#i mean okay not quite as tall. in fairness she's 7 foot and change

[edda-grenade]

tadpolycule agenda shenanigans with the tav version of saar, apotheosis in the making, and two bits of an absurd AU

[rwby-grimm-guardians]

RWBY Grimm Guardians Arc 4: Re-Bonding In Mistral Ch 4

Welcome back to Re-Bonding in Mistral! In this chapter, Summer and Raven FINALLY reconnect and have some fun.

As usual, please give constructive criticism and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still own nothing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED FOR ITS SFW RELEASE ON DA, ROOSTERTEETH SITE, AND THE RWBY WIKIA DISCORD. NSFW VERSIONS ARE ON TUMBLR AND ARCHIVEOFOUROWN. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (7:00 PM)

(In the Bandit Tribe camp…)

“Why are you here, Qrow?” Raven asked. “This is the last place you wanna be.” Her younger brother nodded, “I know. I’m just letting you know that Sum’s getting ready for your date.” He then put a finger over his sister’s lips, “And don’t tell that it’s not a date. Because it’s VERY CLEARLY a date.” The elder twin sighed, rubbing her eyes, “I appreciate you being very supportive, little brother, but…” “Your teasing pisses me off.” She explained, only to receive a knowing grin from the taller man.

“It’s what I do. Remember. It’s just harmless fun, okay?” He said. Qrow then turned to Vernal, saying sternly, “I’m counting on you to make sure my sister and her partner have a peaceful and lovely night, okay?” Now, normally, the brunette would disregard the younger Branwen’s request… That is...if he didn’t have a raging fire in his eyes. A look into his eyes alone made it VERY clear to Vernal that Qrow would NOT take no for an answer. That was how much he cared.

Raven was quite shocked that her brother, who was usually carefree and relaxed, was now making a hidden promise that he would protect her and Summer’s happiness. No matter what. The young woman slowly nodded, “I...understand.” “Good.” The taller of the twins nodded, before noticing his sister’s shocked expression. “Look, after everything you’ve gone through...and told me… You deserve every bit of happiness and privacy tonight.” He explained. “Both you and Summer.”

The red clad woman nodded, before hugging her brother, “Thank you, Qrow. You stay safe now.” Qrow chuckled and reciprocated, “You too, Rae. You two have fun now. Sum should be ready in a few minutes.” The tribe leader nodded, before the taller man left back through the portal.

Raven waited for about five minutes before a 6-foot-2-inch tall, white and red cloaked woman with black hair and red highlights, wearing a nice gray sweater, a black turtleneck underneath, nice black jeans, and nice gray hiking shoes. Had Raven not resurrected Summer, she’d be confused as hell as to who this woman was. “It’s been a while, Rae.” The woman smiled and just the voice alone made the tribe leader want to cry tears of joy.

Raven noticed that Summer was even wearing the silver ring she gave her as a birthday present.

“Hey, Summer.” The red clad woman said, closing the portal and trying her best to keep herself together. How long...did the two women both PRAY for this moment to finally arrive? They couldn’t remember. But gods, it felt so GOOD for the two women to FINALLY see each other. The former STRQ leader looked towards Vernal, before Raven said, “This is Vernal. She’s...my second-in-command.”

Raven knew DAMN well that Summer saw right through that lie. There was no way ANYONE would be able to lie to the former STRQ leader. They’d be a fool for even TRYING. And Raven was mentally cursing at herself for DOING so.

So it was no surprise that she was shocked when Summer nodded. The taller woman smiled, “I can tell you got something, Rae.” “Something you don’t want to have though.” She said, her expression saddening. “And you don’t want Yang or anyone else to be cursed with it either.” The tribe leader sighed, “Observant as usual.” “Though I’m sure Vernal is still seen as such by the others.” The taller woman said.

She then walked up to the younger woman, smiling and shaking her hand, “Summer Rose of Vale.” The tan woman was, obviously, stunned by the polite gesture, but attempted to return it in kind. “Vernal of Mistral.” She said, almost stuttering as she did so. Everything about Summer shocked her; from her appearance to her personality. And even her mannerisms.

She also could tell that there was something absurdly powerful hidden in the taller woman, but did her best NOT to question it.

Summer quickly caught the sounds of quiet whispers. She then turned, spotting the rest of the bandits staring RIGHT at her. And she was certain that not of them were happy. The former STRQ leader then grinned, putting an arm around Raven’s shoulder, saying, “Heya! I’m Summer, Raven’s significant other. Nice to meet you!” Her eyes then narrowed menacingly, “Also, if you got a problem with it, then fucking bring it.”

“I promise, you’ll be BEGGING for mercy within ten seconds.” She growled. Normally, the bandits WOULD try to fight and put Summer in her place. However, they could vaguely tell that she was FAR stronger than them, meaning that they would lose against her, no matter what. Plus, they knew how terrifying Raven was on her own, so whether they liked it or not, they backed off.

For now, anyway….

Raven would’ve panicked had she not been aware of how powerful Summer was now. Vernal, on the other hand, was obviously shocked...and almost visibly freaking out. “Have you lost your MIND…!?” She asked in a hushed whisper. The former STRQ leader shook her head, “Not me. Them. They and Raven’s bitch mother tried to fuck around with the WRONG family.”

“You, however, are in the good books, hun. And are invited to the wedding.” Summer grinned, all while Raven rubbed her eyes with a loud sigh. The brunette gave a nervous chuckle, “Thanks… I guess?”, only to burst into genuine laughter as her superior dragged the taller woman into the tent by the arm. “I’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed until nightfall. Just as your brother requested.” The young woman said, sitting in front of the tent and guarding it. Vernal was liking Summer already.

Raven sighed as she and her former leader sat down at her table next to each other, “I see you haven’t changed that much.” Her former leader gave a sad smile, “We’ve both changed, thanks to your mother AND what happened to me.” The red clad woman grunted, before sitting down and handing the taller woman tea. “So, wanna get me caught up?” Summer asked. The tribe leader nodded, “It’s a lot, so I’ll try to give a synopsis. Fair?” The taller woman nodded with a smile, “Sounds good.”

Nodding, the red clad woman literally went through a brief version of what she had been doing as the two women had a little dinner. She went through how she became the tribe leader, how many times she visited Summer’s grave, how many times she secretly checked up on Taiyang, Yang, Ruby, and Qrow, and how many times she talked to her brother. “I’m...sure you can guess what...CURSE I have...” Raven said. The former STRQ leader nodded, sighing, “You’re a Maiden. Aren’t you?”

“Not by choice.” Raven clarified. “Even now, I still don’t know why this power was passed to me.” Summer nodded, sipping the last of her tea, “I assume the others have told you about their friend Pyrrha?” The red clad woman nodded, though confused at first. She then froze, before shouting, “OZMA TRIED TO MAKE A KID INTO A MAIDEN!?” “Sort of.” The taller woman said. “Evergreen gave her the choice, even though Ozma thought it was a necessity.”

“She denied it.” The former STRQ leader continued. “She refused to have the powers.” The tribe leader sighed with relief, “Thank fuck. At least ONE of Ozma’s incarnations is sane and sensible.” Summer nodded in agreement. She then looked the red clad woman over, smiling, “You’re still just as gorgeous as you were back then.” “And you went from cute and beautiful to hot and gorgeous.” Raven smirked, before the two shared a small laugh.

Something in the tribe leader snapped as memories from years ago came rushing forth. Memories she wanted to go back to. Relive. Experience again. The two women sat in silence for two whole minutes, before Raven suddenly hugged the taller woman tightly. “I missed you, Summer…so fucking much.” The red clad bandit said, voice cracking. Summer smiled and hugged her back, “I missed you too, Raven.”

The taller woman began rubbing her partner’s back as the latter started to cry. “Shh… It’s okay. I got you.” Summer said as Raven’s hold on her tightened. They sat like that for a few minutes until the red clad woman eventually calmed down. “Sorry…” Raven mumbled, receiving a kiss on the forehead from her former leader. “It’s okay.” The taller woman reassured. The red clad woman bit her lip, whispering, “I really thought I’d never see you again…!”

“Raven… Look at me...” Summer said firmly. The tribe leader did so, not paying attention to anything other than her partner. The taller woman gave a reassuring smile, holding Raven’s shoulder as she said, “I’m here. I’m still alive. Right now in this moment, that’s all that matters.” One moment passed. Two moments. Three. And after four moments, the red clad woman closed her eyes and embraced Summer tightly again.

The two women sat there, in that moment, for almost two minutes. After Raven pulled back, her partner’s sweater had been stained. “Sorry...” The red clad woman mumbled again. The former STRQ leader brushed Raven’s tears away, smiling, “Again, it’s okay.” The two looked at each other in the eye, before closing the gap between them and kissing.

One kiss turned into two, two turned into five, and five turned into ten as the two women began re-experiencing the fun and love they used to have in over sixteen years.

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NSFW STUFF BEGINS HERE.

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“So, you wanna try this again?” Summer asked, pulling back briefly. The tribe leader nodded, her expression clearly BEGGING, “I… WE...need this...” The former STRQ nodded without hesitation, before the two sat on opposite sides of the bed. The taller woman then removed her shoes and socks, before folding her cloak nicely and placing it on the end of the mattress.

Raven did the same with her heels and leggings, before removing her bandanna from her hair, as well as her armguards and gloves, tossing them to the ground. In one swift motion, Summer removed her sweater and turtleneck in one go, before folding them and putting them with her cloak. She then took a peak behind her, watching the tribe leader remove her own shirt and tossing it to the ground too, before noticing something on her partner’s back.

“You didn’t mention that you got tattoos.” The taller woman said with a smirk. The tribe leader turned, a blush on her face as she nodded. She then grinned, “You’ll get to view them better soon.” Summer hummed, before the two women turned away as the former  STRQ leader removed her jeans and folded them. Raven removed her skirt, putting it with the rest of her clothes as she removed her undergarments as well.

After taking off her sports pants, Summer paused as she looked at her bra. ‘ This stays on this time…. ’ She thought, a furious blush reaching her face, leaving her bra on and, by extension, hiding her cross necklace. The taller woman was not ready to show Raven how….BIG she got.

Let alone show the tribe leader her scars from when she died. Summer knew THAT would bring up unpleasant memories. For BOTH of them.

Summer left the ring on as well. She then felt said woman climb onto the bed, sitting as the former STRQ leader turned to face her. “Gods, you got ripped.” Raven whispered, a deep blush on her face as she stared in shock. The tribe leader then grinned, “Looks hot.”

Summer gave a playful growl as she grinned. “And you still are…” She said, before looking her partner over. Even after close to two decades, Raven was still looking athletic as ever. The taller woman noticed that her partner had gained several new scars during that time frame, as well as new art on her body. The tribe leader had black and red feather tattoos on her front; a few around her abdomen and a couple around her clavicle, shoulder blades, and shoulders.

Raven, as if knowing what Summer was looking at, smiled and turned to show the tattoos on her back. Once more, most of them were feathers, but what the taller woman noticed immediately was the large raven wing on the right side of her back...which closely resembled the elder Branwen twin’s emblem. “They look...fascinating…!” Summer said, her eyes glued to the art placed on Raven’s body. “I kinda want one of my own.”

“Thank you. A lot of time and work went into them.” The tribe leader smiled, turning again so that her front was facing her partner. “Fuck, you’d look AMAZING with a tattoo.” She then noticed Summer’s infamous excited expression, before said woman buried her head in Raven’s cleavage. “They’ve gotten bigger!” The former STRQ leader shouted, thankfully muffled. Raven rolled her eyes and sighed. She had forgotten that Summer used to do this with her.

“Having fun with them?” Raven asked, only for a smirk to form on her face as she heard her partner’s muffled near-squeals of joy. Summer then pulled away, her face red and grinning, “Sorry, I missed doing that.” The tribe leader nodded with a knowing smirk, “I can tell.” “Now then…” The taller woman started, placing a hand on her partner’s left breast. “Shall we begin?”

Raven gasped, before shuttering, “Fuck...yes…” Smiling, Summer sat down, helping the tribe leader in sitting on her lap and rubbing their pelvises together. Since this was their first time having intercourse in almost two decades, the taller woman figured that scissoring would be the preferred position. Given by Raven’s loud moan, she certainly seemed to agree. “Gods, I missed this…” The tribe leader whispered, wrapping her arms around her partner.

The former STRQ leader nodded with a smile, doing the same as the two women began kissing with near audible moans. Raven briefly pulled away, giving a hoarse chuckle, “You wanna do what you used to do back then?” “Only if you’re okay with it.” Summer whispered, peppering the right side of her partner’s neck and clavicle with kisses, followed by a gentle bite. The tribe leader sighed followed by a hum, before tilting the taller woman’s head up.

“Listen to me. I want you to enjoy yourself in nostalgia. Alright?” She said.

The former STRQ leader blinked, before hurriedly nodding with a grin, stuffing her face in the tribe leader’s cleavage again. She then pulled back, before gently biting into Raven’s right breast, receiving a loud gasp. Raven shuttered, letting out a moan as she held the back of Summer’s head, raking her finger’s through the taller woman’s hair. “You...are still...kinky as fuck, Sum.” The tribe leader chuckled, her partner humming in response.

After having fun with the tribe leader’s breasts, Summer once again locked lips with Raven, both very eager. The two then suddenly pulled back, before shuttering in unison, climaxing as they moaned softly. “Holy shit…” The former STRQ leader whispered, her voice even softer now. Raven nodded in agreement, grinning, “That...was amazing.” Summer hummed, kissing her partner again, before the two began cleaning themselves and the comforter beneath them.

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NSFW STUFF ENDS HERE.

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Raven looked at her scroll, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Damn, it’s that late? It’s well past 9.” She said. The former STRQ leader hummed, putting the scroll away, saying, “Well, I was planning on staying the night anyway.” “Are you sure?” The tribe leader asked as Summer got under the comforter. “Some of the bandits might try to harm you while we’re sleeping.”

“Rae, we both know they can’t do shit.” Summer chuckled. “Plus, I know you’ll protect me too.” The tribe leader looked at her partner, before sighing with a smile, putting the scroll down as she said, “Fine. You win.” She then got under the covers and huddled up next to the taller woman, looking at the woman’s left hand. “I can’t believe you still have that ring.” She whispered.

The former STRQ leader gave a small smile, “Qrow gave it to me when I was regaining my memories. Helped me remember why you left.” “It probably SAVED your relationship with Yang and Qrow.” She said. Raven nodded, before feeling her eyelids grow heavy, which the taller woman easily noticed. Summer chuckled, kissing her partner as she whispered, “Good night, Rae.” “G’ night, Sum.” Raven smiled, before the two fell asleep.

….

Over the course of the night, both women were individually awoken by some of the bandits entering the tent, mostly likely with the intent to kill Summer. Whenever the tribe leader was still asleep, it was Summer that frightened them into leaving. Of course, there were a few stubborn ones who got injured before they learned to leave. Whenever the former STRQ leader was blissfully asleep, it was Raven who protected her.

And unlike Summer, she needed to actually harm the bandits to get them to leave. And for disobeying her orders to give the two women privacy.

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(6:30 AM)

Eventually, the next morning came…and honestly, neither of the two wanted it to come. After getting dressed from last night’s activities, Summer and Raven went outside as the tribe leader opened a portal for the former STRQ leader. The taller woman then gave the tribe leader her trademark white and red cloak. “I…know it’s a bit much to ask you to come back with me.” She said to her partner.

“So you’re giving me a choice?” Raven asked. Her former leader nodded, “I don’t want to force you. Just think about it.” “When we see each other again, you can give me your answer then. Sound good?” She asked, receiving a reluctant nod from her partner. Summer smiled as the two shared one more kiss and a hug, before the taller of the two walked towards the portal. Summer gave Raven a sad smile, already noticing the tears in the tribe leader’s eyes, before saying, “ Je t'aime , Raven Branwen.”

