give him that, but it was still a fucking wink.

I wink in texts to Dev and Niall too, though, but that’s different, isn’t it? I’d never snog either of them (especially fucking Dev), but hey. If unfaced internet boy asked for a snog, would I?

I’m too wrapped up and starved for human interaction to properly deal with this.

gaystrell: i will carry on with my threats, snow

There it is. Perfectly biting, while not being entirely rejecting. Maybe I’m better at this than I thought.

Or, perhaps, I’m worse, because even an hour and a half after sending the text, he’s silent.

I remind myself every few minutes that he most likely attends an actual school and has classes, but it makes my chest ache in the most unfair way every time my mobile tempts me with an unrelated notification.

I work myself to the point of moping down in the kitchen, slumping against the fridge whilst watching Vera make tea. She’s relatively silent, knowing better than anybody to leave me to sulk.

“You’re a drama queen,” she tuts, looking over me. Granted, I dress like a slob and borderline haunt this godforsaken mansion, but I feel as though that makes me entitled to being the way I am.

“I’m lonely,” I sigh, head resting against the fridge. It hums beside me, the chromed metal cooling my cheek. “Am I not granted a dramatic spell every now and then?”

“Not unprovoked.”

I set a hand against the handle, then let it drop. I’m not hungry. “What if it was provoked?”

“Is it?”

Instinctively, I pull out my phone and click it on. Nothing. “Perhaps.”

Vera frowns at me, walking over and setting a hand on my arm. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”

My eyes slowly roll as I push myself off the appliance, standing upright. “Physically, yes. Don’t fuss. It’s just… online shit.”

“You spend too much time on the phone,” she sighs, letting go and going back to the tea as she fixes me a mug. “Don’t you think you’d be happier to disconnect from social media for a day or two? Go on a walk, see nature?”

I snort, looking outside. “And what? Trip and bust open my knee? That’d wind me back up in care for at least a few days.”

“You act like you’re made of paper and glass.” She offers over my mug, letting my fingers wind around the handle before she shakes her head.

“I might as well be,” I huff down before thanking her and blowing on my tea.

Once I leave back up to my room, I realise it's somehow more depressing in here over the kitchen with Vera’s disapproval of technology rantings. At least she’s some sort of company.

As I’m sipping my tea, I go back to scrolling on my laptop as a notif pops up, jarring me with the sound but letting me breathe again.

bi-sammy: why do you know my last name smh

I exhale slowly, smiling to myself.

gaystrell: you commented on my google doc, you idiot

[cinamons-fucking-art]

Ch 5 Bois

Also, just a small announcement, Im gonna extend the fics chapter count from 5 to the 6 or 7 chapter range. Also pointy ear 096 for the win. For now, here we go...

106 just stood there, the only noise coming from him being from the D-Class he held, who’s breathing rasped on as he held on for dear life. Nothing was alive within his dimension that could've taken it, and the only thing that was alive had been with him the whole time. He didn't know if the skeleton was still in here or if the Foundation had finally gotten their hands on some of the rotting corpses and took 096 with them...

But he knew he had to start looking.

The D-Class was hung on one of his meat hook-like structures, their screams doing nothing but incentivising 106 to dig them in further that what he normally would. 106 began his search, searching every room every hall, every trap and hole for any indication as the where the skeleton was. He knew this place like the back of his hand, and yet no sign of foot prints or out of place skeletal parts. It was only after a couple of days of searching that he stopped.

The first intersection lay bare, void of the confused victims from earlier, looking for the right hallway for a chance of escape. He sat by one of the entrances, putting his knees towards his chest. Who would be able to survive long enough to find the Shrine, let alone nab the skeleton and make it out alive?

As he sat, he heard a voice. He couldn't make out what is said. Then it spoke, louder this time.

"...knEEL"

Someone was in the Throne room, and his decoy had sensed someone. He got up, and began making his way down the hall. As his decoy continued, another voice joined the mix. Much more shy and quiet that the decoy, like they hadn't spoke in a while. The voice belonged to someone unfamiliar, yet somehow it made him calm.

As he approached the final turn to the throne room, the new voice finally became understandable. It was amazing how he could hear it for so long, yet only understand it now.

"I... help me... find him."

"Kneel."

"No... I just need... help... I-I..."

At this point the voice started crying. It started quiet, but quickly grew louder until it was almost unbearable to hear, almost like...

Then it clicked.

