#head full of ocs today so expect a ramble later

[puppyeared]

learned something about myself lately

[redhead-batgal]

Hi 😁 Could I request either (31.} “Good morning gorgeous,” “Fuck off I’m trying to sleep.” 8.}  “Why do you have to be so cute?” “Why do you have to be so hot?” 27.} “I love every damned piece of you no matter what anyone else says.”) Or ( 21.} “If anything happened to you, it would utterly ruin me.” & 1.}  “I honestly don’t think there’s anyone I ever loved as much as I love you.”) with Dick Grayson?

Type: Two-Shot

Pairing: Fem! and Librarian! Reader x Dick Grayson/Nightwing

Part One: Here

Prompts: ☙1: “I honestly don’t think there’s anyone I ever loved as much as I love you.” ☙8: “Why do you have to be so cute?” “Why do you have to be so hot?”☙21:“If anything happened to you, it would utterly ruin me.” ☙27: “I love every damned piece of you no matter what anyone else says.” ☙31:“Good morning gorgeous,” “Fuck off I’m trying to sleep.”

Content: Cursing, mentions of abuse, implied sickness, a minor curses, depressive thoughts (the negative Nancy’s may suck y’all but they bring in the fluffiest fluff), flashbacks, little bit of angst, FLUFFY so freaking fluffy, heavily reader x Nightwing, good luck 😂

Word Count ([Mama Mia] Here we go again!): 10,108 words

(P.S. I saw these prompts and thought hmm what could I do and the idea for a part two popped in my head. Hope you guys enjoy it!)

(P.P.S So I’ve recently decided that I’m gonna do OC stuff so like two of my OC’s with stories are going to make an appearance. Let me know what you guys think of them. 😉)

(P.P.P.S I’m putting an author’s note at the end so if ya wanna read it it’ll be there. And don’t worry I won’t count the author’s note in the words count.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The unexpected tends to hit you when you don’t expect it, obviously, however sometimes the unexpected hits you literally at the worst times. Things from your past can come back to punch you in the gut, things you had forgotten about can return and bring a host of memories with them, good or bad. 

The unexpected can cause revelations to come to you, for you to realize things you should have thought of, things you should have seen before. It can cause you to realize certain feelings and certain people are more important than you ever thought. 

The unexpected can be kind, but it can also be ruthless. It can give you new relationships but it can also cause you to remember things better left forgotten.  Things like past relationships and mistakes you wish you never made. 

The unexpected is... well unexpected. 

It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since Dick Grayson asked you out when literally everything went to shit. 

It had all started when you began to receive texts from old friends telling you to lay low. They were very vague and it made your stomach shift due to nervousness. There was a number of reasons why they could have texted you, they could have been joking, they could have been referring to anything really.

The longer you thought about it the worse your stomach swirled. So when you got a call telling you to come to a meeting with a detective right after your shift at the police station you felt like you were going to puke. The more time that passed the worse you felt however right before you left you ran into Mira. 

“Hi, Y/N.” She said with a bright smile, “Are you excited for your date later today?” 

She wiggled her eyebrows at you and you gave her a nervous smile. She hadn’t meant to, but you were even more nervous now then before. Nodding you let out a sigh trying your hardest to push the nerves swirling in your stomach back.

“Yeah, yeah I am...” You paused for a moment noting how her hair was much shorter than before. 

She noticed your look of surprise and grinned in almost a wicked kind of way, her hazel eyes glittering. 

“I got my hair cut and now I feel like a woodland pixie!” 

You laughed and Mira raised a hand to the end of her hair fiddling with it before shifting slightly as if something was bothering her. And it was then that it occurred to you, you hadn’t asked her how things with Jason were going. 

“So,” You began, feeling a mischievous smile working its way onto your face, “how are things going with Jason?”

Mira’s let go of her hair and shrugged a look of almost disinterest on her face. She leaned against the wall before looking over her shoulder and sighing. 

“Well for one, after hanging out with him I’m like ninety percent sure we’re just better as friends.”

You nodded in understanding, it was common for that to happen and it pained you to see how many times people had told you or Mira to just go for the relationship just because it would give you experience. 

“I get that-” Before you could finish however she continued. 

“And there’s this girl...” 

Girl, there’s a girl? You couldn’t believe it! Not because Mira didn’t seem like the type but because she didn’t really get out enough to meet people.

“Ooo really? Where did you meet?”

A blush appeared on Mira’s face and she straightened out before the blush darkened and she averted your gaze. 

“She’s new to my apartment complex.”

You smiled widely trying not to giggle in excitement. Mira had been rambling to you for months about wanting a relationship even if it was just a fling, she wanted love and was angry at the gods she believed in for not sending any her way. 

“Ooo, very cool. I hope things work out better than with Jason.”

Mira’s blush dimmed slightly and she got a frustrated look on her face before she pushed away from the wall and the two of you began to walk again. Tucking her much shorter hair behind her ear she bit her lip before giving you a look. 

“I think that it wouldn’t have matter if we were just better as friends or if Rosemary was in the picture-”

You couldn’t help yourself, “Rosemary? Is that her name?”

Mira’s blush returned to her face making it red as she waved a hand at you almost as if to stop you from asking questions about her possible crush. You moved out of the way of her hands and you realized you hadn’t been thinking about your nerves. And the second you thought of them they came crashing back down on you. 

“I’ll tell you everything later I promise!” Mira remarks with a sigh, “Anyways, I’m pretty sure Jason has a thing for someone else.”

You froze for a moment blinking a few times in surprise, looking at Mira you raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

“Really? I could have sworn he liked you.” 

She shrugs before crossing her arms, tilting her head she gives you a look before smiling slightly. 

“I’m a psychology major at Gotham U Y/N. I noticed somethings and I don’t know I’m pretty sure he likes someone else... and in case you were worried it isn’t you.” 

You blinked a few times processing her words, Jason like you? Have a thing for you? Of course that couldn’t be true. Why would Mira think that you might think Jason might like you? He was like your brother! 

Mira laughed and you realized all your emotions were crossing your face in that moment. Blinking again you furrowed your brow in confusion. Shaking your head you couldn’t quite grasp the idea of Jason liking someone else.

“I just thought he liked you.”

“He likes the parts of me that remind him of this other girl. I mean like... we sorta talked about it, so it’s more as I know he likes someone else.” 

You gave her an exasperated look and Mira laughed nervously before taking a step back. She waved her hands smiling somewhat before saying,

“Listen I don’t know who, and he didn’t outright say it, but he might as well have. He said there’s this one girl he doesn’t think he’ll ever get over. Something about them being childhood friends and thinking she was dead.” 

Shaking your head you sighed, you hadn’t heard anything about this then again you and Jason both agreed to not talk about your pasts. Even thinking of it now makes you feel sick. Swallowing you pushed away the memories as Mira gave you a concerned look. 

“You okay Y/N? You got a little pale just now...”

Mira trailed off and you nodded brushing off her concern. Pulling your phone out of your pocket you noted the time and how you were supposed to be meeting the detective soon. Shoving it back into your pocket you hurried to say goodbye to Mira, you really didn’t want to be late to this meeting. 

“I’m fine. I promise, I’ve just got a meeting with some cop soon-”

“Do you think it’s about Daniel?”

You flinched at the sound of his name. Closing your eyes you took in a breath. You could think about him now... well briefly think about him, without feeling scared or panicking. However now that Mira said it, it made a whole lot more sense. All your friends telling you to lay low and the meeting with the detective. 

The room seemed to spin a bit and you felt hands on your arms. 

“Woah, woah Y/N. It could just be Dick wanting to meet with you about your date, you said he doesn’t have your number right?” Mira remarked, scrambling to get you back to your senses. 

You pressed a hand to your head and nodded even though you felt like you were going to puke. Mira began guiding you towards the door with a very concerned look on her face. 

“How about I drive you there? I don’t like the idea of you being alone right now.”

You must have nodded because the next thing you knew you were in the passenger seat of Mira’s car as the world seemed to go in slow motion. Things passed by your eyes but for some reason the only thing your brain could focus on was the fact that Daniel was more than likely back. 

Your throat felt tight and you tried to breathe but it got harder the longer you tried. Biting your lip, you forced air through your lungs. There was a faint sound in the background almost like a humming as you heard Daniel’s voice yelling at you. Dozens of phrases all at once, insults, accusations, anger in general. You felt your heart beat pick up when suddenly your lip felt warm and a sharp pain went through it. 

Blinking back into reality you realized that Mira had been talking to you and that you were pulling up to the station. The car stopped and Mira turned towards you, her eyes going wide automatically.

“Y/n you’re bleeding. Did you bust your lip or something?” 

Raising a hand to your face you pressed a finger to your mouth only to pull it away and find red. For a moment you weren’t in the passenger seat of Mira’s car but on the floor of that apartment. With him looming over you. Your breath caught and Mira was shaking you back into reality. 

“Y/n? Y/n are you okay?”

You nodded somewhat slowly before opening the door. Looking up you shot Mira a weak smile as worries about all the trouble you were causing her hit you like a train. 

“Yeah, sorry I’m fine. Thanks for taking me here... I’ll get a ride back to the library... you should go home.”

“Y/n-” Mira began when you cut her off by climbing out of the car. 

“I’ll be okay Mira. I promise.” 

Mira sighed and you turned back towards her. She nodded and you closed the door waving goodbye as she drove off. Turning back to the station you let out a sigh and straightened your posture before walking in. 

Inside a woman at a desk directed you to a Detective Brooklyn’s desk. Something about that name tickled the back of your mind but you pushed it back and walked towards where she directed before stopping in front of a woman’s desk. She looked to be a year or two younger than you and tired. She had a phone in her hands and you could faintly hear a little girl’s voice on the other end. 

“No Flori you cannot give Ace frosting. I don’t care if he really wants it... What do you mean Ria’s climbing on top of the cabinets? Flori I swear if you don’t- ... Tim, if you don’t get Alfred in there soon I’m going to- Hi Steph, yes it is so good to talk to you but can you please.... ugh. Duke hi... oh Alfred is handling everything? That’s fantastic. Could you please tell him thank you for me? Awesome!”  Her dark red-brown hair was pulled into a tight bun and she looked up to you, her deep brown eyes lined with exhaustion. 

However upon seeing you her eyes flickered for a moment before she held up a finger. Motioning for you to sit down. She nodded her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something to the other person on the line. 

“Yeah, yeah I know Ria. Frosting tastes really good. I hav- Hello Damian. I would love to come over and play with Titus, Ace, Ria, Flori and you but I’m at work right now- sorry your right I didn’t mean play, I meant I was going to help you guys exercise Titus and Ace... no we are not keeping William Snakespeare Ria, I don’t care that you named him- I have to go okay? I will handle this later. Yes I mean later, I have work to do- Hi. Yeah I’m still at the station. No, I’m meeting with her right now. Yes please. Thank you so much Babs. You are a lifesaver! Bye.”

Placing the phone on the receiver she sighed before looking at you. She smiled slightly almost weakly before she pulled a file off of her desk and opened it. 

“Hello Miss L/N. I’m Edelynne Brooklyn. Most people around here and in general call me Eddie.” 

You blinked twice as an image of the past hit you hard. 

You and your friend Elysa were sitting on the chairs at the station. You didn’t want to be there, your stomach churred at the thought, but Elysa had insisted saying how your relationship with Daniel had gotten too far. That he had taken it too far. You couldn’t fully see out of the black eye, but you knew it was better than not seeing at all and really it was your fault, if you had just made the food he wanted it never would have happened. 

“Hi, I’m Officer Brooklyn.” 

You looked up and saw a girl no more than nineteen with hair just below her ears, she had a fresh scar on her neck and something in her eyes reminded you of yourself. 

You had blinked and she had given you a look before offering you a smile of sorts. Gesturing with her head she began walking towards the dozens of desks. 

“This way please.” 

You stood up, not fully understanding why and Elysa gave you a look of surprise but followed after you and Officer Brooklyn. She stopped in front of a desk and gestured to a seat. You sat down not even looking at who was in front of you.

“Eddie what is this about-”

Something about that voice was familiar to you and you looked up, however instead of seeing someone familiar you saw a dark haired man with bright blue eyes in a uniform.  

The man in front of you blinked twice before holding out his hand and you flinched almost instinctively. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Eddie flinch as well. 

“I’m Detective Richard Grayson, it’s nice to meet you...?”

“I’m Elysa Aidenson. And I’m here because my friend needs help.” Elysa said instantly.

You shook your head in protest however Elysa ignored you. Detective Grayson did not, he instead looked at you and you felt like shrinking down in your chair. If Daniel knew you were here he’d kill you. Not only were you going to talk to the police, forced or not, about personal matters, you were without him in front of another man. 

“Why do you need help?”

“I don’t-” You began when Elysa scoffed. 

You sighed in almost frustration before remarking, “I don’t need help. He just got a little mad! He said it won’t happen again besides it’s more my fault then anything....”

Detective Grayson gave you a look almost as if what you said pained him and Officer Brooklyn had a strange look on her face almost as if what she was hearing was familiar. Detective Grayson leaned forward to say something but Officer Brooklyn stopped him before he could. 

“What’s your name?” She asked, her voice soft.

You looked at her and you didn’t see pity in her eyes but understanding, a recognition of some sort. You swallowed and looked at her for a moment more before turning back to Detective Grayson. 

“I’m Y/N. Y/n L/N.”

You blinked back into reality and found Detective Brooklyn writing something down in the file. Shaking your head slightly you blinked again. 

“You know,” Detective Brooklyn began not looking up from the file, “every time I see you come in here, you’re injured.” 

She looked up slowly from the file, a strange look on her face, almost worried.

“Though last time it was much worse.” 

You nodded somewhat slowly before clearing your throat. You had to figure out why you were here before the memories overcame you and you had a panic attack.

“Why am I here again Detective?” 

Detective Brooklyn tilted her head before raising an eyebrow at you, “You already know Y/n. He’s back. And he wants you.” 

The air caught in your throat and you choked out a breath staring at her in disbelief. 

“You didn’t even try to sugar coat it!” Was the only thing you could find yourself saying. 

Detective Brooklyn sighed, setting the file down before she shrugged, “Seemed to me that it wouldn’t help since you had already guessed. It’s why your lip is busted. You were biting your lip, I assume, and bit too hard... I would know. It’s happened to me before.”

Something about her words seemed to have a double meaning and you stared at her nose, it was a bit longer and a tad bigger then you remembered but it had been almost three years. 

“I just wanted to let you know because I’m going to be assigning you a protection detail starting tomorrow. Daniel Natalonie is one of the biggest players in the Gotham Underworld these days. Well him and Caleb Brooklyn.” 

She said the words as if she hadn’t just revealed something astronomical about herself. And that Daniel.. well he had gotten what he always wanted, power. You swallowed and Detective Brooklyn sighed. 

“Yes, Caleb Brooklyn is my father. No, I have no contact with him. However I do know that Daniel has a price on your head... well sort of. He is willing to pay big bucks to anyone that brings him you.”

You flinched and then watched her clench her fist regret flashing in her eyes before she shrugged and leaned back in her chair. 

“You have a choice here Y/N. You can have the protection detail... or well I have a few off the record friends who would be happy to help.”

You couldn’t help but think of Nightwing. In his black and blue suit smiling at you and your stomach flipped. Your memories were mixing, you knew because instead of seeing him sitting on your couch, he was on the fire escape smiling that same smile at you.  

“But if you want you can just have the normal protection detail.”  

You shifted in your seat and avoided her gaze. For a moment your eyes darted to her neck and the scar was still there. Isn’t wasn’t as fresh as it was almost three years ago, but it was still there. 

“I-”You began not fully sure of what you wanted to say, “I’ll do whatever works easiest for you.” 

Detective Brooklyn sighed slightly, shooting you a strange kind of smile. She then hesitated before holding up a hand and picking up the phone. She quickly punched in a number and held the receiver to her face. 

“Hi, It’s Eddie. Yeah I was wondering what the word about the protective detail for Y/N L/N was? ... They what? Okay, No, no I can handle it. Yeah. Thanks bye.” 

Rubbing her forehead she hung up the phone and gave you an apologetic look. Leaning back in her chair she opened her mouth to speak only to close it. Sighing once again she finally spoke. 

“For some reason they decided you don’t need a protective detail. Some jackass who is probably in Natalonie’s pocket planted the idea in some upper management's heads that you’ll be fine on your own and it’s not our job to keep you safe from ‘non-existent ’ threats.” 

You sank into your chair slightly giving her a nervous look when the phone suddenly rang. Detective Brooklyn picked it up running a hand across her forehead, as stray pieces of hair slipped out. 

“Eddie Brooklyn- oh hi Bruce.... they WHAT?” Standing up suddenly she got an alarmed look on her face before her voice cracked as she said, “I am so sorry about that! Oh so the kitchen didn’t catch fire? Alfred caught it? Oh thank goodness... so no one’s hurt? They’re on their way right now? Alright well thank you so much for allowing them to spend the day there. It was a big help.” 

She nodded, slowly sinking back into her chair and it was then that you realized Detective Brooklyn was talking about the Wayne family. Alfred, Bruce, Tim? Definitely the Wayne’s what confused you was who Ria and Flori were. Judging by the way she was acting you assumed it was Detective Brooklyn’s children. Though if they were playing with Damian they would have to be a bit older and unless she had kids at like fourteen that was highly unlikely. 

“Of course, yes... he’s on his way? Okay. Thank you again.” 

Hanging up the phone Detective Brooklyn stood up, yanking her coat on. You followed her to your feet and she grabbed a bag along with keys before moving away from her desk. 

“My shift is just about over, so I’m about to head out. Come with me would you? I have a few more questions I want to ask.” 

You followed Detective Brooklyn outside and just off to the side of the station was what looked like a fairly nice car. Two girls no more than eleven dashed from it towards you and Detective Brooklyn. 

“EDDIE!” The girl with bright red hair squealed as she ran towards her. 

Instead of smiling and moving towards the girl with the same excitement Detective Brooklyn gave the girl a reprimanding look. But it didn’t stop her from slamming into Detective Brooklyn, wrapping her into a hug. 

“Ria!”

A girl with a more sandy red-blonde hair who looked almost exactly like the redhead stopped right next to Detective Brooklyn and the first girl. 

Twins.

The word was at the front of your mind before you could stop it. The two girls looked at you; the redhead had bright green eyes and a wide smile. She pulled away from Detective Brooklyn and held out her hand. 

“I’m Ria!”

“Ria!” The other one remarked pulling on her arm, her dark blue eyes clouded. 

The redhead- Ria, looked to the other and smiled brighter. She grabbed onto her sister’s arm and pulled her forwards. 

“Come on Flori!  We need to be more friendly. This is the librarian I was telling you about.” 

You blinked twice before realizing the little girl you have given a book to right before panicking and cursing at Dick the other day was none other than the girl in front of you. 

The other girl, Flori,  gave Ria a look of surprise and asked, “When did you have time to go to the library?”

“When you were playing with Steph. Cass told me where to go.” 

Flori gave Ria a look of shock and Detective Brooklyn snorted. You took a step back for a moment. Something about the three of them made you want to smile, but it also made you want to get as far away as you possibly could. If Daniel was after you, he’d go through anyone... anyone to get to you. And you couldn’t put these girls in harm’s way. 

Turning to leave you noted the dark sky and remembered that you had no way to get home. Closing your eyes you let out a sigh however before you could even take another step you heard the sound of feet hitting the ground. Opening your eyes you saw Nightwing standing in front of you. 

However instead of his usual smile you found a concerned look on his face. He took a step forward looking at you almost as if he was checking you over for injuries. 

“Hey Nightwing,” Detective Brooklyn remarked, capturing his attention. 

The concern looked slipped away from his face and he quickly replaced it with a smile. 

“Detective... girls.” 

Ria laughed in what you could only call a maniacal way and Flori snorted. Smiling slightly you looked over to them and saw Ria looking between you and Nightwing a strange look on her face. Flori had a gleam in her eye and she and Ria shared a look before grinning in an evil kind of way. However before you could even think to question it Nightwing was asking you a question. 

“Huh?” You asked since you didn’t hear him. 

“Where do you think you are going?” He repeated, raising an eyebrow. 

You give him a confused look. Fiddling with your fingers you looked at him and he looked you in the eyes. Your cheeks flushed and you took a step back as the feelings wrapped around your throat.

“A-hot-ment- I mena- mean. I mean, I’m going back to my apartment why?”  

Nightwing raised an eyebrow at your comment before remarking, “Alone?”

You nodded and he sighed. Shaking his head he placed his hands on his hips and gave you an almost reprimanding look and you gave him a confused one. 

“Uh, yeah. I don’t really go home any other way.” You replied feeling even more confused than before. 

“With your psycho ex on the loose?”

You froze for a moment and you could swear you heard his footsteps. Swallowing you pushed the thought away and took a step back from Nightwing. A slightly surprised expression crossed his face and then he winced, dropping his arms. 

Shifting slightly you shrugged not wanting to meet his gaze. Rubbing on your arm you sighed trying your hardest to pick up the courage to look him in the eyes. However the thoughts hit you so hard you had to choke back tears.

Now look what you’ve done, you’ve upset him. Maybe it’s a good thing that Daniel’s back, maybe it’s a good thing he wants you again. After all you deserved everything that happened to you

You sunk into yourself a bit, parts of you tried to tell yourself that the thoughts were wrong but you didn’t truly believe it. Why did you always have to go and fuck everything up.

“I’ll be okay.” You finally forced out. 

Part of you wanted to assure Nightwing that it wouldn’t matter if you ended up dead because it would be for the best. However the thoughts weren’t through with you yet. 

You’re just phishing for sympathy for him to tell you you’re wrong because you know he will

But really you weren’t you just wanted him to stop caring because you weren’t ever going to change. You were terrible. Horrible. Awful really. 

“Hey, I know what you’re doing. Don’t do that. Don’t do it, don’t you dare!” Nightwing suddenly said. 

Before you could even react he had your face in his hands and was looking you dead in the eye. Cupping your cheeks he leaned in slightly.

“You are amazing Y/N. Completely and totally incredible honestly. You don’t deserve a single damn thing that happened to you. You are one of the funniest, kindest and honest to god prettiest women I ever met. You radiate this kind of light I haven’t seen anyone else radiate. You make my darkest days bright so don’t you dare think you are anything less than spectacular.” 

Your cheeks flushed and you gave him a surprised look as the feelings you’d been trying so hard to push back jumped straight into your throat and you had a violent urge to kiss him. 

However, you knew better. Mainly because as soon as he saw your bright red cheeks Nightwing let you go, his cheeks flushing slightly. He cleared his throat and you held a hand to your chest as if to catch the heart that was about to beat out of it. 

Of course you knew people cared about you but something as blunt as that... something so direct hit you hard. You swallowed again, your heart beating rapidly pushing all your nerves away.

“... If I can’t go home what am I going to do?”

Nightwing looked at you for a moment and you felt flustered. Your feelings were thrumming in your chest and lungs along with the beating of your heart.  However instead of saying anything he just looked at you. 

Someone cleared their throat loudly, and you looked to see a slightly smug looking Detective Brooklyn with the twins clinging to her sides.  She raised an eyebrow at Nightwing, who then took a step away from you. 

“Y/N can always crash with me if she wants... I mean if she doesn’t wanna have a sleepover with you, Blue.” 

You froze for a moment and the thought of Nightwing staying over at your apartment, of you talking to him early into the next morning... of you sleepily confessing your feelings to him. Heat flushed your cheeks again and you shook your head. 

“I uh,” You began causing both Nightwing and Detective Brooklyn to look at you, “I’ll stay with Detective Brooklyn tonight.... I mean for all we know Daniel’s waiting at my apartment to ambush me.”

You had stammered slightly but Nightwing nodded and a slight smile appeared on his face. The twins were looking at you, Ria’s green eyes were almost glowing and she blinked once then twice. 

“Why are you so pretty miss?” She asked bluntly.

Your blush intensified and you scrambled to answer her as you watched her sister nod in agreement, as if she had the exact same question. 

You wanted to reply but only gibberish came out. When the gibberish escaped you, Ria pointed a finger at you, her jaw dropping. Detective Brooklyn leaned forward and pushed Ria’s arm down. However a grin exploded onto Ria’s face and she began jumping up and down. 

“The nice and pretty librarian does what I do!” 

She squealed with delight and all the worry about embarrassing yourself slipped away from you. Ria turned towards Flori and stuck her tongue out at her before blowing a raspberry. 

“I told you pretty people could do that!”

Flori smiled slightly before rolling her eyes, “I’m still the attractive twin.” She remarked.

She then used her finger to pull her nose up and she snorted a few times continuing, “Miss Piggy.”

“Liking food does not make me a pig.” 

“Naming your stomach does make you a loser though.” Flori retorted.

Ria gasped in a clear dramatic fashion as she pressed her hand to her chest, “Marshmallow and I are both offended, that was very rude Flori.” 

Detective Brooklyn snorted, then tried to cover it up by coughing and looking away as she smiled fondly. Catching you staring at her, her smile widened and she laughed slightly. Then she turned to the girls and sighed. 

“Alright ladies, it’s time to head home.”

“But Eddie!” They said in unison.

“If we go home we can have a movie night and eat those cupcakes I’ve been hiding for you guys.”

“CUPCAKES?” Ria squealed as Flori’s jaw dropped. 

It was then a hand came down on your shoulder and you flinched slightly. Looking you found Nightwing giving you a concerned look again. You blinked at him almost asking what was wrong. 

“You gonna be okay?”

Turning back towards the girls who were now having a poke war, you smiled and nodded. 

“I think I’m going to be just fine.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Nightmares of the past, memories so clear you could even taste them, yanked you from your sleep. 

Ghost touches raced across your skin and you shuttered, pulling your legs to your chest, you took in a deep breath and tried to calm down. However it was a bit difficult. Your breathing was erratic and no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t calm yourself down. However, when you heard the small soft voices you began to come back into reality. 

“Do you think a hug will help?”

“It doesn’t help me when I get like that. But it might, I think she’s just scared not... Should we ask Eddie?” 

“Maybe Ria. Maybe.”

You took a deep breath in and your breathing slowed down, closing your eyes, you took in another breath. As you let it out you felt someone sit down next to you. Peeking an eye open you saw Flori looking up at you with concern and curiosity mixed on her face. 

“Are you okay, miss?”

You nodded slowly, taking another breath in you nodded a bit more firmly and looked at her. Accidentally you met her eyes and her dark blue eyes reminded you of the color of the sky right before night fully took over. She blinked and raised an eyebrow at you slightly confused. 

“Are you sure? Do you want a hug?”

Before you knew what you were doing you replied, “I’m fine... but a hug would be nice.” 

Flori’s face brightened and she wrapped her small arms around you. You returned her hug and saw over Flori’s shoulder, Ria lurking in the darkness a blanket wrapped around her shoulder. She stepped forwards into the light and blinked. Her face was paler than earlier, she looked empty for a moment before she blinked and a smile was on her face. 

It, being around Ria and Flori, reminded you of your childhood. Of your busy household and the noise, the laughter that it always held. 

When you heard the sound of angry whispering you blinked and Flori pulled away from you. She looked back to Ria and the two got excited looks on their faces. Suddenly Flori was off the couch and Ria was running down the hall. Flori froze and turned back towards you. She held out her hand and smiled.

“Come on.” 

You didn’t exactly know how you felt about a ten year old telling you what to do but you stood up and took her hand. Curiosity was burning through you, what could get the girls this excited? 

You turned the corner and Ria was leaning around another corner smiling brightly. She saw the two of you and motioned for you to come towards her. You did and stopped before peering around the corner as well. 

What you saw was... well incredibly surprising.

The window was open and Detective Brooklyn- Eddie was trying to shove Red Hood out it. 

“Aw come on doll.” 

“Y/n is here Hood. She knows I’m a cop and that you have a warrant out for your arrest!”

“Commissioner Gordon told me if I turn enough criminals in to him that would go away.”

“He did not! He would never.” 

Red Hood shrugged before throwing his hands out in a I guess so motion. Eddie took this opportunity to get him mostly out of the window before he realized what she was doing and grabbed onto the window frame, pulling himself back in and undoing her work. Flori and Ria giggled, catching his attention. He turned towards you, poking his head back into the apartment.

“Girls! Come on out and help me, will ya?”

Flori snorted but moved out from the corner, Ria went to do so but paused first rubbing at her chest slightly before shaking her head and following after her sister. 

You watched from around the corner as the girls stopped at Eddie’s side. She gave them a stink eye as she continued to try and push Red Hood out the window.

“You two shouldn’t be up. Especially you Ria.” 

Taking the opportunity, due to Eddie being distracted, Red Hood pushed himself back into the apartment. Eddie wobbled and then fell on her butt cursing. 

“Hood!” She snapped her face flushing.

Red Hood sighed before climbing back through the window. He looked at the girls and they laughed in a maniacal way. He laughed slightly before sighing again. 

“You guys wanna try and convince her to let me in?”

The girls looked at each other then at Eddie and shook their heads. At least they’re loyal, you thought with a smile. 

“I have a front door and you have normal clothes. If you had done this the normal way, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.” Eddie replied as she stood up.

“What would we be doing if I did it the normal way?”

You had to stop yourself from snorting. Eddie’s face was still flushed from when she hit the floor however you caught her eye roll and the hand gesture she showed him but not the girls. 

Putting up his hands in defeat he nodded, “Fine, fine you win. Can I at least have a kiss goodbye?”

Eddie froze for a moment, you saw her tilt her head to the side before she blinked and shook her head. 

“No.” 

Red Hood crossed his arms and you were sure though you didn’t know him very well that under his helmet he was pouting, “Why not?”

“Because I know you Ja-. I know you Hood and if you can convince me to kiss you, you’re going to think you can convince me to let you in.” 

Instead of replying Red Hood was silent which seemed strange. Looking towards him you saw him facing the girls and Ria’s wobbling slightly. 

“Hood what’s-”

“You alright Squirt?” Red Hood asked, hopping in through the window and moving towards Ria.

“Ugh,” She muttered, her voice weak, “my chest hurts.”

It was then she dropped towards the ground. However instead of hitting the ground Red Hood caught her and pulled her up slightly. 

“Ria!” Both Eddie and Flori exclaimed. 

The two of them rushed towards her and Flori grabbed onto Ria’s arm as Eddie looked her over. 

“Did you take your medicine Ria?”

The girl shook her head and Eddie glared at her. 

“I don’t like them.” Ria mumbled as she leaned against Red Hood. 

“I don’t care if you don’t like them, Ria, you need them... Flori would go and-” Eddie began but before she could even finish Flori was up and out of sight. 

Before you knew it your found yourself in front of Eddie and Red Hood. You heard Flori’s footsteps racing around the apartment. 

“Is-” You began hearing your voice crack, “is she gonna be okay?” 

Eddie looked at you and for a moment you saw her gaze jump to Red Hood in a kind of nervous way. However, Red Hood answered your question.

“If she takes her meds, she’ll be fine. But the stubborn little squirt doesn’t like to.” 

“They taste like shit.” Ria mumbled.

There was a pause of silence and Eddie glaring at Red Hood. She gave him a I told you so look. And he sighed. 

“This is why I don’t like you cursing around them.”

“She cursed the bat brat out the other day. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with me.”

“She did what?”

“Curse the bat brat out. It was amazing. He couldn't even say a reply, he was stunned by Squirt’s colorful and creative wit.” 

Ria laughed slightly before wincing and Eddie sighed. She rubbed her face looking even more exhausted than before and Flori came dashing back into the room, carrying a medicine bottle and a water bottle. 

Flori passed them to Eddie who gestured to Red Hood to hold Ria up a bit more before looking at you. Flori passed you her head hanging down slightly. 

“Would you,” Eddie began after Flori turned around the corner, “watch Flori for me? She always has a hard time when Ria has her fits.” 

You nodded without thinking and turned to follow after her. Walking a bit quicker you made it in front of Flori and Ria’s room just as the door shut. You raised a hand and your heart began pumping your chest. 

You shouldn’t bother her-

If she freaks out whenever her sister has fits she probably needs someone to talk to, if you don’t talk to her she’ll be alone and afraid

Knocking on the door  you waited for a moment before hearing a very quiet,  “Come in.”

Opening the door you peeked your head in to see Flori sitting on one of the beds in the room. In one corner was a bed up against the wall with art and posters of musicals and ballets on it. In the other corner was a bed with nothing on the wall. Flori sat on the bed against the wall with the posters and art. 

She stared at the other bed, her knees against her chest and her head resting on the tops of her knees. Walking into the room, you closed the door behind you and moved to sit on the bed next to Flori. 

“Her room is like this back home too.” She whispered as you sat down. 

You pulled your legs onto her bed into a crisscross. Resting one arm by your stomach you set your other arm on top of the resting one’s fist and leaned your head against your free hand. 

“What do you mean?” You dared to ask. 

Flori sighed and pulled her legs tighter against her chest. 

“Ria’s bedroom walls. They’re blank. She has no dreams, no ambitions, nothing. She refuses too... Did you know she loves to dance? Nearly as much as I do. She knows every move I know, her favorite ballet is Giselle because she believes she can relate. But she refuses to tell our parents how much she loves to dance. Did you know Ria has the voice of an angel when she sings? She loves to sing too... she loves to do all the things she shouldn’t.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion as Flori’s voice turned bitter and sharp. 

“She is so full of life to be... to be dying.” 

You blinked twice and released a breath as you began to understand what was going on.  

“Why- is she-” You began struggling on how to word it. 

“She’s sick.”  Was all Flori said. 

“Oh,”

“Yeah.” 

You let out a sigh, for a moment you saw your mother in a hospital bed smiling at you softly. Fiddling with your hands you began to debate on whether or not to tell her your story. 

“My mother... she had breast cancer. It tore her apart, seeing her in the hospital bed... slowly wasting away,” You remarked, sighing softly, “it nearly killed my father. It hurt me even though I was a little too young to fully understand. But... she got better, she recovered. She made it though it, Ria can too-”

“Ria’s sickness isn’t something she can recover from or get over. It isn’t cancer, it isn’t a cold, it isn’t the flu. Her sickness isn’t something you can catch and then get over. It’s been consuming her life since the day we were born! She’s going to die, she knows it too. It’s why she tries so hard to be bright, to be bubbly and nice despite- despite all she’s going through.” Flori snapped tears appearing in her eyes, “Our parents have kept her locked in the house for most of our lives... she has never seen a beach or even snow. Ria has no idea the thrill of tumbling down a hill or what it’s like to ride a bike because- because they never let her. Ria is going to die never having truly lived and it kills me.” 

You had no idea what to say to her, or even how to begin to comfort her. Wringing your hands you bit your lip as you looked the girl over. She turned to you, tears in her eyes. 

“Why? Why did it just have to be her? Why couldn’t it be me too? She’s so alone in this and- and I don’t know what to do! She has no friends, she has me, our parents and Eddie and that’s it! I have friends, I have so many people but- but it just doesn’t seem right. We are twins, we are supposed to share everything, why couldn’t we share this?” 

You blinked twice, Flori really wanted to make sure her sister knew she wasn’t alone but she didn’t seem to realize lamenting over the fact that it was only Ria was the one who was sick. 

“How about instead of trying to pin blame on someone for being sick you try to make her feel like her sickness isn’t the only thing about her.” You tried waving your hands, “I mean it’s clear you love her. But it isn’t your fault that she’s sick. It’s not like you wanted her to be born like this. And it seems like your parents are treating her like the only thing she is, is sick. Treat like she’s... well Ria. And I think it will make things easier for both of you.”

Out of the corner of your eyes you saw Flori lower her legs away from her chest and she sat up straight. Rubbing her nose she nodded somewhat slowly. 

“You’re right.” 

You turned towards her  and she smiled at you slightly before leaning forwards and hugging you. 

“Thank you Miss L/N.” 

Pulling apart you gently patted Flori’s head and shot her a soft smile, “How about you get to bed. I bet Ria will be fine in the morning.” 

Flori nodded and you got up to leave. However she grabbed onto your arm stopping you in your tracks. 

You looked down at her slightly confused. 

“Uh, Would you stay?” She asked looking up at you. 

You sighed and smiled. Nodding she quickly pulled back the covers on her bed and patted a side of it. You climbed into the bed and Flori smiled at you. 

“Thank you,” She whispered with a yawn before closing her eyes, “thank you.”

You looked at her for a moment before nestling into the pillow and closing your eyes with one thought in your head. 

It’s nice to be wanted.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

It had been almost two weeks since you crashed at Edelynne Brooklyn’s apartment. Two weeks since Daniel returned to town and put a price on you, two weeks since Nightwing became your personal “bodyguard.” 

You would be lying if you were to say you weren’t surprised when you arrived back at your apartment, accompanied by Detective Brooklyn or Eddie. There seemed to be no sign of Daniel or any of his goons. So you settled back into your apartment. 

However, Eddie informed you, for your safety it would be better for you to stay at your apartment. Not only due to the fact that she and the vigilante’s could easily surveille it, but due to the fact that Daniel could very easily convince someone to lead you away from the library to grab you. 

At first you were a little bummed and it occurred to you that you had missed your date with Dick, however he didn’t try to contact you nor did Jason. Instead of worry about it you were actually having a lot of fun with Nightwing

And while Nightwing was fun to hang around and the longer you spent around him the stronger your feelings got, sometimes he was really fucking annoying. 

After a late night working on library business from home you decided to sleep in the next morning, Nightwing it seemed, decided that wasn’t going to happen. 

At seven in the morning while you were blissfully asleep you felt something gently tap your shoulder, then your face. Blinking blearily you sat up. 

“Good morning Gorgeous.” 

Standing over your in his classic black and blue costume was Nightwing. Grumbling, you flopped back onto your bed and pulled your covers over your head. 

“Fuck off,” You stated loud enough he could still hear you, “I’m trying to sleep.” 

You heard a slight snort, then suddenly your blanket was gone and you were lying on your bed shivering. Sitting up you glared at Nightwing who held your stolen blanket in his gloved hands. 

Readying yourself into a crouched position you waited for a moment before jumping towards the blanket. Just as you were about to grab it Nightwing yanked it out of your reach and caught you in his arms. 

He laughed at your frustrated expression and as you crossed your arms and pouted. Setting you on the ground he smiled broadly at you and remarked.

“Why do you have to be so cute?”

Without thinking you replied looking him dead in the eyes, “Why do you have to be so hot?”  

Nightwing blinked a few times, looking slightly shocked, he lowered your blanket closer to the floor and looked at you almost as if he didn’t believe it. 

“What did you say?”

You froze as you realized what you said. Your face flushed and you shifted slightly, breaking his gaze before looking to the floor. 

“Nothing, it was nothing.”

Nightwing gave you a skeptical look before he leaned towards you a suggestive smile on his face. Your face turned a brighter shade of red and you realized this was a perfect opportunity to grab the blanket from his hands. 

Lunging forwards you yanked the blanket from him. You had just grasped it and began to pull away when Nightwing began to pull back until he didn’t. The blanket went limp in your hands and you fell onto your butt. 

Nightwing blinked twice and shook his head. Running his hand through his hair he let out a frustrated grunt before sighing. 

“I’ve- I’ve got to go. But I’ll be right back.” 

He headed towards the window and you blinked in surprise. Scrambling to your feet you chased after him grabbing onto his arm. He turns back towards you, a clearly torn expression on his face.

“Wait,” You said, giving him a confused look as the thoughts descended upon you. 

He’s leaving, he’ll never come back, it’s because you’re a mistake a problem a beast-

“Where are you going?”

Nightwing looked at you and sighed, he then stroked the side of your face with one of his hands. You leaned into his touch and then he pulled away. 

“I’ve got to go, the other vigilante’s need my help with something but I’ll be right back.”

You blinked and realized while it had been fun with Nightwing being here and hanging out with him you could finally get out of your apartment. You smiled at him and then he gave you a suspicious look. 

“You, “ he began looking at you, “are going to stay here, Okay?”

“But-” You protested for a moment throwing your hands up before he cut you off taking your face into his hands. 

“If anything happened to you, it would utterly ruin me.” He said somewhat slowly as he rested his head against yours. 

Your cheeks flushed once again and you blinked a few times. Pulling away from you he sighed and slowly pulled his hands away from your cheeks. He probably said goodbye but you were in too much shock to realize it and before you knew he was on your window sill and then gone. 

You sighed feeling the temptation to leave however his words echoed in your ears and you shook your head. 

“If anything happened to you, it would utterly ruin me.”

Your heart fluttered in your chest  and you sat down by the window resting your chin in your hand and you waited. And waited. And waited. You waited even when the storm clouds rolled in, even when they split open and rain began to pour down. You waited for hours. It was only when the night was turning day again as the rain continued to pour from the heavens that he returned. 

Your window swung open and your stomach swirled, however it was a soaked Nightwing that came through the window and not Daniel or some random thug. 

