#come back for the next instalment whenever life next gets to much for me xoxo

[notconsolation]

So here’s my history. It’s gonna be long, so I fully do not expect anyone to read this, this is as much a record for myself as it is anything else. I fucking pray this read more works. If it doesn’t, happy scrolling, it’s a long one boys

It’s hard to place because my memories of the beginning are quite vague. It became noticeable at the end of the summer of 2012, so I’m guessing  it started in sort of late 2011. So I was 13. It sort of kicked off with orthorexia, but neither I nor anybody in my circle would have known the signs to notice them. It also turned into anorexia pretty early on I think. Or at least I just finally accepted the label after a while. I always hated the word, though. It’s a phonetically horrible word. The german was worse to me, though now I think it’s more accurate. ‘Magersucht’ - ‘gauntness/skinness addiction’ basically. I don’t know- I just started eating things like a salad with no vinegar and no oil once a day, then sort of once every two days and nobody really noticed. I went on an exchange trip to Spain that summer and I hated it because everything was oily and I felt the stains the food left around my mouth and had to fight the urge to wipe away at it constantly. I would try to cut it up and spread the food around the plate to get rid of oil, I’d rub it on my lips on the way to my mouth so that I could wipe it off afterwards rather than take it in. I went vegan I went gluten free I went uh.. food free after a bit basically. My mother noticed in late 2012 because she went away for a week and when she came back she said my clothes hung off me and I’d always been a size xs. Didn’t stop me from doing youtube workout videos from 11pm until 2 every night. God, my tailbone bled onto my sheets sometimes and I’d use that to pretend I was still getting my period. It was obsessive, but in a way that’s very removed to me now, because now I’m obsessive in so many different ways, though partially about the same things.

We spent a long time sort of not doing much except my mother fretting and my father not mentioning it and my sister rolling her eyes at my attention whoring by coercing my organs into imminent failure. We went to a couple of doctors to try to get some kind of diagnosis because I wasn’t strictly denying that there was something wrong, but I wan’t going to take the intiative to get ‘better’ from a situation which I perceived as not normal, sure, but not my responsibility to fix because it wasn’t my mind that told me I wasn’t normal and okay, it was everyone else’s. So if my being deathly thin bothered them, they could do something about it but I wouldn’t. I think that’s more or less what my thought process was. I guess around this time I was hovering around 42-44 kilos. I got so fucking good at figuring out which of my clothes weighed the most so that I could wear them when my mom would weigh me and cry. I knew she wouldn’t want to see my body, so I wore layers of wet clothes under denim and she never asked me to take it off cause she didn’t want to see my bones. In fairness I cried a lot, too. Sometimes I guess we cried about a lot of the same stuff.

My relationship with my ED is, to a large degree, inseparable from my relationship to my mother because for three very formative years in my life we spent every conscious moment aware of how much suffering each was going through, and that empathy magnified the pain and suffering itself. I talk about this in past tense when really I shouldn’t, but it’s easier to pretend now that we live in separate countries. She is the best person and I don’t know.

But anyway, we went to different therapists for a while. None of them did much. We tried this family based approach for a while which was... god i never want to go to family therapy of any kind ever ever ever again. Didn’t help, really. I saw that therapist about a year later when I was walking home from school and she stopped me and said I was looking so good and wasn’t it nice that I was recovering and I was thisclose to spearing her with a pitchfork and telling her that really, as a therapist that specialises in eating disorders she should know better than to assume someone is in recovery because they’ve gained weight before cooking her up like a suckling pig. She was probably objectively nice. But she was such a fucking Karen. Anyway, all this time I was still losing weight. I got up early and drank litres so I’d still weigh the same in the morning, but man. There was a morning when I overslept and I panicked and my mother panicked and we all cried and she wouldn’t give me time to layer up and drink and so - tada - there’s the number blinking up at me and everyone i angry and there’s a lot of snot from my mother and spit from my father, but my body holds on to its fluids because it knows i can’t afford to lose them. anyway, I hate the number 35.8 now forever. I’m not even entirely sure that was my lowest weight but I’ve literally blocked out those memories. I have no access to them whatsoever.

I have no idea how i never fainted. I missed a lot of school. Everyone went so far out of their way to accommodate me. I realise i haven’t been talking about what went on inside me and it’s because it’s like there’s a haze over it all, muffling the whole thing and inserting this sort of dead, lifeless ringing into my ears and before my eyes. I know I was obsessive and that I was aware that I should get better and I agreed that I should get better, but that I would always find ways to make sure I didn’t eat more than 800 calories a day at most. Thereabouts, anyway. I just Don’t Remember so much of it. But yeah. My parents got me a place on a clinic waiting list and I got moved up to have an interview with the Oberfrauärtztinchefincaptainsirmaam and i am so very grateful that she was so very awful. I distinctly remember her telling me i should be strapped to a bed with a needle in my arm and that i shouldnt be thinking and doing school work anymore because intense thinking can burn as many calories an hour as a lumberjack at work. So when a spot opened up at the clinic I was able to beg and cry and beg my parents for one last shot at doing it myself. I have no idea why they let me, I really don’t. By this point one or more of my organs had probably been permanently damaged and it’s a miracle my bones aren’t entirely porous and brittle. I get survivors guilt sometimes because I really do think that, objectively, I shouldn’t be alive. I shouldn’t have made it through that. And I was so difficult about it. I would say I want to recover, and then not do anything to further that. I’d shoot down every suggestion and option and resolutely state that I was different and so, sorry mother mine, but the big fat book you bought with helpful tips and tricks? not gonna help, go away, leave me alone. I guess that was my version of teenage angst: ‘go away, I don’t need help literally staying alive because I’m a different human being from every other human being that’s ever gone through this’.

I do still believe that, in a way. I believe that everyone’s experience of it is different, and the causalities are so muddled that they’re barely discernible, but I was such a bitch about. I mean I still am, 100% but..!.

But I did gain weight back. I was still fucked up inside, but people stopped asking if I was feeling okay and started telling me they were so glad and proud that I was feeling better. Nobody really thought ‘hey, maybe telling this girl constantly and with strong, authoritative voices that she needs to eat eat eat eat eateateateatEAT might fuck her up a bit uwu’. It’s simplistic to blame it on that, though. But yes. I gained about 30 kilos in 2 years and I hated every second of it and my mental state deteriorated pretty steadily and lo, my anorexia became more akin to binge eating disorder. Depression kicks in, identity crises abound, the constant nagging intrusive ideas and noisy background of thoughts never stop, gender dysphoria jumps on the bandwagon for a while, and all manner of those tasty self-destructive tendencies find days of my life to cronch down on and consume whole.

But it always comes back down to food. I’ve made the binge eating section of this so brief because it exhausts me so and because I’m not sure how comprehensible it is as a concept to people. When you say binge eating disorder people sometimes think ‘oh shit man, I get you, I eat waaay to many pizzas AND, christ help me, sometimes I have a whole tub of ice cream by myself i hope god can forgive me hahaha’

BUt, Chad, what you fail to understand is that this is chronic behaviour where I consume sometimes seven or eight thousand calories at once and calculate every single one afterwards and literally worry that my stomach might rupture from the sheer volume of food and also that I’m doing yet more serious long term damage to my body and oh! hey frantic google searches on how diabetes works and if you can get it from repeatedly eating whole jars of nutella! didn’t see you there!

Listen, it’s all been a downer, yeah. By this point I’m assuming I’m speaking exclusively to the future self that I wrote this for as a record of what I remember. But listen. It always comes down to food for me. It just always does. And this whole thing was just sparked by the notion that I would love it if more people were aware that, sure, I deal with it because I have to and because it’s what one does, but if you could just... not bring up food to me unless I bring it up first? that would be great? And i don’t mean questions about my thoughts on it or anything, I just mean specifically for the future prospect of eating. For that very specific thing, if you don’t bring it up I’ll be super grateful because yeah, I’d love to watch a movie with you, but I’d love it even more if I didn’t have to spend an hour thinking of an excuse for not eating popcorn or not wanting to go for drinks afterwards. I think it would be amazing if we could establish a dialogue as a norm.

something like at some point having a conversation with someone along the lines of

‘hey, you know I don’t judge you or expect you to justify your eating habits to me, right?’

‘wait, really?’

‘yeah, that’s your business and I honestly don’t care, so you can stop stressing about it’

This has been an ED chat with Hannah

[ak8shi]

FWB HQ Boys: In which you beat the player at his own game!

warnings: Time skip spoilers, mentions of sex(all characters are 18+), stupid people in love

a/n: I love one(1) libra man!! I love Atsumu’s character and the way he’s developed in hq and I think that this is a very probable way in which he finds love !! thank you all so much for loving the first installment so much <3 I-I went a little overboard with this one but ,, xoxo Chlo

━Miya Atsumu

Let’s start with a little background; I think we can all agree Atsumu is and always has been popular with the ladies

…But that doesn’t necessarily mean the ladies are popular with him LMAO

He’s truly the emotionally unavailable heartbreaker and he built himself quite a reputation without even knowing it

This dude doesn’t even really fuck around with girls, maybe a few meaningless flings his senior year but besides that, he only has eyes for one lady and her name begins with the letter V and ends with ball

LET’S GO

So you’ve known Atsumu for years unfortunately,,, and you surely know about how he treats the girls that approach him with confessions and boxes of chocolates

You don’t approve of it at all, but your family is practically family with the Miya’s and you’ve literally spent every major holiday with them since you can remember

You: Atsumu would it kill you to show some respect towards these women

Atsumu: If she breathes, she’s a thot

….smh… a fucking mess someone please put him in his place

However your mom was always happy that you could be around the twins since you were an only child, and she loved the idea of you having two brothers who would protect you from the evils of college men little did she know,,

You hate to admit it and we hate to see it, but you started to develop a crush on him your freshman year of high school.. you suppose it was because you spent so much time with him and you saw parts of him that a lot of people didn’t get to see I mean you also saw him with his jersey on and off pretty often how could you resist

For example, every Halloween you had a sleep-over tradition where you watched horror films after trick-or-treating and Atsumu was scared SHITLESS every year, I’m talking ripping your favorite blanket off you and burying his face in it to block out the movie, he would threaten you and Osamu about telling people at school about it

Him, a 17 year old teen standing in your doorway at 3:40 am: c-can I sleep on yer floor I LOVE HIM SKAKAKAJSW

You, filming him and sending it to Suna on snap: sure Atsumu <3

You found yourself entranced when he automatically gave you his school cardigan on the walks home from school when it was cold or raining, and completely enraptured by his cute little accent

Atsumu: did ya know yer a fuckin’ idiot bimbo stupid butt crack for not bringin’ yer jacket

Atsumu: yer lucky I’m a gentleman

You: ...

