#hopefully the pillow for scale shows you how small he is

[pangur-and-grim]

I have a bed bug

[glimmerglanger]

Hey there! Hopefully it’s an OK time to make a request! I truly love your Alpha17/Obi fic, “Just Right”!

Hoping that a prompt of Alpha 17 finally making it to the Negotiator and pretty much stalking Obi and courting Obi in a very gentle and patient un-Alpha 17 way ends with some sexy and soft love making?

Anything will do! I just love this trope and the story you’ve created has been on my mind since it was published!

🥰😍🥰😍

Oooooooh! Well, I couldn’t quite do all the courting (that probably would have gotten longer than the original fic) but! I did do a little bit about the next time they run into each other! Thanks for the request! I have a few more in my inbox that I’m working on, as well!

This is VERY SPICY. SO SPICY. NOT SAFE FOR WIZARDS. Feat: intercrural and bjs and Feelings that 17 wishes he weren’t having.

~~~~

17 felt jittery in his skin from the time he heard that the Negotiator was going to make a stop on Kamino. It was an...unusual feeling, and one he found he disliked immensely. He tried to burn it away sparring with his brothers and, when that failed to work, he grabbed a group of shinies and led them on a run around one of the longer loops on the city.

After the third such loop, he still felt itchy along his bones and gave it up for a loss, retreating to his quarters and the quiet of his fresher.

He’d received a few messages from Kenobi since they’d last worked together. They’d been the usual sort of thing. He’d kept track of mission reports coming out of the Third System Army, too, making sure they routed through to him and reading over the lines of text.

He scrubbed a hand back over his short hair. He’d wanted Kenobi to come to Kamino, wanted an excuse to go back into the field. He hadn’t expected this strange twisting in his gut when he finally got what he’d been hoping for.

That did nothing to diminish the feeling.

He blew out a breath. Kenobi was still a day away, but 17 could imagine him well enough, picture his flashing eyes and that pleased little smile of his. He recalled - their memories were, after all, perfect - the stretch of bare skin and the tight, wet, marvelous heat around his cock.

He’d imagined it all, often, while touching himself in his bunk.

His own hand didn’t come even close to comparing. But it was what he had. What he’d had, anyway, but Kenobi was coming to Kamino…

17 frowned around his bunk and wondered how one went about asking for a repeat of the three days they’d spent in transit, fucking on every available surface.

#

Kenobi walked into the city with his cloak damp and sodden across his shoulders and a grin on his face. He nodded a greeting at 17 and fell into a conversation with Master Ti, and 17 tried not to think about how easy it had been to capture both of Kenobi’s wrists in one hand, pressing them down against the floor and sliding into his body, impossibly, and--

Kenobi glanced his way, an eyebrow raising, and 17 met his gaze evenly, shrugging with one shoulder. He’d made no secret of how much he’d enjoyed their activities. It would be pointless to try to pretend he hadn’t thought about it. Often.

Still, he knew how to be professional. He set the thoughts aside and focused on the discussion.

#

17 managed not to dwell too much on what they’d done throughout the day, but that didn’t stop him from steering Kenobi back to his quarters when evening finally arrived.

His quarters were built larger than most places in the city. The ceilings were tall enough to allow him to stand easily and the bed actually fit his proportions; it would swallow Kenobi, make him look so small, sprawled across it. Compared to the cabins on the cruisers, his room must have seemed huge.

Kenobi looked around, nodded, and said, “Certainly to scale, I have to--”

And then 17 backed him against the wall, slid a hand against his shoulder, and curled down enough to kiss him.

Kenobi moaned against his mouth, shifting from a conversation into the kiss easily, like switching gears on a speeder. He tasted good, mouth hot and sweet, his hands sliding up over 17’s armor, and 17 had taken him against a wall, held him up so easily - Kenobi barely weighed anything - and encouraged Kenobi to curl legs against his waist, because they wouldn’t fit all the way around 17 and--

“How do you feel,” 17 panted out, drawing away just enough to speak, “about a good hard fuck?”

Kenobi rasped out a sound, hair still a little damp from the rains outside, and said, “Oh, I’d quite enjoy that, but, hm, our options are somewhat more limited, this time.”

17 frowned, keeping Kenobi tucked against the wall; it was easy, blocking him in, and satisfying on some deep level. “Why’s that?”

“Well,” Kenobi said, clever fingers sliding along his armor, undoing latches, so he must still have been interested. “It’s been nearly two months since last I’ve seen you.”

“So?” 17 asked, not following, as Kenobi floated his chest plate somewhere across the room and placed it down quietly. He wanted to get his own hands on Kenobi, start taking off his robes, but once he started doing that, well…

Following the train of this conversation would grow harder.

“So, I’ve spent two months around all the men in the 212th,” Kenobi said, dry, and for a moment that made no sense as an explanation, until it did. Kenobi had explained, during one of the periods where they’d both needed a rest, how his people’s reproductive systems worked.

After two months, his reproductive organs would be perfectly compatible with all the men in the 212th. There was no way he’d be able to take 17. Not safely. 17 frowned, something twisting fast and hot and unpleasant in his gut at that thought, wondering if any of them realized. If they’d like the thought as much as he’d liked it, when Kenobi fitted him just right.

“Oh,” 17 said, drawing back, setting aside the flash of unknown emotion and a deeper sense of disappointment. Kenobi had been the only person he could--

“But I’m sure there are other options we can explore,” Kenobi said, following him, an arm sliding over his shoulders. “Unless you’re not interested?”

17 considered it. His disappointment almost had him shaking his head, sending Kenobi to his own bunk. But… they’d enjoyed themselves plenty, last time, and not just when he’d slid into the sweet embrace of Kenobi’s body.

And he didn’t want Kenobi to run off.

He frowned and asked, “What do you have in mind?”

Kenobi grinned, pulled himself up to take a kiss, and said, “Come here, let me show you.”

#

Kenobi positively got lost in the middle of 17’s mattress, just like 17 had known he would. He looked small - smaller than usual, even - spread out across the sheets, bare skin all on display, covered in freckles and scars.

17’s cock ached, a solid throb of need between his legs as he stroked himself with the lube Kenobi had pressed into his hands. Kenobi had told him to get very slick before rolling onto his stomach, 17’s pillow shoved under his hips.

“You’re sure this is what we should do?” 17 asked, hearing the doubt in his own voice.

Kenobi glanced over his shoulder - kriffing hell, the way he looked - and flashed a smile. “I think you’ll quite enjoy it,” he said, “just give it a try.”

17 grunted, but, in truth, he felt utterly incapable of refusing Kenobi when he was all stretched out, back bowing from the pillow under his hips, the insides of his thighs slick and shiny with lube.

“Come here,” Kenobi coaxed, shifting his ass back and forth, and, well. 17 wasn’t going to say no to that. He slid forward, hands moving over warm, perfect skin, knees making the bed dip, tilting Kenobi back towards him.

It was so easy to blanket him. 17 could cover him completely, and had, before, on a battlefield to shield him from shrapnel. But there were no explosions in his quarters. Just slick, warm skin as he sank down over Kenobi, cock brushing over the curve of his ass.

Kenobi hummed, tilting his hips back further, and 17’s cock slid forward, easy, between his legs.

“There you go,” Kenobi murmured, pressing his strong thighs closer together and - oh - the pressure felt good, good enough that 17 rocked his hips forward, cock sliding on slick skin, feeling all the lean muscles in Kenobi’s thighs and--

And the hot, wet slide of him, of the place where 17 could no longer fit, and he groaned, frustration and want all tangled together.

“You feel so good,” he rasped out, hips dragging back and pushing forward again, feeling the head of his cock just catch at - at the edge of Kenobi’s body and oh he wanted, but he could only drag the top of his cock along, sliding between the tight pressure of his thighs, muscles flexing against him and--

He dropped to his elbows, his arms long enough to still hold him up off of Kenobi’s back. He could look down, across Kenobi’s bright hair and the bunch of muscles in his shoulders. He could see Kenobi’s hands, clenched in the blankets as 17 moved between his legs, lube making the glide easy, friction building up the heat between them, Kenobi’s ass hard and firm against his hips each time he pushed forward.

He could remember taking Kenobi like this. Force, he’d remembered taking Kenobi like this, so many times, cock sliding in instead of forward, he’d be so tight, so wet, so hot, and--

17’s orgasm caught him by surprise and he groaned, head dropping forward as his cock jerked between Kenobi’s thighs. He shifted his hips back, unthinking, wanting the come all over skin, not his pillow and sheets.

“See,” Kenobi started, tilting to look over his shoulder, “I--oh!”

He looked gratifyingly startled when 17 pushed onto an arm, grabbed his hip, and flipped him onto his back. His chest was flushed - but only a little - and his cock stretched up towards his stomach, still hard.

17 could fix that. Wanted to fix that, so badly it made his jaw ache.

He shifted around, put a hand on Kenobi’s chest to keep him still, and bulled his way between Kenobi’s legs, curving over.

He tasted his own come, when he licked over Kenobi’s cock, sliding his lips down over heated skin. His come was everywhere, there always seemed to be so much of it when they did things together. It streaked over Kenobi’s thighs and--

And 17 couldn’t help but bringing his other hand up, sliding over skin, between Kenobi’s legs and - kriffing hell - it was there, too. He groaned, helplessly, and Kenobi echoed the sound, fingers scrambling at 17’s hair as he rubbed two fingers through the slick smear of his own come.

Kenobi cried out, all thick with pleasure, when 17 slid those two fingers over him, and then, with a renewed throb of want, into him.

Kenobi felt so tight around his fingers, hot and wet and squeezing. He knew how thick his fingers were, wondered if they were just about all Kenobi could take in his present state, and the thought made something in his spine go all white hot.

He bobbed his head, sucking as he moved his hand, curling his fingers while Kenobi’s legs curled up around his shoulders, while Kenobi gasped and tried fruitlessly to squirm under him, the sounds escaping his throat getting thicker and louder and--

17 swallowed when Kenobi gave it up for him, smiling at the feel of Kenobi’s body squeezing around his fingers, clenching in waves. He slid his fingers back and out, giving a last suck, after a long moment, and Kenobi gasped his name.

He looked...dazed and relaxed, sprawled on the bed, uncomplaining about 17’s hand on his chest, his heartbeat translating up into 17’s fingers. He looked...soft. And peaceful. And 17 felt, again, the way he had on their trip, that he’d very much like to keep Kenobi looking that way all the time.

He shivered at the thought, shook his head, and said, “You’re right, that was a good idea.” He cleared his throat, and, before Kenobi could start gloating, pulled both of Kenobi’s legs up, over one of his shoulders, and went on, “Do you think it would work like this, too?”

[awkward-tension-art]

Put on a Show

So @weebsinstash has an incredible yandere!erasermic x reader series go read everything they write, its fantastic

I wanted to play around with the idea too, so i asked for permission on anon lol.

enjoy this full 2,090 words

Warning: yandere themes, yandere!erasermic, League of Villains, fear, mentions of past torture, mentions of abuse, mentions of past abusive relationship, implied  Spinner x Reader, kissing, Villain origin story, female pronouns used for reader, (if i missed a tag lmk)

You ran. You ran as fast and as far as you could. Your bare feet hit the wet ground, cursing as you stumbled. Your hands hit the mud, but you didn’t stop.

Even when your lungs screamed.

Even when your muscles burned.

You kept going.

With luck, a razor and your own wits you had managed to escape that hell house. You’d managed to escape from the clutches of your obsessed demons. 

At the slight thought of your tormentors, the now healed break in your leg aches all over again. 

Keep going.

Keep going.

KEEP GOING.

The woods betrayed you before, but hopefully, the downpour may erase your footprints. A branch latched onto your shoulder and you screeched. Memories of Aizawa’s cruel grasp flooded your mind. You slipped on the wet ground, tumbling down a slight incline. 

Dazed, confused and hurt, you ignored your pain and kept going. Desperation and adrenaline kept you going.

Do not stop.

Do not stop.

You looked down to avoid losing your eyes to another branch, only to embarrassingly run straight into a tree. Your body fell back, landing harshly on the mud.

You heard a groan.

Trees do not groan.

Fear overran your systems as you slowly, shakily looked up.

In front of you was a man covered in green scales. He looked more like a lizard, than an actual human, but you quickly guessed that was his quirk. But, he wasn’t alone.

A scarred man with piercings. A teenage girl with blond hair. Another man with a mask. And lastly…

You recognized him from the news.

Shigaraki.

The League Of Villains

“What the hell,” The lizard-man hissed, rubbing his head, “Where the fuck did you come from?”

You took your chances.

“Please…” you gasped, looking up at the white haired leader, “Help me.”

It took approximately 3 seconds to be taken from the forest. The scarred man, Dabi you learned, pulled out his phone and called Kurogiri, their method of transport. 

Spinner, surprisingly like a gentleman, helped you stand and introduced himself. 

Not a second later your vision was filled with black and you were out of the rain.

Out of the cold.

Out of the monsters’ clutches.

Instead, you found yourself in a surprisingly comfortable bar scene. It was warm, bright, and quite homey.

Shigaraki continued to stare at you, his red eyes giving away nothing. The blonde however, hovered, as she began to talk. You couldn’t keep up, exhaustion slowing your mind and mental process. All you managed to register is ‘blood’.

A tall woman spoke up first, “oh dear, look at you. You look like a wet rat.” She inspected you before standing straight, “Let me get you something dry.You can call my Big Sis Magne!”

You nodded, managing a small “thank you,” as she rushed out of the room to come back with a dry towel, draping it over you.

‘Huh, it smells nice,’ you thought, wrapping it around your shoulders, taking in the small comfort. Almost like roses and lavender…

The leader finally spoke up, “Who are you?”

That was the question. That one simple question caused the dam to burst. You broke down, telling them everything. The torture, the abuse, the agony, all by the hands of two supposed heroes. You went over every grueling, painful detail, tears pouring down your face. 

They knew of your captors and torture before they even knew your name.

With every word, The league members, especially Dabi, became more and more disgusted and angry. You didn’t even finish when Spinner offered a kind hand for you to hold onto. 

“P-please,” you finally managed, “D-don’t send me back…”

Shigaraki scoffed, “Heroes think they can just do whatever they want huh? Well fuck ‘em. Eraserhead and Present Mic want their precious treasure back? Well too bad. It’s ours now.”

Big Sis Magne let out a happy laugh, “Oh good! Another girl! If you ask me, only having Toga around was getting to be too much.” She took your other free hand, “We’re gonna be such a good team, those nasty heroes won’t know what hit them.”

“I can’t wait to make them pay with their blood,” Toga smiled, her golden eyes shining with excitement. Dabi remained silent, but Spinner gave you a kind smile. “What a show it will be! You, coming face to face with those demons, and having us at your back!” The one with the mask, Mr.Compress, finally spoke, giving a theatrical hand wave.

With every word, you felt your shoulders get lighter. 

“Now,” The leader, your new leader, spoke up, “Tell me all about your quirk, and those pieces of garbage that hurt you.”

When Shouta and Hizashi returned home, they knew something was wrong. The house seemed...cold. You were not in the living room, nor the kitchen. 

They assumed this was one of your bad days. Where you’d sleep until it was late at night, only so you can avoid them.

Quickly, that changed. 

The closer Shouta got to your door, the more he felt his gut twist. The air seemed wet and almost humid.

“Hey, are you awake in there?” He knocked, concerned, “I’m coming in!” 

When he opened the door, the wet air made sense. Your window was open, rain poured in from the storm outside. The carpet and everything else by the window was soaked, giving the hero a clue that you’ve been gone a while. 

“HIZASHI!” The black haired male called out, darting into the room. Desperately he looked around, only to look up when he heard his husband cry out. 

“She’s gone! Our songbird is gone!!” He panicked, aiding Shouta in his desperate search. The couple tore apart the house, hoping this was something else. Hoping you didn’t leave through the window. 

They hoped and prayed, only for their optimism to be dashed when their search turned up empty. 

“We need to go after her!” The blonde hero cried, “s-she could be hurt! She doesn’t know how to take care of herself!!” 

Shouta was already preparing to venture outside. He was at the door when he turned to look at his severely distressed husband, “stay here. In case she comes back, I’ll go look for her.” 

With that, Eraserhead ran out of the front door of the house, hoping to find you in the woods. 

Days became weeks became months. With every passing hour, you felt happier and lighter. Your spirit and soul were healing. It will take time, but you knew you were able to recover. You had escaped, and found a family who would ride or die with you. 

You’d ride or die with them. 

Spinner was especially kind to you. He was a gentleman, always asking before touching. You spent most of your free time with him when he or you weren’t gone collecting information or searching for members. 

You still weren't comfortable going on missions by yourself. Most of the them were with Dabi, Big Sis Magne or Jin, who you’d met shortly after your joining. Despite the short time with them, you felt like you belonged. You helped them, they helped you. You became a part of their family. 

They’d even gone so far as to get your cat Mochi back. Dabi simply dumped the kitty on your lap and walked away without saying anything. You missed your feline friend, and now in the league, he gets all the love the villains could muster. 

They try to keep sudden loud noises to a minimum. Occasionally a surprise yell or sound would happen, but someone was always quick to jump to your defense. 

It was mostly Shigaraki, but he’d apologize begrudgingly.

Even he wasn’t so bad. You had gone with Toga to get him a new controller, and he’s tolerated you ever since (maybe even respect you after you managed to beat him to a quick video game match). 

This was your life. This was your freedom. 

This was what you wanted. 

It’s been hell without you. Shouta and Hizashi were in hell. It’s been months since the eraser hero found your footprints surrounded by others. It’s been months of searching. Months of desperation to rescue you from your kidnappers. That’s the only logical reason for your disappearance. 

You were kidnapped. 

You needed them. You needed your lovers. 

But they couldn’t save you. 

Some nights Shouta would wake up alone. He’d be cold and lonely. Slowly he’d walk to your room, and find his blonde husband asleep, holding your favorite pillow. 

It stopped smelling like you a while ago. 

With every passing day their hope waned. With every passing hour their hearts ached. 

Shouta finally broke down one night. When he woke up alone again he wandered to your room, finding Hizashi in his usual position. Instead of being asleep, the blonde’s shoulders shook with muffled sobs and cries. 

The Eraser hero sat on the bed and held his husband, not bothering to muffle his own weeping. 

This isn’t what they wanted. 

The view from the roof was both beautiful and hilarious. You orchestrated a nomu attack, remaining hidden. Spinner was accompanying you. The others were scattered around the city, taking in the chaos. 

You remembered those roads and streets. You walked them for so long. 

Until those bastards stole you. 

Now, with your life in the league, you could stroll down the sidewalk again. You could see the sky and feel the sun. 

You could punish heroes for abandoning you. For letting you get kidnapped. 

A smile graced your lips. The chaos of the nomu was beautiful. 

There was a flash of black in the corner of your eye, and you turned your head. Slowly, your smile grew at the sight of Eraserhead struggling to take down the brutish monster. 

Only to have your smile fade when Present Mic saves him. 

“Ugh, I hate them.” You growled, “I see them and I hate them.” 

Spinner looked up from his spot on the roof. He swished his tail once before following your gaze to your distant tormentors.  

“You should put on a show,” he put a hand on your shoulder, “drive ‘em even more bat shit.”

You laughed warmly, the idea of breaking their hearts even more gave you infinite joy. 

“Mind if I use you?” You asked, preparing to use your quirk. 

With the villains you have gotten stronger. Your quirk was a weapon. A strong, powerful, useful weapon. 

You’re the opposite of what Shouta and Hizashi said over and over again. 

They can’t tell you that you're weak. Not anymore. 

There was a tipped over bus, and that’s where you planted the illusion. 

You and Spinner, hand in hand. 

Oh this is gonna be good. 

When they dealt with the Nomu, Hizashi looked to the bus, and even from a distance, you could see his eyes widen. 

“S-songbird!” 

You gagged, and Spinner laughed softly beside you.

Shouta looked up, meeting the illusions gaze. 

You feared he’d use his quirk, destroying your fun, but he didn’t, at least not in that instant. 

“G-get away from her!” The black haired male shouted, his black eyes trained on fake-spinner. 

“No,” the illusion spoke, “I think your precious songbird belongs to me.”

The illusion of spinner pulled illusion you closer. The illusion of you looking bashful.

Shouta prepared an attack, jumping up in the air to do so. Hizashi prepared his own quirk, apparently ok with sacrificing your well-being to get you. 

You cause fake-spinner to dip fake-you into a deep kiss. 

That was apparently distracting enough to cause Present Mic to choke on air, and Eraserhead to stumble and miss his attack. 

“Come on my sweet,” fake-you cooed, “let’s go.” 

You created one more illusion, covering the two fakes in smoke, making them disappear. 

As you finished with your quirk, you rubbed your temples. 

Spinner laughed beside you, “m-my sweet! Oh my god you killed me.” 

You gave a faint smile, that only grew when you heard Hizashi’s mournful howling. 

Spinner and you peered over the edge of the roof, and spotted the two of them breaking down. The blonde was wailing. You swear you saw his fat tears from your position. 

Shouta just looked broken. He looked absolutely devastated.

Maybe a long time ago that sight would have hurt you. 

You made eye contact with your partner next to you. 

“My sweet,” you teased, promptly bursting into laughter.

“Let’s go! Before they hear us!” Spinner tried to shush you, failing with his own giggling. 

You nodded and grabbed his hand. 

“Let’s go then,” you winked, “my sweet.”

The both of you fled, making your way to Jin and Toga. 

You smiled at the sight of them, only feeling happier as more of your family of villains got together. 

This is exactly where you wanted to be. 

A villain, to make those heroes suffer.

[imastrangeone98]

Claim

(A/N: Dante is my sweet baby child who's an absolute dom monster in bed... in my head at least)

WARNING: heat smex (ngl I want redemption from the last one I tried to write; I now deem early morning "non-canon"); DT smex- the demon wants what it wants; breeding kink (dont read if it makes you uncomfortable)

Can be any Dante, but I personally imagine him closer to 1

I'm aware that Halloween is kind of the day that supernatural magic is at its most powerful, so yea, demon instinct would be on overdrive. And since I imagine them to be in their early 20s now, maybe it's when the moon is full that it gets worse

Faith couldn't help but notice that Dante was acting more... clingy, to say the least.

For one thing, he insisted on having her sit on his lap from sunrise to long past sunset, where he kept his face buried in the crook of her neck, sniffing and licking her skin, even leaving the occasional love bite.

Another thing that troubled her was the way he attached himself to her back. From the kitchen, to the ocean, to even the door of the bathroom: no matter what she was doing, he wanted to be a part of it.

But of course, the most obvious thing was his body.

He constantly complained that it was too hot, even though it was approaching winter. His skin felt alarmingly warm, almost feverish, which she actually appreciated as the chill began to creep further into the shop.

And who could forget the smell? His pheromones were abnormally strong, sending the heavy, spicy scent of cinnamon throughout the entire office. It made her knees too weak; her heart pounded way too fast; and her angelic instincts were on overdrive, urging her to comfort her mate.

But tonight, he didn't seem to want anything, having closed himself off in his room and refused to come out.

So now she stood in the kitchen, stirring a small pot of soup, listening to the pouring rain outside, along with the occasional roar of thunder.

She checked the calendar. October 31. Winter and magic was on its way.

Just then, with the boom of the thunder, the lights suddenly flickered out, leaving her stuck in complete darkness.

She sighed. Lightning. Of course.

As she fumbled about to turn off the stove, there was a soft growl. And she turned around to see a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at her.

Oddly enough, she didn't feel terrified, or even remotely scared. In fact, they looked familiar...

"...Dante?" she called out, feeling more certain in her guess. "Is that you?"

If it was him, he didn't respond. Instead, he prowled closer, and she couldn't help but feel like prey under the hungry eyes of a predator.

Like she was about to be devoured.

It wasn't long until he had her pinned to the countertop, face buried in her neck and panting. His bare skin felt sticky with sweat. He reeked of pheromones; it sent her head spinning.

And buzzing through her fingertips was raw, unbridled want.

"What's wrong, love?" she whispered to him, gently running a hand down his back, ignoring the growing dampness in her underwear.

"I can't," he hissed, his voice distorted with energy. "Can't take it anymore."

Her eyes widened. "Can't take what?"

"This." Snatching her wrist, he placed her hand right above something hot and very, very hard.

Her cheeks burned. "Oh."

Sharp fangs nipped at her chin, and those blazing red eyes peered into her own once more. "Be good for me," he crooned, pressing against her even more. She could feel his chest rumble with the all too aroused growl he was releasing. "Be a good girl for me. Don't make me punish you."

Faith swallowed. Of course, she knew there was no way he'd hurt her; neither would his demonic half. But she had no doubt that even with her angelic power, he would find some way to make her pay.

Usually in bed. Especially in bed. And those days were horrendous for her patience.

So she yielded, showing her neck to him for good measure. Instantly, a pleased growl rumbled in his chest, and his nose brushed against her skin before moving away. A strong arm wrapped itself around her knees and hoisted her up, and she felt herself being carried away, with only the soft patter of rain and Dante's surprisingly light cadence of footsteps to give away where they were going.

