#darn i’ve left my money at home

[sukirichi]

pink hearts

You only ever wanted a job as a babysitter to make ends meet – falling in love was out of the equation – but with the magic presented right in front of you, you weren’t going to push it away.

PAIRINGS. itadori jin x reader

WC. 10.7k+

NOTES. this fic is purely self indulgent, not requested, i wrote this for me so reader is mostly...well, me. okay listen I KNOW toji is the choice dilf but PLEASE daddy jin has my heart and i’m so soft for him like you guys don’t understand. this is my comfort fic now and jin’s made his way on my comfort character list, give this amazing man a chance, he’s amazing and so kind eeeee my heart is going to burst i love him so much lol + oh this is unedited as usual

masterlist !

The pink-haired man sat across from you, setting down the tray of two coffee mugs on the coffee table before you. He was of regular build, mostly on the lanky side, and his kind eyes peered behind glasses as he smiled at you. “So you’re the babysitter Mr. Gojo recommended?”

You stared at him. Shamelessly. 

Suddenly, your initial plan of impressing your employer by wearing a tight pencil skirt and an old white blouse after the assumption that they would be prissy and had way too much money on their hands felt useless. 

This guy wore a cream sweatshirt and black slacks, clearly happy and comfortable in his own home.

Upon being the subject of your stare, he only smiled awkwardly, clasping his hands in front of himself as he cleared his throat to let you speak.

“Oh!” you suddenly sat up straight, “Yes, yes I am. I’m sorry for staring. I just think you’d be this...young.” And modest.

“I understand. You’re in university, correct?” you nodded, leaning back in his seat, hand scratching the back of his head. His cheeks tinged a slight pink. “And you’re a close friend of Satoru’s, well...It’s not that I don’t trust his judgment or anything, but it’s my first time being a parent – and I’m a single dad, at that – so I hope you don’t mind that I’d like to see how you get along with my son first before I hire you.”

“Oh yeah, no, that’s perfectly fine!”

Satisfied with your answer, Mr. Itadori stood up with a bow, silently gesturing you to follow him down his hall. “Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with, or anything you don’t know much about? Changing diapers, giving the teething products, anything?”

“I’m the eldest in the family, four more hellish sun drops following afterwards. I think I’m good.”

He nodded at your answer, a small smile on his face. “That’s good to know. My last babysitter was the same age as you, but he didn’t know much about handling babies. I mean, neither do I, but a man’s got to learn, you know?” he laughed at himself, unaware that with each passing second, pink heart eyes gazed up at him admirably.

When you both reached a door that was left slighty open, Mr. Itadori lit up, bending down in front of a crib where his baby laid, small hands clutching at his feet. “Yuuji, baby, Daddy’s here. Are you ready to meet your babysitter?”

Your jaw dropped when he finally picked his baby up, the little boy clad in a tiger onesie and sucking on a toy. “Oh my gosh, you’re so adorable, come here!” you were more than glad when his dad laughed and gently passed the baby to you, who only gurgled in laughter when you cooed at him. “Oh, I want to spoil you and give you kisses, how are you this cute?” Well, it made sense he was cute, since his dad was as well. Yuuji made grabby hands at you, to which you happily obliged, leaning down so his tiny fingers could pinck your cheeks.

Unable to help it, you rubbed your cheeks on his touch, making the little boy clap his feet together, eyes bright with all the happiness and innocence in this world. You honestly wanted to cry right then and there.

“Your hands are soooo tiny, my goodness, I love you already! It’s so nice to meet you, Yuuji, you’re such an angel!”

“You like kids, huh?”

“Well, not so much with kids because toddlers have too much energy, but babies,” you gasped once you heard Mr. Itadori’s muffled laughter, greeted by the sight of him hiding his mouth behind his palm. Instantly, you smiled at him nervously, clutching the baby closer to yourself because he was so darn cute.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry if I’m being weird right now, I can’t help it! Your son is so precious!”

“Thank you. He’s the greatest blessing of my life too,” he beamed, turning to his baby with that soft look in his eyes that parents wore so well. “Well, it seems Yuuji really likes you. He’s friendly to everyone but...I’m surprised he’s warmed up to you this fast,” Mr. Itadori bent over to poke his cheek, the baby’s tiny hand wrapping around his dad’s finger. “Yuuji~ don’t forget I’m still your dad, okay? She’s the babysitter – she’s not your mom so don’t be too clingy, alright?”

You stiffened at his words, your eyes flickering back and forth between the baby and him. They had the same eye and hair colour, along with that aura of kindness surrounding them...it was hard to imagine what the mother would be like. Was she as bright and adorable too?

If yes, then this was an entire family of pink hearted strawberries!

“If...if it’s not too much to ask, may I ask where his mom is?”

Much to your surprise, his eyes grew forlorn, though the smile remained on his face. “His mom...is in a much happier place now,” was all he said – and it was enough – that you couldn’t dare ask more.

Mr. Itadori walked out of Yuuji’s room and into the kitchen afterwards, eyes squinting over the neat handwriting on a sticky note on his refrigerator. “Okay, so, I don’t know if Satoru’s told you, but I’m an engineer. I usually just work from home, especially now that I’ve got a baby, but there are still days where I have to go the office for presentations and meetings. I can’t guarantee that the babysitting schedule will be permanent – is it alright if I call you whenever?”

“Yeah, yeah, I mean, other than university, I don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

“That’s good to hear! But wouldn’t this job get in the way of your studies?”

You shook your head, subconsciously pressing closer to the baby instead because he was just so warm and wouldn’t stop tugging at your collar. A part of you was also eager to get this job not only for the baby, but Mr. Itadori intrigued you as well. You knew it was wrong but you had to be honest with yourself, hiding this truth for him instead through a shaky smile.

“No, definitely not! I can just take my studies here – if you won’t mind, of course – and I promise I won’t litter or make a mess or anything. During babysitting hours, Yuuji will be more of a priority than my homework, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Mr. Itadori hummed to himself, rubbing at his chin. “If that’s the case, then I suppose you’re free to use the study at the end of the hall. There’s a baby camera there that lets you see Yuuji in every room, but if he’s asleep, feel free to use it.”

“Oh wow,” you blinked back in surprise, gently rocking a gurgling Yuuji back and forth. “You didn’t have to do that so uhm, thank you, really, I promise I’ll take care of your son very well!”

“I can see why Satoru recommended you now,” he shook his head with a smile, moving over to the litter of dinosaur stickers onto another list. “Here is a list of the things Yuuji likes and doesn’t like. He’s mostly active in the afternoons when I’ll most likely get called for work, and he’s a mess by then. He really likes playing and cuddles, and he’ll also demand to be carried most of the time otherwise he’ll cry,” he paused as his eyes slid over to you, lips pursed in thought. “I know you’ll do great but...don’t spoil my son too much, okay? I just don’t want him to uh...think that you’re his parent or something. Yuuji gets easily attached like that. If he calls you ‘mama’...please tell me about it, okay?”

“Yes, of course. I know my place, don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” he raised in hands in surrender as he saw your eyes widen with fear. “Being a single parent is just hard, you know? I can’t help but always feel that maybe I won’t be enough for him, and as much as I can, I’d like to let my son he can rely on me at all times.”

“I think you’re a very great father,” you admitted rather shyly, “Your son is really lucky to have you as his parent. I can tell he’s going to be such a sweetheart.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” he placed a hand over his heart, then pulled out a business card from the back of his pocket. “Now, here’s my number and my work schedules. You don’t have to drop by during weekends since I’m always here, but I might need you every Wednesdays to Fridays. Can I have your class schedule as well? That way I know when’s the right time to text you if I need something,” Reaching into your bag that had a copy of your schedule, you handed it to him, the strawberry-haired man’s lips growing into a smile as he read over the content. “Well, what do you know? You study engineering too? Computer engineering?”

You winced, memories you’d rather not think of again resurfacing. “Please don’t call me a nerd. I’ve heard that enough already.”

“What’s wrong about being a nerd? I’ve always been a nerd too and I think I’m fine,” you swapped numbers after that, not even giving you enough time to recover from his comment. Not that being a nerd was a huge deal, but people always said it weirdly that you dreaded hat word. Hearing it from him though...it felt like a compliment. “Guess that settles it then. I’ll see you soon?”

Heart elated and spirits soaring into the sky that you actually got the job and the employer was a kind man, you nodded with a bright smile on your face. “Yeah, I’ll come by next week! Thank you so much for trusting me!”

“No, thank you for your service,” he responded back shyly, waving to you as you walked out the door. Not a few moments later, Mr. Itadori ran after you, his cheeks flushed pink from the shrot run. “Wait! Can I have my son back?”

Looking down at the baby in your arms who was too busy sucking on his thumb, your cheeks heated, extending your arms as gentle as you could while Mr. Itadori got his son back. He only laughed at your state, waving it off with a shake of his head. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! It just feels so natural to hold him!”

“You’ll be a good mother someday,” he commented almost absentmindedly. Meanwhile, you couldn’t stop bowing and apologizing with each step backwards, too distracted to notice that your heels dug into a small crack. You yelped as you felt the floor slip beneath you, Mr. Itadori’s instincts kicking in when he easily grabbed your wrist to pull you towards him, your foreheads almost knocking one another’s. “Whoa – watch your step. You could’ve fallen seriously there.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Itadori! I’ll try to be more graceful next time,” you bowed repeatedly, still so ashamed as you tugged your skirt down. “Why the hell did I wear heels anyway? It’s not like this is a law firm.”

“Please,” he smiled at you – and you swore in that moment that things were just going to be different – eyes closed and his whole face lit with light heartedness. “Call me Jin,” taking his son’s hands up, he waved the little arm as you walked out the door, still in a light trance of disbelief. “Say bye-bye, Yuuji!”

Even as you made it back to your bus stop, you still couldn’t get your mind off of the strawberry-haired father and son duo. Their home was just so...bright, you immediately felt safe and comfortable.

As your heart fluttered at the memory of Jin smiling at you, you placed a palm over your heart, willing it to calm down. That couldn’t be good, right?

“Earth to Y/N!”

You snapped back to life when your friend slapped you on the arm, smiling at her when she only huffed at your dazed out self again. It wasn’t irregular for you to space out like this, and you were more than thankful she was always there to bring you back to reality before you accidentally crossed a street when the lights were green or something.

“Sorry, what?”

“Do you know how many times we had to drag you away because you keep running into poles?” she rolled her eyes, “Sheesh, how would you survive without us? What are you spacing out for anyway?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about work and all.”

“Speaking of that, how’d the interview go? Was your employer as strict and condescending as the Zenins? The hell happened to those bastards anyway?” “I bet their child is going to grow up sexist or something.”

At the mention of Jin and his baby, your whole self lit up. “My employer is better this time around. He’s only a few years older than us; like five or seven, I think? He’s really nice too and dude, his baby is so. Freaking. Adorable,” you gushed, mimicking the gesture of rocking a baby around with your arms, eyes filled with heart-shaped characters. “Like a freaking strawberry in my arms! He’s so sweet too!”

“You and your attachment to babies,” she scrunched her nose in disgust – always having had an aversion to anyone younger than her. “I’ll never get it.”

“Babies are the best!”

“Yeah, until they drool and throw up on you,” as if the image procured in her mind, your friend shuddered, rubbing her hands up and down her arm to relieve her goosebumps. “I never want to be a mom.”

“You’ll change your mind once you fall in love with someone who’s amazing enough to make you want to have a family on your own.”

“You talk about that as if you’ve met that someone already!”

“Maybe I have,” you giggled stupidly to yourself. Of course you weren’t thinking about Jin – you just knew deep in your heart you always wanted your own family. Growing up from a large family and getting separated from them, it was uncomfortable to not be surrounded by crying and squealing, which was always accompanied with laughter and kisses at the end of the day. Now who wouldn’t want that? You waved your hand to your friend, trying to hide the apparent gushing behind your voice. “I’m just kidding. I just really love babies.”

“Whatever,” she closed the topic, and you didn’t protest, knowing full well your friend cringed at the mention of babies or children. “So are you coming to our study group tonight?”

“Can’t. Got work,” you shrugged, a light skip in your steps as you both walked to the campus. Thankfully, she mistook your enthusiasm with the excitement of getting to hang out with babies again, which was true, but something about meeting Jin again and possibly getting to know more about the sweet father was a huge cherry on top – one your friend didn’t have to know about.

“Shame. I heard that hot guy from Biology was coming too.”

“Fushiguro Toji? Wasn’t he scouted for the military?”

“Honestly, I’m more surprised he’s not a gangster,” she snorted, “But whatever. Text me when you get home safely, okay? If you don’t text within—”

“Yeah, I know, I know. Text you when I get on the bus stop, text you when I arrive at work, when I leave and when I’ve gotten home otherwise you’re calling the cops to report me missing or abused,” you stood up straight for a mock salute, brows furrowed in faux seriousness. “I know, ma’am. That’s drilled in my head already.”

“I’m serious. The world is a dangerous place!”

“Yes, I’ll text you!”

Wednesdays couldn’t come sooner. But when it did, you were far too excited. You’d never tell anyone you took the extra time to fix your hair and spritz on just a tinge of perfume, not wanting to overwhelm the baby.

You shot up from your seat right after class ended, hair flying in the wind as you bolted to the bus stop. Wiping away the sweat on your forehead and fixing your clothes with a pat of your hand, you took a deep breath, chanting inner mantras that today would be a good at work. You’d be contributing to society by caring for a child that would soon be the light of the future, and you were more than honoured. Clearing your throat, you pressed on the bell, humming to yourself as you heard the light patters of footsteps inside.

“Hey, you’re here!” Jin smiled at you, one you reciprocated wholeheartedly, and he opened the door wider while you took off your shoes.

He was still dressed in his sweatpants and a white shirt, looking utterly domestic and different from your previous employers that would glare at you if you touched their kid without sanitizing your hand twice first. Jin was like a breath of fresh air to you – one you breathed in with glee while you followed him inside.

His house was kept neat and clean, surprising you even more at just how immaculate to detail he could be despite his busy schedule. Was it because he was an adult or a parent now that people his age were just more organized and put together?

Whatever it was, you trailed around Jin like a puppy, eager to learn from his ways.

“I told myself I’d only ask you to come around if I’m away for work but I’m working on a huge project and my client is very demanding. He’s asking me to pass it this week already and he just sent me his plans last night.”

“It’s okay...Jin,” you stuttered over calling him by his first name like that, “You can focus on your work. I’ll take care of everything else.”

“Thank you! Yuuji’s in his room, by the way. He’s just had dinner so he’s still energetic – you can pull up the cartoons and lounge in the living room. He’ll be fine,” he opened his mouth to say something else when his gaze darted to your book bag, eyes widening. “Oh wait, you brought your schoolwork—”

“I’m good! I’ve already finished them during my spare time! I promise you really don’t have anything to worry about!”

“Oh, that’s cool, I guess,” he calmed down at your words, scratching the back of his ear before gesturing to his door. “Well, I’ll be in my room if you need me. I get really occupied and focused though, so just open the door if I don’t open it right away.”

“Noted,” You wasted no time in picking up Yuuji from his crib afterwards. It seemed the little man didn’t quite like being imprisoned like that because he was babbling nonsensically, fists banging on the edges.

Upon seeing you enter his room, Yuuji’s babbles got louder, small chubby arms reaching out to your extended ones. His pacifier fell inside his crib as he pouted at you, and how could you resist? Soon, you were happily nestled onto the couch on the living room, his favourite cartoons playing on the background.

His head swayed side to side as the songs came along, while you watched him with tiny giggles. You wondered if maybe your first day at work would be eventless like this.

You really thought you’d run back and forth doing errands and changing diapers, but that was your old babysitting experience – things were obviously different with Jin and his son.

Yuuji was quiet, but Jin was right, he was clingy. Not an hour later into the show, he crawled to your sides and settled into your lap, tiny hands grabbing at your shirt. He sighed as his cheeks rested on your chest, though his eyes still glossed over the cartoon. You felt like your heart would burst at his affection, and you patted his back gently to lull him to sleep.

Eventually, Yuuji fell asleep. You hadn’t even noticed it was dark out already, the cartoons only playing through loop.

You scooped up Yuuji closer to your arms before shutting the TV off, making sure to be as quiet as you could be while you placed him back on his crib. Smiling at the angel, you patted his hair before leaving the room, knocking on Jin’s door at the end of the hallway instead.

When he didn’t respond after four knocks, you thought he’d fallen asleep until you remembered his note.

Shakily, you twisted the knob open, a small smile on your face when you saw him furiously sketching something on his paper. An empty cup of coffee laid beside his table, eraser shavings everywhere. His room smelled like soft laundry detergent with the faint aroma of white caramel coffee – smooth and sweet like him – and it felt almost wrong to be in such a space that was clearly so intimate of him.

Not wanting to disturb too much, you cleared you peered from behind the door sheepishly. “...Jin? Oh. Hello.”

“Hey,” he blinked at you then rubbed his eyes, staring at you for a solid minute before his mouth formed into an ‘o’ shape. “Is everything okay? Yuuji didn’t destroy something, did he?”

“No, he’s fast asleep. I just came here to say I’ll be going home now. It’s past midnight already.”

“It’s that late?” Jin glanced at his wristwatch and adjusted his glasses, fingers swiping up to retrieve his keys as he wore his coat. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you stay this late, and you have school tomorrow too,” he groaned tiredly, though the apologetic smile on his face easily concealed his exhaustion. “I’m really sorry I lost track of time. Come, I’ll drive you home, it’s not safe this dark out.”

“But Jin,” you froze in his hallway, “What about Yuuji?”

“Do you live far from here?”

“No, the dorms are like five minutes away,” Jin pondered about this information, possibly hesitating that maybe it wasn’t his best to leave his son alone. You appreciated the thought, you really did, but you were worried for Yuuji too so you smiled at him, nodding to assure that he didn’t have to. “Jin, it’s okay, I can just take the bus. I’ve been doing that for a long time now and I’m really okay.”

Jin clutched at his keys, the frown on his face evident. “At least let me walk you to the bus stop? So I know you’re safe?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, I guess.”

“Let me just get extra covers for Yuuji. It might be cold tonight,” You waited until he came out with Yuuji warmly bundled up in his arms. The two of you walked side by side, baby Yuuji fast asleep in his arms with his head covered in a small cap. You blushed at the thought that maybe people would think you looked like a family, but before these foolish imaginations could consume you, Jin beat you to it. “I haven’t thanked you properly for today, by the way. Let me make it up to you sometime – you look really tired.”

You flushed deep at his words, shaking your hands in front of you. “Oh no, it’s fine, really! I’m just doing my job.”

“Yes, but caring for someone else’s child – whether you’re paid or not – is still a very selfless act and I can’t thank you enough for it.”

You looked away from how warm his smile was despite the biting chill of the night, turning away to bury your chin in your neck instead. “You really don’t have to do anything. I’m just happy to help.”

“If you insist then,” Jin waved at you as much as he could without waking his son up as you hopped onto the bus, with you watching from the inside. “Get home safely! Text me when you’re home!”

“I will,” you mouthed through the window.

Jin and Yuuji disappeared from your sight after that. All the way back home, the warmth and butterflies swarming your stomach wouldn’t disappear. Even as you flopped on your bed, you still kept tossing and turning, the bright light of your screen glaring at you to just send the darned text already.

Hey...or maybe hello? He’s older though... How do older people even text each other? He wasn’t that much older, but still...it kind of felt inappropriate to address him too casually.

Deciding to just screw it, you pressed backspace and settled for the most boring text, hitting send and flattening on the bed with a groan. Who knew texting someone could be that mind-boggling? Sweat beaded at your forehead as you stared at the plain I’m home, sleep about to take over when your phone buzzed afterwards.

I’m glad to know you’re safe. Sleep well, Y/N.

Looking over at your slumbering roommate, you grabbed a pillow to bite it and muffle your screams, legs flailing beneath you as you read his text over and over again. It wasn’t even that special, but Jin had wished you well – the hardworking and sweet Jin – sending your heart into overdrive.

Your roommate didn’t stir one bit even as you giggled to yourself, punching the bed while you replayed the image of his smile, the feeling of how warm he was walking close to you like that and the sound of his soothing voice that just messed with you on the insides.

God, you had it bad – and yet, why did it feel so good?

Babysitting had never been more fun. Even though the task was no longer new for you, you looked forward to working every single day. Your friends noticed your change in moods, but just downed it to the fact you were generally a cheerful person anyway and didn’t bother asking why, which you were thankful for because it wasn’t easy to admit it out loud you liked Itadori Jin, of all people.

Now that you looked back onto it, he wasn’t that special.

He was definitely the type of guy you easily overlooked in a train, but he would also be the type of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to give up his seat for someone else. It wasn’t like he was utterly interesting too since like you, his life was a bland routine of taking care of babies, working, holing up in his room to create something, drinking coffee as sweet and light as possible, then calling it a day and sleeping with a huge smile on their face, just thankful for another day.

Yes, he was simple. Yes, he might even be boring, but gosh, you had never liked someone so much.

You summed it down to him being kind and loving. Yes, that was all it was. While your friends flocked over to mysterious, dark guys like Fushiguro Toji and his friends, gossiping non-stop on how he supposedly had a hotter younger relative but were a lot shittier than he was, you were different. You were simple.

You liked soft, quiet guys who enjoyed the soft pit-patters of rain, the types of people who spent too much time in the library travelling across galaxies in their seat, and overall, you liked peaceful souls.

Jin was everything you ever admired – stable, simple, kind, affectionate. It was clear from how he was never shy to shower his baby with kisses and feed him with airplane spoons, using a small voice to baby talk his son. Every time you came around, you immediately felt welcomed into their happy home despite the lack of a maternal figure, and you found yourself wanting to be there a lot more often than you should.

It seemed that the heaven heard your prayers when your phone rang. Instinct kicked in, and you grabbed at your blaring phone, eyes wide when you read the contact name.

“Hello? Jin, what’s wrong?” Yuuji was crying in the background, accompanied with his father’s constant shushing and worried cooing.

“H-hi, I’m really sorry to bother you, I know it’s late, it’s just Yuuji won’t stop crying and my neighbours are mad at me because I can’t get him to calm down,” as if on cue, Yuuji only wailed louder. You could hear Jin’s desperate pleas for him to quiet down a little, with you dashing out of your bed and slinging your arms inside your coat. “Could you please come over? I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m on my way,” was all you said before hanging up. Minutes later, you’d entered their apartment thanks to the spare key Jin gave you, heart breaking as Yuuji’s wailings only got louder.

Jin’s shoulders visibly relaxed when you scooped his son into your arms, rocking back and forth as you pressed a palm flat on his forehead. He didn’t seem to be feverish or even warmer than usual, but he was definitely irritated, pushing away at your hands that laid on him.

“Yuuji, baby! What’s wrong, sweetheart? Something hurt anywhere?” you turned to Jin, “Is his diaper full?”

“I just checked, he didn’t poop,” Jin nibbled at his thumbnails, a quirk you didn’t expect he’d have with his seemingly put-together composed self. His son’s crying must’ve really bothered him because Jin wouldn’t stop pacing back and forth, Yuuji’s newly cleaned pacifier clenched between his fingers. “I gave him the teething rings too but he just dumped them to the side.”

Nodding, you tried poking at Yuuji’s stomach. The baby belly that should’ve been squishy was firm against your finger, the imaginary light bulb in your head going off.

“His stomach is a little tight. I think he’s got gas,” you informed Jin with a relieved smile, glad that it wasn’t as serious as you thought it would be. “We need to make him burp,” Patting at Yuuji’s back while Jin gently massaged Yuuji’s belly, prompting the boy to wail louder with his tiny arms banging both your chest, a big burp was finally released.

“Oh my gosh, he’s still crying.”

“It’s okay, Jin, he’ll be fine,” you reassured, smiling wide at baby Yuuji even though he couldn’t focus on you. “That’s right, sweetheart, you’re doing great. Just burp a little more and it won’t hurt so bad. It’s just gas, sweetie, you’re alright. I’ve got you.”

“B-but the neighbours...”

“Don’t mind them,” You didn’t mean for your words to come out harsh, but who could blame you? Yuuji was clearly in distress; the last thing you cared about was pleasing others. “They can plug in earbuds for all I care. Yuuji needs help,” at your words, Jin swallowed, resuming his ministrations of encouraging his son to burp.

Yuuji stilled for a moment before he resumed his crying. This time around, Jin was a lot calmer and focused as his hands rubbed at his son’s stomach. The burps came constant afterwards until Yuuji had enough, turning away from his father and burying his head on your chest. Small hiccups followed, but he’d calmed down, eyes shut tight from the previous discomfort.

“Are you feeling better now, baby? Tummy ache is gone?”

“He’s...not crying anymore...” Jin murmured in disbelief, his hands hovering above Yuuji’s belly.

“He’s still really red, though,” you frowned, hands brushing his bangs away from his forehead. It didn’t take long before Yuuji settled in, thumbs sucked into his mouth. Little whimpers could still be heard from the little guy, though nothing serious happened. You and Jin both sighed in relief. “I think he’s tired from crying. I’m going to go rock him for a bit,” Eyes flitting over to Jin’s face rigged with dark circles, you mustered a chuckle. “How about you, are you okay? You look half-dead,” you joked.

“He was in the crib next to me when he just started wailing out of nowhere,” Jin plopped down onto the sofa, his sweatshirt crinkled and sweatpants loose and comfortable as ever. “I was so scared that maybe something else was wrong.”

“Parenting is both a blessing and a hardship, huh?” you chided in, “Don’t worry. I still think you’re doing an amazing job at being a dad.”

“You’re quite amazing too. You’re a natural at this.”

You shrugged, unable to look Jin in the eye as you continued gently swaying side to side while Yuuji slept in your arms. “My parents were rarely around. They were too busy working to provide for all of us so I acted as the parental figure instead.”

“Your parents are really lucky to have you as a child – reliable and strong.”

“All I ever wanted was to make them proud,” you told him, looking far from the distance as you reminisced your old memories with your family. It felt so far away already – they felt far away – though you knew the love you had for one another still remained. “And I live a good life knowing they passed with no worries. My siblings are doing great, too, though we’ve all parted ways now. Some of them got adopted by our relatives and I’m...I’m here I guess.”

“I’m extremely sorry for your loss,” Jin’s voice was quiet, and when you looked back at him, you saw him smiling into his hands before turning to you, wearing that damned smile that always had your heart doing backflips. “You’re a really strong person, you know?”

Your cheeks flushed at his words. “Thank you. I think it’s all thanks to my parents,” you murmured; that slight pang of pain remained even after their death, though it wasn’t as awful as it used to be. The sting felt a lot calmer now, almost as if time slowly healed your heart back together. “After they passed from the car crash, I just knew I had to be strong for all of us. The pain and the hardship were worth the effort, though. All of us are happy and settled now.”

“That’s the one thing I’m most afraid of,” he confessed, frowning at the peaceful baby in your arms. “That I’ll have to leave my child before he’s ready to face the world by himself. I’m not...I could never be prepared for that.”

“As long as he knows you love him and you always will, I think Yuuji will always find his way in life,” Jin’s eyes widened, something unreadable glimmering behind those pretty eyes that had you feeling too many things all at once. Embarrassment and sudden shyness creeped all the way up to your spine along with exhaustion, and you gestured for him to move aside, heaving as you sat down next to him. “I’m really sleepy.”

“Please, let me hold – oh. He likes you more, I guess.”

You chuckled at his dejected face, the childish pout the exact replication of Yuuji’s. Yuuji refused to be held by his dad, burrowing himself into your warmth instead. “I’ve got a charm when it comes to children.”

“That you do,” he agreed absentmindedly.

Before any of you could realize what was going on, you’d fallen asleep on the couch. Yuuji was still safely nestled between your arms, while Jin’s head was tucked in your shoulder, soft breaths leaving those equally soft lips.

Oddly enough, when you woke up and noticed your current position, none of you found it weird. Jin only laughed at the way drool dried up at the end of your lips, to which you silently scolded him for as to not rouse Yuuji from his sleep. He didn’t move away from his position, eyes flicking over from yours to his son bundled up warmly, a smile tugging up at the ends of his lips.

“Uh... that was a long night.”

“Long night, indeed,” Jin nodded before standing up to stretch, exposing a sliver of smooth skin that made heat rush up to your face. You immediately looked away, heart pounding in your chest as Jin began to rummage through his kitchen. “It’s a Saturday so if you’re free...do you want to stay over for breakfast?”

