#i like a lot of random songs catch me listening to death grips and then listening to in love with a ghost

[jasmineeeeeeeeesblog]

I don’t know if anybody reads these anymore 😭 but this is a Klaus imagine. I’m also on Wattpad I’ve written one shots about Jeremiah fisher and Klaus on there. My name is unknown_writ_er if you wanna check it out. I have a few stories I won’t post on here cause they’re fluff but you can check them out if you’d like. Also I’m open to request so just send me them! Also I can write fluff on here but I don’t see a lot of it.

CONTROL

‼️SMUT‼️

Summary: Klaus was busy and you were bored so you thought you’d dance with someone? A dance never hurt anyone…

——————

I spent the whole night sitting down at the party. The whole thing was just for him to make plans and talk to people. I haven't seen Klaus the whole night. Everyone was just dancing and having fun. Klaus invited me as his plus one. He always does that because he always needed me by his side as his last hybird. We weren't dating or anything special. He gets mad though when I talk to other people especially boys because I can get 'attached' to them and spill all his secrets but I honestly didn't care too much about this rule because I honestly liked Klaus. I seen the good out of him through all the bad but at times like this I do get bored.

Damon Salvatore. He walked up to me with his fit and tall figure, Black hair, and blue eyes staring at me. He walked up to me and asked to dance.  Dancing wouldn't hurt anybody. I wouldn't catch feelings for Damon he's an ass and he's in-love with Elena. He's probably just tryna to use me to get closer to Klaus but I didn't care I was so bored. I grab his hand and get up a slows song turns on. We dance he his hands on my waist I had my hands on his shoulders and he was smirking at me. I would be lying if I said Damon wasn't hot but I just wasn't attracted to him like that.   He kisses my hand then sends me off to go to my next dance partner is was this random guy. I've never seen before. He was just a random new guy.

Then Klaus came and compelled the dude to go away. Then started dancing with me. "Now what did I say Y/N" he says. "It was just a dance" I say rolling my eyes. He grips on my hips harshly. "You still disobeyed me." He says. "It was only once just get over yourself" I say as I walk away. He grabs my hand "go get in the car I will deal with you in a second don't disobey that order" he says sarcastically. I decide to ignore him. I go to the kitchen and get a glass of wine. I then hear Klaus say his goodbyes then leave. I knew he'd be in here in a matter of seconds as he realizes I'm not out in the car. As I expected Klaus was in there in the matter of seconds he grabbed my arm and ran back to the car he threw me in the back seat.

He closed the sliding window that connects the drivers to the passenger. He got in. "Why do you not listen to anything I say" he yells. "Because I was bored and I just wanted to dance I'm not inlove with Damon." I yell back. I've never yelled at him the shock look on his face turned to anger. He pinned me against the seat "DONT ever yell at me again Y/N and I'll make you regret it." He says. "And do exactly what I'm your last hybird you won't kill me since you can't make anymore" I say. "There's things worse than death, love" he says. "But I don't think I'd ever be capable to do those things to you" he mumbles. My hearing going in and out for his low tone. "What did you say." I said. "Nothing" he says. "You know whatever I'm walking home" I say as I get out. "Fine walk home dont be surprised if I don't let you in" he says.

It was cold but it obviously didn't matter I was a vampire. I walked home instead of using my vamp speed because I didn't wanna see Klaus and he probably didn't wanna see me now. I soon get home after 2 hours it was like 11 by time I got home. I sigh as I knock on the door. It was locked of course it was. I just yell "Fine I'll just go to the Salvatore's boarding house" I say as I start to walk away. Before I got to the stairs of the porch I heard the door open and someone grab my arm, slam the door, and pin me against it. It was Klaus with messy hair, eyes bags, his sweatpants hanging low so that can I see his v-line, and his shirt off. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him right now.

His hands were on the side of my head his body wasn't that close but his face was. I smirked. "Why don't u want me at the Salvatore house so bad" I said. "I already told you" he says. "That can't be the reason you let me in the house after you told me you wouldn't." I say. "You know I could protect myself but you just like to have control over me" I say. He Just stares at me without saying anything. I didn't think I was right so the shock on my face when he didn't disagree or deny it. " oh so that's what it is. You like how you know you could do anything to me at the snap of your finger." I say smirking. I put my hand on his torso. Tracing his abs. His face still staring straight but I could still tell by his eyes I was affecting him. I rubbed my hand further down to dick. He let out a gasp and I could see him get hard. He backed up from me and then kept walking back and forth.

"Y/N stop messing with me" he says staring at me. "Who says I messing with you" I say smirking. "You better lose that attitude you know you're defenseless against me" he says. "Yeah I think you like that. You can control everything I do. You like that I have to listen to you" I say getting closer to him and I push him on the back of the couch and climb on top of him. "I barely touched you and you got hard" I say smirking. He flips us over "you just had a whole thing how I'm in control and now you want to try and be. Not happening love" he says as he holds my wrist in one hand and tears my dress with the other one. He sits up with his legs on either side of my hips and kissy sits admiring me. My arms were still pinned. I managed to get out of it as he wasn't holding that long and I flipped us over. He was just smirking at me amused. I started leaving hickeys down his neck and torso.

(IK that vampires heal quick but just imagine hickeys stay‼️)

As I got to the waistband of his sweatpants. I pulled them down along with his boxers. His dick hit his stomach. I bring my hand to it and start stroking it. He threw his head back. I bring his tip to my mouth and start licking it. I started taking him in my mouth. I took us much as I could then stroked the rest. I kept bobbing my head and Klaus soon grabbed my hair pushing me down more and more. He then pulled me off. I could tell he was about to finish. "Y/n you drive me crazy" he says breathlessly while flipping us back over. He started kissing my neck leaving hickeys all down me. "Now I'm about to fuck you better than anybody can especially Damon." He says as he kisses down to my breasts and unclips my bra. And starts sucking on my nipple. One of his hands slide up to my neck. The other slides down to my panties and slides his hand in. I let out a gasp as he rubbed my clit.

He inserted 2 fingers in me while rubbing my clit. I was moaning. He moved his mouth to my other nipple. When he found my G-spot I screamed his name. He looked up at me and smirked. Then kept going at a fast pace there. He then stopped attacking my breast then kissed me. He took my moaning to slip his tongue in my mouth. "Klaus I'm about-" I was cut off by a moan as he went faster then I finished all over his fingers. He pulled them out then licked the juices off his fingers. He then slid my panties off. Then aligned himself against my entrance. "Is this okay" he whispered in my ear. My breath hitched feeling him so close to my core. "Yes Klaus" I said breathlessly. He slowly pushed into me.   He leaned onto my shoulder then slowly starts going in out.

"Faster" I said with a moan. He starts going faster hitting my g-spot. I was scratching his back. He started leaving hickeys on my neck. As he kept going faster he started rubbing my clit as I finished all over his dick. I was sensitive now. He kept going and my legs were shaking. I was squeezing against him he looked like he was about to come undone. He went at a faster pace and I finished for a third time all over his dick then he finished deep inside me then rode out both our highs. He planted a kiss on my forehead then he left I thought he was just gonna leave me here. Was I just a random fuck? He came back with a blanket, a tshirt, and towel. He had put some boxers on. He cleaned me up then threw the tshirt on me then threw the blanket over me then got next to me wrapped his hand around my waist and laid his head on my neck and we fell asleep.

———————

This is more soft version but I could make another story kinda like this and make it rougher if y’all liked.

[birdpaladin]

rules: 21 questions & tag 21 mutuals you wanna get to know better! got tagged by @ventrios​ and then forgot to do it for several days akjsdhhasdg

nicknames: little bitch boy and bastard are pretty common (jk most people call me samithy as a joke theres really no way to make a nickname out of sam)

zodiac sign: leo sun libra moon!!

height: im 5′4″ yes im a manlet yes we exist

hogwarts house: i used to cheat to get into slytherin but now im in hufflepuff

the last thing i googled: "repair vs hydrating hair” bc my hair dry as shit broe!!

favorite musicians: mikito p, eve, kenshi yonezu, svt, red velvet, loona, kikuo, ieuan, sunmi, kairiki bear, childish gambino, brockhampton, miyushita yuu (idk if he counts since he mostly does covers but they SLAP)

song stuck in your head: koshin koshin koshinchu - kikuo

following: 350

followers: 6212

do you get asks: from time to time i do but honestly?? not that often

amount of sleep: (honks my clown nose) it varies from 4-5 hours to 12-13 hours

lucky number: dont have one! i cant read

what you’re wearing: a pe shirt from my highschool and pe shorts from my middleschool. its comfy

dream job: honestly just one with flexible hours and pays well Thanks

dream trip: i think visiting china again would be neat! also kind of want to drop by taiwan or korea

instrument: i used to play the flute in elementary school and i hated it. i dented my flute when i swung it too hard and the head flew off

languages: fluent in english and conversational level in mandarin 

favorite songs: infatuation - brockhampton / all over - cruisr / miserable america - kevin abstract / cranberry & pancake - kenshi yonezu / telegraph ave - childish gambino / oishii tamashii - kikuo / venom - kairiki bear / mystery of love - sufjan stevens / kissing strangers - dnce / ghost train - summer camp / is it true? - mabel ye / in your arms - saib 

random fact: when i make ramen i always add eggs, kimchi, and bokchoy (and cheese if its spicy)

aesthetic: hmm i like really edgy art that makes use of a lot of texture/linework coupled w/ like a mostly black/white palette. i also like really painterly styles that make use of a ton of different colors really well (this is so vague but i cant describe it)

idk who to tag so anyone can do this lol

[halfmoon-writes]

『"𝕙𝕪𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕚𝕗 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕜𝕟𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕒𝕥 𝟛 𝕒𝕞, 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕠?"』

✉ 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚍𝚝 𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ✉ 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎: 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚗!𝚊𝚞, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚊 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢 𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐(𝚜): 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚛𝚢, 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚎, 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 (𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚒 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚙𝚞𝚝) 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜(𝚜): 𝚍𝚒𝚕𝚞𝚌, 𝚔𝚊𝚎𝚢𝚊, 𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒, 𝚊𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚘

☾ diluc

➥ he's probably still in his office at the time, sipping his nth coffee for the night as he glances the paperwork in his desk. mans a busy businessman.

➥ then, his phone rings. he would scowl at the sound then look at the clock. it was 3 am, who would call him at this time?

➥ when he saw your name on the caller, he'd sigh. 'what are they up to this time?' he thought, then pressing the green button.

➥ strong winds and rapid footsteps could be heard from his phone and he grew worried. he let out a small "hello?"

➥ "diluc! baby! love of my life, hi!" you answered, your voice was breathy, as if you've been running for a long time. "what are you doing at this hour, and why is it so loud?" he asked.

➥ he could hear you let out a laugh. your pace didn't falter at all as you let out a small squeak. "hypothetically speaking, if someone were to chase you with a knife at 3 am, what would you do?" you questioned.

➥ his slouched state became tense as he stood upright, phone pressing between his cheeks and shoulder as he hurriedly wear his coat. "run away. where are you right now?" he asked, grabbing his car keys and immediately exiting his workplace.

➥ "my brain is panicking right now I have no idea where I am." you informed, then laughed. he doesn't know why you could laugh at a situation like this, but it felt reassuring to know you're not overly panicking to the point where you couldn't even get help.

➥ "elzier, tend to my workplace while I'm gone. I won't be long." he said as he ran towards the garage. "could you stay on the line with me?" he asked.

➥ "yeah, yeah definitely," you said, taking a deep breath. "my breathing might sound unsightly though, hope you don't mind. I've been running for a while." you took another breath again.

➥ "that's fine. all that matters is that you're safe." he said. by the sound of the slight shuffle in your line (minus the breathing), it seemed like you are currently hiding, or relaxing.

➥ "did you lose them?" he asked. "uhh I think ye—" all of the sudden, you went silent. he wanted to ask if you're okay, but he was scared that he would've alerted the person in finding you.

➥ so, he waited. he was currently on his way to the supermarket you normally visit at an ungodly hour, in hopes that you would be somewhere near there. not too long after, he heard the sound of something hitting the concrete. hard.

➥ "(y/n)! are you okay?!" he yelled out. there wasn't any answer given other than the sound of ruffling and he was anxious to wait for your reply.

➥ "hi! I managed to escape death's grip and kick him in the fucking balls!" you shouted, your breathing still erratic. he let out a sigh of relief.

➥ "that's great. do you know where you're located now?" he asked. "uhh... oh, look! it's the gas station near the statue of barbatos!" you said. "good job. now, stay there. I'll go get you."

➥ "yes, please." once he arrived, he noticed you waving at him with a smile, as if you weren't in a near-death situation. he wondered what he's gonna do with you.

➥ as soon as he arrived, he immediately engulf you in his arms. "I was really worried." he said. you let out a laugh, hugging him back. "yeah, I was too. worried for that guy because he definitely won't be having kids." he sighed at your response, but laugh nonetheless, placing a kiss at your forehead.

➥ "let's go home. and you're not going to the supermarket at these hours anymore."

☾ kaeya

➥ let's face it. this man would be sleeping at this hour. but he's a light sleeper, so he would wake up the moment he heard his phone rings.

➥ he groans at the noise, rubbing his eyes and check the caller id, then back to the clock.

➥ what in the actual ever loving- it was 3 am, why are you calling him at this hour?

➥ he picked up your call and was about to make a sly remark about how you must've missed him, but the words were stuck on his tongue when he heard the sound of your heavy breathing.

➥ "you good?" he asked.

➥ "hey, bubs. nope. not at all." you said. "hypothetically speaking, if someone were to chase you with a knife at 3 am, what would you do?"

➥ the way that this man stood straight up. his sleepiness dissipate immediately. "you're joking." he said, well, more like convinced himself. this was the only time that he was hoping you were pranking him.

➥ there was a long silence on the line, then the sound of your footsteps, from light tiptoes to full-on sprinting. he grew panicked. taking the nearest piece of clothing and pants with him.

➥ "stay on the line. I'm coming to get you." when he said, that he heard a laugh from you and he really thought that you were pranking him, but it wasn't. "I don't even know where I am, how on earth are you gonna find me?"

➥ he stopped doing whatever he was doing at the moment, before continuing and grabbing his keys and drove off with his motorcycle (use your helmets!), his phone snuffed inside his helmet. "you're probably not that far off. I'll try to find you. meanwhile, stay on the line." he demanded.

➥ "yes, captain." if it was any other situation, he would've laugh at the nickname, but he couldn't. god, he was so scared at what might happen to you if he wasn't fast enough.

➥ the constant sound of you taking a long breath before continuing to run makes him very anxious. all of the sudden, he heard you scream in pain.

➥ "(y/n)! hey, hey (y/n)! what happened?!" the grip on the handlebar tightened. there was nothing but the sound of something stumbling around, then the sound of a loud groaning could be heard.

➥ "(y/n)...?" he called out one more time. "yes, yes I'm here." you let out another laugh. "well, now I know where I am now. it's a few blocks across diluc's bar." you said.

➥ you're breathing pretty heavily and he was really concerned about that, increasing up the speed to get to you. he spotted you sitting down near a pole and you waved at him.

➥ his eyes widened at your red hand, clutching the side of your shoulder. putting down his helmet, he rushed to your aid to examine the wound. "hey, you found me." you joked.

➥ he didn't answer, instead pressing the wound to stop the bleeding. "it's pretty deep." he answered. "just like you last night." you retort. he couldn't help but let out a laugh at your comment.

➥ "yeah? and I'll do it again."

☾ venti

➥ venti had a variety of activities he'd do at an ungodly hour. it could range from making new music or trying to summon a demon. either way, he'll probably still be awake doing random shit.

➥ the sound of lyre could be heard at his place, strumming softly with him humming along. it was peaceful, until it was broken by the sound of his phone ringing.

➥ he raised a brow at it, but picked it up without seeing the caller. "hello?" he greeted. his greeting was met by the sound of wind blowing harshly, as if someone was running.

➥ he released the phone and checked the caller. to his surprise, it was you. "(y/n)? wha-" "hey, venti!" your voice called out, mixed with pants and heavy breathing.

➥ "hypothetically speaking, if someone were to chase you with a knife at 3 am, what would you do?" at the question, he stopped moving.

➥ "...are you serious?" he asked. you laughed at his reaction. "'course not! I'm joking!" you said. "no, you're not." "no, I'm not. please help."

➥ I don't think venti's the type of person to have a car since his tiny legs too short to reach em so-- public bus it is.

➥ immediately, he rushed out of his home and ran towards the nearest bus. luckily for him, the bus was just on its way to leave. "where are you?" he asked.

➥ "uhh... hang on. I'm- AAH--" you shrieked. venti panicked at the sound of your scream. "(y/n)!" "HAH! I managed to outrun them. sucks for them for not being to able to have children now." you said with a laugh.

➥ venti's just relieved to hear you were still okay. "oh, how convenient! there's a bus stop ahead." you said. "that is convenient. stay there, I'll get you." he said.

➥ his eyes trailed at each stop the bus did and when he finally spotted your form, he asked the driver to stop then hopped down, immediately sprinting to you.

➥ "were you hurt?" he asked. "nah. damn, I know I've said that I wanna die a lot of times, but I wasn't ready yet." you said, catching your breath.

➥ venti laughed at your response then pulled you to a tight hug. "let's get you home, then."

☾ albedo

➥ he would probably either drawing, or doing some experiments, mostly the former.

➥ he'd have his phone playing one of those live jazz songs on youtube. he'd prefer to listen to live since it has no advertisement to bother his focus.

➥ while listening to the song and sketching your face by memory, the sound of his phone stopped, replaced by a ringing.

➥ he'd get a bit annoyed, but his previous emotion turned to worry when he saw the caller id. it was 3 in the morning, what on earth were you doing?

➥ "hello, (y/n), is everything alright?" he'd asked. he heard a loud crash from the other line, the sound of something falling at the ground, then followed by the sound of what seemed to be your phone slammed down.

➥ "(y/n)?" he'd ask one more time. in front of his bed was a coat neatly placed on the hanger and he was more than ready to just bolt towards your location.

➥ he'd heard grunts and shuffling for a few times, before he heard your voice. "hey, prince. sorry, was I bothering you?" mans was worried that he couldn't even bring himself to say yes.

➥ "forget about that. what were you doing?" he asked. he heard you let out a nervous laugh. "well, hypothetically speaking, if someone were to chase you with a knife at 3 am, what would you do?"

➥ albedo was someone aloof that doesn't really show emotions a lot, but the emotion of fear was evident on his face. "run and find a safe spot. I'll get to you. are you somewhere near the place where we would buy art supplies?" he asked, his voice calm and collected, a complete contrast to how he's feeling right now.

➥ "uhh... oh, yes! I can see the light from here." you answered. "good. go inside. the owner should recognise your face, go ask them for help." he suggested. he grabbed his coat and car keys and speed up towards said location.

➥ "alright, thank you." "don't hang up." he reminded. before he could hear your response, the sound of your scream could be heard. his car nearly crashed to a nearby tree at your voice, but he regained composure and continued to made his way to you.

➥ "(y/n)! talk to me! what happened?!" he asked frantically. there was a lot of stumbling sounds followed by your voice saying 'get off of me you fuck!' then a loud 'thud' was heard.

➥ "hey, hey I'm alright. still alive." you said. he took note that you sounded more breathy than before. "I'm inside. the person doesn't seemed to be following me though." you informed.

➥ "that's good. I'm only 2 minutes away. wait for me." he said. once he was there, he immediately went to you, eyes widened slightly at your bleeding form.

➥ that's why you screamed. he took off his coat and covered the bleeding area. the owner was nowhere to be seen, but he returned shortly, bringing a glass of water and a med kit, not surprised to see that albedo was there.

➥ albedo thanked the owner then tend to your wounds for a while. afterwards, he gave thanks to the owner again as he supported your wounded body on his.

➥ once the both of you reached his car, he placed his forehead against yours, one hand on your cheek, the other or your arm, supporting your form. "don't ever scare me like that again."

+

I honestly have no idea how to use Tumblr but it seemed fun.

[blossomingimagines]

Icarus

Harley Quinn x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2,703

Summary: Like Icarus she had flown too close to the sun and fell-- though you were certain the fall Icarus suffered from wasn't a descent into madness. It was unfortunate that she had always been your own sun. Always pulling you in no matter how far you may go to escape. You just hope you won't get too close this time. As you were sure this fall would be the greatest of all.

Notes: I saw this idea floating about and decided to give it a try. Hopefully it isn't too disappointing for you all. This is going to be left open-ended in case you all want more in this universe, which I don't know if you will. (You knew Harley Quinn before she was Harley Quinn. You were rivals, in whatever capacity, and she always beat you. Until suddenly you were her therapist at Arkham.)

I also got the idea from @kiraimagine. (Wanted to give credit where credit is due as this idea was a really good one and I enjoyed writing it.)

Warnings: Mental illnesses as depicted in Arkham.

The tale of Icarus was one that you were familiar with. How he had dreamed of something for his entire life and that had ended up being his downfall. Flying too close to the sun, despite the many warnings beforehand, and his plummet back to Earth. It was a tale that you associated with personally. For you were Icarus-- wanting something so bad that you would do anything to achieve it. No matter how far you would fall because of it.

Harleen Quinzel was your sun.

You had known her for most of your life. Meeting on the playground at the start of fifth grade-- you had tripped over something and ended up sprawled in front of her and her friends. Her golden-white locks pulled back into a loose ponytail as she stood above you. Her blue eyes mocking as she took in your expression. You had scrambled to your feet with fumbling apologies escaping your mouth. Your face became as red as the shirt she had been wearing. Despite your efforts, however pathetic they may have been, she had barely given you a second glance before walking away. Her ever-loyal posse following along like lap dogs. And, even as you turned to head back towards your friends, you couldn’t get her bright blue eyes out of your head. Making you feel like you were falling all over again. 

