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miki-snake · 4 years

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My Love Letter to You

📖: Unspoken words led to pent up feelings, but you were finally ready to set yourself free

⭕️: a little heartbreak, but maybe not too much (sorry)

Word count: 2.6+

Dear Tetsu,

We first met in the hallway of our first year in highschool. I remember you running into me and then apologizing profusely. You didn’t stop bowing your head and all I could do was laugh at your disheveled look. Your hair looked like you just woke up, which I later learned would always look like that, and your tie was hanging loosely around your neck. It really irked me and my fingers itched to knot the tie correctly. You catched me staring at you and asked if I was okay, but I didn’t respond and without knowing I moved forward to redo the necktie, so it would look presentable. I could feel your eyes on me as my hands moved around your neck and I heard you laughing. When I was finished and stepped back to admire my work, you took my hand and introduced yourself as Kuroo Tetsurou.

It didn’t take long for us to become good friends and after some time, I even considered you my best friend. You, Kenma and I were inseparable, but there were times when only you and I would be together. You were teaching me all the science stuff because you were a serious nerd and even now, you still are. All our playful banters when we walked to school together. And some nights, when you would kidnap me with your bike and we would drive off to one of the highest rooftops in the city, so you could tell me all about the science in outer space.

Those were the nights when it felt like you and I would never get tired of each other and that wherever one of us goes the other one wouldn’t be too far away.

Highschool years went by as quickly as they came. Countless volleyball games where I would come to cheer you on and to see the brightest smile on your face when your team won a game. I would run down the bleachers, your eyes already searching for me and when our gazes met you would sprint to me like a madman just to pick me up and spin me around. The days were packed full of laughter and small bickerings, great memories that we made on our way and promises of things that were coming.

Nothing really changed after that.

We both went to the same college and we would still hang around each other most of the time. Sure, we found new and different friends but when the school day was over we would always meet up and still walk home together.

It was never a secret that you were popular among the ladies around the campus and sometimes even the boys. You had your fangirls lining up in front of your lockers to try and catch a glimpse of you and some of them even mustered up their courage to approach you. You would always give them a friendly smile, making some small talk or accepting their gifts before going away.

You always smiled for the people around you, but when we were alone there was a smile on your face that no one else could see. It was only reserved for me, you said, as I was a safe space where you didn’t have to put up a smile to get through life.

It made my heart race a little faster when I heard you saying it and I could feel how my cheeks started to burn. But when I looked at you when we were with other people I noticed that you were right. It was always a smile, but it was never quite right to be the smile that I saw.

College was a strange time to be honest. We met new personalities and we started to date different people but neither of us had something that would last longer than two or three months. I know how you used to come over after a horrible date and we would just lay on the couch, cuddling and talking about god knows what.

I can remember that you told me how you definitely wanted to have at least two kids, so then they wouldn’t be lonely when you and your future wife had to work or do something else. You talked about how you wanted to live in a house with your two children, your wife and maybe a cat named Kenma.

There was a time when I asked you about the woman you pictured when you thought about all those things. You didn’t describe her look, you just said that she would be cute, understanding, supportive and a great mother.

The image of you surrounded by two kids that look like you made me smile, but when I tried to see the woman next to you, there was always something tugging at my heart.

When time passed by, you and I were busier with our projects and there was less time for us to meet outside of the campus. Even then, we would still walk home together most of the time because that was when you and I could catch up.

Suddenly the moments where you had to tell me to go home alone because something came up, became more and more. At first I just brushed it off because I knew how stressful your projects could get, but before I even noticed I was always walking home alone. Occasionally Akaashi would catch up with me and accompany me, still it wasn’t the same.

On the party of Bokuto’s 20th birthday you said that you were coming later, so that’s why we didn’t go there together. Though, when you arrived at Bokuto’s apartment you weren’t alone. You brought your girlfriend with you and apparently everyone at the party already knew you were dating. Everyone except me.

Her name was Hina and she was a beautiful girl, dark auburn hair that went on to her lower back, slim body and shining green eyes. She was definitely an eye-catcher.

You had your arm wrapped around her waist and when you saw me, you and her went up to greet me. You introduced her to me and she seemed like a sweet girl, maybe a bit on the shier side. The night went on, but all I can remember was how I was sitting in the kitchen and drank one drink after another.

Not long after that night you came over to me to catch up on the long time we didn’t see each other. I asked you why you didn’t introduce her sooner to me because you never waited that long before telling me about your new crush. You told me that it wasn’t on purpose and you just wanted to really get to know her before introducing her to other people. I tried to believe you, but I knew that nearly everyone at the party already got to see you with her beforehand. Though, I didn’t want to pressure you anymore and just wanted to enjoy the alone time with you, which became rare in the past few months.

We talked about different things and we also talked about the future again, but somehow it was different. It has always been a faceless woman in your thoughts but this time you clearly talked about you and Hina. Hearing that didn’t tug at my heart, it felt like my heart stopped beating and it was hard to catch a breath. You never noticed though and kept on rambling about how unbelievably cute your children would look like and I never said anything, just listening to my own heart dropping.

Time flew by and you and her were dating for six months already. It was only then, when I realized how you looked at her. It was the same smile that you normally showed me, except I didn’t really see it anymore as we didn’t see each other alone that often anymore. Most of the time I would catch you on campus or at parties of mutual friends. It was never like we stopped talking to each other, but it felt like it. It felt like you were slipping away from me. I often asked you to meet up but you always declined, saying that you already had plans with Hina.

I was never the jealous type before and it was stupid of me but I envied her because you chose her over me. I know that it was unfair and I didn’t want to think like that but believe me when I say that those things just happen, it’s not a choice.

So when I saw the smile that was once only for my eyes now directed at her, it made me angry, like really mad. Maybe it was because I was tired of being sad all the time so in that moment, my heart wanted to be mad.

After that, I asked you if we could talk about something and I guess you already knew that it was something serious. I was acting like a jealous girlfriend even though I wasn’t your girlfriend and it made me sick. I asked you why you wouldn’t see me anymore and told you that it was unfair and I was still your best friend. You just stared at me, your face expressionless. Then you took a deep breath and suddenly the tension was skyrocketing. You said that if I was your best friend I wouldn’t ask something like that and that it seemed like I was putting an ultimatum on you. But I didn’t, I never asked you to choose between your girlfriend and me. All I wanted was for you to spare some time for me so we could hang out with each other like we used to. Be best friends again like we used to.

I remember the feeling of the tears brimming in my eyes and the burning inside my chest, my stomach twisted and turned and I felt sick. It was the first real conversation we had in a long time and it had to be a fight? Why?

You went on and told me to stop being clingy and jealous, you had to spend your time with your girlfriend because she made you smile. And when you said those words, I knew my heart was broken. Did it mean that you were unhappy when you were talking to me? How did the bond between us deteriorate like that?

I can’t recall everything about the fight but there was one topic that never left my mind. Somehow it came to the point where you told me that you didn’t introduce her to me so early because you wanted that relationship to last. When I asked you what you meant by that you told me:

“Every girl that I introduced to you, felt threatened by our close friendship and at some point they would eventually tell me to choose. And I always chose you.

With Hina I felt like it could be something special and I didn’t want to choose between you two, I didn’t want her to turn away because she thinks you and I were dating.”

The moment those words left your mouth I’ve felt like my knees would give in and I desperately tried to hold back the tears. It sounded like you were accusing me of being the problem that your relationships never lasted.

Even though you said that you didn’t want to choose this time, I already knew who you picked.

Afterwards, our time together minimized even more and we chose to not see or talk to each other. It was a horrible time and to say that I missed you was an understatement. I did not only miss you but I also missed myself. I missed the happy girl that I was when you were around me and I couldn’t find that part of me again.

We both went our own ways but somehow we stayed in each other's sight and as time progressed, we could call ourselves friends again. It was never like it used to be, at least to me. You did call yourself my best friend and we saw each other more and more again. Though, we didn’t talk about the future anymore and I didn’t have to picture your future anymore because I always saw it in front of my eyes. You and Hina together.

After graduation you stayed in Japan while I flew to America to catch my own dreams. We called each other frequently and sometimes I could see you over Facetime. On a few occasions I did fly back to Japan to see my family, like on birthdays or important holidays. When I was in Tokyo we even managed to meet up sometimes. It was a casual friendship, it was nice and friendly, but it was not the same.

Today is your wedding day and I’m really sorry that I wasn’t there to celebrate it with you. I wished that I was strong enough to go see you and tell you how happy I am for you. No honestly, seeing you smile was the only thing keeping me from telling you what I was really feeling. You made my days so much brighter and no matter what brought me down you somehow always managed to pick me up again.

I couldn’t go up to you and confess when I was seeing how happy you were with Hina. I would be lying if i said that I never thought about what you would do if I confessed to you. Maybe you would’ve laughed it off saying that I should stop joking around or maybe you would’ve scolded me and told me that I shouldn’t have said that, as you were in a happy relationship. And maybe, a teeny-tiny bit of me, wanted you to be happy and reciprocate my feelings for you. I knew it was stupid, I mean why would you? You were content with the place you were in and I didn’t want to push you out of it. So I never told you.

But today is the final day where I will let my feelings go for you and set myself free because right now, you are a married man.

I can finally tell you (or rather write to you) that I, y/n y/l, am utterly and unconditionally in love with you. I always was and I never stopped, because the selfish part of me wanted to hold on to the hope that you would come back to me. You never did and I am glad that you didn’t. It means that you can be happy and live your life to the fullest, even without me in it.

This is my first and last love letter to you, Kuroo Tetsurou.

I love you.

So thank you for reading this.

As of today you are a husband and I am free to find the part of me that I lost years ago.

Thank you Tetsu for always picking me up.

Your best friend,

Y/N

Stray tears were falling down on the handwritten letter. Kuroo couldn’t believe what he just read. How come, after being with you for so many years, he didn’t see what was going through your head. How could he call himself your best friend when he caused you so much grief in the last years.

Kuroo grabbed his phone and searched for your number. Holding the letter so tight in his fist, it was already crinkling, he was pacing around the room. He dialed your phone number and waited impatient for you to pick up. A loud beep was heard and he already expected you to greet him.

“The number you entered is invalid, please check and try again.”

#kuroo x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #kuroo x y/n #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo fluff #kuroo angst #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fic

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rhinkthreeways · 4 years

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Manbun (angsty version)

This is a Never Met Before Au, college!rhink with a twist.

(drug use mentioned briefly)

(note: Aspen is Rhett, he’s just changed his name because this Rhett totally would...)

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From the first moment, Link laid eyes on his college roommate he hated the guy with a fiery passion. Everything about Aspen—who the hell named their child Aspen?!—made Link either roll his eyes or brought his blood to a simmering boil.

Link considered himself a modern man. He’d grown up in the South, yes, but he was educated and open-minded. Even though someone might consider him a bit high-strung, he’d had a nice, little group of friends in high school and had even moved to L.A. to pursue a degree in film studies. Not an intolerant red-neck hick by anyone’s standards. But Aspen was way more than he could handle.

