#get him away from heeeeeer

[fullscoreshenanigans]

They really cut to a shot of him looking so vulnerable and baby after that declaration and the predatory growl sfx @0:25 as her eyes snap open and the manic laughter, after everything we’ve seen of their relationship so far

as if there needed to be another reason to protect him at all costs

[r0-boat]

Lucifer headcanons PLSPLSPLSPLSPLS (Maybe what most citizens of hell think of him? And how they and the kings react when mc gets close to him?) PLSPLSPLSPLSPLS

I'm not confident in my Lucifer headcanon's since I wrote that Lucifer breeding fic but heeeeeere hhhhh

Lucifer headcannons

NSFW&SFW

Lucifer was once an angel and as angels the assistance of God they help make humans and devils so it would make sense that Lucifer one of God's most prized angels would know a fair amount of human and devil anatomy.

Perhaps he became Hell's greatest doctor because he felt guilt of how much useless slaughter he and his brothers did. So, instead of killing, he wanted to help. And his subordinates, supportive of his dream, became healers and doctors with him.

However, he is still the demon of pride, and he wants to be your primary care doctor, and he will not sway his will. The Kings really don't fight him on this because, well, he is the right person to trust with your health.

My most favorite headcanon (and probably the least true, to be honest) is that since his fall, he is slowly learning about sex and sexual attraction. And you are playing a heavy hand on corrupting him, and he loves it. He was a pious angel; though not perfect to many of his brethren, he was considered highly regarded. And now look at him, fucking you till you cry in an act so obscene that it would make his brothers weep. Corruption kink Lucifer. Go brrr.

He wants to corrupt you, just like you corrupt him, but how do you corrupt someone who is already sinful filth/affectionate

Lucifer sees you as the perfect partner to try sexual acts with because he trusts you the most, and he likes you. That goes without saying. Unbeknownst to you, Lucifer is a fast learner. Once you teach him how to pleasure you, the next thing you know, he'll be making you writhe and scream.

Lucifer is a little bitey during sex. Especially when he is about to come, he clenches his teeth before to stop himself from sinking his fangs into your neck, but he can't help it. He needs to feel your soft skin in his mouth. His favorite places to bite are your neck and your thighs, other than your tears and your cum,. Your blood is the third favorite taste.

Lucifer is on the more serious side; jokes tend to bounce off his head. Especially ones made by younger devils... So much so that he gets angry when anyone mentions any word he cannot understand.

As the demon of pride it is his way or the highway. He can break any rule he wants but you, less you want to be a brat (please do He likes to punish). You may not break any rules of his.

Lucifer is as caring and gentle as he is strict; your tears frighten him just as much as it arouses him. He doesn't want to see you cry if it's not from pleasure. His gaze will grow soft, his voice deep and gentle, calling you cooing as he wipes away your tears.

He still has that little bit of animosity toward you He knows it is not your fault. He tells you straight up that it's because he is an angel. Even though most of it is mostly gone, he still gets a slight sickly pleasure from making you cry; He can't help it. He's a little bit of a sadist when he comes to you.

Everyone knows what Lucifer's penmanship looks like but no one can fucking read it. It's a mess of This is the most doctor shit you've ever seen. To you it just looks like an L and a squiggle written in a shimmering gold font (expensive fountain pen gift from Mammon)

Mammon likes Lucifer in a sort of "ooh, that man is pretty; never had an angel in my collection before." Where when Lucifer sees Mammon, it's mainly with Satan, so his first reaction is "God damn it not again."

He still calls you child of Adam or child of man And he still apologizes for it.

Lucifer is quite the romantic despite now becoming a devil, he thinks that hellborn devils should learn that sex is much sweeter when the tension is right. Basically his version of "these youngsters are still young SMH"

Lucifer unironically likes Twilight.

Lucifer texts like he is a character AI bot with perfect English and punctuation. Good luck trying to text him back because he knows nothing about text slang.

You annoy him so much and he loves it. You're so cute please keep pissing him off he'll still love you even when he kicks you out. He literally can't stay mad at you.

He's wondering how the fuck are you still alive You've been wondering that yourself all these years. Maybe that's why you so protective over your health now.

Dads you a lot. "You have to eat this finish your food it's healthy. Blah blah blah- too much screen time is bad for your eyes." "Blah blah blah-humans should get at least 8 hours of sleep Go to bed- blah blah blah." "Stop eating shitty foods and actually cook a decent meal-blah blah blah." at this point, calling him Daddy is becoming less of a joke.

Also Lucifer: buys you chocolates, takes you to fancy dinners.

Lucifer hates being called Daddy. And he hates that he's starting to like it; please stop.

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Yes Coach!

The second the basketball team heard their coach blow the whistle, something clicked in each of their minds. They didn't actually know what was happening. All they were aware of was the uncontrollable urge to drop to their hands and their knees and listen. So, in the middle of practice, each of the sweaty jocks crashed to the floor in a series of loud thuds.

"Listen up, boys!" the Coach's voice blared loud and robotically, "You're all a bunch of weak pansies! Aren't you?"

"Yes, Coach!" each and every one of the basketball players yelled back.

"Tonight, we have some real men stopping by to show us a thing or two," the Coach continued to yell at the top of his lungs, "You need a real man to show you how it's done, don't you?"

"Yes, Coach!" they all barked again in response.

"As we know, these men are to be obeyed to the letter!" he sprayed his words with artificial rage, "They deserve our respect and gratitude for the mental re-conditioning they gave us last week!"

"Yes, coach!"

"Andre!" the Coach suddenly whipped his head towards the point guard, "You remember what you learned last week, son?"

Andre's stomach dropped as the Coach's steely gaze scorched down at him. For a second, he couldn't remember what the man was talking about. Andre barely even remembered last week's re-conditioning session, but then it all came flooding back.

"Yes, Coach!" Andre reported, "I'll be the men's foot slave."

"Good boy," the Coach's lifeless voice replied, "And what does that mean, maggot?"

"It means I'll be taking care of the men's foot related desires. I'll clean their shoes, massage their feet, and that kind of stuff."

"That's right, boy, and don't forget that the men said you'll be using your tongue!"

Andre couldn't believe he'd forgotten that little detail. He cringed at the reminder, but as he thought about it more, he began to wonder what a real man's foot might taste like.

"Now, who's next? Nicholas!"

"Yes, Coach?"

The tall and lanky forward glanced up nervously. This whole ordeal just didn't seem right to him. Mr. Johnson never yelled at the players like this, and that deadpan expression on his face only added to the eeriness.

"You remember your job tonight, maggot?"

"Yes, Coach," Nicholas grimaced at the thought, "I'll be in the corner, face down, and ass up."

"That's right, son. Why don't you go get a head start on it!"

"Yes, Coach," the athlete grumbled and crawled away to the corner of the gym.

Nicholas couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but he knew that whatever it was could wait. It was just best to plant his face on the floor and prominently display his rear end. It was a really uncomfortable pose, but he sort of zoned out after a few minutes.

"The twins are next!" Coach barked, "Lance! Kyle!"

"Yes, Coach!" the identical athletes answered together.

"You two idiots remember you're jobs?"

"Yes, Coach," Lance answered for them, "We'll be stripping down to nothing to stand by the door like identical coat racks."

"That's right, and make sure each one of your extremities is rigid. The men will be expecting you to keep all their clothing off the ground," the Coach added, "Now, get on with it! Our guests should arrive soon."

"Yes, Coach!" the twins answered and hastily pulled off their sweaty jerseys.

The gym fell quiet for the next half hour or so as Lance and Kyle took their positions on either side of the main entrance. They silently extended each body part they could like a pair of awkward mannequins. Meanwhile, Nicholas snored away in the corner with his ass high in the air, while more and more drool leaked from Andre's mouth as he anticipated meeting some real men's feet.

"We're heeeeeere!" a distant squeal broke through the still quiet.

Suddenly, the "men" arrived, and a small crowd of overtly nerdy guys rushed into the gym and all hell broke loose!

Clothes were excitedly ripped off and tossed carelessly onto either one of the petrified coat racks. The basketball team's point guard got busy tongue-polishing each of their guests' worn loafers. A pair of geeks ran straight for the jock in the corner, already pulling his shorts down and slapping the hairy ass beneath it.

Tim, the scrawniest of the new arrivals surveyed his friends. They were all busy fighting over which athlete they wanted to personally boss around, but he was more interested in confirming that his science project was still running smoothly.

"Coach," Tim asked calmly, "You successfully delivered the trigger. Your work is done here."

"Yes, sir!" Mr. Johnson yelled in Tim's face.

"Geeze, stop yelling!"

"Yes, sir!" he repeated quietly.

Tim shook his head at his imperfect work. Mind control was a finicky science, but he was still proud that he'd managed to pull it off. Every single one of the basketball jocks seemed totally under their control.

Tim turned back to the Coach, "You remember what you're supposed to do next?"

"Yes, sir," the Coach's voice was as monotonous as ever, "I will reward you for conquering my team with a blowjob."

"That sounds perfect, buddy," Tim giggled, already placing a hand on the back of Mr. Johnson's head.

"You'll stay late tonight," Tim instructed the guy between moans, "My friends will want to take most of the jocks home, but whoever's left can be on clean up duty with you."

Coach began to pull his mouth away to answer a submissive "yes, sir," but Tim just grabbed his head and shoved it back down.

"Enough with the affirmative phrases already," he rolled his eyes, "Just say it in your head!"

[oinkinpigprince]

My friends(hostages) and I (tied them down and forced them to) watched the Texas chainsaw massacre one and two(I held them at gun point and kept wiggling happily) and I had silly little thoughts about my favorite little spleens :33(I love them so much it physically hurts)

I bet playing hide and seek w/ them would be a special kind of fun! Ik I have a lot of request for smiling friends and I pinky promise to get them done rlly soon this is just a little self indulgence

Hide and seek with the sawyer family!!!!!! Yeah!!!

Bubba

They are so bad at it, it hurts. Listen, they are so big and bulky and too excited to play, they can’t hide anywhere and they aren’t that creative.

Cabinets are a no go, under the bed is laughable, I think they’d be the type to try and hide under a bunch of stuffies

They’re most likely to be hiding in closets and maybe the bathroom, probably behind the couch is a good place to look

Although you can easily find them cause if he sees or hears you getting closer they might start to giggle, it’s just so much fun!!!!

But when you do find them, the chase is fucking on. They may not look it but they are quick, bubba just has a hard time rounding corners quickly so that’s where they have trouble :((

When you do finally tag them, they’ll squeal and grab you, spinning you around. THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!! You two may get told off but it’s worth it

Bubba finding you is a pretty similar story. They are very observant but they’re still pretty giggly. Also with their loud ass stomps you can hear them coming and quickly change spots

When they do find you, oh fuck it’s over, doesn’t even think just quickly grabs you and hugs you tight. THEY WON!! It’s a lot of fun but low key scary when you can hear their foot steps approaching.

Nubbins

Loudest person you’ve ever met, how hard could it be? Once that game starts and you finish counting that boy is GONE

Although nubbins is pretty tall at a generous 6’2 he is skinny and loves small spaces so he quickly finds the smallish space he can cram himself in

A space you’d never think of looking and he is silent, it’s like he disappeared off the face of the fucking earth. He’s happy too, he doesn’t get bored which is surprising.

Nubbins will just lay there happily day dreaming til someone else unintentionally finds him and he cusses them out. Then you find him

Nubbins doesn’t care for the chase as much as the hiding so you easily tag him, he just can’t wait to find you :o))))))

You can also hear nubbins, but his is more, taunting. He likes to pretend he’s hunting you, and oh boy, it feels like he’s threatening you. You can hear him from the hall “heeeeeere kitty kitty k-kitty kitty kitty, where are you?” Your blood runs cold

Sitting in your hiding space steadying your breathing praying he doesn’t find you, there no hell you’d be able to out run a man who spends all day racing cars to scrap dead animal corpses off hot pavement!

When it goes quiet and you think you’re in the clear. You peak out and don’t see anything, so you swallow your fear and quickly stalk out to go and change hiding spaces. Then BAM!! He got you! Ha! You should see your space

He howls as you scream curling his body around yours, he eats up your terrified screams. He just hugs you tight and lays on the ground as you squirm trying to get away, he’ll pepper the side of your face with kisses as he pinches your cheeks. You’re so cute when you’re scared!

Choptop

Oh Robby rob, oh dear Robert bobert, you asked him to play hide and seek, for fun! What’s the harm that could happen! You know this man a little eccentric, but you had zero clue what you got yourself into. Playing hide and seek, with a VIETNAM war vet

He agrees, excited as fuck. Never have you seen him agree so quickly to something. Before you finish saying the words he’s making you count to ten.

First round goes fine, it’s completely normal and not weird. He hit under a bed and then chased you around the house when he found you. Fun!

Next round, you looked around giddily, looking where trying to find him. You searched the whole house trying to find that man for 20 minutes. That’s when you stood in the living room and felt, something went drip onto your forehead. You looked up, HE WAS ON THE FUCKING CEILING AND HE SPAT ON YOU!!!

Laughed as you tried to tag him, taunting you and spat on you some more until you got a step stool and he just dropped, landed on all fours and scrambled away faster than god

You had to have nubbins AND bubba help you catch him. That man was unstoppable. He only relented after a while cause he wanted to have his turn seeking.

Waiting patiently for footsteps and you heard none. You figured maybe he was at the other side of the house. That’s when you glanced slightly and saw, a glimpse of a smiling man in your peripheral. Two inches away from your face.

Screaming you dashed for the exit with him hot on your trail. Chop was toying with you the entire time. Laughing, he was always just behind you. He could have caught you easily but just wanted to see you run from him

Have you seen where he was chasing stretch and he just leaped onto the bridge and climbed on. Yeah he did that to you, that man was not messing around

As soon as it started it ended with you cornered and panting, he didn’t even break a sweat. He just gently pats your face and says “got ya!” Before shouting ‘nam worl’ loudly and cheering.

He’s the whole reason I made these head canons, I don’t want to play hide and seek w/ him

Drayton

The biggest fucking party pooper. Every time you ask he always says “I’m too old for that kiddy shit.” Or “are ya trying to kill me? I ain’t spending my afternoon chasing you around”

His favorite is “how about I go hide in the living room with the tv and you go find a damn to give me.” Dick >:((((

If in the one is a TRILLION chance he says fine, to shut you up it’s a pretty normal game to be honest

He isn’t one for running around so he doesn’t put much of a fight. Just sorta “oh ya got me! Happy now?” Yeah, you are, now it’s his turn

Is a really good seeker he just doesn’t like to run. If you try and make him chase you he’ll just give up cursing “I have other shit to do than play CHILDRENS game” like down chill out

Okay listen, deep down he does find it, a LITTLE fun and likes seeing you and his brothers play but don’t play with him. He doesn’t have time for that shit 😭😭💅💅

[spark-my-nature]

We Are The Land - JTK

Camping Jake, anybody?

I'm back again with more self-indulgent fluffy smut. I'm such a sucker for Friends to Lovers, I can't help it. Enjoy loves!

Words: 11.1K

Summary: Josh drags you and the rest of the guys to the middle of nowhere on a camping trip, where he, Sam and Danny team up to get you and Jake together.

Warnings: SMUT, oral (m&f), penetrative sex, dirty talk, mentions of alcohol, very fluffy, you may vomit.

The stark white paint of the infamous Juck contrasted brighter than ever against the backdrop of trees. Josh twisted his keys, killing the engine as he turned to the rest of the group with his wide goofy grin, singing “We’re heeeeeere!”

You blinked your eyes open, taking in the dense woods outside the window. It was only a three hour drive up into the forested lake area, but Josh’s non-stop rambling stretched each minute into eternities. You loved Josh, truly, he was like a brother to you, but your eyelids felt heavy after half an hour. The foggy sleep-induced haze cleared from your mind slowly as you got your bearings, only then realizing that the warm shoulder your head was leaning on belonged to Jake. Quickly lifting your head from your pillow in his neck, you met his eyes with a blush. He was smiling down at you fondly, his warmth spreading through your thigh pressed to his. Your stomach flipped in that moment of intense connection. He whispered to you in the low rasp that drove you insane, “Well hello, sleeping beauty.”

You couldn’t remember falling asleep, only the seemingly endless stretch of driving as Josh brought all of you out to this camping spot he’d been raving about for months. Much to your giddy excitement, Danny called shotgun (on account of having the longest legs) ensuring that Jake would be squished in the backseat with you and Sam. You also suspected Danny made the call on purpose, his knowledge of your thing for Jake weighing his decision. That was confirmed from the subtle wink he shot you in the rearview mirror. Danny fancied himself quite the cupid ever since you confided in him several months ago. You’d latched onto Danny back in grade school, his soft-spoken nature only drawing you both closer as you grew up side by side. Despite your equally close friendship with the Kiszkas, Danny was the least likely to cause any problems with a secret like yours. He was most discreet, and never teased you once about your feelings.

You weren’t even sure when they started, those puppy-love feelings. Jake had always been cute, but you’d never seen him as more than the baby-faced goof that got stuck in the monkey bars. These days, though… nobody could deny Jake had grown into a gorgeous young man. These days, you were noticing the way his veiny hands stretched around the neck of his guitar, callused fingertips pushing and bending the strings. You noticed the way his hair fell around his shoulders, always looking effortless despite the rigorous care you knew he takes of it. You noticed the mischievous glimmer in his eyes when he picked on Sam, the heated, stormy darkness that overtook those same eyes when something sparked that fiery temper of his.

And you didn’t know if it was your mind playing tricks on you, convincing you of something that wasn’t there, but now as you blushed under his fond gaze, you thought you noticed the way his eyes flickered down to your lips and back, just for a moment before he blinked and turned away. You almost missed the light blush colouring his cheeks. Almost.

Clambering out of the visual atrocity of Josh’s jeep truck behind Sammy, you caught Daniel’s eye over the back of the vehicle. Danny was subtle, but he had the most shit-eating grin across his face. You shot him a playful glare, a silent warning to shut up, but he simply smirked wider and winked. Backpacks and sleeping bags covered your bright red face as they were pulled out. Sam started an argument with Josh over who should carry their tent down to the campsite, providing a much needed and entertaining distraction.

Josh clapped Sam on the back affectionately, “You’re young and spryer than me, Sammy boy. Do your elders a favor.” He looped the carrying strap of the tent case over Sam’s neck before he could protest, earning a huff from Sam, and a mumble about old geezers and old folks homes. You giggled at their antics, gearing up with your own sleeping bag and backpack. Danny snickered and circled around the Jeep, taking the, truthfully, heavy tent from his friend. Sam patted his back with a soft thanks, taking Danny’s light backpack in turn.

Jake and Josh set off, taking the lead, guiding the rest of you down the slight decline towards the spot Josh had in mind. Danny jogged up to walk beside you, Sam trailing closely behind.

“Shut it, Wagner.”

Danny laughed out loud, “I didn’t even say anything! Sam, did I say a single thing?”

Sam snorted behind you, “No, no you did not, why so snippy, bug?”

You turned your head and stuck your tongue out at him, making him smile and roll his eyes. Turning back to Danny, you squinted. “You were thinking thoughts.”

Danny giggled and nodded. “Yeah, I do that sometimes, you should try it,” he joked. You snorted at his teasing, shoving your shoulder into his arm playfully.

Sam sped up to walk on your other side, cocking his head curiously, “Wait, what am I missing here, why does Danny need to shut up?”

Danny raised his eyebrows at you, silently saying ‘up to you.’ You chewed on your lip for a second then turned to face Sam, who was getting antsier by the second, not liking being left out of anything.

You reached out your hands, slowing down both boys on either side of you to allow a little more distance between your trio and the twins ahead. Once they’d gained enough of a lead, you turned to Sam and grabbed his arm a little harder than necessary. His eyes widened as you began, “If you mention what I’m about to tell you to anyone outside the three of us, I will personally lace your veggie dogs with arsenic at the campfire tonight.”

You raised your eyebrows at him, conveying your seriousness despite the amusing threat. Sam’s brows furrowed, and he crossed his heart with his free arm. “I swear, bug, scouts honor, my lips are sealed,” he murmured worriedly.

You nodded and sighed. “I kinda… have feelings for your brother.” You looked straight ahead, unable to maintain eye contact once you spoke. In your peripheral, Sam’s eyes bucked, wide as saucers. “Josh?!” he hissed. You cringed as though scalded, “No, idiot, Jake!”

Danny chuckled on your other side. “More than feelings, you’re so in love with him it’s painful to watch. Thank god she finally told you, man,” Danny smiled at Sam, “it was killing me.”

Sam’s eyes shot between yours and Danny’s as you kept walking, keeping enough distance between you and the boys in question. You could watch his brain process this revelation by the expressions on his face. You almost laughed, but your vulnerability overwhelmed the humor. Finally, Sam smiled wide, his grin unnervingly similar to Danny’s scheming smirk.

He cleared his throat. “Daniel?”

“Yes, Sam.”

“You know what we must do, right?”

Danny giggled, “What is that, Samuel?”

Your eyes darted between them, panic rising as they talked. “No, nononono, no, no doing, there will be absolutely no doing of anything, no!”

Sam giggled at your misery. “I’m so glad we went for that family size tent,” he sing-songed to Danny, ignoring you. Danny chuckled, “Oh? And why would that be?”

You shot daggers into Sam, mentally shoving his smug face in a bucket of water. “Well, funny you should ask, Daniel. I was just thinking about how the tent has these section, divider thingies, y’know, like rooms within the tent?”

Danny’s face spread into a wide smirk, catching on to Sam’s debauchery. “Ahh, how conveniently designed.”

Sam nodded in faux astonishment, “Indeed, quite the engineering feat, these tent designers have accomplished. So many uses for that extra privacy,” he turned his face to you, pointedly.

Your face was likely scarlet, but you had no time to talk them out of this plan before your brave twin leaders stopped, dropping their equipment in a small clearing. As you approached, you elbowed Sam’s ribs, with a final warning hiss, “Keep your mouth shut or you’ll lose a certain undersized appendage.” Danny snorted, snickering as Sam huffed defensively.

Forcing a smile as you came up to the two boys, your heart fluttered at the sight of Jake, now with the hairbrained scheming of your best friends swirling in your mind. What if you did end up sharing a section with him? Would it be awkward? How close would you have to lie? What if you snored? Your head spun, and you out at the view to shut off your racing thoughts.

The trees offered shade and privacy, but through them you could clearly see the sky-blue of the lake, reflections of trees and clouds creating a gorgeous mirror. The water gently lapped at the pebbled shore, soft bird calls and frogs creating a symphony of nature’s music. Your shoulders involuntarily relaxed, smiling softly at the scenery. Josh was right, this was something special. You turned to tell him that, but your eyes caught on Jake’s face, his eyes widening and his gaze quickly tearing away from you.

You felt your heart skip a beat, wondering if he was really looking at you just then. Deciding not to dwell on it, you walked up to Josh, playfully punching his shoulder as Sam and Danny started unzipping the tent bag. “I suppose the trip and the hike was worth it, this is pretty fuckin’ nice,” you smiled. Josh beamed back at you, “What did I tell you, Bug? Jeez, have I ever led you astray?” You giggled, your mouth opening, Josh interrupting immediately, “Nope, don’t answer that.”

Jake snickered and squatted down to help pull out some poles. You grinned, knowing that he loved watching you tease his twin, and you loved making him laugh.

Josh set off to relieve himself in the bushes, leaving you and Jake to your own devices as the two younger boys worked on your shelter for the night. You gave him a shy smile, gesturing to the woods. “Wanna go collect some firewood?”

He returned the smile, nodding, “Yeah, lead the way, bug.”

Both of you started off into the thick forest, careful not to get too far away as you bent over picking up kindling and logs. It was comfortably quiet between you, but you still felt nervous being alone with him, wanting to keep him laughing. Your worst fear was Jake thinking you were boring, or lame or something. Glancing around the forest floor, you reached for a stick, only to grab the same one Jake also went for. Pulling at the same time, you quickly made eye contact, you giggling shyly. “Sorry-“ “My bad-“ Jake chuckled at your mutual interruptions, handing you the stick. “Here, all yours.”

You took it and joked, “You’re so generous, Jacob,” adding it to your stack under your arm.

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, “Well, y’know, sticks like that are hard to come by. Rare and valuable resource.” You giggled at his joke, side-eyeing him. He looked over at you, smiling with that same fond smile from the car. Your stomach flipped, and you quickly looked away, clearing your throat.

“This is… probably good for now, I guess,” you inspected your bundle of wood. Jake shook his head quickly, then nodded, “Uhm, yeah, should do us for a while, anyway.”

Your eyes met for another lingering moment, then Jake extended his free arm. He snaked it around your waist and began walking you back to the campsite, his hand resting on your lower back.

Surely he must be hearing your heart pounding this hard. You never had to focus so hard on walking before, but you were terrified you’d trip and eat mud right in front of him. He was holding you, why was he holding you? A part of your brain tried to convince you he was always touchy, the whole family was. Hell, Josh linked his arm with you so often Sam called you two a chain-link fence. But Jake had never done something like this before. This was undeniably… romantic. The two of you, strolling through the woods, with his arm around you like he was your boyf-

You mentally shook those thoughts away. Dangerous territory, getting your hopes up that high. Moments like these happened just often enough to build up a tiny spark of hope, only for you to squash them down before you got too invested. Jake didn’t see you that way, he never said anything. A few times you thought he might, though. One time that came to mind was that evening of the fourth of July. You’d been battling the heat with strawberry wine coolers, hanging around the pool all afternoon with the guys. Your bathing suit was still damp, clinging to your body as Josh and Danny got the fireworks ready. From your lounge chair, you saw Jake coming around the deck in your peripheral. He sat beside you on the arm of your chair, watching his Danny’s half-hearted attempt to reel Josh back to reality. Your heart rate picked up, as it always did around Jake these days. You chanced a peek up at him, and as though reading your mind, he looked down at you. His eyes were warm, slightly hazy from the beers. Your breath hitched as you watched his eyes travel down your face, eyeing your lips. You swallowed, parting them slightly as his hand reached over, cupping your jaw softly.

“You’re really something, Bug, I’m glad you’re here,” he’d murmured quietly, a revelation just for your ears. You looked up at him in awe, unable to believe this tender, intimate moment was really happening outside your imagination. “You having fun?” he continued, but all words flew out the window when his thumb swiped along your bottom lip. You simply blinked up at him, innocently stunned, and you could’ve sworn he leaned in a little closer. You mustered up all your courage, and you were just about to press a kiss to his thumb pad when-

Tsssssssss- The sudden explosion of the first firework jolted both of you back into the real world. Jake straightened, his arm retreating from your face. His cheeks flushed scarlet, and he stood, quickly walking back into the house.

Your head was running a mile a minute, so dizzying that you didn’t even notice Danny come up to you, kneeling at your feet. He’d watched the whole thing unfold with bated breath, cringing equally as hard when Josh’s firework interrupted what could’ve been an incredible moment.

“Hey, bug-a-boo… what happened there?” he whispered, taking your shaky hand in his large warm one. You were thankful for his ever present stability, one of your favourite of his qualities.

You exhaled long and slow, meeting his concerned gaze. “I have no idea… I thought… I thought he was going to-“ you bit your lip, willing away the frustrated tears that pooled in your eyes. Danny reached up, rubbing a soothing hand up and down your back as he squished beside you on the large lounger.

“Heyyyy, shhhh, don’t be upset,” he cooed softly.

You nodded, swallowing harshly, “No I’m fine, sorry, I just… that was weird.”

Danny nodded, “Well, if you ask me, it wasn’t weird at all.” You met his gaze again, his eyes warm and comforting, silently assuring you that you were safe and secure. You leaned into him with a nod, his arms wrapping around you tightly.

“He looked at me so… so tenderly,” you breathed faintly, relaxing in Danny’s hug

Danny smiled into your hair, humming softly. “He always looks at you like that, Bug. You just haven’t noticed.”

Jake stepped back into the clearing beside you, forcing you back to reality. His arm dropped to your dismay, purely to set the sticks down, but you still felt the loss. He must have felt your gaze on him as he arranged the wood in the firepit, because he turned over his shoulder, catching you staring. He smirked as you blushed furiously and turned away, dropping your pile of wood next to his and trotting over to the others.

The tent was nearly completely set up, Josh having returned to give Sam and Danny another hand. You gawked at its size as you approached it. Sam wasn’t kidding when he said this thing was like a hotel. It was bigger than your entire bedroom, and tall enough to comfortably stand in. Danny was only slightly hunched inside as he held up the support rod.

“Okay, yeahhhh, baby, take it all,” Sam joked crudely, pushing the tent pole through the side slot. You snorted, getting his attention. He smiled cheekily at you, “Oh hello, bug, how was your romantic walk in the woods?” You shot him a glare, your heart skipping a beat, knowing Josh definitely heard that. Sure enough, his curly head peeked out the rear door of the tent and looked at you suspiciously.

“What’s this about a romantic walk?” he questioned, dramatically suspicious. You blushed, stepping back, “Nothing, Sam’s an idiot, I wasn’t-“

“Aht! Not so fast,” Josh squinted, retreating from the window and crawling out of the tent to slide up to you, a finger pointed accusingly. “You were back there with Jake,” he noted.

Your eyes darted between him and Sam, wordlessly threatening Sam’s life in a million painful ways. You stepped backwards again, Josh stepping forward right along with you. “S-so? We were getting firewood,” you stammered unconvincingly. Josh raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Oh, so the googoo eyes you’ve been sending him for months were nothing?” Your eyes widened helplessly and you stepped back again, only for him to corner you against a tree. His lips cracked into a wide smile, his suspicious eyes softening. “You like my brother, don’t you, Bug?”

You chewed on your lip, looking down and playing with your shirt’s hem. “Maybe,” you mumbled.

Josh’s grin doubled, and he grabbed your shoulders, shaking them as he jumped up and down excitedly. “This is so great,” Josh whisper squealed.

You giggled at his enthusiasm, relaxing slightly. “Why is it great Josh? I have a stupid crush on your stupid twin who doesn’t even see me like that, which means I’m stupid.” You rolled your eyes, shoving his hands off you playfully.

Josh bounced around you as you walked back up to the tent. “No, no this is great. This is better than great, you guys would be so cute together, does he know? Oh my god, can I tell him?” Josh buzzed frantically.

You shook your head profusely, grabbing his shoulders this time, holding him steady. “Josh. No. Please don’t tell him, he doesn’t like me like that, it’ll ruin everything,” you implored, desperation leaking into your voice.

Josh’s face dropped at your words. “What? Of course he does, why- what gives you the idea he doesn’t? Did he tell you that?” Josh’s face hardened, “Did he say something to hurt you?”

You rubbed his shoulder reassuringly, “No, sweetie, of course not, Jake wouldn’t hurt me, I just… he’s never said anything at all. That’s the problem,” you chuckled humorlessly.

Your friend relaxed, prying your hands off his shoulders and holding them in his, watching your face seriously. “Believe me, if he hasn’t told you so, it’s just because he’s too scared.” Josh’s voice softened, hushing even more so his youngest brother and friend didn’t hear, “He looks at you like you’re his entire universe, mama. Believe me, I grew up with him. We have the same face,” he chuckled. “I know his expressions well, the way he looks at girls, the way he looks at you. You should tell him, you might be pleasantly surprised.”

Josh gave you an imploring look, nodding with his eyes in Jakes direction, letting your hands go. You followed his glance, landing on Jake’s form by the enormous stacked up pile of sticks. You watched him stand straight, hands up cautiously as he placed the last stick, balancing out the pyramid of wood and backing away. He relaxed and smiled wide in triumph when it didn’t collapse, immediately turning around and landing his gaze on you. His eyes shone with pride, and something else. Something tender, something sweet and fond. Your heart fluttered, returning his excited smile.

Maybe Josh was right.

After the sun had gone down, and the only noises coming from the frogs and the crackling, dying fire, your heavy eyes skimmed around the circle. Your heart felt so full, surrounded by the people you loved most in this world, connected with nature and swaying to the soft John Denver song Jake strummed lazily. He sat closest to you, angled beside you in his folding chair. His hair fell over his face gently, which he pursed his lips and blew out of his eyes. It looked so soft. He looked so soft. His eyes reflected the firelight, but they seemed to glow from within as he played. Your eyes traveled down to his soft, pillowy lips, slightly parted in concentration. His sweet button nose gleamed slightly pink from the drinks and the warm fire, and his brows knit and relaxed with the music he made. Down his body, you watched his hands dance across the frets. The veins and muscles of his rough hands delicately flexed as he moved from chord to chord, strumming and picking intricately. His nails were always so clean and well tended, even on a camping trip where he’d been handling dirt and sticks all day.

He looked devastatingly gorgeous. The urge to scoot up to him and kiss him was nearly painful. You sighed quietly and tore your eyes away from him, fiddling with your hands in thought. Quietly, Danny stood up from his place across from you where he’d observed your lovesick ogling. He moved to sit beside you, handing you a long stick with a marshmallow on the end. You took it, giggling softly and thanking him. He nodded with a smile, ruffling your hair. You swatted him away as he stood back up, heading to the tent. “I’m turning in, lads. Don’t start a forest fire, please,” he called, stepping into the nylon suite.

You giggled, shooting a teasing look at Josh as you held your marshmallow stick over the coals. He threw his hands up across from you, smiling playfully. “Can’t start a fire if I’m going to bed too, bug.” He slapped his thighs and stood up with a groan, his inner grandpa shining through. Stretching his back, you caught him nudge Sam’s foot with his, subtly telling him to come with. Sam cleared his throat, looking from Josh to Jake to you. “Yeah, same here, long day and all, goodnight kids,” he smiled mischievously at you. Jake looked up at his brothers as they scurried away into the tent. You could hear the childish giggles inside the tent from way over by the fire and you rolled your eyes, sharing a knowing smile with Jake.

You tucked your knees up under your chin, shivering slightly in the cool air, the dying embers of the fire no longer keeping you warm. Jake furrowed his brow, watching you shrink into yourself, and he huffed, standing up and placing his guitar down gently in the chair and picking them both up, placing them directly beside you. You bit your lip shyly as Jake lifted his guitar again into his lap as he sat down, pulling off his faux-sheepskin lined denim jacket. He shifted in his seat, untangling his arms from it, and then brought it around to drape it over your shoulders. “There we go…” he muttered softly, arranging it around your body, “…better?”

You felt nauseous with butterflies. His scent surrounding you, his proximity, his warm soft jacket, the gesture itself… your head spun, but you managed to force out, “Y-yeah, thank you, Jake.” The only noise was the crickets chirping in the surrounding foliage, nothing to distract you from the boy beside you. It dawned on you that you were being set up by the other three miscreants, but you were undeniably enjoying their matchmaking, out here alone with Jake. It was such an intimate moment, you screamed at yourself to do something.

Your stomach flipped, but you turned your head to look at Jake anyway. Only to find his eyes already trained on you. His cheeks tinted pink, but he didn’t look away. Your eyes locked, and it could have been a split second or half an hour, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

He finally swallowed, looking down. “You ever play guitar anymore?” he asked softly.

You smiled softly. “No, haven’t since high school, I think.”

Jake nodded, smiling softly, and he reached over into your lap. Your breath hitched as his hand wrapped around yours. He guided the guitar between the both of you, half on your lap and half in his, making his thigh brush against yours. He gently placed your hand around the neck of his acoustic, shaping your fingers into the chord. He looked pointedly at your other hand, hinting for you to strum. You giggled under your breath and drug your thumb down the six strings. He smiled wide, glancing at you briefly before moving your fingers again. “Good, now this one,” he muttered to you. You strummed again, your hand warming up under his. He nodded, “Nice, then G,” he shaped your hand again, this time pulling your arm slightly to drop your wrist, easing the stretch of  the chord in your hand. You strummed, but your eyes were lost in his profile, illuminated by the moonlight above. He looked ethereal, like he wasn’t even real.

He moved your fingers back to their original position, letting you strum again, and smiling brightly up at you. “There you go, now you can play practically every song on the radio since the fifties,” he chuckled.

You giggled, “How’s that?” Wanting to hear anything he had to say about music, or anything he wanted. Just wanting to hear his voice, really. It was so soft, raspy from the toke earlier in the evening and breathy in your close proximity.

 He looked down at his hand, still wrapped warmly around your smaller one on the neck. “Those four chords comprise about ninety percent of western music,” he said, smirking, “and honestly, about ninety percent of our music.”

You giggled, tilting your head to look at him. “I dunno, I think there’s a lot more to your music than four chords,” you told him softly. “I think there’s something… really special about the songs you write.”

Jake’s eyes fluttered up to meet yours, and you saw the same vulnerable, tender warmth in his eyes you convinced yourself you made up all those times before. “Thank you,” he said softly, you nodding once in acknowledgement.

He exhaled softly, eyeing your face, and bring his hand away from yours around the neck of his guitar to cup your jaw softly. You leaned into his touch, terrified he’d run away again.

He gave you a fond, crooked smile, before muttering quietly, “I think there’s something really special about you, Bug.”

You smiled shyly at him, feeling your cheeks heating up, not from his hand. “Oh yeah?”

He nodded once, his eyes dipping questioningly to your lips and back. You met his intense gaze, and all the screaming, panicked frenzied voices in your head were suddenly muted. He leaned forward slowly, and you did too, keeping your eyes on his until his nose brushed against yours shyly. His breath fanned across your lips as he whispered, “Can I kiss you?”

You grinned far too wide for the moment, and nodded gently, closing the gap between your mouth and his.

Your lips molded together in a dizzying warmth. Kissing Jake was so much better than any daydream, his lips were supple and soft, and he pressed them to yours with just enough pressure to make your head spin. The hand that was still holding your jaw slipped back into your hair, gently holding your head close. His lips parted, realigning with yours at more of an angle, deepening the kiss. You faintly whimpered in your throat, his hot breath mixing with yours as the kiss got more intense. Jake seemed to like your little noise, a quiet sigh slipping from his lips. With a closing kiss, he gently pulled away from you. Your eyes fluttered open, dazed and giddy. You couldn’t help the goofy smile that stretched your cheeks. To your credit, Jake had a similarly stunned smile as he trailed his eyes over your face.

You couldn’t help the shy giggle that bubbled out of you, either. Jake smiled wider at your laughter, leaning back a little farther to see you more clearly. You bit your lip, softly confiding to him, “I’ve wanted that for a really long time.” His eyes almost seemed to droop as a lovesick grin took over his boyish face.

“God, me too,” he chuckled, shaking his head gently. You internally squealed and jumped in a circle, his confirmation all you’d ever wanted and more.

“We’re idiots, aren’t we,” you looked down bashfully. Jake sighed contentedly, “Oh yeah. Morons.” He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to your nose, and smiling at the way you squirmed slightly and blushed.

He stood up then, opening his guitar case and laying his baby down securely, latching it up and then quickly tossing the bucket of water over the few remaining embers.

Guitar case in hand, he reached out his other one to you, smiling shyly. Your heart fluttered, taking his hand and standing up. He watched your face, bringing your hand up to his lips and kissing your knuckles. You giggled softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “Are you trying to make me melt, Kiszka?”

He smiled wide, stepping away from the chairs and leading you to the tent. “And if I am?”

You bit your lip, “It’s working,” you confessed. He looked back at you over his shoulder, absolutely glowing under the moonlight. Your stomach flip-flopped again, and you felt yourself falling for him all over again. His eyes twinkled as he turned fully to face you, drawing you into his body. You were about ten feet from the tent, so you made sure to stifle the surprised giggle. Jake set his guitar case on the ground beside you, snaking both arms around your waist. You sighed softly, stepping impossibly closer to his body, your arms instinctively lacing around his neck.

“Good,” he whispered. “Cause you turn me into a puddle every single time I look at you.” One of his hands slid lovingly up your back as he looked down at you.

You tightened your arms around him, drawing him down to you tentatively. It was still sinking in that you kissed Jake, that you could kiss him again. You never wanted to stop, now, drunk on his lips.

