#but in the right weather conditions looks super creepy

[bbbbbbbbatman]

Once Batman has revealed his identity to the JL, after some strong encouragement from Superman and Wonder Woman, Bruce decides to try to start being a bit more "personable" with the rest of league. They've been colleagues for a decade and he trusts them all, and according to Clark and Diana this means there's no need for his whole mysterious "shadow of the night" bit, so he invites the league to dinner at the manor.

It is raining heavily, and even though it's not that late, it's nearly pitch dark but for the frequent lightning strikes. The league arrives together at Wayne Manor and the wrought iron gates stretch upward before them, ending in spikes at the top with ivy overgrown across them. They stand there, uncomfortable, wet, a bit weirded out, wondering how they're supposed to get passed the gates.

"This is creepy, right?" Hal says. "It's not just me?"

A voice. "Hello." As the league turns to the sound, thunder claps loud enough to startle everyone as lightning strikes, illuminating a small child standing on the other side of the gates that was definitely not there a second ago. He stands motionless under an umbrella, seemingly unbothered by the rain, expression vaguely irritated, and his eyes seem to flash green in the light. "I have been instructed to escort you inside."

The child doesn't move in any way but the gates slowly swing open, the creaking sounds sound straight out of a horror movie. Once they are fully opened, the boy turns and starts walking down the path without a word.

The league, some members quite freaked out at this point, follow him after exchanging some looks. They round a bend in the path and the manor comes into view. It is a massive dark structure, rising from the ground. Another lightning strike illuminates pointed spires, jagged edges, and it's gloomy, gothic nature. The sound of bats shrieking can be heard in the distance over the rain.

The league finally arrives at the front door, cold, wet, and thoroughly discomfited. An old man, a butler, looking out of time, opens the door, the child disappears inside. The butler welcomes everyone inside graciously but with a distant politeness. Despite the appearance of the exterior, the inside is well lit with warm light and seems inviting, though ostentatious. The league is relieved.

Until another massive lightning strike and thunder clap cuts the power off and the room is pitch black.

"Oh, you're here," a deep voice says from somewhere up above. No sooner are the words out than another lightning strike illuminates a dark, hulking figure on the staircase that was also definitely not there a second ago. At least two people scream.

Bruce is wildly confused as to why his guests are screaming, he didn't think any of them were afraid of the dark? The back up generator kicks on and the lights come back on and everybody seems to calm down. The rest of the dinner seems to go well (as well as a dinner can with the justice league and all of Bruce's kids) but strangely, to Bruce's confusion, it somehow only made his "spooky" reputation worse. He's not really sure why the whole league seems to think he lives in a haunted house.

[leggerefiore]

Speaking of getting Ingo so horny that he can't think straight! It's summer, and that means it's tank top and shorts season. So those are the types of clothes that Ingo will see his S/O in, and combined with the fact that he's a breast man. Well. He's going to be well fed.

The thing is though? I bet he'd feel guilty about it at first. You're just wearing clothes appropriate for the weather, that doesn't give him the right to look at you sexually! He is not a subway creep and you are not an object! He's not going to disrespect you and-stop LAUGHING Emmet! This is serious!

Emmet: LOL. LMAO even.

(The fact that his S/O probably won't mind being looked at sexually doesn't cross Ingo's mind because he is a nerd. On the plus side, his expression when you offer to give him a titjob while wearing that tanktop shirt that riled him up so much will be super cute!)

I have provided the titjob sauce already, but the idea of Ingo being tormented in this heat is special.

cw: Reader with Breasts, a bit of horny activities, Ingo teasing, no actual sex

It was hot.

Hot-hot.

'Someone released Primal Groudon and its Desolate Land ability was currently ravaging Unova' hot.

What was someone to do in this heat but dress appropriately? Well, besides sweat. Ingo had forgotten his lunch once again, and you, being that caring lover you were, decided to bring it to him. The camisole clung to your form, sweat binding it close, and the shorts hugged your thighs a little bit too tightly as you entered the air-conditioned station. Ingo was blessed to have such a cool environment to work in, even if he never gave it a proper acknowledgement.

You strode through the crowds in the station with confidence, waving at a few depot agents you saw. The nervously waved back. The office area was opened as you passed another younger depot agent. His face was bright red as he moved his eyes to the tiled floor. Quickly, he pulled the brim of his hat to fully obscure them. You giggled at him, assuming he was nervous to be around his boss's spouse. Throwing open the office door, you caught Ingo in the middle of reviewing some documents. His head rose to glare at whoever entered the room without knocking, but stopped when he realised it was you. “Oh, dearest,” his face bloomed crimson, “… What are you wearing?”

Ingo's heart raced at the attire in which you wore, a plain white camisole and black shorts. Your bust was slightly revealed from the neckline of the top, and your thighs were out for his eyes to observe. He bit his tongue. The phrase child-bearing hips was creepy, and he would NOT say it. The phrase did plague his mind, however. You held out a lunch box for him.

Finally, it hit you. Oh, how cute! Ingo was aroused. A rare moment to exploit. Dropping the bag down on his desk, you bent over to make sure he got a good view of your tits. His Adam's apple bobbed from the action. When was the last time you had seen him so worked up? Usually, there was so much foreplay before even seeing him, nearly as he was acting now. “Hey, hubby, I brought your lunch,” you cooed, “I know how much work stresses you out. Please remember to take proper breaks, okay? I love you.” His hand gripped the pen, so tightly his knuckles went white.

“Of course, my love, I will,” he nodded, feeling an unwelcome swelling in his slacks, “Thank you for bringing me it, again. I've just been so busy as of late. I love you, as well.” You sauntered around his desk and leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, a hand tugging playfully at his tie. Your tongue swept across his lips, and you managed to deepen the kiss. Soon enough, you sat in his lap, grinding down against his hardened cock hidden beneath the fabric. He groaned into your mouth while his hands groped at your chest. Pulling away, you let him bury his face in them.

