#i did wanna draw somethin like this but is more importantly to make my friend feel better!!!

[death-do-us-apart]

enemies enemies enemies enemies!!!!! this is gift for friend!

[goodolreliable-crows]

Nightmares and confessions 

Bumswiftery cuz this ship needs more content.

Smoking cw

Skittery stood in the bathroom area of the lodge, debating whether pumping water to wash his face would be too loud and wake the other boys. It was late, although he didn’t know the exact time. He had been trying to save up for a pocket watch but never could scrap together the funds. Judging by the soft sounds of the boys deep in slumber in the next room over and the crescent moon in the sky, he determined it was around midnight. 

He had woken up clammy from a nightmare and didn’t feel like trying to fall asleep again. He had seen some of the other boys have nightmares- Blink mostly, who frequently woke up screaming at any hours of the night before Mush had to rush over and comfort him. He never had dreams like that, which he was thankful for. He couldn’t imagine what that boy had been through to continue to be tortured by his own mind like that. 

The nightmares he had were just vague unsettling things that continuously crept over his mind the rest of the day, or at least until he snatched a cigar from someone. They were usually about improbable, sometimes childish things he felt guilty for letting bother him- monsters, his little brother getting hurt, or his family finding out something about him that he didn’t want anyone knowing. 

Not that he had any secrets that bothered him like that. That’s what he told himself. 

He decided it wasn’t worth it to get water, instead leaning his elbows on the trough and setting his head against his forearms. The cool breeze from the early spring rainstorm drifting in from the drafty windows felt nice against the clammy, bare skin of his back. 

He just wanted to sleep. He was so tired every day no matter what he did. 

After a few silent moments, listening to the rain, he felt the warmth of fingertips creep suddenly onto his shoulder. He jumped up, turning around and instinctively taking a defensive position with his fists balled. It was dark, but the curly mop of brown hair, hazel-green eyes, and toned muscles, visible even through his undershirt, told him who it was. Swifty was always doing that, sneaking up behind people and startling them whether he meant it or not. He was too nimble, too light on his feet. 

“Jeez, what’d ya do that for?” Skittery  whispered furiously, his face growing hot as he wished he had pulled on a shirt when he was leaving his bunk.

“Sorry, wanted to make sure you’s ok,” Swifty whispered back, his cheeks slightly red. 

Of course it had to be Swifty, Skittery thought to himself. Swifty had to be the one to wake up, when he was one of the two causing all these problems in the first place. 

Skittery didn’t blame the two boys for the feelings he got. It wasn’t their fault that he got lost in his head whenever Bumlets flipped his hair out of his face, or that he got a funny feeling in his stomach when Swifty adjusted his clothes. And it certainly wasn’t their fault for that sour, jealous mood that he couldn’t seem to shake after he walked into the lodge early one day, finding Bumlets being pushed up against the wall by Swifty, kissing his neck with his hands at his waist. 

That wasn’t his business. He just wanted a lover- he was jealous for the relationship they had, that was all. He wasn’t going to let his silly envy get in the way of his friendship, or let it bother whatever they had going on. 

“Can’t sleep?”

“No.” 

Skittery watched as Swifty sat down on the weathered floorboards, much to his dismay, his dangling suspenders clattering on the hardwood. He wasn’t in the mindset to stay up with someone. He glanced back to his empty bunk, briefly pondering if he could return to it without seeming rude. He decided against it, reluctantly joining the boy on the floor and crossing his legs. 

“You sick or something? You felt hot,” He asked softly. Swifty knew how hard it was to get Skittery into a conversation when he didn’t initiate it. It was somewhat of a skill, trying to carefully word his sentences to draw him in. Unfortunately, he was still groggy himself, meaning he wasn’t as slick with his tongue as he could be. 

“No, just had a nightmare,” the tall boy mumbled back. 

“You wanna tell me about it?” Swifty patiently asked. 

“Already forgetting it.” 

Swifty nodded, resigning himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to get much of a conversation out of him. After a beat of silence, he dug around in the pockets of his shorts and procured a cigarette, offering it to him. Skittery’s gaze flicked from it back to the other boy's eyes, before taking it from him and setting it in the corner of his mouth. 

After successfully striking a match and lighting the cigarette, tendrils of smoke curling into the air, he leaned back on his elbows and looked Swifty up and down. 

“What about you, huh? What are you doin’ up so early?” 

“Just couldn’t sleep. Have a lot going on in my head,” he answered, somewhat relieved that the cigarette seemed to do the trick to get Skittery out of his shell, at least a little bit. 

He hesitated for a moment, as if deciding whether he gave a fulfilling answer, before holding out the lit cigarette, embers glowing bright in the otherwise dark room. Swifty eyed him curiously, his bright eyes picking out details of the other boy's body best as he could in the darkness. 

“When I get nightmares I cozy up to Bumlets, ya know. You ain’t got someone like that? A gal or a fella or nothin’?” Swifty asked, after passing the cigarette back. 

Skitterys expression stiffened as he tried to ignore the knot forming in his stomach. 

“No, I ain't got a gal like that. And I ain’t like you either.” 

“Like me?” The curly haired boy replied, his eyebrows raising. 

“Ya know with the,” Skittery’s eyes darted to the floor, unable to meet his eyes. “With the fellas.” 

Swifty pulled his legs against his chest, narrowing his eyes. “Well jeez, that ain’t what I was askin’.” 

“It ain’t your business.” 

Swifty sighed, knowing he had ruined what little softness he had pried out of him. “Don’t see how. You’s a looker, Skits.” 

Skittery felt his face flush, accompanied by a strange fluttering in his chest. He hated it. These feelings were stupid, impractical, and most importantly, could never be replicated. Swifty had Bumlets. They were happy together, and Skittery would just have to suck it up and bear through the agony that came with seeing them cuddling at night, or exchange kisses on the cheek in the morning, or playfully ruffle each other’s hair before buying papers. 

It had never occurred to him how much these things bothered him until he had Swifty all to himself, with nothing else but a shared cigarette and that wretched insomnia. 

“I’m going to try to sleep,” Skittery mumbled suddenly, Standing up and heading back towards the threshold between the bathroom and the bunks. In one motion, Swifty grabbed his wrist, pulled him back, and pinned his waist to the counter, gazing up at his face through the thick darkness. 

“What the hell’s up with you lately, John?” He whispered furiously, tightening his grip below his ribs. Skittery stood like a statue, his mouth gaping open as he prayed his weak knees would hold him. Their chests were almost touching, and he could feel the steady rise and fall of his stomach against his own in the brief eternity before he could cough out an answer. 

“Nothin’”, he said, his voice coming out small. His heart drummed as he watched a lock of Swifty's hair uncurl itself from his bangs and fall neatly onto his forehead. His eyes glistened in the shadows, filled with suspicion and curiosity.

“Nothings goin’ on with me, why’d you think that?” 

“I dunno, maybe how you can’t seem to stand being around me during the day?” 

Skittery took a breath, his arms glued to his sides. “It’s just me bein’ dumb, alright? Don’t worry about it.” 

“Worry about it?! Skits you...” he slowly released his grip, his hands trailing down from his waist to his hips. “You ain’t...”

“I ain’t what,” Skittery breathed, barely audible over his heartbeat.  

And in a split second, Swifty closed the gap between their mouths, his eyes fluttering shut as Skittery’s hands found their way onto the back of his neck. It was a tender, slow kiss, filled with questions and curiosity. Every thought or strange feeling left over from his nightmare had vanished. He wasn't sure if the rain was still falling- he couldn't hear a thing. Skittery discovered the other boy's lips were surprisingly silky, and he pulled away, chest heaving, with a fruity taste on his tongue. 

“Why the hell did ya do that?” Skittery said quietly, his fingers biting into the shorter boy’s shoulders. 

He shrugged in response, apparently more agitated from his response than alarmed from kissing his friend. 

“I don’t get you, Victor,” he said uneasily as he saw Swifty’s face drifting up towards his again. 

“Stop.” He pushed him away by his shoulders, struggling to put space in between them. “We can’t do this, Vic, what the hell is wrong with you?” 

“Do I really gotta walk you through why it’s ok to kiss a fella?”He answered in a bemused tone. 

“It ain’t that, Swifty!” he said furiously, forgetting to lower his voice. “You think I don’t wanna do that every time I see ya?! You think I've been putting myself through this shit for nothin’? I ain’t meant for romance. And whatever feelings that gave me ain’t exactly exclusive to you either. I couldn’t make no one happy like they want me to. Nothin’ like that will ever work out for me.” He shoved him away, walking a few paces towards the windows. “And how could ya do somethin’ like this to a sweet fella like Bumlets?!” he added, his voice quiet again. 

Swifty was strangely composed, standing straight up with his hands in his pant pockets. It was strange to see his friend like this. Skittery always spent most of his time contemplating everything, analyzing conversations and movements to make sure he was completely understanding what was going on. He never let a thing go misinterpreted. He was better with being told things straight out- it surprised Swifty that a kiss, which to Skittery might’ve meant anything, for once got his point across efficiently. 

