#i totally agree the way we process this shit is very narrow

[ryin-silverfish]

LMK S5 trailer, Chinese pantheon infodump, and some ideas

…Man, normally, I feel the urge to write fix-it AUs after rewatching episodes and coming across particularly bizarre theories and takes, not before the new season's even out.

Thanks, S5 trailer.

Consider this your spoiler warning, because the rest of this post will all be my personal opinions about a few major story beats that were revealed + the rough outline for a fix-it AU.

It's also a bit ranty, and features some criticisms of the general narrative, so if that's not your cup of tea, feel free to avoid this one.

Li Jing becoming JE/the regent of the Celestial Realm is just hilariously absurd. I mean, it makes a teeny tiny bit more sense than the "Nezha will be the new JE" fan theory, but that's not a very high bar.

1) In-universe, he had done a grand total of nothing while shit was hitting the fan, and only showed up after it was all over. Which, tbh, isn't too far from his role in FSYY. No, wait, at least in FSYY, he killed Luo Xuan via a pagoda to the head, after the guy had all his fire-based magical treasures neutralized and taken away by Princess Longji.

Yeah, congrats, LMK's Li Jing, you've somehow become even more useless than your FSYY and JTTW counterparts——which is a true feat.

2) Even if someone's making him JE/regent, it wouldn't be the Ten Kings. To put it simply: the Underworld doesn't have that authority. They are the most pathetic of all divine bureaucracies, who pretty much only show up to get pushed around and revive the occasional dead guy in JTTW (and I still love them).

Like, they ain't no Hades or Satan. Just the 10 judges of the Dead People Supreme Court. To heavily paraphrase Di Ting in the original JTTW novel:

"How much power do Underworld gods really have? (幽冥之神，能有多少法力)" "...Certainly not enough to stop a rampaging demonic macaque who's as strong as SWK, if I say the truth out loud in here and piss him off. Just send them to the Buddha, please."

An analogy: if the Celestial Host is the imperial court, the Underworld is the ministry in charge of judicial processes and prisons. They don't even have authority over the imperial censors who answer directly to the emperor, let alone the power to determine a successor to the throne during a major crisis.

If this was to make the tiniest bit of sense, Li Jing would be the one commanding THEM, not the other way around. Or if it's Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha himself giving orders to Li Jing…for some reason.

But we know that ain't happening bc of the show's strange aversion to showing Buddhist deities on screen, not to mention it would be very OOC for Ksitigarbha, whose job is granting relief and salvation to souls in the Path of Hell, not judging and punishing them like the Ten Kings.

3) If you must make Li Jing the emperor/regent, you have a more mythos-accurate and obvious choice than the Ten Kings, considering you already got the Four Divine Beasts involved!

Yes, I'm talking about their bosses, the humanoid "directional + elemental gods": Lord Father of the East (Wood), Queen Mother of the West (Metal), Emperor Zhenwu of the North (Water).

No South though...because our mythos can't agree on a single directional god of the South, but for shit and giggles, just imagine Zhurong, Yandi, Huaguang, and the Star of Fiery Virtues all sitting on the same narrow bench, staring awkwardly at each other.

Maybe we can have Ziwei, Great Emperor of the Central Sky and North Stars, who is one of the Four Sovereigns(四御) in Daoism (two of which could also be an alternate choice, but maybe a bit too obscure for foreign audiences).

He commands the stellar deities and heavenly bodies——which the Four Divine Beasts would technically fall under, as guardians of the four quadrants of the sky, each in charge of 7 Lunar Mansions.

4) But if you already have these deities, why the hell would any of them make Li Jing the regent? Wouldn't it be more likely for them to create a Celestial Council of Regents themselves, with Devaraja Li Jing under their command as the leader of what's left of the celestial army?

Like, you can still have them, or one of them, going after the gang and ordering Li Jing to put the fillet on SWK.

I can see Zhenwu the Demon-Vanquisher doing that, since the fillet isn't too different from what he did to Huaguang and a lot of the demons he subdued in JTTN: feeding them magical water/fire pills that would corrode/ignite their insides whenever they tried to resist.

(Yeah, compared to that, the fillet would look like the lenient option, since it's just pain and won't actually dissolve/cook you alive from the inside out...)

And it wouldn't be bc he thought SWK was to blame for the Brotherhood's epic fuck-up...somehow. Like, what even is that logic?!

I mean, I can kinda see the Ten Kings doing it as a pre-emptive "Don't blame us for our shitty security, blame that guy over there!" move...except they are no longer answering to any higher authorities who'd hold them responsible at that point!

"What about Li Jing?" You may ask. Yeah, WHAT ABOUT LI JING? Why does Li Jing have to get involved in this?

If he's forcing the Ten Kings to pass judgement on the gang (which surely doesn't look like it in the trailers), why's he enlisting the help of the weakest faction and not, y'know, his celestial soldiers and other gods?

If the Ten Kings get Li Jing to be their enforcer...well, how the Eighteen Hells did they manage that? What could the Ghost Supreme Court and their crappy prison-torture chamber-soul customs office complex even offer Li Jing as a bribe?

And if their goals were to avoid responsibilities by blaming someone else, how stupid did they have to be to actively involve/create a higher authority who can punish them once the cat gets out of the proverbial bag, instead of, I dunno, just stay where they are and keep their head down???

So in my fix-it AU, it's more of a "Better safe than sorry" scenario, where every demon working for the new Celestial Council must prove their loyalty via swallowing the water/fire pill, now that even more dangerous demons have escaped and are running around in the aftermath of S4.

And Great Sage and company are not exempt from that new law either——"If you are truly righteous and Not Like Them and not planning to rebel, what's there to be afraid of?"

Horrified by the Demon-Vanquishing Mansion's 16th century standards of "justice" and "mercy", they naturally would not have any of it, and thus the conflict begins.