A door slammed open and shut. The smell of cinnamon and something distinctly male permeated throughout the room. Soft sheets and old clothes formed what seemed to be a nest on the bed. And... was that her hoodie?

"Not enough," Dante growled, laying her in the nest, tugging off her shirt and adding it to the pile. "Not enough of you. Not enough for me."

He fussed with her sweatpants, hissing at the unyielding fabric, before losing his patience and tearing right through it, along with her underwear. She shivered at the cold air, only to feel him press against her legs, mouthing at her exposed core.

"Mine," he purred, licking at her skin with an unusually rough tongue. "All mine."

Lightning flashed outside, and she saw him change in the bright light: scales rippled all over his body, his teeth elongated into fangs, and his now sharpened claws dug into her thighs. His body glowed red, and the plates between his legs shifted, revealing his much larger, more ridged cock, leaking profusely with precum.

He was already tough to fit as a human. This was impossible.

With nothing more than a growl to warn her, he grasped her hips, lined himself up with her core, and pressed right in.

Faith was getting ready to flinch, given the complete lack of preparation. But the pain was minimal, almost nonexistent- she would wonder why if she wasn't trying to bury her face in the pillows. A wet heat spread throughout her body, sending tingles from her stomach to the tips of her toes, only encouraging her to spread her legs wider.

A pleasured purr rumbled in his chest; his eyes glowed a fierce red, burning brighter once his hips pressed flush against hers.

She felt so full. She felt so needy.

"D- Dante..." she whimpered.

In an instant, he leaned down and licked her cheek- his demonic way of showing affection. His first few thrusts were slow, gentle, just barely slipping out of her increasingly wet entrance before pushing back in.

"Mate," he cooed as he nuzzled her.

"Mate," she repeated, pressing a loving kiss to his neck.

His body glowed with red light. His clawed hands shook as he kept her thighs steady.

She reached for his wrist, fingers stroking the leathery skin that pulsed with crimson. The raging inferno of lust that burned underneath was barely tempered by the human inside him, urging himself to keep it together, don't hurt her, don't you fucking dare hurt her-

"It's okay," Faith whispered with a reassuring smile. "You won't hurt me."

He let out a half-hearted hiss, as if he was warning her.

"I trust you." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Take your fill of me."

His eyes narrowed, and he slammed into her, rapidly picking up the pace. The wet squelches of his hips meeting hers sounded even more lewd when he threw her legs over his shoulders and pressed down against her, forcing his cock deeper inside her body.

"Gonna breed," he snarled into her ear. "Get you fat and swollen with my pups. Gonna stuff you full."

She moaned, just barely able to hear him through the hot waves of her release sweeping over her.

"Yeah? You like that? You like being my personal cumdump? My own little breeding hole?" Grabbing her, he hoisted her up into his lap, forcing a scream out of her throat as he impaled her on his thick cock. "Then you're mine. Forever. No one else can have you."

"Y- yours," she gasped, another orgasm ripping through her. The spots from the first one still haven't disappeared.

"That's right. Mine." He bared his fangs in a demonic smile. "Gonna mark you. Pump you so full of my cum, you'll leak for days. Have you squeeze out my pups out of that tight cunt, year after year." His teeth grazed her neck, tongue licking hot stripes down her skin.

She lost track after that. All she could do was take the raw pleasure he gave her, babble something about bearing his pups, making him a daddy, I'll give you anything, just please gimme more, more, more!

And he did. His thrusts were unyielding. The hot ropes of cum that filled her were never-ending.

She didn't even realize he had changed back into human form until her face was pressed against the soft pillows, the leathery scales of his palms on her hips now calloused skin, the press of his mouth against her shoulder soft lips instead of fangs.

She whimpered, too lust-drunk to say anything.

"Just one more," Dante rasped, kissing her cheek. "Cum for me, angel. One more."

His fingers brushed against her overstimulated clit, and she wailed, feeling the exhausting rush of her upteenth orgasm. Hopefully her last for the night.

The half-demon collapsed on top of her, panting and shivering. His cock twitched inside her, surrendering its last spurts of seed to her womb. He purred, leaning forward just slightly to nuzzle her neck, scenting her.

He mumbled something against her skin, but she couldn't hear it.

She slept.

[...]

"Angel~"

Faith squinted, and blinked drowsily. Buttery sunlight filtered through the blinds, but an equally drowsy Dante popped into her view.

"Hey," he croaked, giving her a sleepy grin and rubbing her nose with his own. "Sleep okay?"

She smiled, and gave him a deep kiss. "Uh huh."

The smell of cinnamon was much weaker than yesterday. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Yeah. Kinda hungry, though." Leaping out of bed, he slid on his pants and scooped up his yawning mate, sauntering downstairs to the kitchen. "I'll make waffles. How's that sound?"

"You're just saying that because it's the only thing you can cook."

"That's not true!"

As they debated, she was distracted from the way he fondly, almost knowingly, rubbed her stomach.

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

A/N: I'm much more proud of this one than early morning, although to be fair, it was one of my very first smuts and I had no idea what I was doing

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 79: The Glass Floor Beneath Our Feet

I am sorry.

First  Previous  Next

Fingertips trail over skin, and lips follow. Lance inhales deeply, doesn’t open his eyes. It’s a nice feeling, those hands… Mmmh, the tug of claws against his scales...

“Good morning,” Keith murmurs, just before the sharp, delicious sting of pointed teeth plucking into Lance's bared throat. He jolts, stubbornly keeps his eyes closed. “Open your eyes for me?... Please?”

As if Lance could deny such a fond request, lashes fluttering open to reveal brilliant blue and pink gazing into glinting amethyst and gold. He’s on his back, Keith in his lap, leaning over him. It’s a dazzling image: lean, still-toned muscle rippling beneath purple-furred skin, long limbs, sheets of pitch black hair tumbling down. And those deep purple eyes, wide and shining, pupils narrowed to slits, playful as the accompanying smile.

“Hi,” Lance mumbles, still sleepy. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel great! Seems those pills worked. Little one and I will get to eat today. How are you?”

“Mmmh…” Lance sighs, gazing sleepy and dazed at his love.

“Happy birth quintant.” Keith leans down, kisses him again, hands on his cheeks, thumbs caressing his scales. His tail curls around Lance’s ankle.

“Hm.” Lance hums, working up to a smile as he kisses back. He mumbles, “You should wake me up like this every morning.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you.” Keith sits back in Lance’s lap, hands sliding down the Altean’s chest.

“I really, really would.” Lance’s hands find Keith’s bare hip, his arm, touch as fond as his gaze. His gaze roves over Keith’s form. “It’s been a while since I got a good look at you… You don’t seem much changed.”

“I know. But I have a scan tomorrow with Thace, so hopefully he’ll be able to provide me with some kind of timeline or rate of development. Unless there’s something wrong…”

“Hey.” Lance squeezes Keith’s forearm. “Little One is fine. There’s no reason at all to think otherwise.”

“...I love you,” Keith whispers, smiling. “And Little One loves you too.”

“Of course they do! I’m very loveable! Speaking of which…” Lance waggles his eyebrows. “If you wanted to, y’know-”

“Oh, shut up.” Keith leans down, kisses his mate soundly, fingers curling around to the back of Lance’s neck to sweeten the angle. He rasps over Lance’s smooth tongue as his fingers slide up into his starlight hair. As Lance’s hands find his hips, one of his own finds the headboard. Keith hums, pleased with himself as he positions himself in Lance’s lap-

And their door opens.

“Lancel, happy-”

Keith pulls away, turns to glare at Alfor, who’s staring at the scene before him. His ears pin back, tail twitching back and forth with irritation.

“Can we help you?” he asks, not bothering to hide their indecency despite his mate’s hands snapping up to cover his own, blushing face. Keith doesn’t even remove his hand from the headboard. He's much too annoyed to be embarrassed.

Alfor sighs, turns to leave, nothing but an “and we’re back to this shit” and an eye roll before he slams their bedroom door.

Keith snickers, laughs down at his mate. “Lance… Lance, come on.” The Altean removes his hands from his reddened face, lets Keith place them back on his hips. “Come on, your father’s seen you worse.”

“That was different! I wanted him to see!”

“Oh my gods, kiss me.”

Lance does just that, pushing himself up on his pillows. When his arm wraps around Keith’s waist, that’s when the Galra knows he’s got his mate exactly where he wants him.

-You’re right that I took little advantage of my time on Daibazaal. I saw nothing of your planet except what you forced so affectionately upon me. I would absolutely love to see more- all your favorite places, all the ones you think of when you think of home.

Still, I hope you will visit here again. There are places on Altea that are just as beautiful as your ocean. I want to share them with you, the same way you have shared your home with me. The respect we have cultivated is still fragile, newly born, and I would nurture it.

Regardless, I have hope we will be together again before long. I miss you.

All my love,

Adam

Personal Attendant to

Crown Prince Lancel of Altea

And Prince Yorak of House Kogane of Daibazaal and Altea

Shiro smiles, files the letter away on his datapad with all the other correspondence between himself and his beloved Altean. Adam was telling the truth when he’d said he was more articulate in writing. Every letter the attendant sent was almost exclusively things he would never say in person. The fact that Shiro receives script instead of typeface, that Adam writes to him by hand, affects him in a particular way with every letter.

It’s absolutely going to Shiro’s head, no doubt about it. An exclusive look at what actually goes on in Adam’s mind? Sign him the fuck up.

Shiro scans the empty training yard. This quintant is optional training, but usually he has at least a few men running about. Something doesn't feel right, hasn’t for a while. Now, it feels outright wrong.

He could call Adam, but if something is wrong, contacting Altea might be dangerous. Deciding he’d better investigate, Shiro rises from his spot on the ground, stretching wide, casual, inconspicuous.

As he lowers his arms, the mane on his back lifts on end, and he feels like someone is watching him. Turning, he sees nothing, smells nothing, hears nothing.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

“Hm.” Shiro cocks his head, heads in the direction of the mysterious presence until he arrives at Control. He hasn’t passed a single person, seen another Galra. The only sound is the patter of his feet on the stone floor. It’s like the compound has been abandoned.

At Control, Thace and Ulaz are watching various security feeds, frowns deep on their faces. Raj is missing.

“Gentlemen.”

“Captain. Where is everyone?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro murmurs. “There have been a lot of deserters lately…” “Yes,” Ulaz agrees, “But it seems like half of our remaining numbers are missing. Like they vanished overnight. And the feeds stalled out last night. We can’t find the records.”

“Where are your kits?” Shiro queries, keeping himself calm, controlled. Just in case someone is watching. “Your little one?”

“Raj is with Mashan and the triplets for today. Is your Altean here?”

“No.” Shiro turns to his friends. Thace’s garnet eyes haven’t left the screens, even as they look thoughtful, evaluating the situation.

“Sir, I must send a message to Adam. Prince Yorak is due for a scan this quintant. I want it done immediately, and remotely. Just in case.”

“Agreed. We should position ourselves near the prince and princess.”

“Not the imperial couple?”

“No. The prince and princess are definitely not our enemy. I cannot say the same for Zarkon or Honerva.” Shiro grits his teeth. “Stay vigilant.”

“Yes sir.”

Adam is arguing with Vetroneius. Which is exactly what he didn’t want for his morning.

“He does not need new clothes. He’s happy with what he’s wearing-”

“It’s unprofessional, and he will have a wardrobe that befits his status.” Vetroneius’ eyes don’t waver. “You might be able to terrorize everyone else around here, but not me, attendant.”

Adam leans forward, feeling fiercely protective of the small Galra he’s grown so fond of.

“Is that the truth?” Adam’s eyes flash green, his quintessence piercing the other Altean’s skull like a lance, a needle’s poke through the gray matter. He leans back at their frightened squeak. “I thought not.”

Adam stares Vetroneius down. “Price Yorak will not be coming in for any measurements. He has made it very clear that he prefers his own clothes, and says making anything for him would be a waste. He does not wish for you to spend your efforts on something that will not be worn.

“However, should he require any alterations in the future, he will let you know. Good day, my friend.”

“I’m not your friend.”

“Everyone is my friend, even if only by necessity-” A ping from Adam’s datapad cuts his words short. It’s a message from Thace.

I cannot travel today. Tavo will conduct the scan while I observe remotely. Have the princes report immediately to Medical.

Ventroneius peers over Adam’s shoulder. “That… cannot be good.”

“No. That Galra is never in a hurry to do anything. I’d best get moving…” Adam hesitates. “I recommend you and your tailors leave now. Go home.”

“Most are wards of the castle. But I will send them to their quarters to await instructions if need be.” Vetroneius pauses. “You could have just told me he was pregnant. It would have saved us both a lot of trouble.”

“The princes informed me that they wish to keep it to themselves for now. I am merely following orders.”

“Hm. Well let him know that when he inevitably needs alterations made, I would be happy to help him.”

Adam nods, leaves without another word. When he arrives at the princes’ quarters, he knocks.

The door opens to a grinning, disheveled Lance. “Hey! Someone knows how to knock!”

Keith’s giggling as he pulls his shirt down over his head. Adam sighs. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“No. Alfor did, though. He busted right in here-”

“The point is!” Lance cuts in, blushing. “My father is not very polite.”

“We knew that already. Now.” Adam pushes up his glasses. “I received a message from Thace. For undisclosed reasons, he cannot make the trip to Altea, so he will be joining us remotely. He asked that we begin immediately, so I came to retrieve you.”

The princes frown, immediately concerned. Keith asks, “He wouldn’t say why?”

“No. He only gave instructions.”

“We should go now,” the Galra determines. Lance immediately takes his hand, and the three hurry down the halls.

Tavo is already prepared. “Hello, your Majesties. Do you know what the objective is today?”

Keith licks his lips, hesitant to be anything but anxious, but when Lance’s hand squeezes his, the word “heartbeat” exits his mouth on a smile.

“Yes.” Tavo smiles. “Are you ready, Thace?”

“Entirely!” The genial Galra’s face shows up on the screen. “I’ve got the feed from your machine, so I am all set. Keith, have you seen any difference in your physicality?” Thace seems very at ease, but Keith’s not sure if it’s a farce. It could be, or it could be that “happy-friendly” is the man’s only real mood. Either way, he finds himself lying in a chair.

“No, though I’ve noticed a subtle soreness in my hips. And my chest. No bump.” Keith climbs into the chair.

“All of that is expected in your case. We’ll run some bloods to check your folic acid to make sure that’s still where it should be and analyze your overall health, and then do a careful scan.”

Keith nods, pulls off his shirt, watching Tavo take a few vials of blood. Lance takes his hand in both of his, kissing each of his fingers, a welcome distraction from the needles he’s developed such an aversion to. He’s a grown-up. He can deal. He takes a deep breath, swallows his apprehensive nausea, focuses on Lance’s touch- And it’s over. He breathes a sigh of relief.

Tavo lays a thin, clear film over Keith’s lower abdomen, to “protect the little one.” Keith smiles his appreciation, nervous. Lance must pick up on it, because he squeezes Keith’s hand tight, kisses his ear while the medic positions the scanner above his abdomen.

And then… a little blob, in a circle of empty space. And the blob becomes a little… thing. With a tail, stubby arm lumps, a snout sort of thing, the bumps that will become a spine…

*be-beat* *be-beat* *be-beat* *be-beat*

Rapid fire, like someone in a flat out sprint. A little dark circle within that form, clenching, unclenching. A viable embryo.

“Counting…” Tavo murmurs. “Counting…” A long dobash. “One-seventy-seven beats per dobash. A little fast, but not out of normal range. Beautiful.”

Thace hums. “Not ectopic… relatively normal mammalian development… Much slower than a Galra, but we expected that... Not sure if the tail will stay, but overall I’m pleased.”

Keith barely hears. This tiny wad of cells could become a whole person. They could have his fur, Lance’s skin, his ears, Lance’s eyes- Please gods let them have their sire’s eyes.

It’s not a person. Not yet. But there’s all the potential in the universe.

“Look at that, beloved. Look how little they are.”

“That’s… how it works,” Keith breathes. “They start out tiny and-” He sighs, turns to nuzzle into Lance’s hands, still enveloping his own. Lance reaches out with one of them, brushes hair out of his face, rubs the base of his ear.

“Best birthday present ever,” Lance whispers, still stroking Keith’s hair. “I still can barely believe it.”

“Well- Well you better start,” Keith chokes. “I need you.”

“You’ve got me. Always.” Lance presses their foreheads together, leaning over his husband, never letting go of his hand. “Always-”

Thace’s feed buzzes with a moment of static.

“I’d better go see what that’s about. Tavo, prioritize getting those bloods to me, and saving a recording of that scan to Altea’s medical database. Then back it up on a portable device small enough to wear-” A shout in the distance cuts him off.

“Thace?” Keith pushes himself into a sitting position, Lance standing by his side, still holding his hand. “What’s wrong?”

The galra frowns, ears twitching, rotating this way and that. “I’m not sure. Stay-”

The feed cuts out.

“Thace? Thace!” Keith’s more than a little alarmed, letting Lance help him to his feet. The Altean’s eyes narrow. A brown hand finds the small of Keith’s back.

“We should return to our rooms,” he whispers. “And await word from our contacts on Daibazaal. Or from Father.”

“You don’t seriously think-”

“I don’t know. But your life has priority now, and we must keep you safe.”

Keith allows himself to be steered from the room, where Tavo remains studiously putting away his equipment like nothing is wrong.

“I don’t appreciate you attitude, Lance,” he grumbles, teeth grit and bared. His ears pin back against his head, tail sweeping across the floor.

“I know you don’t, and I love that about you, but this is about more than just you. Or us. You are the future of Altean civilization, and I beg you to act accordingly.” Lance is in full-on Crown Prince mode, poised and elegant, moving at a careful pace so as not to raise alarm, but also to cover ground quickly. “Just this once. For me, beloved.”

“I understand.”

And Keith does, really. He really, truly understands. He hates it, but he is currently carrying the potential heir to the throne, the perpetuation of Lance’s bloodline, and the cornerstone upon which Altea’s government is built.

Which is fucking stupid, but there it is.

He allows himself to be steered into their quarters, watches Lance bar the doors, alter the settings on their security system. The hidden doorway in their gardens he leaves unlocked, just in case. Keith sits on the edge of their bed with BleepBloop and Kosmo, watching Lance pace, write furiously on his datapad, try repeatedly to reach their contacts on Daibazaal.

When they get a message from Daibazaal via Krolia, it’s not what either of them were expecting.

Daibazaal Imperial Compound under siege by Galra ships.  Imperials believed trapped inside. Forces mobilized. Rebels bound for Altea. Compound sending distress call shortly. Allegiances uncertain.

Knowledge or Death.

A tick and a half later, the lights in their rooms are reduced to the pale blue tracks a dash about the floor, and alarms are blaring. When Keith looks to his mate, Lance has opened a panel in the wall, strung his bow. With a grimace, the young prince, still vargas away from nineteen decaphoebs, has removed a gorgeous broadsword, the unsullied blade glinting sharply, white metal reflecting the dim glow of the room around them.

“Forgive me, beloved, what I may do this quintant.”

In that moment, Lance stands in sharp relief, lean and powerful, poised and confident, a beautiful young man with a crown on his brow and a blue flame in his eyes. He is everything a Crown Prince, a warrior, should be. Everything Keith expects him to be. If only it didn’t feel so wrong.

Lance straps the sword to his waist, and Keith looks away. His eyes find his chest from Daibazaal, and his mind finds the suit at the bottom. This feat will take both of them to pull off, and he’d best prepare to protect himself, their child, and their peoples with every bit of breath in his body.

Like his father before him.

[themetaphorgirl]

I asked for cute and cuddly things so I could write something adorable!! I tried to combine as many as possible!

@therestisconfettis​ : “the psolc babies making a pillow fort!!”

@birds-are-better-than-you​ : “My brain immediately goes to people actually listening to him talk instead of cutting him off, but thats just rooted in sadness”

@fragolinaa​ : “I just want people cuddling him, maybe someone who hasn't yet like Emily or Dave?”

@purpleturtle31extra : “Spending an off day exploring music together! Like showing him songs that remind you of him or a certain memory..”

anonymous: “cute cuddly idea: u mentioned Emily and Dave getting Spencer legos. Write a little thing of a rainy day or whatever and everyone’s just chilling building random shit with legos and then there’s gonna be Spencer actually building something with proper ratios and actual potential urban planning and everyone else is just like “hmm... I have built something vaguely resembling a plane”

anonymous: “omg cuddly mom alex?? maybe spencer napping with her and he has a nightmare??”

I hope I touched on everything!! I think I captured at least a little bit of everything!!!

----------

“Hey,” Emily said. “Are you feeling okay?”

Spencer dragged his fork around his plate, his chin resting heavily in his hand. “I’m not hungry,” he said dully.

“This is your last day to eat whatever you want,” she pointed out. “Go get something sugary. Donuts or something.”

He shrugged, and she bit back a sigh. Everyone else had left on Wednesday afternoon to spend Thanksgiving break with their respective families- literally everyone, even Hotch- and while they’d had a nice Thanksgiving at James’s house, and she was enjoying having her room all to herself, she and Spencer had been left behind, and the kid was moping like it was his job. She was starting to figure out that while he liked doing things on his own, he needed the security of knowing that everyone else was nearby.

“I guess I’ll go get some chocolate milk or something,” Spencer sighed, sliding down from his chair. 

“See? There you go,” she said. “Treat yourself.”

As soon as he slid down from his chair and trudged away she pulled out her phone.

the cause of hotchner’s headaches

9:09am

You guys need to help w the kid hes so sad i dont know what to do

James texted back first, which didn’t surprise her.

doctor james, medicine man

9:10am

Is he okay? 

the cause of hotchner’s headaches

9:10am

HES SAD I CANT HANDLE IT COME HELP ME

spaghetti grandpa

9:11am

He’ll be fine. He knows everybodys coming back today right?

the cause of hotchner’s headaches

9:12am

HE IS SAD NOW COME OVER

She set her phone aside as Spencer walked back up to the table with a carton of chocolate milk in his hands. “Can you open this for me, please?” he asked. 

She did and handed it back, but he didn’t drink it. “How about we go watch a movie or something?” she suggested. “While we’re waiting for everybody to get back on campus. That’ll be fun, right?”

He shrugged. “I guess,” he said. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine.”

He scrunched up his face, calculating. “Who do you think will be back first?” he asked.

“I don’t know, babe, we’ll have to see,” she said. “Drink your milk and we’ll get out of here.”

He sighed. “I don’t think I want it anymore,” he said. She shot him her best impression of Alex’s mom look. He rolled his eyes, but he drank it anyway.

Outside the dining hall it was cold and gray and dreary, rain falling just steadily enough to be irritating. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and made Spencer put his purple galaxy-print raincoat on over his his sweater before they walked down the steps. 

“Do you think the weather will ground planes?” he asked anxiously. 

“Your guess is as good as mine, squirt,” she said. “It’ll definitely rain all day, but I don’t know if it’ll affect planes. You’ll probably know better than me.”

He said nothing, but he slipped his small hand into hers. She squeezed back gently. The kid had been perfectly well-behaved the whole time she’d been left to watch him, but it was frustrating to see him so sad and quiet and droopy. She didn’t think it was possible to be homesick for other people, but Spencer definitely had a bad case of it.

They settled in the common room, but the cozy space seemed cavernous and empty without the rest of the group. Spencer left his coat and his shoes in his room and settled into Alex’s usual spot on the couch, leaning on the armrest. 

“So what do you want to do, kiddo?” she said. He raised and lowered one shoulder. She huffed. “I’ll just pick something then.”

“Nothing scary, please,” he said, his chin resting on his folded arms.

“No, don’t worry, I learned my lesson,” she said. She grabbed a Star Wars off the shelf- she wasn’t sure which one it was, but she figured she couldn’t go wrong with something sci fi.

“Hotch’s plane lands at eleven, right?” he said as she plunked down on the opposite end of the couch.

“I think so,” she said. She reached over and ruffled his hair lightly. “Stop overthinking, you’re going to blow a fuse in there. Everyone will be home soon, don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not worried,” he mumbled.

They got about halfway through Star Wars (she still wasn’t entirely sure which one it was) when they heard Dave and James on the stairs. “Hey, guys!” Dave called. “We’ve got presents!”

Emily paused the movie. “What do you mean, presents?” she said. “What’d you bring me?”

James and Dave each held large plastic tubs that they dropped with heavy clatters on the floor. “Spencer, you’ve been having fun with the legos we got you for your birthday, right?” James said.

Spencer raised his head. “Yeah,” he said slowly.

“Well, we decided to dig around for our old lego collections you can have your own giant collection,” Dave said. 

He slid off the couch. “Really?” he said.

“Yeah, absolutely,” James said. “Go get yours, we’ll put them all together.”

Spencer’s eyes lit up. “Okay!” he said, darting off to his room.

“Oh my god, thank goodness you two are here,” Emily said. 

“You know, you said he was sad, and I didn’t believe it till I saw him,” Dave said, wrenching the lid off the first bin. “He looks like a deflated balloon.”

