#here's something ironic: i was working on this yesterday just a few minutes before experiencing my own random bad luck moment

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

A series of university events

Here is the ficlet for the winning option on this poll, Jingyi going through some of the funniest moments/situations I experienced as a university student.

All of these did actually happen, believe it or not, either to me personally, or I was there to witness them.

(The last one was a bit adapted to fit the characters and the theme, but I did argue with my group mates over color accents and other such aspects when we did our project, so there is a grain of truth in there!)

I really hope this is actually funny. Enjoy!

It was 7.15 am when Lan Jingyi stepped into his university building and he didn't know whether he found that ironic, hilarious or eerie.

He had promised himself he would not be cutting it so close to Professor Lan's 8 am class anymore (last time he arrived 53 seconds before the lesson began, as per Ouyang Zizhen's cronometer), but 7.15 was way too early.

It just had to be that day that the Public Transportation Gods decided to smile upon him and have him arrive 45 minutes before Teacher Lan's class. The man was probably still home having his coffee, minding his business, while Jingyi was at school, regretting the extra 30 minutes of sleep he lost.

Jingyi walked up to his class, and was surprised to find one of the cleaning ladies struggling to clean up yesterday's mess. She was equally as surprised to see him, and even checked her watch, panicked.

"Young man, you really scared me, I thought I ran out of time!"

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to do that." A sheepish smile as he chose one of the middle seats. "The commute was surprisingly short today."

He took out his phone to scroll on social media for a bit as began to sip at his coffee, but his eyes inevitably caught onto the cleaning lady's pained expression every time she bent down to pick up discarded papers or small pieces of trash.

Jingyi immediately abandoned his phone, walking up to her to help.

"You really don't need to do that, sweetheart, you're here to learn, not to clean!"

But Jingyi only offered her a reassuring smile, placing all the trash he'd collected into the bin. "You guys work so hard for us, so we have a clean place to study. This is nothing."

And so, Jingyi and the cleaning lady worked together for a few more minutes, rearranging desks, dusting and sweeping. Neither seemed to have realized how quickly time passed, until the door swung open to reveal Jin Ling carrying a massive Starbucks drink in one hand and the keys to his car in the other, a backpack hanging off one of his shoulders.

He looked at Jingyi, then at the cleaning lady, and, as the woman thanked him for the help and left, he couldn't help lowering the rim of his sunglasses with a smirk. "Training for your future workplace?"

Jingyi rolled his eyes. "How are you able to walk around with your head so far up your ass?"

"With great ease in designer shoes." Jin Ling replied, taking the seat in front of Jingyi's. "Now how come you're so early?"

"I'm being responsible."

"Yeah, right, and I'm poor. What other lies are we telling?"

Jingyi half debated throwing his hot coffee in Jin Ling's face but decided against it. There were no coffee shops around close enough for him to go get another and return in time for class.

"You ask about me, but why are you so early?"

"I drove dad to work. His license was suspended for speeding and now he's making me drive him around like a fucking chaffeur!"

"You guys shit money. Why isn't he using an uber or something?"

Jin Ling took a long, tired sip of his drink. "He says it's good driving practice for me. And mom won't drive him because she told him if he gets one more speeding ticket, he's on his own."

Jingyi couldn't help a mischevious grin. "So it looks like you're training for your future workplace too!"

------

Lan Jingyi was hungry. He was pretty sure that his whole class was, it was lunch time after all, and you could hear a stomach growling every few seconds.

Thing is, Jingyi did have food. Plenty of it. Because he knew he would be getting hungry, he had 12h of classes back to back, after all, of course he needed to eat.

The problem was that the professor promised them a 15 minute break halfway through the class... and had yet to deliver on that, droning on about some boring lesson that Jingyi couldn't even be bothered to take notes for. He was too hungry to write, and he could always ask Sizhui to fill him in later.

The professor began drawing something on the board but stopped midway through.

"You guys are not paying any attention to me at all. What's going on?"

"We're so hungry, professor!" A female voice responded, and Jingyi was quick to recognize her as Song Qing, the insanely smart girl two years younger than him that got into university on a gifted kid scholarship.

The professor sighed. "Why didn't you guys say so? I'm hungry too, let's eat up so we focus better! Brains don't work on empty stomachs!"

The class blinked at the man, confused for a few seconds as he took out a pink lunch box from his bag. "What, you think I eat your essays for lunch or something?"

Everyone began pulling out their own food, from sandwiches to cakes, snacks, salads and everything in between.

"You have a cute lunch box." Song Qing commented, barely holding back a giggle.

The professor laughed. "My daughter packed my lunch this morning, okay? She said this is her lucky lunch box, and wanted me to have a good day, so she gave it to me."

The class collectively aww'd at that, before returning to their food. Jingyi greedily bit into his chicken sandwich, hoping to God nobody heard him moan with both delight and relief.

"Jingyi, you really need to stop moaning into your food like that." Zizhen commented as he stabbed a cherry tomato from his to go salad with a fork, "It's weird."

"Have a bite of this and you'll get it." Jingyi offered, and Zizhen shrugged, taking him up on it. The moment flavor filled his mouth, his eyes fluttered closed and a low "mm" escaped him.

"See? It's amazing!"

"Will you guys stop orgasming over food?" Jin Ling intervened. "The rest of us want to eat in peace."

"Food orgasms are the best." Jingyi replied before taking another generous bite of his sandwich.

Jin Ling mumbled something, sinking his spoon in his container of hummus, but Jingyi and Zizhen continued to fawn over their food anyway.

---

When Sizhui returned to his dorm room that day, exhausted after a long day of studying in the library, he had not expected to find his roommate, Jingyi, with a flip flop in one hand and a massive can of big spray in the other, looking nothing short of a hunter.

"Jingyi. What the hell."

"There is a massive cockroach hiding around here." Jingyi answers sternly, eyes searching the floors. "And I am going to kill it."

Sizhui sighed, placed his book bag on his bed and wondered whether to join Jingyi in his hunts or just go to bed and leave him be.

But- "Hah! There you are!" was followed by the comical sound of a flip flop hitting the wooden floors, and Sizhui realized that his friend could do very well without him too.

"So." Jingyi began, placing his weaponry down. "How was today?"

"Exhausting. Did you do any studying?"

"No, I hunted the cockroach."

"Jingyi. The final is in two days."

"I couldn't have focused knowing there was a cockroach."

"Teacher Lan is so going to fail you."

Jingyi sent him a pleading, wet dog look. "And you're just gonna let that happen...? After I saved you from that terrible beast just now?"

"I'm taking Zizhen as my roommate next year."

"As if he doesn't mooch off you too!"

"So you agree. You do mooch off me!"

---

It was once again 6 am on a Monday and Jingyi wanted to die. Well, maybe not die, but definitely sleep. Like the dead.

Still, he had to go to class. Sizhui's didn't start until 12, that lucky bastard, so he had to go through the terrible grogginess of his early morning on his own.

He was just about to get into the shower - bless Sizhui for having picked a room with an en-suite bathroom - when he heard the unmistakable sounds of... well, fucking.

They were doing it in the other room, obviously, but the walls had either thinned out over night or his neighbours just happened to be screamers. Either way, Jingyi's already foul mood was not eased by the litany of moans and begs and curses from the other side of the wall - who fucks at 6 am on a Monday, first of all, and second, who does it so damn loudly too?!

He tried to focus on his own washing up routine, tried arguing to himself that, perhaps, he too would do that if he had someone to do it with, and it was a free country, people could fuck anywhere, any time.

But the moment that he began to hear screaming, all that flew out the window and he knocked loudly into the wall, three consecutive times.

The noise stopped for a while after that, and he was gratefully enjoying the silence, only to hear, loud and clear from the other side: "that's why you get no bitches, man!"

It took all Jingyi had not to go down to their door and start a fight.

God, he hates mornings.

---

"You aren't seriously going to pick golden accents." Jingyi said, incredulous. "That's the most cliche, overdone, boring choice!

Jin Ling rolled his eyes. "It's called timeless, you dumbass. A classic."

"Are we really fighting over decorative accents right now?" Sizhui asked, exasperated. "This whole thing is fictional, guys, it's not real! We aren't actually organizing this art gallery!"

And they were not. For one of their classes, the professor wanted them to come up with an event to organize on the basis of the information he gave them, following a strategy and some pre-defined steps. It was meant to test them on their knowledge, as well as show them what event organizing entails and whether they would be up for a career in the field.

"We have to do it right still!" Jingyi argued. "And I won't have fucking golden accents! I know you Jins have gold for breakfast but this is supposed to be fine art!"

"Your ass has never seen gold filigree and it shows! Gold is elegant, subtle. What colors do you want to use, huh? Magenta?!"

Zizhen sighed. "Calm down, you two. Our gallery theme is Cloud Recesses. There are no golden clouds."

"The sun is yellow!" Jin Ling argued.

Jingyi had to intervene. "It's the Cloud Recesses, not the Sun Recesses!"

"And where the fuck do you think the sun is? Not behind clouds?!"

Sizhui sighed quietly, turning to his other friend as the two kept arguing. "Zizhen, what do you think of light blue?"

"Sounds good. White could work too, but an ashen type, we don't want the contrast to be too obvious."

"I'll write that down. Say, how much did our budget add up to?"

"500k."

"Jin Ling." Sizhui called out, just as he was about to send a book Jingyi's way. "Where do we get 500k from? That's how much the event costs."

"We'll sponsor it. We as in Jin Corp. And add Jiang Corp too, jiujiu wouldn't mind and if he does, I'll threaten him that I'll buy out my stocks."

"Fuckin' capitalist." Jingyi glared, "But if we get such rich sponsorship, we should organize an after party too."

"Oh so I'm a fucking capitalist, but then you go around and spend my money?"

"What good is it for if you don't spend it?"

"You know what? Fair."

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 16 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Taylor shows off his romantic side by spoiling Kelsey for Valentine’s day and a very important person finds out about the relationship.  FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