“That’s what you’s worked up about? That I kissed you while I still got Bumlets?” He asked, collected despite the fact his heart was still racing. “Me and him have been talkin’, Skits. He likes you too.”

The other boy froze, the words sending a peculiar feeling down his spine. “What do ya mean by that?” 

“I mean he likes ya, I like ya, and we like each other.” He slowly approached him, as if to not startle him away. “I’m sayin’ if you wanna be in on whatever we got going on,” he trailed off, tenderly slipping his arms around his waist again. 

“Ya mean it, Victor? You two…” he mumbled tentatively, his own hands creeping onto his midsection. 

And before he knew it they were kissing again, searing and passionate. It was something that happened on instinct, a thing Skittery didn’t let control him very often. It was as relieving as it was terrifying. 

Skittery pulled away abruptly, responding to Swifty's confused expression by holding a finger to his lips. He peered over him through the darkness at all the boys seemingly still asleep in the next room over. They were too visible for his liking, especially since he knew many of them pretended to be asleep to pry into others' business. 

He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him into one of the bathroom stalls, where they whispered little confessions in between long kisses, all the way till light started shining in from under the door and the clamor of waking boys told them they were moments from being discovered.

__________

The next day was gray, with rain that sprinkled heavily on and off. Normally, this would send Skittery into a worse mood than usual, causing him to barely get any papers sold, rather spending his day under shop awnings with the stack over his head. However he barely noticed the rain, and although his mouth was in a tight line and his eyebrows furrowed, there was a pink tinge to his cheeks that he couldn’t get rid of. 

He remembered saying a lot to Swifty the night before, mostly embarrassing, sappy things that he carried on his shoulders with an air of shame. He remembered something about being in love, something about his heart melting when he sees Bumlets, something about him not being able to believe that the two handsomest guys in the lodge liked him. Recalling it made him cringe. He couldn’t believe he would let his guard down like that now that he was out of the moment. 

He knew he had to talk to Bumlets soon and work out his feelings for him as he did with Swifty, but he could barely stand to be in the same room with either of them. He left early, turning away after hearing one of them call his name. He was aware he was just avoiding something that would have to be dealt with eventually. He was no good with feelings, or change for that matter. 

Luckily the opportunity presented itself sooner than he preferred, when he settled on a bench under a damp umbrella in the park. It was a particularly heavy batch of rain, making him shiver no matter how tight he pulled his coat around him. He suddenly felt himself sandwiched by warmth, one of the boys on each side of him. 

“Hey Skits,” he heard Bumlets say, although his gaze stayed fixed on the patch of ground in front of him. “Heard you was bein’ sweet with my fella last night,” he said in an amused tone, hitting his shoulder with his own. 

Skittery felt paralyzed, staying silent as both boys looked at him expectantly. He felt a raindrop snake down his neck and down his collar. 

“Why don’t ya tell Bumlets some of those things you told me last night,” Swifty added once it was clear that he wasn’t going to respond. 

“Won’t you two leave me alone till later,” he finally answered, snapping his head up and looking at the boy on the right. He immediately regretted it. Bumlets’ damp bangs were drooping onto his forehead, his brown eyes illuminated curiously by the  raindrops coming down. His shirt was half unbuttoned, revealing his collarbone dotted with freckles. 

“We ain’t gonna leave you alone, Skits, not with weather as romantic as this!” He motioned wildly with his hand, collecting a few raindrops in his palm before drying it off on Skittery’s knee. “But we also ain’t gonna pressure you or nothin, right Bumlets?” Swifty added. 

Skittery let both boys set their arms around him, although his shoulders were stiff and his face was hot. The three sat there, listening to each other breathing for hours with their arms tangled. The tall boy in the middle indulged himself just a little bit more by the minute, letting himself grow comfortable between them. He knew that's what he wanted. He knew that that’s what he had been dreaming about subconsciously for a lot longer than he cared to admit. It would take time for him to adjust, as it always did for him with new experiences and changes of his life. 

But he was trying to get better at change. Maybe that’s why he let Swifty kiss his cheek, after checking that the rain had driven everyone out of the park. Maybe that’s why he let Bumlets take his waist and kiss him softly, when the moment felt right. And that’s why they walked back to the lodge, shivering, with their arms still hooked around each other, the tallest boy feeling on top of the world.

[myblueeyedbuggers]

My Boys

Chapter 9

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Pairings: Reader x Steve Rogers (best friend) Reader x Bucky Barnes

Word Count: 1851

Warnings: Slow Start, Language, Tiny bit of Fluff

Summary: After being abandoned by her parents in Brooklyn in 1929, y/n makes a living for herself by working for the Црни лабуд gang until she meets two boys in a back alley and her life slowing begins to change

So, hi again…I’m gonna be completely honest I’ve practically had no time to sit down and write for the past couple of weeks, college rained down tons of assignments and work kept asking me to do extra shifts. Hopefully you all understand the delay in updates, I’m determined to finish this book for you all, anyways I’ll shut up Enjoy 😊

Whoever decided to wake me up and drag me away from the glorious land of sleep will suffer my early morning wrath, slowly I opened my eyes and the outline of two very stupid and annoying boys filled my vision. “Have you two never heard the saying don’t tickle a sleeping dragon? I quite clearly need my beauty sleep!” why is it every time I threaten to murder these two they just start laughin’? what the hell is wrong with em?!, “ Well good mornin’ to you too doll face, as much as I’d like to stay here and trade threats mama wants you outta bed for breakfast so get ya butt moving” My eyes narrowed at Bucky as he started to follow Steve outta the room, the smirk on his face widening as I reluctantly moved out of bed.

I’ve only been here a week and I’ve nearly killed him at least 50 times, wait that’s not something I should be proud of is it? in my defence Barnes can be a right little shit when he wants to be! Two days ago, he thought it’d be funny to drench me with water in the middle of the day, it’s safe to say he didn’t climb down the tree for a fair few hours. The smell of bacon and pancakes made me completely forget whatever the hell I was talking about, I shouldn’t have rushed pulling my pants on cause my dumbass failed to see that the left leg got caught on the draw knob and I was once again hugging the floor with my bloody face. Great that didn’t hurt at all!

Right let’s check for damage, bruises? Nope scratches? Nope pride and dignity? That went a long time ago who am I kidding? “Y/N You comin down or what?!” Jesus Christ that boy has a voice like a flipping fog horn, I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard Steve in queens! “Yeah give me a minute will ya! No need to get your panties in a twist Stevie” I’m pretty sure I can hear Becca and Bucky laughin’ from up here. Okay enough time’s been spent getting dressed, at this rate the boys will have inhaled all the food…the thought alone is enough to terrifying!  

“Right you lads better of left me at least one pancake and 3 strips of bacon or they’ll be hell to pay later” as a rule most people say good morning but I like to start the day with a decent dashing of threats and insults, cause I’m a friendly person…okay nope that’s a big pile of bullc**p and I know it. “Well mornin to you too y/n, the pancakes are on the table and the bacons on Bucks plate feel free to take some” a muffled sound of protest could be heard over my laughter as Bucky shot Steve a look of utter disbelief. “I think I’ll skip on the bacon then Stevie, by the looks of it Bucks already drooled all over it” Steve and I shared a look before we burst out laughing, Buck was glaring at the both of us with syrup dribbling down his chin and I gotta be honest it looked hilarious. “You guys done laughin’ at me yet or would you like to gang up on me some more?” is this boy dumb or somethin’? “Buck, I’d be on my deathbed and my final words would be some form of insult towards you”.

And there I go signing my death sentence again, at this point Steve wasn’t even on his chair anymore, instead he was lying on the floor completely pissin’ himself laughing while Bucky slowly stood up and started walking round the table. “Oh would you look at the time! Gotta go guys my appointment with the grim reaper’s in a minute!” hey y/n maybe it’s time you start running?! With a small shriek I turned and bolted out the backdoor with a pretty pissed off Barnes boy on my tail. The sunlight blinded me for a couple of seconds, so I was kinda running without knowing what was around me…and as per usual life decided to firmly kick my ass using the form of a bloody tree. A sharp stinging sensation spread across my entire face, huh reminds me of when I ran into that door…only that didn’t hurt half as much and there wasn’t an annoying brunette prick absolutely creasing with laughter behind me. I’m pretty sure that in the process of the tree b**tch slappin’ me I cut the left side of my cheek…oh would you look at that there’s the blood that should have stayed inside me, I couldn’t stop the small groan of pain that slipped outta my mouth, the lower half of my back was more than likely battered to all hell and the stinging in my cheek wasn’t helping either.