106 ran. He quickly reached the Throne room, the Decoy looking at him before commanding the same thing of him. But that wasn't his concern. His concern lay on the tall, lanky figure in front of him, who looked up at his decoy, their pointed ears laid back in fear and pale white skin contrasting the dark environment of the pocket dimension. A deep scar rest around their head, matching almost to the t the missing skulls jagged, gaping hole from the day it was collected. Their sobs stopped as fast as they began as they regained their composure.

"106. I want... to see them. Please."

Within the presence of the very man they spoke of, the decoy did not speak. Instead, they simple stared at 106, awaiting a response. It took 106 a few minutes and a little bit of tears to try and speak.

"096... I..."

096 looked at him, but 106 had already covered his eyes, trying to both hide their face and his tears from them. God, it was actually them, after years of waiting, they were back, and...

"Since when the hell could you speak?"

He heard footsteps, and then felt an abnormally large hand on his hands, trying to grab them. They large hand eventually removed his hands from his face. The familiar feeling of their hands on his almost brought him to tears again.

096 flinched when 106 finally had the will to open his eyes and look at them. He stared at him for a few seconds before finally answering his question.

"I... picked it up. From you... all those people who found me, and-and I guess...." He stopped to think, trying to piece together his vocabulary. Before he could piece together his words, 106 had wrapped his slimy arms around them, and light sobs emanated from him.

"You sound... you sound so fuckin amazing, sweetie, I can remember when all you could do was cry and and," he began crying, further leaning into 096.

"You're... fine, Lawrence. I remember when... you weren't such a crybaby." They chuckled, before embracing back.

"Hey hon?"

"Yes?"

"How would feel if someone else looked at you."

"Id just... let nature take it course... I guess. I've grown... numb, to that reaction at this point."

"Then I got somethin' for ya, if you wouldn't mind a quick snack..."

--

How long had they been hanging there, on that meat hook? Days, weeks? They couldn't tell, they had lost track of time. All they knew was that they were weak, tired, and slowly rotting because of the... things, hook. It hurt, a lot. They didn't know how much longer they'd last.

They hung, and hung, and then they heard speaking. They recognized the first voice, the one of his captor, but it took them a while to realize there was a second voice, very soft yet scratchy. They spoke with a stutter, and spoke slowly. The voice almost relaxed them until they grew near from the hallway he was hung in front of.

"We're almost there, hon."

Hon? Who the hell would earn that monsters respect enough for them to he called pet names!?

A small giggle came from the unknown entity. "...lets hope its just as quick... as the last ones I’ve taken."

Now they started struggling. Last ones taken, what the fuck!? They tried everything as the footsteps drew ever closer, but they where too weak to even lift their arms past their waist. They gave up when the steps sounded no less than a couple of meters away. If they were gonna die, they would at least fave it head on. They looked down the hall as the silhouette of the Old Man appeared, meeting death head on.

The other creature followed behind him, and they made sure to give that thing the same treatment they gave the Old Man.

It turned away, and started crying, which quickly turned into screams and its hands went to cover its face. While it was having its fit, for the first time, the Old Man spoke to him.

"Dumb ass D-Class, you lot should know not to look at them, they don’t like eye contact. Now look at them, you've ‘upset’ him.” The way they said upset send a shiver down their spine and the creatures screams grew louder and more broken.

It befuddled him, since when was there an SCP you couldn't look at? Their mind raced as they screams continued, they remembered being given a bunch of documents to read on neutralized SCPs, something for them to do before their month was up. 407, 514, 096, and 1378, the only ones they could remember from the seemingly endless documents of SCPs they’ve killed. They thought for their final few seconds, that maybe...

The creature finally stopped screaming and began running towards them. Before it clicked, they were ripped to shreds, the only part of them surviving being their broken rib, having fallen away when they were torn down from their hook.

[victoriasugden-blog1]

I know you are on hitaus, but I'd love your opinion on Emmerdale at the moment.

You know what, I am on hiatus so for me now is a great time to throw my unfiltered opinion out there into the cosmos and log off and not have to deal with it.

This is negative to the point where if you don’t like negative stuff don’t read it, seriously. You’ve been warned. Also, this is my opinion ya don’t have to agree with me.

