#have very little practice and get very anxious which leads me to mumble and stutter

[electricpurrs]

Just want to say you type English very well! I'm sure you're just fine while speaking it! 💖

thanks ^_^

[mehbzz]

Soft Whitney. Nothing in my head but soft Whitney. So a little Degrees of Lewdity fanfic drabble, no smut. abusive relationships, abusive parents and mc suffering from trauma and probably more than a little Stockholm syndrome. mentions previous sexual assault. I guess a more ooc Whitney.

not proofread just rambled.

You’re not sure why Whitney had wanted you along. He’d grabbed you as you were leaving school and dragged you into town with his friends but they’d all been pretty much ignoring you for the past half an hour as they smoked and joked and harassed the people passing by.

Not that you minded being ignored, you had been nervous and on edge around Whitney for the past week and you wondered if he’d finally noticed. Every movement and gesture he made towards you had been making you anxious. You were still not sure what you had done to deserve the punishment of being tied up and left to be gangraped by the sailors, but every since you’d been making yourself almost ill in effort to be as well behaved and as submissive as you could be. You didn’t want to go through that again. You didn’t think you could survive going through that again. You didn’t realise you’d zoned out completely until you notice Whitney in front of you, saying your name as he reaches for you, and you flinch violently backwards.

He pauses, surprise, anger and something else flicking across his face before he loops his arm around your shoulders and turns back to his friends.

“Got my slut to entertain me today, don't need you guys.” He leads you away, the mixed jeers and cheers from his friends fading as he walks you in silence towards to the beach. The panic reignites in your gut, the feeling of the rope around your wrists and the jeers of the sailors springing painfully to the front of your mind at the sounds of the waves. Before the panic can ignite into a full blown attack Whitney steers you to the left, disappearing into the very edge of the park, through a brambled mess of branches and into a well hidden secluded little glade. He lets you look around for a second. It’s a tiny clearing, a large tree in the middle, its branches causing shafts of sunlight to ripple across the ground. It’s quiet too; the distant sound of the sea and the gentle sound of birdsong is all you can really hear. He shoves you forward, ending your appraisal of the area and you stumble, only just catching yourself from going face first into the trunk of tree.

He winces as he sits down, and you feel flair of sympathy but know better than to mention it. You've only ever seen Whitney’s father from a distance but you know he shares Bailey's fondness for physical reprimands. The one time you'd tried to talk to Whitney about it he'd lashed out immediately, shoving his cock so roughly down your throat, you’d been in pain for days and you'd ended up going to see Dr Harper worried he'd actually injured you.

Whitney sits still, head tilted back to rest against the tree and his eyes closed. He looks handsome, blonde hair a scruffy mess and you stand there awkwardly still a little shaky from the panicked adrenaline, torn between sitting with him and trying to run. You're not sure which would earn you the bigger punishment.

"Sit."

He opens one eye as you cautiously sit down next to him, shoulders not quite touching, and smirks at you. "good puppy." It's patronising, teasing, but the paltry praise still sends a warm little frisson through you that you try to ignore.

Whitney closes his eyes again, an unlit cigarette rolling between his long slender fingers. It’s beauiful here, peaceful, but you're still anxious. Why did he bring you here? You had been expecting to get fucked in all honesty, but this area felt way too secluded for Whitney’s exhibitionist streak.

The click of his tongue piercing against his teeth let's you know he's getting frustrated, probably annoyed, and you tense, bracing yourself for whatever pain was going to come your way.

“Just fucking relax,” he sounds angry, and more than a little uncertain, the click of the silver ball increasing in frequency. "I usually come here when I need a break from all the bullshit."

You are glad he's not looking at you, as the shock written across your face at his vulnerable admission would have undoubtedly earned you a rough punishment. In fact you think he's doing his hardest not to look at you, face tilted to the side and eyes tightly closed. You don’t know how to respond. This is his safe place? And he’s sharing it with you? “It's nice here.” It’s a pathetic response but you don’t know what else to say. He doesn't acknowledge you and you shift a little closer until your shoulders are touching. You feel him relax at the small touch and he finally places the cigarette in his mouth, shifting till he finds his lighter and lights it with a small satisfied hum. If he is closer to you after his shifting around, his leg and thigh touching yours, you don't mention it. The pair of you sit silently for a few minutes, the warm sunshine starting to make you feel drowsy.

"Don't leave. I won't do it again." It's mumbled quietly under his breath, he even stutters slightly and for the second time in the space of 10 minutes you feel stunned by his behaviour. Whitney’s moods often gave you whiplash but this was something new.

"OK." You practically whisper back but again you're not sure what else to say. "Thank you." You probably shouldn’t have to be thanking your boyfriend for not selling you off to a bunch of sailors, but he sounds so vulnerable, so unsure, so unlike himself that your mind is too shocked to offer you any other response.

The clicking of his tongue stud continues. It's the biggest giveaway to his real mood that you'll ever have. Running it along his teeth is something he does when he's genuinely stressed or frustrated. You don't think he's aware he does it and you've never brought it up in case it takes away the only indicator you have to his true feelings.

You’re hit with the desperate need to reassure him, but you know any words you offer will immediately be thrown back in your face, so you opt for a more subtle approach. You let your hands relax on your thighs and rest your head on his shoulder. He freezes for a split second at the contact but soon relaxes again, and thankfully he doesn't shove you off. The clicking sound stops as well.

"Tell anyone and I'll think of something worse than a gang of lonely sailors."

It’s a cruel but half hearted threat, a instinctive reaction to protect himself against appearing weak or soft so you don't reply and just nod, not wanting to ruin the fragile moment. You have no doubt insecurity and embarrassment will change his mood in a while, probably forcing you into some public sexual act in an attempt to reassure himself of his dominance over you and you want to enjoy the peace while you can. He switches the cigarette to his other hand and hesitantly wraps his pinky loosely around yours. You desperately want to link your fingers together but you know when you’re pushing your luck, so you sit quiet, content to let him push himself outside of his comfort zone without fear of reprimand or acknowledgement. It’s an odd talent you’d found yourself developing, the ability to comfort and encourage him without him realising you are doing either of those things. At least not yet.

He finishes his cigarette slowly, giving you the chance to doze off on his shoulder. "You better not have drooled on me." The confidence is back in his voice and you feel an odd mix of disappointed and content as he shoves you off him, still surprisingly gentle.

He dusts his hands off on your jeans and you pretend to ignore the pained noise he makes as he rises, looking away as he presses a hand to his ribs. “Get up then,” There's a pink tinge to his cheeks as you look up at him, and he's definitely avoiding eye contact with you as he holds out a hand to help you up. You take his hand but push yourself up, you don’t want to cause him anymore discomfort. You stand there holding his hand and you think for a split second that he’s going to kiss you, but you realise that’s too much gentleness for Whitney in too little amount of time as he smirks, and flicks your forehead hard instead. "c’mon slut, let's go to the pub."

[poptod]

The One Time Debt was Good (Elliot Alderson x Reader)

Request: Hi there could you do an Elliot x reader where the reader gets liked fucked up or something and Elliot helping her clean up the cuts and blood and stuff (ok thanks bye have a nice day 💓)

Took me a bit but I finally finished it. I made it gender neutral bc that shit fucks. also, there’s a small paragraph of graphic injury description. part 2

He’d warned you about this, you knew that, and you knew you should’ve listened. He hardly ever warns you against anything, hardly ever tries to stop you from hurting yourself, so when for once he told you not to do something, of course you had to ignore his advice. The one time he tries to care about you, and you have to ignore it.

To be fair, with or without his input it was a bad idea. Mosh pits aren’t exactly the safest place, not for someone like you at least, especially metal mosh pits. You hadn’t expected this in any future vision, though; your clothes are almost completely torn off of you, shreds just barely covering your bruised, blood-drenched skin. Thankfully most of it wasn’t your blood - a fight broke out and you were pushed straight into the middle of it, so a good amount of it probably belonged to the very people who beat you to a pulp.

Your first thought, practically crawling out of the concert, was I should probably go to the hospital. A perfectly rational thought and a good idea, but you then remembered you’re still in debt from the last time you were at the hospital, and that was three years ago. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for Elliot (you assume, you don’t think he likes you very much) his apartment was closest to you, so gathering your shreds of humanity and the fifty-two cents in your pocket, you made your way to him.

Several people stared at you, several didn’t, and by the time you were knocking at his door you felt a little faint. Leaning on the wall, you barely raise your knuckles to rap at the door and within a few seconds you can hear his footsteps. A sigh leaves you, relaxed and anxious all at once - he’s comforting, at least he is to you, but again, he doesn’t like you very much.

Slowly the door creaks open, though it takes him a moment before he looks to his left to find you breathing heavy against the wall, dry blood flaking off your skin and sticking to the wall. He doesn’t say anything, of course he doesn’t, but he opens the door a little, and you walk in with a tiny ‘thank you.’

“I’m really sorry about this,” you manage to get out, your throat dry and horribly sore from screaming. “I would’ve gone to the hospital, but… you know. Can’t really afford that.” Vaguely he nods, not meeting your eye as you ask to use the shower. With his permission granted you wash the blood off yourself, the dirt and grime, noticing the splotches of red, yellow, and blue that are the permanent reminders of the night. The bruises practically coat your ribs - when you press down on them it hurts so badly you wonder if you broke something.

When you get out you hesitate to redress yourself, considering your clothes are still grimy and bloodied, but before you can even make a decision on what to do the bathroom door opens just a crack. One hand carrying a stack of clothes sneaks in, placing the clothes on the counter before quickly retreating behind the closing door.

This is exactly why I’ve got the stupidest crush in the universe, you think, groaning internally at yourself. These little moments, rare and far between, moments where he does something purely human, keep you around him. Grabbing the clothes, you pause for a moment, taking in the scent and softness before dressing yourself. There isn’t any underwear, which you should’ve expected, and any sane person would probably just wear their own underwear, but instead you go commando. In the foggy mirror you examine yourself in the baggy sweatshirt and pants, wondering how to go about thanking him.

Surprisingly, you have even less time to think about it than you thought, since as soon as you open the door he’s standing there. For a while he just stares at you, and you stare back, confused as to what he’s trying to achieve. Finally he opens his mouth, hesitant to speak but he eventually does.

“You’ve… got a thing.. down your back,” he says, which is confusing in itself. With a furrowed brow you walk back into the bathroom, taking the sweatshirt off and trying to look at your back in the mirror. Sure enough, there’s a massive cut down your spine, and it’s still bleeding a bit - it’s astounding you haven’t noticed it yet, considering just the sight of it makes you sick.

“Oh dear god,” you say, feeling the acidic burn in the back of your throat grow worse.

“Here,” he mumbles, managing to maneuver you while barely touching you so your face is to the mirror. “I can stitch you.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” you say quickly, your heart racing at the thought of stitches. You’ve gotten them before, but that was with an anesthetic, not straight out. In fear you whip around, hoping that’ll keep him and his needle away from your skin, but now you’re face to face with him and suddenly the needle seems friendlier. Your breath catches in time with his, the both of you frozen in the moment as you both try to decipher what’s happening. He stammers when he gains control of his body again, stepping back so his back is against the wall and he’s as far from you as possible.

“I have vodka,” he says, “if that’d make you feel better.”

“Yeah, that actually would,” you say with a sigh, relieved to be able to catch yourself as he leaves the bathroom. He returns a minute or so later, trying desperately not to stare at your naked torso. He unscrews the cap, and after you take a few gulps of the drink (which does nothing for your sore throat), he pours a little down into your cut. You wince, your grip on the sink tighter than your clenched teeth, a headache sprouting from the tension in your jaw.

“Ready?” He asks, looking at you over your shoulder through the mirror. You nod - you’re not going to get much more ready, so you might as well get it over with.

As the needle prods at your skin, poking into your flesh and sprouting little droplets of blood, you try not to think on the sensation. You try to think of anything, anything besides the cool metal pulling string through your back and tugging at your skin. Instead you focus on him, on his concentrated face; he’s biting at his cheek, his mouth opening to talk to himself in words you can’t hear.

It takes a shorter amount of time than you thought it did. The pain is now aching, spreading up your spine and into your head and down through your legs.

“I guess my skin must’ve snagged on someone’s spikes,” you groan hoarsely when he finishes up, tugging at your ripped skin as he tries to knot the string in place.

“I told you not to go,” he says, low and quiet, still not meeting your eye.

“Doesn’t matter now,” you say with a sigh, rubbing your side with your hand to massage the pain out, though it does very little. When you turn around he glances up at you, sparing just a second to watch you before leaving the bathroom.

Rubbing your face wearily you follow, your steps careful and slow as you try to put the sweatshirt back on. It proves a lot more difficult, what with the string preventing your skin from stretching, but you manage to get it on eventually. He’s in his kitchen filling a glass with water when you enter, and as usual he can’t stand to look at you.

“Thanks for patching me up, by the way,” you mumble, leaning against the counter with your hands gripping it tight, still trying to ignore the pain in your back and ache of your bruised legs and arms. He sets the glass down, and for a moment it looks as if he’s going to ignore you as usual, but he turns to you with pursed lips.

“Why do you do stuff that you know is going to hurt you?”

Your eyes widen at his straightforwardness, stuttering as you try to come up with a plausible answer. The only problem is you never even realized you do that, you never thought you were looking for pain, but when you look back at your past decisions it seems obvious. How long as he been putting up with your masochistic tendencies?

“I… I don’t know,” you answer honestly. “I never realized that I do that.”

Your thoughts go back to when you were little - in your teenage years you had a history of self harm, but you never thought of it as a hatred thing. It was just another way to feel pain, another way to feel real in a world where so much is faux. The memory of a razor cutting your skin to shreds just to watch your blood drip freely from your hips and arms makes you curl in on yourself, something that Elliot notices.

“I think I need to sit down,” you say, your voice cracking with the lightheaded feeling swirling around you. He lets you sit on the couch before he speaks again, sitting on the couch with you but as far from you as he can.