It was clear from the beginning, that they were different. The other side of the room was filled with all kinds of new-age stuff—crystals, amulets, dream catchers, and psychedelic tapestries. The first night they shared the room, Aspen lit a wooden stick that made the whole room smell like something that to Link was a gag-inducing mix of old socks and something sickly sweet. When Link politely asked him to put it out, his roommate refused on the grounds that he needed to “purify” the room from the energies of the previous residents. After a heated argument, Link spent his first night as a college student on the common room couch.

Their shared existence got even worse from then on. Link had no idea what Aspen was studying since it seemed that he didn’t own any textbooks. He was practically always in their room. Link asked him once whether he attended any lectures and was accosted with a half-an-hour monologue about the beauty of independent study and self-discovery and college being first and foremost a social experience. And Aspen was definitely social; he had a group of like-minded friends he had over almost every night. They listened to music—not that Link would call it music; it was more like chest-pounding beats and incomprehensible mumbling and chants—and more often than not, got high. After a couple of what Aspen called “bursts of negative energy he could help Link get rid of if Link just let him cleanse his heart chakra”, Link invested into a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones and tried to spend most of his nights in the library or in a cafe.

The worst part, by a long shot, was how Aspen looked. He was impossibly tall, a head taller than Link and Link wasn’t exactly a pip-squeak himself. He had bushy eyebrows and mossy-green eyes that always looked at Link with rage-inducing amusement. His long, curly hair was usually pulled on top of his head into a man bun, and he was clearly trying to grow a beard—with not that much success. And his wardrobe? When he left the room he wore tie-dyed shirts and weird loose pants made of colorful, shiny fabrics. He wrapped multiple scarfs around his neck, explaining something about color energies and mood-altering fabrics. His wrists were heavy with bands and woven bracelets and one of his ears was pierced in three places. Inside their room, he opted for something more low-key. When he didn’t parade around the room naked—those were the worst days for poor Link—he wore tight, black boxer briefs and extra-large t-shirts he’d “customized” by ripping them so that they barely covered anything.

Everything about Aspen made Link uncomfortable. And he thought that things couldn’t get any worse. Until the day when he got back to the dorm from a sit-down with a professor about the essay he’d written.

Link burst into the room, threw his bag on the floor, and himself on his bed, burrowing his head under his pillow. For once, Aspen was alone in the room even though it was a Friday night.

“I’m sensing a lot of negative energy radiating from you, Charles,” Aspen noted after a couple of minutes. Link groaned.

“Leave me alone,” he mumbled, without moving the pillow.

“I simply can’t do that. You know how susceptible I am to other people’s moods.”

Link’s disappointment and embarrassment morphed into anger—an easy switch when in the presence of his nut-job roommate.

“You know what?!” Link snapped, throwing the pillow on the floor and sitting up. “I am not responsible for your feelings! I can be upset. I can feel whatever the fuck I want to feel and it’s not my job to manage my moods to your benefit!”

Aspen rose slowly from his own bed.

“I simply meant—” he started.

“I simply meant.” Link repeated in a mocking voice. “I know what you simply meant. Relax, Charles. Take a breath, Charles. Have a pot brownie, Charles, live a little!”

Now he was up, standing in the middle of their small room, yelling. “I don’t need to relax! I feel just fucking fine. You need to get a grip! You just lounge here all day long with your buddies and alter your mind as if nothing you do has consequences. And you think, I have to reel in my negative feelings so that you’re not inconvenienced?!”

Aspen’s eyes grew wider and wider as Link spewed out every thought that had plagued him ever since they started college.

“I’ve had enough of this shit! I am a good person! You look at me like I’m the freak! But I am a normal, goddamn person. I am respectful and punctual and dutiful and kind. And I am more than devoted to my studies! I am a fucking model student for Christ’s sake! And he said I have no soul!”

Link drew in a ragged breath and stared at Aspen in horror. He hadn’t actually meant to say that last bit.

“What?” Aspen asked hesitantly. Link’s head dropped between his shoulders and he slammed his palms over his eyes, trying desperately to push back the tears that threatened to overflow.

“H-he said— Professor McIntyre s-said my essay had no soul. That I sounded like a textbook. That I was boring and robotic. But I-I’ve— Fuck!” There was no stopping the tears anymore. A pathetic, whimpering sob wracked Link’s body and he almost felt nauseous from the embarrassment.

“Hey,” Aspen’s low voice said from much closer than Link had anticipated. Long, surprisingly strong arms wrapped around Link and guided his pliant, trembling body to sit on the bed. Link couldn’t help himself. Aspen was so warm. So big and solid. Link curled up in his arms, wrapping himself around him and cried his frustration into his ripped t-shirt. Aspen pet his hair slowly for a little while. Then he slipped his finger under Link’s chin and lifted it so he could look right into Link’s teary eyes.

“I don’t think you’re boring. Far from it. I think you’re fascinating. I think you’re smart and funny—in a kind of sarcastic way. I do think you are a bit reserved, but that’s fine. Not everyone has to be the life of the party. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

Link stared at him, stared at the kind and earnest eyes and something shifted inside him. Without thinking about it, he reached up and pressed his lips softly against Aspen’s. After a moment of pure terror, thinking that he was about to be rejected, Link felt Aspen’s mouth open slightly in invitation. Link’s tongue slipped past his own lips, tasting Aspen’s berry lip balm before meeting his tongue with a sweeping brush. There was a low moan. Link wasn’t sure which one of them had made it, but he didn’t care. His hand rose to Aspen’s hair, pulling off the hair-band that was holding his bun together. Aspen’s hair billowed around his face and Link threaded his fingers into it, tugging him closer.

“Can’t deal with this goddamn bun of yours,” he whispered breathlessly against Aspen’s lips. “It’s been driving me insane ever since we met.”

“I’ll cut it off if it means I get to keep kissing you,” Aspen answered, voice just as affected, his palm sneaking under Link’s shirt and palming his bare back.

“Please, don’t,” Link muttered, before diving into another kiss, this one more heated.

#rhink #rhink fic #rhink three ways #rtw: angst #but again #very light angst #and a happy ending #writer: apparentlynotreallyfinnish #cw: drugs #only mentioned briefly #college!rhink #never met before AU

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glasyasbutch · 4 years

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playlist: craving & manic

link to playlist (on spotify)

1. Oh Girl You’re the Devil by MIKA

And I said follow me, whoever you want to be / Don’t care where you go as long you stay with me

MIKA kin song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The individual persona verses fit Craving (”girl with a bag full of hearts and the devil’s eyes”) much better than Manic but the general VIBES are just ... magnifique. It’s a song about people sticking together because the world hates them. Also like, devil themes ... tieflings ..... you get it.

I also just rly like the closing lines being “She’s a bad, bad girl, a very bad girl, he’s a bad, bad boy, a very bad boy” cause yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Deal With It by GIRLI

We walk in, you stare at us, we find it hilarious / We came here to tear it up, we’re here to tear it up / Lights on, we roll up, makeup and undercuts / Lap it up, we’re pretty sure you can’t deal with it

Bro they went so fucking hard in their time as criminals like. So Hard. Especially a fan of the lines “back of a police car, free ride to the next bar” bc they really didn’t take law enforcement seriously like. At All. and the opening line of the selected lyrics above because two super fucked up and hot tieflings Definitely were eye catchers anywhere they went and they took a sick kind of pride in knowing that everyone was put off by them.

This song was originally on Craving’s personal playlist, but I moved it here bc it was much more of a pairs vibe.

3. Trouble by Valerie Broussard

I’m that knife in your boot, girl I got ya / I’m your number two man in the fight / We are revolutionaries tonight

The only reason either of them made it a day out of their hometown was because they had each other, and they are So much more dangerous as a pair.

4. Outlaws by Delta Rae

Don’t you know that we’re outlaws, giving the finger to death itself / We got no one to hide from, we got no one to toast our health

So this is on here partly just because I like Delta Rae. It’s technically a love song but it’s not explicit enough to turn me off from excluding it, because its much more about not giving a shit because you have the only thing you care about anymore walking by your side, and as long as they’re with you, you feel invincible, which is DEFINITELY how manic and craving walk through the world.

5. Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance

Hold onto your heart in darkness / Will it ever be the light to shine you out or will it fail and leave you stranded? / I’m not going to be the one left standing / You aren’t going to be the one left standing / We aren’t going to be the ones left standing / Gravity don’t mean too much to me / Is this our destiny? This world is after me, after you / Run away, like it was yesterday

I always wanted an MCR song on here bc siccy niccy likes mcr and I felt like they deserved one on a playlist involving their character, but until recently I didn’t really listen to the band and didn’t trust myself to pick the song of theirs with the best vibes. But don’t worry! I’m having my MCR phase now so the updated playlist has one!!!!

Anyways bulletproof heart makes me go fucking bonkers and the lyrics speak for themselves why it belongs on this playlist. It doubles for pre-campaign “we are just shitheads and society hates us and its fun cause we hate it too” and “we are literally going to throw overthrow strahd and probably die but like fuck it what else can we do” vibes

6. Skyway Avenue by We The Kings

‘Cause if you jump, I will jump too / We will fall together from your building’s ledge / Never looking back at what we’ve done / We’ll say it was love

Nic sent me and morgan a text one day and was like “if craving dies in strahd i genuinely think manic is just gonna walk into the woods and let a dire wolf get him” and then i added this song :)

7. Hey Brother by Avicii

Hey brother, do you still believe in one another? / Hey sister, do you still believe in love, I wonder? / Oh, if the sky comes falling down / For you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do

A part of me will always here this song and think of the Taaco twins, but hey, we can give it to other sibling pairs who have lived through near unimaginable strife and come out the other end bitterly clinging to each other for dear life.

Fun fact! This song is also on Nissy & Leth’s playlist. I make so many siblings.

8. I’ll Keep You Safe by Sleeing at Last

Don’t be afraid / God knows these mistakes will be made / But I promise I’ll keep you safe / As you build up your collection of pearls you pulled from the deep / The most beautiful landscape I’ve ever scene

Unconditional love between people who so desperately need to be told that they deserve any kind of love at all. Also bonus for one of the verses being about clocks because :3 sirris :3

9. We’re Alive by Cavetown

Actually you know what? The way things are isn’t good enough / We’re alive and we’re here / Please listen ‘cause we’re scared / We’re alive and we’re here / We will scream til you hear

I like to think this is the song for the exact moment they woke up and coughed the ashes of their home out of their lungs and decided that they’d been left alive to make their existence a hell for everyone else who thought they didn’t deserve to have one.

10. Eating Like Kings by Shawn James

I’ve let the sun set 365 times with murder running deep in my heart / And if I didn’t directly pull the trigger, I sure as hell played my own part / You know that it’s a snake eat snake world, we slither and serpentine through / Cause we all took a bite and six thousand years later, this apples getting harder to chew

Houghghgughhggh this song sexy ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I think its a song for the regrets that are beginning to creep up in the very back of their minds (especially Manic, fuckin good-aligned morninglord paladin lookin ass).

11. Hell, Yeah by Nothing but Thieves

In a town upon the outskirts, with a flaw it cannot hide / I made my peace with sorrow and kept it all inside / They call it “hell”, yeah, why don’t we go there? / It’s way down below there, it’s just like home

Hell imagery, hopelessness themes, we are vibing.