Apparently, the sound of my suffering seemed to break the idiot outta his little laughin’ session, I raised my eyebrows at him when it finally dawned on him that I hurt myself and that was pretty funny, all the colour drained from Bucky’s face, his eye’s widened when he noticed the lovely new edition to my face and pretty soon he reached a hand out to help me up. Such a gentleman… that’s if you replace the gentle bit with idiotic. The second I was on my feet, he pulled me into a hug and began checking my face and head, I’m hoping to god he can’t see my flamin’ cheeks cause I know for a fact he would never let me live that down. To be completely honest all I could concentrate on was the gentle touch on his hands on my cheek and the look on Bucky’s face, his eyes were completely focused on my cut. How have I never noticed that his eyes have the smallest flecks of green in them? Or how his dimples show when he frowns?… more importantly why do I feel both excited and terrified but somehow warm at the same time?

My little daze was broken when I realised that his lips were movin’ and I had no idea what the hell he just said, but he must of asked me a question cause he was lookin’ at me waitin’ for his answer. Bollocks. “What’d you say Buck?” Jesus Christ could I have been anymore obvious?! Maybe I should make a giant banner and smack him in the face with it, oh for godsake am I blushin’ again?!, the small smirk on his face grew into a sh*t eating grin as he threw his arm around my shoulders and dragged me back to the house. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say that you y/n were completely blow away by the masterpiece that is my face” oh great I’ve managed to inflate his ego even more, “Actually I wasn’t gonna say anythin’ but you’ve got a little somethin’ stuck in your front teeth” and just like that all the cockiness drained outta his body.

The arm around my shoulder disappeared rather quickly, to my amusement the boy next to me did as well, I could feel the little smirk on my face as I carried on walkin’ forward as he stayed behind more than likely doin’ that cute stupid thing with his eyes. Wait what did I just say?! What the heck is wrong with me these days? Its like a flippin’ alien’s taken over me and made me into a normal girl! .It feels all kinds of wrong. A sudden cough disrupts my inner monologue, my eyes roll to the sky as the smirk reappears on my face, I can’t help the laugh that escapes me when my gaze meets Bucky’s. He was stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowed as I continued to laugh and slowly his face formed a pout as he waited for me to finish completely wetting myself with laughter. “You done yet?” his brow was pulled in as he tried to fight off the smile, “Do I actually have somethin’ in my teeth or were you just being a bully?”.

“Nah, just needed to keep your ego in check before it inflated and carried you away into the wind” Buck looked like I’d just shot him in the chest, I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughin’ at him as I turned and started walkin’ back to the house. “Ya know you can be a real piece of work when ya wanna be don’t ya?” thank you captain obvious! “I know I am, you know I do it out of love don’t ya?” I shot him a small smile as I wrapped an arm around his back and pulled him in for a side hug, Bucky shook his head with a small smile, but accepted the hug anyway. After that we stayed in a comfortable silence as we walked back towards the house, his arm never pulled away from me till we got inside, that was until Mrs Barnes walked into the kitchen and saw the cut on my cheek, to simply put it she completely freaked out.

I watched her quickly shoo everyone outta the kitchen, she somehow managed to pull a chair out and sit me down while grabbing a towel and bandages, question after question was fired at me while she gently started cleaning to cut. After a while the conversation died out, Mama B was completely fixated on cleaning the cut and if I’m honest the silence was peaceful, well it was for the 5 seconds it lasted.

Bucky burst through the door lookin’ like someone was trying to murder him, not that I could blame them, 2 seconds later Steve and Becca burst through the door armed with…wait is that eyeshadow and lipstick? I watched as Bucky backed into the corner, his eyes wide as he begged them both of them for mercy, whatever he did to piss the pair off clearly warranted this man hunt and there is no way in hell I wanted to stop it just before it got good. Soon enough Becca and Steve some how managed to pin down Buck, and despite the many protests, the pair managed to smear the lipstick all over his face and dump most of the eyeshadow in his hair.

I tried my hardest not to laugh I swear, but he looked like a very disturbed and demented fairy princess and I couldn’t hold it in anymore, soon enough we were all having a little laugh at the poor bloke, eventually Buck saw the funny side of it and he too joined in with the mess that was the Barnes family.

So, I’m gonna be honest here this is more of a filler chapter/character development hopefully it didn’t suck as much as I think it did XD Okay I’ll stop rambling, Thanks for reading!

Rose Xxx

[thestarshiphope]

The Ultimate Mission

May I have everyone’s attention please?

It’s time we begin the preparations for our mission.

It’s about time.

So what’s the plan?

First, we need to collect the remaining members of the designated group.

The only ones here are me, Tsumugi-chan, and Ouma-kun, right?

Shuichi’s still at home, so that’s five out of sixteen. 

We going on our own Ultimate Hunt?

You...could say that, I suppose.

So we get the kids back together, then what? We just get back them all back to Project Gofer?

What if they don’t wanna come with us?

Then we do everything in our power to convince them to join us. We can’t let them all give up. 

I promised I wouldn’t, no matter how hard things might get.

M-me too. I’m with Kaede.

And I’ll do whatever it takes to help convince everyone too.

We can also be sure that the path there wouldn’t be wide open. There’ll be a lot of winding narrow routes we have to take.

I wouldn’t usually suggest this, but maybe we should split up? We can cover more ground and we could get the kids back faster.

Hmm. We’d have to exercise extreme caution and stick together in small groups, but it might be worth considering.

I can go with them whenever necessary.

Uhh...excuse me? I think you’re all forgetting something here.

Erika, what’re you-

Kaede, shut up. First, don’t talk about us like we’re not here and we don’t have a say in the matter. I hate that.

Second, I think you’re forgetting some of the biggest problems with this whole thing. My idiot sister and her friends decided to give up their talents after they left. I don’t think they’re gonna be much use as “hopes for humanity” in the first place, but as Commons they’re even more useless.

Third, even if we do somehow get them back to that institute place, there’s the little issue that Red Rain is still running around this shithole of a country looking for them. And getting a whole bunch of ultimates and former ultimates together is just gonna draw a big target on all of our backs!

Anyone got any plans for that? Anyone at all?

Soooo....who’re you exactly?

This is my twin sister, Erika.

Erika! Dear, sweet, mouthy Erika. You make a lot of good points, I gotta say. 

It’s true that Red Rain activity has only gotten worse over most of the Greater Tokyo Area, and that people are being slaughtered by the hundreds every day. Going through that with an ensemble of Ultimates would be a terrible mistake.

But I do have some ideas in mind for that.

What kind of plan?

Well, for example...

*Junko pulls out a knife*

If we killed you all, that would throw them off our trail, wouldn’t it?

What?!

K-k-kill us?!

B-boss, get behind me! I won’t let her hurt you!

Huh?! But...you-!

Upupupupupupu! Kidding! Kidding! Sorry, sorry, I just had to see the looks on your faces!

*Mukuro yanks one of her pigtails*

Oww!! Ow! 

Sorry about that. My sister has a sick sense of humor.

I was only half-joking though.

Red Rain just needs to think you’re all dead. Then we get you all to the Institute to get your talents back and to Project Gofer nice and easy.

While I don’t agree with the presentation, that may be our best bet.

That’s...a lot to get done.

And only a week to do it.

I looked into the future and I saw that we all make it there safe!

Really? Y-you’re the former Ultimate Clairvoyant, right? That’s great news!

His predictions are also off 70% of the time.

And th-that’s not great news!

Still better than wrong 100% of the time!

Can we focus, please?!

Anyway, you can leave the fake death thing to me. I’ve got some ideas in mind.

I’ll trust you with that.

And what role will Nevermind-san have in this?

Two things: she and her family will be providing us with support and, if necessary, transportation to other parts of Japan if necessary.

And once the rocket has left the planet, she can take us somewhere we may be safer.

Wait, you’re not all coming with us?

...

...

...

From what we understand, the ship only has just enough room for you all.

We ain’t gonna take that from you kids.

But...but you can’t just-! Grandma! Uncle Leon!

Sweetheart, it’s okay. Really.

I’ll be happy knowing that you’re alive and okay out there.

It’s alright. I’ve had a good run. I’m happy with how my life turned out.

And if I’m not gonna make it, might as well make my last days on Earth mean somethin’.

I’ve never been afraid of death.

If it’s to protect you all, I will gladly lay down my life.

You all have a bright future ahead of you, I’m certain of it.

I’m a Yakuza boss. I ain’t scared of shit.

With Fuyuhiko, my life has been full of nothing but purpose.

I became prime minister and restored my family’s honor. That was enough for me.

I did some good shit with my life and helped build things. The best damn houses anyone could want.

And I think...I’m about ready to see my brother again.

Hell’s gonna be under new management after I show up! Someone has to show ‘em how it’s done!

There’s a lot in my life I regret. Things I can’t change or undo.

But being here, seeing you all again, it’s been the best experience I’ve had in a long time.

I still remember when I came to Hope’s Peak Academy. Back then, I was just a regular guy. I feel like the only reason I got in was thanks to the lucky student lottery.