Osamu: god…..

It was naïve to think he would ever reciprocate feelings especially with his entire life being his volleyball career, and you convinced yourself it was a tiny high school crush and eventually you managed to repress it

Too much was on the line; you didn’t want to make both of your families awkward, and you needed to focus on your studies as one of the top students at Inarizaki yes ma’am

Besides you loved him like family right ???

RIGHT ???

The twins are a year older than you, and Atsumu had just signed to play professionally for MSBY!!

You at his official signing: wow, looks like you don’t have to resort to living on the streets after all

Him: yeah ❤️

You kind of forgot about how you felt about him since you weren’t seeing either of the twins consistently anymore with how busy both of you were; you stayed in contact, but nothing really serious

It was weird because you were still in high school while the boys were experiencing college and doing their own thing… you drifted apart honestly and you felt a bit awkward talking to them sometimes, you felt like you were bothering them Atsumu would probably tease you and say that you were

Another year passed and you were heading to college! You are living your best life, meeting new people, and then you got the text from your mom that you were doing Thanksgiving with the Miya’s,, you weren’t sure if that meant you would be seeing both twins but something about the possibility of seeing Atsumu again made something stir in your chest

Fall break hit and you found out both the twins and you were back at home since Atsumu also had a rare break from training and his regular professional season

You were helping Osamu out at his shop, since it was his first time dealing with the overflow of Thanksgiving season as a new business owner

You’re helping close the shop, when you hear the door jingle; you turn to say a polite “sorry we’re closed for the day,” but you’re met with what seems like a new and improved and muscular Atsumu OH NO

He looks amazing and so much older than you remember??? And he’s thinking the same thing about you!!! Like wow she’s changed a lot since she started college, I’ve missed a lot apparently ??

You immediately fall into his arms, inhaling his familiar scent, Osamu rolling his eyes at the two of you and telling you to get lost before he yaks

You leave the shop with Atsumu, inviting him to your house; as you enter, you catch your mom leaving to pick up some last-minute groceries for the Thanksgiving meal

She’s acts way happier to see Atsumu than she acted when you came home LMAO later she doesn’t shut up about how handsome and manly he’s become, but you just pull him away to your room and lock your door behind you

He goes to sit on your flower-patterned comforter from your childhood, newly washed thanks to your mother

Atsumu: so…. what’s up with you..?

You can’t control the churning of your stomach all of a sudden; you can’t remember him ever looking at you this way, like he’s looking at a woman

The feelings come rushing back, and literally all you can think about is kissing him

You lean back on your dresser in front of the bed, and a wave of need to express yourself washes over you,

“Atsumu, I missed you.”

You don’t even know what’s happening until you’re trapped in between Atsumu and the door, his mouth gently pressed against yours, his warm hands caressing your hips

He asks if this is okay, and all you can do is moan back a yes in response

Let’s just say your mom might need to clean your comforter again lmaoo

It’s complicated and you’re both kinda confused after… like no one admitted that they had feelings for the other and its not like either of you can just disappear from the other’s life like a random hook-up

BUT BOTH OF YOU ARE TOO STUPID AND STUBBORN TO REALIZE YOU LIKE EACH OTHER AND WANT A RELATIONSHIP I-

Like he’s literally cuddling you and kissing you and asking you about college in your childhood bedroom naked what

And it ISN’T uncomfortable at all

It feels so right to be in his arms, and you’re in disbelief about what happened??? What even like how have you gone all this time without doing anything honestly

You suddenly hear your dad pull into the garage, and you’re both up and putting your clothes on as fast as possible

It’s embarrassing when you look back on it, how long the hook-ups went on, but this was a common occurrence whenever the two of you were home

It was basically like you were dating and doing long-distance without the label

IT WENT ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR 🤡

Osamu during next year’s Thanksgiving meal: I think we should go around the table and say what we’re thankful for, I’ll go first. I’m thankful that two people at this table are getting laid despite the fact that I’m not 😊

Your parents:

Atsumu, in many ways, is oblivious to what his feelings mean after not really being in any real relationships and blocking out all the girls during high school,

He would find himself texting you after each of his matches, hoping you had watched him and his heart would flutter when you complimented him on his sets

Atsumu on the phone with you: yeah I’m just chillin’ with the boys rn 😏

Sakusa: get the fuck off my bed and get off the phone with your girlfriend so I can sleep

Atsumu: she’s not my girlfr-

Sakusa, talking loud enough for you to hear: I literally don’t care but don’t you have her picture saved as your lockscreen?

He tried to hook-up with someone when he was away playing a tournament in the summer, but it wasn’t the same and it was only good if he imagined it was you

He never did it again and before coming home for Christmas, he called Osamu to finally ask him what to do

Osamu: about time you meathead

Osamu literally spells it out to this man; he has been and is in love with you and he needs to do something about it asap before someone else snatched you away

Atsumu: why didn’t ya just say somethin’ ? Ya know I’m not good at these typa things !

I can’t he’s something else

So it’s Christmas, and he asks if you would want to go see the town square’s Christmas lights with him

Of course you say yes, you’re just really excited to finally see him after so long !!

Atsumu with rosy cheeks ugh spare me

He picks you up and greets you with a kiss to your temple, and he has a little gift baggie with him; he hands it to you to open and you pull out his old school cardigan

“I-I thought maybe you would want it since ya always stole it from me in high school, and since I’m half-way ‘round the world most of the time”

It smells just like him, you thank him with a kiss to his cheek and you tuck it away in your bedroom before leaving hand-in hand to see the colorful lights dazzling in the night sky

You talked to Osamu about your relationship with his brother and you want Atsumu to make a move honestly; you want to be sure he wants this since you’ve literally liked him since high school

You’re not sure what you are expecting, but when Atsumu has you in his arms, your back against his chest and his chin on your shoulder as you watch the Christmas carolers, you don’t expect him to whisper into your ear,

“hey, will ya be my girl?”

You turn around to give him a surprised look, his hand bringing yours to his mouth to plant a soft kiss on your knuckles this is his favorite place to kiss fight me

After getting over your dream-like shock, you say yes and pull him into a kiss

I’m crying he tells you afterwards that you were his girl since the first time he met you, we’ll let him have this one because did he really know until like a week ago? no

Whew, all of your friends and family let out a relieved sigh when they hear the news LMAO

Suna, hearing about Atsumu finally making it official: thank god I was about to start blackmailing him with those Halloween videos

[cycat4077]

Three Weeks In

So, I’m writing a series. Cute, fluffy ideas kept popping into my head and rather than making a new character/backstory for each one-shot, I decided to keep the universe I set up in Changes which is basically all the canon-SVU events but Sonny has a loving relationship behind the scenes. Let’s face it, the boy deserves happiness. It’s not necessary to read my other story first unless you want the backstory of the reader character and how they got together with Sonny. I’ll try to keep things chronological and weave in SVU events if I can. My OCD is forcing me to make sure the dates are all correct (ex: Sonny can’t be with the reader if he’s supposed to be upstate investigating a lead.) So tah-dah! I present thee with the second installment of the “Changes” series which is set immediately after 17x09, Depravity Standard, and begins on Nov 23rd 2015 (the day before Thanksgiving). It may be crap, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

Words: 2296 Warnings: none Pairing: Sonny x Reader Summary: Three weeks into dating Sonny and he already wants you to meet his family… AO3 here

Some days you actually have to pinch yourself as a reminder that your life is real. It’s been three weeks since Sonny showed up to your class. Three weeks since the two of you confessed your feelings. And three weeks of dating Sonny. While your schedules didn’t allow for a lot of one-on-one time, the two of you keep in touch and steal away for dinner whenever you can.

A steady beeping sound rouses you from your sleep and you roll over to shut off your alarm. The sun is starting to peek through the curtains, signalling a new day. Glancing at your phone screen, you smile.

Mornin’, doll. Have a great day! Talk to you later xoxo

Everyday you wake up to a text from Sonny and, though a seemingly small gesture, your heart aches in the best possible way from knowing he cares. You unplug the device and lay back in bed, phone perched on your chest.

