#i don't wanna just blindly trust him (even though when i'm with him i usually do anyway)

[kindacreepy-kindaugly]

I wish I knew if any of it really means anythin. He doesn't love me n probably never will, that much I do know, but what about all the rest? The way he looks at me, bundles me up in his coat when I get too anxious n restless to sleep, the way he holds me n tells me he's gonna take care of me, does it mean anythin at all? If it's all an act then for what?

Is there a difference in the way someone cares for or is attached to a person or a pet or a toy he prefers over all the others? How can I tell the difference?

[thinkofmehoney]

The city of my heart

Chapter one.

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x Suguru Geto

Summary: In the bustling city, Satoru and Suguru's paths cross again after so many years, intertwining their lives in unexpected ways. As single parents navigating the complexities of raising kids and confronting personal demons, they find solace in each other's company. Unbeknownst to them, a long-buried flame rekindles, and their journey becomes a delicate dance between friendship, love, and the challenges that come with second chances.

Or

Where Satoru sees Suguru at his kids’ school after twelve years without seeing each other. Oh and Suguru has twin daughters, just to add up to Satoru’s shock.

(click for Ao3 version)

Warnings: None for now, but I’ll treat sensitive topics later on, probably after chapter 5 or so.

Contents: Non Sorcerer AU, single dad Satoru x Single dad Suguru, friends to strangers to lovers (kinda)

Notes: (I almost forgot to mention, Satoru comes from a wealthy family in this au) I’m blindly trusting my past self who wrote this and made all the calculations, but if there’s any mistakes in dates or characters ages and etcetcetc, please forgive me 😭. I’ll add more notes at the end, my brain is empty rn.

(3.1k words)

Satoru's house was a mess, It was like a earthquake just destroyed everything in sight, there was empty boxes of school supplies on the floor, clean clothes scattered on the sofa and chairs, a bag of hair ties that seemed to have exploded... in reality, it was something way less tragic than a natural disaster. Satoru and his kids were getting ready before school.

He was just as nervous as Megumi and Tsumiki for their first day of school, if not more. He changed clothes almost four times before deciding that a white button down and black pants will do.

In record time, he had the frozen waffles ready to eat on the table, along with hot chocolate for him and Megumi and a cup of tea for Tsumiki, because she thought that Satoru’s breakfasts were way too sweet.

Satoru was fixing the tie of a grumpy Megumi. "Leave it! I don't wanna wear this stupid tie anyways." After some fixing on his uniform, Satoru finally let him free to eat his waffles.

"But you look fancy, Meg!" He sat down with them and looked at the watch on his wrist, they still had 10 minutes to eat their breakfast. "It's only for the first days though, after that you can take it off, they won't care."

When Satoru was about to get up and get more chocolate syrup, he noticed Tsumiki, only ate about 1/4 of her plate. He softly stroked her hair. "What's wrong princess? is it too sweet? We still have time to make toast." She denied with her head.

"It's not that, the waffles are great." She smiled politely. "I'm just nervous… What if I don't make any friends?" Satoru’s heart squeezed, Tsumiki seemed genuinely worried looking down and fidgeting with her fingers.

"You will, baby, I can promise you that." While he spoke, he picked Tsumiki's knife and fork to cut the waffles in smaller pieces. "Everyone is gonna be nervous, it's the first day after all, so you are all gonna be on the same page. Maybe the first day you won't have a best friend or something like that right away, but by the end of the week i'm sure you'll have your group."

He smiled reassuringly at her, who now felt more confident. He picked one small waffle with the fork and put his other hand under it in case it fell, "Now, eat this waffle I made with love for you." She smiled and ate it happily.

"But you didn't make them, you just put them in the toaster and they're not even defrosted all the way," Megumi said with a grumpy expression on his face as usual, but Satoru knew that picking on him was his unique humor and also his way to show affection, even though the kid wouldn't admit it. "It had some ice inside from the freezer."

Satoru got up and walked towards Megumi and his empty and almost squeaky clean plate. With ice or not, Megumi liked the frozen waffles. "Damn relax, no one was going to take the waffles away from you Meg." He joked as he brought the plate and empty mug to the kitchen.