Robron:

“No actual plot here,”

I’m going to say what I’ve been biting my tongue and not saying since the spoilers came out in fear of repercussions from the fandom. This “storyline” if you can even call it that, it’s more a “plot” is rubbish. It’s hands down in my “ED didn’t give a fuck about actually making an effort” notebook: alongside the kidnapping plot and many other plots in general cause let’s face it there’s been a lot.

This plot for me is fan-baiting at it’s finest, cause ya know it makes fucking no sense in the plot their currently in, wasn’t developed or given even an inch of actual depth or real meaning and ya know what you might be thinking “Laura wait for Monday,” but I’m allowed to think this way from what I’ve watched.

We had no build up, Aaron just “decided” he was gonna propose at least we got two scenes with him how lucky! We only got one of Robert who just “decided” he was gonna propose literally out of nowhere presuming because Aaron didn’t mind holding Seb I guess? That makes buckets of sense. I’m not the person who likes fluff for the sake of it and just welcomes it when it makes no sense to the plot.

And yeah Comedy plots aren’t my thing, but I could have enjoyed it if it was well plotted out and storylined correctly. I’m calling bullshit here, I’m calling bullshit on the whole thing cause IM has been bigging up this wedding for over a year and you’re telling me they didn’t have time to plot this out? For real????

Like I’m a simple gal, you wanna give me comedy, give me comedy but at least plot it out, storyline it correct, give me some development and make it believable and I’m happy. I’m not watching General Hospital, I have higher standards for Emmerdale.

That’s when for me it feels like rubbish, that’s when it feels like Emmerdale’s just like “meh we don’t have to try let’s just fan bait ‘em and they be happy!” And look if you are, good for you, this is my opinion no one here has to agree with me. For me, I go crazy when it’s a storyline they’ve clearly put no effort into and is just mindless fan baiting. Yeah, I’m not a fan.

Charity:

“It was meant to be important but what? 1.0″

Please tell me again how this storyline was originally meant to be the police force and their abuse of power? WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT STORYLINE? Because we’ve literally seen none of it.

It’s some fucking joke at this point, lbr half of Charity’s storyline was meant to be about how Bails was a cop/detective so no one fucking believed her? So why the hell aren’t we seeing that storyline? Yeah we’ve been hearing about the “trail” and we’ve had them send in DNA tests but like that’s it and it’s frankly I’m gonna say it again rubbish.

If this is about a cop and the way he abusive power, shouldn’t be we idk be seeing how the police are handling it? For me, that’s important to. If I was in Charity’s position watching this storyline, I still frankly wouldn’t want to come forward, not even an inch, because it wouldn’t have in any way made me feel like coming forward would bring me justice.

Maybe I gotta wait till the trail, but the way they’ve isolated her, more on the Vanity issue later, just feels unrealistic and takes away from a storyline that should be about her whole family supporting her.

For me, we haven’t really seen anything that highlights why a woman in these situations should come forward, and that’s the storyline Emmerdale was selling when they dubbed it “important” but like, am I shocked? No.

Charity & Ryan:

“We’re running around in circles”

I’m gonna start by saying: I like Ryan a lot, but do I think this storyline needed a “secret child?” the answer is flat at no. If anything I think it takes away from the storyline they were trying to tell above because it’s saying “don’t have a child that shares the coppers DNA well too bad your not gonna get justice!!” It’s also morphed into completely being about Ryan and Irene, and the real meat of Charity’s storyline which was meant at least I thought it was meant to be Bails seems to be forgotten and pushed back.

Apart from all that, they’ve decided to portray Irene as the one in the wrong, rather than Charity. I’m gonna be real here, Charity’s never been the mother of the year, she’s never gonna win an award. Noah didn’t even want to live with her at one point.

I’m sorry them portraying Charity as some a class mother is some a+ level bullshit right there. Of course, Irene is weary, this is her son, she’s  Ryan’s mother and she’s trying to protect him from the mess that is Charity. Don’t get me twisted, I do think if Ryan wants to know Charity then he should get that chance he’s a grown man, it’s his decision. But man framing her as some great mother is like nope I’m sorry I can’t handle that bullshit.

Last but not least, this storyline is going around in circles and is held hostage by Debbie’s storyline and like why??? “I’m gonna tell them! Nope wait I’m not” over and over again this is in my opinion badly passed. Here is Charity saying she wants to make a go of it with Ryan but doesn’t even get how fundamentally she’s hurting him by continuing to keep him a secret from his family after she promised to tell them.  