“Take my advice, next time,” he tells you, crossing his legs.

“And for now?”

He doesn’t answer. The TV buzzes in your background as exhaustion takes its’ toll on you, the fight, the walk, and the cleaning up tiring every bone in your body. It doesn’t take long at all until you’re lying down, your eyes closed as you can’t bear to keep them open. You’re still conscious, still listening to the dialogue of a show you’ve never watched before and the typing on Elliot’s laptop. It’s not long at all till the typing stops, and he sets his computer down on the ground as quietly as possible. With the shuffling of clothes and footsteps, you hear him come closer, and the cushion your legs are resting on dips down.

A thousand thoughts run through your head, a hundred theories and at least fifty conspiracies tackle what in the world Elliot could be doing, but none of them lead to a satisfying answer. Then he’s touching you, something he never does, not unless he absolutely has to - and it’s surprisingly affectionate. You’re barely able to keep your breath under control as he brushes your hair back, fingers just barely skimming across from your temple to behind your ear. Clothes rustle again, and you can feel his heat right up against your cheek. Every single one of your thoughts is now focused on one thing: stay absolutely still.

Somehow you manage to do it, somehow you’re still breathing even with closed eyes, though you have no idea if there’s a prominent blush on your cheeks. You’d guess yes but he still hasn’t moved; he sounds like he’s muttering something, but even right next to your ear, the heat of his speech brushing your skin, you can’t pick out what exactly he’s saying.

He’s so close, so unbearably close that you can’t decipher just when his lips touch you - he’s been hovering over your temple so long that the difference between his heat and touch is thin. Sometime in there you realize he’s kissing you, one long, sweet kiss on your temple, and suddenly the entirety of the evening is something you know you’ll never forget.

The cushion resumes its’ given position as he stands, and the rustling of his clothes combined with the absence of his heat tells you he’s gone. With a buzz and a click, the hum of the television goes out, and Elliot retreats to his bedroom.

You fall asleep soon after, your dreams more pleasant than ever with the new revelation.

[pixiegrl]

Somebody’s Gonna Love You

Luke's not ready for Ashton to spend the night and find out his secret but Ashton does anyway

A prequel of sorts for the Lingerie Luke series

Also on AU at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27032632

The first time Ashton spends the night, Luke’s not expecting it. They’ve only been officially dating for a few months, tentatively taking their relationship from friends who occasionally kiss to boyfriends . It’s made Luke giddy, makes him feel like a teenager with a crush again, like the 15 year old kid who’s heart fluttered when Ashton walked into band practice, who stopped breathing when Ashton would casually brush against Luke during a show, not a 23 year old adult with a career and a boyfriend.

It still makes him smile, full of shock and awe that Ashton would pick Luke. Of all the people in the world, Ashton would choose Luke to be with. That apparently Ashton’s liked him for so long, since that first day at the movie theater and that he wants their relationship to be serious. Luke can picture a life with Ashton, is already imagining what it would be like to wake up next to Ashton, make coffee in the morning, whine until Ashton cooks him breakfast. Luke’s picturing being able to kiss Ashton whenever he wants, cuddling up next to him on the couch at night, listening to Ashton whine about how cold Luke’s feet are but making no move to change their positions. In the dark of the night, when Luke’s feeling his loneliest, Luke pictures their wedding, what it would be like to stand up in front of their family and friends, tell them all how much he loves Ashton. Luke knows it’s too soon, they’ve only been dating for so little time, but Luke’s known Ashton for years. He’s loved him for so long that it’s so easy to picture a full life with Ashton, a life where he gets to bask in Ashton’s love, gets to tell Ashton how much he loves him over and over again.

However, Luke and Ashton haven’t spent the night together since they started dating. They’ve managed to start their relationship during a break from tour, hanging in the limbo of coming off an album and starting to create new music and it’s allowed them the freedom to explore the change in their relationship and go on dates and spend time together. Luke’s enjoying it immensely, for getting to spend time with Ashton, with Petunia, having lazy days at home, dinner and coffee dates with Ashton. It’s been nice, getting to feel like a real person, being able to take the time to just breathe and enjoy having a boyfriend.

Luke doesn’t have a problem with Ashton spending the night. In fact, he’s thrilled by the idea of Ashton staying over, getting to cuddle up to him and wake up to kisses, sitting outside on Luke’s patio and drinking coffee with the sunrise. It’s just that...Luke needs time to prepare for Ashton to spend the night. Both physically and mentally.

Luke’s been wearing panties. There’s no easy way to put it. It had started years ago, sometime after they made Sounds Good Feels Good , when Luke had started to grow his hair out and was wearing makeup. Michael had dared him once, to put on the silky underwear and wear it during a show. Luke had taken the challenge but hadn’t expected just how right it had felt, standing there on stage, in front of millions of people wearing the panties and glittery eyeshadow. Luke had started buying his own pairs after that, going into whatever Target or Walmart they were near and buying whatever he could that looked soft and pretty and floral. He’s been doing it for years at this point, almost completely replacing all of his boxer briefs with the panties now, creating his own perfect collection.

The thing is though, none of the other guys know about it. Sure, there was the dare, but Luke hasn’t told them about what he’s done since then. Whenever they share hotel rooms, Luke always changes in the bathroom, making sure to keep it out of sight. It just feels right , looking at himself in the mirror, the lace and bows, framed in softness. There’s a feeling of being at home in his own body when he feels them, feeling like he can finally breathe .

Which, therein lies the whole problem for Luke really. Even now that they’re dating, Luke hasn’t told Ashton about it yet. Whenever they hook up, before they were dating and now that they are, Luke is very careful to not wear them. He doesn’t know how to talk to Ashton about it, isn’t sure how that conversation would go. What would he even say, “Oh by the way I like wearing women’s underwear because it makes me feel beautiful and at peace?” How would Ashton even take that? What if Ashton takes it the wrong way, thinks its something sexually charged for Luke when it’s only part of the equation? What if Ashton decides Luke’s too weird to date once he finds out?

Luke’s spent an agonizing amount of time thinking about how he’ll tell Ashton, but he never expected for him to just accidentally find out. They’re wrapped up a movie night with Michael and Calum, catching up on the Marvel movies they’ve missed while busy and it’s late. Calum’s half asleep already, head resting on Michael’s shoulder, unbothered by how Michael keeps jostling him whenever he points excitedly at the scene. Luke’s got his head in Ashton’s lap, dozing while Ashton plays with his hair. He’s content like this, Ashton’s fingers scratching at his scalp, warm and loved.

The movie wraps up and Ashton leans down to whisper to Luke. Michael’s arguing with a half asleep Calum about whether or not Civil War is a good enough lead in to the rest of the current MCU.

“Can I spend the night?” Ashton asks. He sounds worried and anxious, like he’s unsure if he can ask this of Luke. Luke wants nothing more than to have Ashton stay, to never have him leave. Luke can’t believe Ashton even has to ask, that he’s even unsure of Luke’s own desires.

“Of course you can,” Luke whispers back, turning to face Ashton. Ashton smiles, pressing a kiss to Luke’s temple and Luke’s shocked by the look of wonder on Ashton’s face. It surely can’t be for him. He’s just Luke, stupid silly Luke, baby of the band.

Ashton nudges Luke off his lap, clapping his hands and starting to shoo Michael and Calum off the couch, even as Michael is caught between half hearted protests and shooting them both a suggestive wiggling of his eyebrows.

Ashton finally manages to get them both out of the house with the promise of continuning another night, shutting and locking the door behind them.

“Aren’t you going to get up?” Ashton asks, lips quirked up in a smile when he sees Luke still curled up on the couch. Luke reaches out towards Ashton, smiling sleepily.

“Carry me? Too tired to stand,” Luke mumbles. He’s not expecting Ashton to oblige him, cross the room in a few strides and scooping Luke up into his arms. Luke lets out a squeak, flinging his arms around Ashton’s neck at the sudden movement. Ashton snorts, pressing a soft kiss to Luke’s cheeks, his forehead, his nose. Luke giggles, leaning forward to capture Ashton’s lips in a soft kiss.

Ashton stops on his way to the stairs, kissing back. Luke tilts his head, trying to deepen the kiss.

“If you keep distracting me, we’re never going to make it up the stairs,” Ashton mumbles against Luke’s lips. Luke laughs, pressing a kiss to Ashton’s jaw.

“Maybe that’s my goal.”

“Please, like you’d have sex in anything but a bed. And besides it’s late. You deserve a bed, someone who can take their time to worship you. I would just fall asleep on you.”

Luke giggles, kissing Ashton on the lips again, “How romantic of you sweetheart.”

“Don’t make fun of me. You’re dating me.”

“I never said it was a bad thing,” Luke says, pressing kisses to Ashton’s lips to try and placate him. Ashton only pouts for a few moments before finally pulling away and continuing up the stairs, letting Luke press kisses to his jaw and neck along the way.

It isn’t until Ashton’s laid him out on the bed, is tugging off Luke’s T-shirt and kissing down his chest that Luke even remembers that he’s wearing the cotton panties. They’re pink, covered in little flowers, bright and vibrant, edged in lace with a little bow in the center. They’re cute, Luke’s favorite pair, and he’d wanted to wear them for the extra boost of confidence for his date. It’s just that wearing the panties have become so natural to Luke, just part of who he is now, that he forgot in that moment that Ashton doesn’t know about them.

“Ashton, wait…” Luke starts to say, but it’s too late. Ashton’s already tugged Luke’s sweatpants down, getting an eyeful of the panties. Ashton pulls back, looking down at them. He’s running his fingers along the edge, just barely brushing against the lace.

Luke tries to prop himself up and out of Ashton’s touch. He’s afraid suddenly, filled with a sense of worry that Ashton won’t love him anymore. That Ashton will decide that he doesn’t like this part of Luke. Luke’s weird and different, he’s always known that, head in the clouds and unable to talk to people without shaking or stuttering some days, but this is out there , it’s more than just different and maybe it means that Ashton will decide Luke’s not worth it.

“Did you put these on for me?” Ashton asks, slipping his fingertips under the waistband. Luke whines, arching slightly into the touch. Ashton smiles softly, lips just barely turned up.

“No I...I wear them all the time.”  

“Since when?”

“Since Michael dared me to wear them on stage.”

Ashton looks up at Luke, head cocked to the side. He reaches out, grabbing a hold of Luke’s hand and kissing the back of it gently. Luke doesn’t realize he’s shaking until then.

“That’s been so long Lu. How didn’t we know?”

Luke shrugs, “I was careful about it. I didn’t want anyone to know. It felt like...too much. Too big of a part of me to share.”

Ashton makes a noise at the back of his throat. He leans down, pulling Luke into a soft, open mouth kiss. It’s warm, Ashton holding onto his face in both hands, and heated. Luke’s dizzy from the love he feels.

“Why?” Ashton asks, pulling back, still holding Luke’s face in his hands.

“Why what?”

“Why do you wear them? Why didn’t you tell me ?”

“I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Like it’s not something I can just mention and I was so careful on all our dates. I didn’t want you to know.”

“Luke, I’m your boyfriend. I love you.”

Luke’s eyes feel wet, “I just wasn’t ready. It’s not...it’s not a kink, it’s not like one of those porns Michael used to show us. I’m not wearing them to be hot or attractive, even if I do feel like that sometimes. They just feel right. I put them on and I see myself in the mirror and it feels...like coming home. Like I see myself and it all falls into place. I don’t feel like Luke Hemmings, the rockstar . I just feel like Luke . They make me feel...beautiful. I feel beautiful when I wear them. And I didn’t know how to tell you without it being weird.”

Luke sniffling now, desperately trying to hold in his sobs. He doesn’t know how to explain it, the feeling that wearing the panties gives him. Luke never feels perfect, always feels too clumsy and large and loud. He takes up too much space, too much time, too much energy from everyone, especially Ashton. He’s just too much. But the panties, they make him feel like he can breathe. It’s the first time in a long time he’s felt comfortable in his body. And somehow, even though it’s Ashton , it feels too personal to tell him that.

“Oh Luke. Sunshine,” Ashton says, pulling Luke up and into his chest. Luke starts crying then, tears spilling onto Ashton’s shirt as he clings to it. Ashton keeps whispering into Luke’s ear, soft encouragement and praise, rubbing at Luke’s back.

“It’s so stupid I don’t know why I’m crying. You just wanted to do something fun and sexy and I had to be me. ”

“Luke, honey, I love you. There’s nothing you could do that would make me stop loving you. You are truly so wonderful and golden. You’re the light of my day, the light of my life . I love you in whatever form you are and this is simply just one of them. If it makes you happy, if it makes you feel good, then what’s the harm in it,” Ashton says, cupping Luke’s face in his hands to press a kiss to his lips again. Luke whines slightly into it. He’s so overwhelmed, by how exposed he feels, by the love Ashton feels for him. He can’t even find the words to explain how he feels, instead pulling Ashton into another hug, wishing I love you , over and over into Ashton.

Ashton presses another kiss to Luke’s temple, stifling a yawn. “Can we go to sleep now?”

Luke frowns, “But I thought you wanted to have sex.”

“I just wanted to spend the night with you. I want to cuddle you and deal with your cold feet and spend breakfast with you. Sex is nice, but getting to just sleep next to you, wake up to you? Even better.”

Luke snorts, “How domestic of you.”

“Isn’t that what everyone wants?” Ashton says. The sincerity in his voice throws Luke off guard. The idea that maybe he and Ashton are on the same page, that they’ve both been dreaming about the future and the what if’s, thrills Luke. He wants forever with Ashton and the concept that Ashton wants that too is just too much.

“You can’t say sappy stuff right before sleeping.”

“How about this? We go to bed and in the morning, we discuss the concept of moving in together or getting a new place or something.”

Luke’s breath catches. The look of utter love and devotion in Ashton’s face is just too much.

“Ashton, I love you,” Luke whispers. Ashton grins, kissing him again.

