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miraculous-trinity-leo · 3 years

Text

Whacky Gotham, Goofy New York, and Chaotic Paris

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Chapter 3: Kindred Spirits Always Find A Way To Assemble

•—–—–†–—–—•

Time: 5:30am

location: Louvre

Ladybug, Abeille, Bunnyx, Trickster, and Chat Noir are fighting an akuma, not anything major, just Mr. Pigeon and his pigeons trying to melt the Louvre with deadly acidic bird dropings, so yeah, nothing major. Just another early bird gets the akuma kinda day...

"Looks like the early bird is trying to melt the Louvre, what say you M'lady, shall we make this swift and- *Loud sneeze* Let me now *sneeze* when I'm *sneeze* needed" - Chat Noir

"For to long our kind has been oppressed, they feed us miserable seeds, when we beg for bread, we shall show them no mercy, as our justice shall be swift!" picks up two pigeons, holds them by their legs and aims the rear cannons "Surrender your Miraculous and your justice shall be swift and painless!!" with an evil villain laugh at the end bla bla bla.

" Anyone else getting Pigeon (French) Revolution vibes? No? just me? Cause I swear he said seeds instead of cake."

"Not the time Bunnyx." - Abeille

"Oh it so Is The Time." - Bunnyx

"Off with Mr. Pigeon Antoinette's Akumatized object!" - Chat Noir from a distance.

"Viva La Revolution!!!" - Trickster

"Dear Kwami, how did it come to a frickin Pigeon Revolution?!" - Ladybug

As the last line is said, Mr. Pigeon fires the -ehem- cannons at the heroes, only for them to be an illusion. In the confusion Bunnyx pops out of her burrow and wacks Mr. Pigeon on the head, effectively knocking him out.

"The Pigeon Revolution is over, we have taken back our home, and shall continue to defend it from the creepy Man of MOTH!!!!" - Bunnyx

and with that Bunnyx brakes the Akumatized object, and Ladybug purifies the akuma.

"Ok, I will admit that last speach was funny, now lets hurry back before hells bells go off." - Ladybug

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

" Bla bla bla, nothing important, bla bla bla bla, yada yada yada bla yada." - Mrs. Bustier

"'Viva La Revolution', that was perfect." - Whispering Alix

"It just came to me, but Chats 'Off with Mr. Pigeon Antoinette's Akumatized object' line and your 'Man of Moth' speech were really well timed !" -whispering Peter

"well of course, I'm always punctual with any time sensitive joke/pun." -whispering Alix

"Will you to zip it! we can't have these simpletons finding anything out!" -whispering Chloé

"Please, they all share a broken defective regect of a brain cell, I doubt they could ever put two and two together." -whispering Alix

"Hey, do you think we should start a protest in our classroom?" -whispering Peter

"... Viva.La.Revolution!" - whispering Chloé with a mischievous grin

"No." - Maria

•~—~—~—~ Later when Mrs. Bustier is out of class ~—~—~—~•

"I just don't know what to do." - Lie-la

" You think she finally realized how horrible that hair style is?" - Alix

"After visiting Gotham a few months ago I met Damian Wayne, you might've heard about him, he's just so amazing, kind-hearted, and brave. We had a wonderful time, but then he asked me out! And I don't want to hurt Parkers feelings, I care for both of them!" - Lie-la

"Man, she must be extremely full of it to keep pulling that sh-t out of her @ss every hour or so." - Alix

"Wow Peter, didn't know your cared for Ms. Rossi like that" - Chloé said in a sarcastic tone.

" I'd rather strap her to a supersonic rocket heading for a black hole, and I'm pretty sure this Damian Wayne would do the same... he probably has the money for it actually." - Peter

" Enough plotting, we still need to get enough money, if we want that summer trip, we've already crossed off: Baking sales, becoming a mime, jobs are out unless they're fine with you leaving right after joining, and we can't just ask for donations." - Maria

" I can use my MDC mon-" - Maria

"Oh hell no you won't! You worked your butt off to get that money, you said it yourself! That money is for when you apply to college! I refuse to let you waste your money on our ignoramus classmates!" - Chloé

Thankfully by now everyone was out of the classroom.

" Oh Kwami she's serious, she never uses her big words!" - Adrien

" Then what do you suggest Chloé?" - Maria

" I'll ask daddy to pay!" - Chloé

" I can also ask my father, he'll probably do it if Mr. Bourgeois puts in a donation." - Adrien

" But- " - Maria

" No! The decision is final all in agreement say aye!" - Chloé

"Aye!" - Everyone

"You've watched to many movies Chloé, fine, but please don't drastically overdo it." - Maria

" When have I ever drastically overdone something? Name one time." - Chloé

"Well, there was the time you over did it, by not sleeping for almost three weeks." - Maria

" and after that you got so fed up with one akuma that you kicked him with the force of a thousand suns down unda, you may have scared him for life after that honestly. " - Adrien

" Oh! or the time you went overboard with Peters B-day, and the cake landed on his face! - Alix

"Well in her defense, the cake was great, but it was kinda a mouthful." -Peter

"... I said name one time. (ー_ー)" - Chloé

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

Sooo, after all that happened Mr. Bourgeois, Fallowed by Gabriel Agreste, gave a very generous donation, so that solves that problem.And since I'm sure you don't want to see (More Lies) boring stuff, lets skip to two days before the trip begins.

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜time skip " You're welcome, I'm here all eternity." - Bunnyx〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

•—–· At Chloés Hotel ·–—•

"Ok are we sure we have everything?" - Maria

" Yes now can we please watch something already, we've triple, and even quadruple checked everything, we're good." - Alix

" I have to go out and inform Tempête and Vipère, before anything else, be back soon." - Maria then heads out calling upon the other heroes.

" So what do you need?" - Vipère

" Do you have a top secret mission for us?" - Tempête

" For the summer Abeille, Bunnyx, Trickster, and Chat Noir will be unavailable, unless they are truly needed, I however will be able to travel back and forth via portals for fights. Paris will be in your care while we aren't here." - Ladybug

"It is our honor, we shall defend Paris with our lives." - Tempête

" Agreed, enjoy your summer." - Vipère

"Thank you, stay safe." and with that Maria headed back to the hotel prepared to watch movies, only to be bombarded with questions as soon as she got back.

" HOLD UP! You know MAGIC?!" - Alix

" When were you going to tell us?!" - Chloé

"So cool, how does it work?" - Peter

" Can you teach us?!" - Adrien

" Spots-Off, yes I know magic, I swear I've told you before. Do you want a demonstration?" - Maria

They all shook their heads excitedly.

" Ok well, I'm able to Heal myself if I get hurt, but I don't wish to hurt myself just for that, I can also increase my Luck with magic, as well as Communicate/ Manipulate plants, and see peoples Souls, thanks to Tikki. I learned Protection magic thanks to Wayzz, and Illusion magic thank to Trixx. I'm also learning Teleportation from Kaalki, which I've almost completed, and Mutitude from Mullo, which still needs work." - Maria

" If you can really talk to plants, what did we do earlier while you where out, hmmmmm?" - Alix

Maria then walks over to the roses near the couch and whispers to them, after a moment she turns back to her friends, and calmly says "Traitors."

" What do you mean?" - Peter

" You continued watching Star Wars: Clone Wars Without me!" - Maria

" Ok we believe you, but does this mean we can also use magic?" - Adrien

"Hmmm, let me see" as she says this her eyes start to glow an almost ethereal icy blue.

" Why are you eyes glowing?" - Chloé

"Looking at you souls... ok" she then claps her hands and her eyes go back to normal "Adrien, you can use slight Destruction magic on objects, if you use it on a person it would just cause them extreme pain, you can also cast Bad Luck on someone, so I guess thats good, and you can also learn slight Jubilation magic. Peter you can learn Illusion, and Protection magic. Chloé you can Learn Subjection, and Multiplication magic. And Alix, you can learn Evolution, Intuition, and Teleportation magic." As Maria finished, she saw the star struck looks in their eyes at the thought of learning magic became obtainable for them.

"Teach us!" they all bowed only to get a laugh from Maria in response.

"You would have to ask the Kwamis that, I only know what I know thanks to them." - Maria

And for most of the night they all started practicing magic. And when they woke up, they continued to practice, they had fun and were really enjoying it.

Then came the day Maria and her friends were to head for Gotham, and it was hectic, but everyone made it in one piece after an 8 hour flight, which at this point Maria was glad she sent all of her important luggage ahead of time, because somehow her luggage with only her toiletries and pyjamas was stolen, so all she had now was her back pack on her and the Miracle box in a Pocket dimension (thanks to the training from Fluff and Kaalki)

Lila was annoyed, when Maria didn't even care that she lost her bag with all her stuff (jokes on you she sent that one to the hotel 2 days ago HA!) they ended up checking into the hotel, everyone was with someone, Peter was with Adrien, Chloé was with Alix, and Maria... just had the Kwamis, yup that's right, apparently Lila has a condition that prevents her from being in any room below a quality vip room, so now she was upgrade and without a roommate, good for Lila, and Lucky for Maira, because now she doesn't have to worry about someone noticing her climbing out the window to go free-running across rooftops as Multimouce.

Around 7:30 pm. everyone heads out for lunch... and they leave Maria behind.

"Of course this happens." and with that she asked the receptionist for the directions to where her class went, afterwards she went out and proceeded to get lost, after trying to retrace her steps, she just got lost quicker, and her phone was at 20% what luck.

After walking for a little bit, she had decided to take a break, and as she leaned up against a wall, she closed her eyes.

'Maybe if I search for the receptionists Soul I can find my way back.' as she was doing this, she saw souls of all colors walking by, she even noticed a dark emerald green soul, and a dark blue soul across the street on a rooftop... and then she felt her hair stand on end, a few feet to her right was a bloody rust looking soul, she could tell it was a male, late 20s, average build, and 5'11, he was targeting her. As she opened her eyes she did a quick scan of her seroundings, noticing an alley, she started to walk again. Sensing the slight increase in speed from the man now behind her, as he got closer, she made a sharp left into the alley, she made it a few feet in before the man started laughing and walking closer, she saw the disgusting look in his eyes, and the outline of a gun in his front left pocket.