12. A Demon’s Fate by Within Temptation

Angels have faith, I don’t want to be a part of his sin, I don’t want to get lost in his world, I’m not playing this game / When the shadows remain in the light of day / On a wing of darkness he’ll retaliate / He’ll be falling from grace ‘til the end of all his days

A song for good people turned to hate over the death of everyone they loved, a song for a brother devoted to a god of good and his sister devoted to an archdevil. Listen to this song with the volume up as high as you can stand it.

13. Years of War by Porter Robinson

Oh, two hundred years of war / Fight til we are no more / A curse on the streets of gold / Just know mine is a hand to hold / Take back what the kingdom stole / A curse on the streets of gold

unlucky 13 songs for an unlucky pair, the lyrics speak for themselves man. It’s about standing by someone as they rip back everything that was taken from them

Fun fact: i wrote a songfic to this about Caleb and Beau Critical Role

Fun fact 2: I love this song so much it makes me go literally insane

#playlists #craving

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kpoptrashlord-007 · 5 years

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The Fairest Of Them All

This is actually a crack fic that is based off this fic (the CRACK edition), which is actually based off this fic (the original serious, mafia edition).

Original Authors;; @every1studio @writeformesinpie

Summary;;

Of all the places you could have stumbled into today, you could have never guessed that this one would be such a treasure trove. Both the Districts and the Kings were here and both had their eyes set on you.

Three men competing for your hand, two opposing cliques, and one shotgun.

How did it end up like this… again?!

A smile flitted across your face as you slid the certificate into the sheet protector. With a sigh on the tip of your tongue and a squeal building in your chest, you just wanted to scream and shout and let it all out! You lived in an apartment complex, however, and knew you had to be mindful of the other tenants. With this in mind, you decided to turn on some music and sing along to express your building excitement, throwing in some freestyle dance for the heck of it.

"Jesus, stop, you sound like a drowning cat!" Your neighbour called through to you, crisp and clear like the morning breeze.

While his words were lost on you, the sentiment was not. It was hard for even your neighbour (who you had known for quite some time now) to restrain himself. His voice had quaked with anticipation. He couldn't take it anymore. The sound of your soft, angelic voice must be torturing him as he cursed these walls that are so thin yet too thick to tear down.

It seemed even animals were starting to be affected - a bird (or was it one of those squirrels that can fly?) began to caw and slam against the window, tapping the glass with beak and talon. Its beady eyes bore a hole into you, glaring with an intensity that only grew with every attempt to break through and get closer to you.

Oh well, the celebration wasn't necessary anyway. All that mattered was the paper in your hands. Just the thought of it was enough to make you forget everything else. You smiled down at the certificate again.

You had finally done it!

You had built up the courage to go online and take the first step to becoming a private investigator. After deliberating on whether or not to do it for so many weeks, you bit the bullet and filled out the application. To your exhilaration, it was also the final step and you were able to print out your very fancy and definitely official certificate after paying the licensing fee. Who needs to eat, anyway? Money you can get anywhere, but life experiences only come once every 42 months.

Your only regret is quitting your job before setting aside some money to laminate the certificate, but the sheet protector would do for now. Everyone starts small, after all. If you started at the top, you would have nowhere to go but down and you weren't the type that went down easily!

With that in mind, you spent a week researching the happenings in your city while also promoting your services around the interweb. You learned many things which all proved useful and juicy, all the while building your portfolio.

The local vet worked diligently through the night to save your old teacher's cat's life and you offered your help, promising to investigate their clinic for any malpractice on her Facebook timeline.

You vowed to find your cousin's killer, even though your aunt insists he is just travelling abroad which is why she misses him and not because he died, making her seem all the more suspicious and prompting you to push her to the front of your list of suspects.

Then there was the auction for the church restoration project and like a lightbulb going off, it became so obvious what you had to do, what your first step in cleaning up the city would be: shutting the charity ball down.

It didn't take a genius to realise that the items being auctioned off were stolen, or "hot", goods. No one around here just happens to have a spare yacht lying around that they're willing to just give away for a "good cause", even if they're planning to upgrade it.

Besides, the original owner was a catfish. There was no way that a man that young and good-looking could afford a yacht, let alone buy an even better one.

With that in mind, you fell down the rabbit hole that was hardcore and extensive research. You looked into every nook and cranny of his life, searching from site to site, and even going old-school and hitting the archives for a papertrail. Once you felt comfortable in your knowledge of the first man, you moved on to his friends who were equally unrealistic.

It wasn't stalking, but investigating.

To your surprise, you find out that they're not catfish - they really are that attractive and seemingly perfect. Putting two and three together and connecting the dots like a true P.I, the answer to the puzzle became more daunting and chilling than you could have originally imagined; they were criminals.

Gangsters.

Misdemeanor-ers.

Full on mobsters!

… or, perhaps, trust fund kids.

One or the other. Either or. It didn't really matter because either way, you wouldn't be fooled any longer and you couldn't be stopped.

Armed with your homemade dossiers on the men (all stored inside the one place in this world that you knew no one else could ever access - your mind), it was time to get serious and crack down on the crime building in your once-pleasant city.

Starting at the church, you questioned as many religious-looking people as you felt necessary before moving to the docks to find the questionable yacht.

After several hours of searching for the mysterious water vehicle and threats of police involvement from the dock's security guards who didn't respect your license and the authority it held, the clouds thickened and welled with moisture before bursting and creating a downpour to rain on your investigation. Everyone dispersed, desperate to escape the wet conditions.

There was just one boat left. The Aurora.

Just one last chance to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all.

With one look at the sleek and slick design, you knew it was futile to try to clamour aboard while it was this wet.

Oh well. What was the likelihood it was the right one anyway?

You sloshed your way out of the docks and toward a bar across the way. There's what sounds like a fight breaking out in the alleyway nearby and you thought you saw a flash of silver but with the rain soaking your hair and droplets dripping down and stinging your eyes the longer you stared, you decided to ignore it.

Kids will be kids.

Opening the door to the bar, you tried not to bring too much attention to yourself but that's no easy task in your current state. Then again, it never has been.

You pulled off your raincoat and hung it by its hood on the coat rack. With a sigh of relief, you adjusted your thankfully dry shirt, dressing yourself as modestly as you could. The last thing you needed was to be approached while you were in the middle of an investigation. With that in mind, you flicked the droplets of water off your face and wrung out your hair, allowing the excess to splash on the ground.

You continued to slosh just as you did out on the dock as you entered further into the bar. Your sweats were heavy at the ends with accumulated rain and your shoes felt full and moist. Even your hair felt heavy against the skin it clung to.

Making your way across the establishment, you bit back a groan. You felt everyone's eyes on you. It was inevitable but you always held hope that this would be the exception, that this would be the time you would be able to avoid the inquiring and curious and admiring gazes that followed your every footfall.

That's the problem with brilliance - when you shine this bright, it's hard not to be seen.

With a quick glance around, you realised this bar was actually quite fancy. There was glass (lots of it!) and gold (but it probably wasn't real… probably), plus silver and other shiny-looking things.

You whistled as you held an ashtray in your hand before sitting on a stool near the bartender. If you weren't such an eye-catcher, you could've pocketed it, or at least some of the cutlery.

"What an eyesore."

You looked toward the source and understood her outburst immediately. Jealousy often reared its ugly-head when you were around. She wasn't the only one, either. Many of the patrons held contempt and disdain in their eyes. It was such a classic tactic for nursing a bruised ego, one you had become quite used to so you just ignored them all and turned back to the bartender.

"And what exactly is it that you want?"

"Thanks, but water will be fine."

He scoffed once his confusion passed, filling a glass with tap water and putting it on the table. It wasn't your empty wallet that prevented you from ordering something from the menu, but your dedication to the job. With a swell of pride at your own work ethic, you stared off into a dark corner of the room as a few men strolled inside from the back alley entrance and sat in a booth within your line of sight.

Your mouth began to open in sync with your widening eyes. They were all very handsome, like models, and they looked strong and tough. A blush graced your cheeks. Perhaps it was the alcohol or a fever from the rain. You knew it wasn't of your own volition. You were on a job, after all. You weren't about to go boy crazy and-

That's when it hit you.

That's them. The kids from your mental dossiers! The Districts! Probably all nine of them, but who has time to count?

You had taken to calling them the Districts because it sounded cooler than 'those guys you found accidentally and looked into but not in a creepy way while also not-stalking those other guys with the boat'. From what you could tell by their Instagram accounts, they compensated for their lack of height with sarcasm and bad attitudes.

They also seemed to enjoy partying all through the night, always being near the rowdiest events and craziest incidents in town. At least they had the sense to get out of Dodge before things got too bad - they were never around once the police showed up.

But if they were here, then perhaps the main focus of your investigation was nearby… the Kings.

That's the name you had given to the boys all involved in donating the yacht to the church auction. They had all looked posh and gorgeous and regal in their photos, so it felt suiting at the time. In retrospect, you were giving them too much credit. Imagine thinking that these boys, who were, as far as you were concerned, way too into boats and other aquatic things, deserved such a title.

Perhaps the Mermans was more fitting.

With a scoff, you broke your attention from the Districts and just about dropped the glass you were raising to your lips. Thankfully, you instead only let water trickle down your chin.

How wrong you had been; they deserved the title and so much more.

The Kings looked rough, sprawled in their seats as they muttered to one another. On occasion, a nod or hand would gesture toward you until at last one of them stood, his blue hair reminiscent of the deep, blue ocean as he stalked toward you. His smile was tight, as if fighting to hold back his true emotions.

It was hard to break eye contact but you found it within yourself to face forward, if just for his sake.

You can't say you're surprised when he takes the seat next to you, only disappointed. If you've already caught their attention this early on, the rest of the investigation will prove quite troublesome.

"Bold of you to come in here looking like that."

Lifting the glass toward the bartender, you signalled for a refill. You ignored his display of obvious jealousy masked as irritation that he sent toward both you and the younger, more impressive bachelor that had now arrived on the scene and was vying for your attention. You feared the worst so you gave them the same treatment: the cold shoulder. There was no need for a fight to break out over you.

Not again.

"You couldn't keep your eyes off us a moment ago and now you're ignoring me? You really are something else."

"I'm not interested."

"Me either. I can give you a twenty to get out of here."

"I'm not a prostitute."

"I mean, you look like one, but that's not what I meant."

"Fine, buy me dinner and I'll consider it."

"What? No, that's-"

"Wow, you are really cheap. I'd sooner fuck the bartender, honestly."

You gave yourself a mental slap on the forehead. If you kept talking, you'd end up saying something worse and giving even more people a glimmer of hope. You needed to control yourself before your sex appeal reeled in too many fish. This was already getting out of hand with just this one guy.

Risking a look at the bartender, you saw your fears had come to fruition. Shock was plastered all over his face and his ears were burning. Words tried to form but nothing coherent came out. Like a fish blowing bubbles, he opened his mouth only to close it once more. After a long minute, he gave up and excused himself.

How cruel you were to give him hope when there, in actuality, was none.

The man beside you tensed, hands clenched as he steadied his breathing. He was ensnared in your charms already.