Alas, with the rhythmical steps approaching from outside, you were off his lap. Emmet opened the door as you headed toward it. A polite greeting and parting was shared before you were on your way out. You had a good feeling Ingo would be getting off on time today.

~~~

Ingo's hat was settled off position on his head, while his tie was loose. His face was dusted pink while he pretended to be working on the documents that lied on his desk. Emmet gave him a side eye. The older twin better not complain next time the younger wants to fool around in here, if he was going to, too.

[exoflash]

The trainguy beats up a sith lord crackfic

I wrote this at 2 am a few nights ago as a joke. Still cant find the post on here that inspired it.

Everyone is probably SUPER out of character. But this is a joke fic anyways, so that's fine. Don't go around posting me in cringe comps

The weather was cold. And windy.

Very, verrrry windy. Yup.

Where had Solgaleo even taken him? The man's research had given him a lead, and he planned to go full steam ahead to ancient Sinnoh. But this... it seems he had certainly exited at the wrong station.

Regardless, he held that spark of hope- wrapping his coat ever tighter around his body with one hand, hanging onto his hat with the other as he braved the terrible storm overhead. All he had to do was find shelter...

He was sent flying back again by the near-unsurvivable weather.

And straight into some sort of wall.

"A."

Well, that solves the shelter issue! If any other soul was around, perhaps he could get directions back to Nimbasa City? Yup. Someone would know, he was certain of it! Very certain. Verrrrrrry certain...

As he entered into the darkness, he was beginning to wish he'd brought his lantern. He didn't want to send out any of his pokemon- Not in these weather conditions! He wouldn't dare endanger the safety of his passengers!

His eyes eventually began to adjust to the dark. What was that shiny thing on the ground?

His brother would not have advised to pick it up. He was the man's only source of impulse control.

But his brother wasn't here right now, he could do anything he wanted!

His brother... wasn't-

He tried not to think about that as he picked the object up.

"Ah! A flashlight! Verrrry good!"

He clicked to turn it on, and the surrounding area was engulfed in the light of a blue blade.

"...This is not a flashlight. Yup. But it will do. Yup."

He stood there for a few seconds.

Ingo would've been fascinated by-

No, don't think about that right now. Full steam ahead!

He carefully examined the space he was in, the dim light guiding his way. The space was wide, but nobody was here. Probably abandoned.

He decided to continue into the labyrinth, alert for danger.

This place was HUGE, and he didn't want to stay long. If he didn't find anyone, he would see if he could contact someone by phone or internet.

"...I am Emmet. I am getting verrrrry tired of this." He said quietly, to no one in particular.

He was about to give up the search, when...

"-it! Make the sacrifice!"

Emmet's eyes went wide. He would've preferred being stranded to hearing something like THAT.

Without a second thought, he immediately (and carelessly) began to run for the source of the sound.

His hat went flying off as he bolted. It was surprising this hadn't happened much earlier.

He skidded to a halt as he arrived- thank Arceus nobody had heard him.

Because this was definitely some sort of cult.

He stood before a giant open room, the centerpiece a dark throne that gave the former king of Team Plasma a run for his money.

It was set up like some sort of colosseum, cult(?) members in robes standing all the way around it.

In the middle of the room stood a girl holding a sword similar to his own.

Facing her was an old man on life support. Yeah, that checks out. Would creepy old men please stop trying to take over the world for FIVE minutes?!

The girl raised her sword.

The cult members approached her.

This was verrry bad! Unacceptable! No harassment allowed! He had to intervene!

"Hello! I am Emmet."

Everyone halted, turning to the new voice. Even the old man did a double take, he and the girl briefly exchanging a look of confusion.

The old man spoke up.

"How did you end up here, boy...?!"

Eugh, he sounded as gross as he looked. Verrrry icky. No good.

"That is unimportant! You are trying to do something harmful to the safety of all passengers involved!"

"And how do YOU know this?" The old man hissed, voice dripping with more venom than a wild Arbok.

"I am good at reading faces. I have had lots of practice."

He stepped out into the arena, almost flamboyantly. He put a hand on his hip, using the laser sword as a pointing stick in the other. "Rrrregardless! I request that you cease all malicious activities, or else I will have to bring your track to a forced stop!"

Everyone in the arena was just staring awkwardly as the air went still.

Finally, the old man broke into a fit of laughter. Before Emmet could say anything else, he found himself flying into the wall. Again.

He yelped like a hurt puppy, his grin not leaving his face.

The old man made a mistake. Emmet had lost his grip on the strange laser sword, and it had gone flying straight into his overly complicated life support.

Get owned, boomer.

The cultists from the shadows were shouting, and he was unsure if they were screaming or cheering. It reminded him of the televised pokémon arena battles in Galar... albeit in a creepy 'you are about to get sacrificed to a Giratina worshipping cult' way.

As he got back up, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching rapidly.

On instinct, he jumped up, standing straight and saluting the newcomer. The new guy didn't notice, running straight for the girl. Emmet waved anyways.

"Hello! I am Emmet. I do not think the old man is dea-"

The cultists on the ground drew their weapons on the three.

"...Grrrreat."

The newcomer had grabbed the laser sword Emmet had tossed into the life support system- was he watching the whole time too?

Whatever. He had his fists. If he could handle the streets of Castelia city, he could handle weirdos in robes.

A laugh.

Oh dear Arceus above. The old man's not dead.

-----

Rey hardly remembered the fight, and everything that led up to it. She and Ben had fought by each other's side, both of them moving in perfect sync. Everything was going too quickly for her to even think. All they had to do was survive. Trust in the Force. She had risked so much to get here, with only Ben fighting by her side.

...Well, okay. The disheveled postman was a surprise. And he seemed just as confused as she was. But she didn't have time to unpack all that. He was holding his own just fine- probably a resistance fighter.

When everything had slowed down, though. She couldn't even try yo confront Palpatine. The man in white was beating the kriff out of him, and... WINNING?

He was now kicking the former emperor into the ground, yelling something about safety checks and staying behind the yellow line.

"Hey- I, uhm- I think... I think- I think you've gotten him-" Ben chimed in, probably too scared to actually approach.

The man in white froze, and turned to him.

"I am Emmet. I am verrrrry tired of 80 year old megalomaniacs. Yup!"

He continued his beatdown.

Welp. Since this wasn't the big fight anyone was prepared for, Ben and Rey simply looked at each other exhaustedly. They both just decided to wait a couple more minutes.

This was sure gonna be something to explain to the resistance.

[klaus-is-the-real-number-1]

She moves in her own way (Number 5 x reader)

Ask: Could you do a Five x reader where the reader is sarcastic like him, but polar opposites at the same time? Like they are scared to talk in public and prefer tea with milk and sugar, they try to be very kind and sweet to others. They bonded over a book they were reading in a coffee shop and starting talking there, they were super shy, but after a few minutes of conversation Five got them to open up?

A/N: Hope you enjoy this! I changed it up a bit to being in a library first like getting the book then into a coffee shop. i uh posted this then deleted it so this is like version two that might be better but now im just stressin,, this could also be made into a pt 2 tbh

Words: 1559

Books towered high in the dimly lit building, the smell of paper resonating throughout with history dripping from every page. Aimlessly, your fingers skimmed over the spines of the many books, the worn down fabric feeling like a secret code telling all their secrets of every reader. As you walked you waited for a book to call out to you, for you to read every word as if it was the last time you would ever see a book again. Then a calling came, causing you to stop dead in your tracks. Pulling the book from its tightly packed shelf, you peer at the familiar cover; a book that you could recite every word without flaw yet every time you read it you felt like a child opening a toy on christmas. Gently, your thumb ran over the endented title of the book, The Odyssey by Homer.

Book in hand you walked down the stairs, hand running down the wooden banister that leads to the desk, it was a familiar walk down the spiral steps. Your gentle steps echoed throughout the library as you descended, preparing your library card to sign the book out for what must be the near 20th time. Smiling at the familiar receptionist, you slid the book along with your card towards her and watched her scan your card before taking the slip out of the front of the book, just before she scanned it she looked at it to be met with line after line filled with your name from checking it out.

“Hun,” She says as she just puts the slip back into the book. “I’m going to let you keep this book.” Before you could even open your mouth to protest she cut you off. “I insist, hunny, you seem to be the only one who ever signs it out and we can always order another.”

“Thank you so much.” You smile at her, slipping the book, your book, into your bag. She slides your card back over the counter towards you and winked as you picked it up, smiling again, you head towards the doors and onto the busy road. The streets were bursting with life, cars beeping and whizzing past and people loudly talking. It was a contrast to your slow quiet life, keeping out of the way and too yourself as much as possible. Most would see it as a tragedy but the ability to lose yourself into another world is something magical, to shut away all your problems and become someone else.

One drop of rain fell from the ever darkening sky, only to turn into two, to three to be an increasingly heavy stream, your pace quickened as you saw the neon light for the town diner coming into view, offering itself as a safe haven from the ever worsening weather. The bell chimed as you walked in, warm air hitting your face as it snuck out the door behind you before you could close it.

Once you were in you spot an empty table in the corner, out of the way of everyone and pull out The Odyssey, eyes reading the words that you had read over and over again. Your finger danced over the page as you read, getting ready to turn the page.

“Tell me, O Muse,” A boy said as he slid into the seat opposite you. “of the man of many devices-”

“Who wandered full many ways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of troy.” You finish the sentence and lock eyes with him, only to look back down to your book when his eyes started to linger for too long, making your face turn red. You knew all too well the opening lines to the Odyssey, not even having to think about what came next.

“What can I get you guys today?” The waitress smiled at you both, yet the boys calculating eyes never left yours.

“Please can I get a tea?” You asked softly.

“With sugar and milk?” You just nod at her and smile, watching her return the gesture.

“Coffee,” He says still looking at you before sharply flicking his eyes to the waitress. “black.” Then his eyes landed right back on you.

“Thank you.” You say to the waitress before she walked away, your eyes trail down to your book but become distracted as holes were being burnt into your soul. “You know it’s rude to stare.” A smirk broke across his face at your words, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

“I didn’t realise people causally read Homer.” His eyes continued to burn into yours, clearly enjoying your ever reddening cheeks.

“Can one not enjoy a classic piece of literature?” You posed, placing your bookmark into the worn book before setting it down onto the table. Breaking his gaze to look at the waitress as she placed your drinks on the table, you smile at her before gripping your hot mug, letting the warmth seep into your fingers.

“Do you know it in ancient Greek?” He sipped his coffee, seemingly challenging you.

“Not yet but I’m learning, it’s hard to teach yourself a dead language.” You look down at your book, unable to match his stare without making yourself too uncomfortable. He clearly didn’t get the hint from your fidgeting and now crimson face how uncomfortable you had become, or maybe he simply didn’t care.

“I’m fluent,” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe I could teach you sometime-”

“Yeah, let me just clear my schedule for a stranger who has been staring at me non-stop and being kind of creepy, seems like a solid plan.” You sarcastically say to him, taking a sip of your tea. For the first time he looked away from you and smiled to himself, being shocked at you sudden sarcastic outburst.

“I’m Five.” He stuck his hand out for you, your eyes flicked from his face to his hand before reaching over and taking it.

“Y/n.”

Five seemed to relax, talking in a softer tone and easing off the staring. He started asking questions about you, mainly your reading and opinions on Homer, as well as opening up about how his father made him learn it in ancient greek from a young age. Five was a very peculiar boy who hid behind a mask, he was a closed book with a lock around it but you were determined to find the key. 

Somehow, you had cracked and agreed to his offer to teach you the dead language of ancient greek but the way his face broke out into a genuine smile made it worth it, as much as you didn’t want to admit it it, Five was growing on you. 

The next day you found yourself sat in the library, legs swinging freely under the chair you were sat in, eyes following Five as he walked up and down the aisle looking for books. Just when you thought he found the right one, he’d sigh and place it back to then walk to the next set of shelves. Eventually he gave up his search, sighing in defeat as he returned to your table. “Come on, I’ve got the books we need at my house.” He pulled you up by your hand and began a fast paced walk with you trailing behind him like a lost puppy. 

Not paying attention to where you were walking, you bump into Five who had stopped dead in his tracks, now facing a large building. Hand still in yours, he stepped forward and pushed the gate open and made his way to the door.

“You live here?” He just smiled at your question before continuing up to the door. His house was like a mansion, it was a mansion, taking up nearly a full block. Silence filled the air once Five closed the door behind you, the large building having no signs of any other life. He gently took your hand again and started walking through the mansion. Dust particles were floating like fairies in the streams of sunlight that beamed through the windows, illuminating the wooden furniture and portraits that looked as if they hadn’t been seen in years, stuck in time until someone would come along and free them. 

Suddenly you found yourself in a brightly lit room, your eyes took a second to adjust before being able to get a good look. You were met with shelves on shelves of books, definitely being able to qualify as a library on its own. Dust caked the books, like it was a room frozen still. “Wow.”

“No one really comes in here anymore.” He says leaning against a large wooden table. 

“If I lived here, I’d be in here all the time.” His eyes followed you as you walked over to one of the shelves, running your finger over all the pristine condition books, each one woven in fabric with a hardback cover. “You’re staring again.” You say as you turn to Five, his eyes locking with yours.

“I just haven’t met anyone like you before.” You smile at his words before walking over to the table and placing your bag down. His eyes lingered for another few seconds before he jumped into life, confidently pulling out books from the shelves like he knew where they were from memory. “Alright, let’s do this.”

[sparklingchan]

Tipsy Turvy || Choi San(Ateez)

Pairing : Reader (fem.) x Choi San

Word count : 5k+

Warnings : Cuss words , alcohol , hangover , mentions of over drinking, not proof read.

Genre : Fluff , a tiny bit of angst , romance , friends to lovers au.

Description : You have a complicated relationship with San , and the alcohol in your system makes it worse ( or better).

Author's Note : So with all honesty , I have NO idea how people behave when drunk so I searched it up and wrote this 90%  based on that ( and 10% on  my friends’ advice). I hope at least one of y’all get the horrible pun in the title  -_-

Please do reblog , like and comment if you like this. My DMs are also open so if you want to gimme a review , feel free.

Enjoy!

The coffee in the cup must have gone cold by now, because the moment you touch it’s surface ,you don't feel the same sting as you did a few minutes ago.

Not that it tasted good anyway. You're almost glad you didn't have to drink it but maybe, right now, you could use a sip or two to spare yourself a few seconds of peace.

"The coffee is wonderful, isn't it? It's my favorite one." The man in front of you - Mike - needs to seriously give you a break, or else there will be blood on the streets. Literally, "I'm glad you like it."

Does he not see the clearly disgusted look on your face ? Or was he so sure you'd like this drink just because he ordered it without even asking you?

"Yeah ,its fine." You sigh , touching your lips to the mouth of the cup and then putting it back down. You're not drinking that already tasteless and now cold coffee. No way.

"So ,y/n, since we're expected to give our parents an answer after this date, I'd like to know about your opinions first . And please be honest. I would hate to upset you." He says , scratching his chin .

Your eyes widen at the unexpected string of words. This is the first time since this stupid date began that he actually asked your opinion on anything.

"Well," you begin, your mind filling up with tons of words that you'd waited patiently to let out , "Marriage is a big decision. At least for me. And this is all too fast. I just hope we have enough time to know each other before our parents set the date."

He nods his head , “ I agree, I agree. Its important . Right."

You furrow your brows. His reaction seems very forced. Like he really didn't agree with you , but for the sake of it , he's agreeing.

"And what kind of qualities do you look for in a man,y/n?" You want to roll your eyes at the question but you pull your lips up in a smile, not quiet touching your eyes but enough to convince him. You wonder why he was trying so hard to save a date that had been going downhill from the moment he sat down in front of you. You guys clearly didn't like each other, and the spark was missing.

A spark you'd only ever felt with one person.

"Its difficult to describe ideal types but yeah,I'd like someone who's compatible with me and loving and well.. obviously respectful." You say. Mike chuckles at your answer , as if amused by it, "I was expecting you to say you wanted someone who's rich and handsome like...me , honestly. But it's alright." You wonder if he actually hears himself because he really sounded like a self absorbed piece of shit right now. And you'd really do anything to escape from this date.

"Well , I guess not. " you reply with a chuckle. In all honesty, you yourself don't know what your ideal type is. It's not about the conditions or requirements that a person fulfills. It's not a job , it's a connection. You can't confine people to certain criterias. It defies the whole purpose of that connection. And even if you did have qualities you looked for in a man , everything would always end up pointing at only one damn person. You push his images away even before they can surface into your mind.

"So anyway, as I was saying before the coffee arrived , my dad bought this really pretty yacht for me last month and it's super amazing to - " and you shut him out completely while he continues blabbering and you quietly sip the disgusting coffee in front of you.

You really want to groan now. Like on his face. Putting emphasis on how draining and boring this whole conversation is for you.

But all you do is smile and nod.

You were going to reject him the moment your parents set you up on a date with a ' nice and charming bachelor '. What side of Mike did they find even remotely nice or charming? You would never know. But one thing is sure now ,you will at least not have to deal with your parents pestering you for marriage after you reject Mike.

The weather is extremely humid today , despite it having rained in the morning so without a doubt , you'd spent your day indoors , reading a book and drinking unhealthy amount of fruit punch.

"Are they still upset ? " your parents should have seen it coming ,really. The rejection was as inevitable as the rising of the sun every morning or the setting of the sun in the evening. Yet , your parents are pretty disappointed at the decision even after three days since that stupid date. You , on the other hand are happy to have gotten rid of Mike - even if it meant your parents being angry.

Your younger brother , Jongho ,sighs into the phone, " What do you think? They really thought you'd finally marry now."

You don't really blame them though. Not at all. That's what they were always taught ,weren't they? Graduate high school, finish college ,get a good job and get married. The full circle.That is all they've every known yet you find yourself upset at the fact that they didn't consider your unwillingness to this marriage ( or any other marriage) at all. You're just barely starting to work ,you cannot throw away all of that to be a good wife and daughter in law. Sure Mike is the son of some rich man who does business with your father, but economical relationships cannot be a basis for a marriage.

"Well, I can't help it . I'm not marrying that asshole at any cost. " you huff , " He is so creepy and weird. Let mom and dad stay pressed. I don't care."

"Is it just because you didn't find Mike interesting or something else?" Jongho asks.

"I guess? " you reply, scratching the back of your head.

"You know , y/n, I understand that you don't want to get married and whatever but we both know there's a solid reason behind it and I am sick of you denying it all the time." Jongho is too honest for your liking. Too brutal , no sugarcoated words. Just the truth.

And the truth stings.

"Shut up." You grumble, fiddling with the book in your hands , legs dangling from the edge of your bed, " I told you not to mention it ever again?"

"Y/n, you love him. Okay? You have loved him for seven years now . It is high time you shoot your shot or else you'll end up with some rich asshole who doesn't give two shits about you!"

He's right,of course he is. His words are not really an opinion or a vague prediction of the future. Those are facts. But hearing him say all that out loud makes your blood turn cold in your body. Fear creeping through every inch of your skin , making it hard to think clearly.

"I don't think it matters if I love him or not. I gave up on him. We haven't spoken much ever since college ended. " you say.

" You didn't give up. You just ran away instead of acknowledging it. There's a difference." Jongho replies , " And for your kind information it's only been six months since college got over. You need to stop talking like it was twenty years ago or something. "

You chuckle at his last phrase, grateful that he's trying to uplift the weirdly tense mood. "I don't think I can do it , Jongho. I want to. I really do but I don't think he likes me back." You admit.

"You're delusional if you think he doesn't like you back, y/n. All the late night car drives, movie dates , eating unhealthy food late into the nights - San loves you too. Obviously he does."

You sigh ,running your fingers over the rough page of the book in your lap. 'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.' The words read out. The tightening of your chest increases.

"He was just being nice." You mutter.

Jongho sighs loudly from the other side , "Okay , believe what you want . I can't handle both you and mom-dad together, okay? Spare me your bullshit. Bye."

Wow, talk about being a rude, disrespectful child !

You are usually not the one to point fingers or put blame on other people , but you really despised your best friend right now. And you have every right to do so. Your best friend is the main reason why your parents are so desperately trying to get you married and see you settle down and have kids and whatever. Jisoo is the epitome of every good quality all parents desire in a daughter. She's perfect. Even more than that sometimes.

"How's your husband?" Your question doesn't sound very genuine - the words slipping out of your tongue like they were being forced out. But Jisoo seems to let it go.

"He's good , really good. " She replies ,taking a sip from the only can of cola you had left in your fridge. She passes it over to you.

"How lucky ." You mutter , taking a sip of the same drink.

"I know what you're thinking ,y/n. I know your ass is upset about everything that happened with Mike but things take time. Okay? I married early because I wanted to." she says, reading right through you like you were a book she'd read millions of times ,"If you don't want to marry , don't. Stop blaming yourself for not finding good guys." " I wonder if I'll ever find anyone even remotely nice, Jisoo. The only few guys I've been set up on dates with are not my type and well , Mike ... I don't know. We're just not compatible." You complain , " And besides I'm so terrified of marrying a guy I barely know."

Jisoo sighs , "Then marry a guy you've known for a long time."

"Who are you talking about?" You frown. You know exactly who she is talking about but you want to hear her say it. Say his name which you dare not even repeat to yourself when alone.

"Choi San ,of course. The love of your life ,your sun and stars , your sweetheart. " she says , her dreamy eyes widening to exaggerate her point.

You slap her arm hard , almost a little too hard. But you're convinced that she deserves it. "Ow !" She yells ,rubbing the sore area on her arm.

"That name is forbidden in my vicinity." You say.

Okay ,maybe now you are the one who deserves a slap. On the cheek. You couldn't believe that his name still fills your stomach with butterflies and causes your heart to beat so fast that you feel dizzy even though you claim that you're over him.

"No, it's not, y/n. Come on ,dude. You're still not over him. You will never be unless you confess and face the supposed rejection on your own. Only then you'll find it in yourself to seek other guys , unless that's not what you want." She jabs her finger on your shoulder softly , "That, or you can marry San himself. It's very simple ,really."

Now that she put it that way ,it sounds even more complicated and it sends your mind to a voyage into the sea of memories that you rarely even acknowledged anymore( or at least ,you tried to).

San's pretty eyes and alluring smile , the soft hold of his hand on your arm as you run to the movie halls just five minutes before it closes , the warmth of his hugs that you so dearly loved , his silky black hair that you've wanted to touch on so many occasions and the day you were sure he had leaned in to kiss you but your annoying brother decided to call just at that exact moment. You almost wish you could go back to your university graduation day , and wait a little longer for him after the event got over and tell him that he meant the world to you. More than he could ever imagine. You really wish you had waited that day.

"Jongho has this stupid theory that he likes me too. He's making me even more confused. " you say.

"At least Jongho has more brain cells than you. That kid deserves an award or something." Jisoo replies , chuckling.

"He's not a kid. He's just a year younger than me and you." You deadpan. Great, your best friend and brother are now on the same team.

She rolls her eyes , "Yeah , you are a kid too. Only a kid acts so naive and stupid when everything they've ever wanted is right there in front of them. Hell, even a kid would realise that San loves you !"

Jisoo talks a lot , but her words are never empty or vague. She says whatever she wants to and has to. And she is always able to make a point. But you're a dumb bitch who likes to pretend she's still not in love with her childhood sweetheart and is looking for love somewhere else.

"Anyway, can we go for a drink?"

"Glad you finally asked." Jisoo grabs your arm and drags you out of the house.

Your favorite bar in the entire world has to be the one you've been going to since you were in high school. From your first time drinking to vomiting in its toilet after having way too many vodka shots , from dancing with your friends to crying alone in a corner , that place has seen it all.

Coincidentally( not really), its Jisoo's favorite bar too.

"Okay, y/n. I think you should stop now. That's enough."

Coincidentally also ,you happen to not have a good alcohol tolerance yet an endearing desire to drown your sorrows in those glasses.

"No, I'm not even properly drunk." You whine ,your words only barely making sense to Jisoo. She grabs the glass away from you.

"Come on , let's take you home. " she tries to pull you from your seat , "Can't believe I thought it was a good idea to drink on a weekday."

"No, no, Jisoo. " you resist , pushing her away. " I want to..stay. here. I like it here. It's so warm and cozy . If I go home, I'll cry. I hate home. It's so ugly. Ew. This place is so pretty ."

Your vision is so blurry that your brain can't even form clear images anymore. You see Jisoo's form after squinting hard enough.

"You won't cry. I'll take care of you, y/n. Come on." Jisoo is so insistent you have to hold yourself back from punching her. Her lucky ass would never understand how much in pain your heart is in. And how much the alcohol helps in forgetting all that even just for a few minutes.

"You go home. I'll stay. I'll stay here for as long as I can. Away from all you blood suckers." You slur. And then giggle for no apparent reason.

Jisoo heaves a sigh ,sitting beside you. "Are you going to come with me or do I have to call San to pick you up?"

That was a threat. Jisoo always uses the same one and somehow, it always seems to work. Not today though.

"Hah! Joke's on you ! He doesn't care about me." You point at her face , giggling again.

San? Taking care of you? Funniest joke of the year.

"He does ,y/n. You know he does. What are you being like this?" She asks , rubbing your hand comfortingly. "I see the way he looks at you."

"He probably has a girlfriend already. He always posts romantic shit on Instagram. " you say ,resting your chin on your arm.

"He doesn't have one. I know he doesn't. He probably posts all that for you." She says.

You want to believe her but your brain feels fuzzy and foggy now. Like the sky on winter mornings.

"I want to see San, Jisoo. I miss him. I miss him so much. " you keep muttering under your breath , "Take me to him. I miss him."

Jisoo stares at you - wide eyed and slightly annoyed. Your low alcohol tolerance will get you into serious trouble one day.

"We can see him tomorrow. Let's go home now. Now." She pulls your arm again.

You push her off , "I said I want to see San ! Right now! Take me to him!"

You have never yelled at anyone while in a drunken state before so the sudden increased volume of your voice scares Jisoo. She let's go of your arm.

"Okay, will you come home after meeting San?" Jisoo asks ,taking her phone out to call a cab.

"Yes. No. Depends. I never want to be away from him." You say. "Take me to him , please. I haven't seen him in months. Years. I don't remember how long. Do you think he'll recognize me?"

Shaking her head , Jisoo makes a mental note to never take you out for drinking again.

San lives a few minutes away from your own apartment, but with traffic sometimes it takes almost an hour to reach his apartment.

Today must have been your lucky day because the traffic was almost negligible. Although you don't remember the journey to his house , you do remember his familiar voice greeting you and Jisoo like he had almost expected you both to arrive at his door this late at night.

"She was throwing a tantrum that she wanted to see you. So I brought her here. I hope it's not a problem. " Jisoo says in her sweet voice that she uses on everyone but you and her husband. You scowl.

"Hey, I wasn't throwing a tantrum! " You hit her arm again , but she puts on the fakest smile when San looks at the both of you with a confused face.

"And she's not very sober right now." Jisoo admits ,sighing. San presses his lips in line , observing you as play with the hem of your tshirt and your eyes are focused on his face. You never had so much confidence in a sober state. He knows this because he's seen you like this a million times before and hopefully, if all goes well tonight , he might see this state in the future too.

His stomach does a back flip when you stick out your bottom lip in a cute little pout.

"It's okay. She can stay the night here. I believe you have something important to tell me ,y /n?" San asks, titling his head.

You nod , beaming with happiness. Your eyes never leave his perfect face and his beautiful black hair which he decided to tie in a small ponytail tonight and his toned arms and his breathtakingly sweet dimples as he leads you inside, bidding goodbye to your bestfriend. Jisoo must be very relieved right now ,you think.

"Do you need a glass of water ,y/n?" San asks you , as he takes you gently by the arm to his bedroom. His alert eyes are always on your steps ,making sure you do not trip on anything.

"No. " you giggle. You're so happy to be with him alone at last that you can barely contain it . "I missed you ,San."

He laughs at your words ,shaking his head in disbelief as he makes you sit on his warm ,fluffy bed.

You've always wanted to sit there.

"Waoowww , this bed is so soft. " you swing your legs up and down with a big grin on your face , "I want to sleep on this bed. Oh my god ,awww."

San sees you lean down against the headboard and laugh at the ceiling, pointing out peculiar patterns . You look very content right now ,he notices. Your flushed cheeks , big , curious eyes , messy hair , yet he thinks you look beautiful like this - raw and natural and pretty.

"San! Sit with me, come here." You say , patting the empty space beside you.

San obliges without a question. He pushes you gently to the other side of the bed , himself settling beside you , careful not to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.

"What it is that you wanted to tell me ?" San questions, his fingers reaching upto your forehead to remove the strands of hair that cover your eyes.

"Promise me you won't be mad. " You hum into his touch ,wanting nothing more than to wrap your arms around his body and snuggle into his chest. But even with alcohol in your system ,you know better than to do that.

"I promise." He replies with a toothy grin. His head leans on the headboard beside yours , his beautiful brown eyes drilling into yours ,making your knees go weak and heart flutter. And if it were possible to replace all blood from your body with physical adoration for Choi San ,you would have done it already. "Pinky promise?" You ask again ,lifting your right pinky up in front of his face.

Sighing , he connects his pinky to yours then pressing your thumbs together, "Pinky promise."

You take a deep breath then as naturally as ever ,the words you've always wanted to say roll out of your mouth , "I like you. "

San's breathing gets stuck in his throat , his whole being as if swallowed into a black hole for a few seconds. He stares at you like you were suddenly someone he'd never seen , never heard of before. Like you were a stranger that caught his eye in the mall. Like a gemstone he'd found while digging the ground. Like a precious falling star on a cloudy night.

"I-I mean we have known each other for sometime now. It's normal that you like me. As a friend." He stammers.

You roll your eyes , " I did not mean as a friend ,you idiot. I meant I like you as a man. You're so stupid, gosh." You punch his arm.

His heart skips a beat. He'd always known deep down his heart that this confession would happen one day or the other - but he had always hoped it would be him to say it first ,not you. His ego is a teeny tiny bit hurt.

"I know you don't like me , " you whine , your excited tone now suddenly switching into a sad one , " I know you won't date me."

San frowns at this new melancholic side of yours.

"Why would you think that?" He asks.

"I just know ,okay?" You say ,tears filling your eyes , " And that's why I agreed to an arranged marriage."

"You must have met someone nice then?" He takes his hand in yours.

Jongho was right - you love him. So much that it hurts to look at him ,knowing that one day you'll have to marry a man who isn't him. It hurts like someone is pressing a hot metal rod onto your skin.

You start sobbing.

"No! Of course not ! I don't want anyone but you! " You yell , a little too loud , " But my parents are still insistent about it. How do I tell them that I can't marry anyone else because I'm so in love with you?"