“See? I wasn’t lying,” Emily said. “Poor kid has been moping all week.”

James checked his phone. “Hopefully everybody will get in without any problems,” he said. “Alex texted me a little bit ago and said they delayed her flight by an hour.” 

“Oh, yikes,” Emily said. “She’d better get back here soon. And don’t tell the kid that, he’ll worry more.”

Spencer ran back into the room with his legos. “How should I organize them?” he asked. “Color first or size first?”

“How about we, you know, build something?” Dave suggested as he sat down on the couch. “C’mere, passerotto, I think I have all the pieces to the batcave.”

“Ooh, which version?” James asked as Spencer sat down on the floor in front of Dave.

“I don’t know. I think I built it once when I was Spencer’s age and then never touched it again.”

Emily leaned over James and scooped up a handful of plastic pieces. “What are you going to build?” she asked.

“Hey, don’t copy me!”

They worked on their projects mostly in companionable silence, sometimes absent chatter. Rain continued to tap at the windows. At least Spencer seemed distracted at last, focused on his projects.

Lightning cracked, white light shining through the window for a brief moment, and everyone jumped; Spencer knocked over one of his structures. “Holy shit,” Emily said. “That was terrifying.”

“You okay?” Dave asked, touching Spencer’s arm lightly.

He nodded, leaning against Dave until he lifted him onto his lap. “Do you think everybody’s okay?” he asked. “Planes can’t always fly in this sort of weather.”

“I’m sure everybody’s fine,” Dave reassured him. Spencer bit his lip, still staring out the window. “So what have you been building?”

“Scale model of campus,” he said. “Well, it’s not exactly to scale. But it’s pretty close.”

James held up a lump of legos. “This was supposed to be a plane,” he said. “But it doesn’t look particularly aerodynamic.”

Spencer laughed. “What kind of plane is it supposed to be?” he asked. “It looks like an off-kilter Cessna.”

“I don’t know. Just...a plane,” James said. 

“I’m trying to see how tall I can build this thing without it falling over,” Emily said. “Not much success yet.”

“I’m sure you know, caro,” Dave said, poking Spencer lightly in the side. “How tall is the tallest lego structure ever?”

“The tallest one is in Milan, it’s a hundred and fourteen feet, eleven inches tall,” he said. “The previous tallest was just a hundred and fourteen feet tall, in Budapest.”

“Milan, hm?” Dave said. “Maybe I’ll go see it next time I’m over there.”

“There’s one in Tel Aviv that was built to be four feet taller but-”

Lightning cracked again and Spencer jumped. Dave rubbed his back lightly. “It’s okay, it’s just a bad storm,” he said. It was too late, though- the attempts at distraction had failed, and Spencer was clearly back to worrying, the corners of his mouth tugging down.

Dave looked over at Emily. What should we do? he mouthed. She shrugged helplessly.

Thankfully, right at that moment heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs. Spencer raised his head. Please let it be one of our group, please let it be one of our group, Emily thought fervently.

A tall figure in a rain-soaked coat made it to the top of the stairs, almost terrifying for a split second, but he threw back his hood and shook his head. “Jesus, that was a nightmare,” he said. 

Spencer scrambled to his feet and ran towards him, nearly kicking Dave in his haste. “Hotch!” he shrieked, throwing his arms around his waist.

“Hey, kiddo!” Hotch said, bending to hug him. “Hey, careful, it’s raining really hard out there, I’m drenched and I don’t want you to get wet.” 

“How was your flight?” James asked.

Spencer, undeterred, still clung to Hotch; Hotch ran his fingers through his thick short curls. “Unbelievably shitty,” he said. “Flights were getting canceled left and right, it’s just storming bad everywhere. If I hadn’t gotten such an early flight, I might not’ve made it back.”

“That’s what we’ve been worrying about,” Emily said. “And when I say we I mean Spencer.”

Hotch tugged him back so he could see his face. “Hey, stop worrying,” he said. “Everybody will get back eventually. I promise.” 

“I can’t help worrying,” Spencer said. “What if everybody’s flights get delayed? What if something happens to their planes. What if-”

Hotch scooped him up. “Hey, I think the dining hall’s open for lunch,” he said. “Anybody else hungry? I didn’t have time for breakfast before my flight and all they gave me was one packet of pretzels.”

“They stopped giving away peanuts because of allergies becoming more common,” Spencer said, leaning his cheek against Hotch’s shoulder even though his coat was soaked with rain.

“Yeah?” Hotch said. “How about you go get your coat and your shoes, okay? I’m starving.”

“Okay,” Spencer said reluctantly. Hotch set him back down on his feet and he ran down the hall to his room.

“I am so glad you’re back, Hotchner,” Emily said, sweeping her lego tower back into the bin. ���He’s been so sad with everybody gone.”

“I can tell,” he said. “Has he been like this the whole time?”

“Oh, yeah,” Emily said. “I’ve barely been able to get two words out of him.”

“Even when they came over for Thanksgiving he wasn’t talking much,” James added.

Hotch sighed. “I didn’t even think about this,” he said. “Poor kid.”

Emily’s phone buzzed. “Oh, it’s Penelope,” she said. “I’ll put her on speaker. Hey, Pen, how’s it going?”

“Terrible!” Penelope said, her voice crackling over the line. “I made the flight from California to Texas for my layover, but they canceled my connecting flight. It’s storming too bad.”

“Oh, yikes,” Dave said. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she sighed. “They have me booked for a flight first thing in the morning, and the airline is putting me up in a hotel for the night, but it’s so frustrating.”

“I’m sure,” James said. “Stay safe, okay? Do you need anything?”

“Are you kidding? The hotel has like a million channels and room service, I’m doing great!” Penelope said. “I’ll call you guys in the morning before my flight, okay? Talk to you soon!”

Emily sighed as the call ended. “Well, that’s one down,” she said.

“Penelope’s not coming?”

Spencer peeked out of the hall, his rainboots on and his coat dragging from his hand. “Yeah, her connecting flight got canceled,” Dave said. “But she’s safe, and she’ll be on a flight tomorrow, okay? So don’t worry.”

Judging by the way he pressed his mouth together, he definitely was worried. Emily pushed herself up from the floor. “Let’s go get lunch, okay?” she said. “Before Hotch starves.”

The rain had gotten decidedly worse, coming down in heavy sheets and flooding patches of the courtyard. Her umbrella helped a little but not much; Dave complained loudly the entire walk over. Spencer stayed glued to Hotch’s side, clinging tightly to his hand even once they made it to the warm safety of the dining hall. 

Hotch pulled Spencer’s hood down as they got in line. “What do you want?” he asked. 

“I’m not hungry,” he said.

He frowned, then covered Spencer’s ears. “Emily, be honest,” he said. “Did he eat while we were gone?”

“Not for lack of trying,” she said. “I kept putting shit on his plate and he barely touched it.”

“Did he just eat ice cream and candy?”

“He didn’t even want sweets. Or coffee, even.”

Hotch’s frown deepened. “Well, shit,” he said. He dropped his hands to Spencer’s shoulders. “Okay, kid, you have to eat something. If you don’t pick, I’ll pick for you.”

Spencer shrugged. “That’s fine,” he said. 

Hotch met Emily’s gaze, eyebrows raised. “I told you,” she said. 

She followed Hotch down the cafeteria line as he filled up two plates. Spencer stayed so close he ran the risk of getting stepped on, his small hand clinging to the hem of Hotch’s jacket.

Dave and James had beaten them to their usual table, and neither of them looked particularly happy. “Bad news,” James said. “JJ just called. Her parents rescheduled her flight. They were worried about the storms, so she’ll be here tomorrow afternoon.”

Emily glanced over at Spencer. “But she’s okay?” he said anxiously.

“She’s fine, caro,” Dave said. “And she’ll be here tomorrow.”

“What about Derek and Alex?” he asked. “Have they called? Or texted.”

“Not yet,” James said. “Maybe they’re already on their flights, though. I”m sure we’ll hear from them soon.”

Hotch set the tray down on the table, then picked Spencer up and set him down in his chair. “They’ll be fine,” he said. “So how did Thanksgiving go for you guys?”

Even with their attempts at changing the subject and trying to draw him into the conversation, Spencer seemed to sink further into himself, his legs tucked up under him and his chin resting in his hand, his plate still mostly untouched. Emily couldn’t blame him for being sad. All week it had been just the two of them in the nearly-deserted dining hall, and even with the boys there it seemed wrong without the rest of the group- Penelope shrieking about something that didn’t need to be shrieked about, Derek regaling them with stories from football practice, JJ’s pretty laugh bubbling over, Alex keeping the peace and stopping cups and plates from getting knocked over and tilted onto the ground.

Hotch didn’t make much headway getting Spencer to eat, but at least he ate a little bit, and their little group braved the storm to get back to Lincoln House. “What have you guys been up to?” he asked as they settled in the common room again, coats and umbrellas hung up to dry.

“Legos,” James said. “This was supposed to be a plane.”

Hotch laughed. “Yikes,” he said. “I’m glad you’re not planning on going into engineering.”

“Yeah, probably for the best,” he said ruefully. “I-”

“Hold on, hold on,” Dave interrupted. “Did you guys see the group chat?”

Emily fumbled for her phone. “No, I didn’t, I...oh.”

“What’s wrong?” Hotch asked.

“Derek’s flight got canceled too,” James said. “He says it got delayed and he sat on the tarmac for three hours, but they pulled everybody off the plane. His mom’s already picked him up, so he’s fine.”

Emily glanced over at Spencer. He curled himself up smaller, his knees tucked up to his chest, chewing on his thumbnail. “But he’ll be here tomorrow?” he said. 

“Yeah, he’ll be here tomorrow,” Dave reassured him.

Spencer lifted his head. “Can we call Alex?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah, of course,” Emily said, immediately pulling Alex’s contact info on the screen. “Here, kiddo. Just press-”

Lightning cracked, and with a sharp pop the common room went dark.

“Holy shit!” Emily shrieked, the phone falling from her hand.

“Did a fuse blow?” Dave said.

James got up and looked out the window. “Well, judging by the other buildings on campus...I think the power’s out everywhere,” he said.

“Well, fuck,” Hotch said.

Emily raised an eyebrow. “Watch your language!” she said in mock horror.

“Oh, shut up,” Hotch said good-naturedly. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait for the power to come back on. Spencer, do you want to go ahead and call Alex? She’ll probably be glad to miss the power outage.”

“I think the tower’s down too,” Spencer said in a small voice. “There’s no signal.” He held the phone back out to Emily. “Thanks anyway.”

She reached for the phone, and as the lock screen flickered she caught the faint mark of tears on his cheek. “Oh, no,” she said. “Oh, fuck. Spencer, don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying,” he said, but there was a distinct wobble in his voice.

“Spencer, it’s going to be okay,” Hotch said. “The power’s going to come back on, and everyone will be home soon.”

It was too dark to see, but she could hear Spencer sniffling in a valiant effort to keep form crying. “I know,” he said. “But I-”

Hotch picked Spencer up and placed him in Emily’s lap. “Stay here with Em for a second,” he said. “James, Dave, come with me.”

Spencer dropped his head against Emily’s collarbone as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “It’s been a rough week, dude. You didn’t get to go home and see your family, and you miss everybody. And you’re worried because of the storms. It makes sense.” She kissed the top of his head. “And now we’ve got all this power outage shit. But it’ll be okay.”

Hotch dumped an armload of stuff onto the nearest armchair. “Thank goodness for Penelope’s illegal candle stash,” he said. 

Emily twined one of Spencer’s short curls around her finger. “What’s with all of the pillows and blankets?” she asked.

In the dim light she could see Hotch grin. “We’re going to make a blanket fort,” he said. “C’mere, Spencer, I could use your brain for this.”

Emily set Spencer on his feet as James and Dave brought in their collections of pillows and blankets. She busied herself lighting candles and placing them in safe places around the room as Spencer directed the older boys in their construction. He seemed to perk up a little bit with something to focus on, especially as they let him be in charge.

“Okay, I’ve made some blanket forts in my day, but this one is pretty cool,” James said. 

“That’s because Penelope has about eight million blankets and they’re all soft as baby puppies,” Emily said as she crawled into the fort. “I claim the blue pillow!”

All five of them fit comfortably inside, the interior lit with a string of battery operated fairy lights, also taken from Penelope’s room. Spencer nestled himself between Hotch and Emily. “Are we going to tell Penelope that we borrowed all of her stuff?” he asked. 

Hotch handed him his favorite blanket. “I think if we leave the fort up till she gets back, she won’t mind as long as she gets to hang out in here,” he said. 

“What should we do?” Dave asked. “Power’s still out, and there’s no wifi either.”

“Oh!” Emily said. “Okay, I’ve been trying to get you to listen to this album for weeks. Now is the perfect time! You’re a captive audience.”

They took turns passing each other’s phones back and forth, listening to different songs in the comfort of the handmade blanket fort, playfully arguing over each other’s tastes in music as the warm glow of the fairy lights cast soft shadows. Spencer seemed a little less tense now, snuggled safely between Hotch and Emily with his blanket hugged to his chest.

She hadn’t kept track of time, but it was at least two hours before the power switched back on, the overhead lights suddenly way too bright after the dimmness of the tent. “There we go,” Dave said, sitting up and checking his phone. “And we’ve got signal again!” He stretched his arm over James and Emily to hold out the phone to Spencer. “Here, passerotto, see if you can call Alex.”

He took it eagerly and tapped at the screen to bring up her info, but his excitement faded almost instantly. “It went right to voicemail,” he said. “Thanks anyway.”

James scrambled ungracefully to his feet. “Hey, since the power’s back, who wants to watch a movie?” he said. 

“Not a Star War, please,” Emily called. “I can’t tell any of them apart.”

Hotch propped himself up on his elbow. “Hey, Spence,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m sure Alex is fine.”

“Yeah,” Spencer said. He turned to Hotch, one corner of his mouth tugging up in a rueful little half smile. “I bet her flight got canceled too. It’s okay.”

James flipped the overhead lights off, leaving them back in the glow of the candles and the string lights, and crawled back into the fort with the remote in his hand. “All right, if anyone has objections, y’all can get up yourself and change it,” he said.

Emily settled back as the movie started. Spencer was quiet beside her, but after a while he rolled over onto his stomach, his forehead pressed against Hotch’s arm and his blanket tangled around his legs, and she smiled when she heard his first little snore.

“Hotchner,” she whispered. “This blanket fort idea was genius.”

Hotch grinned. “Sean made me make one for him while I was home,” he said. “I figured Spencer might like it too.” He paused. “Is he asleep?” Emily nodded. “Thank god.”

James sat up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Guys, I still haven’t heard from Alex,” he said. “It’s still going right to voicemail when I call her and she hasn’t answered any texts.”

“Maybe her signal’s out too,” Dave said. “Don’t worry about it. Alex can take care of herself.”

James pouted. “Yeah, but...I might be a little worried about her,” he said. “It’s not like her to not answer.”

“Awww, you miss your girlfriend,” Emily teased. 

“I do! I do miss her!” James said. 

“Guys, if any of you wake up Spencer, I will murder you,” Hotch hissed. 

“I’m sorry!” James whispered back. “I just- I think I need to be worried about Alex.”

Suddenly a familiar person knelt down and leaned into the tent. “You’re worried about me?” Alex said, her long red hair hanging loose around her shoulders. “That’s so sweet!”

James scrambled up, smacking Dave in the face in his haste. “Oh my god, I missed you!” he said. He tugged her closer, cupping her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she laughed, running her fingers through his hair. “My phone died and I didn’t pack any of my portable chargers in my carryon. Where’s everybody else?”

“Everybody’s flights are delayed,” Emily said. “Spencer’s been beside himself.”

“Oh, poor thing,” she said. “Is he sleeping? I don’t want to wake him up.”

“Yeah, he just dozed off,” Hotch said. “He’s going to be so relieved to see you.”

Emily scooted over to make room. “C’mere, the movie hasn’t been on for very long,” she said. 

“Hey!” James protested. “She’s my girlfriend, shouldn’t she be next to me?”

“Well, she’s my roommate, and I’ve had her for longer,” Emily said. Alex laughed as she settled between her and Spencer, busying herself with snuggling him against her side and tucking him in. Emily leaned over to whisper in James’s ear. “Besides, we all know you two are gonna go fool around the second you get a chance. You’ll get your quality time, don’t worry.”

Even in the dim light she could see him turn red. “What are you guys whispering about?” Alex asked. 

“Nothing!” James squeaked. Emily made a rude hand gesture and he smacked her arm. “Emily! Stop it!”

She snickered as she leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder. “How was your week being in charge?” Alex asked as she adjusted Spencer’s blanket around him.

“Could have been worse...could have been a lot better,” Emily said. “He was so sad. I’m not good with sad kids.”

“I’m sure you did great,” Alex reassured her.

The movie was almost over when Spencer began to shift and whimper in his sleep. “Is he okay?” Emily asked.

“He’s-” Hotch winced as Spencer kicked him in the shins. “Ow. Bad dream, I think.”

Alex sat up. “Okay, I’m going to wake him up,” she said. 

“Careful, he can be pretty feisty,” Hotch warned.

Alex stroked his hair back from his forehead as he tried to pull away from her. “Spencer, wake up,” she called gently, her hand resting on his chest. “Come on, darling.”

She kept coaxing him until his eyes finally opened. “What’s going on?” he mumbled.

“You had a bad dream,” she said. 

He blinked. “Alex?” he said sleepily. “Did your plane land safely?”

Hotch laughed. “Yeah, kiddo, her plane landed safely,” he said. “Get the sleep out of your eyes.”

Spencer rubbed his face and blinked again. “Alex!” he yelped, throwing himself into her arms. 

“Hi, baby,” she said. “Did you miss me?”

“A little bit,” he said, tilting his face so she could kiss his cheek. “Was your flight okay? Was there a lot of turbulence?”

“Everything was fine,” she reassured him as she cuddled him against her side. “Now, sh, I think Dave is getting invested in the movie.”

“No, I’m not,” he said absently.

“Yes, he is,” Emily teased.

Spencer settled down with his head on Alex’s knees; Hotch tugged his blanket around him. “Everybody else will be here tomorrow,” he said. “Penelope’s connecting flight got canceled, and Derek’s got canceled, and JJ’s parents rescheduled her.”

“That’s good,” she said, stroking her fingers through his hair. “Go back to sleep, darling. You look so tired. And everything’s going to be okay, nothing to worry about.”

The rain had settled back into a light tapping on the window; the thunder and lightning had long since stopped. Emily leaned back against her pillows, smiling in contented relief. Alex was right. Everything was going to be okay.

[aestheticallyunaesthetic17]

100 questions and answers

Who is your hero? Probably future me, i want to be able to grow up and be the better person that i hope they are, and the only way of knowing that is by making it happen.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? New Zealand, Canada or USA. I lived in TX for 3 months and loved it there and I have family in NZ and Canada.

What is your biggest fear? Wasps, 100%. Not being stung but the way they look scares me.

What is your favorite family vacation? When we went to Krakow in Poland.

What would you change about yourself if you could? My skin color. I hate it so much.

What really makes you angry? People hating others or stopping others from being themselves.

What motivates you to work hard? To make future me happier than I am now.

What is your favorite thing about your career? I want to be in cabin crew, so probably the traveling.

What is your biggest complaint about your job? Being away from family.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Getting through the shit 2020 brought me without killing myself.

What is your child's proudest accomplishment? No kids rn.

What is your favorite book to read? Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

What makes you laugh the most? My boyfriend.

What was the last movie you went to? What did you think? Freaks. I was a bad movie, a little like the scary movies franchise. My friend was scared at parts which was super funny to watch

What did you want to be when you were small? An actor. Typical Leo ;)

What does your child want to be when he/she grows up? They can be anything they want to be.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Visit Edinburgh alone.

What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? To watch, American Football. To play, archery.

Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car? Drive a car, it's peaceful and warm. I would blast music.

What would you sing at Karaoke night? no idea.

What two radio stations do you listen to in the car the most? Heart and Capital

Which would you rather do: wash dishes, mow the lawn, clean the bathroom, or vacuum the house? Dishes or vacuum.

If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work? Yard work!!!

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tandoori Prawn curry.

Who is your favorite author? Jacqueline Wilson or JK Rowling (only her books, not her)

Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? Just Em. But id like to be called Millie.

Do you like or dislike surprises? Why or why not? Depends on the surprise tbh, I like to plan a lot.

In the evening, would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read? Watch a movie.

Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why? Hawaii. I was meant to go this year but covid and leaving the US fucked it up.

Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? And why? Work the perfect job, id get bored sitting around all day.

Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island? my boyfriend.

If money was no object, what would you do all day? Travel and see the world.

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? 2012. To see my Nana again.

How would your friends describe you? Stupid.

What are your hobbies? Traveling, photography, music and shopping.

What is the best gift you have been given? Forgiveness from myself.

What is the worst gift you have received? Sixe XXL jacket when im an XS

Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? My macbook.

List two pet peeves. - Breaking trust - Bad table manners

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully working my dream job, maybe moved to a different country and traveling the world.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? too many, roughly 16

If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? Invisibility or teleportation.

What would you do if you won the lottery? build my own house

What form of public transportation do you prefer? (air, boat, train, bus, car, etc.) Train, its so relaxing. Then planes.

What's your favorite zoo animal? Lions or tigers.

If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be? My time in America.

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be? - My nana - my bf - Princess Diana - Obama

How many pillows do you sleep with? 4, two on each side.

What's the longest you've gone without sleep (and why)? 26 hours, traveling to Texarkana from Edinburgh.

What's the tallest building you've been to the top in? Idk tbh

Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence? looks for intelligence because then you can earn enough for plastic surgery.

How often do you buy clothes? 1/2 a month

Have you ever had a secret admirer? Idk I guess so.

What's your favorite holiday? Summer vacation Christmas for an actual holiday

What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Moved half way across the world and lived with strangers.

What was the last thing you recorded on TV? Nothing

What was the last book you read? 1984

What's your favorite type of foreign food? Indian

Are you a clean or messy person? Both, but relatively clean

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Millie Bobbie Brown probably

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 1 hour

What kitchen appliance do you use every day? Kettle

What's your favorite fast food chain? Chick fil A (i know, i cant buy it now tho)

What's your favorite family recipe? Nana's bacon and egg pie

Do you love or hate rollercoasters? LOVE

What's your favorite family tradition? Opening gifts on Christmas Eve

What is your favorite childhood memory? I dunno really, Ive forgotten a lot of my childhood.

What's your favorite movie? Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Beautiful Boy

How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real? How did you find out? Probably 7/8 but I dont remember.

Is your glass half full or half empty? Half empty.

What's the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love? Said i'd come back one day.

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? A boat and food. Yes i am that person.

What was your favorite subject in school? Scottish school, geography. US school, government.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Haggis

Do you collect anything? Foreign coins

Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion? Skinny jeans, my ass looks gooood in them

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? introvert that likes being sociable

Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest? hearing

Have you ever had a surprise party? (that was an actual surprise) nope

Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous? my dad is well know in the whisky business. Has his own prime tv show

What do you do to keep fit? Walk a lot and swim.

Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken? nope

If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce? everyone is equal.

Who was your favorite teacher in school and why? Scottish School, my geo teacher. US school, my english teacher.

What three things do you think of the most each day? My bf, my mum and America

If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Sad, angry and anxious

What song would you say best sums you up? 17 again

What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee? Timothee Chalamet or Tom Holland

Who was your first crush? a boy called Finlay who i rode the bus with

What's the most interesting thing you can see out of your office or kitchen window? sheep or cows very often

On a scale of 1-10 how funny would you say you are? 5

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? kids, married, settled down and happy. moved countries 100%

What was your first job? never had one

If you could join any past or current music group which would you want to join? 5sos

How many languages do you speak? 1 - english

What is your favorite family holiday tradition? opening gifts on Christmas Eve

Who is the most intelligent person you know? my mum

If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be? a cat probably or a tiger

What is one thing you will never do again? trust people fully

Who knows you the best? my bf.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Ghosts’ Journey (Part 2): The History of Chime Gen

Here it is... the whole thing. I wanted to cut it but there was no good place. I did my best with the translation. (FINGEL PLEASE SPEAK HUMAN) Because this is important information to the Chime/Ruri fandom the Content of his speech is nearly exactly as it is in the novel.

@rurifangirl By request

The plan was to wake up before him. You had learned from Z that Japanese men were conservative. You didn’t know each other. He was out of it. He might think you took advantage of him. That sort of thing happened in Black Swan.

But he was also human and humans needed touch. Z’s hug transformed you even more than Herzog’s laughter. You didn’t get any affectionate human touch as a child. You would give him that precious touch so his mind could heal. Or maybe you would give him that touch because you desperately needed it yourself. Maybe you gave it to Ruri because he could give it to you and not require anything in return as a doll-person.

These were the excuses you gave yourself until you fell asleep in his arms.