"Come on now girlie, I just wanna talk."

" I am good thankz." she made sure to add an accent to make him feel like he had an upper hand, which seemed to work, if his sickening smile was anything to go off of.

He stepped closer and Maria (the little genius she was) decided to act nervous, which only lowered the guys gaurd even more, once he reached to grab her in a quick motion she proceeded to do this.

She held the guy in a lock until he fell unconscious. As she stood up, she noticed a hand reaching for her, she then grabbed the hand and flipped the figure over her shoulder hard, hearing a yelp from the man as she did so.

When she realized who she had flipped over, her face turned bright red

"Mon dieu, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you are you ok Monsieur Nightwing?!"

"Yeah I'm fine and don't apologize, reflexes like that are key to survival here in Gotham, isn't that right Robin.... Robin?"

When Nightwing didn't get any sound from Robin he looked over to see the boy a blushing mess, then Robin snaped out of it, cuffing the mugger, and turning his attention to the girl.

" Ehem. Mam it's dangerous to be out here at this time alone, please allow us to take you wherever you need to go." - Robin

"Oh thank you um, do you know where Wayne Hotel is? I was supposed to go with my class to dinner, but they... “forgot” me, I decided to try and meet up with them, but I failed horribly." - Maria

"Wait they just left you? and in Gothan of all cities?! What kind of teacher does that?!" - Nightwing

" An instegator." - Maria said under her breath in French, she didn't notice the slight shock on both their faces from what she said.

"Anyway lets get you to your hotel before it gets any later." - Nightwing

"Thank you again." - Maria

She arrived safely, thanks to Nightwing and Robin, she thanked them one more time and went inside, when she got to her room she found her friends pacing back and forth in the room, Chloé and Peter looking like they would soon become two people on a mission to find her, but thankfully she was back, she of course had to answer alot of questions, but that was no big deal. After answering all their questions, everyone went to their rooms, and fell asleep, they had a big day tomorrow afterall... ... and then Marias' Akuma alert went off, ok so it took about thirty minutes to defeated the akuma 2 more before she could cure anything and another 5 minutes before she could head back to her room, and it was now 2am, but she could still wake up early right? hehe (・–・;) right?

No, the answer was no she couldn't, well technically she was up on time for when the bus "should" have started getting ready to leave, BUT turns out Lila SOMEHOW, managed to get everyone on board without even thinking of her an hour early! Maria asked for directions once again, and the receptionist had a worried and apologetic look on her face, Maria thanked her again, and headed out, this time however, she made it without getting lost and without getting mugged, Yay! She even had enough time to get a coffe (Tim special was a wierd name but oh well it did the job pretty well) from a shop near by (double yay!) before entering the WE building.

" You have to start the tour! we've been here for an hour and thirty minutes already!" - Ms. Bustier

"Like I said before, I will not start the tour until your student gets back, and if they don't get back, then we better hope nothing happened to them, or else it's your fault for your negligence." - Tour guide

"Sorry I'm late, the bus left earlier than what we scheduled, why didn't you inform me about the change?" - Maira

"Lila said you were the one who made the changes and that you were just trying to get attention, I am VERY disappointed in you Maria, now apologize to your class for delaying the tour!" - Ms Bustier

"I think you mean “I'm sorry we left you behind in a city where murder happens to young kids on a daily basis” now you apologize to Your student that is Your responsibility." - Tour Guide with a glare that could kill a thousand armys

Ms. Bustier proceeded to apologise to half the class's disbelief.

"Alright then, now that thats all taken care of, Hello and welcome to Wayne Enterprise, where we focus on making Gotham and the world a better place. I'm Dick Grayson, and I'll be you tour guide for today."

As the tour went on Maria stood at the front with her friends, she took notes of everything that was said, and she ignored whatever nonsense Lila was spouting, somthing about saving or dating Damian Wayne, she didn't really care.

When the lunch break came, she sat with her friends until she needed a long overdo refill on her coffee, she walked over to the coffee machine and started figuring what combination will keep her brain working for the rest of the day.

"Press button 3 followed by 5, 6, 8, 1, 2, 4, 9, and 7, that is the ultimate coffee mixture, if your mortal self is up for the challenge." - Sleep deprived guy

"I accepte." she presses the buttons in the exact order and then " Wait none of the cups are big enough."

"Here, secrect cup, from beyond the mortal realm." - Sleep deprived guy

" Thanks" she grapped the very large cup, and filled it with coffee till it was almost to the rim, she put the lid on and instantly took a big sip from the scolding hot coffee (she can heal, her tongue's fiiiiiiine)

"... Not bad, taste similar to the Tim Special I had earlier, but maybe a bit stronger." - Maria

" Kindred Spirit, let us be friends, you have drank the sacred coffee and are now immortal, congrats." - Sleep deprived guy

"It was not easy, but I have come this far, and I shall go the distance with nothing but coffee in my veins." Maria said in a serious tone as they shook hands "I am Maria, keeper of all nighters, and who might you be, my kindred spirit."

"I am Tim, the keeper of sacred coffee and all that is unholy."

"It was an honor to meet you Sacred Tim, may the coffee gods guide you in your journey, sadly we must part ways, for the lunch break is over, farewell..." and with that Maria left to rejoin the group.

"Dear god where the hell did you get that much coffee?!" - Chloé

"Kindred Spirits always find a way to assemble." - Maria

"Huh, so there is someone out there who is also a sleep deprived child." - Alix

The tour continued, and Maria noticed their tour guide kept looking at her with growing concern as she slowly made her way through the lovely coffee, she finished the cup within 1 hour and 30 minutes, and most of the staff kept looking at her as she now held the empty unholy cup, that was said to put people (that weren't chosen by the coffee gods) into caffeine induced commas, but she was fine, if anything she was more awake than yesterday and today combined. So yeah Today had a rocky start, but I'd say things are only just beginning.

•—–—–†–—–—•

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜 Bonus Art 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

This is what it looks like from Marias' normal vision, to her Soul Vision (~‾▿‾)~

Chapter 3 completed, hope you're all having a wonderful day, and staying positive BUG-OUT 🐞💮🐞

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜 Tag List 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

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janetbrown711 · 3 years

Note

“Please just hold on a little longer. I can’t loose you too.” Yakko Wakko dot

Yakko knew things wouldn’t feel the same after Wakko left, he just hadn’t expected it to this degree.

At first, it had been okay. Not pleasant, nor was it enjoyable, but... bearable. With Wakko being gone, and Dot often needing to nap to preserve her strength, Yakko was left alone with his thoughts, something he was hating more and more. Times like that he wished he was a normal kid with normal kid problems.

He missed his parents a lot during those times too.

He had vague memories of being sick when he was a kid. His mother held him close, never leaving his side and singing softly to him. His father would tell him tales of battles he had fought in his knight days. He also told the story of how they met.

He loved that story, and would’ve given anything to hear them tell it again.

Yakko sighed. It had been nearly five years and he still missed them.

However, it wasn’t all bad. They only had to move once from winter to spring, and it seemed Yakko had a stroke of luck because just a little way outside of the town was an empty water-tower like building that was empty, except for two beds. Two whole beds. Yakko couldn’t even recall what it felt like to sleep in a bed, so he was overjoyed and full of excitement to show Dot.

Dot had been delighted to hear she’d have her own room and a giant bed of her own. Normally, Yakko was supposed to take the bigger bed, he was older and taller, but he wanted his sister to be as comfortable as possible. After all, she could very well-...

You know...

There were some sentences Yakko still wasn’t ready to finish.

However, that stroke of luck ended, and by May, Dot had hit another rough patch- a really, really rough patch. So much so that he considered writing Wakko a letter to return, but Wakko hadn’t written in a little while and Yakko wouldn’t have known where to address it.

It was moments like that that just made Yakko think, “Wow, this really sucks.”

“Y-yakko-” Dot called hoarsely from her room.

“I’m coming Dot, i’m coming,” He said as he finished preparing her a bowl of soup as quick as he could. He really hated leaving Dot alone, even for a second, like this. He never felt sure she was alive unless he was there, and watching her breathe.

“I’m back,” Yakko said as he entered and set the bowl down on the little nightstand he had made for her next to her bed, before scooting next to her in bed before she snuggled up next to him.

“Dot, you can’t snuggle now, you need to eat,” He pointed out. Dot shook her head weakly.

“Not hu-hungry-” She tried to say, but got interrupted by a lengthy cough that was bad enough to make Yakko cringe as he patted her back.

“C’mon Dot, you know it’s for your own good,” Yakko said. Dot didn’t look at him. Sighing, Yakko added, “If you can’t do it for you... can you at least do it for me?”

Dot glanced at him after that. He silently pleaded with his eyes and Dot begrudgingly sat up and nodded. Yakko was thankful that argument still worked: he wasn’t sure what he was going to do when/if it didn’t. That didn’t matter though, as that wasn’t the here and now, and Yakko began to feed her the soup.

Dot had always had a distaste for the soup, and Yakko couldn’t really blame her. The herbs and medicines the doctor had recommended didn’t smell all too good, nor did they taste pleasant, but they were good for her so she had to have it. Today, she wasn’t putting up much of a fight and willingly swallowed, which meant Yakko could rest easy tonight knowing she had at least something in her system today, something he couldn’t quite say for himself.

After a while, it was clear Dot had had enough and he set the bowl aside, and Dot cuddled back into him, but Yakko noticed that she clearly had something on her mind today, and whatever it was it was clearly bothering her. Yakko took in a deep breath, and mentally prepared himself before asking what was the matter.

“Yakko, what were Mom and Dad like?” she asked weakly.

“M-mon and Dad?” Yakko blinked. Of all the questions she could’ve possibly asked, he hadn’t prepared himself for that one. Dot nodded.