But being there, meeting you all, the time we’ve all shared together, all the memories and experiences we’ve had along the way, I wouldn’t trade those for anything. 

And most importantly, no matter what, even in the face of something like this, as long as we have hope, we never give up. That’s not just you kids, but it’s us too. We’re all the hope for mankind’s future. And I know that nothing- nothing- is gonna stop us!

*Both at the same time* Makoto, I love you so much.

Ha! Jynx!

That never gets old.

Kaede, Erika, no matter what happens, I love you both. I’ve always loved you both and I’ve always been proud of you. And I’ll be happy knowing that you’re okay up there.

We came together because we couldn’t let you all sacrifice everything when you still have so much ahead of you.

We’ve lived happy lives ourselves.

You’re really all laying down your lives for us? You hardly even know most of us.

Why would that matter?

I...

No, forget it. Never mind.

You all...

I promise, no matter what, I won’t give up anymore. And I’ll do whatever it takes to help the others. We’ll survive.

...

Kaede?

Y-yeah?

*(Kaede notices something in Erika’s eyes. Anger? Resentment? Guilt? It’s gone before she can really tell)*

This whole journey, I’ve got your back.

Just...count on me.

Thank you, Erika.

Erika....

Erik...a....

Eri...k...a...

Er...i...k...a...

E...r...i...k...a...

.........

........

.......

......

.....

....

...

..

.

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

*Gasp*

*Back in the present, Kaede(?) wakes up in an empty room somewhere aboard the ship*

[wilhelmjfink]

The Great Divide - Chapter 1

Summary: As bitter as she was, all Riley Herrington ever wanted to do was help. She’d always figured it stemmed from some innate desire to prevent people from feeling the same way toward the world that she did. And, as Daryl had told her a hundred times, people are not to be trusted and one day she’d run into the wrong person and learn pretty quickly that her confidence in strangers would get her into a lot of trouble. They both knew he was right. He was just trying to teach her before it was too late for her to learn.

Warnings: swearing and violence. don’t be a little bitch.

A/N: omfgg it’s here!!!!! i know that literally nobody is excited about this BUT I AM AND THATS ALL THAT MATTERS SO THANKS FOR COMING EVERYONE!! this is my very first series and features my very first OC and thank you to @crossbowking for always being my #1 fan and editor and hypegirl and inspo and i love you!!! BONUS POINTS TO WHOEVER CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT VIDEO GAME IT’S BASED OFF OF AND WHAT SONG IT’S TITLED AFTER (hint it’s literally in this first chapter)

i don’t own anything except Riley so don’t sue me. also we’ve already established how bad i am at like past and present tense and all that jazz?? i was in honors college shame on me (I dropped out)

enjoy xoxo

Next Chapter

“Never should’a went after that woman.”

Daryl used the heel of his boot to jam the shovel further into the dirt before hoisting loose a pile up and over his shoulder. Digging graves always seemed to put him in a poor mood. Understandably.

So Riley observed him quietly, standing knee deep in her own trench, pondering a response to his blunt statement.

Eventually, she muddled out the only excuse she could ever muster up: “I was just trying to help...”

This time, though, Daryl wouldn’t accept it and tossed his shovel down carelessly onto the ground at his feet before tearing off his gloves and wiping the sweat from his forehead. The heat made him cranky too, she thought. Not a great combination of things.

“That’s all yer ever tryin’ to do, Ri! Don’t ya get it? People ain’t to be trusted. People will kill you. Hell, they’ll do worse things than kill ya, and make ya wish you was dead anyway!”

She flinched visibly at his outburst, taking the brunt of it knowing it was well deserved. But, still... her intentions has been good. Wasn’t there something to be said for that?

Daryl continued. “I know yer smart girl, but god damn if ya don’t act right stupid sometimes.”

Narrowing her eyes, she jabbed her own shovel into the soft ground beside her and leaned onto it. “I’m not stupid, Daryl.”

“Didn’t say ya were stupid, just said ya act like it sometimes.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes away from him and, once again, found herself reflecting on his words. He was absolutely right — that hadn’t been the first time that she’d tried to help someone only to be burned by them in the end, and it definitely wasn’t the first time that Daryl had managed to swoop in at the right time and save her ass. He always had a way of doing that. He continually, purposefully it seemed, made a point to warn her about something before appearing out of thin air to save her from that exact scenario, if only to say “I told you so.”

But nobody had been there for her back when it all began and she was hungry and lost and tired and injured. Nobody trusted her, not that she’d found many others — and the few she did run across mot only neglected to help her, they often left her in worse condition than she’d been before they’d crossed paths. It was not until she’d found Maggie and her family, all of which were more than willing to help her, and all of which were undoubtedly the reason that she was still alive.

Not to mention, all of them the reason that she’d met Daryl in the first place.

Finally, picking her next words carefully, she sighed. “Look, I.... I know. But I just.... I really want to believe that there are still good people left in the world. That’s what kept me alive, after all this started.”

It was blunt, and it was true. And then it was Daryl’s turn to soften, knowing that if he did what came instinctively and became even angrier with her it would end in a shouting match that he couldn’t stand, especially when it all initiated because he knew he’d hurt her feelings. “I know ya do, Ri. There are good people out there still — you’re one of ‘em. But ya can’t find em because bein’ good is dangerous. It’s what gets ya killed, Riley. And I ain’t gonna let you get killed by some crazy lady you offered to help ‘cause she said asked nicely n’ said ‘please’ or somethin’.”

Riley, despite herself couldn’t help but smile. He couldn’t stay mad at her — there would never be an apology, but always some off handed comment or joke. Though, the same went for her, so she couldn’t boast. Regardless, he had a valid point... as he usually did. Daryl was smart, much smarter than she would ever be.

He was a survivor, and she needed to heed his advice, because sooner or later it would be the end of her.

“Yeah, yeah. You wanna hear me say it? Okay, here it is: you are right, Daryl Dixon.” And you always are.”

Riley Herrington had a mental list that she always double and triple checked before she left for a run: first her machete at her side, and then her backpack that held a canteen full of water along with a few stale protein bars, a standard first aid kit with bandages, bands for tourniquets, alcohol and sutures and more, some extra ammunition for her .22 that she always kept holstered at her side, but most importantly, the Polaroid of her and Daryl Dixon that she’d forced him to take back when they’d taken shelter in a derelict prison. He despised it and it was so blurry it was nearly impossible to see it was him, but she knew it was, and that’s what mattered to her.

Once she was sure it was all in line she securely strapped the black bag to her back and sighed, peering over the walls at the sun that was slowing making its way over the horizon. If you’d asked her five years ago if she thought she’d be ever be an early morning person, she would’ve laughed. But now, it was the only way to safely and efficiently get anything done — it seemed to be the most quiet and still part of day anymore. She’d been up for over an hour at this point, and stood patiently awaiting her friends to wake up and join her outside of the mess hall. Tara could sleep through a tornado, but Aaron always lingered around his home until the last possible minute, cherishing every moment with Eric that he had. And Riley didn’t blame him — she was lucky that Daryl never slept either, so they had all night to enjoy each others company until the sun began to rise and they had to get ready for whatever the day held for them.

Footsteps approaching alerted her to Tara, who was making her way toward her with her own bag shouldered and rifle slung across her back, yawning dramatically and rubbing the sleep from her eyes

“Mornin’, sunshine.” Riley laughed, earning her an eye roll from her friend. “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied flatly. “Aaron?”

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

A comfortable silence settled over the two girls as they waited, Riley dropping the tailgate of the truck and hopping up on it, sitting patiently while her legs dangled off the side.

It should be an easy run — it was just slightly farther out past the town they usually travelled to. The salvageable buildings had all been picked over; all of the others were inaccessible or too dangerous to navigate through. Nobody ever knew what new terrain brought, however, and there was always an air of anxiety when branching out further and further from the safe zone.

Riley turned her head toward the sound of voices drawing closer, spotting Daryl and Aaron as they both made their way toward the front gate.

She hopped down from the truck and slammed it back shut before making her way over to the passenger side door, meeting the two men as they approached.

“Sorry,” Aaron instantly apologized and Riley held up her hand to stop him.

“I don’t wanna hear it,” she joked. “Let’s get going. You ready?”

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled in response. For as sweet as he was, Aaron was a very good guy to have on her side out on a run: he knew the area better than most and was efficient in navigating it, smart and charismatic which more often than not helped them deter themselves from getting in trouble with strangers. Riley, in the other hand, had a difficult time biting her tongue.

As Aaron rounded the truck to the driver’s side, Riley stepped up closer to Daryl, who already had worry etched into his features in the form of wrinkles on his forehead and a furrowed brow, a permanent frown on his face as he took a long drag of the cigarette he held in between his fingers.

“It takes less effort to smile, you know,” she teased him wholeheartedly the way only she could. It was ironic, considering he always mocked her for her constant resting bitch face.

