#i swear they only got 1 fight or flight response and had to split it

[l33n1s]

Give me Shen Twins with a complicated relationship.

I wanna see Shen Twins that viscerally cannot stand the way that the other copes with the bad things that've happened to them.

Give me SY who pleads with SJ to "just behave" while cleaning his wounds because he's scared his brother is going to get into bigger trouble than they can handle. Because he can't understand SJ's refusal to make himself smaller, can't understand why his brother feels the need to fight the world even at the expense of his own wellbeing.

Give me SJ yelling and shaking SY because he can't stand the way the SY just seems to accept their situation. Because where SY's response to fear and uncertainty is to avoid and hide, SJ's is to fight.

I wanna see SJ resent that he's the Only person that SY will actually fight and I wanna see SY being hurt that his brother just won't listen to him when he's Just trying to help.

And then give be post-Qui Shen Twins who learn to understand. Let SJ learn that SY's anger was only safe with him. Let SY understand SJ's violent need to be seen as a real person. Let them both understand that they Both did their best to keep each other alive.

[blackbirdsblackberries]

AQUIRING A ZOO

Chapter 1: A Ruff Day for two

Damian is humiliated. Who wouldn't be? Joker had teamed up with a bunch of other villains and had stolen a magical device that turns people into animals - why? Damian doesn't know!

While fighting however he was split from the rest of the family and hit with the ray.

You want to guess what animal he got the luck of turning into?

If you guessed a Yorkshire Terrier then you'd be correct.

It's not that Damian doesn't like the animal, he adores all animals no matter what, it's just offensive that that's what he ended up being. Couldn't he have been something cooler? A Doberman? A German Shepherd?

Whatever... Either way he is now wondering the streets trying not to get picked up by strangers - or stepped on for that matter.

While lost in thought about how he will get back to normal and whether his family are okay he didn't see the pair of legs standing in front of a closed shop.

He bumps into them, as soon as he does he dashes back and starts to growl - it's really all he can do.

He looks up at the figure who looks more confused than anything, they have a phone in their hand and pajamas on. They look half asleep.

Damian quickly deducts that the person was harmless.

Honestly, Damian was ready to just leave, walk around this person, yet when he attempted to a loud bang filled the air.

He swears it was the dog instincts, that it wasn't his own instincts, that made him run behind the person.

He's Damian Wayne! An al Ghul for crying out loud! No way is he scared of an explosion, even if it was even louder as a dog.

The person reacts slowly, clearly extremely tired. They turn to look at Damian and after a couple seconds they speak up, pulling Damian from his fight or flight response.

"Poor puppy... Are you lost?" The person bends down and slowly and carefully pats Damian. Damian is tempted to bite the person's hand off but refrains in case they call the pound.

"your coat is so well taken care of... Not to mention the fact that you're a handbag dog. You must belong to one of the wealthy elites... That part of town is so far away from here though, poor thing" their voice is soft, clearly tired. They yawn slightly.

"it's pretty late right now so the pound is probably closed, I'll take you tomorrow to check for a microchip because I don't see a collar."

Damian wishes he could scoff as a dog. Why would this stranger help him? Especially the breed he is. They're noisy, skittish and more, definitely not the type for run down apartments that this person definitely lives in.

Yet, he doesn't bite or growl when they pick him up. He squirms slightly in discomfort but soon enough they hold him properly.

Fine. He'll stay the night then in the morning he'll make his way back to Wayne Manor and find his family.

You have decided that your luck is absolute shit. It has to be. You're pretty sure whatever god is watching is purposefully planning your demise.

First, your lover of three years cheats on you.

Second, you fail two of your exams and forgot to hand in an assignment.

Third, your favorite convenience store closed early so you couldn't buy a tub of cheap ice cream so you can act out how a person in a movie would react to all of the above.

Fourth, a dog stumbles into you, clearly from some wealthy douche and now you've spoken before you thought and moved before you could comprehend.

Your landlord is going to have your head. A great way to end the shit show of a day, not to mention Yorkshire Terrier's are the most yap filled dogs imaginable. Luckily this one is quiet... Hopefully for the rest of the night.

You look down at your phone in your other hand, you were messaging your dad to ask for more money because you were recently fired from your last job.

It's not like you like asking others for money, it's embarrassing, but your dad is well off enough to send some over.

You and your family are stable, something a lot of people in Gotham can't relate to. Sucks to be them you guess.

The only reason you're living alone is because they live in Metropolis and you were studying at Gotham University.

Was the degree worth living in this dump of a city? You sure hope so. If not you'll actually become a villain.

You glance at the dog from time to time, checking for any discomfort. The dog is still, eyes blinking occasionally. Was it in thought? You didn't think dogs would think like that.

Eventually you make it to your apartment complex, it was better than the one next to it, but to be fair the one next to it was abandoned after a fire.

You head upstairs to your apartment on the third floor.

Turns out the higher the apartment from the ground is, the higher it will cost. Luckily for you your mother is paying for it, you just pay utility bills.

You struggle with your keys and the dog in your arms. Eventually though you open the door and all but throw the dog down, he was super heavy.

That or you just weren't used to holding anything that breathes.

The dog walks in and sniffs around.

"I suppose I should name you.." You speak aloud, closing the front door of the apartment and walking to the kitchen right next to it.

"how about... Buddy?" The dog huffs.

"No? Okay uhm... What are dog names? Give me a second." You search up dog names and click on an article.

"Uh, Oreo?" A huff.

"Max?" A huff.

You continue going down the list before groaning.

"Fuck me... Forget it, I'll put on the TV and the first name I see will be your name."

You grab the remote and turn on your shitty old TV. The news pops up, one of the headlines reading:

Robin seen being hit with animal ray!

"huh... What about Robin?" The dog rolls it's eyes but doesn't seem to object. You smile, relieved.

"Good. Robin it is."

[wavyhairedbabyy]

Idiots - Part 1

Karl Jacobs x gn!reader

tldr: They’ve both got a crush. Sucks, since they’re the only ones oblivious to it. (Slow Burn!)

CW: some swearing(not at each other), fluffy as a teddy bear.

a/n: I got a random influx of followers ;-; Tysm for enjoying my works and sharing them. I haven’t written in 6 years, in case it wasn’t obvious lmao, so even one is super meaningful to me :) this ended up being way longer than I intended it to be so I’m splitting it into 2 parts. 

edited yet: yes - let me know if I missed anything!

Part 1 - Part 2

Y/n and Karl met when Karl was still going to college in New York before dropping things to move to North Carolina. They met the fall of their sophomore year at the campus café when Karl was trying to shoot a piece of paper into a trash can. The problem was he couldn’t aim and it landed right in y/n’s mug of coffee, quickly dissolving into a paper coffee soup. For anyone else it would’ve been okay but being that coffee was y/n’s life line, especially during finals, it most definitely was not.

“You’re buying me another, right?” they asked, “I would highly recommend it or you might see a side of me you don’t want to see.”

Being the good guy he was, and the slight fear of their bad side, he did with no questions.

“So, since there’s a side of you I don’t want to see, and I bought you a new coffee, do I get to see the side of you that I do want to see?”

“Find me next semester and you might.”

And he did.

***

“Karl, if you don’t give me that sword, I’m going to hurt you!” Y/n screamed as they lunged toward him. It was y/n, Karl, and Chris hanging out at Karl’s place until it was time to leave for a Mr. Beast project. They sat in his living room, Karl with a foam sword that y/n was desperate to take from him.

“That’s the problem! If I give it to you, you will hurt me with it!” He yelled back, jumping out of their reach.

“Okay children, why don’t I just take the sword so we can end all of this?” Chris intervened in an attempt to stop the ruckus.