“W-well... Dad was a handsome knight who had married a beautiful princess,” he said.

“I know that Yakko... I mean what were they really like? Personalities, likes and dislikes, loves and hates,” Dot looked up at him. Yakko grimaced, but internally cursed himself for that. Dot had a right to be curious, she was less than a year old when everything happened, and Yakko had plenty of time to prepare himself for this moment.

“Well... Dad was really strong, and really really wise. He loved reading and liked to read me and Wakko bedtime stories,” Yakko said. “But he was also really funny, and he liked doing bad magic tricks for Wakko that made mom cringe,” he chuckled a little at the memory and was happy when he saw Dot was doing the same.

“But Mom still loved him, right?” Dot asked.

“Of course, that was one of the things she loved about him. He always made her smile,” Yakko smiled a little, hearing her in his head.

“What about Mom?” Dot asked. Yakko felt himself cringe as a swarm of memories flooded his mind that he pushed back, stuff he definitely wasn’t going to tell her.

“She... she was beautiful, witty, and kind, and a lot like you,” Yakko said, looking down at his little sister and noticing how true his words were.

“Really?” Dot said, trying to sit up, but was too weak, so Yakko helped her.

“Of course. There’s a reason you two share names,” He joked.

“Her name was Dot too?” She tilted her head.

“No, her name was Queen Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca II, and your full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Lousisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III,” Yakko said. Dot smiled.

“I like that name,” She smiled weakly.

“It’s a very good name,” Yakko nodded.

“Better than Wakkorotti,” Dot added, and Yakko snorted.

“You got that right, just don’t tell Wakko,” He laughed. Dot nodded and did a “lips sealed” motion, before coughing weakly and returning to her cuddling position. Yakko tiredly sighed.

“I’m sure if she were still alive she’d be very proud of you- they both would be. They loved you very much and were willing to die if it meant you would be safe,” Yakko practically whispered as he stroked the fur on the top of her head softly. However, after he said that, Dot started to cry, which confused Yakko.

“Hey- what’s the matter?” He asked, equal parts confused and concerned.

“M-m-mom a-and dad d-died a-and I-i s-still m-might d-die and i-it’ll be for nothing a-and you’ll b-be sad a-again a-and Wakko is-isn’t here a-and- a-and-” Dot quickly lost control of her words and began to give in and sob into his chest.

“Dot- don’t say that,” Yakko was aghast. He honestly had no idea where such thoughts had come from.

“B-but it’s true,” She sniffled. “Th-they died to pr-protect u-us b-but I’m gonna die a-any way.”

“Dot, you aren’t going to die,” Yakko frowned.

“B-but...”

“No ‘but’s Dot. You can’t die. I won’t let you,” Yakko stated. “There is nothing on this planet I wouldn't do to keep you alive, and if death wants to take you he’ll have to get through me first,” he said.

“But I don’t want you to die! Wakko needs you!” Dot pleaded with teary eyes.

“Y-you... you need to stop caring about me... I don’t want you to be sad...” she muttered quietly and Yakko couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“No. I refuse,” He shook his head.

“Yakko, please, I’m hurting you. You can’t care about me anymore,” She said, trying to push him away with all of her might, but her efforts were ineffective.

“Well, that’s tough. Because whether or not you want me to care about you, I’m gonna. Do you know why?” He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look him in the eyes.

“Because you’re my baby sister, and it’s my sworn duty as your older brother to take care of you. I love you Dot, and nothing is ever going to change that. I’d never, ever stop caring about you, no matter how much you beg me to.”

“B-b-but-”

“No ‘but’s Dot. I love you, nothing, and I mean nothing, is ever going to change that,” He quickly wrapped her into a hug, and she buried her head in his arms and cried more, and he didn’t even flinch when the cries mixed with coughs, he was determined to never let her go.

The pair stayed like that until Dot was able to wear herself out, exhausted by the emotional outburst. Still, it seemed to be slightly therapeutic, as the certain tension that had been with her for the last few days seemed to have weakened.

Yakko stood and kissed her forehead as he tucked her in.

“Please don’t give up yet Dot,” He thought as he smiled tiredly at her. “I know what I said, but I’m scared too. I just... I can’t afford to lose you too.”

“Goodnight Dot,” He said out loud.

“Wait Yakko-” She grabbed his arm.

“Yes?” He questioned.

“Can... can you stay with me tonight?” Dot looked away nervously.

“Of course,” Yakko smiled tenderly, which only increased as he saw the joy it brought to her as she skooched aside so there was adequate room for him. It was a big bed, and though it was full of hay and not feathers, it still was plenty big and comfortable enough for the both of them.

“Goodnight Dot,” Yakko said as she snuggled up close.

“Goodnight Yak,” Dot smiled weakly before sniffling and shivering slightly. Yakko held her closer and the shiver subsided.

Dot had no idea what she had been talking about. Yakko was never ever going to stop caring about her. He didn’t care if it would hurt him more in the long run, the last thing he wanted to end up was bitter and alone. He promised his mom he’d take care of his siblings and he sure as hell wasn’t going to stop caring now.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

#my fics #animaniacs #yakko wakko and dot #yakko warner #dot warner #family feels #angst #feels #i just-#im a sucker for their relatuonship #especially in wakkos wish

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angelbabylu · 5 years

Text

Man or Beast // LH

pairing: witch!oc x vampire!luke

word count: 7.5k

warnings: smut, fluff, magical stuff, angst if you squint

notes: so last week i posted something wicked, an introduction to this universe where 5sos are vampires. as stated in my note for that fic, the idea comes from this book series. whereas that fic dealt with a lot of witch lore, this will deal with vampire lore. basically digging into luke’s family and backstory and such. this has the barest of allusions to dracula. i hope you enjoy!

title: from this dracula quote: “[S]omething dark stood behind the seat where the white figure shone and bent over it. What it was, whether man or beast, I could not tell.”

Part 1: Something Wicked

The first year in front of her had turned bright red in embarrassment. They were in the greenhouse discussing the life cycle of plants and how magic could be used to speed up that process. Margo, the TA for this freshman herbology class, had grown quite used to her students being intimidated by her. Especially those like the young witch in front of her who’s magic had gone haywire and caused several plants in the vicinity to die. The good news was that Margo was somewhat of a prodigy when it came to herbology. It was one of the few things she could do without incantations.

She ran her hands over the flowering plants as she spoke to the girl. “Like with all magic, it is about manipulating something on a molecular level. With raw power, all you have to do is send your magic into the universe and manipulate it to do your bidding. Like creating water.” Margo whispered a quick spell that had an orb of water forming between her fingertips. She tossed it into the air, and it disappeared into steam.

“Or,” Margo continued, “telekinesis.” After a wink from Margo, the large, round, wire-rimmed glasses that the first year wore wiggled up and down on her face.

“The water and your glasses are both inanimate objects, so I only had to worry about manipulating them to my own will. With plants, you can’t just shove energy at it and hope for the best as they have a will of their own. Listen to the plant and learn what it wants. If you just try to bend it to your will, it will resist, which could lead to. . . ” Margo trailed off.

The young witch had already experienced the consequences of such actions. “This takes a level of practiced magical manipulation.” As if in a show of agreement, the plants began to come back alive around her, sprouting flowers as red as the witch’s face had turned earlier.

Margo was so engulfed in trying to teach her young student how to control horticultural magic, she didn’t notice the slight prickling in her thumb.

She missed the whispering and giggling too. It was not until the young witch interrupted her with a small, yet constrained smile and said, shyly, “Miss Crowley, I think your boyfriend is here,” that she looked up and out towards the doorway. Sure enough, leaning against the door frame to the greenhouse was Luke, arms crossed, a smile on his face.

Margo pursed her lips in mild annoyance, hands coming to rest on her hips. Luke knew that when he showed up to her lectures, it distracted the class. Most vampires didn’t hang out with the Horticultural Magic students–they tended to prefer biological sciences, history, literature, and other such pursuits. And, vampires were also the least prevalent of the magical beings. Chances were many of the first years had never seen a vampire before meeting Luke.

Some of the bolder witches had already made their way over to him, taking his attention away from Margo.

“I suppose class is over?” asked the young witch Margo had been helping. She looked at her students whose focus was no longer on the plants in front of them, but on the tall, looming vampire in the doorway.

“I suppose,” Margo said solemnly.

She went to the front of the greenhouse and called out for attention. “Class dismissed. Please remember that I expect all of you to be able to draw the life cycle of an angiosperm by next Tuesday! There will be a quiz.”

As always, there was a collective groan throughout the room. Margo ignored it as she went to about packing her things. Luke stayed at the door for a couple of seconds saying goodbye to the few students that were friendly with him before walking over to her. When she had rammed all that could fit in the small laptop bag, she slung it over her shoulder, picking up the spellbook and the biology textbook she couldn’t quite fit.

Reaching out, Luke stole the books and a kiss. “Good afternoon, mon cœur,” he said, his native language rolling smoothly off his tongue. “I take it you had a good class.”

Margo refused to smile at him, no matter how charming he was.

When she didn’t return his smile, he turned indignant. “What did I do?” He asked, voice raising an octave.

“Half my class is like in love with you. Every time you show up, they forget I exist.”

Luke laughed at her revelation, placing one arm around her and ushering her out of the greenhouse. “Half your class is in love with you,” he shot back. “That girl you were talking to when I walked in? She has such a huge crush on you, I could hear her heart hammering from halfway down the hall.”

“What?” Margo’s mouth hung open. “No way. Poor thing. It’s too bad for her that I don’t date my students.”

“And that you’re dating me,” Luke reminded, squeezing her shoulder possessively.

Margo laughed; she had known that would get a reaction out of him.

They walked in relative silence, basking in the golden hue of the late afternoon sun. Glancing up at Luke, she watched as the light brushed against his angular features, causing the contours of his face to seem more prominent. She remembered the days she thought vampires would burn in the sunlight. Turns out that, while they preferred nighttime, the sun did little more than irritate their sensitive eyes. Growing up in her small town in Massachusetts, she didn’t have much contact with other supernatural creatures that weren’t witches. It was part of the reason she loved the University of the Arcana as much as she did. The different kinds of people she got to meet were refreshing.