The tribe leader tried to keep her composure long enough as she replied, “ Rwy'n dy garu di , Summer Rose. Don’t forget about me this time, okay?” The former STRQ leader nodded, “It won’t happen again. I promise.” After that, she went through the portal, but not before looking at the red clad woman one more time as it closed behind her. Raven felt tears run down her cheeks as her former leader left, wrapping Summer’s cloak around herself.

Vernal walked up to the red clad woman, saying, “Most of the injuries the others sustained came from Summer.” Raven nodded, making sure to hide her face from the young woman, “Good. Then maybe they'll learn not to bother her or anyone she and I care about.” “She’s far more powerful now.” She explained. “The tribe will not be able to harm her anymore. And she won’t let anyone else she loves get harmed either.” It was a shame that Raven’s mother had passed on from old age.

The red clad woman would’ve LOVED to see the terrified look in that bitch’s eyes, realizing that she had threatened the wrong family.

The brunette looked at the tribe leader, noticing tears. “You wanted her to stay.” She stated. “Right?” The red clad woman’s silence was the only answer she needed, which queued Vernal to ask, “Why didn’t you convince her to?” “It’s her life. Her choice.” Raven said. “Plus, she has our daughters and their friends to protect.” She then looked at the young woman sternly, “And I can’t be there myself because my mother threatened them...and this tribe would kill them if I don’t lead you all.”

“You still love her...and him too. You still love your children and your brother.” The brunette said. Raven continued to look at the young woman sternly, asking, “Where are you going with this obvious fact?” It took a few silent moments for the tribe leader to figure it out, before saying, “No.” “Raven...” Vernal started, only to get cut off. The red clad woman continued, “No, Vernal. I’m not going back. Not until they are, FOR SURE, safe from the bandits.”

“I need to keep this tribe on a fucking LEASH.” Raven said, her resolve reigniting, even as tears burned in her eyes. “I will NOT let ANYONE here harm my family. Clear?”

Reluctantly, the brunette sighed and nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”, as Raven went back into the tent.

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(At the Xiao-Long-Rose Family Home…)

Qrow was currently drinking coffee, waiting for everyone else to wake up, before noticing Summer walking through a portal in front of him. After the portal closed, he stood and put his mug down, asking, “How was your night?” “Good. I...really needed it.” His former leader answered. “I just… I-I...” The former bandit immediately noticed tears running down the taller woman’s face. He then went up and hugged her, before she hugged back, crying into his shoulder.

“I want her back home…! Hell, I wanted to STAY…!” Summer said in a hushed whisper. “I’m happy with Tai, but I wanna be back with Rae too…! Why the FUCK must the world be unfair...!?” She collapsed to her knees, still crying into Qrow’s shoulder as he kneeled down, continuing to hug her. The younger Branwen twin knew damn well that his leader was suffering; both from the choices she felt like she needed to make and from the actions that she thought she had no say in.

It was BREAKING her. Her resolve. Her emotions. Her heart.

Qrow was certain that it was tearing Raven up to...and it broke his heart that he couldn’t do a thing significant enough to fix it. So he settled for the only thing he COULD do right now.

Comfort his leader...and when he saw her next, comfort his sister. By offering a warm hug...and a kind shoulder.

THAT, at least, he knew he could for them. ALL of his family.

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And that’s it for chapter 4. I REALLY hope you all liked this one, as I’ve been dying to write it. Once again, pieces from the last chapter of my Rosebird 2019 fic were repurposed and alerted for this.

For those who’ve read this for quite some time, you’ll know that Summer and Raven are saying “I love you” in french and welsh respectively. Just like they did at the end of Arc 1.

For those of you who read the censored version, please note that this Raven has black and red feather tattoos on her front; a few around her abdomen and a couple around her clavicle, shoulder blades, and shoulders. She also has them on her back, along with a large raven wing on the right of it that resembles her emblem.

For those of you who read the uncensored version, I hope you enjoyed it!

Now, this will be the last we hear from Raven until the end of Part 1, as part 1 of this arc is Vol. 5.

We will not move to chapter 5 just yet. Instead, we have some things that we need to see. Specially involving Ruby and Yang.

[judgement-free-sideblog]

Dancing lessons

Barry Berkman x reader

Summary: Barry is finally cast in a feature, the problem? He said he could dance and now he can either disappoint Sally or found a way to learn some steps.

Warnings: Swearing, blood, violence, guns, cheating maybe.

Part 1 ● Part 2 ● Part 3 ● Part 4 ● Part 5 ● Part 6 ● Part 7 ● Part 8 ● Epilogue

Part 3

The cheerful notes of the Pas de deux of Swan Lake's third act started to play and you were all alone in the studio, the girls had been practicing to that and it was still in the record player, you were liying on the floor, and your pointe shoes were next to you.

Barry have left about fifteen minutes before leaving your head troubled with his words. After on long hour of practice he was finally getting somewhere with the slower rhythms of tango, but there was a long way ahead of him to learn his routine.

Tired he sitted on the wooden floor looking at himself in the mirror, and you went to sit next to him.

"Well that's an improvement" You told him and he gave you a nod, and a smile while he tried to catch his breath "You should be proud, is more than I expected"

"It's all you, you are an excellent teacher" He said sincerely "I just hope all this work is worthy"

"Worthy or not I still get paid" you wink at him and stood up giving him a hand to do the same.

"Of course, I meant..." He took your hand, and stood next to you "I accidentally listen to Janice and Andre fighting on the phone, and it sounded like they were removing the scene, I mean I had the other scenes but I don't want to know I have spend the last 5 days rubbing Voltatrol on my calf and knees for nothing"

"Well I wouldn't say for nothing, you have learned a new skill and I'm sure you may take your girlfriend out to dance and she would appreciate it"

"Yeah, once she is not busy" he sounded hurt, but you didn't feel it was your place to ask, and didn't needed because he kept talking "I mean I know that she is working on something she loves, and I'm proud of her and I love her but..."

"You wish she had more time for you?" You asked, interested since this was the first real personal conversation you had with him.

"Yeah, you know. More like you" He said and you gave him a very confused look "Well you and your husband, I wish we were like that" he added nervously.

"Like what?" Sick of each other to stubborn to quit your mind said but your face continued smiling.

"Well you work in something you love, and you are really good at it, and I always have the feeling that I'm not enough for Sally, is not like she says it, is just that she always have something more important, and I fear one day she will found someone more important than me" You nodded with your lips extremely closed trying not to be mad at him since you actually didn't know him. "Also you work at home that's good too" the innocence on wich he said it made you furious for some reason.

"You had no idea what you are talking about" you told him, again trying to not sound too harsh and not succeeding "Lesson is over you can leave"

"What? No, I meant it as a compliment, you have the best job..."

"Shut it!" You scream and he looked shock at you "I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell, but that's just stupid you know? I don't mean to offend you, but you are at a studio 6 to 7 hours every morning surround by beautiful actresses, and here two hours every day with a woman basically rubbing on you, think about that for a second" You told him but he didn't say anything "If she didn't have her show, and she had to sit at home waiting for you, I bet you would not consider you are letting her down"

"Well no, because..." He started but you make it shut down with a movement of your hand.

"Because you are the big guy, the man, the one allowed to have dreams and follow them even if you have to put other people's needs apart. Maybe think about that and then you can talk" You notice your chest going up and down quickly and you were thankful you were still on the heels because on your normal level you would have look ridiculous screaming at someone that tall.

"That's what people call toxic masculinity isn't it?" He asked, surprisingly calm

"Get out" You said pointing at the door and turning your back at him

"Yeah, I thought so" He said and pick up his stuff without going to change back to his regular clothes "Same hour tomorrow?" He asked by the door

"Of course" You said and with that he was gone.

As the third act was coming to his end and you could clearly picture in your mind Odile and Rothbart entering the palace, you stood up and put on the shoes, Barry was wrong of course, in expecting a servant woman as a partner, but that was not what hurt you, you made a bow to an invisible Siegfried and make a couple movements to get loose, Mr. Block dare to say that you were happy? Well at least your deception was working and you look like you were, and like you love that job, Odil's coda started and you start making fouettés, one and you could feel your leg shaking but you continued, even when you were moving from your place and in no way at the speed that you wanted, two, three... by the sixth you were sure you could get to twenty, but then at the ninth that old damaged ankle gave in and the stinging pain made you tremble and fall to the ground, but it was okay because once the sharp edge of a chair broke into your skin and everything went black you were no longer thinking about it.

***

About ten minutes after he left the studio, Barry's brain struggled to understand why does Y/N had taken what he said so personally, was then when he realized he was hungry and turn his car to go to the nearest In-N-Out, he searched for his wallet and couldn't find it, Fuck he thought knowing it must be still at the studio with probably his hoodie since he didn't have it either, he made another turn hoping to still find the woman there. The music he could hear when he approached and the lights coming from inside suggest him she was still there.

"Y/N I know you are mad, but I leave my wallet here..." He said opening the door and froze in his place "Jesus, Y/N are you okay??" The women's body was in the floor, with her head over a small pool of her own blood, and next to her one of the chairs covered with her blood too making evident what have happened.

The cut on her head was small, and when he checked on her she still had pulse but was unconscious, and not responding so he carried in his arms back to his car and drove to the closest ER he could find.

"Help please!" He screamed with her in his arms and her blood covering his hands. "She was dancing and fall, she hit her head with a chair" He said to the two nurses that come at his encounter "She is not waking up..." He was agitated and he wanted to scream for them to move faster.

"Hey, hey sir calm down, come on deep breaths" a doctor said once she was in a stretcher and after checking her pupils to be okay, "what's your name sir?" She asked putting a hand on his shoulder and speaking in a calming voice.

"Berkman, I mean, Barry Berkman" He was trying to breath but there was a knot in is chest tightening more every second.

"Ok Mr. Bearkman, go with nurse Joaquin and help him fill some forms and we will take care of her, ok?" Barry nodded and let the nurse to take him away. He filled the forms mechanically not even sure he was putting on them and finally sit on the waiting room. He covered his face with his hands and he saw they were still covered in blood and the memories of the last time he had been in a hospital started rushing to his head like wild horses.

Mr. Cousineau knew, he was sure Fuches had told him the truth about Moss and was trying every day after the arrest to talk to him, and he tried his best to avoid him, he even skip a couple classes until it was impossible to ignore it anymore.

On the other hand the look for Fuches was a waste of time, any rat hole he was hiding in was too hard to locate, and since Hank was back at Chechnya he had no assets to help him.

One night Gene invited Sally and him to have dinner at his lake house again, an obvious set up since they have barely crossed words in the last two months, but after the massacre and the damage he was sure he had caused he felt like it was time to face the truth and find a solution. After all Gene was not Janice, and he was sure they could get to an arrangement.

Sally went to sleep and they were left alone in the livingroom, Mr. Cousineau had a glass of whiskey in his hand and signaled the door with a head gesture, and Barry walked outside with him.

"It would have been nice you know?" He started once they were by the lake. "Growing old here, just me and her, that's all I wanted." He was looking at the water and Barry was behind him just patiently listening. "I kept repeating that night in my mind, over and over again, for so long and it never occurred to me to think about you" Barry's eyes were fighting back tears since Cousineau was standing right where she was that night "But in all fairness you had told me already what you used to do for a living, I just didn't listen" He turned around and a small silver revolver was in his hands.

"Gene calm down, let's talk about this" Barry started knowing all too well that the old man would shoot his own foot before he could aim at him.

"Why don't you do it one more time?" He asked and took the gun by the barrel and gave it to him.

"Mr. Cousineau what are you talking about?" He asked perplex.

"My life is meaningless Barry, I have no longer reason to live without her and even when I hate to admit it Leo being back in my life is just not enough, so since you owned me this do it, take my life like you took hers" He put the gun in Barry's hand an point to his head "Just do it"

"Are you insane? Sally is in the house" Barry let go from his hand and put the gun down "Where did you get this?"

"Is mine, I bought it to kill you, but I can't do that, I'm too much of a coward, I don't even have te courage to kill myself, that's why I need your help" His voice was calmed and a monotone, but his eyes reflected a broken man and Barry feared he might convince him.

"Let's get inside, we can talk about this later ok?" He said taking his hand, and the man followed him like a sheep.

"You'll have to do it at some point, I haven't told the police but I might" he said once they were on the house, and he walked to his room leaving Barry alone in the dark.

A couple weeks later Fuches broke into his apartment, he looked sick, skinnier, with several scars and open wounds on his face. Apparently the Chechens blamed him for the massacre in the monastery and he managed to make a deal to bring him to them.

"And why would I go?" He asked once he was tied to a chair "Do you really thought you could take me?" He asked, not to brag but he was in terrible shape and it didn't cost him much to subdue him.

"Oh I knew I couldn't, what I need is your help to flee the country, they know you want to kill me, if they think I failed and that you did they would leave me alone" He said, and he was no longer the man Barry used to know, he was erratic and completely disturbed.

"What if actually kill you and we end this for once?" He said and pointed his gun at him.

"You wouldn't, you don't want to, I have followed you, you live your life like the happy little lep dog of that blondie, and that's fine. You don't want to unleash the real Barry again, and I'm counting with that" He said and Barry got angry because he was right. He left him go without accepting his offer, but he was sure he will came back.

The days passed and he was holding on to the hope both men will drop their "plans" and since Mr Cousineau was becoming a granddad and he was offering a big party he believed at least he had.

The morning of the party Gene asked him to help him buy some party supplies and he gladly accepted, by two in the afternoon they were loading the car with bags and talking about the new baby in the almost empty parking lot.

"Barry, do you remember what I asked you?" He said after putting in the las bag.

"I do, and the answer is the same, it won't happen" he said frowning.

"And I hope it doesn't, the thing is, you don't know how great life is until you know it, I mean I'm giving a baby shower for a woman I barely know because she is having my granddaughter"

"That's great, I'm sure Leo is thankful for that" Barry was not completely sure of why he was saying, so he asked. "And now what, are you telling the police?"

"Oh jesus no, that's a lot more trouble, and that won't be enough punishment for you, I want you out of the class, forever. After the party, you'll make a brilliant excuse and you will leave us alone" It was obvious he had rehearse that speech because he was not even looking at Barry who was about to replicate when the sound of a laugh make them turn around.

"Oh look the little actor guy is breaking up with you" Fuches said, he had a gun in his hand and was aiming at Barry.

"You??" Gene asked recognizing the so called Detective that had showed him Janice's body, and told him about Barry "what else do you want from me?" He ask with his voice about to break.

"Absolutely nothing, but since our boy here is not responding to diplomacy I thought a little pressure may help, now Barry be a good sport and come with me or" He said and got closer to Gene still pointing the gun at him.

"Fuches stop this man, leave him alone, he is not part of this" Barry tried to reason with him "Let's talk about this, leave him alone and I'll figure out a way to help you, come on man" He started to come closer, and tried to move Gene away from Fuches.

"You really need to know who is in charge here Barry" Fuches said and shoot the gun, it was all so fast, as Gene body fall to the ground and Barry tried to hold him as Fuches was running away, but he didn't bother on follow him, his only concern at that moment was to put pressure on Mr. Cousineau wound and wait patiently for the ambulance to arrive.

"Is going to be ok, don't close your eyes, just hold on" He said while he dialed 911 on his phone "Hi, my... my friend has been shot, outside Ralphs on Venice Boulevard"

"That really hurts you know? I don't know why would I tell yo to do that to me, but in the end you didn't, isn't it funny Barry?" He said before losing conciousness.

The lights of the ambulance came a couple minutes later, and they drove him to the ER, they asked him a couple questions and send him to the waiting room, he sited and waited for Leo and Sally to get to the hospital, he waited as he went into surgery, and he waited until the doctor come out to tell them he was out of surgery. The story they told was that some burglar tried to stole the car from them, and since the cameras on the supermarket recorded Fuches coming at them it was believable.

He spend every afternoon outside work in that hospital for the next week helping Leo take care of his dad. And even when Mr. Cousineau was thankful for his gesture he end up leaving the class when he came out of the hospital, hoping that being apart from him was enough to prevent more damage.