But he only snorted in derision. “It don’t take me much effort to worry about ya either, Ri.”

“Don’t worry.” She pressed her body up against his and locked her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans, resting her chin on his chest to look up at him while his bright blue eyes gazed back down into her own full of nothing but worry. No matter how many runs she went on, how many times he left to go hunting, there was no way not to lose sleep over it anymore. All you could do was wait until whomever you waited for returned and hope that they came back unscathed. “I’ll be in good hands.”

“Yeah,” He exhaled a breath of smoke to the side, avoiding blowing it into her face. “I don’t want ya in anybody’s hands but mine.”

Riley laughed and pushed up on her tiptoes, planting a reassuring kiss on his lips. “You don’t need to worry about that, Dixon.”

“Jus’ be careful, alright?”

“Of course.”

“‘N come back to me.”

“Always.” She smiled at him as the truck engine roared to life behind her, giving him one more quick kiss before turning on her heels and hoisting herself up into the bed of the truck from the wheel well and settling down against the rear windows.

Tara jumped in the side and stuck her hand out of the window, balled into a fist and waiting for Daryl to match it, and smiling when he did so. “We’ll bring her back!”

“Y’all better come back, too,” he yelled back at them as they pulled up to the front gates, slipping through it and taking off down the dirt road behind it.

~

The wind whipped past Riley’s face, the briskness a pleasant relief to her summer slightly-too-sun-kissed skin and tossing her pigtail braids around. She leaned her head back against the glass pane, striving to hear the faint Breaking Benjamin song as it played quietly on the radio inside the truck.

“Are we almost there?”

“About ten more minutes,” Aaron briefly checked the map that lay across his lap. “Or ten more miles. One of the two.”

Riley heard Tara laugh and she groaned, feeling the effects of the long drive with numb limbs and feet, stretching her legs out in front of her.

The giant sports arena they’d been searching for slowly grew into sight and she knew they were getting close.

Slinging her backpack on over her shoulders, she peered around the truck, observing her surroundings as the trees and dirt roads began to turn into pavement and houses and buildings.

The truck slowed to a stop in front of a parking garage that’s steel doors were dropped and locked, graffiti littering the outsides. Next door was the Hampton Inn — the first stop of their journey today.

They were all pleased to see it relatively untouched, though sealed shut behind a hefty chain. They’d been prepared, and Aaron already had the bolt cutters in his hands.

“Do we wanna split up?” Tara asked, thumbs hooked around her backpack straps as she rocked back and forth on he heel of her red converse. She looked like an inpatient student waiting for the school bus; Riley smiled to herself.

“The hotel has — “ Aaron grunted as he squeezed the handles of the tool together and with a loud clank the chain slid through the door handles and onto the ground as his feet. “...five stories. It’s not very big, so we’ll cover a lot of ground that way.”

“I’ll get topside,” Riley volunteered as she upholstered her pistol and unclipped the mag light from her belt, holding both up poised and ready to fire while she cautiously made her way through the lobby. The long wooden registration desk stretched across the hallway and she jumped up and over, shuffling through the shelves underneath in search of keys. Of course, they were all cards now — she just hoped they still worked without electricity.

She distributed them to her friends accordingly, assuming the numbers written in sharpie on the plastic was the associated room. “Alright, that’s all of them,” she said. “Be safe.”

“You too,” they spoke in unison as they split up and separated.

The hotel was eerily untouched: cups of coffee and open books littered the end tables and ‘do not disturb’ signs still hung on door handles; Riley made a mental note to be extra careful when entering those rooms.

The first room to her left was clean, left in preparation for its next guest that would never arrive. White sheets, white comforters, white pillows, white paint. If it weren’t for the abstract colored paintings on each wall, it would look like an asylum; with its haunting glow that came from shut curtains, the lone strip of sunlight that peered in full of dust that danced around. It gave her just enough light to see into the bathroom, where she snagged the small bottles of soap and shampoo and moved on.

The next room had occupants when it was abandoned: an open suitcase that she hit with the door in the middle of the walkway, clothes and belts and shoes hanging out of it. The chair at the corner desk was tipped over and it was just as dark as the last. She could smell the decay and hear the flies but she couldn’t see around the corner to the beds, so she knocked on the wall harshly and waited for a response before she proceeded forward.

When silence answered her, she tucked her nose into her elbow and gagged — she would never get used to that smell — and eyed the rotted corpse on the bed.

Its wallet was out, drivers license up, almost as if he wanted whomever found him to identify him right away. David A. Keisel, 48, resident of Linesville, Pennsylvania.

Blood splattered the oak headboard and white wall above it, and a Barretta Storm was tucked between its occupants dark, skeletal legs.

“Nice,” she said to herself, nearing the corpse cautiously. “Sorry about this, Davey...” she carefully reached for the pistol that was still in it’s grasp, wincing at the noise his decayed fingers made upon its release.

She checked the gun then, a full magazine with an empty chamber. Thanks, Dave. It had become a common occurrence for her to take items off of dead bodies and she’d always justified it knowing that they would want someone else to use it for their own safety... right? She could probably find more ammo for it if she rifled through his suitcase...

“Help! Help me!”

Riley jumped out of her skin and had the Baretta ready to fire at the disembodied yelling. But it wasn’t close to her — in fact, it seemed to be coming from outside somewhere.

She darted out the door and made for the first emergency exit her eyes could find: a new stairwell to the right of her with a big alarm overtop, undoubtedly to go off if they door ever opened incase of a crisis. She could almost hear the alarms again, blaring amidst the panicked screaming and crying...

Five flights of stairs, guiding by the red glow of the emergency light, and she hit first floor and pushed open another door and found herself outside again, squinting in the sunlight as she tried to adjust from the darkness of the hotel.

A man with dark hair stood on the property line, staring into the woods as if he was waiting for somebody or something to emerge. Riley made her way up to him, weapon aimed, and snuck up behind him slowly and stealthily.

“Don’t move.”

The man whipped around to see her, panic written all over his face, hands automatically flying up in surrender. He didn’t look like a threat — hell, he looked pretty worse for wear actually, and Riley briefly wondered what he’d endured. Dark eyes, shaggy dark hair, dirt caked onto his skin. “Any weapons?”

The man shook his head frantically. “No, no. Please.... you have to help my wife! One of those guys got her! Please! You have—“

“Hey!” Riley snapped, twitching the gun in her hands reinforce her sternness. He eyed it nervously. “Slow down. What guys?”

“One of those guys!” He pointed to some trees and Riley strained to follow his line of sight before she spotted a body crumpled on the ground about a hundred feet away from them. “I didn’t mean to kill him, I.... I didn’t mean.... he had Laura! They took her!”

Riley hesitated and remained silent, hoping that her friends would join her and help her out, but to no prevail. If they’d started in the basement, it was likely they didn’t even hear him screaming for help in the first place.

“Please, please go help her!”

When he turned back around Riley shrugged her backpack off, back tracking and tossing it by in hotel door she’d exited through. She didn’t want this guy threatening to rob her, even if he did look weak and pathetic. People were not to be trusted anymore; she had learned that very quickly. Or she at least should have.

“Are you going to -- ”

“Shut the fuck up, and move.” Riley demanded, shoving the gun into his back once for emphasis. “Try anything funny and I’ll blow yours and Laura’s fucking heads off, got it?”

He nodded shakily and pressed on into he woods, Riley following at his heels.

“You gotta name?” She asked, barrel still pointed at his back.

“Warner,” he responded nervously.

“What’s your story, Warner?”

“Don’t have much of one,” he shrugged. “We’ve been on the go, camp to camp to camp, group to group ever since this shit started — how long has it been? Three years? Four now?”

It sounded oddly inconspicuous but at the same time, it was more common than not. “Beats me,” Riley said flatly. Truthfully, she tried not to think about it anymore. “I find it’s easier not to count the days.”

The dead body lying at the base of a tree was unlike anything she’d ever seen before: in addition to his layer of tattoos all over his face, he had red paint on his face painting some weird tribal-esque marks. Well, she hoped it was just paint...

Head shaven, he wore armor that looked like it had come straight from a video game, with small spikes protruding from his shoulder pads and a big red unfamiliar symbol painted on the front of his chest guard. Everything else was black leather or Kevlar it seemed, and even his boots had spikes on the toes.

“What the fuck?” Riley couldn’t help but stop and gawk at it, crouching down beside it to get a closer look. It reminded her of a cosplayer or some sort of reinactor — but which war had soldiers that dressed like that? “Is this what you mean by ‘those guys’? What the hell is he?”

When Warner didn’t respond, she stood up and turned around in search of him. And by the time she’d spotted him, it was too late to stop him from bringing down the rock he held in his fist, smashing it against her face. There was a sickening crunch, searing pain, and then nothing.