As soon as you opened your eyes and felt the sun coming through the small window, you realized that you failed your mission objective. Ruri was sitting up next to you while you lay on the pillow. He was looking out the window. His eyes were no longer empty, but they held no joy. They were still, without any spark.

Guilt makes you freeze momentarily. “If you wanna push me off the bed, you can.”

The words shocked him out of his reverie. He looked down at you with those dark eyes and you detected a strange hesitation. His eyes meet yours and shift away without any friction. “You can stay if you want,” he said in a soft melodic voice.

“Sorry. I meant to wake up before you. Are you… in any pain? Physically I mean. The rest is obvious.” You sit up and swing over the edge of the bed. Ugly black veins are pulsing up your feet. The dragon blood in your body was now showing up more permanently. You flexed your toes and tried to calm it.

“No.”

“Good.”

“I want to apologize to you. For making a promise I won’t be able to keep.” He said.

“And what promise was that?” In this light, Ruri Kazama was no star performer. He looked shockingly ordinary, able to blend in with the masses on the streets of Japan. You probably wouldn’t recognize him were it not for his long hair.

“All of them. It’s all a deception.” 

“You’re going to have to be more specific.” You whisper, looking up at him seriously. On the one hand, it wouldn’t be the first time you were deceived by a man, but on the other hand, you personally understood the intense warping of the mind that came with being a child of Herzog. 

“I made you believe that I was Ruri Kazama. That I had power and wealth. That I could lead the Devil Clan by defeating the King General.” He paused for a long time before whispering. “None of that was true.”

You shrug it off. “Okay. I’ll believe you. But you’ll have to understand that was not why I pursued you. And I’m sorry I gave you that impression. If anything, I have many more reasons to stick with you now.”

“The King General will kill you.” He said gravely.

“Not if Bondarev gets to me first.” You quip and smile but his sharp intense glare makes your smile falter a moment. You stare at each other unblinkingly for a moment. “Look. Don’t play this… ‘you need to stay away from me’ line.” You whisper, but your tone is kind. “I will be in danger no matter what. I should be dead by now. And every day I live is on borrowed time.” 

You roll up your sleeves to show him the black veins beneath pale skin dotted with sparkling gold scales. “Can I at least have your company for the time I have left?”

Chime Gen gives a sad shake of his head. Maybe if he were in another state, he would have insisted and argued. But now he just gives up and hangs his head, his hair covering his face. When you reach out to brush it back, his hand catches yours and gently places it in your lap.

You bite the inside of your lip and fight your internal panic. He wasn’t feeling well. He had a humiliating and terrifying night. You’d seen him at his lowest. He was revealed to be nothing but a doll, a marionette whose strings had been cut. So of course your affection was painful.

“What do you want right now?” Your voice is flat and expressionless.

“Can you bring me that box?”

He points over to an ornate wooden box. It had a curved metal handle and a pot-like metal lid. It had a few small drawers and two hooks with which to carry a long narrow pipe. Ruri knew what to do when you brought it. He took the pipe from the box and then opened the drawer.

“Can you tell me about this?” You ask quietly.

“This is called a kiseru. It uses a special kind of tobacco. You won’t find it outside of Japan.” He pulls a wood box covered with hand written script on rice paper. The smell of the leaves reaches your nose. It was tobacco but it had a richer, almost meaty aroma.

“You just roll it in a ball between your fingers and put it into the pipe like this.” The pipe was narrow and very long but Chime was so practiced that he could roll the tobacco in one hand and hold the pipe in the other. He stuffed the pipe and you held out the open box of matches. He glances at you but you keep your face carefully neutral. He takes the box of matches from you and strikes one. He pauses for two seconds and lights the tobacco. There’s a small compartment in this box that he drops the spent match in.

You set the box at the end of the bed and then sit next to him. He inhales deep and breathes out a long smooth stream of white that swirls around his face like mist. It smelled different from Caesar’s cigars, not as sweet, but this was the smell on his clothing when you found Ruri Kazama in the rain, fleeing from the Hydra operatives.

“It… doesn’t bother you?”

You shake your head. “I like it.”

He hasn’t pushed you off the bed yet so you stay there and watch him smoke. His eyes and mind were far away, like he’d gone on a long journey. All you could do was wait for him to come back.

You weren’t at peace for long when you heard Caesar’s voice coming through the door.  "Then, as the best journalist among us, this great task falls on your shoulders! Whether it's psyching him up or hanging him up and beating him, get the information about the King General out of his mouth." Caesar opened the door to your room and pushed Fingel inside, "We’ll go have breakfast first, and, hopefully, we'll hear good news from you when we return."

Apparently, all the boys were awake and in the hallway. Fingel stumbled in, locked eyes with you and then flailed. “Aaah! Sorry, I’m interrupting!”

“You’re not.” You say with a sly smile. “We just finished.”

Chime inhaled sharply and coughed.

You flinched. “Sorry. I… I say things like this. I’ll shut up now.” You turn back to Fingel and the others and beckon them in. Then you look around. “Sorry, there’s nowhere to sit!”

“I’ll get something, you sit right there.” Caesar’s eyes hold a sly little light.

Caesar returned with chairs and they all sat around the bed while Chime silently finished off his pipe. He looked incredibly peaceful and you calmed yourself inside that you’d done and said the right thing.

The silence lasted for nearly five minutes and you were impressed with the boys’ fortitude. True to character, Caesar broke first. He kicked Fingel and nodded sharply towards Ruri.

 Fingel, looking a little nervous, cleared his throat, and prepared an opening statement: "You have the right to remain silent."

It took everything in you not to crack a smile, even though you were practiced. So you followed the joke up with a withering look of absolute disdain while you clenched your stomach and held your breath. 

Chime gently exhaled a mouthful of smoke, and his face was submerged in it, shielding him like a veil: "I know what you want to ask, and I will tell you. But please don't rush to ask me. Let me take my time to figure it out, so that it will be more clear."

You swivel your head to look at him, immediately concerned. The simple humble request moved you more than any of Ruri Kazama’s quick-wittedness. His voice was speaking like a small tired soul out of a grave. His eyes were heavy with sadness.

"My current appearance surprises you guys, right? Actually, this is my actual appearance. Every time you see me, I have more or less put on makeup. Only some of the makeup is so good that you can't see it." Chime Gen thought for a long time before he spoke again, "I have the same face as my brother, but I am not as good-looking as my brother. It’s only after wearing makeup that I look like him.” 

“When I was young, I always thought how nice it would be if I could be like my brother. He’s so perfect that people used to wonder how an insignificant person like me could be his brother. We both have been fatherless for as long as we can remember. No one can really prove that we are brothers. There were times when people said we didn't look alike, and I hid and cried. I was such a weak character as a child."

You squint, not understanding. How could Chime say Chisei was perfect if Chisei couldn’t see the truth if it was standing right in front of him? He still supported Tachibana after realizing that he was turning people into Deadpool and planning to awaken the Light king. You tried to help Chisei only because Chime asked you to. It was not Ruri Kazama who asked you to. It was Chime.

Chime turns to you, seeing the look in your eyes. “We both grew up in the mountains. There was only one middle school in that town and every girl in the school had a crush on my brother -- or, at least, that was what I always believed. He was the team leader in the kendo department and the team leader in the basketball club, and the girls loved to watch him sweat and practice his sword in the sunset. He was so focused, so intense, that even if there was a wall in front of him, he would break it down. So, even though he was so cold that he didn't even look at the girls, the girls kept sneaking glances at him, day after day after day. You may think that my bloodline is better than my brother's, so I'm stronger than him, but you're wrong. My brother's strength is not in bloodline, it's in his heart. He is the kind of man who will go forward once he has decided, and he will be able to achieve great things. For example, if he decides to be a friend of justice, he will be a friend of justice all his life.”

If it were anyone else saying those words, you would have a fiery response to that. His brutal murder of Chance was his decision and you couldn’t persuade him to stop. But who’s fault was that really? He only turned into that killer after Chance’s blood acted up. Before that, he was Chance’s protector. His Savior. He was going to let him go.

“I’m not going to ask you for your forgiveness.” Those words. Chisei had made his decision about Chance. But he was okay that you stayed upset with him about it. In your mind, you look at Chisei over the gap between you again and wonder if you should still hold out hope for him.

"My brother said he must work hard because we do not have parents. Only by hard work will we not be looked down upon.”

“He said he was going to take the entrance exam to Tokyo University and take me to Tokyo one day. I just hated that I was a useless brother, that I can't get into Tokyo University and that I can't help my brother. Everything my brother does is so that he and I can have dignity. I really wanted to be like my brother: a determined man, so that I could stand by his side and be considered his brother. But I was also a little jealous of my brother. Why is he the same as me, but he is so good and I am so weak, being called girly? But I never wanted to outshine my brother, I just wanted to be able to share a little bit of my brother's glory... just a little bit less than him.”

 "Then Tachibana Masamune came to the mountain and he said that both my brother and I had excellent bloodlines, and he would take one of us to Tokyo to train, and the other would stay in the mountain. If the former was killed, the latter would be the replacement. He said we could never tell the outside world that there were two Gen Clan children, and that the Gen family did not need two heads. As a matter of course, my brother was taken away as the future head of the family and I was left behind. I was his shadow. I have been his faceless shadow all my life. So sometimes I hated him too.”

He glanced at you but you said nothing. Beneath his words, the viper Bondarev slid. You couldn’t know exactly where he was in this whole story. But he separated Chisei from Chime. Chisei said his brother was ‘probably dead’. Were those Tachibana’s words? So that Chisei wouldn’t visit him?

"It was then that I met the King General, and he appeared to me as a man wearing a Noh theater mask.”

“I grew up loving noh and kabuki and was curious about this man in a noh mask, but the King General didn't actually know how to perform noh, he just knew the human heart too well. He started by coaching my performance and got to know me gradually. He would always meet with me alone and asked me not to tell my brother or anyone else. I didn't tell my brother because everything in this world is my brother's. I wanted the King General to be my teacher alone, something truly mine. King would say he saw my potential. He said I am better than my brother.”

Your eyes slide to one side as you hear the song of the manipulation. With just Bondarev alone, you didn’t hear it though you suspected it. It wasn’t until you heard the play of both Bondarev and Herzog that the sound of it became clear that these boys were being double teamed. That said, you also realized that both of these boys were plagued with a strong sense of pride. While he readily admitted he didn’t want to outshine his brother, at the same time, Chime didn’t want to be too low. And when King General promised him greatness, he fell for it.

 "It was like I was living in a fantasy during that time. Every night, King would wait for me in the mountains, and we would stroll along the mountain paths until the moon was in the middle of the sky. Under the stars, he explained to me the characters in the kabuki, and he gave me a strong drink which warmed my body. I was not tired even after walking with him all night in the mountains. Suddenly, one day I noticed a girl smiling at me shyly, with an expression I had never seen before. I was delighted at first, thinking I could learn that expression, but as I kept practicing that shy smile in the mirror, I realized why she was smiling at me like that; because I had become beautiful. My whole being looked like it was glowing.""

 "That wine was mixed with evolutionary drugs?" Caesar asked.

“Yes, I am the only one in this world who swallowed that many evolutionary drugs without losing control of who I was. My own blood can restrain the evolutionary drugs' side-effects.  My blood is more poisonous than evolutionary drugs." Chime said slyly.

"Sorry to interrupt you... Please continue." Caesar said.

Chime Gen nodded: "I can't remember the rest. Those memories are very vague, I only know that the Final Police Report said that the town's serial killings of female high school students were all caused by the same person. Because that person left, they closed the case."

"What does that mean?" Caesar did not understand.

 "I killed a total of fourteen girls and turned their bodies into waxed human statues and placed them in the deepest basement of the school, where I sewed kabuki costumes for the dead and practiced imitating the women. This incident was considered by the Yakuza Hydra family to be a crime committed by a deadpool. So my brother was sent back to that town on a clean-up mission. That night I killed the fourteenth girl right before his eyes. He found me when I was in the basement preparing the corpse, dressed in women's clothing, singing."

Chime spoke softly, "I was stabbed through the heart by my brother. He threw my corpse into a deep well, locked the lid forever, and then buried the whole well. I think it was because I became the devil in his eyes and he was afraid that the devil might rise from the dead. Even if he had my body burned, he wouldn’t rest easy. He wanted to be able to see my bones, my body at the bottom.”

All of you shivered in unison, and the thing that was even more frightening than that atrocity was that Chime Gen talked about such bloody matters as if he were talking about another person, calm to the point of indifference.

 "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering if I've gone crazy. Clearly, I killed so many people, but I talk about it as if those things have nothing to do with me. But I really don't think I killed those girls. During that time, I was having a nightmare, a nightmare in which I lived a happy life, in which my charm conquered every girl in the school. I finally wouldn't disgrace my brother. I asked them to go to the river to see the stars. They came shyly. I took their hands and they all accepted, and then I cut their throats with a knife. At their happiest moment. But their beautiful expressions weren’t preserved on their own. They were made into statues by me, so that I kept the most beautiful side of them. In the dream, I felt that there was nothing wrong with this. Until someone outside the dream was calling me, I suddenly realized that it was my brother who came back. My brother came home to see me. I suddenly turned around and came back to reality all of a sudden, but I didn't have time to hug my brother before I ran into his blade head-on.”

 "When I woke up again, I was on a huge stage. There was a beam of light hitting me from above. I was wearing the clothes of The Great Maiden in the Clouds, with long hair and full makeup. I didn't have any wounds on my body, but the pain from being stabbed in the chest seemed to remain there. I was sitting on a gorgeous throne. And next to me stood various girls in Kabuki costumes, each one beautiful. It seemed like I had just taken a nap while my attendants waited for me to wake up. I suddenly couldn't tell reality from illusion. I felt like I was still in that basement full of corpses. I couldn't tell if the girls around me were living or dead. The girls and the members of the Devil Clan sitting on the stage applauded vigorously as if they had just watched a thrilling performance. The King announced to everyone that he had found the true successor to the Great Three Clans, and that was me, and that I would guide the Devil Clan into the future. Their faces ran with tears. I asked the King General what was real and what was not, and the King General simply said congratulations on the awakening of the Emperor."

    "So you remember all these things, only you think some of them happened in a dream but some were reality?" Chu Zihang asked.

 "Yes, the serial killing was like a dream to me. Everything in the dream was blurry. Only the faces of those girls and the moment I killed them were clear. In the dream, I seemed to become another person. Killing was not a terrible thing for me. It was a beauty. I would be ecstatic for the moment when the girl's dying smile had not completely faded, before despair and panic had appeared, and I would be excited to see the blood spilled." Chime Gen said, "But I look back on that state afterwards, especially when I think of all the dead bodies I had sung to in that damp basement, and I'm so scared and disgusted that I can't help vomiting every time."

 "So you don't deny that you killed those girls?" Caesar said.

 "I can't deny it, I remember every detail so clearly. If I didn't do it myself, who could have put those details into my head?" Chime Gen said, "It's as if there was an evil spirit hiding in my body. That evil spirit woke up and took control of me. The really gorgeous and charming part of me is that spirit. As for me, I'm just a mediocre person."

Lu Mingfei quietly shivered.

You sat still, not looking at anyone. Now your hair fell in front of you. Ruri was silent. You could see him watching you with a cold expression a moment before turning back to the window.

"Did he exchange anything with you?" Lu Mingfei asked cautiously, "I mean the evil spirit inside your body."

Chime Gen smiled indifferently, "I am not going to excuse myself. I am the evil spirit. The evil spirit is me. The evil spirit is another state of mine. It is one with me."

"That's why you hate King General so much, because it was the King General who drew out the evil spirit in your body. He went to the mountain to find you, in fact, to find the evil spirit in your body." Chu Zihang said.

 "Yes, and I failed to resist his temptation. He was the one who created the unbreakable barrier between me and my brother, and, from that day on, my brother was no longer my brother, and the relationship between him and me was between a Devil Slayer and a Devil." Chime said, "The King General ruined my life and turned me into his 'Dragon King'. I wanted to get rid of his control, so I had to kill him. Otherwise, he could find me no matter where I fled. Even to the ends of the earth. Last night, I thought I had succeeded. I thought I had shaken him off. But I was wrong, he could not be shaken off, we two evil spirits were destined to go all the way."

You lift your head slightly. You said the same thing about Renata’s killer Bondarev. You understood this. It would all end in blood eventually. There was no other way.

 "Do you believe that there are really evil spirits in this world that cannot be killed?" Caesar turned to Chu Zihang, "I mean King General."

"As I said before, although my reason tells me that there should be no such thing as ghosts in the world," Chu Zihang said slowly, "but what I have seen is beyond human understanding."

"He will come for me, and it is useless for me to hide anywhere. No one in this world can kill him, and neither can I." Chime said quietly, "He also took away the power he gave me."

"What does that mean?" Caesar asked.

"That banging sound. That's what he used to control me. He can use the sound of the clapper to put me into the state of the 'evil spirit'. In that state, I will have the power of the bloodline, my confidence and determination will skyrocket. Kazama Ruri is actually the name of that evil spirit. He can also use the sound of the clapper to make the evil spirit sleep, so that I can become a Chime Gen. With my current strength, I can't even hold the hilt of my sword. When he finds his way here, I have no choice but to sit and wait for death."

“Is this consistent with what you know?” Chu Zihang asked, addressing you.

“Yes. If I may… speak.” You look at Chime. “I know about the clapper sound. I was present with King General, when he was Dr. Herzog. I saw how he can turn access to dragon words on and off… although I was raised by him, I was not given the treatment that would put me under his control.”

“So you know?” Chime asked.

You nod slowly. “I know a lot.”

Chime turned his pipe upside down and tapped it into the ashtray.

"Lu Mingfei also reacted to that banging sound, but Lu Mingfei didn't seem to switch any state!" Caesar said.

You turn to Lu Mingfei in shock. “What?!”

“Given that lowlife face he’s putting right now, he’s definitely the real Lu Mingfei. Accept no substitutions.” Fingal nodded rapidly.

You continue to stare at Lu Mingfei for an uncomfortably long time until Mingfei just drives his eyes into the floor. Lu Mingfei is Z’s brother. Z was with you in Black Swan… then… that means...

Caesar pondered for a moment: "Initially, we thought that The White King was our enemy, but now it seems that the King will be no less terrifying than a Dragon God. This situation is tricky for both us and Hydra. It seems that we should join forces with your brother, and, as for the conflict between the Academy and Hydra, we can take our time to resolve it afterwards."

 "You have to gain my brother's trust first. He doesn't trust you, much less me. Even if he has watched me attempt to assassinate the King General, he will have thought it was an internal fight in the Devil Clan. With the death of Tachibana Masamune, and with his position in mind, he is bound to make his own plans. Tachibana Masamune's plan was to destroy the White King and make the Hydra family independent again. To take control of the future of the Japan Branch. In this case, my brother will not cooperate with you." Chime Gen said, "He will find a way to kill the King General himself."

You’re silent through all of this talk. None of this is relevant to you after all. You’re still reeling from the revelation that Chime had killed women like you before under the influence of the King General. Although he might not even realize it was the clapper sound causing the killing sprees, he recognized the split personality state that sometimes people were put in when they heard the clapper. You recall the handsome and flirty Anton, who was changed to the Anton who was dead inside, what was changed to the Anton that was like a reptile.

The fact that Lu Mingfei was also susceptible to this sound shook you as well. Lu Mingfei’s sudden great headache on the roof during the Tokyo Tower mission: Was that also a result of the clapper? You didn’t hear any clapper that you could recall at that time. But still, while Lu Mingfei cringed and moaned in front of you, you tried to speak with him and your words were not reaching him. It was like he was turning into a doll, but didn’t go all the way.

"I'm not doubting your brother's fighting ability, but you’re clearly the smarter one. I don’t think that your brother is clever enough to face the King." Caesar said.

"Brother still holds the last card, he has Erii Uesugi in his hand."

"Erii is more powerful than you?" Lu Mingfei asked.

 Chime Gen shook his head slowly: "I don't know what Erii Uesugi is, but I really don't have the certainty to say that Ruri Kazama can beat her. She seems to be extremely crippled in some ways, but her kind of catastrophic killing power is a power on the level of a Dragon King."

“Japan is really a place full of monsters." Caesar said with an exasperated sigh, "Get some rest, we still have to go to breakfast. Want us to bring you something?"

"After hearing all the things I've done, do you still see me as a friend?" Chime looked up and looked Caesar in the eyes.

"If you do another vicious act in front of me, I will stick my knife in your heart just like your brother; but until then, we should be considered allies, if not friends." Caesar walked out of the room without looking back and the others followed. "If the King will indeed find you here, we will keep you safe."

 The door closed, and Chime was silent for a long, long time, sighing softly, "It would be foolish to make rash statements like who you will protect until you truly know the King's General but thank you." Chime looked at you. “What say you? MC?”

You stare after the closed door, eyes empty. “I understand what you mean now. When you said the King General will kill me, you meant to say, he will use you to do it. Right?” You look in his direction.

Chime Gen’s eyes were sad, so sad.

You close your eyes and nod in confirmation. “I understand.” You take a deep breath and turn to him, leaning in closer. “But I’m not giving up.” You whisper. “First, we have to survive. Then… after that, we can be together. But you promised me you would not give up your life. Keep that promise. Don’t seek death. Okay?”

You squeeze his hands tightly and he returns that squeeze with a firm grip of his own, a grip so tight it was painful. The pain in your hands distracted you from the pain in your heart. When your hands finally released, that throbbing ache in the bones of your hand was as good as a kiss.

You get up and walk quickly out of the room. Your things were no longer in the bath house so you had to head down the hall to the elevator. Much to your shock, Caesar was there waiting for you alone. You stop, hesitant. “Lose your appetite?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. That must have been very hard for you to hear.” He stood, one hand in his pocket. He looked almost too innocent and you wonder if he was eavesdropping.

You shrug. “It is what it is. Until the King General dies… Now if you excuse me, I have to pack.”

You step around him and he catches your arm. “What do you mean pack?” His blue eyes snap at you.

You look up at him in confusion. “I’m leaving. I can’t stay here. The …” You stop talking and sigh, massaging your forehead. Do you really have to spell it out for him? “Okay. Listen. The King General wants me dead just as much as Bondarev. He must know I love Ruri Kazama by now and if he comes here, he will not kill me. He will use Chime to do it, just because he’s that much of an asshole! He’s the type of person who would punish Chime for rebelling like this. He’s used Chime as a murder weapon before, and he’ll do it again!”

“You can’t go out there. Chisei or Hydra or Bondarev, if he’s still alive as you think he is, are still around and hunting you. How are you going to defend yourself on your own?!” 

Caesar didn’t let you go but you jerked out of his grip. “I’ll have to find a way! But I can’t stay here and be a sitting duck for Herzog. You heard what he said! Herzog will find him no matter where he runs. And he’s the type of person who would do this!”

“No,” Caesar’s eyes were firm. “That Gen brother needs you. He would never hurt you.”

You laugh but there’s no joy in it. Your frustration and anger is building in your eyes. “What part of mind control don’t you understand! Do you think he would ever hurt the 14 girls he already hurt? Why am I different?”

“Because you’re already in his heart! That’s why he’s sending you away to protect you right?” Caesar hissed.

You shake your head and raise your arms only to drop them in frustration. “Caesar. … I told him not to send me away. But after hearing what he said, … this is my decision.”

“No.” Caesar dug his heels in. You could see that firm immovable light in his eyes. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He stepped around you easily. It was confrontational, blocking you. He was serious. He was between you and the elevator and your back is against the wall.

You look at him in disbelief. “You’re just going to let me sleep in the same place as the murder weapon?”

“Hey!” He hissed. He bangs his fist against the wall next to your face and there’s a crack visible in the plaster. He points down the hall toward Kazama’s room. “He is not a murder weapon. That is the man you love. He needs you to believe in him!”

 Your eyes have gone distant and dull. You couldn’t believe those words had come out of your mouth. After everything that had happened to you. How could you ever say something like that? You feel like your world is spinning. The logic of survival dictated that you leave him and stay away from him. So you continue to protest. “Caesar… Herzog is counting on me to stay close to Ruri. He’s betting on it. He’ll set the stage. He’ll make it beautiful and when it’s at its most beautiful and we’re so close… Ruri will...”

Caesar takes a deep breath and shakes out his hand. “So we’ll think of a plan B.”

“What plan B? None of us can beat Ruri Kazama if he loses his mind to the clapper.” You whisper hoarsely. “I don’t care as much about dying as much as I do about breaking his heart. If the King General makes him kill me.” You look into his eyes, begging him to understand. “Caesar… it will destroy him. I don’t want to give King General that satisfaction. That’s what I really care about.”

Then you see in Caesar's eyes a black boiling rage like a ferocious thundercloud! A killing aura! “I want to see this bastard try. I don’t believe in Ghosts or evil spirits or any of that fake ass shit.” Caesar spat. “You know better than anyone else here. King General is just a man. A man behind a curtain of tricks. You already saw through his trap today. If you run off, you’ll just run into his back-up trap. It’s better to deal with the devil you know, go about our business as usual and set up a trap of our own.”

You finally relent. “Fine. What do you have in mind?”

“I’ll think of something.” Caesar rubs the back of his head. He glares at you when you laugh. “In the meantime, stay put.”

“God… okay…” You cover your eyes with your hand.