From then on a rivalry was born between the two of you-- whether you were aware of it or not. You were a person that wasn’t even in the same galaxy as her radar and suddenly you became the direct center of it. Whatever things you took interest in, Harleen always followed. Of course, it always looked like a complete coincidence that she ended up taking the same courses as you. Always excelling at everything she put her mind to-- you in a close second. 

Even as you aged, going from knobby-kneed kids to maturing teenagers, Harleen had made it her mission in life to always one-up you. To always make sure that she was around no matter what. The first day of your sophomore year had been a clear indicator of that fact.

The crowded hallways of Gotham High were roaring with life. From incoming freshmen that were trying to get their bearings to returning seniors that were establishing their claim as the rulers of the school. You just rolled your eyes at all the showboating that was going on as you made your way to your locker. A hand clutching on your bag as you were jostled for the millionth time by a football player. 

Finally catching sight of your locker was like a breath of fresh air. A small sliver of sanctuary that you needed within the bustling halls. However, as quickly as the happy feeling appeared it vanished without a trace at the sight of the woman leaning against the locker adjacent to yours. 

Harleen Quinzel-- in all her glory. 

Light blonde hair falling loosely past her shoulders. Painted lips pulled into a smirk as she listened to the jock standing before her. Though you could clearly tell she wasn’t actually listening. As her, normally sharp blue eyes were dull at the incessant rambling of the boy. 

Hoping that you could quickly open your locker and deposit everything before she noticed, you slowly made your way towards them. Seeing that she was still distracted by the jock, you felt a small smile tug at your lips. Glad that at least something was going your way today. 

You shouldn’t have celebrated so early. 

The moment you made contact with your lock a perfectly manicured hand appeared on top of yours. Your heart-stopping at the feeling of her smooth skin on yours. Your wide eyes meeting her devious blue as she smirked at you. Numbly you noted that they were once again the sparkling blue that you were so familiar with. Though you couldn’t find it within yourself to celebrate the fact. Not when she was leaning towards you ever-so-slightly. 

“Y/N,” she purrs. “I was wondering when you were going to show up. The school is not the same with my best girl gone.”

For a moment you actually think she cared for your wellbeing, but the glimmer in her eyes made you think otherwise. Your lips thin into a line as your annoyance grows. You didn’t think you had the patience to deal with her today. 

“What do you want, Harleen?” 

A faux look of hurt flashed across her face. “I’m wounded that you think I need something from you, Y/N.” Her other hand rubs your arm-- you try to desperately ignore the goosebumps that appeared because of the action. Though you were certain she was aware of it-- if the look on her face was anything to go by. “I was just wondering if you knew that we were both in the same AP classes?”

Your stomach drops at the news. Her devious smile only causes your nerves to fray even more. “How? I changed my schedule three times.” 

Harleen shrugs. “Looks like it was a match made in heaven.” 

You shake your head with a frown starting to furrow your brow. “No, I know you did something. There’s no way we accidentally ended up in the same classes again.” Your annoyed gaze meets her amused one. “Why? Why do you like doing this to me? Don’t you have better things to do?” 

At your questions, her smile falls from her lips. A sharp look flashing across her face as she leaned closer to you-- almost to the point of her nose brushing against yours. You wanted to take a step back but the hand on your bicep stopped you. You had never seen Harleen look so angry before. Even if she wasn’t completely showing you everything she was feeling. You could tell by the darkening of her eyes-- an almost desperate quality hiding underneath. 

“I think you know exactly why I do what I do,” she hisses. “You just refuse to see what’s standing right in front of you. You choose to be blind to everything.”

Her voice elevates slightly towards the end of her sentence. An almost shrill quality to her tone that you had never heard before. It causes a small wince to flash across your face. Your eyes glancing towards the other occupants of the hallway. You didn’t want anyone to be listening in on this… whatever this was.

Harleen, noticing where your attention had diverted to, seems to pull herself together as she takes a step back from you. Her hand finally releasing your bicep out of the death grip she had imprisoned it in. Though the same darkened expression in her eyes remained even as she smiled at you.

“But that’s no matter,” she continues in a calmer tone. As if her outburst had never happened. “Just know that until you realize what you’ve been blind to I’ll always be here.” Harleen inclines her head ever-so-slightly towards you, her voice dropping into a whisper. “Nothing will ever be better than that.”

Then she was gone. 

Only leaving behind the faint scent of her perfume and the confused feeling in your very soul. 

Even now you still had no idea what she had meant. High school passed you by in the same manner as your other school years. In a standoff with Harleen Quinzel for the top student position, which she won by barely a point. Not that you were too surprised she beat you at that too. No matter how egotistical she may be, you could admit that she was highly intelligent. In another life, you could even see yourself being friends with her. If only life had turned out slightly differently for you both… 

College seemed to be the only reprieve you were ever going to get from her. So you were excited to apply to as many as you could. Wanting to have as many options to choose from as possible. Anything to minimize the chance of Harleen choosing the same one-- even if deep in your heart you wanted nothing more than for her to do just that. 

Learning at graduation that she was going to Metropolis for school had been a shock. As you had been deliberating going there as well. That was before your mother got sick and you decided to stay in Gotham, however. A fact that you didn’t think twice about sharing with Harleen. 

Sometimes you look back at the night and curse yourself for opening your mouth. 

The party was already in full swing as you stepped into the house. Loud music blaring through the speakers. The sound waves caused the very house to shake. It was lucky that the host of the party lived so far away from anyone else. It wouldn’t do to have the party shut down by what was left of Gotham’s police force. Moving deeper into the party, you bypass throngs of people dancing to the beat of the song and random couples that were lost in each other. Your eyes scan the room for a quieter place that you could just rest in until the rest of your friends arrived. 

Thankfully, the search didn’t take that long as you quickly found a relatively abandoned corner. You gratefully lean against a wall once you reach it. Thankful that you had been able to find a spot that you could hide away in. As the party scene had never been a place you thrived in. Rolling your neck, you try to get rid of some of the tension that had settled over your shoulders from the past few days. Things at home were only getting more complicated but you know you made the right decision in deciding to stay. Even if Metropolis would have been a hell of a lot nicer than Gotham. 

Movement from in front of you causes your eyes to widen as a solo cup is thrust into your hands. The flimsy plastic bending in your hands as you stared at the woman who had given it to you. Your mouth pressing into a thin line at the sight of her devious smirk. 

Harleen Quinzel, of course. 

“I’m really not in the mood right now, Harleen,” you sigh. “Why don’t you go hang out with your friends and leave me alone?”

Harleen pouts. “But you’re my best girl, Y/N. Why would I leave you all alone?”

“Because your friends are probably looking for you.” You try to offer in hopes that she would just leave you alone. You didn’t feel like hearing her gloat about getting the valedictorian spot. Her laughter was not the response you were expecting, however. 

“Oh, Y/N/N, what am I going to do with you?” She asks but you’re sure it was rhetorical. Though at your continued silence her eyes flash with annoyance. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

You sigh, Harleen and her mind games were not what you signed up for when you agreed to come to the party. “I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to be getting, Harleen. Maybe if you actually told me then I might.”

She grins at you. “Now where’s the fun in that?” Her head tilts ever-so-slightly as she appraises you. As if she suddenly realized that you were wearing a low-cut dress-- courtesy of your best friend. Her blue eyes shone with varying emotions that you couldn’t even begin to decipher. Though they soon snapped back up to your face as if she suddenly realized something. “But that doesn’t matter really. I’m certain you’ll figure it out when we’re in college.”

Her words make your stomach drop. “What?” 

“When we’re in college, Y/N.” Harleen drawls. “You know the place where we’re going to be going for the next four years?”

“What do you mean we?” 

Her laughter, once again, catches you off guard. “Didn’t you know? We’re going to be going to the same college. I heard through the grapevine that we both got accepted to Metropolis University. Go Sharks.” 

You frown, your next words coming out before you could even think. “But I’m not going to Metropolis University.” 

Harleen completely freezes at that. Her eyes turn razor-sharp as the smile falls from her face. “What?”

You gulp. “I’m not going to Metropolis University, Harleen. I was but then some personal issues came up so I’ve decided to stay in Gotham.” You shrug with a rueful smile pulling at your lips. “I’m going to Gotham University. So it looks like I’m going to be a Nighthawk and you’re going to be a Shark.”

The smile falls from your face, however, at the look, Harleen gives you because of the joke. Her expression darkened even more as each second ticked by. Only the call of her name from her friends pulled her attention from you-- though she seemed more annoyed at the interruption. Thinking about the quickest escape routes you could take, to hell with your friends, you begin to shift away from the wall. Only to have Harleen suddenly grab both of your forearms and yank you towards her. Your face almost smashed against hers as she held you. Her voice coming out in a low whisper.

“We’ll see about that.” 

Before you could react, her lips pressed against yours in a brief kiss before she was gone. 

Only the scent of her perfume and the feel of her on your lips remaining. 

You hadn’t been surprised that come fall she had appeared in your lecture hall. Her ever-present smirk flashing towards you as she took her seat a few rows in front of you. You weren’t even surprised that she had taken the same major as you. After all, you both had always been eerily similar in your interests in that regard. 

Sometimes you wish you had chosen something else. 

Anything else. 

That’s all that could run through your mind as you made your way down darkened halls. Your heels clicking against the floor with a resounding presence that almost made you wince. The faint moans of the criminally insane echo from deeper recesses in the building. You try to not tense at the sounds. Your armed escort led you down various halls and security checkpoints before you finally reached your destination. 

A door, plain as all the others, stood between you and the reason you had returned to Gotham. You didn’t want to, God did you not want to, but getting a call from Mayor Hill had changed things. You had met the man on several occasions and you had never even considered the possibility of him begging anyone. Hearing the desperate plea within his words flashed you back to a time when your mother was still alive. When there wasn’t a giant bat protecting the streets of Gotham. You hadn’t had the heart to decline.

Even if you wish you had now. 

Turning to one of the guards stationed at the door, you nod. Steeling yourself for what you are about to witness. Your back straightened as your hands tightened on the various files you were holding. Your resolve only wavering as you stepped into the room. Your eyes take in the large abundance of space that surrounds the single cage in the direct center of the room. A single figure entwined with silk in the middle of it. 

Moving down the staircase, you try to ignore the way the figure's burning gaze followed you. The intensity behind it is both so familiar and completely foreign. Standing directly before the cage, you finally are close enough to the figure to see the way burning blue eyes took in every small aspect of you. A familiar smirk began to make its way onto her face when she finally met your gaze with hers. 

“There’s my best girl.” A grin takes the place of her smirk. A sight that causes your heart to lurch in your chest. Yet another reminder of why you didn’t want to come back to Gotham. Why you never wanted to return to the place that had taken everything from you. “I was wondering when you were going to visit me.”

“Hello, Harleen.”

[carry-on-calum]

At Dawn | Hanbin

A/N: i keep listening to bobby’s “lucky man” and almost every song is inspiring me to write something so here’s the product of that inspiration. :) 

Genre: angst / fluff 

Warnings: mature themes / mentions of death / sexual content ?? ( i wouldn’t consider it heavy smut but it’s in there ) 

word count: 2.4k

The first time meeting you was the definition of a fluke. He didn't even like coffee, hated the way it made his fingers shake and his body jittery. But if it meant catching a glimpse of the pretty blonde girl behind the counter, the one from his calculus class, then he would sacrifice an extra thirty minutes of sleep in the morning.

He'd been extra tired that morning, his dark hair hanging carelessly in his eyes after losing the brush he'd usually run through it, and the line was so long. He wasn't sure he'd ever get his opportunity to step up, to introduce himself after weeks of admiring her during class and around random spots on campus, and when the line finally does come to his favor, he can't believe his luck.

The pretty blonde girl is nowhere to be found, but standing in her place, is you. And really, you're just as pretty. Small fingers tap at the screen in front of you, full lips pressed together in a sort of natural pout, and bright eyes hide beneath the hat included in your uniform.

You're beautiful.

You're just not her.

"Good morning, what can I get for you today?"

Expectant eyes stare back at him and Hanbin feels his cheeks flush, hoping they're not as pink as they feel. Even more so, he hopes you don't realize that he's just been staring like an idiot.

"Right," he finally breathes out upon realizing he needs to answer you, feeling jittery enough without the coffee. He wants to ask you where she is, if she's not working today, but it's obvious that's the case and he can't risk any more warmth in his cheeks than he's already suffered from.

"Actually, do you have any recommendations?"

He has no clue what to get, doesn't know what he would like, but he would feel silly for walking in here and leaving with nothing and he's already embarrassed himself enough, he's sure.

Thankfully, you're patient with him. You can tell he's a little nervous, can see it in the way his teeth dig into the soft flesh of his lower lip and his long fingers tap on the granite counter top separating the two of you. You don't know why he's come in here this way, but you can't help but find it cute, endearing even, if nothing else, and the fact that he's already attractive helps.

After settling on something that has a lot of creamer and sugar, making it taste less like coffee than anything, Hanbin feels more satisfied than when he had first come in here. A taste test allows him to spend a few extra minutes with you, the line behind him nonexistent, and he decides now is his chance.

"I don't even like coffee."

The words fall from his mouth without a second thought and it's not until the prettiest laugh comes from yours that he realizes what he's said fully, his cheeks warm and a goofy smile stretching his lips.

"So why did you really come in here?" Is your response, amusement dancing in your eyes and a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. He's charming without even trying and it's almost intimidating that someone could hold your attention so easily.

Hanbin could've told you the real reason why he came here. Could have told you that he wanted a chance to talk to the pretty girl from his calculus class after finding out she worked here, thinking he could grab her number and the rest would be history. But funny enough, he can't allow the words to leave his mouth when he's looking at you, pretty eyes waiting expectantly, hopefully, and suddenly he's sure of his answer.

"I thought buying coffee was the only excuse I had to talk to a pretty girl," he admits, dark eyes dancing with a smile that reflects the one on his mouth.

When he finally left, all smiles and jittery hands, he did so with the promise of seeing you again and your number safely stored into his phone.

-

Your first date had him in shambles. Even after Bobby had helped him get ready, which mostly consisted of teasing him for being so nervous, Hanbin couldn't calm his fluttering heart. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so nervous around a girl, but he also couldn't remember any whose eyes shined when they laughed or whose smile made him do the same as if out of instinct, like he couldn't help it.

Bobby had tried to convince him to take you out to dinner, somewhere nice with an expensive menu, despite the fact that you were both working college students. He had said it would set him apart from the other guys, that she would be impressed with his choice. But he didn't think you would like that, didn't think it suited someone like you, and when he spent the entire night watching you glow while you walked through the aquarium together, he knew he made the right decision.

Talking to you was so easy. He’d been worried it would be awkward, that he would inevitably suffer from his own demise and become unable to come up with anything to talk about. But for the most part, you did all the talking. You told him about your family, about your classes and what you hoped to accomplish in the future. And when you finally looked at him with a hint of pink coloring the apples of your cheeks, apologizing for “babbling”, he couldn’t help but immediately shut down your fears, a soft smile on his face while he insisted that he wanted to hear more. Apparently that was enough for you if the smile in your eyes was any indication because you continued gracing his ears with the sound of your voice for the rest of the night. 

When he took you back to your dorm, a blanket of disappointment hugged his body. He had spent all night with you, probably longer than either of you had planned on, and he knew he would be exhausted in the morning for his early classes. But listening to you talk about your life, about the future you had planned and your dreams of pursuing something your family didn't think was possible for you; it all left him wanting more. He was in awe of you, of everything you stood for and everything you embodied. He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to know anything about you.

"I had a really nice time tonight," You finally say quietly when the two of you are standing in front of your door. The end of the night has come and Hanbin selfishly wishes he had more of you, that he could have you as long as he wanted whenever he pleased. Fuck, was he attached.

Hanbin knew he should respond, should tell you how good of a time he had and that he would love to do it again. But there's a look to you that has him hesitating on that, his gaze searching yours for an answer to a question that he's unsure of. Telling you the obvious seems so stupid and the closer his mouth gets to yours until he can feel your breath against his lips answers the unasked question dangling on the tip of his tongue, mouths pressing together in what feels like the equivalent to a sigh of relief, to the climax of a novel.

You had him completely. Hook, line, and sinker.

-

Your first fight was so incredibly stupid. Missed calls, short messages back and forth, and rain checks on dates all lead to one explosive yelling match between the two of you. He knew it would come to a head at some point, could feel the tension building between the two of you, but he regretted every nasty thing that left his mouth when it finally happened, the words feeling like acid on his tongue when he saw the way your eyes glistened with unshed tears, when he saw the way you turned your head away from him so he wouldn't be able to see them when they finally did escape.

You were standing on the other side of your room, arms wrapped around your torso and your head bent, letting out every frustration you felt through the tears rolling down your cheeks and the quiet sobs shaking your body. It felt like a knife to his ribs to see you this way, to know that he held any sort of responsibility for it, and more than anything, it made him realize just how fucking badly he needed you.

"Baby," came his soft tone after a few minutes of silence save for your quiet cries, "I'm sorry.."

You didn't stop crying. You didn't even turn to look at him, couldn't see how sincere he was being, and it only pained him more to realize that maybe you couldn't look at him.

It was then that Hanbin moved closer to you, his hands gentle when taking your hips into his grip. You were tense at first and it killed him, hating the idea of his touch ever causing that sort of reaction. But his arms sliding around you from behind and replacing the way you hugged yourself melted something inside of you, giving you a sense of safety that your own arms could never give you. He was everything you yearned for and it's all you had been wanting over the last few weeks. It was silly to think that your schedules wouldn't conflict, but the way the both of you handled it was even sillier and you felt guilty as he held you, his breath warm against the back of your neck as he mumbled sweet affirmations into your skin.

When he finally managed to get you to face him, he still held you, but this time with his hands cupping your face, thumbs stroking the apples of your cheeks to catch any remaining tears falling.

"I'm so fucking sorry," he tells you again, dark eyes holding a sincerity you know he could never fake. Everything he did was out of love from the way he looked at you to the way he pressed sweet kisses to your face, making sure to touch every inch that tears had passed through and more in his attempt to apologize.

Kissing lead to touching and touching lead to trusting. Trusting him enough to let him lay you down, enough to let his hands rid you of every piece of clothing hiding your bare and most vulnerable form from him. It was then, with his lips pressed to the hollow of your neck and your chest pressed to his, the Korean boy buried between your legs that he told you he loved you for the first time in a breathy, broken voice the moment your high was coming down and it felt like you were on cloud fucking nine.

Nothing, the both of you were sure, would ever top that moment.

-

Christmas came so much faster than either of you had expected. Months of you spending time together only felt like seconds and Hanbin was sure this was what being in love was supposed to feel like.

The holidays were here and after gushing to your respective families about one another, it was no surprise that the excitement of meeting everyone was settling in the pits of your stomachs. For Hanbin, and he was sure you felt the same, this was more than telling his family he had a new girlfriend. You were the one he included when he talked about his future, his dreams, and it was important that this time was used to show the people he cared most about that he had found the person now included in that circle.

"Are you sure you're not going to fall asleep again?" You had asked him, an amused smile on your lips as you took in your sleepy boyfriend. 

It was early in the morning; too early for either of you, really. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, early hints of pinks and shades of orange kissing the sky. You both would like to admire the pretty view if time permitted you, but unfortunately home is far from campus, and you need to leave soon if you’re going to make it there on time. 

"I'm sure," Hanbin had responded with a soft chuckle, pressing a kiss to your mouth for good measure. You seemed to accept his words more when his mouth was pressed to yours and he was more than happy to oblige.

Heading out to the parking lot, Hanbin helped get your suitcases into your car, making sure there was enough room for everything. The plan was to meet you there tomorrow morning since he had one more exam to take. He wanted to go with you, knowing it would make him less nervous with your hand in his when he finally arrived to your parents' house, but he needed to do well on this last exam.

"I'll be up there first thing tomorrow morning," Hanbin assures you, his mouth feeling like a magnet from the way it almost immediately finds yours afterwards.

You smile when the two of you separate, admiring the way the falling snow clings to his eyelashes for a moment before finally melting. He watches you get into your car, waits until you're pulling out of the parking lot, until you're too far for him to see you anymore.

He didn't know it was the last time he would see you.

-

He wakes to something cold on his face. Instinctively, his fingers brush his cheeks, but when he pulls them away to examine the culprit, he realizes they are his own tears.

Sitting up from the stiff, half-frozen grass beneath him, Hanbin takes a moment to look around. He's the only one here, as usual. The guilty habit has eaten him up inside and worried friends and family, but he can’t bring himself to stop. One year later and he still finds himself lost, wandering, until he ends up at the one spot that brings him any sort of solace.

Turning slightly, his dark eyes find the cement headstone that stands before the spot where you rest. The moment that he lays his gaze on it usually sends him into tears, unable to find any regular breathing to calm him down, but today is different. The cold air breathes some sort of life into him, it feeling refreshing rather than suffocating, and for once he doesn't have to fight for air.

Confusion makes his thoughts hazy, but when he looks up at the sky, a blanket of solace wraps around him. Dawn brings hues of oranges and pinks to paint the cloudless skies, and for the first time since you left him, he feels your presence again.

[min-chery]

In the way | KTH

Pairing: Artist! Taehyung x Sound therapist! Reader

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: angst

Warnings: Swearing, Both MCs have a sad past :( , side pairing Yoongi x Jungkook and Jimin x Hoseok is mentioned.

Word count: 2.4k

A/n: This is an excerpt from my ongoing series ‘Sky’ that is posted on Wattpad. I’ll insert the link right here if you want to check it out. 