He left the dishes on the sink and looked at his watch again, his eyes widened when he noticed that the ten minute breakfast turned out to be fifteen. He sprinted to the main entrance, "Kids, go wash your teeth quickly, I'll start the car!"

𓈒 ݁ ₊

Satoru drove his car through the busy morning traffic, glancing in the rearview mirror at his two children sitting in the backseat, a mix of excitement and nervousness on their faces as they anticipated their first day at their new school.

Satoru grinned and began chatting enthusiastically, his words flowing to reassure them, even if they didn't respond much. "You two are going to do great! Just calm down, and remember, it's a fresh start with new friends and new adventures. You're both very smart children, this year will be great!"

Even though Megumi had slightly frown eyebrows, inside he felt at ease after Satoru’s words. And Tsumiki's face lit up with a smile. When they arrived, Satoru carried their backpacks until the entrance, but Megumi thought something was off when he noticed that Satoru walked with them inside the school.

"Why are you coming with us?" Megumi looked at Satoru with a raised eyebrow, and he was checking his phone, reading something.

"There's a welcoming act at the school’s auditorium for parents and students, the principal will give a speech and blah blah blah." after reading some texts, Satoru smiled at the screen. "But Nanami told me that there will be a table with snacks." Megumi snorted and Tsumiki looked at Satoru with a side eye. "With how expensive this school is, the least they can do is offer me a cup of tea." He said in between his teeth.

"Don't do anything embarrassing, please." He walked ahead of his sister and Satoru, already feeling embarrassed that his dad was walking with him inside the school like he was a little kid that could get lost.

"And don't flirt with Nanami, he's gonna be our teacher now." Tsumiki added seriously.

Satoru was flabbergasted at both of his children, but still a little bit entertained. "Wha- I'm not gonna embarrass you or flirt with anyone! You guys think too little of me!". They finally got to the school’s auditorium, the teachers were guiding the kids to their sits by grade, so Satoru would go sit behind where the parents were. "Okay go to your seats and listen to your teachers, I'll go grab a cup of tea." he ruffled their hair one last time to then go to the snack table.

When he got there he saw Nanami, just like they said on text messages. The speech and Welcome Act hadn't started yet so the majority of the kids were sitting while the parents grabbed a coffee and talked with each other.

"Nanami! How are you?" He greeted his friend with a brief hug and backslap, looking at him up and down when they separated. "Lookin' good." He said flirtatiously, enjoying the playful banter that often annoyed Nanami.

The blond man just rolled his eyes and sighed, "I'm good, thank you. How are you? it's Tsumiki's last year before high school isn't it?"

Satoru sighed with a proud smile, glancing in her direction for a moment. "It is, my little girl is all grown up now." He looked down at his cup of tea with a hint of nostalgia. "I hope her high school years will be the best years of her life." Nanami's gaze softened at his words.

"I'm sure she'll have a great time, she's the sweetest kid ever; you've done a great job." Satoru chuckled, moved by his friend’s words, and playfully hit his arm.

"C'mon Nanami, you're gonna make me cry and Megumi already told me not to embarrass him." Satory wiped a fake tear from his face and Nanami laughed tenderly at Megumi’s words.

"Megumi is the best, he's the only one that keeps you humble." They kept chatting about the kids and their jobs, discussing on which students were more difficult to deal with: the college students, because Satoru was a professor, or the little noisy kids that Nanami taught. But suddenly something, or rather, someone familiar caught Nanami's attention.

A few meters away from them, he recognized a tall man with black straight hair tied in a half bun, who also wore black ear gauges. He haven’t seen that man in ages, so he could be wrong, maybe it was a mistake, his eyes were probably deceiving him, but no, it really was...

"Isn't that Suguru Geto?" Nanami abruptly interrupted their conversation while squinting his eyes.

After hearing that name, Satoru's blood froze automatically on his veins, and Nanami could tell by his mortified expression.

Satoru hasn't heard his name coming from anyone in a really long time. At first thought he didn’t heard Nanami correctly, because there was just no way. Was his sugar addiction finally getting to him? Has he finally started hallucinating?

He decided to slowly turn around to see where was Nanami looking at, and he didn't knew what to expect, the most realistic thing that could happen is that when he turned around he'd see someone that looked like him, and nothing more.