Ross:

“It was meant to be important but 2.0″

Ah Ross, don’t you just love it when acid is thrown in a character’s face and their somehow made to be the bad guy at the mercy of the character that ordered the attack on ya and ruined your life!

I’m not gonna go into too much depth because I think everyone knows how I feel about Ross’s storyline. It’s utter total garbage with no redeeming factors to it. They screwed over MP so hard he’ll be feeling it for years at this point. Like ouch.

I’d like to meet the person who thought this storyline was in anyway a good idea, not only has the person who threw acid been cleared, the person who paid that person has been pushed to the forefront, made to be the victim, and basically been told by pretty much everyone that what she’s done is pretty much “okay” cause it was an accident.

I get MP leaving screwed them over, but I don’t find that in any way a good excuse for not bothered to do a lick of research for this storyline. For not bothered to give a fuck about victims and turn it into a fucking circus show, where at the end of the day the victim comes off looking the worst.

Someone count how many times in those first few episodes they panned to Debbie’s face, and showed her crying. Someone count it for me because for the person who paid for the attack she’s shown a lot more she needed to be and by more I mean she didn’t need to be shown at all.

Joe:

“I’m a kind of Tate, but not really”

I don’t have much to say about Joe, purely because I have no fucking clue what they were thinking with this character, compared to what we’re actually seeing on screen. His entrance was strong, I imagine he was meant to be a villain before they decided to pair him with Debbie and pretty much ruin his character for me.

He literally got away with everything, including treating Debbie like a prostitute, living her and her kids homeless, sending Liv to prison and literally didn’t get punished for any of it…oh wait he jumped into a lake for a biscuit and almost died that was it.

Apart from his character given no depth, the reason for him being in Emmerdale in the first place was dropped. We shall never speak of it again apparently. They NEVER redeemed the character. They just cut off his balls and that was it.

Debbie & Joe:

“We’re a love story for the ages!! We promise..”

Remeber when I just said they cut of Joe’s balls, well your looking at what they cut them off for- for Joe to become a background character to Debbie’s plot. To pretty much “be totally in love with her” even though that wasn’t the plot. And for Emmerdale to push this couple even though they don’t really have chemistry because Debbie has chemistry with literally no one.

But don’t fret Emmerdale is gonna push it anyway, not let any character hate Joe / this couple for longer than 5 seconds and be completely tone deaf. So ya know there’s that: but it’s fine cause they’ve already ruined Debbie’s character for the foreseeable future to me.

Sarah:

“Side character”

Literally, her sl is for Debbie and Joe, why they recast an older actress is beyond me.

Graham:

“Tragic as they come”

There isn’t much to say about Graham, because he’s storyline hasn’t been fleshed out, it’s not developed and him getting a flashback episode is the most hilarious thing ever. Talk about giving a character with no substance a misery porn storyline and just expecting us to relate or feel bad for the character…another strike and a missing storyline.

Having one episode where Graham says he was an alcoholic and how he caused his pregnant wife to die and literally than not mention it again and stick in an affair with another boring character and then bring back his plot without actually giving it any attention or time.

Chaddy:

“It was meant to be important but 3.0″

Ah pro life, how are you, my old enemy? You don’t seem to ever be leaving Emmerdale. This storyline is filled with conations of how “weak” you are if you abort your child (and this is after the baby was announced to have a condition that won’t let her live more than a few hours after birth).

Guilt tripping parents who do by saying “we’re her parents don’t we owe it to her to try as hard a possible” FUCK YOU EMMERDALE, and basically making Chas an unbearable walking pro life advert, and basically shun the idea of giving her organs away even though that could have been a storyline that helped fuck tones of people.

This storyline features, no outside support, no support groups, no real-life experiences, the character basically shunning a woman who abort the pregnancy, and the actress actually saying “I did no research for this storyline” that’s right Lucy ACTUALLY SAID THAT. I mean they’ve made Paddy the better one in this storyline, like….. the horror.

And that was how they treated this storyline AFTER they announced the condition if we go into before that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

Tracy:

“I’m a savior, I’m gonna make it”

A breath of fresh air, literally she’s the only character to managed to escape this bullshit. Even though her sl was way too tied to Charity’s and I feel Amy deserved better. She was still given a well-paced storyline that worked gave her character the respect it deserved. My only qualm was that her abortion storyline was about David like fucking nope but at least she didn’t have to fucking carry that baby to term.