Luke’s Tesla was parked a few feet outside the Horticultural Sciences Complex. The research lab where he mapped the vampire genome and studied evolutionary biology was just a few blocks from Margo’s greenhouse. Their evening routine used to include enjoying a leisurely 5-minute stroll from said greenhouse to the biology complexes. Recently, however, that had not been the case.

“Why’s your car here?” She asked, despite already knowing the answer.

“I went to a few theology seminars today,” Luke said in response.

Along with being an evolutionary biologist, Luke was getting a degree in the history of theism, and, when he was feeling particularly nostalgic, he also attended classes on Romantic-era literature. The thing about vampires was that they had all the time in the world, so getting two or three degrees at once was nothing to them. It didn’t escape her notice, however, that he had been attending these classes more frequently.

Margo tramped down her budding need for confrontation and asked instead, “Do we have any plans for tonight?” In the privacy of Luke’s car, she kicked off her trainers and took her hair from its top knot. Saying goodbye to the day, she relaxed back into to cool leather of the interior, facing Luke only once her legs were tucked firmly underneath her.

Splitting his attention expertly between her and the road, Luke asked, “Would the house be mad if I stole you away for one more night?”

Her house, or rather the Gamma Nu Sorority House, had a habit of misbehaving when it was feeling cheated. Once, a few weeks before, she had spent 6 blissful days sleeping on Luke’s memory foam mattress only to return home to find her room missing. After hours of begging and cajoling, there was still no sign of her scratched up wooden door. Finally, it had taken her promising not to spend more than three days at a time at Luke’s for the house to re-materialize the room in its former spot.

“We’ve got one more day,” Margo informed him, thinking about their Game of Thrones marathon that had lasted two nights in a row. “I can’t watch Game of Thrones tonight though. Your girl’s gotta study.”

“I could cook while you study?” Luke suggested. “Then, we can do dinner and go to bed early.”

“Good food and an early bedtime?” Margo released an exaggerated moan. “Talk dirty to me.”

:: ::

It was 9 PM when Luke entered the study that, over months of dating, had become more hers than his. He was holding a pasta dish, two glasses of wine, and some freshly baked bread. Margo was more excited to see the food than she was to see him.

Luke’s diet consisted mostly of blood, animal’s or hers, and wine. Since becoming a vampire, he had lost his taste for human food, but not his love of the culinary arts. Dating her gave him an excuse to get back into the kitchen where he liked to get experimental with his dishes.

She closed the potions textbook in front of her and held her hand out for the plate as soon as he got close enough. “Carbs!” she cried happily. “You do love me.”

He chuckled and kissed her before handing her the plate. Leaning against the edge of the desk, he watched intently as she took the first bite.

“Any good?” Luke’s culinary inventions didn’t often leave her wanting, and this time was no different. The fork had no sooner left her mouth than she was groaning.

Laughing, Luke said, “I’ll take that as an affirmative.” Perched on the desk, he sipped wine casually and gave her a moment to savor her food. Then, he asked, “How’s potions going?”

“It’s kicking my ass,” was her grumble of a reply. “There are hundreds of potion bases, and I have to memorize them all by next Friday.”

“Do you want me to quiz you while you eat?” He was already reaching for the book she had set aside earlier.

Grabbing his hand, Margo stopped him. “If I see or hear anything about potions for the next 12 hours I might actually die.”

“At least we haven’t resorted to dramatics,” he retorted dryly. After he studied her for a minute, then announced, “Alright, finish eating and meet me in the bathroom.”

Reluctance must have shown on her face because he exclaimed, “Oh my god, just do it!” Then, he disappeared through the office door.

Fifteen minutes later, Margo left the study for the bathroom, which she found with its door slightly ajar, soothing piano music drifting out. She pushed inside to reveal a prepared bath and a few candles burning, tossing soft light off the porcelain of the tub. A small speaker sat on the counter, the source of the sounds that had drawn her in earlier. Luke was noticeably absent.

He appeared behind her in the next second, a couple of large towels in hand. “Ah, there you are.” He said nonchalantly, as if unaware of how romantic this simple gesture was in her eyes. He had seen how strung out she was and had known exactly what she needed. “C’mon, get in the tub.”

Margo was eager to follow his order, but first, she leaned over the stack of towels to press a chaste kiss to Luke’s lips. “You’re getting in with me, right?” She asked while unbuttoning the powder blue shirt she’d been wearing for over 14 hours then.

“If you want me to.”

Margo scoffed, then moved to unclasp her bra. Next went her pants and underwear. While wrapping her hair up into a bun atop her head, she slunk into the tub. She didn’t recline against the porcelain back just yet, leaving space for Luke. He was still standing by the doorway where he had been intently watching her movements.

“You coming?” She asked impatiently.

Those words snapped him out of whatever reverie her naked form had pulled him into. Shaking his head, he deposited the towels next to the tub, then undressed and slotted himself behind her. She relaxed, at last, leaning against the broad span of his chest.

“Thank you so much for doing this for me,” she whispered. Luke’s response was to place three small kisses on the route from her shoulder to her neck. She melted even further into his arms. “Who are we listening to?”

Luke, being as old as he was, preferred classical music to her top 40 pop. Having only taken a recorder class in elementary school, Margo knowledge of music was limited. Luke was determined to change that. Every chance he got, he played his favorite songs for her.

“Chopin,” was his answer, mouth still grazing the skin of her throat. “Nocturne Number 2 in E-Flat Major.”

“Did you know him?” She couldn’t help the slight hitch in her voice when he nibbled gently on the skin of her throat.

“We may have met once or twice.” In Luke terms, that was a yes. In 1795, the vampire who sired him had been wealthy with connections all around the globe. This meant that, for the first hundred years after his rebirth, Luke easily became acquaintances with any one of interest. As little as Margo knew about history, she enjoyed hearing the stories of past historical figures.

But tonight, Luke wasn’t interested in telling her a story. “Luke,” she whined as his bites got rougher, and his hand trailed down past her belly button.

“Is that a ‘Luke, please continue’ or a ‘Luke, stop.’” He asked, pausing all motions.

“It’s an ‘I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep immediately after I come,’” she retorted. A yawn slipped from her in that exact moment as if to prove her point.

“That’s okay.” This time he bit her ear. “You coming is all that matters anyhow.”

Unhindered, his hand slipped between her thighs. It started out gentle, with two fingers pushing against her clit. Almost reluctantly, she pushed her hips up to greet them. Then, as he started to explore her folds a bit more, she ground up against him in earnest. The hand that wasn’t toying with her folds squeezed gently on her breast and toyed with her nipple. She gripped his bicep in response.

Then, he slipped one finger inside her, sinusoidally dipping in and out, setting her whole body alight.

He another added another. Margo’s hips ground against him as she searched for more leverage. When he touched something inside her that filled her with ecstasy and the ravenous need for more, she cried out, and threw one leg over the side of the tub, displacing water in the process.

“Oh, fuck. Oh, God. Luke.” The cries of pleasure rang out throughout the room.

Luke began to finger her in earnest then, index and middle finger slipping in and out of her. He kissed up and down her neck until he was taken by the heat of the moment too. The hand that had been toying with her nipples slid down to her stomach, holding her flush against him as he rocked up against her. His dick was obviously hard between their slick bodies.

It wasn’t until he growled, low and guttural, that she realized just how far gone he was. He rearranged her, so she was seated fully on his lap, dick now positioned between her cheeks. All the tiredness was swept from her mind as she ground down against it.

Then, raising off his lap a bit and reaching back, she wrapped a hand around him. It was an awkward angle, but she made it work. Pumping him a few times made his hips go wild as he bucked uncontrollably.

She said, “I’m gonna–“

The words didn’t quite get out, lost in the haze of lust that made it impossible to think straight. Margo lined herself up with him and sank down. They weren’t going to last very long. The water in the bathtub continued to splash to the floors as one of Luke’s arms wrapped around her body, holding her slave to his motions. He had her pressed up against his chest, fucking up into her and toying with her clit. It was slippery and messy, and Luke had to reposition himself a few times, but neither made any attempts to stave off their lust so they could move to a bed.

Chopin could barely be heard over his growls, her cries of pleasure, and the distinct sound of water sloshing over the edges of the tub. His lips continued their path up and down her neck, bites deeper than before. They were painful, but in a way that made her toes curl.

She knew what he wanted before he said anything. “Please, can I–” He began, but cut himself off and threw his head back, fighting an instinct.

They weren’t face to face, and with the way they were moving, inches from orgasm, neither would want to take a moment to reposition. So, he would have to bite her neck. It was of no consequence to her; it was nothing she couldn’t hide without makeup.

Without really thinking about, Margo responded to his silent plea. “Yes,” she gasped out. “God, yes.”

The next second, she felt the sharp pain of the skin of her neck being pierced, followed immediately by intense euphoria. She buried one hand in his hair, holding him there; the other went down to encourage his motions as he continued to rub against her clit. They came, one right after the other, their hips stuttering to a halt.

“Fuck,” Luke grunted when he pulled away from her neck, head falling against the plaster wall behind them with a thud. As always, it took him a few minutes to get his wits about him after drinking her blood. Margo took that time to pull off of him and catch her breath.

Later, when they were both tucked underneath Luke’s black silk sheets, Luke ran his fingers gently over the deep teeth marks on her neck. Another lore Luke had taught her: Vampires didn’t have retractable fangs, but their teeth were more than sharp enough to pierce skin.

She had marks, like the ones now on her neck, almost ingrained in the skin of her chest. That is where he most often drank from her, as was the vampiric custom when it came to lovers.

“I shouldn’t have done this.” He said, fingers still tracing the indents of his teeth.

Margo couldn’t figure out why he sounded so pained. The healing properties of his saliva would ensure it didn’t leave a mark. Unless he bit her there again, after a day or two of covering it with makeup, neither of them would remember it even existed.