But oh there he was.

And he wasn't alone, he was with two little girls about the same age as Megumi, and they wore the same uniform as Tsumiki. Satoru couldn't believe this, being realistic, he never imagined that he would be seeing him again, specially there and with two kids.

His one and only best friend, whom he considered him to be the person he has been the closest to, the person he trusted the most, and that still felt like someone important to him even though the last time they saw each other they were about seventeen years old.

Things didn’t stop there, he felt his heart dropping to the floor when those violet eyes caught a glance of his own, completely defenseless. They both stood there, looking at each other like a bucket of cold water just fell over their heads, this had to be a sick joke of some kind.

Satoru felt the need to get closer, to say something, anything. It felt like he was bewitched, but just when he was thinking about breaking the distance and take the first step, Tsumiki appeared in front of him with a hair tie on her hand.

"Dad, can you put my hair on a ponytail? the speech is about to start and they'll take pictures." Satoru seemed to be on a trance, so Tsumiki tugged on his shirt. "Dad! hurry up!"

Satoru looked at her and chuckled nervously, "Sorry love... there you go, now go to your seat." His daughter thanked him and walked back where she came from. But when he looked up he couldn't find him anymore.

Nanami could only imagine how this moment felt for Satoru. After all, he just saw his best friend after twelve years. He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Hey, are you alright?" His friend sighed distressed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Can I go to your place this evening? I just... need to talk about this."

"Of course, you're welcome whenever you need it." Satoru smiled, he felt so glad to have a friend like Nanami.

"Okay but don't get too excited, we're just going to talk, that's all." Nanami rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Satoru's head.

"How can you still make your perverted jokes in a moment like this?" Satoru just laughed, and sighed hopeless.

"I don't know, I think i'm going insane."

𓈒 ݁ ₊

Satoru arrived at Nanami's apartment at 7:30 PM, they both had to work the day after so they decided to meet early, that way Satoru could be back home and sleeping at 10:00 PM. They had to admit that they felt old for calculating the time to get home and sleep, they weren’t the same boys from college.

Nanami got himself a whisky on the rocks and a glass of sweet wine for his friend as they sat down on the balcony. Satoru and Nanami met in high school, but became good friends after graduation, and after all those years they've known each other, he has never seen Satoru as stressed as he was right now, not even once.

"Nanami, what should I do?" His leg bounced up and down and his fingers ran through his white hair, then he rested his forehead on his hand. "Should I talk to him or should I just pretend like I didn't see him?"

"I don't think that's going to work, you'll see him pretty often, you know?" He took a sip from his cold glass, "His daughters are Megumi's classmates." Satoru’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh shit, I forgot that he has two daughters." Nanami wanted to laugh at Satoru’s comment and the expression on his face.

"So? You literally have two kids yourself."

"But what if he's married or something?" Nanami raised an eyebrow, and Satoru just chugged his wine like it was a shot, probably not wanting to taste the liquor since he wasn't used to drink.

"Would that... be a problem?" The blue eyed man just sighed, frustrated with his own confusing mix of feelings.

"No... yes. Ugh, I don't know, maybe?" his hands rubbed his face, trying to dissipate his exhaustion and stress. And now Nanami was truly confused, he wasn’t expecting such an ambiguous answer from him.

"Wait a second, are you telling me... that you feel something for Geto?" Nanami couldn't believe it, did Satoru really felt something for that man? Even after all those years had passed? Satoru’s face told him all he needed to know but didn't want to hear.

"I don't think I've ever stopped having some sorta feelings for him." It was something crazy, but Satoru seemed sincere about it. Still, Nanami couldn't wrap his head around it. “I really liked him back then, at the time I could even say that I loved him but, I was too young and realized too late.” He smiled with nostalgia at the bittersweet memories.

"But it's been twelve years!" Nanami was shocked, but Satoru seemed just so certain about it, even though it’s been a decade without even talking to him. The blond man suddenly felt like he was the only sane person in that apartment.

"Believe me, I'm well aware that it's been twelve years... I think about it more often than I should." Melancholy slowly filled his eyes. "We had a fight before he left, that's the last time we said something to each other." Nanami tilted his head slightly.