He smiled softly as he pressed his lips to yours once more. You felt him smiling against your lips, and he pulled back just enough to whisper, “God, I can’t believe I’m kissing you.” He giggled breathily, returning to kiss you again. You huffed a quiet laugh through your nose, returning his kiss eagerly. Your hands tangled in his hair, gripping it gently, which made his legs falter. You stumbled forward into a tree, effectively pinning Jake against it as your mouths feverishly wrestled. He let out a strangled moan into your mouth, slipping his tongue against yours hungrily. You broke away, slightly out of breath, looking up into his darkened eyes.

For a few seconds, you both just stared at each other, mutually drinking in the flustered face in front of you. Jake cracked a crooked smile, whispering softly, “Wish we had our own tent.”

You blushed at his words, giggling breathlessly in surprise. “Naughty,” you joked quietly, biting your lip.

Jake flushed and his eyes widened, “I meant so I could kiss you more, I didn’t- I mean I want- but I mea-“ You giggled, shutting him up  with a kiss. He melted in your touch, sighing softly as you pulled away. You gave him a bright grin.

“Well… you sort of get your wish.”

Jake furrowed his brow, “How’s that?”

You looked down shyly. “The other guys… they knew,” you clear your throat, “they knew I liked you, and well… I think if we go into that tent, we’re gonna find an empty section of it meant for us,” you finished, smirking bashfully.

Jake’s confused look morphed into a shit eating grin. “You been talkin’ to them about me, huh?” He cocked his head in mock arrogance.

You playfully thumped his shoulder. “You shush.”

He giggled, drawing you into him for another kiss in the night air. “That’s cute,” he said lowly against your lips.

You lightly nipped his bottom lip, giving him a cheeky smile. “What, you never talked to Josh about me?”

Now it was Jake’s turn to blush. His eyes darted nervously, quietly mumbling, “Yeah, maybe…” You smiled wider, pulling him impossibly closer and kissing his jaw, earning you a soft sigh.

“What did you talk about?” you whispered against his adorable little dimple, pressing a kiss to it.

Jake was unraveling at your flirty touches, getting increasingly flustered. “I- uhm, we talked… sometimes… well I talked, he listened,” he smirked bashfully, “Just… cute things you did… funny things you said to me, or like, certain dresses you wore, cute ways you’d do your hair,” he ran his fingers through your hair, causing you to shiver. You looked up at him, doe-eyed, hoping he’d continue.

“Sometimes I’d uhhh…” he blushed, swallowing, then shaking his head.

You smiled encouragingly, “You’d what, babe?”

His jaw fell open slightly, clearly enjoying your new use of the pet name. “I’d… I guess, theorize? About what kissing you would be like,” he ended with a breathy whisper.

You blushed, but you were absolutely beaming at the revelation. You stood on your tiptoes, pecking his lips teasingly, then turning and pulling him with you towards the tent’s door without another word.

You paused at the door, listened for a second, hearing no snoring. You rolled your eyes, knowing they were definitely eavesdropping, and you unzipped the entrance, stepping inside and kicking your sandals off. Jake followed suit, and you made eye-contact, winking at him before you stepped over the bodies of your friends, not-so-gently stepping on Sam’s leg.

“OW- fuck,” he hissed, curling into himself. You and Jake laughed, joined by Danny and Josh who’d given up their façade as well, and you nudged his lanky frame with your foot, “Sorry Sammy, didn’t see ya there!” You gave him your best innocent face, to which he groaned and rolled away from you. “Meanie.”

You rolled your eyes with a smile and unzipped the inside door to the next segment of the tent. You let Jake step in beside you, and after you zipped up the door, you heard Josh giggling on the other side, a quiet “Ooo la la,” quickly followed by a muffled “Oof-“ as presumably Danny kicked him.

You and Jake made eye contact and held back a laugh, unfurling your sleeping bags.

You bit your lip, laying yours beside Jake’s well-loved blue plaid one. “You still got that thing?”

He followed your eyes to his sleeping bag, and nodded, “Yeah, lots of memories in that thing,” he smirked.

You gave him a disgusted look, to which he laughed and quickly said “Not that, ew.”

You giggled, feeling giddy still, “Ew? What, do girls have cooties, Jacob?”

He snorted, shaking his head and flopping down, wiggling his legs into the sack. “Yeah, keep your distance, will ya?”

You responded by flopping down beside him, then promptly wiggling like an oversized caterpillar towards him until your sides were pressed together. You flashed him a wide smile, and he giggled, “Oh shit, well now I’m already contaminated. Guess we may as well quarantine together.”

You snickered, bringing your voice down to a hushed whisper, guaranteeing only Jake’s ears would hear you. “I heard kissing is a great way to boost the immune system, y’know.”

He turned his head, leaning up on his elbow over you, smug as anything. “I’ve heard that too, we’d better try it. For science, you know,” he leaned down with a smirk.

You nodded quickly, “For science.” His lips met yours, skipping the gentle hesitant kisses and slipping his tongue immediately along your bottom lip. You held back a moan at his boldness, losing yourself into the sensations as you made out with your crush in a tent. High school you would’ve fainted if she could see you now. Jakes hand roamed up from its place on your shoulder, smoothing along your neck and collarbones. His hot, wet kisses consumed your every thought, and he slid his hand southward more. You gasped slightly into his mouth as it cupped your boob, and he quickly pulled back, retracting his hand as well.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have, I should’ve asked-“ He cupped your cheek apologetically, and you quieted him with a kiss for the second time. Quite effective method, you noted to yourself.

You gave him a cheeky smile. “No, it was a good gasp, I liked it,” you breathed, taking his hand in yours and guiding back to your chest. His face quickly morphed from regret to relief, then to hunger. “Oh,” he choked out.

Diving back down to resume the kiss, he ran his hand down your front. You whimpered quietly into the heated kiss, and he took it as encouragement, slipping his chilly hand under your shirt. You flinched slightly at the temperature shock, earning you a playful giggle from Jake, who promptly flattened his freezing hand against your stomach. You hissed, squirming under his touch with a breathless giggle, “No, you’re fucking frozen solid!”

He nodded, smiling mischievously, flipping his hand and pressing the equally cold back of his hand against you.

You squealed silently and shoved his hand away, quickly pushing him back and rolling to lean over him, pinning his icicle hands above his head. “What are you, dead?? Why’re you so cold, huh?”

His face quickly twisted in surprise and lust, and you realized the nature of your position over him. You blushed and smiled smugly, pecking his nose and falling back into your own sleeping bag. Jake exhaled beside you, and you pretended not to notice the way he adjusted his sweatpants.

You shivered, “you gave me a chill, Cob.”

He rolled his eyes and snickered at the use of that nickname, looking at you playfully. “First of all, don’t fucking call me that, for the hundredth time, and second of all, why don’t we warm each other up?”

You blushed, looking at him hesitantly. He broke into a smile, “I just mean sharing a sleeping bag, God, I swear I don’t think with my dick that much.” He shook his head.

You giggled, “You’re the one with the euphemisms, what do you expect me to think?”

He tsked at you, “Dirty mind, you have.” He unzipped his sleeping bag, holding up the edge to you invitingly, smiling hopefully at you. You couldn’t resist that adorable face, and you wrinkled your nose as you gave in, wiggling around until you were encapsulated in his bag, your own fully unzipped and laid over the both of you like a blanket.

You sighed and relaxed into Jakes body, resting your hand on his chest. “God, I never would’ve thought the day would end like this,” you mumbled contentedly. Jake grinned wide, kissing your forehead. “Yeah, same, but I’m so, so glad it did,” he told you softly. You smiled, burying your face into his neck shyly, and hesitantly bring your leg up to hook around his. You paused for a second, “this okay?”

He hummed his approval, nuzzling into the top of your head and snaking his arms around you in return. You could’ve died right then and there, happier than you can ever remember being.

“Perfect,” he mumbled, mouth squished against your hair. You bit your lip, inwardly squealing once more. You squeezed his side, a sort of hug in the tight quarters you were tangled in.

Before you knew it, your eyes were fluttering open to the sound of birds calling overhead. Sun was shining through the nylon walls of the tent, warming up the tent like a sauna. You’d never slept better in your life, despite the rather hard sleeping pad.

You rolled your neck, your muscles screaming at you for the awkward position, but you were so elated you didn’t care. Beside you, having rolled even closer in his sleep, was Jake in all his morning glory. Sweat made his hair cling to his forehead, his lips parted as he softly snored. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the warm air, and his arms were tightly wound around your body.

You realized one of his hands had migrated to your ass sometime in the night, gripping your butt cheek firmly even in his slumber. You rolled your eyes affectionately, and laid your head back down, just watching him breathe.

It was so peaceful, so calm and sweet. It dawned on you that it was too quiet, and you carefully raised your wrist, checking the time.

11:24

You figured the other three had gotten tired of waiting, and left already for the hike Sam had wanted to go on. You were more than happy for their absence, able to talk freely to Jake when he decided to wake up.

Snuggling back into his side, he hummed softly in his sleep, drawing you into his body even closer.

Your eyes shot open suddenly, as a foreign object made itself known against your thigh. Your face heated quickly, eyeing his face closely for any sign of consciousness. He let out another snore, proving that he was unaware of his body’s involuntary reaction to your proximity.

You let out a shaky breath, heat flooding down your body. You weren’t about to make any moves on him in his sleep, but dear god, it was right there-

You were shaken once again as Jake moaned under his breath, the hand on your ass squeezing the flesh and pulling you firmly against him. Against him. His hips shifted slightly, grinding his erection into your leg. Your jaw fell open, frozen in this purgatory. You didn’t want to wake him, but you really wanted to wake him. You wondered what he was dreaming about.

He repeated the motion, grinding into you again, his moan more articulated this time, ending in a mumbled word, you were pretty sure was a slurred, ‘fuck.’

The heat pooling between your legs was getting harder to ignore. This was something you’d dreamed about, something you’d fantasized would happen. You wanted him so bad, but not like this. Not unconscious, without his knowledge. It wasn’t right.

Making your decision, you reached up and cupped his face gently. “Jake,” you whispered.

He didn’t respond, only moving his hips again, his lips parting with a silent groan. His brows pulled together in the centre of his forehead, mumbling-

“Yeah… please, Bug-“ His breath hitched, interrupting his sleep talking.

You whined under your breath, feeling too hot for your own skin. It was you, he was having a wet dream about you.

“Jake,” you spoke, running your thumb across his cheek a few times. Jake’s snore ended in a snort, swallowing and then blinking his eyes open. The second they focused on you, he froze, lifting his hand a few inches off your ass.

“Goodmorning,” he said shakily, his morning rasp accompanying the rapid spread of his blush.

You bit your lip, deciding to tease him a little. You leaned forward, pecking the tip of his nose and “accidentally” pressing your thigh into his rock hard length.

His short gasp fueled you, and you smirked. “It’s a great morning.”

Jake’s eyes were hazy, struggling to stay focused on your face, but you weren’t sure if it was from sleep or lust. Likely a combination, but you wanted to press a little harder. You innocently brought your knee upwards, dragging your leg along his cock through his sweatpants. You bit your lip hard, watching his eyes nearly roll back and a quiet, breathy groan escaping his chest.

He met your eyes, questioningly. You answered by leaning in and kissing him softly. He melted under your kiss, hands wrapping around your middle and pulling you on top of him. You straddled his hips, moaning softly against his pillowy lips, spurring him on further. You wanted him desperately, unable to stop yourself from grinding your heat into his cock, rocking slowly.

Jake finally let out a real moan, and you nearly fainted at the sound. He was so fucking gorgeous in every way, of course he’d have the most amazing moans. His hands found your hips, crashing his lips back onto yours as he guided you back and forth. Your leggings were probably soaked through at this point, you’d never been so horny in your life. The heated makeout escalated as one of Jake’s hands slipped up under your shirt, brushing his fingertips against your underboob with an astonished sounding gasp. He bucked his hips up into you, moving his hand up to cup and squeeze your tit, swiping his thumb across your nipple.

You whimpered pathetically and Jake growled lowly, lifting you up his body slightly. He lifted your shirt up over the swell of your breasts, his hungry eyes drinking in your bare chest. You ground against his stomach with a needy whimper, and Jake exhaled shakily, pulling your shirt off the rest of the way. He looked up at you then, softly checking in. “Is this alright?”

Your face softened, and you nodded. “Yeah, baby, this is great.”

He smiled wide, pulling you down and lightly licking your nipple. “Baby, huh?” He sucked gently, looking up at you through his lashes. ”I like that.”

You bit your lip, trying to hold in a needy whimper. You shifted down his body, resettling over his groin and burying your face in his neck. Jake sighed, tilting his head to give you better access to his soft, sweet smelling skin. You experimentally flattened your tongue, laving hot French kisses down alongside the tendon of his neck. Jake immediately let out a breathy groan, lacing his fingers in your hair and planting his feet. He bucked his hips up, firmly grinding his covered cock into your over heated center.

You couldn’t stop the moan that flew out of you. He was rock hard, straining against his grey sweat pants angrily. You pulled back from him, looking down to where your bodies met. You looked back up at him through your lashes, innocently. Jake bit his lip, squeezing your hips and watching you.

You spoke softly after a deep breath. “You know me, I’m not a first date kind of girl.”

Jake nodded, understanding and relaxing his grip on your hips, allowing you the freedom to climb off him. Your heart softened, his respect for you only making you want him more. He wasn’t even gonna be disappointed, he valued your comfort that much.

“But,” you continued, smirking at the little flicker of hope that ignited all the same in Jake’s eyes. “You’re not a first date, are you.”

He tentatively smirked. “I suppose not?” he rasped.

You rolled your hips against his once more, making him gasp and flutter his eyelids. “If you’ll have me… I want you so bad.” You confessed softly.

Jake let out a soft grunt of desire, pulling you down by your neck to kiss him. Your lips moved together, moaning softly as your hips did the same.

“I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you, now, and always,” Jake breathed against your lips, his forehead pressing against yours. “I love you, I don’t care if it’s too soon, or whatever, I do. I’ve loved you for ages.”

Jake’s confession made your heart swell in your chest, your jaw falling open slightly. You kissed him again, softer and more passionately than before. He relaxed under you, soothed by your eager response. You broke away, only enough to whisper, “I love you, Jake.”

His smile was face-splitting as he rolled you both over. You giggled as he pressed kisses all over your face, hovering over your body. He chuckled breathlessly, continuing to flutter kisses anywhere he could reach, speaking between them, “You, are, so, fucking, cute, yknow that?”

You squirmed, giggling and holding his face in your hands to pause his attack. “Not as cute as you, Cob.” He rolled his eyes, giggling regardless. “I liked baby better, but I suppose old habits die hard.”

You pecked his lips, “Well, baby,” another peck, “I think,” peck, “we should take advantage of this empty tent while we can.”

He smirked devilishly at your words, running one hand down your side and supporting his weight on the other. His trailed down your body, slipping his fingers into your waistband of your leggings. “I’d be inclined to agree, doll.”

You tugged his shirt upwards, pulling it over his head with his assistance. He was immediately back down over you, kissing across your collarbone and down between your breasts. He swung his knee over your thighs, evenly distributing his weight to free his other hand. He cupped both of your breasts, squishing them together and moaning softly as he kissed and sucked hickeys all over them. You were quivering and whimpering under his attention, his fingers moving to roll and pinch your nipples gently.

“Jake,” you strained, “more, please.”

He looked up at you smugly. “Mm, I fucking love the way you say my name like that.” His hands smoothed down your sides, thumbs hooking in your leggings. His eyes widened slightly, not feeling a second waistband under them.

He shakily exhaled, looking up at you hungrily. “No panties?” he breathed. You bit your lip, shaking your head. His eyes darkened, muttering, “Dirty girl,” before sliding them over your hips. He pulled them down off your ankles, readjusting between your legs instead of straddling them. He rested his hands on  your knees, looking up at you before pulling them gently apart. You blushed slightly, giving him a cheeky smirk and looking down. You could feel how wet you were, and as his eyes dipped down, they hooded darkly. He let out a feral groan, his brows knitting together.

“You’re so wet…” he practically whimpered, his calluses scraping down your inner thigh gently as he neared your opening. You bit your lip hard, arching your back slightly in impatience. He smirked, shoving you down by your hipbones with both hands. “Relax, doll.”

You gave him a pleading look, “Jake… I need you, don’t tease.”

His eyes softened and he leaned down over you, giving you a soft kiss. “I know, pretty girl, I’m gonna make you feel so… good…” He whispered against your lips, grinding lightly into you through his sweatpants with the last two words. You whimpered, nodding lightly, all words having left your brain.

He made his way down your body, holding eye contact with you as he descended. You let out a shaky breath, watching him settle on his stomach between your legs. He smirked then, pulling a hair elastic from around his wrist. He quickly threw his hair up in a loose bun, giving you a wink as he leaned down. He pressed a kiss to your inner thigh, still watching you closely. You just observed, on the edge of your metaphorical seat. He kissed a trail up your thigh, nipping the skin between his teeth occasionally. Finally, he gave you another dark smirk, and dove down, licking a hot flat stripe from your soaking wet entrance up over your clit.

You moaned softly, your hand sliding down of its own accord to lace in his hair. He groaned softly as you tugged him into you, latching his lips around your clit and slipping his tongue around the bud lazily. His arms snaked under your thighs, wrapping around them and resting on your hips. His face pressed further into your wet slit, sucking your clit and creating an obscene slurping noise. He then began flicking his tongue over your clit expertly.

“Ja- OH fuck, oh god, yes, Jake, yesss,” you whined helplessly. Your hips bucked as much as they could through his restraints, grinding into his face harder. He groaned into you, the vibrations shooting straight into your tight bundle of nerves. Your jaw fell open, head leaning back. It was almost too much for you to keep your eyes open, overwhelming watching Jake’s talented mouth work at you, but you forced your eyes to stay on him. Months of pining behind you, you weren’t gonna miss a second of this. Jake hitched one of your thighs higher over his shoulder, his fingers gripping tightly to support this new angle. His lips stayed attached to you as his head angled slightly to the side. You bucked slightly and moaned again, panting heavily. Then his other hand slithered out from under your other leg, pushing your knee further out before bring his fingers up to your entrance. His eyes found yours, shooting you a devilish wink before slipping two fingers into you slickly.

Your head tossed back, the hand in his hair tugging at his roots in desperation. “Fuck, oh my god-“ you groaned, his fingers pumping in and out of you and scissoring perfectly, nudging your g spot as they curled. “Jake… ‘M gonna cum, please, please don’t stop-“ Your muscles spasmed, clenching tighter around his fingers.

Jake groaned into you, sucking your clit harshly and lightly shaking his face back and forth. “Soak me, baby,” he mumbled hoarsely against your clit, immediately latching back on. He sucked your clit into his mouth, his tongue flicking over it rapidly, and with a final curl of his rough fingers inside you, you spasmed with your orgasm.

You bucked and cried out, arching into his face and pulling his hair. “JAKE ohhh, oh fuck, yes, oh god,” you practically sobbed, riding out your high against his perfect mouth.

Jake gently brought you down, licking softly at you and drawing his fingers back out. You blinked your eyes open, watching him sit up, licking his fingers clean as he looked over you in admiration.

You blushed, smiling lazily up at him. “Holy fuck,” you giggled, still breathless.

Jake smiled proudly. He came up beside you, leaning over your body and pulling you into him by your hip. He tilted his head, kissing you gently. You sighed against his lips contentedly and you felt him smile into the kiss. Pulling away enough to look you in the eyes, he reached and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“You taste so fucking good,” he breathed, eyeing your face. “I could eat that pretty pussy for hours.”

You pulled him down, crashing his mouth against yours again. He groaned softly, wrestling his tongue with yours. His length twitched against your thigh and you pressed into it, earning you a gasp.

“My turn,” you said as you pushed him flat on his back. He bit his lip, catching your eye. “You sure? I didn’t do that for anything in return,” he assured you gently. You nodded and gave him a cheeky smile. “I know, babe.” You kissed his chest right above his right pectoral. “I want your cock in my mouth more than anything,” your words muffled as you left a trail of wet hot kisses down his abdomen. He let out a strained moan, his hand lacing into your hair as you came to his waist band.

You looked up at him, immediately feeling a rush of desire at his flushed cheeks and dark, hooded eyes. He leaned up on his elbow to watch you, and you tugged his sweats down an inch. You gave him a smirk, cooing softly, “No underwear on you, either.”

“Guess that makes me a dirty boy,” he smirked, referencing his words earlier.

You tugged his sweats down further, dragging them over his erection teasingly. He inhaled sharply as they drug over his swollen tip, and your mouth watered at the sight of him. He was definitely the biggest you’d ever seen, not that you had seen very many, but still. Perfectly girthy, and pretty to look at. Blueish veins decorated his length, and his soft pink head leaked precum, a white pearlescent bead forming near his delicate slit. You ran your hand from its place just above his knee up to the v of his groin, biting your lip hard. He watched your reaction smugly, but quickly lost the upper hand when you brought your finger down that dip in muscle inwards toward his base. Your fingers slipped down over his dark brown pubic hair, finally wrapping gently around him. His breath shuddered at your touch, his abdomen clenching.

You breathily said, “You’re so big,” and his jaw fell open slightly, puffing gently in his flustered state. He was already so worked up, you felt so powerful. You squeezed his base once, bring your fist up his impressive length, gently twisting at the tip, then back down. Jake whined shakily, his head falling forward, watching through his lashes.

You smiled, repeating the motion a few more times, enjoying his breathy sighs and whimpers.

In a moment of clarity, Jake growled in his chest as his erection twitched in your hand. “I thought you said you wanted my cock in your mouth,” he rumbled deeply.

You licked your lips, batting your eyelashes at him. “Mmm, you want me to suck it, Jakey?” You leaned forward, lightly kissing his tip. He clenched his abdomen tightly again, hissing through his teeth.

“Please, doll… wanna feel that pretty mouth around me,” he gritted, bucking his hips slightly under your weight. Another wave of wet desire pooled between your thighs, and you couldn’t bear it anymore. You were teasing yourself just as much as him.

Lowering your head, you brought his velvety head into your mouth, sucking gently as you stroked his base. He let out a feral groan, the hand in your hair tightening, but not pushing.

You almost wish he would.

Your tongue swirled around his head in your mouth, then you moved to lick up the full length of him. You returned his desire-crazed expression with a grin, lapping from the delicate underside of his head to his small slit. He whimpered, his eyes fighting to stay open.

You sunk down then, as far as you could take him. His tip brushed the roof of your mouth near the back, almost making you gag but you breathed through your nose and relaxed. Jake groaned, fist tightening in your hair making you moan into him. He hissed, hips bucking involuntarily. You anticipated his jerkiness, luckily, moving with him and pinning his hips down. You bobbed slowly, suctioning around him tightly. His jaw hung open in bliss, his brows tightly knit and turned upwards in the centre of his sweaty forehead.

“God-“ he panted, “C’mere, please baby,” his shaky hand pulled you up to his level after you released him teasingly. His lips met yours frantically, and he pushed you on your back, quickly crawling overtop of you.

“You want me?” he goaded, giving his cock a few jerks, guiding it up and down your wet folds.

You nodded, helplessly whimpering. “Please Jake.”

He buried his face in your neck, inhaling deeply, then kissing and sucking at the skin in the crook of your shoulder. “Want me to fuck you? Want my cock inside you baby?” He rutted through your folds, catching on your clit deliciously. You moaned weakly, nodding fast.

He growled softly. “Gonna fuck you so good you forget your own name, doll. Not gonna stop until youre soaking my cock, just like you soaked my face,” he rasped in your ear, turning your brain to mush.

“Please,” you squeaked out desperately, your nails digging into his shoulders. He lifted his face to kiss you feverishly, pushing into you smoothly. You both groaned as he stretched your walls with his girthy cock. Your eyes squeezed shut, soft whimpers accompanying each pant. Jake clenched his jaw, pulling out nearly all the way, then pushing back in deeply. You cried out hoarsely, scratching his back with your nails as they raked over him. He set a brisk pace, moaning your name in your ear. You knew you weren’t going to last long, not with his tip dragging over your g spot so deliciously with every thrust.

“Yes, yes, yes, fuck Jake, so good, feels so fucking good,” you babbled incoherently, his hips picking up even more. He groaned, looking down into your eyes, his hand coming up to wrap around your throat gently. His eyes were absolutely blown out, nearly black with lust as he slammed into you repeatedly. He grit his teeth, wrapping his other hand around your thigh, pulling it up to rest your calf on his shoulder. He sunk even deeper now, making your eyes roll back as you felt your second orgasm bubbling.

Jake all but snarled animalistically, “You’re mine, you’re all fucking mine, you’re my girl.” He began circling your clit with his fingers, momentarily pausing his hips to spit down onto your clit. He started right back up, meeting your eyes intensely. You whimpered and cried a string of agreement, not daring to look away.

“Say it, who’s are you?” he growled, leaning down to hover over your lips, driving his cock harder against your g spot at this angle. You practically sobbed, “Yours Jake, I’m yours, I’m yours!”

He wildly kissed you, groaning loudly as his cock twitched inside you. “Cum for me, babe, fucking cum all over my cock, make me yours,” he pleaded desperately. You cried out, clenching tightly around him at his words, spinning out of control into your orgasm. He pounded into you right through it, his own animalistic yell following yours. He twitched, pulling out quickly and desperately jerking himself through his own climax, shooting his load across your abdomen and spread open pussy. His chest heaved as he slowed down, his eyes fluttering open slowly.

You panted hard, still twitching around nothing as your afterglow set in, your muscles relaxing bit by bit. Jake grabbed his t shirt, wiping his release off you gently, extra careful around your sensitive slit. He balled it up, tossing it to the corner of the tent and collapsed beside you. You both snuggled into each other, slowly catching your breath as one.

A dopey smile spread across your face, and Jake felt it against his chest, smiling at the tent’s ceiling. “That was…” he trailed off dreamily.

You sighed happily, nuzzling into his warm chest. “Absolutely mind blowing? Yeah,” you mumbled against his skin.

His chest shook gently as he giggled. “Yeah?”

You smirked against his chest. “You know it was, don’t be smug.”

He kissed the top of your head, murmuring, “hard not to be smug when I’ve got the most beautiful girl in the world telling me I blew her mind.” You could just feel the grin on his face, and you rolled your eyes affectionately.

“Well I hope you know, you’re stuck with me now. You’ve ruined me for all other men, Cob,” you lamented dramatically.

He smiled wide above you, shifting to tilt your chin up. His nose to yours, he looked into your eyes. “Didn’t I say not to call me that?” He said teasingly.

You giggled softly, resting your hand on his warm chest. “What should I call you then?”

He bit his lip, his expression turning almost shy. His voice soft and sweet, he asked you, “How does um… how does ‘your boyfriend’ sound?”

His big brown puppy eyes searched yours hopefully, and you could’ve thrown up from the dizzying happiness you felt. Your smile nearly split your face as you nodded quickly, kissing him through your smile.

He pulled back with a giddy little laugh. “Yeah? You wanna be my girl?” His hand cupped your cheek.

You rubbed your nose against his sweetly, “More than anything. You wanna be my guy?”

He bit his lip, eyes twinkling with joy. “I already am, baby.” His arms snaked around your middle, pulling you close against his body. You sighed, swimming in this blissful feeling. “I love you, Jake, so fucking much.”

“I love you more, babygirl,” came his soft answer behind your ear.

You stayed like that, pressed together as close as humanly possible, for quite a while. You weren’t exactly sure how long, perfectly content to drink in and absorb the feelings and the moment. Jake’s soft breathing lulled you into a sleepy trance, completely relaxed and safe in his arms.

You were broken out of your reverie from the sound of breaking twigs and crunching footsteps approaching. You reluctantly sat up, grabbing your shirt as Jake grumbled sleepily, blindly reaching out for you to come back with his eyes shut. Your heart melted all over again, smiling like a lovesick puppy as you grabbed his outstretched hand. “Cmon, baby, the guys are back,” you cooed, kissing his fingertips. He smiled, crinkling his nose and fluttering open his eyes. “So?” he rasped.

You giggled, “soooo, you need to put clothes on.” You pulled your shirt over your head, followed by a light sweater.

He rolled his eyes, swatting dismissively. “Nothing they haven’t seen before.”

You snorted, “Not gonna ask. Up, cmon,” you swatted his bare ass playfully, earning you a cheeky smirk as he sat up. You finished getting dressed together, finally unzipping the inner tent door and climbing out into the sunlight. You squinted your eyes from the harsh light, Jake following behind you, rubbing at his.

Josh, Sam and Danny sat around last nights fire pit, beginning to light it again to boil some water for coffee. They all turned at the sound of the zipper, the three of them giving you and Jake matching smug grins.

You couldn’t hide the bashful grin or the blush that erupted on your face, which they read correctly as a confirmation of what just transpired. Josh shot up from his chair, whooping loudly, followed by Sam and Danny applauding playfully. You laughed and rolled your eyes as you flopped in your chair, and Jake in his. Sam gave you both a once-over, smirking knowingly. “You two are… glowing,” he remarked smugly.

Danny smiled, a little more tactfully than Sammy, simply offering a “congrats, you two.”

You and Jake looked at each other, shyly smiling with a mumbled, “thanks…”

Josh patted Jake on the back, grinning wide. “Obligatory ‘nice job bro’,” to which Jake snorted a quiet thanks, then Josh turned to you, “not so obligatory but I still mean it, I’m happy for you, Bug.” You beamed at him, opening your arms invitingly. Josh wrapped you up in a bear hug, lifting you off your chair and squeezing.

You patted his back, squeaking, “Josh… air…” He released you with a giggle, “sorry, just so excited.”

You couldn’t stop smiling, rubbing the back of your neck and sitting down again.

Sam leaned forward, perching his head on his hand, elbow on his bent knee. “So how was it?” he asked you.

Jake glared, “None of your business, little brother.” You giggled, shrugging helplessly to Sam, who snickered. “What? I gotta make sure hes doing his job right. You know where to look if he’s not satisfying you,” Sammy leered jokingly, waggling his eyebrows. You fake-retched, much to Jake’s amusement, and Danny snorted as well, his hand flying to cover his mouth as he laughed.

Sam’s jaw dropped. “I know I was kidding, but heyy!”

You patted Sam’s shoulder through your giggles, and you all moved on, bickering and laughing as you brewed the coffee, then making lunch.

The afternoon was just as easy, just as carefree and closeknit as before. You were relieved that your new relationship with Jake didn’t change the dynamic of the group, only giving the other three more material to tease you with.

Jake proudly held your hand nearly the whole day, not even letting go when you all jumped off the short cliff into the lake. He smiled over at you constantly, every so often pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek, smiling at the way you blushed each time. As the sky darkened and stars began popping into view, Jake played guitar beside you, goofily singing wrong lyrics to make you laugh and showing you different chords. When you curled into him that night, he whispered to you how much he loved you, and how happy and proud he was to be yours.

Everything was perfect.

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

📢 KINK FEST IS HEEEEEERE!!! 📢

Okay, let's try... Juice Ortiz (shocker 😊)

*Competency kink - him talking about his first paying hacker job before coming to CA. (This kink is SO me irl.)

*Manhandling & Overstimulation

DomJuice is the sexiest Juice. 💦

Masterlist

The Know-how

Contains: Consent and kink negotiation, fluff, Dom Juice/sub Reader, competency kink, manhandling, silk bondage, orgasm denial, overstimulation, hand on neck, oral sex F reviving, fingering, P in V, aftercare.

2.9K words

Comment if you want to be tagged/removed or follow #sp's kinkfest pick and mix

A day at the office turns into a night of sin.

"Hey Juicy."

Juice stood up and wrapped his arms around you, pressing his face into your neck, "hey gorgeous, how was your day?"

You smiled, "same old, same old. How was yours?"

Juice sighed, "I still can't get any info on this guy for Jax and I've been at it for hours."

"You want some help? I know I can't hack but I can keep you company." Juice took your hand and walked you to the computer, pulling up a chair next to his for you to sit down, "what are you stuck on?"

He swallowed, "this guy's offshore bank account has payments in it that I can't find the source of, it's set as a private transfer but the person doesn't exist."

You thought for a moment, "have you searched for the name in old funeral records? Try cemeteries where this person lives or works. It's not uncommon for someone looking to steal an identity to just walk through a graveyard and pick a name. They could have chosen the first name from one and the last name from another. People often also chose fake identities with their same initials too."

Juice clacked away, nodding along as you talked, "where were you the first time I did this?"

You giggled, "I'm not sure, when was the first time you did this?"

Juice smiled, "I'll tell you all about it later, right now just sit there and look pretty while I follow up on the lead you just gave me."

It took a while but a huge smile came over Juice's face and then he was printing something off and standing up in a flash, stopping by to smack a kiss on your forehead, "you are a fucking genius y/n. I love you so much."

He raced off the find the others, leaving you there confused, "what did I do?"

Juice spun on his heel with a smile, "everything, I owe you so hard."

Juice came running in twenty minutes later, just as happy as when he left. "So, did you get anything? You didn't really let me know before you ran off."

Juice nodded aggressivity, "your tip worked, dude was moving his own money around using a fake name. The names were taken from the cemetery in the town he grew up in. I'm almost done here, I've just got a bit left to research. Stay with me and we can go home together?"

"Of course sweetheart, I love watching you work." You wrapped your arms around Juice while he finished his work, Juice turning his head every time he got somewhere to press a kiss to your lips.

"If you're going to kiss me when even you do something I'm going to have to come to work with you every day."

Juice smiled, "I'd love that, I'd get so much done."

With one last key clack, he was done. He stood up and held out his hand, you took it and he helped you up like a real gentleman, brushing his hand over your face as he leaned in to kiss you, "you ready to head home gorgeous?"

You nodded, "yes please."

****

The moment you got home, Juice was dropping down to the floor to help you take your shoes off, a soft smile on his face as you thanked him sweetly, "there's more where that came from, I'm going to run you a bath while you have a quick shower then I'm going to do your hair, how does that sound?"

You smiled, "that sounds great, is something going to happen after my hair is done?"

Juice grinned, "well y/n, that depends on you." He held out his hand and you linked your fingers in his while he walked you to the bathroom, pausing just before you reached the door to slowly undress you. He took his time, grazing his fingers over your skin as it was revealed to his eyes, his gaze hot.

"You like what you see?"

Juice smirked, "you know I do." He came behind, wrapped his arms around your body, pressing his lips to your neck before directing you to wait while he ran the bath, once the tub was full, he walked over to run and shower then stood by and watched while you washed the day off.

"You are such a perv."

He chuckled, "you say that now but you have no idea what else I have planned."

You climbed out of the shower and Juice helped you into the bath before moving to sit at your head and start your hair. He spread conditioner on his palms before slicking your stands and beginning to comb it out, stopping every now and then to scratch your scalp. "That feels so nice, I am one lucky woman."

Juice chuckled, "yeah, what makes you say that?" You smiled, his fingers rubbing the ache out of your shoulder while the conditioner sat in your curls.

"You have really strong hands, you're very handsome and you look after me so well."

Juice's hand moved to your upper chest, his fingers lingering just below the water. "The first thing you mention is my hands, you know how to make a guy feel good."

You sighed, "you were going to tell me the first time you hacked."

Juice leaned down and kissed your temple, "alright, you sit back and relax and I'll do that while I finish your hair." You relaxed against his hands, Juice's voice filling the room, "I was hired by a woman to catch her cheating husband, I had only really hacked game servers before this point so it was pretty lost at first but she managed to get me his email password and I went from there. He used the same password for every website so it was basically no work to get all his info, until it came to this one message board."

You nodded, "what happened next?"

Juice's hands moved down to rub your arms, "I couldn't get into his account so I hacked the whole website, I found a bug in the code that let me get in by setting up and fake account then putting malware in a photo I uploaded. After that it was easy, all I had to do was search for his account and I had everything." Juice was so sure and confident, his hands becoming more insistent as time went.

"Was he cheating?"

Juice nodded, "oh yeah, with a lot of women, she left him and took most of his shit in the divorce, I was also able to prove that she was the main reason his business was going so well, I didn't charge her for that."

You smiled, "you're a good man Jaun."

He leaned over you and pressed an upside down kiss to your lips, taking in your blown pupils and rising chest, "I wash your hair all the time and you're never this turned on, what's doing it for you pretty girl?"

"I like hearing you talk, especially about what you enjoy. It's a bonus that you're so good at computers, you sound so smart when you talk about all the little things you do to get the job done."

Juice was washing the conditioner out in a flash, "let's finish up here, I'm not done thank you for all your help today."

Once out of the bath, he dried you and your hair, redressed you, and then styled your hair before walking you into the kitchen, "I'm going to put dinner on, you sit there and relax."

You looked at him through your lashes, "I don't want dinner, I want you."

Juice smiled, "tough, with what I've got planned, you're going to need a full stomach."

****

Juice took his time putting dinner together, making sure it was perfect for you before putting it on the table and sitting down next to you with his legs pressed against yours, "what's the hardest hack you've ever done?"

Juice smirked, "the FBI database."

You raised your eyebrows, "the FBI database wow, how did that turn out?"

"Well none of us are in prison." Juice took in the expression on your face with lust in his eyes, "what would you like to do tonight?"

You smiled, finishing your food just as Juice asked, "whatever you want, I'm not picky."

Juice finished his own plate and took yours from the table, "alright then, head off to the bedroom and wait on the bed, I'll be there soon."

You waited on the bed in your PJs for Juice to come in, he was different when the door opened, gone was sweet, gentle Juice and in front of you was a man who knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it. He pecked you before going to the side of the bed and pulling out the chest, your eyes going wide as he pulled out the soft silk ties and placed them on the bed.

"You sure you want this?"

You nodded, "of course, don't you?"

Juice swallowed, "remind me of what you're going to say if you want to stop."

You reached out and Juice took your hand, "the usual, no, stop, that hurts." Juice smiled and picked up one of the lengths of silk, going to wrap it around your wrist. You giggled and yanked your hand away, Juice moving to stop you.

"What do you think you're doing?"

You smiled, "making you work for it." You stood up in a shot and tried to get away, Juice grabbing you before you could even get away from the bed. He threw you on the mattress and climbed on top of you, straddling you so you'd stop trying to get away while ripping your clothes from your body. You did your best to struggle from his grasp but it was no use, he was so much stronger than you.

Once you were naked, he used one hand to grab the silk while the other held your wrists. It took seconds before he had your hands tied, two lengths of fabric left, "hands above your head, now." You thought about disobeying but Juice spoke again, "you're already going to be lucky to cum tonight, don't test me."

You lifted your hands up above your head, resting your arms on the pillow. Juice tied your hands down first, making sure you were comfortable before moving down to your legs, he ran his hand up and down your flesh before slipping the silk over your ankles and tying you to the foot of the bed with your legs spread wide.

Once you were spread eagle and unable to move, Juice lost his clothes then kissed one ankle, stopping once he reached the apex of your thigh then kissing down the other leg, alternating legs on the way back up. He smiled when his eyes met your core, reaching a hand out to run a finger up and down your slit, "you're very wet for me, you wanna tell me why?"

You moaned as Juice's index finger found your clit, "I've been like this since the bath, hearing you talk about your passions is very hot."

Juice's middle finger joined his index on your centre, rubbing you gently while you tried to get yourself under control. He hovered over you, pressing kisses to your skin as he slid two of the sure fingers inside you while his thumb found your clit. "Don't cum little girl, you'll regret it if you do."

You nodded, "yes Juice."

He smiled, "good girl. Are you feeling good?"

You gasped as his fingertips met your G-spot, "I'll take that as a yes." He rested on his elbow and his lips pressed to yours, kissing you softly while he built you up. It didn't take long despite the slow touch because you felt the telltale heat spreading through your body. Juice knew too because he was stopping before you could fall over the edge.

You fought the urge to pull, knowing Juice would just extend your torture, "good girl, if you keep this up the night will go just how you want it to." You relaxed against the pillows as Juice started again and you could feel the callouses on his fingers as they stroked you. It didn't take long for you to be close again, and Juice stopped for the second time.

He kissed your lips one last time before beginning a journey down your body, stopping like run his tongue around both nipples, one after the other as his fingers picked up the pace. As he felt you start to quiver, he stopped the fingers on your core but wrapped his lips around your nipple and sucked it into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth.