Morning, Sonny. Hope you have a great day too and stay safe! xoxo

As you hit send, you imagine him smiling at his desk when the message comes in. You get ready for class and head out, a spring in your step while you journey to campus. Sonny texts you back around lunchtime with a message saying that he should be free tonight. He asks if you’d be up for having dinner and you eagerly accept. That evening you put on a nice outfit, fix your hair and set out to meet your date at a nearby restaurant. But SVU work can be unpredictable. You were made very aware of that during your summer there. One day could be quiet while the next could be so busy that you didn’t know whether the detectives were coming or going. So understandably, this line of work would sometimes force Sonny to be late. Nevertheless, if he was, he would apologize profusely and you would always reassure him that you understood. Tonight however, as you wait alone inside the restaurant lobby, Sonny is later than he’s ever been before. Not only that, but he hasn’t even sent you a message to confirm that he was caught up. His silence has you worried. You crane your neck towards the door once more before sending him a quick text:

Hey. Hope everything is okay.

Not a moment later your phone vibrates.

Shit. Sorry, doll. I’ll be there in 15.

You breathe a sigh of relief knowing he’s safe but then your gut knots when the alternative creeps into your mind. Restaurant patrons pass you by and the hostess keeps glaring while you’re standing there. They’ve seen it all before: a girl left waiting for a date who doesn’t show. You look up and let out a shaky sigh, hoping that Sonny hadn’t simply forgotten you. Practically 15 minutes on the nose from his text, a rather frantic looking Sonny comes barreling through the restaurant door. His winter jacket is unbuttoned and you can see his badge still clipped to his suit underneath. He hasn’t had time to change. “Hey,” he breathes out with apologetic eyes. “I’m so sorry. I shoulda texted you. It’s just Rollins -” Sonny takes a breath, chest heaving. He must have ran here. “She had a scare today. There were complications with her labor. Luckily, she made it though n’ delivered a healthy baby girl, but Lieu and I stayed there with her for a while. She’s gettin’ some rest now and Fin is gonna check up on her later.” Immediately you flood with relief. “I’m glad she and the baby are alright,” you say, “and I’m glad nothing had happened to you either.” “You dunno know how sorry I am for not lettin’ you know what was goin’ on. I shoulda texted. But things got hectic and we were all pretty worried about her…” “Sonny,” you cut off his rambling and force him to meet your eyes. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. Like I said, I’m glad Rollins is fine and I’m also glad she wasn’t alone through all this.” Sonny looks back at you and takes a breath. Your words seem to calm him right down. He smiles. “You’re amazin’.” You blush. “Back at you, but I’m starved.” He chuckles and the two of you approach the hostess. She grabs your menus but rolls her eyes as she turns to lead you to your table. She seats you at a little booth in the corner, Sonny taking your coat before you sit down. You braved wearing a knee-length dress despite the November weather and are rewarded by an expression of awe from Sonny when he sees it. “You look beautiful, doll,” he compliments, drinking you in. “And here I am, lookin’ shabby in comparison.” A little tired, yes. But shabby? Never. Sonny’s dark hair is still combed back and he’s wearing a tasteful burgundy tie over a white pinstripe shirt. You lean in and peck him on the cheek. “You always look handsome to me.” The two of you order and share a drink, happy to finally be catching up. “Shadowin’ Barba was fantastic!” exclaims Sonny through a mouthful of bread. “He’s so polished in his delivery n’ so sharp at findin’ the littlest things to drive it all home to the jury!” “Fanboy alert!” you joke. “Guilty!” he grins, raising his fork in surrender. “But I learn so much from him and it gives me new ideas for doin’ my written assignments.” “I’m happy for you, Sonny. You work so hard and you deserve every ounce of success you earn.” You truly can’t help the pride you feel for him. “Aww, thanks, doll. That means a lot.” Sonny gazes at you with the utmost affection and you nearly melt in your seat. “Say, what’s new with you? Anythin’ excitin’ in the ol’ biology class?” “Same old, same old,” you shrug. “Just gave the second midterm back to the students, so I expect a lot of office visits from them on Monday.” “You don’t have ta work or take emails over the holiday, do ya?” asks Sonny, pushing food around his plate absentmindedly. “Nope. Why?” You sense there’s something more to his inquiry. “Well, I was wonderin’…now, I know it’s short notice ‘cause I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to get off myself, but I was wonderin’ if…if you’d like to spend Thanksgiving with me at my parents’ place?” Sonny looks up. It’s the most hopeful expression you’ve ever seen on him. “I..uh…” you’re lost for words. You want to scream out ’YES!’ at the top of your lungs but at the same time it’s not that easy. “Sonny, that’s t-tomorrow. And it’s also your family time. I wouldn’t want to intrude on them.” “You wouldn’t be intrudin’! My ma’s been askin’ to meet my girlfriend n’ even said to ’make sure you bring her over for Thanksgiving’.” Your voice goes quiet. “I’m your…g-girlfriend?” The word floors you. Most guys don’t want to dive head first into labeling relationships, especially not after only three weeks. But here is Sonny Carisi, happily calling you his girlfriend and wanting you to meet his family. “Yeah, of course doll,” he answers a little perplexed. “We’re datin’ aren’t we?” Sonny fixes his gaze on you, trying to read what you’re feeling. You shake your head to snap yourself out of it. “Yes, y-yes. It’s just that…Never mind. I’d love to spend Thanksgiving with your family!” An uncontrolled smile spreads across your face and you’re pretty sure it makes you look like a complete dork. If it does, Sonny doesn’t point it out, but instead reaches across the table to hold your hand. He too is smiling from ear to ear like you’ve made him the happiest man alive. Suddenly your smile drops. “What?” questions Sonny. “What time will you be heading out tomorrow?” “Uh, well, I was thinkin’ we could get there for ‘round four o'clock. Time enough to introduce ya to everyone before we eat?” “Four?! That doesn’t give me much time to make anything!” you gulp. “Make somethin’? Doll, my mother wouldn’t want you to bring anythin’. Believe me, she cooks for a small army.” “Sonny. You can’t show up to someone’s house for dinner empty handed.” Sonny opens his mouth to argue, but you shush him instead. “How many people are gonna be there?” Conceding, he sets down his utensils, freeing his hands to count. “Well, there’s gonna be mom, dad, me, you, Bella n’ Tommy. Their little one doesn’t eat the good stuff yet, so I won’t count her.” Sonny unfolds that finger. “Then there’s Resa and Mia and Gina. Maybe a plus one for Gina, but who the hell knows with her.” Looking down at his two hands, he raises them to show you. “Should be nine altogether.” Good to know because you were going to be up early the next morning baking. -x- You don’t realize your knee is bouncing until Sonny reaches over and places a warm hand on it. “Don’t be nervous, doll. My family is gonna love you.” You turn your head towards him, flashing a weak smile. Sitting in idle traffic is only making your nerves worse. “Trust me. Besides, ya even baked fresh bread rolls on short notice. They’re gonna disown me and keep you instead.” Sonny taps your knee reassuringly before returning his hand to the steering wheel. The Carisis live in a quaint little suburban house complete with a petite yard and front porch stoop. It seems small for a family of six, yet still cozy and welcoming. You can’t imagine Sonny growing up anywhere else. Sonny leads you up the steps and knocks on the door. It instantly flies open and a short woman with grey hair greets the two of you with open arms. “Sonny!” she coos, scooping her boy in for a hug. Sonny plants his mother a kiss before introducing you. “Hellooo! Welcome, hon,” exclaims Mrs. Carisi as she ushers you into her home. The place smells delectable. If someone asked you describe the scent of Thanksgiving, you would say ‘the Carisi household’. “I’m so happy you could make it! Y'know, Sonny has told me so much about ya and I’m glad that boy finally got the nerve to - ” “Ma!” blurts Sonny, flashing his mother a warning look. Sonny must have spent those months apart dwelling over you, just as you had done over him. “What?! It’s true, honey,” defends the Carisi matriarch before turning back to you. “Whateva. You just make yourself at home dear. We’re all family here.” “Thank you, Mrs. Carisi,” you say sincerely. You’d never been so instantly accepted by another family. After sharing a hug with Sonny’s mother, you are swarmed by the rest of the Carisis. Sonny introduces you to his father first, who gives you a solid nod. Next is Bella, bouncing a tiny infant with Tommy by her side. Theresa and a shy Mia chime in a ‘hello’ before a solo Gina caps off the meet-and-greet. Mrs. Carisi is over the moon when you hand over your baking and the bread rolls end up being a major success. In true Italian fashion, the Thanksgiving spread is full of flavor with Sonny’s mother sparing no expense in variety or quantity. Everyone joins in saying grace before dinner and, though not a common practice in your house growing up, you don’t mind linking hands with Sonny and Gina while Mr. Carisi leads the family in giving thanks. Because you do have a lot to be thankful for: a great job, an incredible boyfriend and now a whole new family to spend time with. The rest of the meal is occupied by sharing in conversation, fond memories and laughter. You find it all sort of surreal. During the summer Sonny had entertained you with tales of this very family: How they could get on one another’s nerves but that at the end of the day still loved each other. And this is exactly what you see before you. Maybe it’s a light buzz from the wine, but you feel all warm and fuzzy as the chatter of the Carisis surround you. Eventually the evening winds down and everyone seems to be groaning over how full their tummies are. You know you’ve eaten too much but wouldn’t have it any other way. “The food was absolutely delicious, Mrs. Carisi. Thank you all for having me,” you say appreciatively, looking at everyone in turn. “Our pleasure, hon,” smiles Sonny’s mother sweetly. “Know that you’re welcome here anytime.” She clasps your hands in hers and gives them a few quick pats. You say your reluctant goodbyes before you and Sonny head to his car. Once inside, he looks at you. “So?” “Your family is wonderful, Sonny and I had a great time.” This makes him flush with pride. “Glad to hear it, doll. Sometimes they can be a bit much, but they mean well.” He turns the key in the ignition and his car grumbles to life. The two of you wave as he backs out of the driveway. Once you’re cruising down Arden avenue, Sonny pipes up again. “Y'don’t have any more of them rolls, do ya? I didn’t know you were such a good cook.” You let out a laugh. “I’m not that good. For every two-dozen there’s about a dozen that come out flat and ugly. But if you’re indifferent to what they look like, then I can hook you up with the rejects.” You wink just as the car passes beneath the glow of a streetlamp in hopes Sonny will catch it. He grins. “I don’t mind. Besides, it gives me a good excuse to walk ya to your door 'n steal a kiss goodnight.”