"So you guys broke up in bad terms?" Satoru looked at him confused at first, but then he understood, he could just chuckle nervously.

"Oh we weren't together, I never even got to tell him that I had a crush on him." He had to be joking, Nanami thought.

"What? You guys were just friends?" Satoru nodded with a sheepish smile, "But- I remember you two were like an old married couple. And what was the fight even about? Can't you just tell me the whole story?" Nanami simply couldn't understand them, but he didn't knew if asking was a good idea after seeing Gojo with a melancholic glaze on his eyes as he thought about his past.

"I remember when we were around sixteen or seventeen, I think that's when I noticed that Suguru started to act different... He seemed more tired and distant, he started to get thinner and his hair was tangled and undone instead of in a bun like he always had it." He swallowed the lump on his throat that wanted to break his voice, the memories of a young Suguru just slowly shutting down was something that made him want to cry.

Satoru continued. "I didn't know for certain what was happening to him, but I could tell that he wasn't in a good place, so I always tried to cheer him up and make him feel better, but I guess it wasn't enough." A treacherous tear rolled down his cheek, he wiped it quickly pretending it didn't happen. Nanami, witnessing this vulnerable side of him, was taken aback. "And when he left I felt lonelier than ever, it reminded me of when I was a kid... Suguru was the only person that truly understood me, unlike everyone else I've ever met. With him, everything seemed just so bright, so comforting. He saw beyond my last name and status, he appreciated me for who I actually was." Another shaky breath escaped him, revealing the depth of their connection.

Seeing him crying was something difficult, Satoru was someone strong, someone you could hardly ever see being sad or vulnerable, but he was always there for anyone that needed him. Nanami immediately offered him a tissue and tried to comfort him, whispering "It's okay."

"When I realized that his decision was already taken and that he was leaving the city... I told him that he was just, running away from his problems instead of facing them, and that he- he didn't care about our future or our plans and... I think what hurt him the most was when I said that he didn't cared about us, I can't get the look on his face off my mind." His hand ran through his hair, and he finally turned to look at Nanami, "I think that… Suguru was my first love, I've never had anything like what I had with him, and I never will again."

There was a silence, Satoru tried to steady his breaths while Nanami just processed everything that he said. He knew those two were close, but he didn't knew they were that important to each other, even though he thought that they were dating, he imagined that it was just a high school sweetheart.

"I think this is your chance to talk to him." After meditating it, he thought that it was the best option for him, but Satoru looked at him with wide and teary eyes, like he was asking for more advice. "If you two are in this situation right now, where your kids go to the same school and that you'll see each other again often... I think that you should try and at least keep things peaceful with your so called «first love»." Satoru looked down and laughed softly.

"Easier said than done..." His phone buzzed on his pocket, he checked it and it was a picture from Choso, his babysitter and also his student. It was a picture of Tsumiki sitting on the couch and doing a peace sign with her hand, next to her Megumi covered his face with a drawing he made of an animal that seemed like a magic wolf.

He dried his remaining tears with his sleeve and put his phone back in his pocket. "I better get going, Choso has to study for an exam."

"You better give that kid extra credit." Satoru chuckled. They walked to the main entrance and before his friend left, he stopped him to talk "Satoru, if you need to talk, or if you need advice or even if you need someone to take care of your kids, don't doubt asking, I'll always be here okay?" Satoru felt really moved by his words, but he couldn't resist to pick on Nanami.

"I will. Thank you, seriously." He smiled. "Oh, and don't call me Satoru, I get flashbacks from college." Nanami almost laughed when Satoru winked at him.

"If nine years ago I knew that you would still bother me 'til this day, I would've thought about it twice before sleeping with you."

Notes: I thought Nanago hooking up in college would be funny teehehe. Ahh I’ve been wanting to post this fic for so long, but now it’s finally here!! Feedback is greatly appreciated <3

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Just Let Me Adore You Pt. 7

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: nothing here really

Genre: minor angst a lil comedy, sort of fluff

Summary: You’ve been dating your boyfriend, Bruce, for 3 absolutely blissful years. He’s a scientist and professor who is as smart as he is kind and if anyone asked, you were sure you’d spend the rest of your life with him. That is until two mysteriously charming men that Bruce swears are dangerous take an interest in you that threatens to turn your entire life upside down. I mean… what exactly are you supposed to do with two gorgeous men telling you something that suggests that basically everything you think you know is a lie? And why does part of you have enough doubt to wonder if they might be telling the truth?