You rushed towards him and quickly wrapped him in a hug. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay! I was so worried about you. I don’t know what I  would have done if something happened to you. I mean like I don’t really think my feelings matter since your a hero and whatever and people would say so much shit to you if anything started between us- not that it would. But it’s just I care about you a lot.” You rambled as you pressed your face into his chest.

Oh gosh, you couldn’t believe you just blurted all of that out. Maybe he didn’t hear all of it. Maybe some of it was muffled. Maybe, you hoped, maybe. 

For a moment the world seemed to stop and everything was right. Then Nightwing had his hands on your shoulders and pulled you away from him. He gave you a slightly angry look and you instantly regretted your little ramble.

“What is this nonsense about other people? I love every damned piece of you no matter what anyone else says.”

You blinked once, then twice, then three times before you fully understood what he said.

“I love every damned piece of you ”

“No matter what anyone else says.”

Your heart skipped a beat and you gave him a wide-eyed look. Your pretty sure your jaw had dropped and your stomach swirled as you replayed his words over and over and over again in your head. 

“You,” You began your voice almost squeaking, “love me?”

Nightwing smiled and nodded, pressing his head against yours. 

“Of course I love you. I’d be an idiot not to.” 

You blushed and flushed and tried to stutter out a reply but unfortunately you couldn’t. Your cheeks were heated and you felt your heart racing in your chest. 

For some reason the first thing your mind jumped to was Dick Grayson, how you had a crush on him no matter your feelings- your love for Nightwing. 

“But-” You began taking a step back from him, “I- I have a crush.”

A smile slowly formed on Nightwing’ s face as you took another step back from him. 

“I mean I love- like. LIKE! I like you but, I do have a crush and - and” You rambled shaking your hands very confused. 

Nightwing laughed, he actually laughed and you felt your cheeks flushing an even darker color. He took a step towards you and you took a step away from him. He raised his hands almost in defense and remarked, 

“About that...”

“About what?” You asked, suddenly feeling suspicious.

“About the whole crush and me thing, I know who your crush is.” 

You gave him a confused look and shook your head. there was no way he knew who your crush was, there wasn’t!

“It’s Dick Grayson.”

You looked at him in surprise, your jaw dropping nearly in shock. He laughed slightly at your face before taking a step towards you. This time you didn’t take a step back. He got closer until he was right in front of you.  

“And I,” Nightwing began, reaching up for his eye mask, “Am Dick Grayson.”

He took off his eye mask and looked at you. You blinked your eyes going wide as you saw his face. His very much Dick Grayson face. 

Nightwing is Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson is Nightwing......

You talked about your crush to your crush.........

As your mind exploded in on itself Nightson- Dickwing- the man in front of you held out his hands as if he was going to catch you were you to faint. 

You laughed slightly then proceeded to place your face in your hands and let out moans of despair. 

He knew. 

He knew every little thing that you thought- well most of the things that you thought. He knew of your side of the situation- wait. Wait, why did he ask that? Why did he-

“Why did you ask me if my anxiety tends to make me tune people out?” You found yourself questioning.

Dickwing- or whoever he was smiled at you and laughed slightly before replying,

“Well, because when we were in the aisle at the library and you asked what I liked I said I like you.” 

You froze once again blinking in surprise. So he tried to ask you out previously. That’s why Jason and Damian were laughing. 

Jason and Damian.... if Dick was Nightwing that meant they were probably vigilante’s too. Red Robin.... definitely Tim. 

Bruce must be Batman which would mean Damian is Robin. That just left Jason. 

However, before you could try and figure out which vigilante Jason was, your phone buzzed. Pulling it out of your pocket you looked at your phone to see a text from Eddie. 

Eddie: Come to the station, now, you need to see this.

You showed ... Dick your phone. He hummed slightly and gave you a look. 

“We might as well go... but first let me change”

You nodded with a sigh and went and got your coat. 

Before you knew it you were walking up to the station. On the roof of the station was a flash of red. As you got closer you realized it wasn’t a flash but a helmet. Sitting on the roof of the Gotham City police department was Red Hood. 

He spotted you and Dick and waved. You blinked as you noticed the other man tied up on the roof looking fairly angry. It was Daniel.  Your breathing stopped for just a moment until he tried to wriggled only for Red Hood to kick him and for Daniel to stop moving.

“Oh would you look at that, it’s a pretty librarian. How ya doin sweetheart?” Red Hood remarked getting just a bit closer to you. 

You heard Dick sigh and gave Red Hood a confused look. Slowly the gear in your mind began to turn. 

“I assume,” Red Hood mused since he didn’t get an answer from you, “You’re doing much better now that scum like Natalonie’s off the streets am I right?” 

Before you could reply Eddie walked out of the station looking at her phone. She looked up at you and waved before walking towards you. She stopped at your side and gestured towards Red Hood. 

“See what I mean?” She remarked.

“Detective, Detective, Detective,” Red Hood whistled looking at Eddie, “where can I get your number?” 

Eddie replied in a sweet tone, “Up your ass maybe?”

Red Hood laughed before getting even closer to the edge of the roof, “Come on doll that’s no way to be.”

“Fuck off to some one who care Hood.” Eddie replied, flipping him the bird. 

You heard Red Hood laugh again but before he could say anything else he looked in a different direction and his shoulders sank a little. Looking back to Eddie, had he not been wearing a helmet you swear he would be smiling. 

“I guess I’ll have to try you again later Detective.” 

Eddie rolled her eyes, the semblance of a smile starting to form on her face, she shook her head and flipped him off again, “In your dreams Hood.” 

“Where else would they be doll?” Red Hood remarked before giving a quick salute and taking off. 

It took you a moment to realize it but the puzzle piece began to fit together. How Eddie nearly called Red Hood by his name, why he seemed to know who you were, why he talked to you so casually when you met him when you were staying with Eddie. 

Red Hood was Jason... which meant Eddie was the girl. The one he couldn’t get over. It all made sense... well sort of.  

“Oh my gosh.” You muttered pressing a hand to your face as you realized that Eddie shoved Jason out a window. 

“You just connected it didn’t you?” Dick asked with a smile.

You looked at him slightly confused, raising an eyebrow almost in question, you give him a confused look. 

“Daniel’s going to prison for a very long time.” Eddie informed you as she looked at her phone again shaking her head, she looked up and smiled at you. 

“Have fun you two,” She then said with a wink before turning to walk away. 

You flushed slightly before turning to Dick. He smiled at you and you took in a breath. 

He was the only man who had your affections. Basically All the Man that you needed. So you should probably tell him how you feel. 

“I honestly don’t think there’s anyone I ever loved as much as I love you.” You said slowly, not exactly meeting his eyes. 

He laughed slightly before pressing his head to yours, “Neither do I.” 

You smiled and looked up, looking at him in his bright blue eyes. 

“So, how about a rain-check on that date?” 

You smiled slyly and then the both of you burst into laughter.

“I’ve got time,” He replied, “for you, I’ve got all the time in the world.”

Blushing slightly, you smiled at him and sighed, “Awesome.” 

=============================================================

AUTHOR’S NOTE!!!!

Okay first thing’s first I just wanna let you guys know my original idea of all the man that I need was like gonna be a full on fic. I told my friend all about it and like it had a lot details and everything, but then I got to college and even thought I really love doing these, it was super difficult to write. Not because I don't’ have tome because I actually have a surprising amount of free time but because I just couldn’t find any inspiration. So a few days ago I decided I was going to start spooky season a little early and try writing to some Halloween music.... and it worked! I was able to get moving with this two-shot! So yeah Halloween music is my muse right now 😂. 

But yeah, anyways my OC’s... technically there was a lot of them in this but only two are going to have stories, the others will be either background characters or part of their past. I’ll tell you one because it’s actually the first idea I and for  a batfam fanfic. It’s Eddie and her story. I’m not gonna lie it’s kinda sad but not nearly has sad as the other one because I have a lot of issues🤣. 

Back to the point if y’all wanna see more of certain OC’s just let me know I can find a way to include them into the one-shots, two-shots or fics. But yeah.

Finally I might be a little slower on the posting just because I’m in school and finding enough time to get inspiration and write, edit and have a  friend proof-read it will take a while. But I will definitely have some done. Anyway thanks so much for being sooo patient with me!

Lots of love!

-Redhead-batgirl

Tag List:

@andromedaj2003, @battlenix, @sol-the-salmon

[nugnthopkns]

dance me to the end of love (i)

word count: 4.3k

warnings: fem!oc, cursing, potential spoilers for the west wing if you've never seen the show

series masterpost: here

a/n: hi!! i am so incredibly happy to finally be putting this fic out into the world. it means an awful lot to me and i can't wait to share the little world i've created :)) x

Magdalene is content with where she’s ended up.

Denver is wonderful. Her friends are there, her cat is there, and it’s the perfect place for a fresh start. She arrived in the city nearly six years ago – a wide-eyed University of Denver freshman and has stayed put ever since. Her hometown of Aspen holds a few too many bad memories, but is close enough that she can return if an emergency calls for it. So far she hasn’t left, too engrossed in finishing her degree and moving on. There’s a job offer lined up with the university’s library upon graduation that Magdalene is ecstatic about. It means she gets to stay right where she is – where she’s comfortable.

☼☼☼☼

The sun might be shining as she exits her apartment building, but it’s cold for March. Magdalene pulls the thick scarf her best friend Bette got her for Christmas higher up her face and walks as quickly as possible to campus. There’s a brief meeting to attend with her advisor before grabbing lunch with Bette, and then her plan is to spend the rest of the day holed up in the library working on her thesis. It’s due in two weeks, with the defence in just over a month, and Magdalene is incredibly nervous. Though she’d gone through submitting her undergraduate thesis two years ago, presenting her master’s research was going to be a lot harder. She’s heard through the grapevine that the committees are being tough this year and she doesn’t want to fail.

Dr. Williams is waiting for her in his office with a smile on his face. He’s a tall man, with thin facial features and wire glasses that box him perfectly into the intimidating professor stereotype. “Miss Stevenson, please sit,” he gestures to the chair across from him.

“Gerald,” she sighs, “You can call me Magdalene, I don’t mind. Besides, it makes you quite the hypocrite if you insist I call you by your first name but you won’t use mine.” There’s no malice in her voice, just a decent amount of teasing.

The older man scoffs but concedes. “I suppose you’re right. Well then Magdalene, tell me, how are your final edits coming along?”

Magdalene spends nearly twenty minutes detailing all the elements she has tweaked since their last meeting, from the title to the citation style. She’s out of breath by the time she’s done, rambling at an impressive speed, and takes a big gasp of air while the professor mulls over her words. Dr. Williams doesn’t say anything, causing Magdalene to shift anxiously in her seat. “Sir, is there something wrong?”

He shakes his head. “Absolutely nothing,” he beams, “Everything is perfect. It’s a shame you don’t want to continue researching. You’d make a fabulous academic.”

The compliment makes Magdalene’s heart soar. It means a lot, especially coming from the person who has seen her cry over the oxford comma. “Thank you sir, but I belong in the practical realm. Someone has to file all the documents you obsessively scan.”

She leaves the building soon after, promising to stop by after she drops off the final draft in a few weeks. It’s a bit later than she expected and hopes Bette won’t be mad. There’s nothing the blonde hates more than poor time management, but Magdalene prays she’ll understand. It wasn’t that long ago and Bette was scheduling her own appointments with advisors on how to graduate. Barn Owl Book Company is located halfway between the school and her apartment, making it the perfect spot to meet. In addition to being a used book store, Barn Owl sports one of the best cafés in downtown Denver. Bette is perched delicately at her friend’s favourite seat, a bay window converted into a small nook, and typing furiously on her phone.

“Sorry I’m late,” Magdalene apologizes, “Williams talked a lot more than I expected him to.”

Bette looks up and smiles, shoving a cup in the other girl’s direction. “As always. How is he?”

Sliding into the booth, Magdalene fills her friend in on what’s been going on in their former professor’s life. Bette graduated with a minor in Classics, and it was Magdalene's major, but the former decided not to further her education and is instead doing full time charity work for the Colorado Avalanche. Her boyfriend Tyson is one of their star players, and the two of them are so smitten it makes Magdalene sick. Conversation quickly turns from school to life, which she’s grateful for.

“So,” Bette says, “Are you in for the trip this summer? I’ve got to confirm the reservation in a week or something.”

“I don’t know Bee, I'm going to be the new girl. Asking for time off like two months into the job would be rude.”

“Linny,” the blonde whines, “Please? I want you to come.”

Magdalene scowls. Bette knows just how much the nickname sours her mood but she chose to use it anyway. “Don’t call me that,” she snaps with quite a bite. “Can someone else take my spot if I decide not to go a little closer to the date?”

“Of course! Gravy said he’d fill an extra spot if one comes up so we don’t lose the deposit,” Bette blabs before trying to switch gears entirely. Magdalene cuts her off.

“Who’s Gravy?”

If her friend is exasperated by Magdalene’s lack of knowledge surrounding hockey, she doesn’t show it. Bette calmly explains that Gravy, who’s real name is Ryan, is a defenceman with the Avalanche and a good friend of Tyson’s. She also makes a point of mentioning that he’s single, to which Magdalene rolls her eyes. Bette has a masterplan for her life – which includes her best friend becoming romantically involved with an Avalanche player so the two of them can live the better half life together. As the best friend, Magdalene is constantly barraged with potential players who are looking to date. Once she went on a few dates with Mikko, but that ended fairly quickly when the two realized they were better as friends. Every time since she’s turned Bette down as gently as possible, not wanting to get involved with anyone. Her life is just starting, and Magdalene wants to be secure before settling down.

The conversation eventually shifts to what Magdalene plans to wear for both her thesis defence and graduation. Bette is fashion savvy, while Magdalene is decidedly not. Her everyday wardrobe consists of collared button-downs and sweater vests, which is supposedly never going to back a comeback, according to Bette at least. The blonde eventually wears Magdalene down, and secures a position as stylist for the graduation ceremony. There was an attempt at the thesis defence, but the other girl insists she needs to be as comfortable as possible on such a stressful occasion.

A glance to the clock on the opposite wall has Magdalene stretching her arms and giving an apologetic glance to her friend on the other side of the table. “I should go,” she says. “I’ve got to put in some serious work on my citations today, and you know Caligula doesn’t like it when I’m gone all day.”

Bette rolls her eyes, but there isn’t any frustration behind the gesture. “I swear to god Mags, your cat has more separation anxiety than I do. Speaking of, I’m supposed to pick Tyson up at the airport and I’m running behind.”

“Tell him I say hi,” Magdalene says as she wraps her arms around Bette for a quick hug.

The two girls part ways on the sidewalk, with Magdalene heading back to campus and Bette sliding into the sleek Audi she shares with her boyfriend. Headphones find their way into her ears, and Magdalene listens to a random comedy podcast. Once tucked safely inside the library she’ll put on her favourite lo-fi playlist and concentrate, but for now she just enjoys the funny anecdotes of stories past.

It’s quiet in the library for a Tuesday, though Magdalene isn’t complaining. Her favourite table, the one she swears up and down is the only reason she ever gets anything done, is open, and she all but sprints to place her bag on the worn leather chair. While setting up her work station a few of the librarians come over to offer their congratulations for her upcoming job. News certainly travels fast around here, Magdalene thinks, but accepts their generosity with a smile on her face. They leave her alone soon enough and the tedious work of double checking the formatting of every single citation in the sixty-five page paper begins.

Hours pass, and Magdalene stays working in the library until as late as she possibly can. Caligula is going to start to worry about the length of her absence soon and his anxiety response of knocking over plants is not a mess she feels like cleaning up. She packs up her laptop and walks the short distance home as fast as possible.

“Little boots, I’m home,” Magdalene parrots in a sing-song voice as she slips her jacket off her shoulders and onto the hanger. At the sound of his nickname, the small cat bounds into the entryway. “Hi darling, did you miss me?” Magdalene gets an obnoxiously loud purr in response that she takes it as a yes. She reaches down to pick up the tiny animal before continuing further into the apartment, scratching behind his ears as she does so. The two of them settle into the respectably sized couch, where they stay for the rest of the night watching reruns of The West Wing before Magdalene falls asleep.

☼☼☼☼

“You fucking did it!” Bette shrieks as she bounds towards her best friend. Magdalene braces herself for the oncoming assault, and manages to keep them both upright after Bette jumps into her arms.

Her thesis defence had just finished, and the committee found Magdalene a worthy candidate for the Master of Information Science qualification. The presentation itself was open to the public, so Bette and Tyson sat in the front row to support Magdalene, but were escorted out for the conversation that followed. The two girls had developed a code so the news could be shared in a subtle way, though Bette threw the original plan out the window as soon as she saw her friend give a sneaky thumbs up when the conference room door opened.

“Congrats Mags,” Tyson says sincerely, doing his best not to add to the growing spectacle, but Magdalene can tell he wants to give her a bone crushing hug.

“Thank you,” she smiles softly, “And thank you guys for coming. It means a lot.” As two of her closest friends, both Bette and Tyson know that her family situation is rocky at best, and having them act as her support system means more than she’ll ever be able to articulate.

The couple shares a knowing look before engulfing their friend in a hug. “We’re always going to be here for you,” Bette whispers, “No matter what.”

Magdalene’s smile is so genuine it crinkles her eyes as she wraps her arms around Bette and Tyson’s shoulders and leads them out the door and into the sunshine. The group continues to the parking lot, where they climb into Tyson’s car and drive off campus in the direction of Magdalene’s favourite restaurant. Though she had tried to convince her friends they didn’t need to celebrate, she failed, and Magdalene soon finds herself laughing hysterically over a plate of carbonara as Tyson tells a story about the shenanigans the team got up to on their last road trip.

There’s a game tonight, and Bette has somehow convinced her into attending. Magdalene knows she should go, expand her social horizons a little, but all she wants to do is curl up in bed and sleep for three weeks. Her one condition is that she can go home straight after the game without being guilted into following the group to whatever nightclub they’ll celebrate the win or drink away the loss in. Tyson has to get ready so he drops the two girls off at Magdalene's apartment complex. She’s in charge of getting Bette to the rink, and she’ll leave with her boyfriend after the game.

Once inside the confines of her home, Magdalene promptly lies on the floor. “Holy shit,” she sighs, “I did it. I fucking did it.”

“You did!” Bette says as she lies down beside her best friend. “I’m so fucking proud of you, and Tyson is too. Even if he won’t tackle you in public to prove it.”

The comment garners a laugh from Magdalene, which alerts Caligula to the presence of others in the apartment. He pads over the rug currently being occupied by two adults, and snuggles into the small space between them. Bette and Magdalene continue to lay there, petting the cat and looking back fondly on all the times Magdalene called her friend in tears because she didn’t think she could push herself any farther. Bette was always there to pick up the slack, editing whatever section Magdalene was working on or to bring over a hot meal. Her support earned her the top spot in the acknowledgements section of the thesis.

Ball Arena is already crawling with people when Magdalene pulls into the small lot for player’s and their families. Normally she parks with the general public, but Bette insists they watch this game from the better halves box, and these spaces are closer to that entrance.

“Stop dragging your feet,” the blonde chastises as Magdalene takes her time cutting the engine. “I want to get a glass of rosé before they sell out.”

Sighing, Magdalene follows her orders. “Don’t you have a special bar in the box?” she asks while locking the car.

“Yeah, but the other girls are absolute fiends. They’ll drink it all before we get there with no remorse.”

The girls climb the stairs to the better halves box, Bette chatting excitedly about the game, but Magdalene stops just before the entrance. She’s met most of the others on multiple occasions and has nothing to worry about, but she can’t help but feel anxious. Her life is so different than everyone else’s in the space, and it feels like cheating when she’s there because she isn’t romantically involved with anyone on the roster. Bette likes to joke that she’s her better half, but Magdalene knows it’s said just to calm her nerves.

“It’ll be fine,” Bette whispers while squeezing her hand, “And if you get too uncomfortable we can find some seats in the nosebleeds.”

Once inside Magdalene’s nerves dissipate. Most of the other wives and girlfriends pay her no mind, but the ones that are especially close to Bette congratulate her on passing her defence. It warms her heart a little, and the small group Magdalene finds herself in settles down to watch the game unfold.

It’s a fairly intense one between Colorado’s division rival St. Louis. Both teams are fighting for first place in the conference, and a win for the Avalanche would put them three points ahead of the Blues instead of one. Players from both sides are amped up, and more than once a scrum at the net has turned into a dog-pile. Colorado is outplaying the other team, but have still managed to find themselves a goal short heading into the final period. At the buzzer Tyson takes the face-off and is immediately shoved by a member of the opposite team. He goes down hard, and Bette squeezes Magdalene’s hand so tightly she fears it will lose blood flow. Silence falls over the arena as Tyson doesn’t immediately get up. The inside of lip finds its way between her teeth and Magdalene bites down hard, worried about her friend. She’s so focussed on Tyson that she doesn’t notice a fight breaking out.

“Holy shit, Gravy is going to town!”

The remark is made by someone Magdalene recognizes as Gabe Landeskog’s wife, and it makes her peel her eyes off of Bette’s worried features and scan the ice for some action. Sure enough, a very tall man is laying right hooks to someone who looks significantly smaller than him on the Avalanche blue line. The referees let the fight continue until Tyson drags himself off the ice and onto the bench before separating the men and throwing them in the penalty box. Magdalene can tell words are still being exchanged from both sides of the glass, but she’s more focussed on the fact Tyson doesn’t make his way to the dressing room – a good sign that allows Bette to drop her hand and let out a shaky breath.

Nothing of great importance happens until MacKinnon ties the game with seven minutes left. It happens while the Avalanche are short handed, and the goal seems to light a fire beneath the team. Magdalene may not know much about hockey, but she’s smart enough to notice the insane amount of energy all the players suddenly have. Time ticks by slowly and before she realizes it, the final face-off is taking place. Luckily it’s in the St. Louis zone and won by Colorado. The puck is tipped back to the same player who got in the fight for Tyson, Gravy, and he one times it right into the back of the net. The buzzer goes off not a second later, and the entire team piles on top of the player who just won them the game.

Bette and Magdalene join in the shrieks of the other partners, jumping from their seats in excitement. Eventually they make their way down to the hallway outside the locker room and lean against the brick while they wait for Tyson.

“You don’t have to stay,” Bette insists, “I can wait by myself.”

Magdalene shakes her head. “No way. I want to make sure he’s okay too. What good is a friend with a black eye?”

The other girl laughs at her friend’s stubbornness but doesn’t shoo her away. Once Magdalene has made a decision it’s hard to get her to sway from it, and Bette knows better than to push. Besides, who is she to deny her friend a bit more social interaction? Magdalene has spent the past six years practically holed up in the library and deserves to stand in a crowded hallway.

The friends chat idly while they wait, with Magdalene sharing some of the most ridiculous questions she got asked in her defence interview that morning. She’s mid story when Tyson exits the dressing flanked by a man dressed sharply in all black.

“Hey guys,” Tyson greets, dipping his head to place a kiss to Bette’s cheek before doing an elaborately goofy handshake with Magdalene.

“Good game baby,” Bette compliments sweetly. She then turns her attention to the boy standing awkwardly on the fringes. “You too Graves.”

He smiles shyly, muttering out a small thanks. It’s then he seems to notice the final member of the group, and offers his hand in greeting. “Hi, I’m Ryan.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Magdalene.”

She puts two and two together on the walk to her car. The Ryan Magdalene just met is the same who will take her spot on the trip, fought someone in Tyson’s defence, and scored the game winning goal. Though they’ve only said a few words, she likes him. He seems genuine, and those people are the rarest to find.

☼☼☼☼

Magdalene is walking across a graduation stage for the final time in two days. However, she can’t find anyone to take the third ticket. The University of Denver has a stupid rule where all graduates must have three guests attend the ceremony. Bette and Tyson are obviously occupying two of Magdalene’s seats, but she’s having trouble filling the third.

“I can ask Tys if one of the guys is free,” Bette shrugs. The two girls are sitting in the window of Barn Owl drinking iced lattes and discussing what Magdalene should wear to the ceremony.

“It’s okay,” Magdalene says, “I don’t want to bother anyone. Maybe I’ll just ask June.”

Her friend’s eye roll so far back into her head Magdalene isn’t sure they won’t stay there. “You can’t ask your boss to watch you graduate Mags! Besides, Gravy owes Tyson a favour and was already looking for something to do. I’m sure he won’t mind wasting a few hours as long as he gets drinks out of it.”

There isn’t a better option, so even though she barely knows the guy, Magdalene agrees. “Make sure he gets this?" she sighs, handing her friend an envelope with a single ticket in it. "I have to go. Caligula should be done at the vet soon.”

“Say hello to little boots for me,” Bette giggles as she waves goodbye.

Hours later, tucked into her couch with a glass of wine in one hand and Caligula playing with the fingers on the other, Magdalene realizes she invited a complete stranger to her graduation and how that could be a terrible idea. Sure, Ryan sounds like a great guy from the way Bette and Tyson talk about him, but he’s only ever spoken three words to her. Since that game she’s gone out with the team a few times, but the man with the piercing stare is yet to make an appearance. Magdalene considers that perhaps he’s more like her than his profession gives him credit for, and she feels a twinge of guilt about being worried he’d cause a scene at the ceremony.

There isn’t any more time for her to fret over the third and final guest on the list. At the last minute Bette decides there’s nothing in Magdalene’s closet that’s suitable for her to wear, so a trip to a local second-hand store ensues. While it’s nice that her friend has taken their carbon footprints into consideration, Magdalene wishes it didn’t have to happen an hour and a half before the ceremony is supposed to start.

“We have to be there in twenty minutes Bette,” she frets, tapping her foot nervously against the tile flooring.

If they can’t find whatever it is Bette’s looking for, Magdalene will have to walk across the stage in denim cutoffs and a faded t-shirt with Neil Young’s face on it, which is something she’s hoping to avoid at all costs.

“Have no fear, Mags,” she says with a knowing glint in her eye, “For I have found it.” Bette holds up a hanger that is holding a beautiful long sleeve dress adorned with a whimsical floral print.

Magdalene can’t help the gasp that escapes from her. “It’s beautiful,” she breathes, “But let’s hope it fits.”

The dress does in fact fit, and the workers are kind enough to let her wear it out of the store. Bette drives at a speed that might not be the safest to travel at in downtown Denver, but she gets to the school with minutes to spare. She shoos her friends out of the car so she can go pick up Tyson and Ryan, and Magdalene checks in with little hassle. The pool of graduates is fairly small, so she chats with a few classmates while they wait for the call to put their gowns on. Time passes quicker than expected, and soon Magdalene is being directed to her seat. She zones out while the dean gives a congratulatory speech and they go through the first few names. At one point she looks backwards into the crowd to find Bette, Tyson, and Ryan all giving her a thumbs up. The nerves she didn’t even know she had settle.

A faculty member signals for Magdalene’s row to stand up, and she smoothes her dress before dutifully following the person in front of her. Giddiness bubbles in her stomach at the thought of being done school forever. A hand from the stage crew give a cue, and Magdalene appears on the stage as her accomplishment is broadcast through the microphone.

“Magdalene Stevenson is being awarded a Masters in Information Science in Archival Studies and Records Management.” It feels so good to finally be finished that she lets a tear slip as she shakes the hand of the staff member handing her the package with her diploma in it.

The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur, and before Magdalene knows it her friends are approaching to congratulate her. Bette and Tyson wrap her in a tight hug, murmuring praise in her ears. Ryan stands awkwardly to the side before Bette drags him into the celebration. The four of them stand in the courtyard where the ceremony was for much longer than needed. Bette is crying enough to refill Sloan Lake if there is ever a drought and is yet to let go of Magdalene’s figure.

It’s only when the event staff ask them to leave so they can tear down the stage does Magdalene turn to leave campus for the last time as a student. She’ll be back in a few weeks as an employee, but deep down she knows this is the last time she’ll ever feel such a deep connection to the place.

“Victory is mine, victory is mine! Great day in the morning people, victory is mine!” Magdalene yells, quoting Josh Lyman as she skips down the path towards Bette’s car.

Both Bette and Tyson are confused at the sudden outburst, not knowing what she’s talking about, but Ryan responds without missing a beat. “Should I bring you all the muffins and bagels in the land?” His response doesn’t clear anything up, but it elicits a giant smile from Magdalene, who laughs and nods in confirmation.

Sitting in the back of Bette’s Audi, on the way to a graduation party she’s supposed to know nothing about, Magdalene decides that she wants to get to know Ryan Graves better. From what she’s garnered from Bette and Tyson he’s a class act, standing up for friends and giving good advice. He likes The West Wing and showed up to a stranger’s graduation, so how bad can he be?

☼☼☼☼

additional notes: see what magdalene's graduation dress looks like here // the quote from the west wing is from 1.02 if you were curious!

☼☼☼☼

taglist: @scrunchmakar @marcoscandellas @toplinetommy (add yourself to the taglist!)

[j-wont-stop]

The Scarred (Chapter Four)

Title - The Scarred (Chapter Four)

Word Count - 2002

Fandom -  Batman: The Dark Knight

Pairing - Ledger!Joker x OC

Summary - Penelope Bishop works at a florist shop in Gotham, barely getting by in the corrupted city. Her life is shrouded by therapy and judgement with little light to find her way with. However, when a certain painted face starts making himself known to her, things take a turn.

Warning(s) - Light cussing, flashbacks/nightmares, smoking

Inspiration - Cold (Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz)

Masterlist

A/N - Sorry for the later post, I’ve been on 12 hour shifts lately and it’s messing up my schedule :/

“The hell is happening?” Penelope whispered to herself as she stared with a wide eye. She carded a hand through her hair, unsure of what to do, what to think. Whoever was behind this, they were intelligent. Patient and calculative. It frightened her. It frightened her and yet she hadn’t even met the person. That was the most unnerving part about it all.

Her hands moved to pick up the larger shards to throw away, then to grab the broom and sweep the rest. She scrambled to look through every hatch, every door, cabinet and closet for anything that might have been left behind. Yet there was nothing. Once more, the only sign that someone had been there was the face that had been cleared already. There was no lingering smell, not even a hair.

“Okay,” She muttered. “Okay-okay.” Her mouth rambled on as she carried out her night routine, heart pounding faster than she would have appreciated as she tried to relax under the warm stream of water. Her feet padded against the cold tile as she tended to her scars, pacing the small room before throwing on her pajamas. She raced to her jacket, fumbling through the pockets for her phone and shuffled through her contacts. The coldness of it rested against her ear as she chewed on her cheek, wiggling the fingers of her left hand absentmindedly.

“Penny?” The familiar voice made her perk up. “What’s up?”

“I just needed someone to talk to…” The woman practically whispered. She made her way to lay on her bed, listening attentively to the shuffling in the background over the phone.

“Oh, ’course, hun,” Emma had an underlying tone of understanding in her voice. “Did everything hold up okay at the shop?” Penelope thought back to the bald man.

“Yeah-everything went fine. Sold three vases.” She started fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

“Three? That’s amazing!”

The voices echoed in the auditorium, the petite woman messing with the tassel that hung from her head. Everyone migrated to their families after having all walked the stage, visiting friends from time to time to say their goodbyes or reminisce in their memories. The woman searched for a familiar brunette bun, but her height made it all the more difficult.

“Penny!” She turned to face the voice, but was soon met with engorging flames. They towered over them all, everyone screaming and scattering in a panic. “Penny!” The voice screeched again, but no matter how many times she spun around and searched, she couldn’t find them. She started sweating profusely, both from the heat and stress of it all. Flames licked her skin, almost teasing it before it grew volatile.

Penelope’s eye snapped open, breathing heavily. Her hair stuck to her skin from the cold sweat she was left in. She laid there for a moment or two, collecting herself as best as she could. She listened to the wind humming through her window, the birds chirping as the sun’s first rays peaked through the clouds. She closed her eye again, imagining the bird. What kind of bird it was, what it was doing. Perhaps it was a swallow? It’s boring, brown feathers smooth as they glided and fluttered. The curious black eyes that fidgeted as it cocked and turned its head.

She took deep breaths, opening her eye once more to sit herself up on the edge of her twin bed. She stared at the soft carpet below her, loathing herself for waking up at such an ungodly hour. The faintest shade of blue colored the sky if she were to squint. Penelope then stood, stumbling over to her dresser to change out of her now drenched sleepwear. She thought about taking a quick heat dump to cool her off, but the amount of energy it took for her to get in the shower right now made her shudder, so she settled with splashing cold water on her face instead.

She trudged into the living room to her box TV, turning it on and having the low noise of the news play in the background as she migrated to the kitchen. She decided to simply pop an egg sandwich from the freezer into the microwave, pouring herself a glass of milk to go along with it. She bounced when she plopped onto the couch, pulling the lap blanket from the top of it to wrap herself up in. Her eye stared at the screen with a bored expression, heavy as she watched.

With how consistent the news was it was a wonder to her how it was never a rerun. The same news anchor, the same monotone voice with the same type of news. A new murder case, Bruce Wayne’s next trip to an extravagant venue, cloudy skies with an expected drizzle all week. None of it came as a surprise to her anymore.

Crime rates continued to slowly increase, the mob being thrown into a tizzy ever since The Joker showed up. Little changed since he was caught and put in Arkham. If anything, the people just grew into a rampage once they found out what had happened to their newfound idol. Penelope would be lying, however, if she said she wasn’t intrigued. From what she had seen on the news and heard from around the city, he was a very finicky person. He seemed so clumsy and careless, yet was always the one in control. No one could ever predict what he would do next, keeping everyone on their toes at all times.

She somewhat felt bad for the first responders who seemed to just be ragdolled from one end of the city to the other or thrown into ever frequent traps when he was out and about. She couldn’t deny that the thought of it made her snicker, wondering how they hadn’t learned their lesson the first few times. How they thought that The Joker being locked up would put their minds at ease. It was all a joke.

A vibration sounded from her phone and she looked to where it buzzed on the coffee table, the green icon showing that she had received a message. She reached over and picked it up, flipping it open in curiosity.

I’m stopping by Gotham Coffee. Want anything?

Emma. Penelope smiled at her phone, fingers moving to reply when another buzz went off. An unknown number, and all that was sent was the number twelve. That was all she needed to know who it was.

———————————————————————

The two women sat at the counter, sipping casually from their now cold coffee cups as they made small talk. Emma noticed how tense Penelope had seemed when she first entered the shop, what with her stiff posture and gaze cast down on the floor more so than usual, so it was a relief to see her smile a little more the longer they talked. They had just finished with one of their many giggle fits when the bell of the shop went off, cutting it short. Their heads snapped to the front and Penelope’s stomach dropped, mouth suddenly dry.

Once again, the light of the shop reflected off of the bald man’s head as his eyes focused on her own. With every step he took she felt as if she just shrunk smaller and smaller. It wasn’t until he stood directly in front of them that she shot up from her seat, scrambling into the back room to grab the vase she previously prepared. Her multitude of tiny footsteps echoed from the back as Emma and the man practically held a staring contest, the latter holding a sickly sweet smile. When Penelope emerged from the back room with the vase her arms shakily handed it to him, sucking on her bottom lip anxiously. With how rough he seemed, the gentleness with which he handled the vase amused her. But she wouldn’t dare show it. Emma looked over at Penelope as soon as he left.

“Was he one of the three vases?” She quipped, quirking an eyebrow. Penelope took a deep breath in, then casted her a sheepish smile.

“Four.” Emma stood to throw away their coffee cups. “He paid yesterday. Said he was picking it up at noon today.”

“How much?” Penelope’s mouth started to water, mouth faltering as she tried to form a response.

“Just twenty-five.” Emma, always having been good at reading people, knew she was being lied to, but for her friend’s sake decided not to push. She knew that if Penelope ever held something back, she did so for good reason. She just chuckled.

“How was it when he ordered it?” Her voice took on an amused tone. “‘Begonia and baby’s breath, please’.” She mocked the man, driving the two of them back into a giggling fit. They wasted the day away talking, trying to busy themselves one way or another until the end of the day. The last hour was the hardest. In silence they sat and watched the grandfather clock tucked away in a corner. Yet it only worsened their predicament.

Fridays had always been slower than any other day, and it was on Fridays that they truly realized that time was never on their side. When they had fun, it flew by. When they wanted something to just be over with, it dragged on. It was cruel. Time was cruel. Life was cruel. Penelope knew these things. So when the clock sounded at the hour they were out the front door, Emma locking up the shop and tossing Penelope a smile. They gave each other their ‘goodbye’s and ‘have a good weekend’s and made their way back to their respective homes. The city was in chaos, full of eager citizens who all wanted the same thing as Emma and Penelope. Some had already made their ways into their local bars, choosing to drown out their lives or celebrate simply because they made it through another week.

As for Penelope, she sat on the edge of her open windowsill and watched. A cigarette balanced between her lips as she struck a match and lit the end of it, shaking it out as she breathed in the all-needed nicotine. Her weekly treat. She rested her head on the wall beside her, the buzz starting to get to her after a significantly larger inhale. She stared out at the scenery in wonder, mind finding its first moment of peace since the last time she had a smoke.

Then a sudden knocking on her door jolted her from her spot, the stick nearly falling from her mouth. She quickly put it out in the ashtray next to her and climbed down to close her window, bare feet skittering across the floor. She stood on her tip-toes to look through the peep-hole, yet no one stood at the door. She unlatched it and opened it cautiously, peeking through until something caught her eye. She opened the door a bit wider to see a familiar vase sat on top of her welcome mat. Her vase. She noticed something dangling off to the side and delicately picked up the flowers to see what it was, and what she saw made her heart make its way to her throat. A playing card. A Joker card dangled from the vase.

[heloflor]

As Time Passes Prologue : My Brother, part 1

AO3 link ; Prologue 1 (The Estate)

A collection of scenes from Vinnie’s early life. From his younger years as a toddler to his last years as a teen. From a life of fear to a life of uncertainty. From an abused child relying on the only good people in his life to a young adult determined to make things right for them.

TRIGGER WARNING : child abuse, violence, depression, mentions of drug and alcohol, infidelity. Basically anything that goes with messed up abusive parents. And to that regard, this fic is NOT made to romanticize abuse or mental illness ! There’s also a moment in part 2 mentioning a dystopic future with the urbanization of the world and its consequences on every species (it’s only one part and you see it coming). This also means mentions of animal abuse and LITERAL animal genocide !!

 .

Notes : Well, this took 8 months longer than expected…

Seriously. I started working on this chapter BEFORE “The Estate”, only deciding later to start with Cav’s backstory because it makes more sense given what I intend to write for chapters 3 and 4.

Though, that chapter is very, VERY long so that also explains the delay. And even despite the size, I feel like I tried to cram in too much elements and underdeveloped some stuff as a result. Like, that whole thing could be a fic in itself if I had enough ideas to fill the holes there and there.

On a lighter note, during that “hiatus”, I read the book “Wanderers” by Chuck Wending and one interlude gave me the idea of putting dates at the beginning of each new part of the story, which is going to come in VERY HANDY for the story (also the fact that the fic is called “As Time Passes” makes it even better).

As for the chapter itself, let’s just say that, after giving an idea of what Cavendish’s life used to be, now it’s time to show Dakota’s. Though, this chapter will be much longer and goes onto basically his entire life before B.O.T.T.. There are also a lot of dark stuff (as said in the trigger warning) because apparently my brain still hasn’t gotten past that teenager need to make anything as messed up as possible.

Regarding the sibling OCs, fun fact : the idea of Dakota having older siblings came partly from Tumblr and partly from my wish to have Dakota be an uncle due to how much the guy seems to love kids (but I don’t see him have his own, for reason that will be talked about in the main fic). Then, while listening to random songs and coming up with Dakavendish animations in my head (yeah I’m THAT kind of weirdo), I ended up listening to “A Guy Like You” from Disney Hunchback and suddenly Dakota had three siblings. Then all that needed to be done was give them a personality and choose which one would have a kid. And then make them all queer because I spend too much time on the internet.

Another thing about them, to make it easier at the beginning : there are four. And for the age-gap, as an example, the fic starts with the ages being 13 (Enzo “Enzie”), 9 (Bettina “Bettie”), 5 (Donatello “Donnie”) and 3 (Viviana “Vivie”/Vincenzo “Vinnie”).

(side-note about the writing at the beginning : using the wrong pronouns for a character is MUCH harder than I thought it would be)

Btw I don’t know how to draw so instead, if you want to see how the siblings look like, I made them in Miitopia (don’t ask). Here’s the link for it (just ignore my ramblings in this...).

Also, while the idea of him having siblings comes partly from my brain, the idea of Dakota being Italian is 100% from Tumblr and AO3 with like half the Dakavendish fandom who seems to follow this headcanon. Hell, I even have an irl friend who told me Dakota gives them a European vibe while I was telling them that one of the reasons people saw him as trans was his height.

(and I guess you could say the same thing about him having heterochromia and being colorblind ; all the credit for these two ideas goes to the fandom)

Btw, despite them being Italians, the dialogue is in english. In future chapters tho, depending on the character’s POV, some dialogue will either be in Italian or in English in italics.