“I love you too. Now, bedtime. You’re cranky if you don’t get enough sleep.”  

Luke huffs, but allows Ashton to pull off his sweatpants, give him another kiss. He tugs his own shirt off, handing it to Luke without asking and tugs off his jeans. Luke realizes that Ashton wants Luke to wear his shirt. Luke blushes, tugging it over his head before he can rethink it. Ashton grins when he sees it, snagging Luke’s sweatpants and pulling them up. He flips the light off, crawling on the bed next to Luke and manhandling him into the perfect position for cuddling.

“Yes.”

“To what?”

“Moving in. I want to move in with you.”

“Good. I already have places picked out that would be perfect for us. We can start hunting in the morning,” Ashton mumbles, sleep tired, as he presses a kiss to Luke’s shoulder. Luke kisses Ashton’s hand in return. He loves Ashton so much it’s overwhelming. It feels like coming home .

[personasintro]

[4] He’s avoiding you.

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: Yoongi is avoiding you and you’re going to find a reason why – which changes everything.

𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: fluff

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: none

A/N: This is a part of series called ‘Away From You’. This drabbles will contain scenes that didn’t make it to actual series. You don’t have to read the series to actually understand this, but some of the drabbles will be involved around the plot.

Series link

drabbles index

Yoongi is avoiding you. 

You’re pretty sure about the small accusation you made couple days ago, when he ran away as soon as he saw you. He came with lame excuses claiming that he’s busy which was a complete lie because he still spent his free time with Hoseok, hanging out together - something, he used to do with you included as well. 

Even Hoseok started to act shady and became a stuttering mess whenever you mentioned Yoongi’s weird behaviour. 

There’s something shady about all of this and you decided that you’ve had enough, when he barely spoke to you during a lunch break. He just kept poking the food with chopsticks with a blank expression. Hoseok seemed to be even more talkative than ever, when he noticed your furrowed brows scanning Yoongi.  He even tried to catch your attention by telling you some ridiculous jokes. You’re not stupid and instantly see right through him. He was trying to distract you.

Is it because you both started to be more opened with each other? Or because you started to hug each other as a ‘hello’ or ’goodbye’? Or that he kept buying you a pizza and tteokbokki almost every day? Even you started to buy him a gimbap when he mentioned it how he can’t stop eating it nowadays. 

You wanted to do something nice for him. Something, that can make him happy and you could see his beautifully mesmerising smile.

This kept going for weeks, even months. Until the weird and tingling feeling in your stomach whenever you were with him started to be unnoticeable. You couldn’t ignore it anymore. Not when you couldn't wait to go to school just to see him. Which is weird enough, since you hated school from the day one. Not anymore. Not when you can see him and be with him despite you still spent some time with him when the three of you hang out together. 

‘There is something you’re not telling me, I’ll have to figure that out on my own’ You told Hoseok when you asked him about Yoongi’s sudden absence whenever you went out.

That’s why you’re standing in front of his huge house wondering who’s cleaning it in the first place. You’re sure they probably have someone who is doing that for them. 

You already been to his house couple of times, although, it wasn't that many. You usually hang out at Hoseok’s house where his mom always served you fresh kimchi with rice. 

You ring the bell starting to feel slightly anxious when you hear footsteps. 

What if he doesn't want to see you? What if he--

Your wild thoughts are interrupted when the door is opening and you inhale shakily knowing there’s no turning back. You’ve to do this.

Maybe you’ll have to tell him your real feelings because it’s suffocating you and it only makes you more nervous and on the edge.

“Can I help you?”

Oh, crap, it’s his mom. You think as you look up at the woman whose perfectly shaped eyebrows are raised at you. This woman is intimidating ever since you first met her. You remember that day perfectly. Yoongi invited the both of you to his house wanting to play some video games. His dad wasn’t there since he’s the CEO of some well known company, but his mom already waited for Yoongi to come home. She wasn’t rude or anything like that, even made you some snacks but her eyes were intimidating.

Well, they still are as she’s glancing at you.

“Hello, ma’am. Is Yoongi home?” you ask, mentally praising yourself for not stuttering.

She lets out a soft ‘ah’ by her reddened lips as she finally recognizes you. “You’re his friend, right?” She still asks and you nod. “He didn’t say he’ll have a visit.” she thinks out loud and you grow even more nervous since you’re still standing outside.

“Because this is... kinda surprise visit.” you mentally cringe at the way you formed that sentence.

She thinks about it for a second and you take that moment to truly look at her. She’s wearing a nice formal dress causing you to wonder why is she even dressed like this on Saturday. Does she always dresses like that even when she’s home? So much for comfort.

“Hmm, I see,” she hums causing your curious eyes to look at her eyes again. There’s no denial that this woman is beautiful and well put. She takes care of herself very well. Her skin is glowing and you pray you’ll look this good in her age. “Well, come in. I think he could use some cheer up.” she says, finally opening the door wider and inviting you in.

Cheer up? Does he act this weird even in front of his mother? Maybe it’s not you and you just misunderstood his whole weird behavior. But it still doesn’t change the fact that you’re his friend and you want to know what’s wrong with him.

You breathe out when you’re in. The house looks still the same and super clean, the nice scent of cookies filling the kitchen. You take off your shoes and put it next to Yoongi’s Nike trainers before looking at Mrs. Min.

“He’s in his room. I think you were here before, right?” yhe asks and once again, you nod.

But then you think it’s not very polite to answer her only with a gesture, so you gulp before saying; “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen, if you need me.” she informs you before she walks away to the kitchen, your eyes silently watching her and admiring her.

When her figure disappears, your eyes move towards the staircase leading to upstairs where Yoongi’s room is. With a nervous sigh you slowly walk towards it, your steps getting short and slow just because you’re starting to feel even more hesitant. 

Should you be here? What if he doesn’t want to see you? 

You shake your head wanting your thoughts to disappear or hide somewhere far away. You already came this far and it’d be a nonsense for you to just ran away. Mrs. Min would probably tell Yoongi you stopped by, so there’s no going back now. 

Their home isn’t much different and looks exact the same when you were here the last time. You find Yoongi’s door fast and easily, your eyes focused on his closed door. You stand there for a whole minute listening to practically nothing, when there’s a silence around you. With a soft knock on his door you bite your lips as you wait, while your stomach nervously scrunch. Yoongi ruff voice grumbles behind the door, telling you to ‘come in’, although you’re more than sure he doesn't know that you’re here. 

Slowly, you open the door revealing his spacious room and for your surprise, it isn't that clean as the last time. There are piles of clothes thrown on his floor messily, his own body hidden behind the thick blanket on his bed. His room is dark due to his curtains are not allowing the sunlight to come to his room. You don’t see his skin or something that tells you it’s really him, a big bump on his bed can be seen instead. But you’re sure it’s him when his voice speaks up again, muffled by the blanket. 

“Mom, I told you I’m fine. It’s just.. some flu, or something.” he mumbles, causing you to chuckle quietly. Even you can tell he’s lying through his teeth. 

“Well, I’m not your mom...” you speak out, causing a beat of silence filling his room. 

But it’s short lived when the big bump on his bed rises and Yoongi’s dark eyes peer at you. 

“Y/N?” he asks surprised, the blanket wrapped around him but you can still make out his messy dark hair under the material.

“Hi.” you nervously smile and he slowly takes off the blanket from his body, showing you his all black outfit consisting of black sweatpants and large black short sleeved shirt.

He blinks couple of times as if he doesn’t believe you’re here in flesh, standing in his room peering at him. He slowly sits up, his feet touching the soft carpet under his bed. “What are you doing here?”

The tone he uses surprises you because he doesn’t sound happy nor pleased by your sudden surprising visit. He sounds nonchalant instead and his features are hardening every second.

“Good to see that you’re alive.” you chuckle under your breath, while you shake your head and glance at your feet before looking back at him.

He doesn’t seem amused by your little unnecessary comment, frowning at you instead. “What are you doing here?” he asks again causing you to sigh.

“I had to see you since you’re avoiding me.” you tell him honestly, looking at him with raised brows while waiting for his reaction. And he does.

Bingo.

“I–I’m not avoiding you!” He’s quick to disagree with your assumption but you know you’re right.

You’ve seen it ever since he saw you standing in his room, the look of shock and discomfort written on his face and it causes you to wonder where did you make a mistake. Was it because you got incredibly close to each other? Or that you were comfortable enough to touch him which is something he never really appreciated from everyone. There were times where you thought he just wants to distance himself from everyone, and even some part of you still think that considering his behavior lately, but you also thought you were wrong. Because he allowed you to show the sides of him no one has ever seen. Not even Hoseok. You caught his eyes whenever you hugged Yoongi or tease him with pinching his cheek, he seemed to be sceptical and shocked at first, but then you noticed the way his lips curved into a teasing smirk.

“Oh, come on! You are!” you exclaim annoyingly causing him to bite his lower lip and look somewhere beside you instead. He practically just confirmed your thoughts. He is avoiding you.

“Are you going to speak to me or what?” you ask under your breath with a bitter chuckle leaving your lips once he simply just stands in front of you with no reaction whatsoever. “Am I not your friend anymore?” Your voice suddenly lowers to a whisper, while your eyes look at him sadly.

“No, of course you are.” he answers softly but doesn’t say anything else beside that which annoys you even more. He is not explaining himself and this seems way harder than you thought.

Coming here, you were pretty aware that it won’t be that easy because, well, this is Min Yoongi. But you expected this to go way easier.

“Really? So, why are you avoiding me but still have enough time to hang out with Hoseok? Even he started to act weird whenever I mentioned your sudden disappearance. Is it because you don’t want to hang out with me? Because I really thought we started to get along way better and maybe..“ you stop yourself before you can spill out something you might regret later.

You can’t tell him you started to feel differently towards him, when you don’t even know what’s wrong. You don’t want to end up with a broken heart when you’ll confess in front of him. The unknown feeling from what his reaction might be makes you want to throw up. What if he’d just laugh straight into your face? That would absolutely crush you.

“Maybe what?” he asks slowly, his dark eyes peering at you through his dark fringe causing you to gulp. You don’t know whether it’s because his question or his intense look.

“I’m not telling you!” You cross your arms over your chest stubbornly, frowning at him. “Not when you’re clearly hiding something.”

Raising your brows at him, you wait for his explanation or anything else other than his ignorance; but you’re quickly disappointed when he only looks away, shifting on his spot uncomfortably. That’s enough for you to feel embarrassed for even coming here in the first place.

“You know, it was so stupid for me to come here. I get it, you don’t want me in your life, so I’ll leave you alone and Hobi, if that’s what you want.” There is an anger mainly speaking from you because deep down you know you wouldn't be able to leave Hoseok alone. Not even Yoongi – but if that’s what he wants. 

But you wouldn’t let anything ruin your friendship with Hoseok. 

“Y/N, no, that’s not what I want.” he sighs, stepping closer you but you’re done with this crap. 

You shake your head, realising his figure is getting blurry – your whole vision is getting blurry as tears are filling your eyes. 

“Since you won’t tell me the reason why you’re avoiding me--” 

“Because I like you!” His voice booms and cuts you off, not letting you to finish your sentence and it knocks all the air from your lungs. 

What? Did you hear him right? 

His breathing is fast as he looks away from you, nervously shifting on his spot. “Y-you what?” you ask breathlessly, feeling your heart beating faster than when you came here. 

“Don’t make me say it again.” he cringes at the thought of saying it again, not believing he just said that in front of you. But you’re too stubborn. 

“I want you to say it again, because--” you stop yourself, walking towards him closer as you feel the huge lump in your throat. Your sudden stop in your sentence causes him to look up at you, his dark eyes looking at you with anticipation. “I think I like you too.” you say slowly in one breath, carefully watching his reaction. 

His mouth opens in a perfect ‘o’ as his eyes bulge out, stuttering over his words. “Y-you what? S-say it again, you like--” 

“Yeah, I do like you, Yoongi. I can’t believe it’s you, but...” you trail off with a shrug, but there’s a hint of humour in your voice as you look at him. His lips twitches in amusement as he smiles so wide, that you can see his gums and crinkled eyes. 

“I can’t believe I like you,” he says, causing you to gasp dramatically causing him to laugh again, but this time you can hear his adorable laugh. You don’t realise your own lips are stretched in wide smile, until your corners of your lips start to hurts. “I don’t even know when it happened. I guess, I always had a soft spot on you.” he admits, all the amusement gone as he looks at you with a soft gaze. 

You smile, ready to cry right here in front of him but you shakily inhale instead. 

“Yoongi has a soft spot for someone? That’s shocking.” you joke and he shakes his head with a soft smile at you, pulling you towards him. He hugs you so tightly, feeling the huge pressure on his chest gone. He feels light holding you close to his body and smell your sweet scent, that he missed too much. 

“So what now?” you ask, your voice muffled with Yoongi’s hoodie as he happily sighs. 

“I’ll have to take you on a date.” he says, pulling you slightly away from him to look at you properly. He grabs your face, fingers brushing against your cheekbone and lips causing you to think that he’ll kiss you. But he doesn’t and you can’t help but pout.

You eye Yoongi’s lips wanting to kiss him so bad and you’re not even embarrassed when you know he’s watching you, knowing what you’re thinking. He chuckles instead, finding you cute. “I’ll kiss you on our date, if it goes well. I want your first kiss to be special.” He says and your heart flutters. 

“Can’t you just kiss me now? It’s already special, we both confessed to each other.” 

He smirks, causing your heart to flutter even more but you grow annoyed at him as well, by not kissing you already. He’s killing you.

”No, this is not special enough.” he chuckles and you groan, your forehead bumping into his chest as you hide your face there. 

“You’re going to be a dead of me, Min Yoongi.” you grumble into his chest, watching it vibrate with amused laugh. 

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Sweet Pea//First Night

Request: Fluffy oke maybe where the reader gets her period or soemthing and like she’s sleeping at sweet peas or like maybe they live together and she gets like real anxious about it but like sweets is like trying to clean it up when she wakes up or soemthing if that makes sense

“Y/n? Are you awake?” Your boyfriend shakes you softly making you groan.