Warnings: cursing, references to sex, social drinking // Word Count: 4,329

~~~~

Fifteen

Valentine’s Day. There was no doubt that it was a cliche day but this was the first time Kelsey was experiencing it while in a relationship. Plus Taylor seemed really excited to plan something special so she was more than content to let him have free reign. 

Settling into her usual seat in medical ethics, Kelsey got herself situated for class wondering how close her boyfriend was going to cut it this morning. And just a few minutes before class was set to start he sauntered in, dropping his bag beside his usual chair before setting a coffee cup and small bag on her desk. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day Kels.” He murmured softly kissing her cheek. This was a surprise but a welcomed one and she smiled back at him, eyes soft.

“I know I already told you you don’t have to overdo Valentine’s Day but thank you.” She replied, sneaking a kiss to his jaw as well before motioning for him to sit. Though she definitely planned on drinking the iced coffee during class, the food would have to wait though it would be devoured on her way to her next class for sure. 

When they were finally dismissed by the professor, Kelsey moved to pack up her things, looking back at Taylor. 

“What time am I picking you up?” She asked just wanting to make sure that everything was set. 

“6:30.”

Nodding to herself, Kelsey bit her lip. She had been debating telling her uncle about them now knowing that things really were serious. She’d told her parents she had a boyfriend on Sunday and she’d already talked to her aunt about getting ready there tonight since all of her roommates would already be out and she’d need help with her dress. But before she did anything she wanted to make sure that Taylor was okay with it, or at least give him the chance to voice any objections. 

“I’m going to tell my uncle tonight.” She murmured as they walked out of the classroom side by side, Kelsey tossing her empty coffee cup but still holding onto the breakfast Taylor had brought her. 

Though his expression flickered with various feelings, Taylor was quiet for a moment before nodding. 

“Okay. I trust you.” 

Those four words created a warmth in Kelsey and she pressed up to kiss him softly. 

“I’ll see you tonight then.” 

****

It had been a bit of a mad dash after Kelsey’s classes to get home, eat a snack, grab everything she needed for the night and get to her aunt’s to start getting ready. 

Starting with her hair, Kelsey used a curling iron to put loose waves into it. As she was doing so her aunt came to lean against the door of the spare bedroom where Kelsey had set up shop. 

“So your mom called me yesterday asking if I knew anything about this boyfriend of yours.” 

Rolling her eyes slightly Kelsey just shrugged. 

“So who is he? What’s he like?” 

“I mean you already know what he’s like. You’ve met him.” Kelsey replied vaguely, working on another segment of hair. The perplexed look on her aunt’s face just made her smile. “Taylor.” 

It took a minute for her aunt to run through the list of Taylors she knew before her eyes went wide and excitement took over her face. 

“Makar?” She asked softly just to verify and when Kelsey nodded her aunt looked even more thrilled. “Oh Kels. He’s a good one.” 

“I know.” Kelsey grinned. “And before you ask, I’m telling Greg tonight.” 

“How long?” Her aunt inquired as Kelsey finished with her hair, shaking it out a bit to get loose waves before adding a light coat of hairspray. 

“Officially, right after new years.” 

“And unofficially?” Her aunt teased softly. 

“Uh we met in mid October.” Kelsey left it at that knowing that her aunt was probably going to draw the proper conclusions on her own regardless. 

“So he’s here to stay?” Her aunt asked.

“I sure hope so.” Kelsey admitted. “Getting harder to imagine life without him.” 

“Alright well I’ll let you get yourself all glammed up for him. I’ve got to go make dinner for the brood. Let me know when you need help with the dress.” 

Thanking her, Kelsey proceeded to do her makeup keeping it light but flirty. After checking that her nails looked nice enough, Kelsey moved to grab her aunt to zip up her dress. 

After fetching her, Kelsey retreated to the bedroom and worked her way into the dress so that by the time her aunt arrived all she had to do was manage the zipper. Dress on, Kelsey slipped into some ankle height boots before surveying herself in the mirror. 

“You look beautiful.” Her aunt declared. “Though you always look beautiful.” 

Smiling, Kelsey applied a little bit of fashion tape, just to keep everything where it should be before packing up her things and heading downstairs as her uncle’s voice boomed through the house. 

“Why is Kelsey’s car in the driveway?” 

“Well hello to you too.” Kelsey declared, moving through the kitchen just to grab a small glass of water. “I needed to borrow an extra set of hands to get ready for my date with Taylor.” 

There was a long pause before her uncle spoke. 

“You have a date with one of my players?” 

“That is typically what tends to happen, especially on Valentine’s day, when you’re in a relationship with someone, yes.” 

Sipping at the water while careful of her lipstick, Kelsey peeked over her shoulder not sure whether there would be smoke coming out of her uncle’s ears or if he was just dumbstruck. 

Mostly it was a look of gears turning and as she turned around his eyebrows raised. 

“And you’re wearing that…” 

“Yes I am. Not looking for style advice thanks. When you have more than one game tie, maybe I’ll consider it.” 

Gathering up her bag of spare clothes and supplies and moving to get her coat from where she’d draped it over the island Kelsey took a breath. 

“Now I gotta go get Taylor because he told me 6:30. Thanks again Aunt Dana.” Hugging her aunt, Kelsey pulled back with a soft smile before turning to her uncle and growing more serious. 

“And Greg…so help me if you treat Taylor any differently at the rink because we’re together. He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met and I promised him it wouldn’t happen. I don’t intend to break my promise.” 

With her warning planted, Kelsey headed out into the cold February night to go get her boyfriend and see what kind of romance he had planned for her. 

As Kelsey left their house, Dana moved to pat her husband on the shoulder comfortingly as he processed what his niece had just told him. 

“How the hell? What is happening?” 

“Your niece is fucking your first line winger, how’s that feel?” 

The glare she received from her husband only made Dana laugh and he rubbed at his head. 

“Relax. At least she’s falling in love with him and not just fucking him.” 

“Not. Helping.” 

Patting his shoulder for another minute, Dana turned to check on dinner in the oven. 

“When I told him to work on his game, I didn’t mean that game.” Her husband mumbled.

The fact that he was already half cracking jokes suggested that he was slowly coming around to the idea and Dana smiled. 

“You know he’s a good kid. And he makes Kelsey really happy. So I think you’re gonna have to get used to it.” 

Greg hung his head a bit and groaned. 

“Oh god.” 

****

When she arrived at Taylor’s apartment, Kelsey texted him to come out because she was not bearing the cold any more than she had to in this dress. 

As he slid into the car he settled a small gift bag at his feet and passed a bouquet of flowers over to her. They weren’t anything crazy but they were pretty and it was absolutely the thought and effort that mattered most. 

“Thank you Tay. They’re beautiful. But can you hold them or put them in the back?” 

Though he complied, twisting to set them in the backseat, Kelsey heard him mumbling about he couldn’t wait until he could do the driving so he could do all of this right. 

When he resettled himself, Kelsey shifted in her seat, pulling him in for a soft kiss. It didn’t matter to her that she had to pick him up, it mattered to her that he wanted to take her on a romantic date and he looked so handsome in dress pants and a pinkish or purple button down, though it was hard to tell the exact color in the lighting under his coat. 

Finding out from Taylor where they were headed, Kelsey drove while catching Taylor up on telling her uncle and assuring him that he had seemed confused but not angry. They were once again heading to Northampton but that didn’t bother Kelsey. When she pulled into the lot of the local steakhouse her eyebrows raised a bit. It definitely wasn’t the cheapest date restaurant but she wasn’t going to question Taylor on it. 

Turning the car off, Kelsey let Taylor come around to get her door and leaned into him, hugging him as she climbed out. Opening the backdoor she grabbed the small box she had tied with a ribbon along with the attached card. Only then was she ready to head inside as she saw Taylor grabbing the gift bag. 

Tucked into his side, Kelsey walked with Taylor through the cold into the restaurant where he gave his name for the reservation. Immediately they were led back to a table and Kelsey smiled as Taylor pulled her chair out for her, reaching to help with her jacket. As he draped it over her chair and moved around her front, she watched as his jaw dropped. 

“Woah…Kels you look…wow.” Though he was mostly at a loss for words, the way he was looking at her told her everything and Kelsey grinned settling into her seat. 

“Thank you. That’s a really good color on you.” She replied, setting the box onto the corner of the table. 

It wasn’t long after they sat down that a waitress came over to take their drink order and provide them with menus for the evening. 

Ordering water and a glass of wine, Kelsey looked over at Taylor and nudged his legs under the table. 

“So how was your day?” She asked softly, listening as Taylor mentioned having a bit of a rougher practice and detailed his other classes after the one they share. In return, Kelsey talked about her classes, laughing to herself when he just gave her a look of all of ‘that is going way over my head’. 

With legs still in contact under the table, Kelsey looked at the menu trying to decide what she wanted while staying towards the middle of the price spectrum because prices were already relatively high. 

It made little sense to come to a nice steakhouse and not get steak but that was all definitely at the upper end of the menu. 

When the waitress came back with their drinks, she asked if they were ready or needed more time. Kelsey still hadn’t made up her mind but before she could open her mouth to express that Taylor was stating that they were ready before ordering them both the sirloin gorgonzola done medium. 

“Taylor…” Kelsey murmured once the waitress had stepped away. 

“Kels, don't deny that’s what you really wanted. You were price tag watching and it’s Valentine’s day, I didn’t bring you here for you to pick the cheapest thing on the menu. Just relax.” 

As always, his smile was disarming and Kelsey could only sigh. Nudging her leg slightly, Taylor moved to place the small gift bag in front of her. 

“Open it.” 

Near the top of the bag was a card and when Kelsey pulled it out of its envelope she could only smile. ‘We go together like a cupcake and sprinkles.’  Opening the card itself she giggled softly because yeah this card choice was so Taylor. ‘You’re sweet and I wanna be all over you.’ Underneath was Taylor’s writing saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day Kels.’ 

Bright smile on her face, Kelsey continued to reach into the bag, next pulling out a bag of her favorite chocolate from the grocery store. It was a sweet touch that he remembered her favorite and didn’t just pick standard chocolates. 

Finally, Kelsey’s fingers touched fabric and pulling it out revealed a UMass hockey hat. Further examination revealed a small 18 along the side and Kelsey smiled because this was her first item proclaiming even subtly that Taylor was hers. 

“I love it. Thank you.” 

Taylor looked a little relieved that though it wasn’t much that his tokens were well received and Kelsey reached across the table to squeeze his hand affectionately. 

Passing the card and box across the table to him, Kelsey motioned for him to open his present as well. 

Kelsey hadn’t gone standard Hallmark card but had instead just used blank white card stock, drawing hearts all over it before leaving a sentimental note inside. 

 Waiting with bated breath while he read, Kelsey almost jumped when Taylor moved to stand and then reached out a hand to pull her from her chair as well. Hugging him tightly, Kelsey felt moisture against her head and rubbed his back. She certainly hadn’t intended on making him cry but once again he wasn’t a man that was afraid of emotions and evidently her heartfelt message had struck a chord. 

After a moment he pulled back and Kelsey reached up to wipe his tears away before pulling him down for a soft, sweet kiss. 

“Go open your present T.” She whispered, urging him to sit back down. 

Back in her own chair she sipped at her wine as she watched Taylor open the small box. 

Inside were two pocket squares, one navy with white polka dots, the other distressed maroon and on both Kelsey had embroidered a monogram of Taylor’s initials in two different styles. 

“Kels, did you make these?” Taylor asked softly as he looked them over, fingering the fabric softly. 

“Yeah, they aren’t hard to make and I had plenty of scrap fabric so it was the embroidery that took the most time.” 

“Kels these are awesome. Seriously. Thank you.” She hadn’t been sure how her gift would go over so she was relieved that Taylor seemed to genuinely love them. 

Gifts having been exchanged, Kelsey and Taylor continued to talk about everything and nothing until their meals arrived, the steak dominating two thirds of the plate.  It all looked and smelled delicious and Kelsey knew there was no way she was going to be able to finish all of this food. 

Conversation lulled while they were eating but it was a comfortable silence that filled the space, other diners chatting providing background noise. 

When Kelsey was unable to eat anymore she pushed her plate in slightly and took a few more sips to finish off her wine. 

“God that was good.” She murmured softly, watching as Taylor put away the rest of his steak into his stomach. 

When their waitress circled back around, Kelsey asked for a box for her leftovers and Taylor took the check, whipping out a card to pay without any hesitation. 

When she returned a final time, Kelsey asked if she could do them one more favor and take a picture of them. With their waitress agreeing, Kelsey pulled out her phone and pulled the camera up before handing it over and requesting Taylor stand up beside her for a minute. Checking to see that there was at least one cute one of the photos taken, Kelsey thanked her again and moved to box up her leftovers while Taylor finished up with signing the receipt. 

Once complete, Kelsey let Taylor help her into her jacket before gathering up her purse, gift, and leftovers to head back out to the car. There she let Taylor kiss her before she settled everything inside and slid behind the wheel cranking the heat. 

“Thanks for dinner Tay. That was so good.” She declared looking over at him. 

“Glad you enjoyed it.” He replied, lacing his fingers with hers after buckling his seatbelt. Just basking in the moment for a bit, Kelsey took it all in. Sighing softly she finally spoke. “I guess we should head back to Amherst. We both have busy days tomorrow.” 

“That is true.” Taylor agreed, squeezing her hand before releasing it to let her get them safely on the road home. 

As she drove, Kelsey focused on the music playing but also the weight of Taylor’s hand against her thigh. It was warm and comforting and she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Are you okay if I post that picture on insta?” She asked softly. They weren’t hiding things but she knew that he didn’t have the biggest social media presence all the same. 

“‘Course Kels, you can share whatever you want to.” 

Nodding, Kelsey just continued to drive until she reached the parking lot for his apartment. Holding onto his hand, Kelsey twisted in her seat and motioned for him to lean in for a kiss. It was a weeknight so she wasn’t going to go up to his room but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t make out a little before he headed inside. 

As they kissed, slowly Taylor’s hand slid further up Kelsey’s thigh and she just sighed into his mouth enjoying this stolen intimacy. 

“Selfie for the road?” Taylor questioned, his voice soft as always but filled with the undertones of lust. His question caused Kelsey to nod because yeah she’d like that. The more memories with him she could capture the better. 

Letting him take it with her phone, Kelsey smiled for the camera before turning to steal one more soft kiss. 

“If you’re still at the rink when my girls have their practice I’ll see you tomorrow, if not then I’ll see you in class Thursday morning.” 

“Yeah for sure. Night Kels. Let me know when you’re home safe.” 

“Before you go can you do me a favor?” Kelsey questioned turning a bit so her back was toward him. “Can you tug my zipper down so I can get this dress off when I get home?” 

After Taylor’s deft fingers slid under her jacket to partway unzip her dress, he kissed her head and climbed out of her car grabbing his gift box and card. Kelsey watched until he was safely inside before backing out of her spot and proceeding on to her apartment where she gathered all of her things up before heading inside. 

Texting Taylor that she was home, Kelsey hung her coat up and moved to her room to strip and throw on pjs before returning to the kitchen. There she put the leftover container in the fridge and then grabbed a vase for the flowers, getting them all trimmed and settled so she could take them into her room. 

Before she could go to bed she still had to wash her face and brush her teeth but first Kelsey settled onto her bed, scrolling through the photos from tonight. There were a couple semi candid from the restaurant as they were getting ready that were hit or miss but the posed one was really cute. Taylor had gotten a cute one of them in her car and oh he’d taken one of their final kiss of the night as well. Seeing it made the butterflies swarm in her stomach and she grinned to herself. 

Opening instagram, Kelsey made a collaged story with the posed picture from the restaurant and the kiss in the car. Tagging Taylor she added “Our First Valentine’s” and posted it to her story before getting up to go about the rest of her nightly routine. 

In his room, Taylor was texting his parents after touching base with his roommates about how Kels had told their coach about them and how his date had gone with her. Taking a picture of the pocket squares he sent them off to his parents. 

Taylor: Kels made these for me for Valentine’s day. 

As he waited for their response the instagram notification of being tagged in Kelsey’s story came through and he opened smiling seeing that she had used the one of them kissing softly. Screenshotting her story, Taylor sent it off in his text thread to his parents as well, knowing that they’d want to see the photos from tonight too. 

Within a minute or two a text from his cousin was coming in, making Taylor chuckle. 

Mark: Dude your gf is posting about you on her stories. 

Taylor: I know. I told her she could. 

Mark: Aren’t you worried someone will see and tell Carvy? 

Taylor: Considering Kels already told him nah. 

Mark: Wait what. She told your coach? 

Taylor: Yeah before picking me up for dinner tonight. So hopefully I’m not dead at practice tomorrow. She said he just seemed confused though. 

Mark: Welp. Good luck dude. 

Mark: Guess death might be worth it though with her looking like that. 

Taylor: She looked incredible. 

***

Gary: Well don’t you two look cute. And those are some snazzy pocket squares. 

Laura: Beautiful. Get me the original of the bottom one please.  I hope you know that those must have taken her at least ten hours to make Taylor. That’s a labor of love right there. 

Taylor would ask Kelsey to air drop him the originals in class on Thursday and hearing just how much time she put into his present made him feel like he had gotten even more outclassed by her in regards to Valentine’s day than he already did. 

****

Bobby T: First Valentine’s day with Kelsey…nice to see you guys are official now, you guys look good together and are good for each other. Just don’t hurt her, she’s been through enough. 

Taylor had known that Bobby knew Kelsey since before Christmas but he still didn’t know how they knew each other or to what extent. There was still something that it seemed like Bobby knew that he didn’t and Taylor tried not to let that make him feel uneasy. If it was something worth sharing, Kels would tell him eventually right? He didn’t need to know all the details of any past relationships if she didn’t think they were worth sharing. 

*****

After finishing getting ready for bed, Kelsey crawled under her sheets and reached for her phone again. Before checking her instagram notifications, Kelsey texted just the photo from the restaurant to her aunt thanking her again for her help. 

Dana: My pleasure Kels. You guys are adorable. 

***

Her instagram dms were full of her female friends squealing now that the guy she was so into was finally revealed. Shooting back replies she couldn’t help but smile because she really was so lucky to find someone like Taylor. Among the squeals was a dm from umass’s walk on goalie Henry and curious what his said, Kelsey opened it next.  

Hfg_30: Since when are you and tmak a thing?!

Laughing to herself, Kelsey ignored it not really wanting to get into that with Taylor’s teammates. 

As she was scrolling back through her chats with friends an older dm thread popped its way up to the top. 

Bobby Trivigno: T’s girl now huh? Things going well with the gentle giant? 

It had been ages since she’d actually talked to Bobby but once upon a time they’d actually been really close. 

Kelsey: Yeah things are good. Taylor is special. I told Greg tonight. 

Bobby: while wearing that dress? Oh man I would have paid to see that. Coach is gonna have nightmares tonight. 

Kelsey: He can get over it. Not like I’m asking his permission or need his blessing. 

Bobby: That’s cause you’re stubborn. You and T both are. 

Bobby: He’s good to you? Respects your boundaries? 

Kelsey: Knowing him, did you have any doubt he would? I’ve heard zero complaints from him about my being a stickler for protection. 

Bobby: Nah T is a good guy. But glad to hear it. How long have you two been official? 

Kelsey: Six weeks tomorrow. Feels longer though. 

Bobby: And you told Coach so it must be serious. 

Kelsey: I don’t know what the future holds but I can’t picture one where I don’t want him by my side. 

Bobby: Have you told him yet? About…you know? 

Kelsey: No. 

Bobby: Kelsey you need to tell him. This isn’t a secret you can keep if you want forever with him. 

Kelsey: I can’t. You don’t understand. He had a literal panic attack when he found one of my monthly negative pregnancy tests. I can’t even imagine how he’d take that. 

Bobby: You still have to tell him Kels. Wait until the season is over but before he leaves for the summer you have to tell him. 

Bobby: He might be more supportive than you give him credit for. 

Kelsey: Thanks for the unsolicited advice but please stay out of it Bobby. 

Tossing her phone aside, Kelsey let out a shaky breath. Things were good. The last thing she wanted was to ruin it all.

[junicai]

peaches.

| summary | aria’s hiding something. lucas figures out what it is. (partly)

| word count | 4.1k

| warnings | mentions of physical abuse (not real)

| era | November 2019, SuperM World Tour

6. “Isn’t that, like. Illegal?” “Potentially.”

15. “Sh. Stop fussing. I’m just braiding your hair.”

38. “Where did all those bruises come from?”

a/n: i was not intending on including this plot point so soon, but it really fit with the request and the next thing i knew it was written? so ill just leave this here to stew. first person to guess what’s going on, 10 points to ur house

Aria loved her job. 

Aria loved her job. 

Aria loved her job, but not when she was sore and aching, and the only thing that was on her mind was burrowing beneath her blankets and sleeping for sixteen hours. The bone deep exhaustion was not something new to be experienced, but she wasn’t sure if it ever got easier to endure. 

It was only two weeks into their official world tour and Aria had forgotten just exactly how taxing it all was on the body. Just yesterday, she’d taken a small spill across the stage - having not seen the protruding wire that was coming from the lighting at the front of the stage. Half asleep, her mind was elsewhere right up until the moment the world tilted and the floor came rushing up to meet her. 

Aria had caught herself with her left hand, stopping her face from taking the brunt of the fall but her wrist had twisted beneath her body as her elbow gave out under the abrupt pressure. 

Her cry had reverberated around the stadium and it wasn’t long before seven boys were coming around the stage curtains, making their way over with wide eyes. 

Ten had wrapped an arm around her shoulder to hoist her up from the ground as her wrist was bandaged - Aria had insisted that it wasn’t necessary, but the red ring marking the skin left no room for arguments - and turned her head away from the darkening face of Baekhyun as he crouched down to ask what happened.

Glancing down at the now purple ring of bruises around her wrist, Aria sighed before reaching out to snag the roll of bandages from the countertop where she had put it after carefully unwrapping it from her wrist. She hadn’t wanted to get the wrappings wet under the shower head, but after struggling for a moment to put it back on, she realized that she probably needed a second pair of hands. 

Aria winced slightly, already anticipating the admonishing look she was going to get from Taemin for taking off the support so soon. 

She pulled at the towel wrapped around her body making sure everything was covered before bending over and tossing her hair over her shoulders. She caught the hair in an old t-shirt, wrapping it around once before standing upright and twisting the material onto the top of her head. 

Having flicked her had up so quickly, Aria shot out a hand to steady herself as the world spun slightly. She stayed stationary until the world came level again. 

As Aria sleepily shuffled out of the bathroom into her bedroom, she could have cried in relief when she saw Lucas sitting on the adjacent bed. 

Aria loved her members, that went without saying. But Lucas here meant she didn’t have to shuffle out into the main living area to find someone to help her rebandage her wrist. Lucas would do it for her, and he could never scold her - no matter how hard he tried. 

“Heyo,” Aria greeted, nodding her head at the lanky boy from across the room. “You mind giving me a hand?” 

Lucas looked up, before quickly looking down with a pained look. “You mind putting on some clothes?”

Aria laughed at his face, eyes shut tightly closed and facing the wall. She told him to wait a moment or two, before pulling the folded pajamas and hoodie (she was pretty sure it was Ten’s but at this point it could have been anyone’s) off the duvet cover and quickly pulling them on. The wet t-shirt that had wrapped her hair on top of her head fell to the floor, and Aria picked it up before throwing it into the small basket in the corner. 

“You can look now,” she teased, running her good hand through her damp hair.

Lucas turned back around with a scowl. “We talked about the towel thing, Riri.” 

“Correction: you talked about the towel thing. I laughed at your misery.” 

He glared at her from across the bed. The effect of his hardened stare though, was greatly reduced by the large yellow sweater that covered most of his body, and the way he had tucked himself in to a small ball shape on the end of the bed. “There was a good two and a half minutes of conversation, and I distinctly remember you saying that you’d be more careful.” 

“And I distinctly remember you saying that you’d be staying in the living room to watch Iron Man with Mark, yet here you are.” Aria countered, moving to sit beside him on the bed.

“Yeah, like two hours ago!” 

“Well how was I supposed to know the movie had ended?” 

“Time perception?” 

Aria snorted. “You know I’m bad at that.”

“Well get better at it?”

“But Lucas,” Aria whined now, throwing herself to lie flat on the bed, “I’m in pain and that means I’m not focused. I’m injured doesn’t that automatically mean you have to be nicer to me now?”

“You’re in pain?” Lucas’ voice dropped a tone. 

Aria sat up rapidly, her head spinning slightly at the speed. “No,” She denied.

Lucas levelled her with a look before extending his hand out, turning to fully face her on the bed. His legs folded beneath him couldn’t have been comfortable, but he didn’t seem to mind. “Show me how bad the bruising is again.”

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but concern. Perhaps a tinge of the humor remained from their previous course of conversation, but it was quickly swept away with a blink. Relenting, Aria held out her left hand and looked away when Lucas inhaled slightly at the purpling skin. His hands were gentle, but Aria still hissed slightly at the contact.

“You took off the bandages?” his voice was softer now, as were his fingers as her carefully cradled her wrists. Aria shook her head lightly. 

“Nah, I just needed them off so I could shower. I wasn’t sure how they’d fair against a ton of deep-treatment conditioner, and I didn’t want them to go soggy or something.” Aria explained, still allowing her wrist to be held gingerly by Lucas. “It doesn’t actually hurt though, I was just teasing.”

“Where are they now?” Lucas questioned, dropping Aria’s wrist back to her own lap. “The bandages I mean.”

She gestured to the other bed in the room, where the beige-coloured roll sat on the pillow at the top of the bed. 

“I tried to put it back on in the bathroom, but..” Aria trailed off, waving her hands around to try and articulate herself without the words. She wasn’t sure if she had made much sense, but Lucas nodded all the same.

Without a word he pushed himself off the bed, socked feet padding across the floor to the other bed. He snagged the tail end of the roll, pulling it towards him before flailing slightly and just grabbing the body of the roll itself when it began to unravel.

He heard a muffled laugh from behind him, and turned to look at Aria over his shoulder. The girl was grinning behind her hand, facing away into the corner of the room. 

“Careful, or I’ll leave you to go tell Taemin-hyung why your wrist is un-supported right now.”

Aria promptly shut her mouth, pout naturally forming. 

Coming back over, Lucas nudged her over with his knee to make room for himself against the headboard. The clean bedsheets folded underneath him, and he settled himself comfortably with his legs spread slightly. Lucas pat in between his legs, motioning for Aria to come closer. 