And fun fact : while googling Italian names to help me name these characters, I discovered that there’s an Italian name that’s “Baldassare” and this is 100% how Dakota’s siblings and nephew/nieces would call Cavendish.

And one last “””fun””” fact : the character of Enzo is partly inspired by a guy I know who, by the age of 6, was the one to wake up, dress, feed, bring to school and overall raise his 4 younger siblings. And if you’re wondering, the guy is 23 now and is doing pretty fine (much, MUCH better than the shit I plan for my OC here). And no, the name of the OC isn’t inspired by this guy. I looked up random Italian names for each sibling + Vinnie’s dead name.

Anyways, onto the fic now. Enjoy !

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January 10, 2134

  The morning started with their usual routine.

Vivie was sleeping soundly, her brother Donnie by her side, until their oldest brother Enzie came to wake them up. Vivie could hear her sister Bettie grumble, not helped by Enzie urging her to get up. He would always claim that, unlike the other two, she needed to be ready early. They didn’t go to school at the same hours. First it was Bettie, then Donnie, and finally Vivie was brought to the nursery.

Enzie also went to school. Bettie once said that Enzie always turned out late because his school started before them. But Enzie always insisted to take care of them first. The older brother didn’t like letting them alone with Mamma. And, truth be told, Vivie didn’t like it either.

Once Enzie reached their bed, Donnie pretended to still be sleeping and made snoring noises. Sometimes, Vivie would do the same. Today though, she just giggled, listening to her brothers argue.

She couldn’t open her eyes. The light hurt her. So she waited for her brothers to be done, for Enzie to focus his attention to her and give her her sunglasses.

Then, the four kids sat on the beds to have their breakfast, taking out the bags hiding under their beds. Years ago, way before Vivie was born, Enzie had decided that they should all hide their fruits and snacks in the bedroom instead of in the kitchen where Mamma could take them, and the others obeyed.

Enzie was always worried about food. Even though Mamma brought enough for them to eat everyday if they shared in small portions, Enzie insisted that it was never enough, that kids like them needed more than that. He always told them that, if they found something to eat, they should eat until they were full and share if some was left. As a result, Bettie and Donnie often brought food back from their lunch at school.

As for Enzie, how he always found something for the three of them was a mystery. Vivie had heard Bettie get angry at her brother more than once, accusing him of stealing food and talking about how he was going to end up in prison. But then Enzie would show what he got her, and she would stop yelling. But Vivie could see that she was still angry, and it made her sad too. Vivie heard that prison was bad, that the people who went left for a long time.

Vivie didn’t want Enzie to go to prison.

 Who would take care of her, if Enzie was not here ?

 …

…

Despite her young age, Vivie would sometimes feel bad for Enzie. He was very nice and always helped her when she was upset. But was anybody helping him ? Enzie slept on the scratchy couch in the living-room to let Bettie have her own bed. He refused to eat until his siblings ate enough. He helped Bettie with her homework before doing his. He never slept if one of them wasn’t, willing to tell as many songs and story as needed. He always went outside with them to watch over them. If one of them needed something from Mamma, he would talk to her for them.

 Vivie couldn’t talk that well yet. While she knew a few words, she was said to be behind on language. But while she couldn’t communicate, she could observe.

 When she was at the nursery, Vivie would see the other children, the other families. She was told about how a family worked.

The parents took care of the children. The parents fed the children, helped them with their homework, told them bedtime stories, watched over them, cared for them, have a bed for each one of them.

 Mamma didn’t do any of this. She never did.

 Mamma was just there, in the house, with them. Enzie told them not to talk to her. She could be dangerous when she was bothered.

And yet, she would go to them sometimes. She would go outside with them, just walking ahead as she brought Donnie and Vivie to the closest playground. She would mention them on the phone. Vivie even saw her go to Bettie’s school play once.

But the rest of the time, she would be lying down somewhere in “her side” of the house, glaring when any of her children would come close all the while holding one of those bottles Enzie completely forbid them to touch. Or she would be out of the house, especially at night, going to what Vivie supposed was her job.

So, since she was never there, Enzie took care of them.

  It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t how the other children lived. Enzie was not an adult, at least Vivie didn’t think so. Bettie said he was as much of a child as she was.

 But Vivie couldn’t do anything about it. As of right now, all she could do was finish her morning snack, brush her teeth, let Enzie dress her up and follow her older siblings as they packed for school, listening to the same instructions Enzie gave them each day : “Don’t go with any strangers.”, “Listen to your teachers.”, “Don’t get in trouble.”

 Maybe it wasn’t normal, but it was all that Vivie knew. And at the very least, she supposed it was better than nothing.

    ---------------

October 30, 2134

  Vivie didn’t understand how she ended up here, on the examination table of the nearest doctor. She had been in the bedroom, getting yelled at by Donnie for taking his clothes. She always liked his clothes more than her own. But when Enzie arrived to investigate the noise, a confusion happened.

Donnie complained that Vivie took his yellow shirt and his red pants. And while Vivie couldn’t lie about that, she insisted that everything she was wearing was of the same color and that Donnie was using two words that meant the same thing. While Donnie and Vivie went back and forth about colors, Enzie went to pick up a few clothes. He then quickly interrupted his younger siblings, sat Vivie down and asked her to tell him the color of each outfit.

The four years-old was confused but decided to comply. Describing blue shirts, purple costumes and pink underwear. But then, there was the color of the clothes she was wearing, a color Vivie had heard being called by three different names : yellow, red and green.

Each time the clothes would have this color, she would use one of those words randomly, getting several huffs from Donnie, making her feel like she was doing something wrong.

After a few more, the thirteen years-old asked Donnie to close the blinds and turn off every light, which the six years-old quickly did. Then, Enzie requested that his sister remove her sunglasses.

They tried his game again, leading to the same results. The girl started sniffing while twirling one temple of her sunglasses. Was there something wrong with her ? Were her eyes wrong again ? Enzie was quick to hold her and calm her down, singing her her favorite lullaby.

 Next thing Vivie knew, she was walked to the hospital by her brother. There, a doctor tried to look at her eyes with a light, leading to a lot of struggling from the young child. He then followed with a guessing game with numbers hidden inside colored circles. It was only then that the doctor explained what was wrong with her.

He called it “color-blindness”. It meant that she didn’t see colors the same way other people did, the same way her siblings did. In his explanation, the doctor mentioned how it was incredibly rare for a girl to be colorblind without any sibling or parent being colorblind as well. Enzie replied that he never questioned his parents about it. And while Mamma seemed able to see colors just fine, the teen had no idea if Papà was the same as her.

But, in any case, there was a way to partially fix this.

The doctor excused himself for a minute, letting the anxious teen and the fidgety child alone. Enzie went to sit next to his sister, who was quick to jump on his lap. He ran a finger through the toddler’s curly hair and she pressed her head against his chest. She smiled, feeling peaceful and safe in his arms.

When the doctor came back, he was holding a small pair of glasses with orange lens, along with two identical balls. Enzie stood back up and the doctor gave the plastic balls to the toddler, telling her to raise her head so that he could put the new glasses.

Once Vivie opened her eyes with the new glasses in place, she found herself squeal in surprise.

The balls in her hands, they weren’t the same color at all ! And those colors…had she even seen them before ?!

While the doctor was talking to her brother, Vivie kept putting the glasses on and off, noticing the immediate difference in colors. How could this even be ?!

But before she could ask any question, Enzie gave her the other pair of sunglasses, took her in his arms, thanked the doctor and left the office.

  Vivie seated herself in her brother’s arms, the movement from his walking slowly rocking her to sleep.

“Vivie ?”, the teen’s voice took away the fog in her mind.

“huh ?”

“Did you like seeing those colors with the new glasses ?”

“uh-huh.”, the toddler nodded.

“Do you want to have glasses like that all the time.”

“Yes !”, she replied, her head snapping away from Enzie’s shoulder.

“Then this Saturday we’ll got get you a pair. Okay ?”

“Okay !”

“Good. Now let’s go back home before Donnie or Bettie get on mamma’s nerves.”

As the teenager walked at a fast pace, a new question arose in his sister’s mind.

“Enzie ?”

“Yes ?”

“Do you…you will fall down for my new glasses ?”, the toddler asked full of worry. Bettie had told her the story of how she got her sunglasses. Apparently, she had refused to open her eyes as a baby and, everytime Enzie asked mamma to go see a doctor, she refused. She “didn’t care enough”, Bettie said. So Enzie decided to give her a reason to go, and jumped from a window, forcing mamma to bring him to the hospital, where the then-child was able to convince the doctor to help Vivie.

“Will I…oh ! Oh no, don’t worry !”, the teenager’s laugh didn’t do anything to ease Vivie’s worry. She pouted.

“Do not get hurt !”, she insisted.

“I promise you Vivie, we’re just going to go to a store. I…”, he looked away. “I can get the money for it…I mean…I’m sure mamma wouldn’t mind losing a few euros…”

“Mamma will help ? With no you falling ?”

“She will.”, Enzie assured. “And I won’t fall. Don’t worry about it, piccolina. Everything’s going to be alright.”

    ---------------

July 4, 2136

  Vivie was hiding in a closet. She had done it again. She had taken Donnie’s clothes.

It was something she did a lot, something she had done for a long time now.

It wasn’t that she found it fun to annoy Donnie ! She just didn’t like her clothes. Bettie had tried to get her “good-looking girl clothes” with the little money they had for it, but Vivie couldn’t care less. She only wore the same few outfits, the ones that Bettie never called “girly”. The only “girly” thing she continuously wore was a heart-shaped pink hairclip, but only because it made her sister very happy.

She didn’t want “pretty girl clothes”, she liked Donnie’s clothes more, even if they were too big for her. She actually liked the size of these clothes, as she could flap her hands with the too-long sleeves of his winter shirts.

Sometimes, when Vivie wore his clothes, Donnie would just let it go and they’ll keep playing together. But other times, like today, Donnie got upset by it. And now, the seven years-old had gone to fetch their older brother.

So Vivie stayed hidden, not wanting to face Enzie’s anger. Las time she saw him, the fifteen years-old had been with Bettie, busy doing homework. And Enzie didn’t like being interrupted by their “small and stupid arguments”, as he once put it. Especially for homework. For the last year, he had been complaining more and more about how he never had the time to just sit down and work with three noisy kids running around and needing him left and right.

Still, it didn’t take long for the child to hear the sound of his footsteps getting louder and louder as he approached.

“Vivie !”, the older brother called.

“I’m not here !”, the five years-old replied. She heard her brother sigh.

“Vivie, come out there. We need to have a talk.”

“I don’t want to !”, another sigh.

“Vivie, I’m not mad at you. Just come out. I’m not going to yell.”

“...Promise ?”

“Promise.”

Tentatively, Vivie opened the closet’s door and caught sign of her brother. He was sitting on her and Donnie’s bed. As she opened the door a little more, he patted the space next to him.

She left the closet and went to sit on the bed. Enzie watched as the child scooted over towards him, looked at his face, scooted a little more, looked at him again and finally moved to sit on his knees.

“You want to talk ?”, Vivie asked.

The teen nodded.

“You’re not angry ?”

He shook his head. Vivie looked in front of her as she considered it. If Enzie wasn’t angry about the clothes, then why did he want to talk to her ? But her thoughts were interrupted by the fifteen years-old putting a hand in her hair, prompting his sister to snuggle against his chest.

“Polpetta ?”

“Yeah ?”

“Why do you keep stealing Donnie’s clothes ?”

“I don’t steal them.”, Vivie protested. “I wear them.”

“And why don’t you wear your clothes ? You don’t like them ?”, Enzie’s voice was calm and soft, though Vivie could still hear the sternness and tiredness his voice often carried.

The child shook her head as a reply.

“But you like Donnie’s clothes ?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you like them more than yours ?”

Vivie had to pause to think for a moment. With her worry from earlier and the drowsiness form feeling a hand play with her hair, she found it hard to think.

“Is it because of the colors ?”, Enzie continued. “Or the size ? Or is it because you have girl clothes ?”

“Yes ! That !”, she suddenly jerked.

“You don’t like girl clothes ?”

“Nuh-uh.”, she replied.

“Why not ?”

Vivie was back to thinking. Why didn’t she like girl clothes ? She knew she didn’t like it when Bettie called them girl clothes, but why ?

“Do you want me to tell you what I think ?”, Enzie asked with a smile. Vivie looked up at his face and the teen chuckled. “I think you don’t like girl clothes because you don’t like being a girl. Do you like being a girl ?”

Yet again, Vivie looked away with a frown as she tried to concentrate. Was it true ? Did she not like being a girl ?

Vivie didn’t like her girl clothes. She didn’t like people pointing at her and saying she was a girl. And everytime Bettie wanted to play with her, Vivie would refuse. She didn’t like playing dress-up with Bettie. She preferred to play marbles or yoyo with Donnie. Even at school, she tried and liked spending time with boys more than girls, even though the largest group of boys always rejected her.

But were all these feelings because she wasn’t a girl ?

“I dunno.”, she finally replied, looking at Enzie with a pleading look, as if her brother held all the answers.

“Let me put it that way.”, the teenager continued. “If you were a boy, would you be happy about it ? Just imagine yourself as a boy. With boy clothes. A boy’s voice. A boy’s name.”

Vivie did. She could picture herself among the other boys of kindergarten. She looked like them, talked like them, belonged with them. The thought made her smile. When she opened her eyes, she bounced, looking at her brother with a smile.

“I want to be a boy !”, she exclaimed.

“Are you sure ?”

Vivie nodded excitedly.

“Alright then.”, the teen shrugged. “Polpetta-to, since you’re so eager at the thought of being a boy, how about we got get the tablet downstair to find you an actual boy’s name ? And see if you like it ?”

Vivie jumped off of Enzie’s laps and ran downstairs, leaving the room before the teenager even had the time to stand up.

    Half an hour later and the two siblings were still at the coffee table, Enzie reading through a list of names starting with the letter “v”. Vivie wanted a new name that sounded like her current one.

“Vittore ?”

“ummm. No.”

“What about Vladimir ?”

“…Maybe ?”

“We could call you Vladdie. Or Vaddie.”

“no.”

“Are you even sure you want a new name ? Maybe I was wrong earlier when I said you were a boy.”

“No ! You’re not wrong ! I’m a boy ! I want a boy’s name ! Just like you and Donnie !”

“Alright then.”, the teen sighed. He mumbled something.

“huh ?”

“Nevermind. How abou-“

“What are you two doing ?”, Vivie’s head perked up at the sound of Bettie’s voice. The eleven years-old was on top of the stairs, trying to look at the tablet over Enzie’s shoulder.

“Looking for a name for our little brother over here.”, the teen replied. “Where’s Donnie ?”

“In the bedroom.”, Bettie walked down the stairs. “You know Enzie, when I complained that Vivie acts like she wants to be a boy instead of being stuck as a girl, I was joking.”

“Maybe you were but he wasn’t. At least I think.”

he…their brother… Vivie liked being called that.

“Then…it looks like I don’t have a little sister after all.”, Bettie commented with a hint of sadness in her voice. This made Vivie frown. Sh-…He didn’t want to make his sister sad.

“Maybe not,”, the oldest brother defended. “but instead, you have a great little brother.”

“I guess…”, she went to stand near Vivie, her younger brother. “So,”, she continued. “you’re looking for a boy’s name ?”

“Uh-huh !”, the child replied.

“Found anything you like yet ?”

“We’re trying.”, Enzie replied, putting his head back onto the list.

With the teen’s attention away, Bettie turned back to Vivie.

“Say, once you’re done with that, how about we go return your clothes and buy you better ones ?”

“Yes !”, Vivie jumped in his seat. That’s when he remembered the hairclip he was still wearing. He took it off and presented it to Bettie. “For you.”, he explained. “I won’t wear it now. But you like it. So you should wear it.”

Bettie smiled. “Alright. Whatever you say, patatino.”, she looked at Enzie. “Found other names ?”

“You have Vivaldo, Vidone, Vezio, Vincenzo or Vincent in English,-”

“Vincenzo ?”, for some reason, the name stuck with him. Vincenzo…

“Do you like it ?”, Bettie asked. Vivie nodded. “You want to be called Vincenzo ?”

“I think so…yeah…yes ! I want to be Vincenzo !”

“Finally !”, Enzie sighed, dropping the tablet on the table. The two younger siblings just stared at him, until he glanced back and smirked. Bettie laughed.

“Let’s go return your old clothes, Vincenzo.”, the sister said, already on the move.

“Coming !”, the youngest sibling jumped to follow but was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. Enzie ruffled his hair with a smile.

“Hope you’re going to enjoy being a boy, Vinnie.”

    When the evening came, there was one last thing to do.

Vincenzo…Vinnie was standing in the doorway, his fingers tapping the wall as he anxiously watched Enzie walking towards Mamma. The woman was in the kitchen, making herself one of those drink Enzie prevented them to touch.

“…Claudia ?”, the teen asked.

“You know better than to bother me, Enzo.”, Mamma replied in a sharp tone without looking up from her bottle. She took a sip while Enzie seemed to gather his courage.

“It’s about-“

“Enzo.”, Mamma warned. Vinnie didn’t miss how her hand moved to the top of the bottle and he shivered, grabbing the wall. He knew exactly what mamma could do when she was angry.

“Vinnie is a boy, not a girl !”, the fifteen years-old blurted out before taking a few steps back.

Mamma turned around and glared at her son, but she didn’t make a move to hit him. Still, this didn’t make Vinnie feel any less tense.

“Vivie…Viviana. His name is Vincenzo now. He’s a boy.”, Enzie continued with a firmer voice.

Mamma’s gaze seemed to lose some of its anger, though she still gave the teen a dirty look. After a few seconds, she glanced at the child at the door and Vinnie froze. She started to make her way towards him, almost instantly followed by Enzie who ran to his little brother, holding him protectively against his chest.

Mamma ignored him, her gaze on her youngest child. Vinnie looked down, gripping Enzie’s shirt in fear.

“Very well, Vincenzo. And please make your brother understand not to bother me when I’m busy or he’ll deeply regret this.”, and with that, she went to her bedroom, bottle in hand.

Once she was out of view, Enzie let out a deep sigh of relief and let go of his brother. Vinnie continued to cling on his shirt for a moment. He started crying and buried his head in Enzie’s chest, trying to cover his sobs. The older brother ran his fingers in Vinnie’s hair in a soothing motion.

“Shhh, let it all out. It’s okay to cry.”, Vinnie kept his head where it was, though his sobs became louder. “There you go. It’s alright. Everything’s alright.”, Enzie was right, and Vinnie knew it.

 Vinnie had a new name. He had new clothes.

His siblings supported him.

Enzie told him that, if he did continue to feel like a boy, there could be a few changes for him to do once he’s older, at least if he wished to. Enzie promised he would do anything to make sure these changes happen.

But for now, they did everything that could be done.

 They talked to mamma.

Mamma had accepted him.

 …

He was going to be alright.

As long as he stayed away from mamma, as long as he kept listening to Enzie, everything was going to be fine.

    ---------------

March 22, 2137

  Vinnie didn’t know what to make of Papà.

As far as the six years-old could remember, which wasn’t a lot, papà would show up from time to time starting in January. He would spend the afternoon talking to mamma, or going to her bedroom, and then he would leave.

Papà never stayed the entire night. He never showed up two days in a row.

And once spring was coming to an end, during the first days of July, he would leave and not come back for the rest of the year.

Vinnie was curious about the man. He was his papà after all ! But he never got to interact with him, never got to sit down and talk to him. He wanted to learn who he was, what he liked, why he was only here from time to time and why it was only during winter and spring…

 Vinnie had tried asking his siblings about papà, but none of them gave him a satisfying answer.

Donnie was as lost as he was. He never had an opportunity to talk to papà, always afraid to run into mamma or to have Enzie yell at him for it.

Bettie looked at Vinnie with sad eyes, told him not to go see papà, that he was dangerous. When the brother asked why, the twelve years-old refused to answer.

 As for Enzie…

Enzie didn’t like papà. He said papà was very dangerous, that he didn’t care about them, that the four kids shouldn’t waste their time with him.

Everytime the kids would stumble across him while walking through the house, papà would stop in his tracks to gaze at them with an indecipherable expression. Enzie would immediately shush his younger siblings away, all while glaring at the man. Sometimes, Vinnie would look at his papà and see him glare back at the teen.

 While Vinnie didn’t know much about his papà, since he never got to interact with him, there was at least one thing he was sure of.

 Enzie hated papà.

Papà hated Enzie.

And because of that, Enzie would never let his siblings approach him.

  But one day, Vinnie got an occasion to talk to him.

  Enzie was doing homework upstairs with Bettie. Now that the teenager was in high-school, and with the other siblings old enough to be unsupervised for a while, Enzie decided to spend more time working on his future. In the meantime, Bettie has chosen to step up and help him, looking after her younger siblings if needed.

But right now, neither of them was downstairs. Same thing for Donnie.

 That was how Vinnie found himself peeking inside the living-room where his parents were. His papà was sitting on the couch with his arms and legs stretched out, while mamma seemed to be “making herself a drink” as Bettie called it. The child crouched down at the entrance and listened as his papà talked.

“-shouldn’t be there anyways.”

“You say the same thing every single year, Pietro. And yet, you always come crawling back to me. It’s been more than ten years. Just admit you can’t help it.”

“Just like you can’t help having your load of kids ? Do you have any idea how much they cost me ?!”

“You can stop sending me money any time you want.”, Vinnie could almost hear the laugh in her voice. “But I don’t think your little family will take it very well once I go to ask them for my money.”

Papà grumbled and looked away from her. “You’re the shittiest human being I ever met, Claudia. I hope you know that.”

“You’re no better yourself. Lying and cheating at any given chance. Honestly it’s a miracle she still doesn’t suspect a thing. You two really found each other. So naïve and in denial of the truth about the world. ~ ”

As mamma kept smirking and teasing papà, the man was getting more and more angry. Vinnie could see his hands gripping on the sofa, as if trying to rip it off. This made the child tense up at the prospect of his parents fighting.

“What now ?”, mamma suddenly spat in annoyance. The two adults glanced at Vinnie, and that’s when he realized that he had been anxiously tapping on the doorway’s wall, giving himself away with his noise.

“Umm…hi…”, Vinnie said in a quiet voice, waving awkwardly. Now that he had been caught spying, he might as well show himself more. Who knew, maybe this would be his only occasion ever to talk to papà !

Mamma just huffed and went back to pour her glass, while papà kept his eyes on the child.

“This is the youngest one, right ?”, papà asked. “Viviana ?”

“Vincenzo.”, mamma corrected before Vinnie could. “Turns out your daughter was a son this whole time.”

“And you changed her-his name, without my permission ?!”

“If you have a problem with that, you can talk to Enzo about it.”

Papà looked down, teeth gritted. “This child should learn a little respect.”, he spat.

“Have fun telling him that.”, mamma replied, completely impassive.

“Why don’t you at least try to teach that boy anything ?!”

“I don’t know. Why do you suddenly care about these children ?”, she shrugged. “Besides, Enzo’s almost an adult. He’s not my problem anymore.”

“You’re going to throw him out ?”

“He intends to throw himself out.”, mamma explained. “But maybe if you give us more financial support, he would have half a mind to stay.”, she joked. Papà was not amused at all.

The man punched the couch and fell silent, looking away from the mother and son. For a few moments, Vinnie just stood there, observing the man with hesitation. He knew he should be leaving, now. If Enzie saw him there, his older brother would kill him. But right now, as he felt so close to having a moment with the older man, his curiosity to meet his father was stronger than his fear of consequences.

Eventually, Vinnie saw papà’s fists unclench. This prompted the child to try and make a move. With hope to finally have a conversation with the man, Vinnie tentatively walked to the couch. When the man didn’t move, Vinnie put a hand on his knee.

Still no reaction.

Getting more and more hopeful, the six years-old hopped on his knees. Papà still didn’t move.

Well, it seemed like Vinnie had to start the conversation.

“I…um…”, Vinnie had his hands on his own knees, opening and closing his legs awkwardly as he thought of what to say. “I’m…I’m not Vivie anymore. I’m Vinnie now.”

No response.

After a few seconds, Vinnie started wondering if maybe his siblings were right. If maybe it would be better to just let it go and leave, especially seeing the dirty look mamma was giving him. But before the child could move, something he didn’t expect happened.

 Papà put a hand on his back.

 Vinnie froze and looked up. The man still wasn’t looking at him.

Without much thinking, Vinnie pressed his face against papà’s chest. Suddenly, the hand on his back start moving, reaching his shoulder and slowly rubbing it.

Vinnie looked up as papà looked down at his face. The child smiled but his gesture wasn’t reciprocated. The older man just seemed to study his face, keeping the same neutral expression.

 Vinnie had no idea how much time wet by before papà decided to open his mouth.

“Why are you wearing those ?”, he asked, tapping the corner of Vinnie’s sunglasses.

Vinnie felt himself ready to jump in happiness. Papà was talking to him ! They were having an actual conversation ! He could learn more about him !

But instead, Vinnie did his best to stay calm, letting his only sign of excitement be the rapid movement of his legs. He really didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Besides, thinking of how papà had acted earlier made the child feel intimidated by the man.

“It’s..for my eyes.”, he explained. “The light is bad for my eyes. So I need to wear those. I also can’t see every color without them.”

“How did you get the money for that ?”, the man asked, glancing at mamma. “Why wasn’t I told about this ?”

“You would have known already if you spent more time here taking care of your children, since you suddenly seem to love them so much.”, she replied in a sharp tone. “Or would it be too suspicious for your dearest missus ? ~ ”

Papà didn’t replied, instead looking back at the child still in his lap. Vinnie didn’t really know what the adults were talking about, and he had a feeling it wasn’t something he was supposed to understand. If anybody were to take care of it, it would be Enzie.

 Vinnie was still in his thoughts when papà lifted his head with a finger, taking a better look at his eyes. Remembering his experience at school, Vinnie instinctively grabbed the sides of his glasses in case papà tried to remove them.

“Your eyes…”, the man commented. “They’re different colors ?”

“Uh ? Oh ! Oh yes they are !”, Vinnie was quick to reply. He smiled again, seriously wondering why Enzie was so against them talking to papà. Sure, the man was a bit scary when talking with mamma, but at least he seemed to care about his son. More than mamma at least…Or, well, when he was around at least…

“Vincenzo ?”, papà was moving a hand in front of Vinnie’s face.

“Uh ? Oh ! right ! My eyes !”, Vinnie quickly pointed to his left eye, tapping the glass. “This one is blue. And this one-“, he pointed to his right eye. “is brown. Just like yours !”, he commented with a smile.

“…Sure.”

The man fell silent again and Vinnie looked down, trying to find another thing to say.

“…Sa-“

“VINNIE !”

Vinnie froze at the familiar and booming sound of his oldest brother’s voice.

Uh oh…

“Enz-“, papà tried.

“YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM !”

Enzie ran into the room, snatched the six years-old away and walked out, all while looking at the older man with a murderous stare. Vinnie was able to give one last glance at his parents before the door closed, seeing papà stare in confusion and anger at Enzie while mamma walked towards the man with the same impassive expression, as if she had expected something like that to happen.

With the door now closed, Enzie put his attention onto the scared child.

“WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING BEING WITH THEM ?!”

“I…I just wanted to talk to papà…”, Vinnie sheepishly replied, his head down.

“THAT MAN IS DANGEROUS, VINNIE !”

“But we were just talkin-“

“VINNIE !”

Vinnie fell quiet, finding himself unable to meet his brother’s gaze. He instead focused on the underside of the shirt he was gripping on.

After a few moments, Enzie managed to regain his composure. He sighed.

“Listen, Vinnie. I know you just want to talk to papà, but that man is a bad person. I’ve seen him hurt mamma before, he’s as dangerous as she is, if not more.”, Enzie lifted Vinnie’s head. “I just want you to be safe, polpetto, alright ?”, Vinnie nodded, still avoiding Enzie’s eyes. “Good.”, Enzie kissed his forehead. “Now let’s get back upstairs, alright ? I think I can already hear Donnie calling for you. ~ ”, the teen said in a way that Vinnie knew was an attempt to light up the mood.

“…Alright.”

Enzie held Vinnie’s hand as he led him to his bedroom. Vinnie just followed in silence, stuck into his own mind.

 Enzie was a good person. He took care of Bettie, Donnie and him.

Enzie hated papà, and papà hated Enzie.

But did that really mean that papà was a bad person ?

Was there really no way he could prove that papà was better than Enzie thought ?

…

…Will Vinnie ever get the occasion to talk to him again ?

    ---------------

April 10, 2137

  Enzie and Bettie talked a lot when they were doing homework. Sometimes, Vinnie would hide behind the office’s door to listen to them.

They talked about all kinds of topics. From school to the girls Bettie liked to even Donnie and Vinnie and how annoying the brothers could be at times, making the older duo feel exhausted.

But other times, they would talk about their parents, about how they felt about them.

It was obvious that Enzie hated those kinds of talks. But at the same time, he always seemed to use Bettie’s curiosity as an occasion to tell her to avoid being around them.

Bettie mostly asked questions about the relationship between her parents and why they acted the way they did. Enzie answered as best as he could, but even he barely knew about them.

However, among the flow of questions Vinnie heard Bettie ask, one in particular stood out to him.

 Does mamma have other men in her life ? Does the four of us come from the same papà ?

 When she asked this, Bettie was mostly talking about Donnie and how different the eight years-old looked compared to his siblings.

Curious, Vinnie started to pay attention to the facial features of his family and, soon enough, the six years-old understood what his sister meant :

 Out of all of them, Donnie was the only one who didn’t look like papà at all.

 Enzie was almost a perfect replica of papà. He had the man’s square chin and nose, his thick eyebrows that were more than often furrowed, along with papà’s curly hair that, in Enzie’s case, was slowly growing past his shoulders. Vinnie wondered how much the sixteen years-old hated looking so much like the man he despised more than anyone else. The only real difference between the men was color, with Enzie having mamma’s black hair and blue eyes where papà had brown eyes and light brown hair.

Vinnie was the second closest to papà. Just like Enzie, he had his old man’s chin, nose and curly hair, though his chin wasn’t as pronounced as his oldest brother. Vinnie even had a brown eye and brown hair, even if his hair was darker than papà’s. Aside from that, the child had one blue eye, like mamma’s, and his eyebrows were not as thick as papà’s or Enzie’s.

Bettie, on the other hand, was more of a mix of her parents. While she had a square chin, it was less pronounced, like for Vinnie. She also had mamma’s smaller nose and eyebrows. For the rest, it was all papà’s. She had his brown eyes and curly hair, which she almost always tied into a bun.

Finally, there was Donnie, who couldn’t be more alike to mamma. He had her rounder head, smaller nose, thin eyebrows and her long straight raven hair that he kept in a ponytail. The only thing that made him different from her, aside from height, voice and personality, was his brown eyes that deferred from her ocean blue ones. Though, as Bettie had pointed it out, a lot of people had brown eyes. From her point of view, any man with brown eyes could be Donnie’s father.

  Vinnie never talked about it to Donnie. He didn’t feel the need to.

Even if he did wonder sometimes if they had the same father, it didn’t change the fact that Donnie was his big brother. That Donnie was his best friend and favorite playmate.

Papà or not, Vinnie loved Donnie as much as he loved Bettie and Enzie. If not more.

    ---------------

November 15, 2138

  Today was the day.

It was Enzie’s 18th birthday. The day everything was going to get better. The day they were finally getting away from mamma and papà !

The oldest brother had been talking about it to his siblings for months. Now that he was an adult, he could “have custody of you three instead of losing you to the system”, as he said. Vinnie wasn’t sure if he fully understood what Enzie meant. At least there was one thing he was sure of.

Enzie was trying to protect them no matter the cost. He was willing to do anything for them.

 That’s what led the four of them into a lawyer’s office.

Mamma was there with them. As far as Vinnie knew, she hadn’t shown any objections to her son’s decision and even wanted to help his case, claiming that the fastest the trial would go, the less money she would have to waste.

Mamma was sitting in one of the two chairs of the small office. Vinnie and Donnie were sharing the second one, the two oldest siblings standing between them and their mother. Vinnie was bouncing his legs, squirming a bit in his chair. Several times, Bettie gently nudged him, telling him to stand still, but he simply couldn’t do it.

He was bored.

Enzie and the lawyer were talking things Vinnie didn’t understand. And when he understood, his mind would quickly end up zoning out. He mostly thought about how papà was supposed to be here, wondering what was taking the man so long.

He wished he had his toys with him right now. Or anything else that could distract him.

  It was during a short moment of focus that Vinnie heard the footsteps coming from the hall, getting louder and louder.

The door busted open, revealing a woman the eight years-old had never met before. She had long frizzy brown hair that was slowly falling back on her shoulders after her running. As she entered the room, she pushed her glasses back onto her nose and looked around until her emerald eyes landed on mamma. She glared at the black-haired lady.

“I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it !”, the new woman said.

“Missus Dakota, I presume ?”, mamma replied. She was sitting cross-legged, her arms folded and her eyes closed, seemingly completely unfazed by what was happening. This confused Vinnie. How could she be so calm when some stranger was yelling at her ?

The child, on the other hand, was glancing in fear at the new lady. When the door had opened, he instinctively took hold of Donnie’s shirt. The ten years-old had been quick to return the gesture. Meanwhile, Bettie had gotten closer to the chair while Enzie stood between the three of them and the door, arms stretched protectively.

“To think this all went under my nose for EIGHTEEN YEARS !”, the lady continued. Vinnie’s grip on his brother’s shirt tightened. The lady was taller than mamma, somehow making her even more intimidating in the moment.

 Before mamma could reply, new footsteps could be heard outside. Despite the commotion in the room, all eyes turned towards the door. Two children peeked inside the room. They looked around the same ages as Donnie and Vinnie. But more importantly, their features looked awfully familiar to Vinnie.

Enzie was the first to react.

“Who the hell are you ?!”, he yelled, pointing at the two children. “Who are all of you and what are you doing here ?!”

Before the lady could answer, papà finally arrived, looking at her with an uncertain gaze.

“Serena, you shouldn-“, he tried gently.

“DON’T YOU TRY FINDING EXCUSES !”, the lady replied, her anger now directed towards papà. “HOW DARE YOU HIDE ME ALL THIS ?!”, she continued to yell, cutting papà everytime he was opening his mouth.

 Vinnie started feeling tears form at the corner of his eyes. He was scared. Overwhelmed. He had no idea what was happening aside from “the adults are all fighting”. So naturally, the eight years-old turned his attention towards the one new adult that was always there when he was feeling upset. He moved to sit with his chest against the chair’s back, gripping it tightly. From here, he had a good view of his eldest brother.

 Surely Enzie had the solution to all this. Surely he could make it all better.

At least, that was what Vinnie hoped.

The oldest brother was looking between the different adults in disbelief. Suddenly, he froze with a look of horror, as if he had just understood something really, really bad.

  “YOU HAD A WIFE THIS WHOLE TIME ?!”

  Somehow, Enzie’s booming voice managed to quiet the fighting. The lady -Serena- looked at him in confusion for a second, until her face bared the same shocked expression as the oldest brother.

“You didn’t know…?”, her whisper was barely audible. She glanced at the rest of the siblings. “None of you did…?”, while Vinnie believed she was still angry and could blow at any instant, he felt like there was a hint of sadness in her voice. Was she feeling pity for them ? Why for ? What did Enzie meant ? With everything happening, Vinnie found himself unable to follow.

“Bettina.”, mamma suddenly interrupted. Serena’s expression immediately darkened, as if she had just remembered the other woman was in the room. “Why don’t you take your younger siblings outside ? The adults are talking, and there’s already enough shouting as it stands.”

“I…um”, Bettie glanced at Enzie. The older brother put a hand on her shoulder and Vinnie could hear him whisper “go”. “Alright. Yeah.”, she turned to the boys still on the chair. “Come on, ometti. Let’s go to that playground we saw on the way in.”

Donnie and Vinnie shared a confused look before getting down the chair. The room was deadly silent as Bettie took their hands and led them out, under the adults’ gazes.

Right before the door closed behind them, Vinnie turned around one last time, seeing the adults ready to go at it again under the confused and concerned look of the lawyer.

 He hoped Enzie would be alright…

    --------------

December 3, 2138

  The case had been taken into court. There had been a trial already, during which each sibling had been asked to testify about their living conditions. The younger trio spent their entire time talking about how their oldest brother had been taking care of them for as long as they could remember.

Vinnie didn’t know how to feel about all this. He had a hard time understanding everything. But most importantly, he was getting impatient.

It was obvious that mamma was bad at taking care of them. Why couldn’t the judge see it already ? They should already be on the road by now ! The eight years-old and his brother Donnie had already started to pack. Somehow, they hoped it could make things go faster.

The whole situation had also taken a toll on Vinnie’s grades. He already had trouble at school, between barely finding the motivation to do any homework unless someone was helping him and being seen by his teachers as agitated, more so than the other kids. And now that he had to worry about where he will end up soon, Vinnie simply couldn’t help zoning out in class to think about it.

And after the first trial, it only grew worse.

His teachers had gotten angry and started punishing him for it.

 Vinnie couldn’t wait for Enzie to take them away.

 …

…Enzie…

 These last weeks, the older brother had been…distant. He spent all of his free-time in the office, working on his case. He only helped his siblings with basic things. Mostly food.

But more than that, the eighteen years-old had gotten more aggressive towards his parents since that day in the lawyer’s office. He couldn’t stand being downstairs if mamma was around. He was insulting them at any given chance, including during the trial they had had.

Enzie was also trying to get things to go as fast as possible. He absolutely wanted to leave before spring, before papà was around again.

Or so Vinnie thought he did.

According to Bettie, papà wasn’t going to ever come back home. At first, when the youngest brothers asked why, she refused to answer.

It had been like this ever since the day they met the lawyer. When they came back home that day, Enzie locked himself in a room, eventually letting Bettie in to tell her everything. The two then refused to explain the situation to their brothers.

 That was, until one day.

 Enzie had come back home, looking more stressed than usual. When Bettie went to ask if everything was alright, he snapped at her -something about their parents being the absolute worst-, and went to lock himself in the office. After that, Bettie had gone back to the bedroom, clearly upset by it all. And when Donnie and Vinnie asked her what Enzie meant, she told them the truth that forever changed Vinnie’s perception of his father :

 Their parents never loved them. They never wanted them. At least, not the way they were meant to be wanted.

Their mother was a drug dealer, a criminal. There wasn’t a single penny she earned honestly. Her whole life revolved around getting money through schemes.

 As it turned out, having children had been one of those schemes.

 Mamma and papà met in an alley, in the middle of the night. Mamma had been out to sell illegal substances. Papà had gotten bored being home alone. His wife, Serena Dakota, had a job that led her to leave the country between January and July. They hadn’t been married for long when mamma and papà met. Bettie said it might have been a reason for his actions.

Papà “wanted a good time”, as Bettie said. He was out to meet a few women, doing things the older sister refused to explain to her brothers.

It was while looking for those women that papà ran into mamma. And when she heard what he wanted, she decided to use the situation to her advantage.

“She held him at gunpoint.”, Bettie explained to them. “The first night, Mamma had looked to steal his phone while he was sleeping and found the wedding ring he had been hiding in his jacket. She used that to blackmail him once Enzie was on the way.”

At first, papà had been happy to spend time with mamma. But then, his wife came home and they had to stop seeing each other. A month later, mamma called him out of nowhere.

She was pregnant.

According to Bettie, this had never been papà’s plan. Mamma had promised him that she was being careful. But, as per usual, mamma lied.

Knowing the child was his, she had been able to get money from him, threatening to reveal his secret to his wife. In exchange, papà only asked for two things : being the one to name them, and being able to visit them whenever.

The money had been the reason why mamma would sometimes go out with them or make sure they had good enough clothes or even prevent any of them from dying. She had to pretend like she liked her children. She needed people to believe they were one happy family, or else someone could call child services and “take away her safest source of income”. And while papà visiting them wasn’t part of her plan, it still at least helped her hiding the reality of her parenting.

Bettie believed that papà felt bad for them. The reason why he visited wasn’t because mamma forced him to be there. Sometimes, he just wanted to see his children, make sure they were still alive and well.

 This was no excuse.

 Even with Enzie’s warryness, he had had dozens of chances to talk to them, to be there for them.

At any moment, he could have said the truth to his wife. Instead, he lied to her. He kept her in the dark and made sure she still loved him. He had children with her, children he took care of. Children he loved.

Children he had chosen the name of years before they were born. Names he made sure none of his “other kids” had.

As he was hearing the truth, Vinnie felt like his parents had just thrown one of their bottles on his body, the glass piercing through his chest. For the following hour after Bettie finished explaining, Vinnie had felt empty. He ended up lying in Bettie’s arms, completely frozen, completely unfazed by the world around him.

 Enzie was right.

 Enzie had always been right.