“You just need to stay calm! He knows you’re smart but guys like him have low opinions of women. Once he sees you falling all over you’re favorite guy like you did last night, he’ll think you’re just like all the rest of the so called ‘weaker sex’” He puts this in air quotes. “He’ll let down his guard.”

“Yeah…” You’re still uneasy, but you’ve started to calm down, rubbing your arm and looking away.

“Trust me… Trust me!” He gives you a firm pat on the shoulder. “Good hustle, MC. Go upstairs and get dressed and meet us for breakfast. Then I’ll have you serve your man!”

[septic-dr-schneep]

JSE - Given Time (Part 12)

Previous chapters: [x]

A/N: You know how I said I would wait to post this? I lied

Three and a half weeks.

Three and a half weeks since Marvin had wrenched awake with a ragged scream, feeling like someone had punched a hole in his chest.

Three and a half weeks since he’d half-stumbled, half-crawled from his room to the others, everything in his body singing, Wrong! Wrong! Danger!

Three and a half weeks since they had broken down Chase’s door to find nothing but his hat, phone and wristwatch strewn on the floor. Weeks of terror, rage, grief and determination warring within Marvin as he drilled through every tome on his shelf, searching and scanning for answers in every line, for some kind of sign.

By only the sixth day his fingers were bloody with papercuts and burnt from entangling too many spells at once but the others knew better than to try stopping him. They were far too busy with their own search methods.

Jackieboy had scoured the city, cashed in as many favors as he could spare, dragged as many police officers as he could get his hands on into the search. It was a testament to how much of their faith he had earned, working with them over the years. “He’s my friend,” he said, and that was all they needed to know.

Schneep contacted every hospital, every urgent care, every house caller he could think of in the city, then as many as he knew in the Ipliers’ city. Dr. Iplier had sworn he would do what he could on his end, though who knew how much?

Whenever he wasn’t on the phone, Henrik was crying into scarred, shaking hands. “I wish it were me. If the monster has him, if Chase must endure what I did…” There were nightmares and horrors in his eyes that wouldn’t let him elaborate. “I wish it were me. I would take his place, I would endure it all again if it would spare him!”

Jameson, meanwhile, did the work that was left by the wayside: food, water, blankets when the others finally passed out with their desks as their pillows. After the initial panic he seemed to go into shock. China-pale and puffy-eyed, he drifted from task to task in a daze. His speech slides were scarce, his signs nonexistent. On the rare occasion that he rested, he prayed.

There were no traces of static lingering in Chase’s room—not a speck, not a flicker. Emergency calls and hospital reports of stab wounds came up empty. Chase’s gun was still in its locked drawer, as were the bullets. There was no note to detail a goodbye. When Marvin grit his teeth, swallowed his pride and bitterness and called Stacy, she said that neither she nor the children had heard from Chase in a couple of months.

That should have been a relief, a sign that this wasn’t another attempt. Chase wouldn’t dare try to leave this world again without telling Brianna and Connor that he loved them one last time. Nevertheless the fear churned, always, in the back of Marvin’s mind.

What if he did try to reach the kids but couldn’t get through, so he gave up? What if he doesn’t have his gun because he’s going to try some other way? What if he took the note with him so it would be on his body when he’s found?

No. No. I would know. I would have felt it.

That tether he held, that thin lifeline tangled up around Chase’s soul was all that Marvin could count on every day. Chase’s face card, the King of Clubs, could not locate him, aimlessly fluttering up and down the streets. With every dead end the card’s enchantment found, Marvin was taken back to the days of watching Schneep’s card tumble in the wind, unable to reach him in the pocket dimension where Anti had stashed him away.

That train of thought found a new track.

Three and a half weeks since this new twist of their living nightmare began and at long, long last, they had found something solid to stand on.

Marvin’s plan had been to utilize his soul bond with Chase from the start, combing through dimensions one by one, searching for any pang, any sensation. Yesterday afternoon, however, Dr. Iplier had called Henrik to pass on a message.

“The Host is well aware of the Septic Egos’ trouble. Marvin the Magnificent approaches it on too small a scale. Pocket dimensions will prove trivial, fruitless…but the Host Sees beyond. For the price of a future favor, he may be of assistance in locating Chase Brody’s thread of reality.”

It was the easiest debt they could ever agree to. Another nine months with a hole in their household was not an option.

Marvin emerged on the opposite side of the portal, the opposite side of the universe, with Jackieboy tensed for a fight beside him. Schneep was quick on their heels, machete raised for an upswing, and Jameson had his sword cane drawn before his feet even hit the rocks. It wavered in his hand, however, as he laid eyes on the city in the middle distance.

“Jeepers…That truly is Elvery Heights. It’s the spitting image of our own…yet darker,” he murmured in wary disbelief.

“I don’t understand. Should this portal not have taken us straight where we should be? We are on the outskirts,” Schneep demanded.

“The Host wasn’t about to do all our work for us—and it’s probably better that we haven’t been dropped into the middle of a fight,” Jackie pointed out. “We know nothing about this place. We should find our bearings first.”

“We should find Chase; he’s waiting for us somewhere in there and I’m not going to waste any time sightseeing! We need to get in, get out and get him home!” Marvin snapped, pushing past him into a jog toward the far street. “I’m going to West General, Schneep; if he’s hurt, the Anti of this universe would probably dump him there for you to find!”

He had hardly sprinted ten feet before Jackieboy caught up with him. “Marvin,” he began in a warning voice.

“I feel him now. He’s here and he’s frightened,” Marvin snarled, dodging the hand that grabbed for his shoulder. “Isn’t this how you felt when Schneep was gone? Can’t you understand, you of all people?! Wouldn’t you do anything to get him back, no matter the risks? You would’ve plowed right in too if you knew where he was and I will not hesitate to do the same! Chase is—”

“I know. I know, Marvin.” Jackie matched pace with him, gaze steady, low voice unfaltering. “But even if I had found out where Anti kept Henrik, I would’ve been an idiot to go alone, with no reconnaissance and no plan. I don’t doubt for even a second that I would’ve gotten us both killed.”

“I don’t plan to make that mistake.”

“It would be an even bigger mistake to leave us behind! He’s not just your brother. You think JJ wouldn’t do whatever it takes to save his dad right now? But he’s keeping it together and coming along with a level head. We’re all here to help you.”

Muscles twitching in his jaw, Marvin quickened his stride. I’m coming, Chase. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just hold on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All of the buildings, the streets, the parks, shops and walkways—They all seemed to be “right” but Henrik couldn’t shiver away this uneasy chill from his back as he followed Marvin and Jackieboy toward the hospital. It was his hospital. Shouldn’t he feel at ease, knowing this street so well? But as intricate as the familiar surroundings may be, they didn’t hold up well when he truly looked. It was like an optical illusion or a spot-the-difference game, everything further skewed as he ventured further in.

The passing cars were few and far between, the pedestrians dotted across the street so rarely that it was startling to see one. None of them smiled. None of them even seemed to care about each other’s existence. Unlike the civilians at home, these people didn’t give a second glance to the “quadruplet” Egos passing them. They didn’t bat a lash at their attire, didn’t bother meeting their eyes.

“You feel it creeping up on you too, doc?” Jameson shivered beside him, leaning on his sheathed cane to keep up. “The cold? The strangeness of it all? I can’t rightly put my finger on why but this place feels…ill, like the heart has drained from it. I find myself hoping that the hospital will show happier signs of life!”

“I hope that too.” Thanks to those words his patients’ faces were already flashing in his mind as they stopped before the double doors. “Okay…it looks normal enough, the way I know it…”

“You’re obviously the one who can get in and check around for any sign of him the fastest without being suspected,” Marvin announced, wasting no time to steer him forward by the shoulder. “You know where they keep the patient logs, right?”

“If they keep them where they do at home, yes, but that is an ‘if’,” he reminded him tersely. “This is a different world, Marvin; we do not know if I even work here, if I have ever worked here. Hopefully my coat and expert doctoring will let me pass through at a glance but if it doesn’t—”

“Henrik? Is that you standing dillydally around I see? I thought you were scurrying out to fetch our coffee twenty minutes ago!”

All other fears fled his mind at the call and left him paralyzed at the sound of that voice. Marvin and Jameson retreated a few feet, taken aback, but Jackieboy wasted no time shouldering defensively between him and the approaching figure.

“What’s going on? Henrik?” Albrecht repeated, glancing curiously between the rigid pair. “If you don’t hurry to the shop, our break will be over before you’re back.”

Henrik could only stare at his old enemy, openmouthed, drawing a blank on any possible response. The mere fact that Albrecht was unmasked, ungloved and clean of any bloodstains was enough to render him speechless. Jackieboy didn’t suffer that malady.

“What are you doing here, Doll Maker?” he barked.

“That’s the Doll Maker?” Marvin breathed, glancing at Jameson as he tightened white knuckles around the head of his cane.

“Well?” Jackie spat, eyes burning. “Have you been waiting for us to arrive? Are you the one who’s taken him?”

A snort of bewildered concern escaped Albrecht as he shifted back, hands lifted placatingly. “Very sorry, sir, but I imagine you think of someone else. I have never heard of any ‘Doll Maker’; I do not know why you call me that. Do you need a doctor’s help? Who was taken from you?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Are you trying to mock us?”

“Not at all! If you are looking for a patient, you can ask the front desk in there—or if you would like to wait just a tick, my friend Dr. Schneeplestein and I can gladly listen to your story and see if there is anything we can—”

A nearby crash, splash and clatter cut him off before he could finish, making them jump. As he spun sideways Albrecht lit up, calling out, “Oh, hello! There is the coffee! I—”

“Schneep,” Marvin whispered.

Jameson flinched. Jackie swore.

Albrecht wavered uncertainly, glancing to and fro with the same disbelief mirrored on the others’ faces. “W-Wait. Wait a moment…How can there be—?”

As the steaming brew collected in a puddle that stretched for his shoes, Henrik remained absolutely still, unable to breathe. On the other side of that gap, his other self, bony, pallid and haggard, stared him down with sunken eyes that still shone as cold and sharp as razorblades.

“What is this?” he hissed.

___________________________________________________

@viostormcaller  @misslennie9  @obsidiancreates @plutoandpolaris  @rainidaydreamer @alvie-ashgrove @subtleshenanigans  @victory-cookies  @happysingingturtles @c4link @ashphoenix06  @a-humble-narcissus  @jackskeptically @burningbirb @theblackphoebe  @hexatrash  @realcanadianmoose  @o-0notsteph0-o @help-trashbin  @blitzindite  @rats-this-username-is-taken @lildevyl  @droidreamer  @number1120 @bookwormscififan  @wynterst0rms @awesomekattyk  @the-weirdest-fangirl-blog  @epicfangirl01 @rammypaige @the-spawn-of-loki @isa-ghost @rabbitsartcorner @totallynotanti @thesinginggal @akiacreates @veryanxiousdev @stardustdragon130 @10th-no-name-person @immabethehero @rataccoonn @darkiplurrr @smolswolpotato @gay-but-still-feral @definitely-asexual-volcano @0-chaotic-potato-0  @jade-orade @nagrom10714

@egopocalypse 

[ghost-ghost-baby]

Scales // Yan!Bakusquad x reader // fantasy au // pt. 1

a/n: ive been too busy to write so have pt. 1 of the dragon!Kirishima turned poly!Bakusquad fic lmao. hopefully it’ll have 3-4 parts! 

requests: open

Sparks flew from your fingers, going right into the lock and you heard it unlock with a small click. Relief flooded you at that, thanking the gods that your magic worked on these locks. It was a miracle you’d even managed to find out about this, you may be part of Shigaraki’s kingdom, but it wasn’t by choice, and you refused to let them kill a dragon. Of course, if you were discovered you’d be killed without question, despite your skills at magic. As long as the dragon escaped, it’d be worth it. The lantern in your hand barely lit up the tunnel, but you needed all your magic, so casting a brighter light was out of the question. The hallway went up, steeper by the step and winding around and around, and it kept growing warmer. Sweat drenched you by the time you reached the door, whispered words making the lock open and you pushed the door open as quietly as you could. The dragon’s eyes shot open as soon as you entered, gaze pinning you down as his lips lifted in a snarl. 

“Hey, hey it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you baby, I’m here to set you free, you have my word.” You froze in your tracks, palms facing upwards to show you meant no harm. The dragon’s snarl stayed on it’s face, but it didn’t make any other noises, and you took that as a sign to continue. You made quick work of the shackles on it’s legs and tail, but whatever kind of… contraption they had on it’s wings was more complicated. It consisted of severel locks, and you discovered you had to unlock them in the correct order, or it wouldn’t work. You got past it though, of course you did, despite the substancial drain in your energy. Walking around ot the head, you have the dragon a weak smile, stepping closer when he stayed quiet. The muzzle was easy to work, breaking and falling to the ground with a dull thunk. 

“Okay baby, you’re free to go.” You were grinning now, footsteps running up the tunnel and shouting barely registering. 

“You gotta go now though, or they’ll kill both of us, so just hurry okay!” You were getting more and more frustrated, the dragon only looking at you instead of going. 

“Is it because you don’t know how to get out? There, go through there!” You hissed, hand flying out and with a bang the wall had crumbled to nothing, sunlight streaming into the room even as you felt your energy leaving you. You turned to it with one last look of desperation, banging on the door pounding through your head and, oh, the dragon had such pretty red scales. 

All you could see was red when you woke up, exhaustion making you react slower than you usually would, but giving you time to register everything. The last thing you remembered was the dragon looking at you, but after that everything was black. You really had to be more careful with your magic, passing out wasn’t ideal. Now, what the fuck had happened after that? And how the fuck were you meant to get oout from under… a dragon wing? No, that couldn’t be right, the dragon should have just… left you. Okay, Y/n, just… focus on finding out where you are. You’d been leaning on… well something red and scaly, that seemed to be moving? Maybe you were dreaming, that made the most sense. You crawled forward, finding where the wing ended and crawling out of it. You had to squint to see, summer light blinding compared to the red. Slowly, you turned back around, mouth falling open at the dragon sleeping peachefully before you. Thoughts of running away flashed through your head, and your hand throbbed at that, making yu frown as you looked at it. 

“What the fuck is-” You frowned, scale like tattoos that matched the dragon exactly danced across the back of your hand, from wrist bone to knuckle, with a few on your fingers and thubm. They shimmered if you tilted them just right, and they’d be beautiful if you knew what the fuck they were, and why they hurt when you thought about leaving. 

‘You’re upset, why?’ 

“Who the-”

‘It’s just me, you don’t need to worry.’ This was accompanied by the dragon humming, red eye fixed on you. 

“Why are you in my head?” Your arms crossed over your chest as a reflex, stepping back so there was a greater distance. 

‘Ah, yeah, about that-’ It was interrupted by a roar coming from the clouds, and the noise had you falling back on your ass. 

ANother dragon cirled down, that’s right, another dragon, this was smaller and flashing gold in the sun.  Fear froze your body to the spot. The red dragon shuffled closer to you, but you could swear it was grinning as the other dragon landed. Goldey, as you’d decided to call it, wasted no time and bounded over, letting out a hum that vibratd your bones as he procedded to jump and lick all over the other one. 

You managed to scramble back away from the dragons, the two caught up in… reuniting? Or something like that? Your hands caught on stone and gravel, but you barely noticed, mind numb to the pain as you focused on getting away. Goldey turned to you, letting out a sort of trumpet noise complete with lightning, of all things, and the scream that bubbled up your throat only came out as a whimper. You hadn’t been able to recharge your powers, the fact you were powerless only added to your panic because oh god were they going to eat you? The golden one took a step towards you and you held your hand out, sparks fizzling as soon as they left your palm and gods this was the end for you. 

“Denki! Back up man, go back to the village, I’ll see you there soon.” 

Oh god was that the voice of an angel? Had you died? You finally got a handle on yourself, eyes darting up to meet somewhat familiar red ones. 

“I’m sorry about him, are you okay?” The man asked, hand held out for you to grab when he reached you. You could barely nod, blush on your cheeks because he was half naked, and fuck he was hot. 

“I’m Eijiro Kirishima, I’m really sorry about all the fuss. There’s a village just over the hill, let’s get you there, okay?” He pulled you up, concern painting his features when you stumbled. You were too tired to question anything, like where the red dragon had gone, and how he’d managed to get the golden one to go away, and why he was so warm. Protests left your lips when he picked you up like you were nothing, although they got weaker and weaker. He was just so warm, and comfortable, and nice, and you felt safe. It wasn’t long before you were dozing off.

Warm, you were so warm, half asleep and turning so you could get closer to it. It was soft too, making you hum as you rubbed your cheek against it, thoughourly enjoying the way it felt against your skin. Until it spoke. 

“Feeling better, Y/n?” 

That had you waking right up, eyes barely able to register Kirishima as you were trying to scramble away. He only pulled you closer, arms wrapped tight and pressing you chest to chest. 

“Let me go Kirishima!” You hissed, hands coming up to press against his chest, and that was when you remembered… well whatever was on your hand. Now that you thought about it, the red of the scales matched Kirishima’s eyes perfectly, and that red dragon had just disappeared… And then it clicked.

“What did you do to me?” 

“You saved me, I had to bond you.” He said, as if it was nothing, before he want back to nuzzling your neck. 

“You what?” 

“Don’t worry, you have me now, and I’m gonna keep you so safe.” 

“I don’t even know you, let me go.” You hissed, drawing some satisfaction from the way he flinched when your nails dug into his skin. 

“That doesn’t matter! You’ll know me in time!” He chirped, pulling away so he could look at your face. “Besides, there’s no way to break the bond once it’s been formed, and it comes with some changes I’m sure you’d want me to tell you about.” 

You felt your resolve melting away… what changes? WOuld he only tell you if you were good? Maybe you could find out what they were and use it to get away? 

“There we go, see that wasn’t so hard.” Kirishima smiled, and you noticed how sharp his teeth were.

“So, when a dragon bonds someone, they can’t physically be apart for long periods of time.” 

Oh, there went your plans of escape, then. 

“If they are it can physically hurt them, it was made so bonded pairs would stay together. Other effects of the bond are sensing each others moods, feeling each others pain, and being able to sense when the other is in danger. Oh! And your lifespan will match mine now, dragons do live for a long time.” Kirishima told you, arms wrapped tight around your middle. You were leaning back against his chest, warring with yourself because this fucking bond made it all so much harder. You couldn’t just leave, even the thought of it sent a spike of pain through you, but you couldn’t stay, you’d basically been kidnapped, by a dragon. 

“Now, you’re a sorcerer, right? You must’ve used a lot of your energy saving me.” These words were accompanied by him kissing the side of your neck, and you didn’t know if you wanted to gag or ask for more. 

“Thank you for that, baby. Now we just gotta get your strength back up!” Kirishima reached forward, bringing back a plate of fruit from it’s place on the table. You’d been stuck in this tent all day, the table in the middle the only hard thing there, everything else was all pillows and soft fabrics. He set the fruit on your lap, and you let out a sigh of relief when you realised he wasn’t going to feed you. You munched on the fruit, letting him ramble on about other people in the village, your energy returning with every bite you took. There had to be some way you could get out of this, right? Sure, you’d never faced a dragon before, but how hard could it be, really?

[splendidlyimperfect]

When Gray wakes up one night with a voice in his head, the last thing he expects is to suddenly be sharing a body with a demon. Natsu is nothing like Gray expected, though. He's surprisingly charming, and more concerned about getting Gray to eat vegetables than he is with taking over the world. Since Gray can't push him away like he does with everyone else, he begrudgingly accepts Natsu's place in his life - for now. But when Natsu ends up needing Gray's help, what started out as an inconvenience turns into a road trip - and a friendship - that changes Gray's life.

Chapter Summary: Gray and Natsu start their road trip to find Natsu's body.

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Characters: Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, Lyon Vastia, Mard Geer Tartarus Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Humor, Adventure, Demonic Possession, but the good kind, demon Natsu, References to Depression, Depressed Gray, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Sort Of, Road Trips, Falling In Love, Natsu's not an evil demon, he really just wants to take care of Gray, Gray sucks at feelings

-----

“I’m bored.”

Gray looked up at the rearview mirror to see Natsu’s reflection in the back seat of the car. He gave Gray a pathetic look as he leaned his head against the window.

“It’s only been an hour,” Gray said, rolling his eyes. “How are you going to manage for three days?”

Natsu groaned, tipping his head back against the seat dramatically. The late afternoon sun reflected off his scales, giving his dark skin a reddish glow.

“Weren’t you the one that said three days wasn’t a long time?” Gray looked back at the road, continuing to sneak peeks in the mirror when he could. Natsu swallowed, and the tattoos on his neck shifted with his skin. Gray traced the lines where they dipped under Natsu’s shirt, and he wondered absently where they ended.

Continue reading on AO3

“My stomach,” Natsu said. Gray frowned, then remembered that Natsu could read his mind. He ducked his head, trying to hide his burning cheeks. “And they’re not tattoos,” Natsu said, seemingly unperturbed by Gray’s embarrassment. “They’re markings.”

“What’s the difference?” Gray asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“They’re magic,” Natsu explained. His image disappeared from the rearview mirror, reappearing in the passenger window as if he were sitting in the seat next to Gray. “It’s how I use my powers.”

“So... you got them in hell?”

“The hells.”

“Why?”

Natsu hesitated. “’cause, uh... I was bored.”

Gray raised an eyebrow. “You got magic tattoos—”

“Markings.”

“—markings because you were bored?”

Gray could feel Natsu’s indignance when he answered, “Yes.” He sighed. “The hells are seriously the worst. Everyone’s mean. All they wanna talk about is torturing people and vengeance and shit, and it’s boring.”

Gray was pretty sure that torture and vengeance didn’t usually fall under the umbrella of ‘boring conversation,’ but he didn’t argue.

“So... what kind of magic can you do?” he asked instead.

“Fire, mostly,” Natsu said. Something flickered in the reflection, and when Gray turned to look, he could see a small flame sitting in Natsu’s palm.

“Please don’t burn my car down.”

Natsu laughed, turning his hand palm-down and running the flame across his knuckles like a magician would with a coin. “Don’t worry,” he reassured Gray, “I can only use my magic up here when I’m inside you.” Gray made a choked sound, and Natsu’s eyes widened as he quickly added, “Shit, not like—not in you like that, I mean like using your body. To magic. Not for... other stuff.”

He quickly looked away, and Gray could swear there was an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. “Oh,” was all Gray could manage as he desperately tried to push the sudden mental image of Natsu inside him out of his head. The soft, warm presence of Natsu in the back of his mind sparked and sputtered like a candle near an open window.

“What do you do?” Natsu asked quickly. His voice was tight, and he turned away from Gray, staring out the window at the fields of canola.

“Do?” Gray rubbed his face, trying to compose himself.

“For work? School? Whatever.”

“Ah.” He exhaled, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and focusing on the highway. “I don’t.” He felt the question in the back of his mind and sighed. “I was working,” he said reluctantly, “before I moved here. And I’m not anymore. Not right now, anyway.”

“How come?”

“I don’t want to—” Gray stopped himself, realizing that the question wasn’t irritating him like he expected it to. Natsu seemed genuinely concerned and curious – there was no pity or judgement coming from him.  

“I’m on stress leave,” Gray explained. “I was working at an office before I moved here, and there was someone...” He hesitated, running his thumbs along the worn weather of the steering wheel. “Someone who made my life hell,” he said eventually.

Natsu’s reflection shifted in the window as he appeared to settle into the seat with his knees tucked up against his chest. “Is that who I saw?” he asked. “In your head?” He looked embarrassed.  

Gray didn’t answer. Instead, he exhaled, and let the memories come to the surface of his mind, drifting there for Natsu to see. “It’s okay,” he said when he felt Natsu’s hesitation. “It’s easier than talking about it.”

There was a soft tug at the back of his mind, but instead of pushing back, Gray relaxed. He watched the trees and fields fly by through the window as Natsu drifted through his memories. The low thrum of anxiety in Gray’s chest was tempered by Natsu’s soft, comforting warmth.

“What a bitch,” Natsu said eventually. Gray snorted, glancing over at the passenger window. Natsu’s reflection looked pissed at first, then slowly relaxed into regret once he realized Gray was watching. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Gray said quietly. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “People didn’t listen to me – she didn’t listen to me. And it just felt like I was saying no over and over, and it didn’t matter.” He rubbed his forearm self-consciously. “She started showing up at my apartment or following me to the grocery store and eventually I kinda… lost it.”

“What the actual fuck?” Natsu’s expression shifted back to angry.

Gray felt himself start to smile at Natsu’s indignance. Nobody had ever listened to him or stood up for him like this before. Lyon had been sympathetic, of course, but had never been as angry as Natsu was. It felt…

“Validating?” Natsu suggested. Gray groaned as he realized Natsu had been listening to his internal monologue again.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I haven’t really talked about it with anyone. Not since I moved.”

“We could scare the shit out of her,” Natsu suggested. “Like with Lyon – glowing eyes, fire, all that.”

Gray laughed and shook his head. “As hilarious as that would be, I never want to see her again.” A soft sense of understanding radiated from Natsu, warm and comforting. Gray let himself lean into the feeling, breathing deeply as he let some of his anger dissolve.