And now here he was, again waiting, again with blood on his hands, just that this time it was not his fault, the doctor came out a couple minutes later and walked him to her bed, they had shave part of her hair and put some stitches to stop the bleeding, and she was now awake, talking very animated with a nurse.

"And then you just add as much mozzarella as you want Abby" Y/N said and finally looked at Barry approaching to her bed.

"Well it sounds delicious, I would definitely try it. Thanks Y/N" The nurse saw the doctor and immediately walked away.

"Well apparently you are doing better Mrs. Berkman, but I still prefer for you to stay here for a couple more hours just to make sure you don't have a concussion" The way she addressed her took Barry by surprise but he didn't say anything.

"Do I have to? I'm fine, it was just a bump on the head, and you already fix that, and gave me a edgy haircut thanks for that" She responded, not bothering to correct her, wich was a surprise for Barry.

"Ok, let's do this, your husband can take you home, but you can't go the sleep, stay awake for at least the next 12 hours, and if anything happens in that time you can call me ok?" She said writing her number in a piece of paper and giving it to Barry "I'll make someone take this off" She signaled the IV on her arm and walked away.

"Ok hubby let's go" She winked at Barry once they were done with the paper work and inside Barry's car.

"Why didn't you said anything?" He asked starting the engine.

"Because they would have called Alan and since he is in Texas in a business trip I would have to stay the night there waiting for him to fly back so they could discharge me" She said like it was not a big deal "and don't worry I put my on social security number, so the bill won't be a problem."

"So your apartment is empty?" He asked thinking about what the doctor said.

"It is, but don't worry I can stay awake" She smile at him.

"Bullshit, I'll stay with you, at least until you are clear to sleep" He said and she let go a little chuckle.

"Oh look at you, what a nice husband" the comment almost make him blush but he focused on the road. "Fine let's go, we could find something to do for the next twelve hours"

I'm so sorry I didn't post this yesterday but I got the flu and I feel like shit, anyway I hope you enjoy this.

@meraki--mei

[bubmyg]

just another day - myg

pairing: yoongi x reader

genre: lovers to...lovers?, non idol!au, fluff, like tooth rotting, aching, falling out of your head fluff, im so sorry ajfklsaf

word count: 3,521

a/n: part 7 of to lovers and a follow up to the piece i posted last year on valentine’s day which means it’s been a year since i started posting bts writing!! it’s been a fun time and here’s to many more fun times :-) if you’re looking for the piece in question, it’s just titled “valentine’s day” and it’s listed under the “blurbs” section of my masterlist but it does not have to be read to understand this piece (although i do reference it a fair few times)!! also, the rest of to lovers is linked on my masterlist :’-)

Yoongi wrinkled his nose at the ridiculously large, heart shaped balloons clinging to a standee chalkboard all while adjusting the, ridiculously, large bouquet of flowers in his arms. His swift steps over cracked sidewalks paused as he considered the balloons for a moment, then the soft petaled tips of pastels digging into the crook of his elbow.

Someone’s bag brushed against the unbuttoned sides of Yoongi’s jacket as they tried to maneuver around his stature planted in the middle of the walkway. He panicked, phone call halfway in progress as he fumbled the device and the flowers all to shove a hand into the depths of his pocket.

His panicked pats around balled gloves and a crinkled receipt stalled when your voice hushed from his phone dangling between the press of his knuckles on his index and middle fingers. It was coincidence that his thumb traced the outline of the object in question, still safe and tied in the thickest part of his glove as he instead traded his attention for jamming his phone against his ear.

You were rambling a mixture of his name and quiet are you okay’s and what are you doing’s when Yoongi’s rushed mumble cut you off.

“How do you feel about balloons?”

Your voice cut off entirely and you were silent as Yoongi shifted his weight, back and forth, until you were giggling quietly into the receiver.

“Look, mister anti-capitalist, you better not come home with the entire Valentine’s Day section of CVS for me.”

A fond smile fought at his lips directly as he made eye contact with a woman trying to enter the cafe. She smiled back nonetheless, eyebrow quirking slightly as he muttered an excuse me under his breath and sidestepped closer to the building.

“Glad to see you’re finally on my side…”

Yoongi bit the inside of his cheek. “...so no balloons?”

“No balloons.”

“Fine.”

He huffed, setting his sights on your apartment building in the distance once more, flowers and no balloons in tow. There was a dull ambiance on the line, mindless shuffling of whatever mundane actions you were completing around the house. It was a few chunks of sidewalk later when Yoongi was teasing softly, “Also, who said I was buying anything for you?”

You hummed, unaffected by Yoongi’s sudden words in your ear, taking his teasing in stride, “Years of experience.”

It was four years ago when he’d, wide eyed and with clammy palmed, fought a middle aged man with a loose tie and a sweaty neck for the last bouquet of flowers in the shop once filled with the very thing. He’d barely remembered it was Valentine’s Day, only truly remembering when Hoseok had leaned over his desk in their eleven o’clock marketing class and blatantly spoken through the professor’s lecture.

“So, what’d you get your lady?”

Yoongi had briefly thought he’d forgotten your birthday and then remembered no, I can’t have and then thought we’ve only been dating for five months, that’s a forgivable offense, right? No, it’s not idiot all in the span of three rapid blinks and the time it took for an outraged expression to fit Hoseok’s features.

“Why would I have—”

“It’s Valentine’s Day, dumbass.”

He barely flinched at Hoseok’s empty accusations and suddenly the box of chocolates and tipped vase of roses abandoned outside his neighbor’s door in his apartment complex made sense.

“So?,” Yoongi scribbled half a bullet point onto his notebook before the powerpoint shifted slides, “Capitalist holiday.”

Hoseok groaned so loud that their professor paused and glared. “Calm down, you can really buy her flowers or something. It won’t hurt your quest to burn the system to the ground.”

Your sweet smile when he’d brought you coffee to the library flashed behind his eyelids when he blinked and the tenderness of the kiss you’d pressed to his lips tingled on his mouth.  

“It’s still dumb…” He mumbled back.

“Yoongi. Buy her flowers.”

Maybe it was the stress of spending the entirety of the cash in his wallet or having the evade the angry chatter of a stressed businessman into his bluetooth headset for a bouquet four times the size of what he planned to buy but it happened nonetheless.

He told you he loved you that night, unintentionally and on the phone two seconds before he was going to knock on your apartment door after calling you to tell you he was coming to see you.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Ask the life sized bear I found you asleep on last weekend while you were supposed to be helping me remake the bed.”

It was three years ago when he’d dragged a brown bear nearly as tall as him out of the grocery store, downsizing the flower bouquet to a single white rose with a pretty red ribbon tied around it. He’d nearly crushed the petals underneath under the toe of his boot when he dropped the flower in the parking lot in an attempt to open the trunk of his car. He’d tossed the flower to the passenger seat instead before completing the remorseful task of smashing the bear’s smiling face into the desolate corner of his trunk.

Yoongi felt guilty the entire week, particularly when he pried the oversized plush toy from his car and had to stare at it’s frumpled muzzle and ears until it was safely squashed in your delighted arms. It was still slightly lopsided in your embrace and seemed to accuse him for it, stitched eyes following his track around your shoulder to envelop your waist.

“It hates me,” He told you a week later when you’d finally dragged it out of the living room to your bedroom, placing it in the tiny chair that occupied the far corner.

You passed his figure with your keys in hand, placing a hand on his forearms crossed tightly over his chest as he considered the giant stuffed animal with thinned eyes. He didn’t flinch, even when your lips touched his cheek.

“I would too if you shoved me in a trunk for a week.”

The tautness in Yoongi’s shoulders melted then, turning to you with wide, innocent eyes. His trilled whine followed your figure out into the hallway, lips pink and pouted and exaggerated.

“Angel! You’re not supposed to side with the bear!”

He’d decided it no longer hated him just a week ago, the bear having traveled from your apartment to your shared apartment where it had it’s own special spot. 

I refuse to stuff him in a closet and you frowned at Yoongi for even suggesting it.

You’d pelted a fresh out of the dryer blanket at him and ordered him to fold it while you redid the sheets on the mattress. The bear’s muzzle wasn’t quite as lopsided and it’s eyes seemed to invite him to lay down on it (even if it knew he was you taking an extra shift away from a stint in the closet), particularly with the warmth of the blanket you’d just provided him with wrapped around his shoulders.

The picture you snapped had spent intervals as your lock screen, no matter how many times Yoongi changed it while you were asleep on his chest.

“It doesn’t hate me anymore,” Yoongi defended miserably and he could feel the heat scratch at the back of his neck underneath his scarf.

“Don’t worry, my tooth has forgiven you, too.”

It was two years ago when he’d ditched flowers all together for something edible, a bouquet of fruit and chocolate paired with a bottle of wine jostling in his grasp as he took the stairs of your building two at a time. The grocery store had been as busy as he’d expected it to be and his irritation with high schoolers clutching their mom’s credit cards and frazzled nine to five fathers growing by the second.

He wanted to be more annoyed than he was but then realized remorsefully that he was apart of the cycle, no matter if he tried to justify the gift in his arms as a tasty snack for after dinner, something he had planned to buy you after the holiday on discount and just happened to be passing through, something he would have had sent to your office in July.

Yoongi was no different than the man tapping his foot loudly behind him in line, his bluetooth headset dangling off his right ear as he crumbled a cheap set of dying roses in a meaty hand and Yoongi nearly panicked that the man had came back to haunt him for stealing a much larger set of vegetation years prior.

But none of that mattered, not the money he forked into that gathered by products designed specifically for the worst day of the year and not the near forty-five minutes he spent under sickly white lights with melting fruit in his arms. None of it mattered when you draped your legs around his waist and plucked a piece of the chocolate in the pinch of your fingers to brush it over his mouth.

Half of your bottom lip was hidden in your teeth, eyes gleaming as they glazed over the treat touching his skin to the bemused, half lidded laze of his stare.

“Open up.”

You spent the entire evening feeding each other cubes of fruit and balls of chocolate in between languid kisses that tasted of the sweets on your tongue. You woke up the next morning with a satisfied tingle encompassing your entire being, only to leave a dentist appointment the week after with a similar numbness in the core of your molars on your bottom jaw.

“You did not get a cavity because of that,” Yoongi told you, pressing a gentle kiss to your swollen cheek while handing you your bowl of instant mashed potatoes.

“I did and it’s your fault,” You muffled back, tongue clinging to the last bit of numbness on that side of your mouth.

He just sighed, long fingers brushing yours aside to take the spoon and jab a mouthful of the creamy substance against the seam of your lips, “Alright, love. All my fault. No more chocolate. Now, c’mon. Eat.”

“Still wasn’t my fault.”

The noise you made was uninterested, “What about my earrings? I have those in today, by the way.”

It was a year ago when he’d forced Namjoon to a jewelry store in the mall, his tall friend full body panicking when Yoongi hesitated at the engagement rings.

“Yeah?” Namjoon said simply as if he hadn’t just stared at the back of Yoongi’s head like he’d grown a third hand from the nape of his neck.

Yoongi hummed from above the earrings, acknowledging the employee who flanked him from beyond the counter with a gentle smile. He glanced at Namjoon from the corner of his eye, chin shaking curtly.

“Not this year.”

You’d cried when he placed the tiny box in your lap, his thumbs preoccupied with trying to collect each droplet that rolled down the contour of your nose while you gaped openly at the tiny karat’s pinched through cardboard.

Through blubbered tears generated from the overwhelming love engulfing you from Yoongi’s entire being, you accused, “These, this, is against like everything I’ve ever heard you say about this dumb holiday.”

“Doesn’t count,” He told you, brushing your hair behind your ear to frame his lips over it, “I didn’t buy these today.”

You just laughed and met Yoongi’s gaze with watery eyes, gripping the jewelry tighter in your grasp as you leaned in for a chaste kiss.

“I would have taken another cavity, you know. Or another, hopefully smaller, bear friend. Or flowers…” You kissed him again, speaking against the smile that bobbled on his lips, “Or just you.”

His fingers framed yours, prying the earrings out of your grasp to begin plucking the jewelry from their carefully positioned placements.

“Want me to put them in for you, pretty girl?”

“Good, they were expensive.”

“There he is,” You murmured fondly, “The realistic boyfriend I know and love.”

“They were expensive but—” Yoongi paused, checking over his shoulder at the traffic before taking long strides through the crosswalk, petals of blue and yellow and pink and purple fanning out behind him from the breeze, “—you’re always worth it. I would have just given them to you for Christmas, anyway. Or your birthday. Or international donut day.”

He wasn’t lying. He’d given you a birthstone necklace on Christmas, a journal filled with poetic professions on your birthday, a delivery of two dozen roses to your office on a day that was probably national sausage and mushroom pizza day in some part of the world.

His heart squeezed at your heartfelt laughter directed unabashedly toward his terrible attempt at humor.

“Didn’t know we bought gifts for international donut day that weren’t donuts.”

“You know I love you, right?” His fingers twisted for his pocket again, phone balanced between his shoulder and ear as a diving index finger make contact with the buried object once more. His steps picked up when he located it, shifting everything back to a normal grasp in his juggling limbs.

Your laughter subsided with the background noise and he could picture you, hip against the kitchen counter, arm wrapped around your middle, abandoning the half washed dishes or the half cooked dinner or your half typed email for work the following day.

“Yes.”

Yoongi squinted at the tower of your building over his head, the structure appearing far too quickly for his liking, the very specific smell of the lobby puking all his worries back up from their tightly balled location in the pit of his stomach. His nerve endings felt like they were on fire, his throat dry, hands numb where he crushed the stems and, accidentally, the volume button on his phone.

“Do you know how much I love you?” He corrected, swallowing in time with the elevator clicking over from where he’d nudged the button with his hip. “I’m not sure you do because it’s so much that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to properly express it to you. I don’t even know how much I love you. I can’t count that high.”

You were giggling again, softer this time, “Well if you don’t know, how am I supposed to know?”

He couldn’t even be bothered by the bitter taste of one of the flowers that swiped across his mouth when he shifted them in his grasp, the unabashed stretch of his smile giddy and genuine and permanent. His heart swelled like the creation of a balloon and he was half convinced the hammering organ sounding off in uneven beats had grown to the same size as the balloon he’d nearly tied around his wrist for you like a child at their first carnival.

“This just gives me an excuse to spoil you, so you don’t hide my credit card again,” Yoongi didn’t register he’d stepped into the elevator until it was stopping on the second floor to pick up another resident. His legs were numb underneath him, knee caps twitching as he pressed his shoulder blades into the wall and hushed into the receiver, “I love you all the time, not just—”

“—February fucking fourteenth,” You finished, “Yeah, a wise man once told me that just a few years ago.”

The other occupant of the elevator, a man drenched in sweat and carrying a towel, cast him a sideways glance as he stepped out on the fourth floor, amusement on the cock of his eyebrows as he disappeared around the closing doors. Yoongi took that opportunity to reveal the smile he’d been trying to suppress, jamming his index finger into the button of your floor again.

“I love you.”

“Yeah, the wise man said that too,” You mused, “You’re the wise man.”

“I’ll remember you said that.”

“Hush, are you ever going to come home?”

Yoongi stepped off the elevator, numbly albeit, “Almost there—”

“—because I’m almost positive you’re blushing and I’m not with you to kiss it away. Or make it worse, depending on how you’re feeling.”

He acknowledged the heat encompassing his entire being as partial embarrassment rather than anticipation, noticing the cool press of the glass screen of his phone against his cheek with irritated realization.

“I am not,” He denied anyway.

“Seriously, are you on your way home? I want my not gift that you definitely didn’t buy me.”

Yoongi’s cheeks hurt by the time he was centered in front of your door, the crushing, assuring wheeze of his heart that repeatedly told him you’re in love, you’re in love, you’re stupidly in love! almost outweighing the fear that rested just at the forefront of his conscious.

“Yes, just a second...” He jammed the flowers underneath his arm, fishing properly for the small velvet box resting within his knit glove.