That's another new piece of information for San. But this one makes his heart drop into the deepest pits of his stomach , making him go numb for a few seconds. You were almost taken away from him, just because he'd always put your relationship in a complicated situation. You had almost held someone else's hand on the alter. You had almost ended up in someone else's arms.

The image of you with another man nauseates him and he decides to stop being a coward . Right now ,right at this moment .

"I like you ,too, you idiot." He says , not quite meeting your teary eyes." Don't go find anyone else. I'm here. I really am ,y/n."

His sincere voice washes over you like the first showers of monsoon - refreshing and enchanting. You feel like melting into a puddle under his gaze.

"I wasn't planning on anyway. " You sniff and rub your tears away. He leans in closer to your face , rubbing your cheekbones with the pad of his thumb. And you , being the shameless person you are , stare at his kissable, pink lips. If you lean in a little more , they'd touch and you could finally kiss him. You really want to . Would he mind ?

He presses a soft kiss on your forehead , pulling you into his warm embrace.

"I want to go to sleep and wake up like this every morning." You mumble into his chest , your hand playing with the hem of his t-shirt. "We will. I promise." he replies. The thought itself makes him feel warm inside , "I'll talk to your parents about the arranged marriage thing. They love me more than they would any other guy out there."

Your parents in fact do love San. Whenever they met him , they'd be filled with praises for him. Although a little jealous , you could easily see why San was so easy to like.

"You smell so nice." You say abruptly , drowsiness slowly taking over you , your eye lids getting heavier by the minute.

San's chest vibrates as his laugh fills the room , "Thank you, y/n."

"Will you be here when I wake up? You aren't going to run off, right? " You are just spewing out random sentences at this point but he doesn't complain either way. He likes this honest and vulnerable side of you.

"I'll be right here. Don't worry. " he whispers ,running his fingers through your hair , "But I'm pretty sure you won't remember anything tomorrow ."

You laugh, a big hearty laugh as you finally find enough courage to lightly wrap your arm around his torso. "I'll remember, San . I never forget."

San rubs your head soothingly , smiling to himself, knowing that even if you forget about it in the morning , he'll really be there to remind you of it. He'll be there by your side, as he always has been.

Every hangover is like a cycle that includes pain , regret and a promise to never drink so much again yet you somehow always seem to be struggling with the last one.

And the inevitable headache that follows makes you feel like someone had thrusted millions of knives in your head.

It hurt. Badly.

You stir in your position ,groaning at your throbbing head.

"Woah , good morning , sleepy head." San purrs into your ears , his early morning voice sending chills down your spine.

Wait. San? Choi San? With you in his arms? On a bed?

You sit up at the speed of a lightning bolt , breaking away from his warm embrace and crawling to the farthest corner of the bed. You look around the room , your heartbeat in your throat , taking in the unfamiliar surroundings that reminded you of what you might have done while in a drunken state.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Your eyes scan San, his sleepy face pressed to the pillow and his lips curved in a smile. His white t-shirt hangs loose from his shoulder, exposing the skin near his collarbone and his black, messy hair covering half of his face.

And even in panic mode , your first thought is that he looks ethereal with that early morning glow. Is this what being whipped really means?

"Y/n, don't tell me you forgot what happened last night. " he says ,visibly annoyed. He forces himself up in a sitting position as he runs his fingers through his messy hair.

You look away from him , adrenaline rushing through your veins as you try to recall last night's episode. Surely ,you didn't sleep with him since both of you are fully clothed and you didn't feel sore anywhere. Thankfully.

"Y/n? " he calls you again but you don't reply because your brain is way too occupied at the moment.

You remember the sound of a very weird combination of words leaving your mouth last night and an even weirder combination of words leaving his. And that's when it hits you - you had confessed to him. Full on movie style. All those years of daydreaming and trying to keep everything a secret gone into vain , your heart placed naked in front of him.

"Oh fucking hell." You hold your head in between your hands ,closing your eyes.

Maybe this was all a dream and if you focused hard enough ,you'd wake up in your bed , alone and yearning for the man supposedly in front of you. But that would still be better than this.

"Y/n, it's alright. You don't have to be embarrassed. " San says, inching closer to you.

You sigh. It's not a dream and you have to face him now.

"I-I'm sorry for whatever I said last night. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable at all. I don't know what had gotten into me." You say, rubbing your forehead.

By now , San is kneeling right in front of you, his galaxy filled eyes never leaving yours.

"I should be sorry , you idiot." He says , gently tapping your forehead ," if I wasn't such a coward and had confessed to you earlier , everything would have been different now. But better late than never , right?"

You gulp hard.

Now is the time to wake up , y/n, I'm going to be super pissed if this turns out to be a dream, you wonder to yourself.

"So..what you're saying is - "

"I like you , yes. Not as a friend , not as a classmate. I like you as a woman and if you agree to this ," San leans in dangerously closer , "Then I'll like you as a girlfriend, too."

You didn't need time to agree to this. You didn't need a second thought. You only need a small tug at your heartstring , which happened everytime you see his eyes focused on you and only you.

"Yes." You say.

His face breaks into a massive grin as he wraps his arms around you , with yours around his torso. You can feel the fast beating of his heart against your cheek as you snuggle into his chest .

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He whispers into your hair. Your cheeks are burning red by now but it's alright. It's a good type of burning. You can come to like it in the near future.

You don't know how long it is before he finally decides to pull away , much to your dismay.

"I'm going to make breakfast . Are pancakes okay with you?" He says , his arms by his side but his body still close to yours.

"Yeah. Obviously. " You loved his pancakes, as a matter of fact. Once, Jongho had even forced you to confess to San during your college years just so he could eat those delicious pancakes whenever he wanted to.

"Okay. You can go freshen up in the bathroom by then." He then unexpectedly takes your face in his hands , inching closer to yours with every passing second, " Don't miss me too much though."

You pout, playing along , " I already do."

And just like that , he presses his soft , luscious lips to yours, enveloping them in a quick kiss.

"Bye." And just like that too , he runs away into the kitchen , avoiding confronting what had just happened while you are left frozen and shocked and petrified and all synonyms of those words in the English dictionary.

But you hear him hum his favourite song softly from the kitchen and your shoulders relax.

Relax , y/n , you tell yourself , it's just San and he is your boyfriend now.

[obsidianfr3sk]

five valentine’s day that went wrong and one that (almost) didn’t

@queercreators event 02: romance — [ five valentine’s day that went wrong and one the (almost) didn’t ]      [ “Five Things” Fic ] “

dedicated to my dear Reneweys [ @nodrianbcyes @honey-hippie-harper​ @healing-winston-pratt @alecjamesartino @bluenoctuary-art @everyone-has-a-nightmare ] ♡

Summary: They always managed to ruin their Valentine's Days one way or another, but it didn't matter. Because there was no way they could ruin what the two of them had.Boy, he would like to see someone try.

AO3

Well, hello there!!! It’s been a while since the last time I posted something x’d I know I always say the same thing but it’s true skjdfhkjdfs I started this fic during the first week of febreary when I had this shot of adrenaline and started to do a lot of creative stuff, and originally I wanted to post this during Valentine’s Day, but... the shot of adrenaline passed x’d and let me to deal with this alone.

As you can see for the description, this a “Five Thing” fic. At first I wanted to post each chapter seperately, but idk, it seem a little bit... weird x’d so, here in Tumblr, the six chapters are all in one post. If you don’t like the format, but want to read the fic, you can find it on AO3! Don’t forget to leave kudos and a comment if you liked it:’)

Now... I’m not used to write happy sttuf in general x’d AND I’M LESS USED TO WRITE HAPPY STUFF ABOUT HUGH AND SIMON BECAUSE SKJDFHKJDSF the angst, dudes:))) but I think I did. Like... I actually wrote a fluffy fic:’) I’m so proud of myself dkjfhkfdshjk

Tag list: @the-lady-with-the-pen @chiyuki-hiro @all-weather-is-bad @styeenza

First try

Year 2

It was the second Valentine's Day after the beginning of the Age of Anarchy, and the capacity that the human being had to adapt themselves to the most terrible of conditions never ceased to amaze him. The economy had collapsed, the government had fallen, his school was practically one of the last ones still in open, and there was a “fucking junkie” ruling the city...

But the world celebrated Valentine's Day anyway.

Or at least in his class did.

The teacher had brought a bunch of cardboard boxes, that looked like she had fought with some tramps to get them (which she probably did, they were too many boxes for one person to generate) (unless she was a crazy person who collected boxes). She gave one to each one of her students, took out the last bottles of paint, pieces of colored cardboard, and rusty scissors, and then told them that today they were going to learn how to make a mailbox.

At first, Hugh had no idea what turning a box into a mailbox had to do with the curriculum the school was supposed to follow. It's not like people sent a lot of letters anyway. But when the girls got excited, he remembered that February 14 was something like an important date. And then, he remembered an activity that they did during his first year, when everyone decorated a box for their classmates to put letters and sweets in it.

First year… And now he was in his third year.

Time flies by.

After telling them which parts to cut into (Hugh had to share his scissors with other three classmates because there weren't enough for everyone), she invited them to pick the decorations they wanted to put on their mailboxes. The girls pounced on the pink, red, and even white paint, while most of the boys laughed, saying it was a stupid activity and they didn't want to do it. Hugh felt the urge to agree, but he didn't

He had already tried to make them like him. It hadn't worked for him.

So he grabbed a bottle of navy blue paint, some cartoon bear stickers, some notebook paper, and a bitten pencil. That would be enough to make his mailbox and his cards.

After a while, he started to have a good time. Crafts had never been his strong suit, but he was proud of how it ended up looking. One couldn’t tell his mailbox used to be a cereal box because the paint he used was so dark, that it only needed two coats of it and it dried much faster than Abernathy’s, who had practically finished the pink paint trying to hide the face of that missing child in the milk carton box the teacher gave to her. Hugh realized that she was holding her tears back, and as the good classmate that he was, he told her not to worry, that the missing child could be decoration if she painted him a mustache or something, and it would look very funny. Abernathy, far from finding it funny, acted super offended, assuring she had never met a child as rude and insensitive as Hugh Everhart, and she ran out of the classroom, hiding her face in her hands and screaming like a baby.

Unfortunately, the rest of his class agreed with her, and when it came time to deliver the cards, Hugh did not receive a single one. Although he doubted it had anything to do with that missing boy thing.

They wouldn't have given him anything anyway.

He wasn't sure if they knew he was a prodigy. Maybe they had noticed that it wasn't normal that Hugh had practically broken a chair in two when he placed his backpack on it to get something out, or that he had left the PE teacher unconscious when he accidentally threw a ball at his face while they were playing soccer. The teachers, if they noticed, didn't say anything. After all, that school was supposed to be only for normal kids.

Not prodigies. 

But children could be very insightful. Most likely, they did notice and therefore did not want to be associate with him.

Or maybe— 

Maybe they just didn't want to hang out with Hugh, because of… that.

Because he was Hugh.

He decided to wait for everyone else to leave before starting to cry (or before breaking another chair, whichever came first). Or at least that was what he was about to do when he heard that someone had come up with the same idea as him and started crying first. 

Simon Westwood had never been too talkative. Even before his older sister and mother died, he liked to sit at the last table, not speaking to anyone, and some older kids were constantly picking on him, without any teacher trying to do anything to stop them.

Not that Hugh was paying much attention to him or something.

The teacher practically ran to see what was going on with Simon Westwood, asking him what happened and why hadn’t he finished decorating his mailbox. Simon Westwood tried to explain it to her, but he was mumbling his words so neither the teacher nor Hugh could understand what he was saying. 

Hugh didn’t get mad with him though. His mom had died. His sister died too, a couple of weeks later. He wouldn’t be in the mood for doing cheesy crafts if the same had happened to him. But the teacher wasn’t as benevolent as him, and started to say things like she was trying really hard to bring joy to her students, and that she was sure that if he tried a little bit harder, he would be able to enjoy Valentine’s Day, like the rest of them. 

“Let’s see what nice things your classmates have said about you,” she exclaimed. But that only made Simon Westwood start crying again.

No one had given him a card. 

Like… no one.

And Hugh was listening to all of this conversation, just sitting there, trying to stay as stiff as he could so they wouldn’t notice he was there (as if he weren’t literally right in front of them). Seeing Simon cried like that made him think that maybe he was just acting though when the other kids laugh at him because of his looks, his ratty old clothes (older and rattier than theirs), or just—

His mind exploded. 

He suddenly understood why the other kids didn't like Simon Westwood. It was before he was him.

Just like how they didn’t like Hugh Everhart because he was Hugh Everhart. 

When the teacher went out of the classroom with Simon, saying something about calling his dad (although he knew they wouldn’t be able to do that, since no one had a functioning phone those days), he took one of the cards he did for his classmates, cards that he never gave to them, and put one inside Simon Westwood’s mailbox/cereal box. He had left his backpack and his things there. When he came back to take them home, he would see the card too.

A voice in his head told him to get out of there before he came back, but another one told him to stay. Maybe Simon Westwood and he could be friends. Maybe he would understand what it felt like to be hated just for the way you were born. Maybe he was a prodigy too. 

Or maybe he wasn’t.

He couldn’t take that chance. 

So Hugh went home, but promised Simon Westwood (and himself) he would keep an eye on him. 

After all, friends were there to have each other’s back. 

Because they were friends, even if Simon didn't know it yet.

Second try

Year 9

They were friends. 

He had never seen Hugh before meeting him on that alley where Simon got his powers. Like— he had seen him because he was in the same class as him, but he hadn't really seen him. During his childhood years, Simon was more focused on other things. Like being a little depressed and anxious ball with skinny legs and skinny arms, for example.

It wasn’t like he wasn’t depressed or anxious now. Nor it was he had gotten super muscular all of the sudden, like Hugh (he had always been bigger than the other kids, but he practically turned twelve and already looked like a teenager, except for the voice and the face). 

But at that moment, he wasn’t depressed or anxious. He felt weirdly at peace. 

He and Hugh were walking down the street, thinking about which store were they going to rob that day to get dinner for them and their families, when Simon noticed a couple holding hands in front of an abandoned café. She had dark hair and he had blue eyes, which looked at his girlfriend as if she was the Virgin Mary or something. Then, she kissed him and gave him a small blue flower and a heart-shaped card. The guy looked so moved by the gesture that he kissed her on the lips again, with so much more passion than before. 

Simon looked away before they realized he was looking at them, not only because he didn’t want to come off as creepy, but also because he knew how awkward he would feel if they started to make out or something. 

“Love is in the air,” Hugh sang.

Simon chuckled. “You noticed them too?”

“I noticed them when she gave him the flower,” he told him. “I had never seen a girl giving flowers to a guy before.”

“Times have changed, I guess. That’s why they don’t feel uncomfortable giving such public displays of affection. Kids in our day weren’t like that.”

“I know, right?” said Hugh continuing with the joke. “They are so perverted. There are children present, for God’s sake.”

Simon chuckled again and Hugh stopped to tie his shoe. While he was there, Simon noticed he was throwing glances at them. 

“You know, giving them the death stare isn’t gonna prevent them from being in love,” Simon told him.

“I can try,” Hugh joked. Then, he shook his head. “It’s not that. I just—”

He waited for him a couple of seconds before asking, “Just what?”

He finally answered, “Someday we’ll have something like that.”

Simon frowned. “Huh?”

“You know,” Hugh mumbled. “We’ll have girlfriends and— and all of that.”

“Oh!” Simon exclaimed. “Yeah, someday, yeah.”

But before Simon could keep talking about it (or just develop some opinion on the topic) Hugh shrugged and urged him to keep walking. “I guess. I didn’t even remember today was Valentine’s Day though. They were my reminder—” he turned around and waved at them “—Thank you, exhibitionists, you reminded me what day is it!”

Now, Hugh probably didn’t mean for them to hear him say that. Simon knew him well enough to know Hugh thought he wasn’t being loud, but the thing was… Hugh was always loud. He could be “whispering” and the whole neighborhood would hear him ask Simon if he knew how bars with strippers worked because he did know, and wanted to brag about it. Then, Simon would feel embarrassed, because, in fact, he didn’t know how bars with strippers work.

Simon immediately turned around and realized the girl was looking at them with an expression he couldn’t read. He turned invisible and pushed Hugh inside of an alley, hoping those trashcans hid them well enough in case the guy turned out to be a freaking animal and wanted to kick their flat asses for calling them exhibitionists. 

Simon felt the anxiety kicking in, when Hugh started laughing so loud, that said anxiety turn into the need of punching him really hard on the arm.

So he did it. Multiple times.

“Dude, dude, shut the fuck up, dude,” Simon said keeping his voice low (because he could keep his voice down, unlike others), “that guy’s gonna kick our asses, for real. Dudeeee—”

But his voice kinda cracked when he said that “Dudeee—” and that made Hugh laugh even more, so Simon kept punching him, using a vocabulary that would make the most dangerous of gangster blush. And he probably would have kept hitting him, if the anxiety of being discovered hadn't been overshadowed by how weird it made him feel to see his best friend laugh.

When Hugh laughed, his cheeks would turn red and his eyes would water. They could be in the most embarrassing situation ever, one where no one was laughing, and if he found it funny, he was going to do it, because he wasn't going to be able to help it. And it wasn't like Simon would stop him, either. Not at all. He liked it when he laughed. 

Even though he ended up making him laugh too. Like at that moment.

Most of the garbage ended up in the drains, the sidewalk, or anywhere else except where it belonged, the trash can. Generally, Hugh always refused when someone hinted at sitting on the floor, precisely for that reason. However, on that occasion, the two were sitting in that stinking alley, throwing pebbles at each other, playing with some bottle caps they found on the ground, and arguing about who would win a bare-handed fight, Wonder Man or Phantom Feline.

They decided it was time to go home when a cat-sized rat appeared out of nowhere, and the two of them came out screaming like idiots, even faster than they would have run if that guy with the girlfriend would have chased them. They ran until they reached Simon's house, all sweaty and tired, their hands on their bent knees and breathing heavily.

Then Hugh laughed again. And his cheeks were flushed again, and his eyes were watery again, and he made Simon laugh again until Mr. Westwood came home from work and told him to go inside, that it was too late to be outside.

Once he was locked in his room, with his younger sister playing in the living room and his father in the kitchen, the image of that guy kissing his girlfriend did not make him feel anything. So, he tried to imagine kissing a lot of girls that he considered a thousand times more attractive, but just when it seemed that the idea was beginning to be something desirable, Hugh came back, with his laugh, his screams, and his eyes, like one of those freaking trains that he dreamed of having the opportunity to stop one day and that never missed a single chance to tell Simon all about it. 

The truth was that Simon did believe that Hugh might be able to stop a train with his bare hands, but he doubted he would be able to stop the train of thought that Simon hopped on whenever he thought of him. And he was so ashamed to know that not even the strongest prodigy on the planet was capable of doing that, that he decided to take those memories from the collar of the old blue hoodie that each one of them wore and bury them alive in the backyard of his memory.

Forever and ever.

Thrid try

Year 12

Two months ago, after their first date, Simon told Hugh he would never plan another important date, forever and ever. But now, Simon had let him plan their first Valentine's Day together without putting any objections, proving that he trusted him. And he was happy for him; Simon had always had problems when it came to trusting other people. It was nice to see the other grow to become a better person. 

And it was even nicer when you were no longer only friends, but a couple. 

So yeah, he wanted to make Valentine's Day special. It was kind of a big deal. 

Georgia and Tamaya brainstormed with him places he could take Simon to. They all agreed that it had to be a place safe enough and that it wouldn't put them in a situation where they had to reveal their powers, and by consequence, their secret identities. But then, everything started going downhill, especially because Georgia had some very odd ideas (like something about flowers, a choreographed dance, and poetry) and Tamaya was as romantic as a rock (“Just don't end up nearly killing yourself in front of him, that should be enough.”)

It was February 13th, and Hugh was on his cot, a bit angry at Georgia and Tamaya, not only because they couldn't help him on such an important mission as they promised, but also because they blamed him for their failure, telling him that he "had no imagination" and that he "thought with his dick", just because he thought all their ideas were horrible. 

Maybe he should have phrased that better... 

Simon and Evander slept on the bunk bed Simon used to share with his younger sister. Simon was taking a shower, so he was all alone with Evander and Kasumi, who sometimes went there to visit her best friend, even if Tamaya told her not to do it because it smelled horrible in there and she would bring the odor to the girl’s bedroom (Hugh thought the room didn't smell bad at all, and if it did, it was because Evander acted like he was living in the street yesterday and had no sense of personal hygiene). But Kasumi didn’t seem to mind, and she spent most of her afternoons cuddling with Evander on the top bunk, while she read an old book and Evander read one of Simon’s comics (because Hugh would join the Anarchists before letting Evander touch his comics).

They started whispering at each other about who knows what, and even though he kind of wanted to know what they were talking about, he was just too tired, so he decided to put a pillow on his face and try to fall asleep. But then, he heard, quite clearly, that they said his name. 

And he couldn’t let slip that. 

He pulled the pillow off his face, and said, “What are you saying about me?”

They both peered over the edge of the bunk. “We were talking about how you're not good at romance,” Evander replied.

The audacity of that b— boy.

“You are eleven years old," he told him. “What are you going to know about romance?”

“No more than you,” Kasumi acknowledged, very solemnly.

Hugh made his “See?” face and he looked away.

Then, Evander asked, “Why don’t you take him to Cosmopolis Park?”

Oh, stars. He couldn’t be serious.

Cosmopolis Park.

A freaking theme park. 

Evander was eleven, all right. His idea of a date was probably something out of a princess movie he and Kasumi watched from time to time (sometimes Tamaya joined them too and she always acted like she was just watching it to make fun of it, even though everyone in the house knew she had a weird soft spot for cheesy princess movies). But Hugh was technically an adult now. He should know better, and knowing better was not taking your boyfriend to a theme park for Valentine’s Day. That wasn’t very romantic.

“What a stupid idea.”

Kasumi got red all of the sudden. For the look at Evander’s face, Hugh knew he had fucked up even before she said, “It was my idea…”

“Oh— no, Zoomie, I… what I meant was that—”

“Don’t fix it, bro,” Evander interrupted him. “You’re gonna make me want to punch you more.”

He wasn’t afraid of Evander punching him because he couldn’t compare a kid’s strength to his, but he obeyed him and mumbled a small, “Sorry.”

The “sorry” was for Kasumi though, not for Evander. If Kasumi hadn’t been there, he probably would have told Evander something like “Oh, yeah? You’re gonna punch me, little punk? Come on, punch me, don’t be a pussy” (and then Georgia would have stormed into the room, telling him not to use the word “pussy”, and they would have pointed at each other saying “He started it!”)

After giving him a goodnight kiss, Kasumi got off Evander’s bed, with the book under her arm. Before leaving the room, she knelt beside Hugh to kiss him goodnight, as to show his comment didn’t cause her to feel any kind of resentment towards him.

Because of course it didn’t. Kasumi was like that.

“I was just saying— Valentine’s Day is also a day to be with friends,” she whispered. “And you and Simon are not only boyfriends but also... you know, friends. I bet that wherever you take him, it'd be magical for both of you. Because you find magic in each other's company, even before you knew you were in love. So... why not?”

She turned off the lights on her way out.

He never thought Kasumi’s tendency to romanticize everything was odd or weird. It was something that he expected from a teenage girl, especially one who has such a vivid imagination. But he also never expected that imagination would help him in some way. And he never expected for her to say the exact words he wanted to hear, even before he knew he wanted to hear them.

She was so wise.

Cosmopolis Park didn’t sound like a bad idea anymore when Simon entered just after Kasumi, wearing his pajamas, and asked him with a teasing voice, “So… where are you gonna take me tomorrow?”

Hugh didn’t know if Evander was already asleep, so he just smiled at him and told him it was a surprise. Simon rolled his eyes and gave him a soft kiss on the nose before getting into his own bed. 

It was his way of telling him he trusted him. And relationships were supposed to be built upon trust. He didn't need anyone to tell him that.

As far as he knew, Simon hadn't been to Cosmopolis Park in years, probably before the Age of Anarchy began. It was no secret that the park was currently full of gangs and drug addicts but it was still a relatively peaceful place. At least peaceful enough that the park was full of families, groups of friends, and tons of couples.

Although there weren’t any couples...

Well, there weren’t any couples like them.

He wondered if Simon noticed that small detail too, but when he turned to ask him that, he knew it would be better if he just kept his comments to himself. Because he wasn't an expert reading other people's emotions, but Simon...

Simon looked so happy at the moment.

The two walked side by side, their shoulders brushing against each other's, but their hands tucked deep into their pockets. Hugh was trying to keep his eyes fixed forward to avoid bumping into anyone, but the small chuckles Simon let out every time he saw something that surprised him, made said task impossible. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to avoid the embarrassment that would cause him to bother someone by bumping into them; he wanted to look at him.

He wanted to look at him trying to hide his laughter by covering his mouth with his hand, as if he wanted to suppress some kind of dark feeling, without realizing that his joy was so full of light that it was practically impossible. He wanted to continue to see how his dark eyes, with very long lashes and deep bags under the eyes, perfectly captured the lights of the Ferris wheel and the food trucks. He wanted to see the tiny smile he had the entire time they were at the park because even if Simon didn't smile like that very often, when he did, Hugh felt as if he was witnessing the most wonderful of miracles.

Hugh took his hands out of his pocket, and when he turned his attention back to Simon, he was looking at him too. They stopped in their tracks, not caring that people passed around them, sometimes unintentionally pushing them a bit or stepping on their shoelaces. 

Hugh took a step forward and Simon did too. 

Then Simon pulled a hand out of his grey jacket's pocket, making him wonder if he was dreaming or if it was really going to happen.

Hugh held his breath and felt the blood rush to his face, along with the overwhelming feeling that everyone around him was staring at them, with the newly acquired gift of recognizing those two faces that always hid behind pair of colorful masks and now were gazing at each other with true devotion. He desperately wanted to know what was going through their heads, he wanted to know if they still considered them worthy of their admiration and respect, and he wanted to know if he had been right when he assured Simon that, someday, the two of them would hold each other in public without thinking it twice.

But then, just as Simon's fingers brushed his cheek, his attention was completely diverted to someone behind Hugh.

“Are you talking to me?” he asked awkwardly.

Hugh turned to see who his boyfriend was talking to. He was a slightly older man, juggling three balls and standing on the table of his own stand. He was smiling at Simon and he had a mustache that quite frankly made him look like a ridiculous comic villain.

“Yes, you!” and he threw a ball at Simon.

Simon covered his face with his hands, but Hugh caught the ball before it hit him.

Who did this guys think he was?

The guy, far from mocking Simon's reaction, seemed intrigued. “Do you want to win a prize, big guy?” he asked Hugh.

Hugh was ready to say no to him in the kindest way he could, when the guy pulled out a laundry basket, like the one Georgia put on his head every Sunday, saying "Laundry time!" in a voice so high that made birds explode. 

“You just have to throw that ball you have in your hand—” he raised the basket “—here. And you can win a prize.”

He finally gave him a chance to reply. “No, thank you, we’re fine.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets again and told Simon to keep going. But the guy did not give up.

“I see,” he crooned from afar. “Your dad didn't play ball with you and that's why you don't think you're capable of throwing it correctly. It’s fine.”

Simon put his hand to his mouth as if thinking "Oh, stars, he did not."

And Hugh looked at him as if thinking "Oh, but he did."

If that guy knew who he was talking to, he would probably think it twice before making comments to strangers mocking their lack of a father figure.

So he turned abruptly and threw the ball into the basket.

If Hugh had been a little calmer, he probably would have been able to remember that, before leaving the house, Tamaya had told him that theme parks were full of games that had the sole purpose of scamming people and that one of them was that game in particular. The balls bounced so much that even if they made contact with the bottom of the basket they would jump back to whoever threw it, making them technically lose.

He would also have listened to himself, to Hugh, who told him that it would be best to turn around and get on with their lives, and not to Captain Chromium, who was determined to win that freaking game because he won every single game the world put in his way. 

After three balls, the guy turned to Simon, extended his hand at him, and told him, “It's fifteen dollars.”

That was enough to make him lose his mind. Hugh told him that it was not worth arguing with him, but Captain Chromium did not tolerate that people tried to take advantage of him, and he spent about ten minutes screaming with the mustachioed man, until Simon panicked (or lost his mind), grabbed one of the balls and threw it right in the man’s eye.

Then, he did take Hugh by the hand.

But just to be sure they both got out of there before someone tried to stop them.

They ended the evening at a hamburger stand several blocks away from Cosmopolis Park (because obviously, they weren't going to stay there after the show they had put on). They did not have enough money to buy two sodas, but they bought a strawberry juice carton to share and sat on the sidewalk to eat their hamburgers of doubtful provenance, ranting against the man, against the park, and, especially, against those damn balls.

“I can't believe there are people like him breathing the same oxygen I breathe,” Simon commented, before taking a bite out of his burger ravenously. “He had no right to make that joke.”

But Hugh was so distracted by how attractive Simon looked when he bit his hamburger like that all he could say was:

“If my dad knew I couldn't win that stupid game, he would abandon me again.”

Simon frowned a little bit, repeating the sentence in his head until he finally understood the joke, and laughed so hard he began to choke with his food. Hugh started to panic and told Simon he would give him five back blows like he read he should do when someone started to choke. That was enough for Simon to spit his food on a napkin. Both were so grossed out by it, that they started laughing again. Simon hid his face on Hugh's shoulder, practically using his fit of laughter as an excuse to snuggle against him, and Hugh used his own angriness as an excuse to stay right there, telling the entire world to go to hell, and willing to keep doing it forever, just as long as the conversation didn't end and they had to go home. 

Georgia and Tamaya would kill them. It was already late at night. 

Fourth try

Year 17

It was already late night when they arrived at the motel.

Simon had stayed invisible the entire time they were at the reception like he always did when they had one of those more… private nights out. Hugh was the one who was in charge of booking the room because Simon got too anxious anyway at the mere idea of ​​having to interact with one of the receptionists.

It was one thing for his entire family (or the Council, as they had been calling themselves lately, as a joke) to know that tonight he was going to have sex. Strangers knowing it was a completely different thing.

He still wasn't quite sure which one was more embarrassing, but yeah. It was different.

He only became visible again when Hugh closed the door behind him.

Simon looked at the huge sports bag that Hugh carried with him. “What you got there?”

“Nothing important,” he assured with a shrug. He was smiling like he was a kid getting a bunch of presents at Christmas, and Simon was extremely happy too, so, without asking any more questions, he kissed him on the lips and went to the bathroom to give both of them time to get ready.