-x-

I have a bunch of ideas planned, the next being x-mas (wrong time of year, I know) but I just have to check dates from the episodes. Let me know if you’d be interested in more of these stories and any feedback would be loved!

Next part here!

[hollandspiderling]

Homecoming Redemption || Prologue

Summary: After everything that has happened to Peter, all he wanted was to have some sort of normalcy for his senior year. With the new school year finally underway, so far everything seems to be going to plan. He and his friends are trying to not let the effects of recent events get the best of them and everyone is moving forward. Now with the homecoming dance quickly approaching, what will Peter do once he realizes that he needs to find a date?

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Word Count: ~3.8k

Warnings: A rom-com series with a hint of angst. Swearing and underage drinking to come. Everyone is 18yrs old in this and all of the Avengers survived the blip. His identity is still a secret after defeating Mysterio because Peter deserves a break and time to breathe after everything he’s been through LOL

Author’s Note: And here is the prologue! I’m really excited about this series and I hope you guys are too! Sorry, it took a while to get up I had a lot of school work to catch up on. But now that all of that is out of the way, I’m hoping to release each part weekly. Let me know what you think! xoxo, Astrid. 

Teaser | Prologue | Chapter One 

“…and that would adjourn today’s meeting. Don’t forget that homecoming is just a couple of weeks away. With that being said, I should expect the posters up during lunch period as well as after school. Any questions?”

You smiled at your council and smiled gratefully at them. These were the people that you spent most of your time with at school and was glad to have them within your orbit. Betty was seated to your left as your vice president while fraternal twins, Keila and Kai, sat to your right as your secretary and treasurer. Alex, your public relations, sat across from you as he sketched out designs for the posters you were about to make. Despite having your reputation as a Stark hang over your shoulders, the people seated around you welcomed you for who you really were. They didn’t care about who you were related to and gave you the credit that you deserved. It didn’t help that the smart gene ran throughout your family and you simply learn and soak up information a lot faster than others.

Ever since you transferred to Midtown High last year, your life had immensely changed within a blink of an eye. Your mom had passed away and the guardianship of your wellbeing was passed on to her brother, Tony Stark. You and your mom had been living in Los Angeles as part of the secondary headquarters and incognito branch for the Avengers. While your mom was in charge of keeping tabs on coordinates and past encounters throughout the world, you were honing on your technical skills. Your mom had always joked about you being the younger and wittier version of her and Tony combined. It was unfortunate that she passed away due to a drunk driver speeding through the intersection she was driving through to get home. Your dad wasn’t in the picture so Tony graciously took you in because he had promised his sister that he would look after you if anything bad happened to her.

It was a whirlwind of a change for you when you had to leave your life in Los Angeles behind and settle into the even more hectic lifestyle of New York. Sure, you had been somewhat familiar with the city whenever you visited Tony for missions or family time during the holidays, but the culture and lifestyle was something you weren’t used to. You did the best you could to get adjusted to Midtown High and kept a low profile to make new friends. Tony had warned you to stay on your guard because if people found out who you were, then some might just try to take advantage of you. True to his word, once word got around that you were related to Tony Stark, the student body unanimously voted for you as their student body president. People tried befriending you left and right, but your mom and Tony taught you better. You kept those that you constantly crossed paths at a distance and the only ones you truly trusted were your council.

“Nah, we’re good Y/N. Thanks for getting us coffee for the day too, you know you didn’t have to.” Keila said as she held up her cup and gave you a bright smile.

“It’s no problem. But with all that we’ve working on, I believe we deserve a break don’t you agree?”

Her brother nodded as he closed up his notebook and leaned against the back of his chair. “As much as I used to hate having these meetings before school started, I learned to look forward to them ever since you took over. We’re ten times more productive and effective than previous councils.”

You smirked and shrugged before passing over the rolls of color Kraft paper towards the twins. “What can I say, I like to get things done. If you need help with these posters, let me know and I’ll send a couple of other people I know your way.”

Kai nodded as he grabbed the paper with Keila’s help and they moved to an empty corner of the classroom to start working on them. Alex followed suit and saluted at you before giving you a cheeky smile. “Appreciate your hard work, Pres.”

You felt someone tap your shoulder and you looked over to see Betty smiling at you. She motioned towards what she was working on throughout the meeting and you nodded in acknowledgment.

You turned your body to face her and she slid her laptop towards you. “What do you think of this design for the fliers?”

Tapping a finger against your chin, your eyes scanned through its contents. The theme of homecoming that year was ironical ‘A Night in Paris.’ Although the trip to Europe was a rough one for everyone in your class, you wanted to everyone to be reminded of the fun times you all had together there. Cliched as it was, your council was all for it when you pitched the idea to them. Now with everything coming to life, the excitement to see your work in real life bubbled inside you whenever the student council meetings were held. After making sure that all of the important information was on the flier, you smiled at Betty as you slid the laptop back to her.

“It’s good for the most part. If it’s possible can you design another one with a day background? Kind of similar to someone sitting in front of a café by the tower. Having two designs could help eyes catch it more.”

She nodded and began to focus on her laptop. “I’ll have it done by the end of the day.”

“Awesome, thanks Betty.”

Your eyes peeped at the clock and nodded in accomplishment. All of what you wanted to touch was completed on time and there was still ten minutes before the first bell rang. Gathering the notes that were scattered in front of you, you stood up from your desk. You slung your backpack over your shoulder and began to make your way out of the classroom.

“I’ll see you guys at lunch! I’m going to make my way over to the office and drop off the request form for the amount we need for everything.”

Your friends said their goodbyes as you headed out the door and blended in with the morning crowd of students getting ready for the day. People said hi to you as you passed, and you greeted them back. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a familiar mop of brown curls and you smiled to yourself. It wouldn’t hurt to take a detour and so you followed your best friend towards his locker. He still hadn’t noticed your presence as you crept up behind him.

Just as you were going to jump on him from behind, he turned around and shook his head. “Not today, missy.”

You playfully huffed and rolled your eyes at him. “Damn your stupid Peter tingle.”

Peter laughed as he turned his attention back to his locker and you took your usual place with leaning against the lockers next to his.

“You just need to work on your stealth, Y/N.”

“Why don’t you just act like a normal person, Parker.”

“Says the person that upgraded her own suit within three hours, Stark.”

You opened your mouth to say something back but couldn’t because he was right. Peter smiled in victory as he stuffed his backpack and you raised an eyebrow at him.

“And what happened to the backpack you had yesterday?”

Peter looked down at the backpack in his hands before looking back at you with a sheepish smile. “It got stolen while I was out patrolling again.”

The two of you began to make your way towards your first class of the day and you punched him in the arm. He winced and exaggerated how hurt he was by pouting while rubbing the area that you hit him.

“Hey, that was mean.”

“That’s what you get for being reckless sometimes. I swear I should install a tracking device into your backpack, Pete.”

His eyes widened and hummed in thought. “Why didn’t I think about that sooner?”

You laughed and shook your head in amusement. “It’s because you immediately throw yourself into anything you care for. So, you mainly act before thinking first.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

You looked up at him as a similar haunting look came over his face and your expression softened. Shaking your head, you nudged him in the stomach, and he gave you a questioning look.

“It’s not because it’s one of your best aspects. It means you're compassionate for those you care about.”

He nodded and took your words into consideration. You noticed his eyebrows started to furrow in thought and you sighed to yourself. Pulling him to the side of the hallway, you put your hands on his shoulders and rubbed them comfortingly.

“Pete, nothing is going to come after us, not for the time being, alright? We all got out of it okay and the way you handled yourself has made you so much stronger.”

Peter looked into your eyes and saw the comforting look you were giving him. He sighed and simply hugged you tight to ground himself. There was still this heavy weight that surrounded him, and he’s been talking to Wanda and Stephen about ways to improve his wellbeing. You’ve been by his side ever since he returned from the blip and it wasn’t helpful that Beck had messed with him so much that there are times where he still believes he’s physically in his nightmares. He was slowly and surely getting better but sometimes there are triggers that he wasn’t even aware of until they happened.

You hugged him back and after a couple moments, the bell rang. Peter sighed before letting you go, and you ruffled his hair. He chuckled as you took a step back and tightened the straps of your backpack. “Feeling better, Parker?

He nodded and said, “A lot better, thanks Stark.”

“I always have your back, now go get to class so you don’t be late.”

“What about you?”

“I need to stop by the office to drop off some things and then I’m heading over.”

“So, I’ll see you after school then?”

You smiled at him and nodded, “See you then, Pete.”

- - - 

The final bell of the day rang, and the voices of students filled the hallways as everyone made their way towards their lockers. Peter sighed in relief as he took his time to pack his things away for the day. It was still tough for him to get used to having things back to how they were, but he was glad that he finally got the break he’s been needing for the longest time. It would be times like this where his anxiety would spike up, feeling as if something big had to happen towards him in order to feel “normal.” He was thankful to have you and Ned in his life to help keep reality in check with him.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Peter’s head snapped towards the door to see you leaning against the door frame. A smile crept onto his face as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and shook his head in response. You playfully rolled your eyes and pushed yourself away from the door as he made his way towards you.