“C’mere I’ll fix it. I wouldn’t leave you to hyung’s wrath,” he promised, a wide grin on his face.

Aria was still slightly untrusting of his smile, but her exhaustion won over her skepticism quickly and she shuffled up the bed to sit cross-legged in between Lucas’ extended legs. 

His hands were more careful this time - having learnt from the first experience handling her tender wrist - but he made quick work of wrapping back up the bruised area. Aria could see that he was concentrated on getting it right, only muttering a hold that or a is that too tight? once or twice before folding the tail ends into the precisely wrapped material.

“Where’d you put the safety pin?” he questioned, looking back over at the pillow on the other bed incase he missed it.

Aria left her injured wrist in Lucas’ lap, using her good hand to fish out the metal clip from the front pocket of the hoodie she was wearing. She handed it to Lucas with a small smile, thanking him with a light punch to his arm once he pinned the strapping in place. 

“Oh my god I’m tired.” Lucas leant back onto the bed, letting his head bang against the wall with a resounding thud. Aria winced slightly at the sound, but Lucas didn’t seem to mind the minor brain trauma so she refrained from commenting. 

“Same. So so much same. Really just want to go to sleep right now, but if I don’t do something with my hair it’ll be horrendous in the morning, and I can’t deal with another scolding from the make-up noonas. Not twice in a week,” Aria complained, falling forward so her still wet hair fanned out over the duvet. 

“Want me to braid it?”

“You know how to plait hair?” Aria stayed lying down, eyes trailing over the cracks in the ceiling paint. 

“Yeah,” Lucas laughed slightly. “Kunhang wanted to see what he’d look like with little plaits, so I watched a few youtube videos on it.” 

Aria bent her neck at an angle to look at Lucas’ face with squinted eyes. “Promise you won’t make a bird’s nest of my hair?” 

Lucas looked at her with comically wide, sincere eyes and held up three fingers pressed together. “Scouts honor,” he nodded solemnly. 

Aria coughed out a laugh, kicking at him with her feet. “Oh my god how do you even know that, you’re spending too much time with Mark.” 

Lucas laughed with her, shoving her attacking legs away with ease. “Hey hey do you want me to braid your hair or not? I can’t do that if you break a rib.” 

Despite his words, the broad grin never left his face, and he never waited for an answer before Lucas was wrapping an arm around Aria’s waist and tugging her around to face the opposite wall, sitting in between his legs again but this time with her back to his chest. 

“Do you have a hair brush and a few hair ties?”

Aria nodded, reaching over the bed with a hand on Lucas’ knee to grab the aforementioned items off her bedside locker. She handed them back to him, before settling herself comfortably on the bedspread. 

True to his word, Lucas was actually quite good at braiding - Aria was nearly sure he was lying but the three even strands of hair didn’t slowly become a tangled ball of mess as he worked his way down her hair. In all honestly, it was quite relaxing, letting someone else brush out her hair as she sank deeper into the duvet cover as he braided the strands together with ease. 

Even despite Lucas’ hands calmingly carding through her hair though, Aria still shuffled back and forth, rolling her shoulders every now and again. At first, Lucas’ had deigned to ignore her small twitching, but after the seventh time she rolled her shoulders and nearly knocked the strands out of his hand, he stopped.

“Sh. Stop fussing. I’m just braiding your hair.” 

“Hm?” 

“You’re wriggling and it’s throwing me off.”

“Oh.” Aria looked at her hands. “Sorry, its just the hood - the tag is scratchy and its annoying.” 

“Ah,” Lucas nodded. “It kinda looks like someone tried to cut it off not gonna lie.” 

“It’s not mine, so I don’t care but it’s just annoying.”

“You want to take it off?” 

Aria froze a little, before deliberately untensing her muscles. Now would be the worst time to work herself back up, especially right after relaxing so much. But she wasn’t sure if she could take off her hoodie, the top she was wearing didn’t cover enough of her back, the scooping backline stretched out after years of wear.

“Riri?” Lucas’ voice prompted her out of her thoughts. 

“Hm? Oh- oh no it’s ok,” she fumbled, rubbing at the irritated skin on the back of her neck with a hand. “You’re almost done anyway, right?”

“I still have the other braid to do.” Lucas’ voice was confused now, hands resting on her shoulders. True to his word, only one of the two braids were completed, half of Aria’s hair pulled back neatly with the other half splayed across her shoulder. 

“Oh.” 

Reluctantly, Aria pulled herself out of Lucas’ hold slightly, turning to face him. “Yeah no that’s fine. I’ll just, grab a towel to cover my shoulders? So I don’t get my clothes wet.” 

Aria let out a breath of relief when Lucas’ nodded at her, seeming unsuspicious of her quick shift in mood. She slid off the bed gently, only letting her feet touch the floor briefly before she was reaching forward and snatching the towel from the adjacent bed.

Sneaking a short glance towards Lucas and seeing him distracted, she pulled  the hoodie quickly over her head. Aria wrapped the towel over her shoulders before he had time to look over at her, and held the two ends closely together as she shuffled back into the space Lucas had created again for her. 

He hummed at her, before resuming his methodic braiding process, fingers gentle and hands pushing her head to the side. Unlike before however, Aria couldn’t find it in herself to relax, fingers gripping the towel’s ends closely together in an iron grip. She was so concentrated on ensuring the towel hadn’t flipped up to expose her back, Aria missed the short double pat Lucas gave the top of her head to tell her she was done.  

In fact, she was so concentrated on making sure the towel didn’t slip from her grasp, Aria jerked away from Lucas when she felt him tug gently on the now soaked material. 

Lucas instantly moved away, hands held up. “Woah, chill. I just don’t want you to get sick, the towel is wet.”

Aria nodded, not really listening and moving to shuffle away from Lucas but he had mistaken her nod as an affirmative, hands pulling more insistently on the soaked material. 

This time, the towel slipped from Aria’s grasp, the same moment a gasp left Lucas’ mouth.

Time seemed to slow for a moment, ice trickling down Aria’s back, almost mocking her. She could feel the air around them drop several degrees, the happy, content atmosphere replaced with something else - something cold, something that seeped beneath your skin and stayed there. The air-conditioning didn’t help, goosebumps raising along the newly exposed skin, partially tanned but for the most part covered in purple and blue and green mottled colours. 

Bruises.

Everywhere.

Aria heard more than felt Lucas’ hands clench, an audible crack coming from his knuckles. His hands had retracted from Aria’s sides where they were before, bringing them to his sides in fists. 

“Aria.” Cold. 

No response.

“Aria.” A little more insistent this time.

Still, no response.

“Aria. Where did all those bruises come from?”

Aria inhaled sharply for what felt like the first time in hours. With a single intake of breath, time sped up to meet her, and she scrambled out from between Lucas’ legs, giggling nervously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, shaking her head. Her hands were already reaching for the discarded hoodie - itchy tag be damned - but Lucas had longer limbs and was a good deal faster. 

He snatched the hoodie from the end of the bed, standing up as Aria shifted her weight onto her back foot. Her eyes were looking over his shoulder, no matter how much he stared at her.

“Aria. What happened?”

She was wringing her hands in front of her, shuffling back and forth. “I - I can’t, it’s fine - it’s fine Lucas, don’t - don’t worry okay?”

Aria made towards the door, hoping that maybe she could crash in Taeyong’s room for the night, but Lucas’ hand on the doorknob dashed that idea into smithereens. His face was dark, darker than she’d ever seen it and when he turned to look at her his eyes were filled with a type of anger she hadn’t known he’d been capable of feeling.

“Miyazu Akari you tell me right now, what’s going on.” His voice was firm, body tense. “Is someone - Is someone hurting you?”

Aria froze for the nth time of the night. A disbelieving laugh broke its way out of her lips. “Oh, oh god no Lucas - that’s not what this is, I- I promise.”

Lucas only dropped his hand from the doorknob, coming to crouch in front of Aria on the floor. 

When had she sat on the floor? 

His face was stony, and Aria wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. Was he angry at her? She wasn’t lying, he was just assuming things that weren’t true. She knew it looked like that, that’s why she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about it - she knew that this reaction was unavoidable without someone else there to back her up - oh god why did this have to happen right now, Aria was tired and she wanted to go to sleep but Lucas was still looking at her - his face was less stony now but Aria was too panicked to figure out what that meant - yes he’s definitely angry at her, please don’t let him get the hyungs, she’ll never talk her way out of it then, oh god oh god- 

“Riri,” his voice was quiet now, the fire in his eyes poorly masked by worry. “Riri, it’s okay. It’s okay, but I need you to breath. Can you do that for me? Can you breath?”

When had she stopped? 

Aria’s lungs expanded with a gasp, and she coughed on the first intake of air. Lucas only rubbed her back, tucking her face into his neck as she coughed her way through several more breaths - not letting go until he was sure her breathing had evened out again. 

Pulling back, Lucas’ eyes bored into hers, both hands on either side of her face to make sure she couldn’t look away. His legs were bent uncomfortably underneath himself, but he payed no mind to the ache in his knees. 

“Riri, it’s okay. If something’s happening it’s okay but I need you to tell me what’s happening so I can help. Or so I can get someone else to help. Who’s doing this?”

“No - no one,” Aria choked out, throat tight. Her hand banged against her chest as if to kickstart her lungs again. “It’s no one, it’s not that.” 

Lucas looked at her like she was lying. He definitely thought she was. 

God damn it, this was not how she wanted it to come out. 

“Aria you can trust me, I’m not going to hurt you. But I need you to -” Lucas began, being cut off by Aria.

“No, no I’m not. I’m not being hit by anyone, I promise, Lucas.” she looked him in the eye. “I promise.”

“Then what is going on?” 

Aria looked down again. “I just bruise easily, you know that.”

Lucas scoffed slightly, “I know you bruise easily Aria, but you literally look like you were body slammed into a wall.” 

A moment of silence. A flicker of horror. 

“Were you body slammed into a wall?”

“NO!” Aria near shouted, hands coming to cover her mouth in a gasp immediately afterwards. Both of them stilled, carefully listening out for any stirring of the other members.  

After a few seconds, hearing nothing, Aria allowed herself to relax minutely. Downside of hotel rooms meant thin walls, so it was truly a miracle that Aria’s shout hadn’t woken the others.

“I can promise you, no one is listening to us right now. So I need you to be honest with me, Riri.” Lucas’ voice had lost the cold edge to it, now filled with warmth and worry, like sickly sweet honey. 

Aria wanted to gag. She knew she couldn’t lie to him, not directly to his face.

“Can you please- I’ll explain in the morning. I’m tired, I’ll explain in the morning,” she tried.

“We have schedules all day tomorrow, I know full well you’ll avoid me all day and then room with someone else,” he countered. 

Aria could pick up the hurt radiating from his body. He thinks you don’t trust him.

She bit her lip, not letting go until the pink skin ripped beneath her teeth and the taste of iron filled her mouth. Damn, that was going to take forever to close.

“Lucas, I’m fine. I swear to you, I’m fine.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m fine.”

“And I’m not buying it. Not when your back looks like that.”

Ok. Half truths.

“Remember the last practice I had with Dream before we left on tour?” Aria’s voice was unintentionally smaller, but she thought it might work in her favour - something proved correct when Lucas leant forwards on his knees. 

He said nothing, only nodded to assure her she was listening. 

“Well. Okay you have to promise you won’t get mad at anyone.”

“I promise.” 

That was absolutely too quick, he was so going to get mad. 

“Jeno and I, were. Messing, right? And- and he picked me up, like the way you guys do all the time, except this time he knew I was kinda down about leaving - just because I was going to miss them, yaknow? - and so when he picked me up, he was real careful about it don’t get me wrong but he picked me up and I don’t really remember what happened because it all happened so fast but-”

“Breathe.”

Aria took in a gulp of air. “Sorry.” 

Lucas nodded at her. It was rare to see him so serious. Aria hated it. 

“Jeno, like, flipped me? Over his shoulder, the fireman carry thingy. But he lost his grip and I think I slid or he tried to catch me and flipped me over fully but. I just kinda remember looking up at the practice room ceiling with my back really hurting.”

Silence. 

It hung in the air like something tangible, like you could take a knife to it. 

Aria wanted to.

“So. You’re telling, me, that you look like you got the life kicked out of you, because Jeno flipped you over his shoulder?”

Aria winced. “Yes.”

“That happened nearly two weeks ago, Riri. The bruises should have faded by now.” His voice was torn, like he wanted to believe her but there were too many questions left unanswered. 

“Well I-”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Lucas whipped his head over to her. 

Aria couldn’t meet his gaze, pulling at the hangnail on her right hand. “I knew it would land Jeno in trouble, and it wasn’t that big of a deal-” 

“Aria your back is black and blue-”

“I knew people were going to overreact and-”

“I’m not overreacting I’m just worried-”

Aria held up her hand, halting the conversation in its tracks. 

“Lucas.” the boy nodded slowly, giving her his full attention. 

“Lucas, I swear to you. I swear, you know I’d come to you if something was wrong. You know I would.” Aria began, voice soft. Her good hand crept forwards to hold Lucas’.

“I bruise easily, you know this. You once threw a cushion at me and nearly gave me a black eye.” Aria reminded him ruefully. “My back, is because I fell; which is Not Jeno’s Fault. We were both clumsy, and we both should have been more careful, but it was a mistake, and I’m fine.”

“But still, why didn’t you tell us?” Lucas cut in.

“You know exactly what Taemin-oppa is like when it comes to worrying. I think he would have made me sit the entire two weeks out. And you reacted like this, how would I have explained this to Baekhyun and Jongin-oppa? They would have taken the entire staff team hostage to interrogate them as to what happened.” 

“Isn’t that, like. Illegal?” 

“Potentially.”

Lucas laughed. It was a nice sound, a sound that rang out through the stale-atmosphere in the room. It brushed away the tension, only leaving that in Lucas’ shoulders and the worry creased into his eyebrows. 

Aria shuffled closer to Lucas, both still sitting cross-legged on the floor. She tucked herself into his arms, knowing that it was both for her comfort and for his. 

“I’m right here, Xuxi. No one’s done anything to me. I’m right here.”

Lucas exhaled quietly, arms tightening around Aria’s body minutely. She could tell he was being mindful of her back now - the presence of the bruises still fresh in his mind. A few words were muttered into her hair, muffled.

Aria hummed, pulling away slightly.

“You trust me right?” Lucas’ voice was wavering slightly.

“110%.”

“Okay. Okay, okay. That’s okay. You’re okay.” Lucas seemed more like he was talking to himself moreso than anything else. 

“We’re okay.”

“Ari-ah?”

“Yes?” 

Aria padded into the kitchen, seeing Taeyong standing there with a small white box in his hands. He turned, and upon seeing her - held out the box for her to take. 

Aria nodded in understanding, hands moving to take the box of medication from her leader’s grip. She turned it over in her hand, eyes scanning the blue label before she looked back up to Taeyong’s eyes. 

They were kind, but around the edges there was a small colouring of pity. 

Aria hated that he gave her the same look each month. 

Nodding in thanks, she spun on her heel, going to put the box in the far corner of her chest of drawers.

On the box, the letters:

 DDAVP, vWF 

[mooniefics]

just one night

pairing : reiner braun / reader

word count : 2.9k

tags : fluff, angst, heartache, acknowledgement of reiner’s suffering </3

summary : being a field nurse had it's ups and downs, but everything about taking care of reiner braun was the best and worst thing about your job.

— originally posted 12 / 16 / 20 on ao3 —

"oh, you're finally awake." you set the tray of medical supplies in your hands down on the small desk beside the bed, shutting the privacy curtain before you returned to his side, "i was worried about you, you know?"

though most of his body had regenerated over the seven hours he'd been unconscious, he was still missing a majority of his right hand up to the wrist, the steaming, incomplete appendage he was now examining with a tired look on his face.

"what time did they bring me in?" his voice was husky with sleep, eyes low as they flitted over to look at you.

"around eighteen hundred hours yesterday," you said, placing the back of your hand on his forehead to check his temperature, "i administered some pain meds a few hours ago, but let me know if you need any more."

being a field nurse for the marleyan army wasn't the easiest job in the world, mostly consisting of lots of running around in the trenches with your heavy kit and avoiding as much gunfire and blood splatter as you possibly could while still helping the wounded. you had volunteered to work soon after the conflict with the mid-east allied forces had begun, seeing as it was either that or see your father be drafted out into the eldian unit to become cannon fodder like so many of the soldiers you'd seen barely able to crawl their way back over the sandbags just to bleed out and die before you could even begin to assess their injuries. you stopped keeping count of how many people you couldn't save after your first few days of active combat, becoming more focused on not going insane from how little you slept due to the rumbling of the ground from enemy artillery that shook the walls of the underground quarters and reading the letters your family sent from back home to maintain a shred of morale for the future.

though, the job did have some perks. it was always honorable for eldian families to have someone enlisted, and it also meant you could support your parents with your minuscule paycheck from the government. and, of course, meeting reiner braun was the biggest plus of them all, though you probably wouldn't admit it if anybody asked. you were a hard worker, and evidently had enough natural skill to quickly be promoted to the position that you were at now, assigned as one of the few nurses who monitored the wellness of the warriors and their prospective candidates.

"my regeneration has been slowing down lately, i should have more of my hand back by now." reiner murmured, more to himself than you.

"of course it has, you haven't been eating as well as you should be. i don't know much about titan biology, but i do know that a soldier like you, a warrior no less, shouldn't live off of sandwiches and beer, you've been losing too much weight."

he chuckled, a quick smile flitting across his face before he returned to his previous sulk. "you sound like my mother, chiding me about how i need to take care of myself. isn't there other patients that need your attention?"

"you wish. me and another nurse have already taken care of this entire hall, and you, mr. celebrity, get a room all to yourself." you grabbed a pen and his chart, scribbling down a few notes about his current status while you spoke, "plus, i'm supposed to be checking up on you every hour until you're all put back together, magath's orders."

he paused, thinking to himself before speaking. "so does that mean galliard is ok?" you nodded.

"and pieck?" you nodded again.

"and zeke?" you sighed, but reaffirmed once more.

"you've been checking up on me all night by the looks of it. aren't you tired?"

"gosh reiner, would it kill you to focus on yourself for a minute?" you rolled your eyes at his confusion, pulling up the chair at the desk to his bedside and seating yourself down, "this is my job, i'm used to doing my job. in fact, this is one of the easiest nights i've had in weeks. i don't know about you, but it shocks me that the guy they blew to pieces yesterday afternoon is asking me if i'm the one that needs to get some rest."

his brow furrowed, mouth drawing into a small frown. "sorry. i know that the war has been hard for all of us. i just don't want to make it any harder for you than it's already been."

you couldn't help but smile at his genuine concern, planting your elbows on your thighs and resting your chin in your hands. "you don't have to worry about bothering me, reiner." you replied softly, playfully adding, "you know you're my favorite patient anyways" just to see his cheeks flush red.

"is that so?" he murmured in reply, now smiling with you as he met your gaze.

"maybe." you teased, leaving him hanging for a few moments before you continued, "galliard's always awkward when i'm in the room, jaeger never has much, if anything, to say, and pieck, she's nice to be around, but she always looks so tired i feel a bit bad when i chat for too long with her. so, if it's anyone i'm stuck on the night shift with, i'm glad it's you."

you laughed softly at his expression, feeling a bit sheepish under his gaze. he'd changed quite a bit over the two years you'd known him, the shadows under his eyes deepening with a clear exhaustion, cheekbones becoming more pronounced and face growing gaunter as the stress of the war withered away at his physical and mental wellbeing. before you personally met, you'd always seen reiner as the physical embodiment of marley's armor, with his sturdy, unyielding frame, towering over nearly everyone he met from his stature, and the iron will that never seemed to falter no matter how many times he returned broken to the barrack's infirmary.

but now, you could see how everything had been taking a toll on him, how he was growing thinner and weaker each time he returned from a successful military assignment. you had come to learn that despite his regenerative properties, he felt every bit of pain that came with the injuries he sustained, experiencing the absolute agony of having his limbs shredded and bones shattered by cannon fire in his titan form and still having to push forward on the battlefield. you had an immense respect for him and his unyielding nature, but you always worried. even though you knew he would always manage to get himself back together again, you always worried for him. you remembered how you felt as you peeked over the sandbags, watching with a mixture of awe and dread as reiner threw himself in front of jaeger at the last moment to shield him from the unexpected volley of naval artillery, the way your heart thundered so loudly in your ears at the sight of his titan crumpling.

the relief you felt upon being ordered to his hospital room and finding him still alive was indescribable, and the relief you felt now being able to talk to him, to stare into his tired eyes and take in his handsome features you'd become so familiar with, flushed softly from your playfully exchanged words— you didn't want to see him go again.

"l-let me go get you a blanket," you said, snapping yourself out of your unnecessary thoughts, "i packed it away since i didn't want the steam to overheat you, but now that its just your hand and ankle i think it'll be ok to let you have it back now."

you quickly got up from your seat and slipped past the privacy curtain, opening up the supply cupboard with sheets and extra clipboards and things of the sort to pull out the blanket you'd originally taken off of him and put away.

you had to control yourself, to stop letting yourself be distracted by these thoughts and concerns about him. you knew as well as anyone else in marley that he didn't have long left to live. you hated that everyone referred to it as his 'term', as if after two years passed he could return home to live a peaceful life away from the war and bloodshed, to enjoy the luxuries of a normal existence that had been snatched away from him from the very start of his life. he only had two years left before he had to be eaten by one of those children, children that had similarly had their innocence and adolescence stolen from them by the marleyan government. you had told yourself over and over to not let yourself get so close to him, to not trick yourself into believing that maybe something could work between the two of you after marley's greed for natural resources had been sated and all the nations were finally at peace.

but you knew better than anyone that these feelings had been growing out of control, and each day you spent tending to him, watching him out on the battlefield, finding more and more about who he truly was besides a soldier only fed the fire you'd been fighting between fueling and snuffing out for months now. taking in a deep breath, you forced a smile onto your face, not wanting to concern him with an upset expression and risk dumping all your pathetic emotions out under his scrutiny.

"here we are." you hummed, flapping out the blanket a few times before you stretched it over his lap.

for a moment your face was close to his, close enough to see the small brown spots freckling his golden irises and realize just how intently he was gazing at you. you quickly retreated back to your seat at his bedside, still feeling his stare lingering on you, stopping yourself from asking him what was interesting enough to make him look at you for so long.

for another moment, there was silence, and you debated on making up some excuse to leave the room, but you knew you would have to come back in an hour, and he most likely wouldn't be asleep by then, but he spoke before you could think up any other escape plans.

"you know, i was happy to wake up and see you." you felt your heart skip, blinking at him, trying to make sure you weren't hearing things.

"really?" you mustered, feeling your cheeks grow warm at the sight of his smile.

"yes, really." he affirmed, the brightness on his face dampening a bit as he continued, "most of the time when i sleep, i get a lot of... memories, from my time in paradis, and they're not the most pleasant things to see while i'm asleep. and i was having another one of those dreams just now before i woke up, so it was nice to not be alone, you know? it's always reassuring to see you."

you felt a light flutter in your chest, nodding in response, torn between feeling sympathy for his nightmares or happiness from honest words. no, you had to stop being selfish. you had to stop letting yourself play along in this fantastical idea of a happy future.

"y-yeah, i understand," you replied, fixing your gaze down in your lap as you tried to avoid his intention, "i could put in a request for sleeping aids, if restlessness is becoming an issue."

"you know that's not what i'm trying to say." his hand reached out to rest over yours, giving it a gentle squeeze, imploring you to stop ignoring the obvious.

"reiner." you said firmly, lips pressing into a firm line, "we can't. i can't."

you could feeling that light, airy joy twisting down into something irksome, settling like lead deep in your stomach as he replied. "what's stopping you?"

"everything!" you snapped, stopping yourself to take a deep breath and regain control of your volume before you began again, "everything.. this war, this never-ending conflict, and.. y-your term, your life-"

"you think i don't know that?" he said softly, too softly, somber gaze flitting between the hand in his grasp and your face. he seemed so small just now, seated up against wall behind the hospital bed that was too little for him, barely covered by the thin, old blanket that was fraying at the seams, not at all like the stoic, unwavering warrior he made himself out to be in the public eye. "don't you think i'm tired of pretending? tired of having people toss the topic of my death back and forth like they're discussing vacation plans? i love marley, and i love what i can do for the people who look up to me, for the people who rely on me to be the hero. you never ask me about paradis, you never ask me about how i feel about all of this, you never expect me to be the hero, and you're still always here to listen, always here when i need you to be. but i just want to feel like i don't have to worry about all that, even if it's just for one night... i know it sounds counterintuitive, but i want to pretend like things will be alright.. for you, for me, for everyone. can't we just have this one night?"

your hand trembled, fingers lacing easily with his like you'd risked doing a few times before, tears pricking your eyes, feeling like there was something cinching around your heart and lungs and squeezing tight. the heat of his hand in yours was pleasant, calloused palm fitting perfectly against the contour of your own, thumb stroking softly over the side of your own hand.

you swallowed your apprehension, steadying your breath and blinking away the mistiness threatening to spill down onto your face as you moved from the chair to take a seat on the side of his bed. "ok. one night."

the relief that bloomed across his expression warmed your heart, the stress that had been creasing his face softening back into the relaxed, sleepy looking smile that you always poked fun at when you brought him his breakfast in the morning.

"you have to be up at seven, so lay down right, i don't want you to complain to me about your back hurting tomorrow." he complied, shifting back down in the bed to rest his head back on the pillow, allowing you to let go of his hand momentarily to tuck the blanket around him. "do you want me to go get you something to help you sleep?"

"no." he murmured, gazing up at you, "just stay here with me, please. i'll sleep just fine as long as you're here."

there was something so childlike about his words, not in the way of immaturity or naivety, but something that just made you want to take care of him, to protect him from the corruption of the world outside of the obsolete confinements of his hospital room.