The change in sensation had your body confused, you opened your eyes and blinked at him, Juice lifting his head to smile, "you're doing so well for me little girl." You whimpered as his fingers started moving again, Juice resuming his journey down your body.

When he reached your core, his thumb left your clit and his tongue took its place, almost immediately after he made contact he stopped, mindful that the warmth of his mouth had you dangling on the edge. Your breath caught in your throat as he finally sealed his lips around your clit. You pulled on the silk and Juice chuckled, the vibrations making the situation even worse.

The lost count of how many times Juice built you up, stopping just right before you reached the peak each time. Your brain was getting fuzzy, and as much as you wanted to be good for him, it was getting hard to make sense of anything. But Juice seemed to know, adding a third finger and when you got to the edge this time, he didn't stop.

You did your best to hold back, Juice hadn't given you permission yet and you didn't want to disobey him. He must have realised what was happening because he lifted he head and waited for you to be there enough to hear him, "I've got you pretty girl, you can let go." The second he was done, you were aching off the bed and cumming around his fingers, Juice groaning as you squeezed him with all your might.

He didn't stop, rather he sped up just enough that the extra sensation pushed you over the edge again. You flinched away from him but he didn't stop, one hand looping over your leg to stop you from shaking violently. "Juice, I can't."

He chuckled, "yes you can, just one more, can you do that for me?"

You gasped, "I don't know."

Juice paused for a moment and waited for you to regain your breath, "alright, do you want something different?" You swallowed and went to grab him, only to be stopped by the fabric tying you to the bed, Juice was next to you in a flash, placing his hands around your face to look into your eyes, "tell me what you need little girl."

You took in a sharp breath, "I need you inside me."

Juice smiled, his lips falling on your cheek, "you've been so good for me and that's what you're asking for, of course I can do that." He grabbed his cock and ran it up and down your slit before sliding inside you, grunting as you enveloped him in warmth. "Fuck, how are you so tight."

He sounded pained, "I thought that was a good thing?"

Juice took a deep breath, "oh honey, of course it is, I just don't want to take the hit to my self confidence."

You giggled and Juice put his hand over your mouth, "your laugh isn't helping, you know how much I love that sound." He rolled his hips, the hand on your mouth coming to wrap around your neck, it was hard and hot and you knew the strength behind it and yet you felt no fear.

"Oh my God." You heaved in a breath as you felt yourself get close again, Juice angled his hips to grind hard against you, the hand on your neck keeping you from floating off into space. "You can do it, you know how good it will feel." You were powerless to deny him, you were vaguely aware that he was coating your insides but your brain was elsewhere.

He shifted his hips and slid out of you but didn't move off your body, resting his weight on you while he went to untie your hands. He brought your wrists to his mouth, kissing away to nonexistent bruises, the silk too soft to do any damage.

"Can I untie your legs now or do you need me to hold you for a bit longer?"

You sighed, "whatever you think is best." Juice returned you smile softly, "alright, I'll do your legs then clean you up, can you drink some water for me while I do that?" He pointed over to the table and you picked up the glass, gulping down the cooling liquid gratefully.

Once your legs were untied, Juice gave them the same treatment, pressing gentle kisses to the skin. "I'll be back in two seconds, I'm just going to get something to clean you up." He made sure to make small talk in the few moments that you couldn't see him then he was back with a warm damp cloth in hand.

You flinched when he went to clean you, Juice chuckling softly, "sorry gorgeous." He threw the cloth away and climbed into bed, pulling you into his arms, "you doing good?"

You nodded, "yes, I'm going great, are you?"

You grinned, "hell yeah I'm doing great, you need anything else from me?" You shook your head, "no, just hold me?"

"Of course, I love you y/n."

You pressed your lips to his bare chest, "I love you too."

Fin

[ccaptain]

@bitbrumal ━ HEEEEEERE’S JOHNNY!

   good idea, drinking himself into a stupor when he's already in a particular state of mind! he thinks that the idea is fucking BRILLIANT.

   just DELIGHTFUL.

      ( he bangs the tavern's door back like a gunshot. the hinges barely resist that assault. )

   if there's anywhere safe, it's in the tavern. if there's anywhere safe in the world for him so he doesn't get swallowed, it's when diluc makes him a drink. ( he relishes in that. diluc has to make him something, no matter how hard he wants to refuse fueling the addiction.                                    ...                                        that's quite pathetic, isn't it. )

   silly matters of the heart shouldn’t upset him so: he did an extremely good job in trying to get over it. 

   the problem is that the whole ordeal would have been trivial. it should have been, but it did not. and it ended terribly. for both of them. but kaeya willingly lacks the empathy necessary, and for what he considers good reasons, too.

   ( he’d rather die than be lusted over and then abandoned after their fill has been had. the stab of pain is akin to an incandescent knife plunging into his sidea gaping wound that he didn’t wanted━ the sheer AUDACITY of having HARMED him makes his blood boil. )

   ( and the sheer terror he now feels upon someone else gazing over him in interest. when curious eyes meets his, kaeya finds himself tuning it out. he bends, a little hollow, cowering tree in the wind. )

   he hates the motional vulnerability that comes with rejection. 

   why does he feel that he should be grateful for this pain? when jean and diluc both rushed to flank him, fiercely protective, it felt a bit like the old times. now he gets visited often and cared for better. he shouldn’t complain, not with the way that alone made him pull himself together much faster.

   ( it’s good to be loved. to sit in an otherwise empty bed with warm soup, with diluc’s voice talking to him in soft tones. it’s nice to hear the gentleness behind it. the ancient feud has been put aside. he should be happy. )

   still, he feels loss: there was a spring in his steps that was there just the day before, something unsteady in the way he poses now, with a wound that never heals and keeps spilling blood, keeps getting infected.

   he drowned in the new way the universe told him that he was unwanted, tainted. if even love made him feel such, then there must be truth to it.

   but, after all is over and done, kaeya finds that he wants that spring in his step back. and when he can’t have it━ when he can’t physically yank who he used to be away from the ruins that itto left, the ANGER almost sets him ablaze.

   it’s the kind of anger that comes after injustice, that devours him: that makes him want to hurt back after he has been left covered in gaping wounds, the viciousness of the attack leaving him staggering. and only when there’s nothing left he remembers that he has claws, too. when he has been left stupefied and remembers to react, everything that could be ripped apart is long gone.

   but, realistically...

   realistically, all he can do is boil inside, the steady lavaflow consuming him. all he can do is sit here and drink, hoping that what slips down his throat is scalding enough to scorch his insides and call it a day.

   and the sob that threatens to escape from his throat? he BITES down onto it, ruthless, forcing it back between a clack of teeth. in his pathetic state, being in control of those sounds is the only thing that brings him comfort.

   no, he’ll never let another crippled sound out of him over this matter. there’ll be only anger, and the whitening of his knuckles trying to wrestle the poor, innocent empty glass to crack.

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 4

Episode 21: Flabber Gassed

~The Man Cave~

Sometimes, even in a place as kooky and crazy as the Man Cave, the boredom set in. Between crimes and calls, the family found themselves doing nothing, just sitting around and eating auto-snacker delights because they had nothing better to do.

That often led to creativity springing from the strangest places. Today, during the drypoint of the day, Ray, (y/n), Jasper, Henry and Charlotte had set up a videogame to have some fun. And this wasn't any regular videogame. It was one of those new inventions that everyone was obsessed with but few could afford, not that money stood in the way of Ray Manchester.

Of course, he had better things to save for, a much happier, more special event that was creeping closer day after day, even if there still wasn't a set date, just general anticipation for the moment when his life became that much sweeter. Anyway, in a moment of madness, that (y/n) would definitely scold him later for, Ray had whacked the game and the wicked exoskeleton, motion sensor suit things that were needed to immerse yourself fully into the virtual world. 

It was a fighting game, what else would it be when it came to internet popularity? Violence and adrenaline were what people loved, the Man Cave team included. With the suits on, they could each control a character onscreen and then kick and punch to their hearts' content until they became the victor. Simple really, and good fun, a good release of pent-up energy, and a good training opportunity - Ray's excuse, not theirs.

"Yes, come on, Henry! Finish her! He's finally gonna dethrone the queen!" Ray cheered as he, (y/n) and Jasper sat on the sidelines, waiting for a turn since the game was a two-player only. Still, it gave him a good chance to snuggle with his girl as they watched the epic match, the only barrier being the thick suits blocking a truly heartwarming experience. Saying that, despite their proximity and tendency to swap kisses every couple of minutes, they were batting for different sides; one on Team Henry, the other on Team Charlotte.

"Finish heeeeeer!" Jasper yelled too, screeching at the top of his voice because so far, the games hadn't exactly been fair in terms of spreading out the victories. Charlotte had found her niche and it turns out that she was quite vicious when it came to fighting and if it wasn't for her small size and lack of muscle, she'd be quite good at it too. So, when a videogame came out that allowed her to kick the shit out of people and not get hurt, naturally she excelled.

"Dude, that was right in my ear!" Ray snapped as he leaned into his sweet girl to try and protect his poor little eardrums. Just because they couldn't burst didn't mean it didn't hurt and besides, it did have quite an appealing bonus; (y/n) cooed and pecked his cheek at how he winced, hoping that she could him feel better. He'd take that treatment any day of the week if it was her being his nurse.

"I'm gonna do it! I'm finally gonna--what's happening? Wait..." Henry's cockiness soon stopped when Charlotte, who loved to toy with her prey before she went in for the kill, started fighting back, kicking and punching his character with everything she had. The bear avatar that she had chosen unleashed its fury onto Henry's Hair creature thing, causing the boys to panic at how the girls were now winning.

"Come on, Char, beat the crap out of him!" (y/n) clapped her hands as her side crept into the lead, pushing Henry's health bar lower and lower until the kid had no other option but to panic. It was ironic really; he was supposed to be the sidekick, he'd been fighting every week since he was thirteen but in this videogame, he and even Captain Man were useless against the girl. 

"Run, Henry, run!"

"I'm running! I'm running!" Following his boss's advice, the kid jogged on the spot so his character could move away from the bear's punches and maybe regain some health before going in for another attack, but it was no use. Where he went, Charlotte followed, right until they reached the boundary of the level, leaving the hair creature thing trapped against an invisible barrier. One strong kick from the girl and it was all over, his character fell to the floor in a knockout and he was left with a humiliating defeat. Game over.

"No!"

"Yes! All right, Charlotte!" (y/n) cheered with a beaming grin on her face as her friend swiped her hand to exit the game because it would just be cruel to crush the boy again. The expressions on Ray, Jasper and Henry's faces said it all, these girls would be the death of them. Ray especially, his sweet girl was just asking for a tickle attack when she hugged his arm and gazed at him with an "I-told-you-so" stare.

"I was just about to beat you," Henry whined as his friend stood there with her hands on her hips and a smug smirk on her lips. That was a load of crap and he knew it, but if it helped him sleep at night, whatever. Charlotte knew the truth, no matter the delusions that Henry painted for himself.

"Well, sometimes the cat likes to play with the mouse before she kills it." She replied, her tone turning frosty at the end. She wasn't about to let him think that he stood a chance, not when she'd found something that she was so good at. After all, she'd been given some great pointers by (y/n) for self-defence and those training sessions during that fight with Bysh Bilsky helped a lot too.

"Yeah, well, sometimes, the cat hurts the mouse's feelings." Oh, boo-hoo, cry her a river. Nothing was fair during war, he was just salty that he'd had his virtual ass handed to him by a girl half his size. And now, it was time to wrestle with the big dogs, or at least, that's how Ray saw himself.

"All right, Charlotte. You've proven you can defeat boy hair, let's see how you do against fully-grown man hair. Bye-bye!" Ray challenged her as he sent Henry to the sidelines, peeling himself from (y/n)'s side and standing up to see if he could take down the undefeated champion. 

"Nothing you've said has ever sounder stranger." (y/n) commented as she budged up to let Henry sit on the step next to her, but all the same, she was looking forward to the match too. It wouldn't hurt to let Ray's ego fall by a peg or two, he was getting quite big-headed recently and getting to see those muscles tense and harden knowing she was the only one who got to appreciate them fully was a real treat. It probably wouldn't help the ego thing, but she couldn't help it...

"Has anyone seen the big toenail clippers?" Suddenly, just as the match was about to underway, Schwoz appeared from the back room, where the community showers were, separate from those that were ensuite to the bedrooms. He was soaking, that's how they knew he'd been showering but that's not what outraged (y/n) and Ray. 

Unlike most people, who'd dry off with a towel, Schwoz, the little shit, had stolen Colin, that's right, Colin, the fur-baby that (y/n) and secretly Ray doted their affection onto after rescuing him from a sticky ending in space. And if stealing him wasn't enough, the poor bunny was being used as the absent towel, his fluffiness being used as a substitute to mop up the droplet of water running from his bald head.

"What?" To him, it wasn't weird, he'd just taken Colin for a walk that's all, why was (y/n) looking at him like she wanted to kill him? Why was Ray's jaw set like he was trying to hold it all in? He wasn't hurting the rabbit, just getting him a bit moist and it's not like he had any other choice. 

"Schwoz, please tell me that you aren't drying yourself with my rabbit." The woman seethed, slowly standing up from the steps so she could slowly approach the man who had her beloved pet in his arms. He should be hopping about his hutch right about now, not helping to towel a coconut-headed weirdo, and if he didn't put him back right this second then she'd...get Ray to beat him up. He loved Colin nearly as much as she did.

"Yes..." So, he chose death. How very stupid of him.

"I'll just ask the obvious question here before (y/n) kills you...why?" Charlotte stepped in, at least wanting to know his reasoning before her friend flew into a protective frenzy. If only she could put into words of fond the woman was of that bunny, how she talked to him, fed him carrots and cuddled him for at least an hour every day. Hell, she'd even taken him on a walk in the park once or twice, which had been a fun day for Ray as all the other couple walked their German Shepherds and Poodles.

"Yeah, why?"

"Yeah, where are the toenail clippers?"

"Why not use a towel?" An assortment of questions, some of which were less relevant than others but the ferocious look in Ray's eye told Schwoz which one he should answer first.

"Because I sent our towels to the cleaners and they all got stolen!" He explained and began to rub his damp cheek into the rabbit's fur again, hoping that by some miracle, his body would be dry afterwards. The fact that bunnies aren't meant to get wet too often and that he could've used an old t-shirt or something meant nothing to him, not when he had a solution in his hands.

But what he said had a familiar ring to it, at least for the teens. That situation sounded oddly like what had happened to them, maybe not exactly identical but recently, they'd noticed that when they were at home, finding a towel had been a pretty difficult task.

"Our towels got stolen too!" Charlotte had been affected.

"Same with us..." Henry too.

"We haven't had towels at my house in years." Jasper's family was affected but in a completely different way; his parents were...insane and a couple of outcasts from society. Much like Schwoz, he was a weirdo too and heading for a beating judging by the way he roughly stroked his hand down Colin's back to wring the water that had soaked into his fur. Rabbits don't like getting wet, why couldn't he understand that?

"Ah, you're getting rabbit water all over the man floor!" Ray complained as his handyman created a puddle around his feet. Yeah, 'cause that was the biggest concern here, a slipping hazard. The only thing (y/n) cared about was Colin's safety...and how her doofus still hadn't dropped that dumb yet adorable yet infuriating habit yet.

"Just call it a floor, doofus! And Schwoz, clean up your mess before someone slips and dies." (y/n) told the genius, walking over to her fiancé to squeeze his arm at how much she hated how everything had to be called man-something, a quirk that he'd never drop so she just had to live with it. Oh well, it could be worse, and he had many, many, many redeeming qualities, such as the charming smile he flashed as an apology or the way he searched for her hand so he could squeeze it.

"Sorry, sorry..." Schwoz stuttered and immediately crouched to mop up the water, only he didn't exactly use a cloth or an actual mop to do it. No, he used Colin, much to (y/n) and Ray's frustration since that was the opposite of what they had meant; he was wiping their pet across the tiles and the terror in Colin's eyes just made it worse. Who was this weird, troll-like human and why was he holding him captive?

"No, no, no, don't--" Ray gave up trying to stop him because, from the looks of it, Colin wasn't an effective mop anyway. Schwoz would give up soon, he hoped, otherwise, he'd have to pry his girl away from him kicking and screaming bloody murder. She sure did love that bunny.

"Okay, maybe we should track down whoever's stealing these towels," Henry suggested and it was quite a smart idea in his head. The way he saw it, the sooner they figured out who this freak was and took back whatever towels had been stolen, the sooner Schwoz would stop using innocent animals as substitutes. 

And that would only mean that (y/n) would be happier, therefore Ray would be happier, y'know because their moods were connected and dependent on each other, therefore it would be sunshine and rainbows from here on out. Or it would be if Ray took a moment to think.

"Pffft! I don't care about a towel thief! We fight real crime, okay? We do important things, heroic things. Now, can I please get back to beating a teenage girl in a video game and impressing my hot future wife? Thank you!" The hero brushed away his concern, more excited about fake fighting than something that might just be worth looking into. His muscles looked great, he'd picked this shirt specifically for making his sweet girl salivate as he played, there was no way he was gonna give up this opportunity.

"Okay! Bear versus hair, round two! And...fight!" Jasper shouted as he set up the fight for the competitors. In the bear corner, they had Charlotte, supported by (y/n), in the Hair corner, they had Ray, flanked by Jasper and Henry, and it was his pride that was on the line here. Captain Man couldn't lose this one, not when he thought about who was watching and who he was trying to beat.

"Oh, okay, uhhh, how do you, ermmm, hang on! Why am I on fire?!" Yeah, right from the get-go, it was a disaster for Ray. Charlotte was relentless and took advantage of the fact that whilst she had played several rounds, he was a mere noob, totally unaware of the controls, which meant she was free to just lay into him. A punch here, a few kicks there and before he knew it, Ray was on the verge of death, his character burning up from how savagely it had been beaten.

"Finish him!" (y/n) screamed, not caring if she was siding with someone other than her doofus, it was all just a bit of fun. She supported him in everything else they did, lord knows they were an unbeatable pair at Mario Kart but just for this game, they were enemies to spice things up. And girl power was about to win when they were rudely interrupted by an all too familiar siren.

"Emergency alert!" Schwoz exclaimed and with Colin still cradled in his arms, dashed across the room to read what was wrong on the supercomputer. Save by the alarm, literally, in Ray's case; he knew when he was about to be beaten and now that he had an excuse, he was gonna take it to spare his blushes and because he had a duty to perform. But mainly the first reason.

"Pause! Pause! Pause, pause, pause it! Emergency alert, uh, game over, doesn't count..." He stammered as Jasper ended the match, leaving Charlotte speechless at how he had forfeited when she was so close to beating him. Oh, how convenient, he knew that she was about to kick his ass, otherwise, he wouldn't be dragging (y/n) away from the steps and over to the computer like it physically pained him to be near the screen. 

"Dude, I was just about to beat you!" She exclaimed in an offended voice and followed the couple over to the monitors since she wasn't about to let Ray go so easily. Sure, they and Henry had a job to do but it was still annoying.

"Mmm, guess we'll never know!" 

"So you're saying that if the game hadn't been paused you wouldn't be crying into my shoulder right now?" (y/n) called him out, looking up at him with a teasing lilt to her voice that made his cheeks darken. He looked like perfection from this angle, jaw in a sharp angle, cheeks freshly shaven after she'd watched him swipe the razor over his foamed face that morning, eyes serious and darting to absorb the information and not her words, and his hair--his hair. It was in a fluffy quiff, freshly cut so not as long as it usually was but it suited him. It made him look hot, as always.

"Uh, so, Schwoz, who needs saving?" Ray cleared his throat as he felt his girl turn her head to peck at the patch of skin to the right of his Adam's apple. He didn't doubt that she knew she had him rattled and his way of deflecting her teasing by acting all concerned for some stranger just confirmed it. The jokes and comments about him losing to a child would be endless but deep down, he loved how she razzed him and fawned over his blushes. He loved her, so very much.

"Someone is carrying a large load of towels into an abandoned laundromat in the old washing district!" Schwoz replied. For once, there wasn't a victim, so it wasn't a go-go-go, get there fast to avert disaster situation, but suspicious activity was worth checking out. Particularly after the high level of towel theft in the area that had left bunnies vulnerable and many Swellviewians wet.

"We have got to deal with this towel situation right away." Ray declared, knowing that if they went out on a mission, there was no way he'd have to stick around and fight. Although, it was a far cry from his earlier opinion; only five minutes ago, less even, he was slagging off the idea of hunting down some kleptomaniac with a passion for nabbing towels from people's houses.

"Uh, I thought you said that you didn't care about the towel thief," Charlotte noted, calling his bluff perfectly, causing everyone to look at him with raised eyebrows as he froze and clawed for a smartass reply. But how could he argue with himself? He'd literally said that, there was no denying it, not when his sweet girl wiggled her eyebrows to fluster him even more.

"Uh, that was then, this is now. People change, read a book!" Ray snapped, getting all stroppy after being called out and stomped away from the computer so he wouldn't have to see their smirks. Of course, people change, he did, he was a better man now than he'd ever been because who would have ever thought the playboy Ray Manchester would want to settle down? So, Henry and (y/n) could snigger all they want, didn't they have a towel thief to catch?

"Come on, sweet girl, come on, kid. Let's pop some gum..." He started, taking out his gum tube and popping a gumball as they came over to transform too. He'd left the utterance open for them to finish the rhyme and make it sick but (y/n), still wanting to tease him, wouldn't leave it at that.

"So you don't have to lose to Charlotte..."

"...Chum," Henry smirked as he added the cutesy ending, making it rhyme just to irritate Ray even more. He'd never live this one down, not when they enjoyed it so much that not even the gum hitting their tongues could stop their smirks.

"Stop frowning, you know you love it, sweetheart." (y/n) giggled as she chewed, causing him to extend a hand to her ribs just before she blew. A warning for the tickle attack he'd give her if she carried on, and upon hearing her shriek and the way she jumped to move away, he left it at that, smirking at how the teasing worked both ways.

They snapped into their super-suits, stretching after the materialisation just to get used to the new material before turning to jog up to the tube pads. 

"Schwoz, make sure you put Colin back before we come home or I will end you." (y/n) warned over her shoulder, sparing him a glance as Ray's hand settled into the small of her back. Yeah, they needed to leave but she also needed to warn him of the consequences of hurting her precious rabbit, however, for some odd reason, her comment made something click in Schwoz's mind.

"I will but wait, wait, wait! You should take your new battle suits!" He exclaimed, passing Colin to Jasper who took the bunny like he was made of glass. He knew that a grizzly death was waiting for him if he squeezed too hard or dropped him, (y/n) was now watching carefully at the mention of these new inventions, Ray and Henry too. 

They had no idea what these battle whatsits were, probably because they had just been an idea between the heroine and genius for when missions were particularly dangerous. A little extra help never hurt anyone and these weren't some two-bit toys, these were a Schwoz-(y/n) combo, the crème de la crème of engineering split between his experience and efficiency and her youthful innovation. 

"Our whatsit?"

"What's a battle soup?"

"Oh, yeahhh! He means a battle suit, Hen, not soup, we just invented them last night. He did the software and I did the wiring." (y/n) explained with an excited smile on her face, ready to their hard work accumulated into a finished product. To be fair, Schwoz did his part whilst in the bath and there was no way she was present for that, the mere thought was vile but the suits were now finished and perfect for this type of situation - one where they didn't know what they were about to face. 

"What did they say?" Henry whispered to Ray, having no idea what the smart ones were talking about. Something about technology and something complicated, no doubt, all it sounded like to them was sciencesciencesciencesciencescience - and more science. Still, they watched in curiosity as Schwoz took out a special gum tube of his own, a special set of balls that glowed orange to signify that these were unique, not Captain Man's regular.

"Is this why you came to bed late last night, sweet girl?" Ray nudged her, causing her electrified eyes to meet his. Well, yeah, it had been late when she finally crawled into bed and that had resulted in him being clamped to her side the minute she slid under the comforter. It had been like twenty questions; where had she been?, what had she been doing?, did she miss him?, why were her feet so cold? - it went on and on with her body pulled under his and his face buried into her neck. But all her answers had been a bit vague, just enough to satisfy his need to know but not too much to ruin the surprise. 

"It might be..." She smirked, watching as Schwoz blew his gum and became illuminated just like they did when it was hero time. Sure, it had been a long slog, the type of project that wouldn't let her leave until it was finished, but seeing that suit appear on his body in all its glory and having her doofus' unwavering attention and affection all night made it worth it. 

"Whoa!" Jasper gasped, thinking that Schwoz had never looked cooler, like The Terminator or something and he just had to get closer. And that meant that it was Charlotte's turn to be a rabbitsitter. Begrudgingly.

"Ahh, it's still wet!" She cringed as Colin cuddled into her body and the water that still soaked his fur steeped into her shirt. 

"Colin is not an it! He's my baby!" (y/n) complained, feeling her tummy flutter at how much her bunny was being passed around and picked on just because he was a victim of circumstance. Still, Jasper's enthusiasm was nice, that was the kind of reaction that made inventing worthwhile, especially when he started asking questions with a genuine interest. 

"What does a battle suit do?!"

"Well, it makes you stronger, makes you punch harder--"

"And it kinda smells like French Vanilla!" (y/n) added to Schwoz's explanation, going over to them with spring in her step so she could hold Schwoz's wrist underneath Jasper's nose. It's true, they did all of that, but the pleasant smell was just one of those things that had cropped up as a surprise during the assembly, something to do with the fabric they used to insulate the wires. While they were basking in the teen's praise, Ray and Henry swapped sceptical looks; punch harder? Stronger? Since when did Captain Man, Miss Danger and Kid Danger need that?

"Uh, Schwoz, precious girl, this is cute but I don't know if you know this but I'm a superhero and I have a superpower." Ray smiled at them sweetly, causing (y/n) to sigh and put her hands on her hips at how his stupid ego was creeping in. How could he be so sweet with the pet name and be so condescending at the same time? Duh, she knew who he was, what he could do, it wasn't about belittling him or Henry, it was just a token to give them all a bit of oomph.

"I also have a superpower." And Henry was in on it, just as cocky and smug as the man next to him.

"See, uh, I'm indestructible..." Whoa, no way? Really? She'd loved him for eleven years and he'd never mentioned that before!

"I have super-fast reflexes..." Again, where were all these big secrets coming from?

"And we both smell pretty nice on our own."

"We smell gooooood!" Oh, the pigheadedness between them was huge and so aggravating. This wasn't a newsflash, they were just being dicks and lecturing the science buddies because they'd made an invention that they thought they didn't need, which wasn't very nice since the suits had been made as gifts. All that work and going to bed late and they were ridiculing them, treating them like children.

"Yeah, hi, I'm Miss Danger, nice to meet you. I've got super-regeneration, great perfume and yet my head isn't nearly as big as yours, Captain Ego and Kid Smugface!" (y/n) growled, giving her lover and friend a cold glare because they'd hurt her and Schwoz. A simple no, thank you would've been all right, sufficient, all they needed to hear to put the suits away for a rainy day, but nope, they just had to get mean. So much for supporting her interests...

"(y/n), sweet girl, you're an amazing superhero, plus, you've got me and Henry to protect you. We don't need these battle suit...things." Ray stepped forward to cup her cheeks and smooth the lines from her forehead, but to his shock and hurt, she batted his hands away. Soft touches and kisses weren't gonna cut it this time, an apology for insulting them would be better, and an admittance that he was wrong and vain would be great.

"Man, you guys have really gotten cocky lately," Charlotte commented as Ray tried not to look too forlorn at how his girl had pushed him away. What? He just spoke his mind; for over twenty-five years now, he'd been going out, catching bad guys and fighting crime, then Henry joined him, then her and now, they were a real unit, packed with different abilities and skills that meant they could face anything. Cockiness had nothing to do with it, that was just a fact

"What?!"

"Cocky. You know, over-confident, big ego, full of yourself, compensating--" Jasper listed every synonym under the sun so Ray and Henry would get the picture. And it was all true, the boys had become full of themselves recently, carrying a "greater than thou" mentality and an air of invincibility that wasn't very endearing. (y/n) could tolerate it with Ray because she often got distracted by his cute face and when it was just the two of them, he became humble, worshipping, a real sweetheart. But now, his attractiveness was plummeting.

"I know what cocky means! And by the way, it isn't cocky...if it's true!" The same smug smirks crept back onto his and Henry's faces as they chuckled and bumped fists, making everyone else roll their eyes. They fed off each other's energy and it gave Ray the confidence to flex his biceps for (y/n) to admire, not that she took the bait. That made him sigh; where had his smiley girl gone? The one who loved to grab onto his muscles and writhe in his lap?

"Come on, Kid Danger. Let's go fight some crime--" Ray's smirk didn't falter though, no matter how much his heart roared to go to her and see if he could make things right before they went. He hated upsetting her but pride stood in the way of apologising and now that he'd made a point, he couldn't go back on it, not when he and Henry were in it together. So, leaving his suit girl to stand there with her arms crossed, he moved to climb the steps...and tripped. How embarrassing.

"You okay, Raymond?" (y/n) asked, trying to sound dry, but a note of concern crept in because her doofus had fallen and no matter how indestructible he was, she'd always find herself wanting to make sure he hadn't bashed something. Whilst she didn't move, she did ask, curse her heart for loving him even when he pissed her off.

"Just, uh, doing some pre-fight pushups, y'know, like I always do!" Bullshit alert. It was a smooth save, how he immediately started pumping his guns to push his body up and down, but everyone knew he was lying and trying to save face with a workout - a spectacle that (y/n) enjoyed more than she'd admit.

"Yeah, sure you are."

"Never seen you do them before..."

"We know you're lying." (y/n), Schwoz and Charlotte each gave a dry, unimpressed response as he refused to admit that he was being a showoff. Jasper, however, took a slightly different approach, one that was a lot weirder too.

"Pushup contest! Let's go!" He declared and instantly dropped to the to mimic Ray's movements, which wasn't a very smart idea, honestly. Ray spent a gazillion hours a week lifting weights and getting all sweaty on a treadmill and not to inflate his ego anymore or anything, but that had left him with super stamina. Jasper, with his softy tummy and wrists that still went all the way up his arms, didn't stand a chance in a competition. 

"You sure you still want to come, Miss Danger?" Ray asked over Jasper's counting and grunts, holding his hand out to his sweet girl and praying that she'd accept the offer. Hmm, not going would certainly teach him a lesson and he needed one of those more than anything, but then there was her gut feeling. 

Maybe the densitiser gave her two superpowers instead of just one because she swore that whenever something was coming, for good or bad, she got this tingling sensation in her stomach that told her to follow or run like hell. And usually, it wasn't wrong; something about the abandoned district over town gave her the creeps as it were but the thought of Ray and Henry walking in alone made it even worse. She cared, dammit, she fucking cared. Screw them and screw her stupid protective feelings. 

"You sure your head will be able to fit into the tube, Captain?" (y/n) retorted, skipping up the steps and totally ignoring the hand that offered to tug her close to his chest. She could stand close to him on her own, she didn't need help, although, the way his arm dropped to curl around her waist to hold her tight was heavenly. Being condensed into a tube together always was and even though she was clearly annoyed with him, Ray couldn't help but take her cold affection and let it warm his heart.

She cared, even when she was mad at him, and that went to his head. Goddammit. 

~The Abandoned Laundromat~

Jeez, no wonder this place gave (y/n) the creeps. Spooky was one word, disgusting was another, but both did the job of describing the hellhole the three heroes found themselves in. It smelled horrible, like sewage and something burning, rubber perhaps, and everything was dark and dirty, with more trashbags than people littering the streets because would anyone come to such a place?

That was the question (y/n) was beginning to ask herself as she followed behind Ray with Henry tailing her and she was sorry to say that she'd taken to holding her fiancé's hand in a death grip. Every little noise spooked her in this place, a mangey dog barking in the distance, a rusty gate squeaking in the breeze, car tires screeching down the road, none of what she was experiencing told her that this was a nice area of town - something her eyes confirmed. 

Now, she was beginning to wish she'd brought the battle suit. In her haste to leave the Man Cave and not get left behind, as well as ensuring that she sassed Ray every time he pissed her off, she'd left the special gum with Schwoz. Maybe the boys would've laughed at her, teased her for being a pansy when she had a superpower to protect her, but better safe than sorry, right? And in a place like this laundromat, they would be well and truly sorry judging by how her gut still hadn't stopped hurting. 

Not tingling, no, this was not a good feeling, this was an instinct to bolt like something bad was gonna happen, not that Henry and Ray were bothered. As she stuck close to the man's side, finding comfort in the scent of his cologne and how he squeezed her hand back, they were chatting happily as if they were strolling through the park on a summer's day. Not a care in the world or a doubt that they were gonna struggle.

"Which is why if you part your hair in the same place each time, eventually it will fall out," Ray told his sidekick as he guided the party to the front of the building, which had long since been abandoned. The only people who lived around these parts now were dirtbags and villains, the scum of society who needed somewhere as dark and as dirty as themselves to lie low as they waited between crimes and other heinous deeds.

"Wait, dude, are you serious?" Henry asked, ignoring his surroundings completely and focusing on his precious hair instead. His hair made up twenty per cent of his good looks and was one of the best things about him. Screw their terrifying surroundings, he was more worried about being a bald freak in front of girls.

"That's what happened to Schwoz!" Ray revealed with a cheeky smile, which grew even more when he felt his sweet girl nuzzle her face in-between his shoulder blades. Why she felt so scared he didn't know, it wasn't like they hadn't been to places taken straight from a horror movie before and they'd faced monsters too. 

Still, he didn't mock or laugh, he couldn't; he was big-headed, sure, but cruel, no. His arm lifted and gently pulled her into his side where she could huddle into him and feel sheltered from whatever was out there, and she gratefully pressed against him even more, safe with his heartbeat in her ear. When could they go home?

"Wow..." Evidently, not soon. As Henry reeled from the new information on how Schwoz had turned into a coconut head, they all looked at the laundromat, in all its horror and dingy lighting. That was odd, there were lights on, even though they'd read on the supercomputer that no one had done any laundry here for years, y'know, because it was dirty and gave people the heebie-jeebies. 

"Okay, yeah, so, this is the place."

"Yeah, guys, I was thinking for the plan, we should--" (y/n) started. This was fine, to an extent, they were right, she was a superhero. Her lover and fellow sidekick were by her side and she had cells that could rush to any injury and heal it up lickety-split. 

No need to panic, this was gonna be like any other mission, a success but that didn't mean she wasn't listening to her gut. Well, she wasn't gonna do a runner just yet but she did want a plan. A well-thought-out, understandable, foolproof plan before they went in there. It was the smart thing to do, walking in blindly was just dumb.

"Oooh, hey, sweet girl, no, no, no. Let's just go in there and do a little freeform jazz fighting." Ray stopped her there because true to his nature, he was being dumb, he was gonna walk in there blindly, she should've known. Of course, he thought he was unstoppable and that was no way to think.

"I'm sorry, what? Have you hit your head again? Do I need to take you to a doctor or...?" (y/n) gave him a confused stare as she stepped back to analyse his face, their hands still joined. Her irritation was beginning to creep back in, it having died down on the drive over when his hand stroked at her knee and he made a few crappy dad jokes to make her laugh. That had calmed her down as for a moment, it felt like it was just them, his normal side came out and he didn't need to impress anyone. He didn't need an ego with her. 

"Y'know, jazz fighting! You in there and be like, ba-da-dat-scooby-da-da-pow!" Ray scatted and finished with a strong high kick as he demonstrated what he was on about. It was ridiculous and dumb, just his style in fact because it was so ineffective but he was such a good fighter that it would make him look cool anyway. Henry, who Ray's ego had rubbed off on, quite liked the sound of it.

"Ah, okay, I'm picking up what you're putting down. And, I'll be all like, a-doo-doo-doo-doo-a-pow! A-pow-da-pow-da-pow-da-pow!" Before (y/n) knew what was happening, she was stood in the middle of what could only be described as an adolescent boy and a fully-grown man circling her and pretending to be scatting, kung-fu fighting peacocks. They kicked, they punched, they ignored her pleas to act normal, it was actually kinda concerning.

"Guys...guys...Kid...doofus...guys...guys!" Her final shout finally caught their attention, just after Ray completed a little spin of jazz kicks or whatever called them, and her harsh tone got him to listen. Did she not like jazz? They could try something else maybe, or maybe not...she looked quite mad.

"Look at you! Don't you think Charlotte's right?" She asked, trying her hardest not to scream her grievances in their faces. Was it right to be worried? 

Perhaps. Things had been going good for a while now, they always escaped danger and celebrated afterwards but recently, they'd only been making it out by the skin of their teeth. When would the near-misses become bullseyes? Surely, using the balance of probabilities, ratios and things because that was math and she liked math, it was more likely than ever that something was gonna go wrong. A winning streak always dried up at some point. 

"No!...'bout what?" Ray's instinct was to deny everything because Charlotte was always grumbling about something and judging by the anguish on his sweet girl's face, whatever she was referring to wasn't good. What had he done now? Couldn't they back to that feeling they shared in the car? The fluffy one he felt in his heart when the golden light of the sunset streaked through her hair and illuminated her eyes to their truest colour, that one? He'd apologise if it would take them back to that.

"Us. You know, maybe (y/n) is right, maybe we're getting a little too cocky." Henry interjected, having thought about what his friends had said long and hard. He sensed that Ray had too, he just didn't like to admit that he was wrong nor did he like to admit to being a dumbass. Perhaps the success, the fame, the pride had all fed into his arrogance, perhaps he wasn't as good as he thought he was.

"Oh, please. Come on, I'm the least cocky person on the planet. I'm like the LeBron James of being humble." Ray replied, not realising that in itself was bragging. (y/n) sighed as he pretended to hit a ball, clicking his tongue at how he would obviously score a touchdown if it was real. This wasn't helping his case at all, just cementing Charlotte's argument. Did she dare tell him that he was being an asshole right now?

"No, no, you're right. Let's go pound this clown." With Ray's reassurance in his head, Henry pushed his worries far away to a dark corner of his mind where he didn't have to worry about them anymore. Okay, that didn't sound good, they hadn't even discussed what their battle strategy was gonna be, should they stay defensive or be more offensive? Should she as the weakest and slowest stay back and give them cover fire or should she get in there and throw some punches too? What were they doing?

"Yeah, all right, let's go..." "What about the plan? Hey, don't you walk away from me!" (y/n) hissed as Ray and Henry headed towards the stiff, rusting door, obviously expecting her to just follow their lead. Knowing what they were doing would be quite nice, y'know, but luckily or unluckily for them, just before they could head in there and face whatever monstrosity lurked in a place such as this, Henry's phone started to ring. Thank god for that, maybe she could whack some sense into Ray whilst the kid talked.

"Oh, sorry, it's—it's sister. I'll just call her back." Henry looked at the caller ID and decided that whatever Piper wanted, it could wait. It was nearly always some petty whining anyway, nothing so important that he had to postpone crimefighting, so she could wait for an hour or two.

"Nah, take it. We got time. We'll go warm up..." Ray smiled, thinking that because he and his sidekicks were so amazing and so efficient, even if they spent a few minutes dawdling outside, the problem would be dealt with so quickly, that no one would even notice the difference. He could use a minute to loosen his huge muscles because that's what all athletes do before a big fight; they play it up for the crowd, his being particularly sweet.

"Talk to me..." And with Henry jumping feet first into an argument with Piper, that left (y/n) to tiredly watch her doofus jab and stomp at the air. Such a doofus, the biggest doofus, she just wanted to shake him but when he turned around to smile at her with that dopey grin of his, she just wanted to embrace him too. Stupid heart, stupid love, stupid handsome man.

"Y'know, I'm over here and I can see a pretty girl standing on her own..." He mumbled as he strolled over to her, not deterred by how her arms were folded across her chest and her eyes were anything but playful. The flirting was nice, it always was but now wasn't the time or place, not when they should've been thinking of how they were gonna take this first and thinking about romance second. Fight first, then flirt, that's how it usually was, that way, they could focus on what they were doing and not get captured or injured or killed.