“Are we hungry?” Natsu asked, pulling Gray out of his feelings. “I think I am. Are you?” Natsu pointed straight ahead to a sign on the side of the road. It was faded and peeling, but the washed-out letters read Ice Cream – 99 Flavors!

“Sure,” Gray said, smiling at the excited expression on Natsu’s face. “I could go for ice cream.”

~

They spent the rest of the afternoon driving, and by the time the sun started to sink over the horizon, Gray was exhausted. He pulled into a parking lot with a neon sign flashing cheap rooms and free wifi! and yawned.

“What’s wifi?” Natsu, who had been quiet for the last couple hours of the trip, frowned at the sign.

“Internet.”

“What’s internet?”

Gray rolled his eyes as he got out of the car and stretched. The parking lot was nearly empty, and the only sounds were the low rumble of the highway and a sharp buzz from the fluorescent lights overhead.

“C’mon,” he said, grabbing his backpack from the back seat and heading toward the office. “I’ll show you.”

Their room was small and smelled like every motel Gray had ever been in. He tossed his bag on the ground and kicked off his shoes.

“It’s weird that you’re not like… here,” he said as he pulled out his phone and caught Natsu’s reflection in the screen. “Physically, I mean,” Gray added when Natsu raised an eyebrow.

“Move the mirror,” Natsu suggested, gesturing to the cracked plastic mirror that hung on the far wall. It came off its single nail easily, and Gray propped it up against the TV so it was across from the headboard. Then he flopped down on the bed and grumbled at the squeak of the springs. When he looked up at his reflection, Natsu was next to him, legs crossed in front of the pillows.

Even though Natsu wasn’t there physically, Gray could feel heat creeping into his cheeks at the idea of them both being in the same bed. Sure, he was technically alone, but the mirror showed a different story. Gray’s brain drifted back to their awkward conversation in the car, and to the blush he’d seen on Natsu’s cheeks.

“Internet?” Natsu said hopefully, pulling Gray out of his embarrassment.

“Oh,” Gray said, “Yeah, hang on a sec.” He grabbed his laptop from his backpack and opened it, connecting the wifi and opening the internet browser. “Okay, ask me a question.”

Natsu frowned. “Any question?”

“Yep. Well, not a personal question. Something you want to know about the world.”

“Hm. What’s the spiciest food ever?”

Gray quickly typed world’s spiciest food in the search bar. “Phaal curry.” He pointed to the picture. “It’s got, uh… ten of the world’s hottest peppers in it.”

Natsu’s face lit up. “Can we eat that?”

“Absolutely not.” Gray shuddered. “I hate spicy food. Plus, we’re probably not gonna find an Indian restaurant all the way out here.” Natsu pouted and Gray laughed.

“Wait,” Natsu said, frowning at the computer. “Your… machine knows that?”

“Laptop. And no, not the laptop. We’re connected to the internet.”

“And the internet knows about spicy food.”

“The internet knows pretty much everything. Try another question.”

“Uh… what’s the biggest volcano?”

“Ojos de Salado. On the border of Argentina and Chile.”

Natsu stared at the picture, eyes wide. “How does it know? How does it work?”

“That’s… a great question,” Gray said, shrugging. “I actually have no idea.”

“Ask it!”

Gray spent the next five minutes reading about the internet from a technical website, but Natsu quickly grew bored with the explanation.

“Sounds like magic,” he said, waving his hands in a vaguely mystical gesture. “Is that how you found my body?”

Gray nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He opened the map and pointed to the marked location that said Belle River, British Columbia.

Natsu was silent for a minute. Gray looked at his reflection in the mirror. Natsu seemed lost in thought, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the phone.

“What’s up?” Gray asked. “You okay?”

“Just thinking,” Natsu said. He pulled his knees up to his chest and Gray’s attention drifted as he tried to figure out exactly how the reflection worked. Was Natsu really there, in some other dimension? Was he tangible? Was there a way that he could touch Natsu? Or was his physical form just Gray’s imagination?

“No,” Natsu answered, and Gray blinked in surprise, then sighed as Natsu laughed at him. “Sorry. You think really loud. And no, you’re not imagining me. I am.”

“I… what?”

Natsu tipped his head to look at Gray and gestured to his face. “I was like… eight when I lost my body. So I looked a little different.” He closed his eyes and exhaled, and the reflection in the mirror started to shift. The pink in Natsu’s hair faded to a light brown and grew out until it was tied back in a short ponytail. His features softened, the dark marks on his arms receded, and his tight t-shirt and jeans were replaced by a too-large shirt and ripped pants. The now-young Natsu looked at Gray in the mirror and gave him a gap-toothed smile.

“You were so little,” Gray said softly. Natsu’s face looked thin and pale, and there were bright fever-spots on both his cheeks. Before Gray could say anything else, Natsu quickly shifted back to his older self.

“Yeah. So this is kinda… what I think I’d look like if I was around now.” He glanced back at Gray’s phone, then added, “I guess we’ll see when we get there.”

“That’ll be weird, hey?”

“Mm.” Natsu shrugged, but his expression was uncomfortable. “Thinking about it…” He trailed off, but his emotions intensified, leaving Gray with an unsettled sensation in the pit of his stomach.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?” he asked quickly, trying his best to push the feelings away. They were too close to what he’d felt when he’d first moved away from everything and had spent most of his time curled up in his room, staring blankly at the walls.

“A movie?”

“Yeah.” Gray grabbed the laptop again and opened Netflix. “Moving pictures?” He frowned at Natsu. “You’re weird. You don’t know what the internet is, but you didn’t seem weirded out by my cell phone, or cars, or… lattes.”

“I pay attention to the human world sometimes,” Natsu said, almost defensively. “I know what a phone is! They were around last time I was topside; they were just a lot different. Same with cars. And I know what moving pictures are – the last person I possessed went to one. It was on a big screen, though, not—” He gestured at Gray’s laptop “—this.”

“Well, movies stream through the internet now,” Gray explained as he flipped through his ‘to watch’ list. It was mostly documentaries, which he didn’t think Natsu would find too exciting. He finally settled on ‘Max Max: Fury Road.’

As the screen lit up with the opening credits, Gray leaned back against the pillows. Natsu followed suit, and in their reflection, it almost looked like they were cuddling. The space beside Gray was empty, though, and he tried his best not to think about the disappointing lack of warmth.

“Who’s that?” Natsu asked, pointing to the man on screen. “Is that real? Who’s he talking to?”

“Natsu,” Gray said, rolling his eyes and turning up the volume. “I’ll explain how movies work later. Right now, just shut up and watch.”

[sparklydreamies]

Stray Kids 8 Part Series ~ (3) Seo Changbin: He Laughed

Group: Stray Kids

Member: Seo Changbin

Genre: Light angst +hurt/comfort

Word Count: 4,000+

Summary: Don’t give power to merciless people behind a screen. 

Stray Kids 8 Part Series MASTERLIST

A/N: Hi guys!! Sorry it took me so long to post again, but I’m back, and hopefully I will be able to write more frequently! This story is centered around the changes in Changbin’s appearance and confidence from debut to now. I always feel bad writing members in pain, but this is the story I came up with lol,, I guess the moral of this story is that idols are people who have valid emotions and feelings, and we as fans don’t have the right to dismiss them and treat them like dolls. So on that note, thank you all for reading!!<33

All throughout his childhood, Seo Changbin had always been skinny. There was never much of a reason for his naturally slim stature other than genetics and a fast metabolism. It always seemed as though throughout his youth, he had never experienced the usual figure changes that a lot of his friends had gone through, whether it was the gain of muscle or fat. 

No matter how much food he ate, it never seemed to show on his body. There wasn’t a single part of his body that had excess fat covering the very visible bones. He could never grab a hold of any extra flesh on his body like some of his friends could.

As a teenager, he was always told that it was because he was a “growing boy”, and that he needed a lot of calories in order to grow big and strong. It wasn’t until he was in his early twenties that his stature began to change. He slowly became more muscular, thanks to his countless hours in the gym. Not only that, but he began to notice the faint gain of fat whenever he ate a lot without burning the calories. 

In a way, Changbin had always felt like he was blessed to be naturally slim. It was especially appreciated for someone in his line of work. Even after it became easier for him to gain fat, the company had never considered him “too heavy” for an idol. Muscle mass was a different story, however as time progressed, Changbin was able to build the perfect amount of muscle to satisfy the company as well as his fans. 

In short, Changbin had always liked his body. 

“Time’s up!” Doni called. “Put your markers down.”

Changbin didn’t put his marker down. Giggling like a small child, he avoided the attempts Jisung made at stealing the black marker from his hand, only stopping when the show host called him out on it. 

“Changbin’s naughty, he keeps cheating!” Coni laughed. 

This was what Changbin loved doing. Making a fool out of himself during variety shows, cheating during games with his members, and overall acting like a child whenever he could. 

“We should stop the show right here, Changbin ruined it for everyone.” Doni joked, and Changbin felt Jisung collapse on his back in a fit of laughter, nearly knocking them both off their stools and onto the ground. 

“Okay, let’s start with Felix! Show us your drawing,” Doni called, and Felix flipped the notebook he was holding in his hands around. 

The point of this segment was for the members to draw a portrait of how they perceive another member. 

The entire group as well as Doni, Coni, and a few of the staff members had burst out in laughter at the drawing Felix made of Jeongin. 

“Felix, you forgot eyebrows!” Jeongin whined from his spot. Changbin didn’t even notice the missing eyebrows; he was more focused on the teeth that were twice the size that they should have been. 

The segment continued on like that, and Changbin felt a swell of pride when the whole group laughed at his drawing of Minho, which looked so scrappy that a five year old could do better. Changbin was having fun.

It wasn’t until it was Jisung’s turn to share his drawing that his mood took a shift. 

“And this is my drawing of my lovely Changbinnie-hyung” Jisung giggled from his spot behind his muse. 

Changbin took in the piece of art before him. The hair was scraggly, the eyes were small, and the chin looked more like a “V” than a chin. 

Changbin laughed at the representation of himself. 

“Oh the chin! The chin!” Coni laughed as he made the shape of a “V” with his hands to mock the drawing. Changbin laughed. 

“That is the most accurate drawing so far!” Doni commented as he forcefully took Changbin’s face and traced the edges of his chin with his fingers. “Wow, Han is an artist!” Doni cracked as he high-fived Jisung. Changbin laughed. 

“He captured Changbin’s face so cleverly!” Coni praised, sitting back down on his stool. Changbin faked annoyance at the hosts and at his band mate. And then, he laughed once again. 

His brothers were practically howling at the scene, their voices creating a cacophony of sound ringing in Changbin’s ears. He was happy. He was laughing. So why did it feel as though his stomach was falling through the floor?

For the first time that day, Changbin had to forcefully plaster a smile on his face. He felt the bubbling feeling of embarrassment in his chest for the rest of the filming. 

A little while back, Han Jisung had been given a nickname by his fans. Less than a nickname, it was more of a cute comparison. His cheeks had always been unusually large and soft. Whenever he would eat, he would store food inside of them, making them more accentuated than they were before. It was because of this that fans had begun calling Jisung a squirrel. 

Jisung liked the connection. Contrary to how he presents himself, he had often struggled with accepting and liking his cheeks. He didn’t like the way they made him look younger and more boyish. He wanted to be perceived in a more mature and manly way. 

That was why when fans began to compliment and praise his chubby cheeks, it helped him become more confident in his face. 

Changbin had seen the improvement of Jisung’s spirit. Praise for Jisung’s cheeks from fans had helped him improve his self image a lot, and for that, Changbin’s love for his fans had only grown.

He only wished that he could experience the same reactions to his insecurities. 

Changbin wouldn’t consider himself jealous of Jisung’s full cheeks and round face. It was stupid to compare oneself to another person based off of superficial things like looks, however it didn’t stop Changbin from appreciating the younger boy’s unique features. 

The show aired on it’s planned date with no faults. Changbin watched the program on television, and was fairly proud of the results of the editing process. He had hoped that STAYs would enjoy the hour-long show.

After a few hours, Changbin opened Twitter so that he could get a sense of how his fans appreciated the show. Skimming through fans’ tweets, he noticed a few that stood out to him. 

Most of the comments were about Felix and Jisung’s aegyo, or Hyunjin’s random dance challenge. The deeper he scrolled, the more tweets he found about him. 

Normally, having a lot of tweets aimed at him would be an honour to Changbin. It usually meant that he was charismatic and funny enough to gain fans’ attention. That was why he didn’t understand the embarrassing feeling that came along with the jokes about his face structure. 

That’s all that they were. Jokes. People liked to joke about his chin, so why should he worry? Why did he feel shameful? 

Changbin’s stomach continued to drop with every comment he read about his face. Every time he saw that drawing of him, it was like another pin stabbing his chest. 

That night at dinner, everyone was talking about the show. The members were talking about the comments that they received, the fans reactions, and how they thought it was a really successful show. 

At one point during the meal, Jisung had shoved Changbin in the shoulder and laughed about the drawing that he made and how funny the fans thought it was. Changbin laughed. 

Changbin had always been able to hide his feelings well. Especially as an idol, hiding hardships is mandatory. Changbin was good at laughing. It was a sure fire way to make everybody think that you’re happy, when on the inside, it feels like you’ve swallowed a thousand bees. 

So that night, he laughed. He subjected himself to be the clown, even though it hurt him. Nobody needed to know about how he let his tears fall onto his pillow while they all slept. 

Changbin had thought about how he was working so hard to remain slim and skinny, and how if he were to gain just a little more weight, he could possibly make himself softer and cuter, like his brother Jisung. 

He figured that it was worth a try. Sure he might have to fight the company tooth and nail to gain the weight that he wants, but it was worth it. It was worth it to change how he looked. It was worth it to satisfy his fans. 

For the next few weeks, Changbin had let himself gain weight. He ate more and stopped trying so hard to burn it all off. He still worked out enough to remain healthy, and he was still trying to gain muscle, but whenever he stepped on the scale and saw that he was a pound or two heavier than he had previously been, he felt his heart swell. 

It was an odd thing to want to gain weight. Most idols would kill to be as skinny as Changbin had been, yet here Changbin was, trying to gain weight for the purpose of chubbier cheeks and softer edges. 

Eventually, it began to work. Changbin began to wake up in the morning to see that his face was rounder, fuller, and cuter than it had been before. The whole thing made him elated. 

It had gotten to the point where he was satisfied with his outer appearance. His chin was much less prominent. A less prominent chin meant that there was less for people to make their jokes out of. 

“Hannie, stop!” Chan shrieked just as Jisung smeared a fat glob of vanilla frosting on his cheek. 

All of the members were crowded in their living room, celebrating Bang Chan’s birthday with their fans. The energy level in the room was ecstatic. Some members were getting cake violently rubbed into their skin while others were trying to read comments and make the VLive as normal as possible. 

Changbin was in the middle of answering a question when he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind where he was sitting on the ground in front of the coffee table. Before he thought better of it, his head was turning and he was met with a face full of frosting from Minho. 

“Hey! Minho, get back here!” Changbin screamed, getting up to chase the nuisance around the room. 

Laughter filled the room and lit up Changbin’s heart. He thought that nothing could destroy his mood.

It wasn’t until the next day that Changbin had checked Twitter again. 

He scrolled through a lot of happy birthday wishes for Chan, which made him smile. He read a few of the messages, and saved the ones that he wanted to show to Chan. 

And then, he got to some posts about the live. Most of them were sweet and nice, there were some clips of various parts of the live including the moment that Changbin got his face full of cake. As he scrolled for longer and longer, he got to some comments that were less light-hearted. 

They didn’t like the weight he gained. Of course he noticed the comments from fans who had thought he looked healthier and happier, but no matter how many positive comments he saw, the posts from people calling him fat and saying that he was “letting himself go” were far stronger. The people calling him a pig and a fatass and ugly were too loud. 

Changbin didn’t understand. After everything he did to satisfy the fans, they still made negative comments about him. He once was too skinny, now he is too fat.

He knew that he shouldn’t listen to people who didn’t show their faces, yet to know that people were confidently calling him degrading names stung him deeply. He felt a hopeless feeling bloom inside of him, and it drove him mad. 

Changbin felt the first tear slip down the side of his face as the feeling of his chest collapsing took him over. His phone was thrown across his bedroom, the sound of a screen shattering as it hit the floor being the only identifiable noise in the room. 

He wanted to scream. There was no pleasing them. He hated himself. He hated the way that he looked. He hated himself when he was skinny, and he was beginning to hate himself now that he gained weight. But mostly, he hated the way that he was reacting.

This was the job, wasn’t it? None of this should be surprising to him. He had known about the malicious comments aimed at the other members for various reasons, so why was this so frustrating for him? 

Changbin fisted his hair to ground himself. He tried to count his breaths in his head, but all he heard was the comments ringing around in his ears. 

...He got fat...

...Has he stopped working out?...

Fucking breathe.

...He’s turning into a pig...

...Changbin’s face is so fat...

Letting out his first scream of frustration, Changbin shot up from his bed. If the fans wanted him to be skinnier, then fine. He would get skinnier. 

This was for the good of his career. Nobody liked an ugly idol, and if he is more attractive with a slim stature and a pointy chin, then he would work to achieve it. If he gained the weight, surely he could lose it again. 

The room was small, and it felt like it was getting smaller. 

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he threw open his bedroom door. Changbin grabbed his running shoes from the rack by the entrance, slipped them on, and took off from the dorm that felt like it was suffocating him. 

The night air was refreshing against Changbin’s burning skin as he sprinted down the street. Ten o’clock at night couldn’t be considered too late to go for a run, especially when the moon was shining so beautifully in the otherwise pitch-black sky. 

Changbin didn’t know where he was going, but he didn’t care. His lungs and legs were burning with the unexpected extortion. The sweatpants and t-shirt he was wearing didn’t make for good running clothes, but that didn’t matter to him. 

For a minute, he felt okay. He could even say that he felt good. For a minute, he had forgotten all about the fans and their vendetta against his happiness.

The wind had dried the tears off of his cheeks, and he just became another faceless person in the dark. Changbin didn’t think of himself as an idol, but rather a person who’s tight chest was slowly beginning to take in enough oxygen for his head to stop pounding. 

He didn’t know how long he ran for that night. His mind had cleared completely of thoughts, and he wore himself out. He didn’t even notice the warning signs of exhaustion before he was throwing up in a patch of shrubs. 

Slowly coming back to reality, Changbin realized he needed to get home. He wasn’t too far from the dorms, so once he gathered some strength back, he began walking. 

It was hard to tell how long it took him before he was trudging up the stairs and letting himself through the front door. He tried to be as quiet as possible.

The clock on the stove read 12:24. Changbin knew that if any of the members had realized he was gone, that he would be in a world of trouble. 

He took his running shoes off at the door and made his way to his and Felix’s room, expecting to see the younger boy playing video games or getting ready for bed. What he was not expecting was to see Felix sitting on Changbin’s own bed, frowning at the phone in his hands. 

Felix’s eyes darted up like a meerkat, relief flooding his features when Changbin entered the room.

“Where the fuck have you been!” Felix sighed, jumping up from the bed to pull the older boy into a hug, “I came out of the shower to see you were gone, you weren’t answering your damn phone, I was fucking worried you asshole!” 

Changbin repressed a smile as he pushed Felix away. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” 

Felix scanned Changbin, his eyes narrowing into suspicious slits. “Did you go for a run?” 

“Yeah,” Changbin answered.

“In... your sweats?” Felix fingered at the pockets of Changbin’s sweatpants, and the older boy swatted his fingers away. 

Changbin nodded and flopped down onto his bed. 

“Why didn’t you take your phone with you? I’ve been trying to call you,” Felix ran a hand through his hair, “Fucking hell,” he sighed. 

“I don’t know, Lixie.” As soon as Changbin’s head hit the pillows beneath him, he felt the exhaustion from his midnight run catch up to him. “You should watch your language, by the way.” he mumbled, cracking a small grin. 

“Changbin, seriously,” Felix climbed up beside him, “You’re fucking lucky! I was two seconds away from telling Chan, I swear to god.” 

Changbin looked up and saw the lines of genuine concern stretch across the boy’s face.

Felix had always been a caring person. He was always dependable, and he was really a true friend. It didn’t matter if Changbin was older, because he knew that Felix would always be there to protect him. 

Wordlessly, Changbin grabbed Felix by the arm and pulled him to lay down beside him. A fond smile graced his face. 

“Thank you for worrying,” Changbin whispered, “but I’m fine.”

Felix sighed. There was a beat of silence where Felix closed his eyes, and Changbin had started to think he fell asleep. But then, “Are you okay?” 

Changbin was stunned and confused for a second. “Yeah... why?” 

“You don’t usually go for runs. Especially not late at night.” Felix whispered. 

Changbin snaked an arm around Felix’s torso. “I was just having a bad day.” 

Felix was fidgeting slightly. It looked like he was fighting some sort of internal battle about whether or not he should say what he wanted to say. 

Changbin smiled at the nervousness. “What?” he encouraged. 

Felix’s gaze caught Changbin’s eyes. “Was it the comments? About your weight gain?” he asked in a small voice. 

Silence. There was no sound coming from anywhere in the dorm as Changbin processed the question. The smile that rested on his face immediately slipped away. 

“I... I saw them on Twitter, and they pissed me off, so...” Felix trailed off, lowering his gaze, “I mean you haven’t even gained that much...”

“I gained the weight on purpose,” Changbin said when he zoned back in on Felix.

“Oh...” Felix’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Why? I mean, not that you don’t look good, but like... Why did you want to gain weight?” 

Changbin thought about why he wanted to gain weight. He thought about Jisung’s drawing, the “V” face comments, the constant embarrassment around his appearance, and his own insecurities. 

“It’s stupid.” Changbin dismissed, but of course, Felix kept digging. 

“It’s not stupid. It’s just me, you can tell me.” he eased. 

Changbin sighed. “You know... how people had been making jokes about my face? And my chin?” 

Felix nodded, confusion showing again. 

“I hated those comments.” he whispered. “I just got so insecure about my looks after people began to make those jokes, and I just... wanted to fix them.”

When Changbin looked at Felix, he saw that the confusion was still etched onto his features. “But...” Felix started, “you always laugh at those jokes.” 

Changbin felt like shit for unloading this onto Felix, yet he continued to explain. “I’m good at laughing.” 

The boys sat in silence for another minute. Felix seemed to be mulling over what he had been told, and Changbin watched the look of confusion melt into one of realization, and then sadness. 

“I’m so sorry,” Felix breathed, “I... I didn’t know you felt like that. I would have never made those jokes.”

Changbin felt his heart crack. Felix almost sounded heartbroken, and it killed Changbin inside. 

“But hyung...” Felix said, “you know that you don’t have to fix anything, right? You’re perfect. Don’t let them get to you.” 

Teardrops were threatening to fall from Changbin’s eyes for the second time that night, except instead of being born out of pain, these tears were brought on by the overwhelming feeling of being loved. 

“Okay...” was all Changbin could muster the strength to whisper. He didn’t trust his voice, so instead, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his best friend’s forehead. 

“You know what, hyung?” 

Changbin hummed.

“I have dealt with so much hate because of so many things,” Felix sniffled away his own tears, “first they were upset because I wasn’t fluent in Korean, then they didn’t like my freckles, then it was my voice, and I thought that there was just no winning with them.” Felix closed his eyes. 

Changbin didn’t even think about that. If any member was no stranger to criticism from online fans, it would be Felix. 

The thought was crazy to Changbin. Why would anybody go out of their way to hurt somebody as sweet and perfect as Felix? The thought of somebody actually hating Felix for his mess of pretty freckles still amazed Changbin. 

“But you know what I realized?” Felix continued, snapping Changbin out of his own thoughts, “It’s not my job to please everyone.” 

“What do you mean, Lixie?” Changbin asked. 

Felix opened his eyes again, “Like... I’m doing music for me, right? If people don’t like the way that I look or who I am, then that’s their problem, not mine. Get it?” 

Changbin was amazed. 

“How are you so young and yet more wise than half of the industry?” Changbin saw the light in Felix’s eyes, and it made him smile, too.

“I mean it still hurts sometimes, but... less now.”

Changbin agreed. He couldn’t see how reading vicious comments like that could ever end up getting easier. 

“But now that I know you get comments and stuff that hurt you too, maybe we could... help each other. When it hurts a lot, you know?” 

“Like you mean... I come to you when it hurts, and you come to me?” Changbin asked. It made him feel special to know that Felix trusted him enough to want to go to him for comfort. It made him feel like he wasn’t the only one that got happiness out of their relationship. 

“Yeah, something like that,” he answered. 

Changbin’s smile returned full force. 

Felix was like sunshine, Changbin thought. This issue that seemed so horrible and painful to Changbin, now seems less than half as terrible since Felix was there for him. Since now, Felix was there to comfort him. 

He didn’t care if it made him weak or less of a man, because he didn’t feel like he had to be strong when he was with Felix. Felix had always been comfortable in his emotions, and Changbin admired that about him. 

“If you’re happy with the way that you look right now, you should keep it this way,” Felix encouraged him, “because for the record, I think you look better like this. You look happier.” 

“I am happier,” Changbin whispered. 