Tag list❤️❤️

@crossbowking @jodiereedus22 @apossiblegentleman @mtngirlforever@sourwolf-sterek32 @winchester-angel @qrangr @cole-winchester @the-bottom-of-the-abyss @twdeadfanfic @crazyaboutnorman@deliciousassafrasssandwich @bunnymother93 @96ssi @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @ima-mther-fckn-starboy @thatsoragan @lonewolf471

cover image source: background daryl i am the girl on the right lmao

[sheslostinreality]

Mine: the Epilogue: “We’re Gonna Make It Now”

A/N: This was a bonus. It is an after scene and somewhat of a fluff. I hope you all love it. I would suggest reading the first three parts before jumping into this. But this can be read on it’s own. Just a fluff for my cheeseballs out there. Much love x

Requests are open - inbox

Part One: We’re Taking on the World Together

Part Two: We’ve Got Nothing Figured Out

Part Three: You Are the Best Thing That’s Ever Been Mine

Epilogue

Four years had gone by since the incident. At four years old, Rosy was stronger and healthier than ever. She grew to be a happy child who was always smiling, flashing her beautiful dimples while batting her green eyes. You and Harry had enrolled Rosy at a nearby nursery school. The two of you loved watching your daughter interact with other children and take initiative to make her own friends. Rosy would come home after a half day in nursery school beaming, filled with excitement to her mummy and daddy stories about what she and her friends did that day, what book her teacher read to them before naptime, and what art ’n crafts she worked on. Your refrigerator was decorated with all of Rosy’s drawings and paintings from school.

Seeing your daughter grow up into a little girl made your and Harry’s heart sink a little. You and Harry both missed having a baby to take care of. Rosy wasn’t a baby anymore. Rosy was getting taller by the minute. She was speaking full sentences and forming her own thoughts and opinions. She definitely took after her father’s sassy attitude. You and Harry both wanted another baby-- a playmate for Rosy. But before you began trying, you had to run it by the princess of the house first.

“Rosy, would you like to have a little brother or sister to play with?” Harry asked his daughter over breakfast. She was making circles, trying to catch the cereal in her pink princess bowl.

Rosy’s eyes lit up at the thought. “Yes! Yes! Yes, daddy! I want to be a big sista!”

“I want you to be a big sister, too,” Harry smiled. “How about you go tell mummy? The baby will be in her tummy. Ask her if she’s okay with it.”

Rosy got off from her big girl chair and toddled over to you. You were inside the kitchen mixing a batter of pancakes. Harry followed Rosy and leaned over the island as he watched his daughter tug on your pajamas.

“Mummy,” Rosy said sweetly, “Are you okay with having a baby in your tummy?”

You bent down to be at eye level with Rosy. “Hmm, that depends… Are you okay with being a big sister?”

“Yes mummy! Me and daddy want me to be a big sista,” Rosy said.

You smiled, “Okay, it’s deal.”

You and Harry had been trying for several months without any luck. Funny life worked that way. In the beginning of your marriage, you and Harry were always careful to use contraception but one slip up and Rosy was made. Now you weren’t using any form of contraception and Harry’s swimmers decided to swim the opposite way. You were starting to feel disappointed and defeated. Harry was leaving for over a month to tour a series of countries. Nursery School policy did not allow for students to be absent for more than two weeks. Therefore, you and Rosy had no choice but to meet Harry at the last leg of his trip. It was going to feel like eternity before you and Harry could be intimate with one another again— for yourselves and for Rosy’s potential baby brother or sister.

You and Harry made the most of his last night home. Rosy was put to bed earlier so the two of you could have more time alone together. Sure enough, not a minute was wasted.

“God,” Harry was panting after the second round. “I didn’t know you had that in yeh, babe.”

“You tired yet, mister?” you teased.

“I’m going to need a minute,” he chuckled.

The two of you rested to catch a breath. You and Harry just cuddled and talked. You shared new stories and retold old ones. You reminisced about the past and old memories before the two of you were married. You talked about the future and what you hoped it would hold for you and your little family. And most importantly, you reminded each other of how much you loved one another.

“I think I’m ready,” Harry smirked. He snaked an arm around the top of your bare stomach, stroking the side of your breast. “Come on, boys, don’t let me down.” You giggled at his silliness. Harry slowly crawled on top of you, his knees between your legs and his arms at each of your side. He took a moment to admire you. He swore his wife became more beautiful as each day came. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful, Y/N. We’ve been married six years and you still take my breath away.”

“Oh shut up,” you teased, pushing him lightly on his chest.

“I mean it,” he whispered lowly and roughly as he was lowering himself onto you. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we make beautiful children.” Harry left wet pecks on the back of your ear, slowly making his way towards your mouth as his hands caressed the curves of your body.

“Mummy?” a little voice said from behind the door.

Harry froze immediately. Your eyes both shifted a sleepy Rosy by the doorway. She was in her night gown, her hair a bird’s nest, and little fists rubbing the sleep in her eyes. You giggled, looking at a slightly disappointed Harry. “We got caught,” you teased.

“Fuck,” he chuckled just low enough for only you to hear. Harry quickly reached for a his pair of boxer briefs that were thrown somewhere underneath the covers. “What’sa matter, bug?” he asked, lifting up a sleepy Rose.

“I had a nightmare,” she nuzzled her face into her daddy’s neck, finding a position comfortable enough to fall asleep again.

“Do you wanna sleep with mummy and me tonight?” Harry asked as he swayed side to side, his daughter in his embrace. Rosy just nodded, her heavy eyelids closed. Harry waited until you had put Harry’s old shirt and a pair of pajamas that were thrown to the ground earlier before bringing Rosy onto the bed in between the two of you.

Harry pulled the covers over the three of you and stretched out his long arm, holding both Rosy and you. “Daddy will keep the nightmares away,” he said as he kissed his daughter goodnight.

5 AM rolled around too quickly. Harry was already in the shower. You prepared a small breakfast muffin sandwich for Harry to take on the road. You helped him gather the last of his things, shoving last minute items into his luggage bags.

Harry ran up the stairs to kiss his sleeping daughter goodbye. “I’ll see you in three week, bug. I love you,” he whispered.

A black Escalade with very tinted windows was parked outside your driveway. The driver stood by the car door, ready to assist Harry.

“Call me,” you told him.

“I will, luv.” Harry placed a hand in the back of your neck and the other under your chin. He leaned in for a long kiss— one to hold him over for the next three weeks. “I love you,” he said before walking out the door.

Two and a half weeks had gone by and Harry was growing restless. He missed his girls. Harry was consistent and punctual when it came to phone calls and FaceTime. It was Rosy’s favorite part of the day to talk to her Daddy via FaceTime while he was away.

Harry was sat in one of the booths, scrolling through pictures of you and Rosy on his phone when his tour manager came up to him with a small box. “Got somethin’ for yeh,” he said, dropping the box on the table.

“For Daddy” was written in large letters in crayon. It look to be a four-year-old’s handwriting he was very much familiar with. Harry took a key and cut through the tape holding the box together. The small box was filled with blue and pink foam peanut fillers. Harry examined the box quizzically. He turned the box over, dumping all of the peanut fillers. Last to come out was a pregnancy test and a piece of paper folded into four.

Harry unfolded the paper. It was a drawing of a stick figure family of four, signed by Rose Anne Styles.

Harry took the stick and examined it.

It read positive.

Harry couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. Baby number two.

“What is it, mate?” one of his band members asked, noticing Harry.

“Y/N—“ he smiled, “she’s pregnant.”

[meitanteikazuha]

In Reverse 2: The Night Before the Wedding Locked Room Case

Have some more of the Heiji/Kazuha roleswap fic! If you want to start from the beginning, here’s the link to it on AO3!

"You're sulking, aren't you?"

"W-what are ya talkin' about!?" Looking startled at the question, Heiji quickly moved to deny any such thing. "Of course I'm not! Why would I be sulkin'?"

It wasn't that he was the least bit annoyed that his plan to lure that Kudo Shinichi guy out had failed once again. He had thought for sure if they called Ran out to come and pick them up at the station upon arriving Tokyo, that the Kudo guy would have shown up with her, but it would appear that he was wrong. The only people who had come alongside Ran was that mustached geezer, and that weird glasses kid.

Who had, incidentally, been hogging all of Kazuha's attention ever since they had gotten here. For some reason, it bothered him. He knew that Kazuha was good with kids, but what did she even see in a brat like that anyways? He wasn't the least bit cute!

"You are!" Ran insisted, unable to keep the bright smile off of her face. "Kazuha-chan told me, you know. About your plan to try and trick Shinichi into showing his face here."

"I don't know what ya mean!" Folding his arms in front of his chest, Heiji averted his eyes from her, doing a splendidly bad job at lying. "I don't care about that idiot high school detective one bit!"

"Which one do you mean by that? Shinichi? Or perhaps Kazuha-chan?" Ran couldn't help but ask. Really now... even when he wasn't being honest, he really couldn't help but be honest. He might deny it, but it was written all over his face- his jealousy, that was.