The weight of the ring seemed to match that seizing at the stuttered beats in his heart as he knelt to the carpet floor. His phone slipped, barely, as he sought out the flowers, balancing the spread carefully on the edge of his knee so that the palette of sunshine hues covered the cradle of his free palm and the threatening dam of adoration spilling out of every, gleaming inch of his smile.

“Actually, I forgot my key,” Yoongi couldn’t care less if the waver in his tone gave something away, more focused on not dropping the ring, choking on a leaf, puking, and passing out all in the same instance. “I’m outside. Can you come open the door for me?”

He gathered that you must have been in the threshold with the speed in which the door opened but even though he was consciously aware that it was seconds between his request and you completing it, it felt like it took you hours to find him crouched on the floor in front of your apartment door.

“For someone who hates this day, you sure pick out the prettiest flowers,” You were giggling. The softness of your fingertips brushed against his, coaxing his ironclad grip off the stems. “Why are you on the floor? Did you drop—”

He held the ring with both hands now, cradling it on the end of his knee, cheeks tinted the prettiest of pinks, eyes wide and curious in the way his eyebrows framed them.

Everything Yoongi had ever etched to the journal he’d gifted you for your birthday or mumbled against your temple in the earliest hours of the morning evaded him in that moment, the speech that had obsessively trained the roll of his tongue, all that he loved and adored about you blanking. Instead, he laughed, tentative and easy.

“Hi, angel, how was your day?” Yoongi’s phone fell to the floor as he tilted his head the opposite direction, the shyest expanse of his teeth peeking out from his lips, “Oh, yeah, and will you, uh,  marry me? 

The flowers, already ruined from the flexing crush of his hands and arms and entire nervous being, were cast aside in favor of you dropping to his level, bringing your hands to cup his jaw.

“You’re serious?” Your forehead pressed against his, wet tears already streaking your cheeks, “You’re asking today?”

“Just another day to love you,” Yoongi croaked, the nerves invading his vocal cords now too.

“This is really against everything I’ve ever heard you say about this holiday.”

“Doesn’t count,” He reiterated, argued, one hand leaving the ring to wrap around your hip, “I didn’t buy it today. Nor did I get the idea to ask today.”

You kissed him to silence any further excuses for him indulging fully in the day of pastel pink hearts and the ultimate consumer mindset, sliding your hands around his shoulders as you fit between the part of his singular, bent knee.

He tapped your side with the box in hand, “So, is that a yes?”

“Depends,” You grinned, “Who are the flowers for?”

Yoongi whined. He whined, pursed lips and eyes that wandered over your head and curt but flailing movements of his head and shoulders and hands, voice trilling upward an octave on the end of the last set of syllables.

“Do you want to marry me or not?”

“Is something wrong?”

You hadn’t heard your neighbor open her door until she was standing in the hallway, confusion tangled somewhere in amusement at the sight before her.

The jewelry missed your ring finger, flopping onto your middle finger instead as Yoongi pocketed the tiny box and hauled you up with him by two arms curled around your waist. He pressed his cheek against your forehead, subtly nudging at your feet to move you into the apartment.

“Everything is great,” He told her, dimples pressing into his cheeks, “Sorry for the trouble.”

She disappeared like Yoongi’s flushed features did into the crook of your neck, lips pressing repeatedly into the same spot on the juncture of your shoulder as he moved you backward and shut the door softly behind your figures.  

“Yes, Yoongi,” You murmured, “I want nothing more than to marry you.”

[porkchop-ao3]

... Happily Ever After

I gave a nice neat ending to Tailor and Hairstylist, it’s only fair I do the same for Ice Cream Rick and reader :) (dw I have another fic with these two planned shh) I hope this gives you the warm and fuzzies. It is SFW but involves intoxication. 

Enjoy!

-

Our relationship had always been one prone to moving quickly. After meeting I.C at RickCon, he and I fell hard for each other in only a matter of weeks, I had been completely smitten within a month of knowing him and by the way he treated me I could only assume he felt the same way. We never really slowed down, our love for each other gaining momentum until neither one of us could imagine being without the other, and spending nights apart was becoming damn near painful. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, I wanted to live with him. So when I heard that he had been looking at houses without telling me, I felt odd. Not knowing whether it was safe to get my hopes up, I confronted him.

“Are you moving out?” I asked him outright. A weird mix of confusion, hopefulness, but not wanting to get ahead of myself, filling me completely; I'd been unable to think about much else since I had heard.

I.C’s head snapped towards me from his mixing bowl. We were downstairs in his ice cream lab and he was mixing up a new flavour, putting together drops of syrups, ground up, dried ingredients fresh from the mortar and pestle, stirring them into a pink paste in his bowl. He stopped moving when I'd asked him, though, hands pausing mid stir.

“I spoke to Beth earlier on, when you were down here. She mentioned you'd been looking at houses, she only said it as a throw away thing… it looked like she didn't mean to. She went all red when I asked what she was on about.”

“She did? Huh,” I.C was frowning, looking extremely confused. His expression so extreme that I questioned it's sincerity. “I don't know why she'd say that.”

“You weren't looking at houses? She said you were looking online.”

“Uhhhh,” he scratched his head, puffed some air through his lips and looked up at the ceiling. “I don't…” he trailed off, shaking his head. He looked stumped.

“Rick?” I cocked my brow at him.

“Yeah?” He glanced at me hopefully.

“You're being weird,” I smiled a little strangely at him.

“Am I ever not weird?” He chuckled.

I leaned against the counter and tilted my head expectantly. He scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing loudly and finishing it off with a little groan.

“I didn't want to say anything just yet,” he begrudgingly admitted. “I really didn't want to say anything until I had it all figured out.”

“Well you have to say something now!” I exclaimed, chuckling.

“I've been looking into this for a little while, just feeling things out, you know? Nothing serious. I just wanted to…” he trailed off again and looked at me. I waited quite a while before he spoke again. “I was thinking that we should– or we could start looking for, uh, for somewhere we could live together.”

“Huh?” My response was so stupid sounding I wanted to punch myself. It wasn't as if I wasn't expecting it.

“We don't have to. It's just, it's been getting so hard not having our own space. W-w-we're always worrying about someone coming home or knocking on the door or whatever. It'd be so good to just be alone and have our privacy, don't you think?”

“Oh god, yeah it would be. I know what you're saying.”

“So is that a yes?” He beamed hopefully, only a hint of nervousness behind his smile. He knew just as well as I did that we were headed this way, it was an obvious unspoken fact that we both wanted this.

“Of course!” I matched his smile and he turned to me, going in for a hug. I stopped him with my words, and his hands settled on my waist instead. “But I have some questions,” I pursed my lips, frowning in thought.

“Hold onto them,” he held a finger up to me before whipping off his apron and putting his bowl away in a fridge under his desk. “I had a plan, I w-was gonna take you somewhere I think you'll love, and make it all romantic before I asked you. We could still go, talk things out there?”

“Oh! Really? You were gonna be all romantic?” I smiled, my heart warming as much as my cheeks.

“You know me, Casanova o-over here,” he smirked, pulling his portal gun out of his pocket. “Uhh, you have any hiking boots?”

“Hiking boots? Sure, at home,” I gave him an odd look, intrigued.

“We'll stop there along the way,” he grinned, shooting a portal at the wall.

-

When we stepped through the portal after stopping to change my shoes, Rick insisted that he cover up my eyes. He'd handed me a bag full of snacks, and I gripped onto it like a safety harness as I stepped into the unknown. I trusted him with my life, but it was still rather nerve-wracking, especially when my foot met uneven, ragged feeling ground. I was standing on sharp outcrops, I could feel that much through the thick soles of my boots and was grateful for Rick's suggestion to change my shoes.

“You okay sweetheart?” He asked me, standing close with his warm palms cupping over my eyes ever so gently.

“This place isn't scary, is it?”

“I hope not. I don't think you'll find it scary. Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Alright, 3, 2, 1…” he lifted his hands from my eyes and I blinked a couple of times. My eyes quickly adjusted, and I gasped.

Rick had taken me to what could only be described as a giant crystal. The entire ground as far as the eye could see was covered in glistening points of lavender coloured rock, all of varying sizes. Some points were taller than us, cropping straight up to the sky, some with smaller points growing out from the base, sparkling beautifully. The ground below our feet was covered in tiny crystals, some coming loose, scattered around like pebbles on a driveway. I felt the urge to pick one up as a keepsake, but I resisted.

“What do you think?” Rick stepped around to stand beside me, studying my face.

“I've never seen anything like it. This is incredible! What is it, amethyst?”

“Yep. At least, something close to it. This whole planet is like it, it's essentially a giant inside out geode,” he grinned, letting his eyes roam the scenery.

“How did you find this place? It's absolutely beautiful!” I was flabbergasted, my eyes drying out because I had to remind myself to blink.

“I had some help. I went to a dimension of magpie people,” he started, taking a soft breath.

“They helped you? They really do like shiny things,” I chuckled.

“Not exactly, I went there with the intention of asking for their help, but… turns out it's highly offensive to ask a magpie person about shiny things,”

“Are you pulling my leg?” I finally pulled my eyes away from the scenery to look at him.

“I wish I was! It's a terrible stereotype, they're seriously sensitive about it, apparently,” he shrugged.

“Huh,” I cocked a brow in surprise.

“So instead I asked an old friend of mine, Rick J19-Zeta-7. He knows a lot about geology, he told me about this place,” he held his hand out to me, and I took it in mine. “Careful where you put your feet, baby, I don't want you rolling an ankle.”

Rick led me on a trail through the large crystal points around us. It was like a trail through a forest, and I wondered how many beings had been there before, walking that very path. The crystals under foot were shinier than the rest, as if they'd been polished by the feet of visitors.

After a while we broke off the trail, stepping between two large clusters; tall points with smaller terminations covering the sides of it. I ran my hand over one as we passed, feeling the sharp edges against my skin, not sharp enough to cut but definitely pointy. We found ourselves in a little clearing with some thicker, shorter points, coming out of the ground at such an angle that there were plenty of flat edges for us to sit on. We sat side by side on our makeshift thrones and took a few minutes of quiet there, appreciating the scenery. In my mind, if the place had any sounds to hear it'd be windchimes, but in reality it was almost silent. Save for a quiet whistling as gentle wind blew through the gems.

“Can we live here?” I broke the quiet, hearing him chuckle in response.

“Accidental house viewing?” He laughed.

“It's so peaceful. What sort of healing properties is amethyst supposed to have?”

“You're asking me? I'm a man of science, my dear,” he nudged my side.

“I know you are, but it's interesting to think about, isn't it?”

“It is. Whatever you believe in, there's no doubt this place is relaxing,” he took a deep, gentle breath and leaned back against another outcrop of rock. “Now, you said you had questions? I'm all ears, baby.”

I nodded slowly, studying an edge of rock that had some traces of orange within it as I thought.

“First of all, where would we live? As in, dimensions. I forget this all the time, but… we're from different dimensions, after all,” I pointed out, and Rick hummed in acknowledgement.

“Your dimension. We'd live in yours, in London. Unless you'd prefer somewhere else?”

“But what about you? You can't just leave your family behind,” I looked up at him, my brow arching. He let out a breath and sat up, leaning close to me.

“Angel, don't forget, I have a portal gun. I can go and visit them instantly whenever I want, it'd be no different to living down the street; you don't have that luxury. And I'm not leaving them behind, my family is… is their own family. Honestly, I feel like I'm kind of intruding sometimes, living in their house,” he admitted with a gentle shrug of his shoulders.

“I don't think they see it that way.”

“You know I've already talked to Beth about this. She's happy that I've found you and frankly, I think she's already planned what she's doing with my bedroom when I'm gone,” he snorted, flashing me a little grin.

“You're really okay with that? What about Morty?”

“Morty helps me out a lot, and it's useful having him around all the time. But, he's growing up. One day he'll probably go to college, or get a job, I can't expect him to drop everything to help me forever,” he admitted, scratching his goatee. “But, I have thought about him. I'm gonna make him a special portal gun, one that's just for travelling between our dimensions. That way he can visit whenever he likes.”

“Hmm,” the sound I made wasn't intended to be disapproving, but my face must've told him my inner worries far too accurately because he laughed.

“Don't worry. It won't let him just portal into the house. He'll have to knock on the front door, so we won't get any surprises.”

“Oh, okay,” I smiled, relieved.

“See? I've got it all figured out,” he tapped on the side of his head and nodded.

“Of course you do,” I smirked. “But don't forget Tailor. What happens if two Ricks are living in the same dimension? Isn't there like… like a special law against that?”

Rick burst out into belly laughs, so suddenly he startled me.

“I'm sorry baby, I'm not laughing at you. If- if you knew as many Ricks as–” he cut himself off with more laughter and I sighed, shoving him a little.

“Spit it out!”

“Surely you know Tailor better than I do, and he… he's- you know he hooks up with other Ricks, right?”

“Yeah, he's been pretending he's not in a relationship with that Stylist from RickCon for months.”

“Well, he's far from the only one. I know at least five Ricks who're living with themselves, and that's not even the ones I know from the Citadel,” he explained. “Trust me, there's no laws. We'll be fine.”

“Point taken,” I shrugged. “I didn't realise it was so common.”

“Oh, it's common,” he smirked. I eyed him for a long time, burning questions threatening to spill.

“What about you?” I asked, unable to hold back.

“What about me?” He counter-questioned, straightening up.

“Have you ever… another Rick…” I murmured, going red in the face.

He stared at me for a while, blinking too often, his face hard to read. “What if I have?”

“Well, I'd think that was fine. I mean, if I had a wealth of me's out there at the end of a portal gun I might've done the same,” I shrugged.

“In that case, hell yeah I have,” the wall of stoic broke and he grinned.

“Really? Wow…” my lips curled into a small smile as a few images flitted through my mind. Rick caught my chin in his hand and turned my head to look at him.

“Any further questions?” He smirked.

“Oh, I could think of a few… but none about our living arrangements,” I mirrored his expression and he chuckled, before leaning in to kiss me.

-

The moving process went surprisingly smoothly. I had lived in my childhood home my whole life, having never moved before, but Rick made sure that everything was accounted for and took care of almost everything. We found a nice house not too far from Tailor's studio, within walking distance, which would be useful since I was eager to continue working there. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open plan kitchen and living area with a generous garden and a basement level that worked well for Rick once he'd converted it into his lab. That had been an interesting weekend, the house was crawling with Ricks, since according to I.C they worked far more efficiently than any builders we could hire here on earth. Everything fell wonderfully into place, and while the house still looked pretty sparse in places, it didn't take us long to settle in.

Gosh, it was wonderful. Just having him around whenever we were home, having dinner with him every single evening, curling up in bed with him every single night. We finally felt completely at ease when we were together, no distractions or interruptions, no nothing. Just each other's company. I thought my love for him had reached its peak, but living with him had proved me wrong and I quickly realised the space in my heart for him was infinite. Rick never hid his emotions or feelings, he never hesitated to tell me that he loved me, but it still didn't stop my heart from feeling like it was about to beat out of my chest whenever he said something open and honest.

One night was especially touching, and nothing short of eventful. In the evenings we would sit in front of the TV together, and we'd developed a pretty terrible habit of sharing a tub of his ice cream. That night I hadn't been hungry enough, so he was eating alone. It was just as well, since half way down the tub Rick suddenly frowned, looking down into it with a puzzled look.

“What's up?” I asked, catching his eye. He nodded towards the coffee table that I was sitting closest to and asked me to hand him the lid.

“I just wanna check something,” he murmured. The tubs he kept his ice cream in were plain white with just a few letters written on the lid, signifying what was inside it. He knew what they all meant, not many other people did. He scanned the lid, his eyes widening a little. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Uhhh,” he sat up, putting the lid back on the tub and holding it out to me. “Could you, uh, put that back in the freezer for me?” I took it from him and he rubbed his hands over his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked him, looking down at the lid and failing to make sense of the letters there.