“Mmhm.” You mumble in reply, burying your head further into the pillow. 

Tonight was the first official night in your new apartment. It was kind shitty, a bit run down with some patches of damp and crazy neighbours. But it was your first home together and you were both more than excited to start a new chapter of your life together.

You’d spent the majority of the day unpacking and sorting shit out, so by 7 you were both exhausted. You had agreed that you were going to ‘christen’ the new bed, as well as the sofa, the kitchen counter, the floor, the shower and so on. But by the time the two of you lay down, ‘just for a five minute break’ you were practically asleep and Sweet Pea wasn’t far off. 

Now two hours later, Sweet Pea’s phone buzzing woke him up. 

It was a text from Fangs telling him that him and Toni were gonna come over tomorrow to see their new house, and Sweet Pea cursed him for waking him up from a much needed sleep. 

Plus he was kind of disappointed that you both didn’t stay awake any later, the two of you had been super excited about your first night together in your new home, and now the two of you had been asleep since 7pm. Not quite the night he had in mind, but then he realized he would have all the nights in the world to spend with you, one didn’t matter. 

So he lay back down and cuddled in to you, despite the fact you were softly snoring in his ear. 

He was just about to fall asleep when his neighbours front door slamming disturbed him. As soon as the door closed, the two of the started arguing and he sighed, knowing there was no way in hell he was going to fall back asleep. He was gonna have to get used to this, or be already asleep before they start, like you. 

His face softens when he looks down at you. Your face is smushed into the mountain of pillows you have and there’s a little bit of drool coming out of your mouth which makes him chuckle quietly. Because you’re still the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, and he still can’t quite beloved that you agreed to move in with him. He gets to spend every day with you! And he gets to fall asleep next to you, drooling and snoring, every night! Damn, he was lucky. 

After another twenty minutes of trying to fall asleep, he gives up. Sleep isn’t coming easy to him, not with his neighbours screaming whatever insult they can think of at each other. A part of him wants to write some of them down so he can use them the next time he gets in an argument with someone, and the other half wants to write a few of his own down to give to them. 

He decides to get up and unpack more of the kitchen. But when he throws the blanket off himself, he stops, seeing a dark patch of something on the bedding beside you. He squints trying to figure out what it is, but the moonlight coming through the curtains is not very helpful so he grabs his phone and shines the light on it. 

His eyes narrow in confusions because its red and its not only on the sheets but its on your sweatpants and...OH GOD YOU’RE DYING. 

You’re dying. You’re bleeding so you’re dying. 

His eyes widen and he looks around the room to find something to stop the bleeding. He stops on the pillow he was just sleeping on and he grabs it quickly. He’s just about to put it on you, when he realizes you’re not dying. 

You just got your period. 

He lets out a sigh of relief. That would be an awful first night in a new house. Cool story for the house and the new owners, but terrible story for him...and you. 

“Okay.” He whispers to himself. “She’s not dying. Its fine.” He tells himself...just in case. And then he watches your chest rise and fall just to make sure. Yep, definitely not dying. 

Slowly he stands up and walks as quietly as he can to the bathroom, grabbing you some new pyjama’s and a towel as he goes. Well, he has to search for the towel first and he can tell who packed that box because the towels are in a box labeled ‘kitchen’...it was Fangs.

Once he gets to the the bathroom he spends two minutes trying to figure out how the taps on the bath work until finally he works it out! 

After he’s sure that the bath is working and he isn’t just filling it with cold water, he goes to the kitchen to get some water, pain killers and chocolate (just in case). 

He then makes his way back to the bedroom and places the the stuff on the bedside table, while praying that he put it up properly and it doesn’t collapse. It doesn’t! And he lets out of breath. 

He wants to let you sleep as much as he can because you’ve done so much today. You even let him have a small nap while you unpacked some stuff (and shouted at Fangs for putting your cutlery in the bathroom box. So, now he has to figure out how he’s going to clean around you without waking you up. 

Finally, he figures it out and two minutes later he’s hovering above you, his tongue poking out of his head in concentration, while he holds the corner of the sheet in his hand. 

“Why is your ass in my face?” You ask sleepily making him jump and then fall on you. 

“I was err. I was.” He stutters and scrambles to stand up. “I was tucking you in.” He says and grabs the duvet, tucking it under your chin. 

“Right.” You say, staring at him unconvinced. “Why’s the bath running?” 

“I wanted a late night swim.” 

“What?” You ask confused and he sighs, looking at the floor. 

“Its for you.” 

“Why me?” You ask, sitting up. 

“You er, well. I thought you were dying-” 

“WHAT?!” 

“But you weren’t. You got your...period.” He mumbles the last part and your eyes widen. 

“...oh.” You mumble and look at the duvet. “God, I’m so embarrassed.” You shake your head and he sits beside you, grabbing your hand.

“But its okay, because I got you some water and pain killers, and chocolate. And I’ve ran you a bath and put some pyjamas in the bathroom. And while you’re there I’m gonna change the bedding so its okay. Nothing to worry about.” He interrupts quickly and you stare at him in awe. 

“You really did all that for me?” You ask, your anxiety soothing a little and he nods. “Thank you.” You wrap him in a tight hug and he smiles softly. 

“Come on.” He helps you stand before leading you to the bathroom. “I don’t mind helping you undress.” He smirks at you and you roll your eyes. 

“Babeeee.” 

“What?” He feigns innocence and puts his hands up. “I really don’t mind.” He mumbles into your neck before peppering kisses up and down. 

“We have our entire lives for you to help me undress. You already have...countless of times.” 

“Yeah.” He shrugs. “But this is our first night in our new house. But I suppose you’re right.” He sighs. “You have a nice, relaxing bath in our new home and I’ll change the bed.” He says, kissing your cheek before walking out. “And then after I’ll join you in the bath and we can make the most of our first night.” He winks before running out. 

“Pea!” 

[winchesterbrotherstan]

Kong: Skull Island- Brothers

Pairing: Eventual Reg Slivko x Irene Conrad Brown (OC)

Jack Chapman x Irene Brown (brother-sister relationship)

James Conrad x Irene Brown (brother-sister relationship)

Summary: An ex-mercenary and his younger adopted sister get themselves into a mess because they want money from the US government

Warnings: cursing, crying, etc

Word Count: 2777

SAIGON, VIETNAM

I caught the ball as it bounced back from the wall. James had gone out for the night, and he refused to let me come with him. It was already enough that he had brought me out to Saigon with him. The hotel room was cramped, with one bed, a wooden chair, and a TV that didn’t work perched atop a large dresser with drawers that only pulled halfway out. James and I kept our stuff in bags anyway. I had finished reading The Time Machine, and only read halfway through The Island of Doctor Moreau because it was rather horrifying. James told me he’d be back rather late, so I was to lock the door and go to sleep at a reasonable time.

I sighed deep as I threw the bouncy ball again, only this time it bounced onto the floor instead of onto the bed. I let it go and rolled onto my stomach. James had been decommissioned for the past week and a half, but he didn’t want to talk much about the war. It was understandable. I had never been to war, but I had seen things as simple as photographs that had shook me to my core. I couldn’t imagine what being out there fighting would be like.

I realized my body was falling asleep while my mind was still running, which was unsurprising. James and I had spent the day exploring the city. He had almost forced me into picking something out from a store, because my birthday was coming up soon. I responded with a cheesy classic.

“All I want is for you to stay home.”

He ate that one up. James had basically been taking care of me since I was barely a teenager. That was when my father married his mom. My father had died a year or two after, and his mother three months after, of grief. I was thirteen by the time that happened, but James was much older. He could’ve taken me to an orphanage or left me on my own. He took me in instead. He joined British Special Forces three years after he brought me to live with him. He was decommissioned two years later, which brings us to today. I had been living basically on my own for that time, but somehow my brother always found a way to make sure I had enough of everything to get by.

I jerked up when I heard the door open.

“You didn’t lock it?” Blue eyes squinted at me.

“I was going to, I promise. I’m not even asleep yet, Jay.” I stifled a yawn.

He gave me a deadpan face, locking both locks on the door as loudly as possible. His face softened as he pushed me over, making room for himself to sit down next to me.

“What’s up?” I could tell something was bugging him.

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. He wasn’t going back to war, was he?

“Irene, listen … you know I’ve been decommissioned.” He trailed off, picking stray hairs off the blanket as he avoided my glances.

“Yeah, and?”

He sighed, contemplating something. I scratched at my finger, increasingly nervous.

“I’ve been offered a job.” He blurted.

I looked up. Why was he so slow about telling me that?

“Where?” I heard the weak sense of betrayal in my own voice.

He looked up to meet my eyes. I felt like I was on the verge of holding back tears as he stuttered.

“A-ah-an island. An uncharted island in the South Pacific.” He averted his gaze back down.

I paused before speaking, more aggressive than I wanted to be. “You’re ex-special forces, what do they need you for? Who even needs you?”

He sighed. “It’s a group of scientists, Ire. Look, they need me to be their tracker, essentially. It’s only supposed to take a week, and I could leave you wi-”

“No.” I stopped him, feeling my own face contort into one of despair.

“Irene.” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“You did not already say yes.” I felt the tears well in my eyes.

His face mirrored mine, sadness and what was probably regret on his features.

“Jay, you’ve only been back a week, and you’re leaving again?” I cried.

“Irene, I didn’t think it would upset you so much.” He pulled me to him, hugging me.

I slumped against him and whimpered. If he was going, he was taking me with him. I would guilt him into it if I had to.

“Irene, I’m so sorry.” He mumbled, rubbing circles on my back.

I curled up tighter. “James, please don’t leave me.”

“Bitsy, I-I…” He trailed off.

I pulled back far enough to look up at him.

“Take me with you.” I urged with tear-stained cheeks.

He met my eye, which was a mistake on his part. I frowned again, letting my shoulders drop. He sighed through his nose before finally breaking.

“Fine. I’ll tell them you’re good with jungles and animals.” He let his hand drop on the bed.

“And?” I smiled a little.

“And that we’re a package deal.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly.

He hugged back with a grunt, taken off guard by my excitement.

“We’re leaving in a few hours, so pack up whatever’s lying around.”

I finally pulled away from the hug, ready to shove my toothbrush and two books into the bag.

“And the island might be extremely dangerous. So when we get there, stick to me, okay?” He was serious about that part, because he grabbed my hand and practically made me promise.

I nodded. “Okay.”

He broke into a smile. “Now pack and get some sleep, I have a feeling you aren’t going to like the plane ride.”

BANGKOK, THAILAND

“James Conrad. This is my younger sister Irene. I need her skill for the biological aspect of tracking.” James spoke to the blond man in a Landsat uniform.

“Oh, no. You can’t bring her with you.” The man answered rather snarky.

“I don’t think you understand. We’re a package deal. If she can’t go, you don’t get me.” James reached back to grab my hand, which I gladly gave with a squeeze.

The man eyed me before sighing. “Fine, whatever. You take responsibility for her.”

James scoffed. “Of course I will. She’s my sister.”

The man rolled his eyes, but James just pulled me past, pushing me ahead of him and holding onto my hand.

“Jay, I don’t know which way we’re going.” I mumbled back over my shoulder.

He pointed ahead, “Follow the soldiers.”

I caught sight of who he was talking about, the group of tall men dressed in army green. I followed loosely, but I stopped when they did. I looked back at James, then to the man that was standing at the start of the boat’s ramp.

James took my hand again, this time leading the way. I stood off to his side as we waited for the men to finish talking to him. As they began to walk away, and James approached the man, one of their hats fell to the ground. I bent down to pick it up before the wind could take it away. I realized how close I was to the guy who’s hat it was once I stood up. I bit my lip, suddenly anxious.

“Here.”  I pushed the hat in his direction.

He grinned toothily before taking it. “Thank you, miss.”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I was sure that he couldn’t see considering it was dark and he was at least half a foot taller than me.

“Slivko, stop flirting with the girl and get! We’ve got things to do!” The man that James had been talking to yelled.

The guy, who was more likely my age than actually a man, winked before scampering off, following the rest of the army men. James pulled on my wrist, breaking my attention.

“You’ve just gotta stick with me, but other than that Colonel Packard over there don’t care that you’ll be joining us.” He explained.

I nodded, following him up the ramp and avoiding the glare of the colonel.

                                                            ***

I leaned against the same wall James leaned against. I scratched at my wrist, uncomfortable around all the Landsat people and the soldiers. I wasn’t sure what we were waiting on, and the loud cranking of the projector in the middle was making my skin crawl. James noticed this, and ruffled my hair.

“This should only take a few minutes, and it’s just a briefing. After this you can hole yourself up in the room if you want to.”

I scoffed and pushed his hand off, narrowing my eyes at him. “I don’t want to hole myself up. I’m just a little antsy.”

“Almost done, Bitsy.” He motioned at the man who had taken his place at the front of the room.

“Hello and welcome. I’m Landsat Field Supervisor, Victor Nieves.” He had an awkward posture, but smiled anyway as he pointed to the blond guy from earlier.

“This is my colleague Steve Woodward, our data wrangler.” There was a light chuckle from the Landsat team, but James remained stoic and I noticed a few soldiers roll their eyes.

The projector cranked again. “Our expedition takes us to a place every nautical trade route known to man has avoided for centuries.”

An image of an island popped up, shaped somewhat like a skull.

“As our satellites show, the island is surrounded by a perpetual storm system, allowing it to remain hidden from the outside world.”

That doesn’t sound right.

I felt James shift his posture, but my eyes remained on the projections as they changed.

“But with Colonel Packard’s helicopter transport, we will be the first to break through to the other side.”

My eyebrows furrowed. This sounded very much like something out of a twisted horror movie.

“We’re also pleased to be joined, for the first time, by the resource exploration team, led by Mr. Randa and accompanied by biologist Miss San and geologist Mr. Brooks.”