Also I have no much knowledge in sound therapy. So if you find any points inaccurate, you can leave it for me in the ask box!~

“Is that all you’ll need?” Taehyung asks, looking at the one bag that sits on the passenger seat of your car.

"Yes. Everyone in our team decided to split up and bring the necessities. I was in charge of lunch. So... this is enough." you reply. You had packed enough food for 8 people to eat one afternoon, a change of clothes, your laptop and sound equipment.

It had been three months since the two of you started dating. The two of you spent almost all of your free time with each other. A lot of time spent in each others’ homes and even met at each others’ places of work for lunch. One thing the two of you did in common at all places was make out. 

It seemed impossible to keep your hands and lips to yourselves. Kissing against the wall, on the table, on the couch, on the bed and even on the living room floor. Too many times you’ve been walked in on, but you cannot bring yourselves to be fazed by it. 

And now, you are getting ready for a project with your sound therapy group at a mountain a little far away. Another group that had been there before had claimed that the variety of birds that reside in the area make the most beautiful songs in the early hours. It was enough motivation for your group to decide to have a trip and record some of it.

"Okay. I think we're all done here." you sigh, standing on the tip of your toes and pulling Taehyung in for a hug by his shoulder. And he slumps into the embrace, nuzzling his face into your open hair. You rub his back, feeling your boyfriend yawn into your blue tresses.

 "Still tired? You can go sleep, baby." you say, lifting his head and squishing his face in your palms. He shakes his head, pouting while his grip on your waist tightens.

 "Go on, sweetheart. It's only 4am yet. You go catch up with some sleep, yeah?" you usher, wanting to see him well-rested and chirpy when you return in the evening. But he doesn't seem to want to oblige.

 "Can't. Our best friends are too loud in there." He whines, eyes half closed as he falls back onto your shoulder. You laugh, happy for the two who are so in love.

 "There won't be a disturbance anymore. I'm about to leave too." Yoongi joins in, with Jungkook holding his hand. Both of their hair are ruffled, sticking up at random places and clothes crumpled. Both look utterly ruined with blushes decorating their cheeks.

 "Drop me off at my place, will you?" Yoongi asks you, placing a kiss at the side of Jungkook's head. He smiles at Taehyung as he gets into the passenger seat.

 "Bye, Tae. See you later." you speak, pressing a kiss on his cold, red nose. Taehyung reluctantly lets go, pouting as he waves you goodbye. He watches you slip into the driver's seat and disappear into the morning.

 "Aren't you tired? Come sleep with hyung." He tells a very drowsy Jungkook who's rubbing at his eyes, a sleeping yawn falling from his own lips.

 ***

 It's around 1 pm when Taehyung calls you. You close your lunchbox that is almost finished, excusing yourself from the group.

 "Tae bear!" you exclaim into the phone, voice full of cheer.

 "Hey baby!" Taehyung replies, voice equally gleeful.

 "How's the recording coming along?" he asks, sounds of a window being opened accompanying his voice from his side of the line.

 "It went good, baby. Maybe we should come here on a date together some time. The view looks like one of the pictures you painted. Too beautiful."

 "Maybe we should. Have you had your food yet, darling?" He asks and you hum into the receiver.

 "Planning on returning yet? Or do you still have work to get done?"

 "Why? Miss me already?"

 "You know I do." Taehyung laughs.

 "Our work is done but we found an amazing free climbing trail close by. Decided to check it out. And it's for beginners too." Leah says, expecting an enthusiastic response back. But all you's left with is stillness from the other line.

 And then comes the shuffling, the sound of something falling down and Taehyung's muted cursing.

 "What do you mean free climbing?" His voice somehow feels distant, piercing Leah through her heart.

 "You know, rock climbing. And the ropes are going to assist me if I fall." you tentatively answer.

 "And you thought it was okay to do that without telling me?"

 "I didn't know I had to ask my boyfriend before I did things." Both of you speak with an edge to your voices, as if the sole purpose was to hurt one another.

"See ___. I understand that you have to climb up cliffs and dangerously high places for work. But this seems really unnecessary. I really need you to stop doing these things. Are you even aware of how many accidents take place during things like this?"

 "You don't tell me what's necessary and what's not. I do it because it makes me happy. And I'm not going to let you stand in the way of my happiness."

 "You can do whatever the fuck you want! I don't care anymore!" Taehyung yells. It has you flinching, lips wobbling from unpleasant memories of the past swarming you.

 "Don't yell at me." you shout back, unable to hide the tremble in your voice. Taehyung is breathing hard into your ears through the phone.

 "And it's not the first time I've noticed you clam up when I talk about going like this. You need to tell me whatever the fuck is your problem if you-" you never get to complete what you start from Taehyung abruptly ending the call.

 Your hands tremble at your sides, knees feeling weak. It had been true when you said Taehyung clams up when such matters are brought up. Avoiding looking you in the eye and slowly drifting away from the conversation with an uncomfortable smile. It was clear he hated heights at this point.

 But the extent to it was only now becoming clear when the ever calm yet cheerful Taehyung raised his voice. It seemed more of fear and frustration than anger towards you. But you weren't going to let him get away with yelling at you knowing how it affected you.

 You make your way back to your group who are waiting for you with their bags on their back and smiles on their lips. Forcing a smile of your own, you sling the bag onto your back.

 Like you said, you weren't going to let a guy get in the way of your happiness. No matter how much you love him.

 ***

 Taehyung draws deft lines on the page of his new sketchbook with a charcoal pencil. He sighs, hating the texture of the pages with the kind of pencil he’s using. Everything blurs when he feels the tears rise. Hurt and shame surge through his veins for raising his voice at you. He looks out the window of the diner, watching droplets of rain wash over the street. For a minute he wonders what the two of you would've been doing in this weather had you not fought. Would the two of you be drinking a mug of hot cocoa at your apartment as you watch a movie on the couch? Or would the two of you have been watching the rain while cuddling on the swing in his balcony and being huddled in a single blanket?

 ‘I miss her.’ The voice in his head says. He misses you so much that it feels like a knife is lodged in his throat. But it's nothing compared to the way he’s felt when you left him behind that day. Better than being terrified to death wondering if he’d get a call bringing him news he'd never in his life want to hear.

 Taehyung drops his head down on the table, pulling up the hood of his jacket as he goes down. Focusing on the pain that blossomed on his forehead, he forces all thoughts of you out of his head.

 Just as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, the loud noise and vibration of something being slammed down on the table reaches him. His head jerks up startled, coming face to face with the very person he’s been avoiding for a whole week. His lips part, nothing but silence falling out of it. You look vexed at his expression. 

 "A 100 calls!" you say, pointing at the phone you'd thrown onto the table with your call log on. "A 100 calls and countless texts. All to you. I even emailed you dammit! What the hell are you doing, huh? Ignoring me like that! Do you even remember you've got a girlfriend?" your voice takes on an edge, volume increasing the slightest than your normal.

 He can't do anything but stare at your red face. He’s washed over with worry with how little you've dressed for a rainy evening. He holds himself back from swiping your wet lips in for a breathless kiss.

 "Answer me!" you yell, slamming your hand down on the table. It makes him flinch in his seat. And the women at the counter. 

 "I don't want to." he says, a slight tremor in his voice. He avoids looking you in the eye, instead setting his gaze on the device on the table. He’s afraid anything he does will anger you further. And it does. 

 " 'Don't want to'?" You scoff dangerously. "What else do you not want!? Your girlfriend spending time doing something she likes!?" you grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him up from the chair and in front of the table. 

 Taehyung’s jaw ticks at your words and actions. He pushes your hand away and straightens the shirt. Dominating him like that in front of another person jabs at his ego as a man.

 "That is not something I'm ready to talk about yet!" He shouts. Memories from the past swarm him, choking him so hard that it feels like he’s combusting from the inside.

 "I'm your girlfriend, asshole! I would've listened to you if you had told me that at the time instead of yelling at me!"

 "Stop repeating that you're my girlfriend!"

 "Why!? Do relationships scare you now too!?" 

 "Because I'm not sure I want this anymore." he whispers, head falling low in resignation. It's only half-true. He does want it. More than anything else. But he’s too scared. 

 Fear, he learns, is the most dangerous emotion.

 "You are breaking up with me?" you ask, voice too composed than earlier. Taehyung keeps looking down at his shoes. Big mistake.

 You lift up the cup of hot tea from his table and smash it on the wall at your side. You throw it with so much force that the shards fly back at you, slashing you on the cheek. The hot liquid splatters all over your hand, turning it an angry red. You don't flinch. You stare at him, eyes void of anything he's ever seen in them. Like he has no more access to you. 

 You rove your eyes over him one more time and then turn away with your phone. You slam a fifty-dollar bill in front of Mrs. Choi at the counter and leave without looking at Taehyung again.

 Taehyung looks around the cafe at the wreck the two of you have caused. He bends down to pick up the shards of glass through the tearful blur. He stays back, helping the part-timer clean up before he leaves. Mrs. Choi even comes around to take him into her arms, bracketing him into her motherly embrace.

 Crying all through the walk back to his house, he asks himself the same question over and over again. 

 ‘What the hell have I done?’

 ***

 Yoongi can clearly see the smoke come out through the gaps of your bedroom door. His jaw ticking in anger, he pushes it open and immediately meets with the sight of his best friend.

 You are leaning against her headboard, a cigarette clutched between the index and middle fingers of your healing hand. You leave out a puff of smoke and when he enters, you hurriedly push the remaining against the ashtray. You put it away in your drawer with wide eyes and fumbling hands.

 "I saw that, ___. You're smoking again?" He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 "Sorry I just... I didn't know you were coming over."

 "So you were planning on keeping this away from me? You promised me you'd stop." He says, seating himself down beside you.

 "You know why I do it." You sigh and pull the comforter over the lower half of your body, pulling your legs towards your chest. Clutching your face in your hands, you put it on your knees.

 The sight of you, curled up against the headboard has Yoongi's heart wrenching in sadness. It had been a week since the breakup and you were still as broken as the day at the diner.

 Moving closer, he pulls you to his side. Almost instantaneously, you lay your head on his shoulder and curl up against him.

 "Why did you come over without telling me? You always call me before."

 "Jimin called me. He was scared of how little he saw you around the house. And any time he did see you, he said you were high. Barely aware of what was happening."

 "I should've worried him a lot. Where is he?" a troubled look crosses your features. 

 "Apparently it's been affecting him too much. So, Hobi took him out for some breakfast." 

 You hum. You are glad Hoseok is being a good boyfriend to your other best friend.  

 "You need to learn how to control your ang-"

 "I can't Yoongi." You say, lifting up your hand. It trembled in frustration.

 "I almost smashed a cup against his skull. Had I not mentally reminded myself of who was in front of me, I would've put him in the Emergency room." you recollect, wiping the tears.

 "We can always seek help, ___." He rubs up and down your arms to soothe your emotions.

 "Is that okay?" He asks and you nod against his shoulder blade. The two of you bask in the silence afterward. Embracing the calmness that you knew wouldn't last once the voices in your head get too loud.

 "Should've known it was too good to be true." You sniffle, "He was way too perfect from the beginning."

[humans4vampires]

Twilight imagine Edward found someone a young female vampire and they where good companions for a while and they have sex a lot and then he breaks up with her for Bella and the Cullens don't like Bella but put up with it for Edward sake the reader goes to Volterra.

Hey @cokecola4211, so sorry your request took so long! I hope it’s worth the wait!

Vow

Rain rolled over your perfect face as you looked up at the cloud-filled sky. It helped you to feel human again; as though you could cry. You had never felt the stinging loss of your tears until today. You blinked needlessly, watching the light disappear and reappear. You could hear everything, though in this moment you heard nothing. Your world stopped suddenly when he had walked away. 

Had he left only seconds ago or was it hours now? You had been frozen in the forest, face turned up to the wet air, for what was beginning to feel like an eternity. And you had eternity, certainly, if you wanted to stay there. Perhaps you’d become a part of the forest, a statue seemingly lost, forgotten as you were. Would nature reclaim you? Moss over your toes, your legs…

Would he come to find you?

You had once believed Edward could find you anywhere. He knew you better than anyone ever had, and you knew it was beyond his gifts. His soul matched yours. 

It was a new pain, an intense loss, to watch him go.

“Love,” he murmured, his expression grave. 

You reached for him, “Edward?” Your voice trembled. 

He stayed frozen, rejecting your extended hand. “(Y/n), please forgive me.”

You felt a jolt of fear rush through you; the long-forgotten emotion crippled you. “Edward,” you begged. 

He reached out and cupped your face in his hands, tilting your face up to his. His embrace comforted and terrified you. 

“It’s Bella,” he said softly, sadly. “I’ve fallen in love with Bella.”

Edward spoke her name as he had always spoken yours; as if a vow. You had no words to argue with, no ounce of hate for the plain brunette you’d seen in passing. Your immortal mind balanced thousands of thoughts as you struggled to understand. Your eyes bore into the depths of his, gold to gold. You knew you couldn’t sleep, but it felt oddly like a dream. 

He heard every passing thought, of course, each one mirrored in his expression. He was hurting, pained to have hurt you. It made it all the harder on both of you to know how desperately you both wished it not to be true. 

“(Y/n),” he spoke your name in a new, unfamiliar way, that left you shattered. 

He bent down slowly, as if to savor the moment, as he brushed his lips gently against yours. Your eyes fluttered closed and your voice caught in your throat as if his hand was wrapped around it. And silently, he left and you remained. 

You stood in the rain in the forest in the rough of the Olympic National Forest cataloging your history together as if to hold onto it a moment longer. 

Edward was your everything. You had traveled the world together, learning languages and cultures, indulging your greatest whims and fantasies, and planned on having centuries more. You had thought you were his everything, too. Without that, were you nothing?

Something quick was approaching you then and your natural instincts poised you mentally, though your body stayed in place. You recognized the footfall easily. 

You knew her black hair was drenched, weighed down by the thick rain. She knew exactly where to find you, though you hadn’t thought of that. You hadn’t thought of anyone but Edward. 

Alice didn’t speak, nor did you. You both soaked in the gravity of your lost future.

After time had passed, she approached you slowly and reached up to wrap her arms around your neck. “(Y/n),” Alice whispered. 

You questioned if she was still your sister; were you still a part of your family? It hadn’t occurred to you before, but the weight of your loss increased as you pondered it. Had you lost your family, too?

Alice pulled back and you finally moved to look down at her. The anguish in her expression flooded with curiosity. She knew you wouldn’t speak your questions aloud, and so the mystery behind your unspoken words burned in her mind. Her eyes glazed over, looking into the unknown for answers. 

Your voice rang clearly, perfectly, like a bell, though you felt as though it should be hoarse. “I’ve lost him, Alice,” you said.

Alice shook her head solemnly, “Not lost,” she replied.

“Why did you come here?” You questioned. 

Alice placed her hands on one of yours, cupping it gently. “I wanted you to know you were not alone.”

You looked at her with disbelief. “What did you see, Alice?”

“You are a part of this family, (Y/n),” she replied. “You should come home.”

“Do the others know?”

Alice nodded slowly, humanly. “They’re hoping you’ll return with me…” her voice trailed, as if she knew it best to keep the rest to herself.

You understood. “You hope I’ll find it in my heart to forgive Edward,” you said, plainly. The sting of his name scorched your lips.

“Esme, mostly,” Alice retorted. “Rosalie and Jasper would understand if you didn’t. In fact, they hope you don’t. But we all want you home with us, (Y/n)”

You knew you could never go home. Your home was gone. It had been an illusion ripped from you; your home had always been Edward. How would you watch him as he loved Bella how he had once loved you?

You winced.

As if you had never made the decision, as if it had happened without a catalyst, your feet were flying and you were rushing through the trees into the depths of the woods. You heard Alice behind you, calling your name, trying to catch you, but you had always been quick; only Edward had been able to match your speed. 

There was nothing left inside you but the desire to flee. Immortality was inescapable, with one exception, and you were suddenly rushing toward it. You were in the Pacific in a matter of minutes and Alice was hopelessly falling behind. You doubted she’d follow you into the water, though you knew your sister’s love for you was strong. You swam quickly, without pause, hoping to get as much distance as possible. 

By the time you reached land on the coast of Russia, you knew your family would be coming for you. You didn’t waste any time, though you made sure to change your route at random, leaving no clear path for you to be followed. Alice knew your destination, but you knew your family would try stop you before you could reach Volterra. Only briefly did you wonder if you were running from a ghost; what if no one was chasing you after all? 

You boxed the thought away and kept moving, cherishing the years you’d had with Edward, hoping to box them too, as if to keep them with you even in death. You’d had so many moments shared over so many years, but you were clinging to all the ‘lasts.’

The last time you swam together, in the Bering Sea off the coast of St. Matthew Island when you had wanted to feel like the only two left on Earth. The last time you shared a longing gaze, thoughts passing without exchanging words across Carlisle’s library, your eyes meeting over thick volumes in the dim light. The last time you hunted together, through the Rockies in the summer, trailing through Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming before returning home to boast to Emmett the game you had conquered. The last time you danced together, under the bright moonlight in an open clearing as Edward hummed gently in your ear the favorite of the songs he’d composed for you. And when you had run through all of the ‘lasts,' you were faced with the last time you’d been together.

This night, like so many others, you had been listening to albums and resting in each other’s arms on the floor of your bedroom. The music blared loudly, but you carried conversation without any difficulty; when you were together, the rest of the world fell away. Like so many nights before, the simple connection of your skin wasn’t enough, and you and Edward spent hours pleasing each other. 

“Edward,” you moaned, clutching the rug under your hands. You and Edward never saw the need for a bed. You’d destroyed them when you’d tried them and you were both more comfortable exploring each other outside of the family home; unless the rare occasion presented itself.

“Don’t rip it,” Edward scolded, reaching for your hands. He grabbed them both at your wrists, placing them above your head in a single grip of his. “Esme won’t take kindly to you destroying another priceless heirloom.”

Your breathing was ragged, despite the lack of need for it. “I think ‘heirloom’ implies some sort of movement throughout generations,” you teased. 

Edward shrugged, chuckling lightly. His grinning lips glistened with your wetness as he shocked you with his perfect, crooked smile. He moved to hover over you, tousling his messy bronze hair as he lingered his lips over yours. 

“I would not take kindly to you destroying it,” he said gently. “You see, I have my fair share of sentiment attached to this rug.” He moved his free hand to your cheek, down your neck, your chest, across your naval, and slid his fingers to rest on your hip again, clutching your skin. Your body arched into his in anticipation. 

“I see,” you agreed, breathlessly. 

His golden eyes burned brightly, as he vowed your name as he always did. “I love you, (Y/n).”

You were at the steps of the clock tower of Volterra before another day had passed. The square was empty, which was to be expected for the time of night. You were anticipating that and had made sure to commit your crimes before you had arrived. You knew Aro would not want to offend Carlisle by needlessly killing a member of his coven, and yet more importantly, not want to deter Edward or Alice from any future in the Guard. You were ungifted and nothing more than a normal vampire, and so you knew Aro would have no qualms about your death, personally. 

You were greeted by Felix and Demetri, the blood of your kill still fresh on your lips. You were emotionless as you swept through a small village on the outskirts of Romania. You didn’t even enjoy the taste of human blood as you quickly dragged your victims from their beds and executed them. You were controlled enough to spare the children any witness to your crimes, which you had hoped would save them from the Volturi since your spree would result in a visit from the Guard before morning. 

You confessed your crime simply, coldly, to Felix and Demetri who quickly ushered you inside. You ignored their questions as you made your way to Aro, Caius, and Marcus for sentencing. You hummed along to your memories of Edward, walking almost blindly to your death. 

Aro greeted you quickly, taking your hand without an invitation. You didn’t bother to listen to their deliberation or their questions, instead you stood still, humming to yourself, your eyes disinterested. Caius detested your indifference; your insolence brought him from his throne.

He moved to stand in front of you, grabbing your throat in his steel grip. You laughed involuntarily and hoped that in death, you’d be able to dream again. 

Caius dragged your body up, his fingers pressing under your jaw as your feet dangled above the smooth, marble floor. You didn’t bother to close your eyes as you let out another gentle trill of laughter. 

Caius hissed in response and as you felt Felix’s hands clutch at your biceps, you hoped that in death, you’d be reborn.

You didn’t understand the tearing of your body as pain. No, it was rather blissful; a sweet release that sounded like stone and metal in harmony. And as the gentle warmth of the fire came close to your cool skin, you heard your Edward speak your name for the very last time.

“(Y/n)!”

Did it sound like a vow?

[linphd]

Could we pretty please have todoroki, kaminari, and iida being shown the future, like the one you did with bakugou, kirishima and midoriya 🥺❤️ shit was cute af!!

They see their future with you | Headcanons

female reader

-> There is a hero visiting U.A that can show anyone’s future. Note that this hero is a bitch and shows the students their future whether they want it or not 👉🏻👈🏻.

-> I actually wanted to add Kaminari the first time but I wasn’t able to write anything lmao... Anyway they see that they have a family with you but you’re not here when they see it.

-> Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Iida, Denki Kaminari.

Shoto Todoroki

‘’Don’t you want to see your future, (Y/N) ?’’ Ochaco asked, seeing you walking out. ‘’No, I don’t want to see if I’m dead.’’ You replied. Shoto was about to follow. ‘’Wait, there are other things !’’ The hero said.

‘’What type of other things could there be in our future other than our hero jobs and death ?’’ He asked, genuinely confused. Poor boy, the idea of being a father didn’t even cross his mind.

The hero giggled and showed him a screen. He couldn’t see himself as the older hero he was, but he could see through his eyes. He was living in a big house, and he saw himself opening the door.