"I hope you know that this pretty girl wants to hear a plan before she gives away any kisses." (y/n) told him, holding her hand up to act as a barrier before his head could drop to caress her lips with his own and for a moment, he looked disappointed, tired even, but then, it was like something switched in him. If he had to work for a kiss then he would, but not how she thought he would. A plan would take time whilst persuading her otherwise would take a lot less effort.

"Sweet girl, nothing is gonna go wrong, so relax. I'm right here and I'm always gonna keep you safe...Captain Man has everything covered." Ray bragged, cupping her cheek and pulling her closer by the hip so he could nuzzle into her hair and unwind before the fighting. Why waste all of his energy now? He had a worried fiancée to take care of, he could handle whatever was in there.

"Just because you're Captain Man and you're indestructible doesn't mean you're invincible. You make me so worried sometimes..." She breathed into his uniform and shuddered when he let out a similar sigh into her neck. Was that a good sigh or a bad sigh? Was he seeing sense or losing it? 

"There's nothing to be worried about, sweet girl. Everything is gonna be fine." No, he never would. No matter how much she fretted and tried to warn him about the danger of getting too full of yourself, Ray would never take it seriously because he couldn't focus on anything when he had her in his arms, lavishing his attention on her always became more important and more interesting. And being able to put her mind at ease was a bonus. 

"Uhhh, yeahhhh. I can get you some towels. I can get you a lot of towels...Yeah, listen, I'll tell you what, I'll be home in, like, half an hour." Upon catching a snippet of Henry's conversation with Piper, Ray decided that he was gonna listen. That's when something caught his ear. Thirty minutes? Psshhh, this was gonna be a walk in the park, so as he cradled his sweet girl to his chest, Ray signalled for the kid to lower the estimate.

"Twenty minutes?" Nope, still not good enough for Raymond. It would take something drastic to open his eyes and humble himself, something that was so shocking that not even the distraction of (y/n) nuzzling into the warmth of his body could distract him. 

"Fifteen minutes." Now Ray liked that time, that sounded much more like it; ambitious and daring, perfect for them. Well, he and Henry that is, the concerned girl in his arms didn't think as such.

"You can't be serious. It takes you fifteen minutes to make a sick entrance, let alone finish a fight." (y/n) hissed at him, suddenly pulling back after snapping out of the doze that being near to him always caused. He seemed to tame her, make her sleepy when he pulled her close and hummed in her ear, the monsters and ghouls in the night disappeared along with her annoyance. But it always came back all too quickly when he made yet another stupid decision.

"I have excellent motivation, sweet girl," Ray muttered into her hair, his voice dropping into a low growl as Henry finished up the call. Oh, god, she knew that voice, she knew those wandering hands. Admittedly, it did send a thrill down her spine but also a chill of fear upwards too; here he was, acting all tough and alpha male, strutting around like a goddamn peacock because he was running off the high of being the top dog. 

"Oh, yeah?" She didn't need to hear the answer, not when she already knew it, but she asked anyway.

"Yeah. In fifteen minutes, the kid will be at home and we can go home to the Man Cave and...have some alone time." Wow, so subtle. His bid for attention didn't go unnoticed, it was impossible not to notice with the way his hands were verging on cupping her ass and how his lips trailed across her jaw, and to her slight embarrassment and shame, her natural reaction did nothing to deflate his ego.

Her breath hitched, her skin superheated, and her hands clutched the material of his uniform just a bit tighter. And that was all Ray needed to experience a surge of confidence and eagerness to get home and get naked with his darling girl, so with a final peck to her cheek, he stepped back, ready to bust down the door and kick some ass in record time. That long-forgetting plan wouldn't go amiss right now.

"Doo-doo-doo-scooby-doo-bow!" The sole of his boot hit the rickety, old door with enough force to cause it to fly open. Captain Man never needed a key, not when he had his tree trunk-like legs to bash them down, which allowed them access to the laundromat. Yeah, this place was suspicious and not just because it had too many lights on for an abandoned building. 

It was impossible to miss; piles and piles of towels of all colours and sizes were scattered all over the place, utterly hiding the floor in some places. Well, it wouldn't take a genius to work out where all those stolen towels from the city had ended up. Now, the only question remained, who brought them to such a creepy place?

"Uh-oh, large man. Larger..." Enter the bad guy. And this was where the slight nudging in the back of (y/n)'s mind, the one that told her to run, starting punching and kicking and screaming to hide, play dead, door something because dear lord, this wasn't a man, it was a mountain. He was huge, a good foot or two taller than Ray at least, with arms as equally powerful and enough muscle to stop an army - whilst they were just three puny superheroes.

Okay, puny was selling them a bit short. Taking down this guy would be a challenge just because of how big he was, they'd need all their cunning and experience if they were gonna take him, which meant it was really, really good that Ray felt unstoppable right now. Was it too late to drop back and rethink the whole no planning thing?

"Get...away from my towels!" He growled at them when their toes nudged at the fabric strewn across the grubby tiles. Oh good, not only was this guy a seven-foot wall of mass, but he was also insane if the psycho look in his eye was anything to go by. That meant he wouldn't hesitate to pummel them into the ground, perhaps he wouldn't even spare (y/n) or the kid from the pain.

"Um, Captain Man...this guy is huge. Really, really big." (y/n) gulped when the man stretched to his full height, proving that he was twice her size and most likely twice as strong. Yeah, she could be the best fighter in the world and have fists of steel but with her height and weight, there was no way she'd last five minutes against this guy - super-regeneration or no super-regeneration. It just wasn't gonna happen and she didn't fancy getting beaten up to test that theory.

"So what, babe? The bigger they are, the louder they cry..." Ray replied, causing smirks to worm their way onto his and Henry's face. It was all right for him, he was bigger than her and had a brutal swing hidden within those biceps, she was left with a few mean tricks, agility and intelligence, which were tactics they weren't going for. Even Henry could dodge the attacks, perhaps get a few jabs in, but this wasn't a task for her.

"Yeah, you're right. Full send..." "I said get away from my towels!" The giant growled again as Henry stepped up to the plate, brimming with confidence even though he was dwarfed by the guy. And he wasn't a small kid, maybe a bit lanky but still quite tall and lithe. Years of training under Captain Man had left Kid Danger as a competent fighter who knew how and where to hit a person to make full use of his strength, which only added to his cockiness.

"Yeah, I heard you, but listen to this..." Henry replied and as the last word left his mouth, he quickly beat the man twice around the face and a couple of times in the stomach, landing four hard blows on a man who felt like a rock. No matter how speedy the kid was with his hyper-motility, the punches were like mere tickles to the psycho, who swiftly fought back by grabbing the boy by the throat. Oh, shit...

Ray and (y/n) watched in horror as their kid was lifted off of his feet and held in the air like a rag doll, chocking and spluttering from how tightly the man's fist was enclosed around his windpipe and refusing to let go. Ray couldn't believe it, Henry was just dangling there doing nothing and the man's arm barely wobbled from the effort of holding him as if he was holding a leaf, not a teen verging on becoming a fully-grown man.

"Uhhhh, Captain Man, Miss Danger..." Henry gasped, calling out for help with whatever breath he could spare as his neck strained and lungs burned. 

It was like his friends were glued to the floor, too stunned to move; that was certainly the case for (y/n), who despite all her skills, superpower and hot fighting machine of a fiancé next to her, couldn't help but feel intimidated by their enemy. He made her feel small, akin to a mouse trying to defeat a lion, one swat and she'd be squished, so no matter if Henry had already been caught, what could she possibly do to help him?

"Huh, I did not think this was gonna happen..." Ray noted as he watched his youngest sidekick kick his legs to try and wriggle free, but the giant wasn't having it. His towels were too precious to risk these trespassers coming to take them, so he did what any psychopath would do - he used his immense strength to throw Henry threw the glass window next to the door. That was gonna hurt in the morning.

"Oh my god, kid!" (y/n) gasped as she and Ray stared at his broken body with wide, concerned eyes, and in no time, she was by the boy's side, running her hands over his arms and legs to look for bruises as well as plucking shards of glass from his uniform. All that she could do was listen to his groans and ask where it hurt, which left Ray to beat the man in the laundromat to a pulp for picking on the wrong boy.

"All right, so you can manhandle a kid, but just try to throw me through a window." He smirked at him, getting ready to start punching because it was impossible for a guy of his height, build and weight to be picked up and tossed about the place. Ray knew that his super-density made him extremely heavy, much heavier compared to Henry, so this psycho was in for a surprise, right?

Yeah, no. To his shock, bafflement and bewilderment, the towel guy seized Ray by the throat just as he had done with Henry and again, he didn't even break a sweat as with one arm, he lifted the hero until his toes had left the ground and threw him through the hole where the glass used to stand. 

Admittedly, he screamed like a girl as he collided with his sweet girl as she tried to do her best to make Henry comfortable and his heart found itself hurting along with his pride and body when he accidentally squished her with his hulking body. Normally, he did everything in his power to avoid that, she was by no means delicate but he was aware of how large he was, so to hit her at full speed and power was harrowing, especially when her groans hit his ears.

"Did not think that was gonna happen either..." Ray panted against her chest as one arm wrapped around her rib cage and his ear fell to hear her heartbeat. If they weren't laid on the dirty fucking ground, in one of the shittiest neighbours in Swellview and reeling from multiple cuts and bruises and sores, then it would've been quite nice to dwarf her and use her finer features as squashy pillows for his cheek to smush against, but he was heavy and she was also half on Henry after colliding with her flying doofus, so they needed to move.

"Can we think of a plan now?" (y/n) whimpered, feeling the wound from her head thunking against the concrete and various nicks from the scattered glass heal up. It felt a bit selfish but she was glad that she had been a coward at the moment before disaster, her instinct to freeze had kept her safe, although the same couldn't be said for Henry.

In the same way doctors don't do open heart surgery on people willy-nilly, she preferred to save her abilities for when they were needed, therefore she didn't actively seek out opportunities to get hurt, that was just sadistic and weird, and much like before, she found herself wanting for a strategy. A way to bring this guy down without necessary injury for the heroes would be better than a repeat of the last ten minutes.

"Yeah, sweet girl, a plan might be good." Ray groaned in agreement, wiping away blood from his lip that had never been there, but the pain was still very real. He felt awful that he'd landed on his girl, causing more injury to that which she already had from him and Henry being pigheaded morons who hadn't listened to her in the first place. Now that he thought it through, he saw that they would need to be cleverer than just jabbing blindly to defeat this meathead.

"Okay, here's the plan," Ray swallowed, still recovering from the fading pain but he battled through it as he continued and looked at Henry, "you go back in there and me and Miss Danger are gonna sneak around the back and try to find another door."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're the indestructible one, she's the super-healing one and I'm pretty good at finding other doors—" Henry did not like the sound of that plan at all. Why did he have to be the bait? Ray and (y/n) would last much longer than he would and undoubtedly, the man would fight until his last breath to keep his precious girl safe so they should be the ones going in to distract him whilst he did the sneak attack. Right?

"Oh, that's debatable, I wouldn't—" Ray began to argue otherwise, thinking that since he had all the experience, he should be the one to go and sniff out a place to surprise the guy, that way, he would be keeping his girl safe when she was feeling particularly jumpy today. But then, in the corner of her eye, like a looming cloud of doom drifting over her head, (y/n) saw something move in the shadows, and squeaked and grabbed Ray's arm when she saw the guy standing outside the laundromat staring at them.

"Oh my god, he's right here!" She couldn't help the terrified edge in her voice - the man was like a goddamn zombie from a horror movie, the entity that always seemed to catch up no matter how fast they ran or how far away they moved. And for such a large, heavy man, he was surprisingly silent, his sturdy working boots made no noise against the glass on the ground, meaning they were taken aback by his sudden presence, Ray ensuring (y/n) was well behind his back as he stood before the mountain.

"Look, buddy. You may be huge but I'm indestructible, all right? So this is not gonna end—" Ray wasn't one for being intimidated, not by any man and his quivering lover behind him only aggravated his need to stand his ground. Whether it was reckless or not, he was gonna stand his ground with Henry and (y/n) by his side because everyone knows that bullies never win. But it was all over when the psycho pitched his nose and lifted an aerosol can to their faces to squirt some unknown substance at them.

"Is that hairspray? 'Cause, there's a very specific brand I use—-whoaaa..." Suddenly, for the boys, the world went...floopy. The dirt and grime-riddled streets were spinning and their legs felt like jelly or maybe just someone else's legs entirely because all at once, they couldn't stand, things started to feel numb and they didn't know why.

"Guys, what's wrong? What's happening?" (y/n) asked as Ray's hands desperately clutched at her body, not wanting to be a burden but he had to use something to stand up and Henry soon had the same idea. 

They grappled onto her for support because she was still standing steady, perhaps with a small headache that passed in a minute or so after breathing in that weird spray, but overall, she felt great. The same couldn't be said for her companions, who after dragging her down with their combined weight, found that their original plan no longer worked either because as quickly as their legs did, their arms began to shut down too. In a matter of mere seconds, they became noodles, leaving (y/n) helpless to do anything but watch.

"I can't feel my arms and legs!" Henry's voice was laced with pure terror as his knees buckled and his body followed Ray's to the ground still strewn with glass shards. His brain was trying to tell his muscles to move, to lash out, to run for help or to just jerk to prove that they were still there but he got no response. He and Ray were trapped in their bodies with (y/n) left to kneel beside them and panic about how they'd been fine one minute and useless the next.

"Why can't I move? Sweet girl, what's happening?" Ray too was panicking because, in all his years of fighting crime, he'd never experienced something quite like this. All he could manage was to lift his head to take in her wide-eyed gaze and how her hands shook as she tried to take his hand and get it to move. It was no use; no matter how much he wanted to her couldn't squeeze it or lace his fingers with hers, he couldn't bring her ring finger to his lips or even wrap her up in a hug. All he could do was lie there, spread out like a starfish and watch powerlessly as his fiancé stood alone.

"I don't know! What did you spray them with?" (y/n) asked angrily, snapping her head to look up at the psychotic giant, whose eyes seemed to hold a delighted mania from how his enemies were now useless, well, most of them. He couldn't explain why the girl was fine or why she'd been able to shake off any effects without even the bat of an eyelid, but it didn't matter. Such a pretty little thing like her could be snapped like a twig by a man such as him, she only needed to stray too close to his beloved towels.

"Flabber gas! Makes your muscles all...flabby. Except for the girl, she needs another squirt." The psycho muttered huskily and (y/n) glared but stood her ground as he thrust the can into her face and pressed the nozzle. A fine mist enveloped her face as Ray and Henry watched on in horror; it had to be fear that froze her in place, why else would she not try and dodge this flabby-flab-flab gas stuff?

"If you hurt her, I swear, I will end you!" Ray growled. His threat was full of menace but when he could tense his muscles and puff out his chest to show that he meant it, the animosity soon died down and he was left with the feeling of helplessness again. What good was he if he couldn't protect the one he loved from the same fate as him? Yet (y/n) wasn't as feeble as she looked; sure, she was smaller but small things can be surprising.

"Sweet cheese, that stuff stinks! God, it's making my head hurt, jeez..." She spluttered from the musky scent that stung her nose and left a slight spiciness behind that made her brain feel like it was expanding inside her skull. However, just at the point where it felt like her head was gonna explode, the pounding stopped like a wave washed it all away. A wave or some might say super-regeneration replenished her cells and shook off the effects of the gas like she would a poison. (y/n), one, psycho nutjob, nil.

"The Flabber gas doesn't affect you but it affects your friends, girl! And you're no match for me..." The man snapped, his fist squeezing the can of gas in anger at how she was still able to move, she was still able to hold Captain Man's hand to her chest like it was a comfort and she was still a threat to him. Whatever, he could take her, he'd do anything for his towels and let's face it; Miss Danger didn't stand a chance on her own, not when he towered over her.

"Well, do you have any back-to-normal gas?" Henry asked in a strained voice, wanting to get up and do something before (y/n) got pulverised. As sucky as it was to admit it, the meathead was right, she was no match for him, not in a fistfight, the way she tracked his every move and tensed when he came close proved that, but he and Ray weren't up for helping. God, he felt so defenceless, just lying on the floor, open for any attack since he couldn't move to stop anything.

"Maybe there's some down in the sewer..." The giant suggested and instantly, (y/n) didn't like what he was hinting at. Why would he bring that stinking place up if there wasn't a reason? It wasn't gonna be a good reason because the sewer was never a good place to be and as the man got closer, she found herself dropping Ray's hand and shifting back onto her heels.

"Pffttt, unlikely." Ray scoffed, totally misunderstanding the meaning behind his words until the giant's hand shot out to grab (y/n). How dare he; with the action happening above his face, Ray's mind clouded with anger at how he had to sit and watch his girl fight off an uncalled for attack and boy did she fight. Acting on instinct, she jumped back and grabbed the wrist of the hand that tried to reach for her head and used all of the force her body could muster to push it away, hoping that she'd get a chance to retreat before he could try again.

It wasn't gonna happen, though. Even with all of her strength, grit and determination, her boots digging into the concrete to help her hold her ground, nothing was enough. As she did her best to keep one hand away, which was a losing battle, the other came around to take her by surprise and snatch a fistful of her hair whilst she was preoccupied and no sooner than he had her in his grasp, it was all over. 

Her hands redirected and flew to her head to try and scratch or smack his fist away but his skin was like steel, immune to pain and wounds from manicured fingernails; his killer strength returned and a piercing shriek left her lips as he lifted her flailing body by the roots of her hair. 

"Get off me, you psycho!" (y/n) punched, kicked, bit, spat, clawed, anything she could try to get him to drop her before he ripped a clump of strands from her scalp was futile, rather, the guy seemed to find her attempts to hurt him amusing as he sauntered over to the entrance of the sewer. And he made sure to make a meal of it, after all, he had a rather prestigious audience and he couldn't ruin the show when Captain Man was watching his sweet sidekick struggle like a child. 

"If you put m-me, in t-there, I'm gonna k—kick you so hard, r-right in the—"  It was like torture for the boys; they could hear (y/n)'s growls to release her, then her mewls from the pain, and then maybe a plea to let her down when it felt like her skin was being peeled off, and he didn't she gladly called him a name that they were too polite to repeat. As a team, they were all useless, two couldn't move, one couldn't fight without the others and to round off a perfect evening, the woman was then slung headfirst into the sewer, followed by...the stuff that's in a sewer.

One down, two to go.

"Oh, I see. Now you've thrown my wife in, you're gonna throw me in the sewer too. Man, this is not my day!" If he could, Ray would've stomped his foot and thumped his hand against the ground as he waited to be deposited into deep shit too. 

He sounded chirpy, almost like the whole thing was one big joke to him, but it was just a coping mechanism - positive outlook, positive outcome, or not. Lord knows he was livid inside, silencing stewing in his rage so much that he didn't realise that he'd let slip a small mistake, one that was fine when it was just in his head, but out loud was a different story. Still, at least he got to join his "wife" down in the sewer and scream down.

"You're not gonna get away with this...I'm sorry what's your name?" Henry told the giant as he laid out and twitch to make his toes twitch. Still, nothing and it was obvious that he was on a one-way ticket to the same stinkhole as his friends but if he could get in one last line before he went, then maybe he could salvage some satisfaction, if only he didn't have to keep calling this guy a giant or skyscraper in his head.

"Barge. The name's Barge." Odd name, but at least he could pin it to his face now.

"Why are you stealing all these towels?" Henry asked because that was the biggie. Clearly, Barge wasn't playing with a full deck, y'know, he was just a bit insane, anyone could see that. Just by the place he decided to call home, Henry knew that this guy was crazy but he didn't realise just how crazy.

"Don't tell him! He doesn't deserve to know!" The giant replied in a strange, almost British accent that sounded like he was talking to someone else. Okay, that was weird and Henry wasn't quite sure how to respond because from where he was, there was no one else around for the guy to be talking to. In a way, it was kinda like he was mimicking the voice of someone else...

"Uh, I am so sorry, who are you talking to?" "My boss, King of all Towels!" Barge raised a small white towel from his shoulder and to Henry's bafflement and discomfort, it had a face drawn on it. Not a proper drawing, more like a childish scrawl with angry eyebrows, a wiggly line for a frowning mouth and a crown to symbolise that the towel was royalty. Oh god, he was a madman, a genuine nutter who needed some serious help - that's why he stole the towels.

"Whatttt?"  "Now, throw 'im down the sewer there, Bargy, and bring more towels to your king!" The towel commanded in his Cockney tones, although Henry could still see the man's lips moving. He did not like the sound of that, why did he always get stuck with the crazy ones? Still, he was about to join Ray and (y/n) in the sewer, there was about to be a happy reunion, thanks to this loony.

"Yes, your dryness." It was concerning how quick he was to answer the request of his mad mind and swiftly, Barge tucked his "boss" back into his pocket with the utmost respect. Couldn't they work something out? Reasoning with him didn't seem very effective, after all, he obviously had some serious issues that made him a danger to every towel in the goddamn city, but still, a kid could try, right?

"Uh, uh, uh, my talking towel says you should let him go—" Henry's voice wobbled as he tried to prevent his inevitable fate. The guy liked towels, he was enslaved by the one with that creepy face on it, so he tried in vain to persuade Barge that his nonexistent towel was supreme...but to no effect. 

With yet another impressive feat of strength, Barge flung his body down the shaft that led to the sewer, leading to a puddle of unspeakable sludge that (y/n) had already propped Ray up in. They wouldn't drown, but they certainly weren't happy about it, particularly since they'd need a hand with the rescuing thing. Now, could anyone tell the smart one where they had all gone wrong?

~Back in the Man Cave~

Well, that was tedious. Using her head (something the boys rarely did), (y/n) knew that it would be almost impossible for her to drag two people back home, and not just any two people. The effects of the Flabber gas didn't wear off but neither did they get any worse, so they were left in dead lumber. Carrying anyone would be a challenge, Henry was heavy enough, but adding Ray to the equation just made it impossible, so even if she wanted to get them out, she couldn't. Jeez, she was really feeling useless today.

Still, unlike Ray and Henry, at least (y/n) knew when she was beaten and how to ask for help when she needed it, so she did the only thing she knew would work - she called Schwoz. He was by no means happy about it, he'd had to leave the sanctuary of the Man Cave and crawl through miles of shit just to reach them and then the smell wouldn't leave even as they chucked the floppy bodies into the back of the Man Van. (y/n) had no idea what he was saying but judging by the glares, the slamming of the door and the mumbled curses in his mother tongue, Schwoz wasn't a happy bunny and for good reason.

As he'd predicted, it had only been a matter of time before Captain Man and Kid Danger got themselves in some serious trouble because of their egos and whilst he was glad that (y/n) had managed to stay humble, he wasn't so happy that he had to come to bail them out and get so dirty in the process. Perhaps if they'd taken the battle suits as he'd proposed, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation, maybe they would've won.

Few people knew but Schwoz, like many people from his homeland, was blessed with a freakish strength that could rival Barge's himself, so with a little help from his genius battle suit invention, it took him no time at all to lift the heroes' bodies into the elevator with (y/n) ensuring that their skulls didn't bash anything - and so much manhandling didn't go down very well with Ray or Henry.

"Get your hand off me!" Ray growled as he squirmed about inside the large black bags that Schwoz and (y/n) had shoved them into. It made them much easier to carry or pull around the place since there were no flailing arms or legs to worry about but it did leave them agitated and disoriented, no matter how much the young woman tried to tell them it was all right.

"I'm in a separate bag!" Henry bit back, not understanding how his boss could be so moronic. Now, it was the time for finger-pointing because everyone had different opinions on who was to blame. Henry wanted to yell at Ray because he'd refused to think of a plan, Ray wanted to snap at Henry because he didn't hit Barge hard enough and (y/n), well, she didn't want to blame anyone but she was human so she blamed both of them and herself. They should've worked better as a team, they were all to blame in some way or another.

"I know that!" "Then how could that be my hand?" The bickering was relentless as they came out of the elevator, still held aloft by Schwoz and the power the suit gifted him. One more stupid comment and he'd drop them because it was starting to get ridiculous now as if he was listening to an old married couple fighting over something as dumb as a TV remote, but (y/n) was there, and (y/n), more often than not, was the referee, no matter how tired she was.

"Oh, do shut up, you two," She snapped, thumping her fists against the bags so they'd zip it, "right here, Schwoz, just drop them here." Upon receiving instructions, Jasper and Charlotte, who'd spent a pleasant evening in blissful ignorance playing video games, had placed two large, grey bean bags in front of the tube pads, ready for when the genius came back with the crestfallen heroes. They didn't know what had happened but they prepared a soft spot for their floopy bodies to lay anyway because that's what they were paid for.

Schwoz dumped Henry onto the first bean bag, glad to get the blood flowing to his arm again after holding it above his head for so long and next, it was Ray's turn. He was tossed down similarly, like a sack of potatoes since he was indestructible, invincible and so damn good that he could take it. Wasn't that what he always bragged about? The heavy thumps of their bodies hitting the bags were enough to get the teens to stop playing the game and upon seeing (y/n), they were concerned. Really concerned. 

"Wow, (y/n/n), you look terrible. What happened?" Jasper commented, noting upon the suspicious stains that covered the woman's uniform, the stench, oh god, the stench, and how she seemed...wet? They didn't want to ask but curiosity got the better of them because what on earth could've happened to leave looking so disgusting? And where was Ray? Normally, they couldn't be separated yet right now, she was alone and not in a good mood.

"Trust me, Jasper, you don't want to know." (y/n) muttered, not wanting anyone to comment on her appearance because she got it; she looked awful, she knew that - and she felt it too. The entire fight kept repeating in her mind, each time she thought of a new scenario and each time, she thought of a new way she could've done something differently. That gas didn't affect her, why didn't she fight back? She was over her nerves and fears, she was a superhero, for god's sake...

"Did you find Ray and Henry?" Charlotte moved on, not wanting to assume anything since it was rare for the sweetest girl in the Man Cave to be so grouchy and the absence of the only person who could make it better, plus one of her best friends, was also quite a pressing matter.

"Yeah, they're fine," Schwoz stated, not particularly worried about his friends since when he'd found them, they were fine. Perhaps very grumpy, but fine. No injuries, no one had died, nothing had been lost - well, nothing except their pride.

"No, we're not fine!" Ray replied snappily, his voice coming out as muffled through the thick, stiff fabric of the bag but his agitation was clear for everyone to hear. Defeat didn't come easily to Captain Man, neither did being humiliated and not being able to protect his precious girl was just the devastating cherry on top of the whole defeat cake metaphor thing. He was far from fine, he just wanted to curl up in bed with (y/n), stroke the patch of hair that had been pulled so harshly and be left to lick his wounds in peace.

"We were thrown through a window!" Henry was also quite moody. To be fair, he'd had it the worst; his poor body had been put through so much and he didn't have any protective powers, so he aching badly and really pissed off at how they, the greatest crimefighters Swellview had ever known, had been defeated by some lunatic who'd escaped the loony bin. It didn't seem right and for good or for bad, Kid Danger had been taken down a peg or two.

"I also hit (y/n) and lost my car keys!" Yeah, they'd had to use Schwoz's spare set to get into the Man Van because Ray's keys were long gone, floating down the river in the sewer. And he still hadn't gotten over colliding with his sweet girl, he'd have to apologise for that one later when he dragged her to bed so he could mope.

"We are the opposite of fine!" "They're fine. Let's just get them out." (y/n) mumbled above all of their complaints. Yeah, it had been a trying day, one that could've been avoided, so they didn't have the right to be so snappy, not when their discomfort was of their own making. So, it was time to let them out and then she could berate them, shout at them, comfort them, cuddle Ray, support Henry, she wasn't quite sure what she was gonna do but they couldn't stay in the sacks for much longer.

With a bit of help from Charlotte, she slowly unzipped the bag holding her doofus, Schwoz doing the same with Henry and the moment they were big enough, their heads poked through the holes. The boys were glad to finally be able to breathe fresh air again since it had been so stuffy in their sacks but dear god, the others instantly wanted to push them back in. 

Charlotte had thought (y/n) had smelled bad as she stood next to her, but when two more heroes covered in unknown grime and slime were added to the mix, the smell became a stench. A really fucking bad stench. Seriously, Jasper could smell it and he was a few metres away, almost like a wall had assaulted his nose as the smell drifted through the Man Cave and he didn't want to imagine how bad it was up close.

"Ewwww!" "Oh, you smell like my sister's barn!" Schwoz groaned as everyone's hands flew to their noses to try and block out the invasive, pungent stench, but it was no good. The only ones who were safe were Ray, (y/n) and Henry because they were used to it by now, having sat down in the sewer for a while as they waited to be rescued. They couldn't smell themselves but that didn't mean that they weren't aware of what was on them. No matter how much they wanted to, the couple wouldn't lock lips until they had been in the shower for at least half an hour.

"Well, we were dumped in a sewer!" (y/n) said defensively from her place kneeling behind Ray's body. That way, he could rest his weary head in her lap and appreciate how her hand brushed across his forehead so tenderly. He didn't deserve it, by no means did he deserve her kindness after leading them all into danger so foolishly, but he was a selfish man and could never reject her love, no matter how much he loathed himself for it.

"By a giant named Barge, who takes orders from a towel." The bitterness in the boy's tone was absolute. When he said it out loud, it didn't seem real, almost laughable because they were meant to be good at what they did, there was no one else to call for the emergencies they responded to yet here they were, lying on the ground, filthy, floppy and in bags. How humiliating.

"And we can't move our bodies, except for (y/n)," Ray added, again wondering what was up with that. Oh well, he didn't have the brain to explain it and no doubt Schwoz would know how the science stuff worked. "Because Barge sprayed us with Flabber gas!"

"Flabber gas? But that's almost impossible to find..." Schwoz repeated, confusion written all over his face. Huh, being the science nerd he was, he'd obviously heard about it, but also being a science genius meant that he also knew how exceedingly rare it was - and dangerous. Boy, what he wouldn't give to get a sample into his lab, but more importantly, what was he gonna do about how his friends had turned floopy?

"Yeah, and when he sprayed them with it, they dropped to the ground but even when he sprayed me twice, the gas just gave me a headache. What's up with that?" (y/n) asked, wanting to get some facts rather than just to her speculations. Whilst she could make an educated guess about how her body recovered, something more realistic and accurate was always better, and Schwoz had the experience she didn't. He could tell her why.

"Well, Flabber gas attacks a person's body by making their moosle cells relax while keeping their organs working so you don't die. I would say that your super-regeneration has found a way to repel the gas' effect, so you get the headache when your moosles don't go floppy and then you go back to normal." Schwoz theorised and it made sense. Of course, without some proper tests they could be sure, but (y/n) trusted him. However, that wasn't the only question that had been bothering the genius.

"How would a low-level towel thief get some Flabber gas?" He questioned, trying to work it out but nothing made sense. Barge was insane, ruthless and subservient to a cloth, for god's sake, he didn't have the intelligence or free will to find some rare gas on his own, so the fact that he had was troubling. But Ray didn't want to know the why, he wanted to know how they were gonna get back to normal.

"Who cares? Just fix us!" "Yeah, can you fix us, Schwoz?" Henry was quick to jump on the bandwagon because being able to move his body again sounded quite nice. Ray was getting kiss withdrawal symptoms and annoyed at how he wanted to pull his girl close and shower her with affection for being the root cause of such a lousy day, but his arms wouldn't move to embrace her. This was torture.

"Of, course." "Yeah!" "You're the best, Schwoz!" Great, some good news at last. Now, Ray remembered why he kept the handyman around...because he was handy with that clever little brain of his. Everything was gonna be fine, Schwoz would whip up a cure, they'd take it, they'd be able to move again, he could take a shower with his sweet girl, he could kiss her, hug her, show her how sorry he was and then, they could go back to the laundromat for round two. Things were coming up perfect.

"If I had a can of Flabber gas." Or not. The news was devastating because judging by how the so-called genius had banged on and on about how rare that stuff was, the chances of them finding another can were pretty slim. The only Flabber gas they were gonna find was in the hands of Barge, who along with all his towels, was lurking and waiting for the next halfwit who dared to challenge the Towel King. Looks like Ray wasn't gonna shower with his girl after all.

"Sweet girl, please pick up my arm and use it to smack Schwoz." He grumbled, wanting to get close to her in one way since Schwoz had stolen his golden opportunity with his stupid incompetency. ray lashed out when he was upset and because the small man couldn't help, he wanted him to feel bad too, not that (y/n) would ever "follow orders" like that. Time to be brave for the first time today

"No, Raymond, I'm not gonna smack Schwoz for you. I'm mad at you or at least I'm trying to be!" (y/n) replied, summoning every ounce of resilience she had to lift herself away from his body since she wanted to do the berating now.  It was hard to be mad when he and Henry were so vulnerable, all she felt was the need to protect them, not make them feel worse but then she remembered earlier in the evening when he calmed her fears with affection that was laced with affection. Against her better instincts, she'd encouraged his ego and it could've gotten them into serious trouble; this was just a lucky escape in her opinion, things could've been a lot worse. 

"Yeah, and I'm confused." Charlotte butted in, wanting to add to the argument because she had some excellent points. Maybe it wasn't smart to come between the couple when they were about to work through their problems, but (y/n) had been on the side of reason that afternoon. Very vividly, she remembered her advocating for the battle suits until Ray and Henry mocked them. Two against one was hardly fair and she'd never get left behind, so they were the big-heads here.

"Oh, god, it's their lecturing voices." Ray sighed and threw his head back. He tensed in preparation for the scolding that was coming his way and ignored how his heart wept at his girl saying she was mad with him. Sure, the mission hadn't gone as planned and he'd said some things that had turned out to be the opposite of true, but mad was a bit harsh. He didn't want to fight, couldn't they go back to the way it was before the towels went missing?

"Well, if you don't want to listen to our lecture, you are free to get up and walk away," Charlotte smirked, prompting laughter from Schwoz and a small chuckle from (y/n), both of whom thought her sass was on point. Normally, it wasn't a good idea to mock the boss, but what was Ray gonna do? (y/n) didn't feel like soothing the burn's sting with kisses and coos, not when he'd groaned in reply. Was it really so bad that she thought that he'd behaved like an asshole today, focusing on jazz fighting rather than doing the job properly?

"Yass, queen! High-five 'cause we can use our arms!" Schwoz cackled and gave Charlotte a quick high-five before flapping his arms like a chicken. Wow, the boys were so impressed with their mocking, Henry feeling gutted with how he'd fallen so far whilst Ray wrinkled his face grumpily. He knew it was just banter, everyone had to be the butt of the joke at one point, but when his sweet girl laughed along, it just wasn't funny anymore. Their powers had failed to protect them, big deal, hilarious.

"Here's what I don't understand. I thought you guys were superheroes with superpowers..." Charlotte started, echoing the same condescending tone that they'd used earlier. They'd painted themselves to be untouchable, god-like almost, no scum could touch them so, why would they need some dumb invention from Schwoz? That's what they had said, wasn't it?

"Henry, don't listen! She's using our words against us!" Ray screeched when he heard the lecture begin and he recognised what she was saying. Ugh, he found it so hard to take the truth when he didn't want to hear it and that was so annoying, especially for (y/n) since she knew he was being stupid to wriggle out of it. She loved him with all of her heart but by god, he could be such a dick sometimes.

"Ray, shut up, she has a point!"  "God, it's already working. My sweet girl has turned against me..." Ray muttered to himself huskily, noting that Henry had fallen into a contemplative silence. Was he actually listening to this? It was worse than he thought. Usually, it was an outside cause that made his fiancée angry with him, a person or an event that could be blamed and leave him the innocent martyr, but this time, it was all him with a splash of the kid too. That sucked because now, he felt bad that he'd screwed up and had to own up to that fact.

"I haven't turned against you, doofus. I—we just think that maybe if you guys weren't so cocky and we had actually thought of a plan, we would've beaten Barge and not ended up all smelly and in your case, flabby on bean bags." (y/n) replied. She didn't want to be the enemy here, she wasn't the bad guy in this scenario either, just the voice that he didn't want to hear just because she was right. 

Confidence—she liked that, it made him hot but cockiness—that was unappealing and reminded her of those asshole jocks in college who thought her mousy personality and the math notes scribbled on her arms were hilarious. For eleven years she'd been by his side, she'd never turn against him, he never gave her a reason to, she just didn't want to see him lose touch with what was important.

"You don't know that." The hero sulked and lowered his eyes so he didn't have to see the love hidden in her concerned gaze, it just made him feel guilty. Sure, she was mad that the sewer smell was embedded in her hair and uniform and that a nutter could've broken her in two if had wished but like always, she could forgive that. But only if he was deserving forgiveness; first, he had to admit he was wrong and that was a big thing for Ray, even when it came to saying it to his future wife.

"Dude, you know what? She's right." Oh, Henry Hart, what a little beauty. It was like music to their ears being able to hear those two words together in perfect harmony and with Henry and onboard, Ray couldn't deny that they'd been in the wrong, even if he did hate it. "But what are we gonna do now? Okay, Barge is out there, stealing towels and we can't do anything about it 'cause we can't even move and (y/n) can't take him on her own."

Good question, what were they gonna do? Schwoz and Charlotte were satisfied with his answer, and they'd leave the couple to straighten things out between them and kiss and makeup later, they always did but that was their business. A general concern was how they were gonna move on and deal with the towel thief. And then, Jasper of all people sparked their inspiration.

"Charlotte, can you come help me beat this guy? I can't do it!" The boy asked in a loud voice, much louder than what was appropriate since his headphones were blasting music on full blast. He'd been trying to take down The Hair for ages now, but no matter how hard he kicked, he couldn't make the bear kill the way the girl did.

Schwoz and (y/n) watched with curious eyes as the girl sighed and walked over to help her useless friend. Huh, it was interesting how Jasper's performance suddenly improved when Charlotte held his arms and began to punch for him, showing him how it should be done. The science buddies couldn't help but wonder at the sight as Ray turned to whisper to Henry.

"Dude, before you come into work tomorrow, I'mma need you to go down the sewer and look my car keys—" Okay, had Henry been listening, he would've flat out refused, he'd had enough of the sewer for one lifetime, but he wasn't paying attention to his boss, rather something much more intriguing. The nerds, the smart ones, (y/n) and Schwoz, had those looks on their faces, the ones when they were sciencing and doing smart things. Those were their concentrating, thinking faces and they only cropped up when they had a brilliant idea.

"Oh, dude, dude, dude, dude, dude!" "Uh, it's got a keychain with a photo of me and (y/n). I don't know if you've noticed but she's mad at me and I don't wanna lose—" Ray continued to ramble on and on about his dumb keys as Henry tried to get his attention. Man, it was really hard not having any limbs to help him out.

"No, dude! (y/n) and Schwoz are making their idea faces!" Now, Ray was listening intently. Oh, good, rational thought and ingenious plans, that's what they needed and no one did it better than those two. His sweet girl was so smart and Schwoz wasn't too bad himself so together they might just be able to figure out a way to help. A way to fix them without the gas maybe?

"They are?" "Yeah." "That's great! (y/n) always looks so hot when she's thinking. Does she look hot right now?" Ray asked since he wasn't able to look for himself. His chin had to be pulled tight against his chest to see in front of him and that just made his neck ache so it was up to the kid to check, him being propped more upright so he could check. The problem though, was that Henry was the wrong person to ask for a task like that because...ew.

"Uh, I have no opinion on that." Ugh, what use was he? All Ray wanted to know was whether his girl had that serious, sexy expression on her face that told people she was debating something important in her mind, which usually left him drooling. However, Henry found it revolting to look at his friend that way, all he saw was her looking a bit stern, nothing "sexy" about it. What a disappointment, he could've at least humoured him and said yes so Ray could picture it in his head.

"Well, is Schwoz making the idea noise?" Ray asked. It wasn't the same as being able to see his sweet girl but still. Schwoz always started squeaking when he made a breakthrough, it was usually a good omen that he was about to become brilliant and earn his keep in the Man Cave, especially when his little tongue poked out to wet his lips.