“C’mon Pete, I know you better by now. Your face does that little scrunched up expression whenever you get lost in your thoughts.”

Walking side by side, both of you weaved your way through the crowd as he nudged you on the arm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Y/N.”

“Stop denying it, Parker. I’ve seen that expression on your face countless times whenever we’re on missions together.” You replied.

He gave you a pointed look as he unlocked his locker before shrugging. His eyes focused on grabbing the stuff he needed for the weekend and you raised an eyebrow at him while waiting for an answer. Peter knew that he couldn’t escape you with the gaze you were giving him and let out a sigh. Pursing his lips, he zipped up his backpack and closed his locker before continuing your conversation.

“I just got lost in my thoughts about y’know…” he muttered as you guys made your way out of the school.

Your eyes softened since you knew what he was referring to. For the past year, it hasn’t been easy for you both with the battles involving Thanos and Mysterio. It was most definitely hard on Peter since he was one of the few that had the most impact throughout those dark times. You were one of the few that didn’t actually disappear and learned how to cope with the dramatic change in the world. But when it came to Peter, he was looking forward to finally being normal when your class was going to Europe. Of course, the odds still weren’t in his favor with all that had happened to Mysterio and you tried your best to be that person he could lean on. You lent him your strength when he needed the help and now it finally time for him to take the time to cope and adjust to falling back into how things were like before. Whenever he stayed over at the compound on the weekends, he would always end up knocking on your door in the middle of the night for some company because of his nightmares. If it got too bad, Wanda would help soothe him with her powers. Sometimes Stephen would give him this special concoction he learned that helped ease anxious souls. Peter’s progress has been better as the day pass by and you never forget to tell him how proud you were of him.

You linked arms with Peter, and he looked at you with a thankful gaze. Since you guys were often partnered together for missions, it was easy to mentally communicate with each other. Peter was also the one who helped you adjust to your life in New York. Tony had introduced the two of you when he started his “internship” at Stark Industries, and he took it upon himself to show you every nook and cranny he knew. You gave him a reassuring squeeze on the arm and not much was needed to be said as you guys began to make your way towards the subway.

“You guys! Guys, wait up!”

Ned quickly ran up to you guys with a paper in hand and both of you waited for him to catch his breath. ‘Oh, that’s right…’  You thought as you glanced at the paper Ned handed to you and he leaned on Peter for support.

“What’s up, Ned?” Peter asked and you wordlessly handed him the flier.

With an excited smile, Ned pointed towards the paper that Peter was now glancing over and said, “It’s homecoming season!”

Crossing your arms over your chest and shifting your weight onto one of your legs, you titled your head to the side and gave him a questioning gaze.

“So, what about it? The rest of the council and I still need to solidify some details before sending the info to the morning announcements. Was Betty the one that gave you this?”

Ned nodded and Peter looked at him before shifting his gaze towards you. You smiled at him and took the flier back to see the final draft that Betty had made. It was just as you had expected it to be and nodded in approval before folding it up.

“Yeah, she was. She wanted me to pass it to you since she had to stay back and overlook what the yearbook committee was planning. I’m excited, we’re finally all back together and I have a gut feeling that homecoming is going to be right this time around.”

You snickered as you remembered what had happened the last time homecoming happened but one look at Peter’s face made you shut up. He playfully glared at you and you simply stuck out your tongue towards him.

“It’s not my fault that you tend to fall for girls so easily, Parker,” you smirked.

He held his hands up in defense and said, “How was I supposed to know that Liz’s father was going to be the villain I was facing?”

Ned scoffed and said, “This is why you try to get to know the girl first before throwing yourself off the deep end, Pete.”

You high-fived Ned as Peter groaned and nodded in defeat. “Yeah, I know…”

“So…who are you guys asking then?” Ned asked.

You straightened up at the question and pursed your lips in thought. It hadn’t really occurred to you about going with anyone due to your busy schedule, so you shrugged.

“I’m not sure. No one’s really asked me yet and I don’t really have anyone in mind. To be honest, that really hasn’t been on my mind besides making sure this year’s dance will be the one that everyone at Midtown will always remember.”

“That’s oh so very Stark of you,” Ned commented.

You laughed and felt your phone buzz. It was one of the other council members and knowing it was probably about the dance, you excused yourself for a moment to answer the call. Once you were out of hearing sight, Ned turned to Peter with a cheeky smile. He raised an eyebrow at him, and his best friend could clearly see that Peter hadn’t caught on to what he was hinting towards.

With the wriggling of his eyebrows, Ned asked, “So what are you planning to do to ask Y/N?”

Peter’s eyes widened and said, “What do you mean- I mean I can’t- I’m not-”

“Oh, c’mon Pete, stop rambling. Everyone can see that you’ve grown a crush on her.”

“Me? Nah, Ned, you must have got it all wrong- I mean she’s- and I’m-”

Ned rolled his eyes and slung his arm over his best friend’s shoulders. “Alright Pete, no need to get all riled up there. I was just teasing you.”

Peter grumbled and crossed his arms, looking the other way before mumbling, “I don’t have a crush on her…”

“Right, keep telling yourself that bro. I was just hoping you were the one to ask her because rumor has it that Brad is trying to ask her to homecoming.”

Peter’s head whipped around to meet Ned’s gaze with his jaw dropped.

“What?!”

Ned could only shake his head in disappointment at his best friend. “Dude, you need to get your shit straight. We all know when homecoming is and people have already started doing their askings today.”

“Wait, so when is Brad trying to ask her? We can’t let that happen. I mean he doesn’t even deserve her, he’s such a dick. Remember what I told you about with what happened on our trip?”

Peter couldn’t believe that Brad was going to ask you. You’ve never talked about Brad when you guys were together, and you knew that he didn’t like him. Ned shook his shoulders and Peter snapped out of his daze.

“Calm down, we’ll call the crew together and think of a plan alright? I’ll text Betty to see what the other council members are doing and we could meet up after school tomorrow to figure something out.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. “Yeah…yeah okay. That sounds like a good thing to do.”

Peter noticed that you ended the call you were on and slapped Ned to shut up about homecoming just in case you overheard their conversation.

You walked up to them and asked, “So, did we figure out who Peter’s asking?”

Ned shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not really, seems like you two haven’t really thought about this, huh?

You laughed and said, “Not really. I mean yeah I want the dance to be successful but with how things go, I’ll probably just end up stag.”

“No, you’re Y/N Stark which means you should have a bomb ass date and stunt on the rest of the student body.”

“Ned don’t worry. I do have someone in mind but I’m waiting to see if he actually does something.”

The boys looked at each other with what you said, and Peter sent him a panicked look. You raised an eyebrow at the quick-change behavior of your friends in front of you as they mentally communicated with each other. You rolled your eyes and began to tug Peter away from him.

“Alright, that’s nothing you boys need to freak out over. C’mon Parker, we gotta get moving or else Cap is gonna bust our asses if we’re not at training on time. Bye Ned!”

Peter was caught off-guard and gave Ned a pleading look to investigate the mystery guy you were waiting for. He turned back towards you and changed his position to match your pace as you quickly entered the subway. The two of you tapped your cards through the entryway and made your way into one of the carts. Sitting down, you sighed in relief and closed your eyes. You could feel Peter looking at you as he took the empty seat next to you and you laughed to yourself.

“I’m not going to tell you, Peter.”

“Why not? That’s not fair, I tell you everything.” He pouted.

Opening one of your eyes, you looked at him out of the corner of your eye. “Don’t worry about it, Parker. It’s my little secret that you’ll eventually find out.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked as he watched you plugin your earphones into your phone.

You continued to smile to yourself as you leaned your head against his shoulder and lifted the other bud for him to take. He took up your offer and you pressed shuffle.

“I’m still waiting for an answer, missy.”

You shook your head and got comfortable in your seat. It was going to be a while before your stop nearest to the compound was going to happen and all you wanted was to have a small power nap due to the lack of sleep you’ve been getting.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” You murmured as you felt your tiredness consume you.

It was times like these where you were glad Peter was more on the oblivious side. All of your actions and care towards him made it obvious. Everyone on the council knew and even MJ had caught on quite quickly. You liked Peter, a lot. You haven’t acted on it because he’s been a bit harder to read lately and with the dance coming along, you hoped that he’d catch on with the subtle hints you’ve been leaving him ever since the school year started.

Taglist:(lmk if you want to be tagged! Tagged those who asked and who I think might enjoy this fic || Crossed out means I wasn’t able to tag you!) @ithinkimightlikehim @ homecomlng @meganlikesfandoms​ @tomfiction4​ @averyfosterthoughts​ @justcallmehitgirl​ @procrastinatingismybiggestflaw​ @mrhollandisart​ @yeahimcrying​ @littlebookbengal​ @caretheunicorn​ @mara-twins​ @jackiehollanderr​ @imsocial-not​ @ibookishqueen​ @itjustkindahappenedreally​ @ 3tothe1 @babebenhardy​ @kewl-r​ @llamazarecoolaf​

[coconutknightshade]

The Hoodie™

Word Count: 3644 Relationships: Tony Stark & Peter Parker / Iron Man & His Spider Son

Summary:  The one in which Tony overhears Peter telling his roommate that the MIT hoodie he's wearing is his dads. The one in which Peter never plans to call Tony 'dad' to his face but the universe has other plans.

Based on This Post by Lexi (Tony-Where’s-My-SuperSuit)

Read Here OR Read Below

Peter is hunched over in his underwear with one leg down his jeans when his roommate comes barreling through the door. They freeze, eyes locked on the other for a half minute before they both burst out laughing. Harry claps him on the back with a shake of his head as he walks by, causing Peter to stumble forward with a laugh.