It very well may be too late for him, you thought sadly, sneaking a glance at his face. He took this as a chance to engage in the conversation again, trying his luck once more.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, now you want to know?"

"Yes," he replied through gritted teeth after a deep breath.

Your mind tried to find any name to give him that wasn't your own or that could be traced back to you, or to your newfound (online) investigation agency.

Scotch? Gin? Glass? Microwave? Shit! The silence is dragging on, it's becoming too obvious. Any name will do! Just think! Even the name of a damn boat would work. You looked at so many today, surely you can remember one!

And the lightbulb turned on.

"Aurora."

He just about choked on air at your response. Why'd you pick such a beautiful name?! He's going into shock, just like the bartender. Is this what it means to be a man killer? If this keeps up, you'll need to lock yourself up for society's sake. You needed to steer the conversation away from yourself before it was too late, but he didn't give you the chance to, too eager to learn more.

"Is that so?"

"And you are?"

He smirked at you before standing with enough force to send the chair flying. Much in the same way he came, he disappeared off to the corner where the rest of the Kings were waiting for him. Their eyes were blazing with uncontrollable emotions, brimming with rage and need and lust and fury. Most obvious amongst it all, however, was jealousy.

Of course this would be my fate, you cried internally, eyes glued to them as if watching a tragedy.

As this all unfolded before you, the seat on your other side became occupied. Not to your surprise, it was one of the Districts. It was only a matter of time before one of them approached you.

His eyes were warm and you felt drawn to him as you stared deep within them. In this moment, you thought you could finally understand how everyone else felt when their gaze fell upon you.

"Don't mind them, they're creeps. Did Yunho hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Can I get you a drink?"

"The bartender, he, uh-"

The District leaned over to grab a can from behind the bar and placed it in front of you. His smile was adorable. His cheeks were adorable. In fact, everything about him was adorable. All you wanted in this new moment was to make him yours, which again helped you to understand everyone else.

"Don't worry, it's on me. I'm Han Jisung. What's your name, gorgeous?"

Fuck.

A pet name? He's already too attached!

It had been, what, ten minutes and you had three men wrapped around your pinky and ready to throw fists for you?

You needed to think fast and deescalate the situation. You had already skipped too many important steps in the investigation and you were in over your head. Time to take a step back, reevaluate, get some air, and escape this Hell of your own creation.

"Your name, sweetheart?"

"Sex On The Beach, but I'm working right now."

Jisung's mouth fell open and he sputtered out a few words that didn't quite make sense to you.

Snapping back to the present and realising what you had said in response to what you had thought was still a question about drinks, you spun toward him searched your brain for the fake name you had given the other one but it escaped you. Instead, you yelled out the first word that came to your head, the first thing that came to your mind every morning, "Mirror! I'm the fairest, I know!"

There was a commotion in the King's corner that overshadowed the sudden tense atmosphere in the District's. The one named Yunho was coming back and he looked pissed, his gaze trained on you and Jisung. The tension was palpable from wall to wall in the bar and it gave you the clarity to notice that everyone else had left and you were stuck in this bar with these hungry, ravenous dogs.

Aurora, you dumb bitch. That was the name.

Yunho stared at you with something dark in his eyes as he took in what you imagined was a situation that broke his heart; you had already forgotten him and moved on to the next.

"Mi...roh?"

"Uh, yeah, Aurora. But what is he doing?"

Tearing your eyes off Yunho to risk a glance at Jisung, you saw a similar look to the one Yunho had prior and gulped. It was happening again. Another had fallen into your web and realised too late that he couldn't escape your involuntary seduction.

Yunho grabbed the Sprite, holding it so tight his knuckles turned white and the aluminum threatened to explode under his force. This snapped Jisung back to reality.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Why the fuck are you giving her a Sprite?"

"Don't fight! Really, I'm not interested in either of you!"

"What?" They both growled in unison, inching toward each other with every word until you felt trapped between their bodies.

It wasn't unpleasant.

With lightning fast reflexes, Yunho held your wrist within his and began to tug you away from Jisung and toward the other Kings. "She's coming with me."

"No, you brute! I'm not interested in you and your small dick energy! Unhand me, buffoon!"

Your shouts and weak slaps aimed toward him did nothing to stop him. It wasn't until your free hand was pulled back, now enclasped within Jisung's grip, that your progress was halted.

"No, actually, she's coming with us."

"Us?! I don't think so! I'm not into that!" You stopped, giving a quick glance over at the other Districts who were starting to stand. "Well, I mean, never say never."

"Shut up!" They yelled in unison, each giving a tug and earning a pained yelp from you.

Back and forth you were yanked, pulled between the two men as they fired insults and threats. Knowing how these things always turned out, you allowed yourself to go limp and go with the flow. There was no point in getting involved until they sorted it out amongst themselves.

Sooner than later, they'll be going at each other like dogs, trying to tear the other apart to prove themselves worthy of your hand. Once that failed, they'd be on their knees begging.

You sighed.

The only way this whole situation could get worse is if their friends decided to jump in and join the squabble as contenders. You could see the fiery desire in their burning gazes. It was only a matter of time.

Or perhaps the bartender would return, brandishing a shotgun, and yelling something like, -

"Quit fighting and let that woman go!"

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, both their jaws and grips loosening. Wiggling free, you took a step away from them and rubbed your bruised skin. The bartender took notice of this small action but, as per usual, you weren't surprised. When it came to men in love, nothing could surprise you anymore.

"Come on, move. You'll be safe with me. For now."

For now.

At least he knew the inevitable, as did you.

Even though all three were absolutely and completely enamoured with you, Jisung and Yunho were too far gone, lost within their burning hearts and heated emotions. You were mere seconds away from being kidnapped, saved only by the bartender's own greed! You would be safe from the Districts and the Kings if you joined him, and you could deal with the consequences and his shotgun later.

With another sigh, you took a step toward him, ignoring the commands from Jisung and Yunho to stay by their side, presumably forever. They sounded so desperate and needy, you couldn't bring yourself to abandon them like this.

Three men competing for your hand, two opposing cliques, and one shotgun.

How did it end up like this… again?!

13 notes · View notes

suncatchr · 4 years

Note

10?

ehehe i know these asks r 200y old but thank you!

10. “Your hands are shaking.”

It’s partly cloudy outside. The wind is stirring at ten kilometres per hour and it’s twenty-seven degrees Celsius. Cirrus clouds are drifting along, pulling themselves apart low in the sky.

“Good morning, lazybones. What'cha doing?“

Benjamin is slipping into the gap between my house and the next, already waving like he’d known I would be at this window. Or perhaps he saw me lean out of it.

"Being lazy,” I respond. “Supposedly,” I add.

“Ha, ha,” he says, though I hadn’t been making a joke. “Come outside.”

“But I haven’t eaten yet,” I inform him. I’m not supposed to go out before I’ve eaten.

“I’ll get you something on the way. Everyone wants to hang out at the park today. If we get enough people we’re gonna play a game of soccer or capture the flag or something.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“That’s why I came to get you, airhead. Come on! I’ll come around the front and get you.”

I’ve climbed out the kitchen window before, because it was quicker. Last time, though, I’d tripped on the sill and nearly lost a tooth, so Ben will meet me at the front door from now on. I wonder if he’s remembering that now, and even more whether he trusts me to win a game after seeing that happen. I climb down off of the kitchen counter (safely) and run to get my shoes on before Ben gets to the door. He pushes it open just as I get my last lace tied.

“Ready,” I report.

“Then come on! I want to get there before everyone else so that I can be a team captain.”

“You’ll pick me, right?” If he doesn’t, I’ll be left over because there’s no way some other kid from school will remember to put me on their team. I shut the door behind me.

“I’ll pick you first, don’t worry. And then I’ll see if I can get Cara because she’s like, the fastest person I’ve ever met.”

“Then pick her first.”

“Well, no, what if the other team gets you?”

I don’t think they will, but if Ben is worried about it, I won’t say anything else. Maybe the other team captain will try to keep me from Ben and Cara so we won’t have the advantage of being friends on the same team.

We stop quickly in the plaza bakery and Ben buys me a croissant to carry with us to the park. “Daniel always brings snacks,” he reminds me as we leave. “So if that’s not enough, he’s probably got something.”

Content with that, I start to pick at the croissant. I quickly learn that I don’t care for croissants. At least I tried it. I offer the rest to Ben and he decides to split it with me.

“It’s too buttery,” I complain when he asks.

“That’s not a real thing,” he says cheerfully. I mean, it is a real thing, that’s why I said it. He seems so content in his assertion, though, so he can keep it.

The wind picks up and I know it isn’t me. Ben doesn’t seem to notice. We walk along the quiet side of the street, instead of the one by the bustling main road. Ben starts waving at what looks like an empty field. More of our classmates are here, hidden by a cloak of trees that marks the path-side entrance to the park.

The wind picks up and I’m certain it’s me this time. It’s a cool breeze that targets the back of my neck when eyes start turning towards us. Everyone who waves is waving at Ben. I’m stricken by the urge to hold onto his arm like I would my mother. Sometimes he gets lost in the crowd and when that happens I have very little to make me comfortable here. I decide to just stick close until the game starts. He said he’d pick me first.

“We decide on what to play yet?” Ben calls as we head down to the group. Cara is here, but it’s her friend Aliyah who answers.

“Capture the flag. Danny brought flags we can use.” She points down to Daniel, who’s tied two bandanas (our flags?) together and is trying to lasso another boy, one I don’t know well.

Cara waves to us once we’re closer. “I didn’t know if you were gonna show up,” she says.

Ben points his thumb at me. “I had to go and get our boy here.”

She smiles at me. “He interrupted breakfast time, right?”

I nod. “He came too early.”

“I don’t get why you don’t just eat earlier, if you gotta eat before you can come play.” Ben shakes his head at Cara like he’s talking about me but I’m not here. I try to suppress the chilly air before they feel it too. I worry that they’ll figure out what each type of weather means if I let it show too often.

“I eat at eight,” I respond. “You know that.”

“But why?”

“That’s breakfast time.” Obviously. He doesn’t get it, though. He rolls his eyes and the three of us head a little deeper into the crowd.

“Hey!” Ben calls into the chatter. “Is anyone else gonna show up?”

“Don’t think so,” responds Lasso-Boy.

“Do you guys wanna play Blue-Shoe to decide team captains?” Daniel asks. His bandanas are tied around his neck now like a bow.

“No,” Ben chirps, “bunny up!” He quickly raises ‘two’ signs to the sides of his head and a clamour explodes around us in response.

“I was first!”

“Benny was first, I was second!”

“Don’t lie, Ellie, I was second!”

“You just wanna pick Aidan!”

Everyone’s responses get lost in a sea of noise and I look for Cara, who’s not saying anything. She glances at Ben, who smiles back at her.

“Ben was first,” she calls calmly, “and Ellie was second."

"No,” Daniel complains, “Ben was only first because he called the bunny-up. We should go with people who didn’t know.”

“Or we could just play,” Ben responds easily. “I know Ellie and Max have to get home for lunch.”

Why is it so hard for him to understand breakfast time when he gets lunch time just fine?

