#dragging myself out of an art block by making cool outfit x-x

[exotic-inquiry]

here’s my hunter from @evertidings IF When Twilight Strikes✌️

[capricorn-stark]

Protégé

pairing: red hood!jason todd x robin!reader, slow burn 

warning: swearing

a/n: for context, this is somewhat loosely based off of Battle for the Cowl (2009) which I definitely recommend as a read! 

There was something about falling that you would never, ever get tired of. 

Ever. 

Probably.

With the wind whistling in your ears, your hair floating up in a million directions, and your limbs seemingly weightless as the buildings and lights blurred into one endless streak of color, the rush of adrenaline that ran through your body right before your grappling hook shot out and you landed quietly on the concrete was about a million times better than any sparring session back at the cave. 

You grinned as you straightened, rather proud of the fact that you had actually managed to land so smoothly without nearly paralyzing yourself. Again.The landing was something you had been working on for a while now.

You could practically hear Bruce’s voice ringing through your head after your little stunt, lamenting on and on about how you had more important things to focus on during patrols, and you let out a sigh as you ran down the backway of the nearly empty streets. 

The heavy man who had been bound up with a decently made gag and one of Bruce’s fancy tech pieces (Batcuffs, maybe? Something else with Bat smacked in front of it?) grunted beside you. 

“What? Not like you had someplace to be.” You grabbed the back of his rather tacky-looking spandex suit to drag him along back to where your mentor was supposed to be.

Despite your (many) disagreements and his (many) criticisms of your hand-to-hand combat skills, attitude issues, and pretty much everything else relating to you, Bruce had actually still allowed you to go off on your own tonight. It might’ve been because he wanted a few hours of nothing but beating up petty criminals by himself for stress-relief, it might’ve been because he had started trying out that whole independence thing with you a little more (even though you were still only permitted to be about five blocks or so away), it might’ve been plot-convenience - but either way, you appreciated the gesture.

It didn’t take long for you to pull your new friend over to what should’ve been your rendezvous point with Batman, letting the man drop with a dull thud and a grunt of protest against the concrete as you glanced around for the other man. You weren’t particularly concerned by the fact that the Bat himself wasn’t there yet - after all, he was the goddamn Batman. He’d show up eventually. In the meanwhile, you decided to go over the information you had gotten on the criminal with you. 

Just for the sake of it. Bruce would make you go over it anyways.

“Drury Walker, thirty-two years old, found him trying to mug someone in a back alley and make an escape. Called himself…” you paused, looking down at his sorry-looking outfit for a few moments while he looked up at you with murder and vengence in his eyes. “...Killer Moth.”  

“Killer Moth?” A completely new voice repeated in disbelief, causing you to immediately whirl around to face them in a fight stance, heart racing at a million miles per hour. The guy in front of you had his hands up in the air, his face concealed with some sort of red knock-off Iron Man helmet. He was gonna get copyrighted by Marvel Studios. “Shit, sorry,” he started at the sight of you, still leaning up against one of the walls. “I was supposed to make a wholeass dramatic entrance, but you said his name was Killer Moth and that-” The man made a noise that was either a sharp cough or a laugh of some kind. “-sounded so fucking lame I couldn’t help myself.” 

Despite the fact that you were definitely in some sort of major trouble with this new guy, he really did have a point. Even Killer Moth himself would’ve been embarrassed by how trash his name was, if not for the fact that he looked like he was on the verge of an aneurysm - understandably so, since the new guy had produced not one, but two guns out of apparently nowhere. 

“And let me guess,” he continued, pointing one of them at your head, his tone still all-too light and easy. “You must be the Bat’s brand-new Robin.” 

Now this is where most people would've shut up and proceeded to be complicit with the dude holding two guns. But Batman hadn’t seen reason and made you his (sort of) partner because you were like other people. Hell no.

“Do I look like a traffic signal to you?” It had been the very first of your amendments with Bruce. You would not be fighting crime looking like a literal traffic signal or, at best, a clown from Haly’s Circus. And the tiny green shorts had to go. “Or Robin Hood?” The guy had a rather awkward pause where his gun sort of dipped. Killer Moth was looking between you with wide eyes. “Do I?” 

“I guess you kinda got a point.” You huffed and he raised his gun again, getting more in-your-face as his already angry-looking helmet somehow managed to look angrier. You weren’t exactly sure how a helmet could convey so much emotion. “But you work with Batman. And I heard you went by Robin.” 

Okay, so you couldn’t make him change the name, but you had agreed it would be more of an honorary thing.

“It’s complicated.” 

Using such a phrase as an excuse to escape from situations you didn’t want to go into was one of the many things you had learned from Bruce in your five months of training. Somehow, that seemed to trigger the guy further.

“So you do work with Batman.” 

Before he could do something actually insane, you had managed to push the gun pointed at your head away from you, using his brief second of surprise to take it out of his hands, kick him in the chest, and round back on him with it in hand. 

“And what about it?” 

As cool as you thought you might’ve sounded didn’t cover for the fact that you were still nerve-wracked about what was happening right then. Especially after the guy started to dramatically slow-clap like some sort of evil thespian in a high school drama. 

“Not bad, Robin. Not bad.” He looked at the gun in your hands and grinned. “If you weren’t Batman’s new replacement sidekick, I might’ve believed you had the balls to use that thing.” 

Now, you were an excellent fighter. You had to be, after your excessive training with the guy who had literally mastered about every martial art in existence during his (give or take) five year-long mission to find himself. Plus, some personal experience. But fighting someone like this guy? Built like a tank and padded up in a whole lot of armor and packing an assortment of knives, guns, and even a damn taser you got a first-hand taste of?

You fought hard, but about five minutes and another round of the taser later, you saw the knock-off Iron Man helmet staring down at you before the world went black.

~*~

You woke up in what you assumed was the self-dubbed Red Hood’s safehouse of sorts. 

“How the hell did he rope you into this shit?” he demanded with what you could only assume was him glaring at you through the helmet. Probably some expression that made someone look all angsty and annoyed - which was fair, since he had been trying to drill you for information you straight up refused to give while bound (way too tightly) to a chair for quite some time now. Rather rude. “Let me guess. You watched your parents die.” You stared at him before shrugging.

“Nope.”

“Oh, so they just went ahead and died somehow. Untimely accident caused by some psycho bitch in a Spirit Halloween costume.”

“…nope.” 

“They abandoned you as a child.”

“No, they didn’t - does divorce count?” 

Red Hoodlum’s hands kept clenching and unclenching while he stood there, staring at the wall behind you in silence. From the way his chest kept rising and falling, you were tempted to believe he was practicing breathing exercises amidst his rather violent twitching. 

“Divorce - what the hell is your trauma supposed to be? Why did he pick you?!”

“Hey, just because my trauma doesn’t include people dying doesn’t make it any less traumatic,” you scoffed in response, knowing you were absolutely right about that. Your middle school guidance counselor had said so (and it’s true, ladies and gentlemen, trauma comes in many forms!). “Kinda rude to assume it didn’t affect me somehow.”

He seemed rather abashed at that and you heard him clear his throat a little. 

“...right, yeah. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted - can you loosen these ropes a little? It’s starting to kinda hurt.” 

“Do I look ten? That’s the oldest trick in the book, I’m not gonna-”

“I’m not going to run, just loosen the ropes a little.” He still looked like he didn’t believe you. “Come on, I don’t think I can outrun your guns.” As in his literal array of guns tacked up to the wall behind him, not his gigantic biceps. 

And you weren’t too worried about being held hostage by him, either. You figured you had ten minutes tops before Batman burst in through the doorway, ready to give you a lecture on why straying from the specifically designated parts of Gotham he had let you traipse around was a terribly stupid idea. 

“No.” He was already walking towards the door, because apparently, he had enough of trying to interrogate you. 

“Hold on, I feel like my wrists are actually about to start bleeding or something - where are you going?”

“Keep talking and I’m gonna get the duct tape.” 

“Is that a threat?” Sounding more confident than you actually felt should eventually make you more confident. Eventually. 

The Red Hood sucked in a breath, stopping by the doorway and turning to face you, reaching into his pockets to get what you assumed was either a gun or duct tape when you both startled from a sudden crash. The man in front of you was already whirling around with two guns positioned to shoot when you heard the familiar voice of someone else.