Something about that night kicked off the start of your...budding friendship with Jin. Yes, that’s exactly what it was, just friendship.

You knew there was no way he could ever see you the way you looked at him; not that you minded. Being in their presence and having Yuuji around was already a blessing itself, the days progressively getting better the more you worked for him.

It had become a routine that Jin would come home, exhaustion lining his eyes before he caught sight of you standing in the living room, reading books out loud while you carried a babbling Yuuji. You would laugh because it felt like Yuuji was trying to have conversation with you, to which you responded with reading terms even you had difficulty pronouncing. He’d only nod and keep saying nonsense, grubby hands reaching for the book you held.

He was so precious that you leaned down to kiss the top of his head every now and then, giggles pouring out from the tiny baby strawberry.

Jin took off his shoes, the happiness bursting through his chest unexplainable upon seeing that his son was happy and safe. Loosening the tie with one hand, he extended his arms wide open, running into your direction. “I’m home!”

“Yuuji, Daddy’s here!”

“How’s my sweet little boy doing?” The smile on Jin’s face was phenomenal and even dramatic as his son finally reached out to him, the babbles only getting louder as his dad peppered his cheeks with kisses. Yuuji still wanted to stay in your arms though, and Jin sighed when his son’s hands went back to grabbing at your book, though the chuckles he let out told you he wasn’t really dismayed about it. “Thank you for looking out for him again. Isn���t your arm tired from carrying him and studying like that?”

“No, I’m good. I’ve got really strong muscles,” you flexed your bicep, “Plus, it’s so comforting to carry an angel like Yuuji around. I feel like I’m going to pass my exams with ease!”

Not a moment later, you dropped your arm and turned away to hide your frown, brows pinched together. Jin, being the ever observant person he was, placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, his voice gentle and warm as he asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Well,” you began, “I couldn’t understand something and I’ve been going at it for days. Nothing makes sense to me,” with the effort of only one free hand, you flipped to the middle of the book. A headache began to form the moment you read the chapter title, making you cringe while Jin leaned closer for a better look at its contents. “Look at this chapter here. It’s so confusing!”

“Oh, I know this!” he pushed his glasses back up to his nose, grinning as he pulled out a chair before gesturing you to do so. “Okay, so this means...” 

Not even in your craziest dreams had you imagined you’d be sitting at Jin’s table like this, your legs touching from the lack of space as he rambled on excitedly about the lesson.

He would have animated gestures to explain the dynamics of this and that, both you and Yuuji staring at him in awe as he broke the chapter down into easier parts. It was still difficult to understand since your attention was mostly on the way his eyes brightened the more he talked about his passion for the subject, not to mention that Yuuji was also grabbing at both your faces.

It made you both laugh, the two of you simultaneously bending down to kiss either sides of his cheeks until Yuuji was squished between the both of you.

You laughed with Jin the moment you made awkward eye contact through the kiss, chests bursting with laughter before he proceeded back to the lesson. With each passing second, you were beginning to fall for him a lot more and on a deeper level – so much so that you told yourself you should be scared. Instead, your heart felt at home, calm and peaceful, almost as if it knew you were safe and welcomed.

This sudden revelation had you looking at him in an entirely different light. Jin looked...the same, but somehow warmer? Like he was bathed in a soft glow, the edges pink like his hair, and your hair melted at each and every word that poured from his lips.

When you excused yourself to go to the restroom, you were greeted by the sight of a nearly passed out Jin on the couch, baby Yuuji asleep on his arms.

Jin must be really tired from work. He hadn’t even changed out of clothes. It was getting late too – you needed to come back home soon.

“Jin. Jin, wake up.”

“Huh?” his eyes snapped open, arms instinctively tightening around Yuuji’s before he relaxed, smiling stupidly as he leaned back on his seat. “Oh, it’s you. Hi.”

“Hi,” you echoed, nails digging into your palm to resist the urge to wrap him in a hug; he looked like he needed it. Hands held out in front of you, you took Yuuji from him, slightly nudging his knee with yours. “I’ll take Yuuji to bed. You should go freshen up,” Jin groaned in agreement as he ran his hands through his hair, muttering something about being a parent meant not getting to sleep well. You chuckled at his statement, already moving to get the cups out from the pantry. “Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?”

“Yeah, that’ll be great, thank you.”

Jin disappeared into his room while you tucked Yuuji into bed, the both of you meeting later in the kitchen. He still looked terribly tired, though his smile was lively as ever when he joined you at the table. “Long day again?”

“It’s always a long day,” he confessed through a sip, “But all my worries wash away when I get to see how happy and healthy my son is. I’d work day and night just to provide a good life for him.”

“Don’t forget to spend time with him too, okay? Using the present to ensure your son’s future in exchange of not watching them grow up isn’t worth it,” you reminded him, slightly referring to how much you regretted not getting to be with your parents much until you completely lost the opportunity to do so again. Jin easily read your eyes, fingers grazing the edges of his cup as you continued, “He’s growing day by day. Promise me you’ll always be there for him, okay?”

“I promise,” though whispered, you heard it loud and clear, and you knew without a doubt he’d keep to his words.

After Jin washed his cup, you gathered your things and allowed him to walk you all the way to his apartment’s entrance, waving softly at you. “Get home safely, Y/N. Text me when you’re home.”

It was the perfect routine: go to school, go to work, fall in love with Jin and his son a lot more than you should be, and go home with his kind smile as the last thing you saw.

Each night before sleep completely overtook you, your phone would vibrate, the name of the man who had completely smitten your heart appearing and washing away all the previous tiredness you both accumulated through the day.

Good night, Jin. Rest well.

You too.

It was a routine you’d never get tired of.

“Jin? Yuuji?” you gasped as Yuuji greeted you with bubbling laughter, his small arms slapping your cheeks while his dad giggled behind him. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Happy Birthday!” Jin greeted and finally showed his face after hiding from Yuuji’s buttocks. Your heart absolutely soared at the sight of the father and son duo wearing matching pink clothes, both of their bright smiles only adding to the warmth of the special day. No, actually, it became special because of them – the two people you adored most in this world. “Satoru texted me it was your birthday and it’s my day off too so I thought I’d drop by!”

Before you could respond, Jin huddled Yuuji closer to him, blinking at the audience you both managed to gather.  “I forgot you lived at a dorm, though...is it normal that people are looking us?”

“No, it’s not. They probably think I’m a young mom or something,” you flushed beet red at his words, silently glaring at the nosy onlookers whispering behind their backs. It wasn’t that you were ashamed people could assume that about you, it was just ironic since you actually wanted that to be real but it was embarrassing because you knew Jin wouldn’t see you that way. “Can you give me a few minutes to get ready? We should go somewhere else.”

“Okay, we’ll wait for you downstairs.”

You’ve never moved so fast in your life. Brushing your teeth, showering, and getting dressed in your best clothing were all achieved in the span of ten minutes. You felt proud of yourself as you hopped the stairs two steps down at a time, hair flying from behind you. It was clear you were too excited, but could anyone blame you? You never cared about your birthday, but Jin and Yuuji were here! Of course this was going to be a special day.

You froze at the end of the stairs, the drumming of your heart too wild to tame. Jin was blowing kisses into Yuuji’s belly, the baby’s gleeful laughter painting the walls.

He must’ve felt your stare burning holes at the back of his head because Jin turned your way, Yuuji pressed into his chest as he walked towards you. You were once again blown away by his sweet scent, a mix of gentle laundry detergent and something was just so Jin.

“Hey there,” he smiled, knocking the wind out of your lungs with just two words. “I didn’t have anything cool planned for today since I wasn’t prepared but I know this nice restaurant you might really like. It’s going to be my treat!”

“Oh thanks, but my friends already fed me enough with pizza and cake. Is it okay if we just take a walk around somewhere?”

“Yeah, of course!” Grabbing his arm to pull him away from prying eyes, you walked out of the campus, extending your arms to celebrate your freedom once the warm sunshine kissed at your skin, the cool wind soothing you afterwards. Jin laughed at your carefree expression, watching as you twirled and danced a little at the peace provided to you by the park. “Happy Birthday again! So how’s it feel like being a year older?”

“I feel like nothing’s changed, but at the same time nothing is the same too,” you told him through a laugh, “Does that make sense?”

“Totally. When I first got Yuuji, I didn’t think anything changed too, but now I can’t imagine a life without this little guy.”

Your adrenaline rush had worn down.

Walking side by side with Jin, arms brushing from the lack of proximity even though the area was practically empty, it dawned on you that Jin had lived an entire life before you, and you couldn’t stop yourself from asking: “Do you...do you still think about her sometimes? His mom?”

Jin was silent for a moment. The sudden stretch of nothingness had anxiety crawling at you hard enough you were about to apologize for asking such a sensitive question, but Jin only smiled at you, although his smile was...sad, regretful, even.

“His mom and I didn’t work out,” he began. “I always knew she had some family issues when we began dating in college, but I didn’t think too much of it. Back then, all I knew was that I loved her and wanted to spend my life with her, so we eloped. Her parents didn’t like it, of course, and they demanded we brought her back,”

“She was pregnant at that time so I refused to let her see her family again knowing how toxic they were to her. But they insisted, and...and she wasn’t the same after that. She just started looking at me differently and hating the growing child inside of her,” Jin kissed the top of Yuuji’s head as he spoke, almost as if silently reminding his son he was loved no matter what.

“When Yuuji was born, she couldn’t even look at him; said she refused to be a mother and to cut ties with me. So we divorced and...well, I don’t know, to be honest. Last time I heard, she’d already remarried in such a short time – to a man her family approved of this time around.”

“Do you still love her?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted with a chuckle, eyebrows furrowed while Yuuji clutched at the collar of his turtleneck sweater, his doe eyes staring right up at you. “Do we ever really stop loving someone?”

Your heart fell at his words. So maybe he still did love her. You always knew you might never get a chance – but surely wishing for it wasn’t such a crime. “Does that mean you won’t fall in love with anyone else anymore?”

“Who would like a nerdy single dad like me?” Jin threw his head back in laughter, the disbelief apparent in his voice. It shocked you that he thought of himself this way, because in your eyes, he was perfect. “Plus, I’m too busy to date. Other than you, I don’t really hang out with women all that much, and you’ve seen in my worst state – like that one time I nearly went to work wearing the wrong tie or with my glasses skewed. I don’t think I’m the type people would want to date.”

“Well, who knows?”

“Yeah, who knows?” he mimicked your shrug, still painfully oblivious that you wore your heart on your sleeve.

Once the sun had completely shied away from the clouds and the heat grew too much for Yuuji, you both resorted to going back to his apartment. Yuuji was happily playing on the ground as he smashed his toys together, while you and Jin wore matching aprons (you didn’t ask why he had two) as you mixed the batter and he preheated the oven.

“I’m still sorry I couldn’t get to buy you a cake, by the way. But we have all the ingredients here and a homemade cake is always amazing!” Instead of smiling at his words, Jin was met with your glossy eyes, lips trembling. You’d completely stopped mixing the batter, no longer in control of yourself as you watched him happily skip back and forth to the ingredients.

Jin rushed to your side in a flash, hands hovering before you. He couldn’t really touch you since he had flour all over his skin, a smidge of it right under his worried gaze. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. It’s just...I’ve never really experienced this before. Having someone invite me to their home and bake me a cake for my birthday,” you looked down on the ground, feeling the emotional dam inside you starting to crack. “When I was young, I never even cared about my birthday because I was too busy tending after my siblings. After that, I forgot all about it and I was only surprised when my friends brought me gifts today,” You knew you were rambling, and you waved your hands in front of yourself, forcing yourself to smile. “I’m sorry – I’m being dramatic, aren’t I?”

“Hey, no, you’re not,” Suddenly, Jin pulled you into a hug, your body fitting perfectly in his arms. “I want you to know you’re family to us now. You’re always welcome here with me and Yuuji. We’ll take care of each other like family. We’ll bake you all the cakes you want from now on.”

The rest of his words were drowned out by the thumping of your chest.

You couldn’t hear him, couldn’t even properly see him – in that moment, all you could do was feel. You felt his warm breath ghosting over the column of your neck, his calloused hands patting gently at your back, the heat of his body seeping into yours that pulling away seemed to be such a daunting task. He felt like home, smelled like all the sweetness you lacked in your life, and you just knew you had to tell him.

“Jin. There’s something I have to tell you.”

“Yes?”

“I,” your breath shuddered, hands coming up to clutch at the material of his shirt. “I’m in love with you.”

Just like that, the string broke.

Jin pulled away from you faster than you could comprehend. When you opened your eyes, he was already at an arm’s length away from you, nothing but the sounds of your heart shattering into pieces muddling with his words.

His back dipped into a low bow. “I am extremely sorry; I cannot accept your feelings. It’s not that you’re not loveable; it’s just...you’re my son’s babysitter and I believe this is really inappropriate. Yuuji is vulnerable still and the last thing I want to do is date when I should be focusing on his life instead. I’m really sorry, Y/N. I don’t see nor do I feel that way for you.”

Hurt. Broken. Humiliated. Ashamed. Torn.

A plethora of feelings crashed over you all at once until breathing became such a hard thing to do, his words replaying like a broken record in your head.

He didn’t love you.

He didn’t feel the same way.

And it made sense – because why would he? “Yeah, oh my gosh!” you exclaimed while waving your hands frantically in front of your face, your unexpected enthusiasm causing Jin to peer up at you curiously under his lashes. “I mean, of course, I knew that already, duh. I’m not stupid, but like, yeah I’m really sorry, I’m probably making you so uncomfortable right now. I’m really, really sorry.”

“You’re not, I assure you,” he smiled gently again, but this time around, you weren’t soothed. It felt totally humiliating. Your toes curled inside your socks as your forced smile froze on your face in hopes of not making this any weirder than it already was, and you only chuckled as Jin cleared his throat. “I hope we can still be friends after this and that we can keep our professional relationship,” you nodded eagerly, a little too eagerly, and Jin awkwardly gestured to the pans. “So...a cake is waiting to be baked.”

“Yeah, let’s get to baking!”

If Jin noticed that you were a lot more enthusiastic than you were this morning, he didn’t comment about it. He hummed under his breath in agreement, the both of you working synchronously.

You’ve been in his house long enough that you knew where all the pans and ingredients were, silently handing things over one another through a forced polite conversation of how the other’s day went. A pat on your back was well deserved from how you managed to keep up with his questions, your broken heart perfectly concealed under forced smiles and dry chuckles.

In reality, you couldn’t focus.

On the inside, you were shattered. Why did you have to fall for him out of all people? There could’ve been so many others – like Fushiguro Toji from Biology, Gojo Satoru the playboy, Suguru Geto the heir of his large corporation – but it had to be Itadori Jin.

He was so close and yet out of reach, seemingly so unattainable that your lips had dried from how often you licked at them in an attempt to keep the tears in.

You knew you ruined everything. Soon, you’d have to say goodbye to baby Yuuji, no longer able to kiss him on top of his head and see him smile the moment you walked through the door, his dad equally alight upon seeing you got Yuuji a stuffed toy as a gift.

You were stupid for thinking you could even be part of this family. They were happy and fine enough – what role did you have here?

Compared to an actual working adult who’d already experienced many things in life like Jin, you were just a flimsy, lovesick little girl who was only learning how to love. And with loving, came the guaranteed promise of heartbreak.

You just never expected it would be this way.

As Jin turned his back to you to place the batter inside the oven, your hands shook, desperately wiping the sweat of your palms on your jeans. “Excuse me for a minute,” you dashed to the bathroom, locking yourself and finally allowing the broken gasps to leave your lips.

Your back was laid flat on the wall, your shirt tucked in your mouth as you slapped your thigh, the tears streaming endlessly down your cheeks.

You didn’t want to leave him. You wanted to stay longer, wanted to be able to see his face every waking morning and to make him tea while he made breakfast. You wanted to watch Yuuji grow up and hold hands with Jin, to tell him you would love him if he allowed you. But he didn’t – and it hurt so much that your eyes grew red from the incessant crying.

It was better to just leave than to be kicked out. You couldn’t stay here any longer.

So you wiped your tears away, dunking water to your face before you rushed out the room, bag slung across your shoulder. Yuuji stopped playing as he watched you wear your shoes in frantic movements, your heart bursting through with pain.

You didn’t dare look Jin in the eye.

“Hey, Jin, I’m so sorry – my friends called. They’re inviting me out for drinks tonight and I can’t say no.”

“But...the cake.”

“Yeah, you can eat it yourself, I’m really sorry to bother but uhm, anyways, BYE!” Left confused, Jin stared at the door slammed shut hard enough that Yuuji fell to the floor in surprise, small whines leaving his lips.

Jin couldn’t tell whether his son cried because you’d left them, or he was simply afraid of the sound. Whatever it was, the sinking feeling in his stomach was much too clear.

The next few days were hell. Your friends noticed the sudden drop in your mood, the loss of appetite, and the fact that you were clearly sleep-deprived.

How could you get sleep when your phone wallpaper was Yuuji kissing your cheeks, his dad laughing in the background? How could you sleep when your textbook still lay on your desk, a painful reminder of that time Jin had tutored you? How could you sleep when Wednesdays and Fridays had returned to its normal mundane self with nothing left to look forward to?

You couldn’t tell your friends about it either. All they knew was that you hadn’t been going to work because you came up with a flu, when in reality you’d been buried under your sheets, desperately ignoring the loud silence of your phone.

No texts. No calls. No how are you’s or how are you doing?

Not that you expected him to care since you did step out of line; you’d been completely unprofessional and Jin might not recommend you to future works anymore, though that was the least of your worries.

You just wanted to forget everything. His smile, his laughter, his kindness, the sound of his voice and how he always smelled like sweet vanilla.

Crying yourself to sleep and wishing each day would come to an end faster was absolutely exhausting. The lack of sunlight caused you to be groggy and gray – if you kept up at this state, you’d completely wither like a dried sunflower. You didn’t want to go out but your mini fridge was empty, stomach loudly grumbling for food.

You sighed as you closed the door, unkempt hair up in a bun and body adorned with an oversized shirt and the sweatpants you’ve refused to wash for two days now.

You were a mess – both on the inside and the outside – and your eyes lacked their usual warmth. Your movements mimicked that of a robot as you straggled to the nearest convenience store, about to enter when you heard someone cry out.

“Mama!”

Hands frozen on the door, your eyes widened before your head craned to the sound of rushed footsteps. In front of you was a panting Jin, a wailing baby Yuuji in his arms who only cried louder once he set his eyes on you. Jin gasped for air, and you both moved in sync, with you reaching out for baby Yuuji and him handing his child over to you.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry! Yuuji’s first word was Mama and I didn’t know what he meant but then he started crying and clutching the strawberry toy you got him and I’m so sorry, he just won’t stop crying. He kept looking for you.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize!” you replied back, adding a bounce to your step to cradle Yuuji who’d buried his damp face onto your neck, crying mama over and over again.

Memories of meeting Jin for the first time and his reminder that he didn’t want Yuuji calling you that nearly made you kneel down in apology, but you opted for a slight bow, your hot tears trailing down your face because you missed him, but it was all messed up and seeing him once more only dug a deeper crater in your heart.

Before you completely left each other’s lives, you at least wanted to apologize.

“I realized my mistake and made it so weird for the both of us. Plus, Yuuji didn’t say Dada and I think that’s my fault. I swear I wasn’t trying to replace his mom or anything, I just—”

“I love you too,” he cut you off, and your eyes snapped from the ground back to his flustered face.

“What?”

“I’m sorry for lying that I don’t feel the same way,” he confessed, scratching the back of his neck while his ears flushed a deep red. “The truth is, my father always told me that Yuuji’s mom wasn’t a good person and I should stay away from her, but I never listened. A-and I always talked to him about Yuuji’s new babysitter and how kind you were and how I think I’m falling for you. He said I should man up and tell you but I was just afraid to love again since I’ve fallen before and I don’t want to be hurt again,” Jin bowed to you in a perfect angle, his son now at peace in your arms. “I’m sorry.”

“Jin,” you breathed out, the tears prickling at the back of your eyes. You couldn’t believe this was happening – you wanted to embrace him, to kiss him, hold him, but you’d been so engrossed in your own heartbreak you never even thought about Jin’s fears. “I’d never hurt you or Yuuji.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for hurting you like that,” he straightened up, feeling you stiffen under him when his arms wrapped around you. He felt so warm, and you felt so at place that your tears damped his sweatshirt, Jin’s hands gently caressing your waist. “Is it okay if we come back home?”

You cried louder than you ever did your whole life, though this time it was mixed with laughter. Jin laughed with you as you encircled your free arm around his neck to pull him closer, your lips eager as you littered kisses over his neck.

“Yes, of course,” you giggled, “You don’t even have to ask.”

You only ever wanted a job as a babysitter to make ends meet – falling in love was out of the equation – but with the magic presented right in front of you, you weren’t going to push it away, and neither did Jin. This time, you embraced each other wholeheartedly, pink hearts floating in the air while the strawberry-haired baby giggled in your presence, delighted that now his family was whole.

[marvelmusingsbyhertz]

Scars, chapter 1

A/N: Yes, I’ve got WIPS. Yes, this is the BIGGEST trope in the Bucky!Universe, BUT I cannot for the life of me get this story out of my darn head. Thus I simply had to write it out.

This will be a mixture of full throttle angst, smut and fluff, so be warned.

If you want to be added to the taglist, pelase let me know! Remember that feedback feeds the soul, and I love, love, loooooove to see how you guys feel about my writing.

Also, quick disclaimer: I don’t have a Beta and English is my second language, so if there’s any discrepancies in the actual writing, I’m so sorry!

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Next chapter

Pairing: Bodyguard!Bucky x reader

Warnings: Language, mentions of blood, violence and death, slight angst

Chapter 1: Famous Last Words

You weren’t supposed to be here. Your stupid friends had dragged you along under the guise of oh, this’ll be so fun! And you had begrudgingly gone with them to the stupid underground rave in some obscure section of the outskirts of New York.

And you hated it.

It was loud, everyone was either high or drunk, your friends had disappeared somewhere in the crowd, leaving you to fend for yourself at the rusty bar, that served as a stark reminder that you should disinfect your entire body, when you got home.

“Another?” The bartender looked bored, but pointed at your beer. You nodded. Another hour and you were out of here, friends or not. He put the beer in front of you with a hard clang of metal meeting glass, and you thankfully took it, handed him the money and took a large swig, scanning the room.

You hated big crowds. No way you could keep track of everybody, the exits were obscured and you hated not having any plan of exit.

“Hey, there, pretty girl, all–” you held a hand up to the sweating, blond man who had slid into the seat next to you.

“Do I look like I’m in the mood to talk?” You asked, not even looking at him.

“I Just–” You silenced him again, a finger in his face. “Ah. Turn around, leave me alone or I will throat punch you so hard, your children won’t be able to talk.” He sulked off as you finished your beer, setting it gently on the bar.

“Bathroom?” You asked the bartender, who pointed down the hall next to him. Great, loved that for you. An empty, creepy hall with fluorescent lights? What could go wrong?

Apparently, many things can go wrong when taking a wrong turn in a dark, empty and creepy hallway.

Mainly, you might stumble onto something, you definitely shouldn’t have seen. Like maybe holding cells full of dried blood. Or an operating table that’d seen better days, also full of dried blood and various other fluids. Or, maybe, maybe it would be the mountains of files strewn around the room marked Experiment 34B, section 12, test 67.

And yeah, maybe you shouldn’t have grabbed some of the files, covered in what looked like bile and droplets of blood and gore, but the investigative journalist in you just couldn’t help it. Especially when you saw a date ending with 2021 on it and the Hydra skull. Maybe you should have kept your nose down when leaving the cold and creepy room, because you didn’t notice the cameras following you as you left, stuffing the files into the waistband of your stockings, hiding it under your dress.

You had been tossing and turning all night - you didn’t even try to find your friends in the mass of bodies on the floor, simply texting them that you left, found a cab and were totally, superduper top notch fine.

The files you’d grabbed seemed to burn your eyes every time you looked at them, leaving scorching visuals of the holding cells and blood on your retinas. It was, in hindsight, probably not the brightest idea you’d ever had, but now you were here, stuck with them and no idea what to do with them.

You had considered going straight to the police, but thought better of it - you couldn’t know if some of them might be involved, and it seemed way too dangerous strutting in there, files in hand. Then you considered your editor, but since you currently were benched on fluff-pieces, that might be a shittier idea.

In the end, you decided to let them stay where they were - on your desk, probably burning holes in the wood with pure evil, and sat down on your chair, staring at them. It would be a bad idea to open them. A really bad idea. A terrible, horrible idea that would 100 percent give you nightmares for the rest of your life.

So naturally, you opened them and started reading.

It was sickening. Pictures lined the folders, flooding your brain with the absolute horror, some of the people pictured, had to go through. Open wounds, bleeding and decaying being filled with liquids. Death. Silent screams, etched into the photos, a stark reminder of the absolute monsters Hydra kept.

Even worse was the actual reports inside.

Subject 44, fatal consequences after injection of serum Ai223#. Brainmatter melted out from ears.

Subject 12, fatal consequenses after injection of serum Be77#. Disfigurement.

And so forth, and so forth. It was terrifying, and when you saw the dates on the different reports, you knew you couldn’t sit with this yourself. It seemed like Hydra was still actively trying to perfect a Super Soldier-Serum, failing and trying again. You made up your mind quickly, gathering everything, including the text from your friend where the address was clearly stated, and stood up, quickly pulling on a pair of joggers and a hoodie, stuffing the files into a bag along with your computer, wallet and phone and stalked out of your apartment, flagging down a cab.

“Stark Compound, please.” You said breathlessly, already on edge, grabbing your bag and holding it close to your body. It felt like every eye in the city was on you, a red mark on your back.

“That’s outside of the city, I—” You groaned. “I’ll pay the extra fee, just get me there, and get me there fast.” You rumbled at the probably sweet cab-driver, your eyes flicking to the street.

As the cab started driving, you spotted something that made your breath hitch and your heart to stop.

A man, covered in the darkness, held a hand up and waved a single wave at you, gun in hand.

“Please, please, drive fast.” You said desperately to the driver, who, to his credit, sped up. He must’ve sensed the urgency in your voice.

—---------

The compound rose over the hill at the same time as the sun. It took your breath away - massively impressive in stature, the safety of the building washed over you as a wave. I would be safe. At least, you would hand the damn files over and then go on your merry way, hopefully just as normally as the day before.

The silvery bling of the metal plates on the building was almost blinding as the sun hit it, and the driver slowed before stopping fully and turning to you.

“Are you okay, miss?” He sounded sincere in his worry, reminiscent of how your dad used to look at you, when you were sick as a kid. You gave him a grateful smile and started rummaging your bag, finding your wallet.

“I am now. Thank you, thank you for driving fast and all the way out here.” He shook his head as you tried to hand him the money.

“Don’t worry about it. I can feel a girl in trouble, it’s my duty to get you safe.” You insisted on paying, until he finally agreed to take 30 dollars, but no more.

“I’m Pete, if you ever need a safe ride again, you call the central and ask for me, no matter what day, time or year. Okay?” You nodded, feeling overwhelmed by his sincerity and smiled at him.

“Thanks, Pete.”

You got out of the car and made the small trek to what you assumed was the front door, clutching your bag tightly. You didn’t even need to try to look for the doorbell, because a very familiar voice rang out from the coms.

“Tours are monday to thursday, no more, no less. It’s Saturday and birdshittingly early, come back another day.” The com crackled.

“Uhm… I, uh, I’m not… I’m not here for a tour.” You said, trying to find somewhere to speak into. Crackle again.

“Autographs are given in the city, if you bump into us. Not here. Goodbye, now.” You rolled your eyes.

“I’ve got something you guys need to see. I’m not a fangirl, I’m not here for autographs and I’m not here because I think it would be fun to cosy up with the Avengers.” You said, huffing in annoyance. Snarky asshole.

“What do you have?” You glared at the closed door.

“Just… Hold it up to the door.” You did as instructed, showing one of the files with the Hydra symbol on it to the door.

It buzzed.

You stepped inside, taken aback at the white and silver walls and stopped dead in your tracks at the foyer. You had no idea where to go. You heard footsteps approaching and suddenly, Tony Stark was in front of you, hand outstretched, in a monogrammed robe and slippers.