Series Masterlist

***

"Okay, I didn't make you talk about it when you showed up last night, and you completely avoided me before we went to work this morning, but it's been at least 24 hours now and I think we should talk about whatever happened with Bruce." Wanda says sitting beside you on the couch.

"I confronted him like you told me to." You shrug.

"And?!"

"I started by telling him I called my mom and that she confirmed I was a werewolf. It spiraled from there. He wouldn't look at me and that should've told me everything I needed to know but I still asked him. I even explained why my suspicions made sense and that I wasn't just blindly trusting Steve and Bucky. You know the entire time he couldn't even say he didn't know." You scoff. "He said a bunch of stuff about how it was ridiculous and it didn't make sense and he would never hurt me but not once did he say 'I didn't know you were a werewolf.' I even asked him to ya know. I said look me in the eye and tell me you didn't know or I'm leaving."

"And he couldn't do it?"

"Not only could he not do it he was busy asking me where I would fucking go. Tried to tell me Steve and Bucky would hurt me because I guess he thought I'd be going to them."

"Did he forget I also live in this city? Why the fuck would you go to them?"

"That's so not the point." You chuckle.

"I mean I know but like- he's an idiot." She crosses her arms.

"For more reasons than one." You nod. Wanda wraps her arms around you and places her head on your shoulder.

"How are you feeling y/n?" She asks.

"I'm fine actually. I think deep down I've been suspecting him since Steve suggested it so- I'm pretty sure I subconsciously accepted this long before I confirmed it." You shrug and you mean that. Your relationship pretty much ended weeks ago you think.

"I'm sorry honey." She says.

"It is what it is Wanda. Maybe I should've paid more attention to you not liking him." You hum.

"Nonsense you liked him and he was good to you, besides I'm not usually the voice of reason in this friendship so it's not like my opinion is a litmus test. Do not beat yourself up because he was a liar, even I didn't think he was gonna hurt you." Wanda says.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." You sigh.

~*~*~

A knock on Wanda's front door makes the two of you look at each other in shock.

"You expecting someone?" You ask her.

"No. I'd have told you. I'll go check it though." She says getting up and going to the door. You don't hear the door open but after a moment Wanda runs back to you in the living room. "Um- you wanna tell me why your werewolf buddies are at my door?"

"My- werewolf buddies? I don't-" You trail off with a frown. "You mean Steve and Bucky?" You ask.

"Yes! The Greek gods! Why are they here?"

"I don't know! I haven't seen them in over a month! They're here?! How did they even know where to find me?" You blink.

"Yes, they're here. Should I open the door? Do I invite them in? Should we just go talk to them at the door?"

"We should not invite them in until we know what they want. Let's go." You get up and open the door to see Steve and Bucky at the door.

"Y/n, hi." Steve smiles.

"Um... What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to check on you." He says.

"You wanted to check on me? And how did you find me? This isn't even my apartment." You cross your arms. The two of them look at each other and you can tell they're trying to decide what to say. "I asked the question, look at me and give me an answer. The truth, if you want any chance of this going well." You say, demanding their attention which makes them look at you.

"We've had people... looking out for you." Steve says carefully.

"Oh so you are full blown stalkers. Running into you has never been a coincidence? You're just- watching me all the time?" You ask.

"No it- it sounds worse than it is and it didn't start like this." Bucky says.

"I don't think anything you say is going to make this better but I'll humor you, if it didn't start like that how'd it get there?"

"The team looking out for you started after we realized who Bruce was. We knew he wasn't safe for you to be around so we put together a security detail."

"A security detail?! Who do you think I am? The president's daughter?!"

"I'm sorry, you never noticed people following you y/n?" Wanda looks at you.

"They were instructed to keep their distance unless absolutely necessary." Bucky says.

"Plus the- main member of your security detail has a special suit that lets him get real small so you wouldn't have noticed him unless he made himself known anyway." Steve shrugs.

"We were informed two weeks ago that you left your apartment one night and didn't return." Bucky says.

