#get jack out of the kitchen.... what if his tail knocks out a pan of frying oil......

[tinyfantasminha]

we don't want fur on the food now do we

[corysmiles]

Giant house au! Technos had a sick day with Phil shinking down to help take care of him. They all probably thought Techno always carrying his sword even around the house was Techno being dramatic before Phil had to start using it for a lot of things.

But what about the opposite? Maybe two of the giants are out for a day or two, and the one who stayed behind got sick. Techno tries his best to take care of them despite his size.

-❤ anon

Sick Day

—————————

Giant House AU

CW: language

Notes: I’m gonna make it Tommy who stayed home with him since they haven’t had much bonding time, and so sorry it took literally forever for me to get back to this (also I’m blaming all grammar mistakes on me being sick)

—————————

Techno had no idea how to help a sick giant. He was already so tiny compared to the house he lived in, so trying to independently get medicine for his sick brother was way more difficult than it should have been.

Phil and Wilbur had left just the day before, which normally wouldn’t be a big problem. Techno was fine getting around on his own, especially since Tommy was staying with him.

He just didn’t plan on Tommy catching a fever while none of the other giants were there.

While Techno pondered how to actually get up to the giant’s medicine cabinet Tommy laid down curled up in his bed shivering every so often. He looked terrible.

And sounded awful too.

Earlier Techno had tried to crawl up to give him his shrinking potion, but everytime the boy sneezed it sent Techno flying… And the giant couldn’t hold him either since they both feared he’d cough and accidentally drop the human.

So there wouldn’t be any touching the giant.

Next Techno tried to make him soup thinking it might at least make him feel a little more comfortable. Though quickly he realized he couldn’t even get into the cabinet with human-sized pans without a giant’s help…And Tommy wouldn’t be getting up any time soon. Not even to mention that any soup he made would be nothing more than a spoonful for the giant unless he wanted to try to make him a hundred bowls.

So that left him standing on the edge of the giant’s counter staring up at the glass-panelled medicine cabinet. He’d never had to go in it himself, he had his own medicine in his room, but human-sized medicine wouldn’t do anything for Tommy. He was pretty sure Tommy would have to have at least a couple bottles of human medicine for it to do anything.

However, tilting his head up he could just barely see the jar he needed. It looked so close, but he couldn’t figure out how to get to it. The glass was too slippery so he couldn’t climb it, and he was too worried that if he used his hook he’d get stuck and have no way down until the other two giants came back home.

“Fuck…” Techno hummed, “Tommy you sure you can’t get up for just a moment?”

From the giant’s mound of blankets he heard a loud grumble followed by a cough, “No, cant move.”

Techno rolled his eyes and readjusted himself on the counter to get a better view of the medicine cabinet. He just needed a way to get up there- maybe he could pull something over to climb on. It probably wasn’t the safest bet, but it was better than listening to Tommy complain for the next few days.

Hastily he marched along the wooden counter over to a giant stack of empty cardboard boxes. They would be perfect…if he could actually move them that is.

With a loud huff he pushed his back into the side of the box, but only managed to move it an inch before his foot slipped.

“Come on,” he whined as he kicked out his legs against the counter- still no luck, “You gotta be kidding me.”

With a loud sigh he collapsed with his back pressed against the boxes. It wouldn’t work either.

“You okay up there?” Tommy’s voice boomed.

Techno sprung back up and glared at the huge boxes in front of him, “Yeah. Just fine.”

“Cool,” Tommy murmured, before throwing in, “can you get me some meds big man?”

Techno could almost feel the boiling annoyance building up in his stomach, “That’s what I’m doing.”

All he got was a low hum and another series of coughs from the giant. Not even a thank you.

He better be grateful later, Techno glowered.

It was only when Techno heard a soft chirp behind him that a thought sprung up in his mind. Quickly he turned around and sure enough one stray crow cocked its head at him from the other side of the kitchen. It’s black feathers glimmered under the morning light- it must have been left behind to watch over the house.

“Hey,” Techno cringed, “Bird? Why don’t you come over here Huh? You can help me.”

The bird chirped again and hopped forward before banging its beak against the counter. Not exactly what Techno wanted.

The human’s shoulder dropped as he waved at the crow, “Come on birdy. You can do it, just come here.”

The bird hopped along the counter again ruffling it’s tail feathers at the human. The sight of the giant crow was a bit unsettling, but after Phil trained them they behaved much better… Techno just hoped they’d still leave him alone even if Phil wasn’t there to control them.

“Come on. Just fly over here,” Techno pleaded, but the bird just stared, “I don’t know if you understand me but please just come here. I need the medicine.”

This time the bird cocked its head to the side before flapping over to Techno’s side, the small burst of air from its wings almost knocking Techno over.

“Oh hey,” Techno inched away from the crow’s sharp talons, “Uh maybe you do understand me huh… Can you get me up there?”

Techno pointed up at the cabinet and received a sharp chirp from the bird. Before he could even turn back around he felt a sharp prodding against his back. He tried to pull away but the pressure against his spine increased until he was plunged into darkness.

He was in the birds mouth.

Techno yelled out and tried to kick open the crow’s beak to no avail. All he heard in return was a disgruntled caw before the bird flapped its wings.

“Hey!” he yelped, trying to stay at the front of the animal’s beak, “Tommy help please!”

There was no response from the giant, although Techno wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to hear it from the crows mouth. He felt his chest start to tighten anxiously as he pounded at the hard beak. If he couldn’t get out he’d probably die there.

Tommy wouldn’t know where he went and there was no Phil to reel back in the crows. He felt helpless.

He sent another punch at the crease in the birds beak as he tried to keep his breathing steady. The last thing he needed was to cry.

Thankfully, this time when his fist hit the bird a small crack of light burst across his eyes. Immediately he tried to push himself through before he was regurgitated back onto solid ground.

He wiped the spit off his face and frantically tried to create space between him and the bird before his back hit a cold surface. He flinched away and turned only to find the glass panelled door he’d been looking at before.

His eyes whipped back to the crow that was now staring at Techno with its head tilted.

“You helped me?” Techno gasped.

The bird chirped a couple more times before hopping up to another shelf. Techno heard a bit of shuffling and scratching of the crow’s talons against wood before a giant plastic bottle thumped to the floor beside him.

Techno looked up at the crow with amazement as it let out another happy caw.

“You really are helping me,” Techno grinned, digging his hands into the container’s lid to pop it open, “I guess I see why Phil left you here huh?”

The bird cooed contentedly as it flew down to pitch beside the human. Every once in a while it’s wing would brush against Techno’s side as it’s picked at its feathers. He wouldn’t admit it but it was kind of cute in a “could definitely kill him” kind of way.

When he finally heard the loud snap of the bottle’s lid opening he let out a proud laugh before digging out two round pills. The medicine was almost the size of Techno’s arm.

The crow’s chirping increased as he packed both pills into his bag. This time with a lot less fear Techno let the bird grab him in its beak. The wet darkness was still unpleasant but he knew it wouldn’t be the cause of his demise now.

A loud of gust of wind reached his ears as the bird took off from the cabinet, and while Techno couldn’t see the outside he hoped the crow knew to take him to Tommy.

After a few seconds when the beak cracked open Techno grinned as he found himself right next to Tommy’s blanket cocoon. The sniffles of the giant boy could be heard loudly even through all the layers.

“Hey Tommy!” Techno yelled as he stepped out of the bird’s mouth and patted its head thankfully, “Got you your medicine.”

Immediately the giant’s head popped out of the blankets like a Jack-in-the-box.

Tommy coughed and grabbed at the human, “Really? Give it!”

Before the giant’s fingers could grab onto Techno he stepped back with a loud huff. His feet stood firmly on the ground as Tommy pouted at him.

“No thank you? Really?” he scoffed.

The giant teen rolled his eyes and shrugged off the human, “Whatever, thank you I guess. But I’m literally dying you know.”

A burst of laughter escaped Technos chest, “Uhuh, basically got a foot in the grave Huh?”

Tommy huffed and reached for the medicine again, but this time Techno careful placed the pills onto his outstretched hand. He heard a gulp as the giant downed it before he let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

“Ahh,” Tommy grinned as he poked at Techno’s side, “Feel better already. Like a new man.”

“Oh shut up,” Techno laughed as he pushed away Tommy’s finger.

However it only managed to urge the giant on as he pushed the human onto the counter with his thumb. Before Techno could even react he was pinned down by the heel of the teen’s hand.

Tommy’s boisterous laugh echoed throughout the house, “Awe how cute lil Techno helping his big brother.”

Techno shook his head at the boys antics and playfully wrestled against his fingers. He was annoying sure, but he always enjoyed spending time with him.

No matter how much he pissed him off sometimes, he was his brother.

[voldemorthatesnose96]

RETROUVAILLES

(The final part)

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Big thanks to @dreamy-slytherin for making a drawing for this fic❤️❤️❤️

 Earthlingoddity :

Do you need me to pick you up at the bus stop?

Sterkerdanijzer :

Sander, for a THOUSAND times since yesterday evening, I’m fine LOL! Really, don’t worry too much, please😌

Earthlingoddity :

You sure?

Sterkerdanijzer :

If you asks that again, the deal’s off

Earthlingoddity :

OK OK OK! I’ll shut up now. Careful on your way. Been preparing some croques for you

Sterkerdanijzer :

You’re the best!

Btw...

Uh-oh.

Is he gonna back out now? Is something happen? Did he say something wrong just now?

Sander tries to calm his breath as he types.

Earthlingoddity :

Yes, Robbe?

Sterkerdanijzer :

Do you mind if I bring Peter Pan along again?🥺he’s gonna be good. Pinky promise!

Sander lets out a very relief breath. Why does Robbe always makes him feel on edge, though? He really have it bad.

Earthlingoddity :

Jesus, you scared me for a sec right there. Of course you can

Sterkerdanijzer :

You really are THE BEST, Mr Driesen. See you in 15 mins!!

It takes five minutes for Sander to finally comes back to reality when Robbe called him Mr Driesen. Okay, he’s been calling that many times by many people BUT it feels much different when Robbe did it. Somehow Sander can hear Robbe’s voice through his phone saying that, and... God, he doesn’t know what to think anymore. What a blessing that no human can hear each other’s thoughts; because sure as hell, Robbe will run away once he knows about Sander’s inner thought.

Yesterday, Sander insisted to pick Robbe at his flat because it’s a bit far but Robbe always declined—said that distance never really matters to him whatsoever. Maybe Sander was being overreacted but he already feels protective of this cute yet unpredictable guy, and definitely not the same feeling like he’s being protective of a friend. Yeah, maybe he should tone it down a bit. Robbe’s not a kid, he’s capable of taking care of himself.

Trying to distract himself, Sander is now standing in front of the kitchen counter, staring at the croque he just made few minutes before he sent the text to Robbe. For today, he needs to impress Robbe—from his dish to this safe haven. Sander woke up at five in the morning today after doing a morning yoga routine to calm himself from the nervousness and then tidying his half-messy flat.

“Croques, don’t let me down,” Sander pleads as he lifts the plate. “don’t let my crush down. Please!”

He almost drops the plate when he hears a knock on his door.

Shit!

Okay this is it!

Sander is half-running to the door, taking a deep breath before he holds the knob and opens it. The first thing he sees is Peter Pan excited face; he’s too excited so he literally jumps into Sander’s arms and licks his face.

“Sorry,” Robbe laughs but his tone is definitely not sorry. “he’s being so impatient to meet you.”

“No...” Sander replies in between Peter Pan’s kisses. “problem... at all.”

“Is this the croque you were talking about earlier?”

“Yep!” Sander answers as he puts Peter Pan down, watching his tail shaking left and right and a minute later he’s already out of sight to explore the place.

“Looks good,” Robbe smiles at Sander and the world stops for a second—or at least it feels like for Sander. “can I eat them now? I’m starving.”

Sander clears his throat and force a laugh, “Sure, but I won’t be responsible if you suddenly get a stomachache.”

“I’ll take that risk for you.”

Sander raises his eyebrow. His feet unknowingly takes a step closer—close enough for his hand to graze Robbe’s, but he can’t do it. Yet. So instead, he says, “don’t say something like that.”

Sander thought Robbe will back out, but to his surprise and excitement, he smiles mischievously and says, “or what?”

Sander smirks, “Or I’ll feed you this croque by myself.”

“Please do.”

Excuse me?

What did he just say?

“Go on,” Robbe encourages Sander. “Feed me. I’m waiting.”

Oh, it’s on!

All the way or no way, Driesen.

Without saying another word, Sander grab a piece of his dish and feed it to Robbe who slowly opens his mouth and bites it.

Fucking hell and this infuriating sexual tension!

Sander knows he should look away but he can’t—even when Robbe closes his eyes to savor the food, Sander finds himself more captivated by him. These lips; how does they feel like? How does they taste like? Are they gonna be as soft as silk? As decadent as the most expensive chocolate?

But he must stop. He should stop his thoughts—this kind of thoughts, to be exact or there’ll be an unnecessary trouble.

“Is it good?”

“Divine,” Robbe says, smiling softly but later turns serious. “You okay? Your face look tense.”