“This better be real, or I’m gonna be pissed. Walk with me.” You snickered and handed him the file, following him as he weaved through halls and rooms, leading you to what looked like a conference room, motioning to a chair. You sat down, crossing your legs and arms, waiting.

“Care to tell me how you got this?” He glanced at you.

“I didn’t know Tony Stark was a cuddly fucker with slippers.” You said, slightly annoyed at his all-business way. He rolled his eyes.

“I asked you something. And they’re comfy.” You sighed.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, by the way, thanks for asking.” He glared at you and you leaned back in the chair, pointing to the file in his hand.

“I went with my stupid friends to a stupid rave, where I took a stupid turn looking for the stupid bathroom and found the stupid papers. Files. Plural.” You pulled the remaining two files out of your bag and slid them across the table to Tony, who picked them up, looking increasingly worried.

“So now I’ve given them to you, which I thought would be the right people to give it to, and I’ll go.” You tried to stand, but his hand was on your shoulder in a flash, keeping you in place. You groaned. “My guy, this has been a hellish night, it’s late and I haven’t slept. I’m too tired for this shit.” He didn’t answer.

“FRIDAY, call everyone, and I mean everyone, no matter how tired Captain Wingman is, to conference room B. Now.” A soft, female voice sounded.

“They have been alerted, sir.” He turned to you, fully facing you again.

“You need to tell us everything about this, got it?”

“If I can go home after, fine.”

“Do you have any idea what you stumbled upon in your drunken stupor?” He asked.

“I wasn’t drunk, Tin-man.” You retorted as several pairs of feet rushed to the room. Slowly, they all filed inside - Natasha, Clint, Sam, Wanda, Vision, Steve motherfucking Rogers and, in the end, walking sluggishly with a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, Bucky Barnes. They all glanced at you with curiosity on their faces, all but Bucky, who had sat down in the closest chair to the door and closed his eyes.

“What’re we doing here, Tony, at the crack-ass of dawn?” Sam asked, stifling a yawn before pointing to you. “And when did you get a new intern?” Tony rolled his eyes and threw the files on the table.

“Not an intern, an informant, apparently. Or, at least, she’s an accidental informant.” All eyes turned to you and you felt a little intimidated.

“Uh, hi.” Every set of eyes flicked back to Tony, who sat down and gestured for you to talk.

Okay, so… Uhm, I went to this rave-thing at the outskirt of the city, super fucking skeevy if you’re asking me, uh, and I found.. By accident, I might add, like… A room?” You looked at Tony. “Okay, hang on.” You sat up in your chair, drew a deep breath and tried again, this time with confidence. “So, I was looking for the bathroom and I must’ve made a wrong turn, because suddenly I was in this room full of holding cells, tubes, an operating table and a shitton of these..” You pointed to the files, one of them already in Steve’s hand. “And I thought well, maybe someone could use these for something good and I… Took ’em.” you said, huffing out a breath. “And now I’m here with you fine folks, giving it to you and going home. Thanks, bye!” You stood up, but a single look from Tony had you falling back on the chair with a groan.

“Listen, did anyone see you take these?” Steve asked, his brows furrowed as he flicked through the files, disgust painted clear as day on his face.

“I… Don’t think so?” you said. He looked at you. “You don’t think so?”

“Well, there was like… A weird man outside my apartment waving with a gun and all as I left, but I mean, that’s just New York.” You looked at Steve’s shocked expression to Tony’s exacerbated one to Bucky rolling his eyes.

“Right?” No answer. “Right, guys?”

Silence.

Natasha leaned forwards and rested her elbows on the table.

“Look, you might’ve stumbled on some pretty damn important shit.” “No shit, Sherlock.”

“And it’s probably more valuable to Hydra than you know.” She continued, clearly unbothered by your interruption. She glanced at Tony.

“We need to get her under protection.” You blanched.

“Uh, no, no we don’t need to get me under protection. It was one dude!” Natasha looked at you with empathy.

“I’m pretty sure that if you went back to your apartment, you’d be dead come morning.” You groaned.

“Because of one guy? In New York? Being a creep?” You asked, looking around at the gathering of very serious faces. “Come on!”

“You really have no thoughts of self preservation, do you?” Bucky piped up, his voice bored and his eyes focused on his metal arm, flexing and releasing the fingers. You sneered at him.

“Okay, I do have self preservation, dude, I’m just not going to put my life on hold because a single creep spotted me. If I did that every time that happened, I might as well let the earth swallow me whole.”

“Which is exactly what you need to do now. You’re staying here until further notice.” Tony said sternly. You rolled your eyes.

“Am I being grounded, dad?” He narrowed his eyes at you and you drew a deep breath. “I’m grateful for your concern, but I do have a life. Work, friends, a favourite coffee shop. I’m not putting it on hold.” You said, trying to sound stern and final - it mostly came out a little worried and whiny, but it would have to do. “Besides, this…” You gestured around the room. “Is far away and a screaming, blinking light to anyone involved with Hydra. You don’t think this’ll be the first place to look?” Tony sighed and exchanged a quick look with Steve, who, in turn, smiled tight lipped.

“Fine. You’ll be in a safehouse, with a bodyguard until there’s control over this.” You narrowed your eyes at Steve, who at least had the courtesy to look bashful about giving you orders.

“Sure thing, let’s just boss me around.” Steve glanced at Natasha and Bucky before folding his arms over his chest and nodding to Bucky.

“Bucky’ll be your 24/7 protection. Where he goes, you go and vice versa.” You flew out of your chair, while Bucky looked like he had been handed a warm pile of shit.

“No way, I don’t need a babysitter–”

“I don’t want to be a babysitter–” Bucky tried to say something, but you cut him off. “I don’t need a babysitter or even 24/7 protection! I’m fine.”

“Listen, doll, you’re clearly ready to meet death—” Bucky glared at you and you folded your arms.

“Am not, I just don’t want–” “besides, I can’t and won’t be responsible for picking up your shit from the floor when this goes sideways, because you can’t fucking control your desire for death and danger–” You narrowed your eyes to slits, pointing a finger at him. “Listen here, you tin-armed wannabe bad boy, I’m not a soldier you can—” you got cut off by the glaring tones from your phone. You quickly swiped it from your bag and looking at the number. Strange, your landlord never called you this early.

“Y/N?” He sounded frantic.

“Yeah?”

“Oh thank god, I was terrified you were in the building!” You could hear the faint whistle from sirens and he sounded out of breath. A weird crackling sounded behind his voice as well.

“WHat? No, I’m… Running errands.” You glanced at the group of superpeople around you, suddenly very aware of where you were. Your palms were sweaty.

“Oh god, thank god.” Your heart was in your throat as the sound of sirens came even closer.

“What, Mr. Larsen, what’s going on?” Your hands shook as you heard his voice, shaking in fear, form the next sentence.

“The complex. It… There was an accident. The entire building is gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?” Your face felt cold.

“It blew up, Y/N, the entire thing blew up.”

You hung up and slowly sat down, your stare unfocused.

“Looks like I might need that babysitter, anyhow, Tony.”

Next chapter

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[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

hi I’m here to review the Clementine comic. it’s not good.

Does this even need an introduction? You know why I’ve gathered you all here today. You know the comic exists, and you probably know that it’s not great and we’re all upset about it. 

Myself included. I am not okay. At all. 

Skybound could’ve literally spit in my face and I’d come out feeling better than I did reading this comic, because this comic is an insult to the original Telltale games and Clementine as a character. 

This comic is a fancy fanfic. Glorified fanfiction. It’s not canon, and Skybound and Tillie can pretend that it is, but it’s not. Bold of them to assume we’d just accept this from people who didn’t work on the original games and never wrote for Clementine before, and based on this comic alone, any chance of us taking it seriously is gone. 

I’m gonna go through every single page, every panel, of this comic and give you my review. So I guess if you’re worried about spoilers [though at this point why would you?] then be warned, spoilers for the entire comic ahead. 

I also wanna add that I have nothing against Tillie Walden. I know a lot of dingdongs are harassing her on insta over this comic and that’s not okay. You telling her how much you hate her isn’t going to change anything. If anything, you keep being assholes to her and she’s just gonna block everything out, even things simply critiquing her work in hopes that it helps her improve. 

You’re allowed to be upset about the comic and share your feelings about it, but don’t take it out on the actual human being like that. Besides, like I’ve said before, if Tillie wasn’t gonna make the comic, Skybound would’ve found someone else to do. This was coming no matter what because Skybound wants that coin. 

That being said, I’m not going to hold back my opinions on this comic. Skybound and Tillie made this comic, they put it out there and asked for money for it, therefore I’m allowed to explain why it’s garbage as well as ponder over the questionable intent and whether or not Tillie actually has played these games. Y’know, it’s like how I have nothing against Kent, but sometimes he says things I disagree with and well, y’know how it goes. 

Alright, this is gonna be long, so let’s go--

The first few shots we get are of the school, two people sleeping, and Clementine’s empty bed. Nothing super note-worthy, we have no idea who is sleeping in the beds, it’s just there to establish that it’s early and everyone’s still asleep. 

The drawing of the school looks fine? Not super accurate, but I can give it a pass since it’s a few years later, I assume. What I can’t give a pass is how you managed to already mess up on the first page of your comic. 

Because..... why are you implying that Clementine’s room is upstairs? First of all, seems kinda dumb to put Clem, who has only one leg and has to walk with crutches, upstairs. Also, if you’ve played TFS and paid any attention to where her room is actually located [the dorms] then you’d know there isn’t any stairs leading to their floor. It’s the side building next to the admin building, you walk through the door, go down the hall, take a left and their dorm is right there sooo..... 

Oh right, it’s probably done this way so that we can have such a suspenseful moment where Clementine is sneaking out while the others are asleep and her foot makes a creeeeeeakk that could wake everyone up, thwarting her plans of abandoning everyone quietly so she doesn’t have to deal with any consequences. 

Because yeah, Clementine is sneaking out with all of her supplies because apparently, she’s been planning an escape from this place for a while. 

And just look at how gosh darn happy she is about it. You can’t see or hear me, but know that I’m laughing. Don’t worry, I will talk about her abandoning everyone later.

But first, I have a gripe with Clementine's design in this comic. It doesn’t look like her. This art of her right here is the most accurate we get throughout all 12 pages, and it’s the best looking, too. 

Moving on, she slams the door shut while this walker changes faces and hair between panels, so that’s cool. I will say, I like the idea of the Ericson crew putting spikes on the door. That’s fun. 

Though Clementine slamming the door shut while trying to sneak out seems counter productive but it fits with the theme this comic has of inconsistency, so it works. 

Next we have Clementine going to what I believe is the fishing shack by the river, and she’s going through some things that she’s stashed away, telling us that she’s been planning this escape for a while. 

Oh good, she has a map. Well at least now she won’t get lost out there in the woods while she makes her escape... also that last panel with her profile.... why does it look so funny? Like this page of the comic doesn’t look too bad, but there is something off putting about her eye there and how she has zero expression. 

And it turns out that rustle was a walker, and Clementine is super inconvenienced by this and gives us our first piece of witty dialogue.

Yeah you dumb walker, can’t you see Clementine is busy running away from home and abandoning all of her loved ones without a single goodbye so she doesn’t have to witness the consequences of her selfish actions?? Gosh, so rude.

Just a heads up, the dialogue in this comic is stilted, emotionless, and bland. The words have no flow, no charm, and never feel like they should be coming out of Clementine’s mouth. Then again, the upcoming graphic novels this is tied to are for young adult/middle graders so I guess we have to dumb everything down so their baby brains can process it. 

.....Why does her face look like that? Also, interesting that she decided to move her ponytail to the other side of her head.... which is a thing that happens throughout this comic, her hair will randomly change sides. 

I believe it’s a metaphor for her changing and inconsistent personality. 

So yeah, Clementine is just making off with the supplies she gathered [I’m sure Ericson doesn’t need ‘em anyway] and she’s just so gosh darn annoyed at all these small inconveniences bothering her.... because it’s just too early for this. 

.....Again, why does her face look like that?

I’m sorry, like I get it, Tillie’s style is supposed to be purposely messy yet minimal but it doesn’t work. When you do a comic in a more messy style, usually it has charm and heart put into it. Effort goes into the messy look, and when things are minimal, that usually means more clean, yeah? So you put them together and just..... that is nothing resembling Clementine’s face. 

Can we just--

Look at canon Clementine’s face. Look at the way her eyebrows are shapes, how wide her eyes are with her eye lashes. The dirt on her skin, the lines-- there is so much personality in her features. It doesn’t matter if she’s wearing a neutral expression or she’s expressing anger or joy or sorrow or whatever. 

Now, is it fair to compare a model of Clem from the games to the Clem in this comic? Well, I assume that if Tillie is doing this comic, she would use references from the game to ensure that Clementine is recognizable, especially now that she’s no longer wearing her signature hat. 

So why does she look like this? Why do I look at these drawings of her face and see nothing but a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth? You might as well draw me a simple smiley face. And I get that it’s a comic, and it’s a lot of work to draw the same character over and over again and you gotta cut corners somewhere, but maybe put some effort into the close up shots of her face so that we can actually see it’s her? 

Other fan artists have made comics in their styles that shine bright with Clementine’s personality, so what happened here? 

Anyway, surprise..... it’s not a walker annoying Clementine. 

........Why does AJ look like that??? I’m sorry, I hate to do the same thing I just did but--

Just because you put Clementine’s hat on AJ that doesn’t automatically make it him. I just.... wow. This feels like there wasn’t a single reference involved, like if someone gave Tillie a basic description of AJ and she just did this. 

But appearances aside, what is AJ saying? He says that he knew it, that Clementine’s leaving and I cannot stand this dialogue. It’s unnatural. Again, I know you wanna dumb it down for all of us because I guess we dumb.... but this conversation does not feel natural. 

“I knew it. You’re leaving.” “AJ....” “I’m coming.”

Even if you changed it to, “I’m coming with you.” it would sound more natural. Hell, he doesn’t even question WHY she’s leaving, he just stands there like “I’m coming” like??? I’m sorry, have you ever heard a single word this murder baby has said? I assume you have because I assume you actually played TFS, right? Soooo.... what happened here?

.....whY DO THEIR FACES LOOK LIEK THAT KSAJDLKJAS:LKDJLKASJD:L--

So now we’re getting into it.... into the bullshit. 

Clementine tells AJ to go back to the school, and AJ says that she wasn’t even going to say goodbye..... and then more bad dialogue that sound unnatural when you try to fucking read it. 

First off.... AJ’s reaction to Clementine attempting to leave is barely anything. Again, I hate to keep questioning if you actually played TFS, but AJ would throw a fucking fit if he caught Clementine out here ALONE like this, attempting to leave. 

And then he says “Like last time? You were going to come back?” this sentence makes my brain hurt. I just.... “Like last time, right? You’re coming back?” UGH

Wow, I feel nothing. 

I’m sitting here watching these two imposters with fucked up faces who are supposed to be Clementine and AJ and I feel nothing. 

I’m not even going to comment on the faces anymore. You can see it. You know. 

So yeah... AJ tells her the #1 rule, and reminds her that she promised.

Y’know.... she promised that she would never leave him again? Remember? At the McCarroll ranch? That flashback that was in TFS? The one you would watch if you played the game? 

Why is she looking straight at me when she should be looking at AJ as she says this? Is this Clementine’s way of telling me she’s sorry for what a shitty direction this is taking? I wouldn’t know because her face isn’t doing anything. Just because you draw a couple of tears that doesn’t mean I’m feeling the emotional heartbreak you’re attempting to convey. 

I don’t have enough middle fingers for this.

Well, my hat’s off to you. Ya did it. Ya fucked up everything single part of Clementine’s character in the span of two pages, I’m almost impressed. 

First off, the baby thing is weird. Why is she calling him that? She’s never called him that, which you should know.

Second, she’s not happy and that’s why she’s leaving. Clementine isn’t happy, and AJ can’t make her happy. Ericson can’t make her happy. So she’s going to go out on the road to.... what, be unhappy by herself? 

I’m sorry, but apparently we need a few reminders here of who Clementine is, because this isn’t her. 

This is Clementine. 

Clementine fought for years to find a home, something she hasn’t had since she was an eight-year-old girl before the apocalypse. The motor-inn wasn’t a home, the cabin wasn’t home, the ski-lodge, Howe’s, Wellington, Richmond, Prescott, none of them were home. 

She struggled for years, dealing with trauma after trauma while out on the road. She went from group to group, watching people she cared about die and she was powerless to do anything about it. Whenever she let her guard down and become comfortable, it bit in her in the ass and left her heartbroken.

She was there when AJ was born. She grew close to Rebecca while she was pregnant, she let herself do that even after everything she went through with Christa. Clementine had a bond with AJ even before he was born, and after Rebecca died, she did what she could to keep him safe, despite play choice. 

She cried when she thought AJ died and when she found him in that car again. She swore to protect him, to raise him right and love him. All they had was each other. 

And when she joined the new frontier and AJ got sick, she risked everything to save him and she was devastated when they took him away from her. When she found out he was alive, she is willing to go as far as helping Lingard overdose [INJECTING HIM HERSELF IF SHE HAS TO] to figure out his location. She did shitty things to find him, she killed people at McCarroll Ranch to find him again. 

Clementine raised him and he is her family, do you understand that? She went to hell and back for him, she taught him how to protect himself, and even though she made mistakes she sacrificed everything for him. She promised him that they would have a home of their own one day, she talked about how much she wished for a world where she didn’t have to worry about fighting and killing and AJ could just be a happy kid. 

She fought for Ericson, she watched her friends die or become mutilated by someone from her past. She allowed herself to be vulnerable enough to pursue a romantic relationship with Louis or Violet because she felt safe with them, felt safe at Ericson because it’s their home now. 

And when Clementine was bit, she thought she was going to die but she still fought to make sure AJ would be safe and happy without her and it was heartbreaking. She’s dying and the only thing she cares about is AJ. Not herself, not what’s going to happen to her after she dies or turns... no, she tries to make AJ smile again, she makes sure he remembers the rules, and she tells him that she loves him. 

Then he cuts off her leg, and she survives. AJ saved her fucking life, and she got to wake up at home and live to see her family again. She got to push AJ on a tire swing, she got to eat a hot meal and laugh with her friends, she got to make plans with her lover/best friend for what’s next for Ericson, and she got to talk to AJ and tell him the truth... and she asked him if she did a good job, and he’s honest with her right back. 

Hell, she tells him to keep her hat. Her iconic hat. The one thing she has left of her father, possibly her more cherished item. She lets him keep it. 

The last time we see Clementine, she’s happy. She’s sitting on the steps by herself, staring at her family with such fondness in her eyes and a smile on her face because she finally did it. She finally found a home where she can breathe. She has a bed to sleep in, she has AJ with her, she has a boyfriend/girlfriend who loves her and who she loves back, she has friends she can rely on. 

Clementine smiles, and lets out a small laugh. 

She doesn’t have to run anymore. 

And now you have the balls to tell me that AJ and Ericson don’t make Clementine happy anymore. 

She abandons everything to go back out on the road again, and that’s proof enough for me that you don’t understand a damn thing about Clementine or her journey. 

“ I don't even know the person I'm talking about... It's like all we have in common is the same name.” 

....Anyway.

Wow, Clementine found a car and kept is stashed. How lazy and convenient for this bullshit plot. 

And this is the part where I have to tell this comic to fuck off. 

What, you think if you throw in an incredibly inaccurate flashback next to a current pair of hugging Clem and AJ that I’ll feel anything but anger? That flashback is a slap to the face. It’s snowing, but the only time we’ve seen snow is in S2 when AJ was a literal new born, so why is he that big? Is that supposed to be from ANF because that ALSO doesn’t look like that AJ, and that’s not the outfit Clementine had on... AND there was no snow. This is cheap and meaningless. 

Any fan of the series who has played through the games could tell you this. 

So.... AJ runs into the woods and then we get this garbage.

This comic is awful. It misses the point of everything TFS, and the rest of the series, stood for. There is no heart here. I feel no happiness in reading it, and I don’t detect any passion behind it. It’s a lifeless comic that retcons everything in order to throw AJ away and start fresh with a new adventure for Clementine that makes no sense because the cow isn’t profitable unless it’s milked. 

This isn’t canon, and it won’t ever be canon, and honestly? At this point, I have no faith in the graphic novel trilogy. It will take a lot to do a turn around from this, and I don’t even know if that’s possible. 

Again, to reiterate, I don’t have anything personal against Tillie Walden herself. She’s just doing her job, and from what I’ve seen of her as a person, she seems like a sweetheart. I don’t want anyone giving her shit because I think the comic isn’t good or that you agree with me. All of my anger is directed at the comic itself, her work, not specifically her.... and a little bit at Skybound, because they’re the reason this is even a thing in the first place. 

So yeah.... there ya have it. 

[ibrithir-was-here]

Canon Descendants Beauty and the Beast: Part One

Ok! Let’s do this thing! This is gonna be a two parter cuz the story I’ve crafted needs some more art then usual but I’m excited to get this one going. BatB is one of my fav Disney movies and I’m excited to give it an actual (hypothetical) sequel after all those Midquels x)

This first picture is actually really old but still fair enough quality, so here’s Canon Descendants Ben and Gil, renamed to Benedict and Gilbert (“Jeel-bear” French pronunciation) and Gaston’s other two sons mentioned in the Descendants novels, Gaston Jr and Gaston III, who’s names I didn’t change because my goodness of course Gaston would name his sons that.

The Gaston twins and Gilbert are the sons of Gaston and Laurette, the orange triplet, who Gaston only married because she looked the most like Belle. Gaston survived his fall thanks to that good old animated death staple because if you look there’s a river under him when he falls so of course he can survive if the narrative demands it, and for him to have three kids at least around Ben’s age it does. (The Disney rule seems to be that unless we see their electrocuted skeleton or the shadow of their hanged corpse of course the villain can come back somehow)

Anyway Gaston survives, gets himself hitched as fast as he can before taking himself out of the province fast as he can before the law can come after him for stabbing the recently remembered Prince. The Gaston twins take after their dad and are basically his new lackeys, but Gil is more soft hearted and tries to look after his mother who isn’t living the dream life she thought she would when she eloped with Gaston, who spends most of his time stewing in drink and dark thoughts now.

Ben has a wonderful childhood, Belle and Adam (it’s my sequel and I can finally give him a name if I like and darn it it’s gonna throw the fans a bone they actually want) are wonderful and attentive parents. Belle takes his education under her own hands instead of turning him over to tutors, ( she also oversees an educational program for the province Adam rules over) and I like to think that both Ben and Adam are fascinated by Maurice’s inventions and frequently help him with them.

Eventually, Gaston’s drinking habits become too much of a strain on the family finances, and Laurette decides to send Gil back off to the old Small Provincial Town to get work at her family tavern (I head canon the tavern is in the triplets family since they seem to work there, and they let Gaston put up his trophies because he was the town hero). She’s also anxious to try and put some distance between her more sensitive son and her volatile husband who doesn’t hold with ‘sensitivity’.

So Gil begins working there, and one day, he wanders into the old bookstore, and he’s hooked. He can’t read, but he likes looking at the pictures, though he doesn’t want anyone apart from the kind old bookseller to catch him looking at them. But that’s just what happens one day when Ben steps in to visit his mother’s old friend. Gil is startled when this young nobleman starts talking to him, and embarrassed to admit he can’t actually read the book he’s looking at. But Ben is kind and friendly and soon starts to visit regularly and teach his new friend to read.

So Gil has a new friend and books to read and money to send home to help his mother and his father is at least two counties away, and things seems to overall be going well for him and Ben and the royal family enjoying their happily ever after.

But all is not well for long. For one dark night, at a tavern two counties away, a stewing Gaston finds himself suddenly approached by an intriguing stranger, with an intriguing proposal. She’s been looking for him for sometime, she says, someone who’d once lived in the village near the castle in the woods, someone who has long since left it’s sheltering borders. All he needs to do is provide some information about the new Princess who married Prince Adam, she’s been—unable to approach anyone else who used to know her—and maybe she can do something to improve the circumstances he’s found himself in.

A stream of gold spills onto the table from seemingly no where, the sparkle of it lighting up Gaston’s eyes with a predatory gleam.

And, of course, if he were to make an official agreement to aid her, be willing to make some…sacrifices, she’d likely be able to do more to change the hand of fate he’d been dealt.

And at the Misummer Ball, said Prince Adam finds himself face to face with an old friend from a lifetime ago, the Lady Melusine and her chaperone, come with a gift for Belle, one the lady apologies for taking so long to give to her, as she surely deserved to have it years ago. An uneasy feeling creeps up Belle’s spine as she accepts the book, there’s something off, she can feel it. But she smiles politely as she opens it—

There is a flash of searing red light, the smell of roses petals, ones that have long been dead and shriveled, a pealing laugh of triumph—

The ballroom, only seconds ago filled with laughter and talk, stands silent, and empty…apart from a book that lays upon the ground, that seems to glow slightly as the pages turn in a wind that stirs nothing else

End of part one….

——

Tada! Hope you like it! Trying a bit of a cliff hanger this time but yeah keep an eye out for part two in the next bit ;)

[lovely-low-waster]

It’s important to realize that we don’t all have money to make all the swaps let alone all at once -- not that that’s the right thing to do irregardless. Everyone should feel welcome into transitioning to a low waste lifestyle without feeling obliged to feel like they need lots of money to achieve it. Everyone comes from a different background and it’s important to acknowledge that much of zero waste culture is whitewashed and aesthetics based which perpetrates an unattainable standard. Most these swaps are things that I had been doing a lot of when I was younger when my family didn’t have much extra money. It ensures that everyone can get a start without having to put in any extra investments. 

Hang drying clothes is free, though having a stand or line to hang them on is helpful. I bought a stand, but my grandparents have an indoor clothesline that they DIY out of some thick rope strung up in the basement ceiling where you can hang dry clothes on hangers off the ceiling. They did this with what they had around the house. 

Skipping plastic produce bags is simple, but can take extra time. If you already have some kinds of reusable bag you don’t have to purchase new ones as they do seem pretty common at events as freebies or goodie bags. If you don’t you can request if they have paper bags you can use that can be recycled later. If you truly want to go packaging free you can just put groceries back into the cart and bring them in. This isn’t particularly feasible however and you can’t carry many items at a time; though it works well if you’re only running in and grabbing a few items. You can also repurpose plastic bags you already have from past shopping trips to give them a full life before they’re thrown away as most bags don’t show hardly any wear after a single use. 

Paperless billing is super simple. Most mobile banking apps have a section where you can pick an option for paperless billing, or call the customer service  to opt in. I’ve done this and had it this way for several years now. Additionally you can see if other bills can get automatically billed to you so they don’t have to send the paper bills out. This can extend to receipts as well because if you think about it they are the bills you get for your purchases. You can either opt for no receipt at all or if there’s the option, if you’d like, get a digital receipt emailed to you. 

Mending clothing is a skill everyone one should have regardless. Many people can’t afford to buy sustainable clothing new and sometimes thrifting clothing just needs a little repair. Fast fashion isn't made to last a long time, but learning how to repair them can give them more time before they are no longer useable. You can also extend your skills to upcycle clothing into a whole new garments or something different with sewing skills. Simple hemming, running, and back stitches are easiest to learn and cover nearly everything you’d need. Additionally darning is very good to repair socks or holes that aren't on a seam. 

Especially now with take-out being popular I end up with single use silverware. I try to ask for them not include them but sometimes they still make their way back into my home. I’ll take them with me especially if I’m with small children who might lose the nicer bamboo or steel cutlery I’ve got, or if I’ll be out with friends who don't carry their own reusable silverware. If I can I’ll try and take them back home to keep washing them a few times. 

There’s several things you can repurpose t-shirt for including bags, but rags is my favorite. They don't fray when they wash so they’re especially good for cleaning rags. This is good for those old t-shirts that are too damaged or stained to donate. Just cut them up into whatever size you’d like and get cleaning!

I’m notorious for collecting baggies and rewashing them after I use them. Especially if they’ve been used to store dry goods like small cookies or other treats that really haven't left any mark on the bags. Another thing I do this with since I'm an avid baker is piping bags! The cost for these “single-use” goods really starts to add up so being able to use them several times is very economical. I’d also extend this to plastic take-out containers or plastic tubs food from the store comes in. I like to save these especially around the holidays or for any other upcoming event where I can use them as tupperware to send people home with leftovers. 