"What does it matter, which one I mean?" Heiji asked, daring to glance back in Ran's direction and instantly regretting it. What was that look on her face for? Was she making fun of him?

Honestly, he really didn't get this Neechan sometimes.

"It matters a lot!" Ran insisted, nodding her head. "You like her, don't you? Kazuha-chan, that is."

"Ya said somethin' like that before too, but lemme tell ya right now, I don't think of Kazuha that way." Heiji insisted, as he turned his gaze back outside the car window, eyes narrowing a little as he caught sight of Kazuha and that kid exchanging some words with each other. What was so much fun about talking with a kid anyways?

"Then, if you don't think of her that way, why are you so upset about Shinichi?" Ran asked, tilting her head. "It seems an awful lot to me like you're jealous, Hattori-kun."

"Je-" Sputtering a little, Heiji's face betrayed him, turning a bright red color at her words as he turned to look at her. "I'm not! I just wanna make sure that Kazuha's not hangin' around some kinda weirdo, that's all!"

"Besides, I don't see what's so great about the guy anyways!" Leaning back in the car seat, Heiji's brows furrowed together, an irritated expression on his face. "He didn't come ta visit her even once while she was in the hospital. From the way she talks about him, it sounds like the two of 'em are friends, but what kinda lousy bum friend doesn't come visit ya after ya've been shot?"

"Well that's..." Trailing off for a moment, Ran had to admit, Heiji did have a bit of a point. Even if it had just been in the leg, the fact remained that Kazuha had been shot- and had the scar to show for it now, too. "I'm sure Shinichi was just busy with a case. He can't even come see me that often, so..."

"What's so interestin' about cases anyways?" Heiji muttered, once more averting his eyes from her- this time for a different reason than before, Ran sensed. "Ya'd think after the case Kazuha might think twice about detective work, but she's just as gung-ho as it as she usually is."

"That's just how they are." Ran told him simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't really understand it myself either."

"Hmm." Not looking entirely convinced by such a half hearted explanation, Heiji could only let out a small sigh. "Well whatever, I guess. No point in sulkin' over it, I guess."

"Ah, so you were sulking!"

"...shut up."

"Ah, he's lookin' this way again."

"Hattori-kun, you mean?" Following Kazuha's gaze, Conan could only frown, just barely catching the person in question looking away from them. "You're right."

"That's the fifth time already." Kazuha observed, her smile growing somewhat amused. "Do ya think he's jealous or somethin'?"

"Considering that he stormed in during the middle of our tour demanding to know where Kudo Shinichi was, I'd say he's jealous." Conan noted, merely lifting a brow, not missing the way that Kazuha briefly flinched at his words, averting her eyes. "But not of me. I'm just a kid, after all!"

"Nah, he's probably jealous." Kazuha noted, glancing back Heiji's way again.

"Of a kid?" Conan asked, unable to help but sound a bit skeptical. "I thought you said that you weren't even interested in him that way, Kazuha-chan."

"I'm not, I'm not!" Kazuha said quickly, the hurried nature of her response leaving room for skepticism. He was starting to get the impression that perhaps there was a bit more going on between the two than either was willing to let on- or perhaps they had both simply failed to notice the nature of their own feelings. "I just think it's kinda funny, really. That he'd be jealous of me talkin' ta what he thinks is a kid."

Well, he had gotten a bit of a weird idea planted in his head after the last time, but it was better not to tell Conan about that. It would pass in time- or rather, even if it didn't, she doubted Heiji would arrive at the truth. His mind could work in awfully strange ways at times.

Either way, it was probably nothing to worry about.

"Funny's not really the word that I would use to describe it." Conan pointed out, turning his gaze back towards the car, a slight frown crossing his face as he watched the occupants of it enjoy a conversation between the other. It wasn't as if he thought Heiji was any kind of threat, or anything like that- but seeing things like that only really served to remind him that he couldn't be in that place himself, right now.

It left something of a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Does he always try to challenge boys who spend time around you to fights?" He couldn't help but ask. Hopefully by the time he returned to his real body for good, he'd be over such feelings. Given the way he seemed to be hitting it off with Ran, he could only assume that they would be seeing much more of him in the future.

"Not always." Kazuha said, shaking her head. "Actually, this is the first time, come ta think of it. He always does get kinda grumpy when it's someone he doesn't know, though, but he's never actually tried ta fight them, or anythin' that. But I'm sure he's not serious about that, Kudo-kun, so ya don't have ta worry!"

"No, I think he's plenty serious." Conan dryly remarked. "More importantly, did you two really only come out here just for a wedding?"

"Really, really." Kazuha reassured him, giving him a smile. "I'm sure nothin' like last time will happen again. My luck's not normally that bad." Pausing for a moment, she let her gaze drift once more, her expression speaking volumes. "My luck, at least."

"Ah." Simply leaving it at that, Conan merely cast another glance back towards Heiji, lips twisting in a tight frown.

Come to think of it, they had only gotten involved in that case after Heiji had appeared.

In so far as keeping secrets went, Toyama Kazuha was not precisely terrible at it. For the most part, she managed to keep careful track of what she said, and aside from that one time, generally was able to keep track of what to call him. Putting aside the fact that she had spoken a little more freely about Kudo Shinichi than he would have liked within private circles, she was mostly quite good at it, in fact.

Mostly.

"Well? How does it feel to be the great detective of the Heisei Era?"

"It's incredible for me too! My cases are solved so easily, like in a dream..."

That loud snort that Kazuha let out in response to his words was anything but subtle. Though she'd tried to cover it up with her hand, that had only served to draw more attention to it, in the form of an assortment of odd looks from around the table. Sending her the best glower that he could manage under the circumstances, Conan took some small satisfaction in the way she paled at it.

"Ah, sorry, sorry." Holding up a hand, Kazuha let out something of an awkward laugh. "I just remembered a funny joke I heard the other day, that's all. Don't mind me!"

For the most part, the occupants of the table seemed to buy the excuse, and the topic had changed rather quickly. Heiji's gaze had lingered on Kazuha for a moment longer than those of others, a slight frown on his face, before he too, seemed to brush it off.

This guy might actually be slightly more perceptive than he had first thought- he would have to be a bit careful, in that case. His type was the last type that he wanted his secret to be known to- he couldn't imagine anything good would come of it.

Well, Kazuha was probably right. Only she and Heiji would be spending the night here, after all- he'd be going back home with Ran and Kogoro after dinner was over. Since nothing had happened yet, he doubted anything would at this point- especially after the fiance in question finally showed himself.

For the time being, he could take it easy.

Which would be easier, were he not seated right next to someone who had very blatantly expressed an intent to fight him the last time they'd met. It was one of the very few times in which he'd found himself grateful that he wasn't, well, himself at the moment.

While he wasn't one normally to believe in jinxes, perhaps that was the best way to describe the events that had unfolded. He'd been certain, so certain, that nothing was going to happen this time- only to be proven wrong in the span of an instant.

The sound of shattering glass had brought with it an ill omen. Sure enough, not only was the butler of the family nowhere to be found, but they also had a locked room to deal with- one that turned out to have a corpse inside. It was of none other than the missing butler, a man by the name of Shigematsu Akio, who appeared to have been rather well acquainted with Heiji.

He'd been stabbed in the chest, and the murder weapon in question was nowhere to be found. A locked room case- and a rather annoying one at that. The fact that they had to put up with the annoying attitude of the son didn't help matters at all- even if his own actions had lead them to a clue that they might have missed otherwise.

"Maybe that story's true, then?"

"Story?" Kazuha asked, peering up towards Heiji, only briefly wondering when he had gotten there. Conan had been a bit more startled by his sudden appearance- not that she could blame him, Heiji didn't seem like the type to move quietly when he wanted to. "What story, Heiji?"

"Somethin' my mom told me once." Folding his arms in front of his chest, Heiji cocked his head in the direction of the retreating form of Sakuraba. "I overheard Morizono-han just a second ago askin' if he could start the burial arrangements fer Shigematsu-han. Said somethin' about buryin' him near his wife."

"So? What's that got ta do with anythin'?" In spite of words, it was clear from her tone that the story had nevertheless piqued her interest. Heiji had come here quite a few times as a child, from the sound of it, so there was a chance that what he might say could prove to be useful.

Since he was a child, though... she supposed she was grateful that nothing had been said that would have caused his temper to flare during dinner. Be it good luck or sensitivity, she'd rather not have to handle dealing with one of Heiji's moods on top of solving a case. Those two things never mixed well.

"I'm gettin' ta that." Heiji grumbled. "Honestly, here I am tryin' ta help ya out a little, an' ya gripe at me."

Ah, so he was in a bit of a mood after all, Kazuha noted, merely letting out a sigh. Well, she couldn't say that she didn't expect it. Generally speaking, Heiji hated being around crime scenes, so she guessed it was only natural that he'd be a little more testy than usual. "Yes, yes, finish yer story already Heiji. I want ta hurry up an' go back ta check out the crime scene already."