Of course, I’m not okay, Robbe! He thought bitterly.

“Yes,” Sander answers in a clipped voice. “Would you like to do it now?”

Robbe is clearly confuse by Sander’s sudden dismissal but doesn’t say anything about it. To be completely honest, his feeling is a bit hurt.

“Okay.”

Sander turns his back to see Robbe’s hurtful face and immediately feels bad, “sorry,” he breathes. “It’s just.. whenever I’m around you, my brain’s stop working.”

“Am I that bad?”

Sander almost laugh, “God, no. You’re far from that. You’re special, Robbe IJzermans.”

Hearing this, Robbe’s blushes hard and quick. This is the very first time he hears someone—not just someone—but Sander Driesen, the coolest guy on YouTube, actually said that he’s special. His heart’s beating really, really fast right now.

“Komaan.” Sander says as he takes Robbe’s hand to his room.

The first thing Robbe sees is a HUGE poster of David Bowie in front of Sander’s bed. It’s so huge that maybe it can be use as a blanket.

“Cool, huh?” Sander chuckles when he notices Robbe’s ‘awe’ expression.

“So cool.”

“You can stare at him all you want later,” Sander says as he sits on the floor and grabs his guitar. “Alle kom, Robbe! Sit beside me.”

Robbe do what he’s been told. Something like the ocean and summer breeze from Sander catches his nose and Robbe finds himself inhaling that scent deeply.

Perfect. Now his heart beats erratically again.

“You ready?” Sander asks, looking straight at Robbe’s eyes.

“I am.”

Sander can feel Robbe’s nervousness and knowing it’s because of his presence can do such thing to his crush, it makes him smile so wide. Before he can stop, his hand touches Robbe’s cheek, “you’ll be fine. Okay?”

Robbe nods. He takes the flower crown from his bag and wears it.

“Cutie,” Sander mumbles softly under his breath before he presses “enter” on his keyboard to start the video.

“Hey everyone, Sander’s here and I’m with someone really special today,” he looks at Robbe whose eyes are as big as a globe because he’s too shock. “Introduce yourself. Go on!”

Robbe blinks fast as he comes back to earth, “uh, yeah! It’s Robbe and I agreed to do a collab with Jack Frost beside me.”

“Jack Frost, huh?”

“Yes, you are.”

“Fair enough,” Sander grins. “What are we gonna do today?”

“Whatever you want.” Robbe answers innocently.

“I have a lot of things on my mind about it BUT we’re gonna do an impromptu song cover for now.”

“What are we gonna sing?” Then Robbe quickly adds. “Oh not Bowie or anything that we particularly love.”

“I’m listening.” Sander says seriously.

“What’s song that’s been on your playlist for awhile, you like but never really sing it out loud?”

Sander immediately replies, “Ben Howard’s song called Promise.”

The big smile Sander adores so much reappears, “I also happened to know that song! Shall we sing it now?”

Just when Robbe is about to sing, Peter Pan suddenly bursts in, quickly finds place on his lap and sleeps. They can’t help but laugh at this marvelous sight.

“Sorry, viewers. This is just my puppy, Peter Pan.”

“And he’s dead tired.” Sander adds, chuckling.

“Anyway, let’s continue. You sing first, Sander!”

The cheerful vibes between them gradually turns much calmer when Sander sings the first chorus.

“And meet me there, bundles of flowers, we wait through the hours of cold...”

Robbe continues.

“Winter shall howls at the wall, tearing down doors of time...”

Both are singing melodiously, much to their surprises because none of them really actually practice or anything. It’s purely ‘in the moment’ situation. Hundreds of comment keeps on coming, saying they look really cute together, etc etc etc. The views rapidly increases from two thousand something to eleven thousand within few minutes.

Robbe admires ardently how Sander plays the guitar in the most calming manner possible. No rush, no hesitation, no doubt—it feels like he was born to hold that instrument. These tattoos, especially the Bowie’s lightning one on Sander’s wrist is making him look even more ethereal. Bleached-blond hair with black clothes and tattoos; Sander Driesen is the perfect example of a sweetest sin that Robbe will gladly accepts.

On the other hand, Sander never truly realises how beautiful Robbe is, now that he’s finally be able to sees his face up close. Everything about him is perfect—too perfect for him. He wonders how it feels like to have their bodies wrap together, with or without clothes. How his fingers slowly but hungrily traces every inch of Robbe’s body.

“Who am I darling, to you? Who am I? Going to tell you stories of mine... who am I?” Sander sings, never breaking the eye contact from Robbe. “Who am I darling, for you? Who am I? Going to be a burden... who am I darling, to you? Who am I?” He continues when his crush is too stunned to say anything.

Fuck it! I don’t care anymore!

Sander puts his guitar aside, places one hand on Robbe’s cheek, and without thinking, without worrying about the fact that thousands of people are watching this live stream, Sander kisses him. He promises to himself that if Robbe gives him the slightest uncomfort, he’ll back down, just like that.

But the greedy monster inside him roars in victory when Robbe’s also leaning closer and deepening the kiss.

After several long moments, or maybe several moons later (okay this is too much but it does feel like it for Sander), both finally breaking the kiss to catch a breath.

Robbe breathes, “Wow, that was...”

“Amazing?”

“Spectacular?”

“Show-stopping?”

“Never the same?”

“Totally unique?”

“Brilliant?”

Sander laughs loud until his nose scrunches, “unbelievable. We just kissed and suddenly mimicked Lady Gaga’s wisdom words? Never been done before.”

Robbe laughs nervously. His lips are chapped, so does Sander’s.

“You do realise that we’re still going live, right?”

“Of course I do and I don’t care,” Sander abruptly turns to camera and says proudly. “mense, I just kissed my crush in front of you all, even the world, and I have no regrets. I’ve been dying to kiss him for months and now I finally got it. And that also concludes today’s video. See you very soon and thanks for watching!”

“I still can’t believe we actually did it.”

Sander gives him a peck, “oh but we just did.”

Robbe smiles shyly, “so, what are gonna do now?”

“Kissing, talking, kissing again, lots of kissing, talking,” Sander smirks. “What about you?”

“Just kiss me now, please.”

Sander kisses Robbe again and again then whispers, “You don’t need to say please, engel.”

Couple hours later

[findmyrupertfriend]

Strange Angel - “The Wheel of Fortune” (This is a recap of the 4th episode of Season 2 of Strange Angel. There are spoilers so proceed with caution!) 

   The episode begins with Susan seated at her vanity, reminiscing about her “bonding” experience with Magus. She stares dreamily at her wedding ring and vividly flashes back to the previous evening where she was tethered and moaning. Jack interrupts her thoughts with his presence announcing “Thank God you’re awake”…

   The scene flashes to the most beautiful face on streaming cable as Ernest recounts his experience with the angel of fire aka: Jack “Fire Ass” Parsons. Ernest admits he’s been working “through the will of another” – Virgil Burns. Susan recoils in betrayal. And Magus let’s Ernest know he has betrayed his community.

    We learn in the next scene that Virgil is attempting to enlist the help of local district attorney to put an end to the Agape. Warren, who is up for reelection, doesn’t seem too willing to shut down a religious group, and the controversies that surround doing so during the War.

   That morning, Jack and Susan discuss the future of the Agape in their bedroom. Jack seems confident that Ernest now is “bought in” but Susan is concerned about Virgil’s wrath. They open their doors to the kitchen and see that the Agape’s own Betty Crocker, Ernest, has been up all morning atoning for his sins and has presented a feast. As Ernest buzzes around serving, Jack recollects for his “star struck” agape followers what is was like to become the angel. The Magus enters the room while Jack is telling of his experience and it’s soon clear he doesn’t buy Jack’s story. Jack puts an obscene amount of syrup on his pancakes and bullshits his way through how he felt as the angel. Susan basically rolls her eyes, she’s not impressed with his angel story either.

Jack and his Cal-Tech counterparts are in the desert testing out their newest rocket. Longest flight on record clocked in at 2.85 miles! Others celebrate and Jack mutters under his breath “there is no other God than me” – the success may be going to his head… Haha!

The next scene Ernest is being tied up by his feet as Magus explains to him he has to tell truth from lies.

“Thus, to see clearly you must upend your entire view on the world til’ your lies spill out like water”

Ernest continues his atonement for his betrayal and works to tend the Parson’s garden, recruiting the help of other Agape members. His pants are high and he looks friggin’ great. He’s interrupted with a phone call Walter receives for Ernest “the power company called – your bill is past due.” Walter states it must be a mistake, but according to Ernest’s awkward reaction, this seems to be a code for Virgil’s wanting to meet in their confession booth.

   We see at Jack’s work, Patty, spilling the Agape beans to her colleagues. Jack calls her into his office and warns her they have to be more protective of their private religion. She strokes his already inflated ego and says she can picture him as a leader with people following and hanging on to his every word. He’s turned on by Patty and her words.

   Susan and Magus are at what appears to be city hall with documents to document the Agape as a legit church. Magus confronts Susan about Jack’s control over her and his insight into Jack’s “Fire Angel” lies. Susan learns her application for the Agape has been put on hold due to “Pending Investigation”, this reeks of Virgil. The scene changes again and Ernest goes ahead and meets Virgil. Virgil lets Ernest know he has one final task for him.

   Marisol strolls down the street working on her lines for acting. Richard approaches her and apologizes for going to her family without discussing it with her first. He shows her the engagement ring he planned on giving and let’s her know he loves her for who she is, no matter what her past and what she isn’t willing to tell him. Marisol says “he deserves better” and leaves him alone on the street.

   We’re back at the Agape and a brawl is brewing! Things are getting heated as Magus and Susan enter the room and Ernest explains the reason for the hostilities. “Virgil asked me to come see him and I went.” Jack defends Ernest’s meeting with Virgil stating he is now the eyes and ears to what stands against them. Walter also slips that the District Attorney is building a case against the Agape so all information that goes in and out of the house is sensitive. Walter is skeptical about the angel Ernest saw “Fuck this angel, how do we even know it was real”  those words are too much for Ernest to bear. He swings at Walter and their fisticuffs are broken up by Jack. Jack defends Ernest’s involvement stating it will “embarrass Virgil” – this isn’t enough for Susan though, who exclaims she doesn’t want to embarrass Virgil but for him to pay mightily for what he has done. Jack and Susan speak in private and he learns that Susan’s request for the Agape to become a church at the Clergy’s office was done with his forged signature. Tensions rise between the two and Jack puts together that Magus and Susan are working together. He feels betrayed, but more so jealous. Susan fires back at Jack about  his very own forgery and admits she has seen the chemical burns on his back from his angelic encounter.  Susan warns Jack about what might happen if Ernest learns about his betrayal and the abuse of their faith.

   The scene moves from the Agape to Jack’s work. Richard appears haggard and strung out as he mourns the loss of Marisol’s love and throws himself into their work. Jack likes Richard’s obsessive devotion to their goal. Speaking of Marisol, her brother and father come to visit her at work. Her father has no kind words. Marisol wishes her brother love and luck and appears to cut ties with her father.  Later, Jack and Richard meet with General Braxton at their test site. Jack, Richard and Gui propose to the General that they need bigger and better – more money! Jack drops Richard off after their pitch and Marisol is waiting on Richard’s front steps. She lets Richard know of her hesitations and they agree to be together as they are, without engagement or marriage, but in love.

It’s night now and sweet Ernest is out in the garden, still working his gorgeous tail off and atoning for his sins. Susan lets Ernest know what Virgil actually did to she and Patty and Ernest - who by the way, is the most genuine and decent human on this entire show – shows empathy and care for her. Susan says if he truly wants to atone, she urges Ernest to teach Virgil about shame. Ernest, being devout and ready to prove his worth, seems game.

   Magus and Jack get some tense scene time together as Magus shows Jack his blurry portrait, stating “it was so clear when we first began.” Magus then asks Jack if he truly understands what Ernest is working towards by “Crossing the Abyss”. It’s clear Ol’ Numb-Nuts Parsons doesn’t have a clue what Ernest is up against. Magus informs Jack that crossing the abyss includes shedding of earthly cares (love, wealth, desire and fear) in order to be one with the divine. Magus let’s Jack know, if Ernest’s journey has any ‘Falsehood’ – AKA: ANGEL ASS of FIRE, Jack needs to come clean. Jack shoots back at Magus, the only reason he’s not coming clean is because of the roof Jack provides for the Agape. Magus and Jack do not see eye to eye and Jack throws his power trip around and states he would be the one the Agape would follow.

   In our second to final scene, Virgil Burns works at his desk and Ernest arrives early to their meeting. Ernest appears skittish and nervous while holding a large, rattling bundle and Virgil quickly senses something is amiss.  They struggle as Ernest knocks Virgil out and nails Virgil’s hands to the desk. Susan smokes on the balcony and sees Ernest come home. He nods to her, letting her know the deed is done. She appears elated and makes her way to Magus’ bedroom. He opens the door and she envelopes him in a kiss. Jack realizes his bed is empty and walks down the hall to hear the sounds of passion escape the Magus’ room. Jack goes to Patty and asks her to go “wake the believers”. Moments later, the Agape (minus Susan and Magus) lead a naked Ernest through vows. Jack has adopted his self-proclaimed role as Agape leader and as Ernest recites his pledge, we understand he is initiated back in the folds of the Agape.