I’ve never actually met someone who lines their recycling but it is super easy to skip. I have a two compartment trash can and will leave the recycling bin unlined. There shouldn't be anything dripping or making a mess anyways inside of it so I feel alright skipping it altogether. If it’s too big to put in there and I don’t have time to take it out right away I’ll also just make a small pile on the counter next to the bin and take it out from there. 

Turning off the lights should be a no brainer as I feel like our parents bugged us to do it as kids and for good reason! I’d also extend this to unplugging things that aren’t in constant or regular use. I especially think this is important when you are going on vacation because you know with certainty you won't be using any of the devices at home. 

Lastly is eating less meat. Of course not everyone can or wants to go vegan or vegetarian but opting for practices like meatless Mondays or cutting down from eating three things of meat a day to two will drastically reduce your impact. Cows and other animals where we get red meats have especially large environmental impacts compared to other animals we consume. Meat is also one of the most expensive items at the grocery so it can save you some money to purchase less. It’s also good to try and make your meat go as far as you can my making use of the bones and all the meat. 

Hopefully some of these will inspire you to make these free swaps where you can as they really don’t require any additional effort to make the switch. They’re great too to tell friends who are looking to be more eco friendly and don’t know where to start. Let me know of another free swaps you know of in the comments!

(image source @shopwithgoodintent on Instagram)

[sukifans]

Get that bread! I really miss working but I also enjoy not being on my feet all the time lol Can I ask for #10 and #16 with Sokka and a f!reader? A hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it. One person pouting, only to have it removed by a kiss from the other person. -🍓

DAY OFF // sokka

WC: 1.8k

WARNINGS: none

A/N: these two prompts were so cute together i love it!! thank u for the request bb. i keep writing about people being cold and i think i’m just trying to manifest some fall weather instead of the 85° days that i’m getting where i live

⇦ 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘚𝘛

You shivered against the chilly morning air and, still mostly asleep, reached around to find the warm body that usually occupied the bed with you. When your hand found only blankets and pillows you peeked one eye open to discover you were alone. You frowned and sat up, squinting against the early morning sunlight that streamed through the window. With a huff you threw your socked feet over the side of the bed to step into your slippers and wrapped yourself in the warmest fur from your bed before venturing out into the main room of your home. You found Sokka sitting by the hearth in the center of the room, chin in his palm as he considered the scroll in front of him. He looked up when he heard you enter and a soft smile spread across his face when he saw you bundled up and eyes barely open.

“Morning,” he called to you, patting the spot next to him on the mat. You made a sleepy noise of acknowledgement as you shuffled over and plopped down next to him with a yawn. “What’re you doing up so early?”

“‘S cold in bed without you,” you mumbled, snuggling up against his side. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you in tight against him. Though it was still frigid, you already felt warmer in his embrace. You unthinkingly accepted the quick peck he gave you like every other morning. “Why are you awake?”

“Dad asked me to look over these plans for the new village square before the council meeting today.”

You groaned and buried your face into his neck. “I thought you said they could handle it? You promised no work for a few days so we can just lay in bed and eat and do nothing.”

“I know, but I can’t help being the most competent person around here. They need me... desperately. I mean, look at this!” He gestured forcefully at the plans. “Not even Aang’s spirity stuff could hold this building up. And the market placement just doesn’t make any sense.”

“You’re cute when you’re smart.” You pressed a kiss to his jaw and leaned against his shoulder.

“I’m always smart.”

“You’re always cute,” you giggled at the look he shot down at you.

“I think I’ve been a bad influence on you. That almost gave me oogies.”

“Almost?”

He cupped your face in his hands and nudged your nose with his. “Yeah, if you weren’t so darn cute yourself.”

You rolled your eyes and slid your hands over his, smiling. “Ew. Gross, Sokka.”

“I can’t help it, you bring it out of me.”

“Still not as gross as Aang and Katara, though.”

Sokka pulled a face and tossed his head back. “Blegh, don’t make me think about that. I was having such a nice time just looking at your pretty face.”

“Stop it,” you huffed, “you’re making me blush.”

“I know, it’s cute.” His fond, teasing grin only made your cheeks flush warmer.

“Come back to bed,” you sighed, turning your head to kiss his palm. “The village square can wait, surely.”

His regretful expression did not leave you hopeful. “The meeting is today.”

“You have to go?” He nodded and your lips turned down into a frown. “Ugh. No fair, I called dibs on you today.”

His rumbling chuckle filled your chest with a glowing warmth. “Unfortunately, the council doesn’t respect the sovereignty of dibs.”

You clicked your tongue distastefully. “Well, I don’t respect the sovereignty of the council.”

“Just don’t let them hear you say that,” he said before leaning in to give you a sweet kiss to wipe away your pout. You hummed happily against his mouth, shifting your body as close as you could and reaching into his hair to pull it free from the wolf tail he wore. His warm breath tickled across your face when you pulled away just enough to catch your breath.

“What do you have against my wolf tail?” he asked, kissing you quickly again.

“You’re so pretty with your hair down,” you murmured, “‘s not my fault.”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” he laughed. He watched you curiously as you stood again, taking his hands and tugging him up with you. You walked backwards in the direction of your bedroom, sporting a sly smirk when he put up no resistance.

“C’mon, pretty boy. Those blankets and pillows are calling our names.” He simply chuckled and shook his head but still happily followed your lead to collapse back in bed. You pulled one of the fur blankets over the both of you, thrilled to have his warm weight on top of you in bed once again.

“I can’t believe you seduced me back here,” he grumbled against your shoulder as your arms snaked around his waist.

“You know you can’t resist me,” you said, kissing his temple.

“Mhm.” He propped himself up on his elbows to look down at you. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll go to this meeting, get it over with as quick as possible. Then I’ll come home, lock the door, barricade the windows, and we won’t leave this bed for a whole day. How does that sound, princess?”

You hummed thoughtfully, tapping your chin as you considered this. “Make it two days and you’re golden.”

“Even better.” He captured your lips in a bruising kiss, tilting your chin up. You raised one hand into his hair to twirl the loose strands between your fingers. “You might give me a run for my money as far as being the smartest person here.”

“You can keep the title. Wouldn’t want to bruise your ego.” You pulled him back down to your mouth insistently. He indulged you for a few moments, gently brushing his thumb along your cheekbone while his hand pressed against your jaw.

“I really”—he kissed you again—“need to look”—and again—“at those plans.”

“I’m not stopping you.”

“You’re very distracting.”

“That’s my job.”

“Well, I have to go do my job.” He gave you one last lingering kiss before pushing himself back up to stand next to the bed. You groaned unhappily, wrapping yourself tightly in the blankets. He ruffled your hair affectionately and walked back out into the main room. After moping in the warm softness of your bed for a few minutes longer, you resigned yourself to dressing in your coziest furs in that signature blue of the water tribes. The women of the tribe had been kind enough to fashion you a wardrobe that would keep you comfortable in the arctic weather as soon as they heard you’d be coming with Sokka for his most recent return trip to the developing faction.

You followed his path out of the bedroom and went about preparing a pot of tea to hang over the fire. Sokka had become absorbed in marking up the plans with corrections and only briefly glanced up to shoot you a warm smile when you sat next to him with a cup and a book in hand. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, leaning against one another, both completely content to simply exist in the vicinity of the other.

Eventually, maybe after an hour or so, Sokka set his brush down, stretched, and turned to pull your back against his chest in a squeezing hug around your middle, setting his chin on your shoulder. You didn’t look up from your book but still leaned back into his hold, squirming a little as he peppered kisses on the little skin of your neck and face that your clothes left exposed.

“Meeting’s soon,” he sighed quietly, lips barely brushing your ear as he spoke. “I should get going.”

You tilted your head back to gaze up at him pleadingly. “Promise it’ll be quick?”

“I can’t promise anything”—he pecked your lips—“but I’ll try my best.”

“Mmm, fine.” You turned your attention back to your book. “Go be your impressive and intelligent and nitpicky self.” He puffed up at your praise until you mentioned “nitpicky,” at which point he scoffed and pinched your cheek.

“I have to be nitpicky, they’re putting up buildings.”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I think it’s endearing,” you said absently, turning the page as you read. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“You’re distracting me again.”

“Don’t blame me.” He licked his finger and stuck it in your ear, making you recoil with a shout of disgust. You slapped his chest with your book. “Ugh, Sokka! You are such a child; I rescind my previous praises. Get out.”

He laughed deviously as he stood and made his way to the door where his outerwear hung on the wall. You huffed in irritation and repositioned yourself to get comfortable again, shooting him a glare that he returned with a cheeky grin while he shrugged into his thick parka.

“Aw, c’mon, princess! Don’t be mad at me when I’m about to leave. I could die out there and the last thing you would’ve said to me would be, ‘get out.’”

You rolled your eyes. “If the Fire Nation couldn’t kill your goofy ass I doubt anything will get you during a council meeting.”

“You don’t know that,” he postured as he stepped into his boots. “A rabid polar bear dog could burst into the building and eat us all.”

“Run faster than those geriatrics on the council and you’ll be fine.” You couldn’t help but smile a little bit at his bark of laughter.

“Your lack of concern stings,” he said, pressing his hand to his heart.

“I’m sure it does.” He walked back over to you and lifted you to your feet. His hands slid down your sides and settled on your waist.

“I’m sorry,” he pouted dramatically. “Please forgive me?” You tried your best to look bothered, but he knew you couldn’t resist that groveling look and those wide, clear blue eyes.

“You’re annoying, but I guess you’re forgiven.”

“So merciful, my dearest, darling (Y/N).” He took your hand that wasn’t holding your book and raised it to his lips, kissing your knuckles tenderly. Even though he was teasing, the gesture still flustered you.

“Oh, cut it out.” You swatted at him, hoping he didn’t notice the pink in your cheeks (he did).

“I’ll be back soon—“ he pulled you in closer so you were chest to chest “—don’t miss me too much.”

“No promises,” you said before wrapping your arms around his neck and rising on your toes to kiss him sweetly. “Don’t get eaten by a polar bear dog.”

“No promises,” he echoed with a laugh, slotting his mouth over yours once more. After stalling with kisses for a bit longer, he finally stepped away and opened the door, letting in a blast of freezing air. You wrapped your arms around yourself and shivered.

“Love you,” you called after him.

“Love you, too.” He sent you a wave and a warm smile before stepping out and shutting the door behind him.

With a resolute sigh you opened your book and settled down again, pouring a fresh cup of tea to hold in your icy fingers. The fire didn’t warm you nearly as much as Sokka’s presence did, but it would have to do for now.

ATLA TAGS: @hotgirlazula @octophopi @simpinforsukka @protect-remus @akiris @sunflowerazula

ZUKO/SOKKA TAGS: @fiantomartell @avatarayeaye @hypercakeiii

[noladyme]

The Wife - Chapter 5

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. As rumors spread that Mr. James Delaney had returned to England – making a dramatic arrival at his father’s funeral – you might imagine mothers throughout London, rushing to present their marriable daughters to the man. They did not; and for three very good reasons. First; James Keziah Delaney was clearly damaged from his travels, and not a little dangerous. Secondly; it was the general opinion of the better society that Mr. Delaney had inherited his mother’s madness. Thirdly; Mr. Delaney was not single. In fact, he was very much married.

TW: angst, violence, blood, smut (6214 words)

The next week, Rosalind spent her days entertaining guests, or visiting; doing embroidery, and darning socks; turning Chamber House into something that resembled a home; and taking promenades with her husband. She spent her nights – and on occasion, mornings – letting that same husband take her any which way he wanted, and loving every moment of it.

On one such occasion, she’d woken to find him, wearing only his shirt; and bent over a mess of documents, looking frustrated, and tired. Climbing out of the small bed, she quietly walked over to him, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I am working", he chided. “Did you sleep at all?”, she asked. “Enough. When you didn’t snore", he replied. “If you don’t want me sleeping next to you, then ask me to go to my own bed", Rosalind said, trying not to sound hurt. “No. You keep me warm", James said, took her hand from his shoulder, and pulled her down to sit on his lap. He caught her lips in a kiss, and pulled her as close as possible; making her feel his beginning hardness through the fabric of his shirt and her nightgown.

“I thought you had work to do", she breathed, as his lips travelled down her neck, and his hand dug into her bottom. “You distracted me”, he breathed against her collarbone. “You can’t be very good at your work, if you let yourself be so easily distracted”, Rosalind laughed. James pulled his head back, and raised his brows at her. “You believe you would be able to do a better job?”. He got on his feet, and made her sit on his chair; handing her a book of accounts. “Here. I’ve received a shipment of wine from France, and need to calculate the costs…”. “You mean to tell me your shipping company is an actual shipping company?”, she scoffed. “Keeping up appearances, wife”, James said. “Now, will you please help me calculate how much money I can make from sending this same shipment to Portugal?”. Rosalind blushed in embarrassment. “I wouldn’t know where to begin…”, she said. “Try”, James said, and kneeled in front of her. “Meanwhile, I will do my best to distract you”.

He lifted the hem of her nightgown, and dove his head under it; running his calloused and yet so very soft hands up her thighs. “James!”, Rosalind exclaimed. “How much did the shipment cost me?”, he said, brushing his lips against her inner thigh. His beard tickled deliciously against her skin. “It’s in the ledger”. “250£”, she said, gazing down into the book. “Hmm”, James muttered, his warm breath reaching her core. “And how much did I pay the captain of the ship to bring it?”. “75£… Oh, my…”. She felt a soft kiss against her mound. James flicked his tongue against her nub, and she jolted in her seat. He put his hands on her hips, and moved her bottom forwards on the chair. “Now, I have two captains offering me to take the shipment to Portugal”. His warm breath against her folds as he spoke, made her gasp. “One has good connections with a wine trader in Lisbon, but will charge me 130£ for his services”. He flicked his tongue again, and Rosalind threw her head back. “The other will charge me far less, but his connections aren’t as good. Which one should I choose?”. She received a torturously slow lick between her lower lips, all the way from her entrance to her nub. “I don’t… fuck…”.

James nibbled at one of her labia. “See, it is not so easy, when someone is distracting you”, he said, and pulled back from under her nightgown, looking up at her with chiding eyes. Rosalind let out a frustrated whimper. “Please…”. “Please, what? What do you want?”, James demanded. “You have disrupted my work; you’ve got me on my knees for you… What do you want?”. It was always the same. James wanted Rosalind to tell him what she wanted him to do to her, and she was learning to ask for it, but still felt embarrassed every time she did. “Speak, woman!”, James growled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Please… use your mouth on me. Kiss me, and lick me, and… Oh!”.

James had dived under her gown again, and was devouring her with ferocity. His tongue stroked her labia, while he sucked on her pebble. Lifting one of her knees to rest over his shoulder, James pulled her further forwards on the chair; allowing him to lap into her entrance, and use his finger to stroke her nub. He sounded like he was enjoying a delicious meal, and his hold on her bottom was so hard, that she wouldn’t be able to get free, even if she wanted to. It didn’t take James long to have his wife crying out in pleasure, as she shook violently from her orgasm.

With his hands around her waist, James pulled Rosalind down to straddle him, and instantly entered her. Rosalind threw her arms around his shoulders, and grinded hard against him, to stretch out her delight. James pulled at her nightgown, to get it over her head, so he could suckle at her nipple. Soon, her thighs were beginning to burn from lifting herself up and down on him, and James lifted her off him; pushing her down to lay with her chest against the floor. He lifted her bottom into the air, and entered her again; thrusting with wild abandon. James hips slamming against her, were like spanks against her bottom, and he dug his fingers into her hips. He held one hand between her shoulders, and Rosalind clawed at the floor; needing to hold on to something – anything. In sheer desperation, she ended up grabbing on to the leg of the chair, which then skirted back and forth across the floor with each of James thrusts.

Sliding his hand under her belly, James stroked circles against her nub, and once again the coil in her belly tensed to the point of snapping. He used his free hand to lift her, so she was resting on her elbows, and when she cried out in extasy, he leaned down, and bit into her neck; like an animal marking his mate. The pain was welcome, only adding to and prolonging the jolts of pleasure going through Rosalind’s body.

With a loud growl, James pulled out of her, and climaxed himself; spilling himself on her back. She laid splayed out on the floor under him, panting for breath. “James…", she whispered. “I love you", James replied.

Rosalind felt a shiver go through her body, and her heart fluttered. She turned around to meet his eyes. James looked at her warmly, before suddenly, his face dropped. “Go get dressed. I must finish this", he said, and gestured towards his desk. His tone was brusque, and his expression dark. “But…”. “Not now. Do as I say”. He took a handkerchief, and quickly wiped her off, before getting on his feet, and back in his seat.

Rosalind put her nightgown back on, and left the attic quietly; confused but strangely warm at heart.

---

James spent the rest of the day searching every inch of the house for the Nootka Treat; even the places he’d already searched twice. He was checking loose floorboards, knocking on walls; and at one point, Rosalind found him covered in soot, from having searched the chimney. She tried not to let herself hope he would change his mind, and stay in England – or at least ask her to come with him to America – but in her heart, she could not help but wish for a future with her husband.

In the evening, James seemed more preoccupied than usual during dinner. After having tried to start any kind of conversation with him, Rosalind finally gave up, and sighed deeply. “I’ve reconsidered the curtains”, she said. “Perhaps we should forego them all together. I could walk around naked, and let who ever wanted to, stand in the yard, and watch me”. “Hmm”, James replied, for the seventh time. Rosalind had kept count. “Atticus could sell tickets, and Cholmondeley could sell his gas”, she continued. “I’m thinking two shilling a head”. “Make it three; and don’t let anyone tell you you’re worth less than that”, her husband grunted. Rosalind cocked a brow at him. “So, you are listening”, she muttered. “Hmm”, James replied. “You are very amusing…”.

Rosalind pushed away her plate. “James, what’s wrong? I know you’re not a conversationalist, but this is ridiculous”. James ran a hand down his face, and grunted frustratedly. “I’ve searched every fucking inch of this house, and I still haven’t found that treaty”. She took a sip of her wine, and looked down; a knot forming in her stomach. “Is it really that urgent?”, she asked.

“I will be meeting with Thoyt in the morning, to make up a will. In the event of my death, Nootka Sound will go to the Americans; making it unviable for the Company or the crown to kill me”. “But what about the Americans, then?”. “They’ve tried and failed. They even tried to take you, and I stopped them. As it is, our negotiations are going well; and they have more to win from letting me keep it”, James grunted. “But to make the will legal, I must be able to prove that it is mine”. “Will you be unable to leave if you cannot find it?”, Rosalind muttered. James met her eyes; his own hard. “Do you know where it is?”, he asked brusquely. “No! I swear, I don’t… But you can’t blame me for not wanting you to find it; if it will keep you here with me”. “Rosalind…”, James said, and shook his head softly.

She got up from her chair abruptly, and walked over to the fireplace. “Why can’t I go with you to America?”, she said quietly. James got up himself and walked over to sit on the sofa. “You don’t belong there”, he said, slouching down in his seat. The dog put its head on his knee, and he scratched it behind its ears. “You mean, I don’t belong with you”, Rosalind said. “Hmm…”, he nodded. “I’ve told you so, many times. You will be better off without me”. “But I won’t be happy”. She turned around, and a lone tear escaped her eye.

In a surprisingly gentle gesture, James took her hand and pulled her to him, making her sit on his lap. “I am here now”, he muttered. “For however long that is. Once you have your treaty and your ship, you will be lost to me”. James wiped her tear away, and pressed his lips to hers. “I am here now”, he repeated. He tutted at her small sobs. “No more of that. I’ve told you; don’t make me a weakness. You are better than that”.

They sat for a long time in silence, while James stroked her back. “Will you do one thing for me?”, Rosalind whispered. “Hmm?”, James responded. “Will you at least, for one night, share the bed with me, that we were meant to sleep in together, on our wedding night?”. Her voice was timid, as she looked at him through her lashes. James nodded curtly, and patted her thigh for her to stand. He took her hand, and led her up the stairs, to her bedroom. The house was quiet again, the only sound coming from their feet against the floor, and James soft hums.

James walked over to the chest which held Rosalind’s wedding gown, and pulled it out. “Put it on”, he said, and held it out to her. “James, no… Don’t make this…”, Rosalind said. “I never got to take it of you. I would like to do that”. Rosalind felt a smile form on her lips. “You want me to put it on, so that you can take it off me…?”. “Yes”, James replied matter-of-factly. “Alright”, she whispered, and took the dress from him. James nodded with a satisfied smile. “And the veil. There was a veil, was there not?”. Rosalind took off the dress she was wearing. “In the bottom of the chest”, she said.

James crouched in front of the chest. She was slipping the wedding gown over her head, and trying to ignore the stain on it, when she heard a click. “What is this?”, James said. Rosalind turned around, and walked over to join him. James had pulled at a clasp on the side of the chest, and the intricately carved wooden side fell off, revealing a hidden compartment. A rolled-up piece of parchment was propped up in there. “Oh, god…”, Rosalind said. Her heart dropped.

James sat down with his legs under him, and pulled off the string holding the parchment together. “Is that…?”, Rosalind croaked. “Yes”, James said. His voice sounded far away, as he stared down at the document. “This is the Nootka Treaty. The piece of paper documenting how my father bought the land and my mother from the Nootka Tribe”. “I didn’t know, James, I swear!”. He shook his head. “No, I know. You would have never let me near the chest, if you knew”. Rosalind clenched her hands. “I wouldn’t keep it secret from you. I could never do that”, she breathed. “Hmm”. He got on his feet, and walked towards the door. “Rosalind, I must see to this. I will see you in the morning”.

He closed the door behind him, and once again left his wife in her wedding dress; knowing she would not be sharing their marriage bed with him that night – if ever.

---

James stayed in the attic all night, and left the house early the next morning. Brace let Rosalind know that he had a meeting with Thoyt, and after that, some of his more secret connections. He looked quite solemn when he spoke; and Rosalind decided not to pry.

In the evening, after she had dined alone, James returned home looking like a thundercloud. “You’re late for dinner”, she muttered chidingly at him; from where she sat in front of the fireplace, with a book in her hands, and the dog resting its head on her feet. “Why did you not tell me of the Company man that has been following you?”, James demanded. His voice was ragged, and his eyes on fire. Rosalind frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”. “The man who came for you, at Cholmondeley’s exhibition”. “He didn’t do anything to me. And I’ve only seen him twice”, Rosalind said. “Oh, it’s twice; now?”, James retorted. “How do you expect me to keep you safe, if you do not tell me of such things?”. “I didn’t know…”, Rosalind exclaimed. James stormed out of the room, and up the stairs. “James!”.

She ran after him, into her bedroom, where he was opening drawers and pulling out her belongings. “What are you doing?”, she said. “Pack up. I have a ship waiting for you at the port”, James grunted. She sprang over and grabbed his arm, as he pulled a travelling trunk from under the bed. “Stop, James. Why are you doing this?”. James grabbed her wrist, and held her close to him. “You are leaving London tonight”. “I will do no such thing!”, Rosalind sneered. “I cannot have you here, if you will not do as you’re told”, James growled. “Hmm. So, now you will pack your bags, and leave”.

He grabbed her nightgown from underneath the covers of the bed, and threw it into the open trunk. “Stop it!”, Rosalind cried out, and pushed James away from the trunk. “I have done everything you’ve told me to do, without question. You never said to tell you of every person I might come across. I didn’t know…”. Her heart was in her throat, and her hands were shaking. “I will not go. No… You can’t…”. Tears began streaming from her eyes. “I will carry you onto the ship, if I have to”, James said. “You will have to!”, Rosalind hissed through her tears. “Why are you doing this?”. “Because having you here comes in the way of my business”. She shook her head violently. “No… It’s because I’ve become a weakness to you”. “You don’t know what you’re talking about”, James said, and stepped back; creating further distance between them. His eyes were cold.

“You finally got your hands on that treaty, and now you’ve realized what you’re giving up… You’re looking for an excuse to part ways with me now, so it won’t hurt as much when you leave yourself”. Rosalind walked towards him. “I could come with you to America. There is no reason for me not to”. “No, you can’t”, he replied. “I don’t want you there”. “You love me, James. You said it yourself”, she said. “I don’t love”, he breathed, his eyes cold. “You love me!”, she insisted. “And that frightens you, because you think that means you have to choose between me and that wretched place, that you cling on to, out of some sick obligation you’ve inherited from your father… You don’t think you deserve happiness, and I pity you for it… James, you love me, and I love you”. James pounced on her; grabbed either side of her head, and stared menacingly into her eyes. “I have no use for your pity, and I have no use for your love!”, he hissed. “Pack your bags or don’t. If you’re staying, be it on your own head. You are not coming with me, because I have no more use for you. You and I are finished”. He spun around, and left the room; slamming the door behind him.

Rosalind felt as if all life left her body, and slumped over on the floor; her heart in a thousand pieces.

---

She did not get out of bed in the morning. Pearl came in with a tray of toast and eggs, but she could not eat any of it; merely stared up into the ceiling. When Pearl went to open the curtains, Rosalind asked her to leave them closed, only wanting darkness. At lunchtime, when the maid returned to fetch the uneaten food, and traded it for soup, she was still laying there; only blinking when her eyes teared up from dryness. She did not cry. She had no use for tears, after all.

Dinner went the same way; though it was Brace that came, instead of Pearl. “I made you bacon, ma’am; just the way you like it”, he said. “I know it’s not dinner-food, and that James doesn’t…”. “Take it away. I am not hungry”, she replied. “Rosalind…”, Brace tried, foregoing decorum. “You have to…”. “Take it away”. Brace sighed. “Should I at least relight the fire for you? It is bloody cold in here”. “There is no warmth in the Delaney house”, Rosalind whispered. The butler left the room quietly.

The next day was the same. She could tell from whispers outside her door, that Brace and Pearl were discussing how to best get through to her; how to help her. She had no use for their help. The maid came in to the dark room with a beautiful cake a few hours later. “We made you this, especially. Thought it might cheer you up…”, she smiled. Rosalind turned her back to her. “Give it to Winter”, she whispered. Pearl sighed. “Please, ma’am. You’ll make yourself sick like this”. “Hmm”, Rosalind replied. “A dead woman cannot get sick”. She heard the door close quietly, as Pearl left the room.

She woke from a dreamless sleep in the middle of the night, at the sound of yelling and arguing. She couldn’t make out all the words. “… up there, and you think getting drunk will solve…”, she heard Brace yell. James growled something in response. “… your wife! She won’t eat, just lays… you will just leave?”. Another series of growls and grunts. “… deserves better!”. “Yes she does!”, James roared. A door slammed, and glass shattered. She fell back asleep soon after; her body exhausted from lack of food or drink.

On the third day, she woke around noon. There was a tray of food on the bedside table, and her stomach was screaming for sustenance in such a manner, that she could no longer ignore it. She had use for food. Ingesting the toast and boiled egg, rather than eating it; she then got dressed, and did her hair up in a scarf. Though it had only been a few days, she did not recognize the woman in the mirror. Her cheeks were gaunt, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

She had use for air, so she put on a jacket and her boots, and without telling anyone, she left the house quietly, and began walking down the shoreline. Once the ground beneath her became too soft to walk on, without getting stuck, she made her way up onto the docks. The sounds of laughing made her look around the corner of a building, where she found Winter cutting up her cake in smaller pieces; sharing them equally between the younger children surrounding her. She felt a strange tug at the corner of her lip, and found that a smile had ghosted her face. Winter looked up at her, and waved. Rosalind waved back, and walked on. It was good that someone found use for the cake, when she could not.

Taking a moment to rest, Rosalind looked around the docks, and at the ships there. She found herself imagining where the ships might be heading once loaded. A sloop named La Charlotta she thought would go to Spain to trade for oranges. Another, named The Orlando, she saw as it rode the waves of the Baltic, to trade tea for whale oil. She saw a brig named Felice Adventurero, and was just about to mentally ship it towards Russia, when suddenly she knew exactly where it was going.

The Felice Adventurero was going to America; taking her husband with it. James was signing a piece of paper a boatswain was handing him, and overseeing the loading of crates onto the ship.