Both of them paused, looking at him in disbelief. They shook their head and in unison scoffed, “No!”

The two continued their play fighting, one holding on to the sword for a short period of time before the other pulled it from their grasp. This went on until it was time to leave the house.

While this was all going down, Chris watched Karl’s behavior. He noticed how he let y/n hold on to the sword a little longer, even when he could’ve easily reached out to grab it from their hands. He noticed how he was much more careful with his movements, almost scared to be too rough with them.

With anyone else, Chris knew Karl’s pride would have taken over in this situation. He thought back to any other time he had any of his SMP friends over. With Nick or Alex, he would have hogged the sword and brutally whacked either of them with it as much as he could. He would happily tacked them and pinned them to the ground. With y/n though... there was a gentleness with them, and Chris did not fail on picking that up.

“Okay lame-os, let’s get on over to the warehouse. Y/n, you coming?” Chris asked.

Y/n shook their head, “Nah. I’m gonna unpack my stuff and relax from the flight. Plus, word on the street says that tomorrow is when the cool stuff is happening so I’ll come then.” they replied.

“Well the street is right, but they’re still a dummy,” Chris looked at Karl for reference.

“Hey...” Karl faked a sad look before staring at y/n for defense.

Y/n giggle and just shrugged, waving goodbye to the both of them, “If you don’t bring me back Burger King fries, don’t bother coming back at all!”

***

Chris and Karl sat in the car, Chris driving and Karl in the passenger seat. With some music on in the background, the two were discussing the plan of action for what was going to be filmed for the day.

“Do you know how long it’s going to take?” Karl asked, “I feel bad leaving y/n by themselves so I want to try to get out as early as humanly possible.”

“I’m not really sure. I’m sure Jimmy wouldn’t mind you scootin’ out a little early,” Chris replied. He took the opportunity and leaned over to his friend, “Speakin’ of y/n, anything going on there? Y’know, anything special?”

“Uhh- whaddya mean special?” Karl haphazardly, “We’re best friends. I think that’s pretty special.”

“No, idiot. I mean is there anything there besides just being best friends,” Chris paused for a second, “I dunno. I just noticed you’re different with them, man. You know you would never treat Nick or Alex the way you treated them.”

Karl paused, trying to think of a response but failing. He sighed, “Yeah, there’s definitely something there on my end. I mean, I’ve been attracted to them since we first met. I just don’t think they reciprocate it.”

“You never know if you don’t try. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“I’d rather not think about it,” Karl sunk into his seat, thinking of all the bad endings that could happen if he told y/n his feelings.

***

Meanwhile this was happening, y/n was making themselves comfortable in Karl’s guest room. They planned on staying for a week and a half which meant packing a month’s worth of clothes. Before starting to unpack their things into the dresser, they FaceTimed their other best friend that was back in New York to keep them company.

“You’re calling me now? Your flight landed 4 hours ago! I was sure you crashed in the middle of the ocean - gone like that Malaysia flight,” y/bff answered.

“Hi to you too,” y/n responded as they started to place their clothes in the closet, “ You are so dramatic. My flight didn’t even go over the ocean. And don’t act like you weren’t tracking my flight. You knew damn well I was fine.”

“All this worrying and caring, and this is how I’m being treated?” Y/bff shook their head as the wiped their fake tears away “The disrespect.”

“Pft, the only disrespect I’m seeing here is the lack of questions about my day,” y/n said, “I had a great flight. I got those yummy blue chips and had a nice drive from the airport in a Tesla.”

Y/bff gasped, “What kind of Uber driver is driving around a Tesla? We need more of those people up here.”

“Dude, it was Karl,” y/n replied, “I was shocked. Last time I saw this kid he was driving a hunk of junk. One year down here and he’s driving around like he’s Elon Musk.”

“Well, I’ll tell you this now. If you don’t cuff him, I will!” Their laugh echoed through the phone

Y/n rolled their eyes, “Oh please, if he doesn’t like me like that then you’re in no good luck.”

“So you told him then?”

“No, not yet,” y/n paused, “I dunno. We’ve been friends for 3, almost 4, years now. If he liked me, he would’ve said something by now. Plus we live so far away from each other now. I just don’t wanna ruin a good thing, y’know?”

“Well, I still say do it. You can tell him and spend your life in peace knowing his answer, or keep it to you yourself and spend the rest of your life wondering ‘what if?’ And I’ll tell you now, the latter always ends with regret. With the first answer, you’ll at least have a chance of a happy ending.”

Y/n shrugged, putting away the last piece of clothing from their luggage, “I know, I know. I’ll think about it. Thanks for the chat, but I’m gonna go relax now before he gets back. I love and miss you already.”

They exchanged their goodbyes and hung up. Y/n flattened their luggage and slid it under the bed. Moving back to the dresser, they found some comfortable clothes to change into after a shower.

Y/n knew y/bff was right. They just couldn’t bring themselves to share their feelings. What if Karl didn’t feel the same way? Would it ruin their friendship? Would this be the last time they ever saw each other? No, y/n knew it wouldn’t end their friendship, but it would make it awkward for a little while. They moved to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would help them compose their thoughts.

***

“I’m back!” Karl shouted as he kicked the door shut behind him. The project took a few hours so the sun had set and nighttime was settling itself in North Carolina. There was no response. Karl continued, “And I have Burger King fries!”

“You should’ve started out with that! Coming!” Y/n yelled from down the hall. Karl rolled his eyes and walked over to the living room table. He started making room for the food when he heard fast footsteps coming toward him.

“Incoming!” Y/n yelled, tackling him to the floor with a hug. They were giggling as if they just pulled the best prank in the world.

“Hi to you too,” he groaned from his body hitting the floor. Y/n continued to chuckle as they got up, grabbing Karl’s hand to help him up too. They sat on the couch, looking at the food in front of them.

“A whole whopper meal? What did I do to get the honors, Mr. Jacobs?” Y/n remarked in a posh accent, popping a fry into their mouth.

“You existed,” Karl giggled out. Y/n smiled, but the butterflies in their stomach couldn’t feign their excitement. It was small shit like that that made y/n fall for Karl. He continued, “Plus I didn’t know if you ate or not so I thought better safer than sorry.”

“Aw, you’re the sweetest,” they gave him a tight hug before returning to the spot they were in on the couch, “So, what’s the plan, Stan?”

“I’m kind of tired from filming, I hope you don’t mind-”

“Actually, I completely mind” y/n replied sarcastically. Karl shook his head at them.

“So, I was thinking we could just watch a movie or watch a show,”

“Ah yes, head empty activities. I’m down. Can we watch a movie though? Not in the mood for a show right now,” y/n replied.

“Sure let’s scroll through and find something,” Karl switched on the TV and the two munched on their food while they decided what they were going to watch. After 20 minutes of scrolling, which really was 20 minutes of fighting over who had better taste in movies, they finally agreed on Wall-E.

Before the movie started, y/n looked over to Karl. Their hands were in the shape of finger guns, pointed to each other and the tips of their index fingers touching. They had a pout on their face when they asked, “Can we cuddle while we watch?”

“No,” Karl shook his head quickly, keeping a stoic, straight face. Y/n’s pout got bigger. He continued, “I absolutely hate physical touch.”

They both immediately broke out into giggles, y/n grabbing the nearest pillow and smacking him with it, “You are so lame.”

Karl continued with his fit of giggle, “The day I say that and mean it is the day hell freezes over.”

As the intro to the movie played, the two came closer, y/n’s legs tangling up with Karl’s. When they finished up their food, they moved closer with Karl’s arm around y/n’s shoulders and their head laying on his chest.

Y/n gave a playful scoff, reminiscing on their past memories together, “This reminds me of the time we had a Disney movie marathon before spring break.”