   In the final scene of episode 4, Virgil lies face down on his desk and the district attorney whose support he pledged for, comes to find him. Virgil urges him to call the police and the DA says frankly to Virgil “He doesn’t think that would be a good idea” denouncing all ties with Virgil Burns. The camera pans out and we see Ernest’s graffiti on Virgil’s wall that labels Virgil as “CHILD RAPIST.”  

[quickeningheart]

Sixteen

   Alley almost felt back to normal when she finally entered the small kitchen, where Stoker was in the midst of preparing a meal. He glanced at her and smiled. "Good timing. Food's ready. How ya feelin', kid?"

   "Human," she replied.

   He grinned and nodded at the table. "Have a seat."

   "You know, I really wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't hungry." And she wasn't about to tempt fate and risk a repeat of the past two hours.

   He wordlessly picked up two plates piled with scrambled eggs, toast, sliced oranges, and set them on the table before seating himself. She squeaked in shock when she felt his cold tail against her back, propelling her to a second chair and forcing her into it. He pointed his fork at her plate. "Eat," he commanded sternly, the clear order of a high-ranking official used to being obeyed. She hesitated, wondering what he'd do if she just walked out. Decided he'd probably have no qualms about strapping her to the chair and force-feeding her. She huffed, picked up her fork, and he smiled. "Good girl."

   The food was surprisingly good. A little bland—he didn't bother much with spices or seasoning—but at least it wasn't burnt. Unlike the trio, he seemed to know his way around a kitchen well enough to whip up something edible. Alley managed to finish half the plate before setting down her fork. When he would have protested, she held up a hand. "I can't eat any more. I'm half the size of you. How much food do you expect me to fit in here?"

   He laughed. "No wonder you're so skinny. A little more meat on your bones would do you good. Keep you warm for winter," he teased, taking her plate to finish the remains for her.

   "What am I, a chipmunk?" She stood and moved to the sink, piling dishes and cookware into it and turning on the hot water. "Thanks for breakfast," she added, pouring soap into the water.

   "Anytime, honey." She jumped, looking over her shoulder to find him right behind her, picking up a dish towel. "You wash, I'll dry?" he offered.

   "You cooked. I can clean up. Besides, the whole place needs cleaned today, anyhow."

   "You sure you shouldn't take it easy for a while?"

   She smiled wryly. "Amazingly, your quack remedy seemed to do the trick. Now that all the ickiness and mind-numbing terror is over, I feel a lot better. I suppose I should thank you for coming all the way back here to drop it off. Not that it means I'll be trusting any 'medicine' you try to give me in the future, of course."

   "Of course." He grinned. "I thought you looked unusually frumpy today. Figured you just weren't up for dollin' yourself up like usual."

   She self-consciously glanced down at her ratty overalls with the legs cut off at the knee, worn over an equally ratty T-shirt. She'd pulled her hair back and covered it with a tie-dyed bandana. She hadn't even bothered with makeup. "No sense dressing up if I'm gonna be on my hands and knees scrubbing floors," she mumbled, focusing on scrubbing dried eggs off the skillet.

   "Don't worry, honey. You're a beauty no matter what you're wearin'. Or aren't wearin'."

   She could almost feel his smirk, and her face flamed. She sighed, shaking her head. "And it was going so well, too," she lamented to the brillo pad.

   Stoker blinked down at her. "What was?"

   "You. Me. Talking like … semi-normal people do. A whole ten minutes without a single innuendo. That's some kind of a record."

   "I've been remiss. I'll have to work on that." He winked, and she huffed.

   "It's all jokes with you," she complained. "How am I supposed to take anything you say seriously? Are you physically incapable of speaking to a woman without making some chauvinistic remark? It's not your most endearing quality, you know."

   "Hmmm." He slanted her a sideways glance, one corner of his mouth twitching up. "So, if I started gettin' serious, you wouldn't have a problem?" His tone was all innocence; the look in his eyes was anything but.

   She sputtered for a reply, found that—as usual—he'd managed to knock the wind clean out of her sails. She instead focused on scrubbing the skillet with renewed vigor.

   Stoker wisely backed off, plucking the squeaky-clean pan from her hands. He set it in the dish drainer, before pouring himself a cup of coffee from the new pot sitting on the brewer. He pulled a small pouch out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. It landed with a heavy clink.

   "What's that?" Alley eyeballed it suspiciously. "Not more of your remedy, I hope."

   "Nope." He chuckled. "It's a gift. Throttle filled me in on what's goin' on around here."

   Alley's brow furrowed. "About … Charley and Vinnie?"

   His grin was slow and he chuckled softly. "Hmmm. Yeah, that, too. 'Bout damned time that punk made a move." He took another sip of coffee, considering. His grin widened. "Although, knowin' our Charley, she's probably the one who got fed up waitin' and made the first move on him."

   Alley shifted uncomfortably, making a show of folding the damp dish towel and draping it over the dish drainer in the sink. She really didn't want to bring up that particular subject again. It was pretty clear that she was the only one who seemed to have any problem with it, and the unease set her stomach to roiling, especially at the thought of Charley being the one to instigate … whatever it was between her and Vinnie. She could feel Stoker's shrewd gaze on her back, patiently waiting for her to speak, and pressed her lips together.

   Not that it'll fool him, she thought. Isn't that how the song goes? Silence speaks a thousand words? She turned slowly, leaning against the counter as she forced herself to meet his eyes. "I'm not … comfortable with the idea. Of them being … together," she hedged, voice laced with unease.

   He nodded at her to continue, expression blank.

   "It's not just because she's interested in a giant talking mouse. It's also because she's interested in a giant talking mouse who possesses the attention span of a doorknob."

   Stoker, in the midst of another swallow of coffee, choked as an unexpected laugh caught him by surprise. He coughed for a few moments to clear his throat, thumping his chest with a fist as he continued to chortle. "'S a good way to put it," he wheezed around his chuckles. "I outta at least try 'n defend the rookie, but I'd be lyin' if I said it wasn't true."

   His amusement was contagious and she found herself trying to suppress a grin. "See? Even you admit it," she huffed. "I don't think a guy as self-obsessed as him is good for anyone. If she had to fall for one of you, why couldn't it have been Throttle, or Modo? At the very least, they're a lot more dependable."

   "Hey, now. I notice you left my name outta there. You sayin' I'm not dependable?" he teased.

   "You yourself admitted you taught Vinnie 'everything he knows'. What do you think?" she deadpanned, earning another laugh. She sighed, amusement fading, and looked down at her hands, idly picking at the chipping polish on her thumb. "I just … don't want it to be like it was before, with Jack," she confessed. "I don't want Charley to end up hurt if something goes wrong. And there is so much that could go horribly wrong if she pursues this."

   She jumped when two big hands came to rest on her shoulders, cupping her neck. Startled, she looked up to meet Stoker's serious gaze, shivering as his thumbs lightly caressed her jawline. "I told you already, it's sweet of you to worry about your cousin, but ultimately useless," he said gently. "She's a grown woman with a good head on her shoulders, and what you need to do is start trustin' that she knows what she's doin'. It ain't like she's goin' into this whole thing blind and deaf. She's as aware of the risks as you are, an' the fact she's choosin' to get involved anyway says a whole lot about how serious she is."

   "Yeah, Throttle already gave me this lecture," she muttered, annoyed. "But that's the whole problem. Charley might be plenty serious, but what about him? He doesn't strike me as the commitment type. He seems a lot more like the love 'em and leave 'em type to me."

   "And maybe at some point he was. But if it makes you feel better, I'm thinkin' he's plenty serious about Charley-girl. She ain't the kind of gal a mouse just tosses aside when he's tired of her." His mouth twitched into a smile. "She can handle a bazooka with the best of 'em, for one thing. Vinnie'd be a fool to piss her off that badly."

   She huffed a short laugh, lips curling, and his expression softened. "There now. That's more like it." One hand slid up to cup her cheek, which warmed noticeably beneath his palm as she flushed, embarrassed by his entirely-too-close proximity. "Don't worry your pretty head about those two," he murmured. "They'll work out their own issues just fine."

   She shifted uncomfortably as he seemed to draw even closer, his head lowering slightly. She found herself caught in his deep gaze; dark, enigmatic eyes the color of cherry wood held hers as warm, coffee-scented breath ghosted across her lips. Her heart thudded loudly as the rich scent of hay and sunshine tickled her senses.

   And her hand curled into a tight fist as the faintest touch of soft fur brushed her mouth…

   Until the moment was shattered as effectively as a brick thrown through a window by the loud, obnoxious clearing of a throat behind them.

   Alley squealed in shock, instinctively shoving an equally-startled Stoker away from her as she tried to bolt in the other direction. Unfortunately, his tail—which had at some point wound itself tightly about her ankle—kept her from getting very far. She found herself sprawling on the hard floor with a pained oomph as what little air remained in her lungs left them in a rush. She lay there for a second, stunned, gasping, wondering what the hell had almost just happened. Then she flipped over to find Charley standing over her, arms crossed, eyebrow cocked, a grin twitching at her lips as her sharp gaze bounced back and forth between them. "Did I disrupt something?" she asked, all innocence.

   "Yep," Stoker snorted, while at the same time Alley yelped, "No!"

   The grin widened. "Well? Which is it?"

   Alley, still flushed, glanced at Stoker and quickly away again, staring instead at her knee, which had started to bleed from a thin slice across the skin. "Band-aid," she muttered, climbing to her feet and bolting for the safety of the bathroom.

   Charley watched her go, then turned back to Stoker and shook her head. "What are you doing to that poor girl?" she sighed, sounding more amused than exasperated.

   He shrugged. "Just tryin' to help out in my own way." He winked. "Showin' her the charms of bein' with a Martian mouse."

   "That's sweet, Stoke, but I don't think she's ready to accept your 'charms' just yet," she replied dryly.

   He shrugged, looking smug. "Seemed pretty receptive to me."

   "Uh-huh." She shot him a droll glance. "From my point of view, it looked more like she was receptively gearin' up to deliver a hard punch to your soft little nose. Good thing I was there to step in and save your ego for you."

   He snorted, clearly disbelieving. She laughed. "I'm tellin' you, don't underestimate her. She dislocated a guy's shoulder once, for gettin' too fresh when she wasn't interested. That takes a certain amount of strength, ya know." She picked up the half-empty mug, took a sip and grimaced, before dumping the cooled contents and pouring fresh coffee into it. "Come to think of it, that's why she got kicked out of the self-defense class she was takin'. Little perv was the star pupil and the teacher's son." She chuckled. "Her mom was horrified. Her dad couldn't have been prouder."

   Stoker raised both eyebrows, grinning. "Well, that just makes it all the more fun."

   "What? Gettin' your clock cleaned by a little girl?" she teased, nudging him in the side as she handed him the cup. She held onto it when he tried to take it, though, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were serious. "Honestly, Stoke. Don't play with her," she warned. "She isn't some bimbo off the streets, she's my cousin. And I don't wanna see her get hurt any more than she wants to see me get hurt. Got it?"

   He smiled, gently ruffling her hair. "Understood, Chief," he replied. "I promise not to go overboard."

   She waited for more, and when nothing else was forthcoming, huffed an exasperated sigh. "And that's all the promise I'm gettin' outta you, isn't it?"

   He chuckled. "What can I say? A mouse knows what he wants when he sees it, an' goes after it with everything he's got. Life's too short to waste holdin' back."

   She studied him. "You really serious about her?"

   He shrugged. "Who knows? But she's certainly got my attention."

   She smirked. "I gotta admit, in the years I've known you, I've never seen you go after a female with this much … enthusiasm before. I was startin' to think your womanizing reputation was a bit undeserved." She winked at him.

   "Oh, I've had my share of flings back in the day," he sniffed, crossing his arms. "One or two of 'em were even gettin' serious, b'fore I pulled the plug. My reputation is rightly earned, thanks very much."

   She rolled her eyes. "That ain't something to be proud of, you know. And it sure won't impress Alley."

   He sighed heavily, offering a helpless shrug. "What can ya do? A planetary war zone's hardly the right place t' settle down and raise a family. B'tween constant off-planet missions, leadin' the Freedom Fighters, knowin' there's someone waitin' for you to come home and wonderin' if this'll be your last mission…" He shrugged again. "Always just seemed more intelligent to cut and run. I never wanted to leave yet another widow behind. There're too many of 'em up there as it is." His eyes took on an unfocused, faraway look, recalling certain memories, and Charley's expression softened. She offered a sympathetic smile and a light caress over his cheek, trying to distract him from his sudden melancholy.

   It worked. He blinked, the sadness clearing from his expression as he straightened and offered a grin that seemed just a bit forced. "Anyway, there's a reason I came back," he told her. "Throttle radioed me and told me the good news 'bout you and Vinnie. I hear some congratulations are in order."

   She squirmed, embarrassed. "It's just … nothing really happened," she mumbled. "We both came to an understanding, is all."