“Aren’t those the guys that hired you?” I whispered over my shoulder at James.

“Yeah.” He whispered back, eyes still narrowed.

He didn’t like this either.

Nieves continued, “Our focus will be on the island’s surface, theirs, what lies beneath. Mr. Brooks.”

The man with glasses stepped up to the front of the room.

“Simple, really. We’ll use explosions to shake the earth and create vibrations, helping us to map the subsurface of the island.”

The projection changed again.

“We’ll fly in over the south shore and then strategically drop seismic charges to better help us understand the density of the Earth.”

I hadn’t exactly gone through any type of geological science in high school, but I understood the words “seismic charges” and it raised some concern.

“You’re dropping bombs?” James spoke up.

All eyes turned to him, including mine. I would’ve never actually spoken aloud in a room full of people, but James didn’t care. And I trusted him to make sure things were safe before getting involved.

“Mmm.. S-scientific instruments.” Mr. Brooks countered.

“You hear that, boys? We’re scientists now.” A voice called from the rows of soldiers.

Even though he was sitting low in his chair, I could tell it was the one that had dropped his hat earlier.

Slivko, I think?

The soldiers laughed, but the Landsat people didn’t seem amused. I’m sure James would have laughed, had Mr. Brooks not dodged his question about the bombs.

“You guys are not scientists.” Steve muttered.

I rolled my eyes.

“We’ll then land and make basecamp for ground excursions led by Mr. Conrad and Miss Brown.” Nieves gestured our way.

I glanced up at James. He met my eyes, his face softer now. I shot a face at him, one screaming “I am definitely not a tracker!!” He only shook his head.

“Major Jack Chapman.” Nieves stepped aside.

My eyes snapped up.

Before my father had married James’s mother, he had dated a few women. One of those women had been Elise Chapman. They dated for a few years, during the prime of my childhood. Her son Jack had become my best friend. My dad moved me away after a few years, never really telling me what had happened between them. Jack and I would write each other letters, but after a few years he stopped answering. I hadn’t talked to Jack in two years.

But here he was now, about to tell us whatever it was he had to tell us about this possibly lethal island.

He stepped up and took the pointer from Houston, “All right, once on this island-” he caught my eye.

I shivered, seemingly unable to pull my eyes away. James clasped a hand onto my shoulder. He knew all about Jack, just like he knew about every detail of my life.

Jack snapped himself out of it and started talking again.

“Once on the island, the storm’s interference will block all radio contact with the ship. That means we’ll be by ourselves.”

The projector again. I swallowed hard.

“Three days later, the refuel team will meet us here on the North end of the island. That may be our only safe departure window for an unknown period of time.” He glanced back my way.

“So, tip for everybody. Don’t miss it. Please.” His eyes came back around, but it seemed that James caught him this time.

Jack looked away, and he didn’t look back again.

                                                           ***

“James, where are you going?” I asked as he turned to leave the room.

“I want to check something out. Why don’t you stay here, catch up with Chapman?” He tried to pull himself from my grip.

“James, I haven’t seen him since I was a kid.” I grabbed at his wrist again.

He sighed and faced me, hands on my shoulders. “It’ll be okay.”

I bit down hard and closed my eyes, sighing hard through my nose.

“Okay.” My voice was quiet.

“I’ll see you up in the room later?” He patted my cheek.

I nodded, slowly letting go of his wrists.

“Be careful.” I mumbled.

He kissed my forehead. “Of course, you too.”

I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. I breathed hard before turning myself around.

“Hey Irene.” Jack stood there, a gentle smile on his face.

I looked up at him. “Hey, Jack.”

“How’re you, kid?”

I broke into a grin, unsure of what else to say. He gingerly pulled me into a hug.

“I missed you, ya know.”

I hugged back, nodding even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “I missed you too.”

“Colonel told us ‘Conrad’, but I didn’t even think it could be your brother.” Jack finally pulled away, hands on my shoulders.

I only shrugged. “I didn’t exactly think I’d see you here either.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “You haven’t grown since you were twelve, have you?”

“Shut up.” I shoved him, laughing.

We both quieted down quickly. I sighed, twiddling with my fingers.

“How’s Billy?” I asked. Last time Jack had written to me, Billy was four years old.

Jack perked up at the mention of his son. “He’s doing good. Gracie’s sent me a few photographs. I can show you later if you’d like. He looks just like his momma.” He gushed.

“Well I would hope so. Jack, you’re uglier than a dog. I would feel bad if the poor kid looked like you.”

It was a teasing lie, of course. Jack was what I considered pretty, with dark hair that he always styled up at the front, tiny freckles that you could only see if you were close enough, and eyes that switched between shades of green like nobody’s business.

He narrowed his eyes at me. I narrowed mine right back before breaking out into another fit of laughter. He messed my hair up.

“Where’d your brother go? I was planning on introducing myself.” He hesitated on the word brother, but forced it out anyways, looking around the room.

I wasn’t exactly about to tell him that James had gone to snoop around the ship, so I just shrugged again.

“Not sure, he told me I should stay and talk to you. I don’t really think you need to formally introduce yourself, though. He knows all about you.”

Jack nodded. “I see. Do you wanna meet the rest of the boys? I’ve got a feeling they’ll just love you.” He extended his hand to me.

I smiled and took it. “Sure.”

Previous: N/A

Next: Photographs and Flirts

[holyytaehyung]

NCT DREAM react to misinterpreting s/o when sleepy

NCT 127 version here:

 https://holyytaehyung.tumblr.com/post/178214222496/nct127-reacts-to-misinterpreting-so-when-sleepy

You began to feel sleepy, and instead of communicating this directly to your boyfriend, you decided to just grab them and bring them with you to the bedroom, as you were in the mood for cuddles and sleep. Apparently he wasn’t expecting the same from your actions…

Mark

Mark would instantly look up at you from his seated position at his desk, with your soft hands holding his arm, when he looked up at you and saw your expression, he simply just went with it. He let you pull him to the bedroom, only asking a few questions to try and get a reaction out of you- missing your smile even if he saw it but only ten minutes ago. Thoughts would be racing through his head,

were you going to make out?are you not feeling well? had he done something wrong? When you pushed him down on the bed, a small smirk grew on his face and he leaned up, pressing his lips to yours softly. You smiled, kissing back, but when you pulled away , he couldn't help but to think he was right; he had done something to make you upset. Before his mind could race any faster, you cuddled up to his side, making him freeze before a small blush and smile appeared, his arm curling around your waist. Hed press a soft kiss to your forehead. “ohhhhh they were just, sleepy..” mentally slap himself, didnt mean to always be this anxious, he just cared about you to the moon and back. “my baby is just sleepy?”

“so youre not mad at me?”

“okay good, for a moment it felt like my world was going to end..”

Renjun

Renjun would look up at you from the couch, wondering why you hadn’t said anything in a little while. He asked you if you were okay, only to receive no answer as you dragged him to the bedroom, his movie still playing in the lounge on the TV. The little fluff ball wouldnt know what to say, a soft rosy blush found its way to his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck. “y/n wants to make-out? thats why she brought me in here.. because Taeyong hyung would be back from the store soon..”  He would smirk to himself, thinking that he was obviously the next Sherlock Holmes, but to his dismay, when you pushed him down on the bed, you merely cuddled up beside him, quite cutely too. He sighed with a smile, a breathy chuckle following. “is my y/n tired?” “i couldve sworn i had this all figured out y/n, you wont believe me but i could be the next Sherlock Holmes-!”

His arms found their way around you, playing with your hair softly, admiring your features. “its okay” he thought. “we can make out later”

Jeno

Jeno would wrap his arms around you into a bag hug when you began to try and pull him. He was reading some lyrics when you, broke him out of his trance - his tired yet motivated trance, to begin pulling him toward the bedroom. Knowing you were too innocent to be thinking of something else, his mind immediately went to making out. He craved your kisses, especially since he was sleepy. When you slightly struggled in his arms, he noticed the blush on your cheeks, from the fact that he had completely over powered you, holding you perfectly still in his arms. “you can kiss me out here y’know y/n, i dont really care what the others say. Plus i like showing off whats mine..” when you smiled and blushed more, shaking your head from side to side, a cheeky grin formed on his face. “then what is it baby? you dont want to kiss me? because i want to kiss you” The dark red on your cheeks caused him to inwardly squirm at your cuteness. “sleepy” you mumbled, and he crumbled. He bent down, his arms picking you up, bridal style, holding you close to his chest. “lets go sleep now baby, we can smooch later” this earned him a soft, sleepy, slap to the shoulder.

Haechan As he was practicing singing in the kitchen, grabbing some juice, your small form creeped up behind him and back hugged him, your head resting against his back softly. He immediately knew it was you, his smile forming, hands reaching to hold yours around him. He was only ever like this with you. It always surprised and sometimes spooked out the members to see just how relaxed and mature hed be around you; spare the few dozen sarcastic remarks now and then, but c/mon , were talking about Haechan here. He relaxed, the juice remaining on the bench, as he turned around in your arms, looking down at you with heart eyes as he leaned down slightly. “whats up baby?” hed smile. when you simply just pouted and tugged on his shirt slightly, he couldve died on the spot. a cuteness overload. Did you want to make out? he sure did. maybe that was where youre taking him. He smiled as he let you lead him to the bedroom. “i knew you couldnt resist me, little one~” hed tease, making you chuckle, before pulling him down onto the beg with him, cuddling up to him after mumbling “im sleepy” His expression would go from confused, to excited to contempt. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, pulling your back flush with his chest. “im going to get you back for teasing me... but sleep well baby.”

Jaemin Jaemin would be on the couch with you, already all over you as you both sat there. He had his arms around you, your head on his chest, and his chin ontop of your head. when you began to get up, his grip around you tightened, holding you down. “i dont wanna... here” you said, accidentally mumbling the very detail that he needed. This caused so many ideas to race through him.

It caused him to flash back to a few days ago, when he succeeded in making you so very flustered,and he loved it- the effect he had on you. His hyungs were only in the kitchen, when he decided he wanted to pin you to the wall, his height looming over you as he pressed his lips to yours. You loved it- but wouldnt admit to it. the thought of his hyungs finding you two like this made you worry out of your mind. “i.. dont wanna make out here, jaeminnie.. can we go to the bedroom?” to which he smiled and agreed, loving the way you slightly stuttered- because of his work. “can we go to the bedroom?” your voice broke him out of the flashback, and he nodded, smiling and picking you up, carrying you to the bedroom and placing you down on the bed. He was taken off guard when you pulled him down with you, cuddling up to his side. “thankyou jaeminnie... didnt want to fall asleep out there... so sleepy-” It all made sense now, He laughed to himself softly, “i shouldve known, you werent nearly flustered enough to have been asking to make out with me.. dont worry, when you wake up ill be able to kiss you all i want baby.” he smiled lovingly, his arms wrapped safely and firmly around your waist, his head resting on your shoulder as he admired your sleeping figure. “how did i get so lucky..”

Chenle Chenle was watching youtube when you tugged on his sleeve softly, trying to get him to follow you. At first he found it quite cute and entertaining, until you didnt reply when he asked if you needed anything.

“baby?” his headphones were now on the table infront of him, the video long forgotten as you pulled him to his bedroom, a place where you both found to be the safest place to make out, safe from the hyungs - well mostly- so you could atleast have some time alone- innocent time alone. He smirked as he followed you, pretending to whine that he had things to do- just to get a reaction. He was surprised when you pulled him onto the bed, but as soon as you climbed in, into his arms, he knew exactly what you were doing. “go to sleep baby” hed smile, kissing your forehead. “my little sleepy y/n” “cutie”

Jisung

He was practicing a dance in the spare room, when you wondered in, watching on as your talented boyfriend did some impressive dance moves. As soon as he turned around, he ran to you, as if you both hadnt been watching a movie together a few hours ago. “hiya baby” hed smile. You reached up to tug on his shirt to follow you, but first , he swooped down to bring you into a soft kiss, enough to make you both blush. you smiled softly, and pulled on his shirt toward his bedroom. “were gonna make out hehe” was all that was running through jisungs head as he got pulled into the room, and then further was pulled down onto the bed. when you climbed in next to him, he smiled, placing his arms around you. “m’ tired, need cuddles..” you mumbled, and he melted, holding you closer. “ofcourse, im here baby, sleep well” Hed smile as he watched you close your eyes.

“im supposed to be the cute one, this isnt fair baby”

-admin rose

[magicallygrimmwiccan]

Fear Is Dark (But My Love Is A Lantern)

Summary: In which Secrets Are Revealed, Plushies are Found, and Logan Makes a Friend (spoilers: it's Joan)

Notes: ... this took so long to post here, sorry

                      Chapter Four- They Fall Down On Their Own

Thomas blinked awake the next morning, exhausted yet content. He wondered why he was yet again sleeping on the couch, this time in an upright position, when he registered a couple of warm weights curled up into his sides. He glanced down to see what was going on, and his heart melted at the adorable sight that greeted him. Patton and Roman were cuddling in their sleep on Thomas’s right side, Patton’s slightly-higher-than-average body temperature radiating into Thomas because of the close proximity. On his left side, Logan and Virgil appeared to be attempting to fuse together, that’s how closely they were cuddling. Virgil was imitating a baby koala, his long limbs wrapped around Logan’s body as he clung to his chest, while Logan had tangled his legs together with Virgil’s. Overall, it was an adorable sight, and Thomas sneakily grabbed out his phone to snap a picture of the sleeping kids. He was just debating how best to extract himself from the cuddle pile so as not to wake any of them up when a loud knock sounded at the door. He jumped, startled, and wracked his brain for possibilities on who could be here at this hour. He groaned when the answer came to him. Joan and Talyn had agreed to come over today so that they could work on a video. What was he possibly going to tell them about the sleeping aspects cuddled all around him?