David & Maya:

“The bunny boiler one”

They came out of nowhere, won’t last long because Leyla is coming back and Maya is totally gonna be a bunny boiler. I don’t have much to say apart from damn Emmerdale you gave David this sl like 3 months after Leyla ax the character if ya have nothing left to do with him. Also, ax David causes his character is fucking gross.

Liam:

“Under the bus, we go”

Literally, nothing to say apart from the fact that they basically threw Liam’s character under the bus and brought him in for fucking David and like nope Emmerdale why? I’ve been wanting them to make Liam a regular for forever and they literally bring him in to throw in under the bus like what a waste of what could have been a really great character interaction.

Bob & Laurel:

“They hate us”

But their storyline is one of the only ones that actually had the only decently paced storyline, and was also storylined out well. Burn me at the stake.

Marlon and Jesse:

“They made no effort and stuck me with the chef”

I’m sorry I don’t like Marlon and Jesse, I think they don’t really have any chemistry. I think it’s a real shame because instead of spending months trying to push Jesse and Marlon together they could have fleshed out Jesse’s character and given her an actual storyline but nope!

They didn’t bother. Like think about it she’s been a regular for months and what do we actual know about the character? She had a good husband, she has a son and that’s it.

Matty:

“I’m undeveloped”

I like Matty as a character, so he’s entrance and storyline being underdeveloped and under fleshed tbh disappoints me. For me he’s storyline doesn’t feel that realistic, not that he’s trans or any of that stuff, it’s about how Moira took 3 episodes to just suddenly be okay and trying.

I know she’s beloved by the GA and they don’t want them to hate her for too long, but that was literally nothing, most parents who have a problem with it don’t come around in like a week. Not to mention Emmerdale is a conservative town, but everyone is suddenly okay with Matty after one meeting and for most their just automatically okay with it, it’s just not realistic.

Matty & Vic:

“Out of nowhere”

The thing is I could get behind Matty and Vic, but like it came out of nowhere and tbh Vic is still fucking wearing her ring to Adam and obviously still in love with him doesn’t even know he didn’t murder Emma and has been given no time to actually move on but I’m now meant to ship her with Adam’s bother? Ya, see my problem here? Yet another underdeveloped plot which seems to be the running theme.

And that’s it folks I’m out, have fun! This is my opinion, ya don’t have to agree with me!

[fusonzai]

Reconciliation through writing 1: Chuck Norris, my dad, me.

I was ten and it was a Saturday night at my Grandma’s house. My dad, my grandma and I were gathered around the TV killing time. We’d been living at my grandma’s for a while now as our new house was being built. Mum had gone to bed and I was waiting for my Dad to remember my bedtime. An ad came on for this average looking cop show, however the lead; a bearded All American looking man, sure knew how to fight. Being a kid and not wanting to go bed, any tv show seemed appealing, round house kicks or not.

My Dad also seemed to know a lot about this actor. We waited for the show to start as my dad told me all about how this was the toughest guy in Hollywood. He’d always beat up the bad guy and save the day, your 80’s ‘women wanted him, men wanted to be him’ archetype. This man would many years later spawn one of the earlier internet memes, but for now the internet was relatively dormant. The man was Chuck Norris, the show was ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’, and it was the catalyst of one of my fondest memories of time with my Dad.

(I reckon this movie still holds up)

I don’t know how to state this in any other way but, looking back on it all, my dad probably didn’t want to have a child. He had a not so conventional childhood and had never met his biological parents. I have these childhood memories of simply just not seeing him much. I remember missed birthdays and business trips. It would feel weird to see him home on a weeknight or before I went to school in the morning. He wasn’t absent per se but he was never quite there. Even when he was, it often felt forced, not straight out rejection but just relative reluctance.

What do you do when someone pulls away? You try even harder to bring them back. I wanted desperately to find a common thread with my Dad. My friends all seemed to get on much better with theirs. Why? Why not me? A child searching for shared interests with their parent seems crazy because it is. I’m entirely sure my Dad was also trying, in his own way to find those interests with me. I was my Mum’s child, I didn’t like sports and I had few friends. I could see how forming a relationship with a boy so attached to the other parent could be hard. So, what did we do? We played Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64. He was DK and I was Bowser. This game gave me a really nice couple of years with Dad, we’d play together a couple of nights a week when he was home. Then when he wasn’t, I’d try and get the fastest laps on all of the courses, and he’d wait till I was asleep to then in turn beat all my records. I remember one day when Mum and I went out on the weekend and I came home to see that Dad held the record on every single lap of every single course in the game.