   "Bah." He gave her ear a playful tweak. "You ain't foolin' no one. You're so happy you're about ready to start climbin' the walls."

   She pouted at him. "Stop probin' at me. It ain't polite."

   He chuckled. "I don't have to. Yer practically shoutin' it from the rooftops," he teased. "Anyhow, I come bearing gifts. Thought you could use 'em. And it's traditional to give gifts on such a glad occasion."

   "Really." She eyed him skeptically. "Just for a pair of friends becomin' a couple?"

   "Weeelll…" He waved his hand in a so-so gesture. "There's a bit more involved than that, but we'll just skip a few steps, right?" He nodded at the pouch sitting on the table. "Have a looksee an' tell me if you can use 'em."

   Well, now he had her curiosity piqued. Charley opened the pouch and peered inside, and her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped in astonishment. Stoker grinned at her expression.

   "So. Will they help you out?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

   "Wha—These are—" She pulled out a large gemstone and held it up to the light. It looked like a sapphire, flashing with dark fire. "Jiminy Christmas, is this thing real?"

   He chuckled. "Yep."

   She dug through the bag, eyes wide. "And all these others?"

   "Of course. I figure they're probably valuable. Most of 'em were set in jewelry, but I needed the metal for my … project. Not a lot of diamonds in there, either. I needed most of those, too. Sapphires and rubies, they don't focus energy as well as diamonds so they aren't any help to me."

   She frowned. "You building a super laser or something?"

   "Something like that." His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "You can probably sell 'em, right?"

   "Where did you get them?"

   "Found these and a big stash of money in a cave a few years back, when I was scoutin' around further west for new workspace. Think it must've been one of those old outlaw hideouts, like you see in the movies. There was all sorts of stuff in there; old guns, supplies, that sorta thing. Most've it was rotted out, but those jewels just needed a bit of cleanin' up, and they were good as new."

   "How is it nobody else ever stumbled into that cave in all these years?" Charley asked.

   "Cave-in," he grunted. "It was hidden pretty deep in the mountain, and the whole place was closed up. Figured by that point whoever'd left that stuff there wouldn't be needin' it anymore, so I helped myself. Didn't stay in the cave, though. Still too unstable to make a safe work environment."

   Charley sighed, dropping the gemstones back into the bag. "Stoke, this is incredibly generous of you, but there's no way I can accept this gift." She tried to hand the pouch to him, but he pushed it back into her hands.

   "Don't be stubborn," he scolded. "You need these more 'n I do. What am I gonna do with 'em? Not like I can walk into a store and sell 'em. But you can, and you can use that money to get your garage in order."

   Her mouth tightened into a thin line. "Alley been flappin' her gums again?"

   "Nope. Throttle," he replied easily.

   "I don't need charity," she snapped. "I spent ten years building this business. By myself. And I'll keep it goin' just like I always have. By myself. I know you mean well, but please just keep yourselves out of it." She slapped the pouch down on the table and turned to stalk out of the kitchen, heading back to the garage to reopen.

   Stoker sighed, running a hand over his face. "Well, that went about as well as I'd expected," he snorted to himself.

   "I could've told you she wouldn't take 'em."

   He looked up to find Alley peeking around the corner at him, her expression blank. "Don't suppose you could—"

   "Nope. I can't." She smiled a little, moving further around the corner. "She's made it pretty clear she's not interested in anything I have to say about the matter."

   "I don't think it's your opinions that pissed her off. I think it's the fact you voiced 'em in front of the guys. That lady's got far too much pride for her own good. And I guess we all kinda treat her like a delicate little flower sometimes, and that pisses her off, too, because we all know she's anything but."

   Alley hummed, stepping fully into the kitchen and picking up the pouch to riffle through it. She withdrew a pendant on a thick silver chain, set with a large sapphire and ringed in smaller diamonds. "Chris told me his step-mom has ties with the diamond exchange," she said thoughtfully, examining the stones. "She could probably get this stuff appraised. Maybe even find some buyers. The jewelry that's still intact is probably worth even more than the loose gems, just from age alone. Antiques are a big commodity among collectors."

   He shrugged. "Won't do much good if Charley won't accept 'em. Even if you went and sold 'em behind her back, she'd never take the money they bring in."

   "It is a conundrum."

   He raised an eyebrow. "You got any bright ideas?"

   She sighed, dropped the pendant into the pouch and leaned back against the table. "Not really, no. Nothing that wouldn't piss her off even more, anyway." She offered a shrug and the bag of jewels.

   He held out a hand to stop her. "Keep 'em," he told her. "I don't need 'em."

   She blinked, astonished. "What'll I do with them?"

   "Whatever you want. Sell 'em, wear 'em … they're yours now. Anyway, I'd like to stick around longer and talk, but I got some work that needs my attention, so I'll be goin' now."

   "What kind of work do you do down here?" she asked, suspicious. "You're always coming and going, and nobody ever knows where."

   He pressed a finger to his mouth with a wink. "That's a secret."

   "Of course it is." She rolled her eyes. "Well, have fun plotting world domination or whatever. I got plenty of work of my own to do, so … you can see yourself out, I'm sure." She ducked under his hand when he tried to pet her hair, sauntering from the kitchen without a backward glance. He shook his head with a whimsical smile as he watched her go. Two steps forward … and a massive shove back.

   Sometimes the game could be as exasperating as it was fun. But that just made winning it all the more worthwhile in the end.

Next

[stayextrafrosty]

Friends with the Monster: Part 1

Summary: Demon Patrick AU. New neighbor moves in and even though he’s a bit strange, he’s friendly. One day when dropping off some mail that was given to you by accident, you encounter a side of him that he can’t control.

Patrick x Reader

Words: 5172

“Three bodies have been found at the abandoned hospital. They all appear to have been strangled with their necks broken. No prints were found on the bodies and no one is in custody. All of them were convicted felons. The police are working around the clock to-“ I shut off the tv. This is the second time in three weeks that there have been bodies found in some abandoned building. They were always criminals but did that really make it ok to kill them?

I walked over to the oven to check on the cookies. Snickerdoodles made from my grandmother’s cookbook. I missed her every day but she left us some awesome cookies at least. I don’t usually bake but there was someone moving into the apartment across from me. Our building was only two floors so everyone was pretty close. I know Kayla and Don, who were in the room next to me, were making some wall hangings. Marie, the old lady living next to the vacant apartment, was probably going to make a flower arrangement.

I opened the oven to pull out the cookies. The aroma filled the apartment. I had to restrain myself from eating one too soon. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Kayla freaking out

Ok, I know I’m married but holy fuck. New guy is H O T.

I laughed at her excitement. She said that about almost every mildly attractive guy she wanted me to get with. More matchmaking attempts. She was 27 and thought that it was weird that I wasn’t married at 24. It’s not like she forced stereotypes on me but that’s just who she is. I grabbed the decorative plate I bought at the dollar store and arranged some of the cookies on it. After wrapping it in plastic, I went and knocked on his door.

I waited a few moments before the door swung open. He wore a plain red t-shirt with some black jeans. Dirty blonde hair swept to the side. Ok, Kayla was right this time. He was hot. His smile was beautiful and kind. I almost forgot to speak.

“Hi! I live across the hall and just wanted to welcome you to the building,” I said, handing him the cookies. He seemed to get a bit flushed and let out what sounded like a giggle. It was cute.

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. You’re like the third person who’s stopped by. I’m Patrick. You’re all so nice, it’ll suck to have to leave.” Leave? I guess he’s one of those people who have to move a lot.

“I’m (Y/N). Do you move around a lot for work?” His face dropped for a second but then he was back to smiling, though it seemed sad.

“Not work. It just always seems I can’t stay in one place for too long. Sucks but at least I get to meet a lot of people.” I nodded. Maybe he just had a bad case of wanderlust.

“I’d invite you in but it’s a mess right now. Thanks for the cookies. Snickerdoodles are always good,” he said. I smiled at him.

“Yea, no problem. I could help you unpack if you’d like. I know moving is a hassle.”

“Oh, no that’s ok. I can handle it. My friend is coming by later to help. Thanks for the offer.” He seemed to shrink back into the door. Maybe I overstepped the boundaries a bit.

“Alright, well I hope to see you at the barbeque this Saturday. It was great to meet you Patrick.”

“I’ll be there. Nice to meet you, too.” I turned and heard the door click shut. He seemed nice. I hope he stuck around.

-

I killed some time by working on my novel. I was an editor for an online editing service. I worked on all types of things from school papers to business letters to creative stories. But my ultimate goal was to get something of my own published.

I glance at the clock on my laptop and it was close to six. I pulled myself off my couch and rummaged through the kitchen. Looks like it was leftover pasta tonight. I heated up a plate of spaghetti and flopped back down on the couch. This will forever be the best part about living alone. I turned the news back on and there was more coverage of the hospital murders. They now believed the two incidents were connected. I watched for a bit and then remembered I needed to get the mail.

I stepped out my door and noticed a Patrick and another guy talking at Patrick’s door. I couldn’t see the guys face but I bet that was the friend Patrick was talking about earlier. It seems I caught the tail end of their conversation.

“You gotta watch yourself, Patrick. The people around here are good. Try to not drag them into this.” Patrick had a serious look on his face. Much more closed off then earlier. He noticed me over his friend’s shoulder. I quickly averted my eyes and hurried to the stairs.

Way to make an impression…

I hurried over to my mail box in the entryway. I glanced through it briefly, noting the cell phone bill. The rest of it was adds and junk. I turned and ran into someone. It was a guy I hadn’t seen before. He had dark brown hair that was cut short and gelled up, olive skin and tattoos covering his arms. He was hot. This must be Patrick’s friend that I saw.

“I’m sorry. You startled me. I’ll just be going.” I tried to push past him but he wouldn’t budge.

“I’m Pete, Patrick’s friend. (Y/N), right? Patrick seems to like it here so far. He’s a good guy, too,” he said. This was a bit weird.

“Well he seemed like a good guy. I didn’t need you to tell me that. In fact, that just makes me question my judgement. Excuse me.” I pushed past him and he let me. He called to me as I started up the stairs.

“Be careful with him. He’s a bit troubled. Past relationships not ending well and all.” I blushed and hurried up the rest of the way. I hardly knew the guy. Why would his friend bring up relationships? Weird.

-

Saturday came quickly. I only saw Patrick a couple times since he caught me eavesdropping. Not that I looked forward to seeing him or anything. I had knocked on his door to apologize and let him know it wasn’t my intention to be nosy but he never answered.        

I pulled the baked mac n’ cheese out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool a bit before I brought it downstairs. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror for a bit, trying to decide if I should wear makeup or not. Patrick said he was coming but who knows. Maybe I scared him off. I shook my head and settled for plain eyeliner. Why did I care what he thought anyway? I threw on my black tank top with dark blue shorts and black converse.

I rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed the still warm pan. I held the placemats under my arms and used my foot to open the door. Patrick stood there, looking like he was about to knock. He looked at me and chuckled a bit.

“Hey, Patrick. What’s up? Would you mind getting the door for me?” He nodded and closed my door.

“Here let me carry that for you. Sorry for laughing when I should have helped right away,” he said sheepishly. I let him take the pan from me and I shrugged my shoulders.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it looked pretty funny,” I said, laughing. We headed down the stairs together and into the front lawn area. Everyone was there already and food was being set up. I signaled for Patrick to follow me and where to put the pan. I clapped my hands and took a breath. My part of planning was over.

“Want a beer? Or there’s some harder stuff by the ‘bar’ if you’re feeling adventurous,” I said. Patrick laughed a bit.

“Um, depends what kind of beer. If it’s shit then I’ll go straight to the whiskey,” he said. I rolled my eyes at him.

“Well then I guess you better get to the bar because Jack is in charge of beer and it’s usually the cheap stuff.” I never drank it myself because of that reason. Patrick and I headed over to the makeshift bar. I made myself a margarita and poured Patrick a glass of whiskey. He seemed to stick around me as we socialized. Girls would flirt with him and he would be as polite as he could. Kayla came up to me while a redhead had his attention.

“Soooo? You kissed him yet,” she whispered to me. I almost spit out my drink. Is she crazy?

“Of course not! I hardly know him. All I know is that past relationships haven’t ended well for him. He’s probably not even looking right now.” I glanced over at him. The redhead was really trying. It was sweet but it was easy to see Patrick wasn’t interested.

“Well he’s totally looking at you. He’s been hanging around you for the whole party. I could drop some hints to let him know to ask you out.” I shook my head at her. Patrick freed himself from the girl and hurried over to me.

“I may go hide out inside. I feel bad turning these girls down.” He laughed at himself a bit. Kayla threw an arm around me.

“You wouldn’t turn her down, would you? I mean, she’s beautiful and smart and-“ I pushed her off, laughing nervously. I can’t believe she actually did that.

“That would depend on (Y/N). I’d be more than happy to take you out sometime. As friends, of course.” I glared at Kayla and she skipped away. I turned back to Patrick.

“I’m sorry about that. She thinks that I need to go out more. I wouldn’t force you to take me out.” I chuckled but Patrick looked completely serious.

“You wouldn’t have to force me. Any guy would be lucky to have you in their company for a night.” He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I couldn’t help but blush and turn my head away.