“Hold your fire, soldier. I’m not here for you.” A pause. “Or I wasn’t, but now I kind of am.”

Apparently, Batman was too busy to save you. Now, you got Nightwing. 

And as much as you liked Nightwing, that still kinda stung. 

[atlabeth]

transferred part eight - atla smau

TRANSFERRED - zuko x fem!reader

masterlist | part 7 | part 9 

summary: trying to run from your past is hard, but falling for your brother’s roommate is even harder. little do you know he’s falling for you as well. 

wc: 4.5k 

warning(s): alcohol, gross guys, cursing, ppl getting drunk, suggestive themes, some pining, y/n being dumb of ass

a/n: i’ve been in a weird place with my writing so that’s why this took longer, it was a combination of writers block and lacking confidence in my writing so sdkjfhs. also for the ending? im sorry. but also im not 

taglist:  @ourbestfriend-mishacollins @lil-lex1 @xxshad0wxb1rdxx @zuko-is-the-sun @akiris @irohs-teapot @thatarthistorynerd @charlenasaxen @minninugget @marvel-ousnesss @count-thotticus @what-ye-egg @furblrwurblr @thesstuff @mariachiii @ietss @dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee @xbarrjallenx @tommy-braccoli @dreamsluvrr @floofybread​ 

~~~~~~

“SOKKA, WE HAVE TO LEAVE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! NOW OPEN THE DOOR OR I WILL BREAK IT DOWN MYSELF!” You banged your fist against the door for what felt like the hundredth time, and it seemed to finally work. The door swung open and your brother came out holding his hands up placatingly. You had to give it to him, his hair looked good, but with all the time he had spent styling it in there you would be disappointed if it wasn’t a masterpiece.

“Calm down, Y/N! You just don’t appreciate the art that goes into this,” he said with an exaggerated gesture to himself. You rolled your eyes and pushed past him, closing and locking the door behind him to make sure that no one would disturb you while you got ready. One downside to rooming with all boys was that no one knew how to knock, so you had to be extremely vigilant in making sure that no one walked in on you. 

You had spent a majority of your time picking out the perfect outfit for tonight after you and Zuko had gotten home. It was harder than you thought it was going to be to find something that said, ‘I’m available but not too available, I’m approachable but not too approachable, and also this is hot’, but after a lot of rifling through your closet you decided on a black backless top and navy blue jeans, something that looked good but did not warrant all the time spent searching. 

It didn’t take nearly as long to do your hair and makeup, maybe because you were rapidly running out of time, but you decided to just go with a simple look that brought out your eye color and what you usually did for parties for your hair. 

You nearly stabbed yourself in the eye with your mascara wand when you heard banging on the door. “Y/N, WE HAVE TO LEAVE IN FIVE MINUTES! NOW OPEN THE DOOR OR I WILL BREAK IT DOWN MYSELF!”

“Sokka, if you’re gonna yell at me then BE ORIGINAL!” You called back as you finished your eyes up. You shoved all the products back into your makeup bag then checked your hair one last time before leaving the bathroom. 

“How do I look, boys?” You walked into the kitchen and grabbed your purse off the island, testing the waters with the heels you had decided to wear last minute. They were only a couple inches but it had been a while since you wore them, and you would prefer if you didn’t fall over in front of every hot person at this party. 

Sokka followed you into the kitchen after nearly getting hit by the door, his tone somehow exasperated already. “You look fine. Now can we please get going? It’s one thing to be fashionably late, but we can’t be LATE late.”

“I love the heels, Y/N,” Aang gave you a grin and two thumbs up which you returned. 

When you looked to Zuko for his reaction, you were surprised to see a faint blush dusting his cheeks and his eyes wider than usual as they lingered on you. “You look- um- wow. You look great. Are you sure you won’t get cold?”

You felt your face heat up and you smiled, subconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “I guess I can just borrow your jacket if I need to,” you teased with a wink as you walked past him. “Come on Sokka, I’ll race you for shotgun!” 

“Oh, that is so cheap—!” Before you knew it, the two of you were sprinting out the door, pushing each other 

“Pick your jaw up off the floor, Zuko,” Aang said jokingly once you were out of the apartment, the distant yells of you and your brother bouncing through the hallway. “Y’know, you could probably make a move tonight. I think she’s into you!” 

“I- that’s not- I wasn’t- we’re just friends!” Zuko stammered as he picked up his keys from the table, finally snapping out of his stupor.

“Whatever you say, Sifu Hotman!” 

“I don’t— it’s not like that!”

~~~~~~

It was a quick ride over to the apartment with Sokka’s instructions — who had somehow beat you to the car winning shotgun (you blamed your heels) — and soon you were in front of Apartment B29 knocking on the door. A man about your age opened the door, and you blinked in surprise as you were hit by the wave of noise coming from inside. Sokka pushed past you and did a very complicated handshake with the guy before clapping him on the back. 

“Kento, how are ya doin’? I brought my roommates with me, is that cool?”

“Of course, man! The more the merrier!” Sokka grinned and high-fived him and the four of you moved inside, all of your senses assaulted by a barrage of.. everything. 

It was a surprisingly active party in a surprisingly big place, but you supposed that had to be the case for someone to throw something this size. Your eyes immediately started drifting around, searching for your friends that had arrived before you, and you started tugging on Aang’s shirt and pointing. “There they are! Come on!” 

You practically dragged the poor boy behind you as your brother and Zuko followed behind in a less forced way, and you barreled into Suki, each knocking the air out of each other with the strength of your hugs.

“You’re here!” Suki looked at your outfit and whistled. “And you look fantastic? This is the Y/N that I have been missing!”

You laughed and pulled away from her, giving one armed hugs to both Katara and Toph before settling in while everyone else greeted each other. “Gotta make a good first impression on BSSU guys, right?” 

“Oh, I think you already have,” Katara smirked, her eyes flicking over to Zuko for a second before training back on you. 

You furrowed your brows, about to question Katara further, when Suki gasped and grabbed your hand. 

“Oh, speaking of guys! There are a couple guys in my psych class tht are here that I think you’d really be into. Come on!” Suki started pulling you away and you looked back at the rest of the group with an amused expression before giving in and running away with her. 

Katara groaned, looking at Toph with desperation that she couldn’t see. “That girl is hopeless. How am I supposed to do my matchmaking if she’s trying to set her up with random guys?” 

“Guess you’ll either have to try harder or let it go, sugar queen.” 

“You know I’m not letting this go.” Katara could’ve kept going on about it, but thankfully for Toph, Aang slung his arm around Katara’s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. 

“Come on, Katara! Let’s start this party off right.” The two of them grinned at each other and went off to the midst of everyone, no doubt to dance together. 

“Zuko? You there?” Toph questioned.

“Yeah?” Parties were very much not Zuko’s thing, so he didn’t exactly know what he was going to do now that everyone had split up.

Toph elbowed him and started walking through the crowd, Zuko following hurriedly after her as he rubbed his shoulder. “What was that for?”

“It’s how I show affection.” Toph grabbed onto his hand so that she wouldn’t run into everything in her way, and continued walking. “Now come on, let’s do something! Sokka’s talking with his boys, Y/N is probably off hitting on some guys while Suki encourages her, and Katara and Aang are doing some dumb couple stuff. Which means that we have to do something.” 

Zuko chuckled and shrugged. “Sure.” Hopefully Suki wasn’t serious about setting you up. Of course, he didn’t like you like that, but you were too good for the kind of guy that you would find at this kind of party. He supposed that he was that kind of guy because he was here, but he was different, right? You wouldn’t see him in that light— 

“Ow! Why’d you do that again?” Zuko was sure he was going to have a bruise if he hung out with Toph for the rest of the night.

“Because I can tell that you’re thinking of something stupid.”

“I am not—

“Zuko, I can’t even see you and I know you’re lying.”  

He was suddenly too distracted to focus on Toph calling him out because he saw you, talking animatedly with a couple of guys and Suki by your side. They all started laughing at whatever you said, and your smile, even from that far away, made his heart flutter. But for some reason, seeing you with those boys made him feel.. annoyed.

He didn’t even realize he was clenching his fists until Toph hit him, albeit softer, on the shoulder. “Lighten up on the grip, sparky!”