Not that they hadn't done that before. They didn't like having such intimate moments in the house. And even if they had wanted to, it was practically impossible to have even a minute of privacy there. The last time he had slept in a room by himself had probably been… never. And the number of occasions someone had opened the bathroom door while he was there were more than he could count. The door lock had been broken for a few weeks but nobody knew how to solve the problem because they had no idea how doors worked. Georgia had tried to implement a serious policy of knocking before entering any room with the door closed, but the only one who paid attention to her was Adrian because the rest of them were simply too used to walk around the house as if they were in their own houses. (That they were their house, but it was more Simon's house than theirs.)

In fact, it was the first time in forever that he was in a bathroom and he didn't have to put his hand on the door, to stop whoever tried to open the door before they ended up seeing him in the most vulnerable of positions, so Simon took off his T-shirt, his jeans, and sat on the toilet, wearing his underwear and his jacket, trying to enjoy his first moment of privacy in a long time.

At least until his legs started to feel cold and Hugh told him that he could go out now.

When he came out of the room, Hugh, who was lying on the bed, widened his eyes. Simon was already ready to hear a flattering comment, but instead, he frowned and asked, “Are you going to leave your socks on?”

Simon looked at his feet automatically. He had indeed left his socks on.

He didn't see anything wrong with it.

“The carpet is filthy,” he replied. “I don't want to get fungus or something like that.”

Hugh found no fault with his logic. “Okay, but take them off when you get on the bed,” he asked.

Then Simon realized that Hugh, not only never stopped doing that ridiculous pose that pretended to be sexy throughout the entire conversation, but he also had thrown out the (probably dirty) bedsheets from the motel bed and put instead one of the blankets they took out of the closet to cover themselves during winter.

So that's what he carried in his sports backpack.

Hugh seemed to realize that Simon was looking at the blanket and not at him, because he immediately said, “Oh, I hate motel bedsheets.”

Simon couldn't help but laugh. “You hate them?”

Hugh finally stopped doing that ridiculous pose and sat down. “You just never know who sleep in them before us, Simon,” he replied, “and you never know when was the last time they washed them. Maybe they— ” he pointed to the pile of blankets thrown away “—are covered on the… bodily fluids of twenty other people, and you want me to lie on them? Is that how you want us to make love? Like animals?”

Simon kept laughing, but Hugh wasn’t laughing. “Simon, stop it!” he exclaimed. “A new class of bacteria could be there, ‘cause— oh, I am convinced that those things have a new kind of bacteria no one has discovered yet, and— ”

And he went silent when Simon put his hands on his shoulders, still with a smile on his lips.

“What?”

“Hugh, have I ever told you I think you're really sexy when you out crazy me?” Simon asked, running his fingers through his hair.

Hugh stood still, looking directly into his eyes. “No, I think you haven’t.”

Simon shrugged. “Well— I think you're really, really, sexy when you out crazy me.”

“Well, I think… I think—“

Hugh could no longer continue his sentence. Even though Simon wasn't doing anything to stop him from speaking.

He was literally just standing in front of him, one knee leaning on the mattress and one hand on Hugh's head.

“You think?” he asked him. “That’s new.”

“Simon, wait, I'm trying to seduce you,” Hugh said.

Simon took a step back, pointing to the bathroom door. “I think I’d wait over there.”

“No, wait—” he gently grabbed his wrist before he could move further away “—I’m starting to… Let me think of something.”

Simon chuckled. He put his knee on the mattress again and Hugh grabbed him around his waist, pulling him close to him and resting his head on his chest, while Simon rested his chin on his head. He had just taken a bath when they came out of the house, so Hugh’s hair smelled of him and lemon zest because they have been using dish soap as shampoo the last week.

That was the kind of privacy that they sometimes lacked at home. He was no longer talking about sex. Simon craved to have him like this, so close to him. Both in their underwear, both in a practically unknown place, and both completely vulnerable, but together. Feeling at home, even if technically they weren't.

Because Hugh was his home.

He was sure he saw him that way too.

Simon was so focused on trying to capture that moment in his memory so that he could repeat it over and over again for the rest of his life, that he was totally thrown when Hugh blurted out:

“I think you have a nice dick, dude.”

Simon broke the hug ... “What?”

Hugh’s cheeks turned even redder. “Tell me I didn't say that.”

He put a hand up to try to hide his laughter. “No, I think you did.”

He still couldn’t believe that was Hugh’s best try to seduce him. And apparently, Hugh couldn't believe it either.

“Then— forget about it,” he stammered. “Let's all of us forget about it.”

Simon realized that he tried to grab him by the waist again, but he moved away just in time, pretending to be extremely offended. “So I don't have a nice dick.”

“Let's just stop saying the word dick, please.”

“You started it.”

“I PANICKED, ALL RIGHT?”

“PANICKING IS MY JOB!”

“I’M TAKING YOUR JOB THEN. AND I’M GONNA STEAL YOUR BOYFRIEND TOO IF YOU KEEP LAUGHING!”

Simon didn't try to pretend that he wasn't laughing, because he was more than aware that it was already too obvious at this point. 

So he decided it was better to play along.

“No, don't take my boyfriend!” he exclaimed dramatically, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Take me instead.”

Hugh took him by the waist and pulled him close. Simon didn't try to walk away this time. “Deal.”

But when Simon was about to start kissing him, he diverted his attention from Hugh for a split second, making him realize the curtains were wide open. “Oh, shoot, wait— the curtains.”

Luckily he hadn’t taken off his socks yet.

With quick steps, he headed to the window. He put a hand on each curtain and was about to close it completely when the lights of a car approaching from the end of the street caught his attention. It was a yellow sports car that looked more like a ripe banana than a vehicle.

Shit.

It stopped a few feet past the motel they were at. Out of it came a short man, with scars on his face and thin hair, and a tall blonde woman in a yellow dress, very inappropriate for the occasion. Not because it was provocative thought. It’s just that no one would wear such an expensive-looking dress in such a dangerous neighborhood unless they wanted to be robbed.

Or that they had enough status not to be.

Simon turned to see Hugh. “Hey—” Hugh looked up slightly. “—Come here.”

Hugh obeyed, a little bit confused, after putting his socks on (obviously). Simon had closed the curtains just enough for them not to be noticed but also not so much that they couldn’t see what was happening on the street.

Hugh gasped. “Are those—“

Simon swallowed hard. “Cyanide and Queen Bee in person.”

“What are they doing here?” 

Simon had as much an idea of ​​what Queen Bee and Cyanide were doing there as Hugh had, but he responded with the first thing that came to his mind anyway.

“Probably celebrating Valentine's Day,” he replied. “What a shitty place to take your girlfriend during Valentine’s Day though.”

At least take her to a motel. Like I did with Hugh.

“Do you think Queen Bee and Cyanide are together?” Hugh asked Simon.

Simon shrugged. “I don't know, but I know Queen Bee has a thing for Ace Anarchy.”

He had the slight hope that Hugh would take the bait and give him a chance to discuss his theories about Queen Bee's fixation with Ace Anarchy (which he always talked about with Tamaya), but Hugh, despite being very nosy, just kept quiet, watching Queen Bee and Cyanide argue outside the car.

How could that woman walk in such big heels?

“Or maybe Cyanide is the one who has a thing for Ace Anarchy,” Hugh blurted out suddenly.

Simon turned to see him. “Wait, really?”

“Don't be so heteronormative, Simon,” he scolded him. “Plus, I've never been in the cathedral, but I bet that when you enter there, it reeks homosexuality.”

“Dude—”

“I just know.”

And they kept watching. 

There was something very personal about seeing two people arguing from a distance, like old ladies peering out of their home windows whenever the neighbors had a particularly loud fight. Simon almost considered it romantic.

Then, Queen Bee tried to turn around to turn her back on Cyanide, but something went wrong with her heel and she went face first towards the sidewalk, letting out a scream that could make someone think she was being murdered, and causing Cyanide (and the two of them) to laugh out loud.

How could that woman walk with those heels? Well, apparently, she couldn't.

The tension he felt when Cyanide interrupted his laughter and turned around as if he knew someone was watching them, made him remember that they were not gossiping old ladies peeking out of the window of their house and that those two were not some neighbors having a little fight. No, they were Dread Warden and Captain Chromium, stuffed into a hotel room like they were fugitives from the law or something, and those two little people in the middle of the street were two of the most feared and powerful villains in the world.

There was nothing romantic about that.

So Simon immediately closed the curtains. 

But now neither of them was in the mood to have sex anymore, really.

“We should do something.”

“I'm on it.”

Hugh was already crouched slightly by the bedside, pulling his unmistakable superhero suits out of his sports bag.

Simon was so puzzled that he couldn't even stop to enjoy the… image that Hugh was inadvertently giving him by bending down like that.

“Wait, did you actually bring our supersuits to our date?” he asked him.

“Yeah,” he replied without looking up.

Who knows what kind of demon got into Simon at the time, but a not very family-friendly thought crossed his mind, and that thought was the one that made him ask, “Why?”

Hugh, completely unaware of what he was thinking, handed Simon his clothes and dropped the two pairs of boots on the floor as he sat in the bed. 

Only the stars knew how he had managed to fit a blanket, their shoes, and their suits in that sports backpack.

“Because I thought something like this was gonna happen,” he explained while putting on his leggings. “You know, crime doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day the same way we do.”

Oh.

The little not very family-friendly thought hadn't been right then.

Simon felt a bit sick admitting that he wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

“Oh. I thought...”

Hugh looked at him, intrigued, and a second later, he understood what Simon was thinking. “Oh, stars, no. I was not thinking about that.”

“All right then.”

Now it was Hugh's turn to watch him change. Simon knew that was what he was doing.

Because he knew his look better than he knew anyone else's.

When he was fully dressed, Simon reached out to reach for his shoes, and Hugh put his own hand over his', to get his attention.

He already had the mask on, but he could see that he had turned red. If Simon had been white too, he probably would be redder than him. 

He swallowed. “Unless— unless you're into it?”

Simon swallowed too. But he didn’t plan to answer him right now.

It had been hard enough to put on their suits. They didn’t need to start taking them off. 

So he pulled his hand away and started putting on his shoes.

“Hugh, the villains—” he reminded him.

“Right, right.” Hugh brushed off his knees. “The villains. That’s important.”

After making sure the door had the lock on (and that said lock worked), they turned off the lights, Simon turned invisible, and Hugh climbed onto the roof, pushing himself off the window frame as fast as possible so that Queen Bee and Cyanide, who were turning their backs on them, standing in front of the door of an apparently abandoned building as if waiting for someone, did not see him. Afterward, Simon followed him, assuring him that he could climb on his own.

The two remained hiding behind the building's water tank. Well, Hugh was behind the building's water tank, and Simon was in plain sight, invisible, with his hood on and his cape fluttering behind him, making him feel…

He wanted to say that it made him feel heroic, but the truth was that Simon also felt very sexy when he got into this mysterious and threatening mode. 

Simon turned his hand visible and pointed at them as if to say "Are we going or what?"

Hugh turned to see them with a frown, analyzing the situation. But when Simon was about to ask him what they were waiting for, Hugh turned to see him, with the same smile he had on his face when he was about to let the world know the coolest plan of all the plans, completely ignorant that in reality, it was the dumbest thing he had ever came up with.

“Wait, I have an idea.”

And in that situation, Simon had to take the role of being the one to tell him that his idea was bullshit and that it wasn't going to work, but he used to listen to his idea before expressing his comments about it. Not only because he didn't like talking without knowing all the facts first, but because may he could go to Tamaya the next day and tell her what had happened in the last episode of Hugh Had an Idea And It Went Wrong.

(They also enjoy episodes of Evander Acted Like An Animal Again and Queen, Realize That Junkie Doesn’t Care About You, Please.)

“Do you remember that song Evander used to sing to us?” he asked him.

Oh, Simon remembered it and cringed every time he thought about it.

But the cringe wasn't enough to stop him from singing the song.

“The Warden and the Captain are sitting in a tree—”

Hugh cringed too. “That one, yes. Stars, I hate it so much—” and he pointed to Queen Bee and Cyanide “—Let's make them hate it too. ”

Simon seriously tried to take his role as the voice of reason in that situation. He let his imagination (or rather, his anxiety) run wild, making him imagine the thousand and one scenarios in which that specific fight could turn out worse than they usually did if Hugh made that comment. Queen Bee would probably call Hugh a "lesbian" (“You have a lesbian haircut, honeybun, accept it”), Cyanide would go crazy trying to find Dread Warden to melt his skin slowly and painfully, everyone would wish death upon everyone, and the only reason the fight would end would be because either Cyanide would finally manage to injure Simon or because Queen Bee’s stilettos would break.

He didn't see how teasing them with an attack worthy of elementary school kids would make the situation worst.

Besides… it was going to be hilarious to see that.

He didn't see why he couldn't co-star in Hugh Had Idea and It Went Wrong.

“I'm in,” he replied, trying not to raise his voice too much. “I'm super in.”

Hugh rose his hand and Simon high-fived him quietly. But Hugh seized the opportunity to take his hand, running his finger across his knuckles. “Okay, but you sing the spelling part, because—”

“You don't know how to spell,” Simon interrupted.

Hugh let go of his hand. “Well, when you said it in that tone, it sounds a little mean.”

Simon rolled his eyes and took his hand again. Then the logical part of his brain (yes, the same one that always insisted on being the voice of reason in situations like that) began to yell at him that he should convince Hugh to let Cyanide and Queen Bee did whatever they wanted, while the two of them did whatever they wanted.

But that the logical part of him had no voice in that situation because the logical part of his brain was not the part that loved Hugh. After all, there was nothing logical in loving the way he made a kind of mini-horn with both hands, took a deep breath, and yelled with all his might:

 “CYANIDE AND THE QUEEN BEE SITTING IN A TREE—”

Fifth try

Year 20

K-i-s-s-i-n-g.

That was what he wanted to be doing. He wanted to be kissing Simon. He wanted to be with him, walking in the park and watching life go by in front of them. The birds singing from the trees, the children chasing each other, and the wind ruffling their hair. The day was going to be so perfect that he was going to be able to ignore homeless people getting high on corners or young people dealing drugs (that should be) illegal, focusing all his attention on Simon and how happy he felt that this time, everything he was going well.

He didn't want to be crammed into the living room with the rest of his family, listening to the thunder and the rain crashing down on the ceiling.

But apparently, that's what he was doing.

Tamaya was sitting on the floor, covering herself with her wings. Simon had sat on the other end of the three-seater couch, looking out the living room window with a thoughtful expression, worthy of a character in a Shakespearean play or something. Evander was leaning over him and had Kasumi on his lap. She was watching him play (or rather trying to play) a Tetris game that he had on his phone, putting her icy feet on Hugh's arm, probably without realizing it, and Hugh was on the other end of the couch, first starting at Simon, thinking of how handsome he looked when he was thinking, and then at Georgie. She had been smart enough to sit on the reclining sofa, which gave her the space she needed to cuddle with an inconsolable six-year-old Adrian.

“The storm will end soon,” she was telling him. “The storm will end soon.”

But that was not enough to comfort Adrian. His mother had already been telling him for about an hour that “the storm will end soon”, but the storm just ... did not end. And each time they heard a new thunder, Adrian let out a howl and clung to his mother with more force, asking her to please not go away.

Everyone knew that when Adrian asked Georgie not to go away, he was actually asking everyone not to go away. If any of them left the room, he would probably lose his mind.

He felt the urge to tell him that she wasn't going anywhere. That wasn’t very Georgie. Georgie didn't leave people who needed her like that, scared, crying, and begging her to stay. So since Georgie didn't do it, neither did the others.

It is not like they could have gone anywhere though.

Georgie realized that Simon hadn't stopped staring out the window.

“I'm sorry you couldn't do anything special this Valentine’s Day,” she whispered. Simon blinked as if he were waking up from a dream. “What did you have planned for this evening?”

Simon turned to see him, disappointed. Hugh decided to answer for him.

“We were going to have a picnic at the park,” he replied.

Georgie blurted out something that sounded like “Awww”, and Evander scoffed.

“That’s gay.” Hugh put his arm behind Kasumi and smacked Evander on the back of his head. “BRO, YOU LITERALLY MADE LOSE ME.”

Tamaya laughed and Kasumi shook her head. “I want to play too—” she tried to take the cellphone and Evander pressed it closer to his chest “—Vandy.”

Georgie intervened (without letting go of Adrian). “Vandy, give Kasumi the phone. It’s her turn. And then it's mine.”

But Evander didn’t want to. 

“But it only has ten percent of battery left,” he exclaimed.

“Perfect, it's more than enough for Tamaya, Kasumi, Simon, Hugh, and I to get a turn too.”

“Hugh punched me! He does not deserves a turn.”

“I didn't punch him,” Hugh said. “I just hit him very slightly.”

“My brain almost felt out of my head.”

“Do you still have a brain?” Tamaya asked. Hugh high-fived her. “I've been thinking about that joke for weeks, dude.”

“Evander Wade, share the phone,” Georgia said. “I'm no longer asking.”

“No! It's my phone.”

Desperate, Tamaya reached out to take Evander's cell phone, and he stood up so fast that Kasumi ended up falling on Tamaya.

“MOTHERFU—”

A thunder. Again.

Adrian started crying. Again.

And they all went silent. Again.

Hugh took advantage of the fact that Evander got out of the coach to move closer to Simon. Evander didn't say anything to him because he was too busy handing the cell phone to Tamaya, who then gave it to Kasumi. Kasumi refused to sit down with Evander again and stayed on the floor with Tamaya (although resting her head on his knees, as if they were a pillow).

Simon rested his head on Hugh's shoulder.

“Next year will be better,” he whispered in his ear. Simon didn't answer him; he only put his hand on the window, leaving the trace of his fingers on it. “Are you all right?”

Simon put his hand on Hugh’s waist and pulled him closer to him, closing his eyes for a while. “I'm tired…”

“Rest then.”

After all…

Hugh was tried too. 

There had never been a day when they didn't have to face a new threat. It seemed that the Anarchists, instead of getting weaker, were getting stronger. Even with the many new allies the Renegades had, no one seemed to have a second of the day to rest. Adrian got more and more nervous when they went out as days passed by, and it was becoming more difficult to calm down him during his tantrums. Even he, who was a child, could feel the tension in the city.

But precisely because of that, because he was a child, he could not understand the enormous responsibility that the Renegades had on his shoulders and that they could not stay with him, no matter how much they wanted to.

Maybe that was why no one had tried to leave the room. It was their way of telling Adrian that they were still there for him.

He was about to fall asleep when Simon pulled him away. His first instinct was to pull him closer, but as soon as he realized that Simon was just standing up, he let go of him.

Suddenly, he looked happier. Much happier than anyone else in that room.

Everyone noticed that change.

“Are you still too tired to celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

Even Hugh didn't understand what he meant.

Evander turned to see Georgie. “Georgie, you told them no hanky-panky in the house.”

“Vandy—” Kasumi intervened.

“Zoomie.”

“Don't say hanky-panky.”

“Yeah, you sound like a grandma,” Tamaya told him slightly punching him on the leg.

Hugh shushed them. “Shhh, guys, let Si talk.”

“No, go on, guys—” Simon told them “—Let us show you.”

And he held out his hand.

Obviously, Hugh accepted it.

He had no idea what Simon was planning to do, but he wasn't too tired not to celebrate Valentine's.

He was never too tired of him.

Adrian immediately reacted to this. “Hey, no, don't go...” he cried, stretching his little arms towards them.

Luckily, Simon looked like he already had that covered.

“We're not going anywhere, Adrian,” Simon assured him. “You are coming with us.”

Adrian and Georgie's eyes widened at the same time. 

“Me?” Adrian asked pointing to himself.

“You,” Simon replied, confidently. “But it's a very special mission,” he added in a lower voice, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You can't tell anyone.”

Adrian rubbed his eyes and Georgie looked up at the ceiling as if she were making sure a new leak hadn't magically appeared. Tamaya, on the contrary, didn't understand, and she stared at the scene, very intrigued by Simon's plan too. Luckily, Georgie noticed it, and with a frantic movement of her hand, told her to stop staring. Hugh made the same move, but this time, directed at Kasumi and Evander.

When Adrian opened his eyes again, everyone but the two of them was pretending they weren't listening to the conversation.

“What mission is it?” Adrian asked in a thin voice.

“Look, we can't go out to celebrate Valentine's Day,” Simon explained, “but what we can do is bring Valentine's Day here with us.”

Adrian looked puzzled.

“Hey, but you're going to need a superhero name to be able to participate in the mission,” Hugh commented, trying to get Adrian more interested. “Do you have any ideas?”

Simon scratched his beard, thinking. “Hmm, very good question, my dear Captain,” he commented. “Maybe—”

“Oh, I know what superhero name I'll have,” Adrian exclaimed, grabbing Simon by the cheeks. “Hey, your beard feels funny.”

Simon grabbed him by the cheeks too. “What’s your superhero name, then?”

Adrian whispered it in his ear and Simon's face lit up. “It's a perfect name, Adrian.”

Adrian shushed him. “Shh, don't say my real name! I have to use my superhero name, remember? It's a mission.”

Evander scoffed again and Kasumi shushed him immediately. 

“And can he tell me your superhero name?” Hugh asked Adrian. 

Adrian stopped to think about it. “Yes, why not?” he finally replied.

Then, Simon stood slightly on tiptoe to reach him and whispered in his ear the most perfect superhero name he had ever heard.

Sketch.

Hugh took Adrian by surprise when he graved him and carried him in his arms, making him gasp in shock and excitement. Even Georgie started to laugh out loud at her son's reaction.

“Ready for the mission, Sketch?” he asked him making his voice lower than it actually was.

Adrian gave a military salute. “I was born ready, Captain!” he exclaimed, moving his feet in the air.

Georgie stood up too. “Where you taking my son, guys?” she asked dramatically.

Hugh placed Adrian on his shoulders.

“Don’t worry, mom,” Adrian told her, “I’ll be fine. I need to accomplish this mission.”

Georgie pretended to start sobbing. “No, but you don't have to, son of mine, you're too young!”

“Listen to your mother, kid,” Tamaya intervened. “Stay with us, stay safe with your family—“ and she passed her wings over Kasumi's shoulders.

“Tamaya has two wings,” Kasumi pointed out. “And they're warm.”

“Really?” Evander asked.

But Tamaya’s face changed immediately. “It's not for you, it's for Adrian.”

“GO WITH THEM, LITTLE SKETCH, GO!” Evander yelled standing up on the sofa. “GO SAVE VALENTINE’S DAY!”

That was enough for Adrian. He kissed his mother on the cheek and told her that he would be back soon. Then the three of them began their journey to the kitchen while the others stayed in the living room.

Simon pulled out a bag of bread from the refrigerator and asked Hugh to pass him the peanut and hazelnut butter jars from the cupboard. Adrian took it upon himself to count the remaining loaves of bread and separate them into pairs, spreading them on the table. Simon encouraged him to count how many pairs there were and Hugh had no problem helping him when he got stuck at number five. Then Simon toasted them on the stove, and he allowed Adrian to pile them up like a tower on a red ceramic plate.

When it was time to make the sandwiches, Simon and Hugh sat at different ends of the table, each holding a butter knife. Simon would spread peanut butter on one of the loaves, Hugh would spread hazelnut on the other, and Adrian would gather them together and wrap them the best he could in a napkin, before putting them in a makeshift basket that Kasumi had made long ago.

“Mommy, no!” yelled Adrian when Georgie dared to enter the kitchen. “It's a secret mission!”

“Don’t worry, don’t mind me,” she told them pretending not to notice what they were doing. “I'm just gonna prepare myself some strawberry milk.”

As soon as Adrian looked away, Georgie winked at Hugh. And Hugh winked back.

“I think we're done with this mission now,” he replied using that ridiculously deep voice again. “You have to break the news to the rest of the team, Sketch.”

Adrian jumped out of his chair and practically ran into the living room, holding the basket with sandwiches in his hand.

The three of them had been so into their mission, they didn't realize that the others had put several blankets on the floor and Tamaya was cursing under her breath for being unable to use a lighter to turn on the candles. Kasumi approached Adrian, with a VHS in each of her hands, asking him which movie he would like to see, and Evander came over too, but to try and tell Adrian to pick the action movie, not the romance movie the girls wanted to see.

Simon seemed like he wanted to join the conversation too, but Hugh thought he had done enough. And he meant it in a good way. So he took him by the hand and they lied down on the couch, not caring that perhaps one of the others wanted to sit on it.

Adrian had already chosen the movie (he chose the period drama over the action movie, thankfully) when Georgie walked into the living room with a stack of plastic cups under her arm and a jug half full of strawberry milk, carrying it as it were a trophy. During her birthday, everyone in the house had raised money to buy her a huge pot of strawberry milk powder, which they made her promise that she would not share.

Some promises could not be kept.

The adults got two sandwiches each, but Adrian had practically all of the strawberry milk. Throughout the movie, Kasumi was sighing and muttering how much she wanted to wear a dress like the one the main character wore in the movie during that elegant dinner. From to time, Tamaya frowned and muttered something about how problematic she found a line or scene. Georgie braided their hair and when she finished, she would undo the braid and start over, laughing out loud at Evander's comments about how horrible the romantic interest looked and that he did not understand how that was the ideal of beauty that women had. Adrian fell asleep in Simon's arms about halfway through, and about that exact time, Hugh began to notice that Simon was starting to have a hard time trying to stay awake.

He looked adorable when he was thinking, but he liked it even more how he looked when he was falling asleep.

He kissed the back of his head. “Are you tired?”

He nodded slightly. “Yes… but never of you.”

Hugh kissed him again. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“What thing?”

Georgie turned around for a second and realized that Adrian had fallen asleep. She stopped braiding Evander’s short hair (for some reason, Evander had let her braid his hair) and sat on the recliner chair, hugging Adrian like a stuffed animal.

She winked at him once more. And Hugh winked back, one more time.

“Nothing— ” he laid himself more comfortably on the couch and allowed Simon to get on top of him, resting his head on his chest. “—Sleep for a while.”

Simon made no further objection. “You too.”

Hugh did not fall asleep. In fact, he stayed awake for the three hours the movie lasted, even though by the time the credits started, Tamaya was snoring and Kasumi and Evander were under her wings, rolled up, and cuddled up to her. Georgie ended up falling asleep on the couch, covered in the same blanket Simon used to cover himself a few hours ago.

When the clock told him it was 7 PM, Hugh knew it was time for them to go patrol. However, the rain had gotten even worse, and Simon...

Simon looked so peaceful.

He hadn't realized how deep the bags under his eyes had gotten, nor that his face hadn't looked as relaxed as it looked right now for weeks, because he frowned most of the time. He hadn't held him that close either or had the opportunity to give him as many kisses as he had been doing in that time. Not because he didn't want to, it was just ... well, they had been busy trying not to die.

How tiring it was to try not to die.

He knew Simon was tired because, again, he was tired too, and he bet that the rest of their family felt the same as them. But Simon was the only one who had overcome his tiredness and his moodiness to just... make them forget their sorrows for a moment. 

He was like that.

Hugh gave him one more kiss on the cheek.

Thank you. 

If Simon had been awake, he would have asked him "Thanks for what?"

And Hugh would have answered him, "For just being you."

Someday they would get their happy ending. But for the moment, all he wanted was to be crammed into the living room with the rest of his family, listening to the thunder and the rain crashing down on the ceiling.

He doubted that happiness would ever end.

Sixth (but not last) try

Two years after the Day of Triumph.

Just over a year ago, Simon had been on the roof of the same building he was currently in. Of course, it looked very different from how it looked now. It didn’t have any windows, no furniture, and, obviously, no electricity. It was the vile shell of what had once been one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the city. Simon was thinking about that when he realized that he did not have a single memory of having seen that place when it was in its maximum splendor and that the only proof he had of it was the stories of those adults who arrived before him.

That sooner or later, he would become one of those adults. Those who told stories of the past to the generations that came after them.

He thought of Adrian. He thought that there would come a time when he would be curious to know certain things that happened and would ask questions that Simon would not be too sure how to answer. Not precisely because he didn't want to or because he thought he wasn't ready to hear the truth; he just didn’t know those truths at all. 

Why did people change for the worst? How did the world use to be when prodigies weren’t divided by heroes or villains?

What happened to Lady Indomitable?

How did the world use to be before she was gone?

Then Simon, with tears in his eyes, looked up at the crescent moon and the six stars lined up in such a way that they seemed to form a smile. He hadn’t seen anyone in his family smile for… a very long time. 

Because when Georgia Rawles left, she took with her their capacity to smile. 

Yet, at that moment, Simon could feel her. He could feel her when he was crying, asking her to please fly again and to help him get down from that skyscraper. He felt her hugging him, keeping him from falling to his knees and cutting his skin with the shattered glass that was on the floor. She promised him that she would never give up on him and assured him that every time he saw the sky, he would find those six stars forming that smile, which from that moment on, would be hers. 

Simon didn't want her to make promises, but… it was Georgie. His Georgie. The Georgie who made pinky promises even though she was about to turn thirty because you were never too old for pinky promises. The Georgie who always protected him and never gave up on him, even though there were times when Simon thought she should.

So since she was his Georgie, Simon accepted the promise. As she turned around and rose again to the sky, he wondered what would happen when the city was so full of light, that the stars (Georgie’s smile) faded away and everyone, including them, forgot about them (about her). 

But, after all this time, Simon was looking at the stars, on the roof of that same skyscraper that had now been turned into a fancy restaurant, holding Hugh's hand across the table, and noticing that Georgie was still smiling at him from above.

As it always should be.

“Did you ever expect things to turn out like this when you were little?”

He turned to see Hugh again. “What things?”

But Hugh kept staring at the stars. Simon didn't care. He liked to think that the sparkle in his blue eyes was due to them. “Us.”

Simon shook his head, “No,” he answered when he remembered Hugh couldn’t look at him. “Did you?”

Finally, Hugh saw him again. “I think that when I was little, I didn’t know one could be as happy as I am with you right now.”

Simon rolled his eyes. 

“I'm serious,” Hugh insisted, taking him just a little tighter by the hand. “I'm so glad we finally made it out.”

Simon leaned forward slightly. “We really did, huh?”

Then, Hugh gently pulled him closer to him, making their foreheads bump and closing his eyes. “And I'm so glad that now, nothing bad is gonna happen to you, to us, and to what we have.”

Simon closed his eyes too. He would have liked to promise Hugh that it would be like that. That this new chapter of their lives, the chapter of getting married, having kids, and rebuilding a city together, was would turn out as well as the last one, when they fought crime, defeated the bad guys, and held hands only when they were not wearing the armors that protected them from the outside world. 

But he could not promise that. And anyways, Hugh was not very fond of promises. He said they were very easy to break.

So he grabbed his chin and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before saying, “It's getting late. We should ask for the check.”

Hugh nodded and called a waiter. He noticed that Simon was reaching into his pocket and quickly told him not to do it, that he got it. Simon knew there was nothing he could do to make him change his mind, so he instead just asked if he could get a slice of chocolate cake to go. Adrian would love to have chocolate cake for breakfast.  

The waiter returned a few moments later with the bill (and Adrian’s chocolate cake). Simon almost winced when he saw the amount of money they had spent on a meal that hadn’t been that good in the first place (although he did not know if it was because of the lack of ingredients or because gourmet food kind of sucked). However, Hugh didn't seem at all concerned and reached into his pockets to get his wallet.

Suddenly, he leaned his elbows on the table. “Simon.” 

Simon leaned his elbows on the table too. “Yes?”

“Have I mentioned you look very handsome tonight?”

He tried to remember. “No,” he replied. “But thank you for noticing. I even took a shower.”

“Wow,” Hugh exclaimed with too much enthusiasm. “Feeling fancy today.”

“I do feel fancy today,” Simon replied, adjusting the jacket he had put on over his pink button-up shirt at the last moment because Hugh had told him that the restaurant had a pretty rigid dress code.

Simon almost didn’t put on the jacket out of pure spite. In fact, he spent all the way ranting about how it was stupid to have such a specific dress code in a place like Gatlon City, and that he bet that the owners of that restaurant, who now were acting like total snobs, had spent most of their lives wearing only a t-shirt and old jeans, like the rest of them.

Hugh, who had been wearing the jacket from the beginning (a blue one), was quiet, listening carefully to what Simon was saying until he blurted out:

“We can do something else if you want to.”