“Fine,” Daniel says, untying his bandanas from his neck and then from each other and handing Ben the blue one. He hands the yellow one to Eleanor, who walks up to stand beside Ben.

“I want Danny,” Eleanor says quickly. I bet she’s not picking Aidan because someone said she would.

“Koda,” Ben says. The cool wind bugging me dies as I leave the crowd to join him.

“Lucas.” Lasso-Boy.

“Cara.” Would Ben not have picked me if someone teased him for wanting me on his team, I wonder?

“Isabella.”

“Josh.”

We go through the whole crowd and end up with Aidan on our team. After dubbing ourselves the Blue Team, we divide our territory in half and move off to plant our flags. Eleanor and Aidan are best friends. I wonder if he feels hurt.

We got the hill in our territory, but for the sake of not getting lost or exhausted, the trees behind us are off-limits. Ben finds a bush just outside the woods and ties our flag to its roots.

“Okay,” he sighs. “Let’s go. Who wants to be where? We need hunters, distractions, jailbreakers, catchers, and guards.”

Cara picks hunter, obviously. She’s the fastest, she’ll be able to scout for the flag and get off Yellow land in record time. Ben picks jailbreaker, to rescue any hunters who get captured. I pick guard, to watch the flag and stop people that the catchers couldn’t snag. Ben and Cara bid me and then each other good luck as they head down the hill with their groups. The Yellow team breaks from their clump soon after and spread evenly over their land. Eleanor plays differently than Ben. I remember she likes to just barrage the other team. She figures we can’t catch everyone.

Especially if we’re all split up on her side.

The other guards and I stand away from our bush, but in a careful circle around it. We can’t be too close or the Yellow Team will know where the flag is. But we can’t be too far from each other, we need to communicate.

For a while, no one moves. The first person to start the game usually runs alone and unprompted.

There. Aliyah creeps toward our land. Everyone’s eyes are on Eleanor and her mass in the middle. Aliyah crosses our border and takes off at a dead sprint towards the side of our territory that brushes the creek. One of our catchers situated on the slope of the hill dives to head her off. They nearly collide, but she swerves to the right. Straight into the jaws of another catcher. She didn’t come close to us. Our hiding spot is safe.

A boy trots onto the less inhabited part of our land, gaze locked on Aliyah though he’s far from her. I start to creep towards him. None of my team can see him moving, it seems. Out of the corner of my eye I catch Cara beelining for a bush thicket by the path between us and the water. One of the Yellows tears onto our side by our catchers. The boy headed for Aliyah picks up speed, electrifying me with adrenaline. I can’t let him save her while my team are all distracted. I trip when I try to move faster, but I manage it anyway. The ground dips and it hurts my leg. He’s almost at her, she’s reaching her hand out for his. I can’t lose this race.

With a last hard kick I manage to throw myself between them, swiping his hand away from Aliyah’s. It’s not great; he’s close enough to her that they can both be rescued in one fell swoop. But he lets out a groan and stumbles to a stop, and I know I’ve done some good for now. Panting, I whip back to face the field. It’s become a cyclone of activity, teams blurred across the lines as hands reach for rescuers and hunters dig for prizes. In the midst of the chaos I can see Ben, reaching for Aidan’s hand with Lucas hard on his tail. Oh no. He isn’t fast enough.

Ben swerves, skidding like a baseball player before he regains his footing and circles back around. Lucas stops running for a half second to switch directions, running straight into Ben’s path to cut him off. Aidan stretches his fingers desperately for Ben’s aid.

“Dakota!”

I turn to face the voice. One of the other guards is staring at me, wide-eyed, before she gestures at an invader pelting upslope, closer to me than to her. I can’t stay to see if Ben makes it. I have my own work to do. This time I manage to run in a straight line, picking up exhilarating speed as I race the invader up the hill and manage to just brush his shoulder before he breaches the border of our hiding place.

He’s dangerously close to our flag, I notice when I stop. Someone coming to rescue him could scoop up the flag in one move if they knew where it was. I wander up the rest of the hill, trying to catch my breath on the way.

“Have they found our flag?” I ask my fellow guard. She shrugs.

“I was chasing Danny down there,” she says, pointing down to where Daniel is standing with his arms crossed. “I don’t know if anyone’s seen it yet.”

That’s good enough news, I suppose. Our teams have gotten muddled across field lines, our specific roles lost to the chaos of the game. There are catchers and jailbreakers imprisoned on their side, and many of their players sneak toward us one by one now that the majority of them are trapped with us.

Cara is still free. So is Aidan.

But Ben is trapped deep in Yellow land, casting his gaze around for anyone still free to break him out. If we ever want to regroup, use who we’ve got left to make a plan, we need our team leader. I need to get Ben back.

If I fail, we lose a guard, and Ben watches me take a stupid risk to no avail. Cold ruffles my hair and fills my lungs as I imagine being tailed by all our classmates who know how important it is that I don’t reach Ben. But it’s got to be me. Everyone else is preoccupied with preventing rescue and diverting the other team’s search. I can do this.

Creeping across the meadow so no one notices me, I lock eyes with Ben to let him know I’m on my way. Through my tunnel vision there’s a clear path to him. No one is paying nearly enough attention to catch me before I’m halfway. Ben holds out a hand to me and points to where Cara is standing at the border. Does he want her to save him instead?

But she bolts in a different direction, toward a patch of cedar. Ben gestures me forward wildly, and I understand. She’s hunting the flag, she’s a diversion. Without even thinking I start forward, and once I start, I know I can’t stop.

I was right. Once I make it halfway, Ben jumps to his feet, and Eleanor yelps and leaves the pack that’s tailing Cara. She’ll reach me if she keeps going on a diagonal. Ben reaches for me, calling my name. I try to run faster but I can’t. Eleanor is stuck in my peripheral vision.

Ben yells, “Come on!” and I reach out and just barely graze his fingertips before diving off-course to get out of Eleanor’s way.

Ben pulls up to my side, between Eleanor and I. He’s invulnerable until we get back to our side.

“Don’t cheat!” Eleanor pants. “Move, Ben!”

Ben grins over at me and doesn’t break his pace. Eleanor falls behind and tries to run up on my other side, but it’s too late. Ben grabs my sleeve and pulls me away from her reach, then slows down and shoves me so that I stumble and fall across the border. I guess one method of winning is as good as any.

Ben trots over the line and Eleanor pulls up short. My throat burns as I try to sit up. My head’s spinning from the impact. But that all takes a backseat to Ben’s joyful whoop.

“That was a good chase!” Ben chirps. “I can’t believe you made it.”

Panting, I reach for the hands he extends to me and let him pull me to my feet. I did it. I made it and now Ben can help us regroup. Maybe he’ll even let me run jailbreaks with him, maybe he’ll think I’m so much better at jailbreaking than I believed myself to be at the start.

“You okay? Your hands are shaking.”

Are they? I yank them out of his and try to warm the air so I don’t seem so nervous. “I’m fine. I’m just surprised I made it, too.”

He slaps my shoulder. It kind of hurts. “We’re not done yet. Come on, Koda, I need your help.”

Yes! I’ve made myself worth the place on his team that he gave me. Elated, I follow him back up the field to where Cara is waiting. Her mission failed but she wasn’t caught. She grins when she sees us approach.

“You got him!” she chirps. I stand up a little straighter despite the sudden pain in my chest. Oh, no, I can’t be tired now, I have a game to win!

An ice chip lands on my nose. No, not now! I will the snow to go away before it betrays my anxiety. The dizziness from my fall returns, making the edges of my vision bleed.

“Yeah, he just barely escaped Ellie, but we shook her off. I have a new plan, we need everyone who’s still here. Go get our team, would you? I’m gonna try to go save Josh, he’s right there. Meet by the flag.”

I can do this. We’re gonna win with Ben’s new plan. I scout the field for members of our team, most of whom are guarding prisoners, and bring them back to Ben. Plenty of us are missing. Ben manages to bring Joshua back with him. Breathing heavy, he takes up a regal position at the front of our new crowd.

“Okay, listen. Most of them are trapped on our side. They’re gonna think they can rescue their team while we’re huddled. So keep your eyes out, and when they come looking for their prisoners, we nab them. Then we can just walk on over and get their flag.”

He glances at me and I give an encouraging nod. That’s a great plan, and I’ll follow it to a T to win this for him. I gaze across the field, waiting for someone to cross in our supposed distraction. My trepidation is betrayed by the chilly, wet air that ruffles my clothes. I wish that if my powers were going to be constant that they’d at least be easy on me. I’m tired and the wind makes my head hurt. But I’m determined.

Cara takes off after someone breaking the border by the water, then Joshua races for Eleanor, who’s trying to rescue the boy I caught earlier. I glance at Ben.

“Come to the border with me,” he mutters furtively. “We’re gonna get that flag. I saw it while I was trapped.”

“Why didn’t you tell me while we were on the Yellow side?” I ask incredulously. We could have won right then! Why waste time?

“Ellie was coming from that way. You never would have made it.” He gives me a wide eyed look. I know immediately where the flag is.

“The cedar trees.”

“Yes!” he hisses, fire igniting in his voice. “No one will even notice us while our whole team is doing captures.”

“We’re gonna do it now?” It’s supposed to be twenty-seven degrees outside and it isn’t, it’s cold.

“Yep, and we’re gonna win it right this second.” He nudges me with his shoulder until I’m facing the cedar copse. “Remember, the flag is yellow. You run in and grab it, I’ll cover you.”

“Me?”

“Yes!” He shoves me. “Go!”

In a gust of wind I cross the border and keep my eye on the approaching trees, the sounds of the chase quickly fading into background noise. All I can think about is getting that flag. I weave into the trees, branches scratching my face, and pull to a stop where the path opens. In the centre of the copse is a bare bit of land dusted in dead needles and dappled in today’s pale spring sunlight. And right in front of my face, there it is. Their yellow flag tied to a branch. I want to call to Ben but I’ll just bring it for him, show him his victory.

Look what we found! I think as I untie it.

“You did it!” I whisper as I emerge. He grins.

“Ellie saw us,” he whispers conspiratorially. “Let’s get back.”

A noise, nothing short of a battle cry, rises from our land before us. Ben grabs my sleeve. I hope he doesn’t throw me over the border again. Someone starts running from every which direction. What do we do?

“Ben.”

“Pretend to give me the flag,” he whispers, letting go and holding out his hand. I stuff the fabric into it and he shoves it all back into my fist. “Now run, and don’t stop running.”

One last stretch. Ben races off into the open, away from me. If I look scared, they’ll know I have the flag. If I look too normal, it’ll look suspicious that I’m not worried for Ben. Everything looks wrong. Eleanor freezes between us. Ben put me on his team for a reason. I start running, the widest circle around Eleanor that I can manage. Cara is waiting behind the border, looking back and forth between Ben and I. No one knows who’s got the flag! If I’m fast enough I can win this.

The middle of my chest is burning but I’m right on top of the border now. Eleanor decides to come after me. The cold burn spreads. My muscles ache. I want to win this game so bad.

Cara darts forward, nearly crashing into me, and grabs my sleeve. Her diversion makes Eleanor stumble and together we pass the border line. Cara uses the hand she holds me with to raise the flag above my head. I did it! I made two of the key plays in the game and we won! I look around for Ben, but the movement dizzies me and I double over to catch my breath. Cara plucks the flag from my hand and the congratulatory shouts of our team follow her away.