It went on like this until the N64 reached its life cycle and my dad didn’t quite have the time or ability to master the new Gamecube version of MarioKart. I think this is why a few years later, watching Walker on the couch that night was so important.

One episode was all it took, I was hooked on this show. So was Dad. He tracked down the first season on DVD and we immediately went through all of it. Then began the Chuck Norris pilgrimage. Chuck Norris starred in a long string of films from the 70’s to the 90’s. Attempting to capitalise on the Bruce Lee pioneered martial arts film genre, American moviemakers had set their eyes on Norris. He was the villain in Bruce Lee’s ‘Way Of The Dragon’ and he was going to be their new star, bringing martial arts films to the West. These movies were comfort viewing, you knew what was going to happen, they all involved him beating up bad guys. There was never a plot twist or a disappointing ending. Chuck always got his guy, and got the girl. It felt as though my Dad was showing me this action star from when he was my age and sharing some of his experiences growing up. While at the same time, we were often watching movies neither of us had ever seen, having new experiences together.

Finding old Chuck Norris movies wasn’t as simple as it is now. Blockbuster still existed and DVD’s were in mass production. We’d search for rentals, then at JB Hifi and then online for international sellers. It felt like I had a purpose (however small it was) accompanying my dad to to JB Hifi, searching through every section for films we hadn’t seen, and then politely asking the staff to see if other stores nearby had any. Then whenever we got our hands on a new one, be that a lucky find or an online parcel being delivered months later, we’d watch it on a Saturday night. I got to spend time with my Dad, I felt like he wanted to spend time with me and I was frankly over the moon when he’d make that time.

(The adrenaline rush from just watching the roundhouse is amazing)

Eventually though, we ran out of movies.

I began high school, started distancing myself from my parents and by the time they divorced when I was 15, I had fooled myself into thinking I didn’t care. The first time I saw my Dad after he moved out, we went and saw an action film. It felt fine, he made me feel like divorce was this normal adult thing that happens and that everything would go back to normal. Of course, that wasn’t really the case. Two adults who had spent the better part of 20 years together ending a relationship isn’t something trivial. Having a child who is right in the middle of high school doesn’t make it any less trivial. It turned out that saying everything was fine, when it wasn’t, would only lead to problems later down the line.

Post-divorce, I was unconsciously looking for father figures. I’d want approval and praise from male teachers, I’d try extra hard in those classes to get good marks, to try and impress. Being at an all boys school, it seemed I wasn’t the only one searching for a substitute. The male sports teachers always had this flock of boys around them during yard duty, talking about fantasy football or whatever the running joke was at the time. I don’t want to say we were lacking father figures, maybe we were just lacking more examples of how to act as men. Having your father as a guide helps, but ultimately, you’re an amalgamation of everything around you, watching how others act and mimicking their behaviour.

In my early twenties I thought I finally understood the divorce and had decided at that time that I despised my dad for what had happened. Maybe I thought it was cool? In reality it was easier than accepting the fact that he was a flawed human, just like everyone else. That adoration I’d had as a child morphed into bottled resentment. I couldn’t condone his actions and I also couldn���t relate or understand them. During this time, I was afraid of two things, one: becoming just like him, and two: how I could not relate to this man even though I shared half my DNA with him. I just couldn’t comprehend what had happened with the divorce and how I was related to the man I saw as the aggravator of it.

I went from seeing him once a week, to once a month, to about once a year. He’d try. He’d try as best he could. I’d ignore emails for months because I could. Sometimes he’d call and I’d make up some sorry excuse.

It went on like this for a few years. Fortunately, I grew up a bit more and we’d get lunch. My girlfriend encouraged me to make the most of my time with him. She came with me to dinners and gave me the strength I needed to get over my own insecurities when it came to visiting. I’d have dinner with him, my uncles and his new partner. It could feel a bit forced but the good intentions were there and I’m grateful for it. However, they never felt like the kinds of interactions you should have with one of your parents. There was a familiarity in our conversations but they were always very surface level. We’d reminiscence and circle around familiar topics as opposed to having meaningful conversations. I still couldn’t reconcile what had happened and I still couldn’t relate. It turns out the first two years living abroad would really help me with this.