“Jerk,” he teases under his breath. Harry winks at him good-naturedly. They aren’t exactly friends, not yet anyways. Move in day had been a little awkward. Peter had insisted on moving into his dorm room alone, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be able to keep it together if May had been there with him. It hadn’t mattered much, both he and May were emotional as he packed up the latest on the market Jeep Grand Cherokee that Mr. Stark had insisted on getting him upon graduation- To the surprise of literally nobody but Peter. The official move-in day had been only a few weeks prior and as it would turn out his roommate came from a long line of Harvard graduates, which begged the question as to why they were moving their kid into an MIT dorm. They had asked Peter a million and one questions about his future as well as a few questions about his family. The answers to which Peter had kept vague.

With the initial orientation officially over and classes in full swing Peter Parker’s life up to this point has been a whirlwind of simultaneous excitement and exhaustion. Fortunately, the last several years spent with Tony in the lab until the wee hours of morning (or until Pepper pulled them our kicking and screaming) has prepared him for minimal hours of sleep. UNfortunately, today it is rapidly catching up to him. He’d slept restlessly the night before, texting Tony until nearly 3AM - “Did you know on the last day that you’re allowed to drop classes everyone pushes a piano off of Baker House? Were you part of that when you were here? Hey, how’s Morgan by the way? I miss her. Can you believe May and Happy are together? Is Happy going to propose? You would know and you’re legally obligated to tell me if he is.” - before finally crashing hard. Because of this Peter hadn’t rolled out of bed until mid morning and hadn’t showered until noon, which brings him to the present. Half dressed and unintentionally putting on a show for his roommate.

“This campus is massive. I mean, I’ve already gotten turned around 3 times today,” Harry says in amazement as he hauls himself up onto the bed. The two of them had gone out and bought bed risers so they could create lofts after having decided that placing their desks beneath them would leave more floor space for them to work on any projects they had brought from back home. It means Peter has the room he needs to lay out all of his tools so that he can work on his suite whenever Harry is out. And more fortune for Peter, he’s learned early on that his roommate is the party type and as such he’s already had three nights to himself to work.

East Campus is MIT’s second oldest dorm building but she’s sturdy. Peter loves it. Not only are the undergrads allowed to physically alter their dorms however they like (one kid installed what she calls a Domino’s Button that automatically orders Dominos whenever pressed), they’re also allowed to paint the rooms. This brought Tony much satisfaction, as evident by the text he sent Peter in the wee hours of the morning, most assuredly after a 30 hour day - “Don’t worry, Spiderling. I’ll send you some red and gold paint. I’m also sending you a care package filled with Iron Man figurines, Iron Man boxers, and a custom Iron Man comforter. You’re welcome. XOXO” And so long as they comply with the fire code, they’re allowed to alter the common areas as well. Their floor has already had several brainstorming sessions on what they could do to be original this year. Peter is living for the sense of community. Walking through the halls is an experience in and of itself- Nearly everyone keeps their doors open, much like Harry had done when he practically fell through the door. Odd music blares through the halls, as does the occasional peals of laughter. Sometimes it’s too much to handle but fortunately one of Tony’s many parting gifts had been small nondescript ear plugs that effectively dial the world down to a more normal level. Peter had stared down at them in amazement… “I- Mr. Stark, I can’t thank you enough. This will- Will help so much, wow.” “You can thank me by having a good time, kid.”  

In all, Peter is more comfortable than he initially anticipated given the fact that neither Ned or MJ were there with him.

“The campus is massive. And swarming with children and parents,” Peter adds absently, digging through his dirty laundry hamper for something comfortable. It’s the start of Family Week and the place is crawling with people. Students excitedly pull their family through campus. The university is hosting picnics, social events, and even several free seminars throughout the week for family members to attend if it tickles their fancy. Next week is First Year Residential Exchange (FYRE) and the East Campus dorm has already began working on what will be a fully functioning roller coaster in their courtyard. Parent alumni are encouraged to assist.

Peter is grateful that Family Week is, well, family week . May on occasion still works long hours at the hospital, and with MIT being four and a half hours from home hitting a 24 hour period, or even a 48 hour period just wouldn’t have cut it. As such, May (and Happy), will be there come Thursday and Peter is quite literally counting down the days. He considered asking Mr. Stark, who Peter definitely considers family, but he had hesitated. While he’s sure that Tony feels the same way about him, Peter still has those pockets of insecurities. After having lost his parents and his uncle Peter oftentimes worries about losing the rest of his family, even those not of blood and recently acquired.

“Whoa, that’s really neat?” Harry’s questioning voice pulls him from his thoughts and Peter glances up as the kid hops back down off the bed to stand in front of Peter. His eyes are trained on Peter’s chest and he reaches out to tug at the fabric. “That’s got to be vintage now, right?”

Peter looks down at his MIT hoodie that he’d just slipped over his head. Well, it isn’t his per se. It’s actually one of Tony’s old hoodies. One that Peter had stolen - long term borrowed, thank you very much - several years back, not long after his sixteenth. Tony had been on a mission with the Avengers. It had been overseas and dangerous enough that Peter had been told under no circumstances was he allowed to tag along. He’d pouted for a few days, wallowing in the anxiety that gripped him whenever he thought about them leaving. Blame the anxiety on his spidey sense, for as it would turn out, Tony and the others had quickly found themselves driven underground for nearly two and a half months. So far underground that they had gone completely radio silent. Director Fury had insisted that it had all been part of the plan and that while Tony wasn’t in contact with Pepper he had certainly remained in contact with the Director. All lies.

Those two months of silence had been a nightmare. He’d spent nearly every weekend, occasionally skipping days of school, with Pepper at the tower. They had both failed miserably at distracting each other from the crippling worries that something was definitely wrong. But it had been a bonding experience and Peter remembers clearly the night he was woken by FRIDAY to Pepper having a breakdown on her bedroom floor after having found out that she was pregnant and, “God, Peter, what if Tony never comes back?” After an emotionally charged night Peter had slipped into Tony’s closet and dug around for something, anything, of Tony’s that might offer comfort. Something that might help him sleep better at night when the fear of losing yet another father figure threatened to consume him. That’s when he found the hoodie. It was comfortable and late in the night when Peter felt tears sting his eyes and when the world felt like too much of a burden, being wrapped up in it felt a lot like a hug.

Peter loves this hoodie. He’s never told Tony about it and the man has never indicated that he’d noticed one missing. And up to this point Peter has never been asked about it.

“Yeah,” Peter says soft and a little awkwardly, scratching at the base of his head. “It was my Dad’s.”

The word rolls off his tongue so easily, as if he’s said it a thousand and one times when in fact he’s never done so before. Not out loud at least. Saying it now though feels like the most natural thing in the world- It feels right. And the thing is, Peter does consider Tony to be his Dad. He has a Father, Richard, whom he loves very dearly, but who he has very few memories of. And of course he has his Uncle Ben who he also loves to the moon and back again. But he only ever thought of the man as such. Tony though… Tony feels like his Dad - A title different from both Father and Uncle.

Yeah. Tony is his Dad. And though he’s never said the word out loud, never admitted it even to his two closest friends and absolutely never to Tony himself, Peter had internally drafted the man into the role several years back when Tony had gleefully shoved him towards one of the Audi’s and said, “Today’s the day, Underoos. You’re going to learn how to drive while we take a road trip down the coast.” In the city, with all the public transportation and given the fact that May could never afford a vehicle for him, Peter hadn’t given much thought to learning. There was no rush. Tony, however, felt differently.

“Was?” Harry asks eyebrows knit together in confusion before softening. “Is he, you know, dead?”

“Wha- No,” Peter huffs, quiet laughter in his voice at having been caught off guard by the question. “He’s very much alive and well.” You can hear the fondness in his voice as he absently tugs at the hem of the hoodie, almost bashful in the way his eyes drop down to the worn out frayed MIT logo on the front.

“Well,” a voice, a very familiar voice, cuts in, “Pepper might disagree with you on that one, kiddo.”

Peter whirls around to see Tony Stark, the man he’s just referred to as Dad to his roommate, standing there in the doorway with his signature sunglasses hiding whatever emotion was there behind the eyes. Peter can’t be sure just how much Tony has overheard, but he suspects the man heard it all. Something in his gut tightens- What if Tony doesn’t react well, or possibly worse, what if he doesn’t react at all?

Peter misses the way his roommates jaw drops as he stumbles back a step or two in surprise when Tony steps further into the room, casual as ever. In a single fluid motion he removes the sunglasses and, as if he doesn’t see the other kid at all, smiles warmly at Peter. Maybe, Peter thinks, Tony doesn’t mind what he overheard afterall.

“Pepper says I need to watch my cholesterol.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “And my attitude. I told her I could only watch one or the other.” He winks at Peter, shaking him from his thoughts, and Peter playfully rolls his eyes while ignoring the remaining tendrils of anxiety that bleed into his veins. Tony strolls across the room and pulls Peter’s head toward him so he can kiss the side of it- “You’re too tall, kid. Make it stop.” - before ruffling his hair and wrapping an arm around his shoulders to pull him in snug against his side. Tony makes the move, something he’s never done before, feel so effortless as though it were something normal between them, as if he really is his Dad. Peter doesn’t hesitate to lean into the man's side. He’s tugging harder at the hem of his hoodie now. No way he can keep it under the radar at this point. Tony’s eyes are trained on him, as if watching for Peter’s own reaction to the display of affection, and Peter’s lips widen into a blinding smile, full of warmth and admiration.