"We thought you could use some time before you saw us again so we've kept our distance, but we wanted to see that you were okay." Steve says.

"You gotta stop. This stalker shit is not cute. You're just being weird. Showing up at my job was one thing but my friend's apartment? Enough. You don't know me. And I don't know you either. This is insane." You cross your arms.

"I'm Steve Rogers and he's James Barnes. We're werewolves like you are." Steve says.

"You're James now? Before it was Bucky." You turn your attention to Bucky.

"Bucky's a nickname from my middle name Buchanan."

"Okay, I have a quick question. Are you two mafia crime lords or what?" Wanda asks.

"Wanda." You look at her.

"What?! I'm trying to figure out how much danger this conversation is putting us in! We need to know who these guys are!" She defends herself and you roll your eyes.

"We would never hurt you, especially because of how important you are to y/n. We'd never do anything to harm her." Steve says.

"What part of 'stop' are you not understanding?! Quit trying to be my protectors I don't know you people! It is extremely unsettling." You throw your arms up in exasperation.

"We can't exactly help it." Bucky mutters.

"You absolutely can help it. You aren't preprogrammed robots."

"It's a long story but no we can't." Steve sighs.

"Right, well, before you get into that, can I get an answer to my question? Mafia crime lords? Yes or no, it is very simple." Wanda presses.

"Wanda!" You say.

"We are." Steve says.

"How did you know that?" Bucky narrows his eyes at her.

"Bruce suspected you for months." You tell them.

"And you didn't?" Steve asks.

"Well I had no idea there was a werewolf mob until he brought up his suspicions but I had no reason to think he would make some shit like that up but he also didn't have a reason for assuming that it was you except that you were werewolves." You shrug.

"Okay, so now that we've covered the crime lord thing; thank you by the way, we can go back to that oh so long story about why you can't help being overly involved in y/n's life." Wanda says.

"Wanda, why are you trying to mediate a discussion here?" You sigh.

"I'm just asking the hard hitting questions that the people, me, wanna know." She shrugs.

"It doesn't really matter why they're stalking me Wanda just that they stop!" You say.

"Actually you might want to know because it's a werewolf thing." Bucky says.

"It's a werewolf thing?" You blink at him.

"The way werewolves pick partners is a bit different from the way humans do things y/n. I'm sure it seems a bit odd to you since you probably didn't learn about it growing up but our behavior is standard when your wolf has chosen a mate." Bucky says.

"Mates!? You don't know me! I don't know you!"

"It's strange to try and explain. Sometimes your wolf will take a long time to accept a mate, other times something will draw you to someone immediately." Steve says.

"What? Like love at first sight?"

"Actually I didn't see you initially, I heard your voice and for me, for my wolf that was it." Bucky says.

"For mine it was... your scent." Steve says awkwardly.

"So you heard and smelled me in a busy sub shop and that sold you?" You frown.

"What? No this was at the mall." Bucky says.

"We- never saw each other at the mall. The first time we met was at that sub shop. The whole radiance thing." You frown.

"The mystery gifts!" Wanda gasps.

"What?" You look at her.

"When we went shopping for my first date with Wes months ago and that lady gave you things that someone bought for you!"

"Holy shit was that you guys?! Did you seriously hear me talking in a mall and decided to impulse buy me things?!" You blink at them.

"Guilty." Bucky mumbles.

"Oh my god, this just gets weirder and weirder." You say.

"We're sorry y/n. Honestly, we should've considered that things we think are normal would be offputting to someone who is only just learning about lycanthropy, but we didn't know you didn't know at the time and we're just- so used to doing things our way, to us it's basically the default." Steve sighs.

"Steve, Bucky, here's the problem I have; you know so little about me. You don't know my favorite foods, my interests or hobbies, my goals in life, my passions, my quirks or irritations, none of it. You heard my voice or smelled me and some primal part of you decided to cling to that and I find it hard to be flattered that your infatuation with me is based on arbitrary superficial things I can't control. They say next to nothing about me as a person and even if this is normal to you I can't bring myself to be endeared by this near obsession with me when you didn't even choose it really. Like you don't know me so you don't actually like me."

"You're right." Steve nods.