"i will." you said, letting your other hand find the side of his face, "i promise."

and so you stayed, you stayed as long as he needed you to, alternating between stroking his cheek and slowly running your fingers through his hair. there were no words exchanged, but the silence was comforting, the quietest night you'd both had in weeks, only occupied by the intermittent footsteps of the other nurses making their rounds around the hall and the soft evening breeze blowing through the half-open window above the desk. you didn't care for how long you had to sit there, replying back to the small movements of his hands with your own reassuring squeeze as he slowly but surely fell back asleep. but even after his breathing had steadied out, and his grasp on your hand had loosened, you still stayed seated at his bedside, just gazing down at his sleeping face as your thought to yourself.

the war against the mid-east allied forces had come to a rocky close, most likely guaranteeing marley at least a few months of tension-filled peace before another nation made their strike on their borders once again. but you knew that marley wouldn't wait for that, you knew that they wouldn't stop until they had the world in their hands, paradis included. you'd heard the private murmurs of jaeger before you entered his room, seen the open pages of his journal when he fell asleep at his desk, you knew what he had been planning. and you knew that reiner would have to go running back to the island once again, and even if jaeger's grand scheme didn't drag him there by his collar, he would probably go searching out his own resolution him.

you checked your watch. 2:10. it was your turn to check the patients in critical condition down the hall. you sighed quietly, pulling your hand away from his and leaning down to gently press a kiss on his forehead, something you risked doing a few times before when you had these especially long conversations that made your heart ache for him.

but at least, you thought to yourself as you flicked off the lights, reluctantly leaving the room and shutting the door behind you as quietly as you possibly could, at least you could give him just one night of repose.

[king-kira]

Valiant || Chap. 2 - The Accolade

Pairing: Eren/Fem!Reader

Genre/AU: Medieval AU, Royalty AU

Warnings: None

Words: 1,710

Available on: Ao3 & Quotev

Summary -> [Name] [Last], the only princess in a kingdom teetering on the brink of war. It's only a matter of time before danger rears its ugly head, so her father decides to assign her a personal knight, much to her dismay.

<- Previous Chapter || Next Chapter ->

Note: Happy reading! :)

All knights were to adhere to the code of conduct, especially chivalry. During the Accolade, a ceremony in which squires enter knighthood, knights swear to defend the weak and uphold virtues such as compassion, loyalty, generosity, and truthfulness until the day they die. Of course, the oath they swore made them sound like the kindest bunch in the kingdom. They weren't. Most became power-hungry and obsessed with the idea of climbing the ranks. The Knights Legion, or the Legion of Honour, if you will, was filled with lazy drunkards and corrupted souls. You had watched many knights change over the years. They start off young and naive, but the world changes them. Your father didn't care much for that. As long as they were strong and hid their true nature from the public eye, they were as good of knights as any. You just hoped that his ignorance wouldn't come back to bite him.

You stood adjacent to your father on the altar. He unsheathed his sword when several squires and knights entered the room. Usually, the Accolade would take place after a battle, when the squires had proven their strength and loyalty to the kingdom, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You watched in silence as, one by one, each squire kneeled before the king and swore the oath. The king would then dub each squire a knight with the tap of his sword on their shoulders. It was a repetitive ceremony, and you weren't quite sure why your father had insisted you be present. You guessed that it was because one of the knights would become your personal knight.

It came down to the last couple of knights, and for some reason, you were a bit disappointed that you hadn't seen the boy from the courtyard. He was a squire, was he not? He was training with the others yesterday. Just as the thought crossed your mind, the doors opened, revealing the boy you had been thinking about, behind him was a shorter man you recognized as Sir Ackerman. Speak of the devil, and he doth appear, you supposed. After a pregnant pause, the ceremony resumed, and the boy quietly shuffled closer to the altar.

The ceremony came to an end, and the newly dubbed knights filtered out of the room. "Sir Jaeger, stay here a moment," your father called out, returning his sword to its scabbard. You hesitated to leave the room, were you meant to stay? Your father, perceptive as always, turned to you.

"You as well, [Name]," he motioned for you to step down from the altar alongside him. Sir Jaeger nervously approached and kneeled in front of your father.

"Your highness," he addressed your father.

"I believe both Sir Ackerman and the instructor discussed this matter with you?" the king asked, to which Sir Jaeger only nodded. "Right, [Name], Sir Jaeger will be your personal knight. He must protect you and only you, no matter the cost." your father sure had a way of putting things grimly, you could feel your hands become clammy, and you couldn't imagine how nervous the knight kneeling before you was feeling. Unsure of what to say, you nodded, fiddling with a frilly piece of fabric that lined your dress. Your father gave you a look that you could only describe as stern before leaving the room.

Now it was just you and a stranger, a stranger that has to follow you around everywhere you go in case of the rare occurrence that you are attacked within your own home. You couldn't blame him, though; you doubted he wanted to follow you around every day.

"Ther- there's no reason to bow any longer," you stuttered, eyeing him as he kneeled. He hastily stood to his feet as if following a command. You felt your heart pang at the thought. He didn't seem to speak much. Is this how it's going to be? Was he going to remain silent and follow your every command? You supposed that's what a personal knight was meant to do, but it was a bit saddening to think about. You tried not to let your disappointment show, but he seemed like the perceptive type. When he spoke, it confirmed your suspicions.

"What's wrong, princess?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I- uh, I just got lost in thought," you explained with hesitation. "You need to need to get your gear from the armoury, don't you?" you asked upon further examination of the boy. He was clad in a pair of boots, trousers, and a green tunic. He nodded in response.

"Why don't you go receive your gear while I head to the library?" you suggested as you began to walk. Sir Jaeger followed a few steps behind you.

"I don't believe I'm allowed to leave your side during my shift, princess," he replied. Part of you wished he had forgotten the oath he had sworn minutes ago, it was a foolish wish, but you were a foolish girl wishing for a crumb of freedom.

"I wouldn't tell anyone," you stated simply as if you were bartering for an item or service of some sort.

"Uh, my apologies, but I don't fancy getting scolded my first day on the job," he let out an awkward chuckle.

"Well, you can't go without your armour. I suppose we'll just have to head over to the armoury together."

________

One thing not many people knew about the castle was its many secret passages. They were once used as escape routes if when castle came under siege. The kingdom has been at peace with neighbouring nations for decades until now, so your father had them sealed up when you were little, but not before you found out about the one in your bedroom. You hadn't unsealed it in years because you never needed to, but now that you had a personal knight waiting outside your door, you finally had a reason. You didn't consider yourself very mischievous, but your father brought it upon himself. You doubted the castle would be attacked anytime soon. The neighbouring nation would more than likely attack a fort on the outskirts first. It's with these thoughts in your mind that you decide to push aside your dresser as quietly as possible and peel back the floral wallpaper that covered a hatch. Crouching down, you opened the hatch and entered the small crawlspace. Further down was a more spacious tunnel that led to a staircase.

You kept one hand on the stone brick wall to guide yourself through the darkness. The stench of mould and mildew was pungent, and out of the corner of your eye, you see something scurry across the floor. Yeah, no one had been down here in years, and you had half the mind to turn around and go back to sleep. Alas, you proceeded down the stairs, careful not to trip. Finally, you reached the end of the narrow passage. You pushed a rickety wooden door open and lantern light filtered out the darkness.

The passage led to the underground dungeons. You hadn't been down here often but recognized it by the iron doors that lined the hallway. Your eyes scanned the area. Odd, there weren't any guards present. You guessed it was your lucky day.

__________

Alone, at last, you sat down at your usual spot by the courtyard. You reached for your book and opened it to the page where you had left off on. The usual sound of swords clashing was no longer present. You supposed it was because most of the squires were knighted yesterday.

"You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you?" a voice startled you, causing your body to jolt. You whipped your head around and came face to face, or rather face to helm, with Sir Jaeger. You eyed his armour. It was different from most low-ranking knights, more intricate, and if you had to guess, crafted from a stronger metal. Though, you suppose he wasn't low-ranking since he was assigned to protect you. Thinking about it now, why was he assigned to you? He was a squire only yesterday. You expected someone more experienced. Perhaps, his swordsmanship was just that excellent.

"If you keep this up, you'll get me in trouble," he said, breaking your train of thought. You took a moment to watch as he sat down beside you before speaking up. "You wouldn't get in trouble. I'd just tell my father that it was my fault," you said, shaking your head and turning your attention back to the book on your lap.

"Not sure that's how it works, princess," he murmured.

"How'd you find me anyway?" you decided to change the topic.

"Well, it was getting late, so I decided to check on you only to find that you weren't even there, and there was an open hatch in the wall," he explained. "I went through the passage, and I figured I'd check the courtyard since I've seen you here often," he finished. You gave a curt nod, letting the conversation lapse.

"What're you reading?" the boy inquired after a long pause. He leaned closer to take a peek at your book. You slammed it shut, feeling warmth rise to your cheeks. "Love in Turmoil? Didn't take you for the romantic type," he laughed, and you huffed, giving him a shove.

"Yeah, so what?" you snapped back.

"Nothing wrong with it," the turquoise eyed boy raised his hands in defence.

"Right," you said, rolling your eyes.

"Look, uh- I know you're not too fond of the whole personal knight thing. I'm sorry, but once this whole 'on the brink of war' thing passes, things will go back to normal," he attempted to reassure you, and you began to feel a bit bad. You shouldn't be giving him such a hard time, but there's so much frustration boiling within you that has nowhere to go. You exhale and turn to face him.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I just..." You paused to think of the right words. A wistful sigh slipped past your lips, and you turned your gaze heavenward. You watched as two birds soared across the sky, and that's when it happened. In an instant, the world around you began to crumble.

[intheticklecloset]

Satisfied (Invader Zim)

Ironic that I really want to write for other fandoms but this is what my brain decided to come up with yesterday. Ah, well! After a long writing hiatus, I hope you enjoy this new Invader Zim fic!

Fandom: Invader Zim

Shipping: Mostly ZADF, some ZADR

~

“Zim?” Dib relaxed his hold on his pencil as he looked at the alien. “You okay?”

Zim shifted his position for what must have been the tenth time in the last few minutes, paused, then looked back at the human. He cleared his throat. “I am suddenly struck with a very strong desire to be tickled.”

Dib grinned. “Oh, really, now?” He set his homework aside entirely and began to crawl the short distance to where Zim sat with his own stack of math papers. “I can help with that.”

Zim barely had time to set aside his things before Dib was on him, digging fingers into his sides and forcing squeals of laughter from him as he fell back onto the floor. Dib quickly straddled him, still grinning, letting his fingers poke and prod and produce laugh after laugh from his not-quite-boyfriend. “Let’s see if we can’t cure this mood you’re in, Zim,” he teased. “Tickle, tickle, tickle~”

To his surprise, instead of protesting, Zim merely let the teasing work its magic on him, making him laugh even harder and squirm a little more, his blush a light blue and his smile radiant.

“Oh, what’s that?” Dib asked, moving up to the Irken’s ribs without any trouble. “No begging this time? You must reeeeally want to be tickle, tickle, tickled to hysterics, Zim!”

Zim said nothing in reply. He merely laughed and lifted his arms up slightly to make access easier for the human. Dib’s grin became a smile. Zim wanted to be tickled this much? Well, he’d make sure to make the experience a good one.

“All right, then,” Dib said, moving up to his underarms. “Here we go! Tickle, tickle, tickle!”

Zim’s laughter went up in pitch slightly and he kicked a leg, but never protested in the slightest. His blush was darkening by the second, but he never brought his arms down to stop Dib. He simply lay there and let himself be tickled and teased.

Dib was suddenly struck with an idea. He climbed off of Zim. “Roll over onto your stomach. I want to try a couple things.”

Zim did as he was asked, still smiling wide. Once settled, Dib straddled him again and began lightly tracing around the Irken’s Pak, which glowed as pink as his uniform had once been. Zim’s laughter became crazed, unstoppable giggles, and his squirming intensified. He clenched and unclenched his fists but never said a word.

“Ooh, ticklish here?” Dib teased, keeping up the gentle tracing. “Look how much you squirm! This must be really sensitive, huh?”

Zim whimpered, giggled, but never asked Dib to stop even though it was clear to the human that this was truly a “bad spot,” as Zim liked to call them. Finally the boy let up, instead skittering his fingers along the Irken’s lower back, observing with interest how his squirming stopped almost immediately, but his giggling never changed.

“Hmm,” Dib mused aloud. “I wonder what happens if I tickle your hips while you’re like this?” Then immediately he shot down to do just that, enjoying the sudden shriek of laughter it pulled from Zim, followed quickly by desperate attempts to bring his arms down. “Aha! Can’t push me off when you’re like this, now can you, Zim? How does it feel? Does it tickle?”

Zim whined and erupted into a new wave of laughter that somehow felt at once more genuine and more desperate than Dib usually heard from him on this spot. “Aw, what’s the matter? Is it too much? Does it just tickle sooooo much?”

The alien made a sound like he was starting to protest, but then cut himself off.

“What was that, Zim? I don’t think I quite caught that.” Dib reached under Zim to the front of his hips and dug in relentlessly, grinning wide when Zim’s laughter reached new heights. “Anything you’d like to say, Zim? Or should I just keep tickling you here mercilessly?”

Zim let out a desperate scream of laughter, then quickly fell back into hysterics, pounding the ground with a fist from the intensity of it. Or in an effort to keep from pleading; Dib wasn’t quite sure which. He laughed. “Wow! This is really, really ticklish for you, isn’t it? What are you gonna do, Zim? You can’t get away from me. I could keep tickling you like this alllll day!”

The Irken let out another strangled sound that sounded like he was trying not to speak, and Dib felt a rush of excitement. This was it. He had him. Zim was completely helpless; there was no way for him to get out of this situation. Dib couldn’t help but grin wickedly. “Aw, look how ticklish you are, Zim! You can’t get away from me at all!” He dug in even more, using his thumbs to knead into his lower back at the same time, and the Irken shrieked and flailed his arms desperately. “You know what, Zim? I think we’ve reached a golden opportunity here. I can make you do anything I want right now, and you’re in no position to refuse me.”

Hearing these words only seemed to make Zim more desperate. He squealed, tried to push himself up to roll over, but quickly lost the strength and went back to pounding the floor. Still – amazingly, Dib thought – he hadn’t begged for it to stop yet.

But he would.

“Let’s get this out of the way.” Dib lifted Zim’s shirt up with one hand while still tickling with the other, exposing the Irken’s green back and sides. It was all he needed to put his plan into action. “Only one thing will get me to stop tickling you senseless, Zim.” He readjusted himself so he could easily lean down while still maintaining the upper hand. “Let’s see if you can figure it out.”

With that, Dib resumed his relentless tickling of Zim’s hips while at the same time leaning down to blow raspberries along the alien’s sides.

Zim.

Lost.

His.

Mind.

In the past, the side raspberries alone had been enough to send him into hysterical laughter; they were one of the most ticklish things Zim had ever experienced. But those coupled with unstoppable tickling on his worst spot?

The Irken lasted about five seconds.

“Stop! Stop, stop, please!” Zim shrieked desperately, hysterically, trying everything he could to roll over and get the human off him. It was no use. He was pinned firmly, and Dib – as promised – was being relentless. “Please! Dib! I c-can’t--!” For a moment all he could do was laugh and laugh and laugh, the unceasing raspberries absolute ticklish torture on top of the hip tickling. In that moment, he knew exactly what Dib was trying to do. What it was that would make him stop. But despite his desperation, defiance flared up in him.

He’d made the human say it over and over, easily.

He would not be so easily dominated. If Dib wanted him to say it, he’d have to work for it first.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t beg with other words in the meantime.

“Dib!” He squealed as another raspberry landed on his side. “Dib, please, it tickles too much!”

“Oh, you think this tickles?” Dib teased in a low, menacing voice that sent a shudder down Zim’s spine. He gasped, knowing exactly what was coming next and wishing he’d kept his mouth shut. Dib chuckled. “Tickle, tickle, tickle.” Raspberry. “Tiiiickle, tickle, tickle!” A slight shift of hands so he was now digging into the most sensitive spot on his hips.

Zim very nearly screamed with laughter.

“NOHOHOHOHO!!” He cried, his squirming becoming struggling as his hot spot was targeted. He wanted so badly to roll over and push Dib away but he was far too weak to do anything of the sort.

“Oh! What’s this?”

“SHUHUHUHUT UP!!”

“Is this a bad tickle spot?” Dib laughed at Zim’s desperate flailing, knowing with absolute certainty that this was it. He had him. It was just a matter of time now. “Ooh! Tickle, tickle, tickle!”

Zim felt like he was going to explode, he was in so much ticklish agony. He hadn’t even known it was possible to be tickled this intensely. But Dib’s fingers digging precisely into the most sensitive part of his body coupled with the unrelenting teasing and raspberries was pushing him very quickly to the brink of his endurance. He was reeling from how easy it had been for Dib to get him to this point, despite having been tickled by him several times in the past.

All it took was one tiny, secret spot.

“PLEHEHEHEHEASE!!” Zim screamed, mirthful tears coming to his eyes as he begged for mercy. “Dib, stop, please, it TIHIHIHIHIHICKLES!!”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Zim. Now that I’ve got you right where I—”

“AVOCADO!!”

Dib stopped suddenly, shocked into silence, frozen to the spot. He’d done it! Finally! He’d forced Zim to say their safe word, after all these months!

After a moment he regained his bearings and realized he was still straddling Zim, so he climbed off and sat next to the panting, gasping, giggling form beside him. Dib grinned, waiting for his now more-than-a-friend to recover.

A couple of minutes later, Zim’s gasping faded away, replaced instead with a slight shaking of his body as he finally rolled over onto his back and faced the human.

“Zim,” Dib asked for the second time that afternoon, “are you okay?”

“I will recover,” Zim said softly, still catching his breath. “Congratulations, Dib. You found my death spot and made me say our safe word.”

“Death spot?” Dib tilted his head. “Why did it take me so long to find it?”

Zim waved his hand tiredly. “I’ll tell you later.”

The human watched Zim with slight worry. “Was it too much? Did I go too far?”

Zim considered the question, then shuddered. “It was too much for me to handle. That is why I said ‘avocado.’ But you pushed no personal boundaries. I am not upset with you for making me give in.”

Dib relaxed a little. He leaned down so he was hovering over Zim, making the alien flinch. “No more,” Dib promised, smiling. “I just want to do this.” He kissed Zim gently and pulled away after only a moment, aware that the poor Irken was still trying to regain his bearings. That death spot must really be something, he thought to himself.

“So, is your ‘very strong desire to be tickled’ satisfied now?” he asked, smirking.

Zim laughed. “Yes, it is very satisfied, Dib.”

[tisfan]

Title: Genus and Species  Collaborator Name: @27dragons & @tisfan Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26030251 Square Filled:   Tony Stark Flash Bingo (Aug) - Thanos (both)   Starkbucks Bingo - I3: “I got nothing” (27dragons), O4: Time Travel (to the Future) (tisfan) Ship/Main Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: G Major Tags & Triggers: None Other Tags: Time Travel, Established Relationship, Dinosaurs, Robots Summary: Tangling with Thanos has landed Bucky and Tony somewhere -- or somewhen -- they don’t know. No, Tony, you can’t bring the dinosaur home and keep it as a pet. Word Count: 1703

For @tonystarkbingo and @starkbucksbingo

When Bucky opened his eyes, all he could see was green in all directions. At first he thought that was just the remainder of the Time Stone’s power. Thanos had done… something. No one quite knew what because the battle had been so confusing; the Power Stone blasting purple rays everywhere, the Space Stone moving people out of position, lord only knew what was happening with the Reality Stone. And then there had been a great, green wave of energy--

“Ug,” said someone nearby. It took Bucky a moment to clear his thoughts enough to identify it: Tony. “I feel like a Pride parade just swallowed me whole and then puked me out.” A pause. “Why are we in a jungle?”

“I got nothing,” Bucky said, rolling over to look at Tony. The Iron Man suit was pretty banged up, souvenirs of the battle. “I think-- I’m not sure. Strange was yelling something about a time vortex. It’s hard to understand him under normal circumstances.” Thanos had zapped Bucky with the Mind Stone at least three times, somehow sensing the Winter Soldier would be easier to control. 

Bucky did not appreciate it.

Tony made some kind of noise that was hard to interpret through the suit’s speakers, and then retracted the helmet to look around. “Okay, well, those are deciduous trees, so we haven’t been thrown back more than three hundred million years or so.”

“There are jungles all over the world,” Bucky said, grumbling and getting to his feet. He might only look about thirty-five or so, but there were days he felt all one hundred of his years. Knees. Knees were a thing. Also, poor design. “Any signal?”

Tony made a face and then reformed the helmet. “...Some,” he said. “Nothing I can hook into right away, but there’s something out there.”

“Right, Mulder,” Bucky snarked. “All right, we do this the old fashioned way.” He dug out a set of binoculars and hung them around his neck. “You stay down here, you’re too colorful. Any sniper in the area might want to take a stab at you.” He didn’t necessarily disinclude himself on that list, but the sort of stabbing he had in mind was generally not for polite company. He looked around for a good, tall tree and scrambled up, swinging himself from branch to branch. When he got high enough, he paused, waiting for the wind, so it wouldn’t just be one tree shaking like crazy.

Finally, he breached the canopy and could get a look around.

Jungle.

More freaking bush than he’d seen since Cambodia.

Trees, and trees, and more trees. In the distance, he made out a mountain (also covered in trees) and a break in the trees that was either a road or a river. 

Something was moving.

Bucky turned the binocs in that direction. Something big was moving. Trees swayed and crunched. Something really damn big. Bucky could feel the vibrations of its footsteps in the tree he was clinging to. 

“Clear,” he yelled, and then just let go. He could handle drops up to fifty feet without too much trouble, and the ground here was soft and springy.

He’d just reached Tony’s side when the something fucking roared. Like a tiger crossed with an elephant and the size of a blue whale.

“That’s a dinosaur,” Bucky said with forced calm. “We should get the heck to shelter, like, yesterday.”

“What kind of dinosaur?” Tony wondered. “Might be an herbivore. That would be cool, actually.”

“May I remind you that the current contenders for biggest, meanest land animals are moose and hippos, and they’re both herbivores,” Bucky said. “Can we do something productive, like finding a cave, or an overhang, before it sees us, and decides we’re lunch?”

“Oh, fine.” Tony tossed a couple of microcameras up onto the trees where they clung like particularly bright insects, then turned in a slow circle. “Infrared suggests some hollow rock in that direction,” he said, pointing. “If there’s not a natural entrance, we can make one.”

Bucky nodded, then took point. It bothered him a little that there wasn’t someone taking up the rear between Tony and whatever was out there, and reminded himself that Tony was an experienced fighter, and he had a suit of armor, which was pretty damn tough. 

The whatever it was sped up, moving at them-- Bucky tipped his head to one side while he ran the math. Nearly thirty miles per hour. Bucky picked up the pace a little bit. On flat ground, Bucky could run almost sixty miles per hour, but this was not flat. Nor was it a good plan for him to expend that much energy before they had any idea what they were up against, or if there was much in the way of food in the nearby vicinity.

“Got your cave, ten o’clock,” Bucky said. There was a bit of a clearing and then they could squeeze in, one at a time. “How far back does it--”

Bucky stopped as the -- freaking hell -- dinosaur came crashing out of the jungle, about six meters high and full of teeth.

“That,” he said, firmly, “is a dinosaur. I don’t care what you just said about the deciduous thingies.”

“There were deciduous trees long before there were dinosaurs,” Tony said distractedly. He was looking up at the dinosaur, his head cocked. “It’s not a dinosaur, though.”

“Okay, you go out and tell it that it don’t exist,” Bucky snapped. “If it’s going to eat us, does species really matter?”

“The species doesn’t matter,” Tony said. “What matters is that it’s a robot. I don’t think we’ve gone back in time at all. I think we went forward.”

Bucky stared at him. “I fail to see how this is an improvement in any way.” Probably worse, honestly. Dinosaurs were at least skin and bone and nerve endings. And most living things were afraid of fire.

“Dinosaurs are your department, sweetheart,” Tony said. “Robots are mine. Get in the cave and stay out of its sight.” Without waiting for a response, he launched into the air, a wide, spiraling path that would take him around the dinosaur-robot-thing a few times before he reached the level of its head.

Bucky slid into the shadows where he could still watch, sighing. “If you bring back a giant dino-shaped robot from the future as a pet and say ‘can we keep it’ I promise you, Steve is gonna kill you.”

“Not if my pet dino-robot eats him first,” Tony said cheerfully, even as he swerved to avoid the thing’s lunging bite. He dipped and spun and wound up clinging to the dino-robot’s back.

The dino-robot was extremely unamused by the sudden disappearance of its prey. It whirled and snapped, clipping several branches as big around as Bucky’s arm with all the ease of a hedge-trimmer.

Tony was muttering under his breath, technical terms that made no sense even when Bucky knew what they meant, because they weren’t connected to each other, just little fragments of sentences and thoughts, punctuated with occasional grunts as the dinosaur made various attempts to dislodge him.

“You got an EMP grenade?” he called down after what seemed like hours and was probably no more than a minute or two.

Bucky stuffed his left hand into his satchel, the sensor array in his fingertips cataloging his equipment neatly. “Two. You want me to throw it, or lend it to ya?” EMP grenades were pretty good against Doombots, their occasional throw downs with raging maniacs like Doc Ock, and more than a few times against the US military who had a perpetual boner for shooting at the Hulk.

“Toss it up here,” Tony said. “This thing runs on a-- oof! --slightly different frequency than the ones we’re used to, I need to do a mod.”

“I don’t know about you, smart-guy,” Bucky said. He dashed across the clearing, rolling when he got to the far side, “but I am not used to giant robo-dinosaurs.” He threw the grenade with such precision that Tony only had to hold out his hand to be able to catch it.

“Perfect, good throw,” Tony said, because he was consistently amazed at Bucky’s aim. (And Clint’s, if Bucky had to be honest.) He let go of the dinosaur’s back and shot up higher into the sky, just out of its reach, hovering in the air as he retracted one gauntlet and started fiddling with the grenade.