 Their parents were dangerous. Their parents never loved them. Their parents couldn’t care any less about them.

There was no point trying to get their attention, trying to get their affection. They were heartless. They never had the space in their hearts for him.

Vinnie was an unwanted child. They all were.

They were children born from an affair. Used by their monstrous mother to get money from their unconcerned father.

Enzie had been right all along.

…

…

From now on, Vinnie would listen to Enzie. He would listen to everything his older brother says.

Unlike his parents, Enzie loved him. Enzie wanted what was best for him.

Enzie was the only parent he needed.

    ---------------

March 22, 2139

  “It had been clear for a long time now that Ms. Claudia Drowssap and Mr. Pietro Dakota are not fit to take care of their biological children. However, the question of whether or not Mr. Enzo Dakota could take care of said children had yet to be answered. Today, we have chosen an answer to this question.

While we still remain uncertain of his abilities to provide for them, this court had been told that Mr. Dakota found job opportunities along with possible apartments in Napoli. Furthermore, it is painfully obvious that Mr. Dakota is incredibly attached to his siblings and had been their only anchor for most of their life. For their own well-being as well as his, we believe that separating the four of them is out of the question.

Thus, this court is ready to give its judgment. The custody of the present Bettina, Donatello and Vincenzo Dakota will be granted to their brother Mr. Enzo Dakota. Their parents, Ms. Claudia Drowssap and Mr. Pietro Dakota, will have to repair their inaptitude by paying child support for the next five years. Furthermore, Ms. Drowssap and Mr. Dakota Sr are not to be allowed to visit their children. Finally, they will not be able to keep any other child they may have in the future.

If Mr. Dakota Jr decides to file a claim for child abuse, more consequences might come their way.

This court is adjourned.”

  Vinnie couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

 They did it.

 They really did it !

 The banging of the gavel resonated across the room, announcing the end of this session. The end of their last session. Vinnie jumped out of his seat, seeing from the corner of his eyes that he wasn’t the only one. As soon as the way was cleared enough, Bettie and Donnie ran towards Enzie. The youngest sibling immediately followed suit.

They jumped into his arms, all smiles and laughs. Even after they pulled away, the happy chatter remained. Bettie congratulated Enzie excitedly while Donnie was holding onto her, pushing her back and forth. Vinnie himself was jumping in place, his fists shaking left and right in excitement.

 They were finally free ! They could finally get away from mamma and papà !

  After a few more moments of celebration, Enzie led the group outside. They had to go home and pack up. The oldest brother told them they would leave as soon as possible.

 “ENZO !”

 The siblings had barely finished walking down the stairs when they saw papà walking towards them. The man was walking fast, teeth gritted and fists clenched, looking at his oldest son with a murderous glare.

Enzie stood in front of his younger siblings, shielding them with his arms. Afraid, Vinnie went to hug Donnie. When papà was only a few steps away, the eight years-old closed his eyes. He heard the footsteps stop, followed by ruffling and a short grunt. Vinnie felt Donnie tense.

“Are you happy with yourself ?! Are you proud of what you did ?!”

Vinnie dared opening his eyes and almost gasped. Papà had grabbed Enzie by the collar.

“Because of you, I lost my wife ! I lost my home ! I might even lose my job ! All because YOU decided to get involved in MY business !”

“All I did was trying to survive !”, Enzie replied, returning papà’s glare. “I’ll never apologize for that.”

“YOU RUINED MY LIFE !”

“YOU RUINED YOUR OWN LIFE !”, Enzie pushed papà away from him. The older man raised a fist but didn’t hit his son. Instead, he looked as the younger trio protectively put their hands on Enzie.

“Go.”, Bettie spoke up with a shaking voice. “Leave us alone.”

“…”, papà’s glare was now directed at the four of them. “You are all nothing but a bunch of ungrateful bastards.”, he growled.

“What should we be grateful for ?”, Vinnie surprised himself by deciding to speak. He knew he shouldn’t. Papà was dangerous, he could clearly see it right now. Enzie had been right about that, just like for anything else. And Enzie had told him never to talk to papà again.

And yet, the child couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of his mouth.

“Have you ever done anything to us ?! Have you ever cared for us ?! DO YOU EVEN LOVE US ?!”

Vinnie felt tears stream down his cheeks. He started sobbing.

“Vinnie…”, Donnie murmured. The ten years-old held his younger sibling. “shhh. It’s okay.”, he soothed. “It’s okay to cry.”, Donnie let a hand gently run into Vinnie’s hair, copying the way their oldest brother comforted them. The youngest sibling leaned into the embrace, crying into Donnie’s shirt. When he tried opening his eyes, he noticed that papà was looking away, seemingly more upset than angry after what his son said.

 Enzie was the one to break the silence.

 “You’re dead to us.”, he spat. “Don’t ever try to see us again, or they’ll be consequences. And if you don’t keep paying for support, I’ll sue for the child neglect.”, he threatened. “If you think your life is already ruined, you’re not ready for the hell I’m ready to put you through if you ever DARE try anything against us.”

The two men glared at each other for what felt like forever. Enzie’s last words kept replaying in Vinnie’s head. He wondered with dread how serious his older brother was, how far he was willing to go for them.

 Finally, after a painfully long silence, papà started to back away. He walked a certain distance, glared at his chil- at them one last time, and turned away.

Enzie snorted. “Come on.”, he told his siblings. “Let’s go home. We have a lot to do if we want to leave.”

The oldest brother started to walk away, soon followed by his sister. Donnie and Vinnie looked at each other as they pulled away from their hug, before finally following the older duo.

As he followed the group, Vinnie couldn’t help but look around him, look back at the older man.

From afar, the eight years-old noticed mamma. She was looking at the man as well.

Despite everything that had happened, she was smiling.

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

Note : Regarding Vinnie being trans, I’m well-aware that someone doesn’t “become” a boy, they’ve always been one. But since Vinnie is 5 when he realizes that he’s a man, the characters simplify it to “becoming a boy” so that Vinnie can understand easily.

Italian translations :

Mamma : mom

Papà : dad

Piccolina : little one (female)

Polpetto : meatball (apparently it’s a nickname for young kids/siblings)

Patatino : little potato (for some reason I love this nickname)

Ometto : little man (ometti is plural)

Piccino : tiny one

[shoutaaizawas]

Bakugou x OC Messaged Received: Chapter Twenty One

Summary:  Bakugou Katsuki wants to improve his English after enough incidents of tourists getting into trouble. Harper Bailey is hoping to learn enough Japanese to be able to take a trip to Japan one day. They find a site that sets up online pen pals to help them improve in the language they’re learning. When they’re paired together it’s the beginning of a relationship neither of them expected.

Read On AO3 | Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Chapter Twenty One | Next Chapter 

a/n: i’m sorry this chapter took forever to get done, thank you for all your patience

Harper woke up to the soft snores of Bakugou, they hadn’t moved much since they had fallen asleep. Bakugou’s arms were still wrapped around her and she was loosely curled in his arms. She hadn’t expected to learn so much about Bakugou when she asked him last night. It made her happy that he had felt comfortable enough to open up. She was constantly amazed by him. Everything about him just pulled her in more and more. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

She took the time to appreciate the peaceful look on his face as he slept. He was usually a light sleeper but this morning she could tell he was sleeping deeper than normal. It wasn’t shocking, emotions were exhausting. It made her happy that he could get everything off his chest and get a good night of sleep after. She couldn’t resist reaching her hand up and taking his blond locks between her fingers. His hair was so soft, she could play with it forever. Her hand moved from his hair down to his cheek, brushing his soft skin. It wasn’t fair that he had a nicer complexion than her, although from what she understood it had something to do with his quirk. It still wasn’t fair.

Bakugou let out a groan, nuzzling into her hand. The action made her heart flutter and a smile grace her face. He turned his head, pressing a kiss against the palm of her hand. If she thought her heart was beating fast before now it was really going. She was in too deep with him.

“Morning princess.” He said in his deep morning voice, eyes fluttering open to reveal his deep red eyes. Was it possible to die from being flustered? It felt like it was.

“Morning, ‘suki.” She replied, leaning in to press a kiss against his nose. He scrunched up his nose at the action earning a laugh from you. “Sleep good?”

“Really good.” He said, pulling her closer. “Thank you. For last night.”

“Thank you for trusting me. It really means a lot. You can talk to me about anything, I’ll never judge you.” She said and she means it. At this point she’s pretty sure there isn’t anything he could tell her that would make her look at him differently.

Bakugou, in character, doesn’t respond with words but with actions. He boldly took her face in between his hands and kissed her deeply. His kisses make her head swim. She wrapped her arms around him, grabbing at his shoulder blades trying to pull herself closer but there already is no space between them.

The chime of Bakugou’s phone makes him falter but he continues. Another chime makes him pause but he returns to his previous action. One more is what breaks him.

“What the hell do they want.” He growled letting Harper go before rolling over and grabbing his phone. Bakugou let out a deep sigh reading the message.

“What is it?” She asked, tempted to peek over his shoulder but doesn’t want to intrude.

“Suki found out your staying longer and is demanding a girl's day with you.” He groaned.

Harper laughed. She wonders how Suki found out so quickly, Bakugou must have told Kirishima about her changed plans. A part of her is excited at the prospect of hanging out with Suki one-on-one and the other part of her is terrified. No doubt Suki wants to get to know her better, understandably. Kirishima and Bakugou had been friends forever. Suki surely doesn’t want to see her fiance’s best friend hurt by some random girl. And it was clear Suki was close to Bakugou as well. It would only make sense for her to want more information.

“That sounds fun.” She said waiting for Bakugou’s reaction. He gives her a look over his shoulder. “I mean as much as I’d prefer to spend it with you I’m sure Suki wants to get to know me better and I’d like to get to know her better too.”

“Maybe I want to keep you all to myself” He replied. Harper smirks before resting her head against his shoulder and pressing a kiss against the materiel of his shirt.

“It’s just a day.” She told him.

“It doesn’t matter what I tell her, she said she’s coming over in an hour and she won’t take no for an answer.” He said. Harper laughed at that, Suki is a woman who knows what she wants and will get it and she respects her for that.

“Well, I better start getting ready,” Harper says.

Bakugou rolled back over and grabbed Harper, locking her in his arms against his chest.

“What if I don’t let you?” He said with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Then I’m gonna look really bad when she gets here,” Harper replied.

“I don’t think you're capable of looking bad,” Bakugou said before leaning in for another kiss. “Okay, I’ll let you go so you won’t be wearing your bedclothes for the day.”

Harper smiled at him, pressing another kiss against his lips as he let go before getting up to start getting ready. She wanted to look cute for the day, for some reason it almost felt like there was more pressure to look good for a girl’s day than going on a date with Bakugou. She supposed it was because she felt so comfortable around him. Impressing his friends on the other hand was far more daunting.

She made sure to do her make up more thoroughly today, going for fun eyeshadow and some eyeliner. Thankfully Harper had an outfit in mind. She put on a green corduroy skirt with a black shirt with a slight turtleneck to it. She figured she could wear some black boots with it. Walking out in the living room she spotted Bakugou in the kitchen making coffee. He turned at the sound of her entering, giving her an intense look.

“You look amazing.” He said. “I mean you always look amazing.”

Harper laughed at his flustered compliment.

“Suki said you were going to get food but I made you some coffee.” He said handing you a mug.

“Thank you,” Harper said with a smile. She took a sip of the warm coffee and enjoyed its comforting taste. “What are you going to do today?”

“I’ll probably do some chores, I’m sure Kirishima will turn up over here. He gets lonely when Suki’s not home.” He said with a scoff.

“That’s cute.” Harper laughed. “You’ll get a break from me for a while.” She joked.

“I don’t want a break from you.” He said in a serious tone. “But I’m not going to be the kind of boyfriend that won’t let his girlfriend spend time with others. Even if I do want to take all your time.”

Harper’s heart skipped a beat. Sometimes she wondered if he had a book full of lines that will make any girl flustered. It wasn’t just the words but the sincerity in his voice. Bakugou was not one to put on a front for anyone, for better or worse.

She took a page out of his book and replied to his words by grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Harper set her mug of coffee down on the counter giving her a free hand to wrap around him. Bakugou was quick to respond and pulled her closer to him.

“Get a room.” Suki’s teasing voice made them jump, pulling away from each other.

“I’m in my own house, idiot!” Bakugou shouted at her. “I told you not to abuse the spare key I gave you guys.”

“I couldn’t resist,” Suki said with a playful smirk. “I hope you’re ready for a day of fun away from this grump, Harper.”

“I’m excited to see what you have in store.” She said.

“Well say your goodbyes and let’s get going!” Suki said turning towards the front door.

“I’ll see you later, Katsuki,” Harper said turning her attention back to the blond.

“Be safe, call me if you need anything.” He said, cupping her cheek before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

Harper followed Suki out, sparing one last look at her boyfriend. She smiled at him and took in the soft smile he gave her before she closed the door.

“I’m sorry to split you up for the day but I’ve been dying to spend some time with you and when Kirishima told me you’d be spending more time here I thought now I don’t have to feel so bad,” Suki said with a laugh as they entered into the elevator.

“I’m glad you asked, I was hoping I’d get some time to get to know you better,” Harper said.

“So I figured food first, as always. There is this amazing place that has brunch, Americans love brunch right?” Suki asked.

“I don’t know if all Americans do but I certainly love brunch.” Harper laughed.

“Okay, perfect. They have the best food and they have mimosas if you like those. There’s something about brunch that I love. It’s not super popular in Japan but I wish it was. Some of my friends don’t care about it.” She rambled on as they walked towards her car.

“What do you do for work?” Harper asked once they started driving to their destination.

“I’m a lawyer.” She answered.

“Wow, that’s awesome.” She replied. “How did you and Kirishima meet? I know it’s hard for pro heroes to meet people they’re so busy.”

“It’s a funny story. Well maybe not funny but I think it’s pretty cute.” She started with a smile on her face. “I snuck out of the office to grab a coffee and there was a villain attack. I got caught in it somehow. Bakugou and Kirishima were there and Kirishima saved me. I broke my leg but it didn’t stop me from asking him out on a date. I mean have you seen him in his hero costume. My neck could have been broken it wouldn’t have stopped me from asking him out.” She said with a laugh.

“Wow, that’s one way to meet a guy.” Harper laughed.

“He visited me in the hospital and brought me coffee and flowers and we scheduled our date.” She explained. “And the rest is history. I mean he’s nearly perfect, it’s a little unfair. He’s so patient and loving with me, there was no chance of me not falling in love with him.”

They reached the restaurant fairly quickly and most of the car ride was filled with conversation of Suki gushing about how much she loved Kirishima. It was really sweet, they seemed like a perfect match. They both were high energy people and they always seemed in sync.

The restaurant was beautiful, it reminded her of the trendy cafes back home. It was decorated with plenty of plants which was an easy way to impress Harper. They were seated on the patio outside, the weather was perfect for it.

The menu had a good selection of brunch items. They both ordered a mimosa to start before choosing what food they wanted. Harper instantly picked the french toast knowing she would love it. Suki ordered the avocado toast.

“Okay, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m sorry if I come off as rude but when I want answers I go for it.” Suki started. Harper felt nervous, not that she was scared by Suki but she knew she was someone close to Bakugou and she didn’t want to disappoint. “Kirishima cares about Bakugou, I care about Bakugou. He’s been through a lot and we both want to see him happy. We all want to see him happy.”

“Of course.” Harper nodded.

“None of us know you very well and from what I’ve seen of you I like but I’m going to be direct. What are your intentions with Bakugou?” The question laid heavy in the air.

Harper hesitated, it was a big question and she didn’t want to fumble her words. She wanted to say something that reassured Suki that she wasn’t here to use Bakugou or play with his feelings in any way.

“I- I care about Katsuki, more than I’ve ever cared about anyone in my life. I never expected to meet him much less to get attached to him but I guess life can throw unexpected things at you. Honestly, I don’t know how we're going to make things work with the distance between us but I’m going to do whatever I can to make us work. I care about him so much, I just want to see him happy.”

Suki studied her face intently, looking for any hint of deceit.

“You don’t seem like the type to lie.” She finally said, relaxing. “Bakugou isn’t the type to do things half-way. I’ve never seen him in a relationship so the fact that he’s dating you is really big. It means he’s invested. He strives to be the best at anything he does and that includes relationships. I just don’t want to see him hurt.”

“I don’t want to see him hurt either and I’ll do anything to keep him from being hurt.” She reassured.

“Okay I trust you, you seem like a very open person. But if you hurt him it’s not gonna be pretty” Suki said.

“I’d expect nothing less from people who love their friend,” Harper said. She wasn’t offended in any way, she knew her friends would do the same for her.

“Now that we settled that we can go back to the fun,” Suki said throwing her hands in the air.

“So I don’t have a proper invitation but I wanted to personally invite you to my wedding,” Suki said. Harper’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She had seen the invitation on Bakugou’s fridge but didn’t know the date. “Since your going to be here longer the wedding is in two weeks and we would both be so happy to have you there. I mean Bakugou has his plus one and he was going to take you regardless but I wanted to invite you.”

“Thank you so much. I would love to go!” Harper said with a big smile.

“Perfect,” Suki said. “I thought we could go shopping and look for a dress for the wedding unless you already have something you'd like to wear."

"No, I don't that would be perfect." Harper replied.

"Great, I love shopping, it’s been a while since I’ve had time to do it.”

“Two weeks will go by so quick, how is the planning going?” Harper asked.

“We got a planner so that’s helped. All of the big things are done, venue, cake, flowers, decorations. We’re both so busy it was hard to find the time to pick out what we wanted.” She laughed. “I do still need to pick out my dress…”

“You don’t have your dress?!” Harper exclaimed, gaining the attention of some of the others in the cafe. She gave a bashful look before lowering her voice. “You don’t have a dress?” She repeated.

“No, like I said I’m pretty busy.” She said nonchalantly.

“You have two weeks left, you need a dress,” Harper said.

“I guess we can look around today, in fact, I think there’s a dress shop where I wanted to take us shopping.” She said.

Harper laughed, she was surprised that Suki wasn’t worried about finding a dress. For most brides that was their biggest priority.

The rest of their brunch was filled with conversation and laughter, it was nice to have time to get to know each other. Harper could tell that she and Suki would get along well.

After brunch, they headed to the mall. The set up was similar to the malls in America but of course, almost all the stores were unfamiliar.

“Let’s look for you first,” Suki said pointing at a nice dress store.

“Are you sure? Your dress is kind of important.” Harper said.

“It’s fine let’s go.” She said dismissively.

The store was pretty big and had a wide variety of dresses to choose from. It was a bit overwhelming. She didn’t quite know where to start.

“What’s the dress code?” Harper asked.

“Black tie,” Suki answered. “Anything floor-length should do. What’s your favorite color? Green would look good with your skin tone.” She said looking around at the wracks of clothing.

“I do love green,” Harper said following behind her.

Suki looked at a wrack full of green dresses thoughtfully before grabbing a few and handing them to her.

“Try these on, let’s find the dressing room.”

Harper followed Suki to the dressing room and entered one of the stalls. The dresses were all similar shades of deep green. The first one she tried on was a long sleeve dress, it was fitted and reached the ground. It was a bit of a struggle to get into, not necessarily because of the size but it was just a bit awkward.

Once it was on she walked out giving her best model on a runway walk over to Suki who was waiting by a mirror.

“Hmm, I don’t mind it but I’m not feeling it.” She said with a hand on her chin. “We want something that will make Bakugou’s jaw drop.”

Harper laughed at Suki’s comment. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking something similar to that. Of course, Harper wanted a dress that she would like but she was more excited to see his reaction to it than anything else.

“I’ll try the next one.” She said returning to the dressing room. This one had a strapless sweetheart neckline and was more flowing. She returned to show Suki but got another neutral look.

“What do you think?” Suki asked.

“I’m not feeling this one either,” Harper replied.

“We’re on the same page.” Suki laughed.

Harper returned to try the last one on. This one had a halter neckline with an open back, a cinched waist, and a flowing pleated skirt. Immediately Harper felt good putting it on. The way it moved around her felt nice. She opened the door to show Suki.

“Oh, now we’re talking. Now, this is a dress.” She said.

Harper approached the large mirror, twirling in front of it to see all the angles. She had to agree with Suki. This was the perfect dress.

“I love it,” Harper said.

“I’m a bit scared you’re going to show me up in that.” She teased.

“I guess we’ll just have to find an even better dress for you now that I found one for myself,” Harper said with a laugh.

“I guess you’re right,” Suki said. “Alright, let’s get you that dress and I guess it’s my turn.”

Harper paid for the dress, carrying the dress out in a black garment bag. They moved on to a smaller dress shop, one that specialized in wedding dresses. Harper noticed that Suki looked a bit nervous.

“Hello, ladies. What can I do for you?” The woman that worked at the store asked. Suki didn’t answer so Harper stepped in.

“We’re looking for a wedding dress for my friend here.” She answered.

“Of course! Let me lead you guys to a seat and I’ll get some dresses to get a feel for what you’re looking for.” She said. They followed her to a couch in the store, sitting down while she disappeared for a moment.

“Suki, are you okay? Did you want to do this with your friends or your family? I wouldn’t be offended at all.” Harper said.

“It’s okay,” Suki said waving her hand. “It’s not that, my friends are too busy and I’m not very close with my family.”

“I’m sorry, are you sure that there’s not any time your friends could do this with you?”

“Honestly, I don’t have very many close friends.” She said, looking a bit ashamed. “I was so focused on school trying to get my law degree then once I was out I was always working. The only people I ever got close to were coworkers and well even then they weren’t that close.”

“That’s okay, it happens,” Harper said. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed by that. You have Kirishima and he cares about you so much and now you have me as your friend.” She said with a smile.

“Thank you, Harper. That means a lot.” She said. “The only girls I’m close to are Kirishima’s friends Mina and Jirou. We would hang out more but it’s so hard for our schedules to line up. I feel bad asking them to take time off for this when they’re out there saving people.”

“Suki, I’m sure they could take a few hours off for their friend.” She said. “Actually, hold on for a second.”

Harper stood up, walking out of the store for a moment to make a call. The phone rang once before it was picked up.

“Harper, are you okay?” Bakugou’s voice came over the line concerned. The sound of his voice warmed her heart, she hadn't been gone for more than three hours and she was missing him more than she'd like to admit.

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” She assured him. “I was calling because I was wondering if you could call Mina and Jirou and see if they could meet up with us at the mall for an hour or so to help Suki with some shopping.”

“Okay… I can ask them.” He said sounding confused but he didn’t question.

“Thank you so much, babe!” Harper said with a smile.

“Babe?” He repeated back.

“Oh, uh sorry. I can not use that if you do-”

“I’m not complaining.” He stopped her. “I’ll call them right now and text you in a second.” He said before hanging up.

Harper stood there staring at her phone for a moment, a light blush on her cheeks. She hadn’t meant for the pet name to slip but it felt so natural. At least he didn’t mind. She figured that she’d wait until he texts her before going back in. She watched as people walked by with their friends and family shopping bags in hand.

For the first time since her kidnapping she was alone in public, the realization hit her and she wasn’t expecting the sense of dread that washed over her. Her heartbeat picked up and her breathing shallowed. She stared at her phone hoping Bakugou would text her quickly.

Her phone chimed and she read his text.

They are free, I told them what mall you’re at they’re on their way.

The text gave her some relief but she wasn’t expecting the hand on her shoulder. Harper gasped turning to face the person who touched her, her heart racing even faster now. Suki stood there with a concerned look on her face.

“Are you okay?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, sorry. I was just calling Katsuki.” She explained. “Mina and Jirou are heading over here, you should text them what store we’re at.”

“Wait, really?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, picking out your dress should be something you can do with your friends. I’m sure they’re excited to be a part of it. I know I am.”

“Harper, thank you so much.” She said. Harper could spot the tears welling up in her eyes. “Can I hug you?”

“Yeah.” Harper smiled, reaching out for her.

Harper was glad that she had been able to help in whatever way she could. She understood how it was probably intimidating to be surrounded by a bunch of pro heroes. Harper was in the same situation but she had yet to meet all of Bakugou’s friends but she was sure she would feel the same way Suki did. She often felt like she was bothering her American friend Lily when she invited her to do stuff but Lily had once told her how much she loved getting a break from her work and getting to do normal things.

Harper and Suki headed back in the store letting the worker know that they were waiting for her friends. In the meantime, she took Suki’s measurements and they looked at some catalogs while waiting.

“If this isn’t the best two for one deal in my entire life.” A voice said. Suki and Harper turned to the door. A woman with pink skin and hair and an eccentric outfit stood there next to a woman with dark hair and a leather jacket. “Helping Suki pick out a wedding dress and meeting the woman who caught our Bakugou’s eye. You can’t beat that.”

“You’re going to scare her off before we introduce ourselves.” The woman with dark hair said.

“C’mon she’s dating Bakugou I doubt I could scare her off.” She joked. “You must be Harper, I’m Mina.” She said before approaching and offering her hand.

“It’s nice to meet more of Bakugou’s friends,” Harper said.

“He probably hiding you away cause he thinks we’ll tease him relentlessly,” Mina replied with a laugh. “Not that he’s wrong.”

“I’m Jirou, it’s nice to meet you.” She said shaking her hand.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Harper said.

“For Suki, we would have ran over here.” Mina smiled.

“Thank you guys,” Suki said giving both of them hugs.

“Alright girl, let’s see you in some dresses.” Mina cheered.

They sat down and the worker returned. Mina and Suki mentioned some dress types that they thought would look best while Harper and Jirou got to chat a little bit. The worker placed some dresses to try in the dressing room and the girls sat back and waited for Suki to get dressed.

The first couple of dresses were too frilly or too plain. Mina was the first to comment, very sure in her opinion of the dresses. Harper usually agreed with what Mina was saying and Jirou was quite but had very thoughtful input. The next few were more in the right direction but just didn’t suit Suki.

Harper was laughing at a joke Mina made when Suki stepped out. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, the top half had intricate lace that went down the chiffon of the bottom half. The chiffon was floor-length and flowing. There were straps that were almost unnoticeable but at the top of the shoulders had more chiffon that draped down elegantly.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“That’s it!” Mina said excitedly. “I mean if you like it that’s the dress.”

“I agree, it’s beautiful,” Harper added.

“It kind of reminds me of Kirishima’s hero costume in a way,” Jirou mentioned.

“You’re not wrong,” Mina agreed.

“What do you think?” Harper asked.

“I love it, I really love it,” Suki said with a watery smile.

The girls cheered, excited for their friend. They all got up and hugged her. It didn’t take long for it to get paid for and conveniently enough the dress they had was already the perfect size for Suki.

Suki thanked the girls for coming and they told her how happy they were to be there for such an exciting moment. They said their goodbyes and headed out leaving Suki and Harper alone again.

Time had flown by and it was getting later in the day.

“I don’t want to keep you from Bakugou the whole night, I’m sure he’s dying to see you.” She teased. “I’ll get you home. But I have a request, could you keep the dress at Bakugou’s until the wedding. I don’t want Kirishima to see it yet.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” Harper agreed.

“I don’t think he will, but he might get a bit too excited seeing you walk in with a wedding dress.” Suki teased.

Harper nearly choked on her laugh.

They headed to the car and started heading home. Harper realized how tired she felt, shopping was always far more exhausting than it should be.

“Thank you for today,” Suki said as they drove home. “I don’t know if you understand how much that meant to me. I’ve always struggled with inviting them to things. It’s not ever because they make me think they don’t like me it’s just so easy to feel so small next to all these amazing heroes. Especially when you don’t have a quirk.”

“I’m really glad I could help, I don’t want you to miss out on anything that should be memorable for you.” Harper said.

“I think I see how you got Bakugou. There’s something about you that’s impossible not to like.”

It was hard for Harper to find the right words to express how much she appreciated her words.

“Thank you, Suki.” Harper replied wishing she had something better to say.

Once they returned home Harper hopped off the elevator with both her own dress and Suki’s wedding dress in a see-through garment bag.

“See you later, Harper.” Suki said.

“Goodnight, thank you for today.” She said before the elevator doors closed.

Harper made her way to Bakugou’s door, knocking. The door opened so quickly that she wondered if he had been standing there.

Seeing him standing there, dressed in black sweatpants and a black shirt, his hair ruffled so accidentally perfectly she realized how much she had missed him in the few hours she had been gone.

She couldn’t resist practically jumping into his arms, trying to wrap her arms around him as much as she could with the dresses in her hands. The crinkle of the bags made her pause and step back.

“I probably shouldn’t let this dress get ruined.” She said looking at it.

Bakugou’s eyes widened at the sight of the white dress.

“Don’t you think it’s a little soon for that.” He questioned.

“What?” She looked at the dress in her hand. “Oh! Wait. No, it’s Suki’s. She didn’t want Kirishima seeing it.”

“I figured.” He teased.

“Oh,” She said with an awkward laugh.

“Is the other one yours?” He asked looking at the other garment bag.

“It is, Suki, invited me to the wedding so we went shopping for dresses,” Harper explained. “But what I got is a surprise.”

“Oh really?” He said quirking an eyebrow. Bakugou opened up a closet door near the entryway it was fairly empty other than a few coats. He took the bags from you and hung them up in there. “Then I guess I’ll just have to wait.” He said with a smirk. “Are you hungry?” He asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t realize how much time had passed.” She answered.

“I’m making dinner now.” He said, at that Harper realized the delicious scent in the apartment. “Did you have fun?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen, Harper followed close behind.

“Yeah, I’m really happy I got to be a part of that and I’m glad I got to invite Mina and Jirou. Thank you for helping me with that. Suki really appreciated it. I thought her friends should be there to help her pick out her dress.” Harper said. “I like Suki, her and Kirishima really care about you.”

Bakugou turned from the stove to give you a look.

“Did she say anything weird?” He asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary from a friend who cares.” She answered. Bakugou relaxed at that but still looked suspicious.

“Do you want to watch a movie while we eat?” He asked.

“That sounds nice.” She answered.

“It’ll be done in about thirty minutes if you want to change or take a shower.” He said.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Harper said. “I’ll be right back.”

Harper couldn’t resist giving Bakugou a peck on the cheek before retreating into the bedroom to grab her clothes and take a shower. She was quick to wash up and dry off, putting on her comfy clothes before returning to the living room.

“Do you need any help?” She asked.

“No, it’s done.” He said from the kitchen.

Harper shrugged and sat down on the couch getting comfy. It didn’t take long for Bakugou to enter with two bowls of soup in hand. He handed her the steaming bowl and she happily accepted.

“This smells amazing, thank you ‘suki.” She said smiling at him, her smile grew at the sight of his own smile. He must have missed her a lot to be smiling so big at her. The thought made her heart flutter.

The food of course was amazing. They both ate pretty quickly, once they were done Harper took both of their bowls refusing to let Bakugou clean up. He argued a bit but she refused to let him win this. It took her just a moment to wash the bowls, Bakugou was a very clean man and he cleaned as he cooked leaving few dishes.

After she was done she returned to Bakugou on the couch. The sight of him, sitting there relaxed made her heart flutter. She really did miss him so much. What was she going to do when she went home? How was she supposed to sleep without being in his arms? Waking up with him every morning. They spent almost every moment of the day together how was she supposed to be so far away from him. The thought made her heart hurt.

She walked over to Bakugou on the couch, standing there for a moment before she got the courage to sit down. The thing was she wasn’t going to sit on the couch but instead on his lap. Did she feel like a needy cat looking for attention? Yes. Would it stop her? No.

Bakugou looked slightly surprised at her action but was quick to circle his arms around her and keep her steady as she wrapped her arms around him before she pressed her head into his neck.

“I missed you.” She said her words muffled.

“I missed you too.” He admitted. “I didn’t know what to do without you.”

Bakugou keeps one hand pressed against the small of her back to keep her close to him. The other hand rests at the base of her neck, playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. The way he holds her makes her feel so secure.

Harper turned her head to rest on his shoulder, looking up at the vulnerable expression on his face. His red eyes meet hers and her heart skips a beat.

Like an ocean wave, rising from calm waters and crashing down in an instant, Harper is flooded with emotions she had been trying to hold in. The way he looks at her, the way he treats her, the way he talks to her. Everything he does with her is so soft and delicate compared to how he treats others. It’s not because he looks down on her or thinks she’s weak, no. Everything he does is loving and kind. It comes from the deep respect he has for her.

Harper has to confront the hard truth that scares her. She loves Bakugou Katsuki.

[pebblysand]

OF CRYSTAL ROSES (EXTENDED AUTHOR’S NOTE OF CHAPTER VI. OF CASTLES)

-- TO READ THE CHAPTER ITSELF, SEE HERE ON AO3 --

well, well, well. here we are. spoiler alert, gryffindors make plans they don’t stick to, lolz. all the good intentions in the world, i had. study, i said i would. yet, here were find ourselves, eighteen thousand words later. this appears to be how i roll. slept about five hours last night, too, so apologies if i’m slightly non-sensical/rambly. this chapter ought to be sponsored by deliveroo and teapigs tea, a brand of tea that appeared in my local supermarket a few moths ago and that i steadily refused to buy because - can tea really be worth this much? low and behold, once you’ve tried it once, it appears to be addictive. i’ve, while writing this chapter, worked my way through about four packs of their different teas - they are just this good. i have a job interview tomorrow so wish me luck in gaining employment which will hopefully fund my expensive habits.

now, before we get into the nitty gritty of the chapter, itself, i just needed to say this: i cannot thank everyone enough for the incredible response on last chapter. i’d kind of grown accustomed to getting a couple of reviews for each of them and to writing in my little corner of the internet but boy, you guys are bloody legends! i am so overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who commented, kudo-ed and generally gave love to this fic in general. i really didn’t expect such a response and it’s meant the world to me. i think it’s probably also the reason why i’m posting so early because i kept being like, god, i can’t leave this many people waiting in this cliffhanger hell. i think this chapter ends on a more positive note (although, i’ll let you judge), one that might be more conducive of a few weeks’ wait (more on that below), haha.

this being said, as i explained on here before, i come from very tiny fandoms where basically everyone knows each other and the number of people reading would usually fit in my flat. the fact that over 80 people are now subscribed to this fic just blows my fucking mind. you’re all magnificent and i love you. i try to respond to all the comments so let’s keep chatting if you feel like it (although, no pressure - comment if you want to, but do know that it makes me very happy when you do :)). you’re all fabulous and i wish you all the best!

anyway, spoilers for castles, chapter vi under the cut.

guys, guys, guys, i am so tired. i’ve spent four days editing almost 20,000 words and my brain is fried. but, we are officially at the halfway point of this story, yaaaay!!! my plan, at this point, is that we’ll have six chapters on each side but even if i do end up splitting this one later (more on this below) i’ll end up with seven chapters on each side so either way - yay to the end of act 1!

i think that’s also why i tried to turn this chapter around this quickly. to me, i always kind of saw this fic as having two parts. part 1: the immediate post-war aftermath with the heartache and the love-fast/burn-fast start to harry/ginny. part 2: a slow and actually healthy rebuild of their relationship, and of the world around them. i have genuinely been writing towards that last harry/ginny scene in this chapter for months. it feels like such a relief to finally have that weight off my shoulders. and i actually do think it’ll allow me to focus on study later. act one is finished, and act two can wait a bit, i suppose.

now, obviously, given that i already apologised last time, part of me still wants to apologise for the length of this chapter, even more so, actually. it sits at about 18,000 words which, by nanowrimo’s standards, is over a third of a full book, wtf. yet, you guys also said last time that you didn’t actually mind long chapters, so perhaps i shouldn’t beat myself up too much?

as i said in the a/n, this is a little bit of different set up than chapter v. though. i know exactly where to split this. as you’ve probably seen by now, there’s a very natural split point after harry has his breakdown on the couch with ginny, before Christmas properly "starts." the reason i didn’t split this one there, though is: a) selfish: i needed to get this out. stop working on it. i need to study. when it’s out, i’m not thinking about it anymore. it would have been a bit non sensical to split this just for the sake of it and post two chapters at once, which means i probably would have held onto the second part for another couple of weeks, and fuck that. additionally, b) you may not have noticed this but: the chapter titles rhyme. why did i bring this additional difficulty upon myself, i do not fucking know. especially because i will soon run out of one-word construction materials to draw from, lol. as a result, though, i need an even number of chapters to close out this story and because i’m sort of planning six chapters from now to the end (more on that below) i can’t really split this one right now. like, if i end up with another overlong chapter in the next few months, i probably will take that opportunity and go back and split this one, just for readability. but at this stage, at this stage, because i don’t know how many chapters i’ll have for act two (six or seven), i’m keeping this chapter like this for the time being. i kind of hope i end up with seven chapters on the other side and am able to split this one down the line, but we will see. in the meantime, my most sincere apologies to the folks who read fanfiction before bed and it’s now 4 am by the time you’ve finished this. i’ve been there before, believe me.

from a personal standpoint, though, i have to say, this chapter (compared to the last one) was incredibly easy to write. i think i’d spent so much time imagining and writing these scenes in my head as kind of a culminating point for the first half of the story, that it quite simply poured out. i did have a little bit of an everything is shit crisis yesterday and today, but sure look, that always happens. overall, i am quite happy - i think - with the end result.

now, when i say "easy to write" i mean, technically, easy to find words to write down what was in my head. i do not mean: easy to write on an emotional level. oh boy. i’m generally not a crier. i have been asked, a number of times, by people who said my writing made them cry: do you cry when you write, too? and my answer was always ‘no’. i don’t judge, but i’m just not that kind of person. i know people who cry every day but personally, we are in the middle of a pandemic, my father recently passed away, i’ve lost my job and am studying for an exam my life is pretty dependent upon, and i haven’t cried in months. yet, i swear, there were a couple of times, both writing this and editing it, when i had to step away from the screen because i could feel a lump in my throat. that had never happened to me before. i didn’t, like, bawl or anything but god i felt it. i don’t know if it’s because it’s my first time killing an oc, someone who was really mine but boy. giulia. i kept trying to find ways not to kill her, or apologising to her. to me, she’s tom’s last victim and that really, fucking hurts. if you’re hurting too, i don’t really know what to tell you. i’m sorry, i suppose. her death was needed for … plot purposes, lol. god, i’m the worst haha.

re:harry/ginny: i must say i really like where they end up, at the end of this. i had planned this to a certain extent. i was always under the impression that they would talk over christmas, but not get back together. however, the reason why they weren’t getting back together, in my head, was initially quite different. i initially didn’t have ginny dating someone else. i think i mentioned i was toying with the idea in the a/n for last chapter, but at the time i wasn’t truly sold on it. then, i ended up writing the scene i’d originally planned for them and it didn’t quite fit. what i’d planned, at the time, felt rather ooc for ginny when actually on paper. on the other hand, harry, under my fingertips, kept trying to kiss her and i kept hitting the delete button. i swear, i know it sounds weird to people who might not be writers but sometimes, your characters really do seem to have their own agendas. when i caved, let him kiss her, then the scene took on a different meaning, and, i hope, a better one. i think something clicked there and it feels like a good place for act one to end. obviously, they’ll get back together cause this follows cannon so you know, not much suspense there. it’s more about the how than the what, to me.

re:ginny’s letters: this idea came to me a while ago, actually. i was thinking that they’d need to talk about what happened last year, but i was kind of struggling on the how. having character a tell a story to character b is always a bit difficult, in writing, because it can quickly end up being boring. like, when ginny tells harry about christmas last year and lupin, in this chapter, telling that in dialogue is already rather long an laborious, and it’s overall such a short story. for harry, it’s easy. i’m in his head so he can just say ‘he told her about the hallows’ and the dialogue can be about their reaction, rather than the events itself. but ginny, she needs to share facts, as well as feelings. and doing that through long monologues just didn’t appeal. first, it’s quickly boring and second, it’s also kind of ooc. she’s not giulia, you see.

i did entertain the idea of completely skimming past it. ‘she told him about last year and he was horrified.’ - moving on. but, i don’t know, that didn’t feel quite right either, because i think they need to exchange, and talk, and that just felt like a copout. also, to be honest, it’s a very difficult story to tell. like, i’ve seen people in fics being like ‘so, harry sat down all of the weasleys and told them everything the trio did in seventh year,’ and i’m like that’s so difficult, though. sitting someone down and telling them all about your trauma, with little preamble, just setting it all out there, i can’t imagine ginny (or, frankly, most people) actually doing that, you know? we reveal bits of ourselves bit by bit, not all at once.

then, it hit me: she’s a writer, isn’t she? at least, she is canonically in first year, with not only the diary but also the poems, then writing for the prophet. obviously, the diary thing would have riled her up a bit but i do think in the end, she would probably have been like: no, i won’t let him take writing away from me, you know? so yeah, letters. daily letters. you won’t see all of them in next chapter, but probably quotes from the most important ones, things that harry reads. that’s where he gets his facts about her story last year, and then they can focus on their feelings about it. fab! something to look forward to, haha.

now, re: the future. as i said, we are entering act two. act two will gradually become more "fun" and fluffy, i suppose, but i won’t lie, we will be keeping the same happy/sad vibe that a lot of you have commented on with this fic. it exists for a reason (as i said, life is about sex, but it’s also about funerals). as i said before, this fic is, above all, an exploration of what ‘all was well’ actually means.

this being said, this isn’t an 8th year fic. there is a very specific future pov from which this fic is being narrated, and that’s in october 2027 (i know, precise). obviously i have 28 years to get through in act two so that will affect the way that the timeline is designed. it will obviously be more spread out, especially in the later chapters. this being said, while i have about a million of ideas for all the space in between and a very clear view of what the last chapter will be, the exact layout of each chapter is still slightly blurry. i haven’t sat down to put all my ideas in chronological order yet, as well as into some sort of chapter structure, which is also why i can’t really tell if it’ll be six or seven chapters in the end. all of this to say, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done.

this means that, as i said in the a/n, i don’t think you’ll get next chapter until at least, may. please don’t think that this means i’ll be abandoning this fic or anything, it’s just that i’ll be doing work you probably won’t see. i’m probably going to take the rest of march off writing to study (bar maybe a roar-series Harry&Hermione friendship one shot? maybe) then take april to plan and write as much of the next chapters i possibly can. ideally, by the end of april i can have a first draft of the whole thing. i desperately want to write as much as i can now that I’m jobless in the hopes that when i do find a job (again, interview tomorrow, pray for me), i can just have editing to do at the weekends. but we all know i relate to harry on a very deep level when he says ‘when have our plans ever worked, anyway?’ so we will see, haha.

anyway, these were all the thoughts off the top of my head, re: this chapter. if you have any questions or other things you’d like me to ramble about, feel free to send in questions, my ask box is always open. i know i probably think about this fic (and hp) way too much but i’m an extrovert and my hobbies used to include travelling, pints at the pub, dating and, well, there’s none of that anymore, is there, lol? the uk has stolen our vaccines (fucking brexit) so here’s to being obsessed with fictional worlds i wish i could live in for a while longer,

i will now go and endlessly refresh my email for reviews and kudos, like the attention seeking basic bitch i am haha.

have a fab evening, everyone!