He was immediately greeted by 2 tiny boys, running towards him and hiding behind his legs. ‘’Hi, kids ?’’ He asked, unsure. The teenager Shoto had an eyebrow arched at the vision of his children.

One boy had red hair with blue eyes while the other had white hair with black eyes. That was ironic for Endeavor, that he had had Shoto to have both quirks and Shoto himself had his quirks split by his own children.

‘’Mommy’s mad.’’ One said. ‘’Mommy’s really mad.’’ The other added, making Shoto walk further into the house. ‘’She surely has a reason, then ?’’ He asked, seeing his wife.

It made the young Shoto widen his eyes while his friends gasped. ‘’Their mother is... (Y/N) ?’’ Izuku asked, shocked. ‘’But doesn’t she hate you since the sports festival ?’’ Tenya asked.

An adult (Y/N) was waiting, her quirk showing as she was carrying a tiny baby girl. ‘’Mom’s quirk’s so scary.’’ A boy said. ‘’How didn’t she win when you fought at school ?’’ The other asked.

‘’Cause she had a crush on me and it disturbed her.’’ The adult Shoto replied his son, and it made all the students that were in the classroom realize. ‘’OH MY GOD, THAT’S WHY SHE LOST !’’ Ochaco shouted.

‘’I’m gonna have 3 babies with her ? She must like me a lot since she always says she doesn’t like babies.’’ The young Shoto commented. ‘’Maybe it’s not the same when it’s your own babies.’’ Izuku said. ‘’Still, I’m happy that we can finally understand how she lost against you despite her quirk.’’ Tsuyu said.

Tenya Iida

You walked out of the classroom, winking at Tenya, as usual. It’s not that he didn’t like you, but you were like a temptation to him. Always flirting and doing it on purpose, trying to go over the rules...

But he would lie if he said he didn’t like you. Maybe it was because you weren’t scared of breaking the rules while he was, but he didn’t want to give you satisfaction and be obvious about his crush on you.

‘’Oh, I have just the right thing for you !’’ The hero said, hearing Ochaco and Tsuyu whisper to Tenya some things about you. That said, she showed him a screen, making him give her a confused look.

Then, he heard a child giggling, and when it wasn’t blurry anymore, he could see what it was ; a kid (I couldn’t choose a gender djdjsk) that had his quirk, running everywhere as fast as they could in a house.

And then, he saw someone, trying to run after them and using her quirk ; and he could recognize that quirk easily. It was yours. You were the person running after the child.

The adult Tenya was walking but stopped at the sight of you. ‘’Catch them ! Catch them cause if I use my quirk I’m gonna hurt them.’’ You said -your quirk being quite dangerous- and he caught the child.

Now that the kid was finally stopped, the young Tenya could get a closer look ; they had your eyes, despise having his hair. Moreover, their face looked like it had much more features like yours than his.

‘’OH MY GOD IT’S (Y/N), IT’S (Y/N) ! YOU’RE GONNA HAVE A KID WITH (Y/N) YOU GUYS ARE MY OTP !’’ Ochaco shouted, tearing up while shaking Tenya’s shoulders -actually shaking his whole upper body, his head bouncing.

The adult Tenya was laughing as (Y/N) was struggling to get a grip on their child. ‘’Next time put those engineers up your ass !’’ She replied, mad that she was being made fun of.

He gasped -making the teenager gasp at the same time- making the child giggle. ‘’Oh come on, if you do that you’ll be allowed to put something in mine.’’ The woman replied, making the young Tenya blush. You weren’t going to change at all. But did he really mind ?

Denki Kaminari

‘’So who’s next ?’’ The hero asked. ‘’Oh, me ! Me ! I want to see if I’ll marry a top model !’’ Kaminari replied, a slight grin on his face. The hero nodded, actually happy that someone was asking her something.

Immediately, Kaminari recognized who it was ; (Y/N). At first, he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. ‘’I know I always say she’s the hottest girl in this class, but doesn’t she hate me ?’’ He asked.

‘’She’s like a female Bakugou.’’ Tsuyu commented, since you weren’t here -you hated that comparison. ‘’Fuck, you’re marrying (Y/N) ?! How will you even manage to do that ?!’’ Mineta shouted, angry.

However, as an adult Kaminari was appearing on the screen as he was back home, there was a little girl following him. ‘’WAIT WAIT WAIT ! WHAT ?!’’ The blond teenager yelled.

‘’SHE HAD MY CHILD AND SHE’S STILL THAT HOT ?! WHAT WILL I DO TO BE THIS LUCKY ?!’’ He exclaimed, his eyes widened. The little girl was shouting, along with her dad, some random song.

The adult (Y/N) was rolling her eyes. ‘’I still can’t believe I don’t need hearing aid now that there’s 2 of you. And we already listen to Present Mic everyday.’’ She said, making both the adult and the teenage Kaminari laugh.

However, as Mineta made a very lewd comment, Aizawa started to kick his ass. ‘’HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT ABOUT MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER ?!’’ Kaminari exclaimed, as if betrayed by his friend.

As the one and only (Y/N) was walking by, the hero turned off the screen so she couldn’t see her future. Kaminari smiled when he saw her. ‘’Do you know that we can hear you from the other room ?’’ She asked.

The blonde, as usual, started to walk to her to flirt. Indeed, he was asking her on a date everyday. But never once he thought of actually succeeding. ‘’Don’t act like it’s not music to your ears !’’ He said.

‘’I hope I’ll never see you again after U.A, cause I don’t want to need hearing aid because of you.’’ She replied, making the boy chuckle. ‘’Go on a date with me ?’’, ‘’No.’’ He patted her back at her answer. ‘’You will someday !’’

[jaeminlore]

The World is Ending and I'm With You

SPINOFF | PLAYLIST (pls listen while you read)

summary: and i won't sleep through this. i survive on the breath you are finished with. words: 6.1k+ category: angst, fluff, suggestive, mark won't stop talking about how he used to be a cub scout warning(s): death, religion mention, death mention, implied sex ohoho i'm getting bold, littering (not from mark bc he's a good boy), unedited a/n: john mayer song that's kind of an easter egg, and a poem at the end by someone called s.b.,,, also you don't have to read the spinoff to read this one :) but it does take place in the same universe/timeline.

You never were one for smoking. Your mother always told you it would increase risk of cancer, and in turn, death. But now the world is ending, and your mom hasn't been home in a few days. So, you smoke.

The convenience store you work at doesn't have many packs left. Your manager has some stupid rule about rationing stock now that delivery truck drivers are quitting at a rapid rate. They don't want to be stuck on the freeway when the meteor hits. Which makes sense to you, but it's all your bitter manager seems to complain about.

You take a pack out from behind the clear screen and extract a stick. You're in the middle of lighting it with a lighter that most certainly isn't yours when a wide-eyed boy appears in front of the counter. He dumps a basket full of snacks onto the register, followed by a plethora of hygienic products.

"You worried we'll run out?" You try to joke. Really, this is a small town, and your store is the biggest one in town (which isn't saying much at all.) It's completely possible.

The boy shrugs. "I'm gonna hit the road before everything goes down. I don't want to be here if a riot starts. Also, I want to find my soulmate."

"Don't we all?" You say, blowing smoke out of your mouth.

The boy coughs and gives you a short glare. "Something to look forward to, at least."

You throw the still-lit cigarette across the store. Part of you hopes it will catch on something and burn the store to the ground. But it goes out on the cold linoleum floor. You look at the boy again. "I'll give you all of this for free if you let me come with you."

(Mark isn't sure why he chooses a road trip in the first place. It's not like his beat up old van can outrun the end of the world. Maybe deep down, he hopes it can.

He also isn't sure why he's let you tag along, save for the fact that he really needs to stock up on food, just in case. And he's also lonely. Maybe talking to someone will calm his restless soul.)

-

Mark has a giant van. There's a mattress in the back, complete with a blanket and pillow. He tosses his groceries in the back and clumsily shoves the key in the ignition. "Are you sure about this? I'm going across the country."

You light another cigarette. Five packs stolen from your store sit in his glove compartment. "We have what? A week left? I have nowhere better to be."

He takes this answer and begins to drive. The radio is staticky, but you can make out the preacher's message of salvation in the last days. You wonder if it gives the boy comfort. It gives you anxiety, so you take a long drag and focus on the weird way the cigarette smoke warms your mouth. "I'm Y/n, by the way."

"I'm Mark." He turns down the radio. "I'm pretty sure my soulmate is in California, based on my tattoo."

"Okay," you say, because you really don't care. You haven't believed in soulmates since your parents got divorced. You throw the cigarette out of the window and try not to think about the way your moon tattoo burns against your collarbones. "Does your tattoo say California or something?"

"No, it's just a sun."

You want to call him dumb. Or stupid. Or an idiot. "California isn't the only place on earth with a sun, you know. And apart from that, it's a huge state. How are you gonna find your soulmate in a week?"

Mark takes an anxious sip of his gas station slushee. "I know it's stupid, okay? But I feel drawn there, so it's my only shot."

You lower the sun visor and grab the pair of aviators that are hooked onto it. "Well I feel drawn to the sea, so let's go to the beach first."

(Mark wants to tell you that he knows he won't find his soulmate. His soulmate is probably dead with the rest of the world that got caught in the atmosphere change. His soulmate is probably farther than California, but for some reason the state is stuck in his mind.

He remembers his aunt's beach house. Solar generators for electricity and water. A familiar place to stay in the end. But for now, he wants to take his chances on the road. He doesn't want to be dormant, and he knows you don't either.)

-

Mark hits Oregon at three in the morning. He nods off once and veers into the side of the highway before you finally convince him to pull over for the night.

He parks at a truck stop and the two of you take showers, using what products you and Mark bought (stole). You use more than you need. Shampoo gets in your eyes.

Your eyes are still burning when you meet up with Mark at the van. He's already asleep, an open bag of chips beside him. He must've been too tired to even eat.

The back of the van is covered in those battery-powered clip-on fans from the mall kiosks. Mark told you earlier that he had bought them on sale. You had asked earlier why he hadn't just stolen them.

He told you he believes in heaven, and doesn't want to hurt his chances of getting there. You told him you don't think good works matter anymore.

You eat the chips and fall asleep beside him, ignoring him as he mumbles random phrases in his sleep.

(Mark lays down on the mattress. The van is hot, even with the windows cracked, even with the cheap fans, so Mark feels his skin beginning to get sticky with sweat. He doesn't want to eat. He doesn't want to sleep. He doesn't want to breathe in this foggy air and think about the inevitable.

He wishes you would just come out of the shower and join him. He waits for what seems like ages, until he's too worn out to keep his eyes open. He falls into a restless sleep, not noticing the way the mattress dips when you join him.)

-

"My dad was a mafia boss," you say, spitting a sunflower seed shell onto the dashboard. The Clash is playing from Mark's radio, and the station wavers in and out as you drive across state lines.

"Really?" You've found that Mark's eyes grow obnoxiously big when he's surprised about something. His mouth forms a little 'o' shape and his voice grows softer. It's adorable, so you make it your mission to surprise him as much as you can. That, and road trips are pretty boring when the world is ending.

"No."

"Come on!" Mark pouts. You can see it in your peripheral vision. "Stop lying to me. I bet your dad doesn't even have a cool job."

"Guess then," you taunt. "By the way, we passed the California-Oregon state line like, five minutes ago."

Mark gasps and rolls down the window, looking back towards the passing highway, as if the sign is going to still be there. "I can't believe I missed it! This could be it. This is where we find our soulmates."

You spit out another shell. "I'm hoping my soulmate's name is Long Beach because that's where I'm going."

"Let's stay together," Mark says. He's biting his thumbnail, eyes towards the empty road in front of him. "I don't know how many more of us will be left."

You want to correct him and say that there are plenty of people left, and yet you know that a lot of people took the pill. Or got sick. Or killed in a raid. Funny, a meteor is scheduled to hit the earth and people decide to leave early. Or they lose their humanity entirely, and take people out with them. Truthfully, there aren't many people left at all.

"Okay," you say. Your eyes stay on his face a little longer than necessary. You take note of his wide, innocent eyes and wonder if he even understands what's happening. Or maybe he just looks like that. But really, all it does is make you want to protect him from the inevitable.

Maybe there's a secret spaceship you can hide him in, and he can start a new, albeit solitary, life on the moon.

You'd never make it to Area 51 in time. That's where they keep the spaceships, right?

(Mark doesn't know how to tell you that he doesn't even care about this stupid soulmate thing. He just doesn't want to be alone. He doesn't want to say that, because it means he has to vocally admit that he is alone. Truly. Not by choice.

He was out of town when his family got the flu. The atmosphere got too much. Whatever sickness killed and left as soon as it came, took them too. And he had to go. He had to get out, as far away from the east coast as he could. So he decided on the west coast. And then he decided on you.)

-

"Let's get our tan on!" You joke. The clouds are heavy and dark above the water. It looks like the sky and the water are becoming one, however slowly or quickly. You grab Mark's elbow and pull him towards the sea.

The waves roar against the silence of the land. There's a family down the ways, barely noticeable under the pier. You watch a seagull fly down towards the family and steal something. The little girl shrieks, but you don't know if it's in excitement or fear.

The beach is distractedly empty. No people — save those already mentioned — are anywhere to be seen. There's debris everywhere: old umbrellas, coolers, and towels are half-buried in the sand.

The tide is coming in higher (something the news channel probably warned about) and for some reason, it makes the world feel incredibly small.

Mark has already got his legs in the water. It's lapping at his clothed jeans, but he doesn't seem to mind. His back is turned to you. He's facing the horizon, still and silent.

You hate to ruin this for him, but as the mood grows more dismal, you want to lighten it.

You sneak up behind Mark and jump on his back. Your weight catches him off guard, and the two of you plummet into the cloudy water. Mark yelps when the water hits his torso. You fall in after him and grip his shoulders. Closing your eyes tight, you hold you breath and lift your face above the surface. "Feel refreshed?"

Mark coughs. He rubs his eyes, wincing when the salt reaches beneath his lids. "Why would you do that?"

"It's fun," you say.

Mark begins swimming into the deep water. He looks a bit like a lost child, doggy paddling in the vast sea. He grins, and his lips are a bit lopsided. You notice his cheeks grow hollow when he smiles. "You scared me, Y/n."

The sentence ends timidly, like he isn't sure if he's allowed to say your name out loud. But you like it. It's hesitant and soft; loud because it's the only word spoken for miles; quiet because it's Mark. You wonder briefly how to get him to say your name again.

The two of you swim until you can't touch the sandy floor below you anymore. Mark holds his own, but you struggle a bit. "They were right about the tide getting stronger."

"Here," Mark swims over to you and wraps his arm around your waist. "Stay close to me."

Something akin to reticence settles against the wall of your skull like the numb reminder that this is all very weird. Mark is a stranger, and you're cross-country with only him. It bothers you that your mind is already growing attached; your heart already growing attracted. This is the last thing you need to happen during your last days on this literal godforsaken earth.

You swim back to the shore first and lie on the sand. It clings to your wet skin. The tide laps at your feet. The sun is going down, and the air feels overwhelmingly muggy. You close your eyes.

(Mark thinks about the waves. He thinks about the frequency of your voice when he splashes you. He thinks of how your smile seems even prettier at this time of day. He thinks about the way you pulled back when he asked you to stay. While he knows this isn't exactly the time to fall for someone, he can't help but feel like he's starting to.

He watches you fall asleep in the sand. Your cheeks are red. Your eyelashes flutter against the tops of your cheeks. Your lips are chapped. Mark finds that he wouldn't mind kissing you. Or just simply being by your side.

For a few solitary moments, he doesn't even think about the end. Just the now.)

-

It feels like you blinked, but when you reopen your eyes you find that time has certainly gone by. Mark is sitting a ways away, stoking a makeshift fire.

"I was a Cub Scout," he says.

"I need a smoke." You go back to the van and pull out a pack and a lighter. Your brain feels fuzzy from having fallen asleep on the beach, and your back itches from the sand that has scratched its way down your shirt. To distract yourself, you lean against the van and take a drag; look up towards the sky.

It's a dark reddish black, some ominous code that the world is definitely coming to an end. Clouds swirl hazily against each other and you can see that a storm seems to be forming over the ocean. Months ago this would've been beautiful. An instagram-worthy shot, a coffee pot topic, and nothing more.

Right now it sends a chill down your spine.

You drop the cigarette and head back to where Mark is sitting. He has some kind of pot out over the fire, and what looks like a can of soup inside. The can itself is tucked neatly in the little box Mark has beside him. You wonder why he cares so much about a planet that's already dead. "Thanks. For, uh dinner."

"Yeah," Mark clears his throat and shifts in the sand. "That's what friends are for."

"We're friends now?" You raise your brow at Mark while he hands you a bowl of soup along with a spoon.

"I sure hope so," Mark quips. "I don't make soup for just anybody."

You laugh at that. Your heart stirs in excitement. Your stomach growls, so you ignore the heaviness in your chest and take a bite of your soup.

That night you fall asleep with a belly full of food and sand down your shorts. It's half-ideal, half-hell, but Mark gives you a hug before the two of you tuck in, so it's okay.

(Mark wants to say that he wishes the two of you were friends a lot sooner, but that would be weird. He's only known you for like, three days. Maybe he's delirious.

But he gives you a hug before you fall asleep anyway. He hopes you can't hear how fast his heart is beating. It's stupid anyway, he thinks.)

-

Four days left. Give or take. You aren't completely sure to be honest, and that brings on an entire onslaught of horror that you've never really felt before. There's something so terrifying about this whole thing. It's like you've knocked on Death's door, and you have no idea when he's actually going to open it.

Mark hides it well. He drives the two of you down to Hollywood Boulevard.

It's trashed. What was once the walk of fame is now defaced with graffiti, food, trash, and what looks like human feces. You throw up in the fake bushes and Mark pats your back while you do.

"Guess I won't get my picture with Kermit the Frog then," you joke.

Mark's eyes suddenly widen. He grabs his backpack straps. "There's a Kermit the Frog star?"

"Yeah," you laugh at Mark's expression. "My aunt was obsessed with The Muppets. She had a laminated picture of the star in her sewing room."

Mark bites his lip and averts his eyes. "I have a Polaroid. Not much film, but we might could get a few pictures."

The stars have to be cleared first. Mark comes up with the idea to sneak into one of the restaurants nearby and using their cleaning supplies. And since you have all day and nothing to lose, you agree.

The thing about a large and empty place like Hollywood Boulevard, is that every shadow feels like a threat. Memories of dystopian movies come flooding through your memories when Mark hands you a giant broom. You wonder if some evil man with a god complex is going to come and kidnap you both.

But the only people the two of you ever see is a man in a small shop that looks like it contains weed.

You and Mark sweep away as much debris as you can, while avoiding anything that came out of a human body. The graffiti covers a lot of the stars, but after a few hours of walking and sweeping, the two of you find it.

"Kermit," Mark breathes a side of relief before laughing out loud. His laugh is stark against the silence.

You join him anyway. "I can't believe we found Kermit! My aunt would be so jealous right now."

"Your aunt sounds weird," Mark says, no real bite to his remark.

"She is," you confirm. "She's up in Maine somewhere. At least, you know, last I heard."

Mark senses the change in tone and drops his backpack to the ground. He pulls out a baby pink Polaroid camera. He points it at you. "Say cheese, Y/n."

There's your name on his tongue again. That sound itself has you beaming as you lean against the brooms long handle and cock your head to the side. The camera clicks.

Mark takes out the picture and shakes it before he looks at it. "Cute," he says casually, then he tucks it in his shirt pocket.

"I want to see it," you say. You hope that if you don't acknowledge the warmth in your cheeks, Mark won't either.

"Too bad." He sticks his tongue out at you. And before you can retort, he squats down beside the star. "Okay, let's get a picture of this bad boy."

You squat down too. You match Mark's peace sign and smile in the direction of the lens. The camera clicks.

Nothing comes out. "Shit," Mark mumbles to himself. "I guess I had a lot less film than I thought."

You're about to apologize, feeling like maybe you should've put up a bigger fight when he offered to take your picture.

Mark seems to read your mind. That, or he's just too nice for his own good. He pats his shirt pocket and gives you a generous smile. "Worth it, though."

The sky is getting progressively darker as the two of you walk around, occasionally pointing at places you would've liked to go, had the circumstances been different.

You both eat from snacks you find in a convenience store. You take the rest and leave it in the truck. "What should we do now?" Mark asks.

The light from the store across the street flickers. You look at the neon leaf and then back to Mark. "Have you ever gotten high?"

(Mark has gotten high before, and he tells you so. What he doesn't tell you is that the picture in his pocket is getting heavier as the seconds pass. What he doesn't tell you is that this picture may be the only evidence left of you in a few days. Maybe it will disappear with the rest of them. Mark briefly wonders if a fireproof box would work against the end of the world, and whatever that entails.

He wants to tell you that he would immortalize you in a million different pictures if he could. He would show the dying world a million different ways to breathe again.

Instead, he only nods his head. "Yeah, but it's always fun to do again.")

-

You're positive it's the fact that you've taken one too many hits of whatever joint that weed guy rolled up for you. 'Said it was his best; he was saving it for something special. Since the world is going to hell, he shared it with you.

And now you're in the bed of Mark's van, wrapped in a blanket, staring at the way Mark's lips wrap around the joint. He has a really pretty mouth, you realize, and you want to say it out loud but something heavier takes hold of your chest and you bury it down with all of your other fears and revelations.

Mark coughs. Puffs of smoke blow out into the hot van, and he winces at the smell. "Didn't the guy say this was the special stuff? Why does it still stink?"

You take the joint from him and package it up, hoping to save it for another day (or maybe you just don't want to get so high that you can't focus on Mark's face.)