After snapping uselessly at Tony a few times, the dino seemed to realize there was something else under its feet. A large snout bent down to snort at Bucky, who promptly punched it in the nose with his left arm. “Bad dino-bot, no biting,” Bucky scolded. The snout didn’t even seem damaged. Crap, that was probably bad.

The dino-bot did not smell like a robot. It smelled like rotting meat, probably the result of whatever it had caught in its teeth.

“Almost done!” Tony called. “Hang in there!”

“Whatever you’re doing, do it faster!”

The dino-bot made another lunge for Bucky that he was barely able to dodge by diving behind a large tree. And then he had to roll out of the way again when the dino’s attack knocked the tree over.

The dino roared again. Why did a robot have to roar? That seemed entirely unnecessary.

But as it did, Tony swooped down and chucked the EMP into its mouth, then dropped the rest of the way to the ground to get between it and Bucky. “--two, one.”

“You make a pretty good shield,” Bucky muttered, putting his shoulder to Tony’s spine. They’d discovered a few times, the hard way, that the arm wasn’t always too great at dealing with EMPs either, but the suit made for a good Faraday cage.

The dino-robot closed its mouth, made an entirely biological hiccup sound, and then--

WHUMP!

The mouth dropped open.

Very slowly, the dino-bots legs folded--

And it fell over, crushing more trees and wrecking the landscape.

“Well, that’s that, then,” Tony said. “Unless, of course, there are more of them out there. We should probably work on finding a way home so we can kick Thanos’ butt.” 

[lastwagontrainhopper]

Soft sorrow

I hope it’s not too late to submit work for Royai Week! This one is for the 5th prompt (a picture of a couple sitting on a bench, watching the sunset).

Summary:  Even the goodest of boys must one day be laid to rest... Riza is in need of some comfort after the loss of her furry friend.

Read it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24713377 French version : link coming soon.

----

Being assigned to Mustang’s squad was, as Lieutenant Cooper quickly realized, in a lot of way like landing in a parallel universe.

The squad functioned in a way that was unlike anything Cooper had experienced since joining the military. Generals usually managed an entire military base or a fortress, and had only one or two direct subordinates that acted as second-in-chief or bodyguard; the rest of the troops were under their orders through a long chain of command.  

General Mustang, on the other hand, was stationed right here in Central and had insisted on keeping direct control on a small team in addition to his other responsibilities. It was a close-knit squad that had gone through little change over the years: Mustang was always reluctant to trust soldiers he didn’t know, and was picky about the type of people he wanted in his team. For several years, Officer Warrant Falman’s position had stayed vacant, until the arrival of Cooper a few months ago.

Although unique, the Mustang squad universe was governed by an extremely specific set of rules that Cooper was quick to learn. Those rules determined the behavior of each member of the squad with clockwork precision. Mustang gave the orders and procrastinated; Breda teased Havoc and called dinner time; Havoc retaliated and smoked the office; Fuery tinkered and brought some much-needed optimism; and Hawkeye overviewed everything and kept the clock hand running.

That is why Cooper could not believe his eyes when, on an ordinary autumn morning, the Captain came to stand in front of Mustang’s desk and asked for a day off.

Hawkeye never  took unplanned time off; that was another one of the rules he had learned, the only exceptions being when she was preparing a coup and when she was at death’s door. She seemed a little tired, yes, but she was certainly not dying, and Cooper did not want to consider the other option, so…why such a request?

The other members of the squad glanced at each other, all of them as surprised as he was, except for the General. After hearing her demand, he looked at Hawkeye with a compassionate look on his face and answered in a soft voice that Cooper had never heard him use.

“Of course. Don’t worry about us, Captain, we’ll manage. Take as much time as you need.”

Hawkeye nodded stiffly, turned on her heels and left the room without a word.

After a while, Breda broke that silence that had settled in the office.

“General…. what’s going on?”

Mustang let out a loud sigh and ran a hand over his face. Cooper now noticed that he also seemed pretty tired – although that wasn’t unusual for him.

“It’s Hayate”, replied the General after a moment. “He’s been sick for a while now…limping, hardly eating anything, that sort of stuff. Yesterday, it got worse all of a sudden: he could hardly move. I guess it hasn’t improved since then.”

The men nodded, understanding. The news didn’t seem to surprise them; after all, old dogs often got sick, and Hayate was apparently barely younger than the squad. This had made him the unofficial mascot of the team; yet Cooper felt that his colleagues’ concerns were more about the Captain. He was new to this place, but even he had noticed the strong attachment that Hawkeye, who always seemed so unemotional, had to her dog.

The rules of this small universe were simple, but Cooper was beginning to understand that they concealed another layer of them, more subtle and complex. Hawkeye seemed cold and reserved, but her dog wasn't the only one to receive her affection: she could be warm-hearted with the members of her team, and always had words of comfort for those who needed them. Breda gave the impression of being oafish, but he had a sharp and crafty mind; and beneath Mustang’s apparent laziness laid a burning passion and an iron will to reach his goal.

But perhaps the main unspoken rules were those concerning the relationship between the General and the Captain.

Cooper was not clear yet on the nature of that relationship. Mustang had a lot of affection for his adjutant, that was for sure; but the two had worked closely together for almost twenty years, and Cooper had picked up that they apparently knew each other before even joining the military. Their fierce loyalty and deep understanding of each other could very well only be the result of a childhood friendship.

On the other hand, there were the knowing glances the other men of the squad exchanged from time to time, and certain details that spoke volumes – such as the fact that Mustang had been the only one to know about Hayate’s condition. Despite this, Cooper had never tried to find out more, out of respect for his superior.

The rest of the day went by quieter than usual, even though the missing person was usually the one bringing the office back to order. Unsurprisingly, Mustang didn’t get much work done; but instead of sleeping or making phone calls as he often did in his adjutant’s absence, he seemed mostly lost in thought and glanced worriedly at the clock from time to time.

A few hours after dinner, he got up from his desk and asked for their attention.

“Alright! We’ve worked well this morning, and I think we could all do with some rest. Let’s call it a day; you’re good to go.”

Cooper wasn’t expecting this. Being dismissed almost half a day early? No one ever did this.  

“Are you gonna check on the Captain, sir?” asked Breda.

Mustang nodded as he put on his coat.

“We should probably do that too”, Fuery chipped in. “Taking care of a sick dog is a lot of work; she’ll probably need a break or a good meal.”

The rest of the team agreed, except for Havoc who had to go home to look after the kids, and the men continued to chat as they got ready to leave. Hawkeye didn’t answer when Mustang called her apartment; they concluded that she was probably still at the vet.

“It’s hard to believe that Hayate is already an old dog,” Fuery commented as they walked down the stairs. “It feels like only yesterday he was still a puppy!”

Breda answered with a tired grunt.

“It sure makes us feel old…If I remember well, you and Falman were still living in the barrack at the time he arrived. You were the one who found him on the street, right?”

They stepped into the General’s car and spent the ride reminiscing, explaining to Cooper how the dog had come to join their squad. Only Mustang stayed out of the conversation. After a few minutes, Breda looked out of the car and frowned.

“We’re going to the veterinary hospital, aren’t we? Are you sure you’re going in the right direction, sir?”

“Yes, but I’m making a short detour,” he replied distractedly. “I want to check something first…”

A few streets later, they started to drive along the main park of Central, and Mustang slowed down the car.

“That’s her favorite spot to walk Hayate, so I thought…” he began, scanning the park from his car window.

“Oh!” exclaimed Fuery. “Is that her, on the bench?”

From the back of the vehicle, Cooper twisted his neck to get a better look, and finally caught glimpse of a blonde woman sitting near the middle of the park.

“Hayate doesn’t seem to be with her”, Breda noted. “That’s not a good sign…”

The men glanced at each other with a knowing look. They all knew there was only one reason why Riza would be neither with her dog nor back to work. Mustang parked the car in the closest spot he could find and turned back toward them, a grave expression on his face.

“I’ll go talk to her. If you guys want to go home,” he threw the key at Breda, “we’ll take a taxi.”

He took a deep breath, got out of the car and walked away.

The three men watched him entered the park in silence, and after a while, Cooper spoke up.

“We’d better get out of here, shouldn’t we? To give them some space…”

“I agree,” replied Fuery, “but…” He gave Breda a sideways look. “Isn’t it a bit risky for them?”

“Given the weather, there aren’t many people in the park, and the sun is setting soon anyway. On the flip side, he’s in uniform, and we’re not that far away…” He paused to think for a moment. “I think I’m going to hang out close to the entrance for a while,” he concluded, glancing at Fuery with intent.

Fuery understood immediately.

“Good idea. Cooper, want to hang out by the other entrance of the park?”

While he followed Fuery, Cooper found himself once again fascinated by the secret rules that governed Mustang squad’s small universe.

-------

As she saw Roy approaching, dressed in the military blue, Riza straightened her back and turned her head away, hastily wiping her eyes. She was dressed in her civilian clothes, and the light wind was pushing locks of loose hair into her face.

“General”, she greeted in a strangled voice as he stopped in front of the bench. “Was the workday productive?”

Roy stared at her worriedly, ignoring her question.

“Hayate”, he began in a soft voice, “is he…”

Riza looked down at the ground and simply nodded.

“They had to put him down. There wasn’t much they could do, he was just too old…” Her voice trailed off.

Roy sat down next to her. “I’m sorry, Riza.”

She felt her eyes starting to fill with tears and looked the other way, embarrassed. “Sorry, I know…” She took a deep breath and exhale slowly, trying to collect herself. “I know it’s silly, it’s only a dog, but…”

“Riza!” She snapped her head at him, surprised by his offended tone. Roy took her hand in his. “It’s not silly,” he said firmly. “He’s been by your side for, what, twelve years?”

“Fourteen”, she corrected without a thought, looking at the medals on his uniform.

“For fourteen years,” he continued. “He was important to you; it’s only natural that you would feel sad about losing him.” His expression softened. “You’re allowed to cry over a dog, Riza.”

She finally met his eyes; the understanding and compassion she read in them made her choke up, and she didn’t manage to answer.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closed to him. Riza hesitated, but there was no one around she could see; after a moment, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this, without talking, both lost in their thoughts.

“He’s had a good life, you know,” Roy said after a time. Riza wasn’t sobbing, but her chest rose and fell violently, and her cheeks were covered with silent tears. “Dogs want nothing more than to feel useful, and you know how much he loved to come with you on missions.”

She nodded, her throat still tight. “He saved my life…four or five times, I think.” A shadow of a smile touched her lips. “He probably did it more often than you, actually.”

Roy laughed quietly. “I don't have any trouble believing that. He really was an exceptional dog.”

Riza closed her eyes. She could feel Roy’s thumb rubbing circles into her shoulder, and heard the wind sweeping dead leaves around their bench.

Even though her heart seemed as heavy as lead, Riza felt strangely serene. Her sorrow was deep, yes, but it was a soft kind of sorrow. All the mourning she had gone through in her life had been stained with shame, resentment, and above all guilt; they were weighted down by duty and intertwined with stories of conspiracies, alchemy, genocide. She couldn’t even grieve without blaming herself for it: what right did she have to cry over Ishval when she had been the one to commit the crimes? How could she allow herself to lament over the state of her back, when she had been the one who wanted Roy to burn it?

But for once, her sadness brought nothing more than sadness. In the midst of her complicated life, Hayate had been a source of simple joy, and his death brought her a simple sorrow. It was her dog, and Riza had loved him; the pain that she was feeling only showed how deeply she had cared, and for once she had no reason to blame herself over it.

Having Roy by her side made her sorrow softer still.

More than anything in Riza’s life, her relationship with Roy was a heavy and complicated mess. They carried so much pain, so much guilt towards each other; they had apologized for countless harm they’ve done to the other, but had forgiven themselves for none of them. Their common past was full of remorse and their future together filled by uncertainty; and the mourning they had shared had been as complex, if not more, than anything else.

But not this one. For a moment, they were not soldiers trying to make right for a genocide or overthrow a government. They were nothing more than a grieving couple who had lost their dog; an ordinary couple going through life’s small hardship. A normal couple with a very real, but normal pain.

And for a moment, despite everything, it felt just right.

[macybeckham7]

Army Medic - Eric Dier

Part Five

It had been a long stressful day trying to help out at the hospital with the kids who were at the school and to try and calm down the families. Then going round attending everyone who needed it and would accept help from the British flag.

It was getting dark and Imogen and YN reformed and made their way back to camp, knowing it wasn’t safe to be out alone when the sun goes down. The two medics talked amongst themselves, learning that they were completely opposite from eachother.

‘Let me guess you prefer The Wanted over One Direction’ Imogen joked making them both laugh.

‘An Arsenal fan, how do the troops trust you with their lives’ you joke playfully nudging her.

Suddenly a young girl appeared, looking concerned and out of breath from running.

‘My sister, she’s giving birth’ she states.

The two medics look at eachother and nod before following the young girl.

As they get to the hut the man is stood blocking the door and shaking his head speaking to his daughter. YN heard the women’s groans getting louder as she was close to give burst. Imogen tried to negotiate while YN just barged in, she froze as she found the young women with her mother putting a wet cloth on her forehead.

‘Oh god, you’re here’ the women said in a strong accent. ‘I wanted you and not the other one, you have a kind face’ she says softly.

YN gets pulled closer to the women who was close to become a mother. She placed her bag down as the middle aged women spoke again.

‘Being a mother is a joy, it’s a precious thing because only a select few can take the role’ she beams. ‘How far along are you?’ She asked as her hand goes to her stomach.

She pulled away from her as if she just stroked her with an iron.

‘I’m not..’ she says but stops as the women lets out another cry.

Imogen runs in saying they have got a green light with the man, but they had to get out as soon as the baby has been delivered. YN felt semi conscious under the women’s watchful eye.

‘What do we do?’ Imogen whispers.

YN clears her throat. ‘She’s in the driving seat, we just ease the pain’ she says smiling at the women, who couldn’t speak a word of English.

The two girls both give the women their full attention, them both having a weird connection they not really not having to talk but they knew what the other wanted needed.

Imogen gave YN a look before looking over at the soon to be grandfather. He watch looking pretty on edge as he looked up and down of the lane as if he was expecting someone. YN looked at the women who noticed the two of you as she had her daughter close to her.

Imogen gave her a nod, which meant they were both on point. YN knelt down to get a better view.

The two managed to safely delivery the baby, when som guys on a motorbike and quad bikes appeared and started to shout. The two medics grabbed their bags and congratulated the family, knowing that it would bad for everyone if they found two British army medics in their home. The took YN’s hand before she could leave.

‘She wants to know your name...’ the mother smiled. ‘She wants to name her daughter after you’ she smiles.

‘Imogen’ she smiled, before saying goodbye and pulling away.

.....

Eric walked off the bus and into Wembley stadium where the friendlies were being held. Dele and John were either side of him as they walked into the dressing room.

‘Have you spoke to YN?’ John asked as they took their seats.

Eric nods. ‘Briefly yesterday, she said she’d going to be watching tonight and then we are calling again tomorrow’ he explains.

‘Better look your best then mate’ Dele winks.

‘Do you guys have FaceTime sex?’ John questioned, looking concerned, making both the North London footballers just roll their eyes and get ready for the task at hand.

Eric finds himself standing looking down at his black trainers, which had YN’s name on it with a shamrock. Everyone knew about you two dating, and knew how much Eric was a big supporter and often worked alongside charities.

As it was soon Remembrance Sunday they did a minute silence/applaud before the game started. Eric stood in with his teammates as they all thought about the people who fought and continue to fight for their country. Eric mainly praying like every night that the love of his life is safe and will be back with him soon. The cameras stayed alittle longer on him as he had pure emotion on his face, as his head was lowered.

.....

Animal watched Eric who was definitely missing his girl, he looked over at the door hoping that smudge would be here soon to watch her man. He knew that she would never miss the games, she was always the main one who got everyone involved in games. Always the one jumping around when her team scored and swearing when the opponent scored.

Sergeant and Captain Henry stood looking at Imogen and YN.

‘Imogen you can go’ C.Henry said but not taking his eyes off the more experienced medic.

‘But-‘ she started but the look Sergeant gave her cut her off. She saluted them and stomped before giving YN a soft look before walking off.

‘I didn’t mean to-‘ YN stayed but instantly got stopped when Captain shouted in her face.

‘Are you just going against everything I tell you guys?’ He asked. ‘I gave you all the curfew for YOUR safety!’ He snapped. ‘I don’t give a flying fuck if you don’t like me YLN. YOU need to respect me because I’m the captain, and if I tell you to jump you say how fucking high’ he mocked.

YN stayed quiet but she didn’t stand down from her intense glare.

‘You are a good medic, you have good potential but you will get yourself or someone else killed’

Sergeant saw her eyes soften.

‘Go to bed, you have tomorrow off’ Henry says. He shakes his head when she was about to speak. ‘That was an order medic’ he snaps.

She looks at Sergeant who doesn’t say anything, even though it means a lot to her to watch the game.

She straightens up and salutes them with tears threatening to run down her face. And walks out slamming the door behind her.

Imogen and Jason walk into the bunker to find YN sat on her bed doodling, they both ask where she was tonight, she tells them before bursting into tears. Jason instantly pulling her into him and hugging her.

Animal walks in and instantly goes to his friend.

‘Henry has it out for her, we did a good thing this evening’ Imogen explains.

Animal instantly grabs her hand and pulls her towards his bed. He grabs his tablet and tells her to ring Eric and they’ll cover for her. Knowing she’ll only have ten minutes, she pecks a kiss on his cheek before instantly dialling Eric’s contact.

‘Eric, Hi’ her face softens as he appears on her screen.

A big goofy smirk appeared on his face as he sees her face and hears her voice. He could see her was messy which was different from her normal well put braids. He could tell that she has been crying, but he knew that these calls shouldn’t make you bring up everything.

‘Did you see my goal’ he smiles.

Her face winces alittle, before she shakes her head. ‘No, I um missed the game..’ she grimaces. ‘I’m so sorry’ she whispers.

‘It’s alright, I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do than watching a stupid game’ he shrugs.

From outside she could hear the guys laugh.

‘I love you’ she gushes. ‘I miss you’ she whispers.

‘I love you too darling’

The two talk alittle longer, Eric telling her how the England camp is, mentioning both of their parents and them babying him to make sure he was alright. Dele and Harry popping their head into shot, and wishing her well. A small giggle escaped her mouth as he told her funny story, she saw Imogen popped her head round the door. She said goodbye to Eric, with them both expressing their love for each other.

....

‘Smudge!’ Sergeant waved towards the two medics and Animal.

She said a quick goodbye to them and good luck for their training, before she made a getaway the one of two people she is trying to avoid.

‘Smudge, Captain wants you in the gym’ he says.

She glares at him. ‘The gym? That’s bullshit! I’m being punished for not following his rules? If I did and something happened to that family he’d be wanting my head’ she snapped, her eyes finding the captain. ‘He doesn’t like I’ve got my own mind, and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him’ she mutters before storming off.

YN went to the gym for around five minutes showed her face and then ran out. She walked out of the base, wearing a headscarf and making a beeline towards the hospital.

She found the doctor she met when they came in with the casualties from the score.

‘Asal!’ She calls, she instantly recognising her.

‘YN?’ She asks as she takes her hand, looking at her outfit.

‘I need help, I need a pregnancy test’ she mutters.

Asal raises her brows at her. ‘It’s for a young girl in the village, she won’t come her but she’ll let me take her blood, so will you help me, so I can help her’

She nods and tells her to follow her, YN looks around before follow her hot on her tail.

....

YN managed to get the blood test from Doctor Asal, she went back and got an American medic to do it for her, before she sneaked off back to the hospital. Telling Asal to ring her with the results, and telling her to try and push it forward if she could.

Henry found these medic in the canteen to tell her that she had a doctor on the phone.

‘The test is positive’ Asal mutters.

YN’s breathed hitched. ‘Are you 100% sure?’ She whispered.

‘Yes, these tests are very accurate’ Asal replies. ‘This girl, does she know how far along she is?’

She clears her throat. ‘No’

‘Will she keep it?’

YN nods as her hand goes to her stomach. ‘Yeah’

[fuwafuwamedb]

A Cursed G Pt 26 (Hakuno, Gilgamesh, Enkidu)

Previous Part: 1 - HakuPOV / GilPOV, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

_____

It was Monday.

On Saturday, he would be marrying this woman. On Saturday evening, he would be taking her back to Uruk. That meant that, during the course of this week, she would be experiencing the last of everything here. No more laptops. No more traffic jams. No more fending for herself for meals and eating whatever vulgarity she had eaten from those boxes of hers.

She would be adorned in swaths of fabrics, dripping from the neck and wrists in gold jewelry and gemstones. The woman would find that means were prepared by others, set out for her to enjoy the most of while she was at his side.

There would be festivals where she was called upon by the priests and temple maidens to pray for him and for Uruk.

Endless responsibilities lay in her future.

This was time for her to experience the end of this era.

So then…

“Hakuno,” Gilgamesh nudged the woman, finding her shifting in bed.

“I’m sleepy,” she yawned at him, stretching a little before she wrapped her arms around the clay being at her side.

“Your classes?”

She hummed.

“…Are you telling me that you are not wishing to attend your daily functions?”

Another shifting, almost making him believe that she was going to get up this time. Instead, she pulled him in, pressing her against her chest.

Well then.

Gilgamesh glanced up at the pleased fool, watching her return to sleep.

His arms snaked around her waist, his mouth pressing to her chest. A small affection had her sighing. A nip had her legs moving, her nose getting the slightest of wrinkles as she made a noise of complaint.

He didn’t have coffee.

It was fine that she wanted to skip the lectures since they were not relevant and were vastly incorrect about him and pretty much most everything. He didn’t even mind that she wanted to relax at the house for the day, since it meant that she would be here with him and Enkidu.

There was still need for coffee though.

She could be lazy once he had his drink for the morning. Enkidu was beginning to try to encroach upon her as well. They couldn’t be having too much of that.

He nipped at her belly, inching that fabric over her chest up. There was more and more skin being exposed to the open air.

“Gil,” the woman whimpered softly, her voice higher than usual.

That was very cute.

He pressed the softest of kisses to the peaks of that chest, watching her eyes open and the woman glance down at him.

“I’m trying to sleep,” she mumbled.

“Coffee, Hakuno.”

She groaned, letting out a yawn and nodding softly. “Coffee.”

“We need coffee.”

She pushed him lightly, sitting up only to lean against him.

“Hakuno?”

Another yawn; the woman rubbed at her eyes a little before leaning against his shoulder. He could feel her weight shift, her body going straight back to sleep.

“This isn’t helping you get your coffee, Hakuno,” Gilgamesh warned her, shaking her lightly.

“Right. Right…” She stood up, heading for the bathroom. “I’ll just take a quick shower before we go. Can you wake up Enkidu?”

Could he wake up Enkidu.

He had to laugh at the thought of anyone being capable of waking up that clump of clay. No, he didn’t bother with attempting such a thing. The being would take one look at him and drag him into the depths of the clay, both holding him hostage and sacrificing his morning.

That was why, wrapping the sheets around Enkidu, Gilgamesh hauled the being out to the car and tossed them in.

The sounds of Enkidu complaining could be heard as he went back inside, heading to the bathroom himself and climbing into the shower behind Hakuno.

There was soft skin. There was a warm, sleepy woman who was still too tired to fully realize that she was showing a little too much emotion. She always managed to surprise him, especially with that small kiss to his chest.

She looked good pressed against the wall of the shower. She looked even better with his hands on her chest, holding that excess of breasts in his hands before he slowly moved his hands down her sides.

“Gilgamesh… coffee.”

“I am busy.”

She groaned a little, pulling back and climbing out.

“Hakuno!” Enkidu’s voice could be heard from the other parts of the house. “Gil tossed me in the car!”

“Good, we’re getting coffee.”

The being was gone, the door wide open as Hakuno pulled on a thick set of garments and slipped on her shoes. She was still grabbing her purse when Enkidu returned, finding them both still gathering themselves.

“Come on!”

“Enkidu!” Hakuno gaped at them. “GET DRESSED!”

“I have a fabric!”

“GIL!” Hakuno grabbed the being, holding them tight as she threw the door shut. “GET THEM SOMETHING!”

“I don’t see the problem.”

“They’re naked!”

“I have a sheet,” Enkidu pointed out once again. They did too. It was an average sheet. Even a bit thin for covering the being, but it wasn’t anything to get worked up about.

“Gil!”

He shrugged, dumping a handful of fabrics onto the duo.

They two stumbled under the onslaught of the various pieces of attire, both popping their heads out as they pulled apart. He could see Hakuno’s gaze fall to him.

“You said to get them something.”

He was quite good at being a fiancé. Look at him, catering to the needs she had. He would enjoy his rewards from her immensely once she was done treating his friend.

“This will be fine.” Hakuno grabbed one of the fabrics, shoving it around the being and tying it into place. “You shouldn’t be running around outside without clothing on. We aren’t in ancient times and no one wants to see that out there… at least, no one worth showing yourself to.”

“Thanks, mother,” Enkidu drawled. They leaned in, kissing at her temple. “You’re so loving. So sweet. I promise not to go out naked again.”

Gilgamesh stared at the two, sobering.

“You’re such a brat,” Hakuno growled, pushing them off and tossing a jacket their way as well. “I’m not getting you extra coffee.”

“Hakuno, my body needs twice what yours needs.”

“My wallet says you can starve.”

“Mother, don’t leave me to suffer,” the being whined, wrapping their arms around her. “I have needs! Think of your child!”

“Gil! Help me with them!”

It took a second. He was watching Hakuno try not to laugh, trying desperately to open the door now that Enkidu was up and dressed. He could see Enkidu teasing Hakuno by tickling at her sides and whining about needing their coffee.

“Gil!”

Right.

He hauled the being over his shoulder, finding them grasping his sides and clinging as they headed out to the car.

They parked in front of the building for once, instead of demanding their service through the window. Hakuno was motioning them in, showing them a poorly lit area with tables.

To call it a gathering hall would have been to insult to most of the halls he had been in.

To call it a private sitting area was also incorrect.

The little tables had no rhyme or reason to the direction they faced. The corners, filled with overly plush seating, also showed little sense in allowing the building’s occupants to communicate effectively.

Then again, he had seen some of the places in this time. They were not about logic in this place.