“How’s Tuesday night sound?” I can’t believe this is actually happening. I smiled at him and nodded.

“I think I would like that a lot. Are we still going with the whole ‘just friends’ thing,” I asked? He chuckled and shook his head.

“I think I’ll let you know on Tuesday,” he said. Then he set his glass down and walked back into the building. I tried to keep the grin off my face but Kayla made sure to tell me that it was noticeable. So, I liked him. That wasn’t a crime. Besides, he was a good guy. Maybe he had a troubled past but that doesn’t make him crazy.

-

Monday afternoon I sat at the local coffee shop, trying to fix a kid’s paper. They claimed it was a high school paper but it sounded like something a sixth grader would write. I was pointing out careless mistakes and even plagiarism. It seemed like the kid just wanted me to write the paper for him. I finished reading it through and emailed it back to him. I shut my laptop and put my head down. They can’t all be easy.

The chair across from me moved and I saw a pair of gym shoes. Lifting my head up, there was a guy. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week and hungover. A day drinker. Great. I tried to be polite.

“Can I help you with something?” I took a sip of my coffee.

“Now that you mention it, I would love to hang out with you somewhere more private. So we can get to know each other,” he said. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it. Creep.

“Sorry. Not interested.” I started to pack up my laptop but the creep grabbed my hand.

“But I could make it worth your while. We would get along so well,” he pleaded. I yanked my hand back.

“I said no. Get lost.” I pushed my chair back and stood up to get out of there as fast as possible. I heard his chair move and I glanced back to see him following me. Then I ran into someone.

“Patrick? What are you doing here,” I asked? I noticed Pete was with him and they both looked over my shoulder to the creepy guy following me. Patrick’s face darkened. It was a bit freaky. Like the night I first saw him with Pete. He pushed me behind him and confronted the guy.

“What do you want?” His voice wasn’t normal. It was cold and disconnected. Not the one he used with everyone at the apartments.

“Come on now. Ya can’t keep ‘er all to yourself.” He started slurring his words a bit. Patrick grabbed his shirt and shoved him back. He stumbled and fell. This had gone far enough.

“Get lost. She doesn’t want you,” Patrick said. Only it sounded more like a growl. I hurried over to him and grabbed his arm.

“Patrick, that’s enough. He gets the idea.” I tried to get him to face me but he wouldn’t budge. I walked in front of him. For a split second, I thought I saw yellow in his eyes. Maybe it was just a trick of the light.

The creep had pulled himself up and ran off, looking terrified. Patrick took a deep breath and relaxed. He smiled sadly at me.

“Hey, you ok?” His normal voice was back. Maybe I just imagined it all. I nodded. He looked relieved. Pete came over and slapped him on the back.

“What did I say about saving pretty girls from creeps? You gotta let me be the assistant at least.” Patrick rolled his eyes at him.

“Yea well, you can sometimes be one of the creeps that they need saving from,” he said lightheartedly. I chuckled at their back and forth banter. They were clearly close.

“Thanks for the help guys. But I do need to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow, Patrick. Pete, pleasure seeing you again.” They both said their goodbyes and I was on my way.

The rest of the night, I couldn’t get the way Patrick looked out of my head. He looked mad but it was more than that. Something not human. I know that it’s impossible. I suppose I could ask him about it tomorrow but that doesn’t seem like good first date talk. I also could come off as sounding crazy.

I let myself fall onto my bed. There was nothing to worry about. Yet there was this nagging feeling that something just wasn’t right. I pulled out my phone to look through social media and to get my mind off this feeling.

Within the first few posts, I learn that another body has been found. Another former criminal dead. Strangled and their neck broken. I tossed my phone down. Why couldn’t there be something good happening in the world? I crawled under my covers and let my eyes drift closed. I couldn’t tell exactly what I dreamed about. But it had something to do with the beautiful, sweet, and mysterious new neighbor.

-

The day dragged. Patrick had texted me to wear something nice and that he’d be knocking on my door around five forty-five. I haven’t been on a real date in a while and I had no idea what to wear.  I know he said “something nice” but what kind of nice? The someone died nice or party nice? I guess somewhere in between.

I pulled a crimson dress out of my closet. Kayla made me buy it for a date I was supposed to go on but then I was stood up. I pulled it over my head, pleased that it still fit. It fit me well and flared out at the bottom. It came down just above my knee. Long enough to be presentable, short enough to tease. I pulled on some black heels and threw a leather jacket over it. I let my hair fall naturally, hoping it would behave. There was a knock at the door and I glanced at the clock. If it was Patrick, he was about ten minutes early. I mean, I was ready, but I wouldn’t have time to mentally prepare. I hurried to the door and pulled it open. I saw the flowers first. Then I noticed who was behind them. I tried to shut the door but he stuck his foot in.

“Wait, (Y/N). I know you don’t want to see me but you have to hear me out.” My ex-boyfriend stood at the door. Ben. He dumped me for a rich airhead and when she stopped putting out, he came back to me. He was a dick and I can’t believe I ever loved him.

“No, I don’t. You made it very clear that you didn’t want me if I wouldn’t fuck you. And that hasn’t changed. So, get lost and shove those flowers up your ass.” He went to say something else but I slammed the door. He infuriated me. I considered sleeping with him but I am so happy that I didn’t.

I got some water to cool myself down. I hope he didn’t hang around. But knowing him, he would. He probably noticed that I was dressed nice and wants to pick a fight with whoever comes to the door. Patrick was supposed to be ready to go soon. I would go to him before the douche in the hall started something.

I grabbed my bag and opened the door just as Patrick was opening his. And sure enough, Ben was still here. He tried to talk to me but I pushed past him. Patrick took notice.

“Hey Patrick. You ready to go? I hope this is nice enough.” He looked at my outfit and smiled.

“You look beautiful. Breathtaking even.” He let his hand rest on my back to guide me. He wore dress pants with a grey button down. We didn’t get two steps before Ben stood in front of us.

“That’s my girl you’re touching. I suggest you go back inside before things get ugly.” He got right in Patrick’s face. Ben was a bit taller but Patrick didn’t look worried in the slightest. In fact, he smiled. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that one.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned to me. “We should just stay in tonight. I’ll cook. He turned and unlocked his door again, he pulled me inside and shut the door in Bens face. My mouth hung open for a moment before a smile broke out on my face.

“Holy hell. I can’t believe you just did that. That was amazing! Thank you, again.” I turned to him, laughing. But he had his head resting against the wall. Confused, I rested a hand on his shoulder. “Patrick? Are you ok?” He seemed to be breathing deeply. Then he straightened again and smiled at me.

“Yea, I’m alright. Just a bit of a head rush. Did the dick leave?” He looked out the peephole then opened the door. Ben was nowhere to be seen. “All clear if you still want to head out.” He scratched his head nervously. I rolled my eyes and stepped into the hallway with him. Before I could rethink, I kissed his cheek.

“Well you saved me from creepy guys twice now so I think it’s the least I can do,” I said. I thought I saw him blush but it was gone quickly. He offered me his arm and we were off.

He took us to this nice Cajun place. We had a corner booth to ourselves and everything was closed off. It was personal and I didn’t know how to act. Patrick ordered us wine. We talked about everything. From work to friends to family. We shared some tastes in music and clearly food. Of course, at the end of the night he wouldn’t let me see the bill.

“Patrick, this place is so nice. I couldn’t make you pay for the whole thing. Please just let me split the bill,” I begged. He just shook his head and handed the check back to the waiter with a credit card.

“I wanted to take you out.  I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford to cover it.” I sighed and slumped down in defeat.

“Fine, but I will find a way to pay you back.” He grinned. And signed off on the check. We stood and as I was pulling my jacket on, I saw him throw a couple twenties on the table. I told myself to not think about it.

As he drove us back to the apartment, he asked about Ben. I ran a hand through my hair. I suppose it was a reasonable question. Considering Ben threatened him.

“He’s my ex. He broke up with me basically because I wouldn’t have sex with him. He was a jerk and I want nothing to do with him. But he’s always been possessive. I’m sorry he threatened you.” Patrick was silent for a moment.

“Well it doesn’t excuse his behavior but I can see why he’d be possessive. You’re a catch. Beautiful and smart and fearless.” He looked over at me and smiled. The sweeter stuff he said, the more this felt like a date. And definitely not as friends.

I grabbed my mail as we passed through the entryway. Patrick was the perfect gentleman and walked me all the way to my door.

“I had a really nice time tonight. I hope we can go out again,” he said as I unlocked my door, tossing the mail on the table just inside.

“I would love to go out again. Oh, and did you ever decide if this was just as friends or no?” I teased him and he just loosened his tie a bit. The act was innocent but it looked hot as hell.

“Honestly, I really hope we can be more than friends.” He took my hand and kissed it gently. How could a man be so perfect? He began to turn away and I rushed to say something.

“Do you want to come in? I have ice cream,” I said. I tried to keep my voice neutral but I’m sure the hopefulness came through. Patrick face me again.

“Why not? I’ve got time.” I stepped to the side so he could pass. I shut the door behind me and shrugged off my jacket. Patrick wandered around my living room, looking at pictures. I made my way over to the freezer and pulled out some vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. I set them down on the table and went for the bowls. I turned and saw Patrick examining the ice cream.

“Not good enough for you? I have sprinkles if you need them,” I said as I set the bowls down. He laughed and set it down.

“No, this is fine. Was just checking how bad Andy was going to yell at me for cheating on a diet. He’s a good friend of mine. Loves working out and being healthy.” I nodded. I knew people like that. I dropped a couple scoops in and we made some light conversation.

“Hey, you got some chocolate on your face. Let me get it.” I almost jumped when his thumb ran over my bottom lip. I felt my face heat up but his hand was gone before I had time to enjoy it. He licked the chocolate off his own finger, never breaking eye contact with me. I thanked him and stood to put my dishes in the sink.

He came up behind me, placing a light hand on my waist. “Need help with anything,” he asked? I turned to him, his face inches from mine. I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.

“No. Thanks though. But you do have some chocolate on your face. I’ll get it for you.” He looked confused for a moment. Then I kissed him. I had surprised him and he didn’t respond at first. I pulled away after a few seconds. I blushed and turned away from his now hooded eyes.

I continued washing the dishes but when I went to put them away, he took them from me and trapped me against the counter. Then his mouth was on mine. It was soft but urgent. I wrapped my arms around him and his hands gripped my waist. I nibbled on his lip gently. He lifted me up onto the counter without me realizing at first. I pulled back from him for a moment.

“So, you’ve been hiding how strong you are, huh,” I joked. Then I took note of his eyes. They weren’t the normal bluish green but starting to shift into a deep yellow. “Patrick? What wrong with your eyes?” His face changed immediately. He turned his head away and was blinking rapidly. He stepped away from me and headed toward the door.

“I’m so sorry. I have to go. See you soon,” he rushed out. His voice had changed too. It was deeper. It was more like growling than talking, just like yesterday. I tried to stop him.

“Patrick, wait. Talk to me.” He shook his head and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him. Something was clearly wrong. Maybe I should just let him call me when he’s ready. I ran a hand through my hair and grabbed the mail off the end table. I sifted through it. Mostly junk. One thing did catch my eye though. It was Patrick’s name. I should bring this to him.

Maybe I was just looking for a reason to go over there and check on him, but I didn’t care. I changed into jeans and a black tank top and went to knock on his door. I could have slid it under but I needed to know he was ok.

“Patrick, it’s me. I have some of your mail. Please open the door.” There was no reply. I knocked again, more urgently this time. “Patrick. Please don’t hide from me.” There was a thud on the other side of the door. Now I was really worried. Then there was a voice.

“Please just go away. I don’t want to see you. It’s for your own good.” It sounded like Patrick but it wasn’t right. But one thing was certain, no one told me what was right for me. I was the only one that decided that. I pushed the door handle and was amazed that it opened. I shut the door behind me.

The apartment was dark. I walked a few feet in and saw a figure standing in front of the window, their back towards me. I took a couple cautious steps forward.

“Patrick?” My voice was almost too loud. A laugh rumbled out of his chest. It sounded almost crazy. Then he turned toward me. The only thing I saw, were his eyes. Bright yellow and staring right at me. Fear rose inside me but if this was Patrick, I had to help him.

“Oh, you should have listened to me. Well, the other me. The one who is so concerned with being nice and making a life.” He was suddenly in front of me. I could see him clearly now. This was Patrick. The only difference was the eyes and personality. He ran a hand down my face and I tried not to flinch.

“You are a glorious kisser by the way. How I wish the other me hadn’t stopped. Of course, I could just finish it now…”  He trailed off and he started kissing my neck. I tried to shove him off but he was much stronger than me.

“Patrick, please… This isn’t you. Stop.” He shoved me against the wall and his fingers dug into my skin. “You’re hurting me, please… Patrick…” Suddenly he shoved himself away from me and held his head in his hands. He groaned in what sounded like pain.

“Damn bastard is actually fighting me. Finally grew some balls, huh? And all it took was a girl. God, he’s pathetic. I’m sure we’ll meet again, darling,” demon Patrick said. He threw a menacing grin at me before he fell to the ground.