[twriteskpop]

ADRENALINE (Jungkook AU x OC )

The silence of Delilah's apartment was the welcome letter to the thoughts penetrating her sleepless mind. Between work and the drama she had escaped from not too long ago,  she had plenty to think about.  However,  Delilah was tired of letting the poisonous brain seep into every gyrus her brain had. A year ago she would have just smoked marijuana and used that as a sort of pest control for trauma. She'd given that up after she moved back to Florida,  calling it a cleansing.  392 days of the protruding thoughts finally caught up to her. Tempted by her neighbors that she grew close to,  she held strong.  They had offered her the green substance many times considering they were never sober,  except in slumber.  The neighbors reminded Delilah of Dank and Dabby from the Netflix series Disjointed. They were always high on marijuana, were comical,  but had hearts of gold. They lived in the apartment beside her and were friendly with her from the day she moved in, 392 days before.

Delilah was strong, but even Superman had his weakness. Superman had kryptonite,  Delilah had her thoughts. She needed them to go away even for a brief period of time.  

Delilah pushed the salad bowl off of her lap and onto the coffee table. She picked up her phone and began texting her neighbors. Instantly,  she got a response. Bennet and Clarissa were two kind hearted people who became two of the only people Delilah could call friends and they were well aware of this,  so they kept an eye out for her. This included always being available to talk.  

It was no shock to Delilah as her phone buzzed and Clarissas name popped up on her screen.  She clicked open her phone and read the grey bubble: Hey D!  Btw, our dog climb over to ur balcony again? Delilah pushed herself off of the couch and walked over to her sliding glass door.  For what seemed to be the tenth time this month,  the golden Retriever had been laying on her empty balcony,  enjoying the cool weather. The balconies were connected by one wall that was waist high for a 5'3 person.  It may have not been the best architecture but she didn't expect any less for how cheep the rent was. Delilah reached over the wall and knocked on the glass door. Clarissa came walking out eating what looked to be a triple chocolate chip cookie. Delilah smiled at her taller friend and pointed to the ground,  "Tuck likes my balcony more,  apparently." Clarissa finished the last bite of her cookie and asked for Delilah to meet her in the breezeway.  

Delilah beckoned Tuck inside her apartment and out the front door where Clarissa had been waiting.  Tuck sat beside Clarissa as she spoke,  "thanks girl. We have some cookies we made,  some without… you know, we made those ones just for you.  We were going to bring them in the morning but then you texted. Speaking of,  what did you need?" Delilah took a deep breath and smiled up at her neighbor,  she must have just retouched her bright red hair because it looked more like a fire truck on this day,  than ever before.  "I would actually like one of the special cookies.  And a number… to your supplier. If that's okay?" Clarissa flicked a brow up at her in suspicion.

"You a narc now?" She scrunched her perfectly arched brows. Delilah shook her head,  letting out a slight chuckle,  "I'm starting to forget why I quit in the first place." Clarissa frowned and pulled out her phone. She typed frantically and Delilah felt a buzz in her pocket.  "Thanks," Delilah smiled. Clarissa went inside her own apartment and put the dog inside,  returning soon after with a Tupperware bowl of cookies.

"The wrapped ones are the special. We were about to start a movie if you wanted to come over?" Clarissa informed,  leaving her apartment door open just enough for them to enter.  However,  Delilah was exhausted and had an opening shift at the diner so she politely declined. She walked back into her apartment,  placing the cookies on the counter,  unwrapping the marijuana one and went to lay down.  The cookies smelled rich of cocoa and were soft at the first bite. She could hardly taste the thc,  which means it was very well made,  and with every bite she felt like her tongue was sitting in a bath of chocolate.  It was heaven.

Clarissa and Bennet were Delilahs first friends when she moved back,  and became like family over the year.  They hung out multiple times a week and always did favors for each other.  She knew she could pay for the cookies in dog sitting later.  

It took twenty minutes of mindless scrolling through Instagram for the thc to kick in and slowly,  and quietly,  she fell asleep.

For the first time in months,  Delilah woke up to the sound of her bird song alarm without wanting to throw her phone through the glass window. She woke up refreshed.  She sat up from her bed,  walked over to her shower and began getting ready for the day.  She works in a 50's style diner with a perverted boss named Tim,  so her uniform was a short poodle skirted dress,  50's style shoes,  and hair in a high pony with a matching bow. It was a cute uniform,  but the sexual harassment that came as an accessory was not.

She got into her yellow '67 Volkswagen Beatle and drove the thirty minutes to work, without the touch of dread she normally had about going to work at six in the morning.  

The roads were empty,  and so was the parking lot.  Only three cars were in the employee spots,  including hers.  She felt some relief that the chef was beside the owners car,  this would mean Tim wouldn't be able to harass her too much this morning.

She walked into the checkered, from wall to floor, diner.  She was greeted by the familiar smell of coffee,  maple bacon,  and sweet pancakes. She punched in her ID number on the tablet in the back,  then made her way to the front of the kitchen,  tying her apron around her waist.  She knew Tony was going to be in his usual spot at the grill,  working on making plates for the staff before opening at 6:30.  Tony was a tall,  buff,  Italian man who had a thick new york-italian accent. His hair was gelled back and he fit every stereotype anyone could think of when it comes to an Italian-american, which he would gladly tell anyone.

Tony passed her a plate,  smiling per usual. "You have so much energy in the morning.  I'm envious," Delilah smiled,  pulling a fork from the tray. She bit into a dry pancake,  savoring the natural sweetness. She then moved on to a slice of bacon before hitting start on the coffee machines. Tony glanced at her with a side-eye,  "someone's actually eating the food I make for her?  Is the world ending?  I better tell ma!" Delilah poured herself a cup of coffee and lifted a brow at him,  "Tony,  I eat." He chuckled,  shaking his head while flipping the linked sausage,  "I have known you for… what?  A year now?  You take baby bites of everything and say you're full. Ma says you're tryna be skinny when I tell her all about it.  It hurts my feelings you know?  You're a beautiful lady!  Thin as a twig I'd say-" He was rambling,  but cut off by Tim walking through the swinging black kitchen doors. "Open in five," The blonde,  heavyset man in his late 30's smiled at the sight of Delilah,  "hey hot stuff. Mrs. Marigold is already at her table. Coffee." Delilah brushed off the comment and poured the sweet grey haired woman a cup of coffee.  She was a regular,  so Delilah knew she would want exactly three spoons of sugar and a splash of sweet cream.

The hours of the morning shift had passed and Delilah was soon to be off work.  Tim was full of inappropriate remarks and gropings per usual,  making this day just like any other.  When she got off work,  she climbed into her Volkswagen and pulled out her phone. She opened the message from Clarissa the night before.

Delilah hesitated as she copied and pasted the number into her text message bar. Being medicated last night made sleeping easier,  and even boosted her mood this morning but it made her feel numb. Being numb had it's ups but it caused a lot of downs prior to her decision to quit.  Sure marijuana stopped her from thinking and it wasn't a heavy drug so she could still have mild thoughts,  but some things she should have thought about,  she impulsively did because she was high. However,  smoking was more responsible than drinking because she was able to think and could remember everything. She hasn't ever been a real drinker,  but people close to her were and she would tell you that she's seen people worse off drunk,  than high.

After ten minutes had passed of just staring at the screen,  she began typing the number,  making her final decision.

Hello,  I got your number from Clarissa S. Can you meet today?  

Her engine roared to life and she shifted her gear into drive. The radio was softly playing today's pop hits from Spotify linked to her phones Bluetooth. The Orlando afternoon traffic was irritating to most people,  but she had no where to be except home.  So as she drove,  weaving in and out of lanes,  letting tourists with out of state plates pass her at any opportunity,  she began to think of the bad decisions she made by simply being high.  Numb to dumb,  as she called it several times.  She had never done anything criminal,  but definitely ended up in several dangerous situations. It was not enough to get her to change her mind now.  She enjoyed the sleep she got and Tim's harassment had not bothered her too much today,  all because of the sleep last night.  It was a butterfly effect she wanted to feel again.  

As she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she heard the phone ping in the passenger seat. She parked in her usual spot, next to the stairs of her building, and reached to read the notification.

I can meet in 15 min at Bill Fredrick park. Text me when you get there. First time meetings are in public. See you then. JK

------------------- A/N I'm so happy to be back.  I've been writing on a different account and I've definitely improved.  😌 PLEASE Leave feedback if you want! I love tips too!  I have big plans for this.  

-T

[jarhara]

With just a little smile

(Joss / Smiler OC origin story)

chapter I/III

„this is the third time this week!“, the teachers voice echoed through the almost empty classroom. The only student still left was a teenage girl with blond hair and a choppy haircut.

The teacher was in her early 60s and had her graying hair tied to a bun. She didn’t like having to confront students like that but she knew when she had to. And this one hadn’t left her with much of a choice after growing worse every day.

Trying to give of a more friendly and understanding vibe, she sat down next to the young student, looking her in the eyes „Josephine… “

„Joss!“, the girl interrupted, she couldn’t stand her full name, not even her father used it. That was when he did talk to her.

Doing her best not to show how startled she was by the girls interruption, the teacher went on „I know moving and going to a new school in the middle of the year can be hard, especially for someone your age, but do you really think you have to make a joke out of everything to be accepted here?“

„I don’t care about moving, the old school wasn’t any better, and what do YOU know about being my age? Must have been a few hundred years ago for you.“ It truly didn’t matter that much for Joss. She had changed schools more often then anyone she ever knew and she and her father hadn’t lived in one place for longer than a year since she could remember. This was mostly thanks to her father’s profession. As a scientist, Dr. Thomas Myles had to go where there were projects that required someone with knowledge in his specific field and and those projects usually only went on for little over 6 months.

The teacher was still starring at her in shock. Such a direct attack was not what she had expected. She had witnessed Joss making similar, disrespectful and mocking comments about various topics of the lecture but as of now, she hadn’t directly offended anyone.

„and I don’t care if anyone accepts me either, this whole place is just a big joke anyways.“ Joss went on with her rambling. She was just so over it with all those people pretending they knew what her problem was and acting all understanding.

„Josephine, I think it’s about time I get in touch with your father“, the teacher said, now looking very stern. The gentle approach had failed, intimidation was the logical next choice, although she feared it wouldn’t make a difference.

„go ahead then. You know, his job at that stupid ministry or whatever is more important to him than me. So good luck getting him here“, Joss commented and leaned back in her chair, placing her feet with her worn out converse on the table. They were bright yellow and the smile she had drawn over the faded logo was smiling a very cynical smile in the teachers directions.

The teacher went back to her front desk where she picked up her phone. She didn’t bother to leave the room, she wanted Josephine to listen. „Mr. Myles?... Excuse me, Doctor Myles…. I am calling on behalf of your daughter, Josephine…. She has made a habit of repeatedly interrupting the lectures and making a mockery of it….. Consider this a warning, if her behavior does not change, she’ll have to be suspended…. Of course we offer disciplinary measures but I fear they'll have little effect on such an unruly child, such as your daughter. This is a school after all, not a youth penitentiary….i’d recommend that you pick her up in person… fine, have a nice day“

Joss could have filled in what her father must have said without a second thought „what has she done now?“ „can’t you just put her in detention?“ „you really expect me to leave work just to come over and pick her up?“

Like she had predicted, the teacher seemed very disappointed at the effectiveness of the call, which made Joss smile. It was always the same but still fun for her to watch when they found out out how little her dad seemed to cared for her behavior.

„you can go home now“, the teacher gave in with a sigh. Without the support of the father, there was nothing she could do for now. Getting the girl suspended or even expelled would take some time and a long talk with the school-director and the father.

Still smiling triumphantly, Joss picked up her schoolbag that was covered in buttons and scribbles and left.

When her father got home later that day, she expected him to make a big scene about a teacher having to call him at work, but instead he just vanished into his room, avoiding his daughter for the remainder of the day.

on the next morning:

Hurriedly chugging down her orange juice, Joss grabbed her school bag and jacket, heading for the door. She was about to be late again, not that she really cared.

„Josie…“, she heard her father behind her. Something was off about him, he normally left for work before she even got up, so why was he still here? There was also a slight shaking in his voice that made Joss prepare for the worst.

„how about… I give you a ride today?“ he asked her, sounding unreasonably nervous.

„sure, dad. But don't'cha have to work?“, she cocked her head to the side and gave him a confused look. Since when did he even care?

„I’ll drop you off on the way there“, he said still not sounding fully convincing

„sure…why not?“, Joss gave in and followed him to the car, that was parked in front of the house.

They both remained silent throughout the drive, although Joss had expected her father to use this opportunity for a talk.

When the school came into view, they did not slow down but instead drove past it.

„Hey, whata you doin‘? School was back there“, Joss suddenly started, pointing over her shoulder, back towards the school.

„I’m taking you with me to work today … so you can maybe understand what’s at stake for us here“, he explained, still with a slight shake in his voice.

Joss had no idea how to react to that, this was so out of character for her dad. He never before cared to explain to her what exactly he was doing or why this specific job was so much more important than anything else. But whatever was up with him, she didn’t like it.

They soon left town and arrived in an industrial district. The building they where heading for was hidden behind fences and barbed wire.

They pulled up at the gate where Thomas Myles waved his bright yellow lanyard in front of a scanner to open it. There was no guard but a lot of surveillance cameras aimed at where the gate opened to let them inside the wired fence.

The building itself looked pretty bland if it wasn’t for the giant letters proclaiming this to be „the ministry of joy“

Joss still wasn’t sure if she should be happy about her father actually making her ditch school, or if taking her with him to work was going to be an entirely new type of punishment. But if this job was so damn important to him, why would he risk her making a fool of him in front of his colleagues or even his boss?

But Joss soon realized that there was no-one to notice her as her father pushed her on through the empty corridors.

After a seemingly endless walk, they entered a room that had nothing but a chair and a mirror in it. The chair had suspicious restraints mounted to it like Joss had seen it only in movies where they were never used for good things.

„Dad, what’s goin‘ on here?“, she asked with fear now evident in her voice.

„you leave me with no other choice“, he answered, sounding sad and disappointed, as he forced her into the chair

„please, don’t get me wrong, Josie, I still love you…“, he tried to explain calming, but she could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes „I just can’t deal with all of this right now, this job, what I get to do here, is just too important for you to screw it all up.“, he went on, his voice shaking even more now “Why did you have to be such an unhappy child… I only hope this will help you get better„

With what was supposed to be a reassuring smile he finished tying his daughter up and left the room.

„please stop, Dad! This isn’t funny!“ The leather straps where tight around her wrists and ankles and she had to watch helplessly.

Lights turned on behind the mirror, revealing her father in the next room. The room was filled with all kinds of consoles and computers.

„initializing marmalisation, test sequence number seven. Commencing correction.“, an automated voice said over the PA system.

Still struggling to free herself, Joss had to watch as a ceiling panel moved back to reveal some kind of mechanical devices with five arms moving in her direction.

One of the arms placed spinning discs right in front of her eyes, while the bright lights mounted to another one started to flash viciously. The arm equipped with yellow canisters released a suspicious gas, while the brushes on a different arm started to tickle her, so she couldn’t hold her breath.

[maglana-x]

a kind face

DESC.: Arthur Morgan helps a woman trapped under her horse, and claims a better reward than he expected.

CHARACTERS: Arthur Morgan, Alice Stanton (OC).

WARNINGS: Dubcon.

Valentine wasn’t much to look at, in Arthur’s opinion. He had never been fond of livestock towns and the stench of animal shit that lingered in the air. The people were awful and weren’t fond of outsiders, though in their defence, Arthur had beat a man to a bloody pulp on his very first trip to the town. It had been a relief when Trelawny had given them the lead on Sean MacGuire’s whereabouts; while Arthur hadn’t been keen on going anywhere near Blackwater ever again, it was good to save Sean from inevitable hanging. The bloodbath they had created in the bounty hunter’s camp was good for the stress too, Arthur thought.

“Are you coming with us, Arthur?” Javier’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Arthur saw the man climbing onto his horse as Sean talked Charles’ ear off. Wanting to spare himself from the Irishman’s endless chatter, Arthur shook his head. 

“I’m going to see what’s worth taking from here,” Arthur announced, watching Sean climb onto the back of Boaz and ramble on about the amount of stories that he had to tell. Javier had exasperation painted all over this face as he followed Charles down the trail, trying not to give Sean too much attention. Arthur whistled for Boadicea, walking over to a body laying nearby to loot the bounty hunter as the American Standardbred made its way toward him, the Buckskin coat horse whining as it halted nearby. Arthur did a quick sweep of the camp; there wasn’t much. The man decided to leave before the law or more bounty hunters showed up, he spurred his horse toward the trail to make a getaway.

Perhaps he should head toward Strawberry, he wouldn’t arrive back in camp until nightfall and he didn’t quite feel like partying with Sean. He knew there would be a party; there was always a party when something like this happened. The hotel in Strawberry wasn’t awful, it would do for a night.

“You’re alright, girl,” Arthur mumbled, brushing his horse with his hand briefly before reaching into his satchel; the man had picked up some oatcakes from the general store in Valentine earlier in the day. After all the riding they had done today alone, Boadicea deserved a treat. She ate right from his hand and he praised her more; there wasn’t much that he cared about more than his horse. Arthur almost didn’t hear the cries and calls for help nearby, and he halted Boadicea. The shouting was louder and belonged to a woman, and Arthur left the main trail to move toward the noise. On a less clear dirt track that he likely would have missed if not for the cries, Arthur came across a dead horse. It was a large shire horse, and underneath it laid a woman. She was alive, and looked relieved to see him. 

“Oh, thank the Lord! Can you help me sir?” She asked, looking up at him with sore eyes. The woman had been crying, Arthur noted. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be trapped under a horse in wolf infested woods. “My horse, poor thing, he up and died on me.” She explained the obvious situation, and Arthur sighed; he couldn’t walk away from this with a clear conscience. 

“Sure, why not.” He replied, climbing down from his horse and walking toward her. “How long have you been out here?” He questioned, watching the woman as she sat up more and helped him push the heavy beast from her leg. It was a struggle, and Arthur felt himself straining as he lifted the horse up enough for the woman to pull her leg free.

“Oh my, that’s it! I was there for hours, sir, I couldn’t quite tell you how long,” She answered, and Arthur offered the woman a hand. He pulled her to her feet, and the poor thing’s face scrunched up in pain as she stood on the injured leg. “I was terrified that wolves would find me before anyone else did, thank you sir!” She grinned, practically throwing herself at Arthur to hug him. It was odd and unwelcomed contact; he made that very clear as he tensed up. 

“Do you want a ride home, ma’am?” He offered, though honestly he would much prefer to leave her here as she seemed to be the chatty type. He had intentionally avoided it with Sean, but Sean wasn’t a lady in clear distress. The woman’s eyes lit up and Arthur already knew her answer before her big mouth opened. 

“I would really appreciate that, thank you! I knew you had a kind face!” She beamed, and Arthur mounted Boadicea without another word. He offered the woman his hand and pulled her up onto the back of his horse. He predicted it well enough, she was the chatty type. He hadn’t even reached the end of the trail to the main track before she was going on about how she had raised her horse since it was a filly.

“I live just west of Emerald Ranch, sir. I know it’s far away, but I have some money in the house as a reward.” She informed him, and Arthur felt like kicking himself. This better be some reward, he thought. At least she wouldn’t talk for the entire time, right?

**

A few hours later, Arthur couldn’t help but feel so incredibly wrong about Alice Stanton. They were halfway there, by it was dark now and too dangerous to keep riding on. There were wild animals and O’Driscoll’s around the idea, he didn’t feel like getting himself or this innocent woman killed. He had explained to her that they needed to stop and set up a camp for the night; she seemed hesitant but agreed with Arthur, assisting him as much as she could on her injured ankle. She wasn’t as useless as he had anticipated, she knew how to set up a tent at the very least. She focused on setting up Arthur’s bedroll inside as he collected wood for a campfire. 

Did she still talk the entire time? Yes, she did. Alice blabbered on about how she used to go camping with her older brothers all the time, and Arthur honestly considered gagging the woman until the morning. It wasn’t the first time he considered it, there had been a point where she got off of the horse to relieve herself and he had briefly considered leaving her there as she pissed behind a tree. She seemed to run her mouth a lot, and Arthur wondered if she could put it to better use. He rarely had thoughts about that, especially when it came to strangers, but Alice? Those painted red lips had to be good for something. He didn’t see why anyone would marry her if they couldn’t gag her on their cock to shut her up.

“... Mr Morgan? I have some ground coffee, if you want it?” She smiled, holding a tin out to him. He silently declined with a wave of his hand, returning his focus to lighting the fire. He had his own coffee and he would need it, given that Alice was going to sleep in the tent while he stayed awake. He may not have the mind of the gentleman, but he wasn’t going to show that by sleeping next to her in the tent. 

“Alright, well, if you change your mind it’ll be in my satchel.” She told him, gesturing to the bag that she had placed near the mouth of the tent. 

“Get some sleep, Miss Stanton. I want to pack up at first light.” Arthur informed her, and the woman nodded her head. At least she could take orders, he mused, watching her crawl into the tent. She didn’t secure the flaps of the tent; perhaps she thought he would join her? Arthur wasn’t so sure. He lit up the fire and sat back, deciding to document today in his journal. While she was certainly annoying, she was pretty to look at. Those lips he wanted to sew shut were plump and looked so soft, her eyes full of happiness even in such strange circumstances. He didn’t understand how she could be so happy after everything she had gone through, not only with her horse but because she was a widow. She seemed quite young, though, she couldn’t be much older than Sean but definitely younger than John. Arthur glanced toward the tent briefly, hearing the Alice’s soft snores, before returning to the portrait he had started in his journal.

As the night crawled by, Arthur had finished a rather detailed sketch of her in his journal and documented what he knew of her, and how annoying the encounter had been. He tucked his journal into his satchel again, looking around for his own tin of coffee before realising that he had run out. Of course, he sighed, he would have to take hers. Arthur was quiet as he reached into the tent, not wanting to wake the talkative woman, and retrieved her satchel. He could always put it back later, rather than dig around for her coffee at an arm’s length away from her.

Her satchel didn’t have much. Coffee, biscuits, a coin purse and photo of who Arthur could only assume was her husband -- a journal too. It was a light brown leather bound book slightly smaller but thicker than Arthur’s journal; he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t want a peek at the pages. Alice had already told him her life story, what could be in here that he didn’t know? Arthur set the satchel down between his legs as he opened the first page of her journal; a checklist of groceries to collect from the market, the date in the corner telling him that the journal was purchased or at least started only two months ago. 

Arthur flicked through the pages; she wasn’t much of an artist, he noted, but a particular page caught his attention. There was a photo between the pages of a naked woman, Arthur could tell from the face that it wasn’t Alice. On the back of the photo the name ‘Hilda O’Neil’ was written in neat cursive above a year. 1898. Arthur looked at the actual journal, reading what the woman had written. His eyes widened as the woman documented her exploits with Hilda, and the images that filled Arthur’s mind certainly weren’t unwelcomed. The woman went into detail about how she and Hilda grinded on each other, kissing like their lives depended on it. Hilda had something Alice called ‘heavenly labium’ that had shown her a ‘new realm of pure bliss’ that she had never experienced before.

Alice was a lesbian, Arthur assumed, until he tucked the photo of Hilda back into the pages and turned to the next one.

Alice must like both men and women, based on the photo of a well-endowed man named ‘Dennis Malone’ taken this year. He had heard of men who document all the women they had laid with, but this was the first time that Arthur had heard of a woman doing the same thing rather than call it disgusting. Again, the widow went into detail about her exploits. Rather than be on her knees lapping at Hilda’s cunt, Alice was bent over her kitchen table as Dennis railed her. The woman went into detail about the things that Dennis had done to her, including degrading her as she sucked his engorged shaft. Arthur was mildly relieved to know that he wasn’t alone in the fantasy of putting Alice’s mouth to better use.

As he turned the page again, he expected to see a photo of a man or woman again, but only saw more writing. She was explaining a dream -- well, a fantasy -- that she had experienced about a strong, handsome stranger. The man broke into her home in the middle of the night and pinned her to her bed, his mask pulled over his face as he ripped the nightdress from her body. She whispered ‘no’ but she meant yes, she wanted the bandit to completely ravish her. That’s just what the man did, pulling his ‘throbbing beast’ from his trousers and fucking Alice until she saw stars. Arthur read on, the fantasy only becoming more and more graphic. 

He glanced toward the tent again before unbuttoning his trousers, pulling his cock out; the outlaw was semi-hard and flipped the page, seeing another photo. With one hand wrapped around his own shaft, he examined the photo and realised that it was of Alice herself. The woman was completely nude, one hand grasping a large breast and the other spreading her labia. She looked like she was about to be fucked, or perhaps use her fingers to pleasure herself. The look of seduction on her face made Arthur groan lowly as he stroked himself; he had to have her. 

He closed the journal and left it beside her satchel, not bothering to stand and just crawl into the tent. There wasn’t much light, but in the minimal glow of the fire behind him, he could see that Alice was asleep on her side facing the wall of the tent. There was enough room for Arthur to lay behind her, and Arthur decided that he would do so after he prepared her. He lifted her skirt and petticoats with one hand, exposing the woman’s lack of drawers. Instead, the woman wore a pair of blue cotton stockings that reached just other her knees. As he lifted her skirt over her ass, he realised that she was wearing a shorter pair of split cotton and lace drawers that buttoned up at both the front and back; Arthur popped the buttons easily, pulling one half the garment down her thigh. 

His hand roamed over her asscheeks then her thighs, her skin was so soft and perfect. Arthur heard her stir, goosebumps breaking out over her skin as the cool air of the night finally reached her exposed lower body. Arthur moved his hand back to his cock, stroking to get himself fully erect; she had a fantasy and he had needs, caused largely by his own intrusion into her journal. Not waiting a moment longer, Arthur lifted her thigh up, slowly until her snatch was exposed to the cool night air. He positioned himself so that his cock rubbed against her folds; she was wet and he hadn’t even touched her yet.

“M-Mr Morgan?” Alice’s tired, trembling voice made him look at her; she was staring over her shoulder at him. He could feel her eyes on him; and Arthur shushed her quietly. “What… Why?” She questioned, her arm moving and he expected her to push him away; instead her arm held her own leg up by the knee, giving his hand better movement. His hand held his cock again, rubbing the tip along her slit and teasing over her entrance.

“Read that journal of yours,” Arthur admitted, pressing his chest against her back and moving his other arm underneath her; Alice propped herself up slightly as the head of his cock pushed into her cunt, and his hands pulled open the front of her shirt. He didn’t think about the consequences, and also tore open her camisole in order to fondle her breasts as he bucked his hips, jutting his cock deeper into her. She was wet but not quite enough, but Arthur didn’t mind too much.

“Saw that photo of ya, had to have a piece.” He mumbled, lips latching onto her neck. Alice groaned, pushing her hips back as Arthur pulled back, one hand moving down to rub her clit. “You should be glad I’m not gagging you, with the way you’ve been running your mouth all day.” Arthur stated, though he noted that she was unusually non-vocal aside from the little moans.

Perhaps this was something that Alice was heavily accustomed to? Being woken by a lover in the dead of night to fuck, perhaps she was used to needing to keep quiet during her scandalous rendezvous? It also left Arthur wondering what kind of man could pin such a harlot down in a marriage; but Alice’s sharp gasp as Arthur thrust harder and deeper into her cunt brought him back to reality. 

“Mr Morgan, if you wanted me to be quiet… You could have just asked me!” Her voice was strained as she spoke, with Arthur attempting to bury himself balls deep in her cunt, it was clearly hard to remain coherent. “I could put my mouth to better use…” She sounded so seductive; Arthur bit into her neck lightly, his teeth nipping at her skin. It drew a shuddering breath from Alice’s lips, barely a moan, barely anything. He decided to give her something to remember him by; a thing or two, perhaps. 

“Oh, Mr Morgan…” She groaned as Arthur sucked and nipped at the soft skin, her throat clearly sensitive in the best way as his mouth set about marking her. Property, at least for the night. His property. It became increasingly easier to fuck her, too. Her cunt slickening up and allowing his cock better access easier, slipping almost balls deep into her. He couldn’t help the groan that escaped him; the noise vibrating the tender skin of her neck. 

When Arthur was satisfied that her skin would bruise from his kiss, Arthur planted his hands either side of her trembling torso and began to fuck her harder; more dedicated thrusts into her snatch. It was for his pleasure alone, of course, but every groan and gasp was encouragement. It was letting him know that he was doing good; although he was simply being selfish. 

“You like that?” Arthur’s voice rumbled, low yet powerful, his eyes meeting Alice’s own as he thrust so mercilessly. Her eyes, full of pleasure, were barely open anymore. He could vividly see the glint of light reflecting in those orbs, and her soft lips parted as she moaned in ecstasy. 

“Yes,” She cried. “Yes, yes!” She repeated, and repeated again a few more times, only interrupted when Arthur’s strong palm connected with her soft asscheeks; the slap echoed lightly through the tent. His fingers dug into the skin, spreading her cheeks briefly before his hand crashed into the reddening skin once again; her gasping lost in the bliss. 

It had been so long since Arthur could spend a night with a woman like Alice, so long since he had stopped and dedicated himself to the pleasure that he so deserved. He needed his release and he knew that he wasn’t far from reaching it; the way Alice’s cunt hugged and squeezed his cock as he worked her like a whore was getting him there like a speeding train. 

“Good girl,” Arthur grunted into her ear, one hand moving to her hip and gripping her hard; it might bruise, and her whimpers were like music to his ears. “What a fine bitch you turned out to be…” He mumbled, his lips pressing against the smooth skin just under her ear; his nose buried in her beautiful hair. His grunts grew more jagged until eventually his hips just bucked wildly against hers; grinding to a halt as he blew his load deep inside of the woman below him. 

“M-Mr Morgan!” Alice gasped, she hadn’t quite expected this from him. She could feel Arthur’s hot cum inside of her; he was filling her up without a single care in the world for the consequences. She bit her lip, hands digging into his back as he emptied himself. 

“Get some rest,” Alice muttered to Arthur as he laid on her, catching his breath and regaining his senses. He rolled off of her, laying beside her; his cock softening against his thigh. Heavens, this woman was as good as she claimed to be; even when she laid there to be fucked like a piece of meat. A dark chuckle escaped him, and he used her tattered camisole to clean himself. 

“Goodnight, Miss Stanton.”

[varietywritings]

PROTEGO

Sirius Black x OC!Arden Walker

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

CHAPTER TWO: TRIALS & TRANSFIGURATIONS

It was about halfway through Ancient Runes when Arden decided that Professor Babbling did not live up to her name. Rather than tripping over her words and rambling on during her lecture, Professor Babbling droned on about what was in store for the year. Arden drifted further into her own thoughts as Professor Babbling monotonously reviewed which runic symbol corresponded with which number. She sat slumped in her seat, cursing the fact that she only woke up with enough time to get dressed and sprint to Ancient Runes. There wasn’t even enough time to have her requisite cup of coffee. Coffee, Arden thought longingly. What she would give just to even have a sip of the liquid energy. Something to give her a little pep in her step before her next class, Transfigurations. 

Transfigurations. 

Her stomach involuntarily turned. Arden and the rest of her year knew she was intelligent; her house was enough evidence for that. She prided herself on her natural intellect. Charms was like breathing for her and Defense Against the Dark Arts she could ace with little effort. While Potions was not her favorite, she could still manage to hold her own against Lily and even somehow landed herself in The Slug Club. However, Arden and the rest of her year also knew that Transfigurations was her worst subject. 

She was certain that her shortcomings were not due to Professor McGonagall; the woman was a Transfiguration genius as far as Arden was concerned. Rewriting her notes, drilling the text into her head, practicing the wand motions: nothing could make the material stick in Arden’s head. She meekly wondered if the Permanent Sticking Charm could be performed on concepts. 

The ringing of the bell snapped Arden out of her reverie. Begrudgingly, she gathered her things and trudged out of the dimly lit classroom. 

After giving five different first-years directions to their next classes and descending six flights of stairs, Arden finally arrived at Transfigurations. She walked into the classroom and immediately had to bite her tongue to stop the creative expletives she was thinking of from flying out of her mouth. Not only were James and Peter in her class but her fellow chaser Joel Brantley sat in the second row. It’s safe to say that Brantley is possibly the snobbiest, most arrogant wizard Arden has ever come across. He could almost give her stepfather a run for his money.

Steeling her nerves, Arden walked to the front row and claimed her seat for the year. She preferred sitting in the front row in Transfigurations. This way, Arden could ask Professor McGonagall all the dumb questions she wanted without feeling the judgemental gazes of her classmates. Well, with the exception of Brantley.

“Good morning, everyone.” Professor McGonagall spoke out, capturing the attention of the students. The class grumbled in response as she surveyed the room. “Hopefully, you all maintain this level of enthusiasm as we delve further into the material planned for this year; it will not be easy.” 

It never is, Arden lamented to herself. 

“As you all may know, N.E.W.T.-level courses tend to be challenging, tiresome, and tedious. However, I have faith that everyone in this room will succeed if they try their hardest.” Professor McGonagall finished. Even though she wasn’t looking at her, Arden could feel Professor McGonagall’s stare drilling into her head, almost like she was directing her little spiel at her. “With that being said, today’s lesson is on Human Transfiguration. Now, you all should’ve learned out animagi in your third year . . .”

Arden prepped her parchment for the extensive amount of notes she was about to take, hanging onto every word Professor McGonagall was saying. She knew that Transfiguration was going to be her biggest obstacle this year, just like it was every other year, but she needed this course to be even considered for an auror position. Arden miraculously managed to get an Exceeds Expectations on her Transfigurations O.W.L. last year. She will pass the N.E.W.T.-level course with flying colors this year. Or at least she hopes. 

That’s why, when Professor McGonagall shouted a reminder to them that twelve inches of parchment on Metamorphmagi was due the next class on Tuesday, Arden sped out of the classroom to the library to begin her research. In fact, she was so deep in her research, she was almost tardy to Charms. That would’ve made a bad first impression on Professor Flitwick.

Arden burst into the classroom, finding most of the class already present. She scoured the room for a spot to sit and, to her surprise, found Lily sitting in the bottom row of the tiered seats. Glancing around Lily, Arden found that all the seats surrounding her were already occupied. 

“Sorry.” Lily mouthed. Arden shrugged in response as if to say it was all right. Sliding into the row across from Lily, she realized she chose a seat right beside the “Least Troublesome” Marauder, Remus. 

“Mornin’.” Arden greeted, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment. 

“G’Morning. How was Transfigurations?” Remus asked. Arden’s eyebrows knitted together. How did he know she had Transfigurations earlier? “James said you looked as white as a ghost when McGonagall was talking about how hard the class was going to be.” Arden’s nostrils flared. She should’ve known it was James who told Remus, that gossip queen. 

“Not all of us are self-proclaimed Transfigurations Masters.” She grumbled. Remus nodded along.

“You have a point. Have you thought about tutoring?” Remus suggested, flipping to the page indicated on the chalkboard in his Charms textbook. Arden snorted.

“I’m a total dunce when it comes to Transfigurations. Why would I tutor someone on the subject?” She snickered at the thought, but Remus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I was suggesting you get tutored, not do the tutoring.” He clarified and Arden looked at him incredulously.

“I don’t need tutoring. I’ll manage just fine by myself.” She brushed away the suggestion. Remus looked less than convinced but decided not to push the matter further. Like his best mate Sirius, he knew she had a slight issue with people telling her to do things she didn’t want to do. 

Professor Flitwick entered the room, standing atop the table at the front of the room so he could be seen. He cleared his throat slightly, adjusting the circular frames that sat on his nose. 

“Hello, class! As you already know, I am Professor Flitwick and I am your new Charms instructor.” He beamed at the students. They stared back at him tiredly, their full bellies being the main cause of their exhaustion. Arden, however, smiled back kindly. “While it was sad to see Professor Hoddle go, I hope to live up to his legacy as a wonderful Charms professor.” He nodded as if to assure himself that his opening speech was good and moved onto the lesson.

“Who can tell me—without looking in your textbook—what the Water-Making spell is also considered, besides it being a charm?” Arden’s hand immediately shot up along with a couple of her peers’ hands. Professor Flitwick gestured to her. “Yes . . . ?”

“Arden Walker.” She introduced herself.

“All right, Ms. Walker. What is it also classified as?” Professor Flitwick looked at her curiously.

“A conjuration, sir.” She replied politely.

“Correct! Do you know why that’s the case, Ms. Walker?” He questioned further, his inquisitiveness showing even more.

“Well, it—you know—conjures water out of thin air.” She answered rather awkwardly. Lily flashed her a sarcastic thumbs up. 

“Correct, again! Five points to Ravenclaw.” Professor Flitwick said, smiling brightly at Arden. She returned the smile and, once his back was turned, flipped Lily off in retaliation. Lily feigned a hurt expression, but couldn’t help laughing silently. Arden could see Remus shaking his head in her peripheral vision, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. 

Flitwick lectured for the rest of the class period while helping everyone correctly perform aguamenti. Arden managed to perform the charm correctly on her first try, producing crystal clear water. Lily and Remus only needed a couple of tries before both of them produced the same results. Professor Flitwick gladly wrapped the class up, announcing that there was no homework since everyone worked so diligently today. Sighs of relief filled the room as the students packed up for the day and headed out. Arden and Lily walked out of the classroom together, saying their goodbyes until after class. Lily walked briskly in the direction of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom when the same sinking feeling returned to her stomach. She would have to ask Lily later about Professor Janus. She already knew that Lily was going to tell her that she was overthinking the situation for the millionth time and tell her not to worry, but she still had to make sure. 

Arden straightened up her prefect badge on her robes, setting off to help first-years find their way to their classes. Perhaps that will take her mind off things.

✧✧✧

Surprisingly, it did take her mind off things. It turns out being bombarded with questions about the castle was just what Arden needed. After classes had ended for the day, Arden decided to make her way back to the Ravenclaw common room to relax a bit before dinner. And by relax, she meant, “Comb through the four different books she checked out on Human Transfiguration to find sufficient information to begin outlining her essay.” The three hours she spent with her nose in multiple books came and went, and suddenly Arden was plopping herself down next to Lily at the Gryffindor table for dinner.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Arden greeted, shoveling mashed potatoes onto her plate. She was starving. 

“Yes, fancy seeing me at my own house’s table.” Lily jokingly shot back while carefully doling sprouts onto her own plate. Arden gave her an unimpressed look and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. 

“Har har.” She mocked. Lily chuckled before digging into her dinner. 

Arden tapped her fingers rapidly against the wooden table. The sinking feeling had returned once more. She desperately wanted to ask Lily about the new Defense professor. She knew the answer, so what was the point? The point is something’s up, Arden reasoned. She shifted in her spot on the bench. She could feel Lily looking at her. Lily sighed.