Hakuno would have so very much to learn when they arrived in Uruk. She would probably become surprised at how much better it was to live in a world and time that was filled with actual accessibility to others and real ongoing relationships between the people and their ruler.

His drink was ordered, the only thing he could care about at the moment. Enkidu bickered with Hakuno and the woman behind the counter for several minutes before deciding on something, leaving Hakuno to shake her head and motion to a door nearby.

“I’ll be right back. I need the restroom.”

“Restroom?”

“Toilet.”

Ah, that made sense.

“We’ll grab your purchases.”

Well, he would.

He had no doubt that, if left to their own devices, Enkidu would take a bite out of the things that Hakuno had ordered for the three of them. Their sharing left a bit to be desired.

“Hakuno’s planning on staying.”

The woman had vanished behind the toilet door, leaving him to look over at Enkidu as they murmured that.

“She told me yesterday.”

“Good, then we have nothing to concern ourselves with. Once we’re done here, we’ll simply drag Hakuno home and that will be the end of this.”

“And Ishtar?”

“Give Hakuno a few weeks. She’ll have the people swayed and we’ll have her claim a patron god or goddess…” He could think of a few that would be beneficial. Nanna would be ironic. Enlil would be useful…

He grabbed the drinks and bag as they were set on the counter, Hakuno’s name being called out. As he had suspected, Enkidu was sniffing around at the bag, looking only too happy to test out what foods Hakuno had deemed acceptable.

“You’re acting like a child.”

“I’m hungry, Gil. You and Hakuno barely eat enough to survive.”

“We ate plenty yesterday.”

Still, he found himself snorting, holding the bag away from the being as they tried to grab it. The more he held it away, the more he found Enkidu climbing onto him.

“Enkidu-“

“Just my food then. Don’t be stingy!”

“We eat as a group.”

“Don’t hold back on a poor friend!”

He laughed again, holding the bag up a bit more before the being cheated. A few spectators frowned, looking at Enkidu carefully as their arm returned to a normal length. Their hands delved into the bag and pulled out their pastry.

“Hakuno will side with me,” they told him.

She would. He had no doubt of that.

He sipped at his drink a bit more, frowning as he leaned against the counter.

A few others came and went, leaving him to nurse the drink in hand. Enkidu took to Hakuno’s food, as was appropriate when he found that his drink was halfway gone.

They were still waiting…

“Enkidu?”

The being glanced their way.

“Go get Hakuno.”

She was taking too long. Had she fallen asleep, it would be a problem with returning home. If something else had happened…

His eyes strayed to a group, noting a dark haired woman bouncing out the door.

His stomach plummeted. He didn’t even wait for the being to begin heading that direction. He went himself, pushing the doors open and glancing at the room.

Women screeched.

He left that for Enkidu to handle, knocking and trying each of the doors.

A woman screeched in the first stall, going to hit him and earning the door in her face. The second, a rather pleasing to the eye blonde was also outraged, screaming at him until he threw the door closed.

The third door was open.

He went on.

Fourth… fifth… The sixth stall was here he located her.

The woman was passed out, her head resting against the wall next to her. Flickers of magic said there had been some kind of disagreement.

“It’s alright! Sorry!” Enkidu was waving his arms at the women and the servants that were in the area around them. “We were waiting on his fiancé and thought she may be experiencing some kind of problem!”

There were murmurs of something called a hospital.

He waved them off and carried Hakuno out, cursing under his breath.

“How do we get back?” Enkidu asked, climbing in underneath Hakuno’s person and hugging her close.

Options were short.

“I have seen her steer this beast. If I can watch, I can manage it myself.”

The being sucked in a breath. “Gil-“

“Quiet, Enkidu. Look after Hakuno.”

He should have had them remain in bed.

First and foremost, he should have had them remain in bed and in her home. Ishtar wasn’t bold enough to enter the place without invite. He and Enkidu were also not inclined to extend one. They would have been safe.

The strange key that Hakuno used started up the beast of a wagon as usual.

He glanced at the knob, shifting it.

The wagon moved backwards.

She needs a better seat than this tiny thing, he thought, glancing at his feet as he found that he had to use the strange knobs below as well.

“The left one stops it. The right one moves it.”

“I’m aware, Enkidu.”

The being was earning their friendship with him all over again. He shifted the knob once more and heard an odd sound.

It didn’t seem right so he pulled the knob on the side down further.

Now, as he pressed the move pedal, the thing was moving. The cars around them were honking, leaving him to throw glares their direction before he headed off.

Thus far, they were doing well.

The cars around them stopped at a light.

He followed suit.

“Hakuno’s home is that way,” Enkidu told him.

“You’re in charge of navigation.”

“Right.”

For some reason, they seemed to have a lot of these wagons honking at them. It was more like navigating through a flock of those obnoxious birds he’d have the lions chase rather than the usual drive. Enkidu motioned one direction and the next, holding his woman close as they went.

Another street and Gilgamesh all but growled.

“Hakuno never has it this noisy!”

“I think they sense that you’re new to this.”

“I’m navigating as they would! I do not see the difference, other than this useless seat being made for a child!”

“Calm, Gil. I think Hakuno likes this wagon.”

He was sure she did, since she was so careful when driving it.

The moment her home came into view and they were pulled into her spot, he stopped and turned off the beast.

“This was not worth it.”

“We need to get Hakuno inside.”

His hand slammed against the center of the helm of the wagon, sending the wagon into a screech.

“I HATE THIS TIME!”

“Gilgamesh!” Enkidu pat his shoulder. “It’s fine! Let’s… Let’s just get inside.”

And what?

Glancing over at Hakuno, he could see she was already sweating. Her normally pale complexion was drenched in sweat, looking more and more like she was…

No.

“We’re opening the gates to Uruk.”

He pulled Hakuno out of Enkidu’s grip, directing him up to the house. They fumbled with that useless little bag of Hakuno’s, pulling out the key to the house and stepping inside.

The house felt wrong.

“Gil, shouldn’t we wait-“

“We have no time.”

Enkidu had mana. They could use their own.

He pulled out the notes from before, bundling his woman up carefully as Enkidu went about locking her useless wagon and home. He shouted, the being told him to hold off. He growled, the being told him to just have patience.

His patience was about to throttle the being when they had a bag and were nodding to him.

“Alright.”

They had the pathway open in a matter of moments.

Stepping through, Gilgamesh found himself calling out for the guards and the apsu, settling Hakuno onto his throne.

“My king!” Siduri scrambled after several guards.

“Siduri! Prepare my chambers and see to it the apsu hurry! Ishtar’s gotten to Hakuno.”

[pi-cat000]

MSA: Shapeshifter/Werewolf AU

NOTE: So there is a ton of really good werewolf-Arthur stuff floating around and I love it. Here is one more. Also, I read this and got inspired. 

Summary: Werewolf-Arthur but Vivi and Lewis are shapeshifters. They all go out on the full moon Harry Potter style. Set pre-canon.

.

The sky is bright blue today. If the weather report is to be believed, it will remain clear for the next five nights. Perfect for camping. Everything is falling into place, and Arthur is feeling increasingly energised. There is an extra spring to his step uncommon for this time of the mouth. Even his Uncle Lance, who hovers, face creased into an almost permanent frown, can’t dampen his spirits.

Arthur shoves clothes into his bag, throwing a comment over his shoulder, “I’ll be fine. Mystery is supervising.”

“Mystery. Mystery ya friend’s dog. That Mystery?” His Uncle, leaning against the doorframe, scowls some more, sounding disgruntled. After so many years living with the man, Arthur knows that the irritation is just a poor disguise for worry. He pays it no mind, continuing to pack.  

“I think he is some form a Kitsune. You know, a Japanese fox spirit. He’s like Vivi, except, instead of pretending to be a human, he pretends to be a dog. Also, Mystery’s a few hundred years old, a whole lot more powerful, and he is super experienced when it comes to these things.”

“I don’t like it.”

Arthur sighs, lifting his stuffed duffle bag. His Uncle’s distrust of the Yukino family has been an ongoing source of tension this last week. Vivi’s dad had it out for him, some old prejudice about curses and bad luck, but Mystery has never seemed bothered by it.

“It’s either this or a night in the basement,” He reasons, twitching in discomfort at the thought of being stuck in the basement for another full moon. The idea is equally unattractive to his Uncle, who grimaces. Neither of them enjoys locking Arthur up for full moons. Especially now, when Arthur is older and more unpredictable, and there is a large iron cage involved. He hates that cage. Necessary for his Uncle’s safety, but unpleasant on all counts.

His Uncle relents, “I want ya to call every night when possible.”

Arthur hoists a tent up in his free hand with an ease born of supernatural strength. With the full moon tomorrow, the bleed between human and wolf is becoming increasingly pronounced, resulting in heightened senses and ability.

“If anything happens, even if it's bad, you come back, ya hear. I don’t give a shit about what ya do when you’re the wolf, you come back, and we’ll deal with it together like we always do.”

Arthur slips around his Uncle, heading for the front door and his waiting van. “Yes. I know. I will.”

“If I don’t hear from ya, I’m hiking out there to track ya down myself.”

The air is crisp — a beautiful day. Arthur strides out across the parking lot, relishing the feel of open space. The sprawling desert on either side of him beckons to him. ‘Run. Be free,’ his instincts tell him. The door to the front reception rattles in its frame, and his Uncle follows him outside.

“I’ll be fine. We’ve been planning this for ages. I’m even looking forward to it.” He turns, smiling despite ongoing misgivings. To look forward to a full moon is monumental. It is something entirely new for Arthur. Honesty, he’s still not sure how to deal with it and is almost waiting for it all to come crashing down around him. Surely, someone is about to jump out and inform him that this all a joke.

His Uncle hesitates on approach, torn for maybe a second before deflating. He steps up to put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. The action takes a bit of stretching, due to Lance’s shorter statue.  

“I’m just worried about ya.”

“I know. I swear I won’t take any chances. This is going to work. Trust me.” It had to work because, as amazing as his Uncle is, he is still just a human-A human with a werewolf nephew who put themselves in danger every month. Arthur’s biggest fear is waking up one of these mornings to discover his Uncle dead by his hand.  

Thankfully, his Uncle nods in acceptance, reaching forward and pulling him down for a ruff hug. Arthur breaths in, scenting the familiar oil and grease mixed with tobacco underling the salami sandwich Lance ate for lunch yesterday. It’s a comforting scent. They separate, and Arthur steps away, swinging himself into the van, throwing his belongings into the back.

Lance walks to stand near the window, folding his arms once again.

“Don’t forget. Call. Every night.”

“I will,” Arthur answers, wavering before flipping the ignition and accelerating out of the lot. Vivi, living smack in the centre of town, is a half-hour drive from Kingsman Mechanics.

When he pulls up, the whole Yukino family is out on their porch. Vivi is having some disagreement with her father, her mum looks to be playing mediator, and the Yukino elder is idly tracking his approach. They make eye contact. Arthur sinks low in his seat, so he is mostly hidden from view. Just perfect. He’d been hoping to avoid drawing attention to himself.

While he waits, he deliberately ignores how the wards around Vivi’s house make his skin itchy and hair stand on end. Wards designed to deter creatures like him. The few times he had been invited in -on the rare occasion Vivi’s family are away- had left him with ringing ears and a clogged nose. The layers of illusion, plastered over the house’s plain exterior, coupled with the wards, play havoc with his senses. A common reaction when supernatural creatures encounter ‘fox magic,’ Vivi had tried to reassure.

Ten more minutes of arguing and Vivi throws her hands up in frustration, grabbing her bag and stomping up the garden path, visibly irritated. Over her head, Arthur catches the eye of her father, who is glaring daggers at the van. His eyes narrow, flashing blue. Arthur doesn’t need heightened instincts to recognise a warning sign. Internally, he groans, sinking further, putting his head below the window, resigning himself to another ‘stay away from my daughter or else’ lecture. So far, the ‘or else’ was impending, but Arthur can’t help but worry every time he accidentally reminds the patriarch that he exists. It throws a damper on his anticipation like a bucket of ice.

The passenger door opens. Mystery leaps up into the van, giving him a perplexed lopsided expression. Vivi clambers in after him, throwing her bag over the seat divider in the same movement. A puzzled glance is given when she notices him almost on the floor.

“Your dad hates me.” He offers.

“Oh, ignore him. He’s got his head stuck back in feudal japan,” Vivi gripes, twisting to pull down her seatbelt, “Right Mystery?”

Mystery, who has seated himself between them, nods, projecting his voice, /Though concern for one’s progeny is natural, the fact that I am acting as your guardian makes his worry unfounded. /

“See. Mystery agrees with me.”

“Is that what that was…” Arthur mutters, starting the van up so he can drive away as quickly as possible. He can still feel piercing blue eyes ten minutes later when the Pepper’s diner, in all its bright pink glory, appears on the horizon. Anxiety and fear are quickly killing the rest of his excited anticipation.  Now, he is wondering whether Vivi’s dad has a point.

“He’s right you know,” Arthur blurts, unable to help it, “Your dad I mean. About me being dangerous. I don’t even remember most full moons. I’ve ripped up all the basement floorboards and destroyed whole walls before.” He had even hurt people, back when he and his Uncle had lived in the city, but he can’t bring himself to mention that failing. “The full moon is nothing like when we’ve all gone running together or shifted to mess around. What if I hurt you.”

“Arthur,” Vivi sighs, turning to stare at his profile, “We’ve talked about this. There is no way we are letting you spend any more full moons locked up in that thing you keep in the basement. Not when we have a better option. My dad can go suck on a lemon, because, curse or not, I’m doing this.”

“What if something goes wrong and you regret it...”

“The only thing I regret is that we didn’t know you were a bitten-wolf sooner.”

Arthur hyper focuses on turning off the motorway, face heating up. Honesty, Arthur hadn’t known there was a difference between him and Lewis’s wolf nature until an offhand comment about werewolves had Lewis commenting that the full moon gave him a crazy appetite. Vivi’s dad had been by to threaten him enough times that he had assumed Vivi knew he was a werewolf and not a regular shifter, but she had simply nodded along with Lewis, asking if Arthur had a similar quirk. Then Arthur had been too embarrassed to correct them. The full moon was such an unpleasant experience for him that he had avoided talking about it for years, making excuse after excuse.

/To go on a hunt with one’s pack is a common strategy when dealing with lunar-madness — one of the reasons you wolves tend to congregate in one location. / Mystery adds, voice calmer.

“Exactly. You’ll have Lewis. You get along great when you shift. Also, I wouldn’t be much of a fox if I couldn’t keep up with you two bumbling lumps.”

“Lewis is a regular wolf, and you’re just so tiny. I could easily hurt one of you,” He objects.  

/Fear not, Arthur. In the unlikely event that you do not recognise your companions as part of your pack, I will intervein and keep you and them safe for the night’s duration. / Arthur eyes Mystery and exhales to release tension. Mystery was so good at masking his presence that sometimes Arthur forgot he was a crazy strong spirit. According to Vivi, her family had once been his vassals, actual foxes, before marrying into human lines. It was where she got her shifting ability and instinct for magic. Arthur’s not sure how Mystery ended up disguised as a dog, playing family guardian to a bloodline who were once his servants, but he’s not about to question it. If the supernatural world was anything, it was convoluted.

“Arthur.”

“What.”

They’d pulled into one of the vacant spots outside the Pepper's diner. Arthur realises he’s been sitting, staring at his lap, in silence. Vivi’s leaning over, waving to catch his attention. She smells like paper, grass, flowers and that electric undertone he associates with magic.

“Don’t let my dad get you down. This’ll be fun. I know I’m looking forward to camping, and the full moon is only one night.”

“Right. Yeah.” His dour mood falls away. Vivi’s eyes are sparking blue, signalling her enthusiasm. “You’re right.”

A knock on the van’s glass window has both him and Vivi twisting in their seats. Lewis waves from the other side and Vivi quickly winds the window down so she can call a greeting.

“Don’t suppose I could trouble you for a lift,” Lewis jokes, holding his thumb like he’s attempting to hitchhike.

“I don’t know. Where are you heading, stranger,” Vivi returns, leaning out to grin. Arthur feels a smile return, and he clicks off the locks so Vivi overbalances when Lewis tries the handle. It is the breakfast rush, so none of the other Peppers have joined Lewis outside- too busy serving customers- but Lewis has a giant portable cooler at his feet, which is probably packed with their cooking.

“Hey, Arthur. How are you holding up?”  Lewis meets, attention moving off Vivi. His eyes flash gold, catching the light, and Arthur gets that additional rush of excitement reuniting with Lewis always inspires. Vivi called it a ‘pack response,’ but Arthur’s not so sure, seeing as he feels the same way when he sees her. Vivi's not a wolf after all.

“I’m fine,” This isn’t his first full moon, so the concern is a little unnecessary. He still finds himself pleased to receive it though.

“There’s space in the back for that. Hold on. I’ll get the back doors.”

“Thanks. I brought an extra tent as well,” Lewis continues, tracking him as he circles around the vehicle to open the back.

Vivi sticks her head over the seat divider to watch them, commenting, “Because two tents aren’t enough.”

“You can never be too prepared.”

“We have space. Why not?” Arthur reasons, reordering his and Vivi’s stuff to give Lewis room to load up his cooler box and mound of additional camping supplies. Of the three of them, Lewis has definitely packed the lions share.

Then Lewis hands them all sandwiches, correctly guessing that no one has eaten breakfast, and they hit the road. While he and Viv eat, Lewis drives humming along to the radio. Thoughts of Vivi’s dad fade into the background, Arthur simply enjoying being in the presence of both his friends. Even Mystery, who tended to be more reserved, is joining in their conversation, seemingly looking forward to spending time hiking about in nature.

[mdelpin]

The Red Dragon - Chapter 13

Gratsu Bingo 2019 Prompt: Alarm AO3 | FF.Net | Tumblr: Chapter 1 | Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Natsu woke up to find he'd tangled his limbs with Gray's as they slept, just as they had as children. This time, however, he didn't have to be afraid of the other's reaction. They were both exactly where they wanted to be.

Natsu's smile was full of affection. Even though it had taken them years, they'd finally come full circle. He watched over Gray as he slept, loving how his nose wrinkled as he dreamed. It was so peaceful and cute, and Natsu knew he could spend hours watching Gray like this and never grow tired of it.

He carefully moved some hair out of Gray's face, and the ice mage began to stir. His eyes twitched behind his eyelids, and soon, they were blinking awake.

"Morning," Gray said groggily, eyes still heavy with sleep. He studied how their bodies were connected, and instead of pulling away, he snuggled closer and closed his eyes again.

"Morning, Droopy Eyes," Natsu greeted fondly, "Shouldn't we be getting up?"

Even though he'd rather do anything but go to work, he remembered Gray mentioning Erza had demanded he go.

"Uh-uh, I want to enjoy this, Erza's going to be pissed at us no matter what. We might as well at least deserve it." Gray squinched his eyes stubbornly shut.

"I can't argue with that," Natsu grinned as he slowly turned his body to face his boyfriend.

The movement caused Gray to open his eyes reluctantly. He gazed at Natsu's face, eyes moving slowly down until they came to rest on his boyfriend's luscious lips. Natsu licked them nervously, and Gray wasted no time, leaning in for a kiss. They spent the next ten minutes experimenting and finding what they liked best.

Natsu was enthralled, he really liked this tingly warmth that coursed through his body, it burned, but it was so enjoyable. Much different from any heat he'd ever experienced through his magic.

A strange yet familiar scent wafted into his nose, and he stiffened prompting Gray to stop what he was doing and glance at him in confusion.

"So, you two dumbasses finally got your act together," a sardonic voice came from the entrance of Natsu's room. "About damn time."

Gray groaned as he recognized it but made no move to cover himself. "Lyon, what are you doing here?"

"Erza sent me to get you when you didn't show up for your shift," Lyon informed his brother, "She's not happy with either of you."

"Well, message received, you can go now," Gray attempted to get rid of his brother so he could go back to the new thrill of making out with Natsu.

"No can do little brother. She asked me to escort you back, and I'd rather not piss her off."

"Yep, Lyon's already whipped, and he's not even dating her," Gray grinned at Natsu who chuckled.

"Oh please, she's got all of you whipped," Gajeel entered Natsu's room as well, carrying a bag of food from the local bakery, "Here you go, losers. Don't get used to it," he said gruffly.

"Jeel, I didn't know you cared," Natsu grinned at the dragon slayer.

"I don't, I was up early and happened to remember you didn't eat anything yesterday," Gajeel muttered, "Just… don't scare Wendy like that again."

"I won't," Natsu promised as he got up and gave the burly slayer a hug, which was returned although somewhat reluctantly.

"Now hurry up, Red wants to have a strategy meeting."

"Can you keep this to yourselves for now?" Natsu asked Lyon and Gajeel, "We haven't had a chance to discuss how public we want to be."

Both guards agreed, even though Lyon stared at Natsu warily. Gajeel, however, pointed out that since he didn't care anyway, it wouldn't be a problem.

Natsu and Gray got ready quickly, and Gray did his best to ignore Lyon's snickers at seeing him wearing Sting's clothes as they headed out with the other two guards.

They wolfed down the food Gajeel had brought them as they walked behind Lyon and Gajeel, all four of them bickering the whole way down.

O-o

Natsu and Gray entered Erza's office. Natsu had turned quiet as soon as they'd reached the field, not looking forward to the interrogation he was sure was in his future. Something else had been bothering him, and he didn't quite know what he should do about it.

"Natsu," Erza greeted him coolly as she gave him a once over, "I trust you're feeling better?"

Natsu ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Yeah, Wendy was able to heal me completely."

"Can you go get the others?" Erza requested, fixing her gaze on Gray, who left to search for the other guards.

Erza waited until Gray was out of earshot before asking the one question that had kept her up most of the previous night. "Was it a dragon attack?"

Natsu nodded, "I was attacked by a Silver Dragon, he caught me by surprise on my way home."

Erza stared at him in horror, remembering how serious his injuries had been, while also thinking about what could have happened if Natsu hadn't encountered the dragon first.

"How are you holding up?" Erza asked worriedly, "Wendy mentioned you had some sort of incident last night?"

"I had a pretty bad nightmare," Natsu admitted and then muttered, "At least I hope that's what it was."

Erza narrowed her eyes at his words but decided to wait until the others arrived. From what Wendy had told her, it had sounded like Natsu hadn't given them any details.

Erza cursed under her breath but didn't ask any more questions. She paced around her office, trying to determine what the dragon attack implied for the safety of the village.

One by one, all the guards arrived and took a seat. Lyon closed the door behind Gray, who was the last to enter, taking his place next to Natsu. Sting and Wendy had already begun their shift and would have to be updated later.

"Can you finally tell us what you've been doing?" Erza asked Natsu, not really expecting him to agree.

That silver dragon had been either desperate or aggressive enough to ignore his claim, others might soon follow. For the safety of Talos, Natsu would have to put all his cards on the table, save one.

"I've been going out every night looking for evidence of any dragons in the area. I've only encountered a few, and I was able to scare them away," Natsu avoided Gray's eyes as he knew the ice mage would be freaking out right about then, but Natsu couldn't afford to keep them in the dark any longer.

"Dragons work off scent, they usually won't encroach on another dragon's territory, so every night I mark the territory that Atlas had claimed as his in the hopes that it would scare others away. I've actually expanded it quite a bit since the refugees arrived." He added proudly.

"I was returning home when a silver dragon attacked me from behind. It was able to paralyze me with a spell before he attacked with his ice, but I was able to injure him and get away." Natsu explained, "He shouldn't return, but others might."

"Paralyzed you with a spell?" Rogue asked, and Natsu could see the tension in his friend's shoulders. Even though all the dragon slayers had learned and practiced with their dragons, like Natsu, they'd never been in a real fight. He could only hope that their initial reaction was better than his had been. Rogue's shadows would probably work to his advantage. He looked over at Gajeel and to his surprise, the Iron Dragon Slayer looked calm, if anything his features looked more determined than ever.

"I don't understand any of this," Erza complained, "How are you even able to mark like a dragon?"

"Atlas taught me a spell, it can only be cast by a fire dragon or a fire dragon slayer, it lets me do the marking and move swiftly," Natsu improvised quickly, "That's why no one else could help me. "

"That's changed though, Happy went out on patrol with me last night, and he's willing to continue helping, I just have to teach him what's needed."

"Who's Happy?' Erza asked in confusion.

"Happy is the red dragon Sting, Lyon and I attacked," Gray answered dully.

"He's also the one who brought Natsu to us after he was injured," Rogue added, keeping his eyes on Natsu as he seemed to be thinking about something.

"I was lucky he found me," Natsu said with sincerity, "There's no way I would have been able to make it back home on my own."

Natsu could feel Gray's distress at his words through their bond and cursed himself for sharing that.

"So we have one dragon on our side, are there any others?" Erza asked eyeing the dragon slayers hopefully.

The three dragon slayers all shook their heads, as far as they knew all the other dragons had already left to fight.

"There's one more thing, and I hesitate to mention it, but I feel like I need to," Natsu had thought about this all the way down. Once he'd calmed down, he'd realized there was something about that dream that troubled him.

It had felt like Atlas had been trying to communicate with him. Natsu wasn't sure if that was likely, but he knew that Atlas had a lot of magic at his disposal, so it was at the very least possible, and it had felt so real.

"It's about my dream. It was about the war, there was a dragon slayer, a renegade one, and he was going after our parents. Atlas was protecting Metalicana, Grandine, Weisslogia, and Skiadrum who looked to be already injured, but the dragon slayer was going after Igneel. Atlas was trying to get to him when I woke up."

Natsu couldn't look at any of the dragon slayers, he already knew what he would see.

"It was just a dream, Natsu, "Rogue reminded him stiffly, "It wasn't real."

Natsu could hear the cautious hope in his friend's voice, and he hoped with all his might that Rogue was right, that he was just overreacting to a very vivid dream, but in his heart, he knew differently. He wanted nothing more than to take off and find them, but he'd made a promise to his father, and he intended to keep it.

"You mentioned renegade dragon slayers last night too," Gray stated, sounding confused, "What are they?"

"Igneel told me about them before he left. Renegade is the name given to dragon slayers that betray the dragons after receiving their magic. They kill all dragons, regardless of what side they're on and they use their blood to make themselves more powerful."

"Irene had identified several, and Igneel and the others went to try to take them out once and for all," Erza gasped at the mention of her mother.

"Why didn't you tell us any of this before?" Gajeel glared at him, his red eyes glowing dangerously.

"I didn't want to worry you," Natsu had often thought about telling them, but he'd decided it wouldn't help anything, worse they might begin to worry that it could happen to them as well. Atlas and Igneel had assured him that wasn't likely so he'd tried to protect his friends as best he could.

"Did you see my mother in your dream?" Erza demanded while staring at Natsu, wanting to make sure he wasn't keeping anything from her.

"I'm sorry, Erza. I didn't," Natsu said honestly, "That doesn't mean anything though, she could have been somewhere else. I could also be completely wrong about all this."