Karl laughed, “Yeah, and you made my old roommate cry beforehand because he wasn’t doing his dishes all semester.”

“In my defense, I gave him warnings. He didn’t wanna listen and there’s no way I was letting you live in a house with a sink full of fruit flies.”

“I’m not sure if you did that for me or because you practically lived with us.”

“Don’t get it mixed up, pretty boy. That was for you.” Karl smiled at those words, looking down at the person laying on their chest. He wanted to believe there was more than friendship behind those words. The warm feeling he would always get with them filled his chest as he turned his focus back to the movie.

“I really missed you.” He whispered.

“I really missed you too.”

***

Part 2

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Scattered Blue (Part 1)

Written for the Kidge Spring Event!

Prompt 3: Forget-me-nots | True Love, Memories, Remembrance 

Summary: Alternate Universe. From the moment the first blue petal passed her lips, Pidge knew what was happening to her.

Also posted on AO3 under the username Kishirokitsune

❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀

Part One: Pidge

The small blue petal haunted her from the time she woke up to the time she laid her head down to go back to sleep. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to ignore it and what it meant, hoping it would go away if she just wished hard enough for it.

But as with all things in life, wishing did nothing without her also taking action.

Pidge covered her mouth as she coughed hard, feeling something slide up through her throat until it splattered out into her hand. She caught a glimpse of blue as she shoved that hand into her pocket to hide the evidence.

“Is everything okay?” Hunk asked in concern. He and Lance sat across from her at the cafe table they'd snagged for their weekly lunch.

“Everything's great!” she lied with a smile. “How was your flight, Lance? You transported some heavy cargo to the east coast base, right?”

Lance shrugged. “It was just a normal, boring flight. No issues.”

“Which is a good thing,” Hunk said, his tone long-suffering.

Lance agreed with a grumble that spoke strongly of his true feelings. He'd always dreamed of being more than a “simple” cargo pilot, no matter how often Pidge and Hunk tried to remind him that he was the backbone of the Garrison and served a pivotal role in keeping everything running smoothly.

“What about you?” Hunk asked Pidge. “You and Keith have been testing the new jets. That must be fun.”

Pidge's heart fluttered at the mention of Keith's name and she swallowed to try and stop the cough that threatened to overtake her. “Um, y-yeah. Yeah, it's been a ton of fun.”

Hunk and Lance exchanged alarmed looks at her unusually lackluster response and Pidge wanted to swear, but instead, she reached for her water and took several swallows until her throat was clear.

“Keith giving you problems? I could kick his butt for you,” Lance volunteered.

“We're fine, so please don't get yourself suspended trying to fight him,” Pidge said with a roll of her eyes. She set down her drink. “Our test flight went great! We're just waiting for the technical report to come back before we can go up again and there were a few minor tweaks the ground crew wanted to make to improve how responsive the controls are. Shiro's been coaching us through new drills while we wait.”

“Ugh, you're so lucky. You get Shiro as a mentor and you get to test fly the new jets. Can we trade lives for one day?” Lance asked.

“That means you'd have to work with Keith,” Pidge reminded him.

“Good point. I'd much rather trade with Keith and have you as my partner,” Lance said, sitting back in his chair as the waitress arrived with their meals.

Pidge rolled her eyes as he went about his usual routine of flirting with their waitress. She briefly considered apologizing on his behalf but figured it would only encourage him to keep going. At least he wasn't making a complete fool of himself and thus, by extension, of her and Hunk as well.

They didn't do much talking as they enjoyed their food and it was only as they got down to the last few bites and were contemplating dessert that Pidge asked Hunk how he was doing in the engineering department. His eyes lit up as he began describing their experiments with a new lightspeed engine that they hoped would be capable of drastically reducing the amount of time it took to get to the farthest planets in their solar system.

“Pretty soon you and Keith will be preparing to fly one of these! Well, uh, if everything goes the way we hope,” Hunk said, rapidly backpedaling in an attempt to curb his own enthusiasm.

“That sounds incredible, Hunk! You'll have to keep me updated,” Pidge said.

Hunk grinned back at her. “I will.”

In the end, they decided against ordering dessert at the cafe and instead walked a few blocks down to Lance's favorite gelato place where they each got a scoop in a little paper cup so they could walk and eat at the same time.

Every now and then, Pidge had to turn away and cough, though thankfully she didn't end up with any fresh petals. For the rest of the night, she didn't find a single speck of blue when she pulled her hand away and she went to bed with a smile on her face and no worry lingering in her mind.

She danced around her room with a spring in her step when morning came, taking a little extra time on her hair and putting a little bit of color on her eyelids, which she normally saved for special occasions. By some miracle, she didn't drip any of her breakfast onto her uniform and was able to leave the house soon after by catching a ride with her brother, who was also on his way to the Galaxy Garrison.

They split up after he parked in the Garrison's garage, with Matt heading over to the labs where they were analyzing new plugs taken from Saturn's moon, Enceladus, while Pidge went to the gym to meet up with her flight partner and get started on their training for the day.

Keith was already there warming up when she arrived. His black hair was tied back out of his face and he had swapped out of the heavy uniform in favor of a pair of gray shorts and a black tank top.

Pidge caught his attention with a wave before gesturing towards the locker room, silently indicating that she was going to get changed and would be out soon. Once she was dressed in her own gray shorts and Garrison-provided orange shirt she jogged out to Keith, dodging around the others who were taking advantage of the open gym.

“Hey, did you get the itinerary Shiro sent?” Keith asked the moment she was close enough to be heard.

Pidge had to take a moment to think about it. She's woken up to two messages from Shiro that morning – one was a note regarding a slight change in their schedule and the other was a list of what they'd be covering that week. She assumed he was talking about the week-long one. “I glanced it over. It looks like it's mostly what we do every week.”

“Yeah, except for Friday. Do you think I can convince Shiro to give me a pass to skip out on the annual health screening after what they pulled last year?” Keith asked.

“Doubt it, though I bet he'd go with you if you're really worried about it,” Pidge said as dread began to creep in her chest.

At their last screening, the nurse helping Keith found something “odd” in his blood and ordered him into quarantine for two weeks while they tried to puzzle it out. The Garrison medical team ran test after test, asking Keith all kinds of invasive questions, until Shiro, with the help of Commander Iverson, put an end to it all. Keith was let go, but he then had to suffer through several months of resurgent rumors about his parentage and whether or not his abilities were because he wasn't fully human.

Keith was anti-social and a little awkward, which when coupled with his innate sense of how to pilot and the fact that he out-flew even seasoned pilots on the simulator on his first try, led to a number of rumors that one of his parents weren't human or even that Keith himself was born somewhere far beyond their solar system. It was all nonsense, of course.

Pidge had her own reasons for being worried about the screening. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they would find out about her affliction.

Hanahaki.

Just putting a name to it made it feel all the more real and terrifying.

“Hey,” Keith said, nudging her gently. “It'll be alright. I'm really not worried about anything happening again this year. They wouldn't dare.”

Pidge did her best to smile and try to reassure him that she'd also be there to stop them if they tried anything, but the weight of what was happening to her dragged her down, threatening to drown her if she didn't wrestle back control of her emotions. Her breath stuttered in her chest, a cough building even as she cleared her throat to try and chase it off. Her eyes watered.

“Pidge?” Keith's tone turned concerned and he placed one hand on her back to keep her steady.

She couldn't hold it back any longer.

Once her coughing started, it was nearly impossible to stop as something thick and slightly scratched traveled up through her throat, threatening to block her breathing, until it finally began to slide out. Pidge gagged and coughed even harder, forcing a long stem and the accompanying blooms out of her mouth and into her hands.