Harry casually clears his throat, distracting the both of them, and Tony turns a press worthy smile to the kid before leaning forward to shake his hand.

“Hey kid, name’s Tony. But you already knew that. I’m Peter’s Dad.”

Harry, still dumbfounded and glancing between The Tony Stark™ and his roommate, shakes the man’s hand far longer than one would consider normal. “Harry Osborne.”

The two exchange quick pleasantries but Peter doesn’t really hear any of it. Tony has just told a complete stranger that he was his Dad and he hadn’t even hesitated in doing so. He’s pulled Peter into a hug, ruffled his hair fondly, and introduced himself as Peter’s Dad. No qualifiers. No “Well, not biologically of course.” No “He was a stray I picked up and decided to keep.” He ducks his head with a small smile that Tony must have caught anyways because suddenly he’s being pulled even tighter against his mentor. His chest- Peter wonders if Tony’s reaction to being called Dad mirrors how he feels hearing Tony refer to himself as his Dad.

Peter can’t help himself, he laughs, giddy in the surrealism of the moment. It pulls him from his thoughts and his cheeks color when he realizes Tony is watching him closely, face serious save the smallest quirk of the corners of his mouth. Harry has sidestepped over to his desk, sliding into the chair with a muttered, ‘Tony Stark is in my fucking dorm room. What the fuck is my life?’ as his eyes flicker between the two of them.

Tony pulls Peter further to his side of the room and brushes a hand fondly across the top of his head, messing once again with the damp mop of hair. The knot of anxiety in his gut completely unravels and he’s positive that Tony takes note of the way he physically relaxes.

“What?” Tony teases. “Did you think I wasn’t going to spend a solid week embarrassing you at every opportunity presented? What kind of Dad would that make me?” And there it is again. Peter’s stomach flips. “I’ve booked a room across town for the week. I’m going to take you out, show you all of the secret hidey holes on campus. It’s gonna be gr-”

“I don’t know,” Peter looks hesitant and it stops Tony in his tracks. “The fifties was so long ago- They might’ve demolished some of those buildings since then.” He looks so serious Tony has to blink a few times to shake the confusion. Then Peter’s serious expression cracks and the kid is smirking far too similarly to the way Tony does.

“You’re a rotten kid and I’m telling May. And Morgan. I’m going to facetime her right now and tattle on you.” Tony flicks Peter’s ear, clicking his tongue in disapproval and ignoring the wide amused smile the kid is sending his way. Peter nearly giggles and Tony hooks a hand around the back of his head and drags him in against his chest for a bruising hug that Peter accepts eagerly. His heart swells and he wraps his arms tight around Tony, fingers curling into the back of his Armani suit. He buries his face into the crook of Tony’s neck, hiding his embarrassment when Tony says, “I’m so fucking proud of you, Peter.”

He doesn’t even try to whisper and Peter squirms, always awkward under praise. Something that hasn’t changed over the years, much to Tony’s delight - “Pepper look! He saw the Decathlon trophy I put up on the mantel in pride , and he blushed. Isn’t this kid great?” Tony doesn’t let him pull away, but he does lower his voice.

“You’re fucking brilliant and you deserve to be here. May told me what you said- And I know you’ve wondered whether or not I had any involvement in your admission process and I want to make it unequivocally clear that I spoke to no one prior to you submitting your application nor after the process began.” He flushes when Tony pulls away, keeping his hands on Peter’s shoulder and dipping his head to catch the kids eye. Tony’s expression is so serious that Peter struggles to maintain eye contact. He had wondered about whether Tony had spoken to anyone in admissions. It wasn’t like Peter didn’t know that the man had connections. And it’s not like Tony had been subtle in the way he dropped hints about MIT. Peter found brochures everywhere- His backpack, the drawers in the kitchen, his bedroom, “The bathroom, Tony? Really??” Of course Peter had wondered. Now he feels shame for ever considering such a thing. The man has more integrity than that. Tony, for his part, is already shaking his head. He knows Peter well enough to know where the kids thoughts are going.

“Listen Petey, it makes sense, I know it does. However, I would never get involved in something of this magnitude. This...MIT?” he lets go of Peter to sweep his arms around, turns his body as if to encompass everything around them. “This is all you, kid. Absolutely one hundred and ten percent your success. You and you alone. I never once doubted, not in the least. Christ, Peter, I’m so proud of you.”

Peter’s heart feels like it’s going to burst under the praise. Under Tony’s praise. His Dad . And wow, it felt so good to let that thought cross through his mind so openly, like a weight has been lifted and permission for using the term fully granted. Peter huffs a laugh and quickly brings a fabric clad wrist up to wipe away the tears he hadn’t realized were threatening to slip down his face. Tony’s got a hand pressed to the side of his head, thumb brushing across his cheek bone and fuck he just looks so fond and so proud and Peter can hardly take it.

“You’re so dramatic… Dad?” Peter chokes the word out, emotion thick in his voice nearly as much as the hesitation there at the end. He breaks eye contact with Tony, deciding instead to count the polka dots on his pocket square. Blood is pounding in his head and when Tony doesn’t immediately respond he swallows thickly and looks back up. Tony is outright beaming now and Peter realizes he’s been chewing at his lower lip in thinly veiled anxiety.

Tony huffs, standing up straighter. “I’ll have you know, Underoos, that I have absolutely never been dramatic a single day in my magnanimous life. Not once. Ask Pepper- Wait no, don’t ask. She won’t back me up. But she’s also a liar, so.” Peter rolls his eyes but bursts out laughing at Tony’s obvious theatrics and nearly throws himself back against Tony’s chest. Tony lets out a little oophf when he hits his chest but Peter doesn’t notice and Tony doesn’t mind. Peter is only aware of the comforting weight of Tony’s arms as they wrap around him. He feels safe. He feels loved in a way he hadn’t really noticed before. Somehow both everything and nothing about their relationship seems to have changed with a single word.

They stay like that, silent and really reveling in the moment before Tony breaks it with a soft, “Love you, kiddo. I couldn’t ask for a better son.” It’s such a sweet moment, such a serious moment and well, it’s Tony . He gives it about four seconds before taking a deep serious breath and adds, “Alright. Now let’s get this bread.”

Peter groans, mortified, and playfully shoves Tony away from him. “You’re the worst. I’m taking the internet away from you. Cancelled. Denied. Child locks enabled.”

“Is that any way to speak to your old man?” Tony scoffs and Peter rolls his eyes. “You’re grounded.” He tugs Peter, his son, against his side and guides him out of the room. “No, really. Now that you’ve been admitted I wholeheartedly intend to show you off to every administrator on campus that I know. Because that’s what you get to do when you’re a Dad.”

“So that’s why you’re in the Armani,” Peter hums in amusement, stomach once again doing flips as Tony embraces being called Dad by a kid he’s made it very clear now that he thinks of as a son. “It’s all coming together now.” Tony looks over and winks at him conspiratorially.

“Just for today. After that it’s all jeans and MIT shirts for the rest of the week. We’ll match! Loving you in the hoodie, by the way. It was the first one I bought when I hit campus. Not sure when you lifted it from me, but it looks good, kid. Pepper and Morgan fly in tomorrow. Be ready- Ever since Morgan you know how Pepper is with the pictures.” Peter cringes. He’s pretty sure more photos of him have been taken over the last several years than had been taken in his entire life up to that point. He can’t complain though. He loves his family.

END 

* FUN FACTS: The Piano Drop Day is a legitimate thing as is the name of the building they push it off! FYRE week is a legitimate thing! East Campus is an actual dorm building, they're actually allowed to paint the rooms and alter the common areas AND the Dominos Button is a real example. AND BEST of all- The roller coaster in the dorm courtyard was something they actually constructed during FYRE week! FYRE week is Freshman Year Resident Exchange in which they open all of the residential halls and encourage freshman's to explore them all to see if they want to stay in their dorms or transfer! Basically anything related to MIT aside from family week (though to be fair I'm pretty sure every campus has a family day or week) is accurate.

[ecotone99]

[MS] Life Statistics

"What the hell is that?" I asked myself while staring in total disbelief at my phone. On it, a strange app called LifeScore displayed its home screen. Its logo was written in white font on a dark blue background. I ran my hand through my hair and felt the scar on the side of my head. I can't believe how lucky I am to have survived a brain tumor with a guarantee that it won't grow back. I tapped on Start and was greeted with a video in which a dark haired male, who I estimated to be in his late twenties to early thirties with impeccable features and dressed in a dark gray suit and trousers, white shirt and red tie, apparently described what I allegedly had installed on my phone.

"Welcome to the game of life. Now before you continue, watch this short video first. Have you ever wondered how well you measure up to your own standards and to those around you? Have you ever asked yourself how people really think and feel about you and get anxious at the mere thought that they actually don't like you at all? How many times have you asked your friends about a new acquaintance and if he or she can be trusted? If that sounds like you, don't worry. You are human after all, and definitely not the only person thinking about such things on a daily basis and, therefore, it is my mission as the messenger of truth to answer these questions.

Treat life as a game. If you have ever played video games before, you have encountered statistics of your scores at every level of the game. Life is very similar to that. You are currently at the first level, the physical one, where our powers are limited to what our bodies can achieve. There are still three levels ahead of you, supernatural presence, purgatory and judgment. Each come with their own challenges to overcome with the last being the deciding level whether you win or lose.

Level 1 revolves mainly around building relationships with other humans and walking the path to self actualization. You have reached the end of level 1 and this app will show you how well you have fared. Please note that your scores in this level will have an effect on the succeeding levels. If you scored low, you will have more difficulties from thereon. You ask why you haven't received this game as a child to get better scores. The truth is that life is all about being yourself and preparation would lead to the results being less genuine.