Erza took a moment to digest the information, "It's official then. We need to prepare for the worst."

"I'm sorry, Lyon," Erza announced, "We'll have to call off the festival," She smiled at the ice mage briefly, and wanting to soften the blow she added, "Perhaps soon, we can plan for a victory one."

She remained quiet for a few minutes staring at all of them thoughtfully before barking orders out.

"Lyon and Gray, I want you to go to the refugee camps and let them know we're looking for recruits. If they don't have magic, I want you to train them in hand to hand. If they do send them to Sting to train. I'll talk to him as soon as he returns. I'm counting on the three of you to whip our new recruits into shape."

Both ice mages nodded in agreement, it had been a while since they'd been assigned to work together. Gray looked at Natsu wistfully, all hopes of stolen moments shattered, but he knew what he and Lyon would be doing was important.

"I'll have Wendy and the healer train some others, it will be crucial to have more healers on hand."

"Natsu, you're off regular rotation. You will focus exclusively on your patrols," Erza barked, "I want you to teach this Happy what he needs to know, and I want someone to go with you as a backup. No more surprise attacks."

"Gajeel, I want you to go with N-" Erza didn't even get a chance to finish her order.

"Rogue, I'll take Rogue." Natsu quickly interrupted Erza before she could assign Gajeel the job of being his backup. Natsu didn't particularly relish the idea of having anyone with him but considering what they would discover he had to pick the most level headed of the male dragon slayers and that was Rogue. Natsu was a bit concerned about his entanglement with Sting, but he hoped that if he explained the situation, Rogue would agree not to share his secret.

Rogue raised an eyebrow at him, Natsu knew that it would seem an unusual choice for him to make for something like this. Although they were friends, he and Rogue had never been particularly close.

Erza seemed surprised as well but shrugged it off, "Gajeel, you and I will analyze the town's defenses and find ways to improve them. We will also come up with an evacuation plan should it be needed."

Gajeel nodded, but his eyes never left Natsu, who steadfastly refused to meet his gaze. The meeting was adjourned, and everyone left Erza's office.

Natsu and Rogue were headed home when Natsu felt Gray tug his arm. He sent Rogue ahead telling him he'd catch up with him in a few minutes.

"Don't do anything stupid," Gray looked worried, and Natsu hated that he was the reason for it.

"Hey, relax. I've done this every day for a long time now." He smiled in a way that he hoped was reassuring, "I always come back."

"Promise me."

"You know I can't do that," Natsu reasoned, "I can promise you this. If it's within my power to do so, I will always come back to you. Besides, there are a lot of firsts in our future, I wouldn't want to miss any of them." Natsu winked and smirked at the blush that Gray wasn't able to hide.

"I was thinking about hand-holding, you Pervy Popsicle," Natsu teased, "What were you thinking about?"

"S-same," Gray replied unconvincingly.

"You're a horrible liar, Snowflake," Natsu pressed his forehead to Gray's, "Meet me at the field later, we can hold hands and watch the sunset. Does that sound good?"

When Gray nodded, Natsu gave him a quick kiss and ran off to catch up with Rogue. He had to figure out the best way to tell Rogue his secret and convince him not to tell anyone, especially Sting.

O-o

"So how big of an area are we talking about?" Rogue asked as they neared the cave. So far, they had stayed away from any weighted topics, but Natsu was well aware that he wouldn't be able to do that for much longer.

He was terrified, he didn't think Rogue would run away from him, but it still frightened him to have anyone know what he was.

"Hundreds of miles," Natsu replied honestly.

"But how, how are you able to travel those distances in one night?" Rogue looked shocked, "What kind of spell did Atlas teach you?"

"Look, Rogue, before I show you anything, I really need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this. Not even Sting."

"Natsu, you're asking me to keep something from my mate. I'd never ask you to keep anything from Gray," Rogue watched Natsu's reaction closely and when one wasn't forthcoming pressed, "He is your mate isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," Natsu agreed readily, "But this is something that he can't know, at least not yet."

"I wouldn't be asking you if it weren't important," Natsu could see Rogue was curious, but he didn't want to do or say anything more until he could extract a promise.

"I'll consider it, that's the best answer I can give you."

Natsu looked at Rogue with frustration, maybe he'd made a mistake in picking him. Gajeel might have been the better choice, after all.

"HAPPY?" Natsu yelled out, smiling as he heard the young dragon come flying out of his bedroom and land in the main room.

"Naaatsuuuu!" Happy greeted the dragon slayer cheerfully.

"This is Rogue," Natsu introduced the Shadow Dragon Slayer to the wyrmling, "He will be coming on patrols with us."

"Pleased to meet you, son of Skiadrum," Happy attempted to bow, but he was too excited at the prospect of going out again to be able to manage it properly.

Rogue chuckled at the dragon's eagerness, liking him right away. "The pleasure is all mine." He bowed to the dragon." You may call me Rogue."

Natsu led them to the rear entrance of the cave and climbed on Happy, he motioned for Rogue to climb on behind him and hold on. "We'll just fly around and keep an eye out to start with. I want to see what it looks like in the daytime."

Happy took off, and Natsu explained to the two of them in great detail the things that he regularly kept an eye out for. He was enjoying riding Happy, it had been a while since he'd ridden any dragon.

Natsu preferred flying himself, but as a child, he'd loved riding Igneel, and when riding Atlas, there was always a snack, much to his uncle's dismay.

He felt a sharp pain across his chest as he once again thought about his family. Were his father and uncle okay? Had it all just been a very realistic dream prompted by his attack? Natsu had no way of knowing.

They were almost at the edge of his territory when Rogue finally spoke. He had been quiet for most of the ride, and Natsu's nerves had finally settled.

"Do you really think Skiadrum's in trouble?" Rogue asked, his grip on Natsu tightening.

Natsu could still see Igneel and feel the terror Atlas had experienced as the renegade dragon slayer had transformed and come straight at his brother, could see the battered bodies of the other four dragons he had come to know as family. He shuddered and tried to clear his mind of the image.

"I really don't know what to think anymore, all I know is it felt real," Natsu replied honestly.

"They've been gone for so long, sometimes I think they're never coming back." Rogue said in his matter of fact tone, "I'm worried Natsu, we've never really fought a dragon. What if we're not strong enough and everyone dies because of it?"

"You can't do any worse than I did," Natsu assured him, "When that dragon paralyzed me, I panicked. I just froze and waited for it to finish me off. Then I heard Igneel's voice urging me to keep my head," Natsu frowned, still disappointed in himself. "Even when he's not here he's still saving my ass."

"I guess none of us will know how we'll react until it happens, but I think you'll do better than you think," Natsu encouraged his friend, "We are our parents' children after all, and they trained us for this. When the time comes, I think we'll be fine."

Rogue stared at him for a bit and then gave him a small nod, accepting Natsu's words. "Is it time for you to start marking yet?"

Right. Natsu took a deep breath and braced himself for what was coming. "Happy can you set us down for a moment?"

Happy found an open field to land on and touched down gently. Natsu climbed down and stretched his limbs a bit before calling out to his magic. He turned towards Rogue and before he had a chance to chicken out transformed into his dragon form.

Natsu faced Rogue silently, wings stretched out behind him, letting his friend see him for who he was. Rogue climbed down from Happy and stared at him open-mouthed, taking in the red scales that covered most of his body, and the lighter colored skin that highlighted the tight muscles of his chest and underbelly.

Natsu turned around, showing the black spikes that ran down his back to the tip of his tail. He swished it, and Rogue's eyes were immediately drawn to it. Natsu had seen himself reflected in the water as he flew over it and he knew that he looked like a smaller version of Igneel, down to the horn on his snout. The only real difference was his eyes, where Igneel's were yellow, Natsu's remained a bright green. He waited patiently for some sort of response, somehow sensing that if he spoke, it might be too much for Rogue to handle.

"Natsu?" Rogue finally blurted out, "Is that really you?"

‘Yeah, it's me," Natsu replied, his voice sounding deeper in this much more massive body.

"You look like Igneel!" Rogue exclaimed. To Natsu's surprise, Rogue came over and explored his face with his fingers before backing away, face red with mortification.

"Rogue?"

"I'm sorry, I guess I miss the dragons more than I thought," Rogue looked sheepish, but he quickly went back to evaluating Natsu's transformation, "So Atlas taught you a spell that turns you into a dragon, allowing you to mark his territory?"

Rogue was still watching him, awaiting his response and Natsu felt the weight of that gaze as he tried to decide how to answer. He hadn't given any thought to his earlier words in Erza's office, but he now realized they could be interpreted in a way that explained his transformation.

This was the moment to come clean and tell the truth. Finally, tell someone what he really was and hope they would accept him, but he wasn't ready. The promise he'd made to Igneel all those years ago still weighed heavily on him, and he was just too scared of another reaction like Gray's when they'd been young.

"Yes?" Natsu responded, taking the easy way out. He was disappointed in himself. It didn't matter that he was now able to control his transformations. That he currently had the enormous body of a young dragon, or that he was capable of taking out multiple foes on his own. Inside he was still that same child who had been brutally rejected by the one he loved most.

Even though Natsu had stated it as a question, Rogue accepted it as fact, the variation in his dragon voice hiding the uncertainty in his answer.

"I can understand why you wouldn't want Gray to know. That would be very traumatic for him." Rogue remained quiet for what felt like an age before finally adding, "As for Sting, there's no way he could keep this to himself if he knew, not to mention he'd ask for rides constantly."

Natsu snorted, Sting would definitely be excited by this development. He was only one level below Natsu in regards to his love for anything dragon-related. He'd probably nag him incessantly to teach him the "spell."

"Alright, you have my promise," Rogue said solemnly, "I will keep this between us, for now."

"Thank you," Natsu said gratefully, "We should get started."

Rogue climbed back atop Happy, and both dragons took off in the air, Natsu explaining to Happy how to secrete the substance in his saliva so that he could eventually mark as well. Rogue tried to hide his disgust as he mostly watched Natsu spit at things for the next four hours while keeping an eye out for any danger.

o-o

Gray and Lyon walked toward a refugee camp. Lyon had been giving Gray sidelong glances all morning but hadn't said anything, and it was driving Gray crazy.

"If you have something to say, just say it," Gray finally snapped, not being able to take much more of the silence.

"It's nothing, I'm just wondering why Natsu would want to keep your relationship a secret," Lyon looked straight ahead.

"He never said he did, we just haven't had a chance to discuss anything yet. He's just being careful," Gray reasoned, "We've barely been together a day."

"I suppose. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Natsu well enough, it's just the dragonslayers are," Lyon searched for a word that explained what he was trying to say but came up empty, "different from us. I don't want to see you get hurt," He put his hands in his pockets.

Gray laughed even though he was touched by the concern, "Are you trying to be the protective older brother?"

"I'm doing no such thing," Lyon scowled, "I just know you've waited for this for a long time."

Gray had indeed been waiting for this moment for a very long time, and although he was well aware that they still had a lot to work through, he refused to let that tarnish how he felt. Just thinking about the way Natsu's lips had pressed against his was enough to put a smile on his face.

"Everything's going to be fine, Lyon," Gray assured his brother, "Now let's focus on our task."

They'd stopped at the first camp on their list as they talked and now they were looking at it in surprise. Even though it was a sunny day just about everywhere else, there was a rain cloud hovering above the camp, completely enclosing the tented space in rain showers.

"Get out! We don't want you here anymore, it hasn't stopped raining since you arrived!"

Gray and Lyon shared a look and promptly ran into the camp to find the source. They followed the yelling, which was getting more and more abusive, and now they could also hear pitiful sobbing.

"But Juvia has nowhere else to go, all the other camps have already sent her away. Please!"

Gray tried to find who this Juvia was that they were fighting over, but all he could see was a young blue-haired girl crying while a much older man was throwing what seemed to be her possessions at her with others goading him on.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gray demanded in outrage. He positioned himself in front of the crying girl getting himself drenched in the process.

Muttering could be heard among the refugees, spreading as they got a good look at Gray and Lyon, "Look at their uniforms, they're from the Village Guard."

The man who had been yelling at the girl stepped forward, "The Village Guard, thank goodness! You should arrest this girl."

"Oh?" Lyon replied, his already squinty eyes narrowing further in interest, "On what charges exactly?"

"I don't know! She's making it rain," The man explained," It never ends, everything we own is soaked through. We can never get warm, and people are starting to get sick. We took her in from another camp, but they didn't tell us this would happen."

"I think we can help you with that," Lyon smiled, remaining polite although Gray could tell he was angry at their treatment of the girl, "The war is getting closer to our borders, and we have been sent here to recruit both magic users and fighters willing to fight for the town that has so graciously offered you a place to stay. We will train you, of course, and you will be paid for your trouble."

While Lyon talked to the others, Gray turned around to get a good look at the girl. He offered her a friendly smile, trying to calm her down from the tears that seemed to have no end in sight. She studied him with big blue eyes.

"Why did you stand up for Juvia?" The blue-haired girl asked through her tears. "No one has ever defended Juvia before."

"Are you Juvia?" Gray asked, keeping his tone of voice soothing.

Juvia nodded, and Gray offered her his hand. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet. He called on his magic and created a large ice umbrella to keep them from getting pelted by the rain. She looked at his creation with surprise, her face turning crimson as she peered down at their joined hands. Gray noticed and immediately let go, not wanting to give her the wrong idea.

"I don't like bullies," Gray shrugged his actions off as routine. "My name is Gray, I'm one of the Village Guards," he explained, "We're looking for magic users like you to join us."

"You want Juvia to join you?" Juvia's face had once again become flushed, and Gray looked around for Lyon to help get him out of the somewhat uncomfortable situation, but his brother was still busy talking to the others.

"We'd like you to join the Guard yes, "He made sure to place special emphasis on the word we but it didn't seem to make any difference. "We could help you learn to control your magic so that this doesn't happen." Gray pointed to the rain that surrounded them.

"Juvia would like that," Juvia attempted to smile, but it was clear she wasn't used to it, so while it was sweet, it also looked incredibly awkward.

Gray tried to ignore the admiring looks Juvia gave him as he helped her grab her soggy possessions. He'd offered her to stay at the barracks knowing Erza probably wouldn't mind.

The rain had stopped now that the rain woman appeared to calm down some and Gray dispelled the umbrella. Gray wasn't sure how to handle the situation, so he remained silent until Lyon finally returned with a small number of men and women, all of whom looked at Juvia with distaste.

They decided to go try one more camp before heading back to headquarters to begin training.

o-o

Gray hurried towards the field, the sky had already begun to deepen, and he didn't want to be late. He was looking forward to seeing Natsu again, especially after having to spend most of the day with Juvia fawning over him. Sting's amused expression at his predicament when he'd dropped her off for training hadn't helped improve his mood any.

He felt an urgent need to reassure himself that Natsu was his to love and touch, and last night hadn't all been some sort of dream.

He'd expected Natsu to already be there, what he hadn't expected was to find a large blanket laid out on the ground covered with copious amounts of food and drink. A bouquet of red roses lay over a floor cushion. Torches were staked all around the area emitting a soft light as Natsu went around igniting them with his flames. To his surprise, Natsu looked nervous as he lit them all.

"You got me flowers?" Gray blurted out feeling slightly amused but also touched by the gesture. Natsu startled and turned around, hand still alight. Gray's eyes widened as he saw what Natsu was wearing and immediately felt underdressed. He hadn't had time to change out of his uniform.

"What are you even wearing?" Gray had never seen Natsu in anything but his guard gear, or his usual open black vest and white pants. He was wearing dark slacks with a belt and a light grey long-sleeved button-down shirt which complimented his pink hair. His scarf was wrapped around his neck as usual, and Gray couldn't help but think that Natsu looked incredible.

"I made the mistake of asking Erza what to do on a date after we finished patrol," Natsu sighed, his expression revealing the trials he'd endured. "She wouldn't stop talking about it, then she dragged me all over the village to get stuff. When we were done, she tells me she's never even been on a date, this is just what she'd always dreamed of. She never even gave me a chance to explain it wasn't for a girl," Natsu whined, even as he rolled his eyes at Erza's antics. "Then she and Anna took me shopping for clothes."

"I'll make sure to tell Lyon, you know in case he ever gets the nerve to ask her out," Gray laughed, he could easily imagine Erza getting carried away, pulling Natsu behind her and taking him to all her favorite places. It was probably a good thing too, she'd been pretty upset earlier in the day. He wondered what she would think if she knew Natsu's date was with him.

"Anyway, I hope you like it," Natsu smiled shyly, his features softened by the dancing flames of the torches and Gray's heart soared. All the stress of the day evaporated as he walked over to Natsu and hugged him.

"It looks great, and I was starving, so this is awesome! Did Erza happen to say anything about feeding me?" Gray teased as he pointed to some table grapes, just to get a rise out of the dragon slayer.

"What?! Hell no, you can feed your own damn self! "Natsu protested, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Gray shrugged and laughed, grabbing a bunch of grapes from a bowl on the blanket. He pulled one off the vine and threw it in the air before catching it in his mouth. "Too bad, that could have been fun," Gray winked as he handed Natsu some grapes.

"Shall we?" Gray pointed to the floor cushions, "The sun is about to set."

"Oh, yeah!" Natsu agreed cheerfully, although he still seemed flustered, like a kid playing at dress-up, which in all honesty he sort of was. Natsu offered Gray his hand, and he deliberately brushed his fingers on Natsu's palm, relishing the touch before lacing their fingers together and giving a firm squeeze. Natsu squeezed back, and they walked together toward the cushions.

They sat next to each other, hands still laced together. Gray picked up the bouquet of roses and examined it, smelling the flowers before setting them aside. He looked up at the sky, watching it explode in hues of pink and orange as the sun went down behind the mountains.

He soon lost interest, he could watch the sunset any day, but it wasn't often he was able to watch Natsu to his heart's content. Natsu looked over at Gray and flashed him one of his dazzling smiles before turning his gaze back to the sky.

"I haven't done this in a long time," Natsu commented as he turned his attention back to Gray, "Just sat and enjoyed something for the beauty of it."

He noticed Gray was still gazing at him and added, "You know, the night sky always reminded me of your eyes. When I was younger, I would sit outside at the entrance of the cave and look up at it, just to remind myself that you were still out there. It always made me feel less lonely."

Gray found that inexplicably touching, especially since he had thought a lot about Natsu over the years too, "I'm not sure why you would have wanted to remember me at all, after what I did."

"Are we back to that again?" Natsu grabbed some rolls and warmed them in his hand before passing one to Gray.

"You said you were sorry, even back then," Natsu reminded him, "What happened to you was terrible, and I was too young to truly understand it."

He looked down at his hands and began to shred the roll he was still holding as he talked, "When I called you back from your nightmare, I had no idea what I was doing, I was just following my instincts. Even though it worked, I somehow managed to tap into your feelings."

Natsu stared at the mess he had made, and tentatively looked up to gauge Gray's reaction. "I felt everything you did, and it was too much. I'd never experienced such pain, and when you told me what had caused it, it went against everything I knew."

"Natsu, I--."

Natsu waved away Gray's response. "Let me finish, Ice Block," He stared deep into Gray's eyes, wanting him to accept his words as truth, "I was never angry with you for what happened. Even back then, my feelings for you were already strong, but I was young and stupid and said all the wrong things, and I managed to push you away from me. It was the exact opposite of what I wanted, but I was scared and didn't know how to fix it, so I ran away, and I regretted it ever since."

"So yeah, I thought about you a lot, all the years we were apart," Natsu admitted, "but we're here now, and you need to stop feeling guilty about it. That part of our lives is over. This one," he moved his eyes down to Gray's lips and leaned forward to capture them with his, eliciting a small pleased sound from Gray before he moved back, "this one is just beginning. Now, let's eat, there are way too many things on this blanket."

They managed to eat most of the food that Natsu had brought, feeding each other although not in any way that would be considered romantic.

"Somehow, I don't think this is what Erza had in mind," Natsu managed to get out in between bursts of laughter. They were both covered in bits of food that had not quite made it anywhere near their mouths."

"Probably not, but who cares?" Gray smirked, "She can go on her own date."

Natsu snorted at that. He put his arm around Gray's shoulders, resting his head on Gray's broad shoulders as they sat quietly, enjoying the night air and each other.

"How long do you think we have until the war gets here?" Gray's voice was anxious, and after a long day spent doing nothing but thinking about that very thing, Natsu had no desire to get into it.

"There's no sense in worrying about it, let's just make the best of the time we have," Natsu said adamantly. "Besides, this is a date, and I think we've had enough serious talk for one night."

"You were doing something pleasant with your lips this morning, something like this...," Natsu playfully tackled Gray onto the now cleared blanket and demonstrated what he meant. Gray let Natsu toy with him for a few minutes before turning the tables and pinning Natsu underneath him.

"No, I think it went more like this," Gray grinned as he nibbled on Natsu's lips, using his teeth to give them a gentle bite before dipping his tongue into Natsu's mouth when he opened it in surprise. Natsu groaned, his body quickly responding to Gray's attention.

Gray continued to play, slowly removing Natsu's scarf from around his neck and tossing it on the blanket, his teeth grazing on the sensitive area. He moved away, delighting in the way Natsu grumbled at his absence.

Gray moved his hands down to Natsu's chest, his fingers attempting to unbutton the shirt that was in his way as he continued to distract Natsu with kisses. Once he'd unbuttoned the shirt, Gray's hands began to wander, touching the rugged chest and feeling the hard muscle underneath.

He tweaked one of Natsu's nipples between his fingers, loving the feel of Natsu writhing in pleasure beneath him before boldly exploring the other with his mouth.

He couldn't get enough of Natsu, the smell of whatever cologne Erza had forced on him was driving Gray crazy, and he wanted to touch and taste everything. Natsu tried to reverse their positions, but Gray fought him off, not wanting to relinquish control just yet. His pants tightened around him as he thought of Natsu returning the favor, and a low moan escaped him.

Gray quickly moved his hands down past Natsu's abs all the way down to his belt. He was so intoxicated by Natsu's reactions that he was surprised when his hands were grabbed firmly, stopping their movement.

"Can you slow down?" Natsu's breaths were coming in deliciously ragged pants.

Gray immediately pulled his hands away and moved off Natsu, feeling a bit hurt by the rebuff. "I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"I know, and it's good," Natsu blushed profusely, "You make me feel good, but this is all new to me, and you're going too fast for me."

And while that was true, it wasn't the whole truth. Natsu hadn't been able to shake the feeling that his dream had been real and Atlas was going to come for him at any moment. It made him wary. He knew if something happened to him, Gray would be hurt, and he wanted to cause him the least amount of pain he could. He also knew that while Gray was trying, dragons were still a big issue for them.

Natsu had no intention of making a mating claim on Gray until he felt it was right to do so. Mates, especially new ones, needed to be near each other and if he ended up having to leave or Gray found out his secret and changed his mind, it could be devastating for both of them.

"It's new to me too," Gray said finally, not wanting to admit that Natsu was right.

"We have all the time in the world," Natsu told him matter-of-factly, "We're going to be together for the rest of our lives."

"Rest of our lives? Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?" Gray was taken aback by how confident Natsu sounded.

"Well yeah, that's what our bond means," Natsu revealed, "We're soulmates."

Gray wasn't sure what that meant, but if it kept Natsu with him, then he was okay with it. They were too tired to make their way back to their homes, so they cuddled up and decided to spend the night together in their field.

A/N: Grammarly fought me tooth and nail while I was editing, so this chapter feels like an accomplishment considering it's rather lengthy. :)

A lot of things happened in this chapter and some of you who might be familiar with my other long multi-chapter stories are probably starting to realize right about now that if I'm writing this much fluffiness in Ch 13 of a planned 30 chap fic that means you're probably not going to like me soon. I can tell you that it won't have anything to do with Juvia, so there's no need to hate on her.

Ironically, the story as it was originally planned doesn't even start for another 4 or 5 chapters, I just got so enamored of the back story that it kind of took on a life of its own. I don't want to give anything away but just remember this story is meant to be a fairy tale.

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box April 19

I probably would have done this yesterday, but I ended up going to the county fair; it was horribly hot (despite how cloudy it was) and it actually made me feel sick being out there. By the time we got home I was very sore and worn out.

So here I am today, refreshed and ready!

Word of the month: Usagi - Rabbit

Amuse Chinmari Munchkin Plushie

Our first item is an adorable plushie neko from Amuse. It is palm-sized and includes a ball chain so that you can bring it around with you wherever you go. It’s squishy and slightly stretchy, and there are 10 unique, colorful, adorable kitties in all~

On Blippo, these are $6.90. But keep in mind only a handful of them are an option, not the entire series.

(btw, am I the only one who thinks the one I got could also be a mouse? I know its a cat but from the front I keep thinking mouse. Still adorable either way.)

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

It’s very cute and soft! It’s like a fluffy squishy, but without the rise action. I feel like I’m squishing on a marshmallow while holding it, and it’s kind of soothing in a way... Although, it’s not nearly as stretchy as my other similar plush I’ve gotten. It has a very sweet little face~

Also, there’s no problems quality wise.

Kawaii Ribbon Hair Clips

Next up we have these sweet little Blippo exclusive clips, each featuring a dot pattern and a cute bow charm. They come in a set of 2 in a variety of colors.

On Blippo, these cost $1.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

The quality of the clip is great, it has a tight snap due to being a whole metal piece with a “coat” over it, and nothing is flimsy or loose. It’s a really cute concept too, but... I actually really hate this color combination. It’s not that bad but... I just don’t like it <3< the bow coloring could have been better, but what mainly bugs me is those vibrant orange-red spots against the yellow background. I would have rather gotten any other of the clips, but that’s just me. On Blippo, this is one of the sold out sets so it must have been well-liked by everyone else...