“Sorry,” he said, blinking a couple of times. “Let’s keep going.”

This was going to be a long night for Zuko.

~~~~~~

You had separated from the group to get another drink, having already finished your cup in the time it took to tell a couple stories. You pursed your lips and picked a beer up from the cooler, then placed the cap on the edge of the table and slammed down on top of it with your other hand. The bottle cap fell off and you took a sip, pleased that it worked. It was a party trick you had picked up when you first moved to Kyoshi, and though using a bottle opener was loads easier, this was more fun. 

“Nice move.” You turned around, surprised when you heard a voice behind you, nearly spilling your drink in the process. It belonged to a tall, brown haired boy with some interesting eyebrows and a toothpick in his mouth. 

“Thanks.” You smiled lightly and moved to walk away, but he blocked your path. 

“What, do I not get a name?” His words had an air of cockiness to them, and he leaned against the wall next to the table. “I’m Jet.” 

“Ohhhh, you’re Jet.” You took a sip of your drink to mask your grimace and rolled your eyes, already looking around for Suki to get away to. Your sister had told you about her experiences with this guy, and though there was some irony in him hitting on you all these years later, you weren’t into it. “Yeah, no thanks.” 

You started to walk away but he wrapped his hand around your wrist and pulled you back to him, causing you to let out a small yelp. You were already kinda tipsy, so you got much closer than you would’ve liked (being in the same room with him was too close to be fair) and he smirked at you. Now this, this was definitely how you wanted your night to go. 

“Come on darling, just give me a chance. I’m not that bad.” He was attractive, you would admit that, but the way he was acting was a red flag that you weren’t going to miss again. 

“Oh, I’m sure you are.” You tried to pull your wrist out of his grip but he wasn’t budging. You glared up at him and set your jaw. “Do you really want to do this tonight? Because I’ve got time, buddy.”

“I’m just asking a pretty girl for her name, it’s not a crime. Of course, I’ll also go for your number.” He was smooth as ever, unfazed until another voice cut in.

“She said no. Now leave her alone, Jet.” 

You felt his grip loosen on your wrist and you immediately pulled away, looking over to see who had saved you from the fight that you were sure was imminent. Your eyes lit up when you saw that it was Zuko, and you backed over so that you were on his side. You noticed he ever so slightly positioned himself in front of you. 

“Ah.. You two a thing?” The confidence from before was replaced with what looked like anger with a hint of jealousy. 

“No, he’s just a guy that knows what ‘no’ means,” you shot back. Now you wanted to fight, but Zuko took your hand and shook his head. 

“He’s not worth it. Let’s go, Y/N.” He started walking away and you followed, but were unable to resist one more jab at that cocky jerk. 

“I’m not into jerks that fuck over my sister!” You yelled over your shoulder as Zuko pulled you away. The two of you emerged out of the apartment onto the empty balcony, and you inhaled the fresh air. 

“Thanks for that. I think I would’ve started a fight if I stayed there for another second.” You tipped back the rest of your beer and frowned, twirling the bottle between your fingers before setting it on the ground next to you. “God, this sucks. Why am I drinking it again?” 

“Because you’re a broke college kid that wants to get drunk at a party thrown by other broke college kids?” Zuko offered helpfully. 

You hummed in agreement and leaned your back against the railing, pointing your finger at him. “Right on the mark, mister.” 

He smiled as he leaned against the wall, conveniently ignoring the chair right next to him. You figured it was for his ‘cool guy image’, but it was once again doing it for you. “He didn’t hurt you or anything, right?” 

You snorted and shook your head, running a hand through your hair as you looked into the night. The party was still going on strong back inside, but it was nice to get away for a moment, especially with Zuko. “Nah. If he tried anything, he would be the one getting hurt.”

Zuko chuckled, pushing himself up from the wall and walking over to you. Another thing you had noticed from living with him and being his classmate — this boy could not sit still. “I believe that wholeheartedly.” 

“Does Jet have something against you?” You questioned, casting a glance at him. “Because as soon as you showed up, he looked really angry.” 

“We have some.. messy history. Some stuff that happened in high school that he can’t let go.” Zuko stared down at the ground and you nodded, taking that as a sign to not push further.

“It’s like the only guys I attract are douchebags,” you groaned, letting your head fall back to stare at the sky. “But seriously, thank you. You never know how guys like that get when you reject them.”

“Anything for you.” Zuko’s eyes widened when he realized what he said and he tried to cover it up with a cough, stammering to fix it. “B-because you’re one of my roommates! And my friend! And it’s not like I would just leave one of my friends to fend by themselves especially when they’re drunk—”

“Shhhhhh.” You waved your hand in front of his face, trying to get him to stop. “You, my good sir, talk too much.” You let out a laugh at his expression and mimicked his stance, resting your forearms against the railing and shivering a bit as a gust of wind blew by. “Just.. stand here for a little with me. Appreciate the stars,” you crooned with a flourish of your arm. 

You both stood there in comfortable silence, the sounds of the party raging behind you reduced to mere background noise as you became lost in your surroundings. It was just you, Zuko, and the sky. 

“It’s beautiful,” you mused.

“It is,” he agreed. When you glanced at him, you saw that Zuko’s eyes had never left you. Your face immediately heated up and you averted your gaze with a small smile, self-consciously brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. This time when you shivered you felt something being draped around your shoulders and your eyes widened in surprise when you saw it was Zuko giving you his jacket. You prayed to any god that would listen that he couldn’t see how flushed your cheeks were. 

“What are you doing?” 

“You did say you would borrow mine if you got cold, right?” 

You hummed thoughtfully and slipped your arms into the sleeves, already feeling warmer. Whether it was from not having your whole back exposed or wearing something of Zuko’s though, you didn’t know. “I guess I did.”

When you met his gaze again, it was like some invisible force was stopping you from looking away. All of the sounds of the party faded away, and it was like the world around you had stopped. It was just you and Zuko, and you unconsciously started leaning forward. 

You jumped and nearly screamed when you felt a buzz against your back pocket, letting out a relieved breath when you realized it was only your phone. You pulled out your phone and tried your hardest to look absorbed in it, trying to pretend like you weren’t just about to try and kiss Zuko right then. That moment was completely and wholly ruined. 

“Ugh,” you rolled your eyes as you read the text on your phone and started to walk back inside. “Apparently Aang and Toph have gotten into a debate about… moral relativism? God, I have no idea why they’re talking about that at a party, or who they’re even arguing with, but apparently it’s getting heated. Wanna come with?” 

Zuko chuckled and shook his head. “I think I’ll take a few more moments out here. Parties drain me sometimes.” In truth, he needed a while to process what just happened between the two of you, what he had done. He definitely hadn’t imagined that moment, and he knew he would be thinking of your eyes and how they sparkled in the moonlight for days to come. 

“Ah, I totally get you, man. Take all the time you need, text me if you need anything!” You winked at him and ran back inside, which Zuko reciprocated with a light smile.

~~~~~~

You spent the rest of the night having a great time — drinking more shitty beer with Sokka, dancing with Katara and Toph, singing so badly to the music with Suki that you were amazed they hadn’t kicked you out, and telling stories to anyone who would listen with Aang’s assistance (you two made a great team). The only thing you needed was some time with Zuko - besides the time you spent together out on the balcony you had hardly seen him doing anything that wasn’t hanging on the outside of the party. The not-so-hushed conversations between three drunk girls and the designated driver about it went just as well as one might think. 

“Look how sad he looks! Who comes to a party just to not party?” You caught Zuko’s eye again and waved, which he returned with a smile and a small wave of his own. 

“Zuko does. He’s all ‘look at me! I’m going to show how cool and brooding I am by not doing anything. All the chicks dig it,’” Toph mocked, dropping her voice lower to imitate Zuko. 

“Toph, that is so mean! You can’t even see him.” Suki placed her hands on each side of Toph’s face which Toph immediately slapped away. “You are so beautiful. You are a beautiful blind woman, and we need to dance.” 

“Suki, why are your hands so cold- oh my GOD—” Suki grabbed Toph’s hand and pulled her into the fray, causing you to dissolve into giggles. You grabbed Katara’s shoulder and looked back over at Zuko. 