"Uhhhhh..." "He's making the noise, dude!" Here it came, they were synchronising, (y/n)'s hand on his shoulder like it conducted their brainwaves and put them on the same level, their minds working as one. Four, three, two...

"Hey, Schwoz, are you thinking what I'm—-" "I HAVE AN IDEA!" "Oh my god, me too!" It was like a mini realisation between the two of them and they seemed to buzz with the excitement of discovering something incredible in the depths of their minds. Truly, it was a sight to see, everything seemed to come together for them, just two little buddies being all geeky and cute together, so heartwarming.

"All right, my sweet girl!" "All right, Schwoz!" And no one was happier than the boys on the beanbags. Seriously, two nerds shouldn't have been so adorable but they were and Ray felt his heart swell when (y/n)'s face lit up with wonder and happiness at finally having an idea of what to do. She looked happy and so pretty, there was nothing the man liked more and at that moment, he wanted to take her into his arms so badly and smother her with kisses until she giggled and melted against him. It sounded like bliss, just being allowed to love his girl after disappointing her so much - curse that stupid gas.

"Charlotte, go get your mootion capture suit!" Schwoz ordered the girl, interrupting the game she and Jasper were playing but he had to act fast before his synapses stopped being so damn useful. A dip in his or (y/n)'s concentration and the idea would be lost so he had to act quickly to get everything ready, then it was just a matter of piecing everything together. Okay, good, she was doing as she was told, that left them to scuttle about the place to grab the tools, tech and equipment they need to pull this off. No time for explanations, brilliance demands speed.

"What's the idea, Schwoz?" Henry yelled after the small man as he disappeared behind the secret door. His plan was complex and would take some serious rewiring with some serious machines he'd already invented but with a few small tweaks and (y/n)'s keen eye for detail, he thought they could pull it off. Still, he didn't want to answer any questions, that would come later when they had everything prepared for presenting.

"Babe, where are you going?" Ray called after his fiancée as she dashed past their heads and dodged the beanbags, heading for the area behind the tubes. She could swear that that's where she left her toolbox, either there or in the kitchen after Jasper blew up the microwave and much like her brainy companion, she didn't have time to chat, merely a passing acknowledgement.

"Just stay there and look handsome, doofus." She mumbled as she jogged past and Ray could happily settle for that, letting go of his questions in favour of comfortably squirming into the cushions. He could do that, he was very good at that, especially for her, and it's not like he could go anywhere, so he was left to lie back and smiled like a dope. Jeez, Henry picked perfectly when he took this job...

"Isn't she perfect?"

"Dude, you're so whipped..." The boy muttered when he craned his neck to see Ray smiling to himself like he'd won the lottery. He'd said that a million times before but there was no other explanation; one word from the woman and a fully-grown man was left with his day made and his heart pounding. It was hilarious and cute, just another crazy night in the Man Cave.

~

Not too long later, Charlotte found herself dressed in the same motion-capture suit that Jasper was wearing, the one she'd taken off after a two-hour gaming sesh earlier. Meanwhile, whilst she had been getting her side ready, (y/n) and Schwoz had been busy little bees themselves. And praise the lord, the woman had finally managed to crawl into the shower and spend a good thirty minutes shampooing the filth from her body, leaving his satisfactorily clean.

With an enormous amount of effort and patience, they'd carefully gotten the boys cleaned up and dressed in the battle suits, which were sturdy enough to be used as a sort of extra skeleton for them, meaning they could now stand without crumbling. It was a good start, being upright again was a nice feeling, even if having to get up close and personal with them was a bit awkward. 

It was understandable between Henry and Schwoz, they never invaded each other's space, but with (y/n) and Ray, things were a tad tense. Some things were still unspoken between them, like the whole saying sorry thing and as the woman adjusted the controls on her lover's suit, her hands suddenly felt a bit shaky. That was weird, being this close hadn't made her nervous in a long time but the more she failed to get the damn tube in the hole, the more agitated she became.

"You okay there?" Ray asked softly, seeing how she was struggling to do the simplest thing and he could sense that something was going on between them. The air felt stiff and thick as if the tension was palpable; Schwoz and Henry didn't notice, things were going fine for them, the genius was working away happily with some idle chitchat here and there and he trusted that (y/n) was working just as happily. If only...

All of the updates and adjustments were more complicated than they had first thought, so they'd been doing this for some time now, and in that gap, the couple hadn't said a word. It was the dreaded return of the don't know what to say, so don't say anything at all syndrome that seized them at the worst possible moment; they had some stuff to smooth out but when it came to the pinch, the words just wouldn't come.

"Fine, just need to get the thing in...the thing." She murmured a reply, her movements getting more and more aggressive each time she failed to get the tube in its proper place. Come on, she needed it to work if they were gonna go with her to the laundromat again, why did she have to get so worried when they hit a hump in their relationship? It wasn't like a huge, cataclysmic argument, just a small yet irritating tiff that was in danger of being swept under the carpet to fester if they weren't careful.

"You're trembling." Ray noticed and his voice was softer still. He didn't want anyone to look, that would cause her to become flustered and possibly shy away and that's not what he wanted. However, due to their proximity, it was impossible not to notice how it had taken her several attempts to make the fitting and he longed to be able to use his hands again. 

Had he not been gassed, he would've held onto them, brought her knuckles to his lips and done everything in his power to make her feel better because he was a physical lover, more at home with touch to affirm his devotion. But now that had been taken away so he had to settle for words instead of actions and try to put his feelings into speech, which wasn't his strong point. Words were difficult for him, either too much or not enough, silly almost.

"I'm not trembling." It was a poor attempt to make things seem okay, (y/n) wasn't fooling anyone, not him nor herself. If she wasn't trembling, why had she been stuck on the same thing for the past few minutes? The Man Cave wasn't cold and she wasn't excited--the tech wasn't that interesting--so, Ray was directed to another idea, one that didn't sit well with him. She was nervous, he knew the telltale signs.

"Sweet girl, tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong, doofus." Another lie and he didn't fall for it either. Sure, he was pigheaded at times and wasn't very knowledgeable about many things, but when it came to her, he liked to think he was an expert. Ray knew (y/n), that was a fact, sometimes he could read things that no one else saw and now that he'd slowed down and was looking at her, really looking, studying her features, he knew that something was gnawing away at that mind of hers.

"(y/n)." 

Nothing was a bigger shock to the system than when he said her name like there was gravel in his throat. These days, it was rare that he called her by her given name, Ray much preferred to call her his girl in a variety of ways ranging from precious, darling, clever, and his favourite, sweet. She was so sweet so that's what usually fell from his lips, perhaps the occasional babe, baby or sweetheart, but mostly sweet girl, so the woman knew that he wanted her to spill when he appealed to her so openly and with so much love and concern in his eyes.

And with a sigh, she began, slowly and jaggedly, but she found the words.

"...It's just...you don't know how much I care for you and how much I worry about you when we're out on missions," she swallowed before continuing, "you're Captain Man and you're indestructible and a great fighter but I still get so worried. It's just in my nature, I guess."

Ray's eyes were gathering tears as she stared at the power source in the centre of his chest, the special reactor that the suit drew power from. He did understand in a way, he worried about her safety during missions, but then again, it wasn't the same. His girl was never cocky, she didn't have the right personality to go steaming in and demanding a victory, she was confident but subtly. He, on the other hand, was more likely to get into trouble and stress her sick in the process.

"I'm never gonna be big enough to save you from guys like Barge, and even if I keep fighting crime for the rest of my life, I'm never gonna be not nervous, y'know? I worry about things, and I like being quiet and thinking things through." She rambled on and Ray couldn't pinpoint what she was getting at. Was it just him or did this sound like a resignation? She couldn't, wouldn't, would she? He wouldn't force her to continue but...

"If you don't want to be Miss Danger anymore, that's fine, sweet girl. I understand, I should have never brought you with me in the first place--" He sighed, swallowing his disappointment because he didn't want her to be any worse because of him. 

The job was stressful he knew that, she was a reserved person by nature, he knew that too, it's why they fit so well together--and he wanted things to stay that way. Fighting crime with her wasn't essential, more like a bonus, a couple who got to work together but it was perfectly all right that she stayed at home whilst he went out. It didn't mean that he'd ever love her any less, in fact, her safety and comfort came above everything.

"What? No, no, no, I don't want to quit! I love being your sidekick," She stopped his internal turmoil by resting her hand on his shoulder and meeting his eyes again. Jeez, that was an unforeseen interpretation and she softened at how in some ways, he was a worrier too. His mind always assumed the worst when it came to them, a byproduct of years of self-doubting that he was worthy of being the man she could choose and he still found it hard to believe that she was happy with the likes of him. They were a right pair, a pair of worry-warts, but it was just because they cared.

"You do?"

"Of course, doofus!... I just want you to take care of yourself when we're doing dangerous stuff. No more jazz fighting and getting complacent and from now on, we're always gonna make a plan before we start... And we're gonna listen to my tummy--you know it talks to me when something's wrong." (y/n) listed everything she could think of, ending with a slight grin on her at how she'd managed to turn things silly and make her doofus crack a smile too.

"Okay, we're gonna listen to your tummy, darling girl," Ray smiled, wishing he could wrap his arms around her to make the moment perfect, but to her, he was doing just fine, "I'm sorry for making you worry, I know I must drive you crazy sometimes."

"Oh, only sometimes? I'm gonna be grey at forty with you around, Raymond...but I love you too much to let you go." She smiled, watching as his face relaxed--the only muscles he had power over--and the boyish grin that she loved was back. He was so pretty when he smiled, not a fake, camera-ready smile, when he actually smiled, it made him look so young and real, like the man she knew, not the hero the magazines assumed to know.

"I love you so much, sweet girl." He whispered too, and that's when her hands moved forward, slotting the tube into place with perfect precision so she could throw her arms around him and bring him in close, even if he was still grumpy about not being able to hug back. Everything was mended, everything was in its correct place, ready for whatever life threw at it. 

"I really wanna kiss you right now." Yeah, normality was back, things were good between them again, and the disagreement just needed to be sealed with something sweet.

"Dork..." (y/n) muttered through a giggle and with the aid of her heeled boots, reached onto her tippy toes and pressed their lips together, her arms around his neck to keep them as close as possible. Ray's chest grumbled at finally having her honeyed taste in his mouth after so long and although his fingers itched to hold onto her supple flesh, he savoured what he could get. This was more than exquisite...and enough to finally draw some attention.

"Oh, god, they're kissing...again." Henry groaned, having just glanced across to see how the couple was doing after not hearing from them in a while, only to see them amid some rather heated session. Well, he was glad they'd settled whatever weird energy was going on between them but jeez, he was pure and innocent, he didn't need to them eat each other's faces, even if he had walked in on much worse.

"How we doin', Schwoz?...(y/n), are you busy or...?" Charlotte hesitated when she turned around to see the woman preoccupied with her lover and it was always best to just wait it out but they'd been messing around with the suits for ages now and the boys no doubt wanted to get some action, well, Ray was already getting some action, y'know, action of a different kind. They'd gone without kisses for too long so they could go on for ages and they didn't have ages, did she dare make them stop?

"Are we repaired yet? Why can't we move? Dude, she's not gonna disappear." Henry's gaze flickered from Schwoz to Ray, who sighed when (y/n) finally pulled back. Fine, she could work now, kiss later, but if her doofus was grumpy, they were to blame. 

"Yeah, what is taking so long? I wanna hug my girl before she disappears." Ray grumbled, proving that he was now pouting, moody enough to want to mock Henry, although a flash of a smile from his sweet girl and he perked up again. What was that from earlier? Whipped...

"It was more difficult than we thought to modify our battle suits to receive a signal from the suits Jasper and Charlotte are wearing. And (y/n) stopped to make kissy-kissy with Ray so it took longer than we planned." Schwoz replied, gesturing to the simplistic motion-capture suits and then to his and (y/n)'s complex inventions. The woman was definitely blushing but couldn't say she was embarrassed, not clearing the air between her and her doofus.

"How do even do that?" Henry asked, thinking that it sounded like quite a feat, even for Schwoz and (y/n) and they were seriously smart. (y/n) could build anything and Schwoz could design anything, but still, that was a tricky job.

"Uh, well, we could explain it to you but Charlotte's the only one smart enough to understand. Sorry not sorry." (y/n) shrugged, causing Henry, Jasper and Ray to frown. Okay, just because the girl had science awards and stuff didn't mean they were dumb. Hit them with an equation, maybe they'd get it by some miracle, and Ray pouted at not being chosen by his sweet girl.

"Hey! You think Charlotte's so smart?" He protested, sticking out his bottom lip a bit as (y/n) checked over the wiring one last time and Schwoz went to set up the controls at the supercomputer. Aw, he was cute; he never understood her science, merely listened every time she explained something and marvelled at how beautiful she got when talking about something she loved, couldn't she do that now?

"Yeah," Schwoz answered for her, not caring if he was blunt and dismissive. What was the point of explaining to three dummies who wouldn't understand anything? That was just wasting his breath and time.

"Trust me, doof, you won't enjoy listening to Schwoz." (y/n) smiled and Ray thought about it for a minute. Well, if Schwoz was the one doing the explaining then he was sure to stop listening after the first second because that little coconut wasn't beautiful or sweet or set to walk down the aisle for him wearing a white dress. The mere thought of that was disturbing.

"Yeah, you're right." And for once, Ray listened and that was that settled.

"If this works, then you two can control Captain Man and Kid Danger just like you control The Bear and Hair in the video game," Schwoz explained and it was quite simple to grasp. When Charlotte would move, Henry would move in the same way, and vice versa with Ray and Jasper. They were now connected, so this was gonna be fun.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah and they can send us with (y/n) to find Barge and make him throw in the towel." Henry quipped huskily, impressing Ray at how witty his line was - he'd been saving that one. It wasn't the movement they had been hoping for but at this point, they'd take anything after being floopy for so long.

"Ooh, that's good. Remember that when we get there." Ray smiled as Schwoz turned up the power and the suits seemed to vibrate as they connected to the motion-capture one, everything starting to glow. "Ooh, something's happening."

"Whoaaa..." They all exclaimed as they tested the waters, Jasper stretching his arms out and miraculously, Ray mirrored him at the same time. It was the same for Henry and Charlotte; as she flexed and waved her hand, he did the same, they all did. (y/n) marvelled at how her doofus was now waving at Jasper, who admittedly, wasn't his first choice for a partner, but (y/n) couldn't do it, she had to take the lead on this one and Schwoz had to stay behind and monitor the power and stuff. That left one unfortunate choice. This was gonna be a long one.

"This is so cool!" Well, at least Charlotte was impressed and across the room, the science buddies locked eyes and shared a proud smile. By no means had it been an easy job but with a little perseverance and a few kisses along the way, they'd done something extraordinary and it was nice to see the fruits of their labour.

"We're one and the same!"

"Let's not get carried away..." Ray muttered, not in love with Jasper's enthusiasm but he understood the feeling. His girl was so smart, he had no idea how this worked but it was awesome. It was a shame that he had to be Jasper, the kid who was famous for being clumsy and heavy-footed, but underneath it all, he was highly impressed.

"Is this a bad time to say I have to pee?" Henry asked as he and Charlotte took a few tentative steps.

"This is a very bad time." Yeah, no. There was no way that Charlotte was gonna go pee like a boy for Henry, he could hold it in until the swiped that can of Flabber gas from Barge, or just y'know, pee himself. Mutal peeing was not on her agenda.

"Then I will not say it."

"Okay, watch this. Grab that..." The girl muttered as she and Henry walked to the back of the Man Cave where (y/n)'s red toolbox was sat. She wanted to test just how strong these suits were supposed to be and if she could punch just as harshly as Schwoz had bragged about, so, time to get practising.

"Wait, these battle suits make you super-strong, right?"

"Yah, but (y/n) won't like it if you ruin her tools.." Schwoz warned, wary of the woman's wrath since those hammers, wrenches and screwdrivers were her bread and butter when it came to fixing stuff around the place, they were necessities. What was she planning on doing with them? Upon hearing her name, the woman across the room stopped giving her lover an ecstatic smile and curiously wondered why Henry was holding the metal box that often accompanied her.

"Hey, Char, Hen, what you doing with my—" Everyone gasped in shock, well, for (y/n), it was more like horror, as Henry tossed the box up in the air and punched it like it was a balloon, all light and airy. The suits worked; with minimal effort, the toolbox flew across the Man Cave and embedded itself in the elevator door, leaving a dent so deep that the box was able to stay wedged there. Jesus, if that was a box and a scrawny kid could punch it like that then what would happen when they faced Barge?

"Whoa!" "That was awesome!" Jasper and Henry exclaimed as they gasped at the result, causing Charlotte to squeal, clap and jump up and down with excitement—and Henry had no choice but to copy. That looked quite hilarious, seeing a teenage boy buzz like a girl at a boyband's concert but (y/n) was more concerned about her precious tools. Sure, the box was sturdy and the door was the worse off of the two but still.

"Look at me! I'm a superhero! Taste my fists and smell my kicks!" Jasper was loving this. He was Captain Man, or was Captain Man him? Either way, whatever he wanted him to do, Ray had to do it, exactly like a video game, Jasper got to be the hero for once, and whilst that was endearing to (y/n), who got to watch one of her cute little teens and adorable doofus work together, for the man, it was agonising.

"You are not a superhero!" Ray snapped, not wanting the kid to get any ideas. He was still the one doing the work, y'know, the dangerous superhero, Jasper needed to remember that...but he didn't want to. Come on, he was living his best dream here.

"Raise your hand if you think Jasper's a superhero." He said and lifted his arm high above his head, meaning Ray, as much as he didn't want to, did the same. And if that wasn't enough, Ray's eyes widened when to humour the boy, raised her hand too, giggling when her doofus' mouth dropped open like a goldfish. What kind of betrayal was this?

"Sweet girl, really?" "Why not, doofus? Captain Jasper has a ring to it, don't ya think?" She teased and watched as his face darkened. Captain Jasper? Ew, no way, this clown couldn't be a hero, he could barely tie his shoelaces, let alone go and defeat bad guys. This set-up was a temporary thing and the minute they delivered that gas to Schwoz, he was so gonna tickle her until she begged for mercy.

"Jasper, please put my hand down." "Okay." It was a simple enough request and Jasper could see that Ray was done with "agreeing" with him, so he did the smartass thing and dropped that arm...and then raised the other one. (y/n) couldn't help but laugh at that, the way her fiancé set his lips into a firm line when he realised what the boy was doing, however, Jasper couldn't find it in himself to stop. This was the most fun he'd had in years.

"Dang it!" Oh, poor Ray. This really wasn't his day.

"Hey, Curly, can you do me a favour?" Seeing that he was approaching his bad mood mode, (y/n) decided that to sweeten the deal for her doofus, she'd show him that having Jasper as his controller wasn't all bad. for all the joking around, the boy did bring some perks, such as...

"Sure, what is it?" His willingness to do anyone a favour should they ask for one. Not many people were like that, they would sigh and groan from the effort but not their goofball. He was always happy to help, particularly for Captain Man and Miss Danger.

"Can you step forward and pretend to give someone a hug?" Okay, weird request but he could do that. Ray's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to work out what his girl was planning but when she stepped in front of him, it all became clear.

"Uh, yeah." Jasper did as he was told and it painted quite a sweet picture for Henry, Charlotte and Schwoz as they watched with bemused expressions. The boy curled his arms around thin air, meaning Ray did exactly the same, but unlike Jasper, he actually had someone to embrace. Finally, finally, he got to have his arms around his sweet girl as the kid did his best to mimic how his boss normally hugged the girl, tight yet cosy, needy but still affectionate, and whilst the suit was a bit hard and prodded against her ribs, just being able to drop their heads onto each other's shoulders and sigh was enough. It was always enough.

Maybe Ray's day wasn't so bad after all.

~The Abandoned Laundromat~

Okay, round two, here they go. After getting the lovey-dovey couple to split apart (a hard task for their friends but they managed it in the end), (y/n) guided the group to the laundromat, boldly going where she had been terrified to go before. 

This time, she had to find her courage because this time, she couldn't cling to Ray, she had to be the leader. They were robotically following her every footstep, the suits working perfectly as Charlotte and Jasper stepped around the Man Cave to make them move. Even over the long distance, the signal never broke and before they knew it, they were at the place, which was still as dirty, smelly and spooky as ever. 

"Ray, (y/n) and Henry should be approaching the laundromat now," Schwoz reported to the teens in the Man Cave as they concentrated on not knocking into anything on the way. The last thing they wanted was to make Henry or Ray trip on a trash bag or tire or something - that was a one-way ticket for the sidekick to have to get a tetanus shot. To be fair, Charlotte was quite good at it, she guided Henry quite well, he was in safe hands, Ray, however, well, he was in Jasper's hands, which were notoriously butter-fingered. Thank god for his indestructibility.

"Yeah, we can see everything through the cameras in their masks," Charlotte replied, seeing everything that Henry was, including how (y/n) was scanning the area like a goddamn hawk. The slightest movement and she was onto it because, from experience, she'd learned not to trust the place, super-strong battle suits or not, she was taking no chance.

"I'm a superhero, ka-blam!" Jasper exclaimed, which was a problem because he had this tendency to kick out and punch at random moments, it was so cool, he couldn't help it. However, that meant that miles away in the dark alley, Ray did the same thing and began stopping and kicking when they were supposed to be on a stealth mission. Kicking the air like a madman was not stealth, more like a good way to break one of his sidekick's arms before they'd even seen Barge.

"Schwoz, I would like to trade. I do not want Jasper controlling me anymore." Ray radioed the genius in the Man Cave, having grown tired of air-fighting every five minutes. Charlotte didn't do this with Henry, he was behaving normally and it was getting difficult avoiding all of the trash cans and things around the place, not to mention was he was behaving like a loon in front of his fiancée—who thought it was hilarious and may or may not have snapped a few videos.

"Charlotte, walk me over to see if Barge is inside," Henry said quietly as (y/n) tried to keep Ray from making too much noise. Great, he could do the quiet stuff, she could prevent the whole mission from going tits up, this was good. And it's not like they could blame Jasper, everyone gets excited on their first mission, although, not many people could say that their first mission was about controlling Captain Man.

'Kay." The girl copied and slowly but surely, Henry began to creep towards the gap in the wall where the window used to stand—the one he'd been thrown through. Together, they peered around the corner and saw the man of the hour, Barge himself, still sitting in the stinking laundromat and still talking to himself/the towel like a loon.

"But I smashed everything! I still can't find any more towels!" "I can see him! He's—he's, wow, he's really talking to a towel, isn't he?" Charlotte didn't believe it until she saw it. When the heroes had said that this guy was crazy and that he talked with inanimate objects, she thought they were exaggerating, but now that she could see everything that Henry could see, she realised the truth. Dear lord, he was huge and crazy, jeez...

"Oh, yeah, he's a few towels short of a laundromat if you know what I mean." (y/n)lied dryly into her earpiece, because sometimes, it was too hard to block out all the chitchat without dropping in the odd smart comment. There he was, still as big as he was before and surrounded by his/other people's towels. Ray needed to see this.

"Hey, doof, check this out. Barge is inside and he's talking to—oh my god, that is amazing." (y/n)'s words dried up when she turned around to smile at her lover so they could laugh at how crazy Barge was, but was she saw made her howl and wheeze. Never, in all of her born days, did she expect to see her doofus, Ray Manchester, decked in his Captain Man uniform, in the middle of a shithole alleyway, flossing. There was something about seeing a grown man do a children's dance that was hilarious and she made a mental note to thank Jasper when they returned home.

"I hate my life," Ray growled as his hips kept swaying and his arms kept...flossing. She really wasn't an expert in whatever that was, it was a fort-thing dance, right? Made by little kids who spent too much time on the internet, right? As an adult, she was too busy for things like that but that didn't mean that she couldn't laugh about it. Oh god, Ray was so grumpy, but he could never hate his life, not even a little bit. Sure, he put up with some real crap at times but he also had a great job, great friends and a great wife, well, that's where his life was heading. What's to complain about?

"Jasper, quit it.." Henry snapped, wanting his boss to actually be useful in this scenario because as funny as it was, they had a job to do here and Ray was the indestructible one—the main human meat shield. He couldn't protect his sidekicks if Jasper was making him dance.

"Ooh, is it time for fighting?" Go, go, go, his time had come! Bad guys were on their way, J-dawg to the rescue! He hadn't been paying attention at all.

"Yes, so let's focus. Now, last time, we didn't have a plan." (y/n) said calmly, wanting them to refocus on the task at hand because Barge could easily kill them, well, he could kill Henry, hurt her and ruin Ray's life but that still wasn't good. As per his promise and their mutual agreement, this time around, they weren't gonna charge blindly, they were gonna think tactics and do something smart.

"That right, sweet girl, we didn't, but this time, we do have a plan—" "JASPER DUNLOP!...." Oh god, that was not the plan. Ray had been doing so well; he was proud of his girl, she was leading the mission like the girl boss she was, he was about to explain the plan he'd thought of because he'd realised that she was right, thinking ahead was better and he hadn't become an expert tactician in his youth for nothing. However, someone should've told Jasper that, seriously, they should've briefed him on how superhero missions worked before they set off.

To everyone's horror, the boy took the plunge and decided that the way to go about things was to just stick his firsts out and charge. Ray had no choice but to go running into the laundromat with nothing but his indestructibility and the suit to help him because famously, Jasper, despite his rampant enthusiasm, couldn't fight for shit.

"This is not the plan!" Ray screeched as he ploughed through the door, interrupting Barge and his little chat with his royal towel. Oh god, this was gonna go well, he did not look happy. Still, Henry and (y/n) were flexible and if Jasper was gonna take their element of surprise then they'd just have to work around that.

"Sorry to barge in..." Henry quipped as he stood next to Ray, (y/n) on the man's other side and she gave his hand a quick squeeze to let him know that everything was gonna be fine this time. Jasper had just been a hiccup, nothing to worry about and with a sick entrance line like that, they were already one-nil up.

"I thought I flabber-gassed you. I know it doesn't work on the girl but how are you two moving?" Barge asked as he left the Towel King or whatever the hell it was and moved to study them. He didn't understand that they had the battle suits now, he was too crazy to see them, instead, he assumed that they'd found a way to combat the gas or something.

"You don't need to worry about that, debargery." (y/n) muttered lowly, not wanting to reveal their secrets because that was just dumb. What Barge didn't know wouldn't hurt him, all he needed to know was that they'd returned to beat him and save the city from eternal wetness.

"Yeah, but what you do need to worry about is...our fists!" Ray exclaimed, ready to do the fighting bit and upon hearing his sick line, (y/n) raised her fists to her chin so they could square off with Barge, who was also ready to defend his towels and king to his last breath. However, when it came to it, Ray and Henry didn't move; no matter how much they strained and groaned, the suits wouldn't budge. This is why you don't use children as your controllers.

"Uh, uh, you're gonna need all those towels to wipe this punch off your face!" Henry quickly filled the awkward silence, hoping that the few extra seconds would be long enough for Charlotte to refocus but again, there was nothing--they strained, they stretched, they looked to (y/n) for help but they couldn't do anything.

"Oh god, this is embarrassing. We're not usually like this..." (y/n) said nervously as she watched her doofus frown and Henry jerk his head to try and make the rest of his body move. It was no use; the suits were good as skeletons but without the input of the teens back in the Man Cave, their usefulness was limited.

"To anyone who's listening, this would be the part where we normally start fighting!" Ray hissed, hoping that the kids were still using their earpieces. His sharp tone soon snapped their minds back into the game and after a brief spell of chatting to each other, Charlotte and Jasper straightened themselves out. Right, it was hero time.

"Sorry!" The girl exclaimed and immediately, following (y/n)'s lead, stormed forward to begin the fight. With the woman flanking him, Henry landed the first punch on Barge, a strong blow to the face that was followed by a swift jab to the gut from (y/n). She wasn't as strong as the boy was with the fancy suit but she could still pack quite a wallop in between Henry's attacks. And where was Ray in all of this?

Well, whilst Charlotte had proven that she was just as skilful in a real situation as in a video game, Jasper had yet to find his niche. Simply, he panicked and rather than kicking ass, he began walking in the wrong direction, meaning as his sidekicks fought, Ray was headbutting the glass door and missing all of the action. This kid was such a moron...

"No, no! You're in the door, turn around!"

"I'm trying!" Jasper exclaimed as Charlotte/Henry and (y/n) laid into Barge, landing kicks and punches in a violent rhythm and it was difficult for the man to take two people at once, a tactic that was working extremely well, perhaps if they had Captain Man helping, things might be better?

"Kick! He's in front of you, kick him---argh!" Ray yelped when Jasper finally found the right direction and went into fight mode but to the man's disappointment and annoyance, his reaction times were just as lousy as his coordination ability. His leg was just too slow and as (y/n) and Henry recovered from taking some hits themselves, Barge grabbed Ray and tipped him off-balance, making him twist in the air before falling onto some towels.

"You are on the floor, get up!" Ray growled to Jasper as his sidekicks got their revenge. No one hurt their lovable idiot and got away with it. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte charged and leapt, meaning Henry landed on Barge's back as he leaned over from messing with Ray and with the kid holding his head up, (y/n) was able to sucker punch the giant in the teeth. God that felt good, even if he did shuck the boy from his back seconds later.

"Stop yelling at me!

"He's to your right!" Jasper couldn't tell what was happening anymore, all he could see was a blur and with Ray barking orders in his ear, he was getting disorientated and he hadn't even landed a hit yet. Was it time for a break yet? Because this superhero lark was a lot harder than it looked.

"Oh, where'd he go? Charlotte, can you take control for me?" Jasper asked but the girl had problems of her own. Mainly that she was in the heat of battle, punching and biting and slapping and jabbing to her heart's content and sweet lord, she'd found her calling. Fighting bad guys was easy, why did he need to swap so soon?

Henry punched Barge after slamming the door of a washing machine in his face, causing him to stumble back to where (y/n) was waiting. Oh, she was more than happy to walk into a scissor kick and smash his nose with the steel toe of her boot, hearing him groan was worth it after nearly losing a clump of her hair because of him and his stupid large hands and freakish strength.

"Your other right!" Ray exclaimed as he pottered around the laundromat like an idiot, only seeing glimpses of the fight since Jasper couldn't seem to use the camera let alone the motion controls. All he knew was that he was no good to (y/n) and Henry if he was tripping over or walking into stuff, not that his situation was improving.

"Captain Man, we need your help!"

"Seriously, doofus, help would be nice!" Henry and (y/n) exclaimed as Barge started fighting back, dealing each of them a few debilitating blows before he began tossing them around like ragdolls--his favourite thing to do with the small folk. It would be quite nice to have Ray on their side round about now but thanks to Jasper, he was a little preoccupied.

"Why are we punching a washing machine?!" Ray growled as his knuckles met steel instead of Barge's face, who was too concerned with throwing Kid Danger through a service window than going for the weirdo punching old equipment. He'd dealt with the girl too, the one who resisted his Flabber gas, she had slid to the floor for a breather after he'd pummelled her face enough to cause her lips and eyes to swell as blood trickled from her nose. Nothing super-regeneration couldn't fix but she still needed a minute.

"Because sometimes in video games, there's coins inside!" Jasper panted, not caring if Ray's hands were starting to hurt, he was indestructible, he could take it. What was more interesting was the sweet money he'd get if he could crack the machine because y'know, maybe someone forgot to empty everything when the laundromat shut down.

"Ahh, this is not a video game-" Ray protested, hearing the sound of Henry fighting back behind him and he knew that the kid needed help. Thank god he couldn't see his sweet girl as her face healed over and she scrambled to lend a hand, otherwise, Jasper would have a lot to answer for. 

Mainly how he was right for once; low and behold, the kid's prediction had been correct, there was a load of money in the rusty vault of the washing machine, quarters, dimes, the lot. Roughly five dollars or more if Ray could count and he was quite impressed for once because whilst this was more serious than Mario or Sonic, seeing so many shiny coins spill all over the floor was a nice surprise. 

"Oh, wow, look at that...what? What are we--what are you?" Saying that though, Ray didn't want to take it, he had bigger things to worry about, such as (y/n) and Henry. They stood against Barge, panting and sweaty but they'd clearly ruffled a few feathers because now he was getting desperate and when a nutcase gets cornered, they switch to what they know best.

"You think you got me? Well, gas again!" To be fair, that was a great pun. Barge smirked as he yanked the can of Flabber gas from his back pocket and aimed the nozzle at the sidekicks. Ray felt his heart clench as the boy and woman bravely tensed for the spray's effect as the mist landed on their faces, just like before.

"Ahhhhhh, nope!"

"Still just a headache, this girl ain't flabby." They returned the smirk as the gas failed to do anything; Henry's body was already flabby and not even the miraculous gas could make the suit stop. (y/n) barely felt the effect at all, a pain passed behind her eyes for a few seconds before she was back on form and ready to storm forward with her fellow sidekick.

Charlotte gave a strong kick to Barge's stomach, meaning he fell back onto one of his many mountains of towels, momentarily disorientated from the pain. Wow, that had been epic and Jasper had witnessed it all and like Ray, he felt such a rush of pride at how cool his friends were, he couldn't help but stand up to be a part of it himself. Only, in his excitement, he accidentally shoved Charlotte out of the way, causing her and Henry to stumble onto their sides, which wasn't good at all.

"Jasper, what did you do?" Schwoz asked worriedly as his monitors showed that the suit's connection to the motion capture had failed, something to do with the fall damaging a wire or a component in one of the suits. 

"Sorry!" That meant Henry was powerless as Barge recovered from his daze and grabbed him from behind, holding him in a chokehold that he couldn't get out of because the suit wasn't moving anymore, no matter what Charlotte tried. Seeing and hearing that they had a problem, (y/n) leapt forward to give the lunatic a taste of his own medicine, her fist pulled back to hover next to her, only to fall back when he backhanded her across the face whilst still retaining his grasp on Henry. 

"Uh, little help here!" The boy cried as Barge dragged him down to the towel mountain that he'd collapsed onto seconds before and Miss Danger crawled to try and get to him, swiping to prise the man's finger's away from his body but it was no good. She couldn't scratch his skin, he was able to grin and bear the blow to the face she gave him, without a hand from Captain Man, things weren't gonna end well.

"I'm doing stuff, it's just not working!" Charlotte cried as she waved her arms around like a madwoman. She could still see everything that was happening and she wanted to fight back, it was like an instinct, but unlike before, Henry didn't copy her actions, he couldn't do anything.

"Just hang on, kid. Captain Man, we need your he--" (y/n) shouted, turning her back on Barge to flash her desperate eyes at her doofus, who watched on in horror as she realised her mistake. Don't turn your back on the enemy. 

Since she couldn't see it coming, Barge zipped forward, unlooping his right arm from Henry's neck and hooked it around hers instead. (y/n) gagged as his bicep crushed her larynx and she gasped for air as she was pulled up against Henry, their heads thinking together, both sidekicks caught in the same steel-like grip. Right, not her smartest move and Ray saw it all; now, they both needed his help urgently before Barge did something stupid.

"W-what should I do?" Jasper stuttered, panicking since it was all down to him now. Charlotte couldn't do anything, she was too busy trying to get her suit back online. Regrettably, the saving of the day came down to the most unlikely kid on the team, and he didn't feel up to the job of having the lives of two of his closest friends in his hands.

"Grab the can of Flabber gas and spray Barge in the face!" Charlotte exclaimed as she tried to elbow the man holding her friends prisoner, the suit flickering to life again so Henry could smack the giant in the nose. So, because it was up to him, Jasper slowly got up from his puddle of money and carefully stepped towards the can of Flabber gas that Barge had dropped during the struggle. No tripping, no getting lost, no mistakes, not this time.

It was quite tricky to manoeuvre around the place when your feet were someone else's and as (y/n) and Henry scrambled for freedom, which wasn't very successful, Ray kicked the can of gas across the grubby tiles. What was so hard about just bending down to pick it up? The sidekicks were struggling to evade Barge's grasp, they need to squirt him, like, now!

"Good, good, yes, pick it up," Ray muttered as Jasper sank to his knees to carefully scoop the Flabber gas into his hands whilst in the background, Barge curled his arms around Henry and (y/n)'s throats again, making them choke. 

"Just pick up the can!"

"I'm trying!"

"Jasper, what is wrong with you?!" It was so frustrating for Ray to feel the smooth metal of the can brush up against his gloved hands, if he just closed his fingers, he could pick it up and end the suffering of his sweet girl and best friend before that madman hurt them, but Jasper, dear god, Jasper. For some reason, the boy couldn't pretend to pick up the can, he didn't have the imagination that Charlotte did, so he just rolled it along the floor like an idiot.

"I'm starting to blackout here!" Henry commented throatily, feeling his head beginning to swim as his lungs were starved of oxygen from how tightly Barge had him in the headlock and (y/n) understood the feeling. However, she could go on forever like this, her body would just stay in a permanent state of torture and compensate for the lack of air, but the kid...well, he couldn't stick it out.

"It's right there, pick it up!" And Ray was well aware of that fact.

"Stop yelling at me!" Jasper knew that too. He was also aware that Henry couldn't last much longer and that his boss was starting to panic about how long he and (y/n) were being choked, but mounting the pressure on him wasn't helping. The stress was making him shaky and he couldn't do stuff when he was shaky, so just give him a break, goddamnit.

"Boy, if you can just pick up this can and spray Barge to save my future wife...you will be a superhero." Ray sighed, knowing that it was time to stop being a dick and start being a mentor. He never shouted at Henry during his training and since the harsh treatment was failing with Jasper, he went with encouragement instead. Being a hero was everything to that kid and his girl was everything to him, if he could save her, plus his best friend, then, he would be a true hero to him.

Jasper gasped at the notion, and hearing those words from Captain Man himself sparked something amazing inside of him. With his mind sharpened and focused, he leaned forward to have another go at grabbing the can and it was like the stars aligned and luck shined on them. Jasper Dunlop, the clumsiest kid Ray had ever met, picked the can up with perfect accuracy. Thank the gods.

"Yes, got it!" He yelled victoriously, holding the can above his head like it was his prize, but it was too early to celebrate yet.

"Great! Now, get over here and spray Barge in the face!" Charlotte ordered him because she was getting so damn tired from fighting to keep Henry alive. She hadn't stopped punching or squirming, her muscles were on the verge of giving up and the kid in the suit wasn't much better either, so the gas couldn't have come at a better time. Now, the execution was the last thing they needed to worry about.

"Eat this!" Ray snarled as Jasper stretched out his arm to finally take down their enemy and finger squeezed the nozzle with the perfect amount of pressure, just enough to make it work, but not too much to make him drop it. Slight problem, though. Like most things involving Jasper, there was a hiccup and quite a big one at that. The can was facing the wrong damn way and as such, Barge wasn't the one being sprayed--Ray was.

"Ahhh, dang it!" What a let-down. The boy had one job. One stinking job and he didn't even point it in the right direction.

"Sorry!" Jasper squeaked, genuinely not meaning that small mistake, but no matter. He quickly corrected the can so the little hole was facing away from Ray this time and the hero groaned as he went in for the final act one last time. No messing up, Barge was gonna go down this time, it was impossible to get it wrong twice.

Slowly, Ray's finer pressed the nozzle and this time, to everyone's relief, the spray landed on Barge's face, making him groan as it immediately began to take effect. With a final grunt, his muscles went flabby and he crumpled into a pile of towels, releasing (y/n) and Henry in the process. Finally, a breath of relief and it was all thanks to Jasper...and Ray, of course, but mostly Jasper.

"Good job, buddy!" Henry called out, not saying who he was talking to as he looked at his boss, but it was meant for both of them so it didn't matter. What did matter was that Jasper wasn't humble in defeat. Rather, he wanted to dance on Barge's bitterness with a sweet move that he called to call "taking the L".

And obviously, if Jasper was dancing, so was Ray, which was again hilarious to see because no one over the age of twenty-five would ever move like that. The man groaned as he was forced to dance like a goddamn monkey in a cage and it was clear that he was loving this a bit too much.