“It’s fine. No one’s going to see it.” Margo insisted.

Luke didn’t respond.

Margo fell asleep with his thumb still tracing the outline of the marks.

:: ::

She woke up to a sharp prickling in her thumb. Shooting to a seated position, she looked at her hands, disoriented and confused by the sudden onslaught of pain. Luke, who had been awake in bed next to her, sat up as well.

“Are you okay?” he asked, voice noticeably laden with worry.

Margo shook her head.

“Something is looking for me.” She tried to shake the drowsiness from her mind. Her senses were dulled by it. Whenever a powerful creature came looking for her, a small prickling would alert her to their intent. But this was more powerful than anything she had ever experienced before.

“Three somethings,” she continued as she began to make sense of what she was feeling. “They’re big, and they’re powerful. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”

She saw the exact moment understanding dawned on Luke. He sniffed the air once, then muttered, “Shit.” He was out of bed and at the door to the room in a blink.

“What’s happening?” She asked frantically, trying to figure out what she might have missed. There was some information Luke’s supernatural senses had picked up that hers could not provide. In moments like these, she envied how he was preternaturally attuned to his senses.

“If I asked you to stay in the room, would you?” He asked.

But, she was already getting out of bed and slipping into her slippers and his robe. Even rushing through these motions, she was no match for vampire speeds. By the time reached the front door, Luke was standing there blocking the way of three large, imposing vampires she had never seen before.

They were all dressed in all black. One stood in front of all the rest, his dyed red hair slicked back. He wore a t-shirt tucked into jeans with a leather jacket thrown over it. Margo could see he wore two rings on each hand and his nails were painted black. The man on the left looked much more laid back. His black jeans were distressed, and he wore an ACDC t-shirt. While Luke traded jabs in French with the frontman, this one simply stood back with an easy smile on his face. Finally, there was the man with a slightly deeper skin tone than the others leaning against the door frame. His arms were crossed and the fabric of the plain black t-shirt he wore struggled to cover the entirety of his bicep. If this was some kind of vampire shakedown, he was definitely the muscle.

The frontman noticed her first. He scoffed in disgust and began gesturing to her as they spoke. The other two remained relatively quiet but did spare her a few wary glances. What little French she knew was unhelpful, as they spoke too fast for her to catch any words.

She attempted patience first, trying not to look too indignant as they conversed about her as if she wasn’t there. But that was one of her pet peeves, and, to her displeasure, the conversation did not seem to be letting up any time soon.

Next, she tried speaking up, but not even Luke turned his head at her, “Excuse me.” If anything, they seemed to talk louder. She began reciting the spell before she could think better of it.

Their mouths snapped shut the next instant, and all was quiet for a moment. When they realized something magical was preventing them from speaking, all eyes turned to her. Luke’s baby blues looked more frustrated than she had ever seen them. She released him from the spell.

“What’s going on?” She asked, now that his attention was back on her.

For a moment, he glanced between her and the three men standing at the door. Then, he said, “Let’s go inside.”

:: ::

Ashton, Michael, and Calum.

Those were their names, respectively.

It wasn’t a vampire shakedown; it was a family reunion. They relocated into the uncomfortable chairs Luke had purchased for his dining room in hopes of dissuading guests from overstaying their welcome. It was still relatively early in the morning, so Margo made herself tea. The other four vampires had wine.

She knew a bit about Luke’s brothers from the stories about France and the French revolution that Luke liked to tell. From what she knew, Ashton was the leader of their little clan. He was the one who had sired Luke in the first place. It explained why at some angles they looked similar, when he replaced all the blood in Luke’s body with his own, some of Luke’s features changed.

Ashton had an assuming presence that seemed almost too large for Luke’s dining room. Were Margo more mild-mannered, she might have retreated to the background to let the vampires talk. But that was not her.

“You don’t like witches?” Margo presumed aloud once she was seated across the table from Ashton with her tea. She still hadn’t made sense of the argument at the door. Her witches senses did not lie, they had shown up at Luke’s looking for her. When they found her, it obviously became a point of contention.

Ashton scoffed with a hint of condescension. “Please. We are not prejudiced.”

“Do not scoff at me,” Margo shot back. “Not when you refuse to tell me why you’re here. Looking for me might I add.”

The one in the distressed jeans, Michael, grinned at her and whistled low. “Oh, she’s feisty. Finally, someone that’s a match for Ashton.”

Ashton did not dignify that with a response. Instead, to Margo, he bared his teeth and hissed, “This is not about you, it is about Luke. You need to stay out of it.”

“Well, come on now, Ashton.” Calum, like Luke, had decided to remain standing while the other two vampires sat. Well, Michael lounged, and Ashton perched as if poised to jump off the edge of his seat. From his position behind Ashton, Calum placed a large hand on his shoulder. “It’s a little about her. Luke should decide if he wants to tell her or not.”

At that, every eye turned to look at Luke. He was looming over Margo protectively, but not in a way that suggested he expected his family members to attack. He was obviously not afraid for her safety. It was rather like he wanted her out of the conversation more than anything else.

For what seemed like a full minute, Margo believed Luke wouldn’t share this secret. She feared that months of sharing everything with each other had culminated to this one moment, this one Big Thing that she wasn’t allowed to know.

Thankfully, he sighed and sunk into a seat next to her. “My brothers think you and I have mated.”

Admittedly, Margo’s knowledge of vampire mating was basal. She knew, of course, that Luke had every intention of mating her. You’re it for me, he had told her a few months before. It had terrified her, but she couldn’t deny that her feelings for him, their feelings for each other, ran deep. To her knowledge, however, they hadn’t taken that step yet. Even if they had, she wasn’t sure that was something they needed to discuss with his brothers.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong,” Margo began slowly, keeping her eyes leveled with Ashton’s. “But isn’t whether or not we’ve mated between the two of us?”

“No,” Ashton replied with a bitter chuckle. “No matter what you and my idealistic brother like to think. This is a matter for a clan. Luke cannot handle taking his mate by himself.”

Seeing the look of confusion on Margo’s face, Michael took pity on her and began to explain. “Luke is still very young. He has only witnessed one vampire mating in his lifetime, and even then he wasn’t privy to our procedures. Mating when you aren’t familiar with the methods–well that could have dangerous consequences.”

Michael’s eyes drifted pointedly towards her neck where Luke’s bite marks from the previous night were on full display. With the excitement of the morning, she had forgotten to cover them. She slapped a hand over them; then, her color deepened in embarrassment.

She turned to Luke, expecting him to respond, but he was lost somewhere deep in his own thoughts. When he didn’t, she spoke for him. “It was an accident,” She insisted, even though she had a feeling she didn’t quite understand the repercussions of Luke biting her neck.

Michael leaned forward, voice dripping with a dangerous edge. “When it comes to predators, darling, one small accident is all it takes to kill you.”

Finally, Luke spoke, words coming out in a snarl. “I would never kill her.” Shock and anger registered on his face. He was obviously taken aback by Michael’s suggestion.

“Not purposely,” Michael amended. “But your carelessness could get her killed nonetheless.”

“It’s a good thing then that Margo and I aren’t mating.” Luke snarled. He was out of his chair in an instant, glaring down at his brothers.

“Luke–“ this time it was Calum popping in with an argument.

Luke cut him off. “I’m fine, Calum. Now, if you guys want to do something other than have this conversation while you’re in town, let me know. If not, I’ll see the next time I’m at home.”

Michael threw his hands up in frustration. “This is what you get for siring a vampire amid the French Revolution, Ashton,” he grumbled. But he made no more protest as he walked towards the door.

Calum turned to follow him.

Ashton was the last to leave. “I just want you to be safe,” he said, eyeing Margo. What she had mistaken for disgust earlier was now clearly weariness and reluctance. It was as if he wanted to trust her, but was afraid to.

Luke gripped her shoulder and squeezed. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself. As is Margo.”

They held eye contact for a minute, having a silent conversation Margo couldn’t follow. Finally, Ashton conceded and followed his brothers out of the house.

:: ::

It happened in herbology.

That morning, Margo had woken up in her own bed feeling a little dizzy and disoriented. These spells had been happening more frequently, but she chalked it up to stress and dismissed it. She should have told Luke, but he was prone to worrying over the smallest of things. Plus, it had only been a week and a half since his brothers had shown up at his door unannounced, and, no matter how “good” he claimed to be doing, she could still see something bothered him.

So, she didn’t think twice about chugging her weight in tea and going to work. The dizziness plagued her throughout the day. Two hours into her three-hour herbology lab, she was standing in front of the class explaining how gymnosperms grew and reproduced. It was imperative for her students to understand plant life on a cellular level if they were ever to successfully manipulate plant growth.

The funny thing was - she felt it coming on. She felt herself grow dizzier and heard her words begin to slur. She chose to fight through it. Then, one minute she was talking about fertilization and pollen cones, the next, her feet give way below her, and the world went dark.

. . . . . .

When she opened her eyes the first time, the world was hazy. She clearly made out an IV drip bag and an oddly familiar man standing at the edge of her bed. His arms were crossed, and he looked like he was there as some sort of protection detail. Margo had the distinct feeling he was there for her. Whether it was to protect her from someone or to protect someone from her, she did not know.

“Hey. Look who’s awake,” came an oddly chipper voice from somewhere outside of her line of sight. Margo almost turned to search for it, but there was a pressure on her left hand. She turned to that instead.

Luke. He was staring at her with worry in his baby blues, gripping her hand tightly.

“What,” she opened her mouth to ask what had happened. Then, a cool hand she knew had to be vampiric brushed her curls from her face and shushed her.

“Try to sleep if you can,” it said. “We'll explain everything later.”

She knew that voice, much like she knew the man standing at the edge of her bed. Before she could search her mind for their identity, something pulled her under, and the world went black again.

. . . . . .