Mark scrunches his nose and leans back against the cool window of the van. "We should sleep outside tonight. It's too hot in here."

"Under the stars?" you ask. You feel your heartbeat pick up, but it falls just as quickly, and you settle back into the blankets. "Don't wanna move."

"I'll move you," Mark says, a mere whisper against your right side.

You watch him open the trunk. He hops out. "Come on, Y/n. Take my hand."

His hand is warm and calloused and rough and you want to ask him if he can actually play that guitar in the back of his van or if it's just for show. Mark lets you sit on the concrete of the pier. It's warm beneath your skin. Mark parked the van right against the pier, so the two of you could sleep right next to the edge.

While you hang your legs off of the edge, Mark drags the mattress out and pushes it right up to the railing. "Didn't peg you for a stoner."

You grab the blanket he throws at you and lie down on the mattress. "I'm not," you say, no bark to your words. "You're just better at it than me."

"At smoking?" Mark laughs. "I only took one hit. You took, like, four."

"So?" You pout and refuse to return his stare. Instead you try to focus on the stars, and the way their alignments seem off. You wonder if it's the end of the world, or if it's just the weed. "I wish we had more time."

The candor in your voice causes Mark to finally settle down. He lays down. His shoulder brushes against yours, and when his fingers twitch, his knuckles touch yours. It stirs up a gentle longing in your heart. What might be. What never was. You turn to face Mark. "We haven't found your soulmate, yet."

Mark lets out a shaky breath. Something between a gasp and a sigh. He blinks, looks at you like he's indulging, and blinks again. "I don't know if I want to."

(He knows he doesn't want to. Hasn't for a long time now. But your innocent worry has him thinking. Has him wondering how much a soulmate is worth in the end.

He thinks of how you let your guard down when you're high. He thinks of the jolt of electricity that zips down his arm when your fingers touch his. He thinks of your face, so close to his and yet he's so, so afraid of leaning in. Or letting go. Or scaring you away.

Mark doesn't have to find his soulmate. There's no time, and no lead. He thinks that he'd be disappointed anyway.

At the end of all things, he thinks he'd just rather be with you.)

-

"Where'd you even learn how to siphon gas?" you cough. The air is growing thinner. An estimate of three or four days left, and the air is beginning to fall against the atmosphere like a weighted blanket. Ash and dust rise from the ground, and you keep a bandanna around your nose most of the time.

Mark spits gasoline out of his mouth and shoves the nozzle into his van. "Cub Scouts, remember?"

"Who knew Cub Scouts would prepare you for the end of the world." You kick the van's back tire.

Mark lifts his own red bandanna around his mouth. His jeans are scuffed up from the dirt and grime of the gas station, but the fact that he keeps his shirt tucked in and fastened with a belt is more endearing than it needs to be.

"Too bad I never earned my saving-the-world badge, right?" Mark chuckles. A sad silence follows.

You slip into the passenger seat beside Mark and place your hand over his as soon as it's placed on the gear shift. "What did you want to be? Before the news?"

Mark opens his mouth. Then closes it, laughs to himself and shakes his head. "It's stupid."

"It can't be stupid," you say. "Nothing you like is stupid."

Mark's neck flushes red. "I, uh, want to be a rapper."

"Still?" you whisper.

"Is that pathetic? To pretend the world isn't ending?" Mark lets himself glance at you for a solemn moment.

"I don't think so," you say. "If I've learned anything from you at all, Mark Lee, it's that you're full of hope. That's not pathetic at all."

Mark flips his hand over so that your fingers intertwine with his. "Thanks. You, uh... You've taught me a lot of things too."

"Like what?" You lift your feet onto the dash and squeeze Mark's hand.

"I don't want to say right now."

"Okay." You pull his hand into your lap and run your fingertips over his calloused palms. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you this, but do you play guitar?"

"Yeah," Mark turns down a neighborhood of beach houses. "Remind me to play for you sometime."

(Mark likes the way you touch him first. He likes that you let him hold your hand. He likes that you pull his hand into your lap. He feels so much peace that for a brief moment, he thinks that if the world were to end right now, off-schedule, he'd be okay with it. He doesn't know how to tell you that you're teaching him to be okay with the end. He doesn't know how to tell you that he finds forever in these small moments with you.)

-

Mark takes you to his aunt's empty beach house and the two of you move your stuff in. He finds the solar generator, and the two of you take showers for what seems like the first time in awhile. You don't feel like wearing anything, welcoming the generated AC. But, out of respect for Mark, you adorn undergarments and a large t-shirt stolen from his "clean" suitcase. (He has a "clean" suitcase and a "dirty" suitcase, which is another thing you really admire about Mark.)

When you come out of the shower, towel around your neck, Mark is sitting on the corner of the bed. His own towel has been thrown over the window-side wicker chair, covering a starfish pillow.

What startles you is the fact that he isn't wearing a shirt; only a pair of black sweatpants. A pair of glasses you've never seen before are perched atop his nose. They slip down every time he looks towards the neck of his guitar. He strums out a sour chord and scrunches his nose. "Ah," he shakes his head at the instrument. "She needs a good tuning."

You're drying your hands with your towel, eyes hazy and focused on the way Mark's bare shoulders tense every time he strums a particularly bad chord.

Mark Lee is really pretty. His black hair is still damp, and a few droplets fall onto his cheeks. "Here," you rush out, not wanting another distraction in his favor. "Let me dry your hair. You'll get a cold."

Mark sets the guitar aside and you stand between his legs. "What song should I play for you?" He closes one eye and peers up at you with a close-lipped smile.

You hum. Toss the towel over his face so he won't notice how warm your face is getting. You dry his hair off with a few massages. "What's the one that makes you most happy?"

"I dunno," Mark says. "I like Come Back To Bed."

"Then sing that one to me." You toss the towel to the floor. For a moment, you wonder what it would feel like to run your hand through his hair. After all, you did just dry his hair, which is kind of an intimate thing already. But maybe touching it would be crossing the line. Maybe reaching out to tuck that stray hair back behind his ear would reveal too much. Unravel what you've been trying not to show.

But the world is ending, so it's time to have courage. You swallow your fear and reach out. When you run your fingers through his soft hair, Mark sighs in content. "That feels nice."

"Y-Yeah?" you say, because anything else would come out as a squeak.

Mark's eyes are closed. He leans into your touch and when your hand trails down the side of his face, behind his ear, he places a kiss against your inner wrist. "Yeah," he says, breath hot on your skin. "I'm... I'm glad I went into that convenience store a few days ago."

"Me too." You sense the mood drifting, so you sit beside Mark and pat his guitar. "Now play me something."

Mark nods, a big dazed. He picks up his guitar and begins to sing to you, and you think his voice sounds like the hope of a new dawn.

(Mark wants to bottle up the color of your blushing cheeks and paint the sky. He wants to hold you close to him and kiss you breathless. He wants to say so much more than he does.)

-

Mark makes eggs. You make waffles. They're both a little burnt, but they're made with love, so it's fine. You eat as much as you can, tired of all the convenience store food. "Thank God for your aunt's well-stocked, solar-powered beach house."

Mark giggles. "You know, she was gonna sell it later this year. She wanted to move to the mountains."

"I'm glad she didn't," you say. "This isn't a bad place for... you know."

Mark blinks. Solemnity drowns his face. "She rented a cabin in the mountains. Didn't want to die in the city she was born in. This was the best place I could think of for the end."

"Do you think it will hurt?" You don't want to ask, because it's such a dismal concern. However, you wonder if you're the only one worried about your last moments.

Mark shakes his head. "I think it will be very quick. Like a sneeze."

(Mark wants to say that he's terrified of a slow death. Or dying before you. Of having to watch you die, or leave you alone in this world. He wants to say that he's scared to death and every step feels like a closer one to the grave.

He thinks of telling you, but what difference would it make?)

-

That night after your shower, you find Mark in the kitchen, washing the dishes. "You don't have to do those, you know."

You wrap your arms around Mark's waist, and as soon as you make contact, he shudders. His body slumps against the sink and he hiccups a sob. "I'm scared, Y/n."

"Mark..." you turn him around as gently as you can and pull him into your embrace. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

"Times almost up," he chokes. "We don't know if it will happen tonight or tomorrow– and I don't want to leave you."

He lifts his head from your shoulder and presses his forehead against yours. It feels a bit like the way a cat might ask for a scratch. But it feels more like Mark wanting to be as close to you as he can. From here, you can see his wide eyes magnified from tears. He sniffs.

You bump your nose against his and shift your hands up to his shoulders. "Mark, I think I love you. I know it's too soon, but we don't really have much time anyways, so I thought I should tell you. I know now isn't a good time, and I'm probably being extremely selfish for saying it while you're crying–"

"You're not," Mark blurts just before he kisses you.

He holds your face in his hands and pulls you against him. His lips are soft and smooth against your chapped ones and you like the way his breathing gets heavier when you reach up and twirl your fingers through his hair. "I love you too."

His hands shift to your waist. He backs you up until you hit the counter's edge. "Jump," he mumbles against your mouth.

You jump onto the counter and wrap your legs around Mark's middle, pulling him flush against you as you go to kiss him again.

He kisses bites your bottom lip and when you gasp at the pain, he leans back to smirk at you. The look on his face makes you want to either slap him or melt into his touch. You choose the latter, leaning back as his lips begin to trail down your jaw. "I don't ever want to let you go."

"Then don't," you say.

(Mark thinks having sex and making love are two different things. He thinks your pink shorts look really pretty against the color of your skin. He thinks of the sounds you make, and the softness of your stomach. He thinks of purple marks on your thighs and the way you say his name like it's worth something. Like it means something. He thinks of looking into your eyes and telling you that he loves you. He thinks of kissing your lips and your neck and your chest and your hips. He thinks of you trembling against him. He thinks of cleaning you up and pulling his hoodie over your tired form. He thinks of kissing your forehead and falling asleep to the sound of your heart.

He thinks of the stain glass picture his aunt has in her kitchen right above the sink. A poem about the sun and the moon. A picture of the two kissing. The words ring like an anthem in his head. He thinks maybe soulmates always find each other in the end.)

-

It happens in the night. You get up to get a drink of water. Your legs are sore but your heart feels warm.

You take small sips in front of the sink and look out of the window. The clouds are dark and red again, but you're distracted by a little hanging picture suctioned to the pane. It's a stain glass picture, painted gaudy blue and gold. You can see the vivid picture of the sun and the moon, fitting against each other like missing puzzle pieces. There's a poem painted in messy scrawl, but you make out the words easily enough.

Tell me what is more beautiful;

The sky seems to get closer.

How the moon lets the sun shine throughout the day.

The air seems to get warmer.

Or the way the sun lets the moon glimmer at night.

The sky darkens, and you close your eyes. You think of Mark alone in the bed and hope he won't wake. You hope he won't know that he has to go alone. You want to run to him, but you know this is nothing but a second on earth, and you're all out of time.

(Mark wakes up when his skin feels like it's scalding. He sits up and notices that you aren't beside him. You're gone, and he knows it's the end, and he knows he'll never see you again, and the thought claws it's way down his throat and breaks his heart from the inside out. And he's all out of time.)

[heavenlymisa]

red carpet reassurance. (part one.)

Erik “Killmonger” Stevens x Black!reader

warnings; The n-word, fluff, fear, cuteness :) this takes place four months after “bounce back to a throwback”. if you haven’t read it yet, then go below and click “Masterlist” :) 

summary; Your boyfriend, Erik, invites you to go to the Grammys with him. Being the best girlfriend you are, said yes, without thinking of the consequences. The day of the grammys you get cold feet, now it’s up to Erik to calm your nerves.

an; a special and magnificent shout-out goes to @ljstraightnochaser​ for giving me some more ideas for this lil series i got! <3 I apologize for not posting this sooner! Covid-19 has been on my ASS-

<< Masterlist >>

It’s been a couple of weeks since the whole instagram live’ fiasco went down and you couldn’t be any happier. You expected it to crash and burn like a lot of people who date celebrities, but it turned out different than you expected. Erik’s fans absolutely adored you. They would always ask about you when he gets on live and he just can’t help but be all giddy inside when that happens.

Right now, you were laying on top of Erik on the couch in the living room, watching tv. Erik was tracing random patterns on your back when he randomly asked you a question.

“You wanna go to the Grammys with me?”

“Hm..?”

“I said..” He lifted your chin softly so you would look him directly in the eyes. “You wanna go to the Grammys with me, ma?”

You gasped softly. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” He said with his cute lil’ smile that clearly showed his dimples.

“You can meet all your lil’ artists that you like so much.”

“But, babe, I already met you.” You said while adjusting yourself to straddle him.

He sat up, wrapped his arms around your waist and laughed. You absolutely love his laugh. He does laugh often, but you love it even more when it’s only you hearing it.

He licked his lips and looked at you directly in the eyes. 

“Please Mami..” (Use this link for reference ) 

“Oh my god.” You tried you get away from him, but he tightened up his arms around your waist.

“Plleaasseee Mami.” He pleaded.

“Erik! St-”

“Mami mami mami mami PLEAASSEEE.” He gently shook you while you laughed.

“Por favor?” He said quietly while looking up at you with puppy dog eyes.

“Okay fine!” You said while rolling your eyes. “But only so you’ll stop begging!”

“But my begging worked so I’m not complaining.” He said with a smirk.

You laid back down on his chest and continued to watch T.V. while Erik rubbed your back. After a while, you started to think about how the Grammys would turn out. Would I even look good? Will everyone look at me like I’m a clown? I hope I don’t look a hot mess. Thoughts like that swarmed your mind until Erik cupped your face with both of his hands and turned your head to face his.

“Ma, you aight?” He said with concern written on his face.

“Yeah... I’m fine.” You said while putting a small smile on your face.

“Aight...” He kissed your lips. “You were making that face you always make when you think really hard..... I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

“Aw, Baybeee....” You kissed his cheek.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s my job to worry about you!” He said while lightly shaking your head. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t worry about my, babygirl? Hm?” He laid your head back down and dramatically started rocking you like a baby.

You broke out into a fit of giggles while Erik tightened his grip around your torso and rocked you intensely.

“E-Erik!! S-StAW-”

“I’m showing you that I care about you, babygirl!” He said in-between grunts.

“You’re gonna fling us off of the couch!” You said while trying to escape his death-grip he has on you.

He stopped rocking and locked eyes with you.

“But, it’s my job to worry about the most important girl in my life. Don’t forget it.”

You rolled your eyes and laid back down on his chest. “I won’t”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 1 week later ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“Are you going to the Grammys? Yeah, Y/N is coming with me too. So i’m sure it’s gonna be really fun.” Erik licked his lips before leaning into phone to read some more comments off of his Instagram live.

“Are you nominated for the Grammys? Yup yup. I’m nominated for uh... Best New Artist, Best Song, Best Record, and Best Album.” He turned around to be met with his girlfriend sleeping peacefully on the bed. Erik rubbed her shoulder and turned around back to his phone.

“Do you guys have outfits picked out? Not yet, but whatever Y/N wears, she’s gonna look good.” Erik smiled to himself before continuing to read his comments until he fell asleep.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 3 weeks later ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“BABY!” You felt something soft hit you on your back.

You grumbled incoherent words and turned over on your side.

“So we doin’ that now... Aight...”

You heard footsteps walk away so you decided to go back to sleep. A couple of minutes later, you felt the covers, and your warmth, being snatched from yourself.

“Rise and shine, princess!” You opened your eyes to see Erik smiling with all of his teeth showing and holding the covers with both of his arms.

“N’jadaka...” You groaned while walking towards the bathroom.

“Whoa now... you didn’t need to say a nigga’s government name like that.” He said while following you.

You rolled your eyes while you walked into the bathroom, closing the door on his face.

“Wow. Okay. Um.... your clothes are onto of the sink, babygirl. We’re leaving in 30 minutes to get our outfits, get our make-up done, our hair done, and uh.... I don’t know. I forgot. It left my brain.. Love you, Mamas!”

You snickered to yourself.

“I love you too, Negro!”

You looked at yourself in the mirror and smiled, but then that smile disappeared when today registered in your head. 

Today was the Grammys.

shitshitshitshitshitshitshitSHIT- You rubbed your face and sighed. You can get through this.. You hope..

-----

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Erik- okay.”

“Lock the door. I love you.” He chaste kissed you and grabbed the Tesla key card from you.

“I love you too.”

He closed the door and you locked the car while watching him walk into the Dry Cleaners. You still had thoughts in your head about the Grammys. Of course you said yes and you knew that the Grammys were a BIG deal, it’s just that it didn’t catch up to you at you were ACTUALLY going to the Grammys. 

You looked over to the dry cleaners to see a girl jumping around near Erik while he was writing something, supposedly his signature. They talked for a while until he pointed at the car and smiled. They both looked at you and started waving. So, you waved back and smiled.  They started talking again so you started playing some music while you waited on Erik.

A couple of minutes later, Erik came back with two black garment bags. You unlocked the car and he opened back door. 

“Thanks, Baby.” He said while putting the garment bags in the back seat.

“No problem.”

He shut the door and got into the driver’s seat. He paused for a couple of seconds before turning his head towards you.

“Baby, you good?” He said with concern laced in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” 

He looked you up and down before slowly starting the car and driving off. 

He drove for a little bit in silence, listening to the music, before starting a conversation with you.

“You know... I love that hoodie on you, Mamas..”

You rolled your eyes. The hoodie that you were wearing right now was a red hoodie. The same red hoodie that Erik was wearing right now. The only thing different about it was that on the back of your hoodie it says, ‘Monger’s Girl’. 

“Of course you love this hoodie, Daka.” You said while chuckling.

“Hell yeah I do! It means you’re not going anywhere! So you can tell your lil’ boyfriends you were planning on dating after we were to “break up” that you’re gonna be preoccupied with me.” He stated with a smug look on his face.

“I wasn’t planning on dating anyone after you. You’re too cute.” 

You two sat in silence for a little bit...

“It’s the dick, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

You two broke out into a fit of laughter which caused Erik to swerve a little bit. Man... you wouldn’t trade him for the world...

----

You two arrived at your friend Avery’s hair salon and sat in the car for a little bit. Erik was on Instagram while you were on Snapchat, taking random pictures.

“Oh, so that’s what we’re doing now?”You turned your body towards Erik and he looked pissed. Only this time, you can truly say that you didn’t do anything.

“What?”

“You taking pictures without me, baby. I thought we were a team.” He started to fake pout and do puppy eyes towards you.

You laughed and opened the door. You got out of the car and turned around to be met with Erik looking at you like he was very shocked offended at something you just did. You then realized what happened:

You opened the car door.

 Erik loves to be a gentleman to you and NEVER (emphasis on the never) let’s you open a car door when you’re with him by all means. Oh shit- “What??” You chuckled.

“Mama, when have you EVER opened a car door since you’ve been with me?” He crossed his arms and sat back into his seat.

“Uhm... never...?” You tucked your phone into your back pocket.

“So... what makes it... okay to do that now...?” 

Oh my god...

“I don’t know...” You started to move your feet a little bit.

“What did I tell you about that ‘I don’t know’ stuff, Ma?”

You decided not to say anything and just stand there. You knew you weren’t in trouble, Erik just loves to make you feel like royalty.

He chuckled. “Get back in the car, lil mama.”

“Eri-“

“Y/N.” He gave you a stern dad look. God, if looks could kill... you would be dead by now.

You sat back down in the car and closed the door. He triumphantly smiled, knowing that he ‘won’, and got out of the car. He grabbed the garment bags, slung them over his shoulder, closed the car door, and went to your side. Erik starred at you for a couple of seconds and opened your car door, laughing.

You got out of the car and looked at Erik while he closed the door.

“Nigga, you do too much.” You said as you both started walking to the salon. Erik turned around and started walking backwards, locking eyes with you.

“Would you rather me do too much or do too little?” You started to speak until he cut you off.

“Exactly.” He pointed at you, turned back around, and jogs to the door. You playfully rolled your eye and start jogging a little bit to get to the door faster. 

Once you two got into the salon, you were greeted by two arms wrapping around you, and a sweet scent of strawberries.

“Oh my god! Hey, Y/N!!” You wrapped your arms around Avery and gently squeezed her. Avery’s hair always smelled like strawberries. Even when you two were kids, her hair smelled like strawberries. 

“Avery! Hi!” You two released from the hug. 

“Oh! Killa, you can just set the garment bags down over there.” She pointed to a clothing rack on the other side of the wall. Erik huffed and slowly started making his way to the rack.

“So,” Avery brought all of her attention towards you. “The Grammys!” 

You nodded and forced a smile on your lips, hoping that she wouldn’t notice. But being the instigator she is.. She noticed it.

“You...” She brought her voice down a little bit so Erik wouldn’t hear her. “You don’t wanna go..? Is he making you go against your will? Blink three times if he-”

“Avery!” You cut her off. She immediately stopped and looked at you.

“I want to go, I really do. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”

“Why don’t you talk to Erik about that?”

“I don’t want him to worry about me.”

“Y/N.... That’s his job! To worry about you!”

You rolled your eyes and sat down at an hair station.

“Can we just get this done and over with?”

Avery laughed and got to work.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 5 hours later ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“Baby, just come out!”

“Hold on, Daka! I gotta make sure that my dress is right!”

“Baby, you look perfect. Come on!”

Erik was already dressed and ready to go to the Grammys. You on the other hand.. was nervous as hell.

“Baby.. please, you look amazing!”

You took a deep breath and walked out of the dressing room. Erik looked you up and down before whispering a ‘wow’. He walked up to you and rested his hands on your waist. 

“You look... beautiful.” Erik spun you around and faced you towards a long mirror that was hanging on the opposite side of the wall. You both had on corresponding outfits , that Erik picked out, and you two rocked flawlessly.