"I'm a superhero!" Oh, boy. Ray was gonna regret saying that but for the moment, Jasper could have his victory, they all could. It was good to finally be a functioning team again and with the Flabber gas safely in their possession, it would be easy for Schwoz to get the boys back to normal.

"Hey, Jasper, I don't want to stop the fun, but can we do the hug thing again?" (y/n) suddenly asked into her earpiece as the boy slowed his movements once the excitement drained away. "Miss Danger always gives Captain Man a hug at the end of a mission."

"Oh, yeah, no problem." Jasper quickly agreed because it wasn't a problem, a hug was like their L Dance, a way of celebrating a job well done. And sure, a hero could do anything for a heroine, especially something as simple as that.

Taking up the same position as before, Jasper stood straight and held his arms out before slowly curling them towards him like someone was in front of him, which gave the woman enough time to slip into Ray's arms--just in time for him to pull her tight against his chest. Oh yeah, it was just as nice as before, a tad uncomfortable with the suit, but still nice. With a sigh, (y/n) rested her head against Ray's shoulder and he smiled at how her hands stroked his back softly. 

It was good, really good, a damn good hug. They all were. But saying that, it didn't mean it couldn't be better. And he knew the best way to turn it from good to perfect with one smooth move.

"Uh, yeah, Jasper, can you close your eyes and lean down a bit? Like just tilt your head?" Ray requested as politely as he could since he figured that if he stayed nice, Jasper would understand better--that had happened when he needed to pick up the can of gas. Sure, he tested his patience like no one else but this was quite easy and not a life or death situation, just him wanting to make the most of the post-victory bliss.

"Uh, why?" Yet the kid still had questions. Jasper thought that was a strange plea because surely if he had to do something, it was best if he could see what was going on, right? And why put his head down? All he would see was (y/n)'s head, so...

"Just do it!..."

"Please." The woman added on the end, smiling up at her doofus when she realized what he was trying to achieve and if that's what he wanted then all he had to do was ask. Yet something told her that he wanted to do this himself because after being useless all day, this was as much self-control as he was gonna get until they made it back to the Man Cave--and lord knows Ray Manchester doesn't have that kind of patience.

"Um, all right. I'm closing my eyes..." Jasper muttered and the laundromat slowly slid out of view. It should've been obvious what was happening, Schwoz and Charlotte knew straight away, Henry figured it out soon after, but Jasper, he'd always been a bit slow at the old problem-solving. Still, he could do as he was told and that was good enough.

Gently, Ray's neck craned enough so his head was lowered for his sweet girl to meet him in the middle. Stretching as much as she could, balancing on her tippiest toes, (y/n) closed the gap and pressed her lips to his, grinning at how it felt like coming home. It had been a very long night and they'd been beaten and tricked more times than they cared to count but this made all of that worth it.

The others could wait, they were used to it by now, and so, the happy couple had all the time in the world to slowly move together like a dance only they knew, so wrapped up in each other that time slowed down and the grunge of the laundromat became like static fuzz. There was no need to focus on anything else, not when her thumbs were grazing his cheekbones and his head tilted to go even deeper.

"Uh, guys, what's happening? I can't see." Jasper asked as he stood there, eyes closed, arms still stretched out. Jeez, this was a very long hug but he wouldn't stop until Ray or (y/n) gave him the word because he knew that their embraces were sacred, not to be interfered with by the likes of him. Oh, if only he could see the way his friends were smiling at how he just didn't get it.

"You wouldn't understand, Jasper. It's something called love..." Henry replied with the softest edge to his voice as he watched the best couple he knew just take a moment. Jasper had a lot to learn when it came to that stuff, they all did, but they had the best people to turn to when they needed advice.

Ray and (y/n) had found love and it could only get better from here on out. The best was still yet to come...

[rose--hathaways]

okay i’ve been distracted all day at work thinking about my thoughts re: the vampire academy reveal so here we go: ⬇️

rose: sisi stringer gets my tick of approval (not that anyone cares lmao), she is gorgeous she is fierce (and she’s australian so you KNOW i’m gonna support her) and i am HERE for some diversity in the cast. questioning the description where it says she’s the strongest fighter in her class because uhh she missed two years of training right? i’m assuming lissa and rose still ran away in this adaption?? she was so bad at combat that dimitri had to train her out of hours just to catch her up to her peers?? not a huge negative for me though, we all know rose is a badass & she caught up super quick to her classmates anyway so not a big deal

lissa: daniela nieves looks sweet but also like she could stab you, which is exactly the vibe is get from lissa (except lissa wouldn’t stab someone ofc, she would just compel them into thinking they were stabbed). i don’t mind that she doesn’t look like book lissa, but i do wonder if it will effect the little insecurities and jealousies that rose has around lissa in the books, but honestly they aren’t pivotal to the plot so idc. also i know everyone is talking about the “younger sister to the heir apparent” part of her description, honestly i think this is just in reference to andre taking the title of prince dragomir not the actual throne, but i could be wrong idk we’ll see and i mean she ends up as queen anyway soooo

dimitri: i was sold at kieron moore’s cheekbones tbh. and he’s actually 24! that’s right folks normal twenty-four years olds don’t look thirty! i’m loving his insta interactions already so i feel like he’s captured who dimitri is already, and i’m sure he can put on a russian accent perfectly well please please let him have a russian accent. still wondering if they will mess with his age, but i’m going to assume he’s still 24, judging by the description, and that maybe rose has been aged up?? idk, i just can’t wait to see him with long hair and a duster

christian: YES. andrè dae kim is 100% the closest character visually to what i imagined! love this!! getting the vibe that he’ll be the one to make the st vladimir connection? book christian didn’t come off as being very studious, except when it came to helping lissa, but he was also a total smartass so who knows what he got up to outside of rose’s POV. very keen to see that his backstory isn’t being brushed off and overall absolutely love him!!

victor: i never actually gave much thought to how victor looks, so j august richards is great in my books! i’m very keen to see some lgbtq+ representation in this series, but i’m kinda concerned that they’ve chosen (who i presume will be) the series’ villain to be the one in a same-sex relationship?? i’m also a bit confused & very curious about him having two daughters?? natalie is such a pivotal part of book one, unless they’re splitting her part into two i’m not sure how this would work? though a part of me wonders if they’re going to make robert doru’s character a child of victor’s, or even avery lazar’s character his child?? idk but should be interesting

tatiana: VOGEL??? this is where i get super confused. she sounds like tasha (without the relation to christian), but her name is tatiana but she’s also clearly not queen tatiana soooo ??? i saw a very cool post from @sydneysageivashkov talking about how they think there might be multiple timelines involved, in which case vogel could be a maiden/married name for queen tatiana?? that would be cool. regardless, not really sure what is happening here but i guess we’ll see 🤷🏼‍♀️

mia: KARP??? again, i am confused. i can definitely see her having book mia’s doll-like cute features, and i’m not too fussed about her not having the curly blonde hair tbh as someone who has naturally curly blonde hair i absolutely hate seeing others with it because of the second hand pain lmao. now getting to the part we all actually care about in mia’s description: lgbtq+ mia!! oh my fuckin god i am HEEEEEERE for this, mia has always been gay let’s be real here folks, i love this. also is she going to be related to sonya karp?????? questionsssss

meredith: tbh i sometimes forget that meredith exists so seeing her as a main character is uhhh ??? weird ???? is she replacing eddie? god i fuckin hope not. maybe she’s one of victor’s children?? idk. it’s weird but i’m curious to see where they’re going with her, plus it’s be good to see more female dhampirs because let’s be honest we don’t really see anyone other than rose and eventually dimitri’s family in the book series

sonya: ARE WE GETTING PRE-STRIGOI SONYA??? ohhhh i am KEEN. not sure how it’ll effect the storyline, maybe it’ll be told through flashbacks, again going back to the multiple timelines idea? also mikhail????? i didn’t think the books brought him into it until later, but idk i love them sm i am so excited for this. sonya is a little younger than i imagined, but i actually don’t see that as being a bad thing. also is she related to mia now???

mason: aw i’m gonna be sad if he doesn’t have red hair i won’t lie, but at the end of the day it’s really about attitude with mason and i think andrew liner will pull it off really well. his description seems to be pretty on-character, but it looks like the tv show is maybe going to play some sort of classmate rivalry between mason and rose?? could be interesting, idk, still looks like he’s gonna be a big simp for rose though lmao bless

so yeah i have concerns buuuuut i’m gonna wait it out and see what they do with it. lemme know what you guys think too!! x

[ggukkiedae]

❝𝕀𝕟 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕡❞

𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:

⇢ Episodes 5-6

𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜:

⇢ conversations written in italics are spoken in english. requests and feedback are highly appreciated!

⇢ script form (name: lines) are the interviews

Episode 5

she was in the back oh hoseok and taehyung’s car with a book open on her lap

“makdung-ah, have a sandwich”

hoseok handed her a sandwich which she blindly reached for and nearly knocked over, making hoseok shout and taehyung shocked

“got it! i got it! sorry, i’m a mess”

she was laughing and settled back in her chair, sandwich in hand and focus on her books

she saw seokjin in his sunglasses and choked a little “hobi oppa, where’s the water?”

they were talking about taehyung’s mixtape at some point

“oppa’s music is really nice, though. the stuff you let me hear is really good, i love listening to them” “thanks, aegi”

“look at you guys and your mixtapes. am i the only one who’s going to promote solo as an idol?”

hoseok and taehyung just laughed at her “we’re your biggest fans”

“we’re heeeeeere! my trampoline!”

hoseok opened her door for her and helped her out. she took her small carriers, still two because one held all her equipment while the other held her clothes and some skincare and makeup

“is it necessary to bring work here?” jungkook asked her

“i mean, you never know when ideas will pop up, right?”

a few minutes later, you can see her running up to the cars again “my guitar’s still in the car!”

miya: honestly, i was just excited to be able to relax again. i don’t think i ever slept that much anywhere else. the oppas say it’s good for me *laughs*

the first thing she did when she got in her room was to pull her blanket from the carrier with her equipment and take her plushies out of her backpack

she put them down inside the mosquito net “alright toph, koda, time for you guys to rest from the long drive”

she ran over to the upper house “yoongi oppa! can i help with the food!” “that would be much appreciated, princess”

she’s chopping up vegetables quickly, drawing hoseok’s attention

“sometimes, i forget you’re a good cook because of how clumsy you are. hyung, you know she nearly dropped her sandwich in the car earlier?” “oppaaaa, don’t tell them thaaaat”

she was grilling some marinated pork chops in the kitchen while the older members were outside. hoseok stopped by, and she cut him a little piece for tasting

“perfect as always, makdungie”

jungkook punching the broth behind her distracted her the slightest bit by making her laugh “oppa, you’re hyperactive today”

she brought the huge dish of marinated pork out to the table and yoongi had her taste the dakgalbi

“ooooh it’s smokey, i love it!”

she made sure to get the bowl with what looked like the least amount of noodles which yoongi noticed and made up for it by giving her a lot meat

meanwhile seokjin looked at her “i still can’t believe you won’t tell us how you make the marinade for your pork” “that’s a secret between me and yoonsungie oppa”

she ran off after eating saying she had to brush her teeth

right after she did, she ended up sitting by the deck with her guitar playing random melodies and writing them down

seokjin surprised her by arriving and going straight into the canoe

“oppa?” “i hit a ball into the lake by accident” “well, looks like a home run”

she laughed when his canoe hit the deck before setting her guitar down and helping him out of it

“oh god, i’m sleepy”

she headed up to the main house with seokjin where jungkook was half asleep

she settled next to him and somehow they made themselves fit into the small bench. they just passed out despite the other members being quite loud

hoseok and seokjin were trying to wake the two maknaes up. seokjin picked her up from jungkook’s grasp and she just ended up wrapping her limbs around him and burying her face in his neck and going back to sleep

“oppa,” she mumbled while seokjin was hitting jungkook with the foam roller, “this game is so violent. and loud. and making you move a lot”

“aigoo, you two won’t be sleeping in the boat house later at this rate”

next you see of her, she’s in the kitchen whisking eggs and talking to herself

“this whole process can’t be aired to protect my fried chicken recipe,” she looked at the nearest camera “please keep it a secret, editor-nims”

while jungkook is filleting the fish, they overlay the sound of her frying the chicken

“simple fried chicken when done well is worth a lot”

seokjin walked in, yoongi close after

“oppas, i’m making chicken! what else are we having for dinner?”

seokjin patted her head “you did well, princess. what about doenjang jjigae?” “oh, sounds good!”

yoongi helped her bring the plates of fried chicken out to the table which she began to set for them

jungkook hopped out to have her taste some of the sushi making her grin

then he threw her over his shoulder

“stop hovering over the chicken and come inside to help taste stuff!” “but the bugs!”

she ended up inside tasting yoongi’s jjigae

she stayed off to the side mixing a bunch of sauces together for the chicken if the others wanted to flavor it

jungkook came and playfully put some of the honey soy sauce on the sushi and tried it

“wah, hold on, that’s actually good” “oppa, save the sauce for the chicken!” “there’s also garlic parmesan and teriyaki!”

miya: it felt nice to have a lot of us in the kitchen. there were so many things going on both creative wise and, well, cooking wise. i usually cook alone at the dorms or with one other person, but being with a lot of people gives it a more chaotic but homey feel. it’s… it’s a very warm feeling”

there were compliments passed around for the chicken, sushi, and soup and she just had the biggest grin on her face while eating

seokjin placed a small plate in front of her “these pieces don’t have wasabi, so you can eat it”

“let’s have yoonmi’s marinated fried chicken tomorrow!” “oh, good. i already marinated them in the fridge for tomorrow, anyway”

yoongi pulled the soju bottle away from her “that means no drinking tonight, princess. we want you awake in time to cook lunch”

she headed for the boat house after dinner

Episode 6

jimin popped into her room while she was settling herself in bed. he crawled into her mosquito net with her and began tucking her in

“i haven’t done this in a while”

miya: jiminnie oppa had a habit of tucking me in before sleeping back when i was younger. we got older, though, and i started staying in the studio later, so he never got to do it much anymore. it was pretty nostalgic, and i felt like i was fourteen or fifteen again

“i though jinnie oppa wanted to play baseball with you” “i told him i’d come back after checking in on you”

he settled her plushies on either side of her head which made her giggle

“you’re growing up way too fast, aegi. i can’t believe you’re an adult now” “i guess so”

he kissed her forehead “you’re still our makdungie, though. sleep well, alright?”

she smiled at him “good night, oppa”

jimin: i think i didn’t enjoy yoonmi’s childhood enough. one minute, she’s a little kid who barely reached my chest. the next, she’s twenty years old, a successful actress and soloist alongside being in bangtan, and she has a boyfriend, too. i know she’s still my baby, but i feel like time flew by way too fast

the next day, she walked into the upper house kitchen to find seokjin and yoongi cooking. she was still rubbing her eyes, and her hair was a mess

“aigoo, our princess is still sleepy”

she walked right into seokjin’s arms and closed her eyes while he slightly rubbed her back

“should i cook the marinated fried chicken?”

yoongi patted her head “we have a lot of dakgalbi, it’s okay”

she settled on the table facing yoongi while he grilled, chin in her hands as she tried to stay awake on the table

yoongi woke her up and placed a fork in her hand knowing she’s too sleepy to properly use chopsticks

she ate in silence, eyes half-closed

jimin chuckled at her “sleep well last night, aegi” “mhmm yes, oppa”

when they finished lunch, she headed straight for the common area in the main house with her book

she sat reading in between jungkook and namjoon while they painted

“oppas, how’s the weather gonna be today?” “really nice, apparently”

she closed her book for a while before getting up. she silently made her way over to the boat house where she started doing her hair and makeup.

“i’ve got to do a self-photoshoot before i let the nice weather go to waste”

a few minutes later, she’s out on the deck with her phone on a tripod on video mode. she sets it up and presses record before posing by the fence

“god, i hope this comes out pretty”

she moves around a little before checking her phone

“ooooh these are kinda good. okay let me put on a dress and take pictures by the flowers”

jungkook glances at the view again a few minutes later and lets out a laugh when he sees yoonmi in a dress all done up and posing in front of her phone

“i didn’t think she’d actually do the self-photoshoot”

nearly twenty minutes later, she’s back in her loungewear in between namjoon and jungkook taking screenshots of herself from her mini self-photoshoot

she looked up and just watched jungkook paint

“it’s amazing how you can just do that” “i’ll teach you if you want to try” “maybe tomorrow”

she headed inside the common room and continued reading in there

when the sun started to set, she headed over to her room to put her book down

she washed off her makeup and headed up to the upper house

[platypanthewriter]

Breeze

Harringrove April Prompt 20: Breeze Billy doesn't know what's the most nightmarish about Hawkins--the stuff he can see, or the stuff he can't.

Billy’d been just gonna drop Max off at the Sinclair place, but then the sky turned green with the sounds of screaming, and somebody—who turned out to be Lucas—ran towards them from the house, and banged on the window.  “Tornado!  Get in the storm cellar!” he yelled, through the noise and the dust, and waved them to park in the barn.  

Billy didn’t wanna admit he was spooked, but he definitely walked a little faster than a saunter to that door in the ground.  It was pitch black inside, and he kept bumping into Max, who swore at him.  “I can’t see where I’m going!” she hissed, and Billy growled, “I can’t stand up,” from where he was still wedged against the door.  

“Come down heeeeeere,” came the voice of one of Max’s little shithead friends, the curly one.  “We have a ouija board.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Max said, and Billy heartily agreed, biting his lips together.  

“It’s traditional!” said Curly, lighting a candle, and Max groaned.  He lit five candles in a circle, which looked creepy as shit, because they were all blowing in the same direction—into the darkest part of the cellar, not even something logical, towards or away from the door.  Billy tried not to wonder what was in the darkest corner, sucking up the light.  

Nobody wanted to sit there, he noticed, all the kids gathering around the other side, so Billy had to man up and sit with his back facing the sucking darkness, a soft breeze bringing up goose pimples all along his shirtless spine.  “Where the hell are your parents,” he growled, half wondering, half wishing there was an actual adult around so he could ask how likely he was to find a cow halfway through his Camaro after the tornado went through.

“They got sucked up in the last tornado,” said Lucas’ little sister, and Billy stared at her for a long second, until Max and Curly started snickering. 

“Ask for Great-grandma,” Little Shithead Sinclair said, elbowing her brother.  “She died in the kitchen,” she told Billy, who glared back at her.  

“Fuck off,” he said.

“No, that’s actually true,” Curly said, grinning over.  “It might have been murder.”

Billy hated them all.

“Our old dog used to stare at her, wandering around the spot where she died,” Lucas said, his mouth twitching.

“Where she was murdered,” his sister whispered, like a ghoul.

“It gets really cold in their kitchen,” Max reported, and Billy glared at her, wondering why the fuck everyone in Hawkins was weird as shit, and why he was in their creepy fucking house, when suddenly the whole cellar lit up, and filled with the sound of screaming wind like a passing freight train.  

“Hey!  Everybody’s down here, huh?” came Steve Harrington’s voice, and Billy wished he was dead.  Harrington yanked the cellar door shut again, humming like a lunatic as he walked from death into the basement of a haunted house.  

Lucas shifted closer to Tiny Evil Sinclair to make room, Max, the traitor, shifted close to Lucas, and all the space was left around Billy.  

Harrington stopped when he saw him.  “Oh,” he said, then, “—uh.”  He grimaced, and then sat down between Billy and Curls, and Billy just set his jaw, keeping his eye on the ouija board.

“Oh!” Harrington said again, like a genius.  “Ghosts, huh?”

“Just my great-grandma,” said Lucas, and Max nodded, like oh, yeah, the Sinclair fuckin’ murdered grandma ghost, of course.

“Can she check for…” and here Harrington honest-to-god side-eyed Billy, like he wasn’t supposed to know about their freaky Hawkins bullshit.  “You know,” Harrington whispered.  “Other things?”

“Ohhhh,” said Lucas, like that made sense, and Billy wanted to shake both of them and yell “What fucking other things, Harrington?!” but he just glared at Max, biting his lips.  

The little coward avoided his gaze.

“How far can she look?” Harrington asked, like they were doing got-damn military reconnaissance, and Billy leaned over and punched Max’s leg, so she’d look up.  She didn’t.

Steve reached out and put his hands on the ouija board thing, with Max and Curly and Smallest Sinclair, and it sped over to ‘no’.  The house rattled around them.

“Wait,” Lucas said.  “Does that mean they’re not out there, or she can’t?” and Billy was left to hope they were all united in fucking with him, because he did not want to know what was creepy enough to send a ghost to surveil.  

They got super into it, even drawing a map of Hawkins in the dirt on the floor, while Billy noticed the shelves and shelves of lumpy reddish substances in jars, and peered closer, wondering whether he was about to become an organ donor.  The wind was so strong the weighted door was slamming in a regular rhythm, like a heartbeat.  

“It’s jam,” Max hissed, and he nodded, like he hadn’t jumped at her voice.

“Out by the Steelworks,” Steve said.  “Better all stay away from there.  Hopper and his deputies can check it out, okay.”  He glared around, and Curly and Lucas rolled their eyes and nodded, Max glowered back, crossing her arms, and Tiny Ghoul Sinclair snorted a laugh.  “I mean it,” Steve said, glaring even at Billy, who raised his eyebrows.  “We might not get so lucky next time.”

Billy just raised his eyebrows back, thinking he was damned if he was going anywhere these freaks thought was creepy.  “What,” he said.

“Don’t go out there,” Harrington repeated.

“Gee, I really wanted to,” Billy sneered.  “Steelworks.  Sounds rad.”

“No, don’t,” Max said, sounding shaken.  “Billy.”

“What the fuck is out there,” Billy blurted, and they all kinda...glanced at each other.  

“Guys,” Harrington hissed.

“....ummmmm,” said Tiny Sinclair, kinda sing-songing it, and Billy ignored her to glare at Max.  

“Uh,” she said, wincing.

“Clayface?” Curly said, and Lucas screwed his face up in thought, slowly nodding.

“What?” Steve asked, frowning at them.

“I don’t read comics,” Billy said, which was a dumb thing to say, because they both stared at him.

“How’d you know he was from a comic, then?” Curly asked, raising his eyebrows, and Billy groaned.  “It looks like somebody you know, right, but it’s not,” Curls told Max, who groaned.

“Bullshit,” Billy growled, but looked over to see Harrington biting his lips together, his eyebrows raised.  

“Nobody can hear us in this,” Max said, suddenly.  “Nobody.  Nobody is listening.  We can just—tell him.”

“Who the fuck would be listening to you,” Billy bit out, but everyone scooted closer to the candles.  

“You know Will Byers,” Max said, glancing over her shoulder.  “He disappeared last year.”

If they hadn’t all looked so shaken, and if Harrington hadn’t gone along, his knuckles whitening as he flexed his fists, Billy wouldn’t even have listened—but he had nowhere to be, and even if Max was insane, her version of the last few months in Hawkins answered some questions.  

When they got to the day Billy’d chased Max all over hell and gone when she knew he’d get in trouble, he gritted his teeth, but kept listening.  

“You know this sounds crazy, right,” he said, and Max sighed.  

“I’ve got a picture of one in my wallet,” Curls said, whipping it out, and handing over a bent photo of something huge and slippery-looking wedged in a fridge.  

“...what the fuck is that,” Billy breathed, and they all leaned in around the candles, pointing out stuff in the photo, and talking about Steve Harrington like he was a superhero.  

“So you can’t go out to the Steelworks,” Max said, glaring over, and Billy held back a laugh.

“I didn’t want to!” he told her.  “I’m not going near anything you all think is creepy,” he snorted, gesturing at the whole world around them, and Steve cocked his head, then nodded, like Billy had a point.

The wind outside sounded even louder—they were all shouting to be heard—and the breeze towards the darkest corner hadn’t stopped.  The breeze licked up Billy’s neck, and he full-body shuddered.  It was really cold, back there, and Billy scooted back over next to Harrington, who gave him kind of a weird look, but then went back to their creepy map with big X’s on it.  They kept saying things like “How many,” and “—that’s not good, that could be infecting…”

“Stop fucking with me,” Billy muttered.  “You’re just moving that thing yourself.”

“What?!” Max said, and Lucas opened his mouth, and then closed it, setting his jaw.  

“Let him do it,” said Curly, and Tiny Shitstirrer Sinclair grinned evilly.  

“Why the fuck would I want to,” Billy asked, but Max grabbed his hand and smacked it down.  

“Close your eyes,” she said.  

It did feel like it was tugging, and he did hold it in fucking place, because all he had left was denial.  “See?” he said.  “It didn’t move.”

The candles blew out at the same time, into the direction of the fucking haunted breeze from behind Billy, and everyone yelled, Billy the loudest, half falling into Harrington.  

Harrington started laughing, silently, Billy could tell, but it was pitch black and the wind was still screaming outside, and as Lucas lit the candles again, the plastic pointer thing in Billy’s hand moved to I—A-M—H-E-R-E.  He yanked his hand back, wanting to punch Harrington, just as the cellar door blew open, rain blew in, pelting around them, and the candles blew out again.  Billy grabbed for the nearest anything, and found Harrington’s arm.

“It’s okay, Hargrove, I’ll protect you,” Harrington said, laughing, and Billy was ready to shove him away and stumble off into the freezing cold basement, when Curly’s voice laughed shakily.  

“Yeah, you better.”

“S’what I’m here for, right?  You okay, Erica?  Max?  Lucas?” Harrington asked, and they said they were, but they sounded rattled.  Billy didn’t lean into Harrington, but he didn’t move away, either, and then he thought of the candles, patting towards them as Harrington stood up.  The door clattered shut again, and it didn’t bang.

“I put the board across this time,” Harrington said, as Billy lit a candle.  

There was movement behind the Shittiest Sinclair.  Billy squinted, as his stomach dropped.  “Everybody behind me,” he said hoarsely, trying to make something different out of what his eyes were telling him about the dark shape on the floor in the flickering candlelight.  

“What?!” she asked, glaring at him, and he said it louder, trying to keep his voice even.  

“Everybody get behind me right now.”  

Harrington glanced at his face and then grabbed Curly and tiny Sinclair, shoving them at Billy, and Billy took a shaky breath of relief, pulling them closer as the coiled snake in the corner raised its head.  Steve swore and grabbed Lucas, as Max yelped, seeing it finally, and scrambled towards Billy.

“Cottonmouth,” said Curly.  “Water moccasin.  Should leave us alone, over here.”

“Shit,” Harrington breathed, stepping close to Billy, so the raised hairs on the back of their arms brushed.  

“Are they poisonous,” Max hissed at Lucas, who was pushing her behind Billy, while glaring at his little sister.  The snake eased back down, shutting its mouth instead of the eerie white gape.  In the light of only two candles, it was nearly invisible again.

“They’re in the viper family,” Curly breathed, staring.  “So it will just rot your flesh.”

“What,” Steve said, which was what Billy was thinking.  

“It’s called necrosis, it’s like gangrene,” Curly said cheerfully, and Billy kinda wanted to feed him to the snake.  “It’s way better than anything that causes nervous system damage!”

“Probably down here to get away from the tornado,” Lucas sighed, and they stayed there, because every time one of them ventured forward, the snake raised its head.  Smallest Sinclair kept trying to wedge her way out, and Billy shoved her back.  

The portal to the nether realms or whatever the fuck was still behind them—probably the Upside-Down, Billy thought, shivering from actual cold the way he never thought he would in the summer in Hawkins Indiana.  Harrington kept shooting him glances, like there was something weird about standing as far as possible from a huge poisonous snake when you couldn’t leave a basement the size of a bathroom.  They finally slid back down to sit against the ground and the wall, pressed up against each other in the darkness.

“...there’s some kind of...wind back here,” Max muttered, used to such things, probably, in Hawkins Indiana.  Billy’s little fucking sister would probably be one of those old ladies in zombie movies that ran into a zombie and hit it with her purse, he thought, biting back a grin.  He kept his mouth shut, for once, because he’d been sweating in his car on the drive over, and now the fucking graveyard breeze had him shuddering with cold.  

When the tornado outside finally slowed, Harrington tapped Lucas’ shoulder.  “Go unbar the door,” he said, watching the snake.  Lucas slid out and did so, and then Small Evil Sinclair, and Billy realized he was going to be alone in the basement with Harrington, and Harrington’s grudge.

Curls and Max went last, and then it was just Billy and Harrington—and Billy couldn’t stop shivering, in no shirt, with the soft, freezing cold breeze wafting against his arms, back, and neck.  Everybody would believe Harrington, Billy realized, if he said Billy’d tried to fight a snake, and Billy grimaced, not liking what that said about his image.

“Close your eyes,” Harrington said, and Billy jerked his head up to squint at him through the darkness.  He could just make out a concerned frown, in the light from the open cellar door

“What?!” he hissed back.

“It’s fine, I’ll get you out of here,” Harrington told him, putting both hands on Billy’s biceps, like that made sense.  His hands felt like heaters in the haunted breeze, and Billy set his jaw and didn’t lean in.

“The hell are you t-talking about,” Billy tried to growl back, but he full-body shivered in the middle of his sentence, and Harrington gripped him tighter.  

“Shut your eyes, I’ll get you past the snake,” Harrington said against his ear, and Billy realized between his shuddering, and his reaction earlier...Harrington thought he was terrified of snakes.  “Come on,” Harrington said, “—I won’t tell anybody, just don’t look at it.  I’ll get you out.”

Billy stared back at him.  “...what,” he said, blankly.

“You can’t stay in this corner forever,” Harrington told him, frowning at the snake.  “They’re pretty chill, but I’m not just—leaving you down here.”  Billy shivered again, and Harrington’s frown deepened.  “Trust me.”

It was not how Billy’d thought the day would go—the fucking tornado, or the snake, but certainly not Steve Harrington trying to help him save face.  He nodded, finally, and Harrington insisted he close his eyes, and walked him over to the stairs, telling him every bump in the floor, and when to lift his feet for the stairs.  “You’re okay, it can’t reach you, it’d hit me first, even,” he kept saying, and stuff like it.  

“That was cool of you, putting yourself between it and Erica,” he said, off-handedly, and Billy wondered what the hell kind of person Harrington thought he was, that he’d hide behind a little girl, and then shivered again at Harrington’s breath on his neck and shoulder.  “Shit, if you hadn’t been down there, somebody coulda died,” he said, laughing shakily.  “I’ll get you away from snakes anytime, man.”

At the top of the stairs, he let go, and Billy stopped automatically, so Harrington walked into him.  “You can open your eyes now,” he laughed.  “...you okay?  You need anything?  Want something to drink?” Harrington asked, drawing him away from the storm cellar by the wrist, like Billy was having some kinda breakdown, just because he was a shivering mess.  He kinda wanted to keep playing it up, keep Harrington watching Billy like he needed protecting.  Billy rubbed his arms, but he didn’t pull his wrist out of Harrington’s grasp.

The yard was a mess of blown branches and trash, and Billy wondered, sinkingly, about his Camaro.  “...I owe you one,” he told Harrington, sighing.  “Two, I guess.  Hit me up.”

Harrington was silent for a long second, and then he nodded.  “...yeah,” he said, trailing off awkwardly, before changing the subject.  “Jesus, it was freezing down there next to that storm window,” he said, and Billy said, “...what?”

Steve pointed to a cracked chunk of plywood screwed just above the ground, and Billy realized it was right over his haunted devil’s corner.  “Didn’t you notice?” Harrington said, shivering.  “Kept letting in a breeze.”

"God fucking damn it," Billy breathed, his face heating as he started to laugh.

The other Harringrove April prompts I’ve done! 

[tirednotflirting]

remind me how it used to be

we did it! we wrote a sequel to all too well jalex! (and by we i mean myself and the ever amazing and wonderful @reveriesofawriter)

alt title (aka meghna’s doc title): how you get the jack lol

once again it has been so much fun to build up this little world and write with meghna. especially in this where we got to play around some more with timeline and such like i feel like every time we would chat about or work on this fic i was learning so damn much. meghna, my love, thank you for making writing so much fun. this has been such a blast and i love these boys and this story so much.

lots of alcohol mention in this bc boyboy still owns a bar and i’m a total lush so as always there’s just lots of wine lol

if you wanna read the first part of this you can find it heeeeeere

and if ao3 is more your jam, you can find that for this part here

ps - bella we fixed it :          )

Jack pulls his door open expecting it to be Zack or Rian, but instead he’s face to face with someone who might as well be a ghost. Lightning flashes behind Alex as he stands two steps outside Jack’s front door, soaking wet with the first of the summer storms. His hair is plastered across his forehead, little rivulets running down his face from every strand.

The last thing Jack expects is for this obvious hallucination to speak, but as soon as he does, it’s a lot harder to believe he’s not real, a living breathing human, dripping with rainwater like he’s been out in the storm all day. “I wasn’t planning on asking this, but can I come in?”

Jack blinks a few times, thinking maybe it’s some kind of rainbow-type of mirage that’ll disappear with enough time, but Alex is still there. Jack wordlessly pulls the door open wider and leaves Alex in the hallway as he mumbles something about grabbing a towel and leaves the room. As if in a fever dream, he texts Rian that he might be going crazy. He grabs a towel and glances down when Rian replies asking wtf he means by that, but decides he should check and see if he really did imagine it all before involving other people in his overactive daydreams.

When he steps back into the hallway, Alex is still standing in front of the door, dripping water onto the hardwood floor. He’s wringing his hands like he’s uncomfortable, which makes two of them. Jack hands him the towel and tries not to watch as Alex runs it over his face and hair before wrapping it around his shoulders.

When Alex stops moving, Jack finally finds his words. “What are you doing here?”

Alex didn’t expect Jack to let him in when he got in his car half an hour ago and then sat there for a length of time telling himself it was worth it to drive all the way here. He didn’t expect Jack to let him in when the sky cracked open and started pouring rain the second he pulled out of his driveway – it was only a sign if he let himself think so, because it always rains this time of year. He didn’t expect Jack to let him in when he got a flat tire a couple blocks away from Jack’s house and decided fuck it, he was running the rest of the way if that’s what it took. He didn’t expect it even as he stood outside and rang the doorbell and saw the pure shock on Jack’s face when the door swung open.

And yet, here he is, drenched and cold and beyond uncomfortable for neither of those reasons after Jack said something about getting a towel and ran in the direction of his bedroom. Six months ago, Alex would have let himself in without knocking and made himself at home beside Jack wherever he was despite being wet, because Jack would be warm and annoyed but would cuddle him back.

Jack gives him a towel as promised and shifts awkwardly until Alex at least has his face dry. “What are you doing here?” he asks. It’s not an unfounded question, but somehow he doesn’t have this part planned out. Is this where he starts apologizing? For showing up out of the blue? Or for literally everything else?

Jack has been tiptoeing around him for nearly an hour, and of course he understands why, but it’s making his own restlessness that much worse. He’d called a towing company for his car and had made it clear that he planned on leaving as soon as they got there, but he hasn’t gotten a call yet and it’s only Jack’s hospitality keeping him from walking back to his car and sitting inside alone for who knows how much longer.

Alex hadn’t known how to start apologizing, so he hadn’t. He told Jack he got a flat tire and just happened to be close enough to drop by. He’d explained he’d been wanting to stop by anyway, but Jack was taking everything he said with a wary eye, and Alex couldn’t blame him, so he settled for small talk, hoping it would eventually stop feeling so forced.

“You’re teaching?” Jack asks. He’s sitting on a whole other chair, and it might as well be in another house.

“I am a teacher, that’s kinda my job.”

“I thought you liked having summers free. To explore the world and all that.”

Six months later and Alex wishes he wasn’t surprised that Jack remembers anything so minute about him. It almost gives him hope that maybe this isn’t just Jack being too polite to kick him out. “I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I guess I just wanted a distraction.” He hopes Jack knows he doesn’t mean he wanted a distraction from him, when Jack has been his distraction from everything happening around him in the direction of the future for as long as he can bear to remember. Almost the opposite, summer school is supposed to be distracting him from wanting to run. He’s made that mistake enough times to know when he has something strong enough and pure enough to hold onto. “Besides, paychecks from teaching only go so far.”

“I’m sure you would have managed.” Jack is still holding his empty mug even though he finished his tea a while ago. Alex hadn’t had to ask him to make it, but while he was on the phone, Jack had made them both cups and handed one to Alex as soon as he hung up. It was surely partly to give his hands something to do, but Jack still knows how he likes his tea, which isn’t nothing.

“I didn’t want to waste my summer when I had a reason to stick around.” Jack looks a little surprised, but otherwise Alex can’t read his expression. Alex switches which leg he’s sitting on so he’s leaning slightly closer to Jack. “I hate how things ended—how I ended things between us. I’ve regretted it ever since. You always deserved a better explanation, and I don’t- I didn’t leave. I always leave, but I didn’t, and it took me this long to figure out why. I’m sorry for everything I said. I wish I could take it all back.”

Jack has gone from surprised to shocked, and Alex doesn’t know if anything he just said makes sense at all. He’s supposed to be home modifying a power point about Henry VIII to fit the summer school curriculum, and instead he’s sitting in the heaviest silence he’s ever felt, because he can’t say sorry again until Jack says something. “I’ll be right back,” is what Jack finally says. He takes his mug when he leaves the room and Alex has a feeling he’s texting Rian in the kitchen, which is his cue to leave.

He pulls the towel off his shoulders and heads toward the bathroom where he knows Jack’s hamper is. It strikes him as he tosses the towel in that he still remembers where the hamper even is. It feels like lifetimes ago that he was in this house last. On his way back, he walks past Jack’s bedroom where the door is wide open. Everything looks the same; still warm and inviting and surprisingly tidy. The only thing that’s different is there are no more photos on the mirror. Of course Jack wouldn’t want reminders of him up on every wall. Of course he’d take them down after everything Alex did. In fact, he probably wouldn’t want Alex near his room at all, let alone staring into it feeling waves of bittersweet nostalgia that he’s still not sure he’s allowed to feel. He tears himself away from the doorway, heart pounding in his ears, and goes back to the couch.

By some miracle of timing, he gets a text from the tow truck guy saying he’ll be there in ten minutes, so Alex stands up. He wants to disappear and pretend he was never there, but more than that he wants to make sure Jack knows how sorry he is, that he’s willing to do anything to make him believe it, and mostly to let him know he never really fell out of love, not back then and not over the time they’ve been apart. Jack comes back without the mug and takes in Alex looking like he’s about to leave.

“Tow truck is almost there,” Alex says.

“I’ll drop you off,” Jack says, after a moment’s hesitation.

“You don’t have to-”

“It’s still raining, and you said you’re only a couple blocks away. It’s no big deal.”

Jack waits until they’re driving to say anything more, maybe so he knows Alex can’t physically escape. “Why did you really come over?”

It’s the simplest question he could have asked, all things considered, but it still catches Alex off guard. “I wanted to say sorry. In person. I want you to know I mean it. And I know it’s stupid to even ask, but I wanted to see if you’d be willing to give us another chance.”

Jack finds Alex’s car easily where he’d said it would be. “What’s different this time?”

If there’s one thing Alex knows about history, it’s that it repeats itself, but Alex is determined to stop it this time. He doesn’t know how, but Jack hasn’t said no, so as far as he can tell he’s on the edge of a second chance. “I won’t be afraid to tell you what I want, and I’ll try as hard as I can to make sure it’s the same as you.”

“What were you afraid of?” Jack asks. A pair of headlights shines at them as the tow truck pulls up from the opposite direction.

“That I wasn’t enough, I guess.” Alex blinks in the bright lights. He watches the faint shadows of the rain on the windshield warp Jack’s face. “So?”

“Come by the bar sometime. I don’t have an answer for you yet.”

Alex pushes the door open and heads back out into the rain to talk to the tow truck driver who looks less than thrilled to be there. Jack gives him a small wave as he drives away, and it’s not a no. It’s almost enough to pin some hope on.

-

“Lizzie, have you seen the inventory sheets anywhere? Rian needs them for the ordering tomorrow,” Jack asks his lead bartender as he steps behind the bar. He immediately ducks down to check on the shelves below the card reader since he swears he saw it there a couple days earlier when he hears a familiar giggle somewhere above him on the other side of the bar.