Not only would this show the fallout of Azure's misguided rebellion——that, in trying to make a better world, he had made it 120% worse for both humanity and demonkind in less drastic and more realistic ways aside from dooming reality to irreversible destruction, it would also help with the major show-not-tell problem about Celestial cruelty bc the "good guys" in power saw no problem with this kind of shit.

If you want your lawful antagonists who take Order to its extremes, the warrior sovereign in black leading an elite army of demon-hunters + penal legions made of "reformed" demons would be a better choice than the Ghost Supreme Court, don't ya think?

(Fun fact: in Zaju plays, Zhenwu was often said to be the boss of Nezha and Erlang, so him commanding Li Jing wouldn't be too out of place either.)

Now, you may ask, why do I even care? After all, isn't it clear that the show is neither mythos-accurate nor trying to be, considering the JE got K.O.ed by a Bodhisattva's cat of all things?

Not to mention the season's not even out yet, so why jump to conclusions so quickly? Maybe the actual episodes will have explanations that make sense. Relax.

...Cause I don't mind less-than-stellar animations if the story's good, and since I keep noticing the less-than-stellar animations, it clearly isn't good enough.

Also, it's not like it's only the implications that are absurd——my problem is with the whole premise of "Li Jing becoming the new JE/Regent" and "The gang is prosecuted by the Ten Kings for bullshit reasons, even though these guys should not, and never have the power to enforce anything over SWK."

I don't like calling narrative choices "wrong" per se, and prefer to see it on a gradient of "least to most narrative potential". When it comes to adaptations, if the option that is faithful to the original work will result in a less interesting story, then I'll happily take the one that isn't as faithful and takes creative liberties, but makes a better story.

And here, I feel like being faithful to the Chinese mythos inspirations will add to the narrative potential instead of subtract from it, and the idea they come up with kinda...goes against how Chinese pantheons work, in a very simplified and "westernized" manner.

Mostly bc I am a Chinese Underworld mythos lover and think they deserve better than being ominous Hades/Grim Reaper knockoffs. And out of all the possible Chinese gods, Nezha's asshole dad is the least qualified or interesting candidate to fill in the power vaccum left by JE's death.

[knowlesian]

Sorry this is veering off topic from your post, but do you know if or are aware of redemption narratives outside of the Anglo Christian ones that come up most in our media? There's a really neat video by Cool History Bro looking at ATLA's famous Zuko arc through Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist philosophy. I'd love to learn more about other cultures redemption frameworks that get overlooked in these discussions.

no worries at all! i definitely find those topics equally fascinating myself, especially since examining the world as if christianity is the be-all, end-all of religion is uh... bad! generally: not a fan of that.

that being said, the reason i can ramble on about Weird White Jesus at all is because that's my lane! i lived that, spent my time in the trenches, and the people i come from existed on both sides of the color and colonization lines. izzy in particular is a Real Fucking Problem for me in part because he is so specifically keyed into what i know intimately from living in the world alongside my attempts to educate myself further on the related experiences i don't live.

the show itself also throws a lot of emphasis on catholic-specific christianity; nana is a nun, stede speaks ecclesiastical latin, etc. and since catholicism is even more my personal lane than general christianity, i feel pretty comfortable running my mouth about it without worrying too much that i might stumble into "but google told me this thing!" style analysis. unfortunately i couldn’t avoid exactly that if i attempted to be the one analyzing things through the lens of religions i only understand in academic and incredibly not at all comprehensive ways.

which is not to say that shouldn't be done, or you shouldn't want that— i want it too! i'm unfortunately just not a person who is qualified to explain it. (if anybody finds anything like this, though, please shoot it at me! i'd love to signal boost, since ofmd is dealing with so many narratives at once that i am painfully aware of how much i am missing out on, thanks to my personal cultural context.)

[bwbatta]

three - all bets on

Abstract: Draco and you are just friends so doing him a favour and pretending to be his girlfriend wouldn’t effect your friendship, right?

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x reader

Warnings: lil bit of swearing, lil bit of angst, lil bit of jealous Draco

Word count: 3825

A/N: GET READY (this ones a big boi) taglist for this series is still open and so is a permanent taglist for my other work (HP or not!), so let me know if you’re interested in any of them! 

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Part 2 | Part 4

“(Y/N)” 

A voice whispered loudly from behind you, trying to get your attention as you tried to ignore it.

“Psst, (Y/N)... (Y/N)!”

You were doing a spectacular job of ignoring the whisperer who desperately was trying to get your attention, but your patience ran thin when a sharp pain ran through your back.

“Ow!” you hissed, turning around with your eyes blazing “Did you just stab me with your quill?!”

“...It was really more of a poke to be completely honest”

You shot an angry glare towards the red headed boy who now looked quite sheepish.

“What do you want, Ron?” You asked annoyed

He shared a look with Harry who sat next to him and both looked hesitant to say anything, which of course only made you more impatient.

“Well? Are you going to ask me a question because I’d rather like to get this finished so I can leave to get dinner”

“Have you shagged, Malfoy?”

“Ron!”

Both Harry and you looked at Ron with varying expressions, yours was complete shock and Harry’s was a mix of slight embarrassment and curiosity.

“No, I haven’t shagged him” you narrowed your eyes towards the pair. “And even if I had, it would be none of your business”

“Are you sure you’re not being forced into dating him?” Harry questioned with a concerned look “We can help you if you are!”

“While I appreciate the help you’d offer, the answer is no. I’m not being forced into dating him” you sent the pair a glare “I’m dating Draco because I really like him”

“Well that’s a lie,” Ron scoffed “no one likes Malfoy”

“Well, okay, I agree that’s true” you shrugged “I actually love him”

“What?!”