“You did it, man!” A hand slaps my back and I know it’s Ben. A wheeze escapes me before any words.

“Mm-hm,” I breathe, trying to stand upright. Ben pulls me upwards and squishes my face between his hands.

“See?” he asks. “That’s why I always pick you first.”

He lets me go, turning to call the team over. I teeter dizzily, trying to smile back at their boasting and congratulations. I did it. Powers or no powers, I stayed focused and I did it.

It’s twenty-seven degrees outside. The air is still and the sun’s just under its height. Over our heads the clouds are dissipating, leaving behind a pale blue sky.

#long post #my writing #my ocs #the stormcaster #you've heard of baby yoda now get ready for baby koda

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whenimgoodandready · 5 years

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Who do you think has the hardest job in crime fighting? Ladybug or Cat Noir? Well, Ladybug is the most important one cuz she’s the only one who can purify akumas and revert the innocent brainwashed victim back to their normal selves and Cat can destroy things with a touch of his hands and without that, he and Ladybug would still be trapped! Having trouble deciding, well, let’s see if the grass is greener on the side then shall we:

*Reflekdoll-Marinette is looking for a model to try on her newest designs for her website she’s creating and Juleka volunteers. Yes, you read that right, it’s not a typo. Goth Girl Juleka volunteers to be a fashion model! Sounds a bit out of her stereotype doesn’t it, well, as it turns out, her secret dream is to be a model! Hey! Goths can be models too! She was even letting others see her full face! Would she do that if she wasn’t serious? This is her dream!

Unfortunately, Juleka gets camera shy and fails to model the designs. Alya suggests Marinette and Adrien (whom she got to help with the shoot) model the designs cuz it’s a unisex look (and hook them up). It’s the classic French navy blue sweater with a few white stripes and a red beret style with some bold jewelry on. It’s a cute look, I liked it. They go outside for the photo shoot and Juleka says she wants to be left alone cuz she’s “not feeling well”. Poor thing is just so ashamed at failing to achieve her dream and feeling ignored again :(.

This is how she’s reakumatized as Reflekta. BUT wait! There’s more! Mayura is there too and (according to canon order), she steps in for the first time since the Season 2 finale and amokizes her too! So now, Reflekta continues her clone zapping powers while also controlling a giant robot doll of herself that does the same thing wrecking havoc in the streets! (Dolly wants to play!). Unfortunately, Marinette and Adrien can’t transform cuz they took off their miraculouses for the photo shoot and to make matters worse, they get zapped! However, their Kwamies search for them with their miraculouses, but end up with the other. This is it people, the moment has come. It’s what we’ve seen in sneak peeks of the art in future episodes and now it’s here. The Kwami Swap! (cheers). Everyone, meet our switched dynamic duo, “Mister Bug” and “Lady Noir”! (trumpets sound). Lol! Mister Bug!? Last I checked it was Lordbug! Oh well, cute that Lady Noir chose the superhero ship name from the love square though.

Alright, time to see what shade of green that grass on the other side looks like! Mister Bug had trouble using his yo-yo the first time as a shield and his lucky charm was “beginners luck” that it was exactly as he predicted while Lady Noir had trouble with her Cataclysm. Kinda rude that Lady Noir kept calling Mister Bug stupid the whole time cuz of his lack of problem solving with the lucky charm, but it’s his first time! Even if he’s seen her do it a million times! Lady Noir may have had it easy not being the more reliant one for once, but her power isn’t just about destroying things easy when you’ve hit something that’s never been hit before and it doesn’t automatically disintegrate! Despite all that, they managed to defeat Reflekta and her mecha and get their miraculouses back. Cute how Adrien met Tikki at last!

What we learned here was goth girl Juleka secretly wishes to be a model and it makes sense. From “Reflekta”, she believed she was cursed to not take a good photo and she hates feeling invisible. This is why her supervillainess self had the power to make her look more flashy and noticeable as well as turning others into herself so she won’t feel forgotten! Now we learn that the reason she wants to be a model is cuz they’re always eye catchers and admired. Juleka just wants to be noticed for her own individual look and be happy about it. Nathalie continues to be Mayura despite the fact that it’s making her sick as we saw in “Stormy Weather 2”. Uh, Nat, I know you’re trying to help your boss(/secret love), but think about your health! Also, Lady Noir is aware of what an amok and sentimonster is (and how to purify them the same way as the akuma) since even though she didn’t know from last seasons finale, she found out eventually, but we don’t know how she did? I would’ve preferred there’d be difficulty so it would look more challenging for her and Mister Bug (coupled with their miraculous switch), as it’s the first time Hawk Moth and Mayura are doing this together, but instead, she already knows without the audiences knowledge cuz I don’t think the writers bothered to let us know :P. Gabe has some conflicted feelings on this since he wants desperately for his wife to come back and yet is concerned for his employees health. Dude! That’s what caused her (Emilie) to go into a coma! (“Miraculous Secrets:Gabriel”). Here’s the thing about being a ladybug themed hero: 1. Your lucky charm is always a random object, 2. Take time to study your opponent before using the lucky charm and 3. Using the “Ladybug-vision” is hard to conjure up. Now here’s some things about being a black cat themed hero to know: 1. Cataclysm is not for sentimonsters, 2. The costume is lighter on the shoulders and 3. It seems to give you “powers” of having a “sense of humor”. Guess it’s fitting, Marinette did say she thinks more with her head and Adrien said he thinks more with his heart (“Lady Wifi”). Both of them have it hard cuz the ladybug miraculous holder needs to constantly stay focused and use their head a lot and the black cat miraculous holder needs to make light of the situation so as not to make it too stressful and know when to hit its mark. These are the two most important miraculouses as they give you “ultimate God-like powers” when used together (“Ladybug & Cat Noir - Origins, Part 1”) which is why they need to be super careful with them. Still don’t know why Master Fu gave the ladybug one to Marinette and the black cat one to Adrien though. Is it cuz it’s “ladies first” or a majority of the ladybug miraculous holders were female or cuz he didn’t think both Adriens ears were pierced? (it’s revealed they are cuz the earrings aren’t clip ons) Idk? The peacock miraculous is shown to be damaged like it’s been said causing it to be static when in use and after 2 (in a half) seasons, we finally see its Kwami, Duusuu! From the concept art, they were shown to be emotional crying tears of glitter, but sadly, that was scrapped. Duusuu is rather a mood swinger going from happy and cheerful to anxious and worried the next (must be cuz the miraculous is damaged?). They also seem to be unaware that they’re being used for evil (Nooroo, tell ‘em!).

#miraculous ladybug #reflekdoll #miraculous ladybug reflekdoll

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maedarakat · 5 years

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Beards

----

(Set during HTTYD 3, post-wedding celebration. Tuff/Eret fluff.)

----

“He’s alone now, go! There's your chance,” the voice whispered in his ear.

A hand nudged Eret sharply from the dark, fingers poking into the small of his back and ushering him forward through the swirling crowd of wedding goers and foreign guests.

Heart racing, Eret nodded respectfully at a smiling red-haired king with a scarred face, who was excitedly talking to Hiccup. He passed them, eyes on the thin blond figure ahead, who was making his way toward the feast table, long braids swinging across his back.

Just the way he walked gave Eret a rush of something that made his pulse quicken, and he hastened his stride until he'd caught up with Tuffnut - finally catching the man without a companion’s face shoved against his chest.

“Tuffnut Thorston! I was hoping you and I might take a walk together.”

Good, good - that was smooth. Gobber had told him to just be himself and he, Eret son of Eret, was one smooth son of a-

“Okay, well, we are walking together.”

Eret floundered, caught off guard. "Right, of course." Before he could steer the conversation further, Tuffnut’s leisurely gait stopped suddenly at the banquet table, which was groaning under the weight of so much food.

Pies of all kinds were laid out, as well as roasted meats, fruits, breads and cheeses, and even some yak parfait. “And now we are here! Thank Loki, I thought I wasn’t going to get to eat until after my best man speech.”

Eret made a small noise of frustration but it was drowned out by someone - probably that Gustav kid - setting off firecrackers somewhere. “Actually I was hoping for a much longer walk. Somewhere else. Just you and me, and far fewer people.”

Oh no. That had sounded creepy. Eret struggled to find a better way to phrase that, but his companion only shrugged, loading up his plate.

"Okay, whatever. But I’m bringing my food. Seriously I’m starving.”

“What? When have you last eaten?” Eret asked automatically and damn it he was fussing wasn’t he.

“Not since this morning. Astrid needed help with her hair and nails, and then I had to go hunt down a few boars for the feast because . . . Well, it’s really taking some getting used to, not having dragons to hunt with, you know. Certainly not as fast.”

Eret’s heart was fluttering. Of course Tuff was the kind of boy who could do manicures one minute and then turn around to gut a boar or two the next.

“No, I imagine not. I would have loved to help.”

“Huh. I figured you’d be busy avoiding all the women chasing after you - especially now, Mr. Bouquet-Catcher. Tsk, you didn’t even wait for Astrid to throw it.”

“I . . . Well, I . . ."

Oh no, he was getting flustered. Eret didn't know why he could never seem to avoid getting tongue tied around Tuffnut Thorston, but here he was yet again - just completely incapable of stringing together a worthy response.

He couldn’t get flustered, because then Tuff would move on and he’d lose his chance. Catching the bouquet had been an omen - so Gobber had insisted - that this time, for sure, he was going to get Tuffnut’s attention.

When in doubt, compliment him, Gobber had advised, not two hours earlier. Just make yourself say something, even if it's not perfect at least it can be honest. That boy is a strange one; I doubt you could bother him if you tried.

“Well, I didn’t quite mean to catch it - I was just too distracted by the sight of your handsome face,” Eret plunged ahead, just blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.

. . . And hopefully Tuff’s gobsmacked expression meant something good?

He stopped eating the cherry pie with his fingers, some of it nearly falling out of his mouth as grey eyes widened slowly and eyebrows climbed heavenwards.

Eret grinned as charmingly as he could muster, determined not to back out now that he had put his foot in it.

"Any chance we could take that walk now?"

Tuff's answer was to put down his food and grab Eret’s arm, dragging him off further away from people and towards the trees, until the sounds of music and laughter were muffled by the great pines.

Yes, this was a good thing! Right?

Tuff stopped them both, and turned to face Eret, looking reproachful. “Dude, you can’t just say stuff like that to me in front of everyone! Do you not see this?” He picked up the braid woven beneath his chin, shaking it like a talisman. “Clear indication that I don’t want any attention drawn to my preferences.”

Eret blinked.

"So how did you figure me out?" Tuff pressed, his tone now anxious. "Did I say something weird? Was it the way I walked?"

“. . . What? No, you haven't -" Eret's words failed him yet again, brain trying to process what Tuff's makeshift beard had to do with anything. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand?"

Tuff opened his mouth then stopped himself and smacked his forehead. “Oh, right. You’re probably not familiar with the whole . . . oh, wow. Yeah, I’m sorry this is my bad, Eret - but fear not - I will explain.”