He didn't say it in an “I’m hurt by your comment” tone. Instead, he said it the same way he would tell him that they could watch another movie or that they could get take out instead of cooking dinner. He said it as if the reservation he made was not at stake, or as if he hadn’t been sending him hints of wanting to go to that specific restaurant since New Year.

Simon knew that if he had said yes, Hugh would have taken him wherever he wanted. However, Simon also knew that it didn't matter where they went. They had spent Valentine's in an alley, at a fair, fighting villains, and in a house too small for seven people. And in all those places, he had a great time.

Surely that place was… snobbish, but he could have a great time there too.

After all, they were together. 

He was sure Hugh knew that too. 

Hugh nodded, agreeing with him. He hardly ever agreed with someone other than himself anymore.

“Is this your strange way of making me say you look good too?” he asked him then.

And Hugh’s smile grew bigger. “Simon Westwood, you are the love of my life,” he replied taking his hand, “and this is my strange way of telling you I forgot my wallet at home.”

Simon laughed so loudly that the other customers turned to see him. But he couldn't care less. He kind of wanted them to saw them. He wanted them to notice how much he was laughing and he wanted them to see him kiss Hugh as he reached for his pockets…

Oh, no.

“Hugh.”

He tensed. “Yes, dear husband of mine who’s going to pay for this dinner?”

“You look good too.”

That was enough for Hugh to realize that Simon had also left his wallet at the house.

The two remained serious for a long time. But then, Simon could see how Hugh's brain clicked in a very strange way, which made him see this whole situation as the funniest thing that had ever happen to him.

He kissed him once more.

They always managed to ruin their Valentine's Days one way or another, but it didn't matter. Because there was no way they could ruin what the two of them had.

Boy, he would like to see someone try.

[atomic-thomas]

Fake ASMR Script Commission (Giant Transfer Student Attends Your School)

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

Teacher: "Good Morning, everyone. Welcome back to the class of weather magic. Today, we'll be doing something a little different. In fact, it's actually very different. As you're probably already aware, this school has been recieving a wave of new students recently. Now of course just like you, they're all among a variety of different races. However today, our class in particular will be taking in a student who uniquely sets herself apart from everyone else. There's quite literally no one else like her in this entire school. In fact, she's so different that the faculty & staff had to expand & adjust the property just to accommodate her. I assume you most likely took notice of these changes on the way in. Now then... Please follow me outside & take your supplies with you. I know that sounds strange, but I'll explain once we're there."

"..."

Teacher: "Alright, here we are. The open sky will make teaching weather magic much more hands-on. This works out perfectly. So... The name of this student is-..."

*Rumble*

Teacher: "Oh... That must be-... Ah-... Everyone please calm down. That's not an earthquake."

*Rumble*

Teacher: "No, earthquakes don't count as weather. I assure you everything is fine. Please just-..."

*Rumble*

Teacher: "Ahh, there she is."

*STOMP*

Zeluna the Giantess: "Hi! Sorry I'm late. I hope I didn't scare you all. Ahaha... So, um... My name is Zeluna. And, uh... As you can clearly see... I'm a giantess. A hundred feet tall at that. I come from a family of giants far north from here. And as a giant, I am naturally able to use size magic. May I demonstrate?"

Teacher: "Of course. Here. Use this apple. Catch!"

Zeluna: "Thank You! As you can see, this apple is incredibly tiny compared to me. It's not even capable of being a light snack. But if I use my powers..."

*Sparkling Sound Effect*

Zeluna: "Tada! The apple is now gigantic. This ability really comes in handy when I'm out of my environment. Now of course, that's not all I can do. My Soul of Magic is... Life. I can plant flowers, purify water, grow trees & vegetation at will... But most importantly, if I were to hold any of you in the palm of my hand, any wounds or injuries you may have would be healed. I promise I'm as gentle & careful as can be."

Teacher: "Thank You very much, Zeluna. That was a great introduction. Now then... Tell us why you attended this class. Why do you want to know how to control the weather?"

Zeluna: "Well... I enjoy helping people out. And since I possess the power of life magic, I want to be able to prevent natural disasters. I'm not a necromancer so I can't revive the dead. And I really don't like seeing people get hurt... Or worse. So if I can learn to prevent the suffering that's caused by severe weather then... That would fulfill me."

Teacher: "That's very admirable, Zeluna. A selfless giant, you are. So much power yet so much good will to use it on. I'm confident that you'll go far in this course. And I'm certain that the other students will get used to you in no time."

"..."

*Later that day... Outside...*

"..."

Bully: "Hey loser! Hehehe... Thought you'd gotten rid of me, huh? Well I'm afraid not."

"..."

Bully: "Oooh, silent treatment, eh? Think if you just ignore me, I'll stop existing? Tough luck, buddy."

*SLAM*

Bully: "There. Now I have your attention. Tell you what though... I'm in a good mood today so I'll let you go on an easy condition. Just gimme your lunch money so I can hog extra. Better spent on me than you."

"..."

Bully: "Are you deaf? Did you not hear what I just said? Have you forgotten that I'm a pyromancer? Do you really wanna get toasted that badly?"

"..."

Bully: "Alright. Fine then. Be that way. But if I'm gonna let you go, I have to get something out of you today. Tell me... Are you crushing on anyone right now? After seeing how much of a clown you became since your last crush rejected you, I could do with reliving that comedy."

"..."

Bully: "No... No way... You're joking, right? Seriously? Have you lost your damn mind? You're in love with Zeluna of all people? The new girl whose as tall as a city building? What the Hell is wrong with you?! Do you even realize just how far out of your league she is? She's out of everyone's league! Even mine!"

"..."

Bully: "Read my lips, twerp. You are a Ritz Cracker to her. She could crush you like a grape. What makes you think that you could possibly-..."

*Rumble*

Bully: "Uh Oh..."

*Rumble, Rumble...*

Bully: "Oh No..."

*Rumble, Rumble, QUAKE!*

Bully: "A-Ah... H-Hey Zeluna! Lovely weather we're having, isn't it? Hehe... Eh, get it? Because you're-... AAH! Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go! Put me down this instant! Where are you putting-MMMPH!"

Zeluna: "Sigh... There we go. Tucked away in my pocket. I'll deal with her later. Anyway... Are you okay down there? She had you pinned pretty hard."

"..."

Zeluna: "Oh! Sure. I'll pick you up. Here. I'll just gently hold you &... There. Let the vitality flow through you. Wow, you look really excited. First time being held in the hands of a giant girl, huh?"

"..."

Zeluna: "Oh jeez... Everyone is staring at me. I guess it can't be helped. When you're as big as me, it's expected that you'll become the center of attention. I can't even fit inside the school. I'm just glad weather magic class takes place outside. It'd be really weird & creepy if I had to sit down next to an open window & stare into the classroom with my massive eyeballs. Haha! God, that'd be so freaky."

"..."

Zeluna: "Oh? You wanna tell me something? Sure. Go ahead. I'm all ears."

"..."

Zeluna: "You really like me, huh? You mean... In that way? Why exactly?"

"..."

Zeluna: "You think I'm sweet, caring & beautiful? Aww... That's... That's so nice. That's really nice."

"..."

Zeluna: "A... A date? Really? Wow, I... I wasn't expecting you to be so bold. I didn't think anyone would be brave enough to ask me out. I thought I was too intimidating to approach. But that's super cool! Yeah, we can try dating. I mean... Why not, right? Oh wow. You really are excited about this. Are you sure you don't just have a thing for giants?"

"..."

Zeluna: "Oh I'm just playing with you, silly. Hmmm... Now let's see... How about you meet me out here once school is done for the day & we'll take it from there. Sound good?"

"..."

Zeluna: "Great! I'm really looking forward to it. For now though, I have to relocate this mean girl in my pocket."

[THE END]

[saladejin]

Call An Uber? | 02

BTS x Reader | idolverse au, uber driver!Reader, translator!Reader |  Fluff, flirting, super slow burn, angst and hurt/comfort, mature themes and eventual smut 

Summary:  Your normal life with a normal, yet inconsistent job gets drastically changed when your dreams come true. Sounds boring right?

What happens when all of this occurs, but you’re still doing something you love AND getting a large sum for it? Now there’s something to think about, and it’s definitely not what you’re thinking.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.4k

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Bold = English

       "You make it sound like we're gonna die." 

"Yeah well you will, if you don't move your ass." I swung open my door, tugging the mask higher on my face and swishing my (h/c) hair around to cover the rest partially. 

Hopefully any lurking cameras wouldn't sneak a peek of my flustered appearance, because that would be embarrassing in itself. I had worn only the lightest makeup possible today. Of course I didn't want to look like a troll in front of my customers, but now that I was breathing right next to two perfect, ethereal human beings, I suddenly wished I’d made a better effort to impress. 

"Quick!" Jimin's abrupt gasp snapped me out of my thoughtless gazing, and I turned around to see Jungkook walking towards me swiftly. Jimin was already heading inside, but had thrown a worried glance back in my direction when he saw my frozen form on the pavement. I instantly started at the sudden pressure on my lower back and jumped forward when Jungkook's large hand pressed me in that direction. 

"Sorry, but you probably shouldn't touch me if people can see," I murmured and led the way through the sliding doors into the cooled administration room.

Jungkook's tentative hand jerked away as if he had touched a burning hot iron.

The weather had been quite warm outside, but I hadn't taken too much notice because of the exceptional air conditioning of my car. I whipped my head around one last time to blow a tiny kiss to my precious baby parked outside, as it was still new and had already been through an exciting car-chase of sorts. Even copping a harsh slap to the ass in the process. 

I'll be back soon Red. 

I turned back around to see the cheeky maknae giving me an incredulous look with one eyebrow raised. 

"Don't judge me, it's new." 

When Namjoon came to fetch his two younger members, he was definitely far from pleased. As soon as he entered the room all three of us were sitting in, he gave me a quick glance up and down with his expression hardening the closer he looked. Despite his misgivings, the tall man still managed to flash me a strained smile while he dipped his head in a sign of respect. He was truly a kind soul, and I knew he’d probably need to make an initial judgement based off this first look.

The professional demeanour continued as his careful eyes flickered to Jimin and Jungkook. He had already gone through the initial apologies and displays of gratitude as soon as he bowed, but now his expression was disappointed as he beckoned the other two members in the room.

"You two come with me." 

Damn, his leader voice was definitely no joke! I felt myself squirm in my seat, probably from the uncomfortable tension suddenly flooding the room. Namjoon looked as good as ever, silvery grey hair styled in a way that just made me speechless, but his usually calm and thoughtful expression was tired and stressed. 

Poor guy, he must have torn his hair out over this. I hope he doesn't think I'm insane or something.

I knew there was absolutely no way he would trust me completely on the first meeting, but seeing as though his fellow band members had mentioned their situation and fortunate escapade, his gaze seemed softer than it could've been.

Thinking about what could've gone wrong made me shudder, and I pushed the thoughts away as the two boys I had shared a car with for the past half an hour jumped to their feet. I was sad, but I mean who wouldn't be? I had fangirled over them so many times and once I’d actually met them, it seemed quite literally too good to be true.

I knew they couldn't stay though, and when it came down to it, I was most likely viewed as just another fan. Just another fan that they had happened to meet coincidentally, but still nothing too estranged from a fan meeting event where girls from various backgrounds would provide them with gifts and words of encouragement. 

Why would I expect anything different from this? 

I forced down the bile rising in my throat and avoided making eye contact with any of the boys, as I couldn't bear to watch them go. Slipping through my fingers, kind of like the moment you begin to wake up from a dream you longed to replay over and over.

The realisation that they’d halted in their movements took me way too long, but as I snapped up to meet Jungkook's conflicted expression, I suddenly gasped. "Oh, sorry!" 

I tugged off the mask he had graciously lent me and held it out with a shaky hand in the younger boy's direction. His eyes flashed with recognition and even surprise, much to my own confusion. 

"Oh, that...I won't mind if you keep it, I have plenty of others." 

I let out a sharp breath and smiled forlornly. "Creepy, you're giving me your clothes now?"

I laughed softly when he rolled his eyes and dismissed me with a joking wave of his hand, bunny smile flashing. Jimin also couldn't help but grin at the maknae's chivalrous attempt and how it had completely backfired.

Someone cleared their throat deeply and I met the pointed look of Namjoon once more, even though his gaze had settled the tiniest bit at seeing his fellow members act comfortably. 

"(Y/n)-ssi, is it?" 

"Yes, I'm sorry to make you wait so long Kim Namjoon-ssi. You must have been worried sick." I struggled to be as respectful as I could, my eyebrows knitting together in concentration as I spoke. Did I even use the correct honorific? Maybe I should have used something higher because he's the leader of the group. Ah, I don't know! 

A chuckle broke me from the horrifying contemplation, and I flinched slightly as Jimin bent down to enter my line of vision. "Don't worry too hard about all the honorific stuff, Namjoonie-hyung will understand." 

I nodded with a cringe alighting my features, annoyed at my own obvious floundering with their language. I had been in the country for a couple of months, so why couldn't I just get my act together and converse properly? 

"Do...you speak English at all?" Namjoon ventured with a smile that made his dimples pop adorably. I let out a big sigh and ran a hand through my windblown hair while nodding. 

"Yep, I'm from (Y/c). But I do understand Korean fairly well, it's just the honorifics and technicalities that trip me up a bit." 

Jimin and Jungkook groan simultaneously at the revelation that I was fluent in the language they practiced the most, and I couldn't help but smirk. They must have had some suspicion, as I did't exactly look Korean anyway, but there was always the notion that I could have been born to foreign parents and grown up here. 

"I never would have known! Your Korean is still great," Jimin whined lowly and I couldn't help but laugh, the look in my eyes eventually shifting to one of apology. 

"That's fine, it's alright to just use 'ssi' anyway," Namjoon nodded and I relaxed my shoulders in relief. The switch back to Korean was somewhat jarring, but it was only fair that everyone in the room should understand the gist of the conversation. 

"But hyung, she told us she doesn't mind if you don't use them for her," Jungkook was next to pipe up, and I was surprised he even remembered such a thing at this point in time. I just smiled and shook my head in response. 

"I don't mind either way. I'm not fussed at all." 

"Yes, well we should be going anyway." Namjoon cut off the conversation and glanced at his watch, looking back around at everyone in the room. 

"Thankyou (Y/n)-ssi for taking care of our members, something like this shouldn't happen again." 

At the sound of their leader's stern voice, the boys both hung their heads slightly, and I knew that even though the situation had worked out for the best, it definitely was not ideal for this kind of thing to happen when their careers could be put on the line. 

"It's alright, Jungkook's mask is the only thanks I need," I decided to joke so that I can see the younger boys smile again, and I was rewarded with the most beautiful pearly white grins yet. Namjoon chuckled and motioned with one hand for the boys to leave the room before him.

Jungkook turned and threw a small wave and bow in my direction. I returned them, and he finally exited the room with a hefty sigh to let out all of his pent-up stress. Jimin followed with the same gestures and I responded with a faintly sorrowful smile. Ah, what I wouldn’t give to just spend a whole day with them. I was then ultimately left alone with the leader of BTS. To say I wasn’t a tad intimidated would be a lie. 

"Once again, you have truly done us a service. We are glad to have a fan such as yourself supporting us,” Namjoon spoke after a few seconds of silent tension.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much you guys have helped me already, so please don't feel as though you owe me anything," I quietly respond and watch as his eyes cloud with admiration and respect suddenly.

Maybe he regretted acting so robotic and cold when he came in, but he was the leader and professionalism mattered so much when you were faced with a situation that called for big demonstrations of leadership. Namjoon smiled and bowed again, reaching out to shake my hand kindly before leaving the room to join the others. I knew all that was left was meeting the CEO of Bighit Entertainment. 

Yeah, because that's something to just brush over. 

God, so much was happening to me today. How could I possibly go back to streaming endless amounts of videos and fangirling over pictures when I had actually spoken with three members of the band itself? I forced down the niggling thoughts of 'that's only three out of seven' and grunted apprehensively. 

You're lucky enough as it is, don't be greedy. 

The thing is, nothing about my long-distance relationship with the boys was normal anymore, and I wondered if the girls who attended fan-meetings felt exactly the same way. The fact that they were just normal guys with normal thoughts had always crossed my mind when I watched them through the screen, but seeing it in action proved to be disarming at the very least. 

Stupid world-famous idols, don't play with my heart like this.

The meeting and disclaimer signage with Bang PD went well in the end, and I was consistently surprised at how kind-hearted and open he was with everything that had gone down. All the staff I had encountered were nothing short of accommodating, and they were continuously apologising for the mess caused. Even though I had told them many times it was truly a blessing in disguise, they remained insistent on the matter.

"Please, I want you to take this as a token of our gratitude." Bang PD smiled warmly in my direction, and before I could refuse he held out a slip of paper. It was a cheque, and my eyes blew wide when my eyes scanned the tiny bold numbers printed neatly on the surface.

"Please, I can't accept this, I already got paid for my service."

Before the short man could shake his head and insist further, a light knock sounded on the frosted glass pane of the office door before opening. In stepped a young woman who bowed repeatedly for her intrusion, her short night black hair bobbing up and down along with her.

"I'm terribly sorry Bang PD-nim, but the donor from Chile has arrived back at the office ahead of schedule."

The founder of Bighit nodded in understanding, clearing his throat to speed up whatever process was happening. He turned back to me with a reassuring glance and I took a deep breath, fully understanding I wasn't really able to refuse his generous offer.

"Right, well thank you once again for your service, I have other things to attend to it seems. It was lovely to meet you."

The cheque still scorching hot in my left hand not going unnoticed, I forced myself to return his smile with a gulp. He gestured softly for the door and followed me out. The young woman looked quite flustered as she shifted from foot to foot just outside the bleak office entryway.

The building's interior was very modern and clean-cut, and I knew it was probably very, very different from the actual Bighit Entertainment building itself. Seeing as it was meant for living arrangements and not vital meetings such as the one mentioned earlier.

I exchanged formalities with Mr.Bang once more before I turned towards the exit of the dormitory building, my big and exciting day coming to a close just like that.

"I'm sorry, but it seems our Spanish interpreter has called in absent today. I've just been informed that the donor came without one," the hushed whisper from the woman reached my ears as I took a couple of steps towards the large glass doors. I heard a sharp click of a tongue and a deep, masculine sigh from behind me. 

"Well what are we going to do? I don't know enough Spanish for an entire face-to-face meeting like this."

"Does anyone else in the company?" The woman's voice was growing frantic, as she was apparently about to drown in her sudden bout of panic.

Bang PD's tone was irritated. "Why the hell was this not scheduled better?"

I honestly could not blame him. What kind of interpreter would just call in absent on such an important event? Even if the sickness was life-threatening, there were ways to notify and organise something to compensate for it, or give some warning to reschedule.

A small smile stretched my lips as I twirled around on one of my heels happily, once again facing the distraught looking woman and CEO who were deep in hurried conversation.

"If I mentioned that I was fluent in Spanish, would that help?"

             Copyright © 2020 by salade. All rights reserved.   

[r00en]

Still Good

I decided to post this here too since I’m brand new to AO3 and writting outside of RP so please forgive my garbage! I just have a lot of feelings for All Might and I’m locked up during this crazy time with nothing else to do so! This is super long I’m so sorry! If you like soft nervous Toshi then you might like this? I HC him as having zero understanding of personal feelings beyond friendship so when his heart goes Doki Doki for a stranger he panics. 

Chapters 1 & 2 

One brief conversation with UA's new assistant Nurse makes Toshinori question the dark path he's set himself on and reminds him that there can be more than one reason to keep going. Even if that reason is just the chance to walk her home.

(No warnings yet....I plan on slow burning this thing a little bit...tiny bit. Maybe chapter 4....if I can make it fit right.)

All Might / Reader (OC) 

It was that twisting pain again that forced Toshi slowly to his feet. That deep itching pain that started where his stomach should have been and spread over his left side like a wave ready to crash. He would normally ignore it for as long as possible. Stall and grip the nearest object with such force he could hear the poor thing giving way under his fingertips. But he was at UA now to gather his hire date paperwork, tour the grounds and have one last conversation with Nezu and the other faculty he would be working closely with before he started his new position. Breaking school property before he even started wasn't an option. Perhaps it was the stress and anxiety of this new start and task he put before himself. No. Explaining his injury, loss of powers and decline was surely causing this bubble of hate to slowly morph into all too real pain that now gripped him like a vice and refused to let go. So he staggered forward trying to recall the directions everyone had repeated time and time again to him today. Directions to the nurses station. Recovery girl was already well aware of his condition and surely had some of his much needed prescriptions or at the very least heavy duty pain meds to get him through the train ride home.

"Sorry for the interruption Recovery Girl..." He muttered, catching a wet cough with his hand and hoping the blood wouldn't spill between his fingers. "I was hoping to put off my visits here until at least my true start date but-" As Toshi opened his's eyes he was stunned to see not the tiny head nurse of UA sitting in her normal chair but a concerned stranger, eyes wide with worry as she took in his hunched and pained posture. "Ah! My apologies!" His hands waved frantically in front of his thin frame trying to wipe that look off her face if possible. Act bouncy, not sick. Happy, excited, normal! "Recovery Girl! I mean I'm looking for- she's an old friend you see and I thought I would say hello before I left is she..." He scanned the clean white office for the tiny support hero. Anything to stop the eye contact with this stranger.

"Ah...Grandmother?" Her voice was so soft, confused and not at all professional.

Toshi winced scratching the back of his neck to busy his hands. "I-I'm not-"

"I see the two of you have already met."

A sharp pain shot through Toshi's ankle and forced him to jump inside the office, just able to catch himself on a near by night stand. His eyes finally found the tiny nurse as she grinned up at him, well aware of his utter embarrassment and confusion as she pulled her cane away from where his skinny leg just was. "My my so jumpy today. Nerves from the new job?" She teased, the click of her cane echoing over the otherwise silent room. Seeing as neither her nor the mystery woman were willing to break that silence she continued. "As I was saying, this is my granddaughter! She will be starting here as my assistant and training to take over my work here as head nurse some day. The two of you will be starting this journey together so it's best you start out on the right foot." her words sounded more like a demand than a suggestion, and it caused Toshi to sand up straighter, wiping the back of his sleeve over his mouth just in case he missed any blood.

Likewise the young woman seemed to jump up from her seat. "O-Oh yes! It's a pleasure to meet you! Grandmother has told me great things!" Her bow was sloppy and awkward, like she was still getting used to the form and function. He watched her hand twitch at her side as if it wanted to reach out first but was quickly corrected. A thought crossed Toshi's mind as he returned the bow. "You're American?" he asked as politely as he could, quirks were so abundant these days it was impossible to tell just by looks anyone's nationally and her accent was harsh if not a bit endearing. It reminded him of his time over seas.

"Yes! The East Coast in fact! I was born and raised there but returned recently to Japan to help Grandmother here. Sorry if my Japanese isn't very good. I was never a hand at learning new languages. Thank goodness mother taught me some as I was growing up or this would be impossible." She flushed slightly and Toshi felt himself follow suit. She was attractive. Small and delicate with wide bright eyes that shone behind almost too big glasses and soft vibrant hair that flowed over her shoulders just barely contained in two thick braids that looked like they were hastily done in a sleepy daze this morning. Her nurses coat was clean and crisp, still wrinkled from it's packaging. Very new indeed. Just like him. As he watched her fingers twirl one of her braids he found himself wondering how soft they were, how tiny they looked compared to his. He tore his eyes away quickly lest he be caught staring like a creepy old man and turned to look at Recovery Girl who was grinning ear to ear and not in her normal bed side manner. He was caught.

Clearing her throat Recovery Girl moved to the desk and hopped herself up on the chair, her granddaughter looking like she desperately wanted to help but shied away at the last second. So she was kind, that warmed his heart somehow. "Now you may not like this Toshinori but it had to be done. My granddaughter here already knows all about your current circumstances, injury and treatment. All current staff who are to work closely with you were made aware as you know and since she will be here working closely with me and on her own Nezu deemed it important she know all the facts." Toshi's whole body went ridged like someone had dumped cold water down his back. The pain he felt earlier now lost to the worry that ate away at his core. Someone else knew. How much? He could only assume as much as the other teachers and though he hated it they had a right to know. And this girl would most likely be working closely with him in emergency cases or like now when the pain bothered him enough to distract from his teaching duties. It was the correct choice but he still didn't have to like it. He glanced back ready to be met with that sad look of pity and shock that all the other teachers leveled at him when they were told. The great and powerful All Might now a thin husk of a man hardly able to stand upright. Pathetic and sad. But she wasn't. She was smiling as if the information was about the weather and not about the nasty scar that covered half his side or he wasn't missing major organs. She looked at him like he was just a normal person and that chill ran down him again. That wasn't a look he was used to.

The sound of a cane snapping against the cold office floor snapped both of them out of their staring, both turning to see the tiny Nurse heading back out the door. "I'm sure you two would love a moment to get acquainted! Don't hold back on my account. I'm sure she will be able to get that pain managed right quick for you All Might so you don't need me poking around anymore!" She said that last line with such finality that Toshi was afraid to argue. It seemed her own granddaughter was too as she sat back down and scratched at her cheek lightly laughing when the door slid shut. "Oh my....I always worry what she's planning in that little head of hers but there is no stopping her once she's set on a mission. Sometimes it's even kinda scary, ya' know?"

Toshi swiveled back, returning this girls nervous smile. "Y-yeah I know what you mean. I can't count the amount of times I've been chewed out by her back in my younger years. Now it's happening all over again I can't say I'm trilled about it." They both chuckled again and tried to look anywhere but at each other. Toshi wanted to kick himself. Why was he acting like a nervous high schooler. The setting maybe? Back in his old stomping grounds. Though he couldn't pretend to have any experience with that sort of situation even when he was a kid. Her voice snapped him back again and had him scrambling. "You're pain....could I help you with it?" She was so soft, how could just a voice put his racing heart at ease yet nearly pound it out of his chest? He hummed, the sound caught in his throat as he moved to take a seat on one of the beds. "I know I'm new at this sort of thing but you'll have to be honest with me if I'm going to help you." There was a spark of her grandmother there and the idea made him smile and relaxed him. She wasn't some newbie kid brought in on nepotism. He would trust her for now. "You'll have to show me for my quirk to work." Wait, she wasn't just going to hand him some pain medication and shoo him out then door? What was her quirk? Show her?!

His ears started to ring, it felt like the whole room grew darker and lighter all at once. Panic flooded his mind and muddled it but his hands were moving on their own to pull his jacket off. She would be disgusted, would she scream and run away? Look at him with that pathetic look she was missing earlier? What would she say? How would he respond? Why the hell was he just letting this happen!? Questions crashed over him like un-buffered waves until he could feel her fingers helping unbutton his dress shirt, his oversized suit jacket already carefully laid over the back of a near by chair. Her fingers found the twisted scar tissue before her eyes did and he braced himself for the embarrassment to hit him like a brick but it never came. Just a warm tingle that blanketed the old twitching pain that had been blooming in his side for over an hour. Fuzzy at first like the muscles had fallen asleep but as it subsided it was like a warm compress and for the first time in how many years Toshi felt like he could breath again. With two lungs this time. His eyes snapped down to see her tiny hands softly pressed against that horrible scar. They were glowing a faint green that seemed to work it's way through the dips and curves of the wound and melt into his untouched flesh. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he gripped the sheets and hoped she wouldn't notice his trembling.

"The pain seems to come from prolonged periods of stress on the un-scared tissue pulling against the scar tissue and muscles. If you stay in one position too long they start to strain which sets off a chain reaction of pain through the rest of the wound. It's almost as if your body reacts defensibly to minor muscle cramps...." She was more talking to herself it seemed as she let her fingers press a bit higher up his chest. "Y-yeah?" was all he could mutter in response. Oh that was stupid Toshi! Say something smart, pretend you know about your own damn body! "If I help the muscles relax they won't heal...but they will lose some of that tension which should help your body's pain response. Like an off switch. Letting it know everything is okay and it can rest." Her eyes moved from his side to his face. Her smile so calm it had him melting in place. "That should do it for now. You might feel a little limp as I told your body to relax for now and it can sometimes effect your limbs and muscles in other areas too. But that should pass quickly enough. Sorry I can't wear gloves like Grandmother, get's in the way of my quirk." She wiggled her glowing fingers before turning around to wash her hands in the small sink behind her.

Toshi took the time to redress and think. She wasn't disgusted, she didn't turn away or mutter and apology. She touched him without so much as a flinch. Even Recovery Girl often frowned and softened when she treated him or spoke of his injury. "Your quirk...can I ask what it is?" He muttered, his voice deep and rumbling as if he was afraid to speak. "You said you were Shuzenji's granddaughter so I can only assume it's some kind of healing?" Small talk would ease the tension right?

"Mhm!" She gave a heavy nod and moved to the small cabinet that seemed to house medications and supplies. "Like her I am able to heal myself and others with a touch. Lucky for me I don't need to go around kissing anyone for it to work." She chuckled and so did Toshi though his mind flashed images of her sweet face pressed close to his chest, her lips ghosting across the skin there and maybe- No. Unacceptable. He would not stoop to that level of indecency. He just met this poor girl and already he was acting like a perverted old man. Where did this come from?

"It works the same way her's does though I'm able to do more than just heal wounds. It's hard to explain but I redirected the bodies responses to things like pain and discomfort and more or less turn them off or force the body to respond positively and numb the area. I can heal the same as her too though it takes a bit more out of me. Plus I was never so good at the true medical side of things so I kinda had to cheat a little to get here...." She knocked herself slightly on the side of the head as she turned back to face him. "I failed out of medical school since I'm not very smart so I applied to be a hero in the states program and go in as a support front line hero which opened me up to getting a license to use my medical type quirk in open situations rather than going the long way through school like grandma." That made sense to him. No one was able to use their quirk freely and even less so in any sort of professional manner without the proper license. Most support and healing quirk users simply went to medical school to be allowed to use theirs on the job, others became support class hero's which didn't always get them a job in the medical field but did often open them up to work in agencies as recovery hero's. It was a common practice. "Mm. It's done often enough but front line? Does that mean you fought villains?" He was finished buttoning his dress shirt but left his jacket off for now.