“Thomas? You awake yet, man?” Joan’s voice called from outside. Thomas sighed and gave up on slowly untangling himself, instead just jumping up from the couch and walking to the door, ignoring the sleepy grumbles of complaint from behind him. He opened the door, blinking his eyes rapidly to adjust them to the bright sunlight, and grinned sheepishly at Joan and Talyn.

“Hey, guys, I was asleep, sorry,” Thomas laughed nervously. Talyn arched an eyebrow at him, suspicion radiating off of them.

“That’s fine, Thomas. What’s got you so anxious?” they asked, shoving their hands into the pockets of their jeans. Thomas sighed and decided to just bite the bullet and tell them.

“So, something weird happened a couple days ago. Apparently, and none of us can figure out how, a few aspects of my personality manifested permanently into the real world, and now they’re living with me. I don’t know how to get them to unmanifest, they don’t know why they’re like this, we just all know that I have to take care of them for the time being,” Thomas rushed out, anxiety churning in his gut. What if they thought he was crazy? What if they tried to get him to a mental hospital? What if he was crazy?!

“Okay… Thomas, how much sleep have you gotten in the past couple days?” Joan asked slowly, their words long and drawn out as if they were trying to not spook him.

“At least eight hours a night. Look, I’m fairly certain I’m not crazy, just… come in and you’ll see,” Thomas huffed, leading his two friends into the living room. Joan and Talyn followed, and Thomas felt the exact second they noticed the sleeping aspects on his couch. Now that Thomas had had them around for a couple days, he had noticed that they all had extremely similar facial features, even if certain physical attributes were different. (He may have also pulled up pictures from his childhood to compare, and yep, these kids were definitely parts of him.) So, yeah, if that didn’t convince Joan and Talyn, he didn’t know what would.

“What the fuck,” Joan whispered. Talyn nodded in agreement, obviously in too much shock to formulate a comment of their own.

“I don’t know!” Thomas hissed. “I was hoping you guys could help me figure this out.”

“Thomas… this goes behind the scope of weirdness that my brain can handle. I have no idea where to even start,” Talyn finally offered, their eyes wide. Thomas went to reassure them when a sleepy grumble cut through his thoughts. He spun around to see Logan and Virgil sitting up and untangling themselves, discontented murmurs coming from both of them. It only took them a couple of seconds to notice the two new people in the room, and when they did, they froze, dark blue and violet eyes widening in fear. Virgil shrunk back into his hoodie yet placed himself between Joan and Talyn and Logan, obviously in an attempt to protect him from the two new people.

“Who the fuck are you two?” Virgil growled, and Thomas shivered as a chill settled over the room. No six year old had any right to sound that terrifying. Talyn snapped out of their shock first and approached, giving the two terrified kids a reassuring smile.

“Hey, I’m Talyn. Thomas just told me about what’s going on. How are you two holding up?” they asked, walking around the couch to crouch in front of Virgil and Logan. Virgil quickly switched positions so that Logan was practically pinned to the couch and stared Talyn down. The effect was ruined a bit by his trembling frame, but still, he looked like he was one wrong word away from launching himself at Talyn in order to defend himself.

“We were fine until two new people who I’ve never met in my life walked in!” Virgil hissed, his violet eyes narrowing. Thomas noticed that Logan still didn’t have his glasses on, and as such, the slightly older aspect was hiding behind Virgil, probably trying to let the one that could see handle this new and scary situation.

“Hey, that’s fine. What’s your name, little guy?” Talyn continued, still trying to break through to Virgil. They glanced up at Thomas for a confirmation of pronouns, and Thomas nodded, mouthing “They’re all male” to make sure that Talyn understood. From behind him, Thomas heard Joan moving around, and when he glanced back, he saw Joan holding up two sets of glasses belonging to Logan and Patton.

“I-I’m Virgil,” Virgil muttered, beginning to uncurl a little. Talyn’s smile widened and they held out their fist for a fist bump. Virgil warily tapped his fist against theirs, and Talyn giggled a little.

“That’s a nice name, Virgil. Want to come meet my friend Joan? They’re really nice and they’re not going to hurt you, I promise.” Virgil slowly nodded and slid off the couch, pausing and holding his hand out to Logan. Logan warily took it and slid off the couch as well, obviously relying on Virgil for directions on where to go. Talyn held a hand out to Logan, and Logan flinched back. Talyn paused and crouched down to his level, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

“What’s your name, kiddo?” they asked softly, something that Thomas appreciated. He still hadn’t been able to figure out why Logan was so jumpy, and that made him nervous. Had something happened to him?

“L-Logan,” he stuttered, obviously working very hard to get his speech under control.

“That’s a wonderful, name, Logan. We’re going over to Joan and Thomas now. Want to come with?” Logan nodded, and with that, Talyn slowly walked back around the couch and towards Thomas and Joan, Virgil trailing with Logan behind him. When they reached Thomas and Joan, Virgil wrapped the arm currently not being held by Logan around Thomas’s legs as he blinked shyly up at Joan.

“Hey, Virgil and Logan, I’m Joan. Nice to meet you,” Joan offered, crouching down to give the two a high-five. Virgil cautiously reciprocated before leading Logan’s hand to Joan’s. Joan grinned and held out Patton’s glasses. “Are these yours, Logan?” Virgil opened his mouth to say something, probably no, when Logan’s hand shot out and gently grabbed the glasses before he shoved them on his face. He blinked, disoriented, before mumbling “No, these are Patton’s.” Virgil carefully grabbed Logan’s glasses and placed them into his hands. Logan swapped glasses, and when he could finally see, nodded at Joan in gratitude.

“Thank you, Joan,” Logan stated, clasping his hands together in front of him. Joan grinned and ruffled Logan’s already messy black hair, ignoring the indignant squawks that emerged from him.

“Anytime, buddy,” Joan replied before standing up. Logan huffed and attempted to fix his hair into a somewhat respectable hairstyle as Joan turned to Thomas. “Yeah, I think the video can wait a few hours. How do you want to go about this?”

“Thomas? Who’s there?” Roman’s sleepy mumble cut through the discussion. The redhead was sitting up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, and Patton was also awake, already sliding off the couch. He was navigating much better than Logan had without his glasses, and Thomas quietly filed that information away for another time.

“I’m assuming these are one of yours?” Joan offered, holding out Patton’s glasses. Patton blinked and came closer to inspect them.

“Yep!” he chirped after a moment, gently grabbing them and shoving them onto his face. “Thanks… what’s your name?”

“Oh! I’m Joan, and this is Talyn. What’s your name?” Joan asked, sticking their hand out for a handshake. Patton took it, beaming.

“I’m Patton, and the sleepy redhead behind me is Roman,” he answered, giggling slightly at the indignant look on Roman’s face. “Nice to meet you, Joan and Talyn!” Joan beamed; Patton’s enthusiasm was clearly infectious. “Now, what could you two possibly be doing here in Thomas’s house this early in the morning?”

“We were going to film a new video, but, well… now we’re here to help Thomas figure stuff out,” Joan replied, adjusting their beanie a bit. Patton blinked before comprehension dawned and he nodded. Roman yawned loudly while shooting Joan and Talyn a large thumbs-up, causing Patton to giggle a bit at the antics of the dramatic redhead.

“Excellent. I believe our first order of business should be a clothing change?” Roman offered, voice muddled with sleep. Logan practically sprinted for the stairs the second Roman suggested that, Virgil not too far behind. Even Patton and Roman looked taken aback at the speed with which they had just been abandoned, and Joan was shooting anxious looks at the disappearing backs of the two youngest aspects.

“I’m assuming those two are the antisocial parts of you?” Joan asked. Roman snorted, murmuring something along the lines of “How’d you guess?” until Patton elbowed him into silence. Thomas nodded confirmation for Joan’s question and then followed Logan and Virgil up the stairs, determined to figure out what was wrong. He found the bathroom door closed and no Virgil or Logan in sight, so, after bracing himself with a deep breath, he knocked on the bathroom door.

A sniff came from inside, and then Virgil called back “We’ll be out in a bit.”

“Virgil, Logan, it’s Thomas. May I come in?” Thomas queried quietly. A couple of soft whispers, so soft that Thomas couldn’t even make out individual words, a shuffling, a soft click of a door unlocking, and then Thomas found himself yanked inside the bathroom, letting out a startled yelp. He blinked rapidly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the harsh glare of the bathroom lights, to find Logan curled up in a tiny ball with Virgil crouching in front of him.

“L was having a hard time with new people,” Virgil murmured by way of an explanation. Thomas’s brows furrowed in confusion. He was expecting that from Virgil, but from Logan? Virgil must have noticed his confusion, for he simply sighed and turned to Logan, whispering “Do you want me to tell him, L?” to the rocking Logan. Logan’s rocking paused and he nodded once, twice, three times, before resuming rocking. Virgil nodded once in response and turned to Thomas.

“He’s autistic,” Virgil stated, voice flat. “He learned plenty of coping mechanisms over time, but our bodies have been regressed to the point where his body hasn’t learned those coping mechanisms. So, here we are.”

“Oh.” Thomas, admittedly, didn’t know much about autism, and he wasn’t even sure how an aspect of him could have autism if he himself didn’t, but he shoved those unhelpful thoughts into the back of his mind; Logan was more important now.

“Okay, so what helps you, Logan?” Thomas asked. Logan waved a hand vaguely, and Virgil translated: “His stuffed owl. Which is in the Mindscape. And we can’t summon it. I’ve been trying since we locked ourselves in here.” Logan made a high-pitched noise in his throat and pointed at Thomas.

“... oh yeah.” Virgil turned to face Thomas. “Thomas, I need you to focus really hard on grabbing Logan’s owl.”

“I don’t even know what it looks like!” Thomas exclaimed, panicking internally. He was just going to make everything worse for Logan, wasn’t he? Virgil groaned and facepalmed before grabbing out his phone, unlocking it, and going straight (ha) for his camera roll. He quickly found what he was looking for and shoved it at Thomas, who had to squint to focus his vision. He saw an adult Logan, sprawled out on a bed, cuddling a black-and-dark-blue galaxy-patterned owl with blue button eyes. Little tufts of fluff stuck out of the top of the owl’s head and brushed against Logan’s chin in the picture, and, Thomas realized with a start, the button eyes had been sewn on over and over again, a sign that the owl was well-loved.

“There, now you know what it looks like. Can you just… summon it, please?” Virgil pleaded, putting his phone away and turning back to Logan. Thomas took a deep breath in through his nose, closed his eyes, and pictured the owl with all his might: how much it must mean to Logan, what sort of comfort it must bring, why Logan found such comfort in it. He felt something solid tickle the edge of his consciousness, and he reached towards it eagerly and pulled . His fingers closed around something soft and solid, but it was Virgil’s strangled little noise that brought him back to reality.

“You… you actually summoned it,” Virgil whispered. Thomas looked down, and sure enough, Logan’s owl was clenched firmly in his grasp. Logan made a happy noise before he snapped his arm out, snatched the owl out of Thomas’s hands, and brought it back to his chest to cuddle. Thomas blinked, but Virgil just shot him a grateful look before going back to taking care of Logan.

“Thank you,” Virgil murmured. “Now, if you could go tell the others that Logan and I will be down in a few minutes?” Thomas nodded and stood to leave.

“T-thank you… Thomas…” Logan whispered. Thomas paused and turned to give the small child a warm smile.

“Anytime, Logan. Anytime.” With that, Thomas exited the bathroom, leaving the two youngest alone.

Notes: Feel free to scream at me, sorry for it taking so long :( 

[kiriharaa]

Beautiful Disaster Chapter 16

It’s finally here! Here’s a big dedication to @hauntedpotatocollector who has been supporting me for so long and is nothing but kind and patient! I hope you enjoy this!

Wattpad | A03 Recap: After Natsu reads the short description of the demon known as Silver Fullbuster, Gray runs out of the house in distress. Natsu chases after him while Sting and Rogue are left behind in a worried, confused state.

Natsu Dragneel felt cold. That was the problem with the temperature during the winter time; it was decent and bearable during the day, but as soon as evening hit, it became far too cold to be comfortable. Of course Gray could handle these kinds of freezing winds due to his training, but even with his muffler wrapped tightly around his neck, Natsu felt the extreme chill spreading through his veins, making him shudder.

He could be using his fire, yes. But since it was so distinct, he was sure someone in the area would recognize it as Fire Dragon Slayer magic and have him reported, which would lead to him just ending up in a bad place and drastically decreasing his chance of finding Gray.  

“Jeez Gray, where’d you run off to?” he quietly mumbled to himself, rubbing his hands together in a futile attempt to warm them up. He should’ve at least grabbed a jacket, but he couldn’t waste even a second to think about anything else after seeing his boyfriend run off into the middle of the night with a such a dreadful look on his face.

That’s right, boyfriend. Another thing he had to hide due to it being forbidden. Romantic relationships in general were not allowed among students, let alone ones between those of the same gender. Natsu hated this unfair society he was born into. Not being able to show off certain aspects of himself, especially ones that he was so proud of, frustrated him to no end. If he had things his way, he’d beat the hell out of the person responsible for creating such absurd rules that strips people of their own self and forces them to pretend those aspects don’t exist or think they are unacceptable.

For the longest time, Natsu dreamt of leaving this wretched place once he graduated. He’d move to another city, or country even, if it meant he could show off his Dragon Slayer magic and be able to hug Gray or even hold his hand in public without fearing the trouble he’d get into. The worst part about all of this was that this issue wasn’t even something he could fight against. Natsu was strong and hopeful, but that wasn’t enough to avoid the punishment he’d get if he dared to break the rules. Unless Natsu could bring absolute change to this corrupt society of his, mindlessly rebelling was not the right answer, although it did cross his mind several times. Heck, if it weren’t for Gray, he’d probably have a Fire Dragon’s Iron Fist right in society’s stupid leaders’ faces.