All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat. Dark spots danced across her vision and she swayed, nominally aware of Keith holding her up. Pidge closed her eyes.

❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀

She woke in the medical wing.

Or at least, she thought that was where she was at first glance, but closer inspection of the wall next to her and the lack of orange décor told her that she was most likely at the Plaht City Memorial Hospital. Pidge stared at the wall for a moment and then slowly, stiffly turned her head to look around the room, which was when she realized Keith was sitting at her bedside and staring at her with a worried expression on his face.

“Wh... what happened?” Pidge groggily asked.

“You passed out,” Keith told her. “Pidge, why didn't you say anything sooner?”

She looked away from him. “Didn't want to. S'fine, Keith. I can handle it.”

“You can handle it? Pidge, this isn't going to go away on its own!” Keith's voice raised to a near shout. He blanched and ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to calm down. “You... Will you at least tell me who it is? I could go get them and... and then everything would be fine, right? Unless... you've already told them?”

Pidge swallowed thickly and glanced to the bedside table, hoping to see a glass of water there, but there was nothing. “It doesn't matter.”

“Of course it matters!”

“They don't feel the same way,” Pidge said, refusing to meet his eyes. “I don't need to ask them in order to know that.”

Keith growled in frustration and stood up. “I don't buy that for a second! Who wouldn't like you?”

“Keith...”

“Just tell me who it is and I'll go talk to them,” he said fiercely. “Or I'll bring them here, whichever works best for you. Please, Pidge, I just want to help. You're my best friend.”

Her chest clenched painfully at those words and Pidge wondered for a moment if she were about to be launched into another coughing fit, but after a moment or two, the pain subsided to mere discomfort, which allowed her to speak again.

Not that she really wanted to speak, since that meant revealing the truth: she was in love with him.

That was the cause of the Hanahaki Disease. Flowers would take root in the lungs, growing until there was no place left for them to go. The body naturally tried to rid itself of the invasion by coughing them up but there was only so long that could keep the disease at bay before it became too much for the body to handle. Sometimes, the person afflicted could “cure” themselves by falling out of love before the disease progressed too far. Otherwise, there were three ways it could end: in the death of the infected, by surgical removal, or by having their love reciprocated.

The last of those was the best-case scenario – the one that was often used in the plots of movies or cheesy romance novels. Having one's love returned would effectively shrink the flowers until they were gone completely.

Surgery was a more recent option, though one that some still chose to reject even if it meant their death. Choosing to surgically remove the flowers meant also removing any feelings they had for that person and often resulted in the complete loss of memory of them as well. No one could pinpoint why it was like that and all attempts to improve on the surgery fell flat.

Those were the options sitting before Pidge.

She didn't want to die. That much was for certain. There was still so much she wanted to see and do in the world, and though it broke her heart to think of needing to do it all without Keith, her partner, steadfast by her side, she wasn't going to give it all up. Besides, there was still the chance that she wouldn't forget about him. She was too stubborn for that. And if she could remember, maybe they could rebuild their friendship as well.

But what if she didn't remember?

Pidge slowly met his eyes.

He was her best friend too; the first person her own age that she'd ever truly gotten along with and felt comfortable around. Life without him wouldn't be nearly as vibrant. She couldn't lose him.

“Don't leave me,” she begged, her chest constricting as she forced the words out. She tried to sit up, her arms trembling from the effort, but gave up as Keith moved to help her. She shook her head and blinked back tears as she caught a whiff of his cologne, which usually inspired warm and fuzzy feelings, but instead dredged up an intense need to cough.

She swallowed, trying to force it away. She needed to talk first.

“Of course I'm not going to leave,” Keith tried to reassure her.

Pidge shook her head. “If... If I forget you, please don't leave me.”

Keith made a confused sound. “Why would you forget...?”

She could hear the exact moment he put the pieces together. The way his voice cracked was a dead giveaway just before his expression crumbled in distress. She reached out and grasped his hand. “It's okay, Keith. I know.”

He sucked in a shuddering breath. “It's not okay! Pidge, I-”

“You're not allowed to blame yourself,” she cut in. “This isn't your fault. You can't help who you like. Or who you don't like.”

While it wasn't something they'd exclusively talked about, she'd gotten the gist from past conversations that he wasn't someone interested in any kind of romance. He preferred focusing on his career and studies, which was something they'd always had in common right up until she went and fell for him.

She had to look away from him for a moment. “It's just... you're my best friend too and I don't want to forget that, but if I do then I need you to be there and make sure we stick together. I know that's a lot to ask.”

“No, it isn't,” Keith heatedly denied. “Of course I'll stay with you.”

Though Pidge mostly felt relieved by his agreeing to stay with her, there was still that sliver of worry that things could go wrong for them. But what choice did they really have?

She was saved from needing to talk about it more by the arrival of Shiro and her family, who crowded around her bed to ask if she was alright and if there was anything they could do to help. Matt seemed particularly stricken that he hadn't noticed anything wrong when he spent the most time with her, though her mom was a close second.

Once he was sure Pidge would be okay, her dad took charge of the situation and arranged for her surgery to take place that evening by calling on a few favors and using his influence as a Commander at the Galaxy Garrison. It took a little more convincing on Pidge's part, as well as some hefty backup from Shiro, to make an allowance for Keith to stay with her outside of surgery. It all happened so fast that she didn't have time to think about everything else she wanted to say to Keith, just in case she wouldn't get the chance later.

Her family stayed until the last few minutes until Shiro was able to direct them out into the waiting room so she and Keith could have one last moment alone.

And it was in those last few minutes that genuine fear struck Pidge.

She didn't want to forget him.

She didn't want to lose his friendship.

Heavy tears flooded her eyes, dripping down her cheeks without her fully realizing it. She choked back a sob as she looked at Keith. “I-I-...”

She couldn't get the words out.

Keith didn't need her to say anything. He got up so he could sit on the edge of her bed instead, cradling her against him and offering physical comfort. He refused to budge as the anesthesiologist entered and began prepping her arm for the IV which would administer the anesthetic directly into her bloodstream.

“Count backward from one-hundred, dear.”

Pidge tried, but she was still too choked up to speak and had to settle for mouthing it instead. Rather quickly, Keith's soft reassurances faded and she dropped off to sleep.

❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀

There was an annoying beeping sound that cut through her dreams, dragging Pidge back into the realm of consciousness. It was a strange, rhythmic sound – wholly different from the obnoxious screeching of her alarm clock. She groaned as she opened her eyes and had to squint against the sudden, harsh light that reflected off of crisp white sheets and plain white walls. The only spot of color near her was a single stem of purplish flowers that was placed in a water glass on the bedside table.

“Pidge?” an unfamiliar voice called her name, relief present in their tone.

Her head felt heavy as she turned it to face whoever was speaking to her. She figured it was a nurse or something – she had to be in a hospital of some kind – but instead, she found a young man with dark hair sitting in a chair at her bedside.

“You're awake!” he said, a smile blossoming across his face. “How do you feel?”

“M'okay,” she said thickly. She stared at him for a moment and watched as his smile faded. “Sorry, but who are you?”

He reeled back as though he'd been slapped, his expression dropping into something close to pure anguish. “I...” He paused and took a deep breath. “I'm Keith.”

[spicycreativity]

Soft-Shoe Shuffle - Ch 7

Chapter: 7/12 Additional Notes: See Ch 1 for more information. Read on AO3 under "WizardGlick." Any formatting/italics errors are holdovers from AO3 that I was too lazy to fix. Chapter Content Warnings: derealization/delirium, fainting, general depictions of illness Excerpt: It was quiet in the hall, but that didn't mean much as of late. Still, it didn't matter. Janus' days of skulking around in the shadows were well and truly over. Now he would stand tall in the light so intense it didn't even let him cast a shadow.