The next time she came to, the man was still at her bedside, arms crossed, watching her intently. Her brain felt less foggy this time, and she instantly recognized the man as, “Calum.”

With the tiniest of motions, Calum quirked his lips upwards in the ghost of a smirk. She wondered if he was comfortable standing ramrod straight like that. He looked like he hadn’t moved since she last opened her eyes.

It took him snickering for her to realize she had said that last thought aloud. “I like this position.” He said. “I’ve got clear eyes on everything in the room.”

“Not the door,” Margo pointed out obviously, gesturing to the large door looming behind him. That was what it took for Margo to realize that, despite the drip IV, she was not in a hospital room. This was someone’s house.

Calum shrugged. “That’s what Mikey’s for.”

She noticed Michael then, sitting in a loveseat underneath a large window. It was nighttime, and heavy blackout curtains were pushed aside to reveal what looked like deep woods. He had a Nintendo DS in his hand and was obviously more focused on the game than the other two people in the room.

“Don’t let Calum fool you,” he said, fingers still moving furiously on the buttons of the game. “I do not give a rats ass about security and espionage. At least, not as much Calum and Ashton do.”

He said all this without ever looking up from the small device in her hand.

“Espionage?” She croaked out.

Michael nodded, blissfully unaware of Calum’s glare. “Calum’s the family spy.”

Margo eyed Calum. When she had first seen him, she had believed him to be the muscle of the group. The way he exuded danger made Michael’s words seem less like a joke–as if Calum really was some vampire spy. She didn’t have time to think on this, however, because the dark mahogany door swung open to reveal Luke with Ashton flanking him.

Luke rushed immediately to her side. She didn’t miss how haggard he looked. Briefly, she wondered how long she had been in this bed. However long that was had obviously taken a toll on Luke. Vampires, as far as she knew, did not get tired, but there were unmistakable bags under his eyes, and his pale skin seemed lighter under the harsh overhead lights. She reached out to him, and he knelt at her bedside and slotted his hand into hers.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked as his thumb gently rubbed circles on the back of her hand.

“I could ask you the same thing.” She tried to shit up, but a palm came to rest on her shoulder, stopping her. “Don’t try to do too much too quickly,” Ashton warned, gently pushing her back down.

She obeyed, hoping that it would make them more agreeable with what she was about to ask next. The question had been on her mind since she awoke the first time. She had to know, “What happened?”

She remembered feeling dizzy in her herbology class, but not much else.

Furtive glances were exchanged around the room as everyone, even Michael, turned their attention to Luke. Luke’s focus was on her. He looked as if those were the last words he’d wanted to hear from her. The longer everyone took to acknowledge her question, the more she wondered if she should have waited. Perhaps this was something Luke was uncomfortable talking about around his brothers.

She slipped her hand out of his so she could brush his hair out of his face.

“It’s okay.” Despite how weak her voice was, she tried to convey all the love she had for him in those two words. Whatever it was, they would work through it.

He leaned into her palm. “You tell her Calum,” He eventually said, shifting all attention to the 6 ft vampire looming over her.

Calum uncrossed his arms and braced them against the foot of the bed. Dark brown eyes told her the story would be emotionally exhausting.

“I came to UoA a month ago to visit Luke.”

Margo’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t heard anything about this visit.

“He didn’t know I was coming. I got into town then tracked his scent.”

“It’s a kink of his,” Michael interrupted with an easy grin. He had abandoned his DS in favor of paying attention to the story. With everyone in the room on the wrong side of somber, she welcomed his quips. “He likes to pop up out of nowhere and scare the holy hell out of people.”

Calum ignored him and continued on. “I followed his scent straight to the Gamma Nu house. When I got there, I assumed that perhaps he was just inside with some witch. We’re all aware of Luke’s. . .”

He trailed off as if afraid of offending her, and she laughed. “Propensity to be a hoe?” She finished for him. When she had first met Luke, he was slipping out of her housemate's room with no shirt on. She was no stranger to his promiscuous behavior.

Calum smiled, amused at her choice of words. “Propensity to be a hoe yes. But, when I listened in, he didn’t seem to be anywhere inside. Instead, I found you. You were sitting at your desk buried in some book about potions and muttering to yourself. I watched you for hours trying to figure out how Luke’s scent was so intermingled with yours. I couldn’t find where your scent ended, and his began. I knew, of course, but I didn’t want to accept it. I didn’t think Luke would be stupid enough to take a mate without contacting one of us first.”

At that, he shot a look at Luke. Luke grimaced, ashamed. Margo ran her hand through his hair again in a gesture of assurance, then looked to Calum to continue.

Ashton did instead. He was still at her shoulder, looking down at her as he spoke, “Margo, what do you know about vampire mating?”

“I know that it’s instigated with a mark, like the one on my chest.” The hand that was not in Luke’s hair came up to rest on her chest, touching the mark through her shirt. “That’s the physical aspect of it. There is a mental and emotional aspect to it as well.” Margo trailed off. She didn’t know much about said mental and emotional aspects. She figured Luke would explain those to her when they decided to take the next step.

Michael spoke next, now at the edge of his seat. She remembered Luke’s mention of his bond with someone named Crystal. Perhaps he was their resident expert on bonding. “This is how a bond works. If a vampire has the intention of mating someone, and that person has the intention of accepting said bond, when he bites that person, he’ll be able to feel the bond form from inside him. If he lets it, the bond will wash over both parties like a wave. Then, it is up to the bitten to accept the bond. This act deepens the mental and emotional connection of a couple. In rare instances, the couple will be compatible enough to hear each other's thoughts and feel each other’s emotions. Even when they aren’t as compatible, these bonds are nearly impossible to break. That’s why bonds can never be between strangers and can never be nonconsensual. It’s kind of like your magic in the way that it senses what both parties want, and creates that for them.”

“Luke,” Calum picked up, “has wanted to mate you for a very long time now. And judging by the way his biology is behaving, I’m guessing you wanted to mate him as well. Yet, every time he bit you and that bond began forming, he would suppress it.”

Margo glanced over to Luke, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Which ended up confusing his biology.” Calum continued. “Driving him to want to be near you, to be in you, to bite you, to complete the bond by any means necessary. It’s why he was drinking from you every time you had sex. It’s why you fainted. He took too much blood too quickly, and your system couldn’t handle it. Instances like this are rare, and usually lead to obsessive behavior on the part of the vampire.”

“But Luke wasn’t obsessive,” Margo pointed out. She had dated wizards more obsessive than him.

“Not where you could see,” Calum said.

Luke dropped his forehead to the bed, perhaps to avoid feeling the eyes on him. He was ashamed of whatever Calum had to say next.

“I followed you both for days before calling in Ashton and Michael as reinforcement. On the nights you spent apart, Luke spent them standing outside your window. He started making up theology classes because he didn’t want you to know he had spent your entire TA period sitting in a car outside of the greenhouse, straining to hear your heartbeat. Worst of all, he stopped hunting and started getting all his blood from you.”

“What?” Margo croaked out. Luke looked up then, and she couldn’t miss the welling of tears in his eyes.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” He said solemnly. “We have only been dating for what, almost a year now? It is way too early for us to mate. I was hoping that if I ignored it, maybe it would go away.”

“The bond can be suppressed, Luke. But not as long as you keep drinking from her.” Ashton grumbled. Then, with a pointed look at Margo, he added, “If that’s what you want.”

“It is,” Luke answered for her. “She’s young. She hasn’t even finished her degree yet. I can’t just shackle her to me forever.”

“Let her speak, Luke,” Calum ordered.

With every eye on Margo, she wasn’t sure what to say. Luke was the love of her life, and she wanted more than anything to be mated to him. She tried to tell herself that it didn’t make a difference if it happened that moment or in a year when she had her degree.

You are but mortal woman. Time is now to be dreaded - since once he put that mark upon your throat.

She bitterly remembered the words of Bram Stoker. Time moved differently for her and Luke, she had always known that. Where she wanted to rush, he took his time. This was no different.

She tried to remind herself that, as Luke said, it was forever. Repeated exposure to his venom through a mating mark would expose her to super-powered vampiric proteins, probiotics, and antibodies that would stop her aging and make her impossible to kill. She wouldn’t be a vampire per se, but something else. A hybrid between what she was now and what he was. These were rare, she knew, as vampires and witches were not used to coming together for more than politics and sex. Perhaps an extra year of normalcy was what it would take to give Luke the peace of mind about changing her.

“It’s fine,” she finally said. “We can wait.”

She brought her hand down to where Luke’s rested on the bed and squeezed gently. “What about Luke, though? What’s going to happen if we don’t bond?”

“Nothing,” responded Calum with an easy shrug. “So long as he starts hunting again and stops drinking from you.”

“Like forever?” Margo asked, then blush at how dejected she sounded.

Michael laughed, but said, “Until he’s ready to mate you, yeah.”

That made her stomach sink. It was fine. As much as she liked the biting, she could go a year without it. “Is that going to be hard for you?” She relayed the question to Luke this time.

“It’s fine. The boys will take me hunting. It will help.”

“How long are you guys staying?” As she asked this question, Margo took note of how the air in the room lightened. Ashton left her side to stand by Michael’s loveseat under the window, Michael picked up his game, and Calum’s shoulders relaxed just a little. (She was beginning to think that relaxed shoulders were all she would get from him.)

Ashton answered her question, still staring out into the darkness outside the window. “Not sure. I’ve accepted a position teaching classic Greek literature, so quite a while I think.”

“What?” Margo asked, surprised. Ashton didn’t look like the scholarly type. “Are you qualified to teach that?”

Ashton scoffed in response. “I sure hope so. I was there.”

Margo’s mouth dropped. “Wait, how old-”

Luke cut her off. “Don’t ask a vampire how old they are, babe. They’re not fond of that.”

Margo gave Luke a look that let him know she would definitely be asking that question again, but she would at least do Ashton the courtesy of asking at a later date.

She was almost all caught up now, but there was one question still on her mind.

“Where am I?”

All four vampires laughed.