Rosalind froze in place, simply unable to move. All sounds around her disappeared, there were only whispers, as in her dreams – the ones where James had visited her. She saw him raise his head, and look around him; and then their eyes met. His expression was one mixed between a child being caught doing something wrong, and a man determined not to let anything faze him. For a long moment, they held each other’s gaze, then Rosalind looked at the ship again, nodded, and turned around; walking away. James had his ship, and was lost to her, forever. She walked back to Chamber House, and went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Hours later, while Rosalind was seated in front of the unlit fireplace in her room, there was a soft knock on the door; and James entered. “You have your ship”, she said quietly. “Yes. I am negotiating safe passage, and as soon as I have it, I will sail to America”. “Hmm”, Rosalind replied. He stood looking at her for a moment, as if anticipating her to say something else. “I have made up the papers for you to have this house. Brace will stay behind, and is willing to stay on as butler”. She shook her head. “No thank you. Leave the house and everything in it to him”, she said. “I have no use for it. There are too many ghosts here”.

James grunted in confusion. “How will you make your way? You have no income”. “Perhaps I can go to Helga. Or perhaps I will live in a shack on the harbor, and live of scraps. It does not matter”. She pulled out her combs, and let her hair fall down her shoulders. “That is not who you are, Rosalind. That is not the woman I married”, James breathed. She finally turned around, and met his eyes. “The woman you married is gone. You are a widower…”.

His eyes widened. It was as if he was looking at a stranger, and he shook his head; looking almost afraid. “You should leave. This room is no place for you”, Rosalind said. James backed out of the room, unable to break eye contact with the woman who had been his wife. Rosalind turned back towards the fireplace, and let out a deep breath.

---

The whispers where like songs; a multitude of them. They scared her and soothed her, all at the same time. She stood waist-deep in water, and in her reflection, she saw that her face was covered in white paint, and her eyes black.

“Rose…”. Someone was calling to her from the shore. She turned around and saw him there; James. His eyes were pained. “Is this my dream, or yours?”, she asked in a whisper. “Rose…”, he said. “Come to me”. He reached out a hand, goading her closer. “No… This is my place now. You can leave it behind. You are free”. James shook his head fervently, and took a step out into the water. “This was not made for you. You don’t belong here”. “But you gave it to me”, Rosalind smiled.

James waded into the water, and was soon standing in front of her. He put his hands on either side of her face. “I am not leaving you in here. Please, my love…”. There were tears in his eyes. Rosalind knew she had to make him leave. She lifted her hand, and with a soothing smile, she put them on his chest, and he was jolted away from her; disappearing.

Spreading her arms out, Rosalind leaned backwards, and let herself fall into the water; and sink down into the darkness.

---

It was just before dawn when she woke. Unable to truly understand what she’d just dreamt, Rosalind crawled out of bed, and walked over to the washbasin to splash some water in her face. White paint came off when she dried herself with a towel. Getting dressed, she decided to take another walk, wanting to avoid facing any of the inhabitants of the house. The park seemed the obvious place to go, though she did fear having to face any acquaintances; so, she kept to the smaller paths.

As she was gazing over a small pond, she suddenly felt a hand on her arm. She spun around, and stood face to face with Thorne Geary. “I am sorry, Mrs. Delaney. I did not mean to startle you”, he said. “Mr. Geary… I have nothing to say to you”, Rosalind said. Her heart was in her throat, as her former assailant looked down at her with saddened eyes. “I know, I do… I want to apologize”, he said. “What happened… I was drunk, and a terrible fool. I cannot tell you how dreadfully embarrassed I am. You were right to strike me, I deserved nothing less, and far more”. Rosalind nodded, not knowing how to reply.

After a moment of them standing there, Geary, cleared his throat. “I should very much like to extend my apologies to your husband as well, but he was not to be found at home, or at his office”. He looked around. “Is he here with you?”. “I don’t know where he is”, Rosalind said quietly. Geary looked at her worriedly. “Are you quite alright, Mrs. Delaney? You look out of sorts”. “I’m just… It’s nothing”. He extended his arm to her. “Please, come sit on a bench. You look like you need rest”.

Without taking his arm, Rosalind followed the man to a nearby bench below a tree, and sat down next to him. “Are you sure you don’t know where Mr. Delaney is? Perhaps I could fetch him for you”, Geary said. “No, I don’t know. He is tending to business elsewhere”, Rosalind said, with an edge to her voice. “So you are all alone…”. Geary’s voice had changed, and when she looked at him, she recognized the beast who had attacked her at Musgrove’s party. Before she had a chance to cry out, something hit her over the head, and everything went black.

---

When she came too, she was in a dark room. She was wearing just her chemise and stay, an her feet were bare; and she was laying on a dirty mattress. There was a barred window at the top of one wall, and what looked like a heavy door in another. In the middle of the room was a table, and two chairs, facing each other. She could hear screams and nonsensical moans from outside the door. Fear instantly took her over, but she forced herself to focus. She got on her feet, and rubbed her arms for warmth. Who had taken her, she did not know; but whoever it was, she had done nothing wrong, and could not give them anything. They were doing this to get to James.

The door opened, and an older man with a smug expression entered the room, followed by two other men. One with the face of a concerned rat, and the other plump and looking like everything around him smelled foul. Lastly, a man in a dirty jacket and with beady eyes, slipped in behind them, and went to stand by the door. “Mrs. Delaney! I am glad we’ve finally been able to catch up to you”, the first man said. “We did have one of our agents wanting to speak with you at a chemistry exhibition you were at recently, but you must have been in a rush, because you slipped past him”. He reached out his hand. “I am sir Stuart Strange”. Bile rose in Rosalind’s throat, but she forced herself to seem indifferent.

“I should like my dress back”, she said as calmly as she could. “I’m afraid it’s been burnt; to avoid lice and vermin infestations”, Strange said matter-of-factly. “It’s procedure here at Bedlam”. “I’m in Bedlam?”, Rosalind croaked. “Yes, madam; you are. And for the long haul… Unless you cooperate”. “You don’t have the power to hold me here…”. “Money trumps power. Which happens to be one of the reasons the king hates the Company”. “Oh… Could I at least have a blanket…? For propriety and modesty”, she said. Strange laughed. “My dear, you are married to the devil Delaney. You are the furthest thing from proper”. He gestured at one of the chairs. “Have a seat”.

Shaking – partly from cold, partly from fear – Rosalind walked over to the chair, and sat down. Strange’s two minions flanked her. The man himself took the chair opposite her. “I will get right to the point. Your husband owns a piece of land on the west coast of America…”. “I am aware”, Rosalind said. Strange gave her strained smile at her interruption. “Yes… Well, as the situation would have it; this particular piece of land is of no real value, unless you know how to use it”. “As a naval trade station”. “Exactly! My, you are a clever one…”, Strange said overbearingly. “Before your husband returned from the dead, you were to inherit this land, and we had planned to buy it from you. Now, that is not an option”. “Unless you try to kill him again”. Rosalind moved a lock of hair out of her face, and kept her expression as calm as possible. “Which, as I understand is not an option, because the land will go to the Americans”. “Indeed…”, Strange said.

He gestured to the rat-like man, who placed two documents on the table. “What I have here is your future… Well, a selection of futures; and you will be free to have any one of them. It will be your choice in the end. Mr. Wilton, if you’d care to explain”. The rat-man opened one of the documents. “By law, as James Delaney’s wife, you have the power to claim him insane. All you will need, is for a doctor to sign this document; and Delaney will then be taken in to custody, and put here in Bedlam Asylum. That is what Dr. Kilroy is here for”. He gestured towards the beady eyed man at the door. “As his wife, you will then have power of attorney to handle his assets. You will then sell Nootka Sound to the honorable East India Trading Company, on behalf of your husband – for which you will be fairly paid – and you can live out your life in comfort”.

The man’s words made Rosalind shudder. “I can’t! That would be… no!”, she exclaimed. “We thought you might say that”, Strange smiled. “Mr. Pettifer?”. The plump man opened the second document. “This is a document stating your insanity”. “What?”, Rosalind gasped. “What is your evidence?”. “A Mr. Thorne Geary found you rambling about your husband, saying he was dead, when it is very clear he is alive. You were throwing yourself at him, tearing at your clothes; and wanting to let him have… carnal knowledge of you, at a recent event”. “That is a lie! He attacked me!”, she cried out. “My dear Mrs. Delaney. It is your word against his, and he is a respected gentleman; whereas you… Well, you married a murderer and a slave-trader… And, you’re a woman”. Pettifer gave her a haughty smile.

Strange leaned back in his seat. “It is very simple, Mrs. Delaney. Sign these papers, declaring your suspicion of your husband’s insanity; or I will have the doctor here sign these, declaring you insane. You will be in here Bedlam for the rest of your life”. Panic was beginning to take over, and Rosalind felt tears form in her eyes. Strange sighed deeply. “Doctor, why don’t you tell Mrs. Delaney what the procedure is for new patients here at Bedlam”. The doctor stepped forward, and pulled out a pair of scissors from his Pocket, “First, we cut of your hair, to avoid creepy crawlies. We have enough of those in the mattresses here”, he said, smiling at her with yellow teeth. “Then, it’s daily ice-baths for the first month, to expel the evil spirits from you. You will of course be naked during these baths, and I’m afraid we have no women employed here; so, you will have men taking care of said baths. They are not all trained physicians as myself, but they do their best; though they can get a bit handsy…”. He let out a raspy laugh.

Rosalind swallowed thickly, as a pen and a bottle of ink was laid in front of her. “I want to see my husband”, she whispered. “He is nowhere to be found”, Strange said. “Have you even tried looking for him?”. “No. And we won’t”. He let out an exasperated grunt. “Right. Dr. Kilroy?”.

The doctor stepped forwards, and before she knew it, Pettifer and Wilton had each grabbed one of her wrists; while Kilroy pulled the combs from her hair, and grabbed it in his fist; pressing her chest towards the table. Rosalind cried out in pain and fear, and her entire body shivered. “Please, stop…”. Strange forced the pen into the hand Wilton was holding down. “Sign the fucking document!”, he hissed. She heard the snipping of the scissors by her ear, and tears began spilling from her eyes, making the table wet against her cheek; which was pressed against it. “I want to speak with my husband. I want James!”, Rosalind whimpered. Someone bored an elbow down between her shoulder blades. “I’m not signing anything, until you let me speak to him. If you were going to admit me here, you would have done it already”.

Strange stepped back, exclaiming a frustrated growl. “Let her stew a bit. Some time in the collar should clear her mind”. Kilroy grabbed her left hand, and looked down at her ring. “We wouldn’t want this getting lost, would we?”, he said. Rosalind clenched her fist to avoid him taking it; but Kilroy pried it open, and managed to take the only thing she had on her, that still mattered. Without it, she felt truly naked. The doctor stepped back, and holding on to each of her arms, Pettifer and Wilton led her out of the room, and into a long dark hallway. Here, they were met by a large, dirty man; who grabbed her by the neck, and led her away. Dr. Kilroy followed close behind.

“She’s a pretty one, doctor”, the man holding on to her said. He slipped a fat arm around her waist, and held her against him. “You may have your fun with her soon enough”, Kilroy replied. “For now, it’s a little time in the collar”. “Too bad. She won’t be as clean after that”. Both men laughed.

Rosalind was led to a room about the size of a closet. A chain was attached to the wall, and at the end of was a collar of metal. She was forced into the room, and the large man fastened the collar around her neck.

The door was closed, and she was in complete darkness.

---

[weirdthinkingdragon]

Pushed Temptations

Yandere Western Shouta x reader

Warnings of blood, guns, character death, uh… intended weapon harm to reader? Should that be a warning? Quirkless AU

IDEK if you can really call this a yandere. More like highly protective, which is kinda yandere I guess? All I know is I was in a really soft mood when writing the ending. Oops… 

It was rather quiet today at the bar. The only thing being the pianist playing their good old favorite tunes. No one seems to mind, and he offers to do the piano at a rather small price. Because of that, my boss decided to let him have a few drinks a day free. He was thankful but oddly declined. He’s definitely an older man, maybe in his 50s. I can’t for the life of me remember his name, but I do remember it starts with a T. He’s definitely an incredibly kind man though. 

I clean the glass of the customer that just left incredibly drunk. I don’t care much about doing this job, but I have to because the boss told me I could live here if I do. He knew my family and wanted to help me out after they were killed by bandits on their way home. He’s also worried about me being alone in case that happens to me as well. I don’t really care. We all die at some point anyway. I am rather angry with the bandits though. He wouldn’t let me decline. Seriously, he made two of his strongest bouncers come get me to bring me to him. I’m starting to think he only wanted me for his benefit. 

There was a rowdy few in the corner playing poker at the corner. I try to ignore them and stare at the doors to the entrance. One of the men at the table suddenly stands up, and storms out. He yells in fear after exiting. No one bats an eye since yelling is pretty normal around here. From fear? Not really, but it’s not my problem as long as it’s not in here.

It doesn’t take long to know why the man yelled in fear. A very feared outlaw enters through the doors. Shouta, the man feared by all. The only man that wears black everything, including his stetson. Well, the only thing not black was his bandana. That was a medium gray. He’s taken down multiple people at once, and so many Sheriffs and Bounty Hunters have been after him, which lead to their deaths. Only one person has ever been close to doing serious damage to him. From what I heard, they tried to become friends with him over a few days, got close enough, and tried to stab his eye with a knife. The swing hit, but not the way they hoped. The man was found dead a few days later with a bullet hole in his pants. He was shot in his thigh and left for dead overnight. The wolves got to him before he was found. 

A chill goes through the place as everyone goes silent and stares at him. They know to not bring their guns out. They stare in fear at him as he saunters up to the booth right in front of me. “Howdy stranger, what can I get ya?” 

“Whiskey.” Geez, even his voice is something to send chills down someone’s spine. I grab one of the glasses, fill it, and pass it to him. He goes to pass the money for it to me. I push it back towards him, leading him to have surprise on his face. 

“It’s on me. It’s a thank you for getting rid of that group of damn bandits that called themselves the “Iron Will”. It’s nothing to you, but they were a royal thorn in my side. I wanted revenge on myself for something they did.”

His face went back to being stoic, but he did grab the glass. I look at the entrance to see if anyone else entered. No. In fact, the ones at the table playing Poker booked it out of here, so it’s now just him, the pianist, and I. 

It stayed quiet between us for a bit. “You know, I don’t think you’re as bad as people say,” He raises the brow with the obvious scar under his eye, but says nothing. “From what I’ve heard, most, if not all, of the people you have killed have deserved it. Yes, even the Sheriffs. They’re usually corrupt themselves anyway.”  

“...You talk a lot.” He’s too hard to read to know what he’s truly thinking. 

I shrug. “It ain’t much. It just gets pretty boring around here, especially since I’d honestly rather be doing anything else.  Kinda forced to be here,” I glare off to the side. “Thank the damn bandits for that one,” I lock eyes with him again. “Uh… nevermind. Enjoy the rest of your whiskey.” I say and go over to the table the rowdy people were t and grabbed their glasses. It might be best to not bother him much more. Maybe I’d be next. 

The blond stops playing the piano for now, and he locks eyes with Shouta. Shouta… Gives him a small nod?  They must know each other. That would just be further proof he doesn’t kill for no reason. 

He asked for another, which I gave him. The blond didn’t continue playing yet. He must be giving his fingers a break. Honestly? About time. That man’s been playing for the past three hours without a break. 

At least, it was peaceful until someone slammed the doors open in an obvious frantic state. It was my boss. He has a revolver… It was easy to tell what he wanted to do with it from the way he glares at Shouta. I don’t let worry show, even though I’m worried about him being shot by Shouta, which could easily happen. That and the blood would be hard to clean up. It always is on wooden floors, as well as I don’t have anywhere to go after since my home was already taken from being forced to be here.  “Ren, please put the gun away. We ain’t got time for blood to be spilled here.”

That got Shouta to turn around and notice the man. His hand hovers over the pistol in his belt. 

“You don’t tell me what to do! This man doesn’t belong here! I want him out! If the bouncers won’t, I’ll do it myself!”

I sigh. “Ren, please. The bouncers left an hour ago. You know you don’t stand a chance, and I really don’t want to clean blood off the floor tonight,” He’s still frantically waving the gun around like a child proud of a new toy. “He also hasn’t done anything.”

“Hasn’t done anything!? He killed Mizuki!” Mizuki? Where have I- oh. That wretched man.

“Isn’t he that man that kept forcing himself on women?” 

“That doesn’t matter! He was still a great person!” … Is this man serious!? 

If I’m reading Shouta right, he wasn’t too happy about hearing that either. “Why the fuck am I stuck working for you?” I whisper to myself. It’s not loud enough for Ren to hear thankfully. He would have blown his mind if he heard me. In speaking of a blown mind, he’s about to get his mind blown to bits for real. “I’m sorry for his actions. I'm also sorry, but would you mind leaving without spilling blood? I know it's stupid to ask, but I'm sure you know just how hard blood is to get off of things." I lean a bit over the counter. 

"Stop being a pathetic bootlicker! He ain't deserving of it! Get. Out!" 

"You're always welcome here otherwise." I whisper. Ren didn’t hear it, but I’m pretty sure Shouta did as he turned to lock eyes with me for a second before slamming the glass down and turns to glare hard at Ren. I don't even need to see his face to know. The fearful shaking of my boss shows. He stands up, and heads towards the door. He shakily points the gun at Shouta, but he doesn't even bother grabbing his pistol, just keeps his eyes on Ren. Ren is angering me right now, disturbing the peace between the three of us here. Also for being a darn hypocrite of sorts for not being able to be brave for pointing a gun at Shouta, even though he’d make others do it if they were around. 

Ren steps away from the door as Shouta exits. It doesn't take long for the loud pounding of horse hooves to drift away until they’re no longer heard. 

Ren puts his gun away, but glares at me. "Why did you not tell him to leave when he entered!? Men like that ain't welcome around here.”

I look at him like he's stupid, probably because he is. "What in tarnation did you want me to do about it? Money is money, ain't it? Even then, a simple person such as I had no chance against a man such as that. Do you even see a gun around me!?”

He swears under his breath. “Close up early.” He leaves. ??? What? Just comes in here to disturb us for that? It’s confirmed, he’s not stable. 

Despite everything I could do, I decided to just listen and close it early. I grabbed the glass Shouta used, and started to clean it. 

“You’re right you know,” I stop cleaning the glass and look at the blond. “About Shouta. He’s a kind man, just given odd cards for his life. All it takes is one bad doing to make someone thrown in the dark. He’s saved me more than once before. Unfortunately, one time he did accidentally kill a good man. Hizashi was his name. At least, that’s what everyone believes. Someone else shot him, but pinned the blame on Shouta. Everyone believed the other man before they believed him. There’s no way he’d purposefully kill his friend though. Sure, Hizashi was a troublemaker at times, but he had a heart of gold. Friendly to all.”

My brows crease. “Why have I never heard about this?” This seems like something that really should be known.” 

He grows a saddened expression. “Many have simply chosen to forget or listen to him. Shouta gave up trying to convince people and just accepted his new way he has to live.” 

I’m angry at people for doing this to him, and also sad for him. Just thinking about how bad and painful it would to be not be listened to when telling the truth and no one believes me would be devastating. 

He leaves, and I leave a bit after finishing cleaning up.

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

For the past few months, Shouta has visited a few times. Luckily, Ren never came around, so he must be rather stealthy coming here now. I’m sure he comes for the free drinks. Who wouldn’t use that offer? I also started staying open a bit later than normal just for him. Still pretty sure he doesn’t like me too much from constantly trying to talk to him more with no success. Only a few nods or shakes of his head as replies. 

Tonight was no different. I kept it open late on the twelfth day of the month. He’s had a pattern of coming on this specific day. Toshinori, the man I finally remember the name of, left not too long ago. I’m all alone now. The eerie silence is rather unnerving when being so used to hearing the piano playing so often. 

Sadly, he doesn’t enter the saloon after a while of waiting. Maybe he’s busy tonight? Or maybe he got injured? There’s no way he could have been caught, right? I really hope not. I close the saloon and start to head home. It’s really late at night with the moon at its highest point in the  sky. It’s a full one tonight, showing everything around me rather brightly.  I pass a house on my way to mine, only to be suddenly slammed into the wall of it. 

There was a familiar face to the body. Ren!? He holds a gun right up to my neck. His breath is shaky and obviously full of anger. “You… Stupid… Did you really think you could keep going against my back without me finding out!?” He pushes the gun harder on my neck. “I really hoped to be wrong that you were helping that.. Filth of a man. Oh no. No, no, no, no! You’ve not only kept serving him, you’ve been doing it free. You deserve to be fucking executed for that!” 

He wasn’t alone. There were three other silhouettes that revealed themselves as men in the shadow of the building next to this one. They were close friends of his, and I’m pretty sure I remember the one farthest from me being rather close to Mizuki. The situation started to show, and fear quickly started rising. I’m going to die. “No, you deserve to be killed now for stealing from me! I give you a place to stay, and you steal! I should have left you to the bandits.” He seethes. 

“Heh, I reckon we use ‘em as bait. We could pin the blame on them instead, and maybe their new “friend” will be angry enough to kill them. He’s had no problem killin’ people close to him before”  Ren grows a sadistic smile. “You know? That’s the best idea!” He leans dangerously close to my face. My body recoils at the stench of his breath. It’s foul enough for my stomach to want to release everything in it. 

The sound of two guns being cocked brought my attention to behind the man farthest from me. It’s Shouta. “There’s one problem with that plan.” He says. His tone seems a bit sharper than what I’ve heard though. 

All the men sharply turn around with their guns held, pointing at Shouta. 

“Oh, hey, Shouta. Sorry for-” Ren pushes the gun hard enough on my neck that it cuts me off from talking. “Shut it.” 

I’ve never seen Shouta’s face so angry before. “Let them go, and maybe you’ll be spared.” He nearly hisses, but is trying to stay level-headed. 

Ren suddenly starts laughing. “Aw, does the murderous outlaw have a big ol’ soft spot for this pathetic thing? How touching!” His finger on the trigger twitches. “Just makes me want to kill them more!” 

Gunfire rang out. Something warm hits my face. I cringe at the quick realization it’s Ren’s blood. Ren’s body collapses to the ground. The others try to shoot at Shouta, but he dodges them all and shoots all of them through their heads. People’s lights started to turn on and others were coming out of their houses to see the commotion. 

Shouta holsters his guns and whistles for his horse. A black Arabian runs up right next to him. “Thanks for saving me. You might want to leave though before you get more involved.” I try to walk away, but he grabs onto my arm, pulling me towards his horse. “What are you doing!?” I ask as he pushes me towards his horse. 

“Something I should have done months ago. Get on.” What is he making me do? People will get the wrong idea if they see me with him.

“But-” 

He nudges me by the horse again. “Get on.” I comply with a bit of difficulty from not used to being on a horse. He then gets on the saddle in one quick movement. The horse takes off as bullets from others whiz by us. I hug his rather well-toned torso to hold on. Luckily, none of them hit as we got far enough away.

It doesn’t take long for us to get to a house that looks abandoned. It was a rather small house with only a window on the front right next to the door. It’s hidden incredibly well by a few large hills. 

He gets off the horse, ties the reins up, and nudges me towards the small house. "Why did you make me come with you? Now people will get the wrong idea." 

He opens the door and allows me in first. Moonlight sone through the window enough to make the inside visible. On the left is a decent sized bed that seems a bit worse for wear, but still sturdy with rather clean looking sheets. The only other things in here was a wardrobe against the wall farthest from the door, and a chest under the window on the right side. “They would have gotten the wrong idea anyways. It wouldn’t have been the first time.” He ends up saying with his voice a bit strained. No doubt he’s remembering his friend. 

He closes the door, and surprisingly, hugs me from behind. “Not again. I’ll make sure of it.”

I quirk a brow. The attention isn’t unwelcomed, but quite a surprise.. “You DO know I could have been shot as we left, right?” I ask. Wrong thing to say. His arms tightened substantially as he buried his head in my neck. 

“They’d all be dead.” 

“Wait, but they wouldn’t have done anything.” A bit of fear laced through me. Not for me, but for the others. 

“Someone injuring or threatening you deserves death.” 

“You’re supposed to be a good outlaw, what happened?” I ask, already kind of knowing the answer, and angry with myself for being so nice in the first place. 

“Today happened. Those… things that nearly harmed you were right with their thoughts. No matter what I do, everyone is going to think I’m bad. It’s time for me to be a bit selfish for once. That selfish want is wanting you close to me.” 

My heart is torn between melting at how cute that kind of is to still being fearful for others. 

“That’s sweet and all, but you and I both know this isn’t gonna work for many reasons. One being we both can’t keep riding the same horse. It ain’t fair to the poor thing.” I felt him smile on my neck. 

“We’ll get you one at some point. Judging from your struggling earlier, we have a ways to go first.”

I smile. This could be fun. What’s not fun is the mostly dry blood cracking on my face. “Sounds like fun, but uh… Got anything to clean this blood off?” 

He tenses. “Blood?” The way he said it made me wish I didn’t say anything about it. He stops hugging me and turns me around, closely examining my face. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not mine. It does feel gross though.” 

Within a blink of an eye, he pulls out a rag and goes over to the chest to see a rather large jug of water. He dips it in the jug and comes back to wipe it off my face with a deep frown on his face. 

In an odd form of suddenly feeling silly, I poke his nose with my right pointer finger. He blinked in surprise at me. He grows a soft smile that almost doesn’t seem suiting of him. It makes me chuckle. 

“You know, It’s surprising to me you actually care. Or uh… Love me? Or whatever it really is. For the longest time I could swear you hated me.”

“I did at first,” Okay, points for honesty. “I expected you to be like an earlier nuisance I had to take care of. That changed especially after my third visit. I noticed you weren’t acting like it just to me. You were genuine with everyone. Toshinori helped by informing me more of your... issue that you told e a bit about,” He leans in close, fully cutting the conversation. “I think this is long overdue.” His lips touch mine. It was a really quick kiss that I barely had time to register. 

I smirk. “So you DO love me, or am I looking too much into it?” 

He’s not amused. “You already know the answer to that.”

Now I know I have a deadly outlaw that loves me. I guess in a way I should thank Ren. 

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

[kitkat1003]

On the issue of Mortality

AO3 Link

MK chose to be mortal, to be vulnerable, for the time being, and Monkey King is fine with that.

On the surface, at least.  Now he has a successor, one that he likes, and he’s vulnerable????

Yeah, he’s never going to sleep easy again.

(Or, 11 chapters through season 1 about Monkey King, and anxiety his successor gives him.  Who knew being a dad teacher would be so hard?)

Chapter 1: Picking a successor

(Or “Look, I’m gonna come clean.  Um...I’ve been kinda watching you”)

When Sun Wukong—the Monkey King—decides he needs a successor, it isn’t an easy decision.  For one, he refuses to admit why.  Because that would mean confronting it all and he doesn’t want to.  

He needs a successor because he wants one.  Who doesn’t want to retire?  It’s not like he’s spent hundreds of thousands of years in technical retirement, waiting for the Demon Bull King to return.  No, he’s been...super busy.  Yeah.  Turning Flower Fruit Mountain into a paradise has totally taken him…forever, and, like, he’s got lots of stuff to do.  He watches TV, once humans get electricity figured out.  Gets a computer too, once those things start popping up.  He gets a lawyer or two, yknow, keeping up with the times.

He’s...super busy.  He definitely deserves a retirement.

So all that’s left is find a successor.  Easy, right?

Well....

He actually starts looking when he hears whispers that the Demon Bull family is starting to get close to figuring out how to lift his staff.  So about a hundred years before Demon Bull King actually escapes.

He finds a few kids he thinks might work, but nothing happens, anyway, so there’s no point in interrupting their boring normal lives for nothing.  Besides, he doesn’t really see any of them with the spark of...something that he wants in his successor in any of them

He watches them grow.  Child to teen to adult, he watches, and then he leaves before they get too old because he doesn’t want to see the headstones.

He doesn’t understand why they have to be human.  Why they have to be mortal.  Why they have to be able to die.

Why he has to watch them die.

Years and years pass.  He gets lax, when looking for a successor.  Lax when it comes to keeping an eye on the Demon Bull family.

He does, on occasion, watch the town where his staff is.  It’s a pretty populace place, always buzzing with some sort of activity, which is both fun and boring.

One night, he watches a kid—no older than 13, he thinks, since he’s gotten used to watching humans grow and can gauge it pretty well—sprint down the street in the rain, wearing nothing but a ratty old hoodie, a shirt, shorts, torn up shoes, and a headband so dirty that even he can’t discern the original color.