Shortly after that, the two boys fell asleep in Changbin’s bed, happy to have the support of their best friend. 

Although it was hard at first, Changbin slowly became more confident in himself and his appearance to not care about how other people wanted him to look. Even when he slipped up, Felix always caught him with a hug, a smile, and a shoulder for him to rest his head. 

For a while, Changbin had to fake his happiness during videos and variety shows. No matter how much he repressed it, the worry of how his fans would react to his appearance was always dangling in the back of his mind like an itch that he couldn’t scratch. 

But it got better. Changbin found himself worrying less and less about what his fans thought, and more about what he thought. Over time, he didn’t have to fake his happiness. The fans had even noticed how Changbin’s growing confidence affected him.

And perhaps best of all, eventually began to laugh again. It wasn’t a fake laugh, or a laugh to cover his shame. It was a real laugh that honestly held his real happiness. And unlike how he laughed before, this laugh was the product of his self confidence and strength. No laugh could ever be brighter or fuller than his. 

[littledraga]

Dust Bunnies

The ever growing Series of Robots and Roombas! Spine is small and Roomba always seems to know when he needs them.

Roomba had shown up just in time. Little Spine was nearly dry when they made it to the kitchen to find Six sleeping on his feet, again.

Spine sighed. There wasn’t enough in his boiler to steam. “Six!”

Nothing.

Grumbling, Spine stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth. “SIX!”

Still, he slept, softly snoring as he leaned against the counter.

This wasn’t going to be easy, and Spine didn’t like what he was going to have to do to get Petes to wake up. But he was desperate. Boiler low, and shrunk so small, he needed help, now.

Steeling his nerves, Spine kicked Petes’ shin as hard as his tiny titanium legs could manage. When Six yelled, Spine fell back onto Roomba with a yelp. Even Roomba beeped and rolled back a ways.

Looking around, Six rubbed his hand under his mask when he looked down. His head tilted slightly to the side, seeming to question if he was dreaming.

“Good! I was afraid you’d sleep all night! Can you get me some water? I’m pretty low.” Asked Spine, waving an arm. When nothing happened right away, he sighed again. He was getting hot. “Six! I need water!” He yelled.

That seemed to jar Six from his thoughts. “Right, right.” Bending down, he carefully plucked up the doll sized robot and sat him on the counter before filling a glass halfway with water. He wouldn’t need that much, surely?

“Thanks, Peter.” It was a little awkward, lifting up the giant cup, but he wouldn’t let Six help. He was perfectly capable of drinking water, or he was until he poured the water over himself, knocking him on his back. At least he’d gotten plenty in his boiler before giving himself a shower.

Crossing his arms, The Spine quietly pouted and steamed while Six laughed at him. Water dripped off his face and his clothes. At least he wasn’t wearing his fedora. It might have shrunk even more. As if being small wasn’t bad enough.

Still giggling, Six gently poked at Spine. “So, care to explain why you’re doll sized, Spine?”

Grumbling, Spine pushed Six’s away. He wiped his face as he staggered to his feet. “Your shrink ray turned on, on its own, and blasted me in the core. Guess it really did just need more power,” he muttered bitterly, trying to ring water out of his suit. He didn’t need anything else shrinking any more than they already had.

Listening, the young master curled a finger on the edge of his mask. A most interesting reaction, indeed! “Fascinating! I wonder if I just added more blue matter, would it work. Or making a blue matter screen? Like a magnifying glass.” As he pondered, he started to pace the kitchen, seeming to completely forget that there was a tiny automaton in need. At least until he tripped over the Roomba, nearly falling over.

“Careful!” Warned Spine as he hurried to the edge of the counter to look down at the little machine as their wheels spun in the air, beeping in distress. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to his little cowboy.

Six let out a soft sigh and bent down to right the Roomba. They lapped the room before going out the door. Shoulders slumped, he walked back to Spine and crossed his arms. “Well, I can try to reverse it, but you’ll probably have to be small for a little while, Spine.”

That made Spine jump and panic, nearly tumbling into the sink, if Six wouldn’t have caught him. “I can’t stay small! How do I practice? We have shows coming up!”

Sitting Spine to rights, Six crossed his arms over his chest and somehow managed to look amused even through his keyhole mask. “I haven’t even finished the shrink ray. I need time to work on it and figure out how to reverse it. If I even can.”

Steam started to pour out of every one of Spine’s vents. Tiny, forever? That couldn’t happen! He couldn’t stay this small forever. Rabbit would use him like a doll. Zer0 would steal his fire truck, and he wouldn’t ever be able to get it back! And what about music? Were there guitars small enough for him? Could they make one that small that still sounded good? What would happen to the band? Maybe they’d have to disband, or worse, replace him! The Spine absolutely could not stay small. That was not going to happen. Right?

Petes stood back and let Spine spiral for a moment before he tried to gently pat his head. He nearly knocked the bot over. “It’ll be alright, Spineo. I’ll figure something out.” The look on his face told Six it didn’t help. Petes sighed and laughed a little. “For now, try and relax a little. Try and think of it as a vacation.”

Vacation? Robots don’t take vacations! That was ridiculous. He was programmed to entertain. What was he supposed to do? This small, Spine couldn’t even try to write songs. He was barely bigger than the pen.

“It’s late. Why don’t I take you up to your room?” Six offered Spine a hand so he could carry him up.

Not that he was happy about, but Spine stepped onto the offered hand. Trying to get comfortable, he held onto the sleeve of the lab coat so he wouldn’t fall. Hopefully, he would feel better in the morning.

Come morning, The Spine was in another spot of trouble. He needed water, and it was a long way down from his bed. They really hadn’t thought that through.

Stepping to the edge, he looked down. It was a long way down. Leaning over a little more, he flailed his arms when he started to lose his balance and fell back onto the thick comforter. That was going to be a problem. He could try and scale the bedding, but that might damage some of the more intricate workings if he lost his grip. He was smaller now. He wasn’t sure how hard it would be to fix him now, or if they could make parts small enough for him.

Humming softly, he tapped his chin while he tried to figure out a solution. Snapping his fingers suddenly, he grinned and carefully walked back to his pillow. That would give him something soft to fall on. Dragging it back to the edge of the bed, he tried to toss it down. While he threw it down, he threw himself with it.

Screaming, Spine scrambled, trying to grab the quilt. When he hit the pillow, it nearly swallowed him, wrapping him in down comfort. For once, it was a good thing he couldn’t feel pain. That might have hurt. And a better thing he had begged for soft down pillows.

Spine brushed himself off with a sigh. At least there weren’t any doors to contend with. One challenge he didn’t have to worry about while he walked down the hall. He still had a long trek ahead of him before he could get water yet.

Worse than long halls? Stairs. The Spine was really starting to hate the stairs. Why couldn’t he just take the elevator? With how small he was now, he was light enough it wasn’t a risk. Of course, he was also small enough he didn’t stand a chance at hitting any of the buttons. Puffing an annoyed cloud of steam, he started down the stairs, trying not to fall this time.

By the time he made it to the bottom, the titanium bot was starting to overheat. Steaming, Spine leaned against the stair, trying to cool off. Overheating would be a real problem when he was small. He didn’t need to be confused for a toy. He quietly scorned that he didn’t even have his favourite hat to try and fan himself.

If Petes couldn’t fix him soon, he was going to have to start going into stasis under the sink. Now, didn’t that just sound cozy? He thought to himself as he finally made it into the kitchen and walked up to the sink. The very high up and out of reach sink.

Head in his hands, Spine let out a quiet groan. This being small had become far too much of a hassle. Couldn’t just one thing be simple for a little robot that wasn’t meant to be little?

At least he was still strong enough to push a chair over to the sink, barely. He could feel his hydraulics strain as he pushed the chair until it hit the counter. At least it would be easier after this. So long as no one moved the chair back to the table.

Now, he just needed to get up there. Standing on his tiptoes, he reached up to pull himself up. Only his fingers didn’t quite make it to the seat. Fuming, more steam billowed from his vents. All this work, and still he was falling short! He was going to run out of steam at this rate. There had to be something he could use.

While he looked around for something to help, there came a familiar whir of one of his favourite machines. Looking up, he beamed. “Hey, there, cowboy! You always know when I need you, don’t ya?” He laughed, trying to wave them over. “Mind giving me a bit of a lift, buckaroo?”

Trustworthy as ever, Roomba rolled up to the chair. They beeped when they hit the leg but stayed perfectly still for Spine.

With a grin, he gave his not so little friend a pat before crawling up. It was just enough to pull himself up onto the seat of the chair. Just about there! Getting up the back was a little easier, and he finally managed to get himself onto the counter. He really needed water now.

At least the cup was still there, one less thing he had to worry about. He dragged it back to the sink. He tried not to drop it in on its side. He wasn’t sure how hard it would be to get out of the sink. Getting it under the tap, he had to walk around to the back of the sink to turn on the tap, leaning over to watch the cup fill. Not too much. His boiler was a lot smaller, and he didn’t want to make another mess.

Which he did anyway. At least this time, he wasn’t totally soaked, but he got more on him than in him. Grumbling, he resisted the urge to try and throw the cup. He’d need it later. But at least for now, his boiler was full.

Setting the cup by the sink, Spine went back to the chair to look down. He was surprised to see Roomba was still there, spinning around the legs of the chair almost excitedly.

“Are ya waitin’ on me down there?” He asked, laughing when the machine beeped in return. “Alright, alright. I’m comin’ down.” And very carefully, he did just that.

Barely getting both feet onto the top of Roomba, they took off like a shot. Or, at least as fast as a Roomba can manage. Flailing his arms, he tried to catch his balance, only to fall squarely on his rear.

“Careful now! What’s gotten into you?”

Instead of an answer, Roomba lapped the kitchen table before starting out to the hall to go on their rounds again. The manor really seemed like a new world this low to the ground. Spine could hardly recognize the rooms they passed and cleaned being so small.

While they roamed the halls and rooms, Spine started to notice some of the dust bunnies were too big for Roomba. They just rolled them or pushed them around until they got unstuck from a wheel. That wasn’t good!

“We gotta wrangle those dust bunnies, partner!” Tapping on Roomba’s sides, he guided them off to a small sitting room where Annie often sewed. It was early yet, so she was still busy elsewhere in the manor.

Climbing off his friend, Spine dug through her sewing basket. A large spool of black thread was just what he needed. Digging deeper, he found a box of pins. Perfect! Proud as punch, he went to put them on Roomba.

In Annie’s seat laid a small plush cowboy that caught his eye. One of Spine’s favourites. Annie had been fixing him up. One of The Spine’s knuckles had gotten caught on a thread, nearly ripping off the poor doll's arm. He had oil in his eyes when he had shown it to her. The cowboy was nearly as good as new. She was even patching up threadbare clothes.

Just a moment of hesitation, and he took the doll’s hat, holding it protectively to his chest a moment. He did need a hat. “You don’t mind, do you? I’ll give it back when I’m big again,” he promised. Slipping on the hat, he jumped back onto Roomba to start their adventure.

While Roomba didn’t go very fast, Spine still had a grand time of it! At first, he had tried to lasso them with a single piece of thread. That went about as poorly as one would expect it to. More thread wrapped together helped, but it wasn’t quite enough to catch little blobs of dust and hair. It took a few more tries and a few ruined pins that he hoped he never had to tell Annie about, but he managed to catch them!

He guided Roomba to gather them all up in a lesser used study. He got them packed tightly together. Not much room to roam, but that kind of the point, after all. They were dust bunnies, not wild horses or cattle.

Hopping off Roomba, The Spine made a pen for the dusty critters with more black thread and pins. He wrapped the thread carefully and made sure to stick the pins deep enough they wouldn’t tip over and end up in some poor Walter Worker’s foot.

Some of them hung over the edge, and he grinned widely at that, just like a horse trying to get grass from the other side of the fence. For being shapeless masses, if he tilted his head just right, he thought they looked like a pretty good herd.

Once he was satisfied with his work, he climbed back onto Roomba and looked over their hard work. Gently, he gave his friend a pat. “We did real good, didn’t we, cowboy?”

Roomba let out a soft beep and stayed in place, watching over the dust bunnies they’d caught.

Chuckling softly, Spine curled his knees to his chest and draped his arms over his knees. He sighed a happy cloud of steam as he relaxed with Roomba. Rounding up dust bunnies was a lot of fun. Things were different, but he didn’t think he minded too much if his days could be like this.

“Maybe it won’t be so bad being small, just for a while.”

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 4: Empty Union

Lance and Keith marry, and endure what every couple endures: gossip.

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Lance hears Keith's footsteps falter, hears a tiny chirp as they reach the doors to the throne room. He grits his teeth and pretends he didn't. There's nothing he can do right now except bear the brunt of the work.

The procession enters the throne room, Lance allowing his gossamer cloak to drag the floor behind him. His gold decorations chime in time with his steps. He recognizes a few of his previous paramours among the throng. Poor things. They’ll surely miss him.

Lance has plans.

Lance is the last to ascend the dais, glancing to his sister as she takes her former place next to Coran. Lance sits carefully in his throne, hands dangling from the arms of his chair. His father reaches out to his quintessence, disapproving, and Lance’s gloved hands find their way into his lap, clasped just so. King Alfor draws away.

The doors open again, Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva leading the procession in, Prince Lotor following, then Keith, just behind.

The kit looks terrified, but also like he’s trying to look impassive. Lance’s insides clench with guilt. His eyes find a predesignated corner, to where Hunk and Pidge stand. The only people beside his family that Lance actually wanted here. Hunk is smiling, offering a thumbs up. Pidge waves, even as their eyes keep sliding to Keith’s smallish form.

Lance wonders fleetingly if Keith might like them. Hunk, certainly, since the Balmeran will keep him from starving to death. Everyone loves Hunk, anyway. Perhaps he’ll like Pidge, too. The Olkari can be loud and overzealous, but they can be understanding, too. Something Keith might appreciate. Lance makes a note to introduce them to each other as soon as possible...

The royal family of Daibazaal stands to one side of the aisle. Keith kneels before the dais, Shiro’s hand upon his right shoulder.

“Speak, Lord Yurak of House Kogane of Daibazaal,” Alfor murmurs, quiet voice booming through the room. Alfor commands a room just by being in it.

Keith opens his mouth. The entire congregation must hear that shuddering, composing breath. It rings in Lance’s ears.

“I, Lord Yorak of House Kogane of Daibazaal, do hereby swear fealty to the Planet Altea and the presiding Crown. I give my life to the people, my essence to the earth, and my heart to the one who would take it.”

“Speak, Crown Prince Lancel of Altea.” Alfor leans back almost imperceptibly, all the cue Lance needs. Lance stands, slow and trembling. He steps forward, stopping at the edge of the dais, standing right in front of Keith. Allura stands just behind him, hand on his right shoulder.

“I, Crown Prince Lancel of Altea, do hereby accept your oath of fealty to Planet Altea and the presiding Crown. I accept your life, and will keep it well. I accept your essence, and will hold it dear. I accept your heart, and will treasure it always. I, in turn, offer you my life, essence, and heart for your own, to keep, hold dear, and treasure.”

“I accept your generous offer, as you have accepted mine.” Keith sounds like he would rather be anywhere else. He sounds tired.

“Your oaths are heard, understood, and approved, and hereby you are wed,” Alfor declares.

Allura’s hand slips away as she retakes her place. Lance removes his gloves and holds out a hand. Keith takes it, ascending the dais and entering the Altean royal family. Lance turns to Adam, who holds a small pillow bearing a circlet. He lays his gloves next to the piece.

Their hands are now bare to one another, and therefore, so are their hearts. There is no longer anything to separate them.

There is everything to separate them.

Lance gently lifts the circlet, settling it on top of Keith’s head, where it just barely brushes against his ears where it sits between them. They twitch and rotate, adjusting to the gentle touch. It’s kind of adorable.

Lance simply sighs in relief: it fits. Pidge had nearly throttled him when he’d asked them to modify it. Then they’d conceded that they should have thought about Galra ears in the first place.

“Behold Crown Prince Lancel and Prince Yorak of Altea!” Alfor booms. The crowd cheers, more excited for the banquet than for the marriage of their Crown Prince to some smallish Galra nobody.

Lance does his duty and pulls Keith close, one hand at the small of his back, another softly cradling Keith’s face. He presses their lips together as gently and sweetly as he can. Keith responds, his attempt inept, obviously inexperienced.

It would be sweet, if not for the reasons. Instead of dwelling on that, Lance pulls back, rubbing their noses together sweetly. Putting on a show. He draws the pliant Galra into a gentle embrace. That tail wraps around Lance's ankle.

Leaning his head to the side, Lance whispers in Keith’s ear, “Do you remember what I told you in the drawing room?” The Galra nods, muscles shifting beneath Lance’s hands. “The court is a den of lions. Bear with it, and I will get you away as soon as I can, I promise.”

Keith draws back, meets his gaze, but says nothing. Lance isn’t troubled. After all, he’d told the newly-appointed prince to trust no one.

Instead, Lance pulls him in for another kiss, this one more affirming. The courtiers coo and babble. The illusion is working.

...Somewhat.

Keith understands what Lance kept going on about roughly five doboshes into the dinner. The underhanded compliments. The kind that make Keith seethe like nothing else.

“He’s almost cute. For a Galra.”

“Oh, by the Ancients! He has a tail! Oh well. There are worse things, I suppose.”

“It’s actually quite fortunate that he’s small, when you think about it... Not-not that I’m thinking about it dear!”

“He seems gentler than most of his kind.”

“It’s best that he’s the quiet sort. Don’t want those fangs scaring away common folk.”

“He seems surprisingly well-adapted to civilized society.”

“I understand he’s intersex. Freaky, but I suppose it’s for the best. We do need an heir after all. Hopefully they’ll put him away somewhere during, though. I don’t want to see that.”

“He seems very young if you ask me. Almost too young. Though the Crown Prince is probably into that, if we’re being honest.”

Keith stares down at the weird Altean food. It all tastes ‘sweet’, or so he’s been told. He can’t taste ‘sweet.’ Has no concept of it. Instead, everything tastes like what he imagines hatred would taste like: tiny hints and aftertastes that leave him nauseous. He can’t eat.

Lance’s hand reaches down to where his own are clasped tightly in his lap and gently squeezes them. Keith flinches, forgetting his place for a moment, and the warm hand slips away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lance chatting seemingly untroubled with some courtier who’s commenting on how the Altean garb “almost seems to suit the little creature.”

“He was trying to reassure you,” Shiro murmurs in his ear, switching to their native tongue in case anyone overhears.

“Of what?” Keith whispered back. “That he likes kits?”

“I doubt it. He was all but scolding Emperor Zarkon this morning. I was listening by the door.” Keith feels a little better at that. Perhaps Lance will be gentle with him, if nothing else.

Never trust an Altean.

Lance is an enemy in an exceptionally pleasing guise. His ears are adorned with piercings and clasps, tiny gold chains strung between them. His bottom lip is painted gold, his upper in blue. His eyes are lined with blue and gold kohl. His bright blue scales glitter in the light. Even his fingernails are blue and gold. Death in a luxurious vessel.

His smile is pretty too, especially when it reaches his eyes. The only people he seems keen to smile at are his sister and Prince Lotor, though he does try for his fathers. And for Keith.

The prince is definitely trying to smile for him. He never looks happy, though. Keith imagines Lance is disappointed. No doubt he would rather have an Altean sitting beside him.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s still going to-” Keith breaks off, scared. His mating instincts, his drive haven’t even kicked in yet. As he is, his instincts are to run, or, if cornered, to lash out. Like any kit. Shiro gives him another pained look, ears down and to the side in a show of distress. Keith takes a deep breath, pushing down his fear, getting control of himself again. He cannot seem weak before these people.

“Well it’s good that he’s so young. He can still be civilized,” a booming Altean voice rings out. Keith stiffens, on the verge of losing his temper, when Lance raises his voice.

“The next person who says a single word against my spouse or our guests will be removed from court. I’ve had enough.” Silence rings out. Lance sips casually from his chalice, not visibly troubled. “Prince Yorak has married into a society that has spent centuries perfecting the art of killing his species. He is extremely brave, and for that and more, he means the world to me. I won’t tolerate another word. Especially from you, Lord Lanval. You’re drunk. Go home.”

Lance rises from his seat in one fluid motion, offers Keith a bangled hand. Keith stares at it, a confusing mix of fear and gratitude making him slow. But anything’s better than being here. He takes the prince’s hand.

The prince turns to his parents, bows.

“Forgive me. I did not mean to cause such a scene. But we are tired, and shall take our leave.” Alfor nods, looking tired as well. Coran’s eyes seem to smile a little. As they head out, Lance puts a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, leaning down to his ear as the conversation begins to pick backup again, loud and lewd as they make their exit. “When you get to your room, Adam will bring you something else to eat. Don’t force yourself,” he whispers. Shiro has never looked so grateful.

The emperor isn’t eating either. Keith assumes something has been prepared for him as well.

He follows the prince out of the dining hall, comments and bawdy jokes hooted after them. Lance sighs, managing a small smile for him. "Come on. Let's get out of here so I can take this paint off my face. It's been driving me crazy all day. And you can take off that stiff vest. I'm sure you hate it."

"I do," Keith admitted. "I really, really do."

"Quiznak, me too. Let's get out of here. There should be some food waiting for you when we get there."

Keith smiles a small, genuine smile as the prince tugs him along down a series of hallways. It's only the second time that Crown Prince Lancel has seemed like a real person as opposed to some particularly well-groomed pet.

Keith likes this person.

[harveywritings92]

Soulmate au: Jacob Frye 3/3

Soulmate au Chibi clone: basically when you've cross paths with with your soulmate a small chibi of them appears to you, it's about the size of a guinea pig and won't leave your side the longer you're in denial of your feelings or until you've met your soulmate again, after which they disappear. 

Jacob was so fricken ecstatic! they'd done it! they'd killed Starrick! he was over the bloody moon! this meant he didn't have to hide or stay away from Y/n! he could finally meet her! not that he wasn't happy getting to know her through her fairy, It just wasn't the same! He explained it to his sister and Henry it was like writing a letter you get to know each other just little more each time you receive one, but you don't truly know that person until after you've met, if that makes sense? 

He was brought out of his thoughts by something wet hitting his hand, water? was it raining? Jacob looked up at the sky curiously it was clear and blue for once...Then why was there water? more wet drops kept dripping onto his hand the ground confusing the assassin even farther when his sister noticed he stopped following her. "Jacob are you alright?" Evie asked looking at her brother alarmed.

"I'm fine why?" He asked bemused as his sister looked more worried. "Jacob your crying!" She said shocked that he hadn't noticed Jacob blinked seemingly not believing her, he brought his hand up and wiped his face with his coat sleeve, His sister was right he was crying...Why? why was he crying?! he kept trying to dry his eyes. but the tears wouldn't stop! a torrent of emotion sudden wash over him Jacob's chest felt so tight he couldn't breathe! It was scaring him! Evie was telling him to calm down!

Henry caught up to them looking just as worried for the male twin as his older sister, Then a chilling thought suddenly occurred to the Indian assassin. "We need to check on his soulmate's Fairy, right now!" He said alarmed confusing the twins as Henry explained that in his country they were more knowledgeable about soulmates and understand Fairies to a larger degree, they are an extension of one's soul you feel what they feel and vice versa, meaning something horrible has happened to have cause such a reaction from Jacob!

Jacob stomach suddenly it was full of ice. "Something like what?" he croaked Henry didn't answer him, he just looked ahead forlornly causing the hazel eyed assassin's heart to twist in despair, something happened to Y/n and he wasn't there to save her... Then they got the hideout the three assassin's were alarmed by a few of the Rook's from Whitechapel being treated for burns and cuts.

 Evie started asking what happened the said a Glass smith exploded three people were dead and several were injured, then Bob called Jacob to come to his car, his fae something was wrong with her! Jacob wasted no time going to his room and felt sick at the sight that greeted him. 

Y/n sitting in his cap not moving... her chest was covered in bandages her right arm was missing...and the left side of her face was bandaged and her visible eye was empty as it stared out the window. "Y/n?" he croaked she didn't respond just kept staring, Jacob sat down on his bed. "Y/n, can you hear me?" he asked again more firmly as a small a tear fell from his cheek hitting her hand.

she briefly glanced at her hand then despondently looked back out the window. "She's telling you where she is right now." Henry's voice cut in causing Jacob looked at him wildly, the Indian assassin explained that the fae naturally know where their true selves are... and Y/n was telling him to find her before slipping into unconsciousness, and Jacob intended to ...But first he needed to stop somewhere.

A few hours later..

Jacob's destination was Whitechapel; it wasn't hard to find which street Y/n lived on, what with the Glass-smith building being blown halfway to hell, and fenced off by police barricade was hard to miss! Jacob made a mental note to thank Freddy for calling the Bobby off for a couple hours, as he and the rooks exited their carriage, the hazel eyed assassin's held Y/n's fae close when he saw the, he told his rooks to spread out and keep a look out as he focused on a trail of phantom foot prints.

he followed them a short ways to this dingy building that were obviously workers lodgings, Entering through the back entrance the assassin silently made his way upstairs when he heard someone yelling up ahead, Jacob hid out of sight and watched as an old man held a Blighter at cane point while two more were knocked out  at his feet the man's lips were curled into a snarl as the blighter was terrified and on his knees.