“Again - what?”

“Well, now you’re completely lost, of course. See, up here in the Archipela-hood, when a guy likes other guys, certain people may not exactly consider them acceptable. So it becomes necessary - for said guy-liking . . . guy - to ‘have a beard’ .”

Tuff said this last part meaningfully, using his fingers as air quotes.

The penny didn’t take long to drop, but when it did, Eret’s jaw dropped open after it. He had no words.

Tuffnut, however, still had plenty - and went on explaining.

“See, the way I've heard it - if you have a beard, people are less likely to suspect you of liking other guys. I mean, I don’t exactly get why it has to be a beard. It must be a girl-liking guy thing, thinking that having a beard is such a piece-de-resistance to the females that there’s no possible way you’re actually someone who likes guys instead. I don't know, I apparently don't make the rules and usually wouldn't follow them even if I did. But anyway, that's why I have this nice full beard."

Eret fought hard against the urge to rub his temples.

“Did - Did someone tell you all this . . . ‘helpful’ information? About beards?"

Tuff laughed and shook his head.

“Mm-mmm, nope. I didn’t ask - you never just ask about this kind of stuff, around here. Everything I’ve learned about ‘blending in’” - again with the air quotes - “came from the time-honored tradition of eavesdropping at the Northern Market men’s outhouses."

Oh, he looked so endearingly proud of himself. How was it possible to be so smart and yet so naive about the world? It made Eret want to punch anyone who looked at Tuff sideways, which was rather unhelpful.

Eret sighed, figuring he'd better set this particular record straight.

"That’s . . . not actually what is meant by ‘having a beard’, Tuffnut. In this context, I mean. Having a ‘beard’ means to have a girlfriend, who is not really your girlfriend. Just a girl who pretends to date you, so that you’re above suspicion.”

"Wha- what? But I heard them . . . I mean, I thought I did."

Tuff went quiet, thinking back and nose slightly scrunched up in thought. After a moment of playing back the remembered conversation in his head, he seemed to crumple.

Then - face turning red - he muttered a soft, humiliated, “Oh.”

Eret immediately wanted to hug him.

“Don’t worry that you got it wrong. Not like you could ask for clarification, right? I don't imagine a place like the Northern Markets is teeming with good-hearted men."

Tuffnut bit his lip, fingers unweaving the braids beneath his chin. “Well, h-how did you find out about this kind of stuff? Nobody seems to think you like guys. I mean, I was surprised. How have you kept others from finding out?”

Eret felt rather than heard the note of hopeful desperate fear in Tuff’s voice.

“Are you afraid of someone in particular finding out, or just everyone in general?” the former trapper asked carefully.

It took a while for Tuff to answer, but by the time he did, long uneven strands of his hair - his former beard - were hanging down in front of his shoulders, catching the rays of the red setting sun, and glimmering like embers.

There was a despondent look in his silver eyes that truly pained Eret, like more than just a braid was becoming unraveled.

“My friends wouldn’t care, and my sister knows but . . . I’m afraid of proving my family right about everything. They’ve always said something was wrong with me.” Tuff’s voice caught raggedly on the last word.

"So maybe it’s this, and they probably know already, and I’ve just been making an even bigger fool of myself by trying to hide anything."

Tuff's eyes were wet. Eret stepped forward without thinking, arms open, and felt ridiculously relieved when Tuffnut didn’t back away. At first he held still in the embrace, but within a moment he'd melted forward, hugging Eret back tightly.

He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Tuff was quiet, though Eret could easily feel the tension in his jaw and neck and the cautious stiffness with which he hugged back. He could also feel Tuff frantically swallowing any and all evidence of any tears - any possible sign of weakness that might result in rejection.

This wasn't his personality. This reaction had been trained into him.

“If it helps,” Eret said hesitantly, “Know that my family was not the most accepting type either. I remember too well how it feels, trying over and over to impress people who are supposed to love you regardless. Who don’t seem to know you, or to even want to get to know you.”

The words were difficult to say, but they needed said. “Finding out I liked men was terrifying at first. I had to hide it from everyone. I didn’t feel safe, not even with my closest friends. Not out of any fear they’d be malicious, but what if they spoke carelessly around my father? Around people who knew my father?”

Tuff drew in a shaking breath and nodded against Eret’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t be their hides on the line,” he mumbled thickly in agreement.

“Right. Eventually, it went from being terrifying to just . . . lonely.“

There was no response to that, but Tuffnut hitched and swallowed hard, curling down in his arms a little.

Eret made an attempt at a soothing noise, absently stroking Tuff’s hair. The red gleams of gold were fading as dusk cast the forest snow around them into deep pink shadows, though he was no less beautiful in Eret’s vision.

The wedding party's music had reached new heights, accompanied by a raucous drone of loud, drunk Vikings chanting lyrics back to whatever minstrel they’d employed for the night. It was cathartic and a bit surreal, and weirdly perfect.

“Thank you,” Tuff murmured, lifting his face. “I . . . I actually feel a lot less lonely now.”

His own heart was pounding, but Eret nodded. He still held onto Tuff, not really wanting to let go. He would though, as soon as Tuff wanted him to.

“If you ever want to talk again, I’ll be around. Carrying something heavy, most likely,” Eret offered, feeling lame. He wanted to do so much more.

Tuff looked up at him and then gasped, face lighting up in a sudden grin that made Eret's heart pound.

"Oh my Loki, wait a minute, were you - were you trying to - was that for me? All that heavy lifting?”

Eret felt a strange mixture of sheepish and proud. “Well, not all of it - some things did actually need carried. We moved an entire village not three months ago.”

“But you lifted Gobber’s entire wagon like seven times in the past week, just to move it two feet further away each and every time that I walked through the clearing - oh my Loki!“

Tuffnut covered his face, which was slowly resembling an apple. “You . . . you giant adorable moose.”

Weird pet name, but Eret was not about to complain, not when Tuffnut suddenly pounced back into his arms, kissing him.

It was a quick hard kiss, tasting of honey and stolen berry tarts, and Eret swore he would never forget that taste.

Tuff pulled back almost immediately, body tense and hands cautiously lingering over Eret's biceps, but all Eret could seem to do was grin lopsidedly.

He gained his wits enough to return the kiss with plenty of heated interest, until finally Tuff pulled back to look at him and catch his breath.

"I never thought anybody in the entire world would flirt with me,” he managed breathlessly.

“Well, get used to it. From me, that is.”

Right, being smooth. So very smooth.

Tuff laughed and relaxed against him, apparently immensely reassured. He kissed Eret again, this time on the nose.

“We-We have to go back. To the wedding. I have a Chieftain to embarrass with a speech, and a Chieftess to make punch me, or at least chase me around a few tables with her axe.”

Well, he sounded much better - more like his usual self. Probably needed to process a few things,to do not that he could blame him.

Eret couldn’t seem to stop grinning, feeling immeasurably happy and proud of himself.

“Do you want to go for another walk later?” Tuff was asking, and the former trapper nodded, belatedly remembering to let go of Tuff's waist.

“Sure,” Eret shrugged, as though his heart wasn’t doing absolute cartwheels in his chest.

They walked together back to the crowded areas, Tuff giving his hand a squeeze before slipping into the throng of villagers and disappearing to go do his particular brand of friendly wedding mischief.

Eret watched him go fondly, trailing not too far behind.

#tuffnut #tuffret #httyd3 #eret son of eret #spoilers for the hidden world

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macaroni-rascal · 7 years

Note

Mike and Ginny 30!!

For my dear Sandra @ourstartingpoints because she’s lovely and deserves it

#30: “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

It’s after a game, she’s sitting in the gym perched on the end of one of the treadmills. She hadn’t played well. In fact, it may have been one of her worst games since she got called up, since her first in the majors. She’d been able to hold back the tears but she’s sure her eyes are still red and shiny, and if her features convey how drained she feels, she most definitely does not look fine.

Ginny doesn’t know how to talk to him about this. She’d had a pregnancy scare during her second season as the first female major league player in the world; and her captain and catcher would have been the father.

It’s put things in perspective, made the tentative physical relationship her and Mike had struck up blindingly, unavoidably real. They hadn’t used labels, Ginny thought it was easier, but right now, she’s regretting the lack of clarity.

“What happened out there, Baker?” Mike doesn’t sit down, just stays a relative distance from her, arms crossed and worried.

“Just a bad game,” she brings her knees up to her chest and tries to comfort herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and slowing her breathing.

“There are bad games, Baker, and then there’s whatever that was,” he gestures idly in the direction of the field.

She knows she played a horrible game, she also knows she wont be talking to Mike about this anywhere near Petco, so rather than argue with him, or come up with specious excuses, she just lifts herself off the treadmill and turns towards him.

“I’ll get ‘em next time,” she goes to pat him on the shoulder, a friendly teammate gesture, but Mike grabs her hand and keeps her close.

His brow furrows and he drops his hand when she flinches at his touch. Mike is looking more and more concerned and its making the calm she just fought for evaporate. He’s going to push the issue, she just knows it.

“Ginny,” she looks away because the honest sincerity shining through his eyes is doing nothing to make her feel better. He clears his throat and shifts back and forth, “C’mon, rookie, talk to me.”

“Nothing to talk about,” she keeps her face deliberately blank and watches as he squints at her incredulously.

“Well we both know that’s not true, but I guess I’ll drop it for now,” he looks frustrated and she can’t blame him, “do you want to hang out tonight? Get your mind off whatever it is that’s not bothering you?”

He smiles at her, a little sarcastic but warm and inviting.

Considering he is a major part of what’s bothering her, she has no interest. She’s not sure how to say that though, and Mike might realize he’s part of the reason she’s been so off. She wanted to escape this conversation five minutes ago and its gotten to a point where her skin is getting itchy with how uncomfortable she is.

“I’ve got plans with Evelyn, some other time,” she smiles quickly and starts to make her way out of the gym.

“Considering Blip just told me him and Ev are having a date night, I sort of doubt that,” she stops at the doorway and turns to face him.

He looks confused now, maybe a little weary. She’s never lied to him before.

“Why did you just lie to me? What is going on?”

She’s never liked to lie, and getting caught in one is a horrible feeling. Instantly, everything bubbles to the surface and she can’t hold it in any longer, not that she was doing a great job of it before.

“I thought I was pregnant,” her eyes run the length of the gym slowly before she finally looks at him, her stomaching tightening as she braces herself for his reaction.

Mike looks like someone hit him over head, he’s gone stock still and he blinks a few times, mouth hanging partly open as she sees him come to terms with what she just said. His gaze flicks to her stomach quickly before returning to her face. He slowly walks over to her and Ginny curls into herself a little, still braced.

He slowly takes her hand again, this time she lets him. He’s shaking just a little.

“Are you okay?” Is what he finally says, voice low and tender.

She is okay. She’s definitely okay with not being pregnant, she had a minor panic attack when she thought she was, but she handled it well. It all happened so quickly, the span of the morning right before the game, and it just shook her a little, put things in perspective and made her really assess her choices.

The fact that her job comes with a different kind of pressure and expectation than others just enhanced her anxieties, now that the game is over and they have two days off until their next, she’s feeling better. The main area of concern right now is the man holding her hand.