There are three other figures chasing him, and he ducks into an alley as they sprint past.  Monkey King watches as the kid settles down, sitting in the alley, and pulling something out from beneath his hoodie.

A puppy.

“Hey there, little guy,” the kid’s voice is soft, and he scritches the tiny pup behind the ears.  “Sorry I couldn’t get your siblings, but they’d already been thrown in the lake—” the look on the kid’s face is nothing short of heartbreaking. 

Monkey King has plans for the group of thugs he saw earlier, if that’s what they were doing. Humans. 

“But hey, managed to save you, huh?  I’ll bring you to a shelter in the morning.  Someone will take you home and you’ll get loved to death.” Monkey King rolls his eyes at the saccharine display, but he wonders.

There isn’t a lot of crime in this city, with its advancements.  What’s a kid doing outside this late at night?

“I’d take you home with me, but mine’s more of a hovel than a place to live.  You can still see it, though!  C’mon,” the kid gets up, stumbling a little, and Monkey King notices that he’s favoring one leg, that the elbow of one of the sleeve’s of his hoodie is wet.

He follows.

The kid’s house is literally a shack made of a metal sheet wedged between an alley wall.  There’s a ‘bench’ that’s a slab of rock placed on top of more rocks, where a well loved sketchbook sits.

The kid sits on the bench, setting the puppy down beside him as he flips open his sketchbook.

“I’m gonna draw you, so I don’t forget, kay?” He pats the pup on the head, and then, using the smallest, most worn down pencil Monkey King has ever seen, he slowly carves out the puppy’s features, getting the soft tones of fur.  He keeps squinting, but Monkey King thinks that’s because all he has is the light of the lamppost for his vision.

This kid...is pretty darn good.

Monkey King watches for way longer than he would like to admit, and then watches as the kid pulls out a very worn blanket-substitute, curling around the puppy beneath it.

He frowns, but isn’t sure what to do about it.

So he leaves, and makes sure those thugs learn a thing or two about treating animals with respect.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This kid just keeps popping up in Monkey King’s peripherals.

He likes to people watch, and the kid will just appear from nowhere.  He’ll be running down the street, hanging out with this girl who looks about 3 economic classes above him. They’ll go to the arcade and play for hours, and she’ll pay for practically everything.

He decides he likes her, if she’s nice enough to do that for the kid.  Plus, he feels a familiar energy coming off of her, something he trusts.

They typically end their day at a noodle shop.  Pigsy’s?  The kid always pays there, with coins of various sizes.  The girl, when the kid isn’t looking, will slip the cook some more money.  They get steaming hot bowls of ramen, harass the cook, and eventually get half chased out, laughing all the while.

“You know you can stay with me, right?” The girl says, one day, when Monkey King is people watching (read: eavesdropping on their conversation.  It’s like his new favorite TV show, at this point).  Kid rolls his eyes.

“Mei, c’mon, your relationship with your folks is as strained as mine!  I wouldn’t want you to end up like me.  Besides, I’m fine!” he insists with the grin Monkey King has grown accustomed to seeing on Kid’s face.  

The information Monkey King gains from those two sentences is certainly something, and he ponders on Mei, the girl who spends her days as far away from home as possible.

Mei frowns.

“You still won’t show me where you’re staying.  Or explain why your clothes are all torn up!” She pokes him in the chest, and the Kid shrugs.

“Cause you wouldn’t like either of those things!  I can take care of myself!  Promise.” He rocks back and forth on his feet, all smiles.

Mei fixes him with a glare, before she sighs, relenting. “Fine.  But, if you won’t take my hospitality, you get my undying loyalty and free stuff!” She whips out a brand new red winter coat.  

Kid takes it slowly.

“It’s getting colder out!” She explains.  “And red just isn’t my color, you know?”

Kid slowly pulls the jacket against his chest, like he doesn’t know what to do with it, and then he smiles.  This one is smaller.  Less performative.  Monkey King didn’t realize that he’d been watching the kid to be able to tell the difference, but it’s not too hard to see.  Kid uses big smiles like a cloak, to hide what’s underneath.  The smaller ones-those are like the slivers of sunlight shooting out from an eclipse.  Wukong finds he prefers the smaller ones.

Kid wraps his arm around Mei’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Mei.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The days get colder, and Kid is still in that shack.  Monkey King finds out that Kid doesn’t steal for money.  Instead, he does little odd jobs for short change, and then looks for coins people have dropped.  Apparently, the city’s wealth has made people more loose with their change.

Mei drags him to warm places as often as she can, but apparently this time of year she has a lot of responsibilities, or “social events,” as she calls them, so she can’t be around as much.

Kid doesn’t seem to mind, shivering through the nights, curling himself as tight as possible with that jacket and shitty blanket, and Monkey King doesn’t know why he even cares, but...

He’s not cruel.  It isn’t pleasant to watch a kid suffer.

And then, Kid gets sick.  Like, delirious, fever sick, and he’s not getting better.

And Monkey King has told himself, a million times, that he would let Kid figure his own life out, but he ends up picking Kid up anyway, depositing him at the ever familiar noodle shop.

The cook drags the boy inside, and Monkey King doesn’t see Kid on the streets after that.

Good.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kid starts working at the noodle shop, apparently, and he lives above the shop.  Slowly, he accrues random objects.  Sketchbooks, games, figurines, Monkey King comics?  He watches the show near religiously, and Monkey King is both flattered and weirded out.

A super fan, huh?  Okay then.

And when he isn’t working, or watching “Monkey King: The Animated Series,” or reading Monkey King comics, he’s begging the resident bookworm, Tang, for stories, which he then sketches out.

Monkey King actually goes through the sketchbook once, when Kid’s asleep.  Yup, Kid’s really, really good at this.  Monkey King actually thinks about stealing a drawing, but that would be both very obvious and also stupid.

So he lets it go.  He ought to look for his successor, anyway.  He hears the Demon Bull family is getting close.

He leaves Kid to his life and moves on to his own.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He can’t find a successor.  Somehow.  It’s like every person in this city (and it would have to be in this city, because you need to be close to the staff in some regard if you want to have a connection with it.  Being born near it, living near it-makes it easy for the energy, the chi, to find you) doesn’t want anything to do with hero business.  The kids he considers are too small, the adults too...boring.

And he’s getting pretty frustrated here, because he thinks he might just have to fight the Demon Bull King all over again, which, ugh.

And then, it clicks.

He’s watching Kid drive around town, delivering orders, and somehow the kid steers towards the construction site.  Toward the staff.

Of course.

God, it was literally staring him in the face.  He feels kind of dumb, now that it hits him, but whatever.  Not like anyone’s around to tease him about it.

He watches Kid waltz towards danger, music in his headphones too loud to notice the literal demon family, until Kid opens his eyes and sees the whole demon army there, and hoo boy, is this comical.

Monkey King wonders if they’ll succeed this time, in lifting his staff.  They certainly seem confident.  He’s kind of curious, kind of bored.  The whole ‘take our rightful place as rulers of this world’ schtick is super annoying, and Red Son’s voice is grating.

The light show is pretty nice, though, and then.

Then.

Demon Bull King’s a lot smaller than he remembers, but his voice is the same, as is his attitude.  Monkey King can feel Kid shaking and takes a quick sweep of the area.  Seems his successor is right above Red Son.

He smirks to himself, not that anyone can see considering he’s a bird right now.  

This is going to be hilarious.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Kid touches the staff, Monkey King isn’t prepared for the feeling he gets.

It’s like he’s been the single Sun in an endless galaxy, surrounded by darkness, when suddenly another star appears from nowhere, throwing him into orbit with it.  The galaxy shifts, the light doubles, the darkness recedes.

Monkey King’s own center, his sun, feels red hot, warm, and tempered by years of life, with a spark of yellow and white in its center.  Kid’s is bright, brilliant golden yellow, more white than any color, bursting with energy.

That energy gets put to work pretty quickly, as the Kid fumbles his way out of the demon’s den, and Monkey King soars after him, watching the escape with a smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He doesn’t properly meet Kid until he gets shot all the way to Flower Fruit mountain.  After Kid escapes Red Son, he panickedly tells his friends what’s going on and tries to get there on his own.

Well, all the way is a bit much.  Maybe Monkey King had to catch Kid and fly him there, because Kid was looking half dead and Monkey King was a little worried, but that’s beside the point.  He leaves Kid on the shore, and follows him when Kid gets up.

He isn’t expecting the frustration, when he can’t be found, but he supposes that’s his cue.

Getting stepped on is unpleasant.  Guess Kid doesn’t like bugs.

God, the look on Kid’s face, when it hits him that Monkey King’s been watching him!  If he could frame a memory, that would be it.  Hoo, boy, is that going to be replaying in his head for a while.  Kid seems more bewildered than anything else, and the idea of being Monkey King’s successor doesn’t sit well with him.

Which, Monkey King doesn’t get that.  Who wouldn’t want to be taught by him?

But maybe he overestimates the kid’s spunk, his confidence, because waving off his worries doesn’t spur him on; rather, it seems to deflate him.

Ugh.  Why is being a teacher difficult?  It’s not like his teacher had a hard time with him, right?

Distantly, he thinks he can hear his master shouting at him.  He hops off his cloud, says just the right thing to get Kid pumped up, and watches him race off.

He considers just sitting back and not watching, but then, that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He isn’t actually sure what having a successor means, really.  How much their powers, their lives, would mirror his own.  A part of him was terrified by the prospect—could he even be known as anything special, if he was no longer one of a kind?

But there’s also something quite exciting about this.  The idea that your life is being rewritten, the story unfinished and yet also repeating itself.  The Demon Bull King is on the loose, with his army and family, trying to take over the world.

And only one person can stop him.  The Monkey King.

Kid’s powers are volatile.  He can feel them flare up from time to time, wildly flickering out of control.  A lack of self confidence, that might be causing it.  A part of him is annoyed by that, a part of him is relieved.  Far better to have to teach someone to believe in themselves than teach them humility.  He’s pretty sure he hasn’t learned that latter lesson all the way yet.

Kid vanishes into the Demon Bull King’s chest, where the staff lies, and for a moment, the new sun vanishes.  Monkey King feels the cold rush of space in its absence, and feels panic, even though he’s only known this warmth for a few hours.

But then, it bursts back into existence, as a familiar stone drops from the Demon Bull King’s chest, cracking open, and, well, it’s history being written the same way over and over again, isn’t it?

Kid has a flair for silliness, childish maneuvers.  He likes to have fun, and that’s the best part of the powers they share.  To be invincible, to have fun while saving the day. 

It’s a repeat, until, well, it isn’t.

The blow Kid takes makes Monkey King wince.  The body becoming invulnerable takes time.  It doesn’t just immediately show up.  Every second, Kid’s body is absorbing and meshing with the powers thrust upon it, but that doesn’t mean getting hit a mile by a guy twenty times your size doesn’t still hurt, at this point.

But Monkey King knows this is what has to happen.  Because heroes aren’t heroes if they never feel pain, never get hit.

Heroes, he thinks, as Kid tears himself from the wall he’s embedded in, as Kid stands, eyes ablaze, are heroes when they get hit and they get back up.

And Kid sure as hell does.

“I’m the Monkey Kid!” He shouts, like a battle cry, like a challenge, and Monkey King smirks.  Monkey Kid, huh?  It suits him.  And then, Kid slams the staff on the ground, and the world shifts.

A part of him is kind of jealous.  How come he never got a mech?!  Has that been a thing this entire time?  Another part is in awe of this Kid’s creativity, ability, at such a young age.

And seeing DBK get trounced again certainly keeps the jealous part of him quiet.

Kid’s got a nice group of friends.  Reminds him of his journey days, him and a rag tag group of idiots going around wreaking havoc and learning moral lessons at the end of it.  He’s glad Kid isn’t alone or on the streets anymore.  A strong foundation leads to a stronger ability to grow.

Well, he’d better get some sort of training regimen ready.  Or, at least, start thinking of some things to do to train this kid.  He’s sure at some point Kid is going to bug him for a lesson or two.

Somehow, the thought doesn’t bother him as much as he thinks it should.

[hotsayce]

The Lake

NCT fanfic - 3.4k - Gender Neutral- A group of friends go to their nearby lake to hang out:)

Warnings: Drowning is mentioned but don't worry! No one actually drowns, the narrator just can't swim and is scared. Sex is also mentioned. Alcohol.

Author's Note: This is written in first person but the narrator is referred to as Y/N. Johnny and Ten aren't THAT important in the story, it's mostly the narrator and Mark.

~~~

It was almost time.

My friends and I were getting ready to go to the lake for a celebration.

Though the only thing worth celebrating was that Mark was finally graduating high school. He was the baby of our group. Ten and I were both 20, Johnny was 22 and Mark was just 18. We all started being friends in high school, I met Ten in dance class and Johnny in chorus my freshman year. We adopted Mark during my junior year though. We noticed some random kid sitting alone at lunch most every day. Nothing wrong with that, I myself sat alone sometimes during my freshman year. But this was different. Another group of kids began to sit with him, we thought he finally found his crowd. Until one week, Mark's little table was empty. We just assumed he was sick or something, until it lasted the whole week. We didn't have any classes with him and we had never spoken to him so there was no way to know what happened. The next Monday, Johnny just so happened to stop by the bathroom during lunch and saw poor Mark sitting on the (disgusting) bathroom floor, crying and eating alone. Then he brought him to sit with us. The rest is history.

Not really, I've never had a history class with any of them.

But that brings us to tonight, I am just about to open the door to leave my dorm room when my roommate asks, "Where are you going?"

Dangn't. I had been trying my best not to wake them up but I failed. Like always.

"Just out with some friends." I answer in the most calm way possible.

Adrian isn’t a snitch or anything, I just don’t want them knowing my business. We were never really that close.

"Okay," They roll back over in their bunkbed, facing the wall.

I almost slip out of the door when they ask, "What time will you be back?"

"Before 5."

They roll over again. "Okay, just be more quiet when you sneak back in please."

They must be referring to the time I came in at 6 A.M. and my morning alarm started blaring. I kept trying to push the off button but my screen was too cracked for me to press it. They'll never let me live that down.

I slip out of the door and am on my way to the bathroom. I don’t need to think of a plan to get out or anything, my Resident Advisor doesn’t care if we leave during the night. Ten wouldn't have such an easy time though, I hear the advisor at his dorm is more strict.

I finally step outside of my building only to notice that Ten beat me here.

"How'd you get past your RA?"

He laughs. "It's easy to reason with someone you've slept with."

"Gross." I shove him to the side. Not gross, quite cool actually. I was very jealous. Ten's RA was drop dead gorgeous and the amount of times I asked him if I could sleep over to see if they'd stop by his room is far too many to count.

We were on our way to Johnny's place to go chill at the lake behind his house. He went to the same college as Ten and I but he lived at home with his parents. I would too if they were as loaded as his family, not to mention they live pretty close to school. A walk was only 35 minutes away which never seemed like much if you walked with other people.

Walking to Johnny's was normally silent when I went by myself but that was never the case with Ten. He always had some cool college story to tell, we were both juniors but his experience seemed much more interesting that mine. Whether he was spilling gossip about the dance team or who he'd been flirting with during his most recent seminar, it was always something eventful.

"What college do you think Mark will choose?" Ten asks.

Woah. That's a much different direction from where he normally goes.

"Why such a somber question to start the night? (morning actually) I wanna know if anything new has happened between Veronica and Tamika?" I try changing the subject. Veronica and Tamika were two girls in his dance class who had supposedly been best friends since their freshman year. Everyone knew they liked each other but neither of them had ever asked the other out.

"Seriously Y/N. What if he doesn't come to our school?"

"Well," I normally try not to think about what would happen if Mark left the country for college. "Then we'll video chat with him every week and text him all the time and he'll come home each summer."

Ten doesn’t look at me but I know that this is eating him up.

It'd been eating all of us up. Johnny, Ten, and I had all gone to GC State for our own separate reasons and we were hoping Mark would too but he had his eyes set on an arts school in Vancouver. He was born in Canada so it would mean so much to him to move back there for college but he didn't want to leave his friends (us).

"I just don't want us to split up. We were gonna be his older college buddies." It was dark out but I could still see the frown on Ten's face.

I put my arm around his shoulder. "He still has about a month left, we don't know what he's going to pick. And whichever school he does choose, we'll support him."

Ten sighs. "I guess your right. We don't where he'll go yet but we have to be happy for him."

I nod my head and continue walking beside him.

"Oh and Ica-Ika is never gonna work out." 'Ica-Ika' was a cute ship name Ten and I made for Veronica and Tamika. "Imagine being a senior in college and still being too nervous to confess to your crush."

I raise my eyebrow at him. "You're one to talk."

"Look. I've got one more year. Quit rushing me."

I laugh at Ten. He's had a crush on Johnny since high school but has never told him. At this rate he never will.

~~~

We finally arrive at Johnny's house. He has that type of house that you have to drive down to since it's off by itself. The three story ones with the huge yards. The house where everybody wants to be and where all the parties were. Not to mention the lake in the back. I was surprised when I found out that Johnny was an only child. Why would their family need such a big house if there were just 3 of them? But it's not my place to judge what other people do with their hard earned money.

Johnny's car is the only one in the driveway so his parents aren't home. Ten and I don't bother walking through the front door, we walk straight to the back and find Mark sitting in a lawn chair and Johnny standing right beside him.

Johnny had always taken a liking to Mark ever since he found him in the bathroom. Not in the cliché high school relationship type of way though, Johnny was not a creepy senior guy on the varsity football team and Mark was not an innocent freshman girl who had 'developed' over the summer. They were 4 years apart but the way they act, you'd think they were the exact same age. Except they don't look the same age. Johnny was tall (a giant really) with long brown hair. Between his extroverted personality and his beefy arms, he had all the girls, guys, and honestly anyone with eyes after him. Mark was... not like Johnny. He was much smaller with short black hair and I'm sure people would be after him if he wasn't so darn oblivious to everyone who wants him. It's like he was waiting for someone special to come along and ask him out but who knows when that will happen?

"You're finally here!" Johnny turned at the sound of our footsteps and came up to hug us. He always gave great hugs.

"Now the party can start!" I say while Ten and Johnny hug for a second too long.

Mark gets up to hug us as well and we make our way to the lake, although he lingers to walk beside me instead of with Johnny and Ten.

~~~

"Have you decided which college you're going to yet?" I glare at Ten from my chair and Johnny does the same.

"You haven't even gotten him to drink yet and you're already asking him important questions? What am I teaching you Ten?" Johnny takes another swig of his own glass of wine. He's the only person who would bring fancy glasses and expensive wine to hang out at the lake with his friends at 3 A.M.

"I can't drink yet Johnny." Mark says.

Johnny winks at him. "Riiight."

I laugh as I drink from my own glass. "There's no rush in your decision Mark. We'll be happy with whatever you choose."

Everyone was silent as we all thought about what Mark's decision would be. Our guess was as good as his.

"C'mon guys no being sad at our celebration." Johnny jumps up from his seat. "To the lake!"

He begins walking to the lake, Ten close on his heels cheering. I get up from my seat to follow them but notice Mark still sulking in his chair. He must still be thinking about college. No doubt he has exams soon, he has this big decision to add on top of it all.

I walk over to Mark and grab his hand, motioning for him to walk with us.

When we get to the lake, the rest of the guys rid themselves of their shirts while Mark keeps his on. I opt to keep my shirt on as well, I don't plan on swimming today.

"You're not gonna swim?" Mark takes his shoes off, preparing to get in the water.

"No, not today." I sit down on the dock and stick my feet in the cool water.

Instead of getting in the water like Ten and Johnny, Mark sits down beside me. "I won't swim either then."

There's no use in telling him to go ahead and swim. He hates for any one of us to be left out so he'll stay with me no matter how much I protest.

The sadness in Mark's eyes from earlier disappears once he looks at the lake. His expression when he looks at the water makes it seem like he's never seen a lake like this before. He's always loved coming here. Johnny would sometimes pick him up after school when he had the time so they could just sit here at the lake and talk about anything. It was like his safe place. He wouldn't have the lake in Vancouver.

"Were you being serious earlier?" The reflection of the moon is still in his eyes but the sadness is back.

"Serious about what?" I say as I flick my feet in the water.

"When you guys said you'd support me. No matter what college I go to. You won't leave like-"

"No Mark," I stop him before he can even finish. "We won't leave you. It doesn't matter how far we are, we'll always be friends okay?"

He doesn't say anything but I know he understands. Ever since those kids ditched him in high school, he's had trust issues about people leaving him. There were so many people that tried to be friends with him but he always pushed them away because he thought they'd do the same. Sure he talks to some people at school, but his only real friends are all in college. I can't imagine how lonely that must feel.

I try to lighten the mood. "Hey Buddy," I say jokingly.

"Oh no, not buddy."

I place my arms around Mark's shoulders. "You know you're getting older and your life is changing..."

He then rips my arm from his shoulder laughing, "What is this?"

I grab his arm once again. "I'm just trying to tell you about college because you're a growing boy."

"Are you trying to give me the talk? Because I've had it before."

I turn and face him. "You've had sex before?!"

"What no! I meant the talk!"

I sigh out of relief. "Phew. Good. I couldn't believe you had never told me."

We both laugh until it gets quiet.

"You never told me whether you've had sex before."

He was not wrong. Johnny and Ten talked about their 'partners' all the time but I've never mentioned it because I've never been with anyone like that. I've always been waiting for the right time but it was really just me being cautious and refusing to have my first time in a cramped college dorm. No one (near my age) had caught my interest and, unfortunately, Johnny never volunteered so I've just been saving myself up I guess.

"That is correct." I don't know what Mark is getting at but I just keep letting him talk.

"Well do you thin-"

Before he can finish his sentence, I feel a splash of water hit me. Ten and Johnny float in the water in front of us with two big grins on their faces.

"Hey spoilsports, come swim with us." Johnny hits us with another splash and Mark jumps in to go play with them. Thank God. I was not about to let Mark down and tell him that I won't have sex with him during his last year of high school. There is nothing wrong with Mark except for how he is basically still a child and as (or even more) inexperienced as I am.

The guys stay near my area so I can still splash them from sitting down. Except it's mostly them cheating because whenever I throw water at them, they just duck under the surface whereas I have to stay up here and get wet.

By the time we're done, I'm soaking wet and Ten and Johnny have swam out again. Mark almost joins them but swims back to me.

"How come you aren't swimming with us?"

The word 'swim' is incorrect in this situation. He knows I can't swim. Normally, when we go to the lake, I lazy around in a floatie but I just don't feel like it right now.

"Mark, you know I can't swim."

"Well yeah," He flips his hair back and unintentionally sprays me with more water. "But we all can."

I'm sorry. I think he's failed to understand the concept of 'me not being able to swim = me drowning.'

Before I can inform him of that, Johnny and Ten come swimming towards us with a weird look in their eyes. When they get up on the dock, they shake their hair out as well, getting me wet again and then Johnny grabs Ten's hand and begins leading him back to the house.

"Where are you two going?" I question and they just giggle.

"Johnny wants to show me his room." Ten smiles up at the older and they're still walking away from us.

Mark calls out after them, "But we've all already seen his room!" They keep laughing, hand in hand, walking back to the house to do who knows what except we all know exactly what they're doing and I curse them in my head for setting up such a venereal tone in the air.

"What are they doing?" Mark looks up at me with the most oblivious look in his eyes.

"Sex."

"Gross."

Again, not gross. Very jealous.

I wish the moonlight and calm lake were not making the environment so romantic right now. Not to mention the text from Ten that says, 'Don't bother us. Go bang Mark :)'

Although that sounds very tempting, I will not be a senior in high school's, first time. Or let him be my first time.

"I can hold you if you're still afraid of swimming." Mark's quiet voice interrupts my thoughts.

"What?"

"We were talking about swimming earlier. If you're okay with it, I can just hold you in the water. I won't let go."

I get another text from Ten. 'Don't see any banging yet :(' I look up to the window of Johnny's bedroom and see a silhouette of them standing there. Mark waves at them and I can't see that far but I can tell that they're smiling before they close the curtain.

I put my phone away and respond to Mark. "It's really okay. You don't have to do that."

He moves from leaning on the dock beside me to being right in front of me, laying his hands on my knees.

"I pinky promise you'll be safe. Please swim with me."

Once again, the reflection of the moon does me dirty, illuminating the sincerity in Mark's eyes. I can't say no. (I absolutely could but I won't)

I take a deep breath. "Okay." I don't bother removing my shirt since he didn't either. Mark places his hands lightly around my waist and begins pulling me down into the water.

"Don't drop me." I say. I've done this before but with Johnny and he's much bigger and stronger than Mark so I can't say that I'm not a little worried he won't be able to carry me.

Mark just smiles and pulls me down until I'm no longer on the dock.

My first instinct is to immediately flail because I believe I will sink all the way to the bottom of the lake but Mark's grip on me tightens, obviously noticing how my body tensed up when I got into the water.

"I got you." He doesn't let me go as promised and we stay close to the dock, my back against the wood.

"See. All safe."

Being in the water isn't as scary as I thought it would be. I'm glad Mark is here with me. And I'm glad that we didn't leave the dock, giving me the option to change my mind and climb back up if I want to.

"What are you thinking?" He asks.

I haven't spoken since I got in the water. Maybe it's the calmness of the lake itself or the fact that Mark is holding me, but I can't think of anything to say.

"Nothing really." I feel the urge to wrap my legs around Mark's waist but I fight against it.

"Well I'm thinking of us."

I smile, staring at the moon. "Yeah. I really enjoy hanging out at the lake with you guys every once in a while.

"No Y/N." I look over at him. "I mean us. This."

I shake my head. There's always been something between us but it was so minute that we never spoke of it. "There is no this Mark. You know that. We both know that."

"Do we really?"

The water around us seems so still. The only movement is from our too close together chests, rising and falling at the same time. My eyes drift to his lips and I can't help but wonder how they would feel against my own.

Mark notices me staring, closes his eyes, and leans in but right when our lips almost touch, I turn my head to the side. His lips graze my cheek which is better than nothing I suppose. As much as my heart wants to, I cannot kiss him and add on to the already long list of reasons he would rather stay here than go to Vancouver. A kiss would only hold him back even more and I know how much he wants to leave.

"I'm sorry Mark." I lean my head into the nook of his neck hoping he won't push me away after what I just did. I don't want this to be awkward but I tighten my grip on his shoulders, not wanting to rid myself of his touch just yet.

"I understand." I want him to pull my face back up and tell me all the thoughts he's had about us. I want him to try to kiss me again, and this time I may kiss him right back. But he doesn't. Instead, his hold on my waist never loosens or falters even though I know his arms and whole body must be tired from swimming for so long.

I hope what we have won't falter either.

~~~

Sometimes when Mark calls me and I hear everything he's been doing and everyone he's been talking to, I wish I would've kissed him back at the lake. The people in Vancouver sound really pretty. And he always sounds really happy. What would've changed if I did kiss him? Maybe he would have went to college here and then we could be a cute couple like Ten and Johnny. But there's no telling what would happen. I just know that I'll always have a best friend halfway across the world.

But hey, there's always summer break.

[rivenchu]

Detective Observations  1

Well @mintyfrosty​ did it again and now we have 1920s Detective AU and just.. *grabby hands* I didn’t even know I wanted this til it showed up on my dash!

Anyway way, here’s Scene 1 of 3 that sprung up out. Hope you like~

The sun hadn't been up for more than a few hours and already he was being called into the captain's office. He'd turned his last several cases in a timely manner, hadn't rocked the boat, so what reason could there be? Probably not a good one, and he lived by his gut's feeling.

But directly disobeying would be worse, it was never a good idea to willingly throw yourself on Terrance's bad side.

Right braced himself as he pushed open the door. He noted someone was to his left, ignored them and walked right up to the desk to stare at the chief.

"Good, Right. Was wonderin' when ya'd stroll in." The chief grinned and pushed his hat back as he looked up. Oh, the good detective looked like he was in snit, he must've already guessed what was about to happen.

One terse nod from Right and Terrance leaned back in his chair. Keeping things moving was his job and he wanted to see this play out.

"I know you've been working alone for awhile, and I've allowed it out of respect." The chief started, "But it's gone on long enough."