“Oh!” exclaimed Calum, remembering that he left out that little detail. “It’s our house. It’s in the woods behind UoA. Hospitals kind of cause sensory overload for vampires, so when you fainted, health services allowed Ashton to bring you here.”

“What, just like that?” asked Margo, confused.

“Well, Ashton has a medical degree, so it’s not like you weren’t in good hands.”

Of course. Vampires were fond of their multiple degrees.

“So y’all thought ‘lemme buy a house, so we don’t have to go to a hospital.”

Calum snickered at that, but Ashton was the one who answered. “I’ve owned this house for years. Since a little after the school was built. I thought it would be nice to have if I ever decided to come and get another degree. For all intents and purposes, it belongs to the clan now.”

“It belongs to you too,” Michael added. “You’re family now, whether you like it or not.”

Margo matched his grin. Raised in a household that was always just her and her mother, she dreamed of having a big family. As far as family went, Calum, Ashton, and Michael seemed more than perfect.

end notes: i can’t believe how obsessed i am with this series lmao! i’ve already started writing part 3!! anyway, i hope you like cal, mikey & ashton in this one. let me know what you think!

tag list: @5sosnsfw / @bloodmoonashton / @lukescaboose / @5sex-of-summa / @deviantnines / @halcyonnhood / @gh0st-0f-y0u-95 / @aspiringwildfire / @cal-pal-cuddles / @sweetcherrymike / @hereforlukescruff / @softforcal / @ohhmuke / @fratcalum / @calumamongmen / @ashtonandcalslefthand / @asht0ns-world / @colorful-queen-of-the-roses / @heavenlydrarry / @slowlyelectronictragedy / @myemptywallets / @pagesuponstpages / @fallfrxmgrace / @thefireisgone / @michaelorwhat / @dammitbands / @sugarcoated-pain / @sublimehood / @cal-puddies / @singt0mecalum / @irwinkitten / @myloverboyash / @pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles

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jessiewre · 4 years

Text

Day 65

Mon 9th March

Safari Day 3 - Serengeti & Ngorongongo Park

Some would say a wet mattress is a sign of bad luck.

Sean & Jane would probably sit in that category.

They both looked KNACKERED the next morning at breakfast and I cringed as I asked them how their night was. I had to ask though, I’m British! It’s what you say!

‘Awful’ she replied. She was looking straight at me and there was a strange look in her eye. Did she think...no, she can’t think...

‘We’ve basically had no sleep’ she continued, her eye contact wavering at this point. ‘Well, Sean’s had a bit and I’ve not. How was your night?’

Ok I was sure I was started to detect a hint of accusation in her tone. Maybe I was imagining it.

It was weird though, because we were constantly trying to get a balance between bigging up the tour that they had recommended to us, so that they felt good about it, but then also not having too good a time incase we were having a better time than them. Which we clearly were.

I blame the Romanians.

‘...yeah, it was fine’, I began, ‘My mattress was a bit wet too but it was ok when I turned it over...’.

Was that the right answer or the wrong one? I just couldn’t tell. It’s like saying ‘Yeah my mattress was wet too, so it wasn’t just you guys who suffered, but hey look at me - I just got on with it!’

It felt like we couldn’t win.

If we’d had a perfectly good night sleep it was unfair, but if we’d had a bad night sleep, it was like saying they couldn’t complain cos we had it just as bad as them - when clearly we didn’t.

What can you do other than just tell the truth and hope they will take it well?!

We guiltily began to feel grateful that the Jeeps groups were being kept apart for dining and went off to enjoy breakfast with our happy Romanian friends.

We started off with a beautiful sunrise safari in the Serengeti and it was a bit of a pinch me moment. Pink and orange skies and grasshopper safari sounds all around us. I could practically hear music from the Lion King on repeat in my head. We watched the hot air balloons beautifully glide overhead and kept our eyes peeled for any early risers of the animal kingdom. We saw hippos and birds and a serval cat very briefly - but no big cats. The overnight rain had caused a major problem to the roads and we realised that we were quite limited with where we could go due to the muddy tracks. At one stage, we had travelled for an hour seeing NOTHING at all, then got to a point in the track where loads of vehicles were struggling on an incredibly muddy single vehicle track. As one jeep tried to pass another, it had to go sideways up a bank - but as it did so, it slipped down the bank side on with the other jeep and crashed into it!

Luckily it was all quite slow and there was no major damage, but now these two jeeps were in a sort of V shape squashed together blocking the track for everyone.

By the reaction of the drivers, it was just another day on safari! They were so relaxed about it.

Eventually it got sorted and we drove off in search of animals again but apart from the amazing sunrise, it had not been a particularly fruitful morning safari. Oh, apart from our driver - Alfani - helping to fix a broken down jeep. Our driver was not amazing at spotting wild animals we’d realised, but he sure knew how to fix a car!

Then suddenly, we got a tip off from another vehicle that there was a lion nearby and we headed to a potential cat spotting area as quickly as the muddy tracks allowed. We zoomed through the savannah trying to avoid the huge muddy puddles, crossing all our fingers and toes that we’d get a sighting.

And then there she was.

A huge female lion!

She crossed the road and ran up a tree to pose and yawn in front of us while we (I) snapped away with my camera.

Then she stayed in position for OVER HALF AN HOUR!

MAGICAL!

We felt so lucky.

We looked around at all the vehicles arriving, desperate to see Jeep 2 somewhere amongst them. C’mon we are nice people, OF COURSE we wanted the Irish couple to get a sighting of the lioness too.

Mainly to avoid a very awkward conversation later.

But we couldn’t see them. Oh gaad.

Luckily, when we got back to the campsite to collect our belongings and have breakfast before leaving the Serengeti, they confirmed they too had seen a lion. PHEW! They seemed pretty happy now too. Perhaps the bad nights sleep was just a distant memory now. Maybe this was the turning point we’d been hoping for. Maybe all prejudice in the world will stop soon and there will be equality for all.

Yeah. Maybe not.

The drive back through the Serengeti didn’t feel as long as the day before and we spotted hyenas, vultures, giraffes as we headed to the evenings campsite. We were crossing our fingers that the campsite would be a step up from the previous night, but mainly praying that we would be the first car to arrive so we could choose our tents and use the showers first! Screw equality for all, we wanted a nice tent!

And rumour had it this campsite had HOT WATER. Can you imagine it? Hot water in the middle of the African plains. Plus people had definitely cottoned on to the first come first serve vibes, so we really needed to be selective about our jeep stops along the way. On Day 1 we would have stoped for a bloody dragonfly. But now we were old hat at safari! Professionals mate. Pah, another wildebeest? BORING. Hit that goddam pedal dude, them tents aren’t going to pick themselves.

We finally got to the campsite as dusk was falling and luckily, we WERE one of the first jeeps! Oh sweet lord! And it wasn’t raining! You don’t realise how much you love NO rain, until it rains while camping with an ancient tent and lack of hot water. Not tonight though!

We got our pick of the tents and I quickly grabbed my stuff to head to the showers.

I practically skipped there, humming a little tune to myself.

The thing with rumours is that they are often false. I’d forgotten that.

The shower I went in was absolute dog shit, a pathetic excuse of a shower. I attempted to wash my hair under a cold trickle of water but I gave up after about 5 seconds. It’ll have to be a basic body wash this time, I thought, shivering under the cold dribble.

As I left the cubicle, I noticed the one next to me had the distinct sound of flowing water. WTF.

And did she have hot water?? I couldn’t resist asking.

‘Hey! Excuse me! Is your shower HOT?’

‘Umm, I wouldn’t say hot...but its not cold’

Well that was enough for me to decide to wait for her shower and go for Hot shower take 2.

So I waited. And waited. And waited. I swear to god this fecker seemed to think that there would be a limitless water supply and took AAAAAAGES. By the time she finally came out, there were 3 more people queuing for it. I’ll tell you what really does my nut in, its when there are limited showers, such as a situation exactly like this one, and people STAY in the cubicle to fully dry off and get dressed and brush their hair and blah blah blah. NAH babe, GET OUT OF THE SHOWER CUBICLE there are another 100 stinky safari bitches out here and we ain’t got all night ffs!

And breathe.

So anyway.

Moving on.

This was going to be the Romanians last evening with us, as they were doing one day less safari’ing than us - so it was sad times! But they were still going to be with us for the full day the next day, so it wasn’t over quite yet. And we were already planning our trip to go and visit them.

We went to the dinner room and saw the separate tables again, giving Sean and Jane a little wave. Then I thought, frig it - we should make the effort and join the tables. Even though part of me didn’t want to, I felt like it was the right thing to do.

So I suggested it to them and they looked pleased, ‘Yeah great idea, lets do it’ they said.  Phil and I walked over to their table and helped to carry it along with their chairs and plates over to join the end of our table to make one big long table. Great!

Except it wasn’t really, was it.

For some unknown reason, our table was way better than theirs. In so many ways.

We had proper chairs, but their chairs were camping chairs WITH NO BACK ON THEM. I watched Jane’s eyes hover over to our plates, ‘Wow you guys have fancy plates and stuff. Ours are basic’

Jesus.

How was it so awkward so fast.

I prayed Jane wouldn’t spot our metal cutlery. I’d already seen they had plastic. I COULDN’T TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS.

In hindsight, having their table right next to ours was a terrible idea.

Every dish that came over to our table was scrutinised by them to see if it was better than their food. Which of course, it was. Even if it wasn’t, it just was.

Their table was quiet and their conversations were forced and, well, kinda boring to be honest.

Our chat was better, our laughter was louder and our Romanian love story was blossoming right before their eyes. I reckon it almost felt like we’d invited them over to sit with us so we could show them just how much fun we were having. We hadn’t. (Really. We hadn’t. I swear).

The difference between the two now-joined groups was so starkly opposite that it probably just confirmed to them that we were solely responsible for their safari being second best. Which in a way, it really was.

We even offered them some of our food when we’d all been served but they politely declined of course (its the principle don’t you know).