She nods, keeping eye contact.

“I am, I’m okay now. I promise,” her voice is steady and sincere.

“So, you aren’t...” He looks down at her stomach again, swallowing loudly, “you’re sure?” She’s both heartbroken and strangely comforted by the devastation on his face. Not that she was expecting him to be unfeeling, but its nice to know its affecting him as much as its affecting her. Makes her feel less alone, less adrift.

“Very sure,” she nods decisively.

“Do you want to talk about it? It doesn’t have to be now. I’m here, you know that, right?” His voice has maintained the low, tender tone. There is a desperation in how his hands are holding her that makes her clutch him back.

“I know,” and she does know, he’s never given her a reason to doubt him and they’ve always existed on a separate wave length than everyone else; there for each in a permanent, grounding way she hadn’t expected or planned for.

He looks at their hands for a few seconds before he quickly realizes where they are, squeezes once and steps back, looking like he regrets it as soon as he lets go.

“So do you want to hang out tonight? We don’t need to talk more about it, we don’t even have to talk at all. But I understand if you want to be alone,” Mike is being so respectful and kind, she thinks she can taste the gratitude welling up inside her; the feeling loges in her throat and makes her next words come out a little strangled.

“Your place?”

He keeps his face as neutral as he can, but his entire body sags with relief. She understands the feeling. Why she didn’t just tell him immediately, she’s doesn’t know anymore. A small voice in the back of her mind whispers “next time you will” and she waits for the fear accompanied with such a loaded thought, but it never comes.

They walk out together. As it should be.

#Anonymous #hope ya like it my looooove #bit of angst #cause I know you like those happy endings #bawson #pitch #my fics #havent written in a while life has been busy #but stuff is in the works #<3

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marumafan · 7 years

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Yuuram in Novel 3

Because yuuram is life I hereby present you with a list of yuuram moments in the novels. This time novel 3.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

-Another Yuuram reunion-

The one who barged in was the angel-like bishounen, Wolfram von Bielefeld. He stopped dead in the hallway upon seeing my naked torso, and seemed to be at a loss for words, his cute face flustered.

"Yuuri... my God! Your face and arms ... So dark! Have you caught a terrible disease? Or a curse?"

"Are you looking for a fight?" I sulked.

In fact, my face and my arms were well-tanned, but my torso and legs were still white as snow. For baseball players, having this shirt-like tan would be considered an achievement, but when my upper body was exposed like this, it was indeed not the best look.

With the thumb and forefinger, Wolfram pinched my cheek.

"Ow-ow-aie-ooh-aie!! What do you think you're doing?"

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

- Yuuri introducing Wolfram -

Wolfram was a rival-less super bishounen, like a Vienna choir boy who had jumped straight out of a shoujo manga. He had inherited his mother's shiny golden hair and her emerald green eyes. While his build was no better or worse than mine, the difference between our looks was as wide as the gap between heaven and earth. I imagined all artists in the world would fight over the chance to paint his portrait. If he had appeared in someone's dream, the dreamer might even be moved to tears thinking they had seen an angel.

However, he was angel-like only as long as he kept his mouth shut. Else he was just a terribly spoiled and bratty prince. As he claimed, and if one could believe his words, he was already eighty-two years old. If he was living in Japan, he would be a stubborn old man. And because of a small tiny minor cultural difference, we are engaged to each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

- Casually touching Yuuri -

"The Mateki?!"

Wolfram who was strangely brushing the limit of my suntan, stepped into our conversation excitedly. As expected from a Vienna Boys Choir singer, the tone of his voice would even be a little annoying for Mozart.

"I've only heard the stories about it from my father, but he said that the sound of the flute is fantastic! It can make the sky roar and the earth shake. Its sound can conjure a loud storm, that would make you cower!"

"C-cows go?"

"Cows go mosa mosa."

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.2

- Yuuri being casually gay, and also upset he can’t be an alpha-

I tried to shift my body away from the boy sitting in front of me as much as possible so that some air could pass through between us. However, it was nothing but hot air all around us, and there was no stir even remotely resembling a breeze.

"If you slip further back, you'll fall." Wolfram said.

"I'm dying of heat!" I complained.

Wolfram was obviously enjoying the situation.

Yes, thanks. Very funny. If only it had been a girl who was sitting in front of me, then I would have had my fun. Like a charming gentleman, I would have steadied her, with the reins held in my hands. Sadly for me, the front seat was occupied by a bishounen lovelier than a girl.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.2

-Yuuri casually risking Conrad's life to save Wolf -

"What about Wolfram?! He fell in front of me into the sand! But he won't die, right?!" I cried and wailed.

"If he was unlucky..." Gwendal said above me. (...)

"Your Majesty, Wolfram would agree with me immediately. He is also a grownup warrior and knows that things like this can happen. Your safety comes first!"(...)

By now, there was no visible trace of the soldiers who had been swallowed by the sand vortex. Would they pass off falling into such a land hole as a matter of bad luck? Just imagining the honey blond hair and brilliant emerald green eyes frozen with terror, hurt my chest; I couldn't breathe.(...)

"Conrad, I don't want you to be someone who abandon his own brother." I finally said. (...)

"You've said that you would only follow my orders." I said.

"Yes, but that was..."

"You said you'll follow my catcher's signs. Then I order you to save Wolfram. Please! I'm fine; you have no reason to worry about me. After all I still have a strong guard here."

Conrad looked surprised and shifted his eyes back and forth between me and Gwendal.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.8

-Wolfram's reaction to hearing that Yuuri and Gwendal had eloped-

"Then you are the younger brother, whose fiancé has run off with your own elder brother?"

"What are you saying?"

In an instant, Wolfram's face had turned visibly red even in the pale moonlight. At the same time, steam seemed to be rising from his head.

"Conrad, what does that mean?" He yelled. "My brother and Yuuri! This cannot be true! I knew it! That cheater! "

"Wolfram, calm down. It is certainly not what it looks like."

"But yes, the two are surely a couple," the girl said. "I've seen them with my own eyes. The poor guys were on the run. They were chained together with handcuffs."

"Chained together?"

It had to be boiling water inside Wolfram's head.

(...)

The Lord Betrothed has gone completely out of his mind with fury and was by then torturing an innocent garbage can with his feet. Conrad decided to let Wolfram vent his rage. He turned around and put a hand on the shoulder of the girl who was about to break out in tears.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.10

-Yuuri hearing wedding music as he sleeps on Wolfram's lap; wakes up to Wolfram's hair in the moonlight which he thinks 'is beautiful' (the moon looks beautiful tonight trope?) ; Yuuri 's mantra -

In the meantime, the melodies of "The blue Danube" by Johann Strauss kept playing in my head. And it was not the full-scale version performed by an orchestra, but the cheap version the like of a call center's hold tone.

(...)

"What ..." I mumbled.

The first thing that I could see was thick golden strands shimmering in the moonlight. I didn't even have time to think 'It's beautiful', when I heard someone scolding me.

"Why do you always do this?"

"Wolf?"

"What?"

"Wa...Water..."

(...)

"Ouch... Stop it! I'm drowning, I'm really drowning here. Please forgive me!"

"Do you know how worried I was about you?"

Angering a bishounen, even if one was not at fault, would result in painful consequences. At the same time, I felt tremendous guilt since it was indeed my own impulsive action that caused trouble to everyone.

(...)

Even though I perfectly knew that we were both guys, being pursued by such a beautiful boy like him still caused my heart to skip a few beats. At times like this, the most effective solution was to avoid looking at his face and keep chanting "He is 82 years old" like a mantra.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.11

-Pillow Wolf-

As if that weren't enough, I had to lay down across two seats, my head softly cushioned on the thigh of Lord Bielefeld!

"Does my pillow have to be a man's lap, of all things?!" I wailed.

"Every time you do some huge magic, you sleep for two to three days," declared Wolfram, unmoved.

"This time you only slept two hours. And after such a formidable performance, too. Please be so kind as to stay right where you are. You need your rest."

"All right, all right! But why the heck does it have to be with you as my pillow!?"

"Doesn't it make you happy?"

"Do I look like I'm happy?!"

"Oh, you two are truly one heart and one soul," sighed Nicola with shining eyes.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

-This chapter is just all yuuram-

"Yuuri, I never would have thought that you are capable of such a bold initiative," Wolfram said in surprise after I decided to knock on his door.

The delicate pretty boy did not know what to make of the whole thing. He tilted his head to one side and, his lips slightly open, waiting in silence for an explanation.

"I just want you to have a bath with me. If you feel embarrassed, you can keep your swim trunks on," I said.

"If it's just the two of us then there's nothing to be embarrassed about, but... "

"Then let's go! I'm in a hurry! A towel and a pair of trunks would be enough!"

In a corner of his room, Wolfram was busy digging for some strange object. Was he looking for a rubber duck to take with us?

I pulled the broadly grinning Wolfram, and head towards the familiar royal bathroom.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

-Definitely foreplay-

"Can you push me into the pool?"

"What?"

"Come on now," I grumbled.

"What kind of foreplay is this?"

Wolfram pushed me into the water, but I immediately resurfaced.

"I don't understand," I muttered. "Hey, what are you doing?! Did I tell you to jump in too?!"

Wolfram emerged again, his blond hair totally soaked. The image was like the scene of an angel bathing. Luckily he had kept his clothes on, just like me. With two strokes, he swam over to me.

"Why did you dive in? I only wanted you to push me."

He wrapped his pale arms around my neck.

"Don't hug me!"

"Didn't you want to try a totally new way of doing it?"

"Way of doing it...? Wolfram, you were expecting to do something naughty, weren't you!?"

Even though I was completely desperate, my partner was shamelessly indulging in his own happy fantasies. I hung my head and swallowed my growing anger. In another attempt, I put my feet firmly on the bathtub floor, and slowly stretched my knees.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

- He did actually use Wolf this time, bad Yuuri -

"I can't go back, to my home, to earth, to Japan!" I cried angrily.

"I thought it would be just like last time, I could return through the bathroom again. But no matter what I did, nothing happened at all! I thought if I was forced into a corner, I would enter the star journey to escape from danger... But even when you pushed me into the water, still nothing happened."

"What?"

"Wolf... why is that grimace?"

Numerous creases gathered above his nose and between his eyebrows. The ex-prince lifted his chin and pulled his shoulders back.

"You used me for this small thing?"

"It's not a small thing! This is incredibly important for me, don't you understand that much?"

"You are now the king of this country, you can't run around anymore! You've got to stay here. Yuuri, your home is this castle! And that's forever!"

Every time this bishounen scolded me, I would feel the numerous wounds his words caused. As hard as it was to accept, Wolfram was probably right. My diving attempts were pointless. But what other choice did I have? I had never thought that I could never see Japan again.

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

Novel 3. ch.12

-Yup, he's angry-

"You're unbelievably dim-witted," Wolfram groaned and brushed his wet bang back from his forehead.

His seemingly arrogant green eyes stared at me fiercely. He really does have an angel's face, but his words draw blood with each syllable.

"You belong to this world. You cannot escape, your soul is at home here."

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

Yuuram in Novel : 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17

#kyou kara maou #kkm #maruma #yuuram

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