I’d always held the ideology that if two people loved each other they could always make it work. If one party didn’t want to make it work, then they clearly didn’t love the other. A naive ideology, but I was 25 and in the first serious relationship of my life. A relationship that had spent almost 2 years with an ocean between it. Flights back and forth started making the pain of the distance between visits only more evident. I loved this person but I didn’t want to keep dating like this. It’s hard to say what you want when you know how bad it will hurt the other person. Months of hesitation, failed attempts, and pondering if I should just endure through it helped me understand my Dad a bit better. I understood on a minor level how two people who love each other could end something. I also understood how easy (albeit cowardly) it was to do nothing about such a thing. Just hoping it would work itself out.

(Some translations: 浮気 is infidelity and 遠距離 is long distance, also Im in the green)

The break-up, the gaping space where the other person was and the struggle to find your individuality after being together so long. Experiences felt by all, experiences felt by me, experiences felt by my Dad. The shared experience of building yourself back up gave me an unexpected link to my Dad. I understood his actions post-divorce more clearly and began to realise that we were more similar than we were different. Just because I didn’t initially realise them when I was younger, didn’t mean that the similarities weren’t there. Throughout these six months or so of hardship, solitude and self-improvement, I reconciled long held grudges and found empathy where I once thought there was none. Even though I did this all alone, thousands of kilometres away, I was finally in a good place with my dad.

Then, in 2019 I saw my Dad get married for the second time in his life.

He booked me a flight home for the event. My life is going incredibly well. My job feels more grown up and, for the first time, I can see my career laid out in front of me. I had also found a partner who I was completely enamoured with. I’m excited to tell my dad how well it’s all going and he’s happy to hear it. We have lunch before the wedding, and everything feels like it’s come together. We’re both on cloud nine in our own way, him with his new wife to be and upcoming honeymoon, me with my dream job and finally a partner I could see my future with.

(My girlfriend said she preferred the vest)

The wedding day arrives and even now it still feels surreal. I can count my Dad’s family on one hand, including me. His wife on the other hand had more family than I’ve ever known, and I’d met approximately none of them up until this day. At the reception guests would ask “and what’s your relationship to the couple?”

“I’m his son.”

“Are you the groom’s nephew?”

“I’m his son.”

Unfamiliar faces cement the realisation that my Dad had found a new family, one that I’m understandably not a part of. There was a brief moment of shock but I came to accept it. Just as I had created a new life for myself as I got older and the people around me came and went, my dad had done exactly the same. Life isn’t meant to be stagnant and I can’t be angry at my Dad for trying to find a place to belong when I was doing the exact same thing he was. We were both still figuring it out as we went. I was truly happy for him; he had found someone that made him happy, and for the first time in years he actually looked happy too. While it took time to process the whole day, I’m glad I was able to go and be in the right frame of mind to cherish the occasion. It felt like a loop closing. I felt like we had finally reached some mutual understanding where I was able to go to his wedding and be okay. I couldn’t write this piece from anywhere other than a place of love and contentment.

Being there not only for the peaks but also for the troughs; that’s what family is for, right?

After the wedding we began keeping better contact, I spoke to him more about life events and we stayed better connected than we ever had before.

I emailed him just the other day. I’m currently quitting my job and the pandemic means I don’t know if I can get home with the price of flights. I sent him a chaotic jumble of words disguised as a sentence. He just replied:

“You are only an email and an online transaction away,“ with a smiley face emoticon of all things.

Suddenly it feels like it’s all going to be okay.

I am safe, I am supported, I am loved. He’s never stopped me from falling but he’s always helped me get back up afterwards.

I spent so many years expecting him to live up to an ideal I had created from what I saw around me. While it was understandable as a child, even as an adult I still saw him as that ideal as opposed to a person. It was only when I was able to accept him as that and not some impossible standard that I think our relationship improved. He only ever needed to be what he could be, he wasn’t anybody else’s father and I wasn’t anybody else’s son. He knows that I feel safe calling on him when I need advice and I know that he’ll listen and support me no matter what.

And that’s just it. Having that makes up for everything else. Knowing that someone is there in that capacity, knowing that that someone is my father, is more than enough. I’m looking forward to a time where we can watch Chuck Norris movies together again.