Right narrowed his eyes and growled. No, he'd chased off any partner they assigned to him. He didn't </i>want</i> another after... after... what happened. He was fine alone.

"Reginald is one of the best in the business. He'll be your partner." Leaning back Terrance wiggled a pen in his hand as he smiled. If he could solve two minor problems with this one move he'd treat himself to lunch for being so gosh darn brilliant.

The chief smiled serenely up at the detective when he slammed both hands down on the desk and swore. Spiraling off into a rant about he didn't need a partner, was doing good work on his own, surely he could leave him be to keep working well like he had been.

Reginald fidgeted in the back of the office. He thought he had been doing good lately. Sure he spent most of the time at his desk, but many of the detectives used him to consult on their tough cases. He helped so many get solved by pointing his thoughts or what should get investigated on.

Why the chief felt he needed to team up and get his 'short scrawny self outta the office' was beyond him. He'd given up at trying to understand how Terrance worked, the man veered between idiot and genius in the same day. Sometimes he managed both at the same time, especially if he was leading a raid.

Right glanced over his shoulder at his supposed partner and narrowed is eyes further. No. He hadn't bothered to look at the time he walked in and he didn't want that one. He knew of rumors around the office as much as he wished they didn't try to pull him in for gossip. Honestly there were a few officers that were worse then the gaggle of gossiping grandmas in his neighborhood.

Reginald sighed and hoped this would be over soon, he was swamped. The day had started off plesatly enough, and now he was stuck in a loud awkward situation that no one wanted except the chief. He was about to ask if he could leave to get a drink when the unthinkable happened.

How dare. How dare his mustache was insulted, it had taken him years to get it to it's current magnificence. Marching forward Reginald glared up at the taller man. Curse Terrance for only seeming to pick the tallest and the strongest. Reginald knew he wasn't short but he felt like it some days.

"What makes you think that <i>I</i> want to be stuck with <i>you</i> ?" Jabbing his finger up at the detective Reginald jutted his chin forward, "You're a loose cannon who disappears for days at time without a word to anyone."

"Well you both seem to know enough about each other already." Tucking the pen behind his ear Terrance clapped his hands once for attention. When both fell silent he picked up a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth jovially. This was a good start to his day.

"Right, you can't keep having a double office to yourself, Reginald I expect you to move in by the end of the day." The chief slammed his hand down as the arguments started up and he raised an eyebrow at the officers as he dropped his smile. "Boys my decision is final, now leave."

Wiggling the toothpick around Terrance watched the pair sullenly leave.

He'd finally say Right wasn't alone so the higher ups would stop bothering him about it. He'd get to plan more things his way with Reginald out of the office. Hopefully Right, their best fighter, would manage to keep Reginald, thier worst fighter alive. Yes, he would be treating himself to a great lunch.

<center>~*~*~</center>

Right had made a point to leave soon after the... partnering. Reginald wad skulked into the room with a box of his things and he wasn't going to watch the string bean unpack his things onto a desk that wasn't <i>his</i>.

He had things he could do to take him out of the office. Leads to question, perps to track, diners to eat at.

He managed to go two days without touching foot back to the office. It was early enough the sun wasn't up and the place was empty. Perfect, he could drop off the two cases he solved, grab a couple more and disappear for a few more days.

Why was his office light on?

Opening the door quietly he shot a flat look the the occupied desk. The box was only half unpacked, but the desk was covered in folders and papers. The interloper was fast asleep and drooling over the cover of a folder.

Rolling his eyes Right walked over ad picked up a folder. There must have been ten cases worth of work on the lieutenant's desk, no one could do that much.

Except it wasn't his case.

Eyebrows raising he recognized the name of a colleague. The guy had a good habit of solving things but... it was obvious from this he should go question the family more.

Flipping a page he saw a note scrawled with that very suggestion, and then another to check alley across the street. The darkest place, easiest to ambush with a dumpster for disposal. Better hurry because trash was coming up in two days.

Come to think of it when asked to look over something he did see this particular handwriting often but didn't read them since he was asked pointed questions. Honestly he thought it was a low ranked officer taking notes or doing simple checks.

Curious now Right leaned against the desk and began to flip through more. Lot of familiar detective names he was seeing, some missing obvious leads they should be following up on. Thoroughly feeling unimpressed with his fellow detectives right now he put the stack back down.

The other side of the desk held a few more folders, ones the other hadn't gotten to yet. He shouldn't let himself get sidetracked, he still had to drop off his own work to the chief. Walking over to his desk he began to gather his cases.

The door slammed open, "Up and attem boys! Early bird gets the work ad you're the earliest we got today!" Terrance dropped his foot back down to the ground and surveyed the room. He'd startled both but... oh not again.

"Damn it Reggie, I told you to go home last night. You're going to burn out at this rate." Pinching his nose he glared at the embarrassed lietenant as he peeled a paper off his face. Fishing around his pocket he pulled out a few dollars and dropped them on the desk. "Get breakfast before you visit the scene kid, I know you didn't eat dinner."

Ducking his head Reginald nodded. He had meant to go, but the other detectives had come to visit, commiserate with him about losing his own office, and asked for help with a few cases. Some had been more involved than he thought and time had slipped away from him.

"Right, make sure he doesn't stay tonight." Terrance sighed and questioned his decision to pair them up. He was going to give it two weeks minimum to see how things shake out.

"Oh, and take him with you when you go Right, have a coffee, then head to 31st and 45th. Police will be expecting you both."  The chief absently waved off the two idiots and walked out of the room.

The room fell silent as the door swung shut.

Gathering his cases Right sighed before he turned around to face the... other his was going to be stuck with all day.

"You were going to leave me here after getting more work, weren't' you?" Reginald had swiveled his chair to watch the detective with the most peeved he could manage.

"Mmmhmm." That had been the plan and Right knew there was no point to lying.

The blunt agreement seemed to take the wind out of the lieutenant's sails as he deflated and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Fine, let's get this over with." Swiping the money from his desk Reginald stood up and threw his coat on. Technically he was the higher ranked one and should lead, but it was early, he was tired and still muzzy from the abrupt awakening. Gesturing to the door in the traditional 'after you' he raised his eyebrows at the detective, they had places to go after all.

Right merely blinked. He had expected the other to pull rank immediately and take charge.

Marching out the detective dropped the completed cases in Terrance's bin outside his office and walked towards the stairs after they both grabbed some supplies. Out in the parking lot he made a beeline to his car to claim the driver side. Again he was surprised when the other just... let him.

"Something on the way okay?" Right finally spoke up. He'd already danced the line with the chief but he wasn't going to push more than he already had. He liked his job to stay even if... it was hard sometimes.

He got a curt nod in return.

Most places weren't open yet, when he pulled to the side of the road in front of one of the few places that did look open the parking lot was full. Someone had to stay in the car.

"Got a thermos?" Reginald finally spoke up as he cracked open the car door and stepped outside.

Right had meant to fill it at the station before he left. He knew the coffee bit wasn't a serious order but he liked his morning beverage. The thermos he handed over was a simple silver and green, but it served him well.

"Let me guess, black as midnight?" Leaning against the doorframe Reginald reached out to take it. A ghost of a smirk flashed over his face when the other nodded. Yes, many of the manly men at the office drank it that way. He'd rather not touch the stuff, but sometimes in a pinch he had to.

Ghastly stuff, not even milk and sugar could save it.

Watching the lieutenant walk away Right sighed and leaned back in his chair. Tapping a finger against the wheel he watched the traffic, checked the gas level, and saw the horizon starting to brighten finally. The sun hadn't even come up yet.

It was going to be a long day.

When Reginald emerged he handed the green thermos over before climbing into the car. He tucked his own flask (thank god they had tea even if it was oversteeped) between his feet and started on breakfast.

Right raised an eyebrow at just an egg on toast. No wonder the other got called scrawny if he thought that was a meal.

Unscrewing the top the detective took a hesitant sniff. Smelled like a standard dark roast...

"No I didn't spit in it." Reginald snorted. "I've got to get to know you before I can decide not to like you properly." He took another bite and looked out the window at the even busier diner.

Right shook his head and screwed it back on. Yeah, he could understand that. He just didn't want a partner right now, nothing against the lieutenant as a person.

Checking his mirrors and then turning his head to look the detective pulled back out on the road. He waited til the breakfast was almost done, "Might want to check your mustache before we get there."

Reginald choked down the last  bite and shot the other a look. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a small mirror and gasped. The left side was fraying and uneven from the right. No doubt the result of falling asleep on it, why hadn't that thought crossed his mind to check this morning.

Swearing Reginald fished out his emergency wax for the dire repair. "You let me walk into the diner like that?!" He shot a incredulous look over at the detective. Really. How could you?

Right found himself snickering despite himself.

[imthecaretaker]

G/t Mech AU One-shot Go!

Sounds like a bad Power Rangers ripoff, haha. Or some kind of anime attack. Anywho, I managed to whip up a one-shot based on the G/t Mech story written by @unicornofgt ! If you haven't already, go check it out, it's pretty darn good!

Now, without further ado, here's my AU one-shot!

"Team Two, this is Base.  Reports put target at the south corner of the quarry."

Ares keyed his headset.  "Team Two copies, Base."  He smiled at his monitor's camera, linked to the video feed in his partner's helmet.  "Look alive, kiddo.  We're going hunting."

"What are we hunting?"  Carter asked as she gave a quick glance at her own camera.

"A widdle wabbit," Ares chuckled as he engaged a few switches in the cockpit and throttled up the secondary power.  "Gonna blow him to smitheweens."

The 83-foot-tall Carter Hopkins, decked in her full 'mech' armor, strode over the seven-foot fence at the northwest corner of the old slate quarry.  Her footsteps were heavy and purposeful, her boots shaking the ground and kicking up small clouds of dust.

"Team Two is in the quarry.  Going quiet," Carter reported into her comm.

"Acknowledged, Hopkins.  Your target is still in the south corner.  Good luck."

Ares sighed.  "What, no goodbye kiss for me?"  He griped to his partner.

Carter reached up and gently tapped the armored cockpit on her suit's chest.  "I'm sure Mom sends her love."

"Pft, not likely," Ares scoffed.  "Not after I fleeced her at checkers.  Told her I'd play again with my left hand.  She beat me that time, and was real happy for a few moments."

"What happened?"  Carter asked as she looked around, scanning her surroundings.

"She got mad, flipped the table, called me a clown bast- hold on, we got movement.  Target is on the move, headed toward us."

Carter tensed, ready for the encounter with their target, a Class 3 Xeno that dropped from a portal that opened over the quarry.  It hadn't made a move on the general populace yet, possibly getting its bearings still.  This was the best chance to-

"I think it knows we're here, Carter.  It's getting closer, picking up speed," Ares warned.

"I see it," she replied as she watched the red blip approach their blue blip.

With a screech, the thing came around the final corner and launched itself at the armored giant.  They collided with a solid thud, Carter being pushed back as she kicked her foot back to stay upright.

She had both hands around the creature's neck trying to hold it back.  Taking one hand away, she made a fist and punched the side of its head.  It was knocked away, but its claws had hooked on her chest plate.  She was dragged to the ground, landing on her side.  Carter quickly rolled to her back as the Xeno pounced on her, screeching in her face and scrabbling at her armor, attempting to peel her open.

"Pikachu!"  Ares bellowed as he rammed a lever forward.  The air crackled as Carter's armor was electrified with many thousands of volts.

The Xeno roared as the current ran through its body, electricity arcing over its inky-black skin.

Carter quickly pulled her knees up toward her chest, getting her boots against the creature's body, and pushed hard.  The monster was launched into the air, before painfully landing over fifty feet away.  Scrambling to her feet, Carter aimed an arm-mounted cannon at the creature.  "Fire!" she barked.

Unfortunately, the Xeno recovered quickly and managed to dodge every shot.  It scrambled around a corner where it was sheltered.  Carter pursued it.  "Nice shooting, Elmer Fudd," she remarked into her comm.

Whatever Ares' response was, Carter didn't hear.  The Xeno launched itself around the corner at the giant.  She was expecting it though, quickly raising her left fist and driving it into the monster's chest.  Dropping to one knee, she followed her target to the ground, before beginning to pummel it with both hands.

"Beat it like it owes ya money!" Ares crowed as he ramped up the suit's back-mounted power plant.

Claws scrabbling, the Xeno scratched and tried to tear at anything it could reach.  It managed to hook a hydraulic line in Carter's shoulder, snapping it with a hiss of draining fluid.

Carter's right arm grew heavier as the hydraulics began to run dry.  She'd still be able to move, but now the suit was slowing her down.  "Got a problem," she told Ares.

"Yeah, I hear the alarm," he responded, quieting the 'Hydraulic Failure' notification.

The creature knocked Carter off balance and the pair tussled before coming to rest with the giant on her back.  The Xeno roared at her again.

Suddenly Ares' voice yelled, "Dump truck, on your nine!"

Turning, Carter saw the big yellow truck sitting within arm's reach.  Snatching it up, she crashed it against the Xeno's head as hard as she could.

The monster stumbled back, disoriented.  

Carter sat up and raised her left arm.  "Fire!" she ordered.  The round flew true, hitting the creature and knocking it back.  "Fire!" she called as she got to her feet.  Every round hit home, driving the Xeno back until it hit the quarry wall.  Carter looked up.  High above was an overhang of stone.  She smiled as she took aim.  Ares needed no order this time.

* *

Carter was reclined back in her hangar berth as her armor was being removed.  The chief mechanic gave her a dirty look at the broken hydraulic hose.

Ares was leaning against the guardrail, chatting with his giant partner, when Commander Costelnock strode toward the pair, her heels clicking on the walkway.  Ares snapped to attention, which the Commander waved off.

She turned to Carter.  "Mission accomplished, Hopkins.  Pretty good fighting out there."  She glanced at the beaten armor.  "Pity you couldn't keep your armor in better shape," she said with a small twinkle in her eye.

Carter wanted to shrug, but couldn't while she was being worked on.  "Occupational hazard, ma'am."

The Commander looked between Ares and Carter.  "The bitch-slap with a dump truck was a nice touch, by the way.  A bit unorthodox, but desperate times, right?"

Ares nodded.  "Yes ma'am," he agreed.

"Oh, and Ares," the Commander continued.  "I got a phone call this morning.  Mom and dad wanted to fly out and visit next week.  You'll be there, won't you," Skyla Costelnock not-asked her brother.

Ares chewed his lip.  He hated times like this.  "Count on it, ma'am," he sighed.

Skyla smiled.  "I knew you'd pull through for your big sister."  She patted his cheek playfully before leaning in to whisper in his ear.  "And they want you to bring your special somebody," she whispered, gesturing with her eyes toward the giant watching them with a smile.

Commander Costelnock saluted the pair.  "Dismissed," she said before taking her leave.

Ares groaned, "Damnit.  Can't get out of this one.  Shit."

Seeing the engineers were done with her upper body, Carter reached out to the platform and carefully carried Ares in her palm until he was near her face.  Her short dark hair framed her face beautifully, and her whiskey-in-sunlight eyes gazed down at him.  

Ares felt his knees shake and his heart speed up.

"Don't worry, I'll be there with you.  Besides," she whispered with a smile, "I just got fitted for a new suit that I've been dying to wear."

Ares stared at his giant partner for a few moments, before collapsing in her palm with a nosebleed and a lovestruck, dopey smile on his face.

[pretend-writer]

I Wasn’t Over You (Dean Winchester x reader)

Summary: Y/N finds out the reason behind Dean’s anger after their breakup. 

Pairing: Dean Winchester x reader

Title Reference: I Wasn’t Over You x 98 degrees

Word Count: 1953 words

Warning: angst & fluff

✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤

‘And that’s the winning shot.’ I smirked as I made my final 8 ball into the hole. 'Y/N wins at Pool once again.’

'I got to admit, you’re pretty darn good.’ Damon, a guy I just met at the bar chuckled. 'You didn’t even need his help either.’

Sam shook his head, 'I’m only here for moral support. Y/N doesn’t need me to fight her battles.’

Damon looked at me and smiled, 'Would you guys excuse me for a bit? I’m going to the bar to get more beer. Y/N, would you like anything?’

'No, I’m okay. Thank you though.’ I licked my lips, smiling innocently.

'You’re welcome. I’ll be right back.’ He said before he left the pool table to the counter.

Sam slouched to my height, starring at me stare at Damon as he walked away. 'Looks like someone found a jackpot.’

'What makes you think I want that boy?’

'Ah, thank you though. Hehe.’ Sam mocked me, dramatically flipping his hair.

Punching him on his arm, I rolled my eyes. 'I do not sound like that.’

'Whatever, dude.’ Sam chuckled. 'You were practically humping that boy with your eyes too. You don’t fool me.’

'Just won some money!’ Dean cheered as he approached me and Sam. 'Beat some drunk guys at darts.’

'That’s good, Dean. Y/N is about to win something too.’ Sam looked at me and nudged me on my stomach.

I could tell by the way my face felt warm that I was turning red from embarrassment. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept with anyone, four months to be exact.

Took me a while to come in terms with the relationship I had with Dean was over, it was hard for me to get back out there and enjoy some company.

Now that I’ve somewhat gained my confidence back, it was nice to have an opportunity to take this cute guy home tonight. I just wish Sam didn’t put me on blast like that, especially in front of my ex.

'Sam, we don’t know that yet. I don’t think he’s interested.’ I scratched my head.

'Are you kidding me? His friends left an hour ago and he’s been playing pool with you since. Needless to say he asked if you wanted a drink and not me, I’m standing right here.’

Dean crossed his arms, 'That doesn’t sound like he wants her.’

'You should’ve seen the way he looked at her.’ Sam chuckled. 'Oh, he wants Y/N.’

'Alright, alright. I’ll go talk to him.’ I blushed as I checked him out while he was ordering his drink. 'If I take too long, don’t wait for me.’

A strong pull prevented me to walk towards Damon, I turned around to see Dean pissed off. 'You’re going to embarrass yourself.’

'Wow, thank you for your support.’

'I’m just trying to help you, you know?’ Dean shook his head.

'Let her get a man, Dean. She needs to get some.’ Sam defended me.

Dean pulled me in, getting close to my ear. 'He’s out of your league.’

Immediately, I shoved him away from me. 'How dare you say that to me. I fucking hate you.’

Without looking back, I ran away from Sam and Dean. I was more angry than I was sad and weirdly, I didn’t cry at all. I guess I was really livid.

Storming out of the bar, I started walking back to the motel. The place we stayed wasn’t too far away, walking a few blocks didn’t hurt. Especially being this angry, I had to blow off some steam.

Ever since Dean and I have broken up, he’s been angry at me for some odd reason. There was nothing that I ever done to ever make him upset but even then, Dean wouldn’t open up to tell me.

Sam, being the peace maker tried to ask his brother was his deal was but being as stubborn as he was, there was still no answer. It would be nice to know what I did wrong or what was bothering him so much to where he had to push me away but things were getting out of hand.

As soon as I reached the hotel, I went into my duffel bag to grab the liquor I bought for the all of us to drink tonight. I didn’t imagine celebrating our successful hunt this way but I needed some alcohol in my system.

After what felt like hours, the door slammed opened as Dean and Sam walked into the motel room. ‘You guys have been gone for hours, where were you?’

‘It’s only been about 45 minutes since you left the bar, Y/N.’ Sam approached me and sat next to me on the bed. He took the Whiskey bottle off of my hand, ‘Where did you get this?’

‘That was the bottle I bought for us to drink but I finished it.’ I smiled at Sam. ‘Sorry I didn’t leave you any.’

Dean grunted, ‘Great. Now we have to take care of a drunk girl.’

Quickly, I got up and stormed in front of Dean. ‘I don’t need your help, I’ll never ask you for your help.’

‘Says the girl that practically almost killed herself at the hunt today. I saved your ass.’ Dean shouted.

‘Guys, guys. Y/N’s drunk and Dean’s pissed off, let’s just-’

Interrupting Sam, I shook my head. ‘No, Sam. I’m tired of Dean running his mouth and disrespecting me.’

‘I don’t need to hear anything from a girl that’s drunk out of her mind.’

‘You are going to hear it, Dean. You broke up with me for no reason and you’re the one that’s angry? How pathetic is that.’

Dean chuckled, ‘No reason? So you think you’re innocent in all of this?’

‘Don’t fucking do that to me.’ I clenched my fist, I didn’t think that I could be angrier than I was before. ‘I asked you constantly if there was anything I’ve done and you never told me.’

‘You don’t care so why should I even tell you?’ He shouted.

‘If I didn’t fucking care I wouldn’t stick around, you dick!’

‘You’re only around because you have nobody else!’

I bit my lip, holding in the tears that I’ve been holding on to since the day we’ve broken up.  ‘What happened to you Dean? You used to be so kind and caring.’

It was rare for me to cry, all of the years I’ve been on the road with Sam and Dean they’ve only seen me cry once. That was the day when my parents died while hunting down the Yellow Eyed Demon with the Winchesters.

The alcohol that I’ve downed from the Whiskey bottle however, was keeping me from holding the tears in. Being a emotional drunk was hard, I thought I’d drink to ease the pain but it only made it worse.

Dean’s facial expression changed as he saw me balling my eyes out. He slowly reached out to me, ‘I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk about your pare-’

‘No! Get away from me.’ I pushed him away and backing up. ‘What did I ever do to you?’

Sam lightly placed his hand on my back, rubbing it to try to calm me down. I can tell that the Winchester brothers were worried, it was all over their faces. After all I never cried, especially in front of them.

‘Yo-you never done anything to me. I’m just stupid.’

‘I know, you’re a jackass.’ I cried even more, I didn’t know how to stop the tears from falling. ‘Why are you treating me this way? I don’t deserve this.’

Dean sighed, ‘I’m angry at myself because I let you go. I’ve always loved you and I still do.’

‘Why did you break up with me in the first place then?’

‘I-I thought…’ Dean paused, looking on the floor as he hesitated to speak. For a while I thought he wasn’t going to say anything. ‘I thought you and Sam had a thing behind my back.’

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. ‘You’re kidding me, right?’

‘You know I wouldn’t do that to you, Dean.’ Sam spoke softly.

‘Yes, I know but you two are so close and-’

‘All this time you’ve made me believe that I’ve done something terrible to you and I thought you were just scared to tell me.’

Dean took a step towards me, ‘I know and I’m truly sorry Y/N. I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way all these months and I wasn’t man enough to tell you how I felt.’

I starred at him, trying to wrap my head around everything that was happening right now. All the pain that he put me through couldn’t be forgiven when truth be told, he wouldn’t even have told me if I haven’t confronted him.

Sam looked at me with his puppy dog eyes, I can tell that he felt very sorry for me. He was always someone I was able to reach out to and I was the same for him. Even with all the great things he has done for me, I couldn’t stay here anymore.

Grabbing the duffel bag from next to my bed, I started packing everything that I could find in the room that was mine.

‘Woah, woah. Y/N, let’s think about this for a second okay?’ Sam said, ‘We can talk about it in the morning and sort everything out.’

‘No, I’m leaving. I can’t stay here with him.’ I looked up to glare at Dean as I picked up my clothes off the floor.

Dean rushed over to me, grabbing my bag. ‘You know you don’t want to leave. Just stop packing.’

‘Oh but I am leaving, for good. I don’t want to see your face ever again.’

‘That’s just the liquor talking.’ Dean pulled on my bag. ‘Just stop.’

With all the rage I had left in me, I tugged my bag. ‘You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.’

‘Y/N, I’m sorry okay? I’m so sorry.’ Dean opened his arms to reach out for me.

‘No, no.’ I repeated as I shoved him away, fighting him off of me. ‘You hurt me, Dean.’

‘I never wanted to hurt you, that’s the last thing I want to do.’ Dean continued to hug me tightly as I tried to get out of his grip. ‘You’re not going nowhere, Y/N and I’m not letting you go.’

Trying to pound on his chest, I used all of the strength in me to leave his embrace. The more I pressed against him, the tighter he gripped and it was harder to leave him.

‘I love you, Y/N.’ Dean whispered in my ears, it has been a long time since I’ve heard his soft voice.

‘It’s not fair.’ I finally gave up as I cried in his chest. ‘You can’t just leave me and then come back in your terms. That’s not fair.’

Dean kissed me on my forehead, ‘I know, I’ll be better.’

‘Promise me that you’ll be honest with me. You have to tell me what’s going on, okay?’

‘I will, I promise. I want you to be mine, forever. I can’t stand to see you with someone else.’ Dean buried his face in the crook of my neck, gently sobbing as he left small kisses. ‘I love you.’

Tiptoeing, I reached for his cheek to leave him a kiss. ‘I love you too. Even after all of this mess, I still love you.’

‘I know, I’m pretty hard to resist.’ Dean joked.

Giggling, I playfully tapped him on his shoulder. ‘Sure you are.’

Sam lightly smiled as he approached the two of us. ‘Back to being the third wheel again.’

[lambroseforlife]

Well, this has been sitting in my drafts for a while now. After sudden renewed inspiration and a bunch of half-done research over a year later, here goes nothing. I felt that the best setup for this would take place between books 2 and 3 so maybe like 2 months after returning from Egypt? For those that are squeamish and dont like stuff about periods then duh, skip reading this.

— — —

'Blast it all!' I huffed as I dropped the stack of boxes on the floor. Pretty sizable ones, by the noticeable thump as they hit the ground.

'Mr Linton.' I heard a curt voice. Looking up, I stared into a pair of cold, familiar eyes.

'Yes, sir?' I grimaced at him. It was much easier than smiling when your ribs were aching and lungs wheezing for air.

'You are two minutes and twenty-three seconds slower than you were yesterday.' Snapping his pocket watch closed, he tucked it back into his waistcoat pocket. His gaze flickered back to me. 'I do not pay you for your tardiness.'

'No, sir.' I beamed. Well, I tried to anyway. 'Just for my delightful company.'

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. His mouth parted slightly as if to retort but then closed.

I made the mistake of looking into that glacial, intense stare of his and felt trapped. But I didn't want to escape. Not when I felt like I could forget my worries and problems from the rest of the world when it was just him and me. His gaze held mine and I had to suppress the urge to shiver. Not out of fear, though.

A flash of images came to mind. Soft lips melded to mine. Ripped clothing on a hotel bed. Cold desert nights spent in strong, comforting arms.

Snapping out of my daze, I shook my head.

'I...' I cleared my throat and glanced away. 'I better get a move on. Wouldn't want to waste time.'

Without waiting for a reply, I hurried back into my office and closed the door without looking back.

I met my reflection in the glass windows overlooking the tall buildings of London on a typical gloomy morning. If I squinted hard enough, I could see a blush forming on her cheeks.

Get a hold of yourself, Lilly!

This past month I had been polishing my acting skills. By that, I meant pretending that certain things in Egypt had never happened. In general, both my employer and I had smoothly settled into a routine that, well, made it seem that Egypt had never happened once we both returned back to London two months ago. A bit too smoothly, actually.

Although there were times when our gazes would linger on each other for one moment too long just like earlier...

Enough, Lilly! Back to work.

Marching back to my desk, I sat down and stretched. What was wrong with me today? I slept mostly decently last night, save for waking up late with some soreness in my lower back—

Plink.

Opening the metal tube on my desk, I unfolded the paper.

Mr Linton,

It is already thirty-two minutes past nine and I fail to see my daily correspondence on my desk.

Rikkard Ambrose

So we were back to communicating through notes now, were we? Flipping it over, I picked up the fountain pen on my desk and began to write.

Dear Mr Ambrose,

On it immediately, sir.

Yours, Lilly Linton

I folded the note and placed it back into the tube, pulling the lever. I opened one of the desk drawers and found the pile of letters Mr Stone had left for me to sort through. Pulling them out, I began to go through them when I heard a gurgling noise. I looked around, confused. Then I heard it again.

What was that noise? It sounded like it was coming from someone's— oh.

As if in protest, my stomach growled even louder.

Right. Another thing I forgot to do this morning after waking up late.

Well, times like these called for extra measures. Opening another desk drawer, I found out my treasured stash of chocolate and grabbed a bar.

Not exactly the healthiest option for breakfast but so what? It was chocolate!

Unwrapping the bar, I began to sort through the stack of letters for Mr Ambrose's correspondence for the day. I managed to finish going through it in under five minutes too— both the stack of letters and the bar of chocolate.

No sooner after sitting back down at my desk once I passed the letters through the letter slot at Mr Ambrose's door, I heard another plink.