I was sat on the join of the tables, so at least tried to make an effort with conversations across the border - whereas Phil was chugging back the rum and having a jolly old Irish-Romanian time learning some Romanian slang phrases such as ‘F*** my feather’ & also ‘F*** your dead ancestors’ (which seemed particular unnecessary).

I tried my best to chat to their side of the table without having to miss out on the fun vibes of our side, but I kept having to repeat myself so they could hear me, as Philly’s hilarity was causing very loud laughter.

Yep, it was pretty cringe.

We couldn’t really avoid the obvious safari chat so I tried to say something positive. In a backwards sort of way.

‘Our driver is not a great wildlife spotter to be honest’ I said, ‘YOUR guy seems great though!’.

Jane replied, ‘Yeah he is actually, he is really good at spotting stuff. He spots the most out of everyone in our vehicle!’.

And that meant a lot considering they had about 12 people squashed into their jeep 😬.

I thought we’d made some progress there, but then she just came out with it.

‘Yeah, thats the one we’ve beat you guys on and to be honest, its a really important one’.

Ok so up until this point, no one had actually said out loud what this safari trip had turned into. No one had said that it had become a weird competition, a battle, to see who had the best tent / best food / best time. And me and Phil really hadn’t paid much attention to it because, well, we were busy HAVING THE BEST TIME.

But now it was confirmed. They were constantly comparing what they had to what we had and it was clearly wrecking with their heads. I’d had my suspicions of course, but this was a proper penny-drop moment.

She meekly smiled as though trying to shrug it off as a light-hearted comment. But I could see right through her.

From now, it was GAME ON.

 Ok not quite.

I actually still felt sorry for them and a bit embarrassed about it all. And Phil was just drunk at this point.

I decided I’d wait till the morning to tell him about it all and see what he thought. Maybe I’d read it all wrong.

And as crazy as it might sound, in between these moments, we did kind of enjoy a sort of pleasant evening with them. Honestly. We DID 😬.

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droewyn · 7 years

Text

Give Me a Reason (6/10)

October, 2014

“My love for you could move mountains and the hearts of ISU judges,” Phichit murmured. His tone was saccharine, his accent thick and atrocious to the point of being borderline offensive.

“Ah, but I have loved you since the moment that I saw you, when I was but a child,” he replied passionately. The ridiculous accent was gone, his tone higher and breathy, but the words were no less coated in syrup. “I’m a man now.”

“I will prove my adoration by shouting it from the rooftops!” He clasped his hands together over his heart.

“I’ll make you super-cute bentos every day with rice balls in the shape of figure skates and poodles!” He pressed the back of one hand against his forehead and cast his eyes dramatically skyward.

“What are you doing, mon petit?” That was all the warning Phichit was afforded before two hundred pounds of weaponized flirtation draped itself over his shoulders.

Phichit craned his head back to meet Christophe Giacometti’s amused, upside-down features. “I’m spectating the pairs short program, in a spirit of solidarity and good sportsmanship?” he offered guilelessly. Christophe quirked an eyebrow at him, and he grinned back. “And I may also be shipping our respective besties for my own personal amusement.”

Christophe shifted his gaze down to where Phichit had been looking a moment ago. “Ah,” he said after a moment. The French representatives on the ice were skating a solid but unremarkable program to something from Carmen. Yuuri Katsuki was ostensibly watching from a seat in the front row, but was far more engrossed in his phone than in synchronized double axels or footwork. Half curled up in his chair, comfortable as only someone who was intimately familiar with stadium seating could manage, Yuuri’s posture was all college student with no classically trained dancer to be found. And two rows directly behind the oblivious Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov sat like a king observing his kingdom. Which, to be fair, he pretty much was. His spine was straight, his head tilted just enough to display a thoughtful, television-ready smile. And although his own phone was resting in his lap, out of sight to the casual observer or rogue audience-cam, his fingers were flying over the virtual keyboard. “They do rather look as though they’re conversing, don’t they?”

They really did. Yuuri would type, and a text balloon would appear on Victor’s screen shortly after. A mischievous expression ghosted across the champion’s face, and suddenly Yuuri was cramming a fist in his mouth to stifle giggles. It was endearing. It was perfect.

It was a total coincidence, of course.

“Sadly for your no doubt extensive imaginary wedding plans, I know all too well the identity of Victor’s current amour.”

Phichit shrugged. “And I know Yuuri’s. That’s not going to stop me from having fun with the situation. Besides, you can’t tell me those two wouldn’t look stunning in black and white.”

“Perhaps.” Christophe’s tone turned teasing. “But what of you, mon petit? This is your second year of seniors, and we’ve barely spoken. Are you as bashful as our darling pain au cannelle, or must I take offense?”

“I’m not shy.” Anyone who so much as glanced at Phichit’s Insta feed would be well aware of that. “But I was underage until recently, and my coach had me on a tight leash. I hate to be the one who has to break this to you, but you, sir, have a bit of a reputation.”

A velvet chuckle tickled his ear. “Nothing good, I hope?”

Now it was Phichit’s turn to laugh quietly. “I’m sure that Miss Manners wouldn’t approve, but I hear you’re easy, fun, and honest. You respect a hard ‘no’ and listen carefully for soft ones. Your list of rumored partners is as long as a certain living legend’s, but backed by more evidence, and yet you don’t seem to have left a string of broken hearts in your wake. In short, Monsieur Giacometti,” he softened his voice until it matched Christophe’s purr, “you seem like a gentleman who I would very much like to get to know.”

Christophe looked surprised and pleased. “You should work in intelligence, mon petit.”

Without missing a beat, Phichit shot back, “And who’s to say that I don’t?”

Christophe was grinning in open delight now. “Now we simply must get better acquainted,” he said.

“Yuuri and I haven’t decided on dinner yet.” He hoped that Yuuri wouldn’t be too upset that Phichit was making plans without consulting him, but one additional person shouldn’t be too stressful after the short program skate. And Yuuri did like Chris.

“Alas,” and Christophe really did seem disappointed, “I have reservations with Victor tonight. I’d love to invite you along, but our seating is for two and I’m told that the waiting list is really rather extensive.”

“Plus we’d be scraping bits of Japan’s Ace off the ceiling after he spontaneously combusted.” Phichit knew that Christophe had offered to introduce Yuuri to Victor in the past. Such attempts had gone over poorly.

“That, too.” He shook his head. “It really is a pity you can’t join us. In Victor’s words, the chef de cuisine is a ‘mad genius’. I’m quite looking forward to tasting his art.”

Phichit went still. No. Yes? That phrasing. The coincidence in timing. The refusal of a certain chatroom dweller to let slip so much as a picture of his dog when talking – evasively – about his personal life. The frequent travel, so much of it coinciding with skating events. The so-interactive-seeming dual text messaging that was still going on not fifty feet below where he and Chris were standing. “Oh?” he kept his tone playful, interested. “What’s it called? I’m always up for new experiences, and Chicago’s not too far for an off-season road trip.”

Chris pursed his lips, apparently detecting something different in Phichit’s manner, but not sure what to make of the change. “Alinea, I believe.”

Holy fuck.

It wasn’t certain. Hell, it wasn’t probable. That this was a complicated series of misunderstandings and coincidences orchestrated by a universe that was deliberately, maliciously, out to break Thailand’s Sweetheart Phichit Chulanont’s brain made a whole lot more sense than… what? Yuuri Katsuki somehow spending every waking non-skating moment unknowingly flirting with his own personal lord and savior, the god of ice skating himself, Victor Fucking Nikiforov? Who he’d met in a random IRC channel for mental health support? And wait, did that mean that Victor Nikiforov was suffering from depression? How? Since when?

On autopilot while his entire worldview was rebooting, Phichit thanked Christophe pleasantly for the information and wished him and Victor an enjoyable evening. They swapped numbers, and he followed Chris' Instagram. He floated the idea of getting together Monday morning for brunch. He even engaged in a bit of good-natured trash talking for the upcoming men’s short program. And all the while, the same two thoughts were circling endlessly in his head.

How can I tell him?

How can I not tell him?

If Phichit informed Yuuri that his best non-amazing-hamster-dad friend KingElsa was actually Victor Nikiforov – after doing an actual metric fuckton of sleuthing beforehand, because he’d be damned if he would even hint at such a thing without being at least a hundred and twenty percent sure – Yuuri would…

Assuming that Yuuri even believed him in the first place? He’d run. He’d swear Phichit to secrecy, delete his chat client, and vanish completely from the internet without another word or thought. Which, Victor (!!!) aside, would be terrible for him. The #TCF regulars had stopped being merely an anonymous support group for Yuuri years ago, and not only would it be impossible for him to replace them, he wouldn’t even try. He’d be throwing away part of the backbone of his emotional stability.

Or would he? Yuuri had come so far in the four years since he and Phichit had met. He was so much stronger. Maybe he’d be able to get past the shock when he realized that the pun-loving goofball that he livetweeted terrible American television with was so much more and less than the legend on his posters. Maybe it could be the beginning of something magical. Maybe—

“Hey, Yuu-chan! Smiiiiile!” Holding his phone up as though taking a picture, Phichit watched Yuuri straighten in his seat and turn to face him. He saw the instant when his best friend took note of the man just two rows behind him, turned instantly scarlet, and practically teleported under his seat in his effort to hide himself from Victor’s sight.

Maybe someday, but not today. Oh, Yuuri.

“That was cruel, mon petit.” Christophe was equal parts amused and chiding.

“Our love is strong and pure and he’ll forgive me with the application of enough chocolate,” Phichit chirped, unrepentant.

Because what I’m about to do is going to be so much crueler.

But I honestly can’t think of another way to be kind.

#original content #i have committed fanfiction #chat au #therapycouchfort #yuri on ice #phichit chulanont #christophe giacometti #katsuki yuuri #victor nikiforov #victuuri #this was just supposed to be a cute plot-irrelevant bonus #WHY DID IT HAVE TO END IN FEELINGS #i had an outline once #it was a good outline #RIP the outline

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