He quickly stands, the folder he was looking for now in hand, and feels his knees give out just slightly at the view he’s met with. “You’re back.”

“Had to come back,” Alex says, every syllable flirted. “Lizzie makes the best paloma in town.”

“Alex, please. I’m blushing,” Lizzie jokes back as she wipes down the counter. She lets out a laugh when her eyes catch Jack’s still stunned look. It’s the second time this week Alex has come to grab a drink after work. He’d been a lot more hesitant walking back into the bar earlier in the week, his nerves obvious at being back in another space that belonged to Jack. He had stayed sitting at the bar far past what Jack knows his weeknight bed time to be in order to small talk and more casually catch up while Jack organized behind the bar. Jack still hadn’t been ready to give him an answer to his question then. He wanted to be smart about this and having Alex back at the bar, smiling and telling stories from his classroom, had him so over the moon he was almost sure he was in a dream. It was one he had had numerous times in the first few weeks following the breakup. It had always been the small, casual moments with Alex that felt the biggest back then. 

Now, the more confident, easy going approach Alex seems to be taking tonight is far more like what Jack remembers Alex being like when seated at his bar, a tiny straw tucked between his lips and his legs likely swinging back and forth below the seat of his stool.

He clears his throat and leans against the counter in front of Alex. “Always in here distracting my employees.”

“Can I buy you a drink?” Alex returns while fluttering his eyelashes and leaning to rest his cheek against his palm.

Jack bites his lip as a small smile pulls at his lips. They’ve been here before. He knows what game Alex is starting and he’s not afraid to admit silently to himself this time that he’s missed being a player in it. “I literally own the place. You’d indirectly be paying me for my own drink.”

“You’re ruining my line,” Alex replies with a teasing smirk. He drums his fingers against the bartop and lifts a brow as if challenging Jack to reject his offer.

Jack lets out a short laugh and shakes his head before slipping the inventory folder under the cash drawer for Rian to get tomorrow. “Lizzie, can you get me a Tito’s on the rocks?”

The girl still standing beside him behind the bar laughs as she scoops ice into a glass before reaching for the vodka. “That going on his tab, boss?” she asks with a smile while glancing between the two of them.

“It is,” Jack answers while playfully rolling his eyes before walking around the bar to take the stool beside Alex. Instinctively, he reaches a hand up to flick at Alex’s recently bleached bangs that sit over top of the red bandana tied around his head. He thanks his bartender when she slides the drink across the counter to him and he can’t help but pinch himself again to be reminded that this is actually happening. That Alex is here, in his bar, smiling like the sun while sipping a fruity cocktail. That they might be giving this another shot.

It feels familiar and it feels good and Jack knows that they should, that they need to take this slow. That despite how serious he could tell Alex was about this last week, Jack needs to be checking in on things more often this time around to make sure he protects his heart.

“How was summer school today?” he asks before taking a sip from his glass. And then Alex turns to face him and launches into a story about trying to get teenagers to focus on the Revolutionary War when they would much rather be at a beach or the mall or anywhere that isn’t a high school classroom. He laughs along with Alex while he tells him about the elaborate excuses he gets for late homework and tries to ignore the electricity he feels run up the entire length of his body when their feet knock together below the bar.

They banter back and forth for long enough that all of Jack’s typical Thursday night patrons come and go before he even thinks to check the clock on the wall and see that it’s getting late. Once they reach a brief lull in their conversation, Jack reaches for their glasses to push toward the back of the bar to be collected by the bartender that came in to replace Lizzie.

“Are you going to be good to drive?” Jack asks as he turns back to Alex, the bright blush painted across his cheeks being the cause of the questioning.

(He wants to believe the blush is at least partially from the flirting they’d mixed into their back and forth tonight but he’s seen Alex mixed with tequila enough times to know it’s always best to check.)

“I’m just a little tipsy,” Alex says with a grateful smile while reaching for a pen to sign the receipt that’s been placed in front of him. “But I also Ubered tonight so I’ll be plenty safe.”

“I could give you a ride?” The offer leaves Jack’s lips without a second thought, his protective nature over the boy in front of him returning without a trace of hesitation.

The smile pulls further at Alex’s lips as he pulls on his denim jacket. “Sure,” he says with a nod. “If you wanted to keep me company while I grade quizzes, that could be nice too? Might help keep me awake?”

It’s a dangerous game they’re playing but Jack’s mind immediately starts wondering whether or not the bowl by the front door for keys is still the one Jack had painted at a studio on one of their earlier dates the previous fall or if Alex ever got around to alphabetizing the books on the shelves in his living room. There’s only one way to find out, Jack tells himself. And they’re bound to make it to this point again eventually, right? He had Alex back in his space last week and no kind of catastrophes occurred. 

“Let me grab my keys.”

-

The bowl sitting on the table beside the front door is the same though there’s a few more chips in it that tells him Alex is still prone to knocking it over after getting home from a night out or a shitty day at work. The cheap white wine he offers Jack once they’ve made it as far as the kitchen is also the same as well as the mug he automatically gets for Jack when he rejects the offer of wine but accepts a tea. 

Alex leaves him in the kitchen to go grab his work bag while the water boils. Jack takes a deep breath as he inspects the room, trying to note differences that show that some time has passed since the last time Jack was here. There’s some new polaroids up on the fridge, the gallery for candids usually taken during parties, of Alex and some of his coworkers. There’s a small succulent sitting on the edge of the counter that could probably use some water. A container of muffins with a heart drawn across the lid sits on the island and Jack assumes from the floral design around the edge of the clear plastic that it was likely sent home with Alex the last time he visited his parents.

Nothing is drastically different though. If Jack tried hard enough he could easily pretend no time at all has passed since the last night he drove Alex home after a night flirting across the bar. For a moment he lets his daydream run off and he can see himself trying to distract Alex while he checks his email with kisses pressed against Alex’s cheeks and fingertips drawing patterns against his shoulders left bare by whatever tank he’d thrown on practically the moment they arrived back. Jack can picture himself tripping over his own feet while shuffling through the kitchen to make them tea and he can hear Alex’s giggles at his tired movement as he pushes himself up onto the counter. He can see Alex’s rolling eyes and a smile when he finally gives up on trying to finish the last of his tea and lets Jack sleepily pull him down the hall. Jack is starting to think of kisses being pressed against the tattoo below his ear while trying to brush his teeth when present Alex walks back into the kitchen as the kettle clicks off. Present Jack remembers that he’s supposed to be taking this slow and being careful this time. (Rian would be proud Jack is remembering his words of advice given his current situation.)

“Think I’ve got that herbal tea you like if you want that,” Alex says with his back to Jack as he searches through a shelf in his pantry. Ironically, he’s changed into a faded band t-shirt cut into a tank and it’s really not helping Jack’s swirling nostalgia.

“Whatever you’ve got out already is fine,” Jack says while moving to take a spot at one of the barstools behind the counter, something about placing the structure between the two of them giving him a greater sense of control over the situation. 

Alex turns then, the familiar tea box Jack keeps on his own kitchen counter held in his hand. “Too late,” he smiles softly before turning back to the kettle and mugs. Jack watches as he moves methodically through the actions of preparing the two cups. He feels some tension he hadn’t even noticed lifting off his shoulders when he watches Alex move to the fridge and return with a couple lemon wedges and when he reaches for the bottle of honey in the spice cabinet. Because of course Alex remembers the exact way he takes his tea. He moves through the motions in the same way Jack had the night a soaked Alex had shown up at his door and he had instinctively made tea for the two of them. He feels two parts of his brain battling over the thought of how both of them kept the other’s favorite tea in their pantry, as though always wanting to be ready to welcome the other back into their spaces in a familiar fashion.

“Let me know if you want more honey,” Alex says while pushing the mug across the counter in Jack’s direction, the smile still pulling gently at his lips. Jack lifts the mug to his lips and immediately takes a sip despite knowing it’ll scald his tongue. It doesn’t need more honey because of course it doesn’t.

Jack keeps the mug close to his lips and blows cool air across the surface as he moves to take a seat on the couch. 

Alex sits in front of him on the other side of the coffee table, his laptop open to a spreadsheet beside him on the floor and a stack of the mentioned quizzes to be graded sitting on top of the table next to his own mug of tea. This exact setup crashes another similar wave of nostalgia over Jack. It had been a common occurrence for Jack to find himself on Alex’s couch to watch him grade on a Friday or Saturday night last fall after locking up at the bar. Back then he would have traded his work clothes for something comfy from Alex’s closet without thinking twice and he probably would have accepted the offered wine over a tea. It would only have been a matter of time before Jack convinced Alex to ditch his work in favor of making out on the couch until they somehow managed to drag themselves down the hall to the bedroom.

Now the other side of the coffee table feels like a mile away and Jack can’t tell if he wishes the distance were shorter or longer.

The question dancing on the tip of Jack’s tongue jumps out easily once he finally pulls his mind from the memories of how a night like this would have ended what feels like a lifetime ago. “What are we doing?”

Alex punches a number into his keyboard before looking up to meet Jack’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Why did you invite me over?”

Alex bites nervously at his bottom lip as his eyes look up to the ceiling. “I figured maybe we could talk? There’s only so much serious conversation that can happen when Lizzie is watching our every move.”

Jack leans forward and sets his mug against the coffee table. He folds his hands together in his lap to avoid reaching out from something else to hold on to. “Why did you end it?” he asks. He can’t help but feel annoyed at how quiet his voice sounds. “Everything was going so good, I still don’t get it.”

“I was afraid,” Alex says after a moment, his head shaking a little. “I felt like if I couldn’t keep pace with you I would just fall behind and then we’d just end up on completely different pages. It felt like I couldn’t see where we were going and I didn’t want to hurt you by questioning it.”

“So ending things altogether seemed like a better option?”

“At the time it felt inevitable. I couldn’t make sense of any other kind of ending and I didn’t want to drag it out. I know it sounds ridiculous in hindsight but that’s where I was.”

Several beats of silence pass between them. Jack runs a hand through his hair as his mind tries to make sense of what he’s being told. Before he can come up with a response, Alex takes a deep breath and speaks again, his tone more careful than before. 

“What do you need from me to consider giving us another shot?”

“I need you to be honest with me,” Jack sighs, aware that his voice sounds somewhat defeated. “I need you to tell me if you’re scared, if you want to hit the brake a little. I need you to talk to me about these things instead of running away. I wasn’t going anywhere and I would have been fine to slow down a little bit but I had no way of knowing how you were feeling.”

Alex opens his mouth as though to respond but this time Jack starts speaking again before he gets the chance. “But I also just need a little bit more time. Things were really rough for a while in the winter. You’ve gotta give me a minute to wrap my head around all of this, okay?”

Alex takes a shaky deep breath and nods slowly before picking up his red pen again. “I can do that.”

His eyes fall back to the papers in front of him and the pair of them fall back into as comfortable of a silence as they can manage, the sound of Alex’s pen against paper and his occasional typing echoing between them.

It’s maybe twenty minutes later when Jack finishes the last of his lukewarm tea and a yawn falls from his lips. He looks up when Alex quietly giggles and Jack watches as he tucks the now graded papers into a folder. “I’m going to go put these away but maybe it’s time we call it a night?”

“Think so, yeah.”

Jack watches Alex take his things in the direction of his bedroom and he pulls himself off the couch. He collects their mugs and takes them to the sink, quickly rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher before heading to the entryway.

“You kept the bandana,” Jack states when he hears footsteps approach behind him while he’s pulling on his shoes by the front door, very aware that Alex is still watching his every move. 

“What?” Alex asks. Jack finishes with his laces and turns to face him again while leaning against the door, his hand absentmindedly reaching for his keys in the bowl.

“That bandana you gave me so we could match,” Jack explains, his fingers nervously playing with his keychain. He should have just left it, no point in bringing this up now, probably. “In that box you gave the most random shit back to me, even a ripped up picture, which I sort of thought was against your religion or something. But you kept that.”

Alex takes a couple steps toward him and Jack feels his back press further against the door, his body instinctively still trying to put some distance between them. “Honestly, it’s probably still in my car. I think I got so used to seeing it in there, I forgot it didn’t technically belong to me anymore.”

“But you remembered the pack of gum definitely wasn’t yours?” Jack says, his voice just barely teasing.

“I think it’s been well established I wasn’t in the best state of mind at that point,” Alex says with a sad smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. He looks down at the ground and sighs. “Do you want it back?”

Jack shakes his head with a short laugh. “No, don’t worry about it. I was just always curious about that. It’s okay.” 

He watches Alex nod and play with the hem of his shirt. Jack reaches for his jacket and pulls it on before turning to unlock the door. “I’ll see you around soon, Alex.”

“G’night, Jack. Drive safe.”

-

Alex is sitting cross-legged on Jack's desk, waiting for Jack to get back from whatever meeting he was at. He hadn't told him there even was a meeting, but he’d had no reason to. Alex showing up at the bar is still new and sporadic enough that Jack shouldn't be able to predict his moves, and maybe that's how Alex likes it for now, even if it has left him a little bored. He'd walked in to see a party happening, and if Lizzie hadn't been behind the bar he's sure he would have been sent home. The place is currently being taken over by people in formal outfits for some kind of private event. There wasn't a sign anywhere saying what the occasion was. Lizzie had made him a vodka soda on the house and sent him into Jack's office to wait for him, saying he should be back in around fifteen minutes. That had been fifteen minutes ago.

He had started on Jack's spinny chair, and then he'd almost knocked a decorative glass bottle off a shelf by accidentally spinning into it. Therefore: on the desk. He's entertaining himself on his phone for the most part, even though school has left him a little stressed and he would love to be at home unwinding somewhere he can stretch out. The floor is starting to look inviting. He also has a quiz to write for next week, and since summer school moves faster than the regular semester he can't just reuse an old quiz. It shouldn't take that much effort, and yet he's been splitting his attention between his phone and a little dinosaur planter sitting on the shelf that isn't the one he almost knocked over.

 -

Alex hadn’t known what to expect from the moment they’d pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall. The only place here that had made an ounce of sense for a date had felt like the pizza place at the end of the strip, but they were parked far enough away that that felt improbable. He got out of the car slowly as Jack grabbed something from the back seat that turned out to be wine. The sign on the window said BYOB so at least one of them was prepared. Alex looked up. The Clayhouse. He wouldn’t have guessed Jack was this artsy, but he wasn’t about to turn down an afternoon with Jack and a bottle of red.

“A dinosaur?” Jack asked, laughter playing in his voice even if he wasn't laughing out loud. “Are you five years old?”

“I think he's cute.” Alex hadn't been set on that specific planter, but if Jack was making a big deal out of it, it had to be that one. Looking over the ones nearby – a hedgehog, a llama, a turtle – the dinosaur was the only one that made sense. All the other pottery options were very... grown up. There were some beautiful examples of artistically painted plates and bowls around the front desk, but he knew his skill level and it was not that. Jack had picked a bowl though, and Alex was intrigued by how that would turn out, especially after they uncorked their wine.

 Messy, was the answer.

“Don't laugh at me!” Jack said, wiping blue paint off his arms from tipping over his whole tray of paints onto the table. In his meticulous painting of his dinosaur's eyes and smile, Alex had missed the process, but somehow blue was the only color that got on Jack. The rest of the colors – and there were many colors – were slowly spreading across the table. Alex kept laughing as he got up to grab more paper towels before the paint creeped close enough to the edge of the table to drip off.

“I'm not,” Alex said, though he was biting back more laughter behind his grin. He wiped up the majority of the paint. The rest of it looked like it would stay on the table.

Jack sighed. “Did I get it all?” he asked, twisting his arms around.

Alex tilted his head. “There's still blue up there, behind your elbow.” He watched for a moment as Jack tried to wipe it off, but he must not have been able to see it because he managed to swipe at every bit of his upper arm except that one spot. “Let me get it.” Jack stilled the second Alex grabbed his arm. Alex got the paint off and then suddenly noticed how close their faces were, the way as soon as he looked at Jack's eyes he almost forgot to breathe, how he could smell the wine on Jack's breath, not to mention he was still holding Jack's arm.

“Is it gone?” Jack asked sort of quietly.

Alex glanced down and back up, taking a small step backwards but not letting go. “Um, yeah, you're not blue anymore.”

Jack lowered his arm out of Alex's grip. “Thanks.”

Alex cleared his throat. “What happened?”

Jack shook his head. “I almost dipped my brush in my drink, and then went to dip it in the water and almost knocked that over, and then knocked the paint over instead.”

“You've had one glass, how are you that clumsy? Or is that your natural state? I'm learning so much about you.” Alex grinned as Jack looked increasingly embarrassed.

“I'm not that much of a lightweight, give me some credit.”

“So you're just uncoordinated?”

“You tell me.” Jack gestured to the bowl in front of him. It was painted in uneven stripes going all around it, with a yellow splatter on one side where the spilled paint had hit it. The inside was still a blank canvas.

“That doesn't make you uncoordinated,” Alex said. “That just makes you bad at painting.” He watched Jack's face as he looked from the bowl to the half-painted dinosaur. “You know, I don't really understand your date logic. Why this? Because if you're trying to impress me with your painting skills...”

Jack laughed and picked up his drink. “No, my painting skills are not impressive. But movie dates are boring early on and I don't know what food you like yet so I didn't want to take you to dinner.”

“All true.” Alex picked up his glass too, sipping his drink at the same time as Jack. “You know what I am impressed by? This wine.”

Jack's smile grew.

“You brought me here to show off your taste in wine?”

“Well you've seen the bar and I didn't want to invite you over to my place on a second date to look like I'm trying to get you drunk—”

“For the record, I'd be okay with that.” Alex peered at Jack over the rim of his glass.

Jack looked at him curiously before continuing. “I drive past this place all the time when I go to get brunch with my friends, that’s how I knew about it. And it gives us something to do while we talk.”

“You really thought this through.”

“Some would say I thought about it too much.”

“Are ‘some’ your brunch friends? Fuck them. This place is fun, they’re missing out.”

Jack had stopped after one glass, not that Alex had noticed, so they took the rest of the bottle home along with their painted creations. Alex had them cradled carefully in his lap in the car so they wouldn’t fall and break. To his surprise, Jack didn’t drop Alex off but drove them to his own house where the bottle was reopened, and he asked Alex if there were any foods he didn’t like before ordering Italian. Over pasta and garlic bread, they agreed that Jack would keep the dinosaur and Alex would take the bowl with him. Alex took the bowl and as many wine-tinted kisses as he could before he got a ride home. The bowl had ended up on the table just inside his door where he usually tossed his keys and wallet. He’d never thought that table needed anything, but somehow Jack had filled in a gap he hadn’t been aware of. He did that more often than Alex had realized at the time, which explained the way he’d felt like his world was falling apart at the seams as soon as Jack wasn’t there holding it together. There was no reason for Alex to stick around, but there was nothing else he wanted to look for anymore.

The office door swings open and Alex’s attention is finally pulled from the dinosaur. The leafy plant growing out of it is nice and green, and bigger than Alex remembers it.

“Hey,” Jack says, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Alex shrugs. “Wanted to hang out, but there was a party so Lizzie put me in here. She didn’t tell you I was here?”

“She was busy with the party. Why are you sitting on the desk and not the chair?”

“I almost knocked stuff over, but everything is fine.”

Jack looks around the room, probably making sure everything really is fine. “Well I wasn’t planning on staying long since Lizzie has the party under control. What were you staring at? You look… dazed.”

“Just… thinking about the dinosaur.”

Jack nods slowly. There’s not much else to say about that. And if Jack is going home soon, Alex doesn’t want to invite himself along, and he’s in no position to try and keep Jack here no matter how much he wants to break through whatever walls Jack still has up. He knows better than to try to rush it. He just has to keep asking for bricks until there are none left between them. “Rian didn’t know it was from you, or he would have sent it back with the rest of your stuff he pulled out of my closet.” He doesn’t ask Alex to move from his desk so Alex decides to stay until Jack leaves, or asks him to.

Alex thinks briefly about the box that had been left on his porch the day after he’d sent some random assortment of Jack’s things back to him. There was no reason for him to have been so cruel in hindsight, considering most of his memory ties to Jack were and still are stacked in a box that he’d almost sharpied a label onto, but he hadn’t known what to call it. There hadn’t been a way to make the breakup seem more official, he’d thought, than giving Jack back his things. Rian had returned masses more, answering Alex’s unasked question of where half his wardrobe had disappeared to.

He fiddles with his phone in his hands as he watches Jack put away papers and whatnot from his meeting. “You wouldn't believe how close I came to calling you on your birthday.”

Jack looks at Alex like he's speaking nonsense.

“Still birth-month though. Little late for birth-week.”

“Why didn't you?”

“I—” Alex almost spills that he turned his phone off the whole day so he wouldn't be tempted. “I didn't know if you'd want to hear from me, especially on your birthday. And I was scared. That if I called and you ignored me that I'd just never try again.”

“You don't have a very clear idea of the way you left me,” Jack says matter-of-factly.

“I mean, you took down the pictures on your mirror so I'm starting to get an idea.”

“Actually I burned them.”

If Alex's mind was a car on a track, that car just hit the brakes hard. “Oh.” He's emptied of words to say, as if he wasn't already reaching for small talk. He's never known conversation with Jack to be so stilted; from their first exchange it had been nothing but flowing back-and-forth which led easily to open heart-to-hearts. He's also never known Jack to get rid of mementos. He wasn't as bad as Alex, who still holds onto receipts from places he goes that mean anything to him, but those weren't just pieces of paper. They were gifts. Which means either Jack had no idea what it meant for Alex to give them to him at all, or… “I never meant for those to end up being painful. I know that's not fair, and don't get me wrong I know I have no right to feel anything about it, but I- I'm sorry.”

“In my defense, I didn't think we'd be back here.” Jack has a smile playing around his lips, and Alex feels better knowing he isn't making him feel guilty about it. Alex can't imagine how bad it must have felt for Jack to end up burning those pictures. He hadn't assumed the breakup was easy on either of them, but walking away from Jack always felt like the worst decision he'd ever made from the second he did it. It felt like the biggest injustice to think that Jack had felt anywhere near as bad as he had, or worse. “I’m gonna head out.” Jack pushes the drawer shut.

Something is falling just out of reach and Alex doesn’t know what it is but he knows he can’t let it go now. He swings his legs over the edge of the desk. “Happy birth-month.” Tries for a hopeful smile. "Thirty-three looks good on you."

Jack quirks an eyebrow, one hand on the doorknob, like he’s not sure where this is going. Fuck if Alex knows either. “Thanks.”

Alex wishes he knew how to handle being in the same space as Jack again. He wants to tear through the awkwardness by saying he owes Jack a present and then kissing him like they’d never missed a beat. “I’ll walk you out.”

“It’s my bar.”

“And I’m being a gentleman and walking you out.” Alex hops off the desk and waits for Jack to open the door. Jack gives him an extended look of confusion before pulling the door open. Once it’s locked, they wave goodbye to Lizzie, who’s still on the floor with the party guests.

Outside, Alex realizes he doesn’t have his car since he’d showed up planning on staying long enough to have a few drinks. He follows Jack to his car, trying to figure out whether Jack will offer to drive him home or if he should inconspicuously try to call a ride. Jack answers his question when he already has his door open before asking, “Are you getting in?”

“Are you offering me a ride?”

“That or I’m kidnapping you in broad daylight.”

“I guess that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

-

Alex was sitting at the bar, swinging his legs back and forth to the music. It was considerably louder than it had been when there were customers, but Jack had locked the front door and told him to stay put so he could finish cleaning up. The nights when he had to lock up alone were rare, but Alex never minded staying longer. If he was more sober he might have been helping. But Jack had assured him that the best thing for him to do was not try and help, which was fair enough after the glass incident last time. Alex maintained that it wasn’t a big deal and no one was injured but Jack seemed to remember it differently.

So he was controlling the playlist, and as soon as the freshly mopped floor was dry he was up and dancing to the pop music he’d chosen. Jack kept looking up from cleaning and restocking under the bar and whatever else he was doing to give him very endeared looks, but it wasn’t as sweet as it ideally could have been.

“Come dance with me,” Alex said, leaning on the bar and giving Jack his best pout.

“I’m almost done and then we can go home and dance.”

“You’re boring at work, you know that?” Alex bounced his head to the beat and watched Jack roll his eyes fondly.

“You’re literally a history teacher. You wouldn’t dance at work.”

“Lucky you can’t visit me at work and prove it.” Alex started singing along with the chorus, hitting the harmony as he got back into dancing. Jack was still watching him with a smile, so Alex, still singing, went behind the bar and grabbed his hands.

“What are you doing?” Jack laughed. Alex didn’t stop singing. He swung their arms in a motion as close to dancing as he can manage without Jack’s participation. “I only have a couple more things to do and we can lock up.” Jack’s logic was taking them nowhere, so he gave in and let Alex dance him around for the rest of the song. Alex didn’t know how he did it, but right as the song ended Jack got him back into his seat, letting go of his hands and kissing his forehead before he went back to work.

Alex sat there and let himself just watch Jack work through cleaning the soda guns like it was all routine, and it was, and he’d been given a nice little spot in this world Jack had built for himself and cared about so much. He sighed a little, coming down from the burst of dancing energy. He reached over to grab his camera and snapped a picture. Jack didn’t even look up at the flash anymore, but he smiled to himself as Alex waited for the picture to print. He held it close as the colors set in. The bar was dark but Jack lit up the photo as much as he lit up the room. The music cut off suddenly and Alex looked up.

“Told you I was almost done,” Jack said, pulling his office door closed. He pulled on his coat and waited for Alex to do the same.

“You could have let the song finish.”

“I thought you were in a hurry to leave?”

“I was in a hurry to spend more time with you. We can do that here.”

Jack grabbed Alex’s coat and put it around his shoulders. “Or we can go home where it’s warmer.” He handed Alex his camera. “And there’s more room for dancing.”

-

Alex looks down at the box. He’s put a lid on it, but it doesn’t stop the feeling of homesickness overflowing from it. It’s sitting at the base of his throat like a cry that refuses to come out. It’s his own fault and he knows it. He knows the way he felt that night could have stretched out forever, and that’s almost worse than knowing their relationship might have had an expiration date. He can only reason so much that it was for the best, but if that was true he wouldn’t feel so broken. He wouldn’t feel like separating Jack from the rest of his memories was the same as trying to surgically remove him from his life. He wouldn’t be surprised if Jack hated him now.

He opens the box without looking into it and pulls out the very last photo. It’s all he can do not to look at Jack’s smiling face before he tears it in two, and then tears those halves into even smaller pieces until he’s left with the saddest pile of confetti to ever exist.

-

There was no good reason for the twinge of nerves he felt in his stomach when Jack had whispered that he hoped the new year was the start of forever for them. He knew they’d only been together for five months, and he knew with nearly as much certainty that Jack knew that too. He also knew he loved Jack more than he’d loved probably anyone ever, so why did Jack cementing that make him so uneasy? It was uncomfortably similar to the way he’d felt a few weeks ago when Jack had met his parents at his birthday, the way he’d fit in so seamlessly without Alex having to so much as facilitate an awkward conversation between the four of them. He’d told himself then not to follow that feeling, because there was no way it would lead anywhere good. He wasn’t sober enough to be second guessing himself now, but he also usually tried not to let himself dwell on the feeling so maybe now was the time.

Jack had given an enthusiastic and mostly comprehensible toast right before midnight. They all counted down and then right before kissing him, Jack had leaned over like he was telling him a secret. Alex’s nerves had been doing little circus tricks ever since. Luckily Alex wasn’t nearly the furthest gone, and then Jack was playfully yelling at Rian to get his dirty shoes off his bar. Rian complied by kicking off his shoes in two different directions, and then he pulled Jack up with him. Jack didn’t bother taking his shoes off. Rian gave another shout for a happy new year and everyone else cheered in return as he smacked a kiss on Jack’s lips. Jack shoved him away. They were both laughing.

“You okay?” Lizzie asked, appearing next to Alex. “Don’t go getting jealous or anything, they’re always like that.”

“No, I know,” Alex said. He took a sip of his drink, eyes still on Jack.

“I know the whole cliché about bartenders being therapists is fake but I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

Alex considered it. The last thing he needed was to pull one of Jack’s employees into the middle of whatever storm was brewing in his mind. Not to mention, it wasn’t her responsibility to reassure him about anything. If he was so concerned, he could have a mature conversation with Jack later when they were alone. He looked over at her and she raised her eyebrows expectantly, bringing her straw up to her mouth. “It’s nothing,” he said finally. “Late night for someone who’s used to getting up at six for school.”

She didn’t seem convinced but thankfully didn’t press him on it.

 Later showed up sooner than Alex expected, when Jack pulled him into his office and shut the door. He was almost expecting to be shoved against the door, but Jack just wrapped his arms around Alex’s neck and hung off of him. Alex laughed a little even though he was getting slightly more nervous by the second just thinking about bringing up anything. Jack started pressing kisses up his chest to his neck and Alex decided that it was not the time for talking about anything serious.

“Thanks for not abandoning me to deal with my drunk ass employees all by myself,” Jack said when his wandering lips reached Alex’s ear.

“How was I supposed to kiss you at midnight if we went to different parties?” Alex joked. The music was still loud through the door, and he could have sworn it was getting louder.

“You didn’t save me from a kiss from Rian though.”

“No one told you to climb on the bar.”

“You didn’t stop me.”

“Like I could have stopped you.”

“Fair enough.” Jack kissed the spot right behind Alex’s ear.

“Jack—”

“I really love you, you know that?”

Any doubts on the tip of his tongue ran straight back inside. “I love you too,” he said easily. With the way he could feel himself overthinking everything else, he was glad there was at least one thing about them that’s solid. He couldn’t talk himself out of loving Jack, even if everything about them staying together scared him more than he’s willing to admit.

Alex went home the next day with two different pictures of the night. One was a group shot of everyone in their glittery party regalia that nearly everyone there took a photo of on their phones to post online later, and the second was from after they’d stumbled back to Jack’s house. They were lying in Jack’s bed, and Jack looked like a hangover waiting to happen, but Alex managed to keep their eyes open long enough for him to snap a picture of them cuddled together, Jack’s face half buried in Alex’s shoulder. He hadn’t waited to look at the photo before turning the lights out and falling asleep right there with Jack’s arm across his chest. The next morning, the photo was on the bedside table right beside his camera, kicking that cloyingly familiar twist back into his stomach.

Jack was still asleep when he tucked the photo into his jacket pocket so he wouldn’t forget to take it home with him. Alex had almost wanted to run out right there, but Jack deserved better than that. So they woke up and Alex pretended everything was fine as they went through the motions of breakfast, albeit much slower than usual. Jack had to go back to the bar that afternoon to look over the disaster zone they’d left behind, and Alex frankly needed more time to nurse his hangover, so they’d parted ways at Jack’s front door. He was bemoaning his headache at home over greasy fast food when he reached into his pocket and really looked at the picture for the first time. He couldn’t describe the feeling that washed over him. It was almost regret, except he knew that it wasn’t Jack he was regretting. It was just the feeling that now’s his chance to turn back.

-

Alex has always been able to make do with a general idea of when things happened in his life. It’s the reason he’s never bothered with labelling the boxes that he puts all his polaroids in. It usually doesn’t line up as one box per year, or one stack per month, or any other significant measure of time. Every now and then there will be a photo from a birthday or other event that works as a marker for the passage of time. Nothing has ever felt important enough to keep close track of. He’s never been part of anything world-changing or even life-changing that felt like it needed a date written on it to remember it happened. That is, until Jack.

He hasn’t been writing dates on all his pictures with Jack, but as soon as he’s gone two weeks without seeing him, knowing that he’s going out of his way to avoid seeing him again, it’s making him think maybe it’s time to start sorting his photos a little better. As soon as he’s home from grocery shopping, he drops the bags on the kitchen counter and goes straight to his bedroom closet. He pulls out the most recent box and knows just based on the pictures at the top of each little stack which ones were taken after he met Jack. He pulls them all out and sets them on his dresser until he finds an empty box to put them all into. They have to be separate. It gnaws at him that it feels more like a gesture of Before and After than just trying to isolate one person from his memories, as if it’ll help him forget and move on.

He does his best not to dwell on any particular pictures as he moves them around, but glimpses of moments flash before his eyes before he can stop them. Pictures of dates, of wine-drunk after-midnights, and more than he would care to admit of Jack only seconds before a flash went off to make him aware of Alex taking the picture. The one on top of the last stack isn’t the most recent picture, but it might as well be the last good one. It’s the last one he can remember taking before the feeling of being pulled too tight started being a constant in his life. He’s considered that he could have just talked to Jack about it, but there’s only so much Jack could have said or done to help. If Jack had held him tighter, he would have felt more constricted, and if Jack had given him space, they would have ended up exactly where they are now, as far apart as they can be without one of them leaving town.

-

Jack’s friends were still a few minutes away when Alex asked their server for four mimosas since he could practically feel Jack’s nerves from where he sat beside him. Alex sighed a gentle laugh and placed a hand on Jack’s bouncing knee as his head dropped to rest on Jack’s shoulder. “You good, babe?”

“Great, yeah,” Jack responded, though it sounded like he was further away than right beside Alex in the booth they were seated at just a few minutes earlier. He glanced around the restaurant, his eyes moving across everything in the room aside from Alex. His face scrunched up some as though he were trying to study the vintage posters and signs on the walls. All Alex could do was laugh. 

“Oh my god, you’re nervous about introducing your friends to the boyfriend,” he laughed, his tone gentle but teasing. He lifted his head and sat up while he turned in his seat to face him better. Jack bit his bottom lip against the small smile that pulled at his lips as he looked down at his lap, a bright blush painting it’s way across his cheeks. Whether it was from being called out on the cause of his nerves or Alex’s use of a title that had only been established a few days earlier, he couldn’t tell.

“You’re the first guy I’ve ever brought to Sunday brunch, okay?” he mumbled, his right hand moving to cover Alex’s still placed comfortingly on his knee. Alex caught on easily and turned his hand to tangle their fingers together before letting their joined hands rest against Jack’s thigh. “This is a very sacred tradition. We’ve been doing it since college. It’s a big deal that they suggested you come along.”

Alex smiled and squeezed their palms together. “Then I’m honored,” he said before leaning over to press a kiss against the corner of Jack’s lips. “Now relax. This’ll be good practice for meeting the parents.”

Jack sat up then and laughed. “Meeting the parents will be a breeze. My mom is probably already picking out color palettes for the rehearsal dinner.”

Alex mentally brushed away the spiral his mind started to form at the mention of a wedding in any form and winked at Jack. “I can practically hear my mother arguing with florists.”

Jack’s face lit up with another bright laugh and then mimosas were being placed in front of them and thoughts of a future beyond the meal they’re about to have were forgotten. They had each only just taken their first sip when Rian and Zack stepped up to the table. Alex stood and extended a hand out to Zack. “Hey man, nice to meet you, I’m Alex.”

Zack returned the handshake and smiled. “Same to you, I’m Zack.”

“And good to see you, Rian,” Alex said with a grin as they all moved to sit. 

“Wait, you guys know each other already?” Jack asked while gesturing between Rian and Alex. Alex couldn’t help but giggle as Rian rolled his eyes. 

“Jack, we literally work in the same place,” he started before pausing to take a sip from his drink. “And he is sitting at the bar making tequila heart eyes at you like, at least two nights a week. You really thought I would never introduce myself to someone my friend was obviously dating?”

Jack blushed again before grumbling a quiet fair enough into his mimosa. Alex chuckled and turned to press his lips against Jack’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” Alex said. “I wasn’t too drunk the night he decided to say hello. And Lizzie had my back to let him know that I don’t suck.”

Their server arrived at their table then to get everyone’s order (though really just Alex’s since the other three were there enough that they greeted the blushing teenage girl by name as she walked up with a pen and pad ready). The conversation flowed easily among them. Jack and Rian bounced off of each other as they told funny stories from things at the bar that week while Zack talked about the people he saw pass through the ER the night before which prompted Alex to ask a dozen or so questions about nursing (listen it’s never too late for a career change, guys, I’m curious). When prompted, Alex groaned briefly about grading essays and exams. Fall break was about to end for the kids so he hadn’t seen much of the world beyond his apartment walls while grading midterms for the last week.

As they started sipping on their second round of mimosas, Alex noticed Jack relax beside him and smiled when an arm was thrown around his waist and Jack’s head settled against his shoulder. He felt like he might actually fit in with Jack's friends, all of them still laughing easily over their drinks, until Rian turned to him.

“So what are your intentions with Jack?”

“Uh,” Alex said, feeling like he was getting too much attention all of a sudden.

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. “We're gonna get married and have fifteen kids, is that what you want to hear?” He looked up at Alex through his lashes. “Ignore him.”

“Good,” Rian said. “I've always wanted to be an uncle.”

“We’ll try not to disappoint you on that then,” Alex replied, the smooth nature of his words influenced by the floatiness he felt from the drinks. “We’re having fun right now. That’s what’s most important.”

“Happy for you two,” Zack smiled at the pair of them. “It’s been awhile since we’ve seen this one so happy with someone.”

“Hush, you guys are worse than when my mom calls,” Jack groaned, though his appreciation at their comments didn’t go unnoticed by Alex. He sat up then, his arm still secured around Alex’s waist as he lifted his other arm to get the attention of their server. “Are we still watching the game at my place after this?”

-

Alex hadn’t considered when he started weaving his days with Jack’s life that it would be hard to pull the threads apart. If he’d let himself think about them beyond the next date, he’s sure there wouldn’t have been so much to untangle. Because there wouldn’t have been more than one date to speak of.

But he’d stopped counting dates, stopped counting days and weeks, and the only reason he could keep track of time with Jack at all was through school deadlines and holidays. He’d cleared photos off his dresser more often than usual, and every time he gave Jack a photo to keep, it felt like an accomplishment. He’d finally found someone who understood his weird mnemonic device despite having a pretty good memory – he does teach history after all. Jack hadn’t made a big deal of it so Alex hadn’t either, but Alex knows one of the photos lives – lived – in Jack’s wallet. The rest of them had started to frame the mirror in Jack’s bedroom. It was cute in the same way as Jack’s bartenders knowing his drink order based on the day of the week.

It’s a Saturday, and if Jack hasn’t changed his work schedule, Jack should not be at the bar that night unless there’s a special event, which there doesn’t seem to be based on the noise. Alex is not planning on drinking, and if he so much as sees Jack’s shadow he is getting right back into his car and driving in whichever direction he sees first. Jack had “promoted” Rian to weekend manager back near the end of fall, when he figured out it would line their free time up more without having to take time off sporadically. Alex hopes he hasn’t redone his schedule since.

He walks into the bar and it looks startlingly familiar. He doesn’t know why he felt like it would look different, but the tables and barstools are all exactly where they’ve always been. The only thing that’s different is Rian staring at him blankly, which is less terrifying than if he was glaring, and then Zack on the other side of the bar, jaw hanging open like the two of them were in the middle of a conversation.

Alex feels like he’s being pinned down by their eyes on him so he takes a step forward so he’s out of the doorway. He knows this isn’t a bad idea, and that as much as Jack’s friends are protective of him they’ve never been mean to Alex so at the very least anything they do to him will be justified. The thought is almost scarier than Rian’s stare. Alex takes a quick look around, mostly checking to make sure the lights are off in Jack’s office.

“He’s not here,” Rian says. Alex relaxes a little, which takes Rian from emotionless to confused. “Can I get you something?”

“Preferably to-go?” Zack says under his breath, and Rian pretends not to laugh.

“No, I… no.”

“Okay?” Rian says slowly. He keeps watching Alex. It’s unsettling. Alex feels like he should say something, but there’s no precedent for what to say to your ex’s best friends when you walk into their space unannounced less than a week after showing up on said ex’s doorstep in a thunderstorm. Alex doesn’t know if they even know about that, although it’s a safe bet that they do.

“You wanna sit down?” Zack says after an awkward amount of time. Rian gives him a look and Zack shrugs like he couldn’t think of anything better to say.

Alex walks up to the bar slowly and sits down, leaving a seat empty between himself and Zack.

Rian leans against the bar and fully stares Alex down. “What are you doing here?”