I removed the letter from the tube and picked it up, beginning to read.

Mr Linton,

Why are there brown fingerprints on my correspondence?

Rikkard Ambrose

I frowned. What brown fingerprints was he referring to? Setting the note down on the table, I was about to reach for the charity letters in the waste paper basket when I noticed something odd about the note.

Upon further inspection, there were brown fingerprints on there too! But how did it get there? Where was it coming from?

Wait...

Slowly, I looked at my fingers and then at the wrapper of the finished chocolate bar. Then my fingers. Then the wrapper again.

Oops.

Wiping my fingers and the pen on my trousers, I thought about how to explain my slight predicament.

Dear Mr Ambrose,

There was a small accident while sorting your correspondence. I fixed it immediately so it shall not happen again.

Yours, Lilly Linton

That should suffice. I sent the letter through the tube and took out the small appointment book with all of Mr Ambrose's scheduled meetings. I had barely opened it to the current week when I heard another plink.

Mr Linton,

What do you mean by 'small accident'?

Rikkard Ambrose

Darn! I thought I had gotten away with it. I picked up the pen to write again.

Dear Mr Ambrose,

Just a small, teensy-weensy, tiny incident that is barely of any consequence. Really, no need to worry yourself. I've taken care of it.

Yours, Lilly Linton

Not even ten seconds had passed until the next plink.

Mr Linton,

Do not test my patience. Tell me what happened.

Rikkard Ambrose

Blast! He wasn't going to let this go, was he? Chewing my lip, I picked up the pen with sweaty palms. What to write this time?

Dear Mr Ambrose,

The aforementioned incident was minor, completely inconsequential. Not even a small accident, really. Just a small inconvenience involving chocolate.

Yours, Lilly Linton

With bated breath and my heart ready to jump out of my chest, I pulled the lever.

Perhaps he would move on from it?

Ha, as if! This was Mr Ambrose I was talking about here. Getting the Queen to dance on the rooftops of Buckingham Palace in her undergarments would have been more likely to happen.

As if on cue, icy silence radiated from behind the door to his office. The kind of silence that preceded judgment from kings before they gave the order for executions.

Now to any person, silence was just silence. But not with Mr Ambrose. As his secretary, I knew that there were at least ten types of silences after a few months of being in his employ.

Seconds stretched into minutes until finally...

Plink!

Holding my breath, I unfolded the letter.

Mr Linton,

I do not pay you to eat on the job as my secretary. There is a designated 30 minute break appointed in the afternoon for that. See to it that there are no more 'small inconveniences' to distract you. Knowledge is power is time is money.

Rikkard Ambrose

I suppose that could have gone worse than expected. Considering the incident at his factory two weeks ago. Also the other business deal from the other day. And...

Well, you get the picture.

Sighing, I set the note aside and decided to start on the day's tasks. Hopefully today would just be another day at work that would pass by quickly.

It wasn't until later that I realized just how wrong I was.

— — —

A few hours later, I was in the process of organising new files to be added to Mr Ambrose's already endless file collection when it happened.

I felt a building pressure in my lower abdomen, on the verge of becoming an entirely uncomfortable pressure in my lower regions.

Wonderful. Another thing that I had forgotten to do before leaving the house this morning.

Getting up slowly and carefully, I headed towards Mr Ambrose's door and knocked.

'Enter.' Came the composed, cool voice that I knew by heart at this point.

Shuffling into the room, I saw that Mr Ambrose surrounded by a pile of papers on his desk as usual, reading an opened file in front of him.

'Ehem.' I cleared my throat.

'What is it?' He didn't look up from the file.

I contemplated how to tell him that I needed to pee in the most delicate manner that I could currently manage. I decided to settle with:

'I need to use the powder room.'

He glanced up at me, then quickly back to his papers.

'Go in.' He jerked his head towards the direction of the small door that led to his personal bathroom.

Without expelling the contents of my bladder, I walked as fast I could to the door and shut it behind me. Dropping my trousers, I sat on the toilet to relieve myself.

This was one of those times when wearing trousers was more convenient than wearing a dress and hoop skirt. Once I finished my business, I was ready to pull up my trousers and get back to work.

That's when it happened.

That's when I saw it.

A small, reddish stain on the nether region of my brown trousers.

Oh no.

No.

No, no, no, nononono !

No! No! No!

Why now?

Well, that nasty inner voice in the back of my mind retorted, that explains everything so far today.

My sore back, waking up late, feeling sluggish and extra emotional, craving for chocolate. It all made sense now but...

I frantically tried to think back to when was the last time this happened. Let's see...sometime shortly after I had returned back to London after the Egypt trip. But why wasn't this an issue then?

Because, my inner voice piped up again, you were home on a Sunday afternoon when it started.

Blast! What was I going to do now?

I went over my options.

Option 1: Try to endure the rest of the day and hope that no one would notice. I could even tie my tailcoat around my waist. It would definitely look odd and probably rouse suspicion but maybe it could work?

Yeah, right. If you bleed through your tailcoat too, then you're done for. Say goodbye to your job.

Couldn't that inner voice of mine shut up already! Why did it have to be so rational?

Option 2: Resign my job before I would be found out.

Definitely not happening. Not when I had been through so much for this job including leaving the country twice and risking my life multiple times. There was no way that I, Lilly Linton, ifrit extraordinaire, would let something like this get in the way of my independence.

Which left option 3: Ask Mr Ambrose if I could take my lunch break early to go home and change.

Just the idea made me want to disappear on the spot. It was embarrassing enough that this had to happen but having to involve my boss too? This made the situation more dreadful a hundred times over. But...

What other choice did I have? Unfortunately, this was the best option compared to the other two.

Closing my eyes, I couldn't help but to let out a loud sigh.

Remember what I said earlier about trousers being convenient? I take it all back. This was definitely one of those times when wearing trousers was definitely not convenient! If I was wearing a dress, then there may have been a chance that I could have held on a bit until lunch break. But there was no choice, I needed to go home immediately to change my trousers and retrieve that.

However, the bigger issue was how to convince Mr Ambrose to let me take my lunch break earlier. What to tell him?

Mr Ambrose, I'm feeling a bit ill and would like to take a break.

Great. That would give him the grounds to dismiss me for the day, possibly even sack me, especially after what happened earlier with the chocolate.

My younger sister, Ella, has food poisoning and I need to check on her.

Nope. Mr Ambrose would be moved to sympathy as much as a mountain could budge.

My aunt has arranged a meeting with a prospective suitor for me this afternoon.

Not convincing in the slightest considering that Mr Ambrose knew that I would do anything to avoid the topic of marriage. Especially when it involved me.

Drat! What could I say?

Unbidden, another thought popped into my head.

Why not just tell him the truth?

What? As if that would ever work!

Not to mention, a woman's....time was a taboo topic. Despite my mother's early death and limited knowledge provided by my aunt, even I knew that was something proper ladies did not discuss with gentlemen in society. It was highly inappropriate.

But then again, since when were you a proper lady?

Good point. It's not like Mr Ambrose was a gentleman either by any means.

Still, the main issue was that would Mr Ambrose be understanding even if I told him the truth?

I doubted that someone like him even knew something like that about females anyway, given that he most likely came out of a giant boulder. It was impossible to imagine him with a mother, let alone two human parents.

Enough stalling, Lilly! It's now or never.

Five minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom after working up enough courage. Mr Ambrose was still flipping through the same file, not having moved from his position.

Standing in front of his desk, I cleared my throat. No response.

I tried to get his attention again. 'Mr Ambrose?'

'What is it, Mr Linton?' His eyes never left the file.

'Er, I was wondering if...I could take my lunch break now?'

Damn! Why did my voice sound so weak?

His hand paused, right in the middle of flipping a page. Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised his eyes to meet mine.

I swallowed.

'What did you say?' His voice was deceptively calm.

'Could I take my lunch break now?'

If his stare was cold before, it was frosty now.

'Mr Linton, did I or did I not mention earlier that there is a designated thirty minute break for all employees?'

'Um, you did, sir.' I looked down at the stone floor. For some reason, it was particularly interesting.

'So why are you asking me this?' He reached to grab another file from one of the piles on his table.

'Well,' I bit my lip. 'I had another accident.'

Silence.

I risked a glance upwards. He seemed frozen, his hand still holding onto the file, save for the narrowing of his eyes by 0.000013 of a millimetre.

'By any chance,' he finally ground out, 'is this "accident" of yours similar to what happened earlier?'

'No.'

'No?'

'No.' I repeated, my throat dry. Why was this so hard? 'A worse accident. Much, much worse.'

He cocked his head. 'How so?'

'It involves my identity.'

Based on his expression, he knew what I was referring to. While I was his personal secretary during working hours, it was as Mr Victor Linton, not as my true self, Miss Lillian Linton.

A female.

'Mr Linton.' His voice was soft. Too soft. Like the momentary stillness before a hurricane. 'What. Did. You. Do?'

'I- I didn't do anything!' Why the heck was I stuttering? 'Well, not yet anyway.'

'Yet?'

It was both impressive and a bit unnerving how ominous he made just one word sound. I felt like a mouse that had been cornered by a tiger.

'What is going on?' He demanded, eyes flashing. 'Tell me!'

I bit my lip and his eyes zeroed in on the action, following my every movement.

'I'm not sure how to bring this up since you haven't been out in society much but have you heard about a woman's time?'

'A woman's time for what?'

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. This really wasn't going to be easy, was it? 'There comes a time when a girl matures into a woman. Her body undergoes some physical changes and afterwards, every once in a while, she...'

Plop.

My voice trailed off when his hand let go of the file he was holding onto and it dropped back onto the table.

His mouth was now slightly ajar and his eyes were cast downwards, scanning the contents of his desk.

'Oh.' His voice didn't sound as collected as before.

'Yes.'

So he did know about it after all. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised as I was, given what he repeated about time and knowledge and all that. But still, considering this was Mr Ambrose...

'What do you expect me to do about that?'

'Huh?'

'Don't you females usually do something to deal with it?'

'Well...yes, but—'

'So do what you need to do. Stop wasting my time already.'

'That's the issue, sir.' I snapped at him, too annoyed to focus on the fact that he had acknowledged my gender. 'I need to go home and change. That's why I asked if I could take my lunch break now.'

'Why do you need to go home? Can't you do it here?'

I nearly choked. That hardheaded, miserly head of his was really made of stone!

'I don't have any extra clothes here and what I use to take care of it is also at home too.'

He just stared at me.

I shrugged. 'I mean, I suppose I can wait until later to take my break. You'll have to risk my true identity being exposed once your workers see me bleeding all over the—'

'Mr Linton!'

Oh my. Was it just me or were his ears now tinged a bit red?

Pressing my palms into the table, I leaned forward. 'Or you could let me go home now and get this taken care of so I can get back to work sooner.'

He leaned forward as well, sea-coloured eyes clashing with hazel ones.

'Indeed, Mr Linton?' I felt his breath on my lips.

I arched an eyebrow. 'Indeed, Mr Ambrose.'

'Very well then.' He straightened back into his chair and picked up the file he dropped.

'W-What?' I blinked.

'You may take your lunch break now.'

'Really?' I stared at him in shock.

I couldn't believe it had actually worked! This was Mr Ambrose we were talking about here. I had half expected him to tell me something ridiculous along the lines of controlling my body's functions and to stop bleeding. It wouldn't have been the first time he had said something like that anyway.

'I don't like to repeat myself. Go now.'

My face broke out into a broad smile. 'Yes, sir!'

'Also, see to it that this doesn't happen again.' His stare was disapproving.

'You mean taking an early lunch break? Or are you referring to my other problem? Because I don't know how to break this to you but—'

'The clock is ticking, Mr Linton.'

'Yes, sir!' I gave a salute and left his office.

— — —

It's surprising really, what one can accomplish during a time of emergency. If you were to ask me how I was able to go back home, change my clothes and even eat an early lunch on my way back to Empire house all within the span of thirty minutes, I would tell you that I had no idea it was at all possible until today.

Maybe it was possibly due to luck? That certainly seemed to play a factor as the only people home were my uncle, locked up in his study as usual, and Leadfield, cleaning out the attic. It was a good thing too, since I hadn't bothered to change back into a dress in the garden shed before climbing through my bedroom window.

I was able to obtain some linen rags designated for times like these (part of the wonderful experience of being a female) and changed into another pair of my uncle's old trousers. I even packed extra rags in my briefcase, something I probably should have done in the first place. But eh, better late than never, I suppose.

Since I had five minutes to spare on my return back to Empire House, I was able to buy a sandwich and eat it on the way. I was starting to understand the concept of efficiency, especially after working for Mr Ambrose. Huh, it might not actually be all that bad.

Thankfully, the rest of work passed by uneventfully. Once I returned to my office, I saw that Mr Ambrose had shut the door to his own once again. He still could tell that I had returned though, for I had just sat down at my desk when I was pelted with more tasks to complete for the rest of the day, including retrieving more files. But I was determined to work even harder to make up for this morning.

By the time I took a look at my pocket watch, it was already dark outside. Eight o'clock on the dot.

Packing up my things, I was ready to leave when the door to Mr Ambrose's office opened, revealing his tall, dark figure in the doorway.

'Would you step into my office for a moment, Mr Linton?'

'Why?'

'I have something I wish to discuss with you.'

'You can discuss it here.'

'I can, But I would prefer not to.'

'I would prefer to.'

'You do not get to decide, Mr Linton. My office, now. Close the door behind you.'

I reluctantly followed him, shutting the door behind me. He sat back down in his chair, his posture ramrod straight with crossed arms.

'In regards to the matter earlier today...' He began in a low voice.

'Yes?' Did I take more than thirty minutes to return? Were there more mistakes I had made after my break?

'Are you sure that you're fit to work?'

'What?'

'Are you fit to work with your current state?'

Was he being serious right now? Judging by the expression on his face (or lack thereof), I had to say that he was.

'Why wouldn't I be?'

'Given what has transpired earlier today, I have reason to believe so, Mr Linton.'

A spark of anger flared within me. 'Mr Ambrose, besides the two incidents that happened before my break, did I give you any other reason to believe otherwise?'

'Well, no.' He had the nerve to sound reluctant!

'Then yes, I am plenty fit to work.' I glared at him. 'Mr Ambrose, just because of I'm losing a bit of blood does not mean that I am incapacitated.'

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

'Furthermore, I am not weak. Women are not weak. We have been dealing with this since the beginning of time and haven't let it get in the way of doing what needs to be done.'

'I never said that you were weak, Mr Linton.'

'Then what are you trying to say?'

'I...' Something flashed in his eyes so quickly before I completely identify it. Concern?

'Nothing, Mr Linton.' That granite mask of his was back in place. 'You are dismissed for the day.'

I turned to leave but then paused.

'Thank you.'

He looked up from the papers in front of him.

'For what?'

'For letting me take my break early today.'

For being more understanding than I expected you to be.

Our eyes met for a fathomless moment. He nodded once.

You're welcome.

I gave him a small smile. Spinning on my heel, I left his office, feeling his eyes trail behind my retreating figure the entire time.

I guess that today may not have been a completely bad day after all.

— — —

Wow, that was a pretty long read. Kudos if you made it to the end. This was just my take on periods if they ever came up in the SnS world. I’m kinda sad that it never did considering this was a series about women’s rights and numerous other “taboo” topics in the Victorian era have been brought up in the books such as bathroom habits, “amorous congress” and “protection” for said congress. Oh well. I was able to articles to find 2 articles that I used for reference to write this. I’ll share them in a reblog since my post wont show in the tags due to the links. There’s not much known about periods in the Victorian Era since it was a “taboo” subject but there are some tidbits here and there that I was able to base this off of.

[palettepainter]

DO NOT REPOST/EDIT/COPY/TRACE MY ART OR OC!!! Warning to his backstory, mentions of abuse and murder Adding yet another Hazbin Hotel OC to my swarm of other characters, because why not? His backstory is still in the works but I'll dump some ideas I've had for his personality/character/backstory below -Captain Cutthroat hails from Safe Haven, born to a wimpy scullery maid and being born at sea, Cutthroat's (or Kennedy as he was called when he was alive) life has been a rough sail on the sea's from the start. His mother, a small frail looking thing was sold to his father, the captain of a famous fishing crew as a servant/errand girl. His father, a brash, crude leader to a gang or rotten, backstabbing crew of pirates, and his father found a sick liking towards the skittish, pale looking cabin maid. Cutthroat is born out at seas and right after a long hard night at sea through a long storm. Years to follow are filled with back breaking labor given to Cutthroat curtsy of his beloved 'father', all the while he's under the sharp eye of all of his fathers intimidating crew members. Swabbing the deck after the crew had a drunk night of celebrating, washing the laundry, cleaning the dishes after meals - but at least little Cutthroat has his mother, it makes things bearable. Sneaking away scraps of food, managing to weasel his way out of trouble by the skin of his teeth, being made a fool by the crew members while his father barks with laughter along with them. But having his mothers side to cry into, it makes life bearable. -Cutthroat and his mother make their escape from his fathers clutches when Cutthroat is at the brisk age of 16, he's just turned in after he's finished mopping the decks, and overhears his dear old dad gabbling away with another sea captain. His father, not keen to part with his gold, bets his mother. Cutthroat is frozen with fear, anxiously watching and listening through the crack in the door, as the other captain earns himself a win - it is decided, Cutthroats mother would be handed off to him first thing in the morning. Cutthroat has done his best to push the memory of that night from his mind, but that night he was body was shaking worse then a scrawny nobody in a storm as he woke up his mother, and hurriedly made his escape with her in the dead of night. Life on the streets was no better for them, cold nights and days without food left his mother sick and weak, and Cutthroat had to work tooth and nail just to scrape by with savings for food. Lie, cheat, steal, he did it all - the boy had it rough in his young adult days, selling whatever he had on him for whatever coins of gold he could get to care for his mother. Unconsciously he follows in the footsteps of his father, turning to the black market where anything and everything can be sold for cash - if you're clever enough to know the ropes. Cutthroat knew the black market was not the most moral of jobs: trapping and hunting sirens without drowning was rare, but their scales and fins where worth a pretty penny or two. Snaring griffins was a shot in the dark, but their skulls and feathers would pay them enough to live comfortably for half the year. The more magical the creature, the more it was worth - but money is money, and Cutthroat, young and desperate, was prepared to sell soul and left leg for it -His mother, despite suffering from the abuse and mistreat by his father, still tried to guide Cutthroat down a good path, one that wouldn't make him turn out like either of them. She genuinely tried, but in her sick state she couldn't do much, even when at sea she was not the best - she would sometimes forget to feed Cutthroat as a baby, she simply didn't have time, would spend days on end sleeping when Cutthroat was old enough to take the burden of tasks off her shoulders. To wee Cutthroat, his mother was an angel, and you can imagine his distress when his mothers sickness grows worse. She becomes sicker and sicker by the day, every day she's a little weaker, more colour draining from her face. Enraged at his own weakness, Cutthroat takes his mother to the nearest inn, slaps some gold in the owners face, and sets off to sea in search for his father. New at sea he doesn't fair well, he gets lost a lot, nearly gets himself killed a few times, but somehow, through spite and determination (but mostly spite) he tracks down his father. Cutthroat may not be a good sailor, but at the age of 20, he's become pretty darn good at playing his cards right - he's young, his father is old, and the black market has taught Cutthroat the best ways to throw a man off guard. Cutthroat infiltrates his fathers ship, putting up the facade of simple new lad on the ship, and one by one he poisons his fathers crew mates, slowly by surely riding his father of his little lackeys, no one to call for now. Daddy dearest he saves for last, the poison works on him slowly, Cutthroat WANTS his dad to feel every bit of pain. Cutthroat draws out the torture, taking his sweet time to give  back to his dad all the pain he put his mother through - just when his father goes to draw his final breath, he turns to give Cutthroat a pained crooked smirk, spitting blood before he slurs 'just like yer old man, eh boy?' - something within Cutthroat snaps, and he deals the final blow to his father with a knife to the throat (hence his name, Cutthroat) -With revenge done and his old man dead, Cutthroat spills oil upon the deck and sets the boat alight while escaping in one of the emergency boats, his fathers ship burns into the fog, and is left to crumble and rot at sea. Cutthroat, stronger and tougher, returns home, not regretting an ounce of his actions. Returning home to the inn, Cutthroat isn't prepared for the hord of staff and people crowded round his mothers room: There she is, laying in bed, face pale and forehead cold with sweat, bags under her eyes as a doctor tends to her at bedside. Pneumonia, and it's bad. Cutthroat is at his mothers side in a heartbeat, the tears already swelling in his eyes as he grips her hands, they're cold to the touch, and she can barely manage to keep her eyes open to look at him. When the doctor tells him that it is unlikely she was survive the month Cutthroat warns him to shut his trap, when the doctor offers for them to end her suffering humanly, Cutthroat has to hold the urge to throw a lamp. He yells at them to get out, to leave, and to never come near him or his mother again! As soon as the door closes, he breaks, leaning his head gently onto his mother as she weakly rests her hands in his wind swept hair. On top of having to get enough money for food, to pay to stay at the inn, and for whatever medicine he can find to ease the pain for his mother, Cutthroat decides it's time to skip town, he'll get her help elsewhere..They don't make it far, carrying his mother is not hard, years of working on his fathers boat built up his muscles - but the cold is not helping, and even Cutthroat needs rest. The pain is getting worse, his mother is struggling to breath, she's eating less, her coughing is becoming more violent. It takes three days of travelling for Cutthroat to realize the harsh truth, his mother wasn't going to make it, and he'd been putting her through hell by pushing her forward, when all she wanted to do was rest. Cutthroat asks his mother one day if she wants to rest, and his mother replies, barely above a whisper, that she is very, very tired. They both know what has to come next. Cutthroat ends her life, as swift as he can - it hurts him, hurts him so damn much - her death is sadly slow, Cutthroat does not have the power to make it fast and painless, so he cradles her body, his tears dropping onto her face as he howls with sobs, body trembling as she rubs her hands gently over his back one final time. Cutthroat gives her her own burial, in a nice field by the sea, which he knew she loved to look at -Cutthroat, having lost his only true family member, falls back into the ways of his younger, troubled self: he sells on the black market, does illegal trading, hunts down exotic creatures across safe haven and becomes a notorious criminal (the work nullifies the pain from his past, if he just keeps working, he'll forget it). Years later when hunting and trading of exotic creatures is banned in safe haven, that does little to stop Cutthroat, he continues about his way, not shy of getting rid of any lil sneaks that may run the risk of turning him in. Cutthroat eventually dies by a spear to his throat, the aftermath of a little disagreement between Cutthroat and another crew of traders that tried to swindle him of his treasures. It's no surprise to Cutthroat when he ends up in hell, and he makes himself very much at home at Hellside coast: Hellside coast is his turf, he owns that part of town, and even though visitors are scare, he does well to make his reputation known. He is a big dealer on the black market and a local hunter and trader of goods, he charges a high bargain, but is willing to trade for the right valuables. Despite his gruff and his towering height and strength, Cutthroat can be somewhat decent, he's a lil on the snarky side and makes playful jabs at visitors - jabs that often have a darker meaning or jabs that are meant to serve as a warning - 'Swimming eh? Knock yerself out meatbait, just make sure yet rugrats are attending too. All unattended children will be snapped up by a' sea serpent, don't stand a chance against those...HAHA! Lighten up, was just a joke..last year only half as many kids disappeared then usual' -Cutthroat, no matter what, deep deep DEEP down will always have a hidden soft spot for kids - he goes by the motto 'talk shit, get hit', if he sees someone being a prat or more so, sees someone being a prat to a someone who can't defend themselves, this man is quietly lumbering over to break things off, and this man gets violent very quickly when those who are weak are involved. This is mostly because Cutthroat, despite his reputation, understands what its like to be vulnerable and helpless. He claims he is not capable of being soft, but that's a big fat lie -He knows of Pip, and has actually grown fond of the little rats company. Pip came to Hellside coast when he was spending the weekend with his Uncle Angel Dust, he and Iridescence had been playing outside when a turf war broke out in the area they had been playing in. Pip, rightfully afraid, scrambled down to Hellside coast and hid in the first place he saw, inside an empty barrel by the coasts docks. Little Pip is then rightfully terrified and can barely manage to speak when the barrel is rolled onto the ship and the boat pulls out from the harbor. Hours go by, Pip is scared, his small body trembling from the cold. Deep below deck Pip finally manages to crawl out from his barrel, the sea tossing the boat and causing poor Pip to stumble his way along the boat, maybe he could sail back in one of the smaller boats? How far from shore could he be? News flash: Very far. Pip is very nearly tossed over board by the raging waves, until a firm hand grabs him by the scruff and drags him back inside, Cutthroat. Rightfully so Pip pushes himself into the furthest corner from Cutthroat. Cutthroat, rightfully so, tears Pip now with all his yelling and demanding 'What the BLOODY HELL where you thinking?!' - Pip, shaken and scared, soo begins to cry and the sight of Cutthroat and curls in on himself as the boat continues to rock...which is why he is very surprised when Cutthroat offers him a blanket (all be it a smelly one, but it kept him warm), a small meal and some water, and reassures him he'll make a turn around back to the docks as soon as the storm passes. Cutthroat roars with laughter when Pip meakly asks for Cutthroat not to throw him overboard, Cutthroat admits though he could easily toss Pip across the room no sweat, he isn't big on killing a helpless kid: maybe grow up a little first, then the next time you sneak onto his boat he'll toss you over, if that's really what you expect him to do. Pip becomes comfortable very quickly on Cutthroats boat, and Cutthroat quickly becomes annoyed at the boys jabbering and constant questions, as soon as he reaches shore the next day he drops the kid off at the hotel and makes his way back to his boat when he's sure the kid is A-okay at that fancy shmansy hotel. Every visit from that day on Pip visits Hell side coast, some days he'd simply watch Cutthroat do his thing about the docks, other days he'd follow behind him like a lost duckling, completely in awe at seeing a real pirate! Cutthroat is..50/50 with his company, he likes the attention, but he does love his peace and quite, and having a kid constantly chew your ear off made him realize how much he loved his silence in the afternoons, but somehow - he ends up liking the brat -When Pip excitedly told Cutthroat he wanted to be a pirate just like him, Cutthroat stared at him blankly, then replied with a casually: 'Heh, a terrible decision kid' - and told Pip to change his life goals fast. The day in which Cutthroat properly began to care for Pip was the day the little brat came running up to him, tears pouring from his eyes, Cutthroat didn't get a chance to ask what was wrong or scold him for fleeing up onto his ship with his tail between his legs, before two other men dressed in suits come rushing down the path. Cutthroat goes up to his deck to retrieve the boy when the two men approaching his ship, he goes to tell them his business for the day is closed and to come back tomorrow, but freezes when they explain they're looking for a little scruffy haired boy, how his father is looking for him, and demands that Peter be brought home. One scared look from the shivering boy is all Cutthroat needs to tell the two men that he ain't see no boy, and to get lost. Cutthroat couldn't pry all the details from Pip, but he quickly gets the impression that Pip's father, this Castello character, ain't a nice man. Cutthroat knows he's been through some stuff, he ain't the best person to be giving advice, but something about the sad slump in the boys shoulders and his messy untamed hair made him think back to a time when he was like that. From that day fourth, Cutthroat takes the boy under his wing. He asks Pip if he still wants to be a pirate, when Pip sniffles with a weak nod: Cutthroat says lil pipsqueak has a long way to go, ties a red bandage round Pip's shoulders, shrugs, and says that an old sea dog like him will just have to show him the ropes. The way in which Pip's face just lights up, it's hard for Cutthroat to not chuckle at. Pip becomes Cutthroats prodigy, at first, he spent time with the kid in hopes it'd make him feel better, but in the end, he too began to grow to enjoy their time together, his mouth would quirk up into a lazed but happy grin when he saw the pint size running down the beach to greet him, he couldn't help but be smug when Pip failed miserably to reel in an escaped fish from his net (may or may not have had several heart attacks when Pip was nearly swallowed by huge deep sea demonic lobster), can't help but ruffle that messy hair of his, can't help but tease at how utterly tiny Pip is, how terrifying he is for a pirate in training, he's seen scarier goldfish! Cutthroat loves that little brat, and also loves the free adoration and idol like praise Pip gives him. That's all for now! Had a tone of fun drawing this guy so I hope you like him! Cutthroat/Pip/Iridescence - me