“Alright guys!” Avery stomped out of another room with pieces of jewelry in her hands. “I hope you guys are- whoa!”

Her eyes became wide as she saw the outfits.

“You two look like a Disney prince and princess!” You rolled your eyes.

“So, i’m guessing i’m Prince Naveen and this beautiful girl right here is Princess Tiana?” Erik said with a smirk.

“Oh hell no.” You said while giggling.

Avery picked up the jewelry and walked over to you two. She started putting on the pieces of jewelry on you first. When she was done, she went straight to put the jewelry on Erik, giving you some time to look at yourself.

You looked into a nearby vanity and admired yourself. You actually looked like a full-on princess (you have a tiara on- and yes, it was erik’s wish.). Your everything was done. You hair, makeup, nails, ect.

Erik walked behind you, with his earrings, chains, and rings on, and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his head on your shoulder.

“Whatchu thinking about, princess?”

You overlapped you’re arms around his and sighed.

“Well, first of all, i’m thinking about how your big ass head is finna smear my makeup!”

He lifted his head from your shoulder and rested his head on top of your head.

“Is that better?”

“No, you have a heavy ass head.”

“That’s not what you said when i was eating you o-“

“OKAY!”

You quickly leaped out of his arms and walked away from him, laughing in the process.

“You didn’t need to expose me like that, y’know.” You sat down in chair while Erik followed you.

“It’s just me and you here, Ma.”

“Yeah, in this room. What if Avery heard it?”

“Then she’ll know that I gave you some bomb-ass head a couple-“

“Nigga!”

“Okay okay!” He put his hands up, like he was surrendering.

“But,” He grabbed your hand and pulled you up to your feet. “You look so damn amazing, baby.”

You looked him up and down. “I guess you look good.”

“Guess? Baby, i’m a five-star meal. Ain’t no guessing over here.”

You both laughed while Avery walked over.

“Well, my work here is done! You two want any pictures while you’re here?”

Erik pulled his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to Avery.

“As good as Y/N is over here looking? Hell yes.”

You two took lots of pictures. Goofy ones, Serious ones, non planned ones, you name it. After you were done, you said your goodbyes and went on to go to the Grammys!

shit.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

ya’ll been without this series for a whole MONTH I-

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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[forkanna]

[AO3 LINK] [WATTPAD]

Sorry about the long delay in updates. My life's been a bit up and down of late; good things and bad. Hopefully things will settle soon. Either way, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

CHAPTER NINE

This was definitely a new one on Rise Kujikawa. She felt like the world had turned upside down — again — and she was supposed to navigate her way without a map or a compass. Where to begin?

"What… are you- oh come on, liking girls doesn't make you a boy. Has that really been worrying you all this time?"

Ai blinked across at her for a few seconds. "What? Oh, yes, but… Rise-chan, I'm trying to tell you something pretty major. Aren't you paying attention?"

"Come on, you're not a boy! Regardless of why you think you are, so like, you can cut that out right now. Okay?" She reached over to take up her hand and squeeze it firmly between both of her own, trying to ignore the way Ai whimpered. "We're friends. If you never want to kiss me again, that's okay, but just wanting to kiss me a couple times? Does not mean you're a boy, or messed up, or me and you have to move to Ni-Chome, or anything. It's all good."

Ebihara remained quiet for a second, simply holding her friend's hand. Looking more than a little lost. "Well, Ni-Chome is right around the corner from here… and that's where… people like us go. Right?"

"Hey! There's no 'people like us', we're just people!"

"Ugh, I know," she burst out in irritation at herself, suddenly standing up and pacing back and forth in front of Rise. "I know! It's so stupid that I get in my own head about this, but I can't just enjoy anything. Why am I like this? Do I have no chill?!"

"Guess not." When Ai stopped to glare at her, she rolled her eyes. "Well, you really don't! I'm not saying it's bad or you're bad, but you do need to learn how to relax."

But she kept pacing. Rise had just about given up and assumed that was the end of the discussion, and that she should go back to trying to find another song to sing — when Ai suddenly knelt down in front of her, hands gripping the sofa on either side of the idol's hips.

"Wha- hey, what are you doing?!"

"Getting your attention, girl. I need you to really hear me."

"God, I hear you just fine! We just got done agreeing you don't need to make a big deal out of every-"

"My birth name was Aihiko," she pushed ahead stubbornly, such a fierce determination in her eyes that Rise had to fight down the instinct to cower. Even drunk, she could be a real force of nature. "And I always knew that didn't fit me. It just took me until really late in elementary school before I figured out why.

"What I told you and the others before was true. I was always bullied, always called 'Piggy-hara' because I was fat. Because I didn't fit in, anywhere. No matter how many times I looked at the sports clubs, at the manly men I was supposed to look up to, my parents told me I would become someday… I didn't want to. I wanted to be Taeko Ohnuki, or Utada — I wanted to be Sailor Moon. All the other boys would fight over being Red Hawk when we played Featherman; I was too happy to be Pink Argus, when nobody else would want to touch that character unless we were playing with another girl. My whole life, I knew… I just didn't have a word for it. Not until… Ikko."

When she didn't continue for a moment, Rise cleared her throat to prompt quietly, "Ikko?"

"The talk show host. Trans and fabulous. I could see right there on my television screen, in front of my crying eyes thanks to another day of bullying and shame, a woman who was born like me — living her truth, live and in colour in front of the whole country. And sure, those talk shows are a little corny, but to me, as a little boy who thought he was just going to be broken for the rest of his life? They looked like hope."

"Oh… Ikko, yeah. Think I've seen her on Shin Domoto Kyoudai, and um, Onee MANS. Yeah." Rise was struggling to keep up mentally. She felt like any second now, the whole thing was going to come crashing down around her ears…

"Believe me, I know this is a lot to take in," she said with a sigh, brow creasing in concern for her friend. Which Rise thought was encouraging. "But once I realized who and what I was, and we were now suddenly filthy fucking rich, I asked my parents to help me be who I always was. Ironic that my mother was against it and my father was only too happy to help, but I mean, life is weird. And I have never really looked back… until now. With you."

"With me? Wait, wait… I feel like I'm losing my mind a little bit here. Do I have this right? You were born as a boy — which there's no way I can believe, just look at you! But because of some talk show host, and a bunch of mean kids who were jerks to you, you decided you didn't want to be a boy anymore?"

Ai grimaced. "That is… an oversimplification, but essentially, yes."

"And now you think you made the wrong choice because…" A hard swallow. "Me. Because you like me." Ai gave a small nod. "Whoa."

"You don't believe me." Her head fell forward until it was resting on Rise's shoulder. Now that they were so close, she could feel how badly her friend was trembling. "I should have known. Stupid. Why do I always think I know better, and things will go differently? Do I have brain damage? Maybe that's it, maybe it's brain damage and I need to be admitted to some kind of facility with padded walls and electroshock."

"Shut up already, wow…" Her hand came up to gently caress over Ai's hair. "Listen... It's not that I want to be skeptical. I can tell you aren't just screwing around, but come on, how do you expect me to believe any of this? You are gorgeous! And Ikko, she's also really pretty but I can tell she was born a boy. You? No way. It's just too crazy to be possible — and if you only knew some of the things I've seen, you would know I don't say that for no reason!"

Ai nodded glumly. Defeated. That was really the only word for it, and Rise felt awful, but she also couldn't flick a switch and suddenly not have that healthy dose of skepticism. Who would believe a story like this right out of the gate with absolutely zero proof right in front of their eyes?

"Sorry," Rise finally whispered in a small voice.

"Why? Nothing to be sorry about. In fact, I know you won't get it, but you really helped me today."

"Huh? How did I do that? By not believing you?!"

"Exactly." Standing up again, she brushed off the front of her long skirt studiously. "If it's so inconceivable to you that I could have been a boy in a past life, then I guess that means I'm not crazy for pursuing my dream — living life as who I am inside. So I guess… thank you."

That sinking feeling swirling around in Rise's stomach was getting stronger. Maybe Ai wasn't kidding. But that was insane! Sure, Naoto had been able to hide her gender for a little while, but it wasn't as easy going in the other direction. If Ai were a boy in disguise, she would be doing things to hide certain aspects of her anatomy. Such as…

Such as a frilly lace collar around her neck. At all times.

"Is… what's… under here…?"

Her fingers barely came in contact with the collar when Ebihara took a step backwards — and literally tripped over the coffee table, sprawling on her back on the carpet with a ghastly yelp. Rise hurried around to crouch over her.

"I'm sorry! God, I'm really sorry, are you all right?!"

"Y-yeah," she groaned, even though she was holding her head, which indicated that no, she probably wasn't.

"I just wanted to ask about that collar," Rise said while helping her sit up. "But I didn't mean to scare you, I probably should have asked before I reached for it."

"Yeah, you should have. But it's no big deal." The phone buzzed again. "Ugh. It's getting late, we probably shouldn't ask for more time. This way we can maybe slip back in before final period and avoid catching hell."

"Hah! No way can we make it back in time, I really don't think so. But keep dreaming."

"Always," Ai offered with a slight smirk.

                                      ~ o ~

But as her friend answered the phone and she started gathering up their things, Rise's brain was swirling with far too many thoughts. They followed her out of the karaoke establishment and all the way back to the train platform, into the car itself. At least it wasn't as crowded as it would be if they caught a later train, even though they still had a good hour and a half left in their trip. Her poor young mind was plagued by a thousand questions, anxieties, and just random thoughts that were so unwelcome but wouldn't seem to go away for anything.

Could all that craziness actually be true? No. It was so impossible and ludicrous. Yet Ai had said every word with conviction, and no trace of uncertainty. Either this was one of the most convincing scams of all time, or…

Could she really be a boy?

Just glancing over at the flawlessly beautiful profile of Ai Ebihara was seemingly enough to put that possibility to death. Impossible. Even though Rise knew that there were women out there who had been born different, and she very vaguely understood the concept, she didn't know any of them personally. Any she had seen in popular media were various degrees of feminine and pretty, but still obviously not born the way she was; there were readily apparent differences. None of which she observed when looking at her new best friend. How was she supposed to believe such a wild story?

But she couldn't completely let go of how earnestly Ai had looked at her when confessing about her alleged condition. If she really were full of shit, she probably would have never tried to sell it so hard; what did she have to gain by it? Anything? Not as far as she could tell, no matter how she tried to look at it. There was no impetus for her to make up such a wild tale.

So then… crazy as it was, if she had nothing to gain by lying…

'No way, though!' she screamed internally, clamping her eyes shut for a moment as the train bumped along toward Yasoinaba. 'She's so perfect, she's prettier than me. Why is she doing this to me? Why lie? I don't know what to think anymore!'

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand slipping into her own. Rise peeled open her eyes to see her friend, this beautiful woman who she was suspecting of horrible lies, smiling gently over at her with a concerned expression. Her heart melted. It didn't clear up any confusion at all, but she couldn't pretend this girl was being cruel to her for no reason. Not when she looked at her like that.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah! Great! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I'm a horrible bitch for dropping a bombshell on you," Ai supplied quietly. "You should be pissed."

"Nope. I mean… okay, I do have a question." When there was no reply, Rise continued, "Why didn't you just show me?"

"Show you what?

"You know…"

Ai blinked at her friend's reddening features for a couple of seconds until she got it, and her lip curled. "Oh, what the fuck? You want me to just flash you?!"

"NO!" A few people turned to look at the two of them, and she double-checked that her hat was hiding her trademark hair again. "Not here! And I didn't say I wanted you to, I'm just, y'know… wouldn't that have been the easiest way? To prove what you were telling me?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but that seems really gross. Besides…"

When she didn't finish her thought, Rise nudged her with her elbow. "Hey, c'mon, don't chicken out now. We literally just made out so I don't think there's any reason to be shy anymore."

"I mean, okay, but it's not about feeling shy. I was going to say I had hoped you would believe me."

Damn. That really cut her to the core. But she couldn't even get upset about it, because as Ai said, she hadn't been holding back because she was shy. Obviously, she wasn't sure it was kind of her to issue a pseudo accusation like that. Her own fault for digging.

"Y-yeah. I can see why you would think that, but I mean, I've just never thought about anything like this before. It doesn't have anything to do with you! Yukiko or Chie could tell me the same exact thing and I would be just as skeptical. Does… I mean, do you hate me?"

"No," Ai whispered with quiet urgency, gripping her hand tighter. And Rise gripped back; she needed the comfort, and wanted her bestie to know that none of this meant she was going anywhere.

"You're sure?"

"Really, really sure. I'm sad you didn't believe me but I can't deny you have a point; as great as it is to know I look good enough to pass even when I'm telling you about it point-blank — seriously it's a huge relief, you will never know — I guess this is the one downside."

Rise tipped to the side until her head was resting on Ai's shoulder. She still felt dizzy. This was a nightmare and a dream, and she just wanted to go back to yesterday. Before she had been told impossible things that had to be true, because it was actually stranger that they be lies. It was like some kind of…

Magic.

"I'm being stupid," she finally breathed aloud as the revelation hit her like a bolt out of the blue. How could she have been looking at this so backwards?!

"What?"

"Nothing," she whispered. "Just… I've seen some pretty crazy stuff in my life. You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ai definitely wouldn't believe her. "And I'm sitting here, thinking it's too weird that you might have been born a boy? That's so dumb!"

Clearly taking that in a slightly different manner, her friend chuckled and said, "There you go. I mean, you were in the entertainment industry."

"It's not like it is in the west, Ebi-chan. Like… a little, but when I toured the U.S.? Lots of people like that, all the makeup artists, and… you know, that Lady Gaga?" Ai shook her head. "She's really big over there, I have one of her albums somewhere."

"Bring it over, then. I mean, if she's queer, I want to hear her."

"Well, I don't know she is, but she has this whole… you know, dressing like a drag queen, big feathers and meat dresses! Crazy stuff!" They both laughed together, relaxing into the closeness. Like it should be.

"Either way, bring it," Ai said, interrupting her weird stomach-upside-down moment of realising what she had just been thinking. "I mean, don't expect me to choose her over Mariya, but…"

Rise giggled and whispered, "Or me. Because you're not a fan of my trash music."

"HEY! Shut the fuck up, I never said- UGH, you are a pain in the ASS." An airy sigh as she kissed the top of Rise's head. "You're lucky you're so cute."

Full blush. Rise was glad for her sunglasses and hat or she would have died of embarrassment. Biting her lip, she reached up to pull Ai closer, almost snuggling into her as best she could on the uncomfortable train seats. All she wanted was for the world to fall away, leaving them to revel in the escape from their reality. Their escape into each other.

"I'm scared."

"Me too."

"Really?" Rise whispered. "I'm… I don't even know… what to think. Are we lesbians? Or, because you were a boy, is it just…"

"Honestly? I don't know, either. That's why I was freaking out earlier. But now, I…" She cleared her throat and said, almost fearfully, "I think 'lesbian' could be the right word. Though I did really like Yu… ugh, I'm a lost cause."

"No," she snapped at her, looking up into her eyes. "Hey. You're the number one hottie of Yasogami High. Everybody says so."

"They say I'm a bitch, too."

"So? You've earned being a little bit of a bitch for a while. But I do think it's time to put the bitchy-pants away and start being Ai Ebihara again. Or, um…" Then she laughed in embarrassment.

"What?" she asked, brow furrowed in preemptive fear.

"I forgot already. Your real name; you told me, I just… you're Ebi-chan, I can't remember it."

"Oh. Well, it doesn't matter, because that's not really me anymore. Like you with 'Risette'; you cringe every time anyone says it. Even just now."

"Huh?! No, I didn't!"

"You so did, Rise-cheese."

The pop star puffed out her cheeks angrily as she glared up at her best friend. Then she pouted extra hard. "You can't make fun of me. It's mean."

"Thought you said I earned the right to be a bitch," Ai teased with a half-smirk.

"Not to ME! And I also said you can stop now! Hmph." Then she turned away from her, folding her arms over her chest as she glared away into the compartment.

"Oh wow, dramatic." But when Rise didn't turn back after a minute, she grabbed her upper arm and shook it slightly. "Come on… you can't really be this mad." More silence. A little desperation began to enter Ai's voice. "Rise… wait, wait, you're pissed off because I called you 'cheese'?!"

"I'm not cheese." But she did peek over her shoulder, and saw Ai looking legitimately conflicted. So she laughed awkwardly and turned back around, raising a hand to smooth over her hair. "Sorry… hey, I'm sorry. I was just messing around."

Ai dipped her head, expression just as conflicted as before. "This… is hard. Wow. I knew it was dumb, and you were being dumb, and I wanted to give you more shit, but my heart just started hurting, and…"

That was quite a wealth of feelings. Rise felt a little worried; would Ai really be able to handle what they were getting themselves into? Would either of them? Unable to hold back anymore, she threw her arms around her and pulled her in for the tightest hug she could manage.

"Ebi-chan… we'll be fine. Don't be so down, don't… don't lose track of what's good between us. How we fit together."

"Yeah?" she asked shakily. "You mean, how we have nothing in common, and didn't know each other before the past few weeks, a-and… and why would you even like me?"

"We have a lot in common. We like singing, and daifuku, and Korean dramas. And we both know what it's like for people not to be able to see you for who you really are; to make a lot of assumptions about you based on your appearance." Her brow furrowed, even while she was speaking. "Oh… and I guess that was even worse for you when you were a kid, huh? If you were a boy… and you felt like a girl inside… is… I mean, did I say that right? Do I know what I'm talking about?"

The softest chuckle floated out of Ai's lips as she pushed her face against Rise's neck. The nose and lips felt warm, and soft, and a little moist where she was speaking against her skin… creating goosebumps in the wake of the breath. "You're saying everything right. You always do. Probably an idol superpower."

"Maybe," she admitted with a light laugh, some of her anxiety beginning to melt away. "But I promise I'll only use it for good. I'll do my best!"

"God, you can't even turn it off. So gross!"

"You don't have to call me 'gross'! That's not nice!"

"Hey, I'm totally nice. What would you do without me being so 'nice' you want to punch a baby?"

When Rise pulled back, the most horrified expression on her face at that last bit of imagery, Ai burst out laughing so hard that she had to double over, arms wrapped around her middle. The mirth was catching; Rise giggled until she snorted like a pig, then was covering her face with both hands in shame while her supposed best friend guffawed openly at her. And she wouldn't have had it any other way, mortifying as it was. At least it meant the worst was over.

Wasn't it?

                                       To Be Continued…

[nad-zeta]

🌚Um.. a matchup for Ikesen, please? I'm usually confident, hardworking, and diligent. I'm considered the "star of the class" and a real genius and nerd, but I enjoy having fun as well! I love to draw manga, watch anime, play Otome and RPG games, listen to music, play the guitar, and sing! I'm a sensitive bean and I cry a lot if I do something wrong. I have a habit of blaming myself although I'm trying to stop that habit. I'm empathetic and I always try to make others happy by helping them. 1/2

🌚My confidence lies in what I do best. I love to speak in front, such as doing speech and public speaking, because I love to talk and inspire. I try my best to be helpful to others, but sometimes I try too much to please everyone. I'm a bit chubby and I'm a bit insecure but I try to be confident in my looks but I can't help it, food is life, hehe. My eyes are a unique brown especially when the sunlight shines through, my hair is also brown. I'm quite short, about 153-155 cm. Thank you! 2/2

Hi hi, love! 🌻Thank you so so much for the request!😆❤ Sorry for taking sooooo long! 😱I hope you enjoy it and i hope you have the best day! ❤🌻

So I match you with............. Sasuke

When you first arrive in the past and save Nobunaga from death by fire, you were hella confused. You have no idea what had happened to you, and honestly you low key thought it was some kind of prank. You laughed when nobunga told you, just who he was and what year it was. You looked around the tree line for the hidden cameras, but there was non. Honestly, things only started to feel real once you arrived at the castle and Nobunaga named you as princess.

From day one, you worked hard to earn the oda forces trust and respect. You were incredibly diligent, and soon all suspicion of you being a spy was dropped. You honestly brought new life into the castle, as your hard work inspired some of the lazier maids to pull up their socks, they couldn’t dare let the new princess outshine them. You went up and beyond what was expected of you, and the small details of your work certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Especially your addition of flowers in every room of the castle, which you would handpick every few days, it just seemed to brighten up the place and give it livelier energy.

TBH you were a big fan of history, so you knew the history of these historical figures pretty well. You low key had to catch yourself sometimes, especially before you completely nerd out in front of them. Especially when talking to Ieyasu, you had been a big fan of him since learning about him in history class, in fact, you were secretly fangirling over all the warlords. 

It got a bit lonely at times, you missed your friends and being able to chat about your favourite animes and mangas. You loved your new warlord friends, but it still felt like they just weren’t on the same wavelength as you. Your hobbies and interests were just so different, and you found it difficult to relate to them sometimes.

After Hideyoshi stop suspecting you of being an assassin, he became like your second mother, and today was a prime example of that. He had handed you a bag full of golden coins and shooed you to the markets to relax and take a load off. You wandered around aimlessly until something caught your attention. A nerdy looking guy wearing a white science coat, you got a bit closer and when you overheard his conversation with his friend you were positive, HE WAS ALSO FROM THE FUTURE. You were so excited to have finally met someone, not from this time that you instantly tapped him on the shoulder. You thought of a phrase that you could ask him, which would quickly confirm whether or not he was from your time. “Excuse me, dude could you please spill the tea on where you’re from.” You knew If he was truly from the future, he wouldn’t question your lingo or your addressing him as dude. Sasuke stared at you shook, just when you began to question whether he really was from the future, he gave a slither of a smile and said, “Exe.Sasuke stopped working, need to reboot,” all while doing some strange robot dance. The two of you laughed, leaving a very confused Yuki looking at the two of you. 