I rushed over and kneeled next to him. I lifted his head to my lap and pet his head. He had a pained expression on his face. I sat with him for a couple minutes until he started to shift and groan. I moved the hair out of his face as his eyes fluttered open. They were back to their normal blue.

“Hey there. You ok? Don’t try to move too much,” I said softly. He ignored me and sat up almost instantly. He grabbed my shoulders and looked over me franticly.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I? Oh god, why didn’t you listen to me? Are you crazy?” His hands came up to rest on my face. I mimicked him.

“I’m alright. I promise.” He rested his head on mine and let out a sigh of relief.

“I could have really hurt you, (Y/N). And now I’m sure you never want to see me again. Don’t worry. I’ll get out of here as soon as possible.” He sat down and placed his head in his hands. I shook my head.

“I don’t want you to leave.” He looked up at me in shock. “No matter what you might think, I’m not afraid of you. You wouldn’t hurt me.” He shook his head.

“You don’t know that… I don’t have control when I’m… a monster…” he said sadly. “What did I do to you?” There was no point in lying to him. That wouldn’t help the situation.

“You told me that I should have listened. And that you wish you hadn’t stopped earlier. And then you kissed my neck and pushed me against the wall. Then I called out to you. And the real you came back.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I heard you call to me. I fought harder than ever to wake up. But there is no guarantee that I’ll be able to do that every time,” he said.

“I trust you. And I want to help. I don’t want you to hide from me.” I thought I saw a tear slip down his face but I’m not sure. He nodded.

“But on that note. What the hell is going on?”

part 2

[legojacques]

Jack knew something wasn’t right when he woke up. The covers were too hot on him and his head was pounding like he’d been drinking too much the night before. He shifted, trying to get his bearings, but at some point during the night, he must have pulled the covers over his head. He struggled free, enjoying the fresh air, before noticing a pair of paws on the bed. When he moved his arms, the paws moved too. What followed next was a confusing jumble of panic and incoherent screaming that came out as yowls.

He must have passed out again, because when he came to, he was still disoriented and nauseous. He confirmed that, no, it had not been a bad dream. Somehow, he’d grown four legs and a tail overnight.

After the initial panic, he jumped on his bedside table where his phone was, but he was uncoordinated, and ended up knocking the phone to the ground. He batted at it on the floor, but found that the battery had drained itself overnight when he’d forgotten to charge it.

Cursing and swearing to himself, he wandered his apartment on shaky legs. Thankfully, he hadn’t quite turned off the tap in the bathroom and the dripping of the faucet helped to parch his thirst as he tried to think of what try next. He needed to get help soon. Otherwise, he was going to end up starving to death in his own apartment.

In the living room, Jack found a window that he’d left open because it had been too hot last night. He squeezed out onto the fire escape and tried not to look down. It was strange in this body. Jack never had an issue with heights before, but now, a glance downward to the street had his head spinning with vertigo.

Left with no choice, Jack began to climb upward with the dim hope that someone had also left a window open.

He didn’t get too far before the enticing smell of spices and baked dough reminded him how hungry he was. He followed the smell until he staring into a kitchen where someone was bent over, pulling pies from an oven. Jack called out for the guy’s attention, and when he finally glanced in Jack’s direction, he scrambled to open the window.

“Hey, kitty. What are you doing so high up?” he asked. Jack stiffened when the guy picked him up, but he let himself get rescued from the precarious ledge. “Where did you come from?”

Help me! I’m not really a cat! Jack tried to say, but as expected, it came out in a series of pitched meows.

“Hmmm, okay. You hungry?” He set Jack on the floor to rummage around in his fridge. He set out a plate of leftover meatballs which Jack, losing his composure, attacked immediately.

“I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry, little--uh-- guy?” He attempted to lift Jack’s tail to check, but Jack had hissed and swiped his claws. “Okay, never mind. We’re not going there,” he said backing off. Satisfied, Jack continued to eat, though with a suspicious eye on the guy who’d now dropped onto his stomach to watch Jack with a bright smile.

---

It had been almost two weeks since the cat had mysteriously shown up at Bitty’s window. It was an impressive feat, especially since Bitty’s apartment was on the seventeenth floor. The cat seemed healthy and undisturbed by this though.

Bitty had gone door to door, asking if anyone had lost a black and white tuxedo cat, but no one claimed him. In the mean time, the cat seemed to begrudgingly settle in Bitty’s apartment, and Bitty was now resigned to the fact that he now had a cat.

Bitty was also going to have to give him a proper name instead of calling him Mr. Grumpy Pants, but nothing quite fit him. At first, he was standoffish, growling if Bitty got too close. He didn’t like to picked up or touched, which was something Bitty discovered pretty quickly.

Grumpy Pants liked to sit on the counter of Bitty’s kitchen when he was cooking and just stare. So, Bitty would talk to him whenever he was baking. It seemed to calm Grumpy Pants, and Bitty found it was incredibly therapeutic for him to just talk and get all his thoughts out. Usually, he vented his frustrations about work, or he was recounting his night out with some friends, but at times, Bitty found himself confessing things he would never have admitted to anyone.

Whatever inane thing Bitty was rambling on about though, Grumpy Pants was the best listener.

“It was the worst date I’ve ever been on, Mr. Grumpy Pants,” Bitty said, slamming a pan on the counter. He’d gotten back from blind date his friends had tried to set him up on, but the evening had just ended in a disaster, and now Bitty found the overwhelming to turn his frustrations into baked goods.

Grumpy Pants was already in his usual spot, beside the microwave, his dark tail casually flicking in anticipation.

“I know they mean well, but they have got to stop setting me up with hockey players.” Bitty paused to measure out the dry ingredients. “I mention Jack Zimmermann’s ass one time, and suddenly Ransom and Holster make it their mission to set me up with every gay hockey player they can get their hands on.”

Grumpy Pants seemed to perk up at that, which Bitty took as encouragement. “Yeah, I know, right? He lives somewhere in this building, but only because I saw him getting his mail downstairs once. He’s even better looking in person than on TV.” Feeling judged, Bitty waved a wooden spoon at the cat. “Don’t give me that look. I’m not stalking him or anything. I’ve only ever seen him the one time, but I’m just saying that if Jack Zimmermann ever happened to showed up and asked, I wouldn’t say no to that.”

Grumpy Pants ran over to him and started pawing at his arm, meowing insistently. “What? What is it?” Bitty asked. The cat kept meowing and pacing on the counter. “Jack Zimmermann?” Bitty tried. Grump Pants hopped up and put his front paws on Bitty enthusiastically. “Is.. Jack Zimmermann your owner?” Bitty said slowly, as he put the mixing bowl down. He thought back to a couple weeks ago when he’d gone around knocking on people’s doors. He hadn’t come across Jack Zimmermann then.

"Tomorrow, we are going to find out where your owner lives, and then we’re going to go find out why he hasn’t been looking for you,” Bitty said, picking up his mixing bowl again.

That night, Bitty felt the bed dip as Mr. Grumpy Pants jumped up. He carefully settled in next to Bitty’s chest and purred. Bitty felt a pang of sadness over losing his cat, but as he drifted off to sleep, he had to remind himself that the cat was never his in the first place.

---

A sharp gasp and short scream jerked Jack into consciousness. He was reluctant to move, but something sharp poked his ribs. He turned over, still half-asleep, to investigate the noise.

His arm connected with warm, bare skin, and the shock of it jerked Jack awake the rest of the way. Bitty was sitting up in bed, staring at Jack with wide-eyed panic.

Glancing down at himself, Jack was relieved to find that he was back to normal. “Oh, thank god,” he sighed to no one in particular.

The last two weeks hadn’t been as terrible as Jack had expected, but he wasn’t ready to spend the rest of his life stuck as a cat. Bitty had taken care of him, making sure he was comfortable and well-fed. He talked to Jack, and even though Jack couldn’t reply, it had been nice to listen without having any other expectations of him. If he ever got out this miserable body, he’d promised he would make it up to Bitty.

“Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Oh my god, did I die in my sleep last night?” Bitty squeaked.

Jack cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say that would justify the fact that he was naked in Bitty’s bed. “Well, um,” he started, his voice raspy from disuse. “You did say you wouldn’t say no if I showed up and asked,” he said sheepishly.

---

Thanks for reading! More of my writing here!

[katrandomtiger]

Burnt Sugar

Read it on AO3

Please consider this an apology for my last two sobfests ;)

Jesse and Gabe return from a horrible botched mission just in time for Gabe to have a nice chat with the Strike Commander over a very important event he forgot.

Warning: Food mention and excessive fluff

“Well… that could have definitely gone better,” McCree stated as he drug his sorry ass out of the jet.

Gabriel just grunted in response, his back spasmed he unloaded supplies from their last, and not so great, mission in Moldova.

“Look at it this way, kid; nobody died during the mission this time.”

“I mean true but- Oh shit, here comes Morrison,” Jesse grumbled. Sure enough stomping down the concourse was the oh so great Strike Commander, Jesse threw Gabriel a sympathetic glance before high tailing it to his quarters.

Gabriel groaned before dropping his gear in one of the rolling carts and turning to face the fast-approaching asshole. For once Morrison wasn’t in his usual uniform coat, which meant he was going to be even whinier that they interrupted one of his few precious days off.

“Reyes,” he grunted, coming to a full stop in front of the Blackwatch Commander, “A word in your office. Now.”

It took everything in his power not to beat the smug look of the Strike Commander’s face as the pair trudged off in towards the office, Gabriel privately bemoaned the further delay of a shower as they brushed through the doorway into his tiny mess of an office. His posture immediately tensed as he turned to Morrison, his face drawn into a scowl as he awaited the lecture over the botched mission.

What he was not ready for was being pulled into a soft kiss by a pair of arms wrapped gently around his waist. It took Gabe a moment to collect himself before he looped his arms around his husband’s shoulders and reciprocated.

“Thought you were going to be pissed about Moldova,” he muttered against Jacks lips before kissing him again.

Jack hummed as he untucked Gabriel’s shirt, his hands slid up to knead the sore muscles at his waist and lumbar, “I am, but that can wait till tomorrow.”

Hand deftly worked the tension out of Gabriel’s back until he was leaning heavily on Jack. A moan of raw pleasure escaped him as Jack worked his way further up his back, still placing kisses along his neck and jawline.

“Happy birthday to you,”

Gabriel blinked as confusion contorted his face.

“Happy birthday to you,”

Jack nipped at the side of Gabe’s neck as he slid one hand up to massage between his shoulder and the other down to knead his ass through his jeans. Gabriel moaned as Jack hit every sore spot in his body.

“Happy birthday dear Gabriel,”

Papers fell to the floor as Jack slid him back onto the desk, the hand on his ass shifted to work the muscles of his thigh as the one between his shoulders traced his shoulder blade before sliding forward to run over the softened lines of his torso. Gabriel groaned into Jack’s shoulder as both of his hands began to knead the tender muscles in his legs.

“Happy birthday to you.”

Gabriel buried his face further into Jack shirt to try and hide the look of embarrassment on his face. He’d been so caught up in this last mission he hadn’t even bothered to think about the time of year. A laugh rumbled in Jack’s chest as he stepped back.

“Did you forget your own birthday?” Jack asked, amusement coloring his words.

“No,” Gabriel lied, like a liar.

Jack smiled brightly as he went in for another kiss, this one had a bit more fire to it. Gabriel allowed himself to bask in his husband’s affection, taking note of everything he’d missed.

He slid a hand up to the back of Jack’s head; he got a haircut. Jack’s eyes looked a little bluer; did he get new contacts? The material of the shirt was a little stiff; new clothing shipment. He smelled like warm bread and sugar instead of the usual spiced cologne that permeated his office and coat; he has the day off. A hand slid down over Jack’s chest to his ribs, his heartbeat was steady and Gabe couldn’t feel his ribs; Angela changed his meds and diet again.

The one thing about the SEP that rubbed Gabriel wrong still was how different they all came out. Jack’s body held him in a constant state of fight or flight that helped him work fast and stay alert but it also gave him horrible, palpitation-inducing anxiety. It also made it horribly difficult to gain weight and keep it because his body used the energy faster than he could store it.

Gabriel, on the other hand was eerily calm most of the time, his heart rate was low and he had the patience of a saint but he worked at a slower pace and was analytical to a fault. His body burned energy at an incredibly slow rate, meaning that he wasn’t fat by any stretch of the imagination, but Jack adored how soft he was, especially in his mid-section.

Gabriel hummed as he finished his assessment and slipped his tongue into Jack’s mouth only to jerk back harshly to stare at the shit eating grin covering his face.

“Is that cream cheese frosting?” Gabriel demanded, as he gripped Jack by the collar.

“Maybe,” Jack said, stepping as close as he could between Gabe’s thighs.

“Morrison,” Gabe growled in warning.

“After you get the last of your paperwork done, you should really come up to the apartment,” Jack teased.

“What’s in the apartment?” Gabriel demanded as he jerked him closer.

“Blanket fort,” Jack whispered, pausing to raise an arm and flick Gabe’s nose, “Full of surprises.”

“And?!” Gabriel’s eyes held a wild and hungry look.