Turning back round to finish your work, you tried to conceal the smile on your face as the two boys started pestering you again, trying to get your attention when suddenly a note landed on your desk.

The note was folded like a bird, and had been obviously charmed to act as such, as it jumped around your desk like a small robin would do.

Curious, you opened it up and immediately a smile spread across your face as you read the message.

“(Y/N),

Can I copy down your notes later? If yes, I adore you. If no, what do I have to bargain with this time? 

Also fancy dinner in the kitchens tonight? I’ve got an idea.

Draco

P.S pretend this is a cute love letter or something to piss Potter and Weasley off”

Your eyes shot over to the blonde who was already staring at you with a grin on his face.

You sent a smile of your own back, nodding to him, signalling he could copy your notes later. Thinking quickly, you also went one step further and blew him a kiss.

Draco’s cheeks blushed a little but the look he sent you could’ve melted you right where you sat.

If you hadn’t known any better, you would’ve described it as true heart eyes. 

But you did know better. 

He was just acting.

It also seemed to do the trick as Ron stabbed you in the back again with his quill, breaking your concentration from each other. You whirled around again with a glare in place.

“Stop stabbing me with your quill” you hissed

“Is that note from Malfoy?” Harry asked trying to get a look at it

“It might be”

“What does it say?” Ron questioned

“Why are you so curious? Jealous I’m getting love letters and you’re not?” you sent him a smirk 

“So it’s a love letter?” Harry asked slight disgusted at the thought of you getting one from Malfoy.

“Yes, it is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get dinner with my boyfriend, who I love very much” 

Picking up your books, you stuffed your papers inside your bag and stood up, making your way to the door where Draco was conveniently waiting. 

The fact he was going to copy your notes later, meant as soon as he saw you pack up to leave, he jumped up, his own bag already packed, ready to join you down in the kitchens for dinner.

Harry and Ron sat watching you wander over to Draco with a grin on your face as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to your temple to rile up the two Gryffindor boys.

“Ready to go?” your fake boyfriend asked you with a smile to which you nodded, eager for food away from prying eyes and curious questions.

The two of you made your way down to the kitchens, talking about what you were hungry for and before you knew it, a huge plate of a roast dinner was placed in front of you.

“Oh my,” you practically drooled “look how pretty this is”

“I hope you have the same reaction when you see me?” Draco joked

“Unless you suddenly turn into a plate of food, it’s a no, sorry honey”

“Maybe not a plate of food, but I am a snack”

You did not address the comment, only sent him an amused look which he smirked proudly at getting some sort of reaction from you. 

The two of you dug into your meals, chatting about absolute nonsense gossip you’d heard throughout the day. Apparently you’d missed Seamus Finnegan blowing up not only his own water goblet, but the rest of Gryffindor table’s, trying to turn it into Firewhiskey when you were in the Library.

Through a mouthful of roast potato, you suddenly made an exclamation like you’d suddenly remembered something, catching the blonde boy’s attention.

“Yes?” he asked amused at you trying to swallow your food quick enough to say something before you forgot your thought process.

“What was your idea you mentioned earlier?” you finally managed to ask. “The one you mentioned in your note?”

“Ahh” he began as he set down his knife and fork “I have an idea about something we can do to make people believe we’re a couple more?”

“Go on?” You asked curious, taking another bite of your food

“We could make out?”

Well, you didn’t expect that.

And the fact you were now choking on your mouthful, showed that perfectly well.

Draco patted your back as you trying to regain your breath. Finally able to swallow your food, you took a gulp of water to clear your mouth.

“Sorry” you muttered

“No worries, if I knew you were going to react like that I would’ve prepared you” he grinned at your embarrassment.

“Piss off”

You rolled your eyes at him before locking his gaze with your own unamused look.

“So?” He pressed

“Um... yeah, I guess that could work”

You fiddled with your sleeve as you tried to pull off an unbothered expression, when all you could now think about in your head was the fact you’d be kissing your best friend.

“Right?! That’s what I was thinking! No one would be able to deny we weren’t dating after we’d kiss in the Great Hall or something where everyone could see.”

“Yeah” you collected yourself and yanked yourself back into your confident persona “I mean, go big or go home right?! All bets on.”

“Exactly” he nodded in agreement “We do this and everyone will believe it”

You mirrored his nod and shot him a smile, hiding your nervousness immaculately. If there was one thing you could do, it was hide your true emotions.

“Yeah... everyone”

“Hey, when’s the potions essay due again?”

“Tomorrow”

“...Shit”

Hermione gave you an unamused stare as you sat across from her in the Gryffindor common room.

The witch had made you promise to study with her for the test Flitwick had set for charms, especially since neither Harry nor Ron felt it urgent to do so.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about it?!”

“Nope, it was totally intentional for me to leave an entire essay due to do the night before” you shrugged sarcastically causing Hermione to send you another of her stares. 

To be completely honest, you probably would’ve done it last night if Draco hadn’t taken you to the kitchens for dinner. You two ended up staying there for the rest of the evening, partly for the instant snacks from the house elves, partly because you two just enjoyed each others company more than anyone else. You had to admit though, the pumpkin pasties were worth it.

“Well don’t come running to me for help when you need it” Hermione miffs “I told you to get it done as soon as it was set otherwise you’ll forget it, and look what’s happened? You’ve-”

“Forgotten it, yes okay, thank you. You getting a good view up there from your high horse?!”

“Don’t be silly” 

Hermione went to say something else but was interrupted.

“Hey, (Y/N)”

Lee Jordan smiled at you effortlessly as you sent him a smile back, slightly confused as to why he was there in the first place. He looked slightly nervous when you looked closer, his fingers playing with the edge of his sleeve.

“Hi, Lee. You alright?”