“He looks so sad, Katara! I can’t stand it!” You stared your sister in the eyes and put your other hand on her shoulder. “I’m gonna ask him to dance. I’m going to pull that beautiful man out of the shadows of his angst and I’m going to make him dance to this trashy pop song with me and bring out his happiness.”

Katara snorted and placed her hand over yours on her shoulder, casting a glance at Zuko as well. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m pretty sure the only reason he’s here is because he has to drive you guys home.”  

“My dear sister, I’m afraid to tell you that you are wrong. No one—” you gestured to yourself. “—can be sad around this.” 

You clapped Katara on the shoulder then pushed your way through the crowd until you got to Zuko, not even giving him a chance to react before you grabbed his hand and started pulling him behind you back into the center of the party. 

“What are you doing?” He yelled, having to raise his voice to be heard over the music and everyone around the two of you. 

“I’m getting you to dance with me!” You grinned, letting go of his hand and facing him once you had gotten far enough in. He looked so out of his element that your eyes softened immediately and you put your hand on his shoulder. 

“Zuko, if you’re uncomfortable then you can tell me and you can go back to what you were doing before. But please, just give this a chance for one minute. I think you’ll have fun.” 

A beat of silence passed before he nodded, and your smile returned. “Y/N, you know I’ve danced before, right?” 

“I don’t doubt it. But you haven’t danced the Y/N way.” The song conveniently changed to an upbeat, commercial pop song, and you gasped. “And this is the perfect song to start with! Come on, just follow my lead!” 

You started to dance like no one was watching, jumping up and down, waving your arms around, and doing some truly ridiculous moves. Zuko stifled a laugh and you beckoned for him to come closer. “Get in on this, man! You promised me one minute, which means one minute of this.” 

Zuko started to inch closer but you grabbed his hand once more and pulled him in, doing all of your moves from before but this time holding onto his hand. You looked so carefree, so happy, that Zuko couldn’t not do this with you. You were right that this wasn’t his scene, but he would do a lot of things if it meant seeing you like this.

Suki ran back to Katara, pulling a disheveled Toph behind her, and she gestured with her head at you and Zuko with a questioning look. “Is Zuko.. dancing? To a trashy pop song?” 

Katara chuckled and nodded. “Yep.” 

“Oh my god, is she wearing his jacket?” 

“Yep.” 

“Zuko doing things at a party and not just brooding in the corner? I think the world’s about to end,” Toph said. 

“I think my sister just has that effect on him, somehow.” Katara sighed happily, looking back at her two friends with a twinkle in her eye. You grabbed onto Zuko’s hands and pulled him closer, swinging your hands back and forth between the two of you as the song changed to a more chill beat. “I haven’t seen him smile this much in ages.” 

You ended up dancing together for a whole lot more than one minute. 

~~~~~~

“I just- I want you guys to know how much I love you. Sokka brought us to this cool ass party, Aang is a ball of literal sunshine, my girls always got my back, and Zuko gave me his jacket because I was cold. Not that I could be cold around you, because you. Are. Hot.” Your words were slightly slurred as you and your friends walked through the parking lot. and your eyes widened as you started taking it off. “Oh shit, do you want this back? I totally forgot that I was wearing it.” 

“No- no, you can keep it! I don’t mind.” Tonight had definitely changed something between you and Zuko. Your time on the balcony together, him giving you his jacket, somehow roping him into dancing like an idiot, and all these compliments that you were just throwing around? His feelings were all over the place, but it was just the party getting to him, right? You two were friends. Nothing else. But the more you flashed that smile at him, the harder it got to convince himself that was all you two were. That it was all he wanted you two to be. 

“Alright, so let me get this straight. Toph and Y/N are coming home with me to our dorm, Zuko is driving the boys back to their apartment, and Suki is abandoning us to get it on with my brother?” Katara questioned, clicking the button on her keys a few times to unlock her car. 

“I’m not abandoning you if I told you about it before we came here!” Suki and Sokka were holding hands, constantly whispering and laughing to each other the entire way out of the apartment. “You know that every party there’s a very real possibility of us going home together.” 

“Yeah, and I try not to think about it,” she said wryly as she helped Toph into the passenger seat. “Make sure they don’t do anything stupid, Zuko?” 

“I can’t make any promises. You know how they are.” 

“Hey! We are two adults in a loving relationship and we are allowed to do whatever we want—” Sokka protested, leaning against Suki for support. 

“We don’t want to hear about that, Sokka! Just— don’t mess up my part of the room, okay? And if you do anything on my bed I will ruin you.” You pointed at him accusingly and Suki gave him a big kiss. 

“Don’t worry, Y/N! It’s all gonna be fine,” Suki grinned at you and poked Sokka’s cheek, and you shook your head. 

“I’m too drunk and too sleep deprived to deal with this,” you grumbled as you climbed into the back seat of Katara’s car, nearly falling over as soon as you sat down. 

“Take care of her, okay?” Zuko muttered to Katara as he walked past her. She mock saluted and grinned. 

“As if I’m capable of anything else.” 

Through the window you could see Aang and Zuko talking about something while you left the parking lot, but you couldn’t hear them. “Whaddya think they’re talking about?” 

“It’s probably nothing,” Katara said with a smile. 

~~~~~~

Soon, you, Katara, and Toph were all back at the dorm, sitting on the floor talking together. It had been a long time since you had gotten some girl time, and no other time was better than after partying your heart out. 

You pulled out your phone and stared at it, tuning out Katara and Toph as they started going on about one of their classes. You had an internal conversation with yourself, then unlocked it and went to your messages. Drunk you was taking control, and drunk you was not the smartest.

[thephantomofthe-internet]

Eighteen Candles

Billy Hargrove x Reader

Word Count: 4,965

Warnings: Swearing, smoking, teenage angst

Tag List: @moonstruckhargrove @hotstuffhargrove @carolimedanvers @thechickvic @alex--awesome--22 @lilmissperfectlyimperfect @so-not-hotmess @hawkeyeharrington @sunflowercandie @kaliforniacoastalteens @songforhema @spidey-pal @mickmoon @buckybarneshairpullingkink @marvelismylifffe @baebee35

You’d been excited for weeks, and with good reason. A girl only turned eighteen once. And you were certain that your friends were throwing you a surprise party. How could they not? You’d thrown parties for Tina and Carol on their eighteenths and you were already planning one for Macy in July. They had to do the same for you, they loved you the same.

You’d hardly slept the night before,  your favourite outfit laid out on your chair across from your bed and your alarm set fifteen minutes later than usual as a little gift to yourself. And when that alarm went off, you practically jumped out of bed. You’d never been excited for a school day in your life. You couldn’t keep the grin off your face, it was too infectious. It didn’t matter that the sky was grey and cloudy; you’d light up the whole town with your good mood.

“Y/N! Get up! You’re late!” you mother screamed from the bottom of the stairs, she sounded very annoyed. That wasn’t exactly the greeting that you were expecting, but you were technically late, so you didn’t think much of it. You hurried to get ready, humming along to your walkman as you unfurled the curlers from your hair, swiping blush onto your cheeks. You wanted to look your best because it made you feel your best and you refused to not have the best day.

You skipped downstairs, slinging your bag onto your shoulder. Your mother and brother were already at the door, about to head out. She looked you over with a sigh “You’re late, Y/N.”

You shrugged “Sorry, just give me two seconds and we’ll go.” You didn’t have your own car, purely because yours had crapped out a year after you bought it and you couldn’t afford the cost of fixing it. It sat on cinder blocks in your cousin Artie’s car lot, waiting for you to be able to cover the costs of having a specialist fix it. You didn’t necessarily adore being driven around by your mother, but there wasn’t much you could do about it at the moment, and it wasn’t as if she was going out of her way-she dropped off your little brother every day at Hawkins Middle, which were only steps away from Hawkins High.

Your mother sighed violently “No, you’ve already made us late enough. You can walk to school.” She snapped, pushing your brother out the door and into the dreary day, slamming the door behind her.

She didn’t wish you a happy birthday. It stung a little.

But she was mad, you rationalized, she probably just forgot in the heat of the moment, she’d remember later and apologize. For now, you just had to get your act in gear and get to school. You didn’t exactly mind being late today, you considered it a small treat for the week, so you took your time that morning.