“What do you want to ask me?”

“The new professor: what do you think of him?” 

“Oh, Flitwick’s nice. He seemed a little nervous today, but—” Arden shook her head, cutting Lily off.

“No, no, not Flitwick. Janus, the Defense professor.” She clarified. Lily made a sound of recognition. 

“Oh, him? He’s fine. A little arrogant if you ask me, but can you blame him? He’s very handsome and he was one of the best aurors out there. Had to quit, though. Evidently, he had a nasty run-in with one of You-Know-Who’s followers. He doesn’t like talking about it.” Lily said, finishing off her bread roll. Arden hummed in acknowledgment.

“I don’t trust him.”

“Here we go.”

“What?!” Lily turned to fully face Arden. Lily wore the look of someone who’s heard this all before. And she has.

“A, c’mon, not every new person is a threat.” Lily tried reasoning, but Arden wasn’t having any of it.

“You don’t know that! I actually have a good judge of character.” Arden argued. Lily laughed loudly, making James swoon a ways away. 

“So the old man at Honeyduke’s last year really was stealing those Sugar Quills?”

“Okay, that was one time—” “And that willowy woman at Three Broomsticks really was a seer?”

“All right, we both know I was being facetious—”

“How about that little boy at Platform 9 ¾ our fourth year—”

“So I’m not always right! You can stop now!” The people sitting near them all looked over in their direction at Arden’s sudden outburst. She smiled sheepishly and carried on in a lower tone. “The point is that I don’t have a good feeling about him and this time it feels real.” Lily looked at her, exhaustion coloring her vibrant green eyes. 

“The point is you’ve been wrong before, so you could be wrong again.” Arden’s shoulders slumped out of resignation. She knew Lily was right and Lily knew it, too. “Now, stop overthinking so much.” She playfully pushed Arden’s shoulder. Arden smirked a little bit. “You already don’t get enough sleep, so you really don’t need to be losing sleep over this.” 

“Yeah. You’re right.” Arden resigned. Lily tapped her ear.

“Sorry, what was that? Couldn’t hear you.”

“Oh, my—shut up!” Arden chuckled and Lily joined in. They finished their dinner while chatting about their day and then promptly made their way to the corridors to do their nightly prefect duties.

The weekend breezed by for Arden. However, she had to spend most of it drafting a new Transfigurations essay because she completely misread a passage on animagi as a passage on metamorphmagi. She cursed herself more than a couple of times as she triple checked the headings of each passage she read. 

Monday morning finally rolled around and Arden was less than enthused to be up at such an ungodly hour. Savoring every sip of her coffee, she finished off her second cup and snagged one more banana nut muffin before heading to her first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. With Professor Janus. She audibly groaned, scaring a Slytherin awake by accident. Shooting an awkward smile his way, she sped out of the Great Hall to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor. Making it to Classroom 3C in record time, she was beginning to question having two cups of coffee instead of the normal one cup she has most mornings. 

Arden took a seat towards the back of the room, hoping the seat beside her would stay empty so she would have the desk all to herself. Nothing is that simple, though, is it?

The sound of the chair beside her scraping against the dark wooden floors grated against her ears as she searched for a quill in her bag. After finding a quill, she sat up straight and, with the most peeved face she could muster, looked over to see who had disturbed her peace. She should’ve known it would be Sirius Black. 

“Of course it’s you.”  

“Hello to you, too, Walker,” Sirius said, sarcasm oozing from his voice. 

“Why are you here?” Arden asked, but the question came out more akin to a whine than a genuine question. 

“Because I have this class at this time.” He deadpanned and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“No shit, Black. I meant why are you sitting here? There are three other empty seats you could’ve chosen.” She rephrased impatiently and he shook his head, his obsidian hair following the movement.

“No, you see I couldn’t sit in any of those seats.” He ran a hand through his hair to clear it out of his silver eyes. He discreetly pointed at one of the empty seats, leaning down so Arden could hear him speak, but she leaned away to keep her distance. “Had a nasty break up with the girl beside that one,” he pointed at another, “the prick beside that one called Remus a ‘mudblood’,” he pointed at the last available seat, “and that one threatened to hex me if I ever came near them again.” Sirius straightened up and Arden remained as rigid as ever. “I figured you’d be the one least likely to kill me, so . . .” he drawled out. Arden looked at him dumbfounded. Why me, Merlin? What did I do, she thought to herself. Breathing deeply, she blinked slowly at him. He tried giving her a charming smirk like he did on the train.

“Yeah, that’s not going to work on me.” She said, unimpressed. He huffed, shifting in his seat.

“Are you at least going to let me copy off your work?” He asked with a hopeful lilt to his voice, dark eyebrows raised. Sirius looked at her with large, pleading eyes like a puppy. Arden smiled sweetly at him, his lips pulling into a sly grin.

“Of course not.” Sirius’ face became blank.

“The seat beside my ex is looking pretty good now.” He breathed out.

“By all means, be my guest.” She said in mock-politeness. His jaw ticked as he turned toward her. 

“Who the bloody hell pissed in your tea this morning?” He spat out. Arden scoffed in disbelief. She opened her mouth to whip another comeback at him, but someone interrupted her. 

“Morning, everyone. Welcome back to Defense Against the Dark Arts.” A hush fell over the class when Professor Janus spoke out. The sinking feeling was back at home in Arden’s gut. All previous annoyance drained from her, neutralizing her expression. Sirius, on the other hand, could see a certain uneasiness lurking in her sea green eyes. His eyes narrowed, but he decided to let it go and try to listen to Professor Janus. “It is quite unfortunate that Professor Malvolio had to be let go, but it was for the best. Can’t have a professor spreading spattergoit around, can we? Nasty sickness, spattergoit is.” His posture was surprisingly relaxed, as opposed to Professor Flitwick who fidgeted throughout the whole Charms lesson. Professor Janus rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, an easy smile on his face.

“I’m Professor Janus, this year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I imagine everyone will be eager to start today’s lesson. We’ll be discussing nonverbal spells and how to properly perform them.” Each student seemed to be mesmerized by his every word. Everyone except Arden and Sirius, who looked cautious and bored, respectively. “Performing spells nonverbally is a tricky little thing to do, but it can be done—” He flourished his wand “—with ease—” all the dozens of books that sat on his desk stood at attention “—after a lot of practice.” He flicked his wrist upwards and the books flapped their way onto the empty shelves, organizing themselves by cover color. A smattering of claps sounded throughout the room. Professor Janus relaxed once more, putting his free hand into the pocket of his dress pants.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sirius mumbled under his breath. For once, Arden shared his sentiment. All he did was magic a couple dozen books back onto the shelves and he basically gets a standing ovation? She resisted the unbearable urge to roll her eyes while she half-listened to Professor Janus’ instructions on how to perform nonverbal spells. 

“You two.” Professor Janus called on Arden and Sirius. They shared a glance before looking at him, both realizing that the other also wasn’t paying attention to instructions. “Think you’ve got a handle on it?”

“Yes, professor,” Arden answered.

“Mhm,” Sirius answered. While the two gave different versions of the same answer, they both looked stony. 

Professor Janus looked at them expectantly, giving them a silent cue to go ahead. Huffing a breath out through her nose, Arden stood up and lifted her wand. 

Accio book, Arden willed to herself. A worn copy of Stepping Into the Mind: The Art of Legilimency flew off of Professor Janus’ shelf. Arden’s hand shot up and caught it before it hit the back wall. While Arden sat back down, Sirius was nonchalantly standing up. With a cocky smirk gracing his lips, he raised his wand and flicked it towards himself. Suddenly, all of Professor Janus’ books jetted off the shelves and into haphazard piles on his desk. Sirius sat back down, stretching his legs out in front of him. The cocky smirk was still etched onto his face.

“Was that necessary?” Arden whispered to Sirius but kept her eyes fixed on Professor Janus whose expression danced the line between impressed and utterly perturbed. 

“Oh, so he can show off, but if I do it, it’s unnecessary,” Sirius argued back. Arden scoffed. She crossed her legs, the top one beginning to bounce due to the caffeine that was currently coursing through her. 

“Did I say that?” She asked through clenched teeth. Sirius threw his hands up in defense then crossed his arms again. 

“I’ll admit, I’m impressed, . . .” Professor Janus regained their attention.

“Black. Sirius Black.” Arden didn’t resist the urge this time and rolled her eyes at his theatrics. 

“Arden Walker.”

“Well, impressive displays from both of you, Ms. Walker and especially you, Mr. Black.” Professor Janus commended. Arden nodded in thanks. Sirius smiled, pride rolling off him in waves. “But the Summoning Charm is regarded as one of the easiest spells to perform nonverbally.” The guy who called Remus a mudblood began to snicker, but immediately stopped when he met Sirius’ stormy gaze. Professor Janus meandered over to their desk and held out his hand, glancing down at the book Arden now had a white-knuckled grip on. She dropped the book in his waiting hand. He smiled at her condescendingly. “Thank you.” She clenched her fists under the table, her nails biting into her palms. For the first time in her academic career, Arden was going to hate Defense Against the Dark Arts. 

✧✧✧

“‘The Summoning Charm is one of the easiest spells to perform nonverbally.’” Arden mocked in a funny voice, keeping her volume at a minimum. “Please, almost everyone in the class couldn’t even light their wands without the incantation.” 

“A, I love you,—”

“Love you too, Lils.”

“—but if you talk about what happened in Defense on Monday one more time, I will hit you with my Herbology textbook.” Lily threatened. Arden gave her a challenging look, but as soon as Lily put her hand on the book, she conceded. 

“I’m sorry, okay. It just bothers me being singled out like that, you know?” Arden apologized. The tension left Lily’s shoulders. She gave her best friend a sympathetic look. 

“Trust me, I understand, but it happened on Monday. It’s Thursday.” Lily reasoned rather bluntly. Arden ran a hand down her face. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Arden admitted, mostly to drop the subject because she was still very much thinking about it. Lily knew this too but decided not to comment either. Madam Pince’s incessant shushing brought them both out of their thoughts, returning them to the Venomous Tentacula diagrams they were supposed to be labeling. 

“So,” Lily began, thumbing through her textbook once more, “how have quidditch tryouts been? Any promising new players?” 

“Yeah, yeah, things are looking pretty good for Ravenclaw this year,” Arden said, absent-mindedly rubbing a sore spot on her shoulder. One of the hopefuls trying out for the open chaser position hadn’t communicated to her that the quaffle was coming her way and just beamed it straight at her shoulder. It’s been a couple days and it was still aching a bit. She should probably get that checked out. 

“You don’t sound too convinced,” Lily observed. 

“It’s nothing. Brantley is annoying per usual and Donahue was acting a little weird like his mind was somewhere else.” Arden said, carefully labeling each appendage on her diagram.

“He is in his seventh year. Probably has a lot going on already.” Lily speculated. 

“Brantley thinks he’s going to step down and hand team captain over to someone else.” Lily looked up at Arden, surprised. 

“Who do you think he’ll give it to?” Lily asked, but Arden just shrugged.

“As long as it’s not Brantley, I’m fine.” Lily nodded in agreement. “I will fight a bludger blindfolded if he becomes team captain.” Arden sneered. Lily snorted as she imagined Arden in that situation. “Just like how I will gladly do just that if I get anything lower than an Acceptable on that Metamorphmagi essay we did in Transfigurations.” 

“You probably did great, don’t worry.” Lily comforted, but Arden wasn’t having any of it. 

“No, I probably did terrible, per usual.” 

“Have a little faith in yourself.” Lily chastised. Arden shook her head, unconvinced, but let the topic go anyways. 

✧✧✧

When Professor McGonagall handed Arden back her essay the next day with it graded P for Poor, she wanted to walk into the Forbidden Forest and never return. She knew this was going to happen. She couldn’t wait to tell Lily that she told her so, even if it was at her own expense. So, when the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Arden approached Professor McGonagall. 

“You might want to look into tutoring, Ms. Walker. That’s the only way you’re going to get better in this subject. And I know I don’t need to remind you that this is a N.E.W.T.-level course.” Professor McGonagall suggested, already knowing what Arden was going to ask. Arden sighed. She hated asking for assistance, especially on school-related things. She couldn’t help but feel like her intelligence was being questioned, even though she knew that was probably not the case. But she knew Professor McGonagall was right. “Why don’t you go and ask Mr. Potter for help?” Arden had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. Instead, she opted for a courteous smile. 

Over my dead body! 

“Thank you, Professor, but I’ll just ask Lily.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I understand that the two of you are great friends, however, the two of you don’t tend to work whenever you study.” Arden thought back to last night. Yes, Lily and she went to the library, but they only managed to label half their Venomous Tentacula diagrams before getting completely distracted. “And he’s not that bad. Maybe he’ll be able to give you a different way to look at the material.” Arden gave a curt nod. She thanked Professor McGonagall for her input before briskly leaving the classroom and heading to the Great Hall. 

Trudging down the corridor, Arden stared at the red letter P that was emblazoned at the top of her essay. She was beginning to spiral downwards, jumping to the conclusion that she’ll probably never become an auror at this rate. She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. Speak of the Devil. At the end of the corridor, leaning up against the wall with a sheet of parchment in his hands, was none other than James Potter. He was surrounded by his normal crew of Peter, Remus, and Sirius. Arden weighed her options. It was either ask for help now and have a chance of passing Transfiguration or not ask for help and be denied of becoming an auror. She heaved a heavy sigh, straightened up, and walked towards the Marauders. They hadn’t noticed her presence once she reached them, but Remus acknowledged her. 

“Hullo, Arden.” The mention of her name made the rest of the boys look in her direction.

“Hey,” Arden replied somewhat awkwardly with a nod of her head. She took a deep breath and neutralized her expression. She turned towards James, whose onyx hair was in its usual mess. His hazel eyes looked at her curiously behind his rectangular frames. 

“Now, why has Arden Walker graced us with her presence today?” James questioned. Arden had to refrain from knocking his glasses off his face and resorted to clutching her books tightly. 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She muttered to herself, shaking her head. She looked back at James, his eyebrows raised expectantly. “I need . . .” Arden stopped herself. She couldn’t believe this is where she ended up. “I need your . . .” Arden clenched her teeth. “ . . . help.” She bit out. An arrogant grin graced itself onto James’ face. 

“I don’t think I heard you.”

 “You heard me loud and clear.”

 “You’re right.”

 “At least we can agree on something.”Arden snarked. James looked miffed. The other three boys were watching the pair like a tennis match. “I need you to tutor me in Transfigurations,” Arden admitted rather sheepishly. James almost felt bad as he looked at her. Almost. James hummed and mockingly stroked his nonexistent beard. 

“Why ask me?” James knew why. Of course, he did. He just wanted to hear her say it. 

“Because you’re one of the top students in Transfigurations.” Arden huffed begrudgingly. Sirius laughed in disbelief. 

“Wow, James, never thought the day would come Walker would admit somebody’s smarter than her.” If looks could kill, Sirius would have been drawn and quartered in about two seconds flat. He merely smirked at her menacing expression. 

“Anyways, so are you gonna tutor me or not?” Arden proposed. James looked at her, weighing his options. 

“What’s in it for me?”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, actually I’m not.” Arden rolled her eyes thinking of anything that could possibly get James to help her. 

“I’ll teach you that maneuver I managed to pull off last year against Hufflepuff.”

“Davies’ Deception?”

“Yeah, that one.” James thought long and hard. She drove a hard bargain, but not hard enough. 

“Sorry, Walker, but I can teach myself how to do that.” James pushed off the wall and started to walk away with the rest of the boys in tow. Remus gave a slight, sorry smile. Arden’s mind was racing with other things she could offer. She needed to pass Transfigurations and James was her best bet. Think, Arden, think! 

“I’ll get you a date with Lily.” She shouted after James. He stumbled and skidded to a halt. He looked back at her like a deer in headlights. Sirius ran a tired hand down his face and the three boys shared a look with each other. 

“She is my best friend after all. I know her like the back of my hand.” Arden further reasoned, but James didn’t need any more persuading. 

“You would do that? Really? For me?” James spewed out in a jumble of words. Arden sighed, defeated. 

“Get me at least an E on the midterm and we’ll talk.” James strode back to Arden and stretched his hand out. 

“You’ve got a deal, Walker.” She smirked proudly and shook his hand firmly. Arden began walking away, passing the boys. 

“Tomorrow afternoon in the library. Bring anything that could help me!” She ordered. “I’m counting on you, Potter!” 

TAGS:

@virgiill​ @yourfriendly-neighborhoodfuckup​ @emmiee232​

[nekoabi]

On the Verge of a Heartbreak - Chapter 26

Time for some double dating shenanigans!

Pairings: Moxiety, OC/OC Words: 4011 (oops) Warnings: High levels of anxiety, food mention. If there’s anything else, let me know!

Summary: Double dating at the theme park.

Virgil was an absolute mess the night before the theme park double date. He was still utterly scared at the prospect of being forced onto rollercoasters that would terrify him even more than he already thought they would, which would then cause him to look extremely childish, which would then cause Abigal to laugh and treat him like a little baby, and would cause Reggie to suggest they leave him behind with the child day care if he couldn’t handle something so easy, and would cause Patton to then see that Virgil was absolutely not the person he thought he was and then Patton would leave him and ditch him forever because he couldn’t handle rollercoasters!

The teenager groaned and rolled over, crushing his face into his pillow, hiding from the morning light that was trying so hard to enter his room through his closed, blackout curtains. “It’s official. I am going to die alone.”

“What’s got you all upset, honey? I thought you’d be excited to go out with your friends today.” His mother had entered his room almost silently and the sound of her voice startled Virgil a little bit. He caught his breath as she walked over to the curtains and pulled them open.

As the morning light was finally allowed to shine into the room, Virgil groaned again, shoving his face further into the pillow, “Mom… Why are you in my room…?” He mumbled into the pillow.

There was a soft laugh before Virgil felt weight being added to the edge of his mattress and a hand coming to rest on his back, “I wanted to make sure you were getting up in time, sweetheart. Please, tell me what’s wrong?”

Virgil sighed heavily and sat up, leaving the covers pooling around his waist as he leant against the headboard. He talked about what he’d seen on the website for the theme park and how he felt about it all, how many of his thoughts had spiralled over the last couple of days as the time got closer, how he wasn’t sure how to bring this up after Patton was so excited for it.

“Oh honey…” His mom said, moving closer to wrap him in a loose hug, “Patton would understand and so would your other friends. I know it must be hard for you to open up to them about these things, but I think you should at least let Patton know.”

“I can’t.” Virgil muttered, his face buried against his mother’s shoulder, “Patton would stop himself doing things he wanted to do if I told him… That’s not fair on him…”

His mom pulled away and brushed his hair away from his face, “Well, I just want you to promise me that you won’t push yourself too hard today, okay?” She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead when he quietly agreed to her statement before she got up and headed to the door, “Get up and dressed quickly so you can have some breakfast before you go.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, “Okay mom. Be down in a little bit.”

It took him much more time to get ready that morning than usual as he still was trying to delay the inevitable. He spent far longer picking out his outfit, changing his mind several times before deciding, he redid his makeup at least four times to make sure it was ‘perfect’, he triple checked that he had all the things he needed in his pockets before even thinking about reaching for the door handle. Virgil looked aimlessly around his room, as if searching for one more thing to try and occupy his time before he finally left his bedroom.

Virgil trudged down the stairs at a sluggish pace, his brain racing at almost three times the speed of that trying to think of excuses he could use – not that he’d actually use any of them and leave Patton on his own like that. Eventually, he reached the kitchen and slipped into the free chair next to the door, across from his mom, who smiled at him warmly before going back to reading the article she was deep into.

His dad placed a plate with some toast in front of him along with a drink, ruffling his son’s hair as he took seat in the final chair, “So, worried about today, huh?”

Virgil shot a look over to his mother, who simply ignored it but took an extended and loud sip from her morning coffee to hide the small smile, “Thanks mom.”

Jason laughed, “You’ll be fine. There are lots of different things to do at theme parks that don’t involve rollercoasters and thrill rides. Everyone has different things they want to do, so they’ll listen to you, especially if they’re your friends and if they’re Patton.”

The teenager let out a deep breath, “But I don’t want to force anyone to do anything… or have them think I’m a huge wimp or a baby…”

His dad’s face turned serious, “If they think that and make fun of you for it, then they’re not very good friends, Virgil.” Neither said another word as Virgil began to finally eat through the toast in front of him.

Virgil knew that both his parents were right, but it was hard to believe when his thoughts were so fixated on being loud and obnoxious about all the insecurities he had. He needed to just keep their words in mind and trust his friends. He did trust them, especially Patton.

As he thought that, there was a knock at the door that had Virgil’s heartrate doubling.

“That must be Patton. I’ll get it, you just finish eating.” Jason patted his son’s shoulder in a way to silently tell him that it was okay if he couldn’t. Virgil nibbled and took small bites as he heard the front door opening and the sudden cheery voice of his boyfriend.

‘Everything will be fine.’ Virgil chanted in his head. He stood up, leaving his breakfast half finished. He downed the last of the drink he’d been given before stepping out into the living room.

“Hi Virgil! Are you excited?” Patton asked, immediately running towards him and grabbing a hold of his hands. He was bouncing up and down on his toes, being utterly adorable in every way. Virgil couldn’t destroy that.

“Uh, yeah, totally. So excited.” Virgil plastered on a fake smile.

For a brief moment, it seemed like Patton was concerned about Virgil’s response, but he must have imagined the sudden expression change as Patton was still excitable and bouncy when he left his side.

Virgil got the disappointed Dad look when he slipped out of the car later, but he attempted to ignore the guilt that rose up in his stomach when he saw it. “Have a good time, boys! Let me know when you two would like to be picked up!” Jason called out of the window before driving out of the car park outside the theme park.

The two teenagers headed towards the front gates, looking around to see if they could spot their other friends that were supposed to be meeting them there. As they reached the pavement just outside, Patton’s phone started to ring. He fished it out of the bag he had slung over his body and picked it up, “Hello?”

“Hi Pat! So so so sorry! We’re running a little bit late! We’ll be there as soon as we can!” Abigal’s voice came through the speaker, loud enough for Virgil to hear it from where he was standing.

Patton giggled, seemingly having expected this turn of events, “It’s okay! See you soon.” With that, he hung up and turned to Virgil with a large sunny grin, “I guess you heard that?”

Virgil let out a soft breath of laughter, “Yup. Guess we’ll be out here for a little bit.”

They both moved closer to the wall, standing in a small part that was free of posters or gates. Patton was making light conversation, while Virgil pulled out his phone and was scrolling through social media at the same time. It didn’t exactly register to him, but his nerves had died down quite a bit. It was almost as if just being around Patton calmed him down.

As he was thinking about the boy, Virgil turned and looked at his boyfriend. He was suddenly struck with how odd they must look to some outside observers. Virgil leaning up against the wall casually in his ripped jeans, emo band hoodie and dark makeup, black headphones dangling from the shirt collar as he scrolled through his phone that had a self-made MCR phone case, while Patton stood next to him, looking extremely innocent by comparison. He was stood just in front of the wall, rather than leaning against it, which allowed for the pastel-coloured skirt he was wearing to flow in the soft breeze along with the bright shirt that had some sort of motivational saying on it that made Virgil almost puke at the thought – he’d had way too many of those back with an old therapist. His hair was pinned back with a simple butterfly clip and was looking all around extremely approachable.

Two completely opposite looking human beings not just standing next to each other, but clearly being close. At one point in the conversation, Patton moved closer and grabbed a hold of Virgil’s hand, swinging it lightly and looking entirely smitten with the dark emo. It made Virgil smile, because he knew he must look the same.

“PATTON! VIRGIL!” A loud shout and the sound of someone running broke their little moment as both of them turned to see Abigal coming towards them at full speed. She skidded to a halt just in front of them and panted, “I am so sorry. It was all my fault. I couldn’t find the thing I needed. And then my dad wasn’t answering the phone. And then I-”

Virgil clocked out of Abigal’s ramblings as he noticed that Reggie wasn’t currently alongside her. He looked behind the girl to see the other teenager in question slowly heading their way, taking his time rather than running like his girlfriend had done. They made eye contact as he got within speaking distance and the two greeted each other a little awkwardly – at least on Virgil’s part.

Unlike Abigal and Patton who had known each other since Patton had started high school, Reggie and Virgil were still relatively new friends, and really hadn’t had any time to get to know one another outside of their large friend group meetups. Virgil had this feeling that he should get to know Reggie, that maybe they could be friends as a lot of their humour lined up, but he just didn’t know how to go about it.

While Virgil was thinking all of this, Abigal had finally caught her breath and was done listing off her rack of apologies. She grabbed Reggie’s arm and pointed to the gates, “Time to go in and have the time of our lives!”

Patton squealed in joy and dragged Virgil along behind him as he followed the other couple up to the gates. They stood in line, chatting happily and laughing as they waited to reach the attendant. When it was their turn, Abigal stepped up and dug around in her bag.

“Abi?” came the voice from inside, causing the girl to look up.

She immediately broke out into a large grin, “Oh hey! I didn’t realise you were working today!” Abigal and the worker started an extremely casual conversation, which didn’t seem all too out of the ordinary. She was a very outgoing person and would probably have a few friends that none of them were aware of. The strangest thing happened at the end of the conversation, “So, I have three friends with me today, okay?” They all watched as Abigal passed over a card and the attendant barely checked it before handing it back.

“Have a good time!” The attendant smiled at them all, looking at them for the first time. Abigal thanked them and grabbed a hold of Reggie’s arm and Patton’s free hand before dragging all of them along with her into the park, through the turnstile.

All three of her friends were a little stunned, Virgil also feeling some form of pure terror. They’d all just walked in without being asked a single question, without any of them paying or doing anything that they should have to do in order to gain entrance to somewhere like this and it was not sitting well with him.

“What was that?” Reggie asked once they were all a fair distance from the entrance.

Abigal turned and looked at him with a slightly confused smile, “What do you mean?”

“You just dragged us all into a theme park. You knew the person at the entrance and you just had to hand over a weird card thing that they didn’t even have to look at to let you and your friends in.” Reggie rattled off all the events, almost deadpanning the whole thing.

“Ohhhhh, I hadn’t told you guys?” Abigal gasped and looked between each of them, falling on Virgil last. He was acutely aware that he was probably showing a lot of his anxiety right now, especially as he had to fight so hard to keep control of it. Abigal bit her lip before apologising, “I’m sorry, I thought I told you all that my dad owns the park…”

“WHAT?!” Patton screeched, drawing the collective attention of almost everyone, “That’s amazing!”

His reaction perked Abigal right up, “I know, right?! It’s freaking awesome! Though I am super super sorry about not telling you guys, I didn’t mean to scare you like that…” Virgil knew that was aimed mostly at him, but he was appreciative anyway. Knowing they weren’t breaking the rules and were definitely not about to get thrown out or arrested was most certainly a good thing for his nerves as they almost immediately dropped back to their normal levels.

“So, where first? You know all the best places, Abi! Where should we go?” Patton was almost vibrating from excitement. Abigal brought him over to a map and pointed to several of the rides around the park, indicating the order that she thought they should all do them in. Virgil tried to not pay attention, instead looking for something that was more his kind of thing. He noticed there was an arcade put at the centre of the map and that sounded like a much easier and better thing for him to do, now it was just bringing it up… which he just couldn’t do.

Abigal and Patton led the way, chatting and laughing as they walked in front of their significant others. They walked at a decently fast pace, which meant that Virgil’s nerves were upping at the exact same rate. They were getting closer and closer to that first rollercoaster and Virgil was having a hard time keeping himself calm. He could do this, he could definitely do this. It was only one rollercoaster, it didn’t really matter all that much. He was too busy trying to calm himself down that he didn’t notice someone was watching him the whole time.

Next to him, Reggie was clearly noticing Virgil’s anxiousness and was trying to figure out what was causing it to suddenly rise like it had. It made sense that the initial scare of being pulled through into a theme park without being told how they were able to just walk in would put some stress on the poor kid, but all they were doing was walking through the park.

“Ah, there it is!” Patton excitedly pointed towards the sign in the distance for the ride and Reggie saw that Virgil immediately tensed even more. It was suddenly all clear.

The two at the front of their group immediately headed for the entrance, but Virgil and Reggie stayed back, not getting close to the line. After a moment, Abigal and Patton realised that their boyfriends weren’t following them and returned to their sides.

“Hey, what’s up? You guys not coming?” Patton asked, sounding concerned.

Abigal smirked playfully, “Are you two just too chicken?” To anyone that wasn’t Virgil, it was clear she was only messing with them.

But Virgil was sadly himself and this was just Virgil’s worst fears coming true. Patton being upset with him not wanting to go on the rides and ruining the whole day for everyone. Abigal thinking he was a wimp and a coward and thinking less of him because of it. He was just beginning to wallow in his despair when Reggie scoffed exaggeratedly beside him. He looked up to see the boy flick his long braids in a show of sass.

“Excuse me? You think I’m going on that? With this hair? Honey, no. I am not ruining perfection for some cheap thrills that mean nothing to me.” Reggie pouted and crossed his arms in a show of defiance before continuing, “You two go enjoy whatever you want, ruin yourselves as much as you like. Virgil and I-” He looped an arm around Virgil’s shoulders casually, leaning into the emo a little, “-are going to go have our own fun, alright?”

It was clear to both Abigal and Patton that Reggie was covering for Virgil, who they could easily see was extremely nervous about the ride. His eyes kept flicking up and looking at the signs and at the tracks that looped around in the distance, he visibly flinched whenever there was a loud screaming from the rides around him. Ever the good friends, the two didn’t bring it up.

“Okay, babe. You two go have your fun and we’ll meet somewhere for lunch, I guess.” Abigal popped up onto her toes in order to press a simple kiss to Reggie’s lips before she stepped closer to the ride, waiting for Patton to join her.

“Yeah! I can’t wait to hear what you two get up to!” Patton kissed Virgil’s cheek and grinned before joining Abigal.

The other two waited until their significant others reached the line before heading off back towards the main section of the park. They walked in silence for a bit, Virgil still trying to calm his nerves back to their usual levels.

He looked up to the older student who he was now apparently going to spend most of his day with, “Hey… Thanks for that…” Virgil mumbled, returning his gaze back down to watch the paving stones as they walked, “You didn’t have to, you could have gone on the ride with them…”

Reggie simply smiled, watching the shy boy next to him, “I didn’t make anything up back there. I do not need this perfection going to waste on some rides, besides it can’t be fun to just wait for everyone else on your own when you’re freaking out.”

Virgil felt a soft smile tugging at his lips, “Yeah, it’s kinda the worst thing.”

“See? I’m just being the nice person I normally am.” Reggie grinned as Virgil gave him a disbelieving look.

“You? A nice person? That’s a pretty funny joke.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do I have to bring up the first few years of high school?”

Reggie stopped dead and stared at Virgil with an open mouth, making various unhappy gasping noises. After a few seconds to think, Reggie walked the few paces to where Virgil was watching him with an amused grin before he spoke, “That is unfair. You don’t bring up a past like that.”

“Uh huh, whatever you say, Princess.” Virgil couldn’t help laughing as Reggie made more insulted noises beside him.

The two ended up at the arcade and spent most of their day in there, playing various games. Virgil had far more skill at almost every game they played, except for when they played any of the dancing games the arcade had set up. Virgil went first and did fairly well on medium difficulty, but he could not have been prepared for when Reggie got up there and absolutely demolished a song on the hardest difficulty without even really trying. The older boy went through a few different songs, drawing in a curious and impressed crowd within just the first two. Virgil watched as he thrived from the attention, especially at the end when some of the crowd – mostly the parents with young children – applauded his efforts.

Reggie hopped down off of the machine with a confident grin and an ego that could barely fit inside the building, “So, what’s next?”

Virgil snorted and headed over to a completely different game, “I kick your ass and bring your ego back to a manageable size, so we can all breathe.”

After an hour of absolute domination, Virgil deemed Reggie’s ego thoroughly beaten and they took a break to sit outside on a bench. They were both more comfortable with each other, joking around a lot more and just generally talking about stuff that neither of them would have considered talking about in the past. Virgil learned more about Reggie’s family and why he was currently living on his own in an apartment in America and Reggie learned a lot more about Virgil and his anxiety and his past with Patton.

On the other side of the park, Abigal and Patton had just come out of the final ride they’d wanted to go on. They were still giddy with adrenaline and were giggling together.

“I guess we should go find our boyfriends?” Patton asked, becoming happier and even more giggly as he said the final words. He went to reach for his bag in order to pull out his phone but found himself interrupted by Abigal.

“Yeah, I think it’s time to get food. I am absolutely starving!” Abigal grabbed Patton’s arm and pulled him along behind her as she ran back to the central area of the park. It was only for a few seconds, but it managed to divert Patton’s attention away from getting his phone and meant that the two ended up simply wandering casually to the centre. Once they got there, they quickly noticed their two boyfriends chatting happily on a bench outside the arcade.

Patton immediately felt his heart bloom with warmth as he saw Virgil smiling and being so relaxed. He’d been worried ever since seeing the emo that morning since the boy really didn’t seem all that excited about coming to the theme park, but all that worry was now a distant memory. Patton joined Abigal in slowly walking over to them.

What he didn’t join in with was her sneaking up to the back of the bench and surprising Reggie by wrapping her arms around him and calling directly into his ear, “Boo!” She grinned as the boy in her arms turned sharply to look at her.

Virgil turned around to see Patton standing just to the side of him, also grinning. He moved over on the bench, giving Patton just enough room to perch on the end. Virgil’s arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s shoulders, giving him a gentle hug.

“Soooo, how about we talk about everything we’ve been up to over some lunch?” Abigal suggested. Everyone was more than happy to go along with that plan and they headed over to one of the restaurants inside the park to eat. They happily recounted their mornings and had an overall good time. The last part of the day was more relaxed, as they all spent the time together and went on easier, chill rides and did other activities.

Virgil was exhausted but feeling really good as he and Patton climbed into the back of his dad’s car later in the afternoon. They’d said their goodbyes to their friends and were heading home. Everything was so utterly perfect and Virgil could not have been more pleased that he’d made the decision to go out on the double date to a theme park with his friends.

Last Chapter —– Next Chapter

My other stuff: http://nekoabi.tumblr.com/myworks Mobile Accessible Masterlist: http://nekoabi.tumblr.com/post/181954641376/fic-masterlist

Abigal and Ayana belong to me. Reggie belongs to @not-so-innocent-bi-sander Daniel belongs to @doces-e--tuga Ana, Em and Asher belongs to @fangsandrainbows Sophia belongs to @notalwaysthevillian

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[laraslandlockedblues]

Ok actually I know the tags on my gif post I just did said I wasn’t sure when I’d be back, but I’m feeling strangely articulate tonight so here we go. Long-winded under the cut.

TL;DR - Real life is (and will continue to be) a busy bitch, a writer’s ego is a fragile thing, and my Lightning Struck series (Cullen/Evelyn) can now be considered on indefinite hiatus.

Hi! Yes, I’m alive and well and I really do appreciate the messages asking if I was all right and checking on me. You’re all too sweet and kind, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Keep that in mind as this ramble continues, please.

This has been a weird year already, and it’s only March. Normally I’d be like “IT’S ALREADY MARCH?!” but no, this year...It’s only March. That’s how I’ve been feeling.

January started off with a weird mood for me. Over the holidays I had the usual  family stress and blahness that comes with adulthood, but a few fandom things happened too that put me into a rather...difficult headspace, shall we say. For one thing, I will say I’ve noticed I’m not the only one who’s pointed out that it feels like the fandom is dying. And it is. Which is sad. I feel like I only just got here - I’ve played DA for years but I only really started to interact with its fandom in late 2017, so for me it was still all fresh and new and exciting. Seeing that die down, compounded with the Tumblr wank, especially, was really disappointing.

As a creator, too, it was hard not to take that personally. It was hard not to take people moving on to other fandoms and interests and things as an indictment on my work. Rational brain knew that that was the problem, rational me knew that we were all just moving on because other things were catching our interest. It’s natural. But dumb, idiot writer brain was struggling with the fact that I was feeling like I was screaming into the void.

What bothered me more was that I even cared. I never once wanted to care about that. I always preach writing for oneself, and that’s why I write. But I hated  the fact that for a time I’d gotten so much feedback that I noticed its absence when it died down a little. And that’s not anyone’s fault, I’m not begging for comments or feedback, seriously. Again, rational me was shrugging and still wanted to write for me because it was fun and I enjoy it, but the fragile writer ego we all carry around inside us took a hit and began to doubt.

It stopped being fun. Especially because it wasn’t necessarily a total lack of feedback - it was, for me, a lack of feedback on what I was actually, currently working on. Over the holidays for some reason I began to get comments on WIPs that I hadn’t updated in ages - asking me for updates. Now, everyone has their own opinion on those sorts of comments, so this is only my own, and take it with a grain of salt and everything I just mentioned above.

It sucked. It absolutely, 100% sucked. Seeing the email notification that I got a comment would bring me so much joy - only to open it to see that it was a comment on something I hadn’t written for in a long time asking me when I’d feel like providing more content for that fic again. I began to feel like fic was a transaction and I was piling up debts. I started to feel like I owed fandom and readers what they wanted, instead of doing this for the reason I started in the first place - for myself.

I know that Rylen is niche. I know that fics that have very little to do with canon are niche. I know that Abby isn’t always super likable. I know that John is off-putting because he’s such a morally ambiguous OC who has nothing to do with DA and makes really shit decisions. I know all of that, and I’ve never expected any of those fics to get any sort of response, so the fact that they’ve gotten the response that they have still blows my mind and makes me insanely, insanely happy. And so I hated that I felt ungrateful, and that I was doubting my work, and that writing and fandom was beginning to feel like a labor and not something I loved.

The more I noticed I was struggling with working on updates, the more I started to think a break might be in order. When some RL stuff finally cropped up, the fact that I was sort of forced into a break was a blessing in disguise, to be honest. I leaned into the skid and let myself step back to reevaluate why I do this and what I want to get out of it. I fell into a new fandom and worked on random pieces of writing for it, which I threw into the voids of ao3 on a second account and only shared for myself and a few friends who were also falling into that fandom with me. I rediscovered the joy of writing and not caring what response I get. I reignited my love of crafting a story a certain way because I wanted to and not because I thought it was where anyone else thought it should go.

I remembered why I love writing in the first place - for myself.

And with that, I finally began to let go of some things, and let myself mull over decisions I’d been putting off or avoiding. I shrugged off the stress of expectation and “owing” anyone my time or effort, and I’m finally back to enjoying myself and my writing, free of doubt.

With that, I have some news, good and bad. The bad news first - my Cullen muse has left the building. I have waited, and hoped, and tried, but at some point he walked out the door and he hasn’t made an appearance since. That isn’t to say that I don’t still love his character or content about him, but personally, I can no longer write his POV or romance. The ability to do so has eluded me for months now, but I’ve accepted this sad truth at long last. Unless he’s trading banter with Rylen or Abby, his muse is no longer whispering in my ear. And that makes me sad, and for all I know he’ll reemerge some day, ready to help me write again. For now, though, that isn’t possible. Which does, unfortunately, mean that my Cullen/Evelyn WIPs are currently either abandoned or on an indefinite hiatus (I’ve tagged them appropriately on ao3 if you’re curious). If I do manage to return to them, I expect to only focus on Moments Passed and Miss Grey. As for what I’ll do about Beautiful Disaster...I’m not quite certain yet.

It did also mean that I was able to let go of something that had bothered me for a while as well. I’m almost positive no one noticed since it’s been kind of off radar for a while, but - my fic What Are the Odds has been orphaned. I’m still proud of it as a fic, but it came with a lot of baggage and my Cullen/Evelyn pairing was just ever so slightly OOC to the point that comments on it made me cringe. I’m a firm believer in not deleting, and so off to the fandom as an orphaned work it went, to be enjoyed without me having to be aware of it at all.

Now, the good news is - I do 100% still plan on writing Abby/Rylen. Their muses are still there and whispering to me, and I definitely want to continue working on the WIPs I have for them. At the moment After Rain might be slow to update (need to figure out how I’m navigating some canon plot to get me from point A to B to C to D and on). But I plan on trying to finish it as well as the others that I have for them. Abby/Ry live on, because I absolutely love them so much, and the idea of writing for them is back to bringing me joy.

I cannot make guarantees on update speed for the foreseeable future, possibly for the rest of the year. Currently RL continues to be a shitshow, as I was reminded today, and writing more than a sentence here or there has been difficult. In a few months I will also be moving, and once at my new destination I actually have a Big Project (a writing one I hope to be able to share here, if people are still around/Tumblr is still a thing) that I intend to make my full time focus. My goal has always been to be a writer, and while fanfic has been an amazing way to explore my writing style/storytelling/character voice, I have plans to get published. I’ll have a better opportunity to put those plans into realistic action later this year, which I’m actually really, insanely excited about.