I give you two days to review your scores and seek explanations to them as well as to prepare yourself for the next level. Whether you wish to wait or advance to level 2 immediately is at your discretion. You will no longer remember this app by that time. See you there. Good luck."

The video closed and my full name was displayed on the screen above a button reading "Score". I tap the button and the app instantly loads statistics that read "Relationships" under which were several categories like "Most Liked By" "Loved By" "Most Hated By" "Most Prolific Liar" "Talks Behind Your Back The Most" and "Secret Enemies Who Sabotaged Your Life" Below that is a self-assessment score that shows how much of these results have been my fault. Another page showed "Career" under which there were more categories, namely "Missed Opportunities" "Successes" and "Failures". Under that was another self-assessment score showing how much of the above could be attributed to me or to other people. The app listed names and occurrences that I have never shared on any social medium. It couldn't know such things. It must all be made up. Brian is my best friend, yet he hates me and talks behind my back to his buddies and dates Melissa who was supposed to be my date. And she hates me as well and only loves the free stuff that I buy for her. Lana, my unfriendly and irritable boss actually loves me? She insults me whenever she can. That's just ridiculous.

I swear by my mother's grave that I haven't downloaded such a pretentious and comically imperious...thing. This has to be a very elaborately created virus. Ha, but the guy is stupid enough to show his face. Being the tech savvy guy I am, I regularly check downloaded files and know if something uninvited is in there. After finding nothing on my phone and on Play Store as well, I turned to the internet. No such app could be found but there were lots of reports of people having received it. One of them, named Kevin McLeod, claimed that the statistics were true after talking to the people who secretly loved or hated him. He had a Facebook account and I sent him a message. Half an hour later came a reply.

"Hi James. Yes its all true. The accuracy is mind boggling. When did you get it?"

"About an hour ago. And you?"

"Yesterday at 7:45 in the morning. "

"What does it mean that I get to supernatural presence in two days?"

"Basically you die to roam the earth as a ghost."

"Hahaha"

"I know its funny. No one can predict when we die save for God or Satan himself."

"How did they get all the data then?"

"Technology is so far advanced that it's hard to understand how it works. Those people mentioned in your app may have shared something about you and their AI came to its conclusions. "

"Alright, I'll have to see how this thing works out. Thanks for chatting"

"No problem. See you"

I'm not really a believer in God or Satan. There has to be another explanation. I took a shower, ate breakfast, got into my car and drove to the office as if nothing happened. En route, I stopped by the local shopping mall to buy myself some snacks and drinks in preparation for the long working hours. When I went to the restroom I heard a familiar voice.

"James is such an idiot. He dates Melissa and thinks she loves him. Everyone but him knows that she only loves his money and that she comes to me every night to get horny. She wants a real man not some wimp who talks about shit no one gives a fuck about. He deserves it if you ask me." I decided to enter the restroom and Brian saw me. "Hey, James what's up?" Without answering his question I took a swing at him with my fist hitting his cheek with a satisfying clap. Brian stumbled backwards and other restroom users separated us to prevent a full blown fistfight. "You'll regret that, asshole!" Brian snarled and spat out a tooth and some blood.

At the office, I couldn't concentrate on work. The incident at the shopping mall still made its rounds in my head. Maybe those scores weren't made up after all. In comparison to Melissa, my boss, Lana, is an angel. The only unattractive thing about her is her demeanor. I got up from my desk and went to the door of Lana's office. I knocked softly. "Yes. Come in." I entered the office and was greeted with the usual cold stare.

"Make it quick."

"Boss, I have something to tell you. I don't mind if you'll fire me, I won't be able to change that. Ever since I have worked here, I have felt something for you and I can't hold it back now. I feel that I have to tell you because it has a negative impact on my productivity. "

The ice melted. For the first time since I have worked here, she smiled. Not a fake one but a genuinely sweet smile. She looked at me like a loyal puppy, nodded and said "Yes, I've felt it too. I'm sorry for treating you the way I did but I had to do it to keep the employees in line." "I understand. Would you like to have a coffee with me after work?" Her smile widened and she nodded. She is a thousand times prettier when she smiled. Her dark, flowing hair, gray eyes and ageless face accentuate her smile. I realized for the first time how pretty she actually was. Prettier than Melissa ever could have been.

Later that afternoon, when I was with Lana at a local cafe, I showed her LifeScore and asked her if there was a possibility that an AI could know things one keeps to himself. She has studied computer science so she must know. "It's impossible. The only way they can create a profile of you is if you voluntarily share something over a communication device, even if its in a private call, SMS or chat. This is very strange considering that I haven't told anyone that I had feelings for you". "I wouldn't have guessed either" I replied and she laughed, playfully slapping my arm.

I woke up in the middle of the night and quietly got out of bed careful not to wake Lana up. I sat on my computer and opened Facebook. Kevin McLeod was online so I sent him a message.

"Hi. It's true what you've said this morning. I'm really thankful to receive the truth."

"That's great"

"Do you believe in God or Satan?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I'm starting to believe as well. I'm not a believer but I just can't explain what has happened today. "

"Faith fills the gap between the truth and the limit of our knowledge, my friend"

"I guess so. What is your theory on this LifeScore app?"

"If we're to die in two days as promised, it is a ploy by Lucifer to get more souls. We are given those scores in order to judge the people mentioned in them, to harm them if they hate us. We are not supposed to judge others. Only God can do that. When we judge, we commit the deadly sin of pride, thus, giving Lucifer a valid reason to send us to hell. I've asked some people mentioned in the app about their feelings. They haven't shared them. This has nothing to do with technology anymore. This app is supernatural. No human can create an untraceable app, let alone discover deeply held secrets that we're supposed to take to our graves. Have you watched the news recently?"

"No."

"All people complaining about LifeScore died. They just collapsed because of an aneurysm or something if they didn't kill themselves first. I know it's my turn tomorrow."

"Don't be afraid"

"I'm not, believe me. I won't be dying. I haven't judged the people on my stats."

"Alright then. Good luck and I hope to chat again."

"Sure. No problem. Good night"

The next morning, I woke up on an empty bed. Lana left early but left a note beside me. "See you at the office. Pretend like nothing happened. I love you XOXO" Later at the office, I opened Facebook and sent a message to Kevin. "Hey what's up?" He wasn't answering despite being online. I went to the cafeteria and ordered a coffee and a bagel. The attendant turned on the television and switched to the local news. "...terrible vehicular accident at 7:45 this morning. 32 year old Kevin McLeod from Chicago, Illinois apparently fell asleep behind the wheel of his black Toyota Corolla. The vehicle unexpectedly changed lanes and frontally collided with a semi-trailer truck at high speed, killing McLeod instantly. In other news, brain tumor surgeries have reached an all time high since five years ago..." Shocked and in total disbelief I went back to my cubicle. ...claimed the statistics were true after talking to the people who secretly loved or hated him. He did judge them. So did I. I'm as condemned as he was to burn in hell.

I left work early today, drawing a concerned look from Lana who sensed that something was wrong. I told her that I needed some time to think and she secretly gave me a day off. I went to my apartment building, greeted the receptionist as always and, in absentmindedness slipped on the newly wiped stairs in the lobby. My vision spun as I tumbled down the steps before a sharp pain on the side of my head plunged everything into darkness.

My eyes fluttered open and noticed a shape in front of me. Dark, flowing hair. Lana. She was sitting on the bed. As my eyes adjusted to the surroundings and my vision became clearer, I saw the smile that I had missed for so long. Tears were in her eyes. "Welcome back" she whispered. I mustered a smile as well. "How long have I been here?" "It's been three days". Wow, I didn't die. Divine intervention I guess. She ran her hand through her hair and over the scar on the side of her head. "What happened?" "Oh that? I had a brain tumor a couple of years ago. I got lucky." I suddenly had a flashback of Brian while we played basketball. He fell and hit his head and was bleeding badly. I treated his wound. The scar on the side of his head. I have one too. They all look identical and are on the exact same spot. No, I never had a tumor. "Lana, have a CT scan performed on you. Please trust me."

"They removed the chip. He was supposed to be terminated tomorrow. Call the boss."

"Goddammit, I knew we'll be busted sooner or later. The boss should have waited until the MindVision project was perfected. All those deaths are unnecessary, we could selectively wipe memories instead of detonating micro charges."

"The network isn't stable enough to keep the app running on our servers for more than two days before the chip fails. We can't risk exposure. Call the boss."

"Sir, we have a situation. Subject no. 225, James Saunders, had an accident today. He fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a concussion. The doctors found the chip during the CT scan and removed it. "

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes."

"Send someone to take care of him and the doctor who found the chip. Retrieve the chip and bring it back. Prepare to shut the program down."

"Consider it done, sir."

"I can't believe it. How could anyone do such a thing?" Lana said in disbelief while staring at the shiny metallic pellet, not much larger than a grain of rice. "Mars Industries" was engraved in tiny letters on the side. A male nurse came in and changed the IV bag. Shortly thereafter, hospital security barged in and tackled him to the ground. "Sorry for the disturbance but he isn't who he's supposed to be." "What happened?" "He killed two people. The nurse whom this ID and uniform belonged to and Dr. Strauss, who performed surgery on both of you. I guess you were supposed to be next." I thanked him for saving our lives. He nodded and dragged a handcuffed hitman out of the room.

"I guess this is the beginning then" Lana joked. "Let's say a rebirth instead".

Mars Industries. Your days are numbered.

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