“Yeah, I actually wanted to ask you something, if you’re not busy?”

“Go ahead, I’m not doing anything interesting”

An annoyed scoff from the witch sitting opposite you said different.

Lee’s eyes flicked between the two of you before they settled back on you.

“I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with me?”

You were confused. Surely everyone, especially Lee because of the twins, knew you were going out with Draco. It had been all anyone had asked you about for the past week.

“Um... I actually was going to go with Draco” you told him slowly “You know, my boyfriend?”

“Yeah but that’s not actually true is it?!” Lee laughed a little like the idea was preposterous. “I mean come on, you don’t actually like the guy, right?”

You bristled slightly at the way Lee spoke about Draco. Sure, the boy was an wanker to most of the Gryffindors, if not all of them, but he wasn’t a truly bad person. 

Most of the way he acts is down to how he was raised by his parents, and after meeting Lucius one summer, you could understand why.

“Nope, I actually love the guy, which is part of the reason why I’m his girlfriend”

“You love him?!” Hermione jumped in, just as surprised as Lee

The tone Hermione used also didn’t sit right with you 

“Yep, we’re super in love” you grinned at her unfazed, not showing any hesitation about the subject. “So as nice as your offer is, Lee, I’ll have to turn it down, sorry”

The boy looked taken aback as if he thought you wouldn’t turn him down.

“Right, well, okay. Sorry to bother you” Lee smiled at you which you returned before he walked away.

You were still slightly shocked that Lee had just asked you out, when it was pretty much common knowledge for everyone in the castle, that you were in a relationship. 

It solidified the point that Draco and you needed to make it more convincing though. 

Nonetheless you turned back to your study notes, hoping to put this from your mind, but before any more studying could be done, the notes were snatched away.

“Nope, you’re not doing anything else until you tell me what’s really going on”

Laughing slightly you rolled your eyes at the dramatics of your friend. 

“Really?!”

“Really! And despite the fact you somehow think I’m stupid-”

“You’re far from stupid, Mione-”

“Shhh” she actually shushed you as you interrupted her causing you to snort under your breath. “You really didn’t think I wouldn’t pick up on how Malfoy just so happens to not make any more insulting comments towards me?”

“Like I’ve told you before, he’s not a bad person and it’s not a huge change-”

“Yes it is!”

You stilled slightly at the conviction in her voice, words dying on your tongue before you could even utter them.

“He used to call me a mudblood every time we were in the same room, (Y/N). Now he nods to me and actually acts like I’m not some piece of dirt on his shoe? Somethings up.”

You never thought the dynamic between the two was really that bad, so you found yourself not really knowing what to say. Hermione continued regardless of your silence.

“I know you don’t know how much he used to insult me, or torment me because regardless of anything, the boy absolutely adores you so much so he would bite his tongue whenever you were in the room. Though now he’s actively going out of his way to be civil with me, even when you’re not around? I don’t trust it.”

Again, you were at a loss for words. But overwhelmingly you felt like a terrible friend.

“Hermione... I didn’t know it was that bad between you”

“Well it is, or was” she shook her head as if to centre her thoughts. “Look, fine, don’t tell me what’s going on, just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Careful of what?” you asked confused as to what she was talking about now.

Sighing heavily, Hermione grabbed her books and started to pile them up. Standing up she paused, letting her eyes rest on you as you could tell she was debating what to say to you.

“Just be careful you don’t get caught up in whatever game you’re playing too much” 

With that being said, the witch turned and headed towards the Gryffindor girl’s dormitories, no more words said between the two of you. The ones last said being enough to linger in your head.

“Hey, Sweetheart”

You were surprised for a second which showed on your face before you quickly gathered yourself and sent a dazzling smile back to the blonde who had sat down next to you.

Hermione’s words had been on your mind since the previous night, enough to distract you as you were up, attempting to write your essay in the small hours of the night. You were exhausted, but somehow seeing Draco had made you feel just that little bit better.

“Morning” you replied, blushing slightly as Draco pressed a kiss to your temple (which was now becoming a normal thing for him to do), and wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

“You two are awfully cosy this morning” Blaise remarked as he took the seat opposite.

“What, am I not allowed to sit with my girlfriend for breakfast and show her some affection?!” Draco asked whilst grabbing a few slices of bacon from the buffet in front of him.

“Never said you weren’t” Blaise rolled his eyes at his best mate “just that you guys are disgustingly close”

“Aww thanks Blaise” you smiled at him innocently, clutching your coffee mug close to your chest, as he shot you a look which made you chuckle.

Pulling you closer to him, Draco leaned down to your ear to stage whisper loud enough so the boy opposite could hear.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s just jealous he’s single and doesn’t have someone to kiss in the morning”

“Alright, piss off you two. If (Y/N) wanted to go out with anyone I had hoped it would’ve been me, but I’ll live” Blaise joked as you chuckled along with him. 

Draco sent his friend an amused look.

“Stop hitting on my girl, Zabini”

“Yeah yeah, I’m just joking” the wizard rolled his eyes at the Malfoy boy as the two of you shared a chuckle. This was until a prominent thought popped into your head.

“Oh, guess what happened last night?” you asked the blonde wizard who sent you an inquisitive glance as he took a bite out of a slice of toast. “Lee Jordan asked me out.”

At once, Draco’s face dropped it’s curious expression to form one of annoyance and agitation. 

“What?!” he practically hissed. “Does he not know you have a boyfriend?”

“Apparently, he thought it was a joke” you told him, eyes quickly assessing his reaction.

Leaning into you and pressing his forehead to your temple, it would’ve looked couple-y to anyone else but it just meant he could whisper to you so no one else would hear.

“What did you say?” he whispered 

“I said that I was your girlfriend” you whispered back, playing with his fingers of the hand wrapped around your shoulder. “I let him know I was taken, don’t worry.”