If you have made it this far, THANK YOU. I love this fandom, and I’ve met so many wonderful, lovely, supportive, talented people in it and I have missed you all dearly during my time away. In no way was this a call out post directed at anyone in particular, and in no way was this a “woe is me, please give me attention” cry for help. I’ve just had a lot of thoughts and feelings during this break, and I actually wanted to sort of vocalize them because: 1) wow I already feel better after doing so, and 2) to let other writers know it’s 100% valid to need to take a break or occasionally get in your head about needing validation/feedback/wonder why we do this when it just feels like screaming into a fathomless void. It’s natural and normal and totally human, and if you’re feeling that way, find someone supportive to help you through and take a step back. Everything will be waiting there for you when you’re ready for it. And remember - do it for yourself because it’s something you enjoy.

xx

[freereignastarwarsstory]

Chapter 12: Bail and Barter

Disclaimer: We (@zazabelle and @draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Deafening, was the sound of silence in the transport making its way back to the shipyards. It was deafening compared to the sound of battle still ringing in Lerti and Vis’ ears.

The same transport had only hours before had carried three of Soron’s crew members into town. Now only two sat in the silence.

Vis sat curled up in a ball in her seat, her breaths coming out in quick little bursts. She wasn’t crying so much as she was hyperventilating. Every part of her was aching with guilt. How had it all happened to fast? Was this what she really wanted? Was this what her guide really wanted for her?

Lerti sat watching her, her mind somewhere else, and her hands still twitching to blast every last one of the stormtroopers they’d watched drag Cenden away.

Soron and Nek had split up and were taking separate routes back to the shipyard. Not knowing how much the stormtroopers had seen of them, they decided it was best to go opposite directions to meet at the same point.

With this in mind, Lerti’s leg began bouncing anxiously with the rushing of her thoughts. With the blockade still up, the transport was taking twice as long to weave its way around the perimeter established to nab the black market Tiss’shar called Jinx. Just enough time for Soron to make his way back to the ship before they would reach it, but not enough time for Soron to have calmed down by then.

Lerti knew this was bad. She knew she’d get a good verbal pummelling from their captain regarding their decision-making skills. But there was something about him waiting there for them like they were walking into the nest of a beast they knew was going to eat them alive. At least if they could’ve gotten there first it would feel like they had some element of advantage…

“Hey, Lerti?” Vis whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Are we going to have to leave Cenden in jail because of me?”

“No.” Lerti retorted.

Vis seemed to think over Lerti’s ‘No.’ before responding, “...Okay.”

The rest of the trip went on in that same silence filled with echoes of blasters and the quiet buzz of adrenaline.

Lerti and Vis exited the transport. Lerti trying to steer them clear of any troopers who might be looking to ask for identification or travel papers. The last thing they needed was for their illegal off-worlder, who was filled to the brim with old lightsabers, to be searched. As soon as that hurdle was cleared, Lerti and Vis made their approach to the ship, and as expected, Soron stood there waiting for them. His face dark with fury.

“I… Am not. Going to draw. Any more attention to us than you three already have. So before I yell at you for everything you assume I am going to yell at you for. Get. In. The. Ship.” Soron fumed as he turned to walk up the Raving Titan’s gangplank.

Vis broke into a run, trailing behind him. Lerti followed at a quick pace.

Once inside, Soron slammed his fist onto the control panel to raise the platform and his eyes flew to Lerti.

“WHAT in THE GALAXY were you THINKING!?” Soron suddenly spewed.

“Soron! I know this is bad!” Lerti began.

“Bad??” Soron growled through clenched teeth.

“Fine! Let’s bump it up to a really bad! But! We were following orders! We got intel about another informant on Tiss’sharl and we went with it!”

“No. No, no. You brought a child to a black market warehouse THAT WAS RAIDED and if Cenden wasn’t arrested I’d be screaming at him too! But NOW our JEDI KNIGHT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE IMPERIALS!”

“AH! Yes! I know this is really REALLY bad! I honestly don’t know what happened! One moment we were shopping and the next moment we were being shot at! Everything just kept moving from one thing to the next!” Lerti’s normally calm voice began to escalate into a panicked ramble.

“VIS COULD’VE BEEN KILLED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WE DON’T-”

“-WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE EMPIRE I KNOW BUT-”

Soron and Lerti were now, not so much yelling at each other, but through each other. Their panic bouncing off the anger that had slid into the background of the argument. Chol, BX, Nek, and Vis stood off to the side.

Two observed silently, one wrung their hands and another began shaking before her hands flew to her ears as she crouched into a ball on the ground.

“STOP! TOO LOUD! IT WAS OUR FAULT!” Vis bellowed.

Soron and Lerti cut to silence and looked over at the child. Soron’s anger began melting into what looked like guilt, he blinked down at Vis, almost as if he’d forgotten she had been there.

Vis’ own eyes suddenly blinked open, stealing a glance up at the two, almost testing to see if there was still too many loud noises. At finding things quiet, Vis uncurled from the floor.

“It was my fault… Well, our fault. I think it was because of these.” Vis explained as she opened her trenchcoat pockets and began to dispense lightsaber after lightsaber arranging them one after the other onto the floor.

“WHOA!” Chol exclaimed, the Mon Calamari quickly donned an alertness and took several steps back. “Kid! Where’d you get those!?”

Vis reached down and picked up one that was still mostly intact and began examining it, “I found them in the black marketplace along with this temple guard key,” Vis’ hand fished the old key from her pocket, “I’m not sure why Cenden got captured, but I’m pretty sure these are important to our mission!”

“What is our mission again??” Nek interjected, as he gnawed at one of his taloned fingers.

“We’re figuring it out,” Vis mumbled as she quickly twisted the lightsaber, the chamber half unlocking, half snapping apart, and a lone blue kyber crystal came tumbling out. “But this whole day probably has something to do with these.”

Vis held the kyber crystal out for those crew around her to examine. It glowed with a pale blue light, and Vis’ freckles shifted to match.

Everyone was quiet in the blue glow until Soron calmly took a breath, his whole body slumped forward a little.

He looked quite old at that moment. His clawed hand raised to pinch the bridge of his nose as his ears gave several frustrated twitches.

“Soron… I am sorry. It wasn’t our place to put Vis in the situation we did.” Lerti apologized as she slumped against the wall. It had been a long day.

Soron started quietly laughing to himself.

“I should know better than anyone here how one thing can spiral straight into insanity. I’m just glad my crew is safe… ish.” Soron looked at the girl holding the bit of kyber and held out his hand. “I’ve seen many lightsabers in my time, but I guess I never really thought to look that closely at what was powering them. This is what’s so important Vis?”

Vis blinked at him a few times before placing the crystal in his open hand. “If you listen, you can hear it singing.”

“Singing swords…” He held the crystal aloft with a contemplative smile.

The blue glow had begun fading in his hands, but if anyone were to looking close enough, they could see the spark still left reflected in his eyes.

With a few nods, almost as if he’d come to an agreement with himself, he handed the crystal back to Vis, and turned to Lerti. With a clap on her shoulder, he spoke, “Let’s get Cenden back.”

Lerti’s deep frown quickly switched to a smug smile, and a laugh escaped her lips. “But let’s leave the fighting to anyone but Vis this time.”

“Hey! I fought AWESOME!” Vis protested.

The others laughed.

With that, Soron ordered everyone to the debriefing room.

Well, “debriefing room” was what Soron was calling it today, but most of the time it was the galley. The ship’s spacial capacity didn’t allow the crew to have a formal mission debriefing room, so it was either this or BX’s closet room, and everyone had long ago agreed that planning smuggling routes and near death missions were more fun with snacks.

Their newest crew member was certainly in agreement with that statement, as everyone piled into the “debriefing room”, Nek showed Vis where he stashed sweet-sand cookies.

“BX,” Soron called the droid to attention, “Pull up any information you have on the Imperial complex in the main province of Tiss’sharl. A map if we have one.”

BX’s eyes blinked to life and the city of Tiss’sharl now lay before them. The droid head gave a tilt and the center of the city expanded to reveal the Imperial complex installed near the center of the city.

“Whoa…” Vis whispered with her mouth full of cookie. A clamoring could be heard behind BX as the girl climbed up onto the counter behind the droid.

The holo-map gave a quick jolt and everyone’s eyes glanced up to see Vis now leaning her whole body on the droid attempting to either look directly into the blue beams emitting from his eyes or to make shadow puppets over the cityscape, and only the Force could tell for certain.

“So here’s the deal.” Soron began with a clap, “This is the Imperial building here. But any basic map could tell you that; we only have the map of basic schematics of the building and it’s severely outdated. We are extremely… no, pitifully low on ammo, fuel, credits, just everything in general. If we are really going to pull this off and get Cenden out of there without us getting captured or dead, we’re going to need some… Creative thinking. And that’s an understatement. So, any ideas?”

Everyone was quiet as they weighed the odds. After nearly two full minutes of silence, the odds were added. And after 5 more minutes of half ideas, half-thoughts, and the words ‘We could… maybe… and what if,’ thrown about it seems the odds were perfectly evened out.

“We could use explosives?”

“Too messy, too risky.”

“Maybe infiltrate and extract?”

“Possibly, but we’d have to have a nearly flawless getaway.”

“What if we just come back later when we have more resources?”

“They could ship him out and that makes rescue even harder.”

The five crew members went back and forth with each other, and each plan just came up with more complications.

That’s when Vis crawled down from the counter and under the hologram. Lifting her hand through the image she sent her fingers walking down the city lanes straight up to the Imperial building where her little hand man proceeded to pass right on through.

“Hmmmmm, hey guys?” Vis mumbled as she lay on the floor, now staring up at the floating city, her hand running gently through the bottom of the map’s plan.

No one heard her so BX responded, “Yes tiny thing glitching my holo-program?”

With BX’s blunt response, the group quieted for a moment and acknowledged the voice below the hologram.

“I don’t know much about how jail stuff works and everything, but... can’t we just, bail him out?”

The crew went silent.

“Just… bail him out!? Ha! Kid, that’s not how it works!” Lerti laughed.

“I know the Empire’s evil and stuff, but I’ve read a lot of stories and doesn’t he get his one holo-message call or something? I don’t know how much bail costs, but it sounds kinda easier than trying to break him out.”

The group of mercenary fighters again went quiet.

“I mean! If you guys wanna fight and blow stuff up, I’m down for that! I don’t know how to do that but I’m willing to learn!” Vis rambling as she rolled out from under the hologram and went over for more cookies, “I kinda forgot cookies existed, could never find any in the old food rations at the temple…”

She went silent as Soron moved in on the map, his hand stroking the fur under his chin. His hand went to his comlink as he pulled up what appeared to be the crew’s overall funds, what was left over anyway. He frowned discerningly.

“You know what… I don’t know why we wouldn’t do that.” Soron agreed, with voice cut with a ‘matter-of-fact’ tone.

Lerti’s face scrunched into disbelief, “Are you serious? Wouldn’t they just arrest us the moment we walk in there?”

“Not if they didn’t recognize us.” Soron countered, glancing at Chol.

“We don’t know how much they saw of us,” Lerti argued back, “We might not even get a few steps in the door before they’d be onto us.”

“But we wouldn’t be doing anything wrong with this plan!” Vis jumped in, “We’d just be paying what we need to, right?”

“But they’d ask questions. We’ll need a cover story with whoever we send. If I remember correctly, bail for being out past curfew is about 100 credits on Tiss’sharl, that’s what they arrested him for right?” Soron asked, and Lerti nodded, so the captain continued, “Though our funds are monumentally low, we do have enough fuel in this bird to get us to Nar’Shaada, so even if the price is raised, we should have enough.”

“Wow. I never thought I’d see the day where we, as in us, was planning on following the rules!” Nek laughed.

“Well, it’s actually the best bet we got for something worse not to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden’s been interrogated by now, so he’s already given his version of the story.”

Vis, who was now back on the counter with a pile of cookies on her lap, slowly raised her hand, “I think me and my guide can help with that.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My guide had been following the words swirling about the room for a while.

With each new suggestion and each new word, I felt the ball of anxiety that had built up in my brain begin to get picked at one string at a time.

Then things began to connect. And I began to realize I was sorely out of my league. The fighting, the shooting, and possible stabbing… This was what I had wanted right? The adventure I’d been waiting for?

But now I sat here in quiet of the kitchen just listening to the others talking while cookie crumbs fell around my mouth… and this weird feeling came back. The one I felt before I left the temple.

It started at my toes and the tips of my fingers, but it felt like it was all pulling towards my heart and head. Like two magnets being attracted to each other, this feeling kept rising further and further up my body. And the more I wanted it to stop, the more I told my heart to stop beating so fast, then the more I thought about the falling and flying and jumping towards a giant Wookie with a gun… The more I realized we could’ve died.

‘I’m being silly. Shut up brain. I was never in any real danger, my guide. I would’ve sensed it beforehand… right?’ I talked in my own head as I felt the Force wrap around me like a blanket.

I felt peace wash over me, but I could still sense the paths where things might’ve gone horribly wrong. ‘Force? I want to calm down. I don’t want to be scared. But all they’re talking about is more possible death scenarios. You sense it, right?’

In each mind, it felt like fuses to bombs being lit in their heads.

The idea would strike, the fuse became lit, but at the end of the idea blew up in their faces.

There were possibilities things would work, but they were so small, and to be honest, I could barely keep up with what they were talking about. I hadn’t studied these topics as much from the holocrons.

‘I wish we could just walk in and get him.’ I thought to my guide, ‘Blowing up stuff sound really exciting, but there has to be an easier way right?’

That’s when I spoke up. And as it turns out, we might be able to just walk in and get him!

My whole body felt like it might melt. I watched as my bright yellow freckles shifted to a deep blue while I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. We don’t have to fight. This time.

I’m such a wimp.

“Well, it’s actually the best bet we got for something worse not to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden’s been interrogated by now, so he’s already given his version of the story.”

At Soron’s words, my whole being perked up.

I felt my guide dance around my head and seem to begin smiling and pulling at ideas in my mind. A grin broke out across my face as we chanted together in my mind, ‘Play time! Play time!’

Keep it cool.

“I think me and my guide can help with that,” I said mysteriously as I set my cookies aside and hopped off the counter.

“You can help out with what?” Lerti voiced.

“Well, I’m glad you asked!” ‘They are going to be so impressed!’ “I do this ALL the time with my guide when I need to figure out something I don’t understand or don’t know yet. I sort of place myself in that person’s perspective at the moment they’re in, and can kind of… Be them? Normally, people are pretty predictable. So if the interrogations already happened, I think we can figure out what Cenden said and did...maybe. It’s a sort of tracking ability from what I’ve read in holocron data.” I paused to take a breath.

“Uuuuhhhhhh, like how we pretended to be holocrons back at the temple two days ago?” Nek answered after a moment of pause.

“Exactly! It works with people, objects, ideas, stuff like that. It’s just a good way for my guide to get across information. It’s not 100% effective, but it worked with you guys pretty well before we met!” I exclaimed as I looked across the faces staring back at me.

I think they’re confused.

“Here. I’ll just show you.”

The holographic map blinked off as I walked through the center of it and over towards the small table and rounded booth seats only a few steps away from the “debriefing space”.

“Alright, just don’t interrupt,” I warned them. Only Soron gave a nod, but that’s fine. I took a breath, letting my guide flow into me. Focusing, I let my mind relax, and the room around me fell away. There was only darkness. I was nothingness, and I can be anything.

Now Cenden fell into view.

I looked into his eyes at first and tried to bring my freckles to the same hue as his stern pale green ones.

Next, I put on his face. I put on his scowl that seemed to rest so comfortable there. And with a tilt of my head and a wave of my arms, I could see his mannerisms, sharp and direct.

With the new body I wore, I reached out with my hand and my eyes still closed, feeling for the seat that was once next to me but now was enveloped in the darkness. Locking my wrists together, I took a seat. I could feel the cold metal in my hand as the imagined weight of another chair moved at my touch, and I sat down.

Now time to set up the scene.

I opened my eyes.

My body ached everywhere. Not just from the fall from the building, but from the first stun shock, and then from the second stun, I’d felt before the world had gone completely dark.

My vision swam still as I sat in the interrogation room. I’d been awake for a while, but they’d kept me waiting for half an hour at least, a scare tactic.

Now, I tried to keep my heart from racing out of my chest, I tried to keep myself from using every bit of power I had to Force-choke the Imperial officer, who I could now sense approaching from the other side of the locked door… But not yet.

Maybe not at all.

‘As far as they’re concerned,’ I thought carefully, ‘I’m an Imperial nurse. Have been for years. Just been off the clock for a few months catching up on some long desired travel in my old age.’

That’s what the records said, that’s what I have to say.

The officer walked into the room.

I greeted the man with an impatient scowl.

Now I let my freckles shift to the deep brown of this other human man’s eyes. His arm was in a sling from where Nek had shot him. He was low ranking and had been looking forward to meeting a quota, but instead had been met with a blaster shot to the arm. Now, this was personal.

The interrogator looked at a datapad he held in his other hand, looking intrigued at what was written there.

“Cenden Sondron, is it?”

“Yes,” I answered with a slight roll of my eyes.

“It says here that you’re an Imperial medic, ranked as a nurse, is that correct?”

“Right again,” At his second question, I straightened my back and sat up a bit straighter in my seat. “Which means I could probably take a look at your arm if you want.”

“No that’s quite alright, I already have my own medical team working on it.”

“Right...Well. Why am I here then?” I questioned as slouched back into my seat. “I mean honestly, don’t you have anything better to do than interrogate me? I heard the blockade warning, shouldn’t you be out dealing with zhat?”

The interrogator igored my jab and continued, “Cenden Sondron, born on Ambria, currently 55 in human cycles, and has been affiliated with the Empire since it’s early conception as a medical assistant on the field, and currently on leave. And not much information beyond that.”

“What exactly is it that you’re wanting to know?” I donned an impatient tone.

“I want to know who it is I have in custody.”

“You just read my report.”

The officer placed the data pad behind his back and began to stalk slowly around the table.

“No. You misunderstand. I want to know why it is that a medical officer who has been on leave for the past several months for no reason other than ‘you wanted to’, just happens to show up on Tiss’sharl. Spotted leaping from rooftop to rooftop after a black market raid just went down. Rebellious activity had been spotted in the area, and upon arrest, the officer in charge of the arrest was assaulted and nearly killed. That’s what I want to know.”

“Listen, I…”

“I’ve heard of your kind before Mr. Sondron. The Imperial freeloaders, ones who pledge their loyalty just to give the law the slip. And, what’s more I know a veteran of the Clone Wars when I see one, so, tell me. Whose side are you on?”

‘My own.’ I meditated on those words but forced them back down my throat.

“The Empire’s.”

“Oh really?” He began again, “Then how did all of this happen?”

“Zhat’s honestly what I’m still trying to figure out.” I started, trying to sound sincere, “One minute, I’m on Tiss’sharl for a routine freelance check-up I have in zhe area, and the next thing I know I hear the blockade warning over the Imperial channel, so I decided to leave...”

“By running along the rooftops?” The Imperial mocked.

“Call it what you will but blockades slow down traffic. I thought the roofs would be faster to get out of zhe area.”

“And what about this?” He pointed to his blaster-singed arm.

I closed my eyes with a sigh, trying to look empathetic, ‘I’m going to kill that Devaronian if I get out of this.’

“I don’t know who did that, I just know how to treat it.”

The Imperial laughed in disbelief. I needed to say something more if this was going to work, if I was going to get out of here.

“Look, if you’re so keen on accusing me of something, then please accuse me already. Otherwise, can I leave?” I feigned the tone of my voice’s growing concern

The officer grew quiet as he scanned over his datapad several more times before sighing and looking up at the one way glass where no doubt the officer’s superiors were observing the interrogation. The officer made a motion with his hand towards his ear, a sign someone had given instructions over an earpiece.

With a silent glance back my way, the officer turned and left the interrogation room.

I groaned in frustration and glared up at the ceiling. The silent leave meant they couldn’t get anything on me. But they also weren’t going to let me leave anytime soon, and if they wanted to drag this out for days, OR if they forgot why they’d arrested me, I could be deported for nothing.

‘Zhe better have a plan to get me out of here soon.’

Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and slid further down in my seat.

Then, I opened my eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden sat up in his chair as he heard the sound of the interrogation door slide open. His vision was foggy for a moment, he must’ve dozed off in the time he’d been waiting.

Two stormtroopers stood waiting for him at the door. One gave a nod and a slight wave for him to follow.

“Cenden Sondron, you are free to go. Your bail has been paid.” The trooper explained.

Cenden stood hesitantly. This wasn’t right.

“Uh huh, sure. And is ‘free to go’ code for ‘we’re taking you to your cell now?’” Cenden replied spitefully.

The Jedi almost jumped when from somewhere down the hall he heard a gruff voice call out to him, “No! They mean you’re free to go Cenden!”

Cenden now walked curiously towards the door, “Chol?”

The two stormtroopers positioned themselves along each side of the “Imperial nurse” as they escorted him down the hall. Blinking in surprise, Cenden saw at the end of the cold metal hallway of the Imperial holding cells stood on the opposite side of a ray shielded door was the Mon Calamari pilot.

Paralleling Cenden’s situation, Cholmon had an Imperial officer flanking each side of the old fish, who stood looking rather pleased at himself as Cenden was brought ever closer.

As Cenden neared the threshold, the stormtrooper on his left leaned in close and through the visor heard a somewhat familiar voice quickly whisper, “Nice to see you again. We didn’t know the raid was on for today. Tell Vis that ‘the twins’ say hi.”

With that, Cenden’s escort had reached its end. They turned him and removed the restrainers on his wrists before closing the ray shield keeping him from freedom.

“So you’re sure this is the man who’s been giving treatments to your…?” The Imperial officer directed at Chol.

“Daughter.” Cholmon finished, “We’ve had nurse Sondron in our services for routine check-ups for a while. He does it on freelance, and he came just in time this year to treat our daughter. He left early last night when we heard the blockade going up, I tried contacting him so he could come back and finishing treating her for the week only to learn he’d been arrested. As you can imagine me and my wife were quite…”

“That’s enough, thank you.” The other officer cut him short.

Chol cleared his throat. Cenden noted that this was the most he had ever heard Chol speak at one time.

“Do you have proof of his employment?” The officer questioned.

“Yes sir.” Chol said as he pulled a datapad out of his pocket displaying what Cenden could only assume was some of Nek’s work.

The same officer with the blasted shoulder, another token of Nek’s work, looked at the data pad, eyeing it with an upturned nose, seemingly angry that everything seemed to be in place.

“Right, well. Sorry for the misunderstanding medical officer Sondron. Everything seems to be in order and your bail has been paid.” The officer said in disdain.

“My bail has been paid?” Cenden eyed Chol in subtle surprise.

“Yes, you are free to go.” The officers stepped aside and Chol clapped Cenden on the back as the two made their way out of the holding cell and into the civilian waiting room.

All manner of life colliated amongst the civilian waiting room of the Imperial detention center in the main city of Tiss’sharl. Glancing about the space, Cenden could see among the crowds many worried faces. Looking up at the detainee board, it seemed many had been arrested in the blockade. Family’s of those being interrogated waited to hear news if they could pay the bail, or if their loved one would ever be seen again. Cenden could see how Chol had been able to pull off the lie, but how had he known about…

“How did you know what I told the interrogation officer about being in the area for routine check-ups?” Cenden leaned in and whispered into what served as Chol’s ear.

“Quiet.” He mumbled as they walked and little further past the receptionist’s service desk, “I’ll explain once we’re out of here and on our way to Nar’Shaada… and let’s just say the kid does a pretty good impression of you.”

With that, the Jedi and the pilot began to make their way back.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“The Force is dark. The Force is deep. The Force is mysterious. It’s depths unreachable, it’s vastness great. To those who are born above, they sail atop it’s waters to find the end is an endless search for nothing, and those who dive to the clouded darkness from above to reach what lies below only ends in death in the pitch of night. But, to those born within, surrounded by it’s waters, they look up from where they float, and see only the light of day to raise to, the light their only guide. The Force is light.”

“I like that sis, did you write that?”

“Nope. It’s an old Jedi proverb, so… It doesn’t say an author name.”

“Well, it sounds like you to me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! How you talk about the world and how the Force makes you feel things… I wish I could feel stuff like that. ”

“Well, you’re my brother, I’m sure you have it in you! Maybe you just need a different perspective. That’s what the proverbs talking about in first place, Soron.”

Soron felt a cold nail press into his forehead, pressure began to build in his mind, threatening to cause his head to split.

“Soron…?” A voice called out to him.

“SORON! HELP!”

Soron awoke with a choked scream.

His hand flew to his forehead to massage his aching head as he got a sense of his surroundings. He was still in his room on his ship making it’s way to Nar’Shaada. Soron looked about, recalling moment for moment the dream he’d just had, it was more like a memory or two mashed together… He must’ve been napping for only about an hour in hyper-space time, but that last cry for help in his dream had sounded so real. Had that been only in his dream or had that been…?

“SSOOORRROOONNN!!!” Vis’ high pitched voice suddenly rang around the ship.

“COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-!” Cenden’s voice chorused in response.

Within moments Soron was out of bed and in the hallway just in time to see Vis come skidding around the corner, panic-ridden and red freckled. The girl was also completely barefoot and sans oversized trench coat, making her already tiny stature even more wiry and small.

“SORON HELP HE’S TRYING TO STAB ME!!!” Vis yelled at the top of her lungs as she skillfully slid past Soron’s wide-shouldered stature just as Cenden came rushing from the same direction holding what looked to be a hypo-syringe.

“FOR THE LOVE OF BANTHA, VIS. IF YOU ARE STAYING ON THIS SHIP YOU ARE GETTING VACCINATED OR YOU. WILL. DIE. WE DIDN’T SPEND NEARLY THE LAST OF OUR MONEY BUYING THESE MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO NOT USE THEM!”

“No the last of our money was actually used to bail you out of jail.” Soron pointed out smugly as crossed his arms and smiled in amusement.

Cenden stopped to catch his breath and shoot Soron a stink eye, “I’ve been running diagnostics on her, but the moment a needle comes into play she takes off. You’d think a person WANTING TO SWORD FIGHT WOULDN’T BE SCARED OF NEEDLES!” Cenden heaved as he directed his last point to wherever Vis ran off to.

From somewhere in the ship a voice could be heard in reply, “I AM NO COWARD, I AM A SURVIVOR!”

Cenden growled under his breath in frustration.

“You two seem to be getting along well.” Soron observed sarcastically before talking into his intercom, “BX, could you grab Vis for me?”

“I will never understand how Jedi ever put up with this.” Cenden shook his head in disbelief.

“Have a little optimism. You haven’t even started training with her yet.”

“Yeah, about that…” Cenden said as he turned and gestured for Soron to follow. Cenden lead the captain over to the small room the crew called the medical bay.

Soron suppressed a laugh as he saw the result of Vis’ daring vaccination escape with a lot of Cenden’s smaller pieces of medical equipment strewn around the room. On the screen, Soron observed that Cenden had begun making a medical record for Vis just like he had his first week with the rest of the crew.

“As you can see here, I managed to draw a bit of blood before the kid decided needles were ‘not for her’ and made a run for it.” On the screen, a sample of blood came into view, “After running a few tests, she is part human and some other sort of speciez I don’t have on file, not much of a surprise there. But, I ran one other test and I found she has an average number of midichlorians.” Cenden concluded, looking at Soron for some kind of reaction.

“And…?”

“Aaannnddd, Soron, she technically can’t be classified as Force-sensitive.”

“What? That makes no sense.”

“I know, but generally Jedi would be guided to Force-sensitives and Jedi-potentials have a midichlorian count way above this. ”

“So would Jedi be guided to Force-sensitive children by the Force or by midichlorians?” Soron inquired.

“The Force and the midichlorians are a symbiotic relationship so both I suppose…”

“Then are midichlorians what cause someone to be Force-sensitive?” Soron rebutted.

“...Well, it was actually still being researched in my day but it seems all things have midichlorians just not everyone can ‘use them’ so-to-speak.” Cenden said as he shrugged and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

“Then maybe there’s different kinds of Force-sensitivity and there IS a possibility that midichlorian counts don’t matter?” Soron pressed.

“That’s definitely a possibility.” Cenden sighed with an exaggerated tone.

“Good! Glad to hear you’re still on for training her then and you weren’t using this as an elaborate excuse not to! I’m also glad you’re not going to mention this to the kid!” Soron established with a forced smile.

Cenden rolled his eyes, “Uh huh.”

Just as Cenden’s eyes finished their rotation, the clanking sound of BX’s footsteps could be heard from down the hall, along with the sound of struggling.

“Unhand me, villain!” Vis commanded as BX came into sight in the doorway, holding Vis aloft by her underarms.

“I grabbed Vis for you.” BX announced.

“Thanks. Could you set that right over there?” Soron pointed to the small bed on the opposite side of the small medical bay.

BX nodded as Vis began to struggle even harder.

“BX, stay in here and make sure Vis gets all her needed shots so she can continue her Force mission with us and our crew and not carry the plague with her like a scavenger’s backpack.” Soron said as he looked directly at Vis.

She frowned, but stopped struggling as hard, seeming to catch his drift but not wanting to give up the illusion that she was still fighting.

Soron nodded and turned to leave, “We’ll be landing on Nar’Shaddaa soon,” He turned his head to face them in the doorway and laughed, “And trust me, if you’re going to need a vaccination anywhere, it’s there.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“Wow! This place is... massive!” Vis said, face pressed against the one glass window of Soron’s quarters.

Taking in the sprawling expanse of Nar Shaddaa, choked with buildings and in perpetual blackness kept at bay by the sickly lights of the crime world.

“It is, and you’re not going to set foot out there,” Soron said as he stood behind her.

“Oh come on! I’m used to the noise now! And I won’t go wandering off unless I need to.” She whined, but Soron’s tone made it clear he wasn’t gonna budge.

“Vis, I know your joining us was rather sudden and you haven’t exactly had time to settle into this, but you’re a part of a crew now. And the crew has to work together. So for now, your job is to stay here and work on this.”

Vis turned her attention away from the window just in time to see Soron produce the shining white orb they’d received from within Vis’ temple home. Vis’ freckles turned a deep purple as a serious tone crossed her face.

“Nar’Shaddaa is a dangerous place, and if you’re able to draw danger on a place like Tiss’sharl, then peril will most definitely find you here. You’re very used to going where ever you need to, whenever you feel to, but is there any chance you could focus on simply figuring out what we’re supposed to be doing with this while I take some jobs?” Soron explained as he held out the orb to Vis.

The girl nodded, “Can do.”

The orb in Soron’s grasp felt as if another hand suddenly grabbed hold of the orb, and Soron watched as the kyber crystal sphere was removed from his hand by thin air and floated into Vis’ open palm.

As the two walked out of the room, Vis began apologetically running her hand over the orb, “I’m sorry this is all so vague. It seemed pretty clear what we were supposed to do when we left the temple. ‘Find some holocrons with certain messages inside’, and I knew that wouldn’t be easy, but I’ve lived alongside holocrons for so long, I figured they were a bit more abundant than they are… I think I forgot how big the galaxy is.”

“My friend, you have no idea.” Soron responded wistfully, “Our journey has only begun, we don’t have to have all the answers right away. And mission or not, I’m glad to have you aboard.”

“Really?” Vis responded, obvious she didn’t know how to respond to the kindness.

“Really. I’ve seen you do some amazing things in the short time we’ve know you, and I have a feeling we could learn a thing or two.” Soron and Vis stopped at the intersection of one of the ship’s hallways.

Vis scoffed and slouched where she stood, “Well that’s annoying considering I’M supposed to be the padawan around here.”

Soron laughed, “It’s rare we get to pick our roles, Vis. And on the topic,” Soron turned his head and cupped his clawed hand near his mouth before shouting, “CENDEN! ARE YOU READY TO GO!?”

“I’m right here.” Cenden said as he rounded a corner, “I’m old, I’m not deaf.” The former temple-guard wore his usual scowl along with some extra gear that suggested he was expecting a fight. His normally plain, pale yellow tunic was overlapped with a chest guard the ran along his chest and over his shoulders, connecting around the base of his neck.

In fact, both men sported extra armor and weapon utilities that made them look like Lerti’s casual on steroids. Vis noticed and frowned.

“So what exactly are you guys doing for jobs here?” Vis questioned.

“That’s the problem,” Soron exhaled as he adjusted one of his shoulder guards, “Our employer doesn’t exactly hire us in advance, so it’s just best to be prepared for anything and everything.”

Footsteps quickly rounded the corner to reveal Nek. The Devorian huffed, out of breath, and held out his hand to Soron, “Here’s the thermal detonators you wanted, it was the only pair I could find on the ship that weren’t potential duds.”

“Thanks Nek. I actually have another favor to ask of you.” Soron said as he tucked the detonators away in a pouch on his belt.

“Sure, as long as it doesn’t involve more running around the ship.” Nek’s response emanated exaggerated exhaustion.

“I’d like you to help Vis with the orb. You two seemed to work well together back at the temple with experimental theories so maybe you can figure out more about our next possible steps?” Soron entreated.

“Sure! Jedi stuff is really interestingly designed so I’d be happy to help her prod some answers out of that thing.” Nek agreed as he moved to lean his elbow on Vis’ shoulder, only for Vis’ hollow form to be off balanced by the weight.

The two went tumbling to the ground only for Nek to quickly shoot back up off the floor, while Vis still lay on the ground nearly crying from a sudden giggle fit. Nek looked at her before giving a hasty thumbs up.

“Oh ja, I’m sure you two will be very productive.” Cenden observed sarcastically.

“Don’t worry we’ll have the rest of the crew to keep us boring.” The statement from Nek made Vis’ laughter only grow in snorts. Nek continued, “We’ll be fine, we’ll keep you guys updated on what we find, just get out of here!” Nek said as he began pushing the two towards the ship’s exit.

“Please stay out of trouble.” Soron added as the two made their final leave.

“Oh I’m sure we won’t.” Vis exhaled, wiping a tear from her eye as she sat up from the floor.

On that note, Soron and Cenden left the Raving Titan and made their way into the crowded streets of Nar’Shadda. As usual, the city wafted with the scents of garbage and sewer fumes. It was night when they arrived on this section of the planet’s surface, the lights of buildings that towered around them ate up any semblance of the sky that there might’ve been in such a place.

Soron always liked having the luxury of viewing the stars, it was a comforting thought that no matter what kind of trouble he got himself into, that there was always some possibility of somewhere else he needed to be.

Soron and Cenden didn’t have to walk far, Beeb’s main base of operation was stationed purposefully close to that section of the city’s air field. This way if she had to make a hasty escape she wouldn’t have to go far, but then again, if someone else attempted to make a hasty escape… It wouldn’t be hard for Beebs’ people to get to them first.

The familiar pulsing light and sounds that emanated from The Incubus called to Soron. After the past couple of weeks he’d be having, it was nice to hear something familiar. Even if that something was horribly loud and smelled like a highly concentrated version of Nar Shadda’s streets.

Bracing themselves against the overwhelming atmosphere of the bar, the two shouldered their way through and around the large crowd that had gathered to riot-about on the dance floor. Heading up the dimly lit stairs towards the upper rooms, Soron and Cenden were greeted by Ando. The heavily scared human bodyguard seemed to be competing with Cenden for best scowl as he eyed the two suspiciously.

“Hey Ando.” Soron greeted with an efforted wave, “It’s been a while.”

To Soron’s surprise, the bodyguard entered the code to open the door without a word and gave them nothing more than an annoyed sniff as they moved to pass.

“What? Don’t tell me you went and got nice while I was gone!” Soron humored as Ando moved to shove Soron into the room. The captain ducked the assault with a quiet sneer.

Entering Beeb’s lavish apartment living room, the melodious voice of the Falleen crime boss swept into the room. Beeb crossed the threshold of one of her own back rooms, she seemed to be on a call as her hand held the hidden long range communication device hidden in her ear. Upon seeing Soron she smiled surprisedly and mouthed, ‘Hi! Hold on one moment, on a call!’ She turned her head as she listened, again attentive to the voice on the other end.

“Yes I’m still here.” Beebs responded as she waved her hand towards the couches, motioning for them to sit, “Ralnar, I can hear you just fine, but as you know there’s nothing else that can be done. You promised me the shipment and I expect you to get it for me…” Beebs cupped her other hand over her ear and hissed, “Do you want something to drink?”

Soron and Cenden quietly shook their heads as a no. Beebs gave a thumbs up before returning to her conversation,

“Ralnar, I don’t care what it takes for you to get that shipment off of Odessen, just get it done… Oh?” An oddly cruel smile stretched across Beebs’ face, “Is that so? Well, I suppose there’s nothing else that can be done. Bye-bye Ralnar.” Beebs hung up and looked over to her Tiss’shar secretary, “Xa-Sin-Ruk? Send someone to break his knees or whatever it is Rakata’s use to walk with.”

Beebs let out a frustrated sigh with a smile before taking a seat on the couch across from Soron and Cenden. “Ah! Sorry about that, good help is so hard to find these days yatta-yatta, any-who! Soron! Where have you been? It feels like it’s been ages! And bringing your newest crew member without again? Huh, well aren’t you Soron’s favorite!?” Beebs exclaimed as if she was talking with a couple of friend over lunch.

Cenden scoffed as he crossed his arms, “I doubt I’m anyone’s favorite anything.”

“Well aren’t you modest.” She retorted slyly, “SO, what brings you by these parts here again? Galaxy got too big for you?” She inquired as she motioned for her secretary to make her a drink.

“You could say that.” Soron responded with a forced laugh, “The long and short of it Beebs is that we’re very broke.”

“Say no more my friend, as you probably overheard I need someone on route to Odessen and the pay will be worth the hassle I’m sure.”

Soron held up a hand, “That would be great Beebs and we’d be willing  to go check the situation out there, but we honestly only had enough fuel to get from Tiss’sharl to here.” Soron looked over at the secretary, “Lovely place by the way, great weather this time of year.”

The Tiss’shar hardly glanced up from his screen at Soron’s comment. Soron continued, “Beebs, we’re basically wearing all the ammo we have left. We were hoping for something a little more local so bring us back up to our normal standard of equipment.”

“Huh.” Beebs was quiet for a moment, she seemed to be contemplating something as she looked the two of them over, “That doesn’t sound like you Soron, you’re normally so careful to come to me before you’re desperate. You know that’s how you get the… less desirable jobs.”

“Like you said,” Soron shifted slightly in his seat, “We’re desperate.”

Beebs noticed the moment of discomfort in Soron’s demeanor and raised an eyebrow ever so gently with a knowing look on her face, “Oh Soron, please don’t tell me you’re on another one of your… personal missions again, are you?”

Cenden said nothing at this but gave Soron a look that spoke volumes for him:

‘What’s she mean by that?’

“Of course not, Beebs.” Soron tried to say reassuredly, “You know very well I haven’t been on about that in a good long while, and I won’t be starting up again on that anytime soon.”

Beebs shrugged and seemed to drop the topic, pulling up a holomap on the stimcaf table she kept between them. Listing off a few different jobs she had in the area, they took the one with the best pay but as warned, was the messiest option.

Soron had a grimace locked on his face as the rose to leave the seemingly cozy apartment Beebs used as her home. Cenden noticed his captain picking at the underside of his claws as Soron worriedly prepared to speak.

Cenden began to gather the Force around Soron, willing him in his mind, ‘Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything. Don’t-’

“Beebs?” Soron turned before they left, “Don’t you have any information on… holocrons, in the area?”

‘Blast it.’ Cenden sighed to himself in defeat.

Beebs blinked in surprise before the sly smile they’d seen come over her face earlier spread longingly across her lips. Wrapping an arm around her own waist and slowly raising a finger up to her face in feigned curiosity, she smiled, “Why the sudden interest, Soron?”

Soron shrugged unconvincingly, “We met a buyer in Tiss’sharl who mentioned something about being interested in buying one.”

“Are you sure that interested buyer wasn’t you, Soron?” Beebs inquired nonchalantly.

“No, it was a gentlemen named-”

“Soron? Shut up.” Beebs commanded sweetly, and surprisingly the captain obeyed. The Falleen crime lord stalked up to Soron slowly, “Soron Mekusa. I’ve known you for long enough to know when you’re about to start doing something stupid. Something particularly… Jedi involved. And because I like you, I’m going to tell you this. Do not go looking for holocrons here on Nar Shadda. This planet has a rich history with the topic, and if this means you’re off on another one of your little pilgrimages that’s going to probably affect my business with you negatively, then I suggest you stop again, now, before this planet’s rich history bleeds you dry.”

With that, Beebs turned swiftly with a wave of a hand. Suddenly, Ando who had opened the door for them, stepped into the room to usher them out. Soron and Cenden followed him out without resistance.

“Thanks for the warning Beebs!” Soron said voice dripping with fake jovialness, “It was nice catching up!”