Mhm, a monster's here Mhm, you plug your ears But hey, you might just listen to it sing Please let the Devil in

Janus awoke with a single-minded focus and a fire raging in his chest; it burnt away the distractions and fears he built for himself. He had to talk to Roman and it couldn't wait another second. He'd already put it off for far too long.

Getting out of bed was a struggle; Janus' blankets were all tangled up in his legs. He threw them on the floor and got up, bypassing the folded paper on his nightstand. He had neither the time nor the patience for another one of Remus' awful poems.

It was quiet in the hall, but that didn't mean much as of late. Still, it didn't matter. Janus' days of skulking around in the shadows were well and truly over. Now he would stand tall in the light so intense it didn't even let him cast a shadow.

He knocked on Roman's door with a bare fist and listened for the shuffling of feet on the floor. No sound came. He knocked again. "It's Janus," he said, lest Roman mistake him for Patton and bury his head deeper in the sand. "I've come to apologize."

The door flew open and would have bounced off the wall had Roman not caught it with his hand. It left his chest wide open, vulnerable, showed Janus all the bleeding wounds he hadn't seen before. "Great," he said, glowering at Janus. "So you can run back to the others and brag about how much better of a person you are than me?"

Janus blinked hard. The lights from Roman's room formed a halo behind his head and surely that wasn't symbolic at all.

"No," Janus said with difficulty. His mouth was dry and his tongue didn't seem to want to work.

It had been warm in the hall but as he stepped over the threshold into Roman's room, a creeping chill made his joints stick.

"Are you coming in or not?" Roman asked.

Janus shut the door behind him and fought to regain his wits. The simple act of standing left him breathless and sore, but it made the fog roll out a little. "Aren't you going to offer me a chair?"

Roman glared at him. With choppy, deliberate movements, he grabbed the back of his rolling desk chair and thrust it at Janus.

"Thank you." Janus sat and fixed his eyes on Roman's hazy, angry features. The ceiling light made his eyes ache, but he refused to flinch. He had to get this right.

"Well, Billy Flynn-truder." Roman held out his arms, again opening up his chest. Janus blinked. There had never been any blood on him at all, had there? "What do you really want?"

"What?" Janus asked through numb lips.

"Like you'd ever apologize to me. That was just another lie to get me to let you in, and guess what? It worked. You got me again, Deceit."

"Janus."

Roman scoffed. "Spit it out already, Horrorboros."

Janus squinted. Hadn't he already said? Maybe he hadn't. He pulled his elbows in tight to his sides and shivered. "I came to apologize."

"Fine, we're sticking with that." Roman towered over him, anger blazing in his eyes.

For a split second, Janus was worried Roman might hit him, never mind the fact that, for all his boisterousness, Roman had never been the overly violent sort. But now the possibility loomed in Janus' mind and made him shudder and pull his arms tighter around himself. "I'm sorry."

"There, it's over." Roman turned away from him. "Run and tell Patton and Tho-- and the others what a good boy you are. Everyone loves a reformed sinner."

"I'm sorry," Janus said again. "I--" Shame made his face hot even as icy shudders ran through his limbs. "Roman, I n-never meant to hurt you."

"Never?" Roman asked, low and deadly.

"Well, at the end--" What was wrong with him? It was a struggle to get words out, any words at all. Even the wrong words. The walls tilted sickeningly. "It was wrong of me to use you. The courtroom scenario-- I told you what you wanted to hear."

"I know."

"And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have played with your emotions. I didn't-- I didn't know better at the time; I was scared, and... I-- I would have done anything to get you to listen to me."

Roman whipped his head around so sharply it made Janus' own neck ache in sympathy. "You're lying."

Despair rose in Janus' chest, trying to escape in the form of one desperate, broken sob. He swallowed it down. "Not this time."

"Why should I believe you?" Roman demanded.

"Because I mean it!" Janus shot back at equal volume. It sent waves of agony pulsing through his head. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I used you. I'm sorry I hurt you. I just wanted you to listen to me. That's all I ever wanted."

"That's. Not. Good enough."

"It's all I have. I gave you my name, Roman. I don't have anything else to give." Janus' chest ached as he took in frantic, shallow gasps. Tears welled up his eyes, not of shame or penance, but fear. What if he wasn't good enough? What if he lost his place?

"Spare me," Roman said, voice sharp with disgust. Janus looked up at him, fighting exhaustion with every muscle in his body.

Roman frowned. "That's not going to work."

"What?" Janus sighed, feeling his posture worsen with the prolonged exhalation.

"Stand up," Roman demanded. "Stop looking at me like that."

It was the least he could do. Janus stood even though his legs shook underneath him.

"Where are your gloves?" Roman asked. He sounded very far away. "Where's your hat?"

"I don't know," Janus said numbly. He could feel himself shivering even though he could no longer feel the cold. He tried to stop and couldn't, and that fact bothered him less than he thought it should.

"Janus, seriously. I'm not buying it. Drop the act."

Janus just shook his head. Roman didn't have to keep rubbing it in, although he probably was revelling in Janus' failure.

He would crawl back to Remus, then, except… He couldn't seem to move.

"Fine!" Roman shouted. "You're scaring me. I'll-- I'll hear you out, just stop--"

His words faded under the sharp hiss and roar of static in Janus' ears. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. White and red crowded his vision; his face connected hard with Roman's sash.

Then, just like the end of the movie, everything faded to black.

Aside

Roman's voice sounded in Logan's dreams and ripped him back to reality. His body moved before he registered what was happening, a fight-or-flight response he didn't usually exhibit.

He ripped the door open and came face to face with Roman, who…

Logan's stomach dropped.

In his arms, Roman cradled Janus' unconscious form. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths and his face was frighteningly pale where it wasn't stained an angry, feverish red.

"I swear I didn't do anything to him!" Roman said frantically. "He was in my room and we-- He-- I don't know what happened!"

"Roman," Logan said. "I need you to breathe." He paused and made a split-second decision. "Follow me."

He stepped around Roman, careful not to bump into Janus, and strode down the hall toward Janus' door.

"When did that happen?" Roman asked, seeming to forget his panic in his surprise.

"After…" Logan said. "Well." He didn't usually shy away from difficult topics of conversation, but he thought it best not to upset or overwhelm Roman at the moment. He took the handle and opened the door for Roman. "Put him on the bed, please."

"Right." Roman entered and hesitated, letting out a shaky breath through his nose as he looked around.

"Roman," Logan prompted.

"Sorry." Roman swallowed hard and gently set Janus on the bed. "I just-- I don't know what happened."

"He's sick," Logan said, taking care to keep his voice even. It wouldn't do to further upset Roman.

"I can see that!" Roman snapped.

"Roman. Breathe. You didn't do anything wrong." Logan needed a scan thermometer, and one manifested in his hand. The readout forced him to swallow down a wave of concern. "I need ice," he said. Ice packs appeared under Janus' arms and legs where they connected with his torso.

Janus yelped and thrashed, tears forming in his eyes. Logan held him by the shoulders until his struggling died down into the occasional flinch and shudder.

"You're hurting him!" Roman shouted. He took a deep breath. "Sorry-- Sorry, I know--"

"It's okay," Logan said. "Sit down." He held eye contact while Roman sank down into one of Janus' leather armchairs. "He's going to be okay, Roman."

Roman braced his elbow on one armrest and cupped his forehead in his hand. "I keep messing up," he said in a strained, thin voice.

Calling Patton for backup would only add more emotions to the situation and make it harder to look after both Janus and Roman. Logan had to handle this himself. "Roman, Janus has been sick since last night. Whatever happened wasn't your fault."

"I can't believe his door moved!"