But that was a mistake. The second you exited your street the rain came down in buckets. It was as if the heavens opened up to sing a harmonious and angelic ‘fuuuuuck yoooooou’ right onto your head. You didn’t have the time to run back home to get an umbrella or a raincoat, and the walk back wouldn’t be any dryer than the walk to school, even with the coat, so you suffered through every splash from passing cars and sink of your shoes into the mud. By the time you made it to school, you were shivering, your favourite thigh high tights absolutely soaked through and your hair dripping wet.

You practically rushed to your locker, your fingers fumbling over the lock until it clicked and you were able to pull the door open. You knew that you had a brush and a hair band in there, as well as your painter’s jeans from first semester art class, which were your saving graces of the day. You changed fast in the bathroom, just as the bell rang out, signalling the end of homeroom. You smiled to yourself, sure you missed homeroom, but Mr. Dixon’s math class was a bitch and he would’ve given you detention on the spot if you walked in late. Getting an absence on your report card wouldn’t be too terrible, you could explain it away. Missing Mr. Dixon’s class was a blessing.

And luckily, Carol and Tina were coming your way. Things were looking up.

You opened your locker again, grabbing your history textbook from inside before checking your makeup. The rain hadn’t washed everything away, although it had made a mess of your mascara. You used your pinkies to wipe away the goop pooling under your bottom lashes, smiling as it wiped away mostly clean. You wiped your hands on your jeans; it wasn’t as if they had to look nice anyway.

From the magnetic mirror stuck to your locker door, you saw Carol and Tina come up behind you. You turned fast, unable to hide your obvious excitement. But they didn’t look too happy to see you, in fact they both looked downright annoyed.

“Where were you this morning?” Carol snapped angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. She was wearing that lilac turtleneck again with the plum coloured suspenders. She looked like someone’s uncle grew boobs, which you wouldn’t usually go for, but she seemed to like.

“And what are you wearing?” Tina added, looking you over sceptically, her nose for fashion clearly offended by your jeans.

Your hands came to the ends of your wet hair, squeezing them uncomfortably “I woke up late, had to walk.” You explained “I got stuck in the rain and my tights were soaked, I would’ve caught my death if I kept them on and this is all I had to change into.”

Carol rolled her eyes and Tina scoffed loudly “You need to get your car fixed like asap.” She muttered, leaning against the lockers behind her. Tommy came up next to Carol and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to the space between her jaw line and the edge of the sweater’s neckline. Behind him, Billy Hargrove stood, arms crossed over his chest, a toothpick clenched between his teeth, looking around the halls with a bored look.

This was a rare appearance.

Billy Hargrove ran in your circle, barely. He associated with them when he needed to or deigned to, so it seemed. He was trying so very hard to seem above everyone in your grade. And maybe, to some of your classmates, it was working; Carol and Tommy thought he was endlessly cool, Tina thought he was the sexiest man in the world. But you didn’t buy it. What you saw when he stood there was a guy staring off into space, trying to look cool, not allowing himself to be vulnerable in the slightest, surrounded by people who would think anything he said was super cool.

“So, what’re your plans for tonight?” you asked the group, trying not to appear too needy or desperate. You had to have a clue as to what they were doing for your birthday, so you could plan.

“It’s a Tuesday, Y/N...I’m gonna study for Dixon’s hell test on Friday.” Carol snapped, looking over her long red nails with utter disdain “Which you would’ve known about if you’d decided to grace up with your presence this morning.”

You stifled a sigh “I told you, I was late-” you tried, but the group had already moved on.

“I can totally help you study, babe,” Tommy said, nuzzling into Carol’s neck “But only if your parents aren’t home.”

Billy rolled his eyes at that comment and you couldn’t help but smirk. Your sentiments exactly. Tina was looking him over with utter lust in her eyes; it was a little embarrassing to watch. Of course, you’d been in her shoes before, although not over Hargrove. To be completely honest, you didn’t get the appeal. Sure, he was very pretty, but his laissez-faire attitude about everything was a bit of a turn off. You needed to know that there was more to him than that and, so far, nothing. He was exactly how he seemed, a very shallow pond with nothing growing at the bottom.

Carol smacked Tommy hard in the ribs “I can handle it myself...” she bit out through gritted teeth. Tommy held up his hands in defeat, backing up slowly.

He looked over to Billy with a smirk, leaning over to him “Fucking chicks, eh?” he joked with a crass chuckle. Carol’s eyes flared angrily, fire flashing behind her dull green eyes. Tina immediately reached out and touched her shoulder, shaking her head with an understanding look. Billy pulled a small smirk, nodding approvingly to Tommy. You had no proof of the meaning behind that look, but you guessed that Tommy had gotten all the affirmation he needed from Billy. He was right to think that women were utterly impossible. On the opposite side, Tina seemed to be telling Carol to ignore him, that he wasn’t worth it.

The bell rang above you, signally the start of your next classes. Tina’s pupils blew out and she let go of Carol, pushing into the still crowded halls “C’mon, Y/N, Crazy Krupke’s pop quiz!” she burst into a sprint down the halls. You stepped away from your locker, offering a feeble wave to the group, all of whom had free period that hour. They weren’t paying attention, but it wasn’t a big deal.

They hadn’t wished you a happy birthday. That stung a bit.

But maybe they were trying to make you think that they forgot so you’d be surprised for your party tonight. That would be smart. Maybe smarter than they were capable of, but you liked to give them the benefit of the doubt. You kept a positive outlook on the situation.

But that was hard to keep. The group abandoned you for lunch, each off in their own direction to bother different people. Tommy dragged Carol along to try to convince Steve Harrington of all people to throw a party for the upcoming break. Tina ran off with Macy to go to a prom committee meeting. And Billy Hargrove, well, you weren’t too focused on where he went. You ate lunch alone in the library, hiding in the shelves to not get caught eating in there, since that was against the rules. But that wasn’t too terrible, you’d done that before, and it was nice to get some of your work done.

But the rest of the day wasn’t any better. The group seemed to be avoiding you all day. They wouldn’t each lunch with you, they wouldn’t talk during class breaks, and Tina sped off after school before even offering you a ride, like she usually did. But all of this fell perfectly into the elaborate plan you’d imagined them making. They couldn’t just be assholes. They weren’t assholes most of the time. You wouldn’t have started hanging out with them if they were.

You got caught in the rain again on your walk to work, which while wasn’t intensely far, was just far enough away to cause you to get absolutely soaked through again. You worked at the local library, which you considered to be a blessing since the place was quiet and most people didn’t bother you. Luckily for you, they even had some leftover fundraiser shirts, which one was easily given to you to wear home. And while you weren’t happy to be working on your birthday, it was nice to just be surrounded by sweet old ladies and quiet, fat babies. It was nice. And your manager, Roberta, cut your shift early, a rare blessing from her. She even lent you an umbrella to walk home with, which you were insanely grateful for, since the rain didn’t seem to stop for you.

The day was really starting to bog you down. You were cold and tired and damp, so very damp. You were going to wake up with a cold in the morning, you just knew it. But it would all be worth it when you walked into your surprise party. You spent your walk home practising your surprised faces, the excitement in the pit of your stomach building as the sun set behind you during your walk, the streetlights slowly turning on during your walk. Turning onto your street, you took a deep breath, looking around the area. You didn’t see Tina or Tommy’s cars parked on the road, but that would be good planning. You made your way up the street, trying not to run or skip, to give them the time to finish any last minute set up.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you made your way up your driveway, every step faster than the last till you were running up to your front steps, skipping up them till you were at your front door. The warm light from your dining room was pooling out of the window through the shut blinds. The whole house seemed lit up and comforting, as if the house was full again, instead of it just being you and your parents. Your hands fumbled for your keys and you stabbed them into the lock, your hands shaking as you turned the key, pulling open the door and letting the sound of loved ones wishing you a happy birthday.

Except, none came.

You crept slowly into your house, peering around corners to find exactly none of your friends. Your parents were in the dining room, unaware that you’d even arrived, your little brother picking at his food.