Beebs laughed, “And the same to you, you fool of a captain!” She returned with the same tone.

Cenden and Soron made their way out back onto the streets outside of The Incubus, and the coordinates to their ‘desperate mission’ were sent to their comlinks on their wrists. Cenden, looking up towards where he knew Beebs room was located on the second floor, raised an eyebrow before looking at Soron,

“What was zhat about?” The old Jedi questioned.

“Eeeehhhhh, I’ll tell you on the way to our job.” Soron replied as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, “Let’s just say this whole thing with Vis isn’t the first time I’ve had run-ins with the Force. This just happens to be the first time I’m directly involved for once. Let’s get a move on and hope Beebs’ warning won’t find its way back to our crew… I have a bad feeling about all of that.”

[neruran]

Kippou

Series: Boku no/My Hero Academia Rating: T (for language mostly) Genre: Fluff Relationships: Bakugou/Kirishima/Uraraka [Kirikacchako] Characters: Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou, Bakugou Masaru, Bakugou Mitsuki, Uraraka Ochako’s Parents, Kirishima Eijirou’s Parents, OCs, minor characters created for the story Other Tags: Established Relationship, Polyamory, Future Fic, Pregnancy, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, probably a little OOC Summary: Informed that all is well and healthy so far, Ochako, Eijirou, and Katsuki decide to tell their parents the happy news; that they'll all be grandparents in a few months. 

Check notes for AO3 link, because this hellsite has a vendetta against links within posts and I hate the link post format, so I gotta make a workaround.

(Title means "good news" in Japanese)

Remember when I said “famous last words” regarding not writing a continuation to Tsuwari? Yeah I was right. I also told myself when I started writing this “oh this’ll be short, just a couple snippets from different points along the timeline of Ochako's pregnancy and their forays into parenting” - you know, like a fool - then 2k later and I still hadn’t gotten to the main point of this so-called snippet, and I finally accepted that this was going to be its own oneshot. Sometimes I hate being so rambly. I admittedly struggled with this more than Tsuwari for various reasons, and I've also done further research and found a couple minor things in Tsuwari aren't quite correct, largely with how Japan deals with pregnancy and childbirth, but it's ultimately relatively minor stuff so I'm not arsed to correct it. It's actually been a little fascinating reading up on the official (as in government-related stuff such as paperwork and healthcare) and social/cultural differences between Japan and North America, so I tried to incorporate hints to some of what I learned, and if I can wrangle my focus and inspiration to write more about Kirikacchako's adventures into parenthood, I'll try to show the differences in those fics/snippets as well.

Once again I have footnotes, which are not really necessary to read to enjoy the story but add flavour, you could say.

As always, comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated, but likes, kudos, and bookmarks are nice too! Hope you enjoy!

The day after her little discovery, Ochako books an appointment for that week with her ob/gyn. When she goes in a couple days later and relays the story to Dr. Houkou, they laugh heartily for a good five minutes, much to Ochako's embarrassment. [1]

"I'm terribly sorry for laughing, it really is a little amazing you didn't put the pieces together until now,” they say once they've calmed down, dabbing their eyes with a tissue.

"You can't entirely blame me," Ochako mumbles, hiding her red face. She knows Dr. Houkou doesn't mean any insult, and honestly it is a little funny, but still, she can't help but feel embarrassed for herself.

"That's true, and to tell you the truth, this is not the biggest case of lack of observation; I've heard stories of people who didn't realize they were pregnant until they went to the hospital complaining of stomach pains, when it turned out they were in labour!" [2]

"Oh gosh, I hope I would've noticed long before then!" Uneasily, she rubs her belly. "If not me, one or both of my partners.”

"I'm sure you would; from what I know of those instances, there were certain factors that led the parent-to-be to not recognize the signs, or made the signs less than obvious, which while that's evidently somewhat applicable to you, those situations were more...extreme, I suppose you could say?"

"I'm just glad the worst that's happened to me is this broken wrist," Ochako says, lifting her cast. "I forgot to ask at the hospital, but will this affect the baby at all?"

"No, it should be fine. At worst, it'll be a little slow to heal as most of your body's resources are focused on what's in your womb rather than healing your injuries, but I'm sure the extra downtime will be good for you. Oh don't pull that face, you workaholic," Dr. Houkou scolds, rolling their eyes at the poorly concealed pout Ochako has. "I know you're a busy hero, but it's important you take time to recover, especially now it's not just yourself that you need to look out for.”

"I know, it's just going to be tough," sighs Ochako. "I love helping people! After being in this field for so many years, I feel restless at the idea of not doing anything more than paperwork or small tasks, but I'll have to get used to it for the next while."

"Don't worry, before you know it, you'll be having your baby and jumping back into the fray. Now, let's figure out that due date."

~~~

"We're home!"

"Welcome back!" Ochako calls back, peeking her head over the back of the couch to smile at her partners as they make their way into their apartment. "How was work today?"

"Nothing super exciting on my end, just broke up a scuffle between a couple of rowdy yankii while out on patrols," Eijirou reports.

Katsuki huffs, evidently jealous. "Boring as shit."

"Oh calm down, you got to stop a robbery last week."

"Doesn't make this week any less boring."

Rolling his eyes, Eijirou picks up a meowing Hotaru, placing her on his shoulder as he plops down beside Ochako. He peers curiously at the various booklets and pamphlets she has scattered around her. "How about you? How'd your appointment go?"

"Well, besides giving them a good laugh when I told them how I hadn't noticed I was pregnant"—she shoots a pouty glare towards the kitchen when Katsuki snickers, but he ignores her as he starts on dinner, so she continues—"they confirmed everything's going well and that I'm probably on the tail end of twelve weeks, and we worked out my due date."

"Oh, that's awesome! When is it?"

"February 20th!"

"February, huh," Eijirou muses aloud. "We're just at the beginning of August; February seems so far away...The due date's just a guesstimate, right? So it could be born on a different day. Think it'll be a Valentine's baby?"

"I fucking hope not," Katsuki gripes. "People would probably only give them chocolate and Valentine shit for their birthday, I sure as fuck don't want our kid subjected to that."

"Hey Eiji, you think we'll have to implement a swear jar when the baby's born?" Ochako says teasingly. "Or do you think Katsuki'll manage to get his language under control before then?"

"Shut up, my language is fine."

"Sure, sure, I'm sure all of our mothers would appreciate it when one day while babysitting, our kid says ‘fuck' out of nowhere, and I'm sure it would not be much of a mystery as to who they learned that word from," Eijirou replies. [3]

The noise of Katsuki preparing dinner pauses for a moment. Ochako and Eijirou exchange knowing looks.

"...I'll work on it."

"Wary of what Mitsuki would say?"

"Hell no, that old hag can nag all she wants, she's not much better. It's your mom's disapproval I'd rather avoid," Katsuki answers, pointing at Eijirou.

"Mine? Do you mean Mom or Mama?"

"Ikane."

"Really?" Ochako questions, giving a little laugh in disbelief. "But she's such a sweetheart like Eijirou here." She reaches up to ruffle Eijirou's hair, earning a half-hearted complaint about his drooping hair spikes being messed up.

Eijirou chuckles as he gently swats her hand away from his head, petting Hotaru when she meows at him. "You haven't seen her in full mom mode. Once when I was in middle school, I said something crass without realizing while Mama was babysitting some neighbour kids, and the look she gave me could've pierced right through my Unbreakable state. Not to mention the ear twisting I got shortly after." Absently he rubs his ear, recalling the pain.

"I...suppose I can see that. If it's anything like the expression you make at villains that make you angry, it must be something."

Katsuki mutters a "you have no idea" unnoticed. For the best; he doesn't care to explain to Ochako the incident that lead to him earning Ikane's ire, however brief it was.

"Mama does like to say I inherited her passion instead of her quirk," Eijirou says with humour. "Though, speaking of; do we want to start telling people we're expecting? I mean, I know some people wait until the end of the first trimester anyway since the chances of miscarriage are pretty low after that point, so then it's pretty set in stone that a baby's on the way."

Ochako hums thoughtfully, drumming her fingers absently on Eijirou's knee. "I think I'd like to tell my parents first, but I'd prefer to do it in person or on video call. It seems impersonal to give them the news any other way."

"I wanna tell my moms right away; I just know Mama's gonna love hearing that she'll be a grandma. But I'm also excited to tell all our friends.”

"Why don't we just conference call all our parents and tell them all at once?" Katsuki proposes, scraping some vegetables he just cut up into a pot. "I know the hag'll complain if she's one of the last informed, so if we do it that way, it gets it all out of the way at the same time and I don't get my ear nagged off."

"That's...not a bad idea," Ochako says, blinking in mild surprise.

"Of course it's not, I came up with it. You make it sound like I come up with bad ideas on the regular basis."

Eijirou smirks slyly. "You mean ideas like putting too much hot sauce in your food just to prove you can take it, only to get hit by the consequences later in the bathroom, Kacchan?"

"Shut up, at least I can take it!"

"Now, now, your unfortunate dietary decisions aside, I didn't mean to imply you don't have good ideas," Ochako interrupts. Katsuki grumbles, but puts up no further argument. "I was just surprised I hadn't considered it. Since I have the next couple days off to give my wrist a little more rest, why don't I contact everyone and coordinate it?"

"Sounds like a plan! And then we can start telling all our friends and stuff!" Eijirou giddily hops in his seat, which of course disturbs the cat on his shoulder. She lets out a growl and bats at his head. "Ow, yeah, sorry Hotaru, I deserved that." He sets her down, letting her stalk off to cuddle up with Kyou who's laying in her doggie bed in the corner, touching his ear to check that she didn't scratch him.

Ochako giggles at him. "You think everyone will assume we're adopting another cat at first?"

"I mean, they might, but we only did that once with Hotaru and it was funny! I think in this instance though, I'd prefer to tell some people face-to-face first before announcing it on our social media. Mostly I wanna see Denki, Mina, and Hanta's faces when they hear the news.”

"Yeah, Dunce Face will probably flip his shit, it'll be hilarious."

"I'm excited to tell Tsuyu-chan, Tenya-kun, and Deku-kun. Oh, stop making that face, Katsuki."

"What face? I'm not making any face," Katsuki replies petulantly. "I'm not even facing you."

"Yeah, but I know you and I know you're pulling a face at the idea of involving Deku-kun, because you always do even though you two are friends now," she says, rolling her eyes. Eijirou snickers to himself.

"We are not friends, I just tolerate the stupid nerd enough to work with him on occasion."

Once again, Eijirou and Ochako exchange looks then simultaneously roll their eyes affectionately, fully aware that whatever bad blood the two had as children has long been resolved enough that they frequently trade spots on the hero rankings and collaborate on missions, all the while throwing harmless barbs and challenges back and forth. The relationship is complicated, as "friends" doesn't quite describe them, but "rivals" or "frenemies" doesn't seem right either. They're just "Deku and Kacchan", a category of their own.

"Point is," Ochako continues. "Deku-kun is my friend, and I'm looking forward to sharing the news with him. I know he's going to be very happy for all of us."

"Think he'll cry?" Eijirou asks.

"Definitely," Ochako and Katsuki answer simultaneously.

Eijirou laughs, leaning into Ochako. "You're right, dumb question. He may be better than when we were first-years, but I should know better than to underestimate the secret Midoriya secondary quirk. Now, what's all this you got here, Chako?"

Lighting up, Ochako eagerly explains the various pamphlets that cover things like her recommended diet, the baby's development, and what sort of information she needs to submit to the Health Office. Eijirou just as eagerly listens, nodding his head and asking questions, and though he's busy making dinner, she knows Katsuki has an ear on the conversation so she makes sure to talk loud enough for him to hear as well.

~~~

Coordinating the conference call with their parents ends up being a more difficult task than Ochako expects; each set of parents has different schedules and events, not to mention there's Eijirou and Katsuki's schedules to consider, so it actually takes several phone calls and emails to figure out a day and time that works for everyone. The entire time Ochako also finds herself dodging the question for why this is so important, merely explaining that their triad had some good news for them and wanted to announce it to them all at the same time. She admittedly flushes when Mitsuki teases that perhaps one of them proposed to the other two or vice versa—the idea of getting married to Eijirou and Katsuki flustering her even if they're already expecting a child—but clumsily acts coy to keep her from guessing the actual news.

After two days of back-and-forth, they finally all agree that the upcoming Friday after dinner will work for everyone, barring any emergencies. Which gives Ochako several days time to build up her excitement, but also her anxiousness. What if any of their parents don't approve? Her own parents had been rather apprehensive about her being in a poly relationship back when she first told them, but now that it's been several years with only a couple hiccups, they're happy for Ochako's happiness, but what if this changes their minds again? Sure she's a grown adult capable of making her own decisions in life, but she's always been close with her parents so she'd hate to lose that relationship over this. Mitsuki's reaction also worries her a bit, as while she does like the woman, she can be rather brash and critical like Katsuki at the most unpredictable of times.

She quietly admits this to Katsuki as they're snuggled up on the couch waiting for Eijirou to get home from a late-running patrol shift; he gruffly assures her that both his mom and dad will be ecstatic at the news, so her parents will surely feel the same, which means she has nothing to worry about. In return, he confesses feeling a little apprehensive himself regarding her and Eijirou's parents reaction to him being involved, but Ochako's quick to tell him that if she's fine, then he's fine as well because their parents all know what a good person he is and seen how wonderful and loving a partner he's been, so they should have no qualms.

Eijirou, on the other hand, seems to vibrate with anticipation with each passing day, as if the information that they're expecting is waiting to burst out of him like an explosion from Katsuki's palms. It even seeps into his aura while out doing hero work, enough that one of Ochako's sidekicks happens to take notice.

"Red Riot-san was more energetic than usual when I happened to pass by him doing patrols on my way home yesterday," Subspacer muses when Ochako stops by the office to pick up more work to do from home. "When I asked him if something good had happened on patrol, he grinned and said no, but he did get some news that made him really happy recently, but didn't elaborate further." They turn to her, head tilted curiously. "Any idea what that's about?" [4]

Ochako gives a chuckle that she hopes isn't as nervous-sounding as she feels. "Oh, I wouldn't think on it too hard...You've seen him in casual work settings, he gets excited over the smallest stuff." She does her best to maintain a smiling poker face as they eye her a moment, before they let whatever it is they're thinking go, going on to fill her in on what's happened at the office in her absence. Ochako knows they're suspicious, but mentally thanks them for not pressing the matter.

The days pass and Friday arrives without much fanfare. All three of them are antsy in their own ways during dinner; Eijirou can't seem to sit still at all, Katsuki's foot bounces restlessly, and Ochako frequently slips into her natural Kansai accent as she talks, excitement and anxiousness starting to come to a head as the promised time ticks closer. Soon enough, their dinner is eaten and cleaned up, their pets are fed, and then they're sitting on their couch with Eijirou's laptop opened up on Ochako's lap.</p>

On her right, Katsuki's phone makes a little ‘boom' noise to indicate he has a new message. "My old man says he and the hag are ready when we are," Katsuki says after checking.

Eijirou's phone dings to her left a moment later. "My moms are good to go!"

Sure enough, hers buzzes less than a minute after, and a quick glance tells her that her parents are also ready. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she smiles at both her partners, then clicks the button to start the conference call.

Eijirou's mothers are the first to pick up, but her parents and Katsuki's follow suit seconds after. It's almost overwhelming seeing six faces on the screen, but besides the big news she intends to drop during this call, this is something they've all done before in lieu of separate phone calls and emails. Besides, it's been weeks since she's seen any of them through anything besides social media, so it's nice to be able to talk to their families face-to-face, even if there's a screen separating them. Smiling brighter, she gives a little wave, Eijirou doing the same. "Hello everyone!" she greets. A chorus of greetings echoes back from their parents. "I'm glad this worked out, it's been so long since we've been able to do a group call like this!"

"The woes of adulthood and having busy jobs, right hon?" Mitsuki turns to Masaru, who nods in agreement.

"How is that new line coming along, Masaru-san? I recall Mitsuki-san mentioning before you two had a deadline this week," asks Karuko. [5]

"I've finished everything that's within my control, so now it's just a matter of waiting for the samples to see if there's anything that needs adjusting before going into full production." [6]

"That's good to hear! Considering your other work, I'm sure it'll be a success."

"Not that I don't want to hear how the rest of you are doing," Tomoe interrupts, blunt but not unkind. "I think I'd like to hear from our children, since it's often so hard to get a hold of them with their unpredictable jobs." Ikane smiles a little, apologetic for her partner's abruptness. [7]

"Aw, but we wanna hear what you're up to too, Mom!" Eijirou jokingly complains, grinning.

"She does have a point though," Saburou says. "Ochako, how's your arm? I hope you're getting proper rest so it heals properly."

Katsuki snorts. "As if either of us would let her do anything reckless on our watch."

Ochako shoots him a sharp look hidden behind a smile that says “be glad you're sitting on my injured side, because I would be giving you such a pinch right now if I could”; Katsuki simply smirks back at her. Huffing, she turns back to their families. "I promise I'm getting plenty of rest; all I've been doing the past week is paperwork, which I'm glad I can do on my laptop because it's difficult writing left-handed! I feel so antsy sitting around barely doing anything though, so at my next check-up I'll ask if it's okay to go out for runs or something."

"I understand feeling restless, but please be careful, Ochako," her mother chides worriedly. "We wouldn't want you to get hurt further."

"Agreed!" Ikane cheerfully pipes in. "As amazing as that takedown was, it wouldn't do if you were out of commission for months instead of weeks."

The trio shares a glance at that, which doesn't go unnoticed by Mitsuki. "Now what's that look for? Is that related to whatever news you had to share with us?"

"Oh that's right, you did mention having some sort of good news. Did one of you go up in rank?"

"Did you get new sidekicks?"

"Are you being recruited for another overseas assignment?"

"New sponsors?"

"Whoa, whoa, one at a time," Eijirou laughs, holding up his hands. Once their parents settle a bit, he continues, "It's not anything related to our jobs, though it will kinda affect them."

"Particularly for Ochako here," Katsuki adds, nodding to her.

Confused and curious faces stare at them, bringing Ochako's nerves back, but she steels herself; after all, what do any of them have to be unhappy about? "So, when I had told you that they didn't have anyone with a healing quirk on staff at the hospital to heal my wrist, I wasn't being honest with you. Truthfully, they did have someone there, but because of some tests they ran, they were hesitant to use the quirk on me as they weren't sure how my body would react."

In the corner of her eye, Eijirou's grin gets steadily wider, his hand gripping hers as he tries to contain himself from bouncing in his seat. With a roll of his eyes, Katsuki reaches behind her and gives his arm a gentle swat, but it does nothing to hinder Eijirou's energy. On the screen, Tomoe's eyeing them intensely, to the point that if Ochako wasn't absolutely sure her quirk doesn't work through screens or cameras, she'd almost think that she's reading their auras to try and get a bead on whatever it is they're building up to. Not for the first time, she finds herself glad she's never considered going into business law, as she'd hate to be stared down by Tomoe during negotiations or prosecutions.

"Why is that, Ochako-san?" Masaru inquires. "What did they find?"

"Well, turns out that I—"

"You're going to be grandparents!" Eijirou blurts excitedly, unable to hold himself back any longer. When Ochako and Katsuki both turn to him with fondly exasperated expressions, he at least has enough awareness to look sheepish at his outburst. "Sorry, I just couldn't wait any longer."

All their parents are quiet, faces in various levels of stunned and surprised. It's Saburou that speaks up first. "Pardon me, what?"

Shaking her head at Eijirou, Ochako turns back to the laptop. "Turns out I'm pregnant, nearly fourteen weeks now. We're having a baby!"

"Wait, really?" Mitsuki exclaims, and it seems the Urarakas are about to speak as well, but everyone's interrupted by a joyous scream that makes them all jolt.

On the Kirishima-Keshiki part of the screen, Ikane's leapt from her seat and started hopping around, still squealing happily. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, I'm going to be a grandma! Tomoe we're gonna be grandmas! Oh my god!"

"You really did get your passion from her," Katsuki observes dryly, earning a giggle from Ochako.

"She's going to be like this for a minute or two, so I'm going to mute us until she calms down so the rest of you can talk," Tomoe says, rolling her eyes fondly before Ikane's happy screams go silent, though she's still jumping around on screen.

"Your mother really does love children, doesn't she, Eijirou-kun?" teases Mitsuki.

"Oh you didn't see his reaction when Ochako told us the news, he did pretty much the exact same thing as Ikane."

"Katsukiiiii, they didn't have to know that!" Eijirou complains, flushing a bit.

"You literally just shamelessly blurted out the surprise, you have no right to be embarrassed now!"

"Boys, play nice," Ochako chides playfully, patting them both on the leg.

"While I am happy at this news," Karuko butts in, expression stuck between elated and concerned. "You said you're close to fourteen weeks along, right? That means you've been doing all that strenuous and stressful hero work. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Ochako nods, turning her gaze down and placing her uninjured hand on the bump that's become a little more prominent in the past week but is still easily hidden by her clothing. "I was really worried when I first heard the results for that exact reason, but I got a check-up at the hospital and have had two appointments with my doctor since then, and they've said I've got a healthy and hardy baby growing despite all the factors that could have made it otherwise."

Sound returns to the Kirishima-Keshiki feed, with Tomoe and Ikane settled back in their seats. "Whew, I'm sorry for my outburst, everyone," Ikane says, looking a little out-of-sorts and somewhat teary-eyed, but still positively glowing from joy. "I got a bit overzealous. But still, I'm so happy and proud of you three! To have a baby that's managed to hold on and stay healthy without you being careful means it must be fate for you to have it. Do you have an idea on which of you is the father?"

"No," Ochako's quick to answer before either of her partners could. "And I don't think we'll really know until it's born, but to be completely honest, if possible I don't think I want to know at all, because even if only one of them will be related by blood, both Katsuki and Eijirou will be raising them with me together, and I think that counts just as much if not more than whoever contributed chromosomes." She looks up again, and her eye strays over to Tomoe. There's a subtle expression of understanding and gratitude on her face, and her hand's wandered to grasp Ikane's, and Ochako knows that she sees her point more than any of the other parents on this call. "No matter what, they'll both this baby's father. No ‘real' father or bullshit like that."

Everyone's silent for a moment, stunned by the sudden conviction and seriousness in her words. She knows her partners are both staring at her, but she stays looking at the screen so that she doesn't lose her nerve. It's only when she hears a quiet sniffle beside her that her concentration breaks, but before she can turn to see what's wrong, Eijirou's got his arm around her and pulling her close, face buried in her hair.

"That was so manly," he whispers, voice a little choked up, and he presses a soft kiss to her head. "You're the best, I love you so, so much."

On her other side, Katsuki all but shoves his face into the space between her neck and shoulder, his hand gripping her bicep. He murmurs something, but she doesn't really catch what it is. While she appreciates the sudden affection, she's a bit embarrassed that it's happening with their parents right there, and she's not really sure what's brought it on. "I— Uh— What—" she stammers, stuck between looking for help from their onlookers and avoiding eye contact with them. On screen, her parents and Masaru have politely chosen to turn their attention elsewhere while Mitsuki grins, unbothered by the PDA and in fact looking oddly proud. [8]

"You're right." Ochako turns her attention to Ikane and Tomoe's feed, where Tomoe seems to be holding back giggles at Ochako's predicament but also looking away politely. Ikane, on the other hand, is watching their triad with fondness, gaze soft. "That was rude of me to say, especially when I'm fully aware that love and family aren't defined purely by blood." Her hand finds Tomoe's, and she gives it a gentle squeeze in apology. "You're going to be a wonderful mother, Ochako-chan, and I'm glad my son has such loving partners in you and Katsuki-kun."

Eijirou whines, ears turning pink as he hides his face further. "Mama, don't say things like that, I'm gonna cry more! And then Ochako will start crying because hormones, and I'll feel bad for making her cry, and then Mom might get involved—"

"Hey now."

"—and maybe Katsuki will get overwhelmed—"

"Oi, don't just assume things—!"

"Nothing wrong with some manly happy tears, Ei-chan; I know we taught you that!"

"I know, but it's still a bit embarrassing to do it in front of everyone!"

"Says one of the two currently clinging to me without shame..." Ochako mumbles.

Both Eijirou and Katsuki stiffen, realizing that yes, they're practically smothering Ochako while their parents are watching; Ochako can't move her head much in this position, but she's sure they're both starting to flush. After a moment, the two finally pull away, their heads turned to avoid eye contact with everyone.

Eijirou lets out a sheepish chuckle, ruffling his hair. "S-Sorry about that, I guess we got a bit overwhelmed and forgot about our company."

"No harm, no foul," Saburou assures gently, waving off the apology.

"Besides, it was kind of cute. It's not often I get to see my Katsuki get so emotional," Mitsuki teases.

"Shut the fuck up, old hag," Katsuki grumbles, flushing more and sinking a bit into the couch.

Masaru puts a hand on Mitsuki's shoulder when it seems like she's about to scold their son. "Be nice, you two," he chides, waiting until Mitsuki's hackles lower before looking to Ochako. "Really, we're delighted at this news, and we're happy that you've shared it with us all. I'm sure all of us parents can agree that it's not always an easy road, but we're all here for you if there's anything you should need along the way."

"Of course!" Karuko pipes up. "We'd be happy to give you advice and help whenever you need it. Now, tell us more about everything, like when are you due?"

From there, the conversation flows smoothly, starting at talks about Ochako's pregnancy and what the three of them are to expect in the future before eventually moving on to general life updates such as new projects at work or what their neighbours are up to. As the group call edges towards the two hour mark, everyone notes with amusement that Ochako's eyes have begun to droop. Ochako tries to insist she's fine when Saburou points this out, but before long her head is leaning against Katsuki's shoulder, barely able to stay up. The families all say their goodbyes, promising once again that the three of them are welcome to come to them for anything and kindly demanding to keep updated, then the call ends. Eijirou reaches over to close the laptop, taking it from Ochako's lap as he stands and chuckling when Ochako shifts to sleepily cuddle with Katsuki now that she's free to move.

Katsuki, on the other hand, rolls his eyes, though it does nothing to diminish his affectionate smirk at Ochako's drowsiness. "C'mon Ochako, let's get your ass to bed."

"Nooooo..." Ochako tiredly protests. "'m fine, yer just"—she yawns—"just warm and cozy..."

He snorts. "It was fucking thirty degrees outside today and it's not even that cold in here with aircon, why the hell do you want to be warm?"

"Shhhhh..."

"Alright then." Despite her protesting, he stands, scoops her into his arms with no more than a quiet grunt, then saunters off towards their bedroom even as she half-heartedly wiggles about. "If you behave and go to bed, you can cuddle me all you want."

"But I dun wanna go to sleeeeeeep," Ochako whines, pawing at his chest in a lazy effort to get away.

"Oi, if you don't stop wriggling around, I'm gonna drop you and it'll be completely on purpose," he warns.

"No you won', 'cause 'm pregnant, injured, 'nd cute, 'nd I know ya love me too much to drop me..."

As they enter the room, Katsuki hears Eijirou—who's getting changed into his sleepwear off to the side—laugh at Ochako's sleepy retort, so he levels a frown that says "don't encourage her" at him, even though he knows that she's completely right in that statement. He would maybe consider dropping her on her butt just to show that he won't put up with her being a little shit if she wasn't pregnant, but circumstances are not in his favour, so instead he unceremoniously deposits her on the bed, earning a squeak.

"Uncalled for..." she grumbles, pouting petulantly as she rolls to the side and hugs her pillow. "What if I hurt my wrist more?"

"I know you're not that fragile, Round Face, so don't try to guilt me."

"Eiiiijiiiii, Kacchan's bein' mean to meeee..." Rolling his eyes again, Katsuki goes to change into his own sleeping clothes.

"There, there, if you really don't wanna sleep, you can cuddle with me and watch me play some Street Fighter," Eijirou says as he slides into bed, handheld console in hand. "Do a bit of backseat gaming. How's that sound?" [9]

Ochako hums, her tired brain considering the offer. "...'Kay..."

"But first, you're getting changed out of your day clothes," Katsuki announces, tossing a set of her pyjamas on the bed. When Ochako makes no move to do so, he huffs, then reaches over and pulls her towards him, tugging gently but forcibly at her clothes. "C'mon, you're not going to be comfortable sleeping in those shorts, let alone your bra."

"Whoa, getting frisky, are we?" Eijirou teases, waggling his eyebrows with a sly grin. Katsuki responds by throwing a pillow at Eijirou, who cackles even as it hits him in the face.

Before long, Ochako's changed into her pyjamas and curled into Eijirou's side, her head resting on his chest so she can watch the screen, her cast wrist pillowed carefully. Katsuki slips in on her other side after finishing his nightly routine; instead of cuddling, however, he chooses to sit up against the headboard, reading glasses perched on his nose and a book open on his lap. Eijirou's game and the occasional turning page are the only noises in the room, until barely half an hour later, both boys glance up at a quiet snore, smiling upon seeing Ochako out cold as predicted. Eijirou lets her continue sleeping on him for a little while longer, then carefully shifts her to sleep on her proper pillow, kissing her brow softly. Katsuki sets his book and reading glasses aside as Eijirou gets up to finish his own nightly routine, shuffling down under the covers and putting an arm around Ochako, who shifts closer to his warmth in her sleep. When Eijirou returns to the room ten minutes later, he's greeted with the sight of Katsuki spooned protectively against Ochako and just as asleep as her. While not a new sight, it's one that Eijirou can never get tired of, and he can only imagine how much better it will get as Ochako's belly grows, and then when their new addition comes into the world. Quietly, he takes a picture to appreciate later, then goes to join them on the bed, leaning over Ochako to peck Katsuki on the cheek before turning off the bedside light and settling in to sleep himself.

Footnotes: [1] - This time the doctor is not named for their profession, but still named for their quirk; I had a thought a little while ago that went something along the lines of “you know people probably take on jobs that have nothing to do with their quirk all the time, why don’t we see more of that in the HeroAca world”, and so we have Dr. Houkou. Their quirk basically makes them a human GPS; their name is made up of the kanji for “direction” and “navigation”.

[2] - This is apparently a thing that has happened to some people, believe it or not. Not something that happens often, mind you, but it happens. Factors for why the pregnancies go unnoticed include the person’s weight, the size and position of the baby, and things like spotting being mistaken for light periods. Which is why if you thought I was stretching the truth too much by having Ochako not notice for three months, surprise! Reality is weirder than you think.

[3] - Me: You know Bakugou’s language in Japanese isn’t really full of swearing, it’s just very blunt and rude because Japanese doesn’t have the same equivalents to curse words so the likelihood of a child imitating his speech is unlikely.

Also me: Meh who cares, gonna write it like that anyway, it’s funnier to think about it this way.

[4] - Unlike the doctors I’ve named in this story and Tsuwari, Subspacer is a full-fledged OC of mine! I’ve given careful thought into their quirk, name, and personality, though I’ve been undecided on their age and professional status for a while. I decided to add them in as one of Ochako’s sidekicks for giggles, but if I do get around to writing more of this storyline, you’ll likely be seeing more mention of them!

[5] - Since Ochako’s parents don’t have names (truly a travesty; they’re an important part of her motivation, but they have yet to get profiles like the Bakugous or Jirous? I call unfairness), I decided to give them names. Following Horikoshi’s current naming conventions for parents—which involves separating the kanji in the children’s names and giving at least one to each parent as part of their names (i.e. Katsuki “勝己” separates to get Masaru “勝” and Mitsuki “光己”), the only exception so far being the Midoriyas as Izuku “出久” only shares kanji with his yet-to-be-seen father Hisashi “久”—I took the “茶” and “子” from Ochako’s name and searched through various kanji readings and meanings to get Saburou “茶奉郎” and Karuko “軽子”. The sa in Saburou means “tea” and an alternate reading of the kanji, while bu means “offer, dedicate” and rou means “son” (this same kanji is in Eijirou’s name; it’s a relatively common kanji for boy names). Karu means “light (opposite of heavy)” which is supposed to reference what I can only assume is the family quirk (again, we have no idea what her parents’ quirks are; I DEMAND TO KNOW HORIKOSHI), and then ko means “child” and—similar to rou being common for boy names—is pretty common for girl names.

[6] - I will admit I have no idea how the production of fashion lines work, and unlike many other things, I’m not arsed to research it for a single line of dialogue (I do that enough as it is...I’m very easily distracted) so if I’m horrendously wrong on how fashion designers work in a company, please ignore it.

[7] - I actually have come up with entire profiles for Eijirou’s mothers, but I do not have the room in the notes to go into complete detail on them on here, so feel free to read about them here instead. I unfortunately don’t draw so they don’t have ‘official’ appearances, but I’ve tried to describe them as I see them in my head as best I can.

[8] - I think it’s relatively well-known that PDA in Japan tends to get the side-eye if it’s anything more than holding hands, and while Japan as a culture does seem to be slowly getting laxer about it and this fic is set in the hypothetical future, I doubt there would be significant change, plus I’m sure they’ll still think PDA in front of one’s parents is pretty taboo. Personally I’d feel a bit shy about hugging/cuddling with my S/O in front of my family, but I’m also aroace af so what do I know, hahaha.

[9] - Just imagine the gaming console Eijirou’s using is similar to the Switch, but like...a future version. Maybe it’s not even a Nintendo product, who the heck knows what game technology is gonna be like.

I considered also writing about the trio telling their friends the same week in-universe, but all the ideas I have for that are kinda vague and I’m not really sure how to write the scenes out without seeming repetitious, or how to keep them interesting to read, so I nixed that in favour of ending at this point, especially since I’ve struggled so much to get here. Maybe that’ll be an actual snippet, but no promises, hahaha.

[withlovebangtan-blog]

Seasons Change (Chapter 1)

Genre: fluff (Yoongi x OC feat. Jimin)

Word Count: 1.5k

Summary: You seem like a complete mess compared to the composed stranger you meet on the bus one morning, but after years of aimlessly drifting through life, he might be the one bit of inspiration you need to stay grounded.

Summer

You step onto the bus just as the doors are about to close, out of breath and probably looking like a frazzled mess. You grimace after receiving a few glares from the others for holding up the bus and possibly making them late to whatever event they’re off to.

Mumbling an apology, you search for an open seat, but most of them are full, the others shared with one of the disgruntled looking passengers. You’re about to give up and take a chance on a snobby businesswoman when you see a glimmer of hope at the very back of the bus. He’s slumped against the window, gazing out and paying no mind to the disheveled weirdo at the front of the bus.

You quickly make your way to the empty spot beside him, trying your best not to be too much of a disturbance to any other people who are already irritated with you. Of course, you fail, nearly tripping over someone’s foot and dropping your bag in your haste. But even after the commotion, he never so much as glances in your direction. Eventually, you collapse into the seat and toss the bag onto the floor in front of you with a relieved sigh. You try to smooth down some pieces of hair that flew astray from your short trek.

“Thanks,” you whisper gratefully.

At that moment, the man finally looks at you. He squints like he’s only just now realized that you‘re there next to him and then nods. You smile politely and get halfway through a greeting before seeing the earphones hidden under his hair. The dark brown locks are flattened beneath a black cap.

You mouth “sorry” and turn back to the bag at your feet, pulling out your own pair of earphones. You gaze longingly out the window the stranger is leaning on.

Honestly, you’re slightly jealous that he got to a window seat before you. It usually helps you think when you can stare at the beautiful scenery around you. You contemplate asking to switch but quickly decide against it. He’s already kind enough to let you sit here, even after delaying everyone, and anything more could cause him to change his mind.

Besides, you have to admit that the view right next to you isn’t so bad either.

The stranger has a look about him that you can only describe as a soft elegance. Some features are rounded like his nose while others have a bit of an edge like his jaw, but they all work together perfectly. He isn’t the conventional standard of handsome that you see every day, but that’s what makes him so refreshing.

Slowly, cautiously, you reach into your bag and pull out the notebook you keep just in case. It had gone untouched for so long that you had forgotten how the smooth surface felt on your fingertips. Not wanting to waste the first spark of inspiration in years, you immediately get to work.

You start with the easiest part for you and trace the jaw, allowing your pencil to move freely with every line. The point dips into the paper delicately as it follows the path along his jaw and moves onto the neck, nose, ears.

The outline is there, meant to be a rough sketch instead of a fully detailed art piece, but you’re still bothered by not being able to picture the way his eyes are set. His face is towards the window in such a way that shields them from view. You lean over in your seat, pretending to grab something from your bag, but you still can’t see them well enough. You sit back up with a defeated sigh, closing the cover of your notebook, when a quiet clearing of a throat grabs your attention. Turning your head to the sound, you meet those same eyes that were such a mystery before.

Uh oh. Busted.

You expect to see the usual hint of irritation under a polite façade that you’re so used to getting from people, but you don’t. Rather, his dark irises are lit with a small spark of curiosity.

“You would probably be better off taking a picture,” he mumbles, but his tone isn’t malicious. “I was trying to stay still, but I think my neck started cramping up.” He rubs the back of his neck, as if for emphasis.

“Oh. No no, it’s okay. I was just…just…” You were prepared to fire off an explanation, a regular occurrence after being caught so many times before, but this was definitely not what you expected.

A nearly microscopic lift at the corners of his mouth has you smiling like an idiot, which you quickly try to hide with a forced cough.

“Actually, I don’t really like taking pictures. Never as good as drawing the real thing. Which doesn’t make any sense does it? Because drawing is kind of the same thing as a picture. I don’t know. Besides, the camera in my phone isn’t very good anyways and…” you ramble off, realizing how ridiculous you must sound. But he gives you an understanding nod like he knows exactly what you mean and looks away.

“Sorry for bothering you,” you say, embarrassed. You definitely seem like a crazy person.

The bus reaches your stop in the city half an hour later. You gather your stuff together, the awkward situation from before almost completely forgotten. Almost.

You jump up before the bus can even come to a complete stop, practically fleeing from the stranger. You can’t risk another humiliating encounter this morning or you might actually implode. In your haste to get off, you miss the last step and lose your footing. Before you are able to tumble to your death, two hands grip your sides firmly, stabilizing you.

“Be careful,” a voice grumbles in your ear. The hands are immediately pulled back again, leaving you to clumsily step off.

You whip around to thank whoever helped you, but he’s already walking in the other direction down the street, that same brown hair peaking beneath a black cap.

“____! ____! A little help over here please?” Jimin shouts to you, knocking you out of your reverie. The man is glancing around frantically to get someone’s attention. He’s carrying a large pile of dirty dishes on the verge of crashing to the floor.

“Sorry! Sorry!” you yell back, feeling like the millionth time you’ve had to say that today. You snap into action, rushing from your spot behind the counter to take on a few plates. You trail after Jimin into the kitchen area behind a swinging door and place the plates in the sink, rinsing them off with the large hose beside it.

You can feel him casting worried glances to the side at you, a worried expression wrinkling his brow, but you ignore him, determined on getting an especially sticky substance to come off. Eventually, after every cup and piece of silverware is scrubbed clean, Jimin dries his hands on his apron and turns to you.

“So are you going to tell me what’s up or do I have to beg you?” he asks, hands on his hips.

You sigh, knowing that there’s no way to escape the interrogation. Of course, it’s absurd to still be stuck on the bus incident, but you can’t ignore the warmth you get in your chest when you recall the feeling from drawing again. A feeling you thought you’d lost a long time ago.

“I met this guy-“

“I knew it! It’s always a guy.” Jimin smiles triumphantly, thinking he’s cracked the code.

“No, Jimin. Not like that.” When he waves his hand for more details, you groan and hang your head. “I completely humiliated myself.”

“What? How?”

“Because he…” you trail off, afraid to even say the next words. “He caught me trying to draw him.”

“Wait-what?” his voice raises, and you have to shush him so none of the customers at the front hear. You’re thankful for the loud banging of pots and pans from other workers and chefs. “You’re drawing again? But I thought you couldn’t-“

“Yeah so did I. But I don’t know…I saw that guy and I guess something just happened ya know? It was weird but…”

“But what?”

“But good. Really good.” You smile to yourself.

“Hey! What are you two doing in there? We still have customers!” you both jump at the owner’s booming voice and bump into each other trying to hurry out of the kitchen.

After yet another long day of taking orders and busting tables, you want nothing more than to take a hot shower and curl up in bed until noon. Unfortunately, you have to suffer through another bus ride before you can do either.

You stand at the bus stop, rocking back and forth in your sneakers while you wait. It finally pulls up, and you get on, suddenly receiving an odd rush of anticipation as you peer over everyone’s heads, seeking out the person from earlier in the day. Surprisingly, you spot him and begin walking up the aisle, a smile forming on your lips.

But as you approach closer, you notice the bag resting on the seat next to him. The seat you were sitting just hours before. The smile instantly drops from your face.

Just then the man looks up at you, and wordlessly slides the bag off the seat to sit at his own feet. “My name is Yoongi by the way.”

A/N: okay i guess i lied…this probably wont be a miniseries. why cant i just write a oneshot like everyone else ughhh