There was a slight pause there, before Heiji frowned, turning slightly on his heel. "If those two are really in love with each other, then it'd be the same as in the past. Apparently the one that Morizono-han's wife always came ta see wasn't him, but Shigematsu-han. He just got the wrong idea, an' thought that she was comin' here ta see him instead, an' ended up proposin' ta her."

"Well, he probably figured it out afterwards, though." Heiji added with a slight shrug. "I guess it's what they say about history repeatin' itself."

"Yer right, it is similar." Kazuha noted, exchanging a brief glance with Conan. She got the feeling that the matching pendants weren't entirely unrelated to the case at hand, and she was pretty sure he felt the same way.

"Right?" His grin only momentarily shifting at the way that Kazuha and Conan exchanged looks, Heiji tucked his hands into his pockets. As he thought, that kid really was weird- he'd been following Kazuha around like a shadow the entire time. For that matter, he didn't seem all that disturbed by the appearance of a corpse either.

Come to think of it, it had been the same way the last time too. Not to mention, what kind of kid just dove in to take a knife for someone by instinct like that?

Edogawa Conan, apparently.

"I don't think it's gonna work, Kudo-kun."

"No, we can't say that yet, Kazuha-chan." Conan noted, peering down over the balcony, trying to more or less eyeball the distance between it, and the one below. "That's why you're going to test it, to find out."

"No, no, that's not what I meant." Kazuha told him, shaking her head. "I know ya asked me ta do it seein' as yer a little short on height," and unable to help herself, she let out a faint snort there, "...but I'm not all that tall myself, all things considered. The only suspect I have the same reach as is Kaede-san."

Glowering slightly at the short comment, Conan nevertheless recognized that she did have something of a point there. If her arms weren't long enough to reach what she needed to in order to get the balcony below them, then rope or not, doing the experiment might actually put her in danger. Needless to say, he didn't want that.

"We still need to test it somehow, though." Conan pointed out, a tight frown on his face. This did complicate things a bit. "I'm not sure how much luck we'd have in convincing Uncle to try it. If I asked Detective Takagi, maybe..."

"Ah, there's no need fer that." Kazuha said, holding up a hand. "If it's just someone with longer arms than me, I got the perfect person in mind."

"Who?" Blinking a little, Conan looked up at her, slowly catching her drift as he did. "You can't be talking about-?"

"Yeah. Heiji'll do it if I ask him too." Kazuha told him, nodding her head.

"There's no way he'd actually just-"

"Fine, I'll do it."

He stood corrected, apparently. From the way he had grumbled about it at first, he'd been almost certain that Heiji was going to turn her down- but apparently, he'd be wrong, and she'd been right.

Well, they were childhood friends, after all, and he, on the other hand, had only just met the guy- and barely, at that. He got the feeling that Heiji was trying to avoid situations in which the two of them would be alone together. Judging from the vibe he gave off, he was pretty sure it had to do with him being fully aware of the fact that he wasn't really all that great with children.

"Thanks a bunch, Heiji!" Clapping her hands together, Kazuha smiled brightly at him. "I promise I'll pay ya back later. We'll go get some takoyaki at yer favorite place when we get back home, my treat!"

"Ya don't need ta treat me, Kazuha." Gaze flickering slightly away from that of her own, Heiji's eyes narrowed. "I mean, it's not the weirdest thing ya've ever asked me ta do."

Conan couldn't help but take a bit of interest in his body language- all the more so since it was more subtle than what he had started to become accustomed to seeing from the dark skinned Osakan. Just like the rest of him, his body language was generally boisterous and easy to read, even by someone who had only just met him, but this felt... almost considerably more schooled.

It... bothered him a little, actually.

"I'll do it anyways!" Kazuha insisted, her tone leaving very little room for further argument. "Then, I'll head outside so I can watch from the ground with Ran-chan. Do ya think ya can watch things up here fer me, Conan-kun?"

"Sure!" Deciding to put it out of his mind for the moment, Conan nodded his head. If there was something going on between the two of them, he supposed it wasn't really any of his business. "Leave it to me, Kazuha-neechan!"

"Oi, yer not seriously havin' the kid watch my rope, are ya?" Suddenly turning a shade paler, Heiji almost looked as if he was reconsidering his offer. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"It'll be fine, Heiji!" Kazuha almost chirped, a bright smile on his face. "Conan-kun's the reliable type! Ya might be able ta learn a thing or two from him yerself, really."

"He's five." Heiji protested.

"Six." Conan quickly clarified. "I'm six."

"No way!"

In hindsight, he should have guessed that Kazuha would have more than a few problems with the idea. She was the daughter of a police detective, something that seemed to come hand in hand with a strong sense of justice. It was to be expected that she had more than a few issues with a tactic that involved accusing an innocent man.

"I'm against it, Kudo-kun!" Shaking her head, ignoring the few drops of rain that managed to find their way through the canopy of the tree, Kazuha gripped the branch tightly. "Sure, we're lackin' proof, but there must be some other way than ta just waltz into the trap that bastard set up!"

"I get what you mean, but..."

"If ya want ta do somethin' like that, yer on yer own, Kudo-kun." He already somewhat understood as much, but as he thought, Kazuha could be rather scary when she was angry. Combined with her stubborn nature, arguing with her on the matter might be pointless. "I'll help ya corner the guy afterwards, but there's no way I'm doin' somethin' like that!"

She'd already done something very much the same by mistake, and it had left a sour taste in her mouth ever since then. There was no way she was going to fall for such a trap the second time- even giving the appearance of doing so was enough to make her skin crawl. Besides, if the motive was what she thought it was, then there was no way she was going to take part in giving that bastard even a fraction of satisfaction about his plan working.

Even if he said they would tell the police beforehand that they were trying to lure the real culprit into a trap, it just didn't sit right with her.

"I get it, Kazuha-chan. I won't make you do it." Conan told her. There was no point in butting heads over something like this, and he wasn't about to force someone to do something they were so very clearly against. "I'll just use uncle for it."

It would be a little bit of an annoyance, but he didn't want to force her to do anything that she was clearly uncomfortable with. Though she wasn't saying it in so many words, it was clear that her miss from before, from the first time that they met each other, was still bothering her.

"Then, thanks." Kazuha said after a moment. She was grateful that he had listened to her, stubborn as she knew she was being, but it wasn't as if she wasn't aware that she was putting him out, at least a little. "An' sorry, Kudo-kun."

"It's fine." Quick to reassure her, Conan glanced downwards again. "We'd better hurry up and get out of this tree though. I get the feeling if we stay up here any longer, Ran's going to come up to get us."

"I'm amazed that she even let ya climb it in the first place, given what just happened."

"The only reason I'm even up here is that she couldn't catch me first."

"In the end, it's like we came all the way out her fer nothin'."

"Don't say that, Heiji." Shoving her bag in the overhead compartment, Kazuha firmly closed it behind her, sliding into the seat next to Heiji. "It's a good thing we came! If we hadn't, the police might have arrested the wrong man."

"They sure as heck seemed ta be in a hurry ta." Heiji muttered, turning his head to look out the train window, brows furrowing. "Can't believe it was all part of a trap ya set up that mustached uncle. Doesn't seem like yer kind of thing, Kazuha."

"It wasn't my idea." Kazuha pointed out, folding her arms in front of her chest. "I would have preferred somethin' more direct myself! But as it stood, we had no evidence, an' everythin' we did have pointed ta Sakuraba-han."

"Hmm." Gaze flickering back towards her, Heiji frowned a bit. "Well, whatever. Since it all worked out in the end, I guess it's fine. Still, I gotta say, I didn't think the sleepin' part was so dang literal. It thought that old man was asleep fer real!"

Biting back a comment that he was, in fact, fast asleep, Kazuha merely let out a laugh instead. She didn't really care for lying to Heiji like this, but if it was to keep a secret for someone else, she'd put up with it. "Right? It surprised me the first time too!"

"Guys gonna get himself killed someday, if he keeps dozin' off at crime scenes." Heiji muttered, leaning back in his chair, letting out something of a loud yawn.

"He's not actually sleepin', Heiji, I just said as much." Kazuha told him, frowning a little. "An' that sounds like somethin' yer father would say, not you. Did somethin' happen?"

"Nothin'." Turning his head to look out the window again, Heiji tried to ignore the expression he saw on Kazuha's face, cast in reflection. "Shigematsu-han just said some stuff, that's all."

"Heiji-" Opening her mouth to say something, Kazuha quickly shut it, withdrawing her words.

Learn when to pick your battles, someone had told her once. It was advice that had nothing at all to do with Heiji, but she often found it applied. She'd bicker with him about all sorts of things, but speaking of this topic now, right here, she knew, was very likely not to end well. There would be a time when she could broach the subject with him- but now wasn't it.

She just wanted him to understand already that it hadn't been his fault.