Releasing a cold breath into the air, Natsu picked up his pace a little, using his nose to track down Gray’s scent. He couldn’t have gone too far; after all, there weren’t many places to go at this time of night without causing suspicion. Natsu tried hard to think of places Gray liked, believing he might’ve gone there if it helped to comfort him a little.

His eyes darted across the various storefronts spread out around the town. A lot of them weren’t even open at this hour, and those that were open were just bars that Natsu knew Gray wouldn’t go to even if he was feeling emotionally wrecked. There weren’t a lot of options, but even with the limited area to search, there was still no sign of Gray. Natsu’s heartbeat picked up subconsciously, a flash of stressed heat giving him a moment of warmth. His eyebrows scrunched together as he scanned the area one more time, but despite his efforts, his ice wizard was no where to be found.

_____________

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” Rogue asked after a far too long moment of distressing silence. “Should we…go after them?”

The only response Sting gave him was a shake of his head as he firmly grasped one hand in the other, pressing it to his forehead. Rogue looked at him with eyes full of worry, wanting to go up to him and assure him everything would be okay, but he wasn’t the type to be able to do that comfortably or in a non-awkward manner. So, he stayed put, biting his bottom lip as he tried to think of how he could help. He felt useless sitting there doing nothing and was sure Sting felt the same way, but knew he was keeping himself from going because of what Natsu had said before he left.

“Rogue…I’m sorry for all this,” Sting said finally, his voice coming out in a shaky manner. “I…I don’t…”

“It’s okay,” Rogue told him, surprised that he didn’t stutter when he said that. “This isn’t anything you have to apologize for…”

“I guess…but I feel so bad, to get you mixed up into all this, and now the project will be delayed…! You seem like, and probably are, the diligent type who always gets their work done early and, well, I just feel awful for putting you through this and—“

“Sting, please don’t say things like that,” Rogue interrupted, surprising himself yet again. “You don’t have to worry about me. Let’s just pray for their safe return…okay?”

Sting looked up at him in that moment, and Rogue felt himself panic. He shouldn’t have interrupted him like that; that was very rude and Sting probably thought he was being insensitive. He prepared a string of apologies when suddenly, his own eyes locked with Sting’s. Rogue felt trapped in his gaze, unable to formulate any words as all thoughts slipped away from his mind. His heart rate picked up for what Rogue thought was due to some weird anxious feeling, but before he could think too much into it, he felt his body move on its own and found himself standing right in front of Sting a few seconds later. Their bodies were only a few centimeters apart, and Rogue struggled to find an explanation for why he suddenly got up and got this close to Sting. His ears burned and he felt like acid had filled throat, but all of those feelings disappeared as quickly as they had come when Sting gave him the most gentle look he’d ever seen.

“Rogue…” he said softly, his eyes almost pleading for something.

“S-sting…I—“ Rogue’s thoughts were all jumbled together and his heart was still beating like crazy, so forming any sort of coherent sentences was far from likely at this point.

Rogue squeezed his eyes shut and felt his body falling forward, and before his mind could process what he’d been doing, a pair of warm arms wrapped around him and pulled him close, embracing him in a tight hug.

“I’m really glad you’re here with me,” Sting whispered. Rogue could feel his warm breath tickle his ears, and his stomach flipped like an acrobat at a circus. A flush of an inexplicable feeling coursed throughout his entire body as he shakily held onto Sting, trying hard not to get too emotional. He felt tears burn in his eyes at the reality of the situation he was in: getting hugged by someone was a dream of his, and he couldn’t believe that he had the guts to make the first move, even if it was by a subconscious impulse.

When Rogue didn’t say anything, Sting slowly let go of him, and Rogue’s body already missed the warmth.

“I think I would’ve lost my mind if I was here alone,” Sting told him, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. “I probably would’ve gone after Natsu but I don’t want him to be mad or more stressed out.”

“How about this? If they don’t come back in the next half hour, we’ll go look for them,” Rogue offered. Even though he’d only started talking to Natsu and Gray less than five days ago, he was already very attached to them and cared for them like they were his family. Perhaps it wasn’t the best habit to get attached to people too quickly, but with the lack of interaction Rogue had with others, he was bound to fall into that practice.

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Sting, his nerves easing up a little. “What do you want to do in the meantime?”

Rogue didn’t have a clue, if he was being honest. He didn’t even think about that, but he couldn’t leave Sting hanging. He rummaged through his thoughts for an idea, and after realizing he was taking a little too long, he blurt out, “L-let’s make chocolate-covered pretzels!”

Rogue’s face reddened, and he snuck a glance at Sting, hoping what he suggested wasn’t too crazy to the point where it weirded him out. However, the sparkle in Sting’s eyes convinced him otherwise, and he looked almost as excited as Rogue to make them, much to Rogue’s content.

“Alright then, Rogue! Let’s grab the chocolate and pretzels and get crackin’!”

_________

It was getting colder, darker, scarier. The only thing keeping Natsu going was his strong inclination to find Gray. He swore he wouldn’t give up until he found him, and he intended to keep his word. He had already gone way past the normal boundaries of the town and ended up in another section of it that not many people visited. He couldn’t find a reason why Gray would be here, in this creepy, desolate place, but he figured he’d check it out just in case since he wasn’t anywhere in the main part of town.

“Gray!” he called out, cupping his chilled fingers around his mouth. “Gray, where are y—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his nose picked up a familiar scent, and he felt relief wash over him. It was Gray’s! Although very faint, he was able to pick it up regardless and lock onto it. With a fluttering hope in his heart he followed his senses and plunged into the darkness of the night, eager to finally be able to see Gray and bring him home.

He took countless turns in the labyrinth-like streets, and the coldness he felt didn’t seem to bother him any more. Gray’s scent was getting stronger, and that enough was to warm Natsu up a little. He continued to push through the alleyways, nearly tripping on a cobblestone gone loose, when finally, he found what he’d been looking for. His treasure at the end of the rainbow.

“Gray…!” Natsu huffed out, wrapping his muffler over his chapped lips to retain the little warmth he had left. “Th-there you are!”

Gray spun around at the sound of his name being called, his eyes wide and filled with…tears? It was hard to tell in the darkness, plus it was so cold that any water that did come out of his eyes was likely to freeze.

“Jeez, what are you doing all the way out here?” Natsu asked casually, deciding to not question the crying. He figured Gray wouldn’t want to talk about it anyway, and it wasn’t the right environment for them to have an in-depth conversation about those matters. He stepped closer, being careful not to get his feet caught in the thick vines that covered the ground. “What is this place?”

“N-Natsu? I—how the hell did you find me?” Gray wondered out loud, still stunned.

“Dragon Slayer senses, baby,” Natsu said with a grin, or at least he tried to grin, but given the temperature it came out looking more like a wobbly half-smile.

Gray ignored his playfulness and shook his head. “Aren’t you cold? Why did you follow me?” He took a couple steps forward, wiping at his eyes. Once he reached Natsu he pulled him into a hug, trying to supply some warmth.

“I was worried about you, you idiot,” Natsu muttered into Gray’s chest, snuggling up to him.

“You’re the one who’s an idiot for coming all the way out here without even wearing a jacket,” Gray chastised him. He felt a warmth envelop his cheeks as he squeezed Natsu, burying his face into his pink hair.

“Says you,” Natsu shot back with a soft chuckle, noting Gray’s bare upper body. “You perverted stripper.”

“Hey, at least I can handle these temperatures.”

“Whatever! You shouldn’t have run off if you didn’t want me to chase you!”

“I didn’t ask or want you to chase me, dumbass.”

“I would’ve done it regardless, ‘cuz I love you.”

It was then that a silence fell upon them, and Gray slowly pushed Natsu away so he could look into his eyes. “Man, I’ve missed hearing that.”

Natsu managed a smile, his body still shivering. “I’d kiss you, but I think my lips froze.”

Gray laughed at that, cupping Natsu’s face with his hand. “You’re really something, Natsu.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Natsu asked, offended.

“Figure it out yourself, Flame Brain,” Gray said before turning away.

Natsu blinked and watched as Gray laid his eyes on a marked stone. It didn’t take him long to realize it was a gravestone. He moved to stand next to Gray and took his hand in his, squeezing it tightly. “Gray…is this…”

“It’s my father’s. He was buried here,” Gray said softly. A puff of cold air escaped his lips as tears threatened to spill from his eyes again.

“Oh…” Natsu now understood why Gray chose this strange location to wander off to. With a determined look in his eyes, he let go of Gray’s hand and grabbed him by the shoulders, looking directly at him. “We’re gonna ace this project and find out things that will help you feel better and let you ease up a bit. We’ll find the truth, no matter what!”

At that, Gray smiled. He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against Natsu’s for a quick second before backing away. “Hah, wow, you weren’t kidding when you said your lips were frozen. It felt like I was kissing a block of ice.”

“Shut it!” Natsu screeched, embarrassed. His face was flushed to a color that rivaled his hair. “You didn’t have to kiss me!”

“Oh, but I wanted to,” Gray said with a laugh, and then added, “‘Cuz I love you.”

Natsu felt his stomach do flips as he gripped Gray’s neck and pulled him close for another kiss, only to be stopped by Gray.

“Gah, Gray, what gives?” he huffed out, eyes swirling with a lustful-like hunger.

“As much as I’d love to kiss you, we have to get back inside and get you warmed up before you freeze.”

“But Graaaaaaaaaaay!” Natsu whined, pouting.

“Wait ‘till we get home! Come on, it’s not that far and Sting and Rogue must be worried.”

“Holy crap, I nearly forgot about them!” Natsu exclaimed.

Gray simply shook his head and grabbed Natsu’s hand, leading him along the rest of the path before they got to the main part of town. He couldn’t hold Natsu’s hand when they reached that part, so he made these few moments he had last.

The two made their way back home, awaiting warmth and the relieved faces of their friends.

_______________

“They have five minutes. Five,” Sting said, popping a chocolate pretzel into his mouth.

“I’m sure they’ll be back any second,” Rogue assured him, taking one of the treats for himself. He was practically drooling over the chocolate pretzels he and Sting had made. He was so focused on them that he nearly forgot about Gray and Natsu being gone until Sting reminded him and instantly felt guilt overtake him.

“I hope you’re right.” Sting sighed as he slid off the counter he was sitting on, stray pretzel crumbs falling off his pants once he landed on the floor. “Let’s go get them some blankets, I’m sure they’ll be cold once they turn up.”

Rogue nodded, lifting the spoon out of the last of the four hot chocolate mugs he and Sting had prepared in addition to the pretzels. Rogue really was in a chocolate paradise and he couldn’t wait to take a sip of the steamy chocolate goodness once the others had returned.

Once the spoon was properly washed and placed in the drying rack, Rogue followed Sting to a closet that had spare sheets and helped him carry out two big comforters and four small blankets. They walked over to the living room and placed them on the couch, with one blanket on each cushion. Sting went to go set up the fireplace while Rogue made his way back into the kitchen and took another chocolate pretzel, savoring the taste.

“You’re such a chocoholic, it’s adorable,” Sting said from behind Rogue, startling him. He nearly choked on the pretzel he was chewing but quickly washed it down with a glass of water.

“I-I’m sorry! I should probably save some for Gray and Natsu…!”

“You eat as many as you want. There are another snacks for them if they’re hungry,” Sting told him as he bit into another pretzel himself. “This was such a great idea, these things taste heavenly!”

Rogue smiled, and he touched his face, noticing that it was burning up. Unknowingly he had streaked some chocolate across his cheeks in his little flurry of embarrassment, so when he turned to face Sting, he was confused when Sting started laughing at him.

“Rogue, wait there, I need to take a picture!” Sting said suddenly, causing Rogue to panic.

“Wh-what? Why? Did I do something?” he yelped, watching as Sting ran across the room to grab his cellphone.

Before answering, Sting snapped a few shots of Rogue with a huge smile on his face while Rogue just stood there, eyes darting everywhere in mild panic and confusion.

“It’s nothing bad, I swear!” Sting managed to say through his wide smile. “It’s just… you’ve got chocolate all over your face and you look so cute!”

“C-cute?” Rogue spluttered, his face burning more than before.

“Hah, yeah! Here, let me get that for you,” he said, stepping closer to Rogue. Rogue didn’t process what he was talking about until Sting reached up and touched Rogue’s face with his hand, wiping off the chocolate stains ever so gently.

Rogue felt his heart stop, and all he could do was stand still as Sting wiped the rest of the marks off his face with care and precision. Only in that moment did Rogue pause and take in the person in front of him, admiring all his features, from his fluffy, pale blond hair to his bright, blue eyes. His skin looked super soft, and his smile lit up the rest of his face, and Rogue had to fight down a smile of his own.

“I’m sure that chocolate loves you as much as you love it.”

Rogue released a nervous yet genuine laugh before he squeaked out a small “Thank you.”

Sting nodded, and the two of them brought the mugs of hot chocolate over to the coffee table. As if on cue, the door burst open as soon as they set the mugs down, revealing Natsu and Gray accompanied by a cool burst of wind.

“We’re home!” Natsu announced with pride, pumping a fist into the air. “Ooh, the house smells like chocolate!”

“Sorry we took so long…” Gray apologized, hanging his head in shame.

“Natsu! Gray!” Sting cried out, happy tears spilling from his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re both okay!” He leapt forward and hugged them both, but then immediately receded when he felt how cold they were. “Gosh, you’re both freezing! Feels like I’m hugging a freakin’ refrigerator or something!”

Rogue watched from the corner, feeling as if he was intruding on a sentimental family moment or something. Although Natsu, Gray, and Sting had made him feel more than welcome, he felt that during some moments he couldn’t outmatch the long-lasting family bond the three of them shared.

“Check it out Sting, I got icicles in my hair!” Natsu pointed out. He shook his hair like a wet dog after a bath, and shards of ice fell onto the floor beneath him.

“I’m surprised you haven’t turned blue. Seriously, you both should go get changed. Rogue and I prepared blankets and hot chocolate for you guys,” Sting told them, pulling the two inside and shutting the door. “Oh and Natsu, can you light the fireplace?”