(The Big Day, 2019)

[steamy-cup-of-doom]

Anger rant

Alright, whos ready for some angry fucking sibling rants? I hope you said me me, because thats what you get As a preface i need to say that my father is black, my mother white, and that both of my sisters are full blooded relatives of mine. As ive grown, ive grown more and more disappointed with who my eldest sister actually is. As the youngest of three, with two older sisters, i was was always impressed, and have a point of view many of my peers do not. My second eldest sister has always been pretty transparent as to who she is. Of course, over time, i got to know her better, and knew different sides of her. And i thought the same was true of my eldest sister as well, but that was not the case. When i was young, my eldest sister, lets call her Jen, was like a shining beacon of unity and equality, an unshakable landmark of justice in a sea of discrimination. And then, the cracks in the cement at the base of her pedestal began to form oneday in a conversation about Star Trek: The Next Generation. Apparently, there is an episode whose purpose was social commentary on the patriarchal society that has somehow managed to persist to the day, in which the crew stumbles upon a planet which is gorverned by a matriarchy. And there were things said like, “Youre smart-for a man.” or “men cant do __ thats a womans job.”which i am fine with, and have even enjoyed in other forms or series. But, what caused the crumbling of my awe at jens righteous glory, was that one day, she was talking of this episode with her friends. She said, and i quote, “I would fucking love that shit. I would be at the front of the line, and id give it to all of them as bad as we get it.” and i was crushed. I was so shocked, i was actually numb, and i didnt even really feel the weight of it on me for a couple hours. And one reason why this hurt me was that she wasnt joking. She said this with sincerity in her eyes. And thats wrong. I strongly believe that if you would agree with jen, then, well, you are part of the cancerous growth on the side of feminism wwhich i like to refer to as ‘Extremists,’ and you are part of the reason that so many people hate feminism. No one who speaks as an advocate for civil rights or equality in any form or fashion should ever, EVER advocate the oppression of another group because of what has befallen them. Martin Luther King Jr. wouldnt have taken a million dollars if he would have turn a firehose on a group of innocent white people, nor would he have used the term “cracker” lightly, or at all, unless expressing his dissatisfaction at the actual term. Jens true fall from grace, however, hasnt stopped. No, it continues with her hitting another branch on the tree of hypocrisy every time she hurls the phrase “Little/white boy” like the most putrid of insults that would poison her and cause her grievous bodily harm if it remained in her mouth, Or everytime she brags about being sustained on white tears, or discredits someones complaint or hardship because theyre a “white bitch” or a “white asshole.” Now, jokes are one thing. i ve been known to, albeit ironically, take part in a joke much like this. But to state and present that as your own honest to god opinion to others is something quite different. And now, on to the straw that broke the camels back, the thing that sparked this in the first place. Tonight, while frantically working on a project that is a hefty portion of my grade in essentially three of my classes, i was beginning to stress out a bit, as its due tomorrow. After about an hour of ripping my fucking hair out, i realise that the little tablet computer i was working on didnt have a goddamn word program on it, which i would need to reformat and correct the resume and references copies for my project. At this point i was quite annoyed, and fairly snappy, despite my best efforts. So, when asking jen if i could use her laptop to finish up, my mother decided it was best if she were to call down to jen in her room in the basemant as opposed to me. “Nope” came as the simple reply to my request. When she was asked whyshe would not let me, she said “i dont wanna.” so. I proceeded to attempt to boot up our old desktop computer with the 1997 copy of microsoft word and a windows vista operating system which was the same model as optimus primes great fucking grandfather, to finish this. In literally over an hour i managed to go in and capitalize an s. That is all. Needless to say, i was at my wits end. I couldnt speak in coherent complete sentences, i was actually shaking, and i took several breaks to go out side and break wooden object over my knee. Now, it wasnt the fact that i needed to get my assignment done that had me so bothered, but the fact that upon seeing her brother in such an exasperated state that i was borderline non-functional, and, naturally, pretty goddamn short with people, her first instinct wasnt to agree to help me, but to get angry, refuse again, and continually say how she was in the middle of doing things, and, on top of that, just didnt want me to use her computer.now, i might be in the minority here, but if i were to see my sibling that i had known for 18 years, and never once in all that time seen him lose a handle on his temper after the age of about six so frustrated that he has to visibly physically struggle to keep his anger in line and fail a few times, my first natural inclination is to help them in whatever way i could. The best part of this situation is that it took me maybe a bit more than five minutes on her computer. Anyway, thats it for my venting this time. Im not correcting typos because i just dont care enough, but yes, i see them.