“But I am worrying (Y/N), he doesn’t know it’s a joke!”

“...Are you jealous? Offended someone else asked me out?”

“No! I just don’t like people asking out my girlfriend”

You turned your head so both your foreheads rested together. Resting your hand on his cheek, your thumb brushed over his cheekbone as his gaze met yours.

“I’m yours okay... for however long you want me to be your fake girlfriend” you caught yourself with an awkward chuckle. “I’m all in.”

Draco felt a smile creep up on his lips and he could help but take you in. You had this calming aura around you, which he felt like was almost soothing his soul just being next to you. 

He found it addicting.

A cough from opposite the table caught your attention and both your eyes snapped over to Blaise how pointedly looked towards the entrance of the Great Hall.

Catching sight of Pansy entering the hall, eyes darting round, no doubt looking for the blonde boy next to you, you couldn’t help the noise of irritation which left your lips.

Draco smiled at the sound, enjoying the fact you were as annoyed as him when it came to the girl. He pulled you closer to him, slotting you under his arm as you wrapped your own arm around his waist in turn tucking yourself into his side.

“Bitch incoming” you muttered under your breath

Draco snorted under his breath before rolling his eyes at the smile Pansy sent him as she wandered over to the three of you.

“Oh Merlin” Blaise groaned as she took the seat next to him, opposite from you.

“Hi guys”

“Is there some reason you’re sitting with us?” you found yourself asking as the girl shot you a snide glare.

“I just wanted to sit with my friends, is that such a crime?”

“What friends?” Blaise muttered loud enough for everyone present to hear.

“Pansy, we’d rather eat without your face putting us off our food” Draco shrugged.

Pansy eyed the arm holding you securely to him with a look of envy and disgust, like it was disturbing her immensely.

“Oh Drakey, don’t be mean, where else am I meant to go?!”

“If you ask nicely, the pound might take you back” you joked which earned you amused snorts from both boys.

Any expression on her face, which was put on for politeness, dropped instantly and Pansy glared at you like looks could kill.

“So first you steal my boyfriend and then you insult me?”

“I wasn’t your boyfriend, I will never be your boyfriend” Draco sighed like the topic was getting old.

“And then,” Pansy continued, completely disregarding the Malfoy boy’s comment, “you think you can just play around with a rumour that you two are together, and everyone’s just going to believe it? Come on, I haven’t even seen you two kiss. This little act you’re putting on might just ruin that friendship of yours.”

There was no doubt about it, Pansy Parkinson was jealous, vengeful and relentless. 

You knew convincing her would be the biggest problem of this whole plan but that’s exactly what you needed to do; convince her.

With this in mind, you sat up straight and looked her dead in the eyes.

“You don’t believe us because we haven’t kissed in front of you?”

“I think the fact that you two haven’t kissed in front of anyone proves you’re just faking it” she shrugged.

“So you want proof?” Draco asked with a scoff “That I would choose (Y/N), a decent, good human being, over you, to be in a relationship with?”

Pansy pulled an expression like her question was obvious.

“Alright, how’s this for proof?”

The arm wrapped around your shoulder changed and Draco cupped your face in the palm of his hand. 

Brushing back a lock of your hair with the other hand, he took a brief moment to study your face, thumb rubbing softly on your cheekbone. Your eyes met his and the same determination was reflected within your own eyes at how much you wanted to show this bitch, that the boy now looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky, was yours. 

Leaning down, Draco’s eyes never left yours, looking for any uncertainty, but found none. This gave him the confidence he needed and before you knew it, his lips were on yours.

You were certain your brain short circuited. 

His lips were soft but determined, as the kiss you shared started slow, almost finding comfort in each other, before his other hand rose to cup the other side of your face. 

That was when your heart really skipped a beat.

It was like a fire was burning in your chest, almost painfully as you put everything you had into this kiss with Draco, and everything around you drowned out except for the boy in front of you.

He was addicting. 

Draco however, could hardly express how right this kiss felt. 

He really hadn’t expected how your lips would’ve felt until he met them, yet this was better than he could’ve ever predicted. You were all consuming, you were perfect, you were everything.

Holding your face between his hands like you were the most delicate thing, he just sunk into the feeling of kissing you. It was almost like finding something he had been missing.

Like he had been missing kissing you.

Pulling back after what felt like forever, when it could’ve only been seconds? Minutes? Draco wasn’t sure. Time had completely escaped him.

His eyes met yours and it was like the two of you were lost in each other. 

The fact that the two of you were so wrapped up in each other, you didn’t see how whispers spread through the Great Hall and soon everyone was watching the pair of you.

You didn’t see how the golden trio shared a look between the three of them, each concerned about you, and how wrapped up you were in Draco. 

You didn’t see how Fred handed George five galleons, an obvious bet having been made between the two of them.

You didn’t notice how Pansy, filled with envy and rage, left the Hall in a strop, Blaise’s amused gaze following her. 

You did however, notice how easy it was to get lost in the blonde wizard.

Especially his lips, and the way he whispered three words against them, not breaking eye contact with you.

“I’m all in.”

Series Taglist: (If you’re in bold I’m unable to tag you for some reason, sorry!)

@weasleytwinswheezes @azkabanlexi @streetfighterrichie @queen-of-the-coven @gdee703 @thatguppienamedbae @crumpets-are-better-with-jam @savcks @remmyswritings @thescarletknight2014 @w0nderr @heyiheardyouwereawildone36 @moonlightorbit @ceeellewrites @nicole-prz @depressedchilipepper @swiftlymoniquesblog @soshitan @pastel-skyline @sokkasdarling @thatdumbbitchxx @emmamarie7708 @idkatee @malfovs @fadesbrina @slytherinxraven @purplewcrld @lauren-100 @lulbabes @s4dthrills @dracoswhore007 @parkeroffline @lord-byron @its-chickenwing-450 @hales-a-bells @loonyslytherin

Draco Taglist:

@torchwoodoctor @crouchless @coldheartedslytherin @a-coffee-bean @ochrythum

[magalidragon]

Okay drabble #2 for @lalacristina18 ‘s ask! Hope you like this one! It’s a little silly and kind of Fixer Upper Fanfiction ( @nlights37 is that a thing? I’m doing it) meets my drabble “wet paint.”