Nobody had shown up. Nobody had done anything for you. All your friends were somewhere else, having fun without you. A wave of disappointment washed over you, soaking into your skin and making you sick to your stomach, like heat stroke. Your body felt sticky with sweat, your stomach filled with shame. Why on earth would you think that they would do anything for you? God, you’d gone to them for comfort after your little friend group fell apart. Sure, you, Samantha Baker, Tammy Thompson, and Robin Buckley didn’t have much in common by the end, but losing Barb was just the icing on a crumbling cake. And Carol and Tina, they were there for you, they invited you into their shitty, bitchy little circle with open arms and false smiles. And you trusted them. But they didn’t care about you, they didn’t put in the same work towards your friendship that you did. And that was the thing that broke your heart, that your friends just didn’t care that much.

“Y/N, you’re late come and eat.” Your mother snapped, gesturing to your open chair, food already piled onto your plate. You bit back a sigh, trudging into the dining room and plopping down in your chair.

As if today could guess any worse. Beef Stroganoff. You fucking hated beef stroganoff; it was like someone ate beef and liquid diarreahed it onto some egg noodles. It was salty and terrible. Your mother always made it when she was bored of cooking. Usually, you’d offer to take over for the night to give her a break. You make pizza or spaghetti and meatballs and your mother would take a nap. It was a win-win. But working on a weekday proved to be your failure.

You pushed the food around your plate, waiting for something-someone to ask about your day, to crack a joke, god to fucking wish you happy birthday. But nothing. Everyone just ate in silence. It was crushing.

Your mother broke the silence with an aggravated sigh “Y/N, can you please just eat? You’re setting a bad example for your brother.”

“I’m really not in the mood for beef stroganoff...” you replied, letting out a sharp breath through your nose.

Your mother clicked her tongue angrily “I have had a very bad day, Y/N, can you please not make it worse?” she asked, obviously annoyed.

That was it. That was your breaking point. You dropped your fork on the table, looking up to finally meet her eye. “Oh, you’ve had a bad day?” you asked, your lips curling into a sneer “You?”

“Don’t take that tone with your mother.” Your father said boredly, not bothering to even acknowledge the scene.

That didn’t stop you, you were too mad. “It’s my fucking birthday.” Recognition filled your mother’s eyes as her mouth opened slightly.

You pressed on “It’s my god damn eighteenth birthday and nobody remembered. You forgot, he forgot, dork breath over here forgot. Everybody fucking forgot. My friends forgot. And the universe decided to shit on me too, I got rained on all day-I’m freezing still from the walk TO school.   My friends ignored me, you ignored me, everyone at work ignored me and all I wanted to do when I came home was hear ‘happy birthday, Y/N’ it’s all I fucking wanted. So, no, I don’t wanna eat beef stroganoff and hear about your bad day, because it cannot top mine.”

“Y/N, apologize to your mother.” Your father snapped. Your mother was still in shock, but your father seemed to have caught on to the situation and was fuming. You didn’t care. You knew no matter what happened, you were going to get your ass beat later, but for now you had an ounce of power.

You pushed yourself out of the chair, standing up and stalking to the doorway “Fuck this shit.” You snapped back, shoving your shoes into your feet and marching outside, slamming the door behind you.

You didn’t exactly know where you were going, but out was better than in the house, so you started the walk down to the Hawkins woods. Maybe you’d get eaten by a wolf or kidnapped like that Byers kid.  That would really be perfect. Then you could disappear and they’d regret it.

You hiked up to the quarry in peaceful silence. The rain had finally stopped and everything smelt like wet grass and pine wood. It had gotten significantly darker, but you weren’t afraid of it, you welcomed the danger those woods could offer. Sitting by that little pool of murky, gross water, you felt calm again. Everything was still fucked up, but sitting alone made it easier. You let the tears brimming in your eyes finally spill out, small sobs breaking through your throat.

You didn’t sense the headlights coming up behind you till you heard the car stop. You jumped to your feet, still crying, as you threw up your dukes. You couldn’t imagine how insane you looked, face streaked with mascara, red and blotchy from crying, ready to fight. The driver’s side door creaked open and you heard the sound of the driver’s shoes before you saw them. Lit from the front, the annoyed and bewildered Billy Hargrove flicked a cigarette at your feet.

“What cha doing out here, Y/N?” he asked in an almost sing-song tone. You dropped your fists, groaning loudly towards the sky.

“Just trying to enjoy some alone time here.” You sighed. Billy sauntered up to you, looking you up and down with a sly expression.

“You’ve been crying.” He hummed.

“What’s it to ya?” you shot back. Billy wrapped an arm around your shoulders, which was unexpected but you didn’t exactly pull away, if only because he was so warm and you still were freezing. He led you over to his car and gestured for you to sit down on the hood. You did so and Billy followed.

“Alright, what happened?” he asked, looking over the quarry.

You furrowed your brow “Since when do you care?”

Billy shrugged “I’m bored. You gonna tell me or what?”

You sighed, closing your eyes slightly “Everyone forgot my birthday.”

Billy nodded “Yeah, I could tell you were waiting for them to say something this morning, couldn’t figure out what but that-that makes sense.” You took in a hard, shaky breath, wrapping your arms around your stomach to anchor yourself. “Your parents too?” you nodded. Billy chuckled darkly, shaking his head with this look of silent understanding that you found both distressing and oddly comforting. “But I mean why didn’t you mention it to them?”

“What? And look like a desperate loser?” you scoffed, rolling your eyes and begging for tears not to fall from them.

“So, instead, you sat around and got upset?” Billy asked. You felt his eyes burning into the side of your face, but you refused to look at him.

“Look, I never said it was logical.” You huffed dramatically. Billy chuckled; pulling his pack out of his pocket, sliding a cigarette between his teeth and flicking open his lighter.

Billy chuckled before hopping off the hood. Without a word, he slid off the hood and sauntered over to his still ajar door. You kept your eyes on the water in the quarry and silently prayed that Billy didn’t try to drive off with you still on the hood. He came back though, to your relief, and took his seat next to you.

He handed you a sealed plastic bag, which you took sceptically. You examined it in dim light from below you. Sour gummy worms. You turned to Billy with a curious look “Secret sweet tooth?” you asked, pulling open the thick plastic and taking a worm out carefully, dropping it into your mouth.

Billy scoffed “Max left them in my car.” His voice cracked on the end. You weren’t certain, but you had a hunch that he was lying. You shrugged it off though, offering the bag to him. He grabbed about three from the bag, shoving them all into his mouth and proving your theory on the sugar thing.

“Well, thanks,” you sighed softly, dropping your head into your hands “Guess this is all I’m getting for my birthday...”

“Don’t give up hope on ‘em.” Billy grumbled, digging his fist into the bag once again, pulling out more of the candy and shoving it into his gaping maw. He’d given up on the cigarette, tossing it into the mud to burn out in the damp sand.

You sighed bitterly “But its so easy to...I mean if I just say that they suck then I don’t have to have any expectations for them again.”

Billy shrugged “Having less expectations is good, makes for more surprises.”

You chuckled “Oh yeah? Like what?” it was a leading question and you knew it, but you wanted to see what Billy was going to pull out of his ass to impress you. You weren’t surprised when he grabbed your chin and pressed his lips to yours. What was surprising was that it wasn’t the aggressive, attention grabbing, tongue filled kiss he’d usually pull with other girls. He was soft and careful; he held your face like it was something precious and his lips brushed your delicately. It was nice, his lips tasted like sour sugar from the candies with a hint of Vaseline, which you assumed was some sort of ChapStick. You weren’t surprised that Billy took care of his appearance, although it was a bit of a treat to kiss a boy whose lips weren’t sandpaper against yours.

You pulled away first with a smirk, which Billy didn’t share. He looked...surprised? Confused maybe, the look was one of sheer confliction. You didn’t question it. And when he offered to drive you home, you let him, sitting in the cigarette perfumed interior and letting him blast Slayer into your ears until you were sure that they’d bleed. He dropped you off without a word, leaving you feeling about as confused as he looked. You headed inside to face the worst of the wrath from your parents with your head held high.

To your surprise, they weren’t waiting for you. You’d been given the blessing to creep upstairs and go to bed. But before you could turn off your light and try your best to fall asleep, the door cracked open, your mother on the other end. Wordlessly, she stepped in, taking a seat on the end of your bed.

“Your father isn’t too pleased with you.” She said softly. Your little brother’s room was next to yours, connected by a wall. You sat up a bit in bed, not pretending to feel guilty for your actions. You opened your mother to defend yourself, but your mother cut in again “I don’t need you to say anything, I understand.”