The question seemed to catch her off guard and she thought about her answer for a moment. Toshi wondered how such a small and soft woman with a quirk like her's could possibly fight anyone at all. "Well when you say fight..." she sighed waving a hand at him "...that's not really correct. I distracted the villain's to allow the real hero's an opening or time to determine their quirk and form a counter strategy. It saved hero's the need to throw themselves at the villain and needlessly get hurt to figure out a plan. It made more sense for me to do it." The look of confusion on Toshi's gaunt face must have given him away so she continued. "I was kinda like the tank, or a punching bag might be a better example! My body can recover so quickly that any injury I sustained from a fight would be quickly corrected! He could wail on me all day long without doing any permanent damage and that would distract them long enough for the hero's to do what they do best!" She explain it with such ease that it made Toshi feel sick to his nonexistent stomach. People used this sweet girl as an literal punching back. Hero's let that sort of thing happen! It made his blood boil, knuckles gripping his pant legs so tight he could hear the fabric strain with the tension. "It wasn't a foolproof plan however, if I'm distracted or scared and I can't focus on my quirk it's slower to act and I can end up with some injury. But that hasn't happened in a long time!" She must have seen the look on his face and was trying to put him at easy. "Mostly fit as a fiddle!" She posed a bit, looking a bit goofy but the action let Toshi's shoulders slump and relax. The thought still clawed at the back of his mind and that feeling of wanting to protect someone from danger was ever present. A pill bottle was suddenly thrust close to his face and snapped him once again from his racing mind. "Here you go! This is right yeah?" That jumbled Japanese was so cute Toshi felt heat rise to his cheeks. The bottle did indeed read his name.

"Heh, yeah. Yeah you got it." He took the bottle carefully from her fingers purposely brushing his against them. Soft. The both stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. All Toshi knew was he didn't want to leave, he didn't want to walk back outside this office into a world that looked at him with pity or disgust. He wanted to stay here with this kind stranger who spoke so softly and sweetly to him. Who smiled and treated him like a person. Not like The Symbol of Peace, not like the broken dying hero he really was. Just a person. "W-would you like..." His adams apple bobbed and he swallowed thickly. That little tilt of her head she gave in question was just so damn cute his mouth ran dry. "You're new to Japan you said?" "Mhm! Not my first time here as I've been to visit a few times but you know the normal tourist things. If I'm honest I struggle to find the right train every day heading home! Mr. Principal has been very kind and took me home a few times before but-" She looked away almost too afraid to finish "I'f I'm honest he's kinda scary sometimes..." As if she caught her mistake she quickly backed up and the loss of closeness saddened Toshi somehow but her cute little stumble made up for that. "I-I-I'm so sorry that was so rude! It's not that he's mean at all! But you get this feeling that he's so much more powerful than he lets on...." Toshi chuckled and stood up, when they were both standing he noticed just how short she really was. He watched as she turned around and handed him back his folded jacket carefully. "Don't worry, I understand that feeling no need to apologize." He sighed watching as the worry drained from her face. "But what I was saying before....you're new to the area. Would you like help walking home?"

He wasn't expecting the sudden rush of emotion that seemed to bloom across her whole body. Eyes blurred with what looked like tears as she took a hold of both his hands in her much smaller ones. "Oh! I would love that thank you so much! It won't be so hard with you there I'm sure!" That feeling of being needed, of helping even if in this small way swelled him with pride. "You really are my number one hero!" Oh that helped and Toshi was grinning like an idiot. "I-I have some errands to run around town but I'll come back and pick you up at the front gate? What time do you get off?"

She let go, and Toshi had to hold himself back from snatching her hands back in his. "Since I'm just helping Grandmother get set up for the new school year it's not normal hours for us just yet. Around three I would think. Would you like my number just in case?" He would love her number. "Y-yeah." He nodded pulling out his comically small phone. It stunned him when she pulled it from his fingers and started typing away on her own. He had to remind himself that she was American and such forward actions were normal for her. "There we are! Feel free to text me any time alright! I'm sure you know all about this area and any information you could give me would be so helpful." Toshi glanced down at his phone and noticed the small star and emoji she put next to her name. Cute. Everything about her was so cute. He quickly moved her name to his favorites, he would apologize to Kayama later for knocking her out of that number five spot on his phone, and shoved it into his back pocket. "Sure, yeah...." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck again as they both stood in silence together. "R-right...you're medication. Make sure you take one in about an hour if you feel my quirks effects start to wear off. Sometimes trauma areas kick back into panic mode too soon so if you feel any pain don't be afraid to take it. Other than that take you're normal medications on time as directed. They shouldn't effect each other. Any other odd feelings of pain in other areas come back okay? Right away! It's best to nib it in the bud quickly less you distress your body too much." As if Toshi needed any kind of excuse to come running back to this office. He was already thinking of some little white lies to do so. "Of course, thank you." He rumbled her name out and she flushed a bright pink. Was this really happening? Was he really flirting with this stranger he met no more than twenty minutes ago? He opened his mouth to say something else but the sound of the office door slamming open caused them both to jump out of their skins.

"You've hogged my dear sweet Granddaughter long enough All Might! She's a fast worker I know you two have been done by now!" Recovery Girl shuffled her way back in trying her best to look as annoyed as her little face would allow but she couldn't hide that twitch of a grin trying to spread. "Go on now! I have to go over a few more things with her before she's done for the day and she'll get nothing done if she's just staring at you! Shoo shoo!" The poor girl looked modified but maybe not for the reason Toshi feared. She was smiling as she tried to hush her little grandmother who was wacking Toshi's legs with her cane as he stumbled to the door.

Lucky she was able to push past the grumpy faking nurse to close the door behind him, only pausing long enough to peak her head out. "Three o'clock still okay?" She whispered, low enough that he had to bow his head to catch her words. "Yes....I'll be at the gate then but just in case I'll send you a message when I'm on my way." "Good! Good! I'll see you then." She parted him with one more shining smile which he tried his best to return before the door slammed shut almost catching her nose in the process. Toshi could hear Recovery Girl's fake attempt at scolding as he stood dumbfounded by the door.

Had that really just happened? In just a short amount of time Toshi felt his whole life flipped upside down so suddenly. He was really going to walk her home, that's what employees did all the time for each other right? Normal work place behavior, helping the new girl out was common. This wasn't weird at all. No it was. It was very weird for Toshinori Yagi to interact so closely with anyone. But All Might was leap at the minor chance to help someone in need and he was still All Might after all. His hand moved to his side that was still numb and free of pain for now. Maybe it was just the idea of feeling so good that wrapped up his emotions. That warm fuzzy feeling in what was left of his gut was just her quirk doing it's not. But images of her face and that damned smile flashed through his mind and he knew that was a lie. He felt that way when she first spun around to look at him confused and startled by his sudden appearance. When she started at him while Recovery Girl spoke before she had a chance to use her quirk. His heart was already pounding in his chest from the moment their eyes locked and she spoke. Is this how normal people felt?

He feet started to drag him away from the door. Reminding himself he needed to change into casual close before he left school grounds he pulled his phone from his back pocket and opened his contacts. That little star next to her name made him smile and he held himself back from texting her right then and there. He had a lot of feelings to work out but for now he just wanted a sweet bun.

Chapter 2 

Toshi wasn't sure he had ever texted more furiously in his life, he had forgotten all about that young nurse and his offer and to top it off he even forgot to text her about this massive delay! His large thumbs constantly mistyping and back tracking his words as he ran as fast as his thin legs would take him. In the back of his mind he tried to remember his younger years being quirkless but at least back then he was young and in shape. Plus he had both his lungs. Though that girls quirk treatment was paying off. It gave him those few extra moments in his hero form to beat that slim villain and save the day though now his side was burning like it was on fire and he could only gulp in air in a desperate attempt to catch his breath. His run in with that kid weighed on him and if he were being honest the only thing he wanted to do was rush home and take a much needed nap. Scratch that, coma. He wanted to sleep for days. Over using his hero form always wiped him out and this was the Plus Ultra of over doing it! But he couldn't think about that now, not the kid, not the burning pain shooting down his side and numbing his legs. Someone was counting on him and if this was the last heroic thing he would do today god damn it it would get done! With the school gates in sight he pushed his legs to run faster no matter how much they protested. Until he was skidding to a stop so hard he thought smoke would start rising from his heels.

His head swiveled around the main gate which swished open as he approached, the court yard seemed empty save for a few birds who skipped around picking at the cracks in the concrete. The plastic bag he was holding slipped from his fingers and landed with a dull thud at his side, his wheezing so loud it scared those poor birds away as he held his head back and tried to brush the sweat from his eyes. He didn't make it. His heart sank with the though of that poor girl waiting around for hours for him. What if she got lost, took the wrong train and was headed to a horrible part of town? He would hold himself souly responsible for any ill begotten fate that befell such a kind young woman. Stupid! He was so stupid! How would he be able to face her or god forbid her grandmother after this!?

Just as Toshi was kicking himself mentally for the hundredth time his phone buzzed in his pocket and he made a mad scramble to see who it was. That little start popped up on the ID and his heart leapt and sank at the same time. Fingers shaking he wondered if he should even open it. Maybe he could pretend he lost his phone and bring her a gift the next time he saw her to make up for his horrible mistake. Did she like chocolate? Was that too romantic for a 'forgive me' gift? Was he trying to be romantic? Was that kid's muttering tendency rubbing off on him already. Swallowing his fear as best he could he flipped his phone open all the way.

"Turn around dork ~<3"

Was that an American phrase for something? Dork was a playful teasing name he remembered that much but what did turn around mean? He stood there a moment trying to piece together what he believed was the worlds most cryptic text when a flash of colored hair brushed past his vision. Toshi nearly jumped out of his skin scrambling to catch the phone he sent flying into the air and keep his feet firmly on the ground as she stumbled to the side and out of what his body has suddenly decided was danger. The only thing to stop his heart from exploding was the sudden sound of her laugh. It was loud, but so warm and happy and much like her quirk quickly put his body at ease. She was still here, still waiting for him. The guilt of that was almost as bad as his panic moments again and it seemed to flash across his face as her laughter died away and was replaced with a moment of still silence. "I-I'm sor-" her phone cut his apology short. A large touch screen shoved in his face with a news app open to show a video of him only an hour before elbow deep in that slime villain. "Geez you really think I'm gonna let you say sorry for saving the day?!" She grinned behind her phone, pulling it away to flip through a few more pictures. "It's a good thing you were there went you were, those poor kids I can't image how scary that must have been for them. I think this photographer really liked the chest shots....you can't even see you're face in some of them."

Toshi was staring, jaw slack as she kept swiping through pictures. She didn't look mad, she looked happy. Content maybe, but all Toshi could do was stare and try and ignore the low ring that seemed to be filling his ears. "Y-you're not...mad?" he muttered, so softly that it took her a second to really hear what he said. He whispered her name to grab her attention and she glanced up at last flashing him that beautiful, kind smile.

"Mad?! Why would I be mad you were amazing! Someone live streamed the whole thing! Of course you were going to be late after something like that!" She dropped her phone into her bag shifting it slightly to get a better grip before turning back to him. "You ready to go? I'm starving." In that moment Toshi was sure he looked like a fish out of water, sweating down to his bones and still out of breath he gripped his side as another flash of pain shot from his scar to the tips of his toes. As if on que she was at his side fussing over him. "You over did it didn't you! It's to be expected after a fight like that....you didn't run all the way here did you? Of course you did look at you you're dripping with sweat. Here come sit down." Regardless of his protests he was shooed over to one of the school benches and flopped down with about as much grace as his lankly limbs would allow and she plopped right down next to him. "Here....you mind if I use my quirk out in public.?"

Swallowing hard again Toshi took a second to look around. No one was around, the school was closed and most likely void of the rest of the staff. It was well past six, he kept her waiting an extra three hours. The though made him cover his gaunt face with his hand and sigh. "Should be alright. T-thank you..." He helped by lifting his comically sized white shirt up enough for her to slip her fingers under and the second those soft hands pressed against his burning flesh he felt that cool numbness overtake him. It was almost a fight to keep his eyes open and a soft moan of relief from slipping past his lips. The hand he used to smooth down his face kept rested over his mouth just in case. "S'fine...really." She smiled up at him though she was clearly focused on her task. It took a bit longer this time. Her worry was how his muscles were twitching and twisting so rapidly that she could feel them even after she pumped a good amount of healing into him. "Still...I don't want to over do it, how does that feel?" She asked after a good five minuets of contact. A good solid five minuets that Toshi wished lasted longer.

"Better. Much better. Thank you. It feels like I can breath again." He returned her smile, no longer pained and forced but a real one this time. They sat like that for a while, just watching each other. It should have been awkward and he was sure it looked strange to anyone passing by. To people just staring at each other smiling on a school bench and dusk. Saying nothing. Not moving. It wasn't under he could hear the soft rumble of her stomach that they both snapped out of it and quickly moved apart as if an electric shock has past between them. "S-sorry! I havn't eaten since lunch...how embarrassing..." She rubbed the back of her head and tried to shield her stomach with her free hand hoping the sound wouldn't happen again. Her cheeks were flushed that lovely pink and she avoided all eye contact with him. "No it's my fault. I held you up so long I'm sure you're hungry. Here." He pulled up the plastic bag he forgot he grabbed. It still had the convenient story sandwiches he meant to have for lunch before the attack. He never had a chance to eat and in the back of his mind he thanked what ever god was gifting him at least a bit of luck today. He could be a hero and fight the villain that was her hunger. "It's a bit plain, I can't eat much now given my injury but it should still be good." The way her eyes lit up made his heart melt.

"You're sure? Don't you need to eat something?" She asked as she took the bag from him and pulled out the carefully wrapped sandwich.

"No. I'll be fine. I have some soups at home to eat. Far better for me anyway." The sound of contentment she made as she took her first bite made him smile and relax. This was nice. Sitting watching the sky turn to night slowly wasn't something he ever bothered doing before. And never with someone else. Toshi noticed that he legs were almost swinging hardly able to touch the ground as she happily munched away. She was so small, so delicate. Even in his weak state he worried he could break her in half if pressed. How on earth did this tiny thing manage to be a professional punching back for top criminals? "Could I ask you something?" Toshi turned his head slightly, catching her large eyes starting up at him behind those glasses. Giving a slight nod her tone worried him. "Are you...alright?"

That caught him off guard. So much so he wasn't really sure how to respond. He felt wonderful now thanks to her. As good as he could feel given his condition. Did he still look like he was in pain? He knew his stomach couldn't physically rumble so it couldn't be that. "What do you mean?" Toshi wasn't sure he wanted the answer to that but the way she looked at him, not with pity, but worry. Worry about him here and now.

"When we first met back in the office you were coming to see Grandma about your pain...and even though I was in uniform you didn't want to bother me with it and even tried to pretend you were just stopping by to say hello. And when she left and I tried to use my quirk...you looked so scared. I knew it couldn't be because you were afraid it would hurt. You were afraid of what I would think right?" Toshi stayed silent keeping his eyes on her though she had moved to look at the food in her hands. "You're worried about what people think of you now...I know we just met but please don't look at me like that again okay?" There was a small twang of pain in her voice that he hated hearing. This girl, she was so new to everything around her. A new job, new country, new life and here she was worried about what he felt. She picked up on his insecurity so fast it was almost scary. He felt his jaw clench tight. Why did he want to wrap his arms around her and protect her from that sad look on her own face. She shouldn't be worried about him that wasn't her roll here. That was always his job to worry about others.

His hand moved before he hand a chance to stop it and he found himself resting it on her lower arm. "I know better now." He muttered quietly, catching her eyes as she looked up from his touch. "You're not the type of person I need to worry about that with. I know that now." As if he suddenly realized he was touching her his hand snapped back and a blush bloomed across his face. "Even now after only a few hours you're so worried about me you can't finish eating. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it, no one else noticed but you. That's the mark of a great hero kid, someone who see's the fear in others and tries to set it right." There was that long pause again between them. Neither needing to speak just soaking into already said words and emotions. Suddenly her cheeks puffed as she tried desperately to hold in a laugh.

"K-kid...." She squeaked before barking out and nearly doubling over. "I can't believe you called me kid! Oh man grandma is gonna get a kick out of that! I know I look young but geez I never thought someone would call me that again, I don't know if I should laugh or cry!" As happy as he was to see her smiling again he was beyond confused.

"Wait, so how old are you anyway?" What a rude question Toshi! Another thing to add to his 'kick yourself' tonight list but for now he was far too confused to worry about that now.

"I'm thirty two!"

"You're joking....you don't look a day older than twenty...that can't be right." He tried to do the math in his head though he had to admit he had no idea how old Recovery Girl was. Hell he didn't even know she had a child to begin with. "You're serious?"

It was her turn to start patting his arm, a dazed look crossing her face as she grinned up at him. "I'm so old now it's nice to hear someone say such nice things to me. First you treat me to dinner and now this, you really are the best kind of hero out there aren't you? Won't you tell me I look young more often? That's just the kinda ego boost I need to get through my days it's so nice!" Toshi chuckled into his hand and watched her bask in the glow of his accidental compliment. If it was this easy to make her so happy he would take her up on that and call her young and beautiful every day. Not that it was a stretch or a lie to do so. The more he looked at her, really looked at her the more beautiful she looked to him. Was this really how normal every day citizens felt about each other day to day? He was so unused to every day life he couldn't be sure of his own feelings interacting even with old friends. Always second guessing their feelings about what he was now, who he was going forward. Aizawa questioned his ability to teach, not that he blamed him Toshi had no experience with kids let alone shaping the young minds of the next great heros. Hizahi and Thirteen worried about his physical ability and how well he could handle being in public and at work in his hero form for so long. All good worries, all valid and all made him feel worse. But here she was just fresh into meeting him and the only thing she worried about were those feelings he had. She didn't want him to be afraid around her above all else. He decided then and there that he wouldn't be. What ever was happening here, what ever was between them now fear wouldn't be lingering in the background.

"Thirty two..." Toshi muttered looked back to the darkening sky. The street lamps had turned on by that point and the cold night air was starting to blow in. She wasn't as young as he thought she was and those creepy feelings he felt when she touched his chest or brushed her hands against his they felt less....creepy now. No. This was creepy, thinking about it like this was creepy. The way his leg bounced like an excited wag at the thought of 'this could work' was creepy! She was a kind nurse who wanted to take care of him and be his friend. "Leave it at that All Might..." he muttered though clenched teeth.

"Hm?" Crap, she heard him. "You say something?"

"Oh! No no it's getting late! That's all. We should get going if we want to catch the next train." "Tatooin Station right?" She stood, brushing some crumbs off her work skirt and shoving the trash from the sandwich into the plastic bag he brought. Toshi nodded and stood himself, almost shocked that his side wasn't burning from the sudden movement like it normally did. "We don't have to rush, they run the trains until about twelve tonight so no hurry. Did you have enough to eat? We can always stop on the way-" She hold up a hand, almost needed to stand on her toes to reach his face. "I'm fine, really. That was more than enough. We should get you home so you can eat...." She gave him that look again, that worried look that wasn't pity and a small part of him found he kind of liked being looked at like that. Someone to fuss over his every day needs was an odd change of pace. It felt like home.

The train ride home was as uneventful as possible and Toshi thanked his stars he couldn't catch wind of any emergency or villains near by. Her apartment was apparently in a different distract and it took nearly forty minuets to get there by train, not to mention a short walk but they passed the time by chatting away in an empty train car as to not disturb other passengers. She fussed over him when ever he coughed into his hand and insisted on wiping his mouth for him to make sure he caught all the flakes of red blood staining the corners of his mouth and he would smile and give into her demands no matter how cute her tough stern voice was. She showed him a few american apps on her phone that had his eyes light up with a pang of nostalgia which turned into long winded stories about his time in the states with Dave. Everything flowed so naturally and he adored watching her move across the train car as they passed Tokyo Disney, that cheery melody playing over the stations sound system when the doors opened. Seeing her enjoy the small wonders of the country was going to be something he greatly looked forward to, and he even promised to take her to places no tourist would never know about.

Their walk was much the same, talking in hushed tones and passing under street lights that were far brighter now that a full night had settled over the city. The more residential area she lived in was far quieter and thankfully safer than the main city streets. He helped her try and read the names on some of the buildings though her understanding of written Japanese was spotty still she seemed so excited to learn he couldn't help but indulge her. "Will you be at the school tomorrow?" She asked finally as they stopped at her building. Toshi shook his head, rubbing his neck as he suddenly was want to do in front of her. "Unfortunately no I'll be out of town for a while finishing up some things at the agency. With me going into a some what retirement there's still so much to do and a limited amount of time for me to do it in my powered form, not sure how many days of it I have left really." He looked for the sign of sadness in that but found none. It was like he was saying his car was on it's last legs; a bummer but not the end of the world even if it seemed to be the end of his. But she did look sad, as if she was looking forward to seeing him at work already.

"H-hey hey I'll text you like I promised alright. No need to look so down about it." Truth be told he was a bit down about it himself. "And if you want when I get back I'll take you to a coffee shop close to the school. You said you liked coffee right?"

The smile she gave melted his heart in a second, if he didn't know any better he would have assumed her quirk was that damn smile. "Right! I'll let you know how things are going with Grandma and the school too! And now you know were I live so if you need a little pain relief don't be shy about coming by alright! I'll try and stock up on those soups you can have just in case you stay for dinner." God that sounded nice. Would it be weird to ask if he could do that right now? Spend a night with her magic fingers against his chest eating dinner and watching a movie. Shaking the thought from his mind he gave her a thumbs up. "Course kiddo-I-I mean...ah..." "N-no way! Call me kiddo! That's great! I can go to bed happy and young tonight!" She was laughing again, all red cheeked and teeth as she turned to enter the building. "Goodnight Toshinori..."

"Night Kid."

[withabackpackandcamera]

September 17th, 2020

Day 4: A Late Start To A Nice, Chill Day in Fairbanks

After staying out until the early morning hours viewing the northern lights, we slept in to recuperate and regain our lost energy from a very long and productive last 24 hours. Our first stop after we were up and ready to go was The Cookie Jar, a brunch place we had found online with great reviews. And it was super yummy! We ordered the Stuffed Nolan (which is made of two cinnamon roll halves stuffed with cream cheese, grilled, and then topped with strawberries and whipped cream with syrup to add on the side) and Biscuits and Gravy with Sausage Links, Hash Browns, and a Poached Egg. The servings were quite generous and the food was amazing, especially the Stuffed Nolan… it was so good! Luckily, because there was so much of it, we took half of it home to have for later. The biscuits and gravy were delicious too! Wow, what a start to the day!

Once we had our fill, we drove out of town about 20 minutes to the North Pole, a little town in Alaska that was happily named so in the past that now attracts visitors from across the world just because of its name and association with Santa Claus. We quickly drove through town and saw the candle-cane-like street lamp posts and sign posts, the forever-hanging Christmas decorations, and the Santa-related street names in town. 

We then visited The Santa Claus House, a large gift shop stocked with everything Christmas-related. Outside the shop on the grounds was a very large Santa statue with a sled in front. On the walls outside of the house were Christmas murals. Inside were lots of gifts, Alaska souvenirs, punny shirts and sweaters, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus himself! He was a jolly old fellow and we enjoyed hearing his conversation with others and also enjoyed conversing with him about this crazy year, the typical tourist flow in the North Pole, his work history, etc. We even got to see him making short video messages for family members of customers stopping by the house! We walked through and looked at the different merchandise on display before we asked someone about the letters to Santa that were supposedly posted up somewhere in the shop. After a worker there showed us the location of the letters, Cynthia and I spent a good 15-20 minutes reading through all the different letters, from both kids and adults, sent in from around the world and routed here to Santa in North Pole, AK. It was so fun to read through some of the amusing and innocent messages written on those letters. So many heartwarming ones too! We definitely had fun reading them! And it reminded me of the good old days when Santa (i.e. my mom and dad) left me and my brother presents we didn’t ask for under the tree. Good times, good times. 

Once we bid farewell to the Santa Claus House, we made a quick detour to pick up Cynthia’s bag that we had left at The Cookie Jar before driving onward to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in downtown Fairbanks. We were hoping to visit the center and learn more about Fairbanks and Alaska’s history through the exhibits but we came a tad late and only a small part of the center was still open for viewing. So we made a quick visit out of it with plans to return tomorrow morning before leaving town. 

As we left the visitor center, the rain was starting to take a turn for the worse as the clouds were starting to build and drizzle was starting to come down. We made a quick stop to view the Moose Antler Arch right behind the center, as well as the Lend Lease Monument and Chena River nearby before heading back home to lay low and rest. The late night was quick to catch up to us throughout the day. Even though we had soft plans to check out different areas outside of Fairbanks today, with the weather looking the way it did and us feeling tired from the late night, we knew the smart thing to do was to rest for a few hours before dinner. 

So I took a nap and Cynthia used that time to work on a presentation she had to give as part of her upcoming interview. After a couple hours of rest, we left the BnB and drove through the small area known as Downtown Fairbanks on our way to grab dinner from Fushimi Japanese Fusion. We ordered the Third Ave Roll, Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box, and Shrimp Shumai and brought it home to enjoy in the comforts of our AirBnB. Even though we had had sushi recently, it was nice to have some good, warm food and not fast food for dinner and to enjoy it after just running around eating unhealthily yesterday. 

The night slowly crept in and before we knew it, we had reached the point in the evening where we had to commit to sleeping or chasing the auroras. Again the weather tonight was not particularly great with on and off rain throughout the area and heavy clouds. However, as I kept track of the data being posted on the websites I previously spoke of, conditions slowly started to improve, prompting me to get myself out of the warm bed I was sitting in and out to the car, all while dragging poor Cynthia out with me to see the Northern Lights one last time. 

Tonight, instead of driving to the same spot we went to last night, I drove about 50 minutes out of Fairbanks to Murphy Dome, which was labeled a mountain peak on Google Maps and was one of the many spots that many websites advised for viewing the auroras in and around Fairbanks. The drive took longer than I expected because we had to drive on a very heavily pot-holed dirt road up a mountain in complete darkness. But when we finally arrived at Murphy Dome, wow! The skies were super clear with minimal light pollution and the view of the night sky and stars was spectacular!  

The views of the sky were amazing. And there weren’t too many people in the area, not that it mattered because the area was huge. But the thing that was difficult to deal with was how windy it was. It was SO VERY WINDY. And what made matters worse was the fact that the ball head on my tripod was loose and there was no way to tighten it without the right tools. FML. So I had to make do while keeping as warm as possible in the unrelenting wind while watching what ended up being a spectacular show of northern lights. 

Unlike last night’s light show, tonight’s was way stronger and way more visible. The lights were greener, the skies were clearer, and those two conditions combined to make the perfect viewing opportunity. At first, the auroras were found streaming across the sky like one big flowing river. However, as the night went on, the activity increased significantly and changes to that stream began to happen, to the point that they appeared to be dancing across the sky like nothing I’ve had a chance to see before! It was crazy! And beautiful! And mesmerizing! The only bad things about seeing the auroras where I saw them were that 1) they were actually quite difficult to photograph given the way they looked in the sky and  2) the surroundings I was shooting in was subpar. Straight lines in the sky are hard to frame. And when you do have those straight lines, it’s much better if you frame it relative to the surrounding scene. But at the top of the mountain at Murphy Dome, there wasn’t much of a scene to frame in the foreground to make the photos look good. So I just had to capture what I could and delete whatever didn’t work out later. Oh, and it was really cool to see the Milky Way galaxy and some shooting stars above in such a pure, dark sky. It was awesome! 

After standing outside in the cold and wind for 2-3 hours and watching the northern lights peak and then start to slow down, it was finally time to go home. By this point in the night, Cynthia was long gone and fast asleep. So, similarly to last night, I called and caught up with my dad on the drive home before arriving at the AirBnB and going straight to bed around the same time as last night. Not sure if I’ll be able to get up as early as we intended on getting up tomorrow… We’ll see… because we have a very long day ahead and much ground to cover. 

5 Things I Learned/Observed Today:

1. Fairbanks is known as the “Golden Heart City”. 

2. The Dalton Highway is a Wild Wild West-type road that takes you from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle and is supposedly a very desolate, primarily unpaved road that is used mostly by truckers for their jobs. Occasionally, tourist companies and tourists themselves venture out on this road to reach the outskirts of Alaska. If you’re ever thinking of taking a trip into the Arctic Circle via this route, you will need to be prepared for the worst case scenarios and pack and plan accordingly. 

3. The North Pole has candy-cane-striped light poles and billboard/sign poles lining streets! Also, there are a lot of streets that are named after Christmas things. The town itself is pretty small though. The main attraction is the huge Santa at the Santa Claus House, the gift shop there, and meeting Santa in real life!

4. Supposedly, the current Santa is from FL and moved to CA to do his job as Santa before landing his dream gig at the North Pole. And after chatting with him, I got to see first hand how good a fellow Santa is. No matter how hard I tried to get him to troll someone about something, he was always so nice with his words. And he made the good list this year because he was wearing his mask! Good job Santa! Even though his mask made him look a little creepy… 

5. “Thank you” in the native Athabascan language is “Enaa Baasee’”.

[nate-santos]

Exit, Persued by Bookwyrms || Nate & Skylar

Research gone wrong with @theskyeandsea

After his conversation with Remmy, Nate knew there was only one place he hadn’t turned over in his search for information. He had stopped in once or twice, but the Archive always freaked him out, so he never stayed long. Not to mention the fact that in order to buy any of their tomes, you usually had to give something important or strange in return, and Nate was terrified of finding anything they would consider proper payment. Of course this would be his last ditch effort when it came to figuring out zombie specifics, his last stop to find out if there truly was a way to live a “normal” life after the change. He paced back and forth outside the shop for close to 30 minutes before he finally entered, speed walking to the back of the store so as not to make eye contact with anyone. While his anxiety began to settle to a normal rate, Nate’s eyes scanned the shelves. “Zombies….Z….what was it Remmy called them….Draugr? Ok...Dr….” He pulled out a few volumes and began to flip through the worn pages, eyes scanning for any sort of useful information.