"I know you're skeptical about us but, would it be too much to ask that you let us try this the human way? Go on a date with us, just one, we'll get to know each other the way you're used to and- if after that you never want to see us again, we'll understand." Bucky suggests.

"I-"

"Hold that thought! Boys I'm just gonna talk to her real quick. You guys can just- hang out here for the time being." Wanda interrupts you and shuts her front door.

"Wanda I promise they can still hear us through the door." You tell her. She shushes you and drags you into your room, waving her hand after you both enter. "What did you just do? Wolfproof this room?" You ask.

"Temporarily. Listen, two adonis-like men are basically begging for your attention. Why are you so against this?"

"Newsflash Wanda they've pretty much been stalking me for multiple months. Just because they're six feet tall and sound... the way that they sound does not mean that behavior isn't creepy."

"Would it make you feel better if I, picked their brains a bit?" Wanda suggests.

"You can do that?" You frown.

"Of course I can. If it would ease your anxieties."

"Isn't that kind of invasive?"

"Well, they've been watching you for some time now so I think this would just be leveling the playing field." Wanda shrugs.

"Fine. Do it." You nod. Wanda closes her eyes for a few minutes and you watch little red lines dance around her fingers until she eventually speaks again.

"Okay results are in, they are pure of heart. At least in regards to you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they are still crime lords and I didn't dig into other things they may or may not be thinking. But they do genuinely seem to care about you- even if it did stem from some weird instinctual thing." She shrugs. "You're safe with them. So go on the date."

"I mean I did just throw away 3 years of my life does going on a date really seem like a good idea right now?"

"Oh come on these guys have been in and out of your mind for months now. It's one date, they're not asking you to marry them."

"Is the fact that they're both coming on to me kinda weird? Like I can't handle them turning it into a competition." You mutter.

"They don't seem to be competing with each other. But it's definitely something to bring up. On your date." Wanda says.

"It's amazing how lucky they are that your insane ass is my best friend." You roll your eyes as she pulls you down the hall back to the front door. When she opens it again Bucky and Steve look up immediately. You can tell they'd been having some sort of hushed conversation in the hall while they waited.

"One date. Next Friday. If either of you does any more weird shit you will never hear from me again, I will move if I have to. You guys can choose the place. Pick me up at 7 and don't be late." You say and shut the door but not before seeing their faces light up.

"We'll see you Friday!" Steve calls through the door and you listen to their eager chatter fade as they leave the apartment.

"I cannot believe you just gave straight up orders to two mob bosses. And they listened!" Wanda laughs.

"I can't believe you convinced me to go through with this date." You scoff.

"I think it's a good chance to forget about Bruce. You get to learn about them, and maybe the whole being a werewolf thing in general." She shrugs.

"I should call my mom. I'm going on a date with werewolves, she'll probably have some advice." You say rushing into your room. Every week it seems like your life changes so drastically. If you think about it too much your head starts to spin. But you know Wanda and your mom are with you every step and that makes all the changes a little easier to navigate.

***

Part 7/???

Tagged Users: @cjand10 @vicmc624 @mandijo17

[auncyen]

I'm still working on part two of "Journal Page #16" (which, yes, should have been given a better title; still don't have one) but I wanna share this first bit because I like it.

Temenos’ dreams dimmed to match the waking world almost as soon as the unnatural night started, but as the travelers cross the Sundering Sea, his dreams darken even further.  Awake, he can call on Aelfric for holy light; in his dreams, on his own, he sees nothing, grasping with sound and feeling and fear.  He is asleep in his home.  Roi is pounding on the door, calling in that urgent, fearful tone, though the words are garbled to meaninglessness.  Temenos could rise from the bed and find his way to the door by sound and feel and memory, but he does not try, because it’s the middle of the night and he, having slept, is not dressed to run as Roi is.  If he dresses before opening the door, Roi will be gone.  If he lets Roi in first, he’s transfixed by his friend’s fearful tone as he describes finding a cursed weapon and losing trust in the church, and Roi is gone by the time Temenos realizes he needs at least shoes if he is to follow, never mind Roi’s instructions.  Temenos knows how this goes.  He already knows.