That was not what you expected. Maybe the whole have fewer expectations thing really could work. She continued “I’m sorry we forgot sweetie, I really am. I know this one was a big milestone birthday and I feel awful that we didn’t remember. I know you know things have been really hectic around here, with your father starting a new job, and I want you to know that we’re very appreciative of what you do to help. And to show that, we’re just gonna pay to get your car fixed, okay?”

Your whole face lit up. Car payments weren’t even on the table for gifts, you were certain it was too expensive. “Really?” you asked softly, unsure if your mother was joking or not.

She grinned “Really. No more walking in the rain.” You burst out of bed, wrapping her in a giant hug. Your mother laughed, returning it with equal fervour. It was nice, a small bit of bonding with your mother, something that rarely happened anymore. You went to sleep peacefully that night.

You weren’t expecting anything when you went into school the next day. It was a Friday; everyone was focused on getting through the day to make it to the weekend. You were no exception. You were finally getting your car back; your father had gone to pay for the tow truck and the mechanic’s shop to fix the damn thing that morning. Anything else was tertiary.

But, to your shock, a large group of kids were standing around your locker. It wasn’t anywhere near the size of your graduating class, but it was at least fifteen kids. Carol, Tina, and Macy stood in the front. Tina had a cupcake in her hands as Macy struggled to get a lighter to work to light the big pink candle in the centre of the thick, green icing. You spotted Tommy, grumbling in the back, arms crossed tightly over his argyle sweater. He had a huge black eye that spread over his right cheekbone and eyebrow.  Samantha was in the back as well, with a smirk pulled on her black lips. Tammy Thompson and Robin Buckley were tittering between themselves behind Carol, who angrily shushed them.

You walked up to the group tentatively. All at once, the group screamed “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” the group started into the birthday song, everyone off key and cringing as they realized just how long the song really was. Macy lit the candle and Tina held out the sickly sweet looking treat to you. You took it awkwardly, blowing out the candle and holding it up with a nod. The group dispersed almost immediately.

“My birthday was yesterday…” you said to the remaining group. Carol and Tina looked between one another awkwardly. They seemed shocked by the information.

“We know!” Macy blurted. Carol and Tina snapped their heads around to look at her, nodding for her to go on with an excited, desperate expression. “We wanted to surprise you and this seemed like the best way to do it!”

Tina nodded fast “Exactly! We wouldn’t forget.”

You smirked, nodding slowly as you looked around the hallway. When you spotted Billy hiding behind the wall of lockers, trying to look casual, you smiled. Without a word, you left the group in the dust, marching over to Billy. He met your eye as you stepped up to him. You held out the cupcake “You want this?” you asked.

Billy raised an eyebrow quizzically “It’s your weird birthday thing.” He replied, trying to sound bored.

You shrugged “I don’t want it.” Billy paused before taking it, practically ripping the wrapper off.

You chuckled “How on earth do you keep your arms while devouring that sugary shit?” you asked as he took a monstrous bite, bright green icing sticking to the tip of his nose.

“I work out.” His mouth was far too full for his words to be understood. You cringed at the sight of mushed food in his mouth. Billy closed his mouth fast, swallowing hard. “Sorry…” he mumbled.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know.” You replied.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean that…scene. You didn’t have to do that.” You scuffed your shoes on the dirty linoleum. In truth, the scene was slightly embarrassing. A half assed surprise with a cheap grocery store cupcake and awkward singing. It had made you want to run away, but of course it was obviously for you, so you’d had to stay.

Billy shrugged “You were upset, didn’t bother me to beat up Tommy about it.”

“Since when do you care?” you asked genuinely. Billy barely paid attention to anything, much less you. You didn’t think that he even liked you till last night.

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re the only decent person in that group.” Billy replied simply, pushing himself off the lockers.

“Thanks?” you asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Billy chuckled “You’re welcome.” The warning bell for first period rang out from above you. “Come on, I’ll walk you to class.” Billy never offered to walk anyone anywhere. You took the walk without question. You were trying not to have any expectations anymore, why have any about Billy? You just decided to enjoy the company and silence and try to not obvious want more.

[lothirielswan]

The History of Author & Deadpool

Hia Awesome Adventurers! So now that Deadpool is back to his schemes in my WoW novels, I decided to post some of our old confrontations in one of my old...disgraceful Marvel Fanfics. Where the Avengers adopted a turtle called Bromine and Iron Man’s and Black Widow’s (not romantically involved) adopted daughter, Catwoman, goes off with Deadpool and Quicksilver into space. Needless to say, the best thing from this novel were the Author’s Notes. Please enjoy the weirdness.

Deadpool: Look at that majestic red man on the cover of that book c,: just takes your breath away

~*~

A/N: We're almost to space!! Yay–it's been a amazing journey, and I'm sorry for all of the bumps, but it's awesome that we came this far!

Deadpool: Yeah, can we hurry this up? I'm not even in the book yet. I have other fanfics to be in, Author :/

Pietro: You mean the Spiderman fanfics you write?

Deadpool: RUN TO CANADA YOU SWINE!!!

Deadpool: Btw, you read my fanfics? :)) Thoughts?

Pietro: Disgusting. Wanda does, and if I'm being honest, it's not your best work. The Iron Man/Captain America ones are better.

Wanda: I told you, Pietro, that was from an AD.

Pietro: Yes, sister: Adolescent Dummy.

Wanda: YOU FIEND!

Pietro: I HOPE SOKOVIA FALLS ON YOUR FACE!!

Wanda: I DISOWN YOU, FORMER WOMB NEIGHBOR.

Shuri: I came to this disgraceful, medieval part of the world to complain. My brother is evil incarnate.

Wanda: ....

Wanda: I like you.

Shuri: I found the powerful witch of these medieval lands, perhaps everything outside of Wakanda isn't so bad.

Pietro: BURN THE WITCH!

Wanda: Would you like to get coffee? I have tons of black magic c;

Shuri: Of course! ;3

T'Challa: ...This cannot be good.

Deadpool: HELLO. DOES ANYBODY CARE ABOUT MY FICSSSS????

Pietro: We need to stop this!!

T'Challa: Agreed! For the good of Wakanda, and the poor villagers that live outside of it.

Deadpool: I'm becoming the fifth wheel here. What am I, Leo Valdez?

Author: Keep being awesome, people!!

Deadpool: I'M MOVING TO A DIFFERENT FANFIC.

Author: I HAVE YOU UNDER CONTRACT!!

Deadpool: Darn. It's so hard to find work as a Marvel Comic character.

~*~

Deadpool's Note: Lols, I killed the Author :3 I'm in charge of the book now. PEETIE, FRONT AND CENTER! And time for this very special spoiler production–

Professor X: Mr. Wilson!

Wade the Awesome: Wait, are you McAvoy or Stewart? I can't tell because you're only words.

Professor X: You are messing with time streams, Mr. Wilson. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

Wade is Better Than Wolverine: Be happy I am, pal. I've seen what's in store for you. Believe me, I'm saving you emotional trauma. In two books you'll be–

Bruce Banner: Hold on...what if Bromine's near-death experience wasn't Scott's fault...IT WAS YOURS :O YOU MONSTER!

Professor X: The Avengers have a pet? Fascinating. I usually consider Beast as ours, but perhaps we should go more basic.

Wade is da Best: Yep, you're Stewart, Mr. Spock. And I do not need another animal shitting on my lawn.

Bruce Banner: ...

Professor X: ...

Wade is Peetie's Besty: What?

Bruce Banner: The word...

Wade the King of Fan-Fiction: What? Oh. You mean the new absence of these: #$%^. Yeah. Those are gone now. If you'll excuse me, I have to write my grand entrance. It's gonna be fucking amazeballs. Go be amazing, readers, and spread the revolution!

Peter Parker: ...

Peter Parker: We're doomed.

~*~

DP/N: Mhm, that's right, ladies. I'm here to fix this fanfic CAT-astrophe.

Pietro: Really? The fate of my life is in your hands now??? I should have stayed dead.

Selina: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL YOUR SISTER SHE'S BEEN MOURNING YOU FOREVER SHE'S BEEN EATING ALL OF THE NUTELLAAA

Pietro: Because I like you more :3

Wanda: I DISOWN YOU, WOMB NEIGHBOR!!