Sasuke took yours and Yuki’s hands and dragged both of you to the nearest teahouse where he explained that he had been looking for you for four years. “WHAT YOU’RE FROM THE FUTURE.” Yuki was in a state of shock, he always suspected Sasuke had a secret with the weird way he talked but never in a million years did he think this was possible. Meanwhile, you were over the moon as not only was Sasuke from the future, but he was also a fellow nerd 

Since that day, the three of you would hang out together every day. You finally found a friend that could understand all your nerdy jokes and references. Often the two of you would go to the teahouse together when Yuki was busy with work. You and Sasuke would legit chat for hours and hours about your favourite animes, otome games and mangas. When Yuki would finally join the two of you after work, it was standard procedure for you guys to tease the poor boy until he was as red as a beet. Sasuke loved that he had finally found a fellow intellectual and nerd as sometimes it was difficult to bounce ideas off his BFF, as let’s face it Yuki didn’t understand half the words that would come out of Sasuke’s mouth.

It had definitely become a tradition for the three of you to play boards at least once a week. Both you and Sasuke loved playing RPG games in the future, so the two of you banded together to create the closest version to that in this Sengoku period. You honestly loved these weekly game nights with the boys. It gave you a sense of nostalgia, and you couldn’t help but smile at the great time you were having with your new friends. These game nights were always filled with witty banter, plenty of junk food and a ton of laughs.

At some point, Kenshin and Shingen had come to visit their vassal only to walk into the room with, Yuki flipping the table in frustration, while you and Sasuke gripped your sides in laugher at his sore loser behaviour. Since then the god of war and Tiger of Kai would occasionally join your game nights, which you always enjoyed. The more people to tease and beat, the better. 

Soon it came time for them all to go back home and prepare for the war that was brewing between the two forces. You couldn’t help but cry when Sasuke and Yuki had come to say their goodbyes. You, after all, were a sensitive little bean and you were definitely going to miss nerding out and joking around. You sat alone in your room when suddenly out of thin air Kenshin jumped down from your roof, you were sister shook. Kenshin had been watching you and Sasuke for some time now during your game nights. He knew at this point that his ninja had fallen in love with you and honestly despite looks, Kenshin had a soft spot for those who he held dear. He asked if you would like to live in his castle with the wacky bunch, even going as far as offering you a job to sweeten the deal. You loved the oda forces, and they were definitely like family to you, but honestly, you had too long ago fallen for the nerdy ninja boy. Plus over time you had really come to love Kenshin and the gang. You definitely didn’t hesitate to accept Kenshin’s offer. You quickly packed up all your belongings and wrote a long letter to each of the Oda forces expressing how much you loved and was going to miss them. 

You made your way to Kasugayama with Kenshin to arrive on the evening of Sasuke’s birthday. Kenshin smiled as he walked into the banquet hall with you trailing behind him, “Sasuke I have a birthday gift for you.” Sasuke looked up and locked eyes with you, he was ecstatic. You simply smiled and walked over to your long time friend and handed him a birthday gift that you had managed to make for him on your journey to Kasugayama. 

You had hand-drawn him a manga, not only that but on the last page of this homemade manga was a confession of love. When Sasuke realized that you had felt the same way he did, he used his hand towel to very dramatically dab away his fake tears, before capturing you in his arms and showering your face in small kisses. You couldn’t help but break into the biggest blush as everyone at the banquet cheered and whistle. Honestly, they had never seen Sasuke ever show any kind of emotion, but now with you in his arms, he was wearing the biggest smile and radiating pure happiness.

Sasuke loved everything about you. He loved that you could sing and play instruments. He could listen to your beautiful voice for hours and hours, he especially enjoyed it when the two of you would make up stupid songs about the most random of topics and sing them while trolling the people of Kasugayama. It was always a good time to irritate them like younger siblings would. 

As a fellow intellectual, you relay enjoyed helping Sasuke with his research, tracking wormholes and discovering new theories of time and space. You loved bouncing ideas and theories off each other. Together the two of you managed to make and design the coolest ninja weapons, which was mostly for your entertainment. As the two of you would play ninja ninja out in the garden, throwing smoke bombs and blunt ninja stars at each other.

For a brief time, you and Sasuke even went back to the future so that Sasuke could present his research findings. He honestly was such a nervous little bean, so he really appreciated the fact that you were right there by his side the entire time, giving him all the help and support. He also loved that you helped him with his presenting skill and listened to his presentation over and over until it was perfect. Of course, after the presentation was over, the two of you went back to the past the second the next wormhole opened, as that was where all your friends and loved ones were. 

Upon your return, Kenshin threw the two of you a big banquet to welcome you home, where Sasuke sang your praise for helping and supporting him. Kenshin was so impressed by your skills in the field of public speaking and presenting that he actually appointed you an official job as Uesugi force negotiator and mediator. A job which enables you to inspire people to work together towards a more peaceful world, free of conflict.  

Sasuke knew that you had some insecurities around your body, which he didn’t understand at all as, in his eyes, you were the most beautiful woman alive. A fact, which he would remind you of every day by wrapping his arms around your waist and gently whispering just how much he adored you, before meeting your lips in a sweet kiss. 

Sasuke loved to spend as much time as humanly possible with you, joking around and chatting for hours and hours about all your common interests. If the two of you cuties aren’t trolling Yuki, you are snuggled together just enjoying each other presence. Usually, Sasuke would hold you in his arms as he rests his head on your shoulder while you play the guitar and sing the most beautiful songs to him. 

This romantic ninja boy will most definitely also take you up onto the rooftop and cuddle with you while telling you everything he knows about the stars and universe above you. You can’t help but smile and kiss his cheek thanking the universe for sending you your better half

Other potential matches..........Mitsunari! 

I hope you enjoyed this love and I hope you have a super good day! 🔥❤🌻😊

[chilling-seavey]

Anything But Mine (d.s.) - Chapter Ten

A/N didn’t end up moving out of residence...WDW better come back to keep me sane I sweAR. You’ll probably get novel updates every day because I won’t have anything better to do ay ay

Monday, October 28th, 2019

Meeting Emilio was one of the best things that had happened to Florence. At least that’s what she thought every time they were together. Every time they met up after she finished her short shift and he finished his classes. As time went on, Daniel was busy with school and Grayson was staying late at work, leaving plenty of time for Emilio and Florence to spent the evenings together. She was drawn to him in so many ways. He showed her what it was like to be young and reckless. Even grocery shopping was an adventure with him, as he pushed her around the store in the cart, tossing random items - that she definitely didn’t need - at her playfully. They would dance down the aisles to the cheesy pop songs that played through the speakers or sometimes he would push her against the shelves and kiss her until an old lady would come into view and glare at them. Life was so much more fun with Emilio around.

Florence gripped the end of the grocery cart, the metal rattling in her hands as it barrelled down the parking lot. Emilio ran behind it, as fast as he could go.

“I swear if anything in those bags break you’re a dead man!” Florence shouted over the noise of the wheels on the pavement. Emilio only laughed, skidding to a stop next to his car, the sudden change making Florence fly forward and tumble in the cart. She laughed loudly, pushing her hair back from her face.

“Who said grocery shopping can’t be fun?” Emilio asked, leaning in to grab some of the bags, stopping to kiss her on his way back up. Florence watched him load the bags in the trunk of his car, smiling peacefully. He closed it and then turned to her, raising an eyebrow at her staring. She glared back at him. Emilio leaned in slowly, pursing his lips in a mock judgmental expression. The two kept their staring contest, until Florence pressed a quick kiss to his lips, making him startle, blinking once in the process.

“You lose!” she chanted, getting to her feet inside the cart.

“You cheated.” Emilio scoffed, holding the cart steady as she climbed out.

“I am no cheater.” she tisked, pinching his cheeks in her hand. “You’re just fucking irresistible.”

Emilio pulled her into him, hands falling to the back pockets of her jeans. When he squeezed, she gasped and pushed him back.

“Stop that. That’s no way to treat a lady.” Florence jabbed.

“A lady?” Emilio laughed. “You weren’t acting like a lady last night.”

“Emilio!” Florence squeaked, looking around them to make sure no one heard. “Shut up!”

He pulled her into the car and headed off. They had to stop by the boys’ house to pick up Clementine; the Clifford’s were busy and couldn’t watch her while Florence was at work that morning. Emilio waited in the car as Florence went up to the porch.

Corbyn answered the door, an open textbook in one hand and a highlighter between his lips. He tucked it behind his ear when he saw her.

“Here for Clem?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Florence smiled.

“Jack and Zach have her upstairs. One sec, I’ll grab them.” Corbyn took a few steps back to the stairs and leaned up. “JACK. FLORENCE’S HERE!”

“5 more minutes?!” Jack shouted back.

“No!” Corbyn yelled.

“Ok, coming!”

“Is Daniel home?” Florence asked Corbyn as they waited for the two youngest to bring down the baby.

“No he’s still at school.” Corbyn eyed the car in the driveway. “Who’s that?”

“A friend.” Florence shrugged.

Corbyn accepted that answer, looking back down at his textbook. Florence peeked over the top.

“Whatcha reading?”

“The Science of Stars.” Corbyn held up the cover to her, still scanning the page.

“Interesting.” Florence rolled her eyes.

“Very interesting.” Corbyn agreed, not catching her sarcasm as he was distracted, “Did you know that-“

“Thank, God. We got here just in time before Corbyn bored her to death with space facts.” Zach said, following Jack to the door. Jack handed over Clementine and her things to Florence who thanked him with a laugh.

“Just because you don’t have brains doesn’t mean people don’t appreciate mine.” Corbyn jabbed. He said a quick goodbye to Florence before heading back upstairs. Jack and Zach kissed one of the baby’s cheeks each, making her giggle in her mother’s arms. They said their goodbyes and Florence headed back to the car. She got Clementine buckled in the backseat and then got herself into the passenger side and Emilio drove them home.

Putting groceries away was only fun when Emilio was with her. Mostly because he did the work while she sat on the island and directed him. Clementine was in her high chair, feeding herself Cheerios, watching the two adults work their way around the kitchen. Emilio had offered to make a traditional Spanish dish for her that night; Florence happily agreed, letting him add things to the grocery cart and now he lined the ingredients up along the counter.

“You know,” Florence said after a bit of silence, “I’m basically giving you permission to poison me.”

Emilio turned to her, with a cheeky smile, “How did you know that’s what I was doing?”

He moved to stand between her legs, his hands on her thighs. Florence smiled warmly at him, taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply. Emilio wrapped her legs around his waist and parted her lips with his own. When his hands fell to the button on her jeans, she pushed him back.

“What?” Emilio pouted.

Florence gestured towards Clementine, who was staring at them intently, a Cheerio stuck to her cheek. When they looked at her, the baby giggled, the piece of dry cereal falling to the floor.

“We can’t do anything with a little chaperone around, can we?” Emilio said in a high voice, leaning in to Clementine and tickling her tummy while pressing kisses to her chubby cheek. The baby shrieked gleefully, pressing her tiny hand to his mouth. Emilio stopped for a second before taking her fingers between his lips, pretending to eat them. Clementine laughed loudly, pulling her hand back.

“Hurry up and make dinner.” Florence clapped her hands. “I’m starved.”

“Your kid distracted me!” Emilio protested.

“She distracted you?” Florence said in fake offence.

“Both of you distracted me! You’re the definition of double trouble.”

Florence got off the island and went to get Clementine into bed as Emilio started dinner. She had enough time to bathe her as well as read her a short story before tucking her into her crib. By the time she was done, Emilio was setting the plates at the small dining table, a candle lit between their place settings.

“Well aren’t you a gentleman.” Florence chuckled.

Startled, Emilio looked over to her, then broke out in a smile, “Oh, of course.”

He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down, sending him a small ‘thank you’. Emilio handed her a glass of wine from the counter before seating himself across from her.

“I never was much a wine person.” Florence stated before taking a small sip.

“Me neither but I thought it would look fancy.” Emilio chuckled.

Dinner went on nicely. Florence was surprised at how good of a cook Emilio really was; not something you see often from a college student. It was special to sit there under the dimly lit kitchen lights and the single candle flame together, Florence’s smile not leaving her face. She felt spoiled, even if this was almost the equivalent of her daily routine of her childhood. This was different and she felt so special. Emilio took her hand in his over the table, smiling over at her.

“What?” Florence chuckled.

“You’re beautiful.” Emilio whispered.

“Shush.” Florence blushed, turning her attention to the cityscape.

The sound of the door opening had her head turning abruptly the other way. The lowered kitchen lights left the room almost in the dark but the city lights from windows allowed Florence to see Grayson walking into the kitchen. Florence froze as he caught her gaze. Grayson stopped in his path, grocery bags in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in his other. His eyes fell to the table top where Emilio’s hand rested on hers.

“Gray-“ Florence started, taking her hand back quickly. Without speaking, Grayson placed the groceries and the flowers on the kitchen island and walked briskly back to the front door. The sound of it slamming had Florence on her feet.

“Fuck.” she breathed, grabbing her purse from the coffee table. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She told Emilio over her shoulder, who was left stunned in his chair.

The elevator doors just closed as Florence reached them but she didn’t hesitate to run for the stairs. Twenty flights weren’t easy but were worth it as she burst out the door as Grayson was approaching his car in the parking garage.

“Gray!” Florence shouted after him, her voice echoing over the concrete walls. “Grayson!”

“Don’t.” he said plainly as she approached.

“Grayson, listen to me.” Florence grabbed his arm. He let her turn him around. 

She could have sworn she could see tears in his eyes.

“Who is that?” Grayson asked before she could speak.

“Callum’s boyfriend’s brother.” Florence said.

Grayson scoffed.

“It’s true.”

“It might be true but it doesn’t hurt any less. He was holding your hand over a romantic candle lit dinner! What am I supposed to think?!”

“I-I don’t know! I don’t think it’s much of your business to be honest.” she blurted it out in her panic.

“Any of my business?!” Grayson raised his voice. “You’re sitting there cheating on me-“

“Woah.” Florence held up her hand, stopping him. “I’m not cheating on anyone. I’m not dating anyone.”

Grayson fell into silence. His gaze fell to the ground.

“Gray.” Florence sighed. “Why...did you think that we were together together?”

“Yes!” the hurt in his voice was apparent. “I took you out places and got you a really good job and we were having sex!”

His bluntness in the echoing parking garage made Florence clear her throat awkwardly.

“What made you think that we weren’t?!” Grayson asked loudly.

“We never talked about it.” Florence said plainly.

“Well, fuck, Florence!” Grayson laughed humourlessly, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “I thought it was pretty obvious.”

“I just got brutally dumped literally the day before I met you.” Florence spoke slowly. “I wasn’t ready - I’m not ready - for anything serious right now.”

“You kissed me that day.” Grayson pointed between them.

“I know. I-“

“And nothing serious?” Grayson continued. “So you’re planning on playing these guys for who knows how long until you’re finally ready to settle down?”

“Grayson, that’s not fair.” Florence crossed her arms.

“I’m sorry. That was too far.” Grayson sighed, putting his hands up in surrender.

“And guys? Plural?”

“Yeah. Me and that guy upstairs-“

“Emilio.”

“I don’t give a shit what is name is - and Daniel.”

“Daniel’s my best friend. That’s it.”

Grayson scoffed, “You keep telling yourself that.”

Florence frowned at him.

“I’m just so hurt right now.” Grayson sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know.” Florence frowned. “I’m sorry. But I really like you. And I don’t want to stop what we have.”

“I can’t.” Grayson took a step back. “I just need some space right now.”

“Gray, please.” Florence almost begged.

“I’m sorry.” Grayson opened the door to his car and got in. “I’ll see you at work.”

He drove out of the parking garage without another word, leaving Florence cold and alone.

[idiotphobic-archive]

the next milk carton kid

summary: this kid was fucked from the start, so what’s it to you if they make a pact with a demon?

words: 1,679

“what’s your name, kid?”

the vibrations of the train echoed in their ears. a beat passed before they spoke, trying to swallow the lump forming in their throat. is it really smart to give this.. man their name? what about their last name? would that be safe?

“m... murphy.”

his eyebrows flew up in surprise, but the look wasn’t on his face for long. “hm.. that’s a weird name. you sure that’s your name?”

“uh? yes?” 

“you don’t sound sure about that.” he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. if they weren’t at the mercy of this random guy, they’d laughed, maybe even accidentally smack their head against the crate from laughing so hard.

the teenager blinks slowly. once. twice. three times. fuck. they push up their glasses and rub the tiredness out of their eyes.

they’d never willingly travel here - at least, not in the rain, or during the darkest nights of the year, and yet, here they were; trudging through the damp undergrowth, ready to collapse at any moment. they stopped suddenly, enough to trip over something, making a growl bubbling up in their throat.

they hold themselves up, staring at the muddy ground. ironically enough, the only thing that could even come to mind were lyrics from a song they’d been listening to only an hour earlier. if they had anymore strength, they’d muster out a laugh. how sad, they thought to themselves, i’m going to die alone, in the forest, with my last thoughts being how good that one halestorm cover is.

they willed themselves to their feet, leaning on the upwards slope of the ground. their breathing begins to get heavier. their hands dig into the earth - a sad attempt to keep them from slipping back down again and again, being stuck in an eternal hell similarly to pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it go down the other side.

they groaned, slowly scaling the hill. mud stains everything about their appearance; their previously dirtied sneakers, their old and worn clothing, their hair, their skin - but they don’t care one bit. 

once their hands reach the top of the hill, they clutch it tightly. they pull themselves up, panting, the feeling of their wet hair sticking against their face a strange reassurance. they pulled themselves to their feet, shaking their hands to rid them of the mud, but to no avail.

the hell? they squinted, blinking multiple times. were those train tracks?

no way.. they bumped their feet together, taking in the sight before them; yes, there were indeed train tracks in the middle of this forest, somehow.. it wouldn’t be a surprise to them, since they’d seen train tracks smack dab in the middle of their small town, except they were unbearably deep in the forest - or maybe it was the lack of sleep that was causing the unusual sense of surprise.

a bright light off to their side appeared, suddenly, maybe even magically. they slowly turned their head to their right, seeing a pair of bright white headlights. they squinted, shielding their eyes using their arm. ow, ow, okay, what was going on?

the loud rumbling of a train greeted their next thoughts, and they began to panic, seeing as they were almost touching the tracks. they scrambled backwards, flailing their arms. they weren’t ready to break their neck and die just yet. they stabled themselves, watching the train approach. maybe if they hitched a ride on this train, they could get out of here.. 

before they knew it, the rumbling was louder, and the train was almost upon them. being lost in their thoughts in a situation like this could get them killed. they lightly slapped themselves, blinking repeatedly. not only being lost in their thoughts could get them killed, but falling asleep near or even on the tracks was a death sentence. 

they blinked. they pushed up their glasses to rub their eyes. they repeated the movements before the train rushes by them.

the force of the wind almost knocked them to the ground; what the hell? they’d never been on a train before, but this couldn’t be how it worked.

they shook their head, balancing on their heels before taking off in a sprint. every movement made them grit their teeth. pain echoed deep in every bone of theirs, but they reluctantly continued.

they jumped, and barely grasped the side of an open cart in their dirty hands. they gasped, wheezed, and hauled themselves into the cart with a loud thump. they coughed, and coughed, and hit their fist on their own chest, coughing up saliva and spitting it onto the wooden floor. 

the wind and rain from outside the train hits their already drenched back like a spear, and they gasp again. they shakily get to their feet, struggling, but able to close the door to the cart that they’d jumped through. 

they’re not on their feet for long, though, and they collapse to their knees. they breathe heavily, slowly, carefully. holy shit, they think to themselves, staring at the somewhat-blurry floor, i can’t believe that worked, how did that work?

they sneeze, and pull off their jacket, then their shirt. they wring both of them out, wincing, and tugging their shirt back over their head. they pop off their shoes, then their sweatpants. they rinse and repeat the same actions, slowly pulling on their sweatpants again.

they stay there, for a couple more seconds. they blink. their glasses don’t seem to be helping their vision. they clumsily take them off, and shove them into their jacket, curling it up protectively. 

they then move across the floor like an animal, and sit behind a pile of boxes and crates, collapsing against them and letting out a shaky sigh of relief. 

“well, what do we have here?”

they let out a strangled scream as a figure appears beside them, tensing up, but unable to move. tears begin to pool in their now-tightly-closed eyes as the worst-case scenario began to run through their brain. fuck, okay, i’m going to die, this is it! i’m going to die!

“you can’t be any older than eighteen..” a male voice mumbles, gently. there’s no movement, no attempt on their life, though. they trembled, but opened their eyes, and took in the person before them.

he was sitting in front of them, patiently, and a good foot or two away from them. he had loose clothes, ripped pants, and sharp nails. were those.. horns? and cat ears? and was that a tail flicking behind him?

“hey, who are you?”

the man gets no response from them; they’re too busy watching his softly glowing red eyes flick, which are staring at them intently.

“what’s your name, kid?”

the vibrations of the train echoed in their ears. a beat passed before they spoke, trying to swallow the lump forming in their throat. is it really smart to give this.. man their name? what about their last name? would that be safe?

“m... murphy.”

his eyebrows flew up in surprise, but the look wasn’t on his face for long. “hm.. that’s a weird name. you sure that’s your name?”

“uh? yes?” 

“you don’t sound sure about that.” he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. if they weren’t at the mercy of this random guy, they’d laughed, maybe even accidentally smack their head against the crate from laughing so hard. 

he continued on, with a slight sigh, “why are you here?”

“why are you here?” they retorted, feeling their hands shake. his outline was somewhat blurry, and they saw that tail move from behind him.