Logan sat down on the edge of the bed, apprehension increasing his heart rate. He had done all he could do for Janus. Now it was time to put his underdeveloped interpersonal skills to the test, as adding anyone else to the equation would only make things messier and less efficient.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"He apologized to me!" Roman looked angry. Logan couldn't fathom why. He had felt a nearly overwhelming sense of relief when Janus had apologized to him. Relief and responsibility to correct his own mistakes. Why was Roman angry?

"You didn't want that?" Logan guessed.

"I don't know! I'm confused." Roman sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Logan, I know emotions aren't your thing."

"I…" Logan adjusted his tie. "I'm working on it. Please be patient with me."

"Jeeze, what all did I miss?" Roman asked, touching his forehead.

"Quite a bit," Logan said, before realizing that the question was probably rhetorical. "Roman, to be completely honest, I don't know what you need right now."

"I know." Roman sighed and shifted positions so he could rest his elbows on his knees. "I'll-- I'll figure it out. I'll go back to my room and get out of your way…"

"I want to help you," Logan said. His own emotions were distant, abstract, confusing things, so he used broad terminology to better make his point. "I feel… worried." Roman took a breath to interrupt, but Logan held up a hand. "I'm not done."

"Sorry," Roman mumbled

"I'm worried about you," Logan said. "And it was Janus who helped me reach the point where I can tell you this now: I care about you, Roman. I don't want you to go back to your room."

"But I'm… I don't--" Roman swallowed hard and tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't deserve--"

"Roman," Logan interrupted. Guilt reared up at his having done so, but he couldn't allow Roman to further agitate himself. "It's not about what you think you deserve. It's about trying to be better than you were before. Hiding away in your room accomplishes nothing. I know that's not who you are. You're brave and headstrong and I've never known you to run away from a challenge."

Roman sniffled and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. "Wow, Teacher Feature. That was really…" He sighed and seemed to lose interest in what he was about to say. "Thank you, Logan. I'm just… Embarrassed. I acted like…"

Logan physically bit down on his tongue to avoid suggesting a few vocabulary words.

"Like Captain Hammer," Roman said.

Logan frowned. "You beat up Janus in an attempt to win Patton's and/or Thomas' affections?"

" No, Specs," Roman chuckled mirthlessly. "Well. Not literally. But I did make fun of him in front of everyone. And not in the fun way, like when I tease you guys." He flashed Logan a smile. "And then he apologized to me! Or tried to." Roman ran his hands through his hair. "But that makes me the villain of the story!"

"Ah," said Logan, thrown for somewhat of a (metaphorical) loop. "Well. Are you planning on building a giant freeze ray?"

"No."

"Do you seek world domination?"

"No…?"

"Do you believe that you are entitled to hurt others or that their desires are somehow expendable in service of your own?"

"No?"

"Then you're not a villain, Roman, super or otherwise. You're just human. Well, as human as any of us can possibly be. You made mistakes. So did Patton. So did Janus. So did I. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is to work to make things better. I believe that's what Janus was attempting to do when he visited you "

"Ugh!" Roman ran his hands down his face. "I can't believe he beat me to the punch!"

Logan squinted. "So you did hit him?"

"Just an expression, Spocktor Who."

"I see."

Well… If Janus did it first, I'm going to do it better ," Roman said.

[darkthoughtss]

Don’t Get Too Close

Chae Hyungwon | Chapter Three

pairing: Hyungwon x Reader

genre: angst, smut

warnings: swearing!

word count: 2234

Previous chapters: 1 | 2 

21/3/2020 - 10:35 pm

“I stop and stare, you’re almost there.

The words that leave your lips are the same, they call out my name.

I don’t wish for more, even when my body feels sore.

You’re everything I need baby,” 

You opened your eyes slowly as you finished the song. 

“I think we got it,” your producer said through the mic in the studio.

“Really?” You asked as a smile spread on your face.

“More than that. Now, get out,” he said, returning the smile.

You smiled brightly and took your headphones off before you placed them on the stand.

“Now we just need to put together the last two songs, and you’re ready to sing live on stage,” the producer said, fiddling with the stereo.

“I’m really happy to hear that,” You said. “Is there anything else for today?”

“Other than practicing your vocals for tomorrow, you’re free. I’ll get in touch with you when I’m ready to record,” he said.

You nodded, “Well, then I guess I’ll see you then,” You said, “Great work today!” 

You grabbed your bag and headed towards the exit. 

He nodded his head, “Yeah, you too,” he called.

You went out of the studio and started walking down the hall. That was the last thing on your schedule. The time was now 10:42 pm. You could feel your fight-and-flight response reacting by the thought of your date with Hyungwon. Were you allowed to call it a date? The butterflies filled your stomach as you headed towards Monsta X’s studio. 

You arrived at Monsta X’s studio and peeked inside. You saw Hyungwon sitting by his desk with headphones on. You carefully knocked on the door twice. When his eyes met yours a shy smile appeared on his lips. He gestured you to get inside and you walked in as he took his headphones off. “Y/N,” he said with his warm voice, “You remembered.”

“What? Of course I did,” You said. “Are you still working?” 

“Nah, I’m done for today,” he said and packed his stuff. “Now let’s go grab that much desired drink.” 

21/3/2020 - 11:18 pm

“What is going on? You drink beer too?” He asked.

“Yes, what’s wrong with that?” You asked with a skeptical look.

The both of you were smiling. You went to a bar where they only served drinks to celebrities. It was really private so none of you needed to be concerned for getting leaked pictures or meeting anyone. The bar was really popular among celebrities and you could get a private room which you and Hyungwon also decided to get. 

“I don’t know, girls just don’t usually drink beer. They like cocktails and the sweet stuff,” he said.

“U-huh, is that so? And how would you know that?” You asked with a lifted eyebrow.

“What? No, I just assumed,” he said innocently.

“I bet you dated a ton of girls... Don’t worry, I won’t judge,” you teased.

“Well, I can tell you right now that you lost that bet,” He said and filled your glass with beer. 

The fact that you two were sitting alone at a bar made you feel all ticklish inside. How did you even get to this point? It was only yesterday when you lied to Hyunwoo about saying hi to Hyungwon. You didn’t even have the confidence to say hi to him and now here you were, having a drink with him, just the two of you.

“So, the shoot went well?” He asked. 

“Oh, yes! The director complimented me so much on the part you helped me with, and I really think I wouldn’t have acted it out so well without you,” you said.

“Really?” He smirked, “Does that mean I was on your mind?” He leaned towards you with his chin placed on his hand.

You reached out for your drink and took a gulp. Did it just get hotter in here? 

“What? How couldn’t I?” You asked and made a face.

“You’re blushing,” Hyungwon teased.

“I’m not,” you said, “It’s asian flush.”

He laughed, “Mhmm,” he said and grabbed a bottle of soju.

“Let’s have a toast,” he said and filled a shot glass with soju. “For your comeback,” he continued.

Your heart felt warm. Was he always this caring?

22/3/2020 - 1:03 am

You covered your mouth with your hand as you laughed loudly. You could feel the muscles on your stomach tighten and the tears well up in your eyes. 

“Oh god, I’m crying!” You said in-between laughs.

Hyungwon laughed along with you, “You should have seen Kihyun’s face! It was priceless. If you think the story is funny I can’t even imagine how you’ll react if you saw it in real life,” he said.

“Oh my god, so he just sat there calmly without clothes?” You asked and managed to take a breath.

“Yeah, he tells us it’s only natural for humans to walk around naked,” he said, referring to Changkyun. “And Kihyun has the exact opposite mindset so it’s really fun to see them together,” he said.

“Wauw, it must be so fun at your dorm. I can’t even imagine it,” You said. “You’re like seven people that enjoy each other’s company and love each other even though you get into fights and disagree,” you continued as the both of you calmed down from the laughter.