Enjoy!

haunted house | 30. “You better watch yourself”

It was the dumbest thing she had ever done.

Except she felt like she had to do it.

How else was she going to get the cute handyman to ask her out?

"Just ask him out!" her best friend shouted, as she took a crowbar to the siding on her house, prying up the nails. Missandei was used to most of her antics, but she knew this was going too far. She watched, amazed, slightly terrified, and in awe, muttering, "You have gone mental Daenerys."

Maybe she had gone mental, but she was also put off by how attractive the handyman was. He was incredibly sweet. A little goofy; he apologized one day when he showed up in thick black glasses, saying he'd forgotten to put his contacts in before he left the house. She had wondered why someone would apologize for that, but she soon learned that Jon Snow, Handyman Extraordinaire, apologized for quite a few things that were in no way his fault or under his control.

Like when he couldn't get a part in time to fix her hot water tank, because it was a weekend and the store was closed. "No problem, guess I'll see you Monday," she had simply said with a smile and a cheerful glee, because she knew they were closed on the weekend and he'd have to come back Monday.

Or when she had purposefully yanked out some sort of fuse in her car so it wouldn't start and he had apologized that it had gone missing. "Not your fault at all!" Because it's totally my fault and then she'd pretended to find the fuse on the ground. "Will this fix it?"

He frowned at the tiny piece of place and wire. "Um, aye, that's so weird..."

Today she was going to claim there was something wrong with her siding and it needed to be replaced. She dropped the crowbar, wiping sweat off her forehead, and placed her hands on her hips, glancing at Missandei, who was shaking her head side-to-side. "What?"

"Just bloody ask him out! I'll do it for you. You're destroying your house just to get him to come over." She smirked. "He has to know what you're doing. He's just taking your money and knowing you're using him which is wrong, or he's really bloody stupid and that's not great either."

"You haven't met him yet."

"What guy could be so attractive and cute and sweet and all that for you to resort to this!?" Missandei waved her hands at the splintered wood at her feet. She sighed, closing her eyes. "Dany, love, you are my best friend but..."

"Good morning!"

Dany threw the crowbar into the bushes, spinning on her heels and beaming at the man who had poked his head around the open fence to her back garden. She waved. "Hello Jon! Good morning to you!" She rounded on Missandei, who stared at him and smirked knowingly. "You're a little early."

He turned pink, coming around the corner holding onto his toolbox. "Aye, sorry about that, I thought I might get you a coffee..." he trailed off and politely smiled at Missandei. "Oh I am sorry, I would have gotten another....here, you can have mine if you want."

To her best friend's stunned silence, he removed one of the two takeout coffee cups from the tray in his other hand and passed it to her. Missandei swallowed hard, clearing her throat. "Thank you, that's...so nice of you."

He smiled again in his shy, half-smile way that Dany absolutely bloody adored, and turned his face to her. "You called last night and said that your bathroom pipes were leaking again? I don't know what is going on, I mean..." He scratched his hair, brow furrowing, and gazed up at the old-as-shit house she had purchased with intent to completely renovate. "I swear I just fixed those..."

"Oh you did, I'm sure this place is cursed."

"By a Valyrian dragon," Missandei mumbled under her breath.

Dany stepped on her foot and crossed her arms, grinning. "And would you look at this? This siding is rotten, I think we'll need to replace it."

"Um, yes of course." He knelt and picked up some of the wood, shaking his head. "You must have an angry ghost Dany, this looks like someone took a crowbar to it." He was immediately concerned, jumping to his feet. "You should file a police report, someone could be vandalizing your property!"

Missandei sipped her free coffee and mumbled again, not so quietly, "Hmm, someone with silver hair I think."

"What?" Jon asked.

"Ignore her, she's mad." She forced another smile. "It's fine. I...thank you Jon, perhaps look at those pipes first and then we can look at the siding."

"I have wood," he blurted out.

Missandei choked. Dany flushed bright red. "Oh?"

"Hmm, in the truck. Be right back." He turned on his heel and walked away. Dany elbowed her best friend, who stared now at his retreating back.

"Oh my."

"It's beautiful. I just like to look at it."

Missandei patted her arm. "Daenerys you are my best friend, but if you don't ask him out by the end of the day, I'm going to tell him everything you've been doing and only because I'm scared you might set your house on fire just to watch him come running in with the fire hose."

Dany hummed. The idea was appealing, but arson was certainly not an option.

Yet.

---

It was the end of the day; she'd tried her damndest to get him to ask her out. Missandei had left, becaus she claimed she couldn't watch it any longer, proclaiming them both "stupid idiots" and Dany had to agree. She was a stupid idiot, trying to get him to look at her as something other than the crazy lady in the haunted house. She'd worn her bikini top while gardening, she'd broken her siding, and stuffed leaves in her gutters.

And Jon Snow still didn't bloody get it.

Maybe he was stupid, she thought, and watched him bent over some exposed pipes in the hallway leading to the master bedroom. A himbo or something. Except she knew he wasn't, because she'd seen that he had a stack of books in his truck to return to the library, one of which happened to be her brother's boring ass tome on Targaryen History, and he'd eagerly chatted with her about it.