“I, uhh, I fucked up,” he said, letting out a sheepish laugh. “I can only apologise in advance for… for…” he trailed off, looking up at me with eyes that looked a little… off. “That ice cream was highly alcoholic. I picked up the wrong one, and I really shouldn't have eaten half a tub.”

His words were beginning to slur a little.

“You didn't realise? Does it not taste bitter?” I questioned, peeling the lid off and having a sniff. It didn't smell like alcohol.

“Well no, as a rule I don't like adding normal booze into ice cream without processing it a bunch, it makes it too soft. This has alien alcohol in it, which doesn't taste bitter and it- it takes a while to kick in but hooo when it does,” he snickered, slumping back against the sofa. “Like a freight train, baby.”

“Shit, are you okay? It's not dangerous, is it?”

“Only if you let me climb up on the roof, or, or play with knives,” he laughed again. I certainly wasn't seeing the funny side.

“Rick, you never drink! I've never seen you drunk before.”

“Get ready, sweetheart, I'm getting there.” He tried to push himself up from the sofa and failed. “Fuck, this- this is why I stay away from the shit.”

“Oh god, just stay there. I'll get you some water.”

With a sigh I hurried to the kitchen, putting the ice cream in the freezer and filling up a tall glass with water. When I returned he was still on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

“I remember this, the room going ‘round in circles. Ugh.”

“Here, have a drink,” He lifted his head and reached for the glass, his hand missing completely on the first try. “Oh, Christ,” I muttered.

Rick held the glass with both hands and took a drink, then handed it back to me. I placed it down on the coffee table and sat back down next to him, watching him in concern.

“I-I-I’m fine, don't look so worried,” he laughed, words really melting together now.

“I am worried. This is hitting so fast,” I gnawed on my bottom lip. He brought his hand down on my knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Tha's what it does, baby. I'm fine,” he drew out the last word, shaking his head from side to side. I continued to stare at him as he rolled his head back against the sofa, looking at me with this dizzy smile. “God, you're beautiful.”

I wasn't expecting him to say that, and I raised my brows in surprise.

“I would make love to you, but since there's two of you I wouldn't want to leave one of you out,” he snickered, hoisting himself forwards and draping his body over mine in a loose hug.

“Are you joking, or are you actually seeing double?” I questioned, holding onto him carefully, frozen by worry.

“I'm joking,” he turned his head and mumbled into my neck. “Relax, beautiful,” he kissed my neck once.

“Maybe you should go and lay down, sleep through this,” I suggested. He used my shoulder to push himself up and steady himself. He was blinking slowly, one eye out of time with the other, squinting. Bloody hell, he looked liked he'd spent all day in a brewery.

“You're looking after me, aren't y-you adorable? I-I'll be fine.”

“So you keep saying, but I don't like seeing you like this and I think sleeping will be best for you,” I sighed, stroking his cheek and pushing his hair out of his face for him.

“You're an angel, you know that? So sweet and c-caring. Always thinking about me, l-let's go, hmm?”

“Yeah? You wanna go to bed?”

Rick nodded and wiped some drool away from the corner of his mouth. “I gotta- gotta brush my teeth,” he went to stand up, falling right back down again.

“Yeah… you should, but I don't know if…” I stood up and held my hands out for him to grab onto. “One night won't kill you, I'm not sure if you'll manage.”

“What if they all fall out?” He laughed, finally getting to his feet, though he was extremely unsteady. I had to use all of my strength to keep him upright, guiding him over to the stairs.

“They won't… look, why don't you crawl up the stairs?”

Rick slumped onto his hands and knees at the staircase, laughing away to himself.

“Fuck! I am trashed, aren't I?” He exclaimed, dragging himself up the stairs, my hands ready to grab him if he started to slide. “I ne-need to stop selling that shit, it's inhumane to put a man through this,” he cackled.

“I bet other Ricks can handle this. You aren't used to it,” I sighed.

“You ca-callin’ me a lightweight? Coz that- that's exactly what I am,” he snorted loudly. I cracked a little smile.

We managed to get him up the stairs, and he didn't bother rising to his feet once we reached the top. He crawled his way to our bedroom, banging his head on the door and simultaneously opening it with his head. He grunted and rubbed at his skull.

“Be careful, oh my god, Rick,” I whined, opening the door the rest of the way and flicking the light on. He simply laughed in response. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, didn't feel a thing,” he slurred, carrying on and dragging himself onto the bed. I helped him up, lifting his legs up onto the mattress. He groaned and rolled onto his back, splaying out across the whole bed. I sighed and rubbed the top of his head, wincing. He hummed pleasantly, smiling up at me.

“I am so glad you don't drink, it's like having a toddler,” with a sigh, I reached for his shirt buttons and started to undo them. He made a saucy little sound and wiggled his brows at me. “Calm down, I'm just getting you down to your undies. You don't wanna sleep in your clothes,” I tutted.

He helped me get his shirt off and then I went for his pants, undoing his fly and tugging them down his legs, leaving him in his socks and his boxers. I folded the duvet over him, not bothering to try and pull the rest out from under him.

“Do I need to get a bucket?”

“What for?”

“In case you feel ill,” I said, thinking it was obvious.

“I don't feel sick, I'm fine,” he shrugged.

“I'll get one just in case,” I sighed, sitting down next to him and stroking his hair. I wasn't ready to leave him just yet, I'd wait until he was properly settled down. I felt the need to keep my eye on him, he looked incredibly vulnerable; unable to hold himself up or get himself around.

Rick took my hand in his, pulling it away from his head and bringing it to his mouth. He kissed my fingertips sloppily, chuckling quietly and sighing, closing his eyes. I thought he looked incredibly sweet, despite being so intoxicated. I smiled, very nearly prying my hand from him so I could get up, but he kept me there with his next words.

“Mm, I'm gonna make you my wife one day.”

My heart damn near stopped. My face dropped. Not because I was unhappy about what he'd said, but because of how much it shocked me. We were in love, we'd moved in together, and we were serious about each other; but the words husband or wife had never really crossed my mind.

“You are?” I responded quietly, gripping his hand as he dropped it to the bed, letting my thumb run over the back of his hand.

“Mhm, one day,” he nodded, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes.

I didn't think too much into it. He was absolutely hammered, out of it, not thinking straight. But, his words still meant the world to me, I knew there was at least some sincerity behind them, even if it just meant how much he cared for me. The idea of becoming his wife was something that I could definitely, definitely get used to. But I put it away in the back of my mind with a smile, deciding that whatever happened, as long as I was his, I was happy.

I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his temple, and then left him – only briefly – to prepare for the no doubt sleepless night I'd have watching over him. I could only hope that the morning hangover would treat him kindly…

[scarletroseofrwby]

TCSE AU Chapter 16:

Rays of light had shown through the small gap between the curtains on the window. Ruby slowly opened her eyes, quietly groaning in pain as all the minor injuries she had obtained yesterday started to take effect.

Looking down, she found her lips far too close to Weiss’s forehead, one arm wrapped around her partner’s head, the other wrapped around the waist. Their bodies were touching, only their clothing in the way of bare intimacy.

“Holy smokes, Yang would never believe this,” Ruby murmured, quiet enough so that Weiss doesn’t wake up.

She turned her head to the bedside table to check the clock. Bright green numbers displayed 7:12 am. It was already 12 minutes past there usual wake-up schedule. But it was a Saturday, and with the awful night they had, she could let it pass today.

Beside her, she heard soft moaning sounds and a quiet yawn. Weiss was awakening, and Ruby’s heartbeat immediately accelerated. She tried to remain calm as Weiss’s eyes fluttered open.

With one more yawn, Weiss looked up at Ruby. “Good morning, Ruby. Why do you look at me like that?”

“Like what?” Ruby’s nervous smile gave it away.

Weiss had to admit to herself that she was feeling nervous about the situation at hand, having never slept with another girl in the same bed. She hadn’t even done so with Winter, this was incredibly new to her. How did she even manage to ask Ruby to sleep with her last night?

“You dolt,” the silverette sighed. “I’m really sorry for how I treated you before. We are best friends after all, and I feel obligated to make it up to you. Allow me to spoil you. Please.”

“Weiss, you don’t have to, really. I just wanted you back. And now you are, and I am content.”

The heiress felt a warm, fuzzy sensation in her heart, not sure what it was. But hearing Ruby say that definitely triggered it.

Suddenly, a loud growl was heard, emanating from Ruby’s stomach region. The young huntress smiled sheepishly. “Maybe we should get some breakfast now.”

“And we can’t go outside yet, can we? Because Neptune?”

Her partner nodded somewhat sullenly. “Yeah. If only I had knocked him out or something, we wouldn’t have to take refuge here.”

Weiss shook her head. “You did your best, and I really don’t mind staying here. I’ve been in need of a little vacation lately with everything going on at school.”

“And it’s not often we can get off campus for a few days,” Ruby said with a smile. “Might as well savor this while it lasts, right?”

Both girls sat up, leaving the bed at the same time. Ruby allowed Weiss to wash up first, but Weiss insisted Ruby went before her. They briefly debated on who should go first, Weiss quickly losing the argument when Ruby gave her her supposed ‘secret weapon’--the puppy eyes.

The young leader only giggled when Weiss had given up, proceeding to change in front of her. “By the way, Weiss, did the bras fit you? I’m sorry I couldn’t find your size--no offense.” Ruby was now only covered by a towel, ready to take a shower after Weiss.

Seeing Ruby with only a towel to cover her private parts made her face redden, the embarrassing bra question only making it worse. “No--” her voice cracked horribly--“I’m afraid they didn’t quite fit. But it’s not your fault, and I take no offense in your statement. My family is known for being tall and...busty, as Yang would put it, but I got the short end of the stick--pun unintended.”

“Oh my goodness, Weiss,” Ruby giggled even more. “I’m making you super embarrassed, aren’t I? Your face is so red! Is it me?” She struck an incredibly seductive pose. “Like what you see?”

“You dolt!” Weiss covered her face and proceeded to the bathroom. She felt incredibly hot and embarrassed beyond measure, her heart beating way too quickly for her liking.

She could hear Ruby’s cackles outside the door. She felt so embarrassed, but found herself laughing too. Not loud enough for Ruby to hear, but she was definitely laughing heartily. Sighing after that wonderful moment, she removed the rest of her clothes and stepped into the shower.

The warm water bounced clung to her skin, beads and droplets falling down her chin and breasts. Her hair quickly became drenched, and she let out a relaxed sigh.

While Weiss was taking her shower, Ruby heard her scroll vibrating on the bedside table. Her sister was calling. She picked up immediately, and Yang hollered a ‘hallelujah’.

“The Great One speaks, Blake! What? No, I’m not going to speak to the Great One for you! A simple ‘hello’ is not enough!”

Ruby’s eyebrows dropped and furrowed as her sister’s rambling went on. “Yang, stop calling me the Great One. What’re you calling for?”

Yang gasped dramatically. “I have a simple question for the Great One! I pray she answers with her utmost desire!”

The younger girl groaned, this was clearly going nowhere. “Okay, first of all, I need you to stop that. Please. Second--”

“Hey, it’s only fair! I’m paying for your little honeymoon, so you have to let me speak to you like this! Now, do you have food and outdoor clothing, O Great One?”

“We actually don’t. The hotel we’re at offers breakfast, but that’s it. We can’t bring food back to our room, and room service is really expensive.”

“Then fear not, O Great One! My romantic partner and I--Blake, let me do this!” Yang cleared her throat and continued. “Allow my romantic partner and I to provide for you and your lover, O Great One! Prey tell, from which lodge do you seek shelter currently?”

“We’re staying at Valian Suites.”

“Oh, what a fine choice you have made, O Great One. I can recall the many occasions we have visited from our childhood years. They have the wonderful pool, do they not? Would you like me to bring your swimwear as well? Perhaps your mistress will enjoy the hot tub.”

It was impossible to imagine Weiss in a swimsuit, even if it was a one-piece. Just the thought of her made her blush, but in a swimsuit? This was new territory. Weiss was beautiful already, but with something as bare as a swimsuit...she tried to imagine it. Her beautiful, slender figure, her snow-white skin, and her petite br--

Ruby’s brain was now fried.

“Rubes? Blake, I think I broke her. I’ll bring them anyway.” Yang cleared her throat once again before proceeding. “Have you partaken your morning meal yet,O Great One?”

She wasn’t quite fully restored, but part of her brain had returned to it’s normal state. “N-no...”

“Then I suggest you do that. I’ll bring everything by around 9:30-ish to 10.”

“A-and please be discreet. Watch your back, Neptune’s still out there.”

“Gotcha, Sis! See you later!”

The call ended, and Ruby was still processing...everything. She stood there like a deer in headlights, solid as a statue. Suddenly, she heard the running water stop.

Pull yourself together! Just get your feelings in check and be the Ruby Rose she can rely on!

Ruby set her scroll down on the bedside table, prepared her clothes, and waited for Weiss to finish up. It shouldn’t be too long of a wait, but she had to distract herself. Grabbing the TV remote from the coffee table, she turned on the TV and browsed through the channels. Eventually, she stopped on the Vytal Festival replays. She enjoyed watching the different teams of the past fight against each other. There was true heart and passion in each student that competed, each technique and strategy unique.

A team from Beacon was faced against a team from Atlas. Their fighting styles all varied, the weapons corresponding with how they fought. There was one weapon in particular that caught Ruby’s attention. It was a scythe--actually, it was two scythes--of some sort that would transform into double-barreled shotguns. They were pretty cool, but Ruby continued to tell herself that none could compare to Crescent Rose. As Ruby continued to watch, she found herself repeatedly thinking about being in these battles.

To think that one day she’d be in these replays with her team and make history.

Suddenly, she heard the bathroom door open, Weiss coming out with her pajamas in hand. She wore a red t-shirt that Ruby had purchased and black leggings that fit her legs nicely.

“You know my main color is white, Ruby,” Weiss said as set her pajamas down on the bed after folding them neatly.

“Technically, white isn’t a color. It is devoid of color, and I’m trying to give you some.” Ruby grinned at her own reply. “Besides, I think red suits you.”

“Then I appreciate your intentions, Ruby. Thank you.” Weiss replied with a small, dorky smile. The two stared at each other for a few more moments with their dorky smiles. The heiress cleared her throat, starting to feel a little silly for staring longer with her partner than necessary. “I believe it is your turn for the shower, Ruby.”

The young girl did a double take before her conscience was restored. She moved her head so suddenly that she nearly fell backwards. This earned a quiet giggle from Weiss. “Woah, you didn’t see nothing.”

“That’s a double negative, Ruby.”

“Sure. I’m gonna take my shower now.” Ruby proceeded on her path to the bathroom until her eyes flashed briefly, a sharp pain welling up on her left big toe. “Frick...Yang, stop stubbing your toe!”

Weiss wondered what exactly had just happened. “Ruby, how do you know Yang stubbed her toe?”

Ruby immediately sprung up from holding her foot to a proper standing position. “What do you mean Yang? Clearly I said I stubbed my toe.”

“You were nowhere near the wall or any corner, and your gait was too normal for you to have stubbed your toe on the floor.”

Shoot. I can’t tell her about the curse. I haven’t even told Yang about it! She’d freak and most likely tell Yang, and if I told her about the bonds, she’d think staying away from me is the best option. I can’t lose her!

It was then that she wondered what would happen to the red string if Weiss and her were to cut ties completely. Would the string just break?

“Ruby?”

No, she knew better than that. When you lose someone, the string stays and hurts you. Just like her mother’s string. It’d be worse than heartbreak, much, much, much more worse.

“Ruby!” Weiss’s firm voice took Ruby out of her thoughts. “What happened?”

WhadoIdowhadoIdowhadoIdo?!?!?!?!?!? Uhhhhhh....Uhhhhhhh? UHHghGHh?!

“S-Silver eyes!” The words slipped from her mouth before she had a chance to catch them. There was no going back now.

“What?” Before Weiss could question any further, Ruby had already disappeared into the bathroom, rose petals falling to the ground gracefully.