“Sure thing!” Natsu sucked in a breath of air, and with one swift exhale, the fireplace was lit with his fire magic. “There! Now excuse us, we’ll be right back!”

With that said, Natsu grabbed Gray’s hand and pulled him into their room, locking the door behind them.

“Energetic as always, even while nearly frozen,” Sting said with a shake of his head. “You were right, Rogue, they really did turn up and I’m so relieved.” He turned to face Rogue, who was surprised that he wasn’t forgotten.

All Rogue did in response was nod. He continued to stand where he was in an awkward manner until Sting grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the couch.

“Sorry if I’m…in the way,” Rogue said once he and Sting had sat down next to each other. “I should probably go home soon, I didn’t mean to intrude for so long.”

“Rogue. You aren’t intruding, and you are more than welcome to stay the night if you’re comfortable enough. You’re one of us now, okay? Don’t feel like an outcast!” Sting told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “If you do go home, just know that I’m walking you back.”

Rogue was at a loss of words for a full minute, and all he could do was blink at Sting’s words, as if believing them was something that wasn’t even possible. What snapped him out of his daze was Sting’s last sentence, and he shook his head, reeling back to reality. “Wait, no, it’s super cold! You don’t have to do that!”

“Well I’m not letting you leave in the middle of the night alone!” Sting argued, a small pout forming on his face. Rogue found this to be undeniably adorable. “So that means there’s only one solution.”

“And…wh-what would that be?” Rogue asked, almost timidly.

“You have to stay the night!” Sting stated, throwing a blanket over Rogue’s head.

“Um! Are you sure you’d be okay with that? I mean, there’s only—“

“If you’re talking about the bed, I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

“What? No! I can’t make you sleep on the floor in your own room…!” “Relax! You’re not making me do anything, I love sleeping on the floor, actually. It’s fine, really.”

“I could never do that to you!”

“I’m serious, Rogue! Please stay, okay?”

Before the two of them could discuss the matter further, Natsu and Gray came out of their room dressed in new sweatpants and giant, plush sweaters.

“Wow. You two look like fashion disasters,” Sting mentioned, looking at their odd combo of clothes.

“Whatever, we’re warm and that’s all that matters!” Natsu retorted, sticking his tongue out. He plopped onto the couch and pulled Gray down with him, who sat close to him with a splash of red coloring his cheeks.

“So…hot chocolate?” Sting offered, handing each of them a mug. Gray and Natsu eagerly took one and started sipping, relishing in the warmth. Rogue took his carefully, sniffing it before taking the first sip.

“Rogue, you’ve been really quiet since we got back, is everything okay?” Gray asked after finishing half of his mug’s contents.

“Oh!” Rogue replied, nearly burning his tongue. “Yes… I’m okay, sorry. I’m not the best at having conversations…”

Gray smiled at him with a sympathetic nod. “Wanna stay the night?”

“I already asked him and he said yes!” Sting answered for him with a grin.

“Wait! I didn’t agree just yet, and I was going to ask Natsu and Gray if they’d be okay with it first!”

“Hell yeah it’s okay! I’d rather have you stay here than go out there in the cold at this hour,” Natsu said, dripping the last of the hot chocolate into his mouth. “You’re good company to have, especially for Sting.”

“This all means a lot to me, really…thank you all,” Rogue said with a smile, setting his mug down.

“Of course,” Sting said, leaning back on the couch and snuggling up into a blanket. “Also, is it just me, or is anyone else not tired at all?”

“I feel the same!” Natsu commented.

“You’re never tired, so that doesn’t count,” Gray said with a roll of his eyes. “But I agree. I have no motivation to go sleep, even if it is this late.”

“I think I could stay up for a while,” Rogue added in, looking at the others.

“Let’s work on the project, then,” Gray stated, much to everyone’s surprise.

“What? Are you sure? After what just—“ Sting started, but was cut off by Gray.

“It’s fine, I’m fine. We were supposed to work on it anyway and didn’t really make much progress. Let’s not mess up our schedule so early, we only have three days left to work on this thing.”

“I say we pull an all-nighter and finish the whole thing today!” Natsu suggested, standing up. He walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed the book before placing it in the middle of all of them, and then turned to grab his laptop.

“Um…that’s a bit…” Sting couldn’t find the words he wanted to say.

“I’m down for that idea. Come on Sting, let’s finish this, here and now.”

Sting shot a worried glance towards Rogue, who looked equally concerned. The two decided to not question them further and agreed to their terms, grabbing their backpacks.

“Should we work separately or all work together and help each other?” Rogue asked, nervously fiddling with the zipper on his backpack once he’d pulled his laptop out. “It seems that both the subjects we chose will be interesting…”

“Working together is a good idea. I think we’ll get done faster too. The teachers won’t even know or care as long as we did the work and didn’t make our papers sound too similar,” Natsu added in agreement.

“Then is it okay if we start with this one?” Gray questioned, opening the book to the section about Silver Fullbuster.

“Sure…” Sting said, almost as if he was in a daze.

“Sting, start taking notes. I’m going to read this out loud.”

“Woah, Gray, lighten up a little,” Natsu said, poking his cheek. “You’re scary when you’re serious.”

A flash of irritation shone in Gray’s eyes, but only Rogue seemed to notice. His eyes softened when Natsu held onto his shoulder, and he shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “Sorry. Um, Sting, can you take notes while I read this?”

“Yeah, of course man,” Sting said, opening the document on his laptop.

Rogue sat there quietly, intrigued of what they’d learn. He hoped Gray could handle it. The moment from a few hours ago flashed in his mind; the expression on Gray’s face, how the color practically drained from his face, the way he ran out with so much distress just at the mention of the demon’s name. He truly was worried, but trusted Gray and knew that he was strong enough to withstand whatever they were about to discover.

And so, with the fireplace being the only source of light aside from the dimly lit shine coming from their laptops, Gray began reading about one of the Nine Demons known as Silver Fullbuster.

___________________

“Silver Fullbuster was resurrected by Keyes, and served as a test subject for his experiments,” Gray read, his eyes straining. He’d gone through a not-so-helpful introduction to Silver, but only now did things start peaking his interest.

Natsu, Sting, and Rogue all were crowded around Gray, unable to stop listening. The book and its information had their full attention, so much to the point where even Sting had to remind himself that Gray put him in charge of taking notes and he couldn’t just slack off.

“Not much is known about Silver’s past. The only thing we have on record is that he was supposedly killed when a demon known as Deliora attacked his village.” Gray stopped for a moment, pushing his lips together as unwanted memories filled his head.

“Gray, we can stop anytime, you don’t have to push yourself,” Sting said, clutching the top of his laptop with shaky fingers. “Please, you don’t have to do this for us, think about yourself.”

“I’m okay, Sting,” Gray assured, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. “This is just stuff I have to face. The more I know, the closer I can get to the truth.” He turned towards Natsu, remembering the promise he’d made.

“I’m proud of you, Gray…but I agree with Sting. You can stop anytime.”

Gray shook his head. “How much do we have, Sting?”

“Huh?” Sting blinked, his thoughts all jumbled.

“The notes. How many pages?”

“Oh! Uh, with the basic intro, personality and appearance, we have about two full pages of bullet points.”

“Perfect. That should be enough.”

“Wait, you don’t want to research this further?” Natsu asked him, his eyes wide.

“I do. But that’s enough for the paper. I don’t want to turn in any more than I need to, and this book isn’t much of a help. I think I have to find this information on my own.”

Nobody said anything after that, so Gray decided to read one last part of the book before closing it. “For seventeen years, after the successful experimentation, Silver ‘lived’ a normal life. However, he decided to get revenge on the Demons that stole his family from him. He learned Devil Slayer magic and killed any Demons he came across.”

Gray inhaled a long breath, setting the book down. “That’s enough for me. Let’s do Rogue and Natsu’s next.”

Rogue sat still, watching Gray carefully as he exhaled. He was shocked at how calmly Gray handled reading all of that, given his reaction from before. His strength really was something admirable, something Rogue wished he possessed. Rogue could tell Gray was holding back some of his emotions, but he didn’t want to press on about it. He’d already been through a lot for one night.

Rogue stared at the time on his screen. 4:46 a.m., it read. They’d have to leave for school in about three hours without even a wink of sleep. He looked up and saw everyone’s expressions, which contained a mix of strain and exhaustion. They didn’t look tired enough to sleep, but clearly they had overestimated their ability to do work for such a long period of time. Doing research papers of all things at such a late hour was bound to drain their energy eventually.

“Are you sure you want to do all of this tonight?” asked Rogue, noticing that nobody else provided a response to Gray’s earlier statement. “We can take a break or something…”

“Nah, let’s finish… we already made the commitment and we can’t go back on it,” Natsu said in response, stretching his arms above his head.

Gray let out a yawn and leaned against Natsu’s shoulder, handing him the book. “All you, Flame Brain.”

Natsu took the book and turned it to the back, revealing the hidden flap. “E.N.D.,” he said excitedly, the exhaustion from earlier almost completely disappearing from him. “The coolest demon ever!”

“You don’t even know anything yet, moron,” Gray said tiredly, reaching up to ruffle Natsu’s hair.

“Well we’re about to find out, and I can already tell it’ll be good!”

“I’ll take notes,” Rogue offered, already having his page set up.

“Great! Okay everyone, listen up, cuz this is probably the best and coolest story you’ll hear!” Natsu said with too much energy for someone who was awake at 5 a.m. without any sleep.

“Just get on with it,” Sting said as he blinked away the sleep from his eyes. He had a hard time keeping his composure, and he wobbled a bit before landing on something soft.

“Sting…?” Rogue calmly said, blinking. His cheeks felt warmer as he felt Sting’s head fall on his shoulder.

“Ah…sorry Rogue…’m tired…” He yawned, snuggling up to Rogue more as if he’d done it a thousand times.

“Pay attention!” Natsu shouted, distracting Rogue from his thoughts. “I’m about to start.”

“Go ahead…” Rogue said softly, placing his fingers on the keyboard. He had to admit that the feeling of Sting leaning on him gave him a vast amount of comfort, and he had to try to not smile like an idiot at the gesture.

“E.N.D. is known as Zeref’s most powerful demon. Nobody knows what the letters stand for, but what we do know is that E.N.D. used to be human. Four hundred years ago, the child had died but Zeref couldn’t handle the grief so he resurrected him in hopes that E.N.D. would be the one to finally kill him. Why would Zeref care, you ask? It’s because the child was his younger brother.”

“Zeref has a younger brother?” Gray said, his ears perking up. “Damn…I had no idea.”

“Keep going,” Sting said, sounding less tired than before. “This really is interesting.”

Natsu nodded, flipping the page. “E.N.D. is very ruthless and cunning to the point of having a deadly bloodlust. He was so scary that even Acnologia was frightened by him. There are links to his past but th ha n be d v e re y.”

“What the hell was that at the end? Too tired to speak properly or something?” said Gray, lifting his head off Natsu’s shoulder.

“The words!” Natsu shrieked. “The rest is faded!”

“Seriously?” Sting also got up, reaching for the book. He turned through the pages, and sure enough, the rest of the text was too faded to be legible.

“How many notes do we have, Rogue?”

“About…a page and a half…” he answered, scrolling through what he’d typed.

“Well…there’s still the section on his appearance that you haven’t got to. Maybe use that to fill in the extra half page?” Gray suggested.

“But I wanna know more! The appearance doesn’t really interest me that much, I just wanted to know his story! This is so unfair!” Natsu complained, threading his fingers through his hair.

“We can’t help what we don’t know,” Gray told him with a sigh. “Maybe after finishing the paper we can each go out and learn more about these demons we’re researching, since we clearly want to know more than the book has to offer.”

“Where would you even get such information?” Sting asked, scratching his head. “As far as I know, this is the only book that contains information about those demons.”

“Easy. We go directly to the source,” said Gray, talking about it as if it was like picking up groceries.

“You mean…Zeref?” Rogue was almost scared to say it, but curiosity got the better of him.

When Gray nodded, Rogue felt an uneasy dread fill the pit of his stomach. Find Zeref? Talk to him? Was that even possible? Nobody knew his whereabouts for the longest time. For all they knew, he probably wasn’t even in this country.

“Nothing about that is easy. Don’t let your tiredness speak for you,” Sting said then, being the voice of reason. “As if Zeref would give out information like that to us of all people.”

“Well, it couldn’t hurt to try!” Natsu said, determined.

“I get that you’re both passionate about these demons, but let’s at least put together these papers, alright? Then after school tomorrow we can talk about this crazy plan and come to some sort of agreement.”

“Deal,” agreed Gray. “But we should probably try to get some sleep once the paper is done. I don’t wanna talk about such an important thing without any rest.”

“I hate to break it to you, but we literally have to leave for school in about an hour,” Sting noted after looking at the time.

“What?!” Gray exclaimed, grabbing his cellphone. Sure enough, they had about an hour before they had to “wake up” and start getting ready. “Holy shit…this is not good.”

“What did you think I meant when I said all-nighter?” Natsu said, sorting through the notes Rogue had taken.

“I didn’t think we’d actually be up all night. How the hell are we gonna manage to stay awake for a full day of school tomorrow?”

“Coffee, my friend,” Sting said with a yawn. “Works like a charm. Who’s up for a 7 a.m. Starbucks trip once these papers are done?”

“That sounds good,” Rogue said as Natsu and Gray nodded.

“Great! Now get your butt over here Gray, let’s finish this up.”

Gray practically rolled over to Sting, being too tired to actually stand up and walk over to where he was sitting.

Natsu crawled over towards Rogue, perching next to him as the two talked about how to properly write the final version of their paper. Natsu did all the planning while Rogue did all the typing in addition to making sure the grammar and syntax was correct.

After the two groups had exchanged papers, made comments and edits, and were proud of the outcome, they all drifted off into an unplanned slumber, laptops still on as the alarm on their phones signaling them to get ready faded away into nothing.