Pietro: BURN THE WITCH!!

Deadpool: This is such a healthy relationship. It makes me cry :,) and if we're gonna talk crap about womb neighbors, how about Selina's–

Magneto: WADE!

Deadpool: Gandalf! Is that you? Have you come to take Peter, my hobbit, away? You're still words, this is so confuzzling.

Mag-neat-o: Charles rattled my cage, so I'm rattling yours! Leave the fabric of the Universe alone!

Pietro: ...Who are you

Wanda: Yeah, who is this weirdo?

T-erik-fic: :( that's not nice.

Deadpool the Awesome: And all of you readers should go see my movie, DP2! Really. Do it. Now. I'm watching you. And put a vote on this baby, my fingers are burnin. Keep being your amazing selves!

~*~

DP/N: Hello amazing people. Sorry for the wait, I'm prepping myself for Ant-Man and the Wasp–I've been stocking up on raid cans and swatters for the occasion. Keep being amazing!

Rocket the Raccoon: *sniffs the air* I smell something...the smell of another humie traveling across space listening to crappy music.

Peter Quill: Huh? Who is it–

Deadpool: OH MY JESUS ANOTHER PETER!!

Deadpool: Keep it cool, DP, keep it cool. How's it hanging, Prattzel?

Rocket: Ew, this is a weird human. Not as weird as Quill, but weird.

Deadpool: Watch it, Garbage-Eater. I can erase you! But I need you for the next chapter. Shit. I have to figure this out...

~*~

Shockingly Alive Author: WADE WILSON!

Deadpool: Oh sh*t.

Deadpool: OH SH*T NOW YOU'RE BLOCKING OUT CUSS WORDS WHYYYYYYY I THOUGHT YOU WERE FUN!

Author: YOU THOUGHT I WAS DEAD!!

Bruce Banner: He hurt my Bromine!!

Author: :o Wade, how could you

Deadpool: It wasn't intentional!! Personally, I prefer cats as pets. They have no sense of boundaries and are cuddly and cute. Like a Tribble.

Selina: ....For some reason, that feels offensive.

Author: Wade, no more taking over the story!!

Professor X: Author, if I may....he mentioned something about my untimely demise...

Author: Oh.

Author: Um.

Author: ....BRUCE LIKES STAR TREK!!

Tony: HOW COULD YOU BRUCIE YOU TREKKIE TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!

Author: Keep being awesome, awesome people c:

Peter Parker: ...

Peter Parker: Is it safe to come out yet?

Deadpool: I'm everywhere ;)

~*~

A/N: Yay! The Black Order is here!

Bruce Banner: Since when do 'Black Order' and 'yay' go together in the same line?

Tony: You don't get to speak, traitor.

Bruce: What? Because I'm all about that Bass? #NoTribbles

Tony: That hit me harder than Jar Jar Binks.

Deadpool: Author, did you just make me miss the first action scene because I took over your book?

Author: I'm not talking to you.

Deadpool: There's still things I don't understand. I am positive I killed the Author–I still have your guts in Al's fridge.

Author: No more questions.

Deadpool: Hmm.

*Deadpool drags Peter Parker into conversation*

Deadpool: Watson, we have a new case to solve! Onward!

Peter Parker: #NoTribblesNoService

Deadpool: I thought it was #NoStrippersNoService

Bruce Banner: What is wrong with you?

Deadpool: I was a bottle baby.

Deadpool: Beer bottle.

Author: Go be awesome!

Deadpool: Hmm...I feel a storm brewing....#CueX-FilesThemeSong

Peter Parker: #SomeoneHelpMe

~*~

A/N: I'm sorry, readers, but I have to interrupt your regularly scheduled program for the following message:

Peter Parker: ...

Peter Parker: Can everyone sign my petition to make Wade stop calling me 'Watson', please?

Deadpool: I ship Johnlock ;3

Peter Parker: Huh?

Deadpool: Such a pure blogger...so innocent...

Tony Stark: WADE WILSON. AS THE ONLY PARENTAL FIGURE IN PARKER'S LIFE I FORBID YOU FROM HANGING OUT WITH MY SON.

Tony Stark: *MY KID.

Tony Stark: **MY...SOMETHING.

Steve Rogers: Tony. You're wrong.

Bruce Banner & Wanda Maximoff: GASP.

Steve Rogers: I'M A PARENTAL FIGURE TOO. I WILL RAIN HELLFIRE ON YOU

Tony Stark: AND HERE I AM, WITHOUT AN UMBRELLA.

Steve Rogers: I FEEL A STORM BREWING.

Wanda Maximoff: How come we're always in the middle of these things?

Bruce Banner: Usually I just watch from a distance...it's more fun that way.

Peter Parker: PLEASE SIGN THIS. HE'S BEEN STALKING ME AND LEAVING ME MESSAGES ON ROOFTOPS.

Author: Is that the end of the message?

Peter Parker: I guess...now I have to get a court order for my superdads. They're fighting over me like Democrats and Republicans over the United States.

Tony Stark: I'M GONNA KICK YOUR BUTT SO HARD YOUR LIFE ALERT WON'T COVER IT.

Steve Rogers: MY ARMY BROS WILL DEFEAT YOUR SCIENCE BROS!!

Author: ...I think they're done. Keep being awesome!!

~*~

A/N: Hey awesome people! Thanks for reading, and credit to the amazing outfit designs above to LotusLumino! She's fantastic and has a bunch of amazing ideas, so when you get a spare moment, google her for more awesome art!

Wade: IMPOSTER!

Author: Huh?

Wade: You. Are. Not. The. Author.

Author: Why, whatever do you mean...

Peter Parker: He's right! I've seen the evidence–gross evidence, but still evidence! You're not her!

Author: Oh Peter, you couldn't just stay quiet. It would've been so much easier...for you...if you stayed that way.

Peter Parker: What–

Author: Enjoy yourselves, readers. I have some matters to attend to.

Wade: Somebody get out the shockblankets!!!

~*~

Deadpool: What have you done with the real Author???

Author: Do not question me, Wade Wilson.

Deadpool: I know you're not the real Author! She wouldn't bother typing out my full name, she's too lazy!

Peter Parker: WHO are you???

*Author ripples, and true form is revealed*

Deadpool: :O

Peter Parker: :O

Bromine the Turtle: :O

Skrull: WE WILL REIGN OVER THIS DOMAIN!!!!

Pietro: :o I did not see that coming.

Deadpool: Wait, what's a skrull? Some nerd educate me here.

Dr. Strange: A Skrull is an alien race that can morph their appearance–usually they bother the Fantastic Four. We prefer to leave it that way.

Deadpool: Thanks, magic-nerd. WE'RE TAKING YOU DOWN!!! OH, YOU WORE THE PURPLE PANTS! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!!!!

Clint & Selina: ???

Deadpool: Be almighty and awesome readers as I save this story and slay the evil green man!!

Bruce Banner: Seriously there are so many green people can everybody stop stealing my color? There's gold and silver and purple and brown and pink–orange too!

Deadpool: I SAID BE AWESOME BRUCIE DON'T RUIN MY LAST WORDS!

~*~

Deadpool: MAXIMUM EFFORT!!!

*Deadpool kills the Skrull. It collapses onto the ground like mushed-up guacamole*

Deadpool: WE ARE FREE OF EVIL! EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THOR WEARS A CAPE TO COVER THAT GODLY A*S.

Thor: Should I be delighted or disgusted by this human?

Bruce Banner: Disgusted. Definitely disgusted.

Peter Parker: Okay, the Skrull's gone. What now?

Deadpool: Well, Tortilla chips of course. Free guacamole is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, my fellow grasshopper.

Peter Parker: I mean about the Author! She's still gone! I miss how she says be awesome :c it brightens up my day after Flash floods my locker with Coke.

Bruce Banner: Wait, if the Author's dead, then who's writing what is up above...?

Everyone: ...

Deadpool: Time to use my sixth sense....

Author: Hello everyone!

Everyone: GASP!

Author: I'm back ;) stay tuned for more, awesome readers, and keep being awesome!!!

Author: Peter you are an awesome, precious cinnamon roll.

Peter Parker: c: I'm just your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Milady!

*Whole Universe and Deadpool swoon*