"So why are you a contractor?" she asked. She kept referring to him as a handyman, but reminded herself he was more than that. He ran his own business and lumber yard up in Winterfell. "Do you just like fixing things?"

He shrugged, reaching his arm down into the pipes. "I do like fixing things, but when I got out of the military, nothing really appealed to me. Didn't want a boss again and I like building things. Working on my own terms."

"I like that too." It was why she moved up North, a freelance journalist, and needing a safe quiet space to recharge and focus between assignments. She got up and cleared her throat. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." She was halfway down the stairs when she heard a strange sound. It was a yowl.

It sounded like Drogon, she thought, turning towards the wall. "Drogon?" she called.

He meowed again, pitiful. She moved closer towards the wall and knocked. Her voice trembled, calling once more. "Drogon?"

A light scratching and more yowling.

She screamed, realizing with horror that Drogon was inside the bloody wall. "DROGON!" She banged on the wall, running up the stairs, crying out. "Jon! Drogon's in the wall!"

"What?"

"I think he must have crawled in when we were talking and not looking, oh my gods, Drogon!"

Jon frowned at her, still not moving. He narrowed his eyes. "Drogon's in the wall, huh?"

"I think so."

He cocked his head and got to his feet, sighing hard. "Dany, I...I think I know what's going on and..." He turned bright pink. "I really have to confess something..." He shifted on his feet and blurted out, really fast, his Northern burr thick. "I...I know that not everything here is breaking and...and I'm fixing it and stuff, but...well...the store was open and I didn't get hte part because I wanted to come see you and...and I may not have cleaned the gutters all the way so I could come back and...oh gods, I haven't charged you at all because I'm just...I like you!"

Her eyes widened, too terrified for her cat to process what he'd just admitted to her. "But...I...I'm sorry, but he's really in the wall! Listen!"

They both were quiet and after a second, heard the pathetic howling of a trapped cat.

Jon moaned, mortified, shoving his face into his palms. "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry! I thought...oh fuck, forget what I said!"

"No I can't forget it because I like you too!" They could have this conversation after they saved her damn cat.

It took awhile, of her trying to coax the damn cat out from the opening in the floor, to Jon carefully searching and finding a space in the wall to knock through with a sledgehammer so he wouldn't hit Drogon or anything unsafe. Bits of drywall and debris scattered, "You better watch yourself," she warned him, when Drogon began to hiss and pant, terrified as they drew closer to him. "He might attack!"

"He's just scared, he'll be alright."

A couple hours later, her entire hallway and stairwell covered in broken bits of drywall, plaster, wood, and insulation, her very dirty and ashy cat enveloped in a blanket in her arms, Dany finally looked up at JOn. He hadn't said a word to her about his confession of not really fixing anything because he liked her and wanted ot keep seeing her.

She ducked her head, whispering, "I know it was wrong of me too, to keep breaking things...I just really liked you too."

"I'm not good with women," he admitted.

"Clearly, I was walking around in my bikini and you didnt say a word."

"I was trying to be professional!"

She giggled. Drogon whined in her arms. She scowled. "Hey! You didn't think I was serious that my cat got stuck in the wall!"

"I thought it was another thing like when you called me to say that your pipes were clogged at ten at night." He arched his brows. "Come on Dany."

"Alright, that was a ruse...but he really did get stuck!" She let go of Drogon, who raced into her bedroom to hide under the bed and lick his wounds-- more like his pride at having to be rescued by humans of all things. She looked up at Jon, sitting on the step just above her and grinned. "Can we agree to just...kind of start over?"

he nodded and licked his lips; she shivered. "Start over at dinner tonight?"

"Yes, dinner is perfect."

"And I'll be the first thing in the morning to start working on..." he gazed around at the chaos surrounding them, sighing. "This."

"Sounds good."

Turned out he didn't have to show up early at all the next morning, because he was already there, fast asleep in her bed, both of them exhausted. Dinner had been merely an afterthought.

[elliesguitarstrings]

Silence (Part 3)

Masterlist//Series Masterlist

Peter Parker x Stark!reader

Summary: You and Peter have been best friends ever since he stepped foot into the avengers compound. After a year of being friends you realize you’ve developed a crush on him, but he doesn’t feel the same way... at least, you don’t think he does.

A/N: This took way too long to post but it’s finally here! I wrote this super late at night and I feel like it’s all over the place but I hope you still enjoy it. Also I’m getting to requests next so if you sent in a request don’t worry I’m not ignoring you lol I just wanted to get this out first. 