"I told you before, He said his sister made him do it!" 

"I didn't ask you why he did it, I asked where he is..."

"I don't know! him and his sister took off, we haven't seen them since!"

"Wrong answer."

The Blighter begged him to wait, But the old man slammed his cane into the younger man stomach causing him to double over before bringing the cane done on the Blighter's head knocking him out cold, The old man cussed them out in Irish then glanced behind him and sighed.

 "I may be old but my senses are still sharp as ever... Get out here lad." He said gruffly as Jacob came out of hiding with Y/n's fae cradled in his left arm, his right had was up showing he meant no harm causing the old man to roll his eyes.

"Put yer arm down boy! I know You wouldn't harm one of your own." he huffed as pulling his sleeve down showed the assassin the symbol of the creed tattooed to his arm, he pulled it back down as he gave the younger assassin a once over and snorted. "This is what passes for an Assassin these days?" he then noticed what Jacob was holding and winced.

"Take it you've come for the wee one, eh?. " The younger assassin just nodded and old man led him to the door at the end of the hall it was lock no surprise the old had the key, but the door still wouldn't opened. "Damn bolts jammed again, step back boy..." He growled bring his leg up and kicking the door full force it swung open! 

Stunning Jacob as the old man let out a wheezy breath then handed Jacob the key. "Lock it up when you've gone." He walked off leaving Jacob wondering just who the older assassin was and why hadn't they known he was here?

He looked down a Mini-Y/n who was still sleeping before stepping inside the actual Y/n's flat there Jacob was greet by a small scale disaster! the bed and pillows were shredded and books pulled from the shelf had their pages torn and he could see scratch marks on the door and walls, meaning his fae double had tried to get to Y/n, but couldn't escape the room.

Jacob felt himself crying again, soon his ears picked up on tiny whimpers he looked around the small space and saw a shoe box on the bed flipped over, Jacob cautiously lifted it to see... well, a tiny him curled into a ball crying his eyes out, M.J. hazel's eyes looked up to see the real Jacob gawking at him before either knew how to process this; the fae had gotten up and hugged his larger half if he was apologizing for not be able to to do anything!

Jacob frowned and calmly gathered his smaller half up, letting him see Y/n's fae he watched his doubles eyes go wide and the sight of his soulmates condition and cautiously brought a tiny hand to her cheek he cooed and look up at his double sadly. "You and me both..." Jacob muttered before standing and leaving Y/n's flat. 

It was a another few days before Y/n's fae finally woke up. 

Jacob had a vague idea where Y/n was, no doubt his sister had already informed miss Nightingale of the situation and had the injured y/nat woman transferred into her care. 

During their carriage ride Mini-Y/n was more alert the closer they got to the hospital, much to the Jacob's relief she seemed confused at where she was before noticing the male fae holding her good hand, A small smile tugged on Jacob's seeing her fluster at his tiny double, the two seemed to be in their own little world. 

The brown haired assassin could only hope the for the same, when he meets Y/n... Hopefully she doesn't try push him away because of her injuries. No, if she try to distance herself Jacob will just keep following until she understands that he doesn't care just so long as she's with him, He'll help her through this if she'll let him.

Jacob was so engrossed watching the two fairies get acquainted he hadn't noticed they were already at the hospital, Florence led him down the hall where he heard a commotion! the nurse grumbled "that girl I swear..." she and the assassin rushed in to see. 

A very delirious Y/n fighting Evie who was trying to put her back to bed, The y/ht woman was bubbling incoherently about needing to go home "I promised him..." She whimpered to the female Frye who looked at her empathetically, as Miss Nightingale snapped at her. 

"Miss L/n, I will not tell you again! Get back in that bed and stay there, or I will have you strap you to it!" Y/'s good eye landed on the nurse then drifted over to the top hat wearing man next to her who was gawking at her, She stared back then looked down at what he was cradling it was M.J. and a tiny her... 

"w-What..." She stammered looking at the man then back at the fairies still too out of it to understand what was happening right now, Jacob stood up a bit straighter and tried to look confident as took his hat off and introduced himself. 

 "Hello... Um, Y/n I'm Frcob Jaye...." His cue an awkward silence as his face turned red when he realized what he had just said! "I-I mean J-Jacob! Jacob Frye" The y/ht woman hummed at him bemused while his sister gave him a 'what the hell?' look watching him blush and hearing him stutter over his words, very out of character for her cocky brother!

She then noticed how he kept silently glancing as her and kind of nodding his head towards the door, like he was trying to say something without... Oh. Evie realized her brother wanted her to leave and handle this himself, considering Y/n seemed more docile in his immediate presence, the female twin gladly complied! Evie had grabbed miss Nightingale saying something about checking on some of the Rooks and the soulmates were left alone.

Jacob's ears carefully listened to their fading footsteps and was satisfied, the last thing he wanted was his sister seeing him get all sappy! He then carefully examined Y/n... still very but seemed to be coming around, His jaw tightened God! her injuries looked worse in person, if Jacob ever finds the ones responsible for this? well let's just say he can make things look like an accident...

He swallowed those thoughts and turned his attention at the y/ht woman who's knees buckled under as the adrenaline pumping through her system were off, Jacob caught her by the waist and held her up as he walked her to the bed. "Lay down love before you hurt yourself farther." He said calmly setting her down then set the two fairies down on the end table next to the bed, which he noted they looked very happy!, but... Something was off, it almost looked like they were fading away?

"Jacob?" Y/n croaked unsure the hazel eyed assassin and his fae counterpart looked at her along with her fae, her uninjured eye gave him a once over then scrutinized her fae then looked almost disappointed. "What? Am I that bad looking?" Jacob joked trying to lighten the mood he saw her lips twitch and a spark of mirth in her eye, so his humor wasn't in vain.

"No! It... Just I wanted to meet, but I look like this and..." the hazel eyed assassin frowned any priss or vain person would of walked the second they laid eyes on the the y/nat woman's injuries... Not Jacob he was too bullheaded to give up! especially on how much he wants something, and right now? he wants Y/n.

Jacob used brought his hand under her chin and had made her look at him. "Hey, look at at those two.." he nods a their fairies who were cuddling and chattering to each other. "Little me obviously doesn't care how you look, So obviously I don't care... Your the most gorgeous girl in my eyes." He cooed running his thumb along her cheek Y/n blushed not used to hearing that sort of thing, well at least from a man anyways...

Jacob could see he was getting through to her the two just sort of lost themselves in their own little world like they've known each other for years! they were even oblivious to their fairies disappearing until the sound of something dropping on the ground caused the soulmates to jump, Jacob looked over to see what it was and smirked.

 "What is it?" Y/n asked trying to looked over his shoulder the hazel eyed assassin showed her a necklace with a two wooden bead and the black Rook bead she made at the. "A parting gift from our fairies." Jacob commented that he was wondering what little Y/n wanted with that dark green twine and the two wooden beads she took out of his trinket box  and few weeks ago...

 "Maybe she was picking up on my thoughts? M.J. loved that bead..." She said eyeing the necklace M.J. must've finished it for her fae while she was passed out. without a word Jacob removed the coin around his neck and replaced it with the necklace Fairies made, then gave his coin to Y/n he smirked watch it rest just above the valley of her breasts. "It Looks good on you..." Y/n blushed before realizing his eyes were focus on her chest causing Y/n to playfully punched his arm, The two pretty talked and joked until Miss Nightingale kicked Jacob out. 

As they were heading back to the hideout Evie noticed her brother's accessory change. "That's nice where'd you get it?" she hummed eyes narrowed suspiciously, Jacob's ears turned pink. "From Y/n." He coughed his sister ooh'd and started teasing him while Jacob fired back at her about Henry the was awkward between the twins before bursting out laughing returning to the train.

a three weeks later Y/n was released from the hospital luckily she didn't hurt her eye like everyone thought, it was just a deep gash on her forehead. The y/nat will have a scar there for the rest of her life, her four of ribs were broken from blow out of the building and was shown how to sleep and to hold a pillow or something to her chest when she had to cough, and she will likely have episodes of tinnitus from being in close proximity from the blast. Is what miss Nightingale said when she was being discharged 

Then came a pressing matter Y/n didn't have any clothes with her, so Evie got her her this beige skirt and white button up shirt and wore one of Jacob's flat caps and one of his spare jackets was draped over her shoulders, Y/n couldn't go back to work now it would be hard working a forge with one arm and her prosthetic arm was made of wood! That and everyone sort of knew she was woman now.

So she decided to move back into her mother's house, She inherited it and still owned it, but no one was living there until now... Occasionally she would make wellness checks, make sure the doors and windows were secure, the gutters were clear the roof had no leaks, etc.  that’s why the Y/hc woman was in a hurry to get to work the day Jacob saved her from being road kill.

She fell asleep cleaning and was running half way across London! Jacob was talking about moving in with her... when they decided to stop at a cafe for lunch and to take a break, Jacob went inside to place their orders while Y/n sat quietly watching the crowds go by.

"Y-Ym/n?" a small voice called Y/n felt a chill go down her spine she knew that voice... "Emily." she hissed as the blond woman and a large man slowly approached the table making the y/hc woman's nerves skyrocket. "You're alrigh-" Before she could finished that sentence Y/n sprung up from her seat marched over the blond and slapped her across the face as hard as she could. the y/ht woman snapped loud enough for people to stop and stare. 

"Do I fucking look alright you bitch?!" the former sales woman flinched at the venomous tone. "You ruined my life and killed three innocent people over a goddamn crush! I hope it was worth it!" The y/nat snarled Emily could only stare at Y/n in shock as her brother made a move like he was going to lunge at Y/n only for a black blur to suddenly rush in and knock him on his ass.

Y/n didn't even register she was in Jacob's arms before she felt him growl against her back. "So, I finally get to meet the ones who did this to Y/n? Gotta say I impressed you show yourselves in public after what you done..." Jacob said a low voice he was pissed. 

Y/n felt a shiver go down her back and so did Emily and her brother who then noticed the y/ec woman was wearing a skirt his eyes widened. "A woman? You said it was a man who used you!" Y/n's nose scrunched up at the audacity of this woman. "Used? I never gave her the bloody time of day?!" the y/ht woman huffed. 

Emily face blanched while stammering there was no way her handsome YM/n was a woman! all while her brother looked even more confused. "Don't you get it ya thick headed sod? Your sister played you like fiddle!?" Jacob barked at the man's slow reaction. 

"So... you made me hurt all those people for nothing?" He said finally getting that his been manipulating him, Emily started panicking as her brother started piecing together all of his sister's false claims, while Jacob started noticed the police slowly approaching, one had a poster of Emily and her brother she noticed them too and tried to get her brother up so they could leave! but he recoiled from her reach and started demanding what else she's lied about?

Jacob took this as a cue to leave and practically carried into the cafe where they watched the whole arrest go down Emily was hysterically crying as she was put in the police carriage while screaming for her brother who refused to even look at her. "Those bobbies are probably gonna come in here for your statement." Jacob's voice snapped Y/n out of her trance she looked at him as he kept his eyes on the street.

"I'm going to have stay out of sight when they do, are you alright that?" he asked locking his sights on her the y/nat nodded reluctantly but sure she could handle it, he noticed her hand was shaking Jacob gently covered it with his used his thumb to rub small circles around her knuckles, before seeing the police walking up to the cafe he gave her quick peck on the cheek before getting up and disappeared somewhere in the sea of costumers.

Y/n could still feel his eyes on her so, she knew Jacob wasn't to far... Once she said who she was the police finally understood why she lashed out at Emily and her brother they questioned where gentleman who was seen with the Y/nat woman went? 

She made up a story of him making sure she out of harms way and then wandered off with his friends, luckily the cops bought that story and her terrified survivor act. They told Y/n to take care of herself until the trial and go home get some rest. Jacob listened to the cops talk.

Bobby 1: "Poor thing must be beside herself."

Bobby 2: "Wouldn't you? Coming face to face with the lunatics who tried to murder you."

Bobby 1:"Y'know she wasn't half bad lookin' Kind of reminds me of that actress M/n!"

Bobby 2:"Eh, don't get any ideas yer wife will have your head on pike mate..."     

Jacob resisted to urge to smack to smack the first cop upside the head before going to rejoining Y/n who relaxed when he finally sat back down across from her just as their food had arrived the two went to their earlier discussion about Jacob moving in with her, Y/n agreed but they're going to need help sorting and cleaning up her mother memorabilia, Jacob brows furrowed bemused "memorabilia?"

[cut to Y/n’s living room]

Jacob was very horrified at the girly screams that came Freddie and Henry and two of the Rooks when they set foot in Y/n's house and realized who her mom was, "Good lord! It's M/n!! This M/n's house!" The inspector said with glee almost jumping the Frye twins just stared at them blankly. 

"Are we supposed to know who that is?" Evie asked bemused at her fiancee's excitability who just gawked at her appalled. "You don't know who M/n was? She was one of the top actresses in London!" the Indian assassin exclaimed as Freddie butted in.

"And one hell of a singer! The Queen invited her in person to sing at her birthday!" Both Henry and Freddie were both confused when they looked at Y/n "I never about her having a daughter though..." Y/n sighed bitterly.

"Yes, well the glitter of show business didn't exactly give her time to raise or acknowledge a daughter." she explained curtly obviously not wanting to unload that sort of baggage at the moment. The five of them got to work packing up and clearing out her mother's old room Y/n let Henry and Freddie take a couple posters of her mother's plays. 

while Jacob stopped cleaning when he found M/n journal and frowned as he read through it. It essentially told him what Y/n already knew; her mother loved her daughter, but she just couldn't stand the sight of her, She looked way too much like the father who abandoned them... 

So she would take every act and party out there to avoid coming home, eventually the guilt started manifesting into anger she would often yell or verbally abuse Y/n to the point of causing her daughter to become timid and dispassionate, a far cry the Y/n he's come to love.

When M/n started getting sick she hoped her daughter would be happier with her gone, and that she was sorry for every burden she put on the girl's shoulders it wasn't fair and that she hopes Y/n will forgive her... 

"And I did forgive her." Jacob jumped when Y/n's voice cut in He looked at her wide eyed, as she sighed tiredly "But it still hurts that I had to learn about this in a goddamn book, instead of from my mother." The hazel was surprised when Y/n brought her hand to his face and used her thumb the wipe the tears he hadn't noticed were falling down his face.

He cleared his throat and took a breath. "Wh-what do you want to do with this?" he asked handing Y/n the journal she scrutinized it for a few moments then without a word tossed it in the fire. "Does that answer your question?" Jacob gave her this stunned look and the y/ht woman shrugged "She wanted me destroy it after I read it, just never got around to it" the hazel eyed assassin brows furrowed bemused. 

"The last thing she wanted was that journal getting into the hands of the press, It'd make quite the scandal! her reputation would be tatters and I'd be eaten alive!" Y/n stated knowing exactly what the society does to single mothers and their "bastard" children both of them would've ostracized! And her mother would've never been able to act again!..well in London anyways.

They'd finally finished cleaning out M/n's room at around seven everything was either in the attic or set for donation in the morning. "Boy I feel bad you all did most of the work I could do was carry couple baskets and a small rug!" she mumbled while hugging a pillow to her chest her ribs were acting up from bending down after she dropped the rug she was carrying. 

" We're not the one's who are injured here." Evie quipped from the kitchen she and Henry were cooking, Freddie was checking his pocket watch to make sure the time was accurate, and the Rooks played cards at his feet while Jacob sat next to Y/n with his arm around her shoulder, He rather like this whole situation surrounded by family and friends next to the girl he loves.  

It felt like the puzzle in his life finally found the missing piece! Well almost he wouldn't mind a few little Frye's running around...But let's not rush that shall we? He and Y/n still had a long way to go and things to discover.

~END~ 

[lovrodney]

I’m Never Leaving - Kai

This is for  letsonialove! Thank you for being so patient! I am so sorry for the long wait! Hopefully, this story fulfills all of your hopes and dreams from this request.

Request: Hello how are you? I want to do request please if you want with kai from exo when he faint on stage and reader is so worried about his health care but they get in fight ,and reader is pregnant she is so afraid to lose him and happy ending please 😄😄😊

Staring into the mirror, Kai carefully adjusted the collar on his shirt before brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Catching a glimpse of his own pale skin in the mirror, he stood upright feeling a dull throb around his head. 

“Kai, you ready?” One of the other members called out as the rest of the members had already exited the room

“Yeah, coming!” He pushed himself up from the small desk and mirror before trotting after his band mates.

The bright lights hit him as his eyes squinted to just try to see. The pounding in his head increased in intensity as he took his position on stage.

You settled down in your chair as you listened to the distant chatter of managers going over final adjustments that would need to be made before the final performance. Hearing the music begin, your eyes lifted from your phone as your eyes went directly to your favorite member, your boyfriend, your Kai.

Getting into position you watched his movements once crisp and precise turn into sloppy and slow. Pushing yourself up from your comfortable position in your chair, you intently watched Kai as his movement slowed, his head dropped and his body went limp. The members danced around him for a moment before yelling to turn the music off stopped everyone mid choreography,

Gathering your things, the medical team had already surrounded Kai and whisked him away to the nearest hospital. Jogging back to your car, your thoughts continued to race. Adrenaline rushed through your veins as you pulled into the hospital parking lot. 

Stepping out into the parking lot, you locked your car behind you as the large letters for the entrance held your attention. Passing through the automatic doors, you waited in a short line until a receptionist was able to see you. 

“I can let you know when we have more information” She commented as she offered you a seat in the waiting room. 

Shuffling across the hospital floor, you pulled your jacket around you tighter as you found a chair for yourself. Finding a comfortable position for yourself in the uncomfortable chairs, you pulled out your phone in an attempt to distract your mind and to help time speed by, however, neither of those things happened. 

Your hand slowly moved towards your stomach as your thoughts were threaded with worry. Your fingers played with the fabric that was lightly stretched over your stomach.

“Don’t worry he will be ok” You whispered to yourself and the little one, “He has to be ok, we have to tell him about you”

A small smile curled on your face as a nurse headed your way. Standing up, you greeted her, guiding you though a series of winding hallways lined with doors, you finally arrived at his room. 

“Thank you” You quietly bid her before pushing the door open and slipping into the dim darkness

Tubes and lines run in and out of him as his hospital gown hangs over him loosely, you see how pale he looks, the dark bags under his eyes and his jostled hair. Reaching out your hand, you carefully brush his bangs out of his eyes as your fingers brush his cheek.

His eyes slowly open as he glances over at you before he closes his eyes forcefully.

“You shouldn’t be here” He mumbles through his dry throat

“This is right where I should be” You corrected him as you tried to reach for his hand that was closest to you. However he pulled his hand away from yours as his head rolled to the other side of the pillow.

“Don’t you have studies to focus on?” He kept his eyes pinned on the opposite side of the room.

“I do, but I thought you needed me, so I came” You told him, slowly sitting back in the chair giving him some distance.

“I’m fine” He mumbled quietly with a grudging tone

“Obviously” You pushed yourself up out of the chair as you made your way to the window.

Thick silence filled between you as you watched the cars pull in and out of the parking lot as the sun slowly dipped down, closing towards the horizon. 

“You should go, you have to work soon right?” Kai whispered as he let his eyes finally fall upon your figure.

Nodding slowly, you turned away from the window, adjusting your purse strap on your shoulder, you turned away from him and headed towards the door.

“Heal well Kai” You glanced back at him before pulling open the door and leaving. Pausing on the other side of the door, you heard the soft click of the door behind you as you let your head drop, “I’ll wait for you to need me again...”

Making your way through the winding hospital, your hand slowly made it back to your lower stomach as thoughts began to cloud your thoughts as you headed to your car.

Sliding into the seat, you placed the keys in the ignition as you peered back at the hospital building. Scaling the windows, you rubbed your hand slowly against your bump.

“Don’t worry, I still want you” You whispered as your hand turned the key and the engine started.

Turning off the radio, you drove to work as thoughts and alternative scenarios ran through your mind.

--

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks as you didn’t hear anything from Kai. 

Doubt began to fill your mind as thoughts of you being a single parent became more of a reality with each passing day.

One night, darkness enveloped you as you sat on your window seat, staring out across the city lights. Resting your head against the window, you pulled a thick blanket tighter around your shoulders as a struggled breath spilled from your lips. 

A beep came from the front door as you perked up and looked towards your bedroom door. Hearing the door close and a beep following to indicate that it was locked, you returned back to the city scape and your thoughts.

“I thought you would be in bed by now” His figure rested against the door frame as he watched the moonlight cascade over your exhausted figure.

“I’m not tired” You mumbled back in reply as you tightened the blanket back around you.

“Do you mind if I head to bed then?” He questioned as he entered into the shared room.

“Go ahead, you need it more than me” You whispered as a tear rolled down your cheek.

A light to the closet flipped on, inviting a soft light into the night filled room. Exchanging his sweat covered cloths for a baggy t shirt and shorts, Kai kept the light on as he traveled across the hall to the bathroom. 

Returning to the bedroom a few minutes later, he turned down the bed and sat on the edge as he gazed at you feeling that something was off.

Standing up from your spot by the window, you shuffled across the hardwood floor making your way to the door.

“Wait _______” Kai begged as he stood up swiftly to try and beat you to the door.

“What?” You hissed

“You can take the bed, I’ll take the couch.” He insisted as he hand covered the door handle

“No, you can take the bed, I’ll stay up a bit longer” Your hand wrapped around his wrist in an attempt to move his hand from the handle.

“What has gotten into you?” Kai dipped his head to try and match his eyes with yours

“What’s wrong with me?” You met your furious eyes with his, “What about you? I don’t hear anything from you for a few days and then the next thing I know, you are in the hospital being treated for severe exhaustion and dehydration.”

Kai stood up a little taller listening to you as his hand slowly fell from the door handle. Your grip faltered from his wrist as you bunched some blanket between your fingers.

“Is that what you are upset about? That I was in the hospital?” Kai’s smile curled on one side of his lips as he lets out a light laugh.

“You aren’t taking care of yourself... what am I supposed to do?!” The blanket fell from around your shoulders with your big movements as you continued to keep eye contact with him, “I can’t take care of you and me all by myself if you don’t tell me what’s wrong!”

You spun around heading back to your window for a few steps. Silence fell between Kai and you as he waited a moment before trying to make a counter argument.

“Then when I wanted to help and I took time out of my studies and schedule to make sure that you were ok, you brushed me off and told me that you were fine and that I shouldn’t be there?!” You spun back around, your voice filled with rage and confusion.

“I didn’t want you to worry...” Kai raised his voice to meet yours

“You not only made me worry, but you made me rethink us.” You snapped as the painful silence fell after your words caused Kai’s face to soften in realization.

“_____” He cooed trying to get you to calm down, he reached his hand out to place on your upper arm as you ripped your arm away from his touch.

“I don’t know if I can do this! I can’t be tossed around like a doll, be picked up, put down, shoved away or placed at home.” You moved past him getting closer to the bedroom door, “I don’t want you to leave, but I need to rely on you, and you on me. I can’t count on you if I don’t know what is going on. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. I need you, the baby needs you! I can’t do this alone but I will if I have to!” You stormed out of the room as you began to jog towards the front door of the apartment.

Kai stood there with his eyes wide as he went over your words, mumbling, “Baby... what baby?”

“_____, what baby?” He called out after you as he made up the distance between you. His strong hands wrapped around your arms as he held you steady from moving. “What baby?”

Tears streamed down from your face as your eyes dropped to the bigger bump underneath your shirt, a sliver of your distended stomach showing below the bottom hem of your shirt.

“Kai....” You licked your lips trying to buy you some time, “I’m pregnant”

Minutes ticked by like hours as his grip slowly faltered from your arms

“When did you find out?” His words were soft as his mind tried to remain calm.

“About two months ago” You whispered knowing that you were already 2 months along by that point. “I took a test right after you left for the week long choreography camp for your new album.”

“_______, if I would have known...” Kai shook his head slowly as he could only imagine how difficult this was for you.

“Then what?” You snapped, “You would have been nicer at the hospital? You would have come home when I was worried sick and left you hundreds of messages for you? You would have taken better care of yourself?”

“You have a choice, you can stay with me and the baby or you can leave.” You slipped past him as you exited the apartment.

"Stay” Kai called out to you, “Please stay”

You left the apartment not looking back as your slippers shuffled across the sidewalk. Approaching a bench at the end of your hallway, you settled down for a few hours as you let the crisp night breeze rush over you.

As an hour ticked away, you slowly made your way back to the shared apartment, you twisted the front door handle and pushed it open as the warm apartment met your chilled skin. Slipping your shoes off, you made your way to the couch as you saw Kai’s tear stained face pressed up against the back cushion of the couch.

“_____ please stay, I’m sorry” Kai opened his blood shot eyes as you eased yourself down next to him.

“I’ll only stay if we are a team and we do this together and take care of one another” You laid out your conditions as he listened carefully. Kai agreed to all of the conditions as he tried to reach his hand out to yours. Lacing your fingers with his, he brought you into a gentle hug and buried his head into your shoulder.

“I love you” Kai whispered into your shoulder as your fingers ran through his hair.

“I love you too” You pressed a soft kiss on his temple while holding him tighter with each minute that passed.

“I’m never leaving”