Silver eyes? What about her eyes?

Looking around for access to the internet, Weiss found Ruby’s scroll on the bedside table. She picked it up and tapped on the search bar, typing in ‘silver eyes’ immediately. Many results came up, and after skimming through a few articles, they were more or less the same. Attempts at scientific recreation of the silver DNA, each and every one of them a failed attempt.

“So what does that have to do with her?” Weiss asked herself as she continued to search for answers. Refining her search was difficult, every source about the attempts popping up. Nothing useful to Weiss in relation to Ruby.

Within the next few minutes, the results she had were very few. Silver eyes were very rare. Rarer than the rarest dust, ethereal dust. The SDC had such a small supply of it because of its rarity and how difficult and strenuous it was to achieve it. Next, silver eyes are impossible to recreate, and no contact lens could compare. Silver eyes were voted the most beautiful eye color in Remnant. And finally, natural silver eyes were a one in a two million chance.

“So what’s so bad about them? She should consider herself lucky with such a trait.”

Weiss paced around the room, wondering how she could find more information. It was clear Ruby did not want to press any further, and Weiss respected that. But that didn’t stop her from wanting answers. Would Yang know?

Then she remembered--she had Ruby’s scroll.

Forgive me, Ruby.

Tapping on the message app, Weiss saw the list of conversations and scrolled down. She found Yang’s right above hers, which was oddly named. Three heart emojis, Weiss’s name, three more heart emojis. The rest of the names were normal, almost bland-looking when compared to her own.

Thinking nothing of it for now, Weiss tapped on the younger girl’s conversation with her sister. As she read through them, the majority of the messages contained teasing, discussions on Friday night plans, and concern over Neptune. None of which contained any context or clues of silver eyes in any way.

The running water had stopped, and the silverette rushed to close the scroll and set it where it was previously. Unsure of what to do on the matter, Weiss flopped back rather ungracefully onto the bed with a groan. She jumped when the door opened faster than she expected. Ruby ran out with a wide smile on her face, her hair dripping water onto the carpet.

“Ready for breakfast?” That’s what Ruby was smiling about.

Weiss couldn’t help but smile back and nod. “I’m quite famished, I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”

The younger huntress took her hand, pulling her off of the bed. “Let’s go then! I’m starving!”

“Your hair isn’t dry yet, dolt! We can’t go with you like that!” Weiss protested, crossing her arms somewhat impatiently.

Ruby shook her head quickly like a dog, the water flying everywhere. Weiss quickly raised her arms in defense, not willing to get wet again. “Gah--Ruby! Warn me next time!”

“All dry! Can we go now?” The younger girl made the eyes that nobody could say no to.

With a huff, Weiss shook her head and curled her lips in a smile. “Fine. But you’d better brush your hair when we get back.”

As they vacated the room, Weiss could only stare at her hand being grasped by Ruby’s as she led them both to the elevator excitedly. The warmth she could feel, the kindness and compassion Ruby had, she could feel all of that in just her hand. And the way she was held last night...

Why did it feel as if nothing bad had happened last night? She felt no guilt, no shame, no...anything for what happened. She still felt unsure about going back to Beacon, but she still had a few days to recover. She wasn’t alone either.

Ruby had been with her the whole night. Ruby had held her the whole time. Ruby had made her smile when she didn’t want to. Ruby had done so many things for her, and even with all the riches in the world, she could never pay off her debt. Had Ruby not been the kind and caring person she is, Weiss wouldn’t know what to do.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open, Ruby continuing to drag Weiss out of the small room and to the dining area behind the fireplace she was sat at last night. They found a table close to the fireplace, Ruby pulling out Weiss’s chair for her to sit.

“I can get the food. If they don’t have what you normally eat, what do you want as backup?” Ruby asked.

The younger girl was even thoughtful enough to ask for a backup suggestion. Why was Weiss noticing these things now? “Umm, I suppose scrambled eggs and hash browns will do, thank you.”

“Black coffee?”

Weiss nodded. She watched as Ruby walked off to the buffet, looking on as the brunette picked up plates and shoveled food onto them. Her semblance allowed her to get the job done much faster, but she had to be careful with the coffee. Weiss quietly chuckled as she recalled the memory of Ruby spilling her coffee because she thought a spider was a rat.

“IT WAS HUGE, YOU’D BE SCARED IF YOU SAW IT TOO!! STOP LAUGHING, YANG!!”

When Ruby came back, she noticed Weiss’s smile. “What’re you thinking about, Princess?”

“Princess?” Weiss repeated, an amused grin morphing from an innocent smile.

“Of course! I’m your huntress! At your service, Madam.” Ruby bowed in respect, though jokingly, Weiss knew.

“You’re just a dolt, dolt.”

“Can I be your dolt?”

Her jaw was starting to hurt. Weiss had never smiled for this long. What are you doing to me, Ruby?

She sighed and rested her cheek on her palm that was propped up on the table. “I suppose, dolt.”

“Anyway, here’s your food and your coffee,” Ruby set down in front of her the plate of toast and bagels, a small portion of eggs and potatoes on the side. “Yang’s gonna come by later, she’s bringing us some meals and some clothes since we can’t go out.”

“That’s nice of her.” Weiss took a sip of her coffee.

“Yeah, Yang’f thuh beff thither,” Ruby said, her mouth full of food.

“What have I told you about speaking with your mouth full?”

The brunette giggled at Weiss’s annoyance. “Thorry.”

“Ugh. You really are a dolt.”

Swallowing the huge mass of food, Ruby stuck her tongue out playfully and winked. “Your dolt!”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Keep eating.”

--------

It had been a little over 45 minutes since they ate breakfast, both of them now chilling out in their room. Ruby was lazily plopped onto the couch while Weiss sat properly beside her, both of them watching some sort of cliche romance movie.

“Soooooo...why are we watching this, Weiss?” Ruby queried. “Aren’t all these movies pretty much the same?”

“I happen to like these movies. And no, they’re not all the same as you say they are. Most of these are actually well-written. Maybe it would help if you actually paid attention to the plot.”

“Meh, they’re not really my thing. I like Red Vs Blue better. Oh, have you heard of Camp Camp?”

Weiss scoffed. “That childish cartoon? Your sister would not shut up about it and forced me to watch against my own will.”

Ruby tittered and flashed a smile at her partner. “Yep, that’s exactly what Yang did to me. It’s really not that bad though.”

Three knocks on the door were suddenly heard, and Ruby stood from her spot to open the door. Yang and Blake were standing with a few reusable bags. “Here we are, O Great One! My lover and I bestow the most delectable and most divine meals for you and your partner! And the finest garments for thou, we pray you wear them with pride and honor.”

Ruby looked past Yang’s shoulder and saw Blake staring back with a smile and a shrug. “I--uh--y-you have done well, my noble...sister--knight...or something.”

The black and yellow duo handed their young leader the goods they have brought over, Ruby taking them gratefully. They exchanged their goodbyes and little teases before the older couple left.

Bringing the few bags to the counter, she started separating meals and clothes, finding two swimsuits within the stacks of folded garments. Both were bikinis. Because of course they were. Ruby needed to get back at Yang somehow, but that time would come later.

There were enough meals for the both of them to last the whole stay, she set all of them in the mini fridge under the counter. She set down Weiss’s clothes on the bed, her own beside the prior stack.

“Do you wanna do something today, Weiss?”

The sudden question drew Weiss’s attention away from the TV. She turned her head and asked, “But I thought you said we couldn’t go out.”

“And we can’t,” Ruby confirmed. “But this hotel has a pool, so I thought you’d maybe like to go for a swim.”

“Swimwear?”

“Yang brought our swimsuits. I didn’t know you owned a bikini, Weiss.”

Weiss arched her eyebrow in confusion, rising from her seat and walking over to her stack of clothes, the white bikini sitting on top. “I’ve never owned a bikini once. My father thought they were too immodest and always provided me with one-piece swimsuits. Though he never took me swimming, my sister and my butler did.”

Her partner picked up the white swimsuit, and sure enough, there was a tag hanging from it. Weiss’s face flushed from embarrassment. She had to wear that.

“Yang got you a cheap one too,” Ruby pointed out, looking at the price. Only 6 lien. Usual swimsuits were around 12-20 lien, and if you were Weiss, you couldn’t think about affording it. It was just that pricey.

“Cheap? Six lien is practically nothing.”

Ruby giggled. “C’mon Weiss, you know that not everybody can be as rich as you.”

“I suppose, but that doesn’t excuse her lack of taste.This is simply too bland,” Weiss said as she picked up the swimsuit, going straight to the bathroom.

Once she locked the door, she took a quick moment to think about what she was doing and what was about to happen. She and Ruby would be going to the pool in bikinis. Ruby was going to her marks, all the scars that marred her entire body.

But she toughened up anyway. Ruby deserved this, and perhaps she did too.

The white swimsuit was more revealing than she had anticipated. The entirety of her midriff and stomach were exposed, the bottom piece failing to cover the whole area of her rear. It was far too skimpy and somewhat kinky. Her face reddened as she stared at herself in the mirror.

What the hell am I doing?

Opening up the bathroom door, she saw Ruby sitting on the couch with her scroll in hand, already dressed for the water. The swimsuit Ruby wore was just as revealing as her own, but in a dark shade of crimson. Her logo was printed on he left breast in black.

Weiss could feel her heart racing, her heartbeats pounding loudly in her chest. She could’ve sworn it would jump out of her body if possible.

To make her temperature rise even more, Ruby actually looked...attractive. It was rather unsettling, how beautiful Ruby’s body actually was. Perfectly curved hips, small waist, not too busty, defined abdomen muscles...the list goes on.

“Wow, Weiss,” Ruby’s words evidently caught in her throat from nervousness. “You look really good. Like, really, really good.”

“Really? I-I mean...thank you,” her voice cracked as she responded. “You look good yourself.”

“Shall we go?”

The heiress nodded, following Ruby out of the room. The two walked down the halls in a comfortable silence, waiting patiently for the elevator to open up. They proceeded once on the bottom floor, Ruby leading them both to the indoor pool, which was surprisingly empty of people right now.

Ruby jumped right in while Weiss grabbed a couple of towels and set them down on one of the seats.

“You comin’, Weiss?” Ruby called out, her hair already soaked from submerging. “The water’s not too cold!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Weiss replied, making her way over to the stairwell.

“Why don’t you jump in?”

“I prefer to take my time.”

“But that’s no fun.” Ruby splashed water at Weiss. “Just jump! Or I’ll pull you in!”

Both options were terrible ones. She could go in by will, or go in by Ruby. Usually, she’d go in by will. She was dragged by Ruby before, it was not a pleasant experience. Then again, she isn’t running for her life from Grimm right now...

“...three...”

She hadn’t had a lovely childhood like in the books she’d read in her library. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad?

“...two...”

One second left, she might as well let Ruby have her way.

“One!!”

She felt a pair of hands grab her waist firmly and pull her quickly into the lukewarm water. Her heart fluttered while her lungs gasped for air, the sudden movement widening her eyes. Though the water that surrounded her blurred her vision, she could see Ruby’s smile underwater. Both of them came up, laughing and giggling.

And Weiss suddenly paused, her hand over her mouth. Did that just happen? Did she just...

She laughed genuinely. For the first time in front of anyone. And she loved it. She didn’t feel confined, she didn’t feel alone, she felt free.

Realizing Ruby was watching, she simmered down, her face feeling warm.

“You laughed, Weiss,” Ruby stated, seemingly shocked. “I’ve never heard you laugh like that.”

Weiss didn’t know what to say. She suddenly started to feel anxious, not wanting to be ridiculed or degraded for doing such a thing. Her father had always--

“Wait, Weiss, don’t freak out! I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” the younger girl waver her arms around and shook her head frantically. “It was just super cute, and you’re really pretty, and--jeez, what am I even saying?”

The brunette hid her face in her palms and submerged herself, bubbles rising to the surface and popping within a split second. Weiss had wondered if Ruby meant what she said. Reaching below her, she grabbed Ruby’s arm and pulled her out from below.

“Did you mean what you said?” Weiss asked, her face stern and serious.

Ruby lowered her hands slightly, not letting them fall completely. “Y-Yes? How could I not though?”

“Because I was awful.”

“Weiss--”

“Because I don’t deserve any of this.”

“Weiss, I--”

“Because I was such a bi--”

“Weiss, you aren’t at all!” Ruby swallowed her partner up in a bone-crushing hug. Not nearly as hard as Yang’s embraces, but enough to prove a point.

“Stop thinking about yourself like that. It hurts me to see you hurt, it pains me to know that you are in pain.” Ruby hugged even tighter, resting her head on Weiss’s shoulder. “Please don’t beat yourself up. Nobody is perfect. Not you, not me. Not Yang, not Blake. Not even Professor Ozpin.”

“But I can’t make up for how I behaved recently, I can’t make up for the many times I’ve insulted and degraded you and the team and everyone else.”

“Oh Weiss,” Ruby murmured, “you don’t need to. We’ve forgiven you and love you for who you are.”

“Who am I?” Weiss knew it was a stupid question, but she honestly didn’t know.

“You’re incredible. You’re strong. You’re super duper smart. You’re an amazing partner and teammate. You’re my favorite and only study buddy. You’re Weiss Schnee, the amazing young woman we all love! The list goes on and on about the many things you are.”

“But there are bad qualities to me as well--”

“All of which we’ve accepted and love. You can let go of all those negative thoughts about yourself. And you need to stop thinking about the downside to everything. I’m gonna get that thinking out of your head! Be optimistic, hold you chin high! And most importantly: don’t forget to smile!”

You can let go of all those negative emotions. Just let go, Weiss.

“I’m with you, Weiss. All the way. You’ll always have me.”

Ruby splashed water towards Weiss, the mood lightening as the silverette squealed playfully. She splashed back, and thus the pool war began. Weiss knew Ruby’s immediate action was to retaliate with more power.

“You  know you ruined the mood, Ruby. I was actually enjoying the serenity.”

“When I see an opportunity for a pool war, I don’t hesitate!” Ruby stuck her tongue out. “I declare war, Weiss Schnee!”

Weiss smirked, glyphs appearing beside her. “I gladly accept you challenge, Ruby Rose.”

“Hey, no semblance!”

“Is it now?” Weiss stood there, her arms crossed as she maintained her proud grin. Ruby had fallen right into her trap.

“What’re you doing?” Ruby stared back in confusion. “Do you surrend--hey, why’s it so cold?!”

“When given the opportunity for a proper pool war, I don’t hesitate!” Weiss mimicked, even sticking her tongue out at Ruby. “Now surrender!”

“Cheater! Holy shizz, it’s getting colder! I surrender! I surrender!”

The older girl laughed maniacally. “Taste my sweet revenge for our match before.”

“Hey Weiss? You’re not holding a grudge against me for that one, are you?” Ruby’s attitude had completely changed.

The water quickly reverted to its original temperature. Weiss rushed through the water to grab Ruby’s shoulders for reassurance. “Ruby, of course not. It’s not at all like that. I wasn’t mad at you that day either, I just have trouble with my past.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ruby got out of the pool by the edge, taking Weiss’s hand to pull her out.

Weiss hadn’t taken her hand yet, still hesitating in the water. “I don’t know, you probably wouldn’t understand half the things I would say.”

“Hey, Weiss,” the girl’s silver eyes glimmered, “if it’s for you, I’d do whatever I could to help you. Please, just let me try.”

Pulling her out of the water, Ruby led them both to the hot tub that sat a few yards away from the pool. Weiss went in after Ruby, the hot water and bubbles putting the heiress at ease.

“What’s been bugging ya, Weiss?”

“Too vague. Try again.”

“Umm, do you want to tell me about last night?”

“What’s there to tell? You were there.”

Ruby whined like a child. “I’m trying to help you!” She took a deep breath.

I can see why Yang likes teasing her. It’s somewhat addicting and fun.

“Weiss, just be honest. What’s going on in your head? What are you thinking about mostly right now?”