Warnings: language, angst

~~~~~~~~

Slowly, you walk downstairs, dreading the day to come. As you enter the kitchen, you see Peter smiling at you, finishing up the pancake batter.

Cheerily, he says, “Hey Y/N! You’re just in time, I just finished mixing up the batter.”

Maybe you’re wrong to get mad at him. He doesn’t realize how much of an asshole he’s being, and you can’t blame him. To him, the two of you have always just been friends, so inviting his other friends to come hang out with you is no big deal to him. But it’s just not something you can get over. He’s been your crush for a whole year, how are you supposed to get over it that fast?

You smile back weakly, walking around the counter to help him fry the batter. There’s a bit of an awkward (well at least to you it’s awkward) silence between you two, which is extremely rare, given that you two are best friends.

“Oh! You know what, I almost forgot something!” Peter exclaims, breaking the silence, “Your good morning hug!”

“Oh, Peter, you don’t have to-“

“Oh, come on, it’s our thing!” Peter cuts you off, pulling you into a tight embrace.

To be fair, it was your thing, but now it felt, well, weird, with him liking MJ and stuff. Fuck, today is gonna be hard.

You want to hug him back, but instead, you push him away, detangling yourself from his arms.

“What the fuck was that for?”

Thankfully, the pancakes were starting to turn a dark brown, giving you the perfect excuse.

“The pancakes are gonna burn, dumbass!”

Peter turns to look at the now smoking pancakes, “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!”

The two of you rush to get the pancakes off the griddle, salvaging as much of the charred batter as possible, bursting out into laughter.

With the two of you hysterically laughing, for a second it’s like nothing has changed.

But then his phone rings. He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and checks who’s calling.

“It’s MJ, I should probably pick up,” he says apologetically.

You nod your head and force another smile.

“Hey Peter, I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving to pick up Ned soon and I wanted to ask if we should meet you at the tower so we could all go to Delmar’s together?”

No. No no no no, absolutely not.

“Yeah that’s a great idea!”

Fuck.

“Okay, um, see you there then. Does thirty minutes sound good?”

“Sounds good to me! See you soon MJ!”

“Bye Peter, see you later.”

He hangs up the phone and stuffs it back into his pocket.

“That was Mj, she-“

“Yeah, I heard.”

That may have come out a bit more harshly than you expected it to.

“Oh, is that okay? I’m sorry I should have checked with you first-“

“No, Peter, don’t worry about it. It’s totally fine.”

“Oh okay! Great! Um, well, we should eat the pancakes before they get cold, well the ones we have left at least,” he chuckles.

You smile, grabbing two halfway burnt pancakes and putting them on a plate, drizzling syrup on top. Peter does the same.

You want to avoid more awkward silence while you eat, so you suggest putting on the TV and eating in the living room. Thankfully, Peter agrees, and the two of you settle on the couch.

By the time the show ends and you finish your breakfast, MJ texts Peter, telling him that she and Ned just arrived.

As if on cue, FRIDAY announces, “Two guests have just entered the premises. My systems recognize them as Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones. Should allow them inside?”

“Yeah FRIDAY, go ahead and let them in,” you answer.

“Of course, Miss. Stark. Access granted.”

“Peter, why don’t you go meet them downstairs. I’ll clean up the dishes.”

“Are you sure? I can help if you want-“

“No, no, it’s fine. I need to take care of something before we leave anyways. I’ll be down in just a sec.”

“Oh, um, okay.”

Peter heads downstairs while you take both of your plates to the sink.

Truthfully, you don’t actually need to do anything before you leave. You really just need a few seconds alone to prepare for the rough day you know is coming. You take a deep breath and go downstairs, grabbing your purse and saying goodbye to your parents on the way down.

Peter, Ned, and MJ are waiting at the door, happily conversing about today’s plans. The ones that you already made. The ones that Ned and MJ weren’t supposed to be a part of.

Nevertheless, you force a smile and wave at them, “Hey guys! Ready to go?”

“Yeah!” they all say in unison.

The four of you head out the door, starting your long and painful walk to the nearest subway station. You could have driven, but you were the only one with your official license (Peter was too scared to take the driver’s test even though he was old enough, and MJ and Ned weren’t old enough to get their license) and you really didn’t feel like being the chauffer today.

The walk actually starts out fine. The four of you make good conversation, and you feel a little more at ease about today’s events. Peter and MJ really just seem to be friendly with each other, not really flirting at all.

Until the sidewalk narrows.

It’s only wide enough for two people to walk, so you hang back, expecting Peter to stay with you. But instead he speeds up, walking with MJ, leaving Ned to walk with you.

“Are you kidding me?” you whisper under your breath.

“Huh?” Ned inquires.

“Oh, nothing, sorry.”

“Oh! No problem! So, how have you been…”

You and Ned make extremely awkward conversation for the rest of the walk, mostly with him just rambling on about random stuff. You’re only halfway paying attention to what he’s saying, too busy eyeing Peter and MJ walking in front of you, smiling and laughing with each other.

You really don’t want to have anything against MJ, she actually seems like a great girl. Sure, she’s a bit weird, and extremely dark at times, but she seems like a nice person nonetheless. But you just can’t shake the fact that Peter is picking her over you. Constantly.

Finally, after the excruciating walk, you arrive at the subway station. MJ and Peter are still walking together, a little too close for your liking, but what can you do about it?

You walk onto the subway and sit down in one of two empty seats, just hoping that Peter will sit next to you. And thankfully he does.

Finally, you get to talk to just him, like you were supposed to be doing this whole day.

Then, the lady sitting next to Peter gets up and off the subway, and MJ slips into the seat before someone else can take it. Peter turns to her, and they resume their conversation from earlier.

What. The. Fuck.

It’s like the universe is against you for some reason. All you want to do is spend some time with Peter, without anyone else butting in. But instead you spend the entirety of the subway ride listening to Ned continue to ramble on about some organic chemistry project he’s doing for the science fair, trying your best not to cry or burst out in anger.

The four of you get off the subway and walk into Delmar’s. You already know what you are going to get, so you let Ned and MJ order first.

Ned orders a #1, and MJ orders a #8.

You step up to the counter, “Hi Mr. Delmar, I’ll have the usual please.”

“You got it Miss. Stark, a #5 with pickles, just how you like it,” he motions to Peter, “I’m guessing the same for you Mr. Parker?”

“No, actually. I’m gonna have what MJ’s having. A #8 please today Mr. Delmar.”

Is this a joke?

You and Peter always order the same thing. You always have ever since Peter first brought you to Delmar’s. It’s like he was rubbing it in your face that he likes MJ and not you.

Mr. Delmar hands the four of you your sandwiches, and you sit at one of the few tables in the small store.

Of course, Peter and MJ are still happily chatting, now with Ned joining in. You eat in silence, pretending to be interested in their conversation as you don’t want to come off as rude (even though you really want to be rude to them). At this point, all hope for having a good day is lost. You aren’t being included in the day you planned, and your heart shattering crush on Peter is no help.

The entire way back home is just as agonizing. Despite your many attempts to walk next to