“Don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

Jack suddenly rolled out of Gabriel’s grip and winked before sprinting out the door faster than Gabe could slide of the desk to follow.

“Morrison!” Gabriel hollered as he shot out the door and past a very confused ninja who happened to wander by. The following pursuit through the halls of Overwatch and Blackwatch would be something that would be told at company parties for years because it was so stupidly epic (or epically stupid).

After knocking over Reinhardt, taking off the feather boa, and throwing the bowling trophy to a random agent, Jack managed to get into their apartment just as Gabriel tackled him to the floor.

“Where is IT?!” Gabriel yelled, trying to stay in character and hold back the laugh building in his chest even as Jack wheezed under him.

“C-counter,” he managed before lapsing into another uncontrolled fit as Gabriel skidded across the kitchen and into the cabinets.

“Ah HAH!” Gabriel declared as he grabbed a plate and tore the lid off the cake pan, inside was the Morrison family carrot cake, the best and most addicting food to ever grace this Earth.

Jack eventually managed to pick himself of the floor and walk over to where Gabe was eating. He wrapped his arms around Gabe’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Good?”

All Jack got in response was a moan and a nod. He laughed and nosed the base of Gabe’s neck before crossing the living room and sprawling on the couch.

“Now go shower, you smelly heathen.”

Gabe grumble unintelligibly before dragging himself of to the bathroom. He was pleasantly surprised to find a new oversized towel and a brigade of fancy soap waiting for him. He took his sweet time showering, enjoying the heat of the water and getting every nook and cranny clean before stepping out.

He shuffled over to the sink to brush his teeth for the first time in a week, he tried not to gag as he popped open his toothpaste and set to work chipping off whatever gunk was in there; Jack was a crazy man for kissing him. Next came the tedious and precise trimming down of his goatee with the new razor he found in the drawer. Once he was done he slipped back into the bedroom.

The air in the apartment was cool on his skin as he walked back into the living room in the new pajamas he’d found on the bed. It smelled like Jack had spent a few hours cleaning with the windows open while he baked. Warmth spread in Gabe’s chest as he rolled over the top of the couch and directly onto his human body pillow.

“You smell much better,” Jack mumbled as Gabe slid a hand across his face and pulled him into a chaste kiss.

“Mmhm, now what was this about a blanket fort of surprises?”

A soft smile warmed Jack’s face as he slid out from under his husband’s bulk. He motioned for Gabe to take his shirt of before grabbing a bottle of lotion off the table and moving to straddle his back.

The next half hour was nothing but pure unadulterated bliss for Gabriel. Broad hands worked every square inch of his back, gliding up and down the side of his spine and working out every kink in his muscles. Jack’s hands danced around even the most minor scrapes and bruises in a show of dexterity to keep Gabriel from experiencing any discomfort.

Once Jack was satisfied with his efforts to make his husband boneless he pressed both palms on either side of his spine and pushed down carefully. The resulting explosion of cracks was immediately followed by a muffled groan of relief.

“Feeling better?” Jack asked quietly as he dusted kisses across Gabriel’s shoulders, he received a slow nod in response, “Ready to build a fort?”

Gabriel turned his head so he could look up at the giant dork pinning him down to the couch, “What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I’m ready to build a goddamn blanket fort. I was born ready.”

A smile broke across the Jack’s face as he slid off and went to the guest room, “I have the supplies it in here but first I need to give you the big present.”

Gabriel watched as Jack dramatically opened the door and stepped in, the sound of him crawling on the carpet and cussing flowed out before he came back to the doorway with a large box.

“Do I get a hint?” he asked as Jack set the box in front of him.

“It’s to help clean-up your ice cream bowls you like leaving all over the place before they mold.”

Gabe huffed but held back a comment about Jack’s own habit of leaving half full glasses laying on every available surface. Carefully, he ripped through the piece of tape holding the box lid together

“Jack, no,” Gabe whispered as he peered into the box, “Jackie, no.”

Jack watched smugly as his big, mean, murder machine picked up their new tiny, furry, murder machine.

“The cat down in the kitchen had kittens,” Jack stated as he watched Gabriel cup the black kitten in his massive hands as though she were made of glass, “She doesn’t have a name yet.”

Gabriel turned to Jack with big watery eyes, he looked like a little kid who got a kitten for Christmas.

“I’ll name her Gloria,” Gabriel whispered as her turned Gloria to face him, “So when we need to get her stuff we can say it’s for Glory.”

Jack stifled a laugh as he pulled Gabe closer causing Gloria to give an indignant squeak. Both men looked at her and their hearts melted when she began to purr as loud as she could in Gabe’s arms.

And if two men of the most powerful men in the world fell asleep in a blanket fort with a tiny kitten between them and an empty pan of carrot cake on the floor, then nobody needed to know about it.

(But somehow Ana still had pictures.)

[doucheydudebaristas]

Kines Coffee

Kines Coffee: 11 Hope St, Brunswick Photo cred: Broadsheet

Welcome to Kines. One of the newest ultra hip coffee spots to grace 3056. In their short lifespan they’ve already achieved a meek Broadsheet write-up and their Instagram has ticked over a thousand followers - but Kines you have filled the beast with rage and she’s gotta let it out.

Funnily enough my mate told me to drop in here for their plant game - of all things - which she described as “lit” (need I mention my mate is defo at the tail end of gen Y whereas I’m still trying to make “fetch” a thing). I get around the traps in Brunswick and am always keen-as-a-bean to check out some hanging Devil’s Ivy or a standing succulent wall to help balance out my sharkra whilst I’m sipping on caffeine. However Kines, your plant game sucks. My grandma has a better selection and she’s a 90 year old Nanna who grew up in arid Malta during the war. And you know what else sucks? Your pitiful patriarchy party, it’s stinking out the whole block.

I checked in on a week day because hospo lyfe, and as fate had it was confronted with a smoke storm. The open kitchen has poor ventilation you see, which means that the place smokes up. It’s obvious however that the owners have designed it this way so that the townsfolk are forced to watch the staff’s performance of prepping and cooking food in their makeshift stainless steel kitchen; to be honest though, the whole spectacle was pretty gross.

I was greeted and seated by a tall skinny dude in a black t-shirt who was utterly and genuinely unenthused by my presence and with life in general. I felt like giving him a hug and a soft knock on the chin and saying “Cheer up Charlie”. Coffee orders were taken and I got to sit back and survey. The fit out is what us gays call “masc”. Dark blue and grey walls, dark wooden furniture, grungy warehouse vibes all round with eerie jam jars to hold spices and herbs - some dexter shit going on right there. I felt like I had stepped into my one and only ex-boyfriend’s bedroom. He was a semi-famous basketball player with huge muscles and a tiny dick. Kines, do you guys know each other?

There were two lady babes working hard on prep (remind me again why it’s a good idea to show customers how you portion noodles into plastic containers?) Cowboy, however, stole the show - he was tall and presumably an owner (or maybe it’s just his larger than life bravado). This dude was prepping along with the ladies with a cowboy hat straight out of a 1950′s western, and I mean that in the sense that it looked ancient and icky. Whilst these three worked tirelessly, one only had to pan their vision to the left to witness the douchiness coming from Skinny and Curls.

These two dude-bro male baristas were standing off to the side doing absolutely nothing. 

Skinny came over to take my order and had to ask for clarification as I slowed my speech and said plainly “The, soba, noodles, please”. He finally got it and off he went. After putting my order through Skinny strolled back to the La Marzocco. The cafe was quiet and Curls was hanging by the EK grinder. Skinny picked up his coffee and took a sip - the dudes exchanged a few words, a laugh, then Skinny noticed me staring. He took a few steps into the front corner of the bar and stood there for a while whilst Curls did a lap of the floor and came back empty handed. This time Skinny went to play with the EK. No coffee was run through, he just kinda touched it a bit, gave it a loving little tap and then chatted with Curls some more. Every now and then they would start on a remedial task, put some glasses away, stroke the grinder, but basically these dudes were hiding, from their fellow staff members and from the public - they were doing sweet jack all and Cowboy, who I’m going to be presumptuous and guess was running the show (hey, Patriarchy), let them get away with it. Even though you are working hard Clint Eastwood, doesn’t mean you’re not complicit in this diabolical douche-storm.

I’m not going to go into the grottiness of watching Cowboy stir up my noodles with his bare hands then pulling out a long hair from my meal after it arrived. This is a coffee blog Alex, stay focussed.

Kines - you’re just another example of an over-masculine, douche-heavy and pretty gross cafe striving for Brunswickian grunge glory. If I worked on Moreland City Council I would send my health inspectors over your way pronto but alas the closest I get to council these days is watching meetings in bed on my laptop whilst eating liquorish and crying over public toilets. It’s a glamorous life. 

I wish I could say this place had some redeeming features, but it didn’t. It was my ex-boyfriend’s bedroom - a nice sound system, a dark blue Ikea colour scheme and a whole lot of promise with very little reward. 

Until next time.

[blackcatstudio]

A Valentine To Not Forget!

(AN: This is a triple crossover story so beware that there is some shipping involve in the story. This is also my sneak peak of my next chapter of my story that I have doing on Wattpad. Hope you’d enjoy and have a happy Valentine Day Everyone!!!)

“My most favorite holiday ever other than Christmas” said Mettaton as he walk aside with Napstablook floating beside Mettaton.

“Y… yeah, do you think she’ll come to our party?” Mettaton smiled, “of course darling. Lapis knows you love her. Besides who wouldn’t come to an adorable ghost like you.”

Napstablook cheek turn blue, “oh… uh… t… thank you Mettaton.”

“Anytime darling.”

*Meantime*

“This party is going to be great” said MK as he helped Frisk and Asgore to set up the party.

Asgore nods, “Frisk is excited for Friday to come over along with his family.”

MK looks at Frisk, “Oh… your boyfriend is coming over.”

Frisk nods as her cheeks turned red.

Asgore laughs as he began to get his valentine homemade cookies out. All the cookies are shaped as a heart though some are either pink and/or red. Frisk and MK looks at the cookies and each try the cookies as Frisk gave a thumbs up and MK use his tail once he was done to make a ‘I love it’ kind of signal with his tail.

Asgore laughs, “I’m so glad you children loves it. I have two more long pans to make before I completely have this for the party.”

Soon the doorbell ring as Frisk call out that she would answer the door. As she opens it to see Friday and his parents had arrived early.

“Wow, you guys are here early.”

Friday smiled, “we like to be on time.”

Frisk giggles, “you are getting good with your puns.”

Jack nods, “we both love to pun around every now and then.”

Everyone even MK and Asgore started to laugh at Jack’s pun.

“I’m so glad you three have come. I do have some cookies ready. Frisk and MK tried it and you can ask them how it taste.”

MK smiled wide, “it’s so good! Asgore is the best cooker ever!”

Frisk nods, “he’s right about that.”

Asgore brought the pan out as he had Jack and Sally get theirs then Friday got his. Sally try her first and smiled.

“This is really good.”

Jack tried it and agreed, “this is far by the best.”

Friday try his cookie and loved it as he began to eat faster to get it all gone.

Sally gave Friday a stern look, “Friday Jay, Skellington you shouldn’t be eating that fast! You’ll get sick.”

“Sorry mom” said Friday as he swallow the cookie.

Soon another knock was heard at the door. This time it was Asgore turn to open the door. He smiled when he saw Sans and Papyrus at the door.

“Please come in. We were expecting you two to come.”

Sans and Papyrus walked in as Frisk ran up to hug both of the skeleton brothers.

“I’m so happy to see you two come.”

Sans looks at Frisk, “didn’t think we would?”

Papyrus looks up to see the Skellington family are at the party early.

“Oh I see you all made it here quite early.”

Sans look over and nods, “you know the party don’t start till another hour.”

Jack nods, “we know just Friday wanted to see Frisk early.”

Sans and Papyrus nods understanding as Friday’s face turned red.

“Dad…”

Everyone was preparing the meal as Frisk and Friday went outside to be alone for a while. MK wanted to come but Asgore knew that Friday wanted to be alone with Frisk so he had MK help to set the table.

Frisk smiles up at Friday as she and Friday got away from the house.

“It’s so nice that Valentine is here. You know it is my favorite right?”

Friday nods nervously, “y… yeah it sure is.”

Frisk thought a minute, “I know this could be out of mind but when is your birthday?”

Friday looks at Frisk saying, “it’s March seventh.”

“Saint Patrick Day huh?”

Friday nods, “yeah, um… my parents always throw a big party for me on that day.”

Frisk nodded once more before they were interrupted.

“Hey guys!”

Both turn to see Steven and the gems coming over. Frisk smiled as she ran to hug Steven. Friday smiled as he walk over to them.

“Hi, guess you guys are all early too.”

Garnet nods, “we like to be on time.”

Lapis looks down as she ask trying to hide her blush, “i… is Napstablook here?”

Frisk shook her head, “I’m sure he and Mettaton would both be here really soon.”

Lapis nods, “oh okay thanks.”

Frisk looks up at Pearl saying with a smile, “but… Sans is here helping to set up the party. If you want you can go talk to him. I know you wanna…”

Steven try to not laugh but found it hard to do since Amethyst broke out in laughter. Pearl’s cheek turn blue as she looks down.