The dream changes to something he is less familiar with.  Now he is Roi, cold and afraid, panting for breath as he runs with the bow.  Petrichor laughs behind him, sounding much like Deputy Cubaryi, another woman blindly devoted to a wicked one.  He runs and runs, but it is the darkest night.  The gods are also fond of sleeping when they are needed.  There is no light to guide Roi, and he inevitably trips over a rock he had no way of seeing and falls on the ground.  Cubaryi-Petrichor’s laugh grows wilder, louder, and as he fumbles to get up, a blade pierces his side from behind and he cries out with the little air left in him–

And he’s just Temenos, again, tangled in a rough, disgustingly sweat-soaked blanket, with a single line from Ori’s damned journal impressed on his mind:

“Sometimes, I hunted people too, like the time I came to possess the Darkblood Bow.”

He already knew Roi was most likely killed that night, or soon after, since he never returned.  It’s that word.  ‘Hunted.’  As if he was just another beast.

*

It takes a week longer than usual to make the sea crossing with both visibility and navigation hampered.  It doesn’t help that at least part of the crew has been afflicted by the same dullness of mind found on land, speaking as though the night is normal.  It doesn’t seem to have affected their ability to work, but they’re directed to very few duties to make sure they don’t get themselves or anyone else into trouble should their minds be prone to other errors not yet discovered.  The travelers keep busy working alongside the sailors who are still sane, including Temenos.  He does some physical work.  He also makes light in the most mundane application of Aelfric’s sacred power.  And very often, he puts on his best cleric behavior and inquires about how each crew member is doing, gives counsel as Pontiff Jörg would have and reassures them, feeling as though he is lying through his teeth.  He intends to bring back the dawn; the lie is in having to mask every doubt and worry, to have to appear as the paragon of faith others need in this trial.  He never did understand how the Pontiff and Roi could be so solid in their own reassurance.

The end of their sea journey nears: they find the eastern continent’s coast and realize they’re nearly a hundred miles off from the anchorage despite their best attempts at hindered navigation, but they are at least in sight of familiar land, which is enough to have sailors praising various deities among the eight, depending on who they think is most responsible for guiding a safe sea passage in total darkness.  (Temenos hears the most thanks for Aelfric and Aeber, the one most strongly associated with sacred flame and the one most acquainted with darkness.  There are a few thanking Bifelgan and Alephan, a patron of trade and a patron of the wisdom needed to navigate when conventional methods flounder.  He hears one sailor thank Dohter, and wonders at that until he thinks of Dohter’s chosen being set adrift at sea only to be safely found by a boat.  Perhaps in the end, they all rely on charity.)  They should be ashore in hours.  Temenos checks on the tucked away, folded journal scrap in the midst of one last bout of worry–should he show Throné, ask her to confide in him should she feel unwell?  Show everyone, and make sure no one is caught off guard?  Throw the scrap in the sea for the fish?--when his hand freezes.  His fingers brush the edges of the folded paper.

It’s been flipped over.

He scans the room with a summoned holy light: nothing of value is missing, immediately ruling out the idea that any of the sailors decided to take up thievery.  He takes the paper out, unfolds it, examines it.  It’s the same paper.  The passage he’s nearly memorized by heart reads the same, no evidence of alteration apparent.  He folds it back up and puts it back down the same way, considering the direction the edges are pointed in.  It’s not how he laid it down before.

…But surely it is?  He can’t see who–Throné herself is the strongest candidate for rifling through another’s room, and if she found the paper, it would have either been taken or placed back exactly as she found it.  Ochette is the next most likely to ransack someone’s room out of sheer curiosity, but the room as a whole would be more disorganized.  Hikari and Partitio are so principled about others’ belongings that Temenos has a hard time imagining either would search his room, let alone closely enough to find the paper, and if they’d read it they’d have either confronted him about hiding it or simply told the group.  Similarly Agnea, even if she is the one easiest to imagine making a clumsy mistake in putting the paper back while keeping the scene otherwise orderly.  Osvald is too attentive to detail.  Also, he would have just taken the paper, not put it back.  Castti…Castti, maybe?

It’s been nearly three weeks at sea in the dark.  Roughly two months total of darkness.  Temenos considers he may just be losing his mind, because humans were not made for this.

Only one more week of travel to Flamechurch.