“I’ll say there is some pros and cons. For example, Kihyun likes to wake up early, and he’ll wake us all. So I can’t sleep in even when our schedule is free. And he always nags at me,” he said, getting annoyed just by the thought of it.

“Aww, poor Hyungwonnie,” you said with a pouted mouth, teasing him.

“Shut up,” He laughed, “How about you? Do you live alone?” He asked, changing the subject.

You nodded. How lonely, you thought. He observed you as your gaze fell to the floor and your smile slowly disappeared. Before any of you said anything your phone rang. You felt your heart sink. It was your dad.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” you said. 

“Go on,” he said with a nod.

He grabbed his beer and took a gulp as you got up and walked outside to receive the call. Your dad rarely rung, so you were surprised to see his name. Your dad usually didn’t call unless he wanted something. 

“Dad?” You asked.

“...Hi babygirl,” he said with a hoarse voice.

“It’s been a while,” you said.

“Yeah, how are you?” He asked.

“I’m good. Thanks. How are you and mom?” You asked. 

“We’re holding up. How is your comeback going?” He asked.

“It’s going fine, I guess. How is work?” You asked.

Silence.

“What is it, dad?” You asked.

“...We need money,” he finally admitted.

You closed your eyes tightly. Although, you had seen it coming, it still broke your heart. You took a deep breath. It hadn’t even been that long since the last time you sent him money.

“What about the money I sent you in the beginning of this month?” You asked.

Silence.

“Dad? Please...” You begged.

Your relationship with your parents wasn’t good. You grew up poor. Your dad had an addiction to gambling and your mother struggled to raise you with him. Problems at home were a contributory factor in your struggles at school. You decided to start a singing career at an age of 12 because you loved singing. Luckily, a member, of the company you were under now, had discovered you through your youtube channel. Now, you sent your parents a good amount of money each month and only visited them when they told you to, which they rarely did. You had no idea when they would be at home or else where, so you couldn’t just visit without their permission. 

“It’s urgent,” he said firmly.

“Are you kidding me? Just tell me the truth dad,” you said, angered by his tone.

Silence.

“You’re so pathetic,” you whispered. He always gave you that; Silence. He never gave you any attention even when you were a child. And now, after everything, this is his way of asking for a favour? What the hell would he expect?

“How old are you? Aren’t you supposed to be more stable than I? I can’t manage to send you more than I already do!” You said in frustration.

“Y/N,” he said slowly with an undertone of anger. “You’re supposed to be grateful for what we’ve done for you. Is this how you will treat your dad and your mother? We gave up everything for you. There’s nothing more we could have done for you,” he yelled.

You scoffed in disbelief, “Why would you get me in the first place if you knew you couldn’t manage it? Don’t fucking lie to me. I know I was a mistake. So would you please stop using that excuse?” You yelled. 

“You’re an ungrateful little bitch. Kids are supposed to help their parents when they can! We got you into this world, so you better be grateful!” He yelled back.

“I never asked to be born!” You screamed and hung up. You felt your whole body shake in anger. 

You knew you were going to end up sending them the last bit of money you had anyway. That only meant you had to starve yourself a couple of days. It hadn’t been that long ago since you got your paycheck from your chief. You knew you didn’t earn as much as other celebrities did. But one time when you decided to speak up, he told you very coldly:

“Aren’t you becoming a little too arrogant?” He had given you a stare that sent you shivers up and down your spine just by the thought of it. “We don’t earn shit from you. Look at the amount of money on your paycheck and do the math,” he had told you.

That day had scarred you for life. Before, you had confidence in yourself. You believed you were a great singer, dancer and just generally good at your job. But after what the chief told you, you lost all that confidence in a split second. Your fans’ words suddenly weren’t loud enough to drown the hate comments you received. You had refrained from reading comments since then because you knew it was too much for you to handle. 

You stood outside the bar, the cold wind blew your hair away from your face, and you tried to calm down in vain. It felt like the world crumbled right under your feet. All your problems suddenly came back to you and appeared in your mind one by one. You could feel the anger and frustration getting replaced with sadness and despair. The silence of the streets were soon filled with your sobs.

It’s been a while since your last breakdown. Why were you so problematic? Why couldn’t you just live a proper and good life? It was all your fault, you thought.

You heard the door open as Hyungwon walked out of the bar.  

“Aren’t you cold?” He asked as he walked closer, “I just took the bill, if you don’t mind. I just noticed it’s getting very late,” he said.

He had your bag and jacket in his hands. He froze when he noticed you were crying.

“Y/N?” He asked.

You sniffed and quickly wiped your tears away.

“Are you okay?” He asked worried.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” you said and smiled at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice your swollen eyes.

He handed you your jacket.

“Thank you, I owe you,” you said, referring to the bill.

“Don’t worry about it. Let me walk you home,” he said.

You observed him for a moment and saw how serious he was. Something in his eyes made you give in.

“Okay,” you said. 

22/3/2020 - 1:58 am

You dragged your legs across the asphalt. You felt numb and empty. 

“Y/N,” he said after a while.

You were surprised to hear his voice and turned around to look at him. And he noticed your red eyes.

He clenched his jaw.

It somehow felt painful to see you sad. He couldn’t stand it and pulled you into his embrace without a word. The tears suddenly welled up in your eyes again. You hated crying all the time, you were sick of it. This hug would only give you temporary comfort and distract you from reality. You overcame the temptation to stay and pushed him away softly. If he continued like that, it would only get worse once you snapped back to reality again.

“Y/N... Tell me what’s going on. I’ll help you, I’m here,” he said.

Help? And in what way would he be able to do that? You didn’t let yourself think before you spoke.

“Sure! You’re Mr. Perfect, who has everything anyone could ever ask for! Of course, you can help anyone you feel the slighest pity for. But let me tell you something, Hyungwon, this is not the case! I’m no charity work, so save your foolish, hero desires for something else!” You said.

And here you were again; Pushing people away that showed just a little bit of compassion for you. As soon as the words left your lips you regretted it, however, he didn’t flinch. For the first time since your breakdown your attention was else where. You looked at him in surprise.

His gaze looked clouded.

[winchesterprincessbride]

The Parent Trap-Part 1

Pairing: Sam X past reader, Sam X Ruby (currently)

A/N: Did you like the movie “The Parent Trap” as a kid? It is one of my favorite movies! I decided to write my own version, with a Supernatural twist, of course!

Summary: Mary Winchester and Annie Campbell meet at summer camp, and they quickly realize they look too much alike for it to be a coincidence.  They are twins! Their parents, Sam Winchester and Y/N Campbell divorced 12 years before, each taking custody of one girl.  Now Sam lives in California and Y/N in New York.  The girls hatch a plan to bring their parents back together, but will Sam’s new fiancee ruin their plans?

Word Count: 1770

Robert Singer had been doing divorce arbitration for many years and he had pretty much seen it all.  Couples who were once in love reduced to fighting over pets and vacation homes, and others whose hatred ran so deep they refused to give an inch.

Some came to see him because they thought arbitration was a quick and cheap way to get a divorce.  He could spot them right away and usually sent them packing.  Most couples he forgot about once he filed the papers, and he never lost a night’s sleep.

In all his years of practice, he had never had a case like the Winchesters. They were so young. They clearly loved each other and were in terrible pain. He often thought of them and wondered if they had thrown in the towel too soon.

“This is highly irregular.  Are you sure about this?” He asked after reading the documents.

“We are.” Sam Winchester assured him, not looking at his wife.

“But splitting them up? Not telling them they have a sister? A twin no less?” Bobby said incredulously.