Bleh. Even after stopping in here once before, the Archive still gave Skylar the creeps. There was just something about the fact that it seemed like there were never any employees, that there was some weird kinda unspoken trade system in place, the general ambiance… Nope. Why wasn’t there a Barnes & Noble or something in town? Shaking her head, Skylar forced herself to focus as she glanced down the rows of shelves. Morgan had hinted that the Archive might have more supernatural texts than Skylar had initially thought, so… here she was. But, this time it wasn’t for her. Rem was going through a lot and, while she was going through her own issues, focusing on Remmy’s felt more manageable. It was productive in a way that she didn’t need to think about herself. As she walked down the shelves, Skylar rounded the corner and nearly ran into a man reading a book. Startled, she held her hands up apologetically, “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you, my bad.” She said, shaking her head. Glancing at the books on the shelves behind him, she saw that she was in the right section. Zombies and other undead, neat.

Nate nearly jumped ten feet in the air when the stranger ran into him, one of the books slipping from his hand and toppling down to the ground. “Oh! No I’m sorry! If I’m gonna read I should really sit down- at a table! Like a normal person.” He laughed awkwardly, kneeling down to pick up the stray book, hoping he didn’t ruin it by tossing the old thing around like a child’s toy. Ordinarily, Nate was the kind of guy who kept all of his books in pristine condition, never liking to lend them out lest the borrower fold the pages down like a heathen. “Am I in your way? Do you need help finding something? Not that I work here, I definitely don’t, but-well...I can help! Unless you want me to leave you alone. That’s fine too.” He scratched absently at his arm, the anxiety making his skin crawl. “Sorry…”

Skylar winced apologetically at the way the poor man jumped-- oh dear. She really hadn’t meant to surprise him, it was just a little tricky for her to pick up other people’s presence in quiet places like this. “No, don’t even apologize, I’m the one who spooked you.” She said, her fingers fidgeting at her side, spelling out the word sorry in ASL just out of instinct. Scooting back out of his way to let him pick up the book, Skylar glanced at the books on the shelves for a moment. “Are you sure? You really don’t need to, like you said, you don’t work here. But, um, if you have any pointers on finding books here, I’d love the help. The organization system is a little weird.” She said with a wry laugh, hoping it would make him a little more at ease. The last thing she wanted was to make someone uncomfortable when they were just trying to shop for some books.

Nate grinned through clenched teeth. Even if it wasn’t necessarily his fault, the awkward had already set in and he was gonna have to roll with it. “Yeah! Really, I uh...don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I don’t mind at all!” His eyes flicked around the store and if he was being honest, having someone else around while he did his search might not be the worst thing in the world. This place really gave him the creeps. “Yeah, I uh...I don’t know that they super have much of an organizational system.” He shrugged, holding his books tightly to his chest. “So what is it you were looking for? Was it…” Nate glanced around at the section they were in. “Undead in nature?”

“Thanks so much, really.” Skylar said warmly, a smile on her face. “I’m Skylar, by the way. Have you been here before?” She asked, curious to know if he had much experience in the Archive. The one time she’d been in here with Remmy, she hadn’t found too much in the way of information, just bits and pieces. But, now that she was a little more focused in her efforts to find something that could make sense of their situation, she had more of a mission. “Um, yes! I’m looking for stuff on zombies, actually?” She said. Hopefully that didn’t sound as weird to him as it did to her. Nope, there was nothing weird at all about just… asking about zombies. Mmmmm. Maybe she should have tried beating around the bush a bit more. Oh well, what’s done was done.

Nate felt more at ease by the second, which was saying a lot considering he was in a sketchy book store that specialized in the supernatural, looking for information on zombies alongside a complete stranger. He sucked in a deep breath and smiled, nodding to himself. “Uh, twice. But uh...not for long.” Glancing around quickly to make sure there wasn’t anyone else in earshot. “I kinda...get the creeps? Being in here?” He shrugged, his fingers gripping the edge of his books. “It’s definitely less weird if we look together though, right?” He froze, his smile locked in place. “Z-zombies? Do you know someone- I mean…” Be casual. “Is it just out of curiosity?” He passed her one of the books in his hands. “‘Cause this one, uh...looks promising.”

Hearing that someone else found the Archive just as creepy as she did made Skylar feel just a little bit more relaxed. At least she wasn’t alone in her opinions. “Trust me, I get that. It’s not a super comfortable place to just… hang out in. Which is a shame, it seems like they have a lot of good books and information here.” She said with a nod. He hadn’t said his name, but Skylar supposed that was to be expected-- not everyone was super friendly with people they just met. “For sure.” She nodded with a smile. But, when the man handed her one of the books, she balked a little bit, “Huh? You don’t need to give me your book, really. But… were you looking into them too?”

Nate smiled, his lips pulling tight over the awkward expression. He didn’t need to be this weird, they were just two strangers, looking at books on zombies in a super creepy, probably haunted book shop. He took a quick breath, trying to force himself to be more normal. “It’s fine, I uh...looked through it already.” He shrugged, turning back towards the shelf full of potential answers. Last time he’d been in here he had barely made it to this section of the store, let alone made it far enough to grab a book and peruse it. “I’m uh...Nate, by the way. And yeah, they’re uh...super interesting, right?” He smiled over his shoulder, hoping she didn’t prod too much. He reached out, pulling another worn book off the shelf, opening it carefully. Its pages were old and weathered, yellowing at the edges. Dust even seemed to pour out of it as he flipped a page, noting that there were paragraphs just...missing. “Huh...that’s weird.” Maybe it was one of those niche writing styles, like if t s eliot wrote novels on the undead.

The strained smile he offered her elicited a twinge of pity-- he just looked so uncomfortable. “Nice to meet you, Nate. And thanks, really.” Skylar said with a bright smile, hoping that it would put him a bit more at ease. “Mhm, they are.” She nodded in a non committal way. She didn’t want to sound too interested in the subject, otherwise he might ask her why she was looking and then she’d have to lie and that would… just be a whole mess. Nope! Not happening. As Nate pulled out another book, Skylar flipped through her own and frowned. What..? Whole chunks were gone, some sentences even ended mid-word. “I bet it can’t be as weird as this.” She said, gesturing to the section she’d opened to. As she pointed to a section of the book, her finger brushed against the interior of the spine-- “Ouch!” She gasped, withdrawing her hand quickly. What the heck was that?

Nate stepped over toward Skylar before freezing in his tracks. Her book looked the same as his: incomplete. Like the printer was running out of ink mid sentence, sputtering out between words. What made his freeze, however, wasn’t the weirdness of the pages, but the girl’s yelp of pain. “Are- oh man...are you ok? Paper cut?” He hoped it was merely a paper cut. He leaned forward, not noticing the pages slipping out of his own book’s binding, fluttering down to the ground. Out of the small gap where the pages used to be attached to the ancient binding came a flood of tiny, wriggling...worms?? “OH NO-” Nate dropped the book and began slapping his arms, attempting to brush off any of the things that managed to climb onto him. “What the heck?!”

Skylar looked at her hand in confusion, and saw a few tiny worms clinging to her index finger. “What are these things-- ow!” She grimaced, scraping the worms away with the edge of the book. But, more of the wriggling worms came out of the binding and attempted to latch onto her arm. She dropped her own book on the ground and began to swipe at the worms. “I don’t-- they’re biting me!” Skylar squealed, doing her best to get them away from her. Backing up, she ran into the bookshelf behind her and felt biting on the back of her neck. More?! “What are these?” She asked, looking to Nate as she tried to squish the worms that clung to her.

Nate panicked. Lord only knew what kind of diseases these things might contract, or if they were somehow venomous. He mirrored Skylar’s attempts to fling the bugs off himself, crashing backwards into another case of books, sending them toppling to the ground. In any other circumstance, Nate would have been horrified at the amount of damage he was surely doing, but at the moment all he could think about were these minuscule creatures nipping at his flesh. “I don’t- I don’t know!!” He scrambled over to the girl and tried to help her swat the things away. “Do you- you don’t think we’ll get in trouble for ruining their books, do you?” Surely his priorities were a little out of whack at the moment.

Shaking her head, Skylar replied, “At this point, ow! I think we’re fine to--” Before she could finish speaking, a man came by the shelves, a strange covered bird cage in his hand. Judging from the outfit he was wearing and the little name card on his chest, he must have been an employee? Or maybe the owner? Skylar didn’t really have time to question it. “The bookwyrms are at it again... “ The man grumbled as he fiddled with the latch on the cage with thick fingers, shaking his head. “Excuse me? Sir?” Skylar asked, but he was either not paying attention to her or simply didn’t care. Instead, he uncovered the bird cage and revealed about half a dozen flying little… Tinkerbells? “Okay, you little shits. Take care of this mess-- and I don’t mean the customers.” The man grumbled before opening the cage. Glancing over at Nate, Skylar stared at him with wide eyes. Was he seeing this too?

Nate’s stomach dropped as the figure of authority rounded the corner, a less than pleased look on his face. “I’m so sorry, sir! We didn’t mean- the books- there’s something biting us-” But the man didn’t seem to care about his rambling apology. “Sir?” He looked over at Skylar, wondering if this was just how this weird store operated, but she seemed equally as confused, still swatting at the small creatures. His eyes followed her gaze until he focused on the...things in the cage that the man was holding. Instead of a bird, the cage seemed to house a bunch of flying...fairies?? “Uh- Sir?!?’ But the man paid no mind, releasing the winged things into the store where they immediately began to swarm around whatever had come out of the books. The downside being that a lot of those little buggers were now all over Skylar and himself. “C-crap!!” Nate screamed, swatting at both the flying creatures and the biting ones. “What do we do now??”

“What the--” Skylar grimaced as the strange creatures began to fly around, grabbing at the bugs that were biting into her skin and yanking them off. They were helping, kind of, but only in the most painful of ways. “Can you call them off? Please?!” She asked the man, but he was leaning against one of the bookshelves, thumbing through a magazine, the empty birdcage sitting on the ground next to him. Ugh. Looking over at the man next to her, she blinked. Who was he again? Whatever his name was, he seemed to be having an even worse time than she was, Skylar swallowed. This was a mistake, all of this was so dumb and stupid and why was she even here in the first place? Brushing off as many of the bugs off her as she could, she felt a fairy thing tangled up in her hair, yanking at more of the worm things. “Get off, get away! I, I think we should leave. We should go.” She said, holding out a hand to guide him out of the library.

Nate scrambled away from the flying creatures who seemed to be- yep. They were eating the bugs that were crawling out of the blank book pages. He wasn’t sure what the things were, but the shop owner seemed perfectly alright with just letting them create chaos around the store and nip and Skylar and himself in their quest. He frowned down at the book he’d been reading, trying to think of the name of that lost library in the desert, the one with all the information supposedly lost to time or looters or something. The blank pages reminded him of that, and he was sad for a moment. But then a flying fairy launched itself at his head, eliciting a nice and manly yelp before he took Skylar’s hand. “Gladly!” He propelled himself forward, mumbling out another apology for all the damage they’d caused, though admittedly not as much damage as the things he’d intentionally let loose. Speeding out the shop doors, Nate nearly crashed to his knees outside. “What- the heck-” he gasped, his hands still slapping away small worms from his arms and neck.

The two of them raced out of The Archive, the strange little creatures paying no attention to them once they ran out of the store. Skylar shook her head, shaking free some of the little worms that had latched onto the back of her neck, as well as the ones tangled in her hair. “Ugh, ew, ew, ew…” She grimaced as she rid herself of the last of the worms and started to stomp on them, squishing them into the pavement. Looking up at the man next to her, she gave an awkward grimace in his direction. “Are you okay? There were a lot of them on me, did you get bit too?” She asked, still trying to figure out what this guy’s name was. She could have sworn that he had just told it to her, but… why couldn’t she remember it? What was happening?

Nate’s skin was crawling as he pawed at every inch of skin he could reach. He was sure that even a scalding shower for 24 hours straight wouldn’t be enough to make him feel clean or safe. “Yeah-not...not too much I think…” He looked up at the girl with terror in his eyes. “You don’t think they like carry disease or anything, do you?? I know- I know there’s...that one kind of insect, they bite you and they give you….lemon disease? I- I think it’s a- I dunno…” He waved his hands in front of him as he searched for the word. “You know….that bitey thing?”

Tilting her head, Skylar couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man in front of her. Between his words and his body language, it was clear that the entire incident had shaken him up. Which… for any normal person who’d just been attacked by gross worms and then by… freaking evil tinkerbells? She could hardly blame him. Reaching out, she patted his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture-- hopefully physical contact wouldn’t make him freak out more. “Lyme disease? I think that’s something you can get from ticks in the woods? I think, I think we should be okay. Those weird bug things…” Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to figure out why she’d been in the bookstore to begin with, “They… which section were they in again? I’m sorry, I-- I can’t remember.”

Still feeling the ghosts of insects crawling over him but fairly certain it was in his head at this point, Nate began to calm down. He flinched a bit at the physical touch, but more so because he thought Skylar was about to swat away some book bug. He smiled awkwardly, wrapping his arms around himself as if that would create some sort of protective barrier. “Oh! Yeah! That’s what I was thinking of! Weird…” Nate’s brows wrinkled in confusion. He was sure he’d known the name of that disease. He shrugged to himself but cocked his head to the side. “You don’t remember what you were looking for?” Weird. Or was she just trying to get him to say what he was looking for? In a hushed voice, he leaned in. “Z-zombie aisle?” 

Wracking her brains, Skylar struggled to think about what she’d been looking for. But, the second the man said the words, it came back to her. Zombies. Of course. She’d been in the Archive looking for information on zombies to see if there was anything she could do to help Rem. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I was looking for. How didn’t I remember that…” She muttered, confused. “And, hang on. Your name-- You just told me it, didn’t you? It’s, it’s something with a N? Noah..?” She said. No, that didn’t sound right, he didn’t really look like a Noah. Her hands fidgeted at her sides, stinging slightly from the small bite marks that dotted her skin. What was going on? Was she having some kind of… weird young person stroke? Or was she going insane? Of all the things to make her question her sanity, it wasn’t the awful worms or the pixies trying to smack them, it was the fact that she couldn’t remember this guy’s name. Wow. What was her life right now?

Nate nodded, his brows crumpling low over his eyes. Panic began to set in, wondering if she had forgotten his name or what she’d been looking for because of the mysterious bugs’ bites. Or maybe it was those literal flying fairies? Who the heck knew. Maybe she was just a forgetful person. “Nate-” he smiled lightly. “But you were close!” He glanced back at the store, a shiver running through him. “I uh...don’t think I’ll be coming back here anymore but…” Turning back to Skylar, he hugged his arms around himself a bit tighter, his voice dropping. “If uh...I find anything- on the undead stuff? I can definitely share it if you like?”

“Nate.” Skylar repeated. What the heck was going on? He’d literally just told her what his name was, hadn’t he? Eyebrows coming together in confusion, she nodded. “Sorry about that. I just, I couldn’t remember. I’m not usually like this, I swear. But, um. Yeah… I’m not going to be poking around the back shelves of this place anymore.” At least, she wouldn’t be doing it without someone who knew a little bit more about this whole thing. “Um. Yes! Yeah, that’d be really helpful, thanks! Here, let me give you my phone number.” She said, fishing a piece of paper out of her pocket before writing her number down. “And… I mean-- if you notice any other weird stuff. Like, like the tinkerbell things that were in there? Let me know?” She asked, tone hopeful. She didn’t want to be too nosy, but he hadn’t reacted with complete shock when the pixie things had swarmed him. Did that mean he knew about this magic stuff too? And if he did… then did he actually know about zombies..?

Nate smiled, hoping it came off as more reassuring than it felt. Everything about this felt off, except for Skylar. She at least seemed normal. “No worries, I’m sure it’s just the uh...dust or something in there.” He nodded to himself, hoping that maybe that really could explain it. “It’d be no problem at all.” He reached out, taking her number and placing it in his wallet. “Sure thing, it’s uh...not entirely uncommon to see this kind of thing. Usually I stay as far away from it as I can, but if I see anything I’ll let ya know.” Nate wasn’t sure why she would want to find more of those things, but maybe she knew more about them than he did. “It was nice meeting you, you know...in spite of all,” he gestured vaguely to the store behind them. “That.” Dusting himself off a bit more, he was already planning the 6 hour decontamination shower he’d be having after this.

Nodding at his words, Skylar stuck her hands in the pocket of her jacket to hide the way her fingers were fidgeted nervously. This entire thing had put her on edge and she honestly just needed to go home and lie down. Maybe that would help some. “Mmm, I really appreciate that, all the same.” She said with a smile. Wincing a little, she hummed in agreement. “No, I completely get that. See you around, Nate.” Skylar waved politely before turning around and walking quickly away from the Archive. A large cup of tea, a hot shower, and anything but a book sounded great right about now. And, hopefully with a little rest, he would be less shaken too. As she walked away, she shook her head. What the heck was this town?

[buckybabybaby]

Mr Hollywood (Chapter 5)

Summary: Bucky Barnes, an underpaid teaching assistant in a small English village, dreams of a movie career back in his home country of America. He finally gets the break he's always wanted, and if it wasn't for you, his best friend, he wouldn't have been able to take it.

But is that fact enough to save your friendship when it's tested by the pressures of Hollywood?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader (Gender Neutral)

Word count: 1865

Chapter summary: Bucky comes home! But only briefly... :(

Warnings: None I think!

Chapter 4

Mr Hollywood Masterlist

Masterlist

*****

Pouring rain on Halloween night means the bowl of sweets by your front door is almost full as you answer the bell for the final few trick-or-treaters. Normally, Bucky helps you decorate the porch and front garden on the Saturday closest to the thirty first, so doing it alone this year was a bit of a challenge, but you're happy with the end result. 

The witches cat, out for it's third year, sits well by the mini pumpkins and broom, and the motion activated sound effects along the lantern lit path create the perfect atmosphere, just the right side of creepy.

The children certainly seem to approve.

Switching off the fairy lights and putting the leftover treats out of sight and temptation, you curl up on the sofa, scrolling through the pictures you took earlier of your decorations, choosing the best to send to Bucky. By your calculations it should be around midday in Los Angeles, lunch time hopefully, however it's always difficult to judge when he'll have a bit of a break. His replies to your texts have been slow and sporadic, but you understand, and he always apologises for taking so long. Today is a different story though, as the message is marked as read seconds after you send it, and you watch the little bubbles on the bottom of the screen as he types back his response. It's only a short text, saying that he shouldn't really be on his phone right now, but 'Happy Halloween!', and its accompanied by a photo of his own seasonal decorations, a plump pumpkin carved to look like a haunted house. He was always better than you at that kind of thing, you think, as you compare your own efforts with his, marvelling over the intricacy of the design. The picture appears to be taken in his trailer, and you zoom in to the corners, pleased to see it's cosy, homely. You had worried about how he would cope, being thrown in to such a foreign situation, as from the little information Bucky had been able to share, it seemed as though the other actors were old hands at living on set. It looks like Bucky's learned a thing or two from them.

Your reply to his picture goes unread, and you don't expect it to be answered any time soon. It feels like you never have proper back and forth conversations any more, that phone call cancelling his trip home feels like an age ago, and you miss his voice. The first half of the Autumn term wasn't as tough as you thought it would be, Bucky's replacement Peter is as easy to work with, so you have no complaints on that front, its just not quite the same without him.

Later, as you climb into bed, you allow yourself to briefly think about the future. Now that Halloween is done with, Christmas feels just around the corner, and Bucky's return can't come quickly enough.

*****

Luckily, Autumn quickly rolls to an end, and before you can blink, the annual school disco is upon you. The children look forward to it, and while it is a wonderful way to end the school term, with the combination of sugary drinks and snacks from the tuck shop, the only time they're permitted, the excitement for Christmas, and the speakers blasting classic festive songs, keeping it all under control can be exhausting for the adults.

Taking a breather, you wander through the empty corridors until you can no longer hear the commotion from the assembly room. The cloakrooms between the classroom areas are always a little cooler as they aren't heated, and after the stuffy hall its a welcome break.

Discreetly checking your phone you sigh at the lack of texts. You try not to keep it on you when you're working, not wanting it to be a distraction, but you are waiting on a message from Bucky, not so patiently. You want to know when he's going to be back around here so you can see him, but that's difficult to plan for when he doesn't reply. Leaning against the wall, you scold yourself for being annoyed at how uncommunicative he is, its unfair to expect to be made a priority, and it's not as if you're going to be super busy over the winter break. Whenever he's free you'll make sure you are too.

A door shuts nearby and you pocket your phone, pretending to be interested in the staff board in front of you, showing every teacher, assistant, cleaner and cook on it, your picture sitting at the top of the second column. Footsteps approach as you zone out, staring down the photo of yourself, only half aware that they've stopped beside you.

“Is that who took my place? Looks like one of those cartoon me-mes.”

Frowning, it takes your brain a few moments to work out what is happening.

“A what? Me-”

Turning to face the person who interrupted your bubble of quiet, you gasp, sure you're dreaming.

Bucky stands in front of you, and before he has a chance to say hi properly you're throwing yourself into his arms, only just holding in your squeal of joy as he wraps his arms around you. He smells just as he always did, that combination of three colognes you used to tease him about even though it is an amazing scent on him, and the memories it evokes has you snivelling against his chest.

He soothes you, rocking you with him as you wipe your eyes with your sleeve. “Sorry. I'm just tired I think.”

Nodding understandably against your hair, he hold you tight in his arms until your calmer.

Suddenly remembering his earlier words, you giggle as you pull away. “Me-mes? Really Bucky, you're still such a disaster.”

“And a very merry Christmas to you too.”

Smiling so wide your face hurts, you take him in. He's wearing a yellow visitor badge as opposed to your blue staff lanyard, and it makes him look so out of place even with the familiar surroundings. You note that despite spending nearly half a year in California, he's only slightly more tanned than when he left, but his hair looks different, glossier if possible, and softer. His casual style hasn't changed though, and you're happy to see that faithful puffer jacket he bought a couple of winters ago is still around. You can imagine he's grateful for it, coming back to the shock of single figure temperatures. All in all, he looks so much better than you remembered.

“And anyway,” You say, gesturing to Peter's picture that Bucky commented on, “He's actually really nice. So you should be too.”

“If you say so.”

Snorting, you check your watch. “If you have time, you could meet him?”

“I'd love to, but I've got to get to Dayton's. I didn't say I was coming here first, he'll worry I got stuck in the airport.”

“What do you mean? Haven't you been to his yet?”

“I wanted to see you first.”

“It's not really on the way is it?”

“No, but, worth it.”

Your tummy flips, flattered by his honesty. At a loss of what to say in response, you stare at the notice board behind his head, wondering if he's always had this effect on you and you've just forgotten over the months he's been gone, or if this is a new feeling. Even after an absence of six months he still has such a hold over you.

“What about tomorrow?” You ask after a short silence. “You remember the Christmas lunch? I'm sure we could squeeze you in if you wanted.”

You cross your fingers behind your back, desperate to have him here a little longer.

“Only if they have those potatoes I like.”

Thinking about how you'll make them for him yourself if you have to, you laugh at his condition for attendance, before escorting him back to the entrance foyer and his waiting taxi.

*****

“Are they not feeding you over there?” You chuckle, watching fondly as Bucky scoffs down a very full plate of dinner. Students and teachers a like have been absolutely delighted to see him again, and he's been given pride of place at the main table, with you squashed in beside him at his insistence. Peggy sits opposite, giving you a significant look every time your eyes meet.  She's not pleased that you aren't paying attention to her.

“Well, yeah, but only the really healthy stuff.” He takes a last forkful, scraping at the plate forlornly, before eyeing the food you are yet to eat. Sighing good naturedly, you push it towards him. “Go ahead.”

Thanking you with a grin, he tucks in, quiet until you question him on how long he'll be back.

“Only a couple of days.” He cringes at your confused expression.

“But I thought-”

“I know, I know. But as we've had so many delays because of the weather, everything is so behind, we're basically filming all hours of the day. Most people on set have never seen anything like it, and it's only going to get even more intense. They want to hit the summer season so we're doing all nighters to get it finished.”

“That's ridiculous.”

“And then press and promo, I don't know when I'll get to come home next.”

You don't know what to say. Bucky only arrived yesterday, and now that it looks like he'll be gone by the end of the week you're lost, disappointed and angry at someone or someone's you haven't met.

“Are you at least getting enough sleep?”

He shrugs. “Does anyone in this industry?”

Peter interrupts your conversation before you can continue your interrogation, flopping down between you and Bucky to introduce himself, seemingly in awe of everything about him and his life after Wild Fields Primary School. He knows what you've told him, so not much really, and whilst he tries to dig for more answers from Bucky you force yourself to smile and enjoy the little time you have with him.

*****

The end of lunch comes too soon and whilst you would love to stay with Bucky, teaching duties call. He's driven himself here so you walk with him back to the door out to the car park, refraining yourself from giving him a hug as it feels inappropriate in front of so many people, but he has no such qualms, and ignoring everyone around, you treasure being so close to him, conscious that it may be a long while until you see him again.

Stepping back eventually, you peer through the drizzle at the car Bucky's hired for the day, only half surprised to clock the luxury badge on the front. Not exactly the little run around he used to own.

“That looks very fancy, really going up in the world aren't you?”

“I'm still me.” He says, smiling bashfully as he presses a kiss to your forehead, before slipping out of the door.

“Just don't you forget about me Bucky Barnes.”

“Never, doll.”

You wave him off, not knowing then that Hollywood has a way of changing people, and that sometimes they can't keep their promises.

*****

Chapter 6

[riding-alpacas]

Tierra del Fuego

My route through Patagonia leads me from south to north - starting in the southernmost city of the world: Ushuaia. As usual in South America there are some debates if this is really the southernmost city, given that there are a few more towns and villages further south in Chile. Population wise it certainly is one of the bigger southernmost places.

I didn't have the highest expectations when I came here. Ushuaia is clearly a very busy, touristy place in summer. Lots of cruise ships stop here and it is also the starting point for Antarctica expeditions. I considered doing one of those as well, but when I researched the cost and what kind of trip it would be, I backed off. They are ridiculously expensive and pretty much all of them are targeting a more senior audience. If Antartica still exists when I'm 60, I might consider it again at that age.

Closer to Straya than to Canada

On my first day there was only a limited amount of people in the hostel. Well, that's what I thought. It turned out that during the day almost nobody was in the hostel ever. In the mornings and evenings though the place was buzzing. In one of the Backpacker groups on Facebook I found Corinna who also just arrived in Ushuaia and was looking for hiking buddies. During the following days we spent the majority of our time together as we got along really well. It's a shame that we have very different plans for our time after Ushuaia, but we figured that we might meet again in Central America.

The first hike we attempted was the one to Laguna Esmeralda. It gave me a first taste of the landscape so far south on our wonderful planet. If I'd have to describe it with one word it would definitely be rugged. There is something quite harsh but beautiful about the environment here - which makes sense, given that we had hardly more than 15 degrees during the day and it's basically winter down here most of the time. The tree line is super low (500m or so), the brownish colour above it is quite unique and the mountain peaks are just spectacular. And best of all, it's all pretty much untouched.

Felt a bit like Lord of the Rings

The hike itself was a lot of fun but not only due to the beautiful surroundings. It was muddy like hell. Parts of it led through peat bogs which I never hiked through before. First we both tried to avoid getting into the mud as much as possible by doing ridiculous detours (we actually almost got lost on the first 500m in) but for me at least the tolerance limit got lower pretty quick. My boots were waterproof and in my hostel they had boot brush cleaners anyway. Walking through peat bogs was pretty weird at first. They have a spongy, springy texture and no matter how dry they look, once you step on it you basically press out a lot of water. The lake itself was pretty nice. Many of the lakes I saw in Canada had the same blue, milky colour but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. Unfortunately I wasn't super lucky with the weather during the whole week but again: It's still just beautiful being out there in the spectacular outdoors of the Land of Fire.

A little bit of mud

Mystic

Next day was rest day. And rest day usually means checking out town and its museums. The first museum I tried was an old prison that Ushuaia is famous for. They've split it up into multiple sections, grouped by topic. I was very disappointed. Firstly, it was totally overpriced and secondly it was just... random. I expected some sort of golden thread when walking through the different prison cells but it felt just like a random collection of stuff. And it wasn't even good stuff. I was hoping to learn a little bit about the history of Ushuaia, the indigenous people who lived here etc. but it was very underwhelming. On the way to the city I had a quick look at a "museum" about the Islas Malvinas which was a huge flop, too so I almost skipped the last museum I had in mind. But thankfully I didn't because that one was finally a good one. Historia Fueguina tells four storylines that are related to Ushuaia’s history:

The indigenous people

One of the first European expeditions

The prison

An unbelievable rescue story about Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance

You wander from section to section, each one consisting of life-sized historic figures while listening to the story on the free audio guides. Most of the exhibits can be entered and you can pose for pictures. It was quite quirky but very educational and a lot of fun. Spoiler: Most indigenous people are now eradicated because the Europeans brought diseases and bullets when they discovered gold in the area. Same shit, different country.

Almost as comfy as my hostel beds

Next thing I did was a little hike up to the local glacier in town: Glaciar Martial. I did this one by myself because I really wanted to start it early and Corinna didn't want to pay for the taxi. It's very popular and I wanted to avoid the crowds. Surprisingly life generally starts late here, mostly around 10am. For this one I left the hostel at 8 and was on my way up at 8:30. And I am very happy about my decision because I had the whole trek for myself. Initially I felt a bit meh about this hike. Most photos in the web are quite underwhelming and the start of the hike is basically just walking along a ski slope. Luckily one of my room mates told me about some side trails and that the hike generally is actually quite nice. I'm glad I listened to him. At the beginning I walked along a beautiful creek with some of the clearest water on earth. After getting to a little viewing area, I continued up to the actual glacier. It became quite steep here, but it also wasn't a particularly long section. At the top I had a wonderful view of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. I found a beautiful section where lots of small streams of water merged and just rested here for about 45 mins to soak in the view and some of the sun when it showed itself for a few seconds.

If I remember correctly this was also the very first time that I was making full use of my layering system. I started with my insulated jacket as it was pretty cold in the morning. Halfway through I added my windbreaker as it became quite windy above the tree line. On the way down it gradually became warmer but it also started raining, so I removed both jackets and changed into my rain jacket. Yes, you truly need a good layering system when in Patagonia.

Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel

More Lord of the Rings