“Maybe I missed you,” Alex says, faking a smile. It works a little, because Rian snorts a laugh.

“We heard about your little car mishap last week,” Rian says.

“Yeah, bad timing.”

“Must’ve been, for you to go to Jack’s house instead of waiting in your car for a tow truck like a normal person. Don’t say you happened to be close by, you live halfway across town. What are you doing?” Alex feels like he should clarify that it had only been drizzling when he’d gotten out of his car, but that’s not the point he’s supposed to be making. “And don’t say you missed him. That’s not on him.”

Alex wishes he had a drink as an excuse to not talk, but instead they’re both still staring at him, waiting for him to answer. “I made a mistake.”

Zack frowns slightly. “Which was?”

“Breaking up with him.”

Zack and Rian exchange a look. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Rian pushes.

“I want to apologize. To Jack. And to you for asking for your advice on how to get him back.”

Zack laughs. “You want us to give you advice?”

Rian shakes his head. “You didn’t ask for our input before breaking his heart, what’s different now?” There’s that question again. “If we told you to go back to his front door with a diamond ring, would you do it?”

“No, but only because I know it wouldn’t work.”

“Sounds like you don’t need our advice,” Zack says.

“I’m not going to go behind his back and tell you anything you don’t already know,” Rian says. “But he told you he hasn’t decided yet. Start there.”

He has no more answers than he arrived with, but it’s a good sign that Rian didn’t throw him out on sight, or that Zack didn’t physically throw him out as Alex knows he is fully capable of doing.

“You’re right, Jack’s more a flash mob guy than a diamond ring anyway,” Zack says. “He likes music more than shiny things.”

“Yeah, a flash mob or one of those planes that writes things in the sky?”

“Write him a song.”

“Buy him a new car.”

“What about a hot air balloon ride?”

Alex nods and stands up. “Nice to know I’m not rich enough to date either of you.”

“In your dreams,” Rian says.

Alex catches them exchanging another look as he turns to leave, and maybe he’s just hopeful but it looks a lot less unfriendly.

-

Jack knew he wasn’t going to get any more work done as soon as Alex walked in. He’d made a valiant effort for almost five minutes, but he could see Alex through his little window getting more and more antsy. He’d let Alex have a few drinks, and then let Alex’s fingers dance across his legs as he tried harder and harder to remember he was still at work, even if he clearly wasn’t working. His bartender, bless her, who also happened to be the manager that night, was doing her best to pretend she wasn’t eavesdropping even though she definitely was.

Eventually, Alex brought up that he couldn’t drive back home, and Jack took the opportunity to offer to drive him, which was why he was standing outside with Alex all but hanging off him as he patted down his pockets and realized his keys must still be in his office. Alex pouted when Jack told him to wait a minute, but he wasn’t driving without keys and Alex isn’t driving at all so he didn’t have much of a choice.

He hurriedly grabbed his keys off his desk and locked his office door behind him. He was about to let Lizzie know she needed to lock up when she leaves but she was one step ahead.

“So boss, you got a crush?” Lizzie raised her eyebrows and shot a look toward the door. “Who’s the guy?”

She’d been listening to them flirt all night, but Jack could feel his face getting warmer anyway. “Can I get away with playing dumb?”

“Try me.”

“What guy?”

“Not that dumb.”

Jack laughed nervously. “He came in a couple weeks ago when you were out sick.”

“Oh nice, I did you a favor then. Can I say you owe me one?”

“I think I did you a favor by providing entertainment for half your shift.”

She smiled and shook her head. “He’s cute. Touchy drunk though. I wonder what tequila would do to him instead of whiskey.”

“Goodnight,” Jack said pointedly as he left.

As soon as he was out the door, Alex was back at his side.

-

Jack is more familiar than he should be with this situation. Lizzie still seems to think they’re cute and that Alex looks like he’s trying, but Rian keeps telling him to be careful, and it’s not helpful that Zack is trying to be impartial but is clearly also on Rian’s side. He can’t blame them for it. They saw him at his worst just as much as he did. Almost.

Alex closes his door and looks over at Jack as he puts the car in reverse. “You don’t have to keep driving me home. Not that I don’t want you to, but you don’t have to keep going out of your way if you don’t want to.”

“I’d call you an Uber myself if I hated driving you home,” Jack says. It’s somewhat of a bar rule so that everyone leaves safely, but Alex would have ended up being the exception even if it wasn’t a standard. Besides, over the last couple weeks every time Alex has come in he’s let his walls down just a little more, as if Jack isn’t the only one getting used to the idea of them spending time together again.

Alex smiles a little as they pull out of the parking lot. They let the music fill the space for most of the drive until they get to the last light before Alex gets out. “I can tell you what’s different this time,” Alex says. Cars are driving across the intersection, heading a lot more places than anyone would expect this late at night. Jack isn’t watching the cars as much as watching the lights reflect off them as they pass. He turns a little toward Alex to show he’s listening. “My therapist says I need to stop trying to control how things are going to turn out because it’s impossible to know what’s going to happen all the time, and worrying about it is only going to make me too stressed to pay attention to things in real time. That I can’t stop caring just because it might not last forever. And then my mom told me I was stupid to let you go just because I was scared.”

Jack doesn’t realize the light has turned green until the car behind him honks. He swears he’s a better driver when Alex isn’t sitting beside him being distracting. He doesn’t know what to respond to first, but he takes the easy bait. “Your mom was right.”

“She was. They both were.” Alex pauses as Jack pulls up to the curb. “I don’t know why my reaction to being scared to lose you was to break up with you but I won’t do it again. If, you know. But I have to know, can you give us another chance? I know you said you needed time, but—”

“Okay.” Jack says it before he can stop himself but he doesn’t want to take it back. Alex snaps his head up to look at him. It’s not like Jack hasn’t been on the verge of giving him a second chance for weeks, but it does feel different all of a sudden, fuck what Rian thinks. It doesn’t feel like falling, it almost feels like butterflies.

“Really?” Alex says, expression caught between disbelief and almost too hopeful. Jack knows the feeling.

Jack nods and feels his growing smile mirroring Alex’s in the orange of the street lights.

“Are we starting over?”

“I don’t think we have to start over, just…”

“Slower?”

If they’re already back to finishing each other’s sentences, then slower is going to take a while for them to figure out.

“So you still have Sundays off? How about dinner?”

“Don’t you have school on Monday?”

“Why do you make it sound like I’m a student?” Alex asks childishly. “It gives us a reason to have an early night. A cutoff point.”

“Your bedtime.”

“A boundary. For starting slower.” Alex smiles.

Jack isn’t surprised by how thoughtful Alex is being without really having a conversation about it, but it’s reassuring to feel like he’s not starting another series of mistakes. “Are you cooking?”

“Only if you bring the wine.”

“Oh I see, you’re just using me for my connections.”

“Always have been,” Alex says, laughing when Jack does. He pushes his door open and then pauses and turns around. Leaning over the center console, he kisses Jack on the cheek, barely catching the corner of his mouth. He leans back, blushing slightly, but Jack reaches out and pulls him back in for a real kiss. It’s not exactly moving slow for them to be kissing like this before their first date, but Jack couldn’t care less with how much he’s missed Alex.

Alex pulls back to catch his breath and lets out a shaky laugh. “Is that a preview of Sunday?”

“If you’re lucky,” Jack says. Alex leans in for one last kiss, quick and sweet, before getting out of the car. “I’ll see you then.”

“If you’re lucky,” Alex repeats with a smile.

-

Alex is dancing around the kitchen in an apron, using a spatula in the place of a microphone, when Jack arrives on Sunday night.

He’s let himself up per Alex’s request with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of peonies. He leans against the counter and listens to Alex sing along to some pop song he likely learned from his students. He probably could have gone on watching for longer but then the song changes and Alex’s hilarious dance moves with it and Jack can’t help but laugh. Alex spins around then, his cheeks a bright red and his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. 

“Enjoying the show?” Alex asks, his sarcasm flowing, as he drops a hand to his hip and points his spatula microphone in Jack’s direction. 

“Excellent dinner entertainment,” Jack says with a smile. “Ten out of ten.”

“You’re a brat.”

Jack laughs brightly. “Yes, but I am a brat with the wine,” he says, and points in the direction of the drawer beside the sink. “You still keep your corkscrew in the same place?”

Alex nods. “Yep, and I’ll grab glasses.”

Jack opens the bottle and pours them each a generous glass of the red he spent far too long deciding on at the liquor store the night before. They catch up on how their weeks have gone since they last saw each other. Jack tells a story about some bachelor party he had to kick out on Friday night while Alex finishes the pasta thing he’s decided on making tonight. Alex talks about the truly ridiculous things he’s read in his student’s essays on World War II. 

Their banter and jokes come back without any hesitation and Jack can’t help the smile that’s been spread across his face since walking through the door a couple hours earlier because he forgot how easy it was with Alex. How even on days when all Jack wants to do is be alone and not speak to anyone that never includes the man sitting beside him at the kitchen island because conversation with Alex feels like breathing. 

Jack insists on doing the dishes since Alex cooked and Alex only agrees so he can hunt down a vase for the flowers. Jack is just finishing up drying a pan when he feels something get tucked behind his ear. He leaves the towel on the counter and reaches up and feels the petals from one of the flowers beside his eye. He turns to meet Alex’s bright gaze with own questioning one. 

“You look pretty,” Alex responds, simply.

Jack leaves the flower tucked behind his ear as he refills their glasses and takes them over to where Alex is sitting on the couch, his body sitting up as he adjusts the placement of the flowers now in a vase on the coffee table.

“Thank you again for these,” Alex says as he leans back and accepts the glass of wine being held toward him. He takes a sip and hums before dropping his head against Jack’s shoulder. “It’s been too long since I had something alive other than myself living in this room.”

“Kill all your succulents, then?” Jack teases. 

“Only that one I kept in the corner over there that you always said would die because the light couldn’t reach it,” he gestures toward the empty corner where the spiny succulent used to sit. “The rest I took to my classroom to brighten up that space.”

The conversation shifts then to inquire about the plants Jack keeps at his place (Did the peach tree make it through that frost in April?) and more back and forth about their jobs and activities from the last several months that they hadn’t hit during their exchanges at the bar during the few weeks prior. Eventually the conversation comes to a gentle lull as they lean against one another while sipping at the last of what’s in their glasses.

“Wait!” Alex jumps up suddenly and jogs in the direction of his room. He reemerges only seconds later, before Jack even has time to question his actions. In his hands is the familiar, scratched up instant camera and a permanent marker.

“Okay, now don’t move but smile,” Alex instructs as he hits the power button and brings the camera up to frame the shot. Jack only laughs as he feels a familiar (and god, greatly missed) blush paint across his cheeks as he looks toward the lens and smiles. The flash momentarily has him seeing spots as he hears the picture print while Alex tucks himself back into his side. He throws an arm around Alex’s shoulders, his fingers playing with the collar of the soft t-shirt while they watch it develop.

He looks goofy, as he always does, but happy. So damn happy. He watches Alex turn the picture over and scribble down the date and a small heart. “Since when do you write the date on them?” he asks. He never remembered Alex doing that before and he knows for a fact that all of the ones that got handed off to him don’t have anything added onto them.

“I figure if I label them then it’s less that I have to hope just sticks in my head, ya know?” Alex explains as he turns the picture back to the front, his thumb running up and down the side of the print. Jack watches him place it inside the pocket on his flannel. “I want to be more present. Figure this might help.”

Jack feels his eyes soften as he lets out the last bit of breath he hadn’t even realized he’d still been holding this entire time. He trusted Alex, he trusted that they could make this work again, that they would somehow be able to take things slower this time. But there had been just a sprinkle of worry still left somewhere in his mind about keeping this space-obsessed, dreamer of a man with both feet on the ground and his head below the clouds. And something about this tiny gesture and Alex’s reasoning for it told him all he needed to hear to make that last bit of worry blow away. 

He turns to face Alex more fully then and takes in his tired eyes and wine-stained lips. Jack lifts a hand to cup his cheek, his thumb tracing below his eye. “I’m really happy we made it here.”

Alex turns his face to press a kiss against Jack’s palm before looking back to meet his eyes and lean into Jack’s hold. “Me too.”

They spend another moment (or two or three) just sitting together in the middle of a moment that normally would have Jack’s mind racing with anticipation but instead just feels calm in a way he hasn’t experienced since the last time he spent a wine drunk night lounging on Alex’s couch. He’s starting to worry that they’ll fall asleep (and he knows that they’re both a bit too old to be falling asleep on the couch on a school night), when he gets an idea.

He sits up and a sleepy Alex follows the action, his confusion obvious as he blinks his further open. Alex points to the camera on the end table behind Alex. “Hand me that?”

Alex catches on to Jack’s plan and smiles as he reaches for the camera, hitting the power button again before handing it to Jack. He holds the camera out as far as his arm allows and throws his left arm back around Alex’s shoulder to pull him into his side. Alex lets out a gasped laugh as Jack presses his lips against the top of Alex’s cheek, and just barely notices the flash through his squeezed shut eyes. “You’re ridiculous,” Alex continues laughing as he lets himself get pulled impossibly closer to Jack while they watch the photo develop.

It’s a blurry shot since Jack is out of practice on keeping the camera still but the joy is obvious on Alex’s smiling face and even on Jack’s as he smiles into the kiss against Alex’s cheek. Their fingers brush as they both try to reach for the picture but Alex snatches it away while using his free hand to reach for the marker and scribbling a matching caption to the other picture onto the back. He turns back to Jack and holds the print in between them. “You should keep this one.”

Jack smiles wide. “Just like old times, huh?”

Alex’s expression softens for a moment and he reaches a hand up to the back of Jack’s neck as he brings their lips together briefly. Alex pulls away just enough the rest his forehead against Jack’s, and Jack can’t help but notice how for the first time in a long time he’s not swimming in nostalgia or making up a future he’s not even sure exists. Right now he’s just here, with Alex, and that’s all that matters for now. 

It’s summed pretty perfectly he thinks when he feels Alex’s laugh against his lips and whispered words. “Maybe like new ones, too.”

*

[polaroid15]

Febuwhump Day 1: Mind Control

It’s heeeeeere! 

Summary: The one where Parker luck is proven to be the worst luck. But hey, at least he's got the best family in the world to help him through it all.

Read at https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138196/chapters/71533821

Love you guys!!  Thanks for joining me on this journey! 

---

Chapter One

Peter doesn’t realize that something has gone terribly wrong until the last alien hits the ground.

At first he’s excited, body thrumming with adrenaline as he sidesteps over their victory. The fight had been, for lack of a better term, a satisfying study break. He takes a moment to stretch out the tightness in his back and shoulders, relishing in the cold air as his heart rate calms.

Satisfied, he sweeps his eyes across their small battlefield in search of a familiar flash of red and gold. Though the fight had started on the ground, they’ve ended up on the rooftop of some ritzy skyscraper, the city stretched far beneath them and painted gold in the dark light of the moon.

Aside from all the alien guts, it’s not a bad view.

“Tony?”

The man had called him just over an hour earlier asking for his help in scrambling up a couple of rouge aliens from their last big mission. Being close by and more than ready to assist his hero, Peter had been in his suit and by Tony’s side in a matter of minutes, hardly believing his luck. Somehow, despite everything they’ve been through, he still managed to get nervous every time he fought alongside his hero.

To his relief, however, the fight went off without a hitch. Unlike their normal brand, neither sustained any injuries, ‘finishing off the fight with flare’, as Tony would say.

But where is he now?

“Tony?” Peter calls again, slipping off his mask and looking around with enthusiasm. “Where’d you go?”

His voice carries and dies in silence.

“Hello?”

Confused and a little unnerved, Peter spins on his heels in a full 360 and debates putting his mask back on to ask Karen for Tony’s location. It’s out of character for Tony to vanish like this, and it makes his stomach tighten in worry.

“Mr. Stark!”

“Here.”

Peter jumps and turns towards the noise, feeling relief leak into his limbs. “Oh. H-hey man. There you are.”

Tony doesn’t say anything, stiff as a board and levitating a few feet off the ground. There’s a chunk of metal missing from his helmet, ripped clean through so his right eye and nose are showing.

“You’re mask-”

“Peter Parker?”

“What? Yeah Tony. Are- are you okay? You look a little off. Did one of the aliens hurt-”

But there is no ‘you’, because before Peter can finish his sentence, Tony is flying towards him at an alarming speed, repulsors glowing bright. Startled, Peter jumps out of the way and shouts in alarm. “Tony! What the-”

A fiery blast of hot energy hits the ground between his feet. Yelling out once more, Peter scrambles back, hands raised in frantic defense at the sudden rush of heat. “Tony! Stop! What are you doing?”

He doesn’t get an answer. As Tony progresses forward, Peter tries desperately to connect with the man, but his eyes are as blank and empty as the night sky behind him. It’s then that it all comes together, and Peter feels his heart stutter in his chest.

“Oh- oh no. Did you breathe in any gas? Oh God. You did, didn’t you?”

Another blast of energy is fired towards him. It barely misses his shoulder and the material of his suit begins to smoke. Not good. So not good. The aliens were known to produce an aerial toxin that triggers the brain to be particularly inclined to violence. Someone would kill their own family if exposed to it.

And right now, Peter is the only target.

Just his luck.

“Snap out of it Mr. Stark! Wake up!”

Peter feels his heel catch on uneven cement and he stumbles, falling hard on his butt and using the momentum to scramble backwards on his hands and feet. The fear hits him now. He feels it in the sharp sting on the back of his tongue and the inability to fully breathe, his spider-sense screaming and making his head spin. He moves to pull on his mask and realizes in detached wonder that he no longer has it in his hand.

“Peter Parker,” Tony says again, his voice monotonous and void of everything Peter is used to. It’s chilling, and Peter lifts a shaky hand in warning.

“D-don’t come any closer!”

But Tony does. Without blinking an eye, he closes the distance between them and encloses his gauntleted hand around Peter’s outstretched wrist. Before Peter can comprehend the pain, his web shooter sparks with electricity as the gadget breaks under pressure. He screams as his wrist snaps along with the mechanism and arcs his foot up in a reflexive kick. It hits Tony in the abdomen and succeeds in forcing the man to let go, pushing him back a couple steps.

Breathing heavily, Peter scrambles away, broken wrist pinned to his chest protectively. He can feel Tony following him closely and gasps when his metal fingers close around his shoulder, halting his escape.

Peter uses his remaining web shooter to fire a web at Tony’s oncoming fist, pulling the force of it off course so it slams into the concrete at their feet. It breaks like ice around the impact and the shock of knowing it had been directed at him leaves him weak.

“Tony please-”

Undeterred, Tony swings his arm with the web out to the side, throwing Peter off his balance. As he stumbles, Tony uses his other hand to throw a hard punch into the boy’s ribs. He hears them crack but hardly feels the pain, tears welling in his eyes.

“This- this isn’t you. Look at me-”

Peter gasps as his undamaged wrist is pinned against the roof, the metal crushed just like the first. As he screams, Tony finds his eyes, staring blankly and completely unaffected by Peter’s pain.

“It’s me. It’s- It’s Peter. This isn’t you! Fight it!”

The panic and fear in his body has made him numb. When Tony closes his hand around Peter’s throat, he can barely blink, let alone fight it away. The very real possibility that he’s about to die races through him like lightning.

“T-Tony. Mr. Stark.”

The pressure on his throat increases as the man lifts him off the ground. Peter manages to lift his hands to the vice grip, fingers curling around Tony’s in an attempt to relieve the strain. It makes his wrists shoot in pain and for a moment, all he can see are stars.

When his vision clears, he’s hanging by Tony’s hand over a 100 story drop. The city swarms like an anthill beneath them and Peter tightens his hold against Tony’s. His web shooters are shattered.

If Tony drops him, he will die.

“Tony,” Peter chokes. With every ounce of being he can muster, he searches Tony’s eyes. Just as before, they hold no resemblance to the man Peter knows. His hero. His friend.

His family.

“Don’t drop me.”

The grip tightens so dramatically that Peter thinks his neck will be crushed before he even gets the chance to fall. Despite the pain, he refuses to break his eye contact with his mentor. They glimmer against Peter’s reflection, glassy and distant.

“Not your fault,” he chokes. It’s hard to speak around the vice grip and nearly impossible to pull together sentences through the thick fog in his head. But he tries, even when his vision tunnels. It’s important. “I- I- forgive you. Don’t- don’t blame yourself, okay?”

He needs Tony to understand. This could be his last chance, and more than ever, despite hanging above certain death, he knows it to be true.

“I l-love you.”

There’s a flicker of recognition in Tony’s eyes. A glimmer of himself that almost has Peter believing that it’s over, that they’ll be okay.

But then Tony drops him.

He doesn’t have the breath to scream.

Though Tony disappears quickly from his view, Peter keeps the man’s face in his mind as the ground races up to meet him. It fills his eyes with tears, the injustice of it all.

Tony will never forgive himself.

And Peter is going to die.

The wind rips through him viciously as he plummets. He’s fallen through this same skyline countless times and can hardly believe it’s his last.

He closes his eyes and sees May’s face beside Tony’s. Ned and MJ’s, too.

Though he’s never prayed before in his life, the words come to him now.

Help them be safe. Help them be okay.

He wants to be brave. He wants it more than anything.

Eyelids dark, it’s impossible to tell how close he is to the ground. The sounds of traffic draw closer, he thinks he hears a scream.

The impact is jarring.

It hits him all at once, stealing his air and lighting every broken bone on fire. For one soul wrenching second, he thinks the pain of it is his last conscious thought. That just like that, his short sixteen years have expired into dust.

Then he feels metal arms under his shoulders and thighs, hears through the static the distant roar of repulsors. Swears and sobs echo through it all in a delirious cocktail of grief, and Peter comes to the realization quite slowly that he hasn’t died after all.

“Tony?” It’s weak and breathless, like he’s just hopped off the world’s fastest roller coaster. With the last of his energy, his eyelids separate and he sees Tony’s face, covered in tears and unmistakable horror.

He had caught him.

“Tony-”

They crescent their journey on the top of a different, much shorter building. Peter feels himself being laid on his back and for some reason beyond his current comprehension, can’t find the strength to move from it.

Above him, Tony has his head in his hands. He’s shaking and Peter tries to reach out towards him, to show him he’s alright, but all he can do is twitch his fingers.

“Nice- nice catch.”

Tony’s shoulders still, going dangerously quiet. Peter watches with blurred vision as his face appears from behind his hands, the eye Peter can see bloodshot and brimming with an emotion he’s too tired to fully recognize.

“Pete-”

“Not your fault,” Peter breathes, exhausted. He closes his eyes and almost can’t find the strength to open them again. His body feels like the plane he had crashed in Coney Island.

“It is my fault,” Tony says. There’s tension and remorse coloring his voice, which tremors violently. “Christ, Peter. I hurt you.”

“You- you saved me.”

“No!”

“You always save me.”

“Peter-”

“S’okay.” He tries for a smile, but it must look like a grimace because Tony stifles another noise of regret. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“Oh kid-”

With a rush of vertigo, Peter feels himself being pulled up into Tony’s arms. It’s only until he feels the warmth of Tony’s skin that he realizes he’s removed himself from his suit. It’s nice, familiar, and the last of Peter’s resolve vanishes like smoke.

His hero.

His friend.

And in some ways, his father.

If he hadn’t known it before, he sure as hell knows it now.

“I love you too, kiddo,” Tony whispers, and Peter feels their hug tighten, as if it’s the man’s sole intention of never letting go.

And maybe, Peter thinks, it is.

[yuuri-nsane]

Bloom [Part Three]

Fandom: Yuuri On Ice

Ship: Viktuuri [Viktor Nikiforov x Katsuki Yuuri]

T/W: noooone, but please tell me if you think there are any i should add! thank youu

Summary: Prince Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki are met with two inexperienced guards? Whatever might happen next?

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] 

a/n: kjsdksg I CANT BREATHE THE THIRD PART IS HEEEEEERE - im very sorry i was going to post this like two days ago but i just kept pushing it back??? btw there isnt that much action soo uhh... anyway this series is dragging on a lot longer than i thought it would but its so much fricking fun so i hope you all enjoy this! thank you so much!

---

"I told you I heard something!"

Viktor jolted in fright, whipping his head round to the commotion that had appeared uninvited. His face a clear portrayal of scepticism and slight irritation, as he watched the newly affronted guards catch their breath for but a moment.

One had an accusing finger pointed at Yuuri, an expression of incredulity plastered messily on his face. He seemed more doubtful of the situation than anybody else, as if he were expecting the younger man to disappear right before his eyes.

He began to ramble, his voice screeching frantically as he bounced on the spot. The guard ignored Yuuri's obvious agitation, whether to his knowledge or lack of, and began hurling questions one after another.

"Who are you?!"

"What are you doing in the kitchens at this hour?"

"You-You're not a thief, are you? Or a ruffian? Or, oh God, not an assassin - please don't be an assassin-"

The other guard stood, stoic and seemingly unbothered. He closed his eye in what looked to be hushed ire, before sighing and opening them again. He quirked an eyebrow at the shorter man before him; Yuuri looked away swiftly from both guards - humiliated and looking quite ready for the night to end.

The reserved among the two soldiers had an analytical gaze meander from the shorter male and along an outstretched arm. He seemed to realise what his partner had failed to notice: there was not one, but two people currently in the scullery.

The indifferent guard slowly looked upward, meeting another gaze. 

He gulped, quite obviously.

Viktor noticed this soldier's sudden reaction - now smug and awaiting.

"Leo," the stiff man began softly, eyes wider than saucers as he attempted to gain the other's attention. It did little to do so nonetheless, as Leo's one-sided confrontation with Yuuri was still ongoing.

"Leo," he tried again - a more stern edge in his voice, accompanied by a gentle yet simultaneously harsh shove.

Leo simply ignored his partner, still fixed entirely on Yuuri.

"Leo!"

That, caught the over-eager male. His head whirled to look at his companion, uncertainty all but scribbled onto his face at the panicked cry that had evaded the room.

"Seung-Gil Lee," he finally acknowledged, "What is it?"

Seung-Gil Lee, or Lee - as we'd discover in a moment, raised an all but shaky hand, palm faced upwards and directed at Viktor.

"It's the prince. The crown prince. It's Prince Nikiforov," he all but babbled, a stark contrast to the calm and aloof character he had first presented.

There was a deafening silence before Leo turned to Viktor, his expression morphing into absolute terror.

Viktor let out a little chuckle - his extended arm coming to rest at his side. He threw a devious look at Yuuri, who was still frozen beside him - a look that screamed 'watch this'.

Viktor noted the tiny choke that left Yuuri's lips - truly a magical sound.

"Lee. Lee, tell me this is a dream. Tell me I didn't just do that in front of Prince Nikifo-oh my God, your majesty, I am so sorry!" Leo pinched himself mid rant, his pain shown in his loud exclamation and sudden blasphemy. He bowed unceremoniously, a clumsy action that nearly had him tumbling face first into the tiled floors of the kitchen.

He stayed there for a second, before noting that Lee was still stood straight - stiff and still in shock. He made a grab for his partner's back, pushing his palm flat, and forcing the other into a rapid bend.

"Ah, your-your highness! We didn't-we didn't realise-!"

The crown prince held his hand up, signalling Lee to a halt.

The prince stepped forward, pulling the soldiers at their shoulders to bring them upright. He said, chipperly, "Please, it was an honest mistake! At this time of night, I'm not surprised you almost didn't see me at all!"

Viktor allowed for a blinding heart-shaped smile to grace his lips - his cheeks plumping and eyes crinkling.

"Ah, um, ye-yes, your highness. Thank you, for being so considerate," the shorter soldier squeaked. Leo, was it? Viktor questioned silently, as the other continued, "If, if you don't mind me asking, your majesty, but-but uh, what were you doing here at such a late hour?"

Viktor flinched involuntarily - right, how would he explain that? He wasn't stupid, he knew confessing to sneaking out wouldn't end in his favour. The guards were bound to rat him out to Yakov, it was their job after all, and Viktor all but knew he wouldn't live to see the light of day if Yakov found out he was still sneaking out.

Well.

He didn't get to sneak out anyway, since Yuuri had stopped-

Yuuri.

Yuuri.

That's it!

Viktor grinned to himself, a little white lie forming into an entire charade in his mind.

He opened his mouth, words ready to fire and hopefully avoid an impending doom. Whilst doing so, he swivelled round, ready to pull Yuuri by his side - seconds away from truly selling whatever story he could.

He blinked.

In the exact spot Yuuri had stood was only something empty - providing a clear view of a door held ajar and a dark corridor.

The knights must've noticed too, for the prince heard a startled gasp and a very concerned, 'where the hell did he go-?!'

Viktor grimaced. Without Yuuri, he was going to have to tell the truth.

Fuck.

---

"Vitya! You know why you're not allowed out of the castle after dark! It's too dangerous-!"

Viktor was barely listening. In fact, it was safe to say that he wasn't listening at all: his mind solely focused on the enchanting enigma that was Yuuri Katsuki.

He didn't have it in him to be angry at Yuuri's betraying escape - after all, he could only imagine how scared he must've been to be confronted by the prince himself and two other guards.

As fleeting as a dream in the early hours of the morning, Viktor realised. Yuuri was there one moment, and gone the next. A beautiful and mysterious puzzle that Viktor wanted nothing more than to solve.

He was going to find him.

He still needed to thank him, of course. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Viktor may or may not have had such a little infatuation with the man. No way.

"-and yet, you still put yourself and this entire kingdom in danger by sneaking out and, and- Vitya? Viktor! Are you even listening?!"

That jostled Viktor from his internal conflict, and thus, he looked up from where he sat in his advisor's office - offering the most charming smile he could.

"Why, excuse me, dear Yakov. I couldn't help but notice," he started, his voice dripping of honey, "have you lost weight?"

Viktor didn't know what hit him, not until he noted the advisor's missing shoe.

"You brat! I can't believe you! I-"

Yakov sighed. Viktor wondered briefly if he could make it to the door from where he was; maybe he could leg it into his room and take refuge there. It was a big enough living space, and of course dying by starvation sounded much more appealing than dying by Yakov's sightless rage.

Instead of being met with said sightless rage, however, he was met with a wistful sigh and a soft look that he had ever rarely seen on the man’s face.

“I know you aren't happy right now. Not with the...the arrangement." Yakov spat.

Viktor grimaced.

"And I know you want nothing more than to visit that garden. But I also know that stepping out of bounds at such a time will only put you in danger. You're next in line to take the throne, Vitya. You can't afford to risk this. The entire kingdom depends on you."

He hated to admit it. But after listening to him, he realised Yakov was right. As much as he'd wanted to go into the gardens, well... There was still the underlying threat of ruffians from a neighbouring state. If he were to compromise his self, his kingdom wouldn't survive.

He swallowed.

He looked over at the older male.

"I know. I'm sorry."

He feebly risked a glance at his advisor, regarding the tired smile resting on his features.

"Ah, Vitya. You're still young, but you're not a child anymore. Learn what's good for you. Just take care of yourself," Yakov whispered hoarsely. Soon enough, the caring look he portrayed was replaced with a more familiar exasperated expression. "Now get out of here - I have things to do and your father won't be pleased if he finds me having a mothers' meeting with the likes of his only heir."

Viktor smiled cheekily, before standing up and heading to the door, almost tripping over Yakov's shoe-turned-weapon.

Yakov was good to him, despite his brash tendencies. He ought to give him a fruit basket every once in a while.

As he stepped out, he closed the door behind him, and looked over to his right. A large glass-paned window, and before it stood a table with a vase full of dying flowers, and a peculiar small statue of smooth rock. It was of a woman, bathing in the golden sunlight just beginning to peak over the horizon. Behind her, Viktor looked out the window, and watched the pink and gold of the dawning day begin to bleed into one another; an abstract painting littered with the graphite of soaring birds of all shapes and sizes.

Beautiful, he thought, like Yuuri.

He turned and decided his path, when he abruptly collided with something, or more so, someone. He was sent flying backwards, his hands coming to stop his complete fall behind him.

The prince, slightly dazed and left shaken, looked over to the culprit of his unexpected tumble.

Well, speak of the devil.

"Yuuri?"

---

Taglist:

@thatonespidermonkey @stainedglassm

[chaos-in-the-making]

So let's talk about this "New Moon", because I KNEW they were going to pull this bullshit out of their ass.

So Towa didn't change in the modern era. Why??? That makes no gd sense. Her powers didnt change when she time traveled. She was still a hanyo. Time travel doesn't work like that, she was fully herself. That is weird, and they did it just for the drama, which is really dumb, and I am ONLY complaining from a writer standpoint. Consistency makes a better story. Its lazy writing, but whatever. I got a LOT of sister concern in today's episode, so I won't bitch for very long.

DID YOU SEE HOW TENDER SETSUNA WAS??!?!?!? YES GURL.

Speaking of Setsuna.... I am getting the idea that "dreams" are synonymous with a bunch of other things. Sestuna can't sleep. Ok. Her "dreams" are stolen. But what does that have to do with her half blood status? Why does that also take away her night of vulnerability? Is it because "dreams" are at "night", and since regular "night" time activities have been taken that includes her "night" of being human? Its convulated and weird, but... ok. Whatever, Sunrise. Again, this is all from a writer's standpoint. I can't decide if this is just an easy out, or if it ties into other things. I guess we will find out as Setsuna gets her memories back. Takahashi approved the story, so.... I can only trust they know what they are doing.

Moroha makes sense, though. She is a quarter demon, so her not having a New Moon is pretty logical, actually.

Speaking of Moroha, I really liked that she was able to make a barrier. Myoga writing the scripts was weird, but whatever. Moroha has no formal priestess training, so she is learning it on the fly. Which is cool development for her. Maybe Miroku can give her some lessons once we drag him home from fighting bears in the woods. Excuse me, from meditating in waterfalls.

SANGO DONT KILL ME NEXT WEEK I BEG YOU WHATEVER YOU ARE PRAYING FOR STOP IT I NEED TO LIIIIIIVE.

Why did it take Miroku this long to go on a spiritual journey? Did he just wait for his kids to grow up? If so, i can respect a responsible father. I AM GOING TO NEED NEXT SATURDAY TO GET HEEEEEERE.

[thejollyroger-writer]

THE WASTELAND - Prologue

IT’S HEEEEEERE! For real, you guys, I canNOT express just how excited I am to share this story with you! What started as a prompt from @wellhellotragic in APRIL 2019 has grown into this, my story for @cssns 2020! Specialist of thanks to @shireness-says​, who helps me talk out my ideas even though they make no sense to her, the ladies in the discord for sprinting with me in the hour I get to myself at the end of the day, and especially to @spartanguard ​ for her INCREDIBLE artwork! I’m so excited to see what else she comes up with as more of the story gets posted!! 

Now, onto the exciting part... 

Some triggers: this story is rated TEEN, mostly for violence. It takes place during wartime, and some of the characters go through some violence and torture. If you need more information about this, please just message me! 

SUMMARY:  In a world that has been saturated in war for as long as anyone can remember, Emma Swan has rebuilt her life as far away from the chaos as possible, opening her own maternity hospital after spending too many years in makeshift battlefield aid stations. But one night, a bloodied and battered soldier finds her hospital trying to get away from an enemy with a penchant for torture and a personal vendetta against him. With the help of Emma’s childhood friend Prince David and a motley collection of humans and magic-wielders, the quest to save Killian Jones’ life from the poison used by the enemy takes them to places even beyond the known world.

Posted on AO3

“There has always been a war,” Prince David’s father always told him. In a way, he’s right. For as long as anyone can remember, as long as written history goes back, there has been the war, though what began as a magic versus non-magic fight has shifted into a power-hungry battle between two leaders — no matter who the leaders are. 

Centuries passed, generation gave way to generation, but the war has remained. New technologies have come and gone: horses gave way to trains, only to be replaced by cars and tanks; weapons have come and gone. 

But the War has remained. A few leaders have come along to try and stop the two sides from fighting, but none were strong enough to really stop the war, turning to the temptation of corruption before too long. Even the current King of the Gale, King George, started his rule as a kind and understanding ruler, but all it took to change that was the death of his wife, the King turning to dark magic in hopes of getting her back and only finding anger and corruption. 

The only thing that has spanned the ages is the War. 

The War, and the Wasteland. The two cities have grown, smaller hubs popping up where people have congregated, but the Wasteland remains, a large expanse of land that runs across the middle of the world where nothing will grow, where no people have congregated, barren of even animal life. And this has become the center for the War, home to makeshift barracks and trenches and destruction. 

Prince David dreams of a day when the world is a better place, somewhere that he’s not terrified to raise an heir, somewhere where there is more to live for than corruption and violence. But that day hasn’t come, not yet. 

-- -- -- -- 

According to some legends, there has never been a time when the Nephilim and the humans were not at war, but he’s too much of a cynic to believe that. Some part of him has to believe that there was a time, no matter how long ago, when the world was not drowning in war and hatred and destruction — because, if that’s true, then he can still believe that it’s possible for there to be a time after the war. That’s why he decided to fight for the Prince instead of the King; King George lives for war, for fighting, but his son, Prince David, helps men like Killian be sure that there is still good in the world, even when it seems impossible to find. 

Though, recently, this good has become harder and harder for him to find, and though he chose to fight for the Prince, he certainly didn’t choose to be captured by the enemy, tortured in hopes of revealing the Prince’s location. 

The rain pours down around him, pounding against his aching skin. It's cold, just shy of too cold, and Killian thinks that, maybe, if he could think straight, see straight, focus on anything beyond the sharp thrum of pain rolling through his body, it might even feel good. 

But nothing can feel good here, when everything around him is so terrible. His world is broken, his home is broken, his soul is broken, his skin is broken. In multiple places. Scars run up and down his arms, his shoulders, his torso. Gunshots, knife wounds, weirdly-healing scars from magic-users and weres and fae blades — and maybe even a few self-inflicted from his lowest moments. 

Not to mention his hand. The wound on his arm from the enemy Nephilim soldiers, the almost-unbelievably large were-shifter and the silent but sadistic fire-wielding sprite that helped torture him, was part of the worst pain he had ever felt. There was nothing he could do about the wound on his chest, the gash so close to his heart he feared they would pierce it, but the wound to his arm was another story. He’s seen a wound like that before, knows exactly the damage it would have across his body if the poison was left to spread, so he did the only thing he could think of to save himself, both from the poison and the chains that bound him and removed the rest of the limb with his own dagger. 

He raises his eyes from the ground, needing to focus on something other than the throbbing pain blurring the edges of his vision, some sort of goal that he can dedicate what is left of his quickly depleting energy to. And that's when he sees it, so bright and clear in the darkness of the stormy night that he's sure he's imagining it. But he heads towards it anyway, the bright red cross of salvation like a beacon of hope in front of him. 

By the grace of one of the higher powers — he honestly could care less about which one — no atheists in foxholes, one of his superiors used to tell them — the door to the building  is open, though the lights are low, only enough to light up the single aisle that runs between the beds that line the walls. There are only a few bodies in the beds — humans and fae of all kinds — and they all seem to be asleep, a fact that his entry to the hospital does not seem to have any effect on. But none of this changes the fact that he has no idea where he is, and — more importantly — whether he has made it out of enemy territory, which changes around these parts quicker than the tides. Somewhere in the back of his mind, in a voice that sounds startlingly like his brother's, he wonders if there is still any such thing as safe territory anymore. He has enough common sense left to drag himself through the aisle between the rows of bed and through a set of double doors, and into what looks like an office off to his left, before finally crumbling on the floor, thankful for the warmth of his new shelter before he finally — finally, every bone in his body screams — succumbs to the pain and passes out. 

 TAGS: @kmomof4​ @thisonesatellite​  @teamhook​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​ @cocohook38​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @facesiousbutton82​ @hollyethecurious​ @stahlop​ @tiguanasummertree  @angellifedeath​ @pepperpottss​ @mariakov81​ @scientificapricot​ @teamhook​ @kday426​ @xarandomdreamx​ @ohmightydevviepuu​ @xhookswenchx​ @nikkiemms​ @carpedzem​ @superchocovian​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ -- want to be added or removed? let me know!