“answering a question with another question, are we?” his tone was dripping with amusement, and they continued to stare him down. “if that will make you answer my questions, then, okay. 

“i’m lucifer - nice to meet you, ‘murphy’ - and i’m looking to help poor kids like you that board my train.”

“your train?” they sputtered in disbelief; shit, they whined, i’m gonna be stuck in here, working on the train, huh? wait - his name is lucifer?!

“don’t worry, i won’t punish you or anything,” he nonchalantly adds, stretching out. “a lot of kids like you board my train like this, why do you think i keep the cart doors open?”

they paused, blinking. he did have a point, huh. this cart door thing only happened in movies - at least, to their knowledge.. they’d never even been near a train before this..

“but.. why are you here? what happened?” he continued on, sitting cross-legged. 

“what’s it to you?” they spat, curling in towards themself. his eyes softened, but he didn’t move. 

“what are you running from, kid?”

they flinched, and he knew that he’d hit a nerve. he sighed, running a hand through his hair as best as he could with his pointed horns. they watched him, carefully, as if he was going to strike at any moment. they inhaled, shakily, and looked off to the side.

“shit happened, okay?” they mumbled, “i saw something.. and flipped out.. and i got lost and couldn’t go back.”

the only sound was the click-clack of the running wheels of the train, and the heavy rain against the roof. lucifer couldn’t help but feel sorry, and sighed, standing up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes, and extending a hand to the disgruntled teenager.

“hey, how about we make a deal?” they met his eyes, blinking. did they hear him right? a deal? they didn’t take his hand, but adjusted themselves.

“a.. deal..?” 

“yes, a deal,” he hummed, patiently keeping his hand out. “you get to ride with me, and never have to return to your old life.”

they stayed silent for a moment, but replied, “what’s the catch?”

“you ride with me on this train for the night.”

“...is that it?” 

“yes, that’s it.” 

they bit their lip, toying with the wet jacket in their lap, but soon grabbed his outstretched hand. he pulled them up to their feet, albeit, somewhat wobbly, and gripped his hand tightly, shaking it. “it’s a deal.”

his eyes flashed, but he gave them a reassuring smile. “now that you’ve agreed, why don’t we head to the front of the train? you look like you need a towel or two.”

maybe more than that.. they clutched the jacket in their hands. “how are we gonna get there, though?”

“oh, you’ll see.” he grips their hand, and a red aura begins to surround the both of them. “close your eyes, okay?”

they do as told, shutting their eyes tightly. they feel lighter, and the aura begins to shine brightly, completely enveloping them in light. when the light disappears, they disappear as well, leaving the boxes and crates in empty railroad cart, alone.

[erintoknow]

one by one

Spiraling - A Fallen Hero: Rebirth Fan-fiction

Nights drinking with Dr. Mortum have become equal parts business and pleasure. You never know where you’ll find a new lead. [Fake]

[Read on AO3]

“Jane…?” Dr. Mortum’s voice is quiet compared to the noise of the bar. Busy night at Joes again.

“Mm?” Jane blinks, jerking her head up. “Sorry, sorry. I was a million miles away.” You need to stop thinking about Ortega. This is getting dangerous.

“Penny for your thoughts, mon amie?”

“Oh, uh…” She scans the floor, looking for something to sidetrack the conversation. “What do you make of that modded woman over there?” Jane nods her head in the direction of the game tables. A heavily scarred Latina woman with mods down the back of her head is in a heated argument with an Asian man with a crisp pressed suit. South-east Asian maybe? “Does she have any sense of self-preservation? That’s not the kind of guy I’d want to cross, personally.”

“Not the kind of person you would cross?” Mortum laughs, “What makes you say that?”

“Look at him.” Jane gestures in their direction, a quick motion. Hopefully not noticed by anyone but the doctor. “That suit? In this dive? Guy’s some kind of made-man.” She shakes her head. “Just asking for trouble.”

“You are not wrong.” Mortum nods her head in agreement. “I do believe that is one of Hollow Ground’s men.”

“Hollow Ground?” Jane frowns, drumming her fingers on the table. “Huh.”

Now that you think about it, you’ve seen him around here once or twice. Hollow Ground has a finger in just about every criminal enterprise in Los Diablos, so it’s to be expected, really.

“Do you think Hollow Ground is a real person, or is he like… some sort of shadow cabal?”

Mortum shrugs, suddenly interested in her drink. “I find it does not pay to ask that kind of question, mon amie.”

“Hrmmm…” Sooner or later, you’re going to end up crossing paths with Hollow Ground, whatever they are. In another life, you’d listen to Ortega talk about her theories, try to help her track down likely clues. Not once did either of you turn up anything material. Who or whatever they are, their grip was rock solid. Anyone that wanted to talk had a habit of catching a case of sudden death.

Ortega was convinced there was a singular person behind it. Someone that had murdered her mentor, Marshal Hood.

It was never your favorite subject. Something about the whole thing just… seemed off.

Funny to think you might stand a better chance of finding out the truth now, when you could never tell Ortega. “What are the odds you think it’ll escalate into a fight?”

Mortum doesn’t even look up. “Seventy-six precent.”

“Did you just make that up?”

“Of course, mon amie.” She winks at Jane. “Did you expect me to say something like, ‘somewhat likely’ like some kind of hack?”

“Ugh. Scientists.” Jane rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how much of your stuff is just bullshit.”

“Madam, you wound me.”

Jane doesn’t offer a retort, watching the argument slowly escalate in volume. Maybe you can get a sense of this guy’s abilities. Two-to-one he’s some kind of Enhanced. Rosie approaches the modded Latina, trying to talk her down.

To little success.

With a sigh, Jane pushes herself up from her seat. “Alright, I’m gonna go pull Rosie’s ass out of the fire.”

“I would have thought she could handle herself, but suit yourself mon amie.” Mortum eyes the scene, then flickers back to Jane with barely concealed curiosity.

“You know me.” Jane winks, a smile on her face.

Sauntering over to the table, Jane keeps her hands on hips as she surveys the scene. It’s a quantum roulette table. Numbers generated using quantum uncertainty to make an ‘uncheatable’ game. The wide variety of different boost abilities out there have forced gambling to take a few extra steps in order for casinos to stay on top.

The scarred Latina has left her seat to come around and prod Hollow Ground’s guy, who has in turn gotten out of his seat and is staring down at the shorter woman with an air of bored amusement.

Hrm. Doesn’t look like she had much money left. Good sign.

Rosie tries to reach for her friend’s shoulder, pull her back. “Mecha… please. Don’t start anything.”

“I don’t care! I’m sick of this cheater!”

Jane siddles up next to Rosie. No one else looks about to interview. The Croupier watches with a blank expression, as if expecting things to resolve themselves. The other players look to be quietly collecting their winnings. “Hey, Rosie.”

“–Jane?” Rosie glances to the side, face brightening up once catching sight of her friend. “Oh, hey Janey.”

“How’s the luck running?”

“Not bad – well, not as bad as…” Rosie makes a face, nodding towards Mecha.

“I heard. Along with the rest of the bar.” Jane eyes Mecha, who has not once stopped ranting at her supposed ‘cheater.’ “What’s the problem here anyway?”

Rosie drops her voice into a whisper, guarding her mouth with a hand. “Mecha thinks Jake here is cheating.” ‘Jake’ huh?

“Seriously?” Jane raises her voice. “She’s really going to accuse Joes of running a crooked game?”

That gets Mecha to turn, snarling. “No I’m not.” She jabs a finger at Jake’s chest. “I’m saying he is cheating!”

To your relief, Jake brushes the finger off, his expression unchanging.

“So… let me get this straight,” Jane frowns. “You’re saying–”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business!”

“You’re loud enough to make it my business.”

Rosie winces, “She’s not wrong.”

“Look.” You sigh, shoot a glance at Jake. “You really want to say someone that works for Hollow Ground has to stoop to cheating? Really?”

“I…” Mecha grinds her teeth, balling her hands into fists and then letting go. “I see your point.” Oh good, so she’s not suicidal. That’s nice. Mecha spares one last glance at Jake. “But…”

“It was a bad losing streak.” Rosie cuts in. “Legendary.”

“I… guess.” Mecha groans.

Jake shrugs, “Bad luck. It happens.”

“Whatever.” Mecha throws up her hands, stepping away from the table. “I’m out of here.” She doesn’t even stop to collect her meager winnings.

Rosie watches her leave with a sigh. “Well, that could have gone better.”

“Hey,” Jane winks. “It could have gone a lot worse too.”

Jake sits back down at the table, taking stock of his large pile of tokens. “You gonna play then?”

Would it be weirder to say yes or no? Jane glances at Rosie who shrugs, unhelpful. “Alright, well. There’s a free seat, so why not?” With a smile she takes the open seat and sits down. Guess maybe a round or two won’t hurt right?

It’s a weird sensation as Jane sits down. Like this has all happened before. Someone laughs as a new song comes on the radio. The numbers finish cycling, landing on red twelve.

Okay.

That was unsettling.

The croupier looks at Jane, blank faced. “Place your bet miss.”

Jane pulls a few bills out of her purse. As she does, someone laughs in the background, a new song cycling onto the radio. Okay. That’s weird.

A moment of hesitation and then –

Jane puts the fifty dollar bill on the table. “Put in on red twelve.” You did this before, didn’t you? Or were going to? Or was always going to have done? It doesn’t quite feel real.

“Jesus.” Rosie groans behind Jane, watching over her shoulder. “You don’t put that much on a single number, Janey.”

“Beginner’s luck.” Jane can’t stop the grin as she watches the numbers cycle. It’s all for show. The actual randomization takes an instant. But what is gambling without pagenty?

Hrm. No wonder so many villains gamble.

The croupier does not sound surprised as he speaks, but he looks in Jane’s direction, curious. “Red twelve, Miss Jane wins.”

Behind her, Rosie gasps, slaps Jane on the back. “Hot damn! I can’t believe it.”

“...neither can I.” Jane watches the small fortune shoved her way, wide-eyed. “I was just… the beginner’s luck thing was bravado.”

“Hey, guess drinks on you tonight, huh Janey?”

“...sure.” Sitting across from her, Jake watches Jane intently. He’s not the only one. Might have outstayed your welcome sooner than you expected. Robotically, she splits off a handful of bills and presses them into Rosie’s hands as she gets up from the table. “Have ten of them.”

“See, this is why we’re friends.”

“Uh-huh.” Swallow hard, throat dry. What the fuck was that?

Dr. Mortum is still waiting when Jane returns. Face a little more ashen then when she left. Purse significantly fuller.

Mortum raises her glass in greeting. “Still in one piece, I see?”

Jane’s smile as she sits back down is more brittle than you’d planned. “Disappointed?”

“Of course not, mon amie!” Dr. Mortum looks genuine enough as she says it. “I was mostly… curious what you were up to.”

“Worried?”

“More…” She takes a drink to stall for time. “Wondering why, I suppose.”

Jane shrugs. Would prefer to move on from this topic sooner rather than later. “I guess I wasn’t eager to see a friend of Rosie’s get put in an early grave.”

“Is that so?” Mortum raises eyebrows, not buying it. “That is a noble goal.”

“Probably futile, if we’re honest.”

“I was not going to say anything.”

Jane shrugs, keeps her back turned on the roulette table. Could swear you feel Jake’s eyes digging into Jane’s back. Without your telepathy, you can’t actually know that if that’s true or if you’re just being paranoid.

You’re not sure which answer you’d prefer.

“Do I really need a goal?” What Jane needs is a new drink. “It was fun, I guess. Nothing more to it.”

“Fun?” Dr. Mortum winks. “Perhaps you are in the wrong line of work, mon amie.”

“Oh don’t start with that again.” Jane scowls, “I felt like doing it, so I did.”

“Fair enough.” Mortum leans back in her chair. “I suppose that’s just life. Chaos and impulse until it all goes black.”

“Bleak.”

“But true.”

“I don’t know about that.” Jane’s smile is grim. “Nothing’s truly random.”

What was up with that table? How did you know that? Come to think of it, haven’t you felt that before? In the past. It was always easy to brush off before.

“There’s always a pattern,” Jane presses on. “Someone pulling the strings. If you know where to look.”

“And you do, mon amie?” Mortum smiles back.

It’s an open question how much the doctor knows. Enough, at least. More than you’d like, almost certainly. Concerns for the future. As long as her friendship with Jane keeps her on your side, you’ll make use of her skills. And there’s always a call for that. Each new day offers new opportunities. New strings to pull.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four: Street People ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, homelessness, blindness ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

They met quite by accident.

After the death of his parents and the disappearance of his brother, Sasuke was tossed from family member to family member. But wherever he went, ill luck seemed to follow.

The final straw was his aunt - his mother’s sister - facing a rather sudden death. Her son, Shisui, was already in college several states away when she took Sasuke in at the age of fifteen. For months, things seemed...normal. Manami had claimed she didn’t believe in superstitions like so many others in their family. According to her, they’d always been a magnet for misfortune.

But not long after his sixteenth birthday...Sasuke lost the last safe harbor he’d been afforded. After military service that took her leg, raising a son by herself, and mourning the death of her younger sister...Manami was killed ever so simply in a car wreck.

...she wasn’t even driving. A pedestrian struck on the sidewalk by a drunk driver. Her lacking limb meant she was too slow.

...too slow.

Sasuke found himself with nowhere else to go. Shisui couldn’t take him, and Sasuke refused his apologies.

“I’m not your responsibility. Don’t give up on your future for my sake. Don’t quite school. I’ll figure something out.”

‘Something’ turned out to be couch surfing for a while. But that was soon given up when his dropping out of highschool soured his reputation to many a parent of many a friend. 

And so...Sasuke was officially homeless.

Shisui, refusing to do nothing, had given Sasuke his car, claiming he was getting by in the big city without it. It was his only home, a place he could sleep, live, and travel in.

...but that didn’t change the fact that he was alone.

He worked odd jobs as best he could, but few wanted him around. A high school dropout, homeless, and with a bit of an attitude...he wasn’t exactly prime worker material.

Lounging in his car one night, he tried his best to think up some way to make money. He just needed enough to scrape by. Once he turned eighteen, he was sure, he could try to get his GED. Try to start putting pieces of a life back together. And Shisui would be back to help him out. But at the moment...he was stuck.

...and then it hit him.

Literally.

Rolling over in the back seat, he gave a cry and a curse as something along the rear dash tumbled off and clunk him on the head. Scowling and rubbing at the sore spot, he spotted one of the few things he’d managed to keep with him.

His guitar.

...of course…!

The next morning, he found a decent parking lot in a grocery store nearby one of his hometown’s parks. Locking the cart and jogging across a few intersections, he found a bench sat along a fountain. Sighing to steady his nerves, he placed a cap on the ground before him...and started to play.

Admittedly, he was a little rusty - he hadn’t picked the thing up since Manami died. But he knew quite a few tunes, and after a while to warm up...was actually doing pretty well. A few people stopped to listen, some even coming up to throw a few spare coins or bills in his hat, which earned them sheepish, grateful smiles.

And that’s when she showed up.

Drawn by the music, a girl his age carefully maneuvered through the crowd, stopping at the rim of people and listening. This guy was actually pretty good, she couldn’t help but think.

And then he started playing a song she knew...and it was her turn to have an idea. Cane in hand as she carefully guided herself to the edge of the fountain, Hinata sat along the lip...and began to sing along.

Startled, Sasuke had actually fumbled a few notes, looking to his unexpected companion and earning amused laughter from his little crowd. She was angled away from him, just...sitting there singing.

And honestly? She was...really good!

Gawking at her a moment longer, Sasuke eventually reverted his focus, finishing up the song and earning applause. Several people came forward and dropped money, and guilt quickly bloomed in his gut. Scooping up the hat and muttering thanks, he approached the girl, still sitting along the fountain’s edge.

“Hey, uh…” How to address this… “Look, you obviously earned some of this. You want a few bucks?”

“Oh, no - I’m fine. I...I hope I didn’t interrupt…?”

“No! Actually I think that really helped,” he admitted, spare hand itching his neck. Watching her, he realized she wasn’t looking at him, instead staring a bit over his shoulder with oddly-pale eyes.

...wait a minute…

Glancing to her side, he saw the telltale white cane. And then it all fit together.

“Are...are you blind?”

As soon as he blurted it, he went red in embarrassment. That was so rude, he did not just do that...!

“I-I mean -?”

But she just laughed. “I am. And d-don’t worry, I get that a lot. I have minimum vision - I can perceive s-some light, but...otherwise, I’m unable to see most things. Hence the cane.”

“...wow. Uh...I’ve never met someone blind before.” Thus he...really had no idea how to react. “...you...you sing really well.”

“Thank you. I took choir when I was in school.”

Sasuke’s brow furrowed. But she looked his age… “...have you already graduated?”

“No...I had to quit. I...ran away from home a few months ago. For a while I stayed with a friend, but...it didn’t, um...d-didn’t work out. So now I’m doing this solo.”

“Blind?!”

Another laugh. “Well...so far it’s actually h-helped. People tend to be pretty sympathetic. But...it’s still difficult, yes.”

Sasuke scrambled to think of something - someone like her shouldn’t be navigating all of this alone! “W-well...I have a car! If...you need someplace to crash, I’d be fine with it. I can’t just leave you by yourself. That’s not right.”

Her lips curled in a somber smile. “Taking pity on me?”

“N-no, I just -!”

“I’m just teasing you. May I...ask you your name?”

“...Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha.”

“I’m Hinata Hyūga. Nice to meet you.”

A bit of an awkward silence bloomed.

“...y’know, I...was serious. If you need someplace to go -?”

“I’m sure you’re crowded enough, but I appreciate it.”

“No, really. I can’t just walk away. My mom would kill me. Just…” A nervous hand ran back through his hair...and then he asked, “...what if we just...did this together?”

“What?”

“Y’know...all this. And the performing. I’ve only been here an hour but there’s at least twenty bucks in here. If we, y’know...pooled our talents, I bet we’d do even better. Maybe even make enough to scrape by. And that way neither of us have to go it alone.”

Hearing he was serious, Hinata hesitated. “...you really...want to help me?”

“Hell yeah I do. I know it’d work. We can at least try it today. See what happens. Either way, I’ll buy you some dinner for your help if you decide to leave. How about it?”

Milky eyes blinked, clearly taken aback. “...all right. Let’s try it…!”

And so, they put their heads together, plotting out songs they both knew. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing slightly-shaky duets, Sasuke filling in gaps to let Hinata’s voice rest.

By the end of the day...they’d made over a hundred dollars.

“Man, this is the way to do it!” Sasuke couldn’t help but whoop. “Here, this is your half...want to go get something to eat?”

“Oh, yes please...I’m s-starving!”

One round of fast food later, they made their way back to Sasuke’s car. “Well...it’s not much, but for now, it’s home.”

“I’d be happy to see it,” Hinata lightly joked. Carefully, she felt her way into the passenger seat. “...well, I suppose I’ve broken my promise to Father about g-getting into a car with strangers.”

Sitting in the driver’s side, Sasuke just snorted.

“So you sleep in here…?”

“Yeah. That’s about the only time I’m in it, honestly. Move it when I have to, but otherwise I’m out and about trying to scrounge up money. Food. A shower. Stuff like that. I’ve managed okay so far.”

“...may I ask...w-why you’re homeless?”

“Lost my parents when I was seven. Was traded around by family, but...weird stuff kept happening. Last straw was my aunt dying in a car accident. Hit by a drunk driver.”

“Oh no…”

“My cousin’s away at college, said I could have his car. Took some finagling to get it in my name, and paying for gas and insurance makes things hard, but...so far, so okay. Shisui - my cousin - says he’ll come back and let me room with him once he finished up school. He’s going for his masters right now. Another year or so and he’ll be back.”

“Wow…”

“...what about you? You said you ran away…?”

Hinata gave a small nod. “...my father has always been strict, but...the older I got, the worse his treatment of me became. He treated my condition as a burden. I wasn’t the p-perfect daughter he wanted. A friend offered to let me stay with her, so I left...but her parents ended up saying I couldn’t stay. I’ve stayed in a shelter most of the time since. But, um...it’s not ideal.”

“Neither is living in a car.”

“No...but I guess n-none of this is easy. Being street people, I mean. I could go back to the shelter, but…” She seemed to dim. “...it can be...unpleasant.”

“...well, my offer still stands. It’s not grand, but it’s something. I bet we can make enough to get by pretty easy, between the two of us. And we wouldn’t be alone.”

Absently, Hinata slowly turned her cane in her grip, thinking. “...all right. I-I’ll stay.”

“Just until my cousin comes back. Then you can bunk with us.”

“B-but -?!”

“The way I see it, we’re friends now,” Sasuke replied airily, clearly ignoring her refusal. “And as your friend, I’ll just have to let you couch surf...once I’ve got a couch. But couches aren’t good for sleeping, so...it’ll just have to be a bed. Then you and I can catch up on studies, get a GED, and then...go from there. Until then, we give the folks a little song and dance for our dinner, huh?”

After a pause, Hinata just giggled softly. “...all right. It’s a deal.”

                                                          .oOo.

     So this is...very random. While the term 'street people' doesn't HAVE to refer to homeless people, it's the most typical example. I've had friends go through homelessness before, but know very little about it personally, so I didn't want to come off as either glorifying or ignorant. Hopefully I managed that much ^^;      Anyway, uh...not sure how to really extrapolate about this one. I likely got a lot wrong, lol - but I tried. I just like the thought of them pairing up and helping each other out, using their talents to scrape by until they can (hopefully) get a second chance. Probably won't continue this one, but it was neat, I guess!      But it's late, I'm very tired, and I better get to bed, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for reading!