Slightly disappointed that the fun moment had ended, she knew Ruby wanted this, and perhaps she needed this.

“I just can’t stop thinking about last night. I really thought I could trust him.” Weiss groaned in frustration. “I trusted him! I feel so stupid and just--ugh. I’m so stupid.”

“Weiss, you’re not stupid.”

“Then how could I have not seen it? You’ve warned me so many times, you’ve stepped in between us both, and yet I didn’t notice why! I just--I just don’t want to talk about him right now. I don’t want to think about him right now.”

She was now frustrated, and Ruby knew she was starting to stray into dangerous territory. She had to keep Weiss calm and be sure she doesn’t have a breakdown.

“Ruby, I really can’t. I just can’t.”

“A-And that’s okay! Don’t feel pressured to talk about it all at once. I’ll always be willing to listen whenever you’re ready.”

“Ruby, you have said before that you and the team love me for my mistakes and flaws. Please tell me: by what definition is your love?”

“That’s kinda hard to explain. For me, I guess I love you because we’re best friends? I just love you, Weiss. You’re a really great gal, and I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

The heiress felt her cheeks get hot, a chill running down her spine--despite being in a hot tub--when she heard those words.

“B-But don’t take it the wrong way!” Ruby waved her hands around frantically. “It’s not wrong for best friends to say we love each other, right?”

“I wouldn’t know. You’re the only one I’ve ever had.”

“Oh.”

A moment of silence followed before Ruby spoke again. “Does it still hurt?”

Weiss hesitated to answer. It was still a very touchy subject to her, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk about it again.

“Oh shoot, I’m sorry, Weiss,” Ruby face palmed herself. “I should’ve been more sensible, I’m really sorry.”

“N-No, it’s not that. I’m fine, I suppose.” Weiss’s tone sounded heavy and exhausted. “Physically, it only hurts slightly, but I just--”

“It’s different when it’s been taken away from you,” the younger girl finished.

“Yes. I don’t feel the same. I feel as though I’ve been robbed.”

“I know that feeling. I know all of it. Are you doing okay though? About the whole thing?” Ruby scooted closer to Weiss.

“That’s difficult to answer right now. I just don’t understand anything. And I hate that I don’t understand.”

“Do you want to talk some more about it?”

“I-I don’t know. I’d like a little more time, Ruby. But...I promise I’ll come to you before anyone else when I’m ready.”

“I’ll be all ears.”

Ruby smiled her signature, quirky smile. Weiss felt her heart flutter in her chest briefly at the sight. The heat from the water managed to cover up her blush pretty well. Her hands started fidgeting in the water, her legs crossing as she shifted positions every few minutes. Her heart would only beat faster when Ruby smiled back at her, and whenever those silver eyes shimmered--

What the hell is happening to me? What is she doing to me? Everything about her is enticing and beautiful and--why am I noticing every little thing about her? Am I actually..? Oh god...

She’d probably have to ask Blake to confirm her suspicions. But she was pretty sure...

No, it can’t be. I can’t that’s impossible.

She could feel it. Her body was sinking, she felt odd. Her lungs suddenly felt empty, her heart jumping out of her chest. Everything around her was warm. Too warm.

Weiss was falling.

I’m falling...

Falling hard...