The next day was the highlight of my time in Ushuaia. Corinna, the couple that she shared her Airbnb with and I rented a car and we made our way to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Corinna and I had a crack at the Cerro Guanaco Trail which literally took our breath away. The hike starts at a glacial lake, then turns into a forrest and climbs up pretty steeply. After a while we reached a little viewpoint before going through some muddy terrain again. With the tree line behind us, we were now in pretty exposed and rugged territory and the trail became extremely steep. But we continued, slowly and steadily until we reached the top and a jaw-dropping view to all sides. We could see Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel in the distance, the glacial lake with some impressive mountains below us, ragged cliffs right next to us. It was just spectacular and very close to what I had in mind when thinking about Patagonia.

Ragged

My favourite view so far

Corinna and I

Beagle Channel

After our return we continued to explore the southern part of the National Park, took some dorky pictures at some touristy signs and returned back to Ushuaia. By the way: If I wouldn't know that the water is freezing cold down here I would just love to jump into all the little lakes and inlets here. The water is crystal clear and when the sun comes out and you actually feel a bit warm it is just too inviting...

The end of the road

Second best thing to do with these water conditions

Jump in!

What stroke us the most during our time down here was the very limited amount of wildlife on land. We saw a couple of brumbies (or whatever they call them here), some birds and a few flies, but that was basically it. No guanacos, no armadillos, not even a bloody worm or ant. I actually digged a little hole at one point to see if there is anything hidden in the soil but there wasn't anything. Corinna and I started building a theory that everything we saw was just fake and we were actually in some sort of TV show. I hope you are all very entertained by now!

The last activity I did was a rather disappointing one. Corinna had now left town and I decided to do a little trip to an island full of penguins and a cruise along the beagle channel on my last day. Little Penguins are quite common in Australia and I already saw a lot of them in Melbourne and on Phillip Island. I was hoping that the species they have here in Ushuaia would be a bit more different, but it turned out that the Magellanic Penguins (by far the biggest group of penguins here) are very, very similar. I also saw Gentoo Penguins and a King Penguin though, which was pretty cool. After spending about an hour on the island and some other random stuff on the way there (trees that were shaped by the wind, a museum about marine mammal skeletons (creepy (especially when they showed us the fresh carcasses (let's just add more brackets because I can)))) we started our cruise. And the cruise was just 100% meh. Towards the end we stopped at the famous lighthouse and at a few rocks with sea lion colonies but I guess I'm just too used to these animals so that in hindsights I'm a little angry with myself spending so much money on that activity.

Looks like it's a bit windy out here

The lady was very excited about skinning this skull

Gentoo Penguins

Spot the king!

Look at this ugly fella

That was my adventure at the end of the world. I started making some good friends and it was a great start to get to know Patagonia. Next up is El Chalten, the hiking capital of Argentina. Apparently they have really bad internet there, so it might get a little quiet here. Apart from that I also managed to get sick (Coronavirus?), so I'll probably have to rest a bit in the next few days.

I might meet Jean (who I met in the hostel) again in Bariloche

[purplesurveys]

483

Is there a bus stop near your house?: No, buses don’t stop around my area and I only ever see them on EDSA, which is like the main highway of Metro Manila.

Do you prefer red wine or white wine?: I hate the shit out of wine but if I absolutely had to drink some, it has to be red. And it has to be more sweet than bitter.

What’s the last airport you were at? Why were you there?: NAIA. I’m literally at the Starbucks right across the airport right now because my mom is arriving from Hong Kong in an hour and I have to pick her up. 

Who do you live with?: I live with my family. That’s a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, a cat, and a dog.

Do you read reddit? If so, how often and what subreddits do you like?: Yessssss all the time. I always browse through the Popular filter since it already compiles the best recent posts, but I’m a huge fan of the r/AmITheAsshole subreddit. People who turn out to be the assholes are hilaaaaarious.

Have you recently broken up with a significant other or even just a friend?: No. I ‘broke up’ with Aya as a friend when she was being abusive to Jo, but she’s since started working on getting better and has apologized to our friend group, so she’s back on my good side.

What’s the weather like today? Is it nice enough to go outside?: It’s 29ºC. I’m glad we’re not in the 30s, but I don’t appreciate how warm it still is.

Do you know anyone who’s had a baby recently?: As far as I know, no.

Have you used a pen or pencil today? What did you write down?: [continued from earlier because I had to pick my mom up lmao] Yes, I used a pen today. It was to write my name on a requirement that I needed to submit to complete my class.

What does your last text message say and who is it from?: "Can I call?” from my girlfriend.

Can you count how many times you’ve seen your favourite film?: Must be near a hundred. I talked about this in a recent survey but there was a time I watched Two for the Road everyday for like 2-3 months. I still make it a point to watch it several times a year. 

When was the last time you ate marshmallows?: I have no idea. I don’t like marshmallows; I’ve always hated the texture.

Do you listen to any podcasts? How do you listen to them?: Uhhh no, not really. If I REALLY REALLY like the guest, I’ll sometimes listen to Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling or Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho. But other than that, I’d rather watch YouTube videos.

How old will you be in the year 2030?: 32.

How often does the kettle in your house get used?: My mom never got one.

Does your skin bruise easily? Do you have any bruises right now? What from?: Yep, super. I don’t have a bruise right now but I do have a mysterious cut below my right knee. Have absolutely no idea where it came from, but apparently whatever cut it cut it deep and it hurts.

What was the last thing you spent $150 or more on?: I’ve never spent that amount of money on anything.

Do you prefer yes or no questions or more open-ended questions?: Open-ended. If I sense that a survey is becoming too yes-or-no I usually quit it halfway; it’s too boring.

What brand of toilet paper do you usually buy?: My mom buys the toiletries so I’m not aware of what brands she gets.

If I knocked on your door right now, would you be acceptable dressed?: Yes. I just got home and haven’t changed out of my jumpsuit.

Why did you leave your last job?: Never had one.

What colour were the last socks you wore?: It’s like a faded green.

Are you studying currently? What level of education and what do you study?: Yep! I’m an incoming senior in my BA in Journalism.

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying?: No, that’s terrible.

What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?: Probably something from Buzzfeed Unsolved cause I’ve been rewatching it lately.

What’s your favourite scent of air freshener?: Meh, I prefer the natural car smell. Scents make me dizzy.

How many weddings have you ever been to?: Four, I think. All of those when I was a kid; I haven’t been to a wedding since 2007.

Do you know anyone named Nora?: I don’t think so.

Are your hands and feet in good condition or could you do with a mani-pedi? My fingernails can be trimmed, but it’s not like a mess or anything. When was the last time you played a board game? What did you play?: We played a math version of Scrabble when we stayed over at Laurice’s house. I’ve never seen a game like it before lmfaaaaao it was so intense.

Have you ever been to a festival for beer or other type of alcohol?: Nope. I don’t think that would be my kind of scene, either.

Do you own a record player and/or vinyls?: I don’t have a record player so I don’t have vinyls.

When was the last time you went out for drinks?: Third week of May. Have you ever been to a strip club?: NO I really want to go to one though.

What’s your favourite kind of smoothie?: I don’t take smoothies.

Do you know anyone with a ‘virtue name’? (Google it): Hmm I don’t think so, but I know someone who wants to name their kid Prudence.

Would you ever wear real authentic leather?: Never.

Have you taken out the trash today?: Nope, I don’t do that around the house. How often do you wear make-up?: Very seldom. I had my face made up several times over the last few months because Kate sometimes gets bored and she’d want to give me a makeover, but other than that, I rarely get my face done for events.

What’s your opinion on The Simpsons?: I have a very soft spot for that episode where Homer sits on the hood of his car and looks at the stars after he separated from his mom. I don’t keep track of the rest of the show.

Do you prefer horizontal or vertical stripes?: Horizontal. I don’t think I’ve ever worn vertical ones before.

What’s your favourite brand of deodorant/antiperspirant?: I don’t have a favorite.

Do you know anyone who has been through a divorce?: No. We don’t have divorce in the Philippines. So it’s not because all the couples I know are staying strong – it’s literally because no one is allowed to divorce by law.

If you had the money, would you take taxis everywhere instead of driving?: No, taxi drivers can be creepy. I’d rather drive by myself.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?: Nope. I don’t need it.

Do you have any friends who you can’t decide if they’re attractive or not?: HAHAHAHAHA WTF, that’s so messed up and such a shitty thing to do. Is the inside of your fridge clean right now or does it need a clean out?: It’s always clean. My mom doesn’t let any spot in the house go messy for long.

When was the last time you washed the dishes?: This morning before I left the house.

Are there any magazines that you read on a regular basis?: Nope, I haven’t read one in months.

Do you have to pay for parking in most places in the town/city you live in?: No, not in Antipolo. That’s why I love it here. Once I get to the city though we do have to pay for everything, yes.

What’s the first thing you tend to do when you have a headache?: Take a Biogesic. Takes it out immediately.

Tell me about your responsibilities at work.: I don’t have a legit job yet, but at my latest internship I did news monitoring, press releases, research, and made briefing forms for the media.

Can you hear lots of traffic from your house? Does it bother you?: No. I live in a gated subdivision so it is very quiet here. Have you ever had proper Canadian poutine with the squeaky cheese?: I have never tried poutine, what a damn shame. I wish I can encounter a restaurant that serves it cause it looks SO GOOD. Canadian cuisine is not very prominent here though so idk when I can ever get an authentic serving of poutine :(

Do your parents know how to operate smartphones and/or computers?: My dad is very techy, more so than me. My mom uses her phone for her Facebook and camera and nothing else. She still asks me to Google stuff for her even if her Chrome app is right beside Facebook.

How old are your parents, anyway?: My mom and dad are both 1971 babies so they are turning 48 this year.

Are you allergic to anything? What do you have to do to prevent them?: No. My skin can get very allergic to the environment (especially if it’s humid), but it’s not an allergy or anything.

What song is stuck in your head at the moment?: I haven’t been thinking of a song.

Do you hate it when people try really hard, or do you kinda like it?: Idk how to feel about them...like sometimes I’d think it’s hilarious but other times I’d feel sorry and just cringe. But I’m certain I don’t hate it.

What’s your boss’ first name? Do you call him/her by that name?: My boss at internship is named Dessa. I call her that but I address her with Ms. before her name too so that it’s respectful.

When was the last time you wore a uniform of any kind? What colour was it? I wore my old school uniform last year for funsies because I spotted it in our storage closet and felt a little nostalgic. No reason to wear it, just wanted to mess around. The blouse ws white, the necktie and skirt are plaid.

Do you complete a survey before taking this one? Will you take one after?: No. After this, I’m torn among a) getting a midnight snack, b) taking another survey, and c) watching RuPaul’s Drag Race since I started getting into it last night, hahaha. Have you ever lost enough weight to drop a dress size?: I probably have, except I wasn’t actively trying to achieve that.

What’s your favourite kind of bread?: White and brioche.

When was the last time you got pizza? What toppings did you get?: Last Thursday. We got a cheese pizza and a barbecue chicken pizza.

Do you own Monopoly? Is it the original or a special version?: We don’t. I don’t know how to play Monopoly haha it always seemed just so boring to me.

What was the last thing you said out loud?: "Whatcha doing?”

You have to choose one: cats or dogs?: Dogs.

Would someone being either a cat or dog person affect you dating them?: It probably would. I wouldn’t want to be with someone who wants to own a cat with me. I love cats but I would never want them as a pet.

How do you travel to and from work?: I drive myself always. I don’t work yet, though.

Do you primarily use cash or card for your purchases? Why?: Cash, because I don’t have a card.

Have you ever been to a stadium concert?: I’ve been to arena concerts, if they mean the same thing lmao.

[hartlessfiction]

Title: Torque to Size Ratio Rating: Teen Pairing: Sterek Summary: The summer heat makes Stiles sweat. Unfortunately not only does it make him sweat, his shitty ancient building seems to sweat. Or at least, none of the doors seem to sit in the frames correctly. Most importantly, his front door. The front door to the house that just might hate him, and at this moment, won’t let him inside to the pure and beautiful air conditioning that is just waiting on the other side. Luckily, his neighbor is there to help him, again.

Tags: sterek, flirting, awkward Derek, oblivious Stiles, alternate universe–human Notes: This prompt was posted by @pantydean on a sterek server I’m on but I sadly only have a this screen shot as a reference. Thanks for the prompt Crypto because it was the perfect inspiration for @comedicdrama‘s BIRTHDAY FIC!

Happy Birthday to my lovely Dessert Prince

<3 I hope you like these dorks falling in love.

p.s thanks to @tobythewise for jumping in and beta-ing for me <3 ily

Read on A03 

“Mother fucking–shit–fuck.” Stiles, once again, runs his hands through his hair, pulling on the strands until his scalp tingles. With a frustrated growl, he kicks the base of the door and then hisses as pain shoots up his toes and into his ankle. “Mother fucker––”

“This is great.” Stiles stiffens at the voice, at that voice. Derek Hale’s voice, his frustrating, attractive neighbor. Frustrating, because the guy is perpetually grumpy, but also, like, super nice, and Stiles just doesn’t get how that even works. How does a person have constant R.B.F but still manage to be the most helpful? It’s really hard to get a read on Derek because of it. And attractive... because, well… Stiles isn’t blind and even if he was, he’s sure that he’d somehow instinctively know of Derek Hale’s Hotness™.

Slowly, Stiles turns around. Derek’s sprawled out along the stone front steps of his duplex like he’s posing for some kinda sexy summer heat photoshoot. He’s leaning back on his elbows, hips cocked forward, his long legs kicked out and crossed at the ankles. There’s a half-empty bottle of Jack sitting next to his wrist. And it’s in that moment that Stiles decides Derek should absolutely be wearing more, or significantly less than his sweat-stained white tank top and a pair of grease-stained, faded Levi’s. Boots… those scuffed work boots will be the death of Stiles.

“Being locked out together,” Derek clarifies when Stiles just stares at him.

“Yeah, great,” Stiles grumbles turning back to his door. “Except I’m not locked out.” To further illustrate his point he jerks his keys out of the lock. Well, he tries to anyway but just like the door, they’re stuck. Derek just shrugs, his long fingers stretching to grab the bottle next to him.

“Either way, we should hang out more.”

Stiles drops his forehead against the door groaning. He’d love to ‘hang out’ with Derek. He’d love to, just once, look competent and graceful in front of the guy. But that’s not his life, and Derek seems to show up every time Stiles is having a…. moment. Like now, like this moment where his shitty, ancient, prewar building is acting up, and just hates him! Scott doesn’t believe him, but Stiles is convinced the building is sentient and just… hates him! Scott’s never had trouble with the front door, he’s never tripped up the steps while holding three fresh, hot pizzas only to be caught by one, Derek Hale before he can drop the boxes. Those steps have it out for him, Stiles swears it. He’s never tripped up or down steps as much as he does with these.

Scotts doesn’t understand because the house loves him! He’s never gotten stuck half in half out of the ground floor window when the thing suddenly dropped on him. To be fair, Stiles probably shouldn’t have been going through the window to get to the laundry room but he was tired of fighting with the front door. And, just to make everything worse, of course, Derek-fucking-Hale shows up and rescues him. With his bulging biceps and wide palms, making the stupid stuck window slide up like its been freshly greased. Not like Stiles hadn’t been, valiantly, fighting with it for the last 20 minutes trying to buck it up off his spine, no, of course not. That’s the last time Stiles tries to use the window as a shortcut to the basement laundry room. Creepy dark stairs from then on out. Until they try to kill him too.

“You should kick it,” Derek says and Stiles rolls around on the front door, keeping his head connected to the ancient wood, he looks down his nose at Derek and Derek fucking smiles. It might be the first real smile Stiles has ever seen on the other man and he just doesn’t know how to feel about it.

Derek’s smile widens as he brings the bottle up to his lips and tilts his head back like he’s putting on a show, one clear, bright eye pinning Stiles back against the door as he drinks, slow, long drags of the whiskey. Stiles bites the inside of his cheek as Derek’s Adam’s apple bobs with each hearty swallow. He’s got no idea what's going on but he likes it, he likes this side of Derek.

“Go on.” Derek breathes, as he puts the bottle back down. “Kick it, you should. Yeah, try, try a kick.”

“A kick?” Stiles' brain clicks online, slow and buzzing. Sweat’s dripping down his back, thick summer air wraps around his skin like a blanket, his mouth is dry and he licks his lips watching Derek track the motion. “K–kick it?”

Sweat drips slowly down the tendons of Derek’s neck and he seems to shine in the fading early evening sun. “Yeah,” he shrugs and then points at the door with the bottle “Kick it,” he says before bringing it back to his lips.

Kick it,” Stiles grumbles pulling himself from the door. “Fucking kick it,” he repeats to himself. Yeah, he thinks. It’s time to show this fucking house who’s boss. Flattening his hands against the door for stability, Stiles rears forward, pulls his knee towards his chest and donkey kicks the shit out of the door, twisting his hip and really putting everything he has down into his leg. The vibration of his foot connecting with the sold weight of the door thrums back up his leg and chatters his teeth. But other then that, nothing happens.

“That… Wow.” Stiles looks up, jaw tensed to try and stop his teeth from clacking, at Derek who's now leaning forward, forearms braced on his bent knees. His head’s cocked to the side and his brows are raised in what could be surprise, amusement or… Stiles doesn't even know, now his knee hurts.

“Yeah…” Stiles is ready with a dismissal when Derek laughs and it’s beautiful and Stiles hates him a little for keeping that sounds caged up inside of himself for so long.

“That was, wow,” Derek smiles and stands, the bottle dangling dangerously from his fingertips. He skips down the last few steps at the front of his building and practically float/jogs across the small street. Again, Stiles hates him, just a little bit, for the beautiful flex of his neck muscles as he checks for traffic, the roll of his shoulders as he hops up Stiles’ front steps and comes to stand just a little too close for Stiles’ sanity. “That… wow. More torque than I expected.” Derek grins and Stiles flushes from his feet to his hairline. He can feel it, the burn of heat on his cheeks that has nothing to do with the weather.

“You’ve got, uh...” Derek’s eyes drag over Stiles body, slowly and he licks his lips before meeting Stiles eye again. This can’t be happening. “A surprising, uh, torque to size ratio.”

“Uh…” Stiles is never at a loss for words, but right now, with Derek looking him over, with Derek leaning in, his wide palm landing on the door over Stiles' shoulder, bringing their chests so close together that if Stiles breathes too deeply they’d touch. Well, he’s got nothing. Stiles Stilinski has nothing. Nothing to say except a very elegant: “...uh... Y–yep”

Derek makes a soft noise in his throat before tilting his head towards the door, his palm slides up the wood and it really takes every ounce of his very limited self-control for Stiles not to turn his face and lick the sweat out of the bend of Derek’s elbow.

“Here,” Derek says, almost absently handing the bottle to Stiles, his whole body changing focus to the door behind Stiles.

It’s really a beautiful thing, Stiles thinks, as he takes the bottle from Derek and–what the hell–takes a drink. How Derek gives something his entire focus and how Stiles would like to have that focus on him, just for a little while.

He sighs around the mouth of the bottle, letting the very, very stuck door take his weight. He’s suddenly tired. Whether it's the heat or Derek, or the stupid house, who totally hates him, Stiles has no idea, but he’s done. Closing his eyes he tilts his head back against the door, the bottle halfway up to his lips again when Derek grunts, the house shakes and a very, very manly squawk erupts from Stiles' mouth.

Bracing for an impact that never comes Stiles’ flailing limbs grapple for the first thing they can find. His free hand grips a thick, sweat-slick neck as strong arms wrap around his back, and before he can get too far, Derek is hauling him back to his feet, pulling Stiles into his space as he grins.

“Careful there,” he says and Stiles can smell the whiskey on his breath. “Should have warned you I guess.” Derek goes on, glancing over Stiles' shoulder at the now gaping doorway. He tugs a little making Stiles shuffle forward, his wide, scorchingly hot palms brace the small of Stiles back. This cannot be happening.

“Nah…” Stiles manages “...we–we’re good.”

“Are we?” Derek asks looking at Stiles out of the corner of his eye, one of those thick murderous brows arching in a way Stiles has never seen before. It sends butterflies swooping in his stomach.

This is happening.

“Yeah, we are so good.” Stiles grins at Derek, and hoping he’s reading the entire situation right, takes a swing of the Jack before passing it back. He slides his hand up Derek’s chest to join his other cupping the back of Derek’s neck. Derek licks his lips, brings the bottle to his lips and then places it on the wide cement banister.

“Got anything else you need me to manhandle for you?” Derek asks, his hand returning to Stiles’ back only to slip lower and dip into Stiles’ back pockets.

“You–you...and me?” Stiles tilts his head, this cannot be happening, this cannot be fucking happening. Not with Derek-Fucking-Hale.

“If... you want?” Derek says, and its soft, shy, cautious, and Stiles realizes that Derek is worried about Stiles rejecting him.

“Me?” Stiles need to clarify because he’s pretty sure he’s kept his huge, massive, crush on Derek a secret. At least he’s tried to.

“Yeah, since that time with the pizza boxes.” Derek blushes, blowing out a breath and looking away. He shrugs his shoulder, trying for nonchalance but Stiles sees the way his jaw tenses. “Been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you, but you know….”

“Uh?” Stiles is trying not to laugh, the reality of the situation hitting him full force. He’s not this lucky. The steamy hot guy across the street doesn’t like him, it’s never him, except this time it is. Derek seems to be getting more embarrassed and frustrated as he tries to explain.

“You’re always stuck in things! Or late for something, or rushing. I… I’m not good at just, doing this….stuff…. out of the blue.”

All at once it clicks. “You’re not actually locked out of your house are you?”

“No,” Derek bites his bottom lip, the hands he has stuffed in Stiles back pockets twitch. “You’re two hours late coming home! I got nervous and … it was only supposed to be like one drink, something to give me courage, make me stay out here till you got home, but…”

“My class ran late.” Stiles bites the inside of his cheek, cursing his TA responsibilities– not for the first time.

Derek clears his throat, nods, and to Stiles’ great horror starts to withdraw his hands from Stiles pockets.

“Right so…”

“You know,” Stiles grins, flinging an arm out, he grabs the bottle and gulps down the last few shots. “I think,” he says, wincing around the burn in his throat, “that the door to my bedroom….” Stiles steps backward through the front door, using the hold he has on Derek’s neck to tug him along. “Could use some man-handling...”

Derek’s smile returns full force. He steps in, pulling Stiles' hips against his own as they move out of the sweltering evening sun and into the confines of Stiles’, maybe not so haunted house. Comment/kudos on AO3

[coupsdecoeurs-blog]

BTS : An Ode to those “Go too far shippers”

Note to self* : Things I'd like to say to BTS "go-too-far shippers" (the rest of you, you're doing absolutely nothing wrong and YOU WILL know reading me that you're not from that disgusting bunch, there will be no doubts, don't worry ! Innocent fantasy is harmless. THAT is not) :

 Here's a list of what you have to be doing to be considered a "Go-too-far shipper" :

 - FORGETTING that BTS members are REAL HUMAN PEOPLE BEING  and not characters from a TV Show or a book or a fudging YAOI. Actually, I'm a hundred percent SURE that you're not new to that kind of fanatism. Let me make a wild guess here : Marvel Universe ? Sherlock ? Supernatural ? Shadowhunters ? Yeaaaaah you know who you are.

- Loosing your precious time editing super long videos to analyse and prove without-a-doubt-omg-you're-so-smart-and-insightful-you-must-be-an-INFJ that your ship is the realest of all ships. It's a freaking Zodiac Boat, it's sailing so fast ! You guys... are loosing sleep over some 1 second footage slowed to the infinite and beyond of member n°7's left eye twitching (but be careful, if you blink, you'll miss it !) when member n°5 looked in his general direction. That proves it right ! I'm telling you ! But... but what is that ? Another shipper used the EXACT same footage to prove that member n°5 is actually doing this to make member n°6 jealous ! Look look ! N°6's fingers moved... slightly when that happened.

You should actually try to watch yourselves on camera. You'd be shipping yourselves with your father.

Plus, this is so creepy guys, watching them for hours, trying to decypher their micro expressions, looking for a sign, omitting what you don't want to see because it's convenient. But you know what ? BTS members get itchy, think about the weather, are sensitive to noise, their crew facing them during interviews, making gestures to tell them "we're running out of time", they have food between their teeth, they get BORED because they don't understand what's being said during english interviews... a thousand stimuli that would justify their eyes twitching better than your theories ever could.

- Actually SENDING the links of your shipping videos, or even worse : pornographic fanart TO BTS via Twitter or else ! You know they are active on social media, your know they go to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram... Do you ever ask yourselves : "Did I go too far with this fanart of member n°6 and member n°7 doing anal ?" And then you put it ON THE FREAKING INTERNET !

Would you like it if someone draw you and one of your friend that you like ONLY as a friend because he is not your type (aka he is not a member of Bangtan) together doing graphic sexual stuff.  These 7 men grew up together, are living together, are really close... Why on Earth would they want to see a drawing of themselves in a sexual situation with one of their bandmates. Why ? Think about it, try to have EMPATHY for once (you know, that thing you all think you have tons of), put yourself in their shoes, and tell me you wouldn't be bothered to come across such drawings of yourselves and... let's say your brother ? Your father ? Your sister ? Your best friend ? Your co-worker ? And on top of that, on your Twitter feed, for everyone to see. Wouldn't that be embarrassing ? No of course, BTS would be admiring the likeness, the finess of the details and the liveliness of the art. They are not human after all.

                                                 They're Idols !

- Linking EVERYTHING they do to your ship.

               Do you think they are THAT single minded ?

That the only thing in their mind at all time is their "boyfriend/bandmate/that-guy-they-spend-their-lives-with-because-it's-their-job" ? Just to be clear... when you are in love (if you've ever been), do you stop LIVING when the object of your affection is not on your mind ? Is it always ? Do you forget your other hobbies ? Like, if all of you fall in love at the same time, will you stop editing those hour long creepy videos ? PLease, let me know, I know one or two dating app that would make tumblr and Youtube a better place !

BTS youngest member is 21 YEARS OLD. None of them is a prepubescent teenager with raging hormones, with no self control and with only making his "boyfriend" jealous as his goal for the day. Yikes ! Let's not forget they are Kpop idols, which mean they are hightly trained (conditioned ?) to control themselves, their emotions etc. to FOCUS on their job. And besides, do you really, trully believe they have nothing better to do during promotion ? Because, let's face it guys (and I know you'll not like this but brace yourselves) : BTS are ALWAYS doing promotion. They are never truly natural. I'm not saying they are not genuine, I love them as much as you do, and I'm respecting them as mu... wait. MORE than you do, because I'm not actively trying to shove a relationship in their faces while they are working their asses off all day long to offer me quality content, music, MV's, while also trying to live their lives.

   Maybe that face twitching was sadness. But that doesn't mean it's because they fought with bae this morning.

- Making EVERYTHING sexual. That's it. This is the WOOOORST thing you do.

Exemple I : "Oh lord ! Member n°5 licked his lips. Totally obvious. He was thinking about member n°7, sending him signals. They are totally doing it tonight *insert the giggle of a pervert*

Exemple II : "Hhh ! Member n°2 gulped while looking at n°1. He is so thirsty today !"

Exemple III: " Wow ! N°5's hand is on n°3's shoulder. So erotic. He is actually so subtle, but they know eachother so well. N°3's in for it backstage !"

Exemple IV : "N°4 looked at n°6's lips ! I saw him ! It means he wants to kiss him ! I read it on an article titled "How to know if he's into you" from a... scientific magazine. About body language."

Exemple V : "His legs ACTUALLY twitched, he is such a hoe ! I'm sure he has a boner !" (Like guys, you think I'm exaggerating ? Think again.)

...AAAAaaand sceene.

Once again, try paying attention to every little move your body make during the day. Every time you lick your lips, every time you sigh. Every time your eyes land on a "so called" inappropriate place of your interlocutor's body (yeah ! I know you've been watching your history teacher's ass, you hoe ! Thirsty much ?).

      Apply the same logic you do watching BTS members interact, and you'll be thrilled to know that you're sexually                   attracted to your dog. Congratulations !

 - Calling them "hoes", "thirsty"... this is plain insulting. Why, just... why ? I have nothing more to say.

 - Insulting and criticizing shippers that have a different OTP than you. Like, being verbally violent sometimes ... over a-freaking-fantasy of a couple that only exists in your sick mind ! LOOK AT YOURSELVES ! Look in a mirror !

                                 You're the same ! All of you !

Why not put your microscopic differences aside, and celebrate what you have in common : CREEPINESS ! You are all so tolerent, accepting differences, bla blah blah... let's not break our own words and stick to your script, shall we ? Some other BTS fan is creepy, but not exactly creepy-like-you ? Let them be creepy their own way ! Your OTP is [57] ? Theirs is [58] ? Not a problem ! At the end of the day, it's all in your head ;)

- Talking about things you know nothing about, or very little. I've mentionned this earlier.

Are you Korean ? Do you have a Ph.D in Korean culture ? No ? 

So please, stop talking about such things as "the use of honorifics", "skinship", "the way Korean think about same sex relationships", "compliments between males", "fan service"...

Like, seriously you hate on this heteronormative society that we live in, but you are interpreting every single thing BTS does the wame way you actively despise, ho-so-western of you : "They graze eachother's hands, they're gay ! Proof ! They call eachother handsome : Gay ! Physical affection : Gay ! Impressed by a muscular body ? Gay ! You trully are a product of this toxic society you despise. And btw, if member n°5 does a peace sign and tounge to someone (*cough* a fangirl in the audience *cough*) during a choreography, does that mean... that his boyfriend has in fact a vagina, and that he was doing it for him to excite him in secret code ? No ? Do I hear "fan service" ? I thiiiiiink soooo... But wait, does that mean... That in one way or the other, your simple logic doesn't apply to every situation ? (If you are interested to know, one of BTS members actually did what I've just depicted during a choreography on stage. One of my favorite fancams EVER.)

Anyway : You're not defending any minority behaving like that. You're just adding fuel to the fire. Am I insulting you yet ?

Do you have psychic abilities ? Are you Dr. Cal Lightman from Lie to Me ? No ? So please, stop making assumptions about one facial expression or the involuntary twitching of leg muscles.

Are you a pervert ? Are you dangerously-obsessive-but-lying-to-yourself-by-telling-you-this-is-romantic ? Are you living by proxy ? Are you so focused on the sex life of 7 men - that would find that extremely horrible if they knew you btw - you completely forget to live your own life and experience things ? Yes ? Oh.

                                                        Oops!

 Let's recapitulate :

- Forgetting that they are real people, and not fictional characters but treating them as such, because hey ! They're famous, they must WANT the attention.

- Editing creepy videos, and actually believing you're raising awareness with your borderline psychic skills at decoding body language. Seriously, you're so sensitive, I'm amazed you're able to have friends, because you see everything : that is your curse.

- Thinking every single member of Bangtan is a single-minded teenage boy in love, incapable of controlling his impulses. Of course he'll waste his time during an interview to try and make his boyfriend jealous. How fun ! Making the person you love jealous. Haha. So intelligent and useful. Just like in that Tv Show you love. You know, the one with the toxic relationships and immature characters !

- Sending fanart to BTS. They're probably used to it, so why not taking your chances and trying to get their attention ! They might even like the picture of themselves giving a BJ to their bro. Aegyooooo !

- Making everything sexual. Not something unhealthy to do. Not at all. Again, so fun !

- Calling the artists you love cute names such as "hoe". Adorable.

- Discriminating shippers that aren't sharing your OTP. You're a pot. They're a kettle. But nobody's black, oh god no !

- Using Google to validate your theories, be it for body language or Korean culture. Everybody reacts the same way to the same things, true fact !

Anyway, that's all for today ! Please feel free to comment, and tell me how much you think I'm right, that you too have been aggravated by those "Go-too-far shippers". That you haven't been fast enough either to buy a ticket to the concert in your country, so you would love it if you could go on tumblr to find new pictures of Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook because you love them all (ALL 7 of them, thank you) but without accidently reading a post about "n°6 and n°7 sitting in a tree. F-U-C-K-I-N-G". If you are tired, like me, please share this post and comment below ! Even I you know, just like I know, that it wll not whange annyhing. But Damn if it felt good writing it !

Thank  you !