“I’m moving back to New York, Mr. Singer. Sam is staying here in California. This is what we came up with. We each get one daughter, and we never see each other after this.” You said quietly.

“You understand you are signing away complete parental rights for the minor child Mary Elizabeth Winchester?” He asked you.  “You understand Sam will have full custody with no visitation, and you will have no say in any decisions on her behalf?”

You nodded jerkily, tears sliding down your cheeks. He turned to Sam.

“And you are signing away your complete parental rights for the minor child Ann Marie Winchester?  Y/N will have full custody, with no visitation, and you will have no say in any decisions on her behalf?”

Sam nodded, his eyes sad.

“Campbell.” You said suddenly. “I’m going back to my maiden name. She will be Annie Campbell.” Sam looked completely blindsided. as though you had hit him upside the head with a two-by-four.

Bobby sighed deeply. “If you are sure this is what you want.....”

ANNIE “Annie Campbell, if you are not downstairs on the count of three, that phone of yours is mine, I mean it! The Uber is here, you are going to miss your flight!” 

As much as you loved your daughter, you were looking forward to a month of me-time. She may only be twelve, but hormones had not been your friend this year. She was at turns sullen, angry and defiant.  She was growing up too fast, and you wanted her to be a kid for one more summer.

When you made the decision to get her out of the city and send her to Michigan to the summer camp you yourself attended as a child, Annie was furious. 

“Camp Blue Lake? Wasn’t that the name of the camp in Friday the 13th?” She said sourly. “You want to send me to some place where I may get murdered?”

You gave her an exasperated look. “That was Camp Crystal Lake, wise-ass, nice try.”

She finally came stomping down the steps, dragging her zebra-print suitcase behind her.  “I’m here.  Don’t get your panties in a wad!”

“Watch your mouth, young lady, you haven’t left yet, I can still ground you!” You snapped irritably, your patience completely gone. The Uber driver gave you a sympathetic smile as he put Annie’s bag in the truck.  You held the door open for her and she slid inside, and you climed in next to her.

“I know you aren’t thrilled about this, Ann, but just give it a chance. I have so many great memories of that camp. I learned to swim there. I ate my first s’more there, I kissed my first boy there......”

Annie’s head snapped up. “You kissed a boy? This I gotta hear!”

You grinned and ruffled her hair. “Maybe when you're older. I loved that place, Annie, I really did.  Some of the best summers of my life were spent there. The snack stand has the best chocolate milkshakes.  They were my favorite, so make sure you try one.”

This elicited a small smile.  “I will, Mom.”

 “So I will get you on the plane, and a staff member from the camp will meet your plane in Michigan.  I’m gonna miss you, baby.” 

For a brief second, Annie looked like she might cry. “I’m gonna miss you too, Mom.” She said very quietly.

“I made life-long friends at that camp. I met Aunt Mona there, and she’s one of my best friends to this day. Maybe you will make a special friend there too.”

Mary

“It’s not too late to back out, Sweetheart.” Sam Winchester told his daughter as he placed his suitcase in the trunk of his BMW.

“She’ll be fine, Sammy. You have to let her grow up sometime.” Your Uncle Dean said with a grin as he pulled Mary in for a hug.

“It’s fine, Dad. I want to go. You’ll be fine. You have Uncle Dean to keep you company.” A look passed between the brothers, but Mary didn’t notice.

“But now Ivy isn’t going.......” Sam said helplessly.

Mary’s best friend Ivy had been going to camp Blue Lake since third grade. Her mother went there when she was young, and they raved about it.  Mary’s dad was super protective, and finally this year he had relented and said she could go with Ivy.

But last week Ivy had broken her leg in two places after falling off the trampoline. She had a cast that ran the entire length of her leg.  She could only get around in a wheelchair, so her Mom didn’t feel comfortable sending her to camp.

As soon as Sam heard the news, he told Mary she wasn’t going either. To his surprise, she said she still wanted to go.  She was on the shy side, so that was pretty out of character for her.

Mary reached down and hugged the large Pit Bull that jumped excitedly around her legs.  “You’ll take good care of Juliet while I’m gone, right Dad?”

Sam smiled fondly at her. “Of course I will, Honey.”

“You need to let her sleep with you because she will be lonely at night without me, okay? Mary was very protective of the dog she had raised from a puppy.

“Promise you’ll call me?” She had so much of him in her, but she was starting to look like her mother it and it made his heart ache.

“I promise, Dad.” She said, hugging him tightly.

“Promise you will do something fun while I’m gone? Don’t work constantly.  This is a vacation for you too, you know.”

“I promise not to be a workaholic, Mary. Now we need to go.” Sam started the car and drove down the long driveway and down the street.  Mary looked back and waved to Dean and Juliet until both of them were out of sight.

“So you remember the plan?” Sam asked his eyes on the road.

“Yes Dad, we’ve gone over it a million times. Someone from the camp will meet me in the airport in Michigan and take me to the camp. I got it.” Mary watched the beautiful scenery of Southern California pass by as they headed to the airport.

“This is just the first time you have been away for so long, Mare,” Sam whispered.

“I know, Dad. it’s only for two weeks. I’ll be back before you know it.”

If you need me for any reason, you’ll call, right?” Sam said for at least the fifth time.

Mary rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad.  Do they have a camp for adults? If they do, you need to go.”

Mary’s flight was uneventful, and the flight attendant helped her get her stuff. When she exited the plane, there was a young woman holding a sign that said, “Camp Blue Lake.”

Mary walked up to her. “Hi, I’m Mary Winchester.  I think you’re here for me?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “But aren’t you from New York?”

“Um...no.  I’ve lived in California all my life.” Mary told her, confused by her response.

The girl shook her head.  “I’m Sally.  I swear I picked you up yesterday.  But whatever.  Let’s go and get your bags.”

After getting Mary’s checked bag, they walked to the parking lot to a van that said, Camp Blue Lake on the side.

“Sorry, you had to come to pick me up. I bet there aren’t many kids who fly in to go to camp.” Mary said sheepishly.

Sally shrugged. “You’d be surprised. Kids come from all over. We have a lot of kids whose parents came.  This camp has been around forever.”

Mary and Sally made small talk, and before she knew it, they were heading up a bumpy dirt road surrounded by trees.  Sally parked in front of a real log cabin.  “Grab your stuff, and let’s get you checked in. Lunch is in 20 minutes.”

Mary was quickly checked in and given her cabin assignment, Evergreen Cabin.  Sally walked you up the hill to the cabin and opened the door. It was filled with girls talked and hanging out. “Hey, guys.  Our last camper has arrived, all the way from California.  Everyone say hi to Mary Winchester.”

“There is an empty bunk over here.” A voice commented.

“Perfect. Mary, go get settled in. “Lunch is in 20, girls.” Sally walked out and closed the door behind her.

"So you’re from Southern California?” Someone asked. “What part?”

“San Diego,” Mary responded.

“I’m Jill, this is Kathy and Leah.  Welcome to Evergreen. Is this your first year?” They looked like they had been here before.

“Yep. I was supposed to come with my friend Ivy, but she broke her leg.” Mary told them.

“Ivy’s not coming? Bummer.” One of them said.

Mary walked with them to the dining hall since she had no idea where she was going. After getting her food, she searched the hall for her new friends. Spotting them, she headed their way when an unfamiliar voice said, “Holy Shit!” 

A girl jumped up in front of her, and when she saw her, she was so startled, she dropped her tray, and it clattered to the ground. Everyone looked, and Mary’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.

It was like looking into a mirror. Mary’s chocolate brown hair was longer, but they had the same hazel eyes and the same dimples.  Even the shape of their face was the same.

“Who the hell are you, and why are you wearing my face?” The girl demanded

Part 2.

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