Falling for what?

~~~~~~

I hope you all enjoyed another chapter of TCSE AU! My friend told me that there should be a fanservice chapter, and so I have attempted to deliver. Was this really a fanservice chapter tho? 

Meh, idk. 

Did I have fun writing this? 

Heckin yeah.

Until next chapter!

-Scarlet

[flatstarcarcosa]

extremely detailed character meme (Van, ships: right on target and far from any road)

found this on my dash and i thought i’d fill it in! under a cut b/c it is REALLY detailed! some of the questions don’t apply for me, and i tried to make it easy to tell which ship i’m referring too b/c some things are different here and there 

Character Chart Character’s full name: Van (pronounced vaughn, rhymes with fawn) Miller Reason or meaning of name: None  Character’s nickname: None, aside from petnames Reason for nickname: None Birth date: for ship: right on target: 10/03/1990 for ship: far from any road: 10/03/1970  Physical appearance Age: ship: right on target: 29\ ship: far from any road: 24 in 95, 30 in 02, 40 in 2012 How old do they appear: Perpetually babyfaced. So about 15 or so until they hit their mid 30′s Weight: honestly i don’t know Height: 5′2 (look what’s the point of a self insert if i can’t achieve my dream of being at least five foot tall all right) Body build: stronk.  Shape of face: square ish?  Eye color: grey Glasses or contacts: glasses, doesn’t like them unless they’re sunglasses though, prefers to squint and look like a hamster  Skin tone: pale/sickly at times, tan if they’ve been in the sun, but still very white  Distinguishing marks: pointy canines  Predominant features: nothing really sticks out, van’s physical features are pretty normal Hair color: naturally a muted blonde. prone to dying it a bright yellow in 95 and 02 for ship: far from any road. dyed black for ship: right on target Type of hair: straight Hairstyle: fluffy, over hair sprayed mullet ponytail thing for ‘95, ‘02 has a less hair band style looking thing but still pretty punky, ‘12 Van has what i call the ‘business undercut’ (far from any road). also just a normal, kind of spiky undercut for (right on target) Voice: i dont know how to answer this?  Overall attractiveness: this is just a bad question  Physical disabilities: I’m gonna break this one down because one thing i love about my self inserts is modifying my own, actual disabilities a bit so: far from any road: van has kidney and bladder problems that get progressively worse as time goes on, and undiagnosed celiac disease. because of a severe motorcycle accident in ‘89 they also have a weak/bum leg that is prone at times to flaring up with pain and instability with no warning. after a second motorcycle accident in ‘95, these things get a lot worse. by the time ‘12 rolls around van resigns themself to having traded in their bike years earlier for an actual car and using a cane. they’re not happy about it.  right on target: same kidney/bladder/digestive issues. bum leg is a side effect of general chronic pain caused by it. their leg has a habit of still going out at random, and despite needing a cane sometimes they refuse to use it. lester always keep an eye out in case their leg is about to collapse under them. he’s grabbed them many times to keep them from hitting the ground.  Usual fashion of dress: dark, leather, jeans, punky looking things.  Favorite outfit: leather jacket, motorcycle boots even if they’re not riding, jeans.  Jewelry or accessories: big clunky silver rings. right on target!van has a solid black metal band on their left thumb that matches one lester has.

Personality Good personality traits: tries to be kind, tries to make things better for others at the expense of themself, funny, loves animals,  Bad personality traits: addiction problems, quick temper, far from any road!van likes to hustle people at bars and get into bar fights but usually only if they’ve been provoked  Mood character is most often in: it cycles a lot, so  Sense of humor: good? this is a vague question  Character’s greatest joy in life: photography, making people laugh, alone time Character’s greatest fear: death, being in poverty again/being stuck in poverty,  Why? being poor is Not Fun What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? far from any road: something happening to rust. they don’t realize at it first but he’s become their grounding agent, and without him there to balance them out they would not fare well.  right on target: lester’s brief stint of being fucking dead and murdered on TV wasn’t a good time.  Character is most at ease when: it’s cold and rainy out and they have an excuse to stay in bed and snooze.  Most ill at ease when: surrounded by too many people and too many noises. Enraged when: hhhhhhhhhhhhh often? the worst they get is in ‘95 when marty makes a few jabs at their trauma and they beat him bloody before rust pulls them off him.  Depressed or sad when: also often, sometimes for no reason. thats kind of what clinical depression is. Priorities: money. taking care of themself with it in order to be able to help others. Life philosophy: sometimes you don’t have to be great, you can just be okay.  If granted one wish, it would be: ability to change gender/sex characteristics at will. Why? it’s the transgenderism (i use that word satirically and as a joke, for those that don’t know that’s a te]]]rf dogwhistle in other situations, a lot of trans people have taken it back)  Character’s soft spot: their pets and the fact that being a raging asshole is a front they have to actively work at. Is this soft spot obvious to others? depends on the person. to rust? yes. to lester? not as much.  Greatest strength: refusal to give up. Greatest vulnerability or weakness: raging asshole disease and the addiction issues. Biggest regret: developing addiction issues.   Minor regret: it also cycles like their moods. Biggest accomplishment: far from any road: got a bachelor’s degree in sociology before deciding to get into journalism.  right on target: ??? van doesn’t feel accomplished. lester is trying to encourage them at going to college but he’s not very good at it.  Minor accomplishment: “not fucking dead yet, assholes”  Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about: far from any road: van was never able to find out who it was in the south texas area that was targeting members of the LGBT community, that’s the whole reason they ended up with the crusaders and met rust, they had reason to believe it was someone connected to the gang. despite help from rust, the investigation went nowhere and all they have is a half finished expose.  right on target: they didn’t try to leave an abusive situation sooner. Why? see above Character’s darkest secret: i? don’t know??   Does anyone else know? N/A Goals Drives and motivations: just live the best they can Immediate goals: not die Long term goals: not die, perhaps be less of an alcoholic  How the character plans to accomplish these goals: slowly?  How other characters will be affected: they help.  Past Hometown: --- Type of childhood: traumatic Pets: dogs, frogs, turtles, hamsters First memory: ---- Most important childhood memory: ----  Why:  ------ Childhood hero:------ Dream job: ------ Education: bachelor’s degree for far from any road, GED for right on target Religion: atheistic but understanding and accepting of others Finances: far from any road: not fucking superb, hence the side hustles. right on target: poor  Present Current location: far from any road: Louisiana, i don’t remember TD ever stating where at aside from in the sticks right on target: NYC  Currently living with: rust or lester  Pets: far from any road is various pets at various times, right on target is initially just the doggo. Religion: still the same  Occupation: hustler slash freelance journalist for far from any road, unemployed for right on target Finances: better by 2012 (far from any road) thanks to a boring but stable office job, and for right on target they have lester’s money now and even lester doesn’t know how much he has aside from “a lot”. Family Mother: ------- Relationship with her: nonexistent    Father: Bastard Sr. Relationship with him: nonexistent.  Siblings: sister, older Relationship with them: non existent Spouse: rust/lester Relationship with him/her: i mean in both settings it’s a long term (rust right at around 20 years if you count their time in the crusaders initially, lester about 7 years) so, good if complicated at times Children:  no Relationship with them: none Other important family members: none  Favorites Color: purple, green, black Least favorite color: red Music: prog rock Food: pizza, waffles, hash browns, cereal  Literature: lots! really, its across all genres Form of entertainment: viddy gaems Expressions: what?  Mode of transportation: motorcycle or car  Most prized possession: also motorcycle or car Habits Hobbies: viddy gaemz, photography, sketch comedy  Plays a musical instrument? nah Plays a sport? is pool a sport?  How he/she would spend a rainy day: cozy in bed, s***ing some d***  Spending habits: they are fucking cheap as fuck whether they have money or not Smokes: yes, they say they’re planning to quit but [thor voice] is he though  Drinks: yes, it’s the alcoholism  Other drugs: pills mostly. to be fair they do HAVE to have a lot of meds because of chronic illness but they do love them some benzos  What does he/she do too much of? drinks, sleeps, smokes What does he/she do too little of? healthy food, exercise  Extremely skilled at: hustling. that works in both setting because with rust they learned it themself, with lester he taught them. also, writing.  Extremely unskilled at: art, socialising with people  Nervous tics: knuckle cracking,  Usual body posture: crosses arms a lot  Mannerisms: ???? Peculiarities: ????? Traits Optimist or pessimist? pessimist  Introvert or extrovert? introvert  Daredevil or cautious? cautious  Logical or emotional? both actually, it’s not fun Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? disorderly and messy, clashes with rust’s methodical and neat Prefers working or relaxing? relaxing  Confident or unsure of himself/herself? switches rapidly between both  Animal lover? yes Self-perception How he/she feels about himself/herself: bad.  One word the character would use to describe self: asshole  One paragraph description of how the character would describe self: no good alcoholic junkie with a shitty temper, a shittier outlook and few skills or worth to bring to the table except a raging selfish streak What does the character consider his/her best personality trait? sense of humor  What does the character consider his/her worst personality trait? temper  What does the character consider his/her best physical characteristic? thicc What does the character consider his/her worst physical characteristic? crippled How does the character think others perceive him/her: badly,  What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: alcoholism  Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: they try to be cordial, unless they’re in traffic, in which case it’s fuck you and your fucking mother you stupid fucking motherfucker  Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others? yes Person character most hates: [redacted]  Best friend(s): @dadbodsandbots is p much hanging out somewhere in every setting  Love interest(s): rust and lester  Person character goes to for advice: they don’t, that requires enough vulnerability to admit there’s a problem Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: also rust and lester Person character feels shy or awkward around: van is very uncomfortable around marty most of the time, he reminds them of their father. it smooths out as time goes on, but still. also when lester was stuck with the DA, they didn’t like daken at first  Person character openly admires: ehh? Person character secretly admires: ehh?  Most important person in character’s life before story starts: ehh?  After story starts: ehh? 

found here

[simonssnow]

CARRY ON COUNTDOWN DAY 16 - CROSSOVER DAY

Part two of my Hogwarts au fic that you can find here. Today I learnt I don’t know how to write kissing scenes! Yay! Sorry for the trash, I was rushed. @alltoowheeler @carryon-countdown

BAZ
Our faces are millimetres apart, and I think he’s going to kiss me, his lips begin to part and his eyes begin to close, but then I jump back away from him when I hear the door open. I whip my head around to see Teddy standing in the door way with a grin in his face. He’s changed his hair colour from his usual turquoise blue to a light pinky-red colour. He’s up to something.

He sees the tears on my face and the grin immediately fades, he knows why so he doesn’t ask questions.

‘Hey uh, Baz you ready to go now?’

'I’m going alone,’ I say it to both of them. I don’t want Snow following me after what just almost happened, and I’m a little bit upset that it only almost happened, even though I was the one who jumped away. I storm away from the room and head to my destination.

SIMON 
After Baz leaves the room Teddy smiles apologetically at me, and it’s clear that he’s not really that sorry. I feel too awkward now but luckily he changes the subject.

'So, uh I think Headmaster David wants Harry and you to have another session, Harry’s coming down.’

Teddy’s godfather has been giving me lessons one being a chosen one, well because he was the last chosen one. Teddy’s Godfather is Harry Potter. Headmaster David was the one to come up with the idea and said that the lessons were the best way for me to learn.

'Uh yeah, tonight,’ I try to reply as naturally as possible, I start walking out with a random book in my hand, 'see ya.’

I don’t have anymore classes today, so I don’t really know why I pretended to get a book. I should probably follow Baz, see what he’s up to, I’m about to go to the Forbidden Forest (that’s where he usually goes) but then I remember what we were talking about before.

His Mother.

I realise that he’s rpribably going to visit her grave and that he wants to go alone. I should leave him be. I turn around and start heading to the Room of Requirement, may as well start training.

TEDDY
After both the boys are gone I race through the castle and head to the library, I need to find Penelope, and if she’s not in the library she’s in her common room, which subsequently will be harder to get into. Lucky for me I was right, she’s sitting at one of the library desks, quill in hand and head in book.

I walk over to her table, and she must be in deep thought because she doesn’t look up when I reach her. I crouch down so that my head is level with hers, I’m quite a tall bloke, and clear my throat. With that she looks up and for a second she blushes.

'So for the plan I was thin-’ She starts but then I cut her off.

'Ah Penelope, no need for a big master plan now, for what I just witnessed will change our lives forever,’ I say in my most dramatic voice.

'What ever do you mean?’ She mocks

'I just saw our little love birds getting quite close to each other!’

'Wait did they…..?’ She leads on.

'Well no, they were about to kiss though! But then I walked in on them and yeah.’

'So you’re saying that we just need-’

'Need to get them alone together,’ I finish for her

'Teddy Lupin you are a genius!’ She exclaims

BAZ
Sometimes it’s nice here in the cemetery, on occasion I’ll come here and just sit near Mothers grave.

The Hogwarts Cemetery is an island where the people who died on school grounds are buried, after The Battle of Hogwarts it became very full. Of course if the family requested, the body could be buried somewhere else, but my Mother loved this school so much she wouldn’t have wanted to be buried anywhere else. I’m in the Headmasters section, along my Mother, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape and a few other old Headmasters are here.

I’ve replaced the old flowers with blossoming new ones, I could have just used a spell but this feels more significant and personal to get real ones.

As I’m just standing by the grave a small barn owl flies over to me with a small note tied to its foot, I take the note and hand the owl a Knut, as the owl flies away I wonder who the hell sent me a note. I open it and read it, it’s from Teddy and says:

meet me in the Room of Requirement at 8 
- Teddy

SIMON
I actually quite enjoy my sessions with Harry, not only does it help me but we’re actually pretty good friends, he and I are really similar actually, both had a shitty childhood where we grew up not knowing about magic, both orphans, both have had a bullshit prophecy forced upon us, along with the weight of saving the wizard world on our shoulders. The war part is almost the exact same, except he fought Voldemort and I’m (trying) to fight the Humdrum.

I’m a big distracted today, for fair reasons though.

We’re working on sword fighting techniques, he’s got the Sword of Gryffindor and I’ve just got a regular sword the Room of Requirement provided, I tried to use Gryffindor’s sword once but it would let me, the sword burnt my hand if tried to use it, Harry says that it’s because I’m not a Gryffindor.

I’m pretty good with swords, it’s just the spells and actual magic that I’m shit at. While we’re practicing, someone opens the door and walks through, we both turn around to see Teddy standing there with an apologetic look, his hair back to its normal turquoise.

‘Hey Harry, can I talk to you for a few minutes?’

‘Sure Ted, you can take a break Simon, you did well today,’ he says while giving me a pat on the back. Harry’s not exactly like a father to me, but I definitely look up to him.

BAZ

It’s 7:58 but I have nothing better to do besides wallow in sadness so I’m at the room of requirement a little bit early.

Luckily for me the doors open a little bit, I walk in and the room it’s designed to look like a training room, why’s it like this? Usually if me and Teddy meet here it’s not like this.

I walk in slightly more confused than before and call out his name, someone does come, but it’s not him.

It’s Snow.

Of course it’s designed like a training room, cause he’s doing his special training thing with Teddy’s Godfather.

‘Baz?’ He asks

For once I don’t know what to say, so I just reply with, ‘Snow.’

‘Wha-What are you doing here? I’m supposed to be training.’

‘Well I’m supposed to be meeting Teddy,’ I respond in the same a-matter-fact tone.

‘Teddy? He just came here and asked to speak to Harry,’ he responds confusedly.

‘Wait Snow, did you write that note to me?’

‘Note? What note?’

He actually seems really confused, he’s too thick to be that good an actor so I know it’s not him.

‘Well since he’s not here, I’m leaving.’

‘Wait no Baz! Don’t leave yet,’ he says quickly, we’re both avoiding each other’s eyes.

‘Look, about what happened before, I’ll understand if you think I’m some weirdo, but I just want you to know that I’m sorry.’

I want to tell him that he shouldn’t be sorry, that I want it to actually happen next time, that I want there to be a next time, but I don’t tell him that, he probably never wants that to happen again. If I say that I’ve been in love with him since fifth year and that I’ve wanted to kiss him for probably longer, he’ll freak out and think I’m some sort of pervert.

‘Snow, don’t be sorry, just don’t talk abo-‘ he cuts me off.

‘Don’t finish that sentence because if you do I’ll never have the courage to do what I’m about to do.’ He says with a determined and slightly scared face.

What I don’t expect him to do is walk straight up to me and cup my face with his hands, but that’s exactly what he does, I should have learnt by now to never underestimate Simon Snow.

He’s looking into my eyes, head slightly tilted up, and his blue eyes look scared but sure at the same time. He moves forward to kiss me but I finish the movement and meet him halfway - so he knows that I want this too.

At first the kiss is soft and unsure, but then after we’re both sure the other won’t pull away or stop, it’s more certain and passionate, I deepen it by running my hands through his golden curls, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.

When we break apart, both smiling, and out of breath, our foreheads leaning against each other.

‘Simon I-‘

As soon as I said his name his face lit up as if I gave him a whole plate of sour cherry scones. He kisses me hard and quick.

‘You called me Simon,’ he says panting, ‘you’ve never called me Simon.’

‘Is that okay?’ I ask

‘It’s wonderful,’ he almost whispers, and then he takes me by the neck and kisses me again.

TEDDY

I was right, and I told Harry that Headmaster wanted to talk to him.

As we stick our heads through the slightly opened door, we smile at we see, and give each other a high-five. We walk away silently, and give them some privacy.

[jordandoesthewritething]

Aiden Chapter Six

7-23-02

The next months were much of the same. Aiden found Aeron Corp had at least five other kids residing here, each with different abilities and strange non-human physicalities. Aiden himself had black wings- which had grown to about five feet wide, huge on the tiny frame of a five year old- and could cause fear hallucinations. Avi had a patch of skin on his abdomen that acted much like memory foam, and was orange, and could communicate thoughts through pictures. JJ, she had sort of spikes over both knees, and could see a few minutes into the future. Lucky her, she didn't have to “work with” anyone else, because she could just tell the staff what she saw. Dante seemed to be perpetually covered in ash, as it would rub off on various things he touched, and could manipulate and produce fire. Tristan had gills on the sides of his neck, and could manipulate and control water. They often had Dante and Tristan work together because of that. And Tobias, whom most called Toby, had an area on his head where hair was replaced by a metallic silvery sheen on his scalp, and had a perfect memory and what people referred to as omni-knowledge: he could hear a single word and immediately know everything there was to know about that topic.

Aiden had gotten used to the daily grind, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with it. Most days included King threatening Aiden, or someone he knew Aiden cared about.

If you don't train with Avi, then what good is he to us? Translation: If you don't use your power on him, now, we'll kill him.

And of course, the subtle threats to his parents. Which always worked. You didn't have to say much after threatening Aiden's mom or dad; he had high loyalties before, that only strengthened with Chase’s death.

There were also, of course, the threats to Aiden himself. The first time Aiden defied them, and they used this tactic, he was expecting some ‘Bend over my knee’ scolding and spanking like at home. And in a strange way, he would welcome that, as a sliver of normalcy from home. But oh boy, he was wrong.

King had dragged Aiden to his room, and practically threw him in the chair. Aiden knew he could use his power, but wouldn't that defeat the purpose of not using it on Avi, the whole reason he’d gotten back to his room? He didn’t want to hurt people; hurting people was wrong. King must have signalled for help on the way- Aiden couldn't remember- because two men in navy blue polos walked in after them purposefully and stood beside Aiden, one left, one right. After Aiden was sat not-so-comfortably in the chair, they each grabbed a wrist, and bound them with the same restraints he'd woke up in this room with, four months ago. His eyes widened and he squirmed in sudden panic. “No!” He scowled defiantly. He didn't know what they were doing, but he wanted to be able to move his hands! This wasn't fair. They ignored his feeble attempt to stop them, and moved to restrain his legs too, tying something around his ankles. He screamed at them again, and neither looked at him, just left the room.  

King came back into view. He set a tray of metal appliances on a shelf, placed just high enough so that Aiden couldn't see specifically what was there. He pulled a wheeled chair in front of Aiden, and sat down. He nodded to someone outside the door that Aiden didn't know was there. The door opened, and Ashley walked in. She took a seat on the bench that was used as Aiden's bed.

“So,” King sighed, “here's how this goes.” He plucked a small knife, something like a scalpel, from the tray. “For every time that I tell you to use your ability on her, and you defy me, this happens.” He pointed to the knife. Aiden looked extremely uncomfortable and scared. He wished he could melt into the seat, disappear. “So, use it, Aiden.”

Aiden cringed. This was the same as asking him to hurt Avi! His eyes grew hot and he shook his head defiantly.

King ‘tsk’ed and twirled the knife to face forward in his grasp. He pointed it downward, and with his left hand he grabbed Aiden's right wrist. Aiden squirmed to get out of his grasp. But he was tied down, no use. The knife slid across the back of his hand, a jagged line caused by Aiden's jerky movements to get away. He screamed in pain. He wasn't used to more than scraped knees and spankings. The line grew red, and a small river of blood traced the crevices of his hand. He cried and shook.

King cleared his throat. “Are you ready to give us some data?” Aiden just cried. He didn't make any move to use his ability on Ashley. And King was quite apparently surprised at the young boy's drive and strong will. Most his age, King wouldn't have to make a single move on. They'd hear a threat and comply. His lower jaw stiffened and he pulled the same small knife over to Aiden's left wrist. The blade dug deep in the side of his wrist, causing a raise in pitch in the boy's screams. King was careful with the placement and avoided both the radial and ulnar arteries, and positioned the blade on the side of his wrist. It would bleed, certainly, but it wouldn't bleed him out. That's what mattered. Aiden's wounds were starting to drip and King instinctively scooted his chair back as to not get his clothes dirty. He seemed fairly unfazed by the wailing five year old in front of him, other than the possibility of ruining his clothes.

Ashley kept her eyes down. Dark hair fell over her tilted face like a veil. She was thankful for her job here, but she still couldn't get herself to agree with this piece of “data collecting”. She admired Aiden’s strong will, she wished she wasn’t so submissive and peacemaking when she was in his position. It seemed like less than a year since King had offered her a job here. She was 18 when King offered. She was turning 24 next week, so, actually close to six years. King had set out the basic rules and regulations of the job; the testing on her power would be stopped, so long as she updated them weekly about it, and helped with the other Gens here. This was the main piece of “help” she didn’t like. There was no area in the world where torturing and threatening children was okay. There really wasn’t. She inhaled sharply, tense as she heard another yelp and cry from Aiden. King must have cut him again. She stared down at her pale hands. She laced her fingers together, up until then not realizing how cold her hands were. She looked up slowly as she heard Aiden sob out the word, “Okay.” And soon after, she found herself in a different room. She was sitting on her bed, in her old apartment. It was dark outside, and her skin crawled as she realized what Aiden had uncovered. This wasn’t just a fear; it was a memory.

As if on cue, Ashley heard the front door open. The man who’d walked in, Ethan, was grumbling incoherently and tripping on his own feet. It wasn’t the first time in that week that he’d come home drunk. This was a long, long cycle. But this night was the worst.

Ashley exhaled. Her heart was pounding. She found she could change what she did, compared to the actual instance. Maybe she could change the outcome? It was a feeble grasp for hope.

Aiden heard the soft, muffled crying, and started to pull her out of the fear. As soon as he did, he felt a cold, sharp piece of metal on his neck. “We aren’t done yet.” King practically growled.

Ashley had made her way to the kitchen without even crossing paths with Ethan. She remembered: he looked for her in the bedroom first. She bit her lip and tried to find something inconspicuous to do; she wasn’t hungry, she’d just moved here to get out of the bedroom. She turned on the faucet and began washing her hands. Immediately after the water began flowing into the sink, she regretted her decision. The noise of the faucet gave her away.

Ethan rounded the corner into the kitchen, his expression a mixture of fondness and drunken incoherence. Ashley felt herself speak, but could hardly believe how calm she sounded. “Hey, did you have fun with Mark and James?” He had went out for supper with friends after work.

Ethan smiled and nodded. He walked around the counter island to stand in front of Ashley. “Mm. And the night hasn’t ended. There’s still time for more fun, Ash.” He moved closer as he talked, until his hips were pinning her own against the counter island. His hands grazed her lower back, and one trailed up, under her hair, to cup her neck. Ashley stiffened. “Babe, you’re drunk. You should sleep.” She blurted, but even so she felt the heat of his body move closer, and soon felt his lips on her neck.

“Ethan, not now.” She pushed with both hands against his chest. Ethan was a strong, tall guy. Six-foot-one-inch, with broad shoulders and a muscular chest. Ashley wasn’t weak, but Ethan had quite the advantage over her. She was about five-foot-five-inches, with arms that refused to develop muscular definition no matter how much time she spent working out. Ethan ignored her demand for him to stop, and moved the hand on her back under her shirt. Ashley's breath hitched and she tried to sidestep him, get out of his grasp, but she was trapped on either side by his body. “Ethan,” She swallowed and cleared her throat, and pushed at his face, still connected to her neck.

Ethan finally showed that he'd heard her, and removed his lips from her neck. His hands remained under her shirt, creeping slowly upward. “Ashley, I love you. Don't you love me?”

Ashley opened her mouth to speak but her words were halted as Ethan’s mouth came crashing on top of it. She kissed him back, hoping somehow a simple kiss would deter the rest of this. His hands reached her bra. Ashley pulled her face away from his and put her hands on his forearms. She shook her head; a very clear ‘no.’

Ethan offered a derisive laugh and quickly grabbed both of Ashley's hands. He interlocked their fingers, and brought them behind her back. “Ash, I've known you for a long time. C'mon. Don't do this to me.”

“You're drunk. I don't want… this… while you're like this.”

Ethan shook his head, disappointed, and his lips formed a thin line. In a quick motion, he pinned both her hands, at the wrist, under his left hand, as his right went back to the hem of her shirt. He started undoing the bottommost buttons as he kissed her mouth.

Ashley wasn't sure what to do. Any other time, she'd have been fine with taking off her shirt in front of Ethan. That wasn't new, not really. But his attitude, his drunkenness- that's what made her opposed. He was acting like some animal; no conscience, just instinct. Also, having your hands pinned usually doesn’t make you feel at ease. She felt her button-up shirt hang open as he finished, and his kisses took a turn, no longer soft but harsh and deep and would leave her lips sore.

Aiden was, of course, watching this all, feeling Ashley’s emotions to it. He was mostly confused; he had no idea what this guy was doing or why Ashley was so afraid. But he was also terrified, not because of the situation with Ashley, but rather the cold, sharp steel still on his neck. King had demanded he go for as long as he could; no pulling her out early. He also set a timer for twenty minutes, as an end cap. So at the most, she’d be in this fear-trapped state for twenty minutes.

Some time passed and Ethan had pulled off Ashley’s jeans- revealing her granite-encrusted thighs- so she was left in bra and underwear. (Aiden felt embarrassed but he literally couldn’t look anywhere else without ending the scene.) Ethan gripped Ashley’s hips tightly and lifted her onto the counter island, amidst her complaints and telling him to stop. He pushed her onto her back and removed her bra with one hand, while the other held her hands together, like before. “You owe this to me, Ashley,” he said lowly against her collarbone. “I’ve done so much for you.” The grip on her wrists was making a large, handprint-shaped bruise.

Ashley felt tears running down the sides of her face and her arms went limp. She put up no fight against Ethan anymore, knowing it would only get her hurt. Ethan lowered her underwear, and took down his own pants and underwear. He let go of her hands and took her hips in a vice-like grip as he pulled himself into her.

Aiden stared fearfully, and felt himself crying as well. A beeping noise came from somewhere on his right and Dr. King removed the blade from Aiden’s skin, and notified him he could stop. He did so as soon as the words left King’s mouth, and he hunched forward, breathing raggedly. He hated hurting people. And he didn’t even know what was going on, what Ashley was afraid of, though he felt embarrassed for seeing people naked.

Ashley was faring much worse. She took quick, shallow breaths, in a panic-fueled state. She looked at Aiden in something like sympathy and humiliation and terror. But more than anything, she was thankful it stopped. She swallowed and looked at Dr. King.

“Meet me in my office to document and recap.” He commanded. Of course, she thought, heart still pounding, panicky. She had to relay all that happened, all she saw, to Dr. King. Great. As if it wasn’t enough, reliving your ex-boyfriend raping you. Go tell that story to your pretentious sociopath of a boss. But Ashley knew she had to, no matter how humiliating and terrible it would be, and putting up with Rhett King was just part of the job. At least it paid well. She nodded her head, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and walked out with her head hung low, body shaking slightly. King stayed behind only to remove Aiden’s restraints, then he left to talk to Ashley, locking the door behind him.