Friday sighs, “she’s always that way.”

Garnet said smiling, “come on let’s meet everyone else. You two staying out?”

Friday and Frisk both nods as they watch Steven and the gems walk inside the house. Once Steven and the gems were in the house Frisk and Friday were alone at least for a little while till Undyne and Alphys show up.

Undyne looks at Friday asking, “hey you wanna do some more training?!”

Friday gave Undyne a concerned look.

Undyne shrugs saying, “hey don’t worry it won’t be like the last time. I go easy on you this time.”

Friday sighs, “sure why not.”

Alphys looks at Frisk asking, “I need your help with something.”

“Okay” said Frisk as she walk beside Alphys to the house, “good luck Friday!”

Once Frisk and Alphys went inside Undyne grab Friday by the wrist and took him further out so they both can do their training.

At the house, Alphys follow Frisk to the bedroom where Frisk sleeps as Frisk looks at Alphys.

“What is it you want me to help with?”

Alphys cheeks turned red as she put her pink bag on the bed and pull out a nice looking silver helmet that has sparkles on it.

“I… I made this for U… Undyne and I… know how much she likes to um… you know wear these things since… well you know she lost her other helmet… so I… I decide to make this for her. T… Toriel help put the sparkles on. I… I need your help to place U… Undyne’s name on it so… it can be her’s for a long time… if she like it that is.”

“Aw… Alphys that’s so sweet. I’m sure Undyne is going to love it. I’m more than willing to help.”

“R… really? T… thank you!”

With that the two girls went to work on the helmet.

In the meantime, everyone got everything all ready as Sans and Pearl went in their own corner to talk. Lapis sat on the couch waiting for Napstablook to show up. Peridot was making hissing noises at Flowey. Flowey was also doing the same with Peridot. That is till Garnet stop them both. Amethyst began to talk to Papyrus and Sally. Jack began to look for Friday wondering where he went.

Just then another knock on the door as Asgore went to answer it to find Muffet and Grillby with his children at the door. Asgore smiled as he let them in.

“I didn’t expect you here Grillby especially not your children.”

Grillby shrugs, “we decide to come anyways. You are a friend to me so it’s only right for all of us to come.”

“Thank you” said Asgore as he let everyone in when Toriel came in right afterwards, “oh Toriel glad you came.”

“Sorry I’m late. I was stuck on traffic.”

Asgore nods, “that’s alright I wonder if Napstablook and Mettaton are going to be late. I know Mettaton told Papyrus that he was driving his car here.”

Toriel nods, “I wouldn’t doubt. It’s pretty bad.”

Toriel walks in as she met up with Garnet and Peridot and began to talk to them as she put the grocery in the kitchen to put away.

Back outside there was a massive mess as Undyne began to use her spear to make Friday dodge each one. He had to jump, slid to the side, and fell on the ground before he had to quickly get back up. He began to get tired as he knelt down breathing hardly. Undyne stopped as she saw he was getting tired.

“You wanna stop?”

Friday nods as Undyne help him up, “alright we’ll stop. Just because you order me to.”

Friday smiled when suddenly they heard a loud bang in the front yard. Friday and Undyne ran to the front when they was a pink car smash on top of Muffet’s purple car and Grillby’s black van. Mettaton jump down as Napstablook floated down when they both saw Undyne and Friday.

Mettaton smiled as he walk up to Friday and hugged the poor skeleton so tight that he could barely breath.

“Hello darling it’s so nice to see you again!”

“Y… you too Mettaton” said Friday.

Undyne cross her arms smiling, “I thought I was the only bad driver around here.”

Napstablook sighs, “we um… took a shortcut.”

“Pfft… now sounding like Sans.”

Mettaton gave Undyne a evil look before he place Friday down. Napstablook floated to the house as Undyne help Mettaton to get his car off from the vehicles. Friday watch when the two finally got the car off and went inside the house.

Undyne turned to Friday asking, “hey you’re coming in?”

Friday shook his head, “not yet don’t worry I’ll come in soon.”

Undyne nods as she follow Mettaton in the house. Friday smiled as he began to walk beside the house. He sat down as he has his back on the house and cross his bony hands around his legs. Friday look up at the tree. He smiled slightly as he could feel the breeze brush against his body.

“It feel good to feel this nice cool breeze when you're super hot and tired” thought Friday.

Friday began to close his eyes sockets when he heard Frisk’s voice calling him along with his father’s. Friday open his eyes sockets as he began to stand up. He brush his black pants from the little bit of snow on the ground.

“Friday!”

Friday turn to see Frisk was coming over not seeing him at all. He smiled as he spoke.

“Hey Frisk, looking for me?”

Frisk turns as she gave a huge sigh of relief, “yeah, we were worry when Undyne told us you didn’t want to come in. Why is that?”

Friday shrugs, “I’m alright don’t worry. Just got done with training and well I wanted to get cool off.”

Frisk nods, “oh that makes sense.”

Frisk came closer to Friday as she kisses him on the cheek making Friday blush.

“Thanks I kinda needed that.”

“Just what I figured” said Frisk as she wink at him.

Friday laughs as they both heard Jack calling. Frisk turn to see that there was something else bothering Friday.

“Friday? Are you sure you’re fine?”

Friday nods, “yeah, just tired.”

“You wanna go home and rest?”

“No” Friday said raising his voice a little, “I’ll be alright just uh…” Friday didn’t know what to say afterwards but Frisk nods in understanding.

“Okay if you say so.”

Friday smiled when they both saw Jack came around the corner. Jack smiles when he saw Friday is alright.

“There you are. Didn’t you hear me calling?”

Friday looks down as he didn’t say anything. Frisk held his hand as she gave a wink.

Jack led the two into the house when Friday began to see things that was not what he had ever experienced before. It looks to be monsters screaming in fear. Muffet is yelling out that a sudicide kid is on the loose. Friday stood frozen as he could see Chara killing every monster in the house.

Frisk shook him making the scene change to find everyone is talking and having a good time. Frisk tilts her head as Friday use his arm to wipe his sweat off.

“You’re sure you are going to be okay?”

Friday nods, “I’m fine let’s just go in shall we?”

Frisk giggles when she walk up to Mettaton as Mettaton gave her a big welcoming hug. Friday sighs seeing everyone is having a good time. He only watch as everyone began to talk about what they are doing, what plans they have after the party, and whatnot.

Alphys turn to see that Friday is staying away from the others as she walk up to him. She sighs seeing him not talking or even notice her being beside him.

“F… Friday? Are you a...alright?”

Friday looks up at Alphys and nod, “y… yeah just need a little bit more time to get cool off. All that training. Heh.”

Alphys nods in understanding as she went to give Undyne her present. Undyne eyes widened as she pull out the helmet and put it on her head.

“Thank Alphys! This is the best! Thank you, thank you!”

Alphys giggles as she felt Undyne picking her up and began to twirl her around. Everyone was smiling as they saw Lapis giving her gift to Napstablook. Napstablook smiled when he saw Lapis had given him a red and white bow tie along with some mixtapes.

“Oh this is so… sweet. Thank you.”

Lapis blushes as she and Napstablook gave a quick kiss making everyone go in awe for the two couples.

Friday was staying silent as soon the scene began to change to find himself someplace he didn’t remember being in before. It looks to be like Christmas Town but it was much smaller. He began to explore when he spotted Papyrus is trying to spare Chara? Chara held her knife in her hand as she gave that awful smile at him.

Papyrus put his arms out for Chara to give him a hug.

“It’s alright human” Friday heard Papyrus say, “I know somewhere inside is a good person. You just need the Great Papyrus to help and guide you to a good path.”

Chara looks at Papyrus as she step a little closer when suddenly she slash her knife at Papyrus. Friday watch in horror as he saw Papyrus’ head pop off from his now dusted body. Papyrus looks up at Chara as she walk up to his head.

“I believe in you human. You don’t need to do this. I believe there is good in you.”

Chara grinned wider as she use her foot to smash on Papyrus’ head. Friday yelled at Chara to stop but it was too late as Friday saw Papyrus’ head been dusted away.

Chara looks up at Friday smiling, “you’re next…”

Friday was about to use his fireball to strike at Chara. Chara dodge the fireball as she began to run faster towards him. Friday began to use more of his fireball as he try to hit Chara than he began to use his soul rubber to hit her. He saw that his soul rubber got a hold of her leg and lifted her up. He saw Chara began to struggle.

“Friday! Friday!”

Chara’s voice was changing as the image of Chara began to change. Everything began to fade as he was finally facing reality. He saw that his soul rubber had got a hold of Papyrus and Undyne. Sans was shaking Friday to let go. Friday let his soul rubber to let go of Undyne and Papyrus as he saw everyone’s shock reaction.

Friday began to back up as he ran out of the door ignoring his parents and Frisk calling after him.

“What happen? What the heck did Chara had me see that?”

He kept running till he trip over the trash can as he began to tear up and lay on the ground. Friday kept crying till he heard Sans’ voice.

“Hey kiddo, you’re alright?”

Friday looks up at Sans to see Sans kneeling in front of him, “I’m so… so… so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Sans nods, “it’s okay kiddo. Though I wonder what did you see that made you do that.”

Friday looks down saying, “I saw Chara. She, she actually killed Papyrus.”

Sans eyes pupil disappear as he began to think for a minute before speaking, “she did huh? I was hoping you didn’t had to see that but… in the previous timeline when she took control of Frisk she um… did kill Papyrus.”

Friday looks up, “you mean she actually cut his head off and stamp on his…”

“Stop!” Sans sighs before speaking, “listen I understand how hard that must have been to see but I don’t like to think about it.”

“I’m so sorry again. I’m just screwing things up!”

“No your not kiddo. Look I know your parents and everyone else are looking for ya. Though Muffet and Grillby found out about their cars but… yeah they’re looking for ya.”

Friday sighs, “I didn’t mean to… do that.”

“I know kiddo. I know. Don’t worry I understand I get that way myself sometimes. Come on I know a shortcut to get back.”

Friday nods as he held Sans’ bony hand as Sans snaps his bony finger to return back to the party. Toriel has just got off from Asgore when she saw Friday and Sans magically came in front of her making her drop the bowl of punch.

“Sans the skeleton! Don’t do that again!”

“Sorry Tori but… I found Friday.”

Toriel sighs in relief as she hugged Friday, “it’s good to see you back, my child.”

She let Friday go and went to call Asgore that Sans had found Friday. Sans sat next to Friday on the couch as they waited. Soon Garnet and Amethyst came out as Amethyst smiled.

“Hey pal how are you?”

Garnet sighs, “I’m guessing it’s something that has been done before.”

Friday looks at Sans as Sans just shrug pretending he didn’t understand what Garnet meant either. Amethyst sat on the arm piece of the couch as she began to talk to Sans to where he found Friday. Sans explain to Amethyst where he found Friday and how they came back.

Garnet nods saying, “well at least that you're safe and it’s all over.”

Soon the front door was slam down as Undyne came walking in as everyone else look at her with disgust. Undyne looked around asking where Friday is. Garnet walked over to everyone as she spoke.

“Don’t get upset at him. This was not his fault. He had a violent vision of a demonic child who once ruin the lives on monster kind.”

Frisk turn to see Friday sitting next to Sans as she ran over to him, “Friday, I’m so glad you’re alright! I was so worry.”

Friday nods sadly, “sorry for worrying you. Maybe I should get home.”

Sally hugged Friday as so did Jack as they were both so happy to see their son is well. Jack picked Friday up as they began to head home. Sans stop the two as he look at Jack and then Sally.

“There’s something probably you two should know about.”

Jack asked, “what’s that?”

Sans sighs, “Friday has connected his soul with Frisk.”

“What?!”

Sans nods as he looks up at the two shock parents, “so uh… there is this kid name Chara who’s well a demonic kid. She um… had once took control of Frisk so I’m guessing since he’s connected with Frisk that Chara is going after him.”

Jack and Sally looked at each with worry. They both nodded in understanding.

“We won’t let anything happen to our son” said Jack as he saw Friday is fast asleep.

Sally agree, “we’ll keep him safe at all cost.”

“Alright I’ll keep my eyes sockets on him too” said Sans as he teleported back home.

Jack and Sally were about to walk away when Frisk stopped them.

“I have a card I made just for him. It’s a valentine card.”

Sally grab the card, “thank you and I’m sure Friday would think you too but he’s asleep right now.”

Frisk ask, “he is going to be okay right?”

Jack nods, “he will. Sans told us you and Friday had connected your souls?”

Frisk nods, “y… yeah I figured Sans wouldn’t kept this long with you two.”

Jack smiled, “we won’t tell anyone else about this.”

Frisk looks up to see Sally nodding at her, “thank you, I’ll have Papyrus or Sans to take me to Halloween Town tomorrow to see how he is doing.”

Jack nods, “that sounds good we better get going so Friday can sleep in his bed.”

Sally nods as she and Jack wave at Frisk as they all headed back to Halloween Town. Frisk watch the Skellington family leaving as when they were out of sight she went back in the house to help clean up.