Also, I noticed the quality of the clip, and I’m kind of worried this is the metal prone to rusting due to how it feels. I could be wrong, but...

Neko Bookmarks & Disney Notebook

Next we have two, really cute stationery items; first is this set of kitty bookmarks, each featuring a big paper clip with a soft rubber kitty on the top half. On Blippo these are $3.50, and you can get them in a few different colored sets.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I think these are pretty cute and fun, I’m not sure how I feel about the kind of oddly colorful color scheme of the set I got, but in a way I kind of like it too. They’re as fun to play with as they are to use, but because of the soft rubber and the fact it is a paper clip, you can’t man-handle these. 

--------

To go with our usual stationery hall, we also get an adorable Disney themed notebook. There is a big variety of cutesy, pastel designs and characters (from tsum tsum to mickey and friends to Winnie the Pooh to Disney Princesses!), and each notebook costs $6.90.

The notebooks are simple, featuring a magnetic clip to keep it shut and 2 types of pages per-book.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

While on one hand, I think I would have liked to get one of the other ones more, I’ve always had a soft spot for Chip and Dale so I’m not disappointed. They’re so cute aren’t they?

Meanwhile in terms of the notebook I think it has some nice quality. I like the magnetic clip feature, its very decorative and sweet looking, and it’s just plain fun to use. It’s small size makes it very handy for carrying in a variety of places.

Ice Cream Cup Charm

These sweet Harajuku-inspired charms are as cute as they are delicious looking~ Each features several cutesy deco bits, like fake fruits and sweets, pearls or gems, and a gem star. They have a small cellphone charm-like strap so that you can connect it and take it with you on the go too!

Everything is plastic, with the exception of the deco cream, which feels a bit squishy-soft. There are a few different variants, and each one costs $3.50.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

As cute as it is, I wanted to mention that the Blippo website describes these as being scented- I smell a weird plastic rubber scent, nothing delicious or appealing (and I did keep it sealed in its package this entire time). Also, as you can see on mine there is a chance there is a small amount of smearing of the cream. 

However, it is handmade and I like the little differences in a way to make it more unique. I’ll probably end up using this as a cute display item.

Nail Decoration Set

These DIY kits and items always seem to be Dollar Store quality don’t they? I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but as long as they work out it’s not that bad right?

This a korean nail decoration kit, and you get all sorts of cute and fun deco bits for your nails, all you need to do is supply the clear polish, or whatever color you’re using, but you should have a clear coat to go on top once you finish to help seal everything in. As you can see we get some shiny dot pieces, glittery, star and heart flakes, and various fruits, smiley faces, and kitty head pieces made from clay cane.

Each one costs $4.50 on blippo, and there are 4 sets available. But the only things besides the packaging difference is the glitter and dot piece colors.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

As I’m not really an experienced nail person, I decided to just do my thumbs. I wanted something summery, so I just added a watermelon slice and two of the shiny hot pink flakes to match. But as a pro-tip I do know a few things; such as using a pair of tweezers when adding the pieces, it makes like way easier. As I said before you want clear polish to seal them onto the nail, I did probably 4-5 coats per-nail. 

Anyway, for someone inexperienced (or just someone who likes doing deco nails or making slime) I think kits like this are pretty nice. Like it obviously works, and I think everything is really cute, you can really get creative or go for something simple if you wanted.

Morinaga Disney Chocolate Cookies

For this month we get a box of chocolate cookies/biscuits from Morinaga, featuring Mickey Mouse on the packaging. As for the cookies, it’s probably the usual variety, because as you can see I got a handful of Winnie the Pooh in the pic. Not that I mind or anything, they all taste the same. You can get a wide variety of 300 different Disney characters in total! Lucky people will also find a heart-shaped biscuit~♥

Each box features one of Mickey’s well-known depictions; for example mine is based on Steamboat Willie. Each box is also 234 calories and costs $2.73.

I’m not going to bother rating these because I had them before. They always taste good and you get a nice blend of cookie/biscuit and chocolate. And no, I didn’t get any heart-shaped ones, and ironically enough I didn’t get any Mickey either. I did get Minnie though, which was kind of nice since she is my favorite.

Bunny Ears Icecream Pen & Lipstick Wax Pen

Back to stationery now, we get two very cute and fun looking writing utensils. First is this icecream pen with a pair of bunny ears for that extra hint of sweetness~

The cream on top and bunny ears are slightly soft and squishy, and there are 2 available; one with yellow inner-ear like i got, or one with pink. Isn’t that ironic...? Each one costs $4.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Despite my not being a fan of yellow, the difference is so tiny that it doesn’t bother me very much. The pen is easy and comfortable to grip, it writes very smoothly and I haven’t noticed any issues with the ink besides the typical smear with fine tips, but if you give it a few minutes to dry you should be good to go.

Overall it’s a very fun, Easter perfect pen; although you can’t put the cap on it while using it, which always bugs me a little...

---

Next is an adorable wax pen inspired by a lipstick ♥ These come in a variety of colors in both the warm and cold color-scheme, and each costs $2.50. Essentially they are wax highlighters and underlining pieces, and they can be twisted to extend, just like a real lipstick!

I think it might even be scented. I smell something from mine that could pass as being Green Apple, but nothing mentions there being any sort of scent. It’s pleasant and light though.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

So besides just looking really cute, I think it would be a really nice alternate for things like pens or highlighting markers. The wax is soft to apply and is visible, while not having an obnoxious scent or drying period.

I’m not sure I’ll have too much use for this, but I am very tempted to buy a couple, or even all of them to do a review and see how they all look, check for scent, etc. I find them aesthetically pleasing and would love just having them for a display item- and in times of need they could be used as a crayon :D

Jewelry Seal Stickers

This is our last item, an adorable set of Jewelry heart and flower seals/stickers. These are available for $2.50 on Blippo and come in a few various colors. As you can see, besides the various hearts and flowers, we also get some spherical pieces and some diamond, leaf-like pieces. They are plastic pieces, giving them a sort of 3Dish look.

I wanted to use them on something. Since I already have gem hearts and Sanrio on my phone, I decided to put them on something else I rely on- perhaps more than my phone:

This is my hand mirror... which is actually several times bigger than most hand mirrors. That’s because this is a vibrant, lighting up mirror that folds back on itself when sitting. It also zooms in, making it useful for hair removal and makeup application.

I’m not any kind of expert or someone with a need to have everything in perfect measurement, so I just went for it. What do you think?

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I really like these! But I did notice a little issue while using them. Some of their sticky pieces wanted to stay on the packaging, or it rolled up while trying to get them off. They were still usable of course, but it did make the process a little tiny bit less fun. It only happened on a couple though, the rest were fine.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I have no complaints, I really like everything. It’s all practical and very kawaii~ 

Price - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Everything comes to $39.83- which greatly shocked me; I think that might be the most money spent on these boxes yet or us, and remmeber we only pay about 20 dollars. On one hand, if you were to buy everything you would get free shipping and a free gift on Blippo, but I felt like a couple of the items could be cheaper, too...

Theme - ♥ I’m sorry but they completely failed this time. We got ONE Easter item- and what makes it worse is that they did WAY better last year with an Easter box, and I know they could have done better this time too. I was kind of disappointed. 

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties. So once again the theme was a huge bust and I feel like they wasted a good opportunity- especially since nobody else really did anything Easter related in comparison to last year. However, despite getting a lot of the typical, same old same old stuff, I really found myself drawn to the ones specifically in this box. The quality is there, they’re ultra-cute and fun to use, so I thought this box did way better than last months, but in saying that, I’m not sure which box I would go to first if I could only choose one, I found items I loved in both of them a lot.

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Wax Lipstick Pen - I admit, this specific color might not have been my first choice- but I think not only is it really pretty and cute to look at, but it’s just plain fun to use :D It’s like a really soft, possibly scented crayon.

2. Nail Decoration Set - Very fun, just like the stickers. I’m excited to try to come up with some other ideas using it and the previous nail set I got from this box. I like the wide variety of pieces we get too!

3. Bunny Icecream Pen - It’s simple but really cute, you get the idea right away looking at it. I just wish I had a place to put the cap... I did consider resting it on the bunny ear, but I don’t want it to get dirty. It’s actually a lot more comfortable to hold than it looks.

4. Jewelry Seal Stickers - Super pretty, it was a lot of fun decoing with them. But like I said, you need to be careful using them since some of their sticky pieces like to cause problems...

5. Neko Plushie - I love its sweet little face~ It’s so soft x3

6. Icecream Cup Charm - It’s almost delicious looking enough to eat~ I am a little bothered by the issue I saw on mine, bu I could probably fix it with some paint or something.

7. Morinaga Chocolate Cookies/Biscuis - very tasty with a mild-sweetness. I love how creative and fun they are when looking at the characters, but I will fault it on the fact that I never tossed this around or anything and I had a bit of a mess and a handful of broken cookies/biscuits waiting for me when I opened it.

8. Disney Chip and Dale Notebook - I think it’s really cute, and I love how decorative it is. But in terms of color-scheme, I’ve never been a big brown fan. That has nothing to do with its use though, the quality is great and if I needed to get more notebooks I’d probably order a few others in the set. 

9. Cat Clips - The cartoony design and colors is really fun to look at, but I am worried they will be kind of fragile...

10. Ribbon Hair Clips - I really, really wanted to like these! I love ribbons and bows, and dot patterns, and hair clips. But I cannot stand the color combinations in this specific set and unless I had something to match or compliment them, I probably won’t be using them.

[thatlesbiannudistcult-stories]

Finding Goddess (Chapter 15)

"Yes? You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Ah, Miss Connors. I just finished speaking to Miss Cassidy and she seemed surprisingly chipper for once. She spoke quite highly of you in particular. Said her meeting with you had been a very informative and inspiring experience."

"Ohh. What...exactly did she say?"

"Oh, a great many things. Such as how you provided actually useful feedback for once, showed you were clearly well-versed in the kind of experiences she was looking for in her writing material, finally understood what we are looking for in the books we publish, that sort of thing. She claimed she might even have an idea for a new story entirely thanks to you."

"I....I see."

"I understand she is a very difficult client to work with, Miss Connors, but she is a very important one, so I would like you to know that I greatly appreciate the work you have put in with her. Nobody else in our company has been able to reach Miss Cassidy in nearly the same capacity as you have today. The next time she needs a little one-on-one time with us, I'll know exactly who to turn to."

"G...great."

"Are you feeling well, Miss Connors? You look awfully red, and you're shaking an awful lot."

"I'm fine."

"You don't need to lie to me for the sake of your job, Miss Connors. And you shouldn't. Go on. Take the rest of the day off. You've earned it."

"I...I...alright. Thank you, sir."

***

Carol thought the way clothes felt on her body yesterday was bad, but after her meeting with Elaine, they had become even more unbearable. Whereas before they closed in on her like a coffin, today it was more apt to say they were piercing her flesh like an iron maiden. It almost hurt to wear them, made her feel dizzy and feverish, even sick to her stomach. It didn't help that they were wet here and there with spilt coffee. At least, she hoped that wetness was just from spilt coffee.

But more than anything else, her hands seemed to be operating on their own accord. They wanted to pop every button off her blouse until her breasts popped out, they wanted to peel every inch of nylon off her legs until they were left completely bare, they wanted to stroke every erogenous area on her body until she burst again. Every ounce of her willpower had to be devoted to keeping one hand firmly grasped on the other to prevent either from stripping her bare while she talked to her boss. Even that was shaky. Or maybe it was just her legs that were shaky. With how violently they were trembling, Carol's ability to stand up for any length of time could only be described as a miracle.

Miracle...I seem to be experiencing a bunch of those, lately.

Carol didn't wait until she got home before she began to take her clothes off. The second her car door slammed shut, she was already tearing voraciously into them, starting with her shoes. She tossed them so contemptuously into her backseat that she could hear the heels snap. Her stockings followed; she didn't so much peel those off her legs as she ripped them off, tearing numerous holes in the fabric and ruining them completely. She didn't care. They were clothes. She hated them. Hated how they covered her body, hated how they stuck to her skin so tightly, hated how they gave her so little room to breathe. If Carol never had to wear stockings again, it would be too soon.

"And...there! Ahhhhhhhh. Much better." Carol let out a deep sigh of relief once she slid her skirt off. She was bottomless now. From the waist down, she didn't have a thread or a stitch on her body. And it felt so good! Even her skin seemed to be moaning with happiness. Things were much less tight around her, air circulated in and out of her lungs more freely, and the temperature just seemed to drop dramatically in and around the mother the more nude she got.

"I should be allowed to be like this all the time," she murmured as she rubbed her thighs and wiggled her toes. "And I could be...if I converted to Zenrism."

Her smile faltered with that thought. Convert to Zenrism. That would definitely solve all her problems. Heck, it would give her everything she ever wanted in life. Permanent 24/7 nudity! Bodily freedom! Sexual liberty! It was everything a woman could ever ask for.

But...it was a big step. One that would no doubt turn her whole life upside-down. It would change the way everyone looked at her, it would dictate the things she would do, the crowds she would run with, and so on. And Carol wasn't so sure she was ready to make such a massive change so soon. She couldn't help but be a little suspicious of it as well; Zenrism sounded too good to be true. There was a definite catch to it, there had to be. It was a cult after all, one that would expect her to believe in all kinds of nonsense.

But then, how nonsensical could it actually be? Strange things were happening the moment she learned about it. Henrietta forgot to put her clothes on the one time. Carol was forgetting to put her clothes on every single day. And she was stripping herself naked without realizing it. Wearing clothing was getting more uncomfortable by the day, the hot coffee didn't affect her at all, in fact, now that she thought about it, it didn't affect Maisie either when it spilled all over her the other day. Was it just as the Holy Scripture said in the story of Kinuse? Were Zenrists really resistant to fire and heat?

And then there were the words that the priestess whispered in her ear as they made love in the grotto.

"I need...I need to think about this," said Carol. Realizing she had been sitting in her car for ten minutes without any pants on, she decided it was time to get a move on. Turning the key in the ignition, the mother rolled the vehicle out of the parking lot and drove away.

***

Driving bottomless was great, but it wasn't enough. Carol's breasts were still trapped in the confines of her blouse, and the way they were pushing against the fabric told her they were screaming for freedom like two hungry babes. So when she stopped at her first red light, Carol wasted no time in giving them their wish. She was naked now, completely butt-naked in her car, and no one was the wiser. No one except maybe the two people in the van right next to her who were staring at her with eyes the size of saucepans.

"Uh...hi," Carol giggled as she gave them a nervous little wave, not knowing what else to do. Fortunately, the light chose that moment to turn green, mercifully giving her a reason to vamoose. "Bye!"

So here Carol was, driving in her car totally naked. It had been a while since she did that and she forgot how...fun it was. Sure, she got to ride with Henrietta as a passenger a few days ago, but this was different. Carol had full control of the situation now. She could drive as fast or as slow as she wanted, pull up as close to the curb as she liked, and decide for herself if she wanted to go left or right. In essence, she had a choice in who she could reveal her naughty little secret to. That college-age group of girls entering the cafe? The old man with the cane on the crosswalk? The despondent-looking mother exiting the grocer with two bags of food in her hands? All viable marks.

N-not that she would of course! Such a thing would most definitely get Carol in trouble, and she didn't want to push her luck anymore. Not after she miraculously dodged that cannonball with Elaine. But if I were a Zenrist, there wouldn't be any luck to push...

She let that thought hang until she pulled into her apartment building's parking lot. She very nearly opened the door and stepped outside before remembering that she was still naked. Riding around in the car without a thing on was one thing, nobody had to know what she was doing (and few people did). But it was another thing altogether to stroll outside in the...altogether. Everyone would see what she was doing, and there would be no way to deny it. Carol would need to put something on first.

But as the mother gazed at her assorted clothes, which had been tossed haphazardly around the car, a feeling of despondence seemed to fall over her. She didn't...want to put them on. She didn't want them covering her breasts, her stomach, her back, her thighs, her butt, her anything. She didn't want them anywhere on her body! Not even for the couple minutes it would take just to walk from her car to her apartment. And now that she was looking at her blouse lazing about on the passenger seat, Carol couldn't help but feel her skin crawl simply from seeing how close it was to her. It was like it could, at any moment, leap up and pounce on her, covering her beautiful skin with its odious fabric.

"Screw it," she said, flinging the door open without a second thought. "I already showed everyone on this street my naked body. What's flashing myself one more time gonna hurt?"

Carol shivered with joy as she stepped out and the sun hit her bare skin, warming it in all the best ways. Goddess, these were the moments she lived for. That she used to live for. That she could live for. That she would do anything to live for. To live nakedly every minute of every day, to feel the very essence of the world with her every inch of skin. The sun caressed everything; its rays crept down her thighs, over the contours of her back, along the slopes of her breasts, and even crawled between her buttocks and slightly parted lower lips. Even the soles of her bare feet were not spared the sun's touch as they took in its warmth from the ground.

"Mmmmm," she moaned as she stretched herself out, thrusting her breasts into the air just to expose them to more of the sun's warming light. This feels divine. Being naked is such a blessing. Why can't more people realize that?

Deciding that she had spent enough time soaking in the rays, Carol locked her car and headed inside, leaving her clothing behind.

[anotheruserwithnoname]

Thoughts on Mary Poppins Returns

I’ve fallen behind on my current-movie viewing due to a number of factors (the only cinema screenings I’ve been to in the last 6 months in fact have been Aquaman at Christmas and twice to see Alita Battle Angel a few weeks ago), but I’m getting caught up as the blu-rays come out. I saw Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse last night and will comment about it later (the tl;dr - good movie, a treasure trove for fans of pop culture, but looks awful on Blu-ray due to the textures used and I still think Incredibles 2 was more deserving of the Best Animated Feature Oscar), but since I actually invoked Mary Poppins Returns in a post I did about Alita yesterday, I thought I’d give some thoughts on this one first.

A spoiler/length break first as I get a bit wordy. I also do touch on some mild spoilers.

The Good

* Emily Blunt. Being unfamiliar with her other musical work, I was not prepared for how good a singer she is. Whether she stacks up to Julie Andrews is in the ear of the beholder, but I thought she was great. She wisely didn’t base her Mary on Julie, in the process giving us a slightly more cynical, world-weary Mary appropriate for someone with a quarter century more life experiences and adventures. I heard some reviewers call her a sexier Mary than Julie’s. I say nonsense to that - they’re equal (the only difference being Emily having a bit more innuendo in one of her songs, which I’ll mention later). One other comment is that when she played Mary, Julie Andrews was not an experienced film actress with only a few TV and film credits prior to Poppins - she was more a stage actress (her lack of screen experience was one of the reasons why Audrey Hepburn got the role of Eliza Doolittle for the My Fair Lady movie instead of Julie); Emily, by contrast, has been making movies and TV shows since 2003, so she has a level of screen-confidence that adds contrast to her performance.

* Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not being overly interested in Hamilton, Miranda has never been on my radar, so I came into this with a clear slate. He is a terrific addition to the film, he commands the screen (even stealing a couple of scenes from Emily, much as Dick van Dyke did from Julie), and director Rob Marshall wisely gives him a couple of Broadway show-like sequences and lets him go wild. This wasn’t his first film role - he has a number of movie and TV credits - but this is his first lead in a major film, and it won’t be his last.

* The kids. The three child actors chosen come off like 25 year olds who have been transplanted into pre-teen brains. Amazing. If they ever decide to remake Harry Potter, they could do worse than consider these three.

* Nackvid Keyd. Although this person’s cameo was I think intended to be a surprise, the trailers and other promotions give it away. Nonetheless, I’m going to keep it spoiler-free for those who haven’t seen it, by using the actor’s pseudonym here. He’s only on screen for about 3 minutes but it’s an amazing 180 seconds - and to both his and the director’s credit, "Mr. Keyd” actually doesn’t upstage the current cast. And his inclusion - as well as a cameo by another veteran of the original film - shows respect to the original film.

* Angela Lansbury. Her cameo (which I don’t think was intended to be quite the same level of surprise as Mr. Keyd’s) was amazing. This was a woman who made her screen debut in the 1944 Ingrid Bergman film Gaslight. Here, she plays a character equivalent to the first movie’s bird woman (though a little more sprightly). It’s widely believed this part was originally meant to be played by Julie Andrews, but Julie, to her credit, reportedly felt appearing in the film would take away from Emily Blunt (similar to how an alleged plan to have Sean Connery appear in Daniel Craig’s Bond film Skyfall as the groundskeeper was wisely dropped in favour of bringing Albert Finney in for the role. Soon as Sean appeared on screen, Daniel would have been done).

* Replicating the look of the original film. There are some scenes where this doesn’t apply, in particular the use of actual locations in London (the original film was all shot on soundstages in Hollywood), but the attention to detail in replicating iconic locations like Cherry Tree Lane, the Banks’ home, etc., is amazing, even allowing for it not being 100% the same - which is understandable since, after 25 years, you would expect a room to get a fresh coat of paint. There’s a touching featurette on the Blu-ray where “Nackvid Keyd” visits the Cherry Tree Lane set and is amazed at the detail.

The meh...

1. The music. Despite my praise for the cast, I was less impressed by the music (even though I bought the CD). Granted, the original score has had more than 50 years to become iconic, and there are a few songs here that could rise to the same level in a half-century. But, at least for me, they never delivered another “Feed the Birds” or “Chim Chim Cheree”. In fact, some of the songs felt almost like pastiches of the Sherman Brother’s originals. The closest to something that felt brand-new was a rap-like song performed by Miranda during the animated sequence, “Cover is Not the Book” (it actually works, while actually referencing something similar that Dick Van Dyke did in the original.)

The not so good

1. They call it a sequel, but, really, it’s more a remake. I’m not alone in noting that the film duplicates the original almost beat for beat. The order of events is similar, the types of songs are similar. Some of the songs sound similar to the earlier versions, even. Instead of acrobatic chimney sweeps, we have acrobatic leeries who go around lighting street lamps. Instead of Uncle Albert who floats when he laughs, we have Aunt Topsy who, for whatever reason, has a condition where her entire world turns upside down once every two weeks. George Banks becomes dejected over apparently losing his job at the bank; Michael Banks becomes dejected over apparently losing his house due to the bank - and both have epiphanies thanks to someone singing them songs. Both films have big production numbers set in animated alternate universes and another involving airbourne objects in the park. Etc. The only really original thing here plotwise is while the original film actually had no villain (George Banks comes the closest to being an antagonist, but even then he barely qualifies), here there is an actual clearly defined villain, as well as a scene or two of actual jeopardy which we never saw in the original. More on this momentarily.

2. The tone is all over the place ... and too much of it is kinda depressing. We know a film set in the height of the Great Depression isn’t going to be all goodness and light, and the ironic tone of the opening number, “Underneath the Lovely London Sky” sets that out clearly (and quite effectively - it’s one of the best scenes in the film). When Mary arrives, Jane and Michael assume she’s out of work and destitute so they take her in out of kindness. And the whole film revolves around Michael possibly losing his family home. Yet ... I thought too much of it was downright sad. Ben Whishaw - another actor I had no idea could sing - gives an amazing performance of “A Conversation” in which Michael talks to his dead wife. But as that description suggests, this isn’t “I Love to Laugh Redux”. In fact it’s such a sad sequence that it takes you right out of the film - which is a bad thing considering the song is performed only about 10 minutes in. They might have been better off saving it for later.

3. There are also aspects of the film that I think violate the spirit of the original Mary Poppins - and possibly PL Travers’ books too. The “Cover is Not the Book” sequence, which is great and probably the closest to a truly memorable original song (I’d have chosen it for the Oscar nomination over “Place Where the Lost Things Go” which was an attempt at replicating “Feed the Birds”), contains some off-colour jokes delivered by both Mary and Jack that really felt out of place. I’m not being prudish on this, and the off-colour bit is mild, but this being Mary Poppins it was still jarring. And a chase sequence, although well done and exciting - and for fans of the original film providing a dark bookend to 1964′s steeplechase sequence - likewise felt like it belonged in another movie. It was almost as if Disney - in a stark contrast to the days when the reverse was true - refused to release a G-rated movie so they had to add a few bits to get the PG. Sort of like how an F-bomb will sometimes pop up in scripts to ensure a movie gets bumped from PG to PG-13 (which famously allows for one F-word before triggering an R rating). Because no one is possibly interested in watching a G-rated movie in the late 2010s, apparently.

So, I guess, I am rather critical of Mary Poppins Returns. I feel not enough was made of the opportunity to create something new, rather than a rehash of the original.

But - don’t get me wrong, it is still a quality film and I’m glad I have the Blu-ray. The cast does a fantastic job, the music isn’t bad (I just felt they didn’t come up with anything as instantly iconic as the songs back in 1964), and once you get past some of the depressing bits it’s a fun film. So I’d still give it a solid 7 out of 10 and I do recommend it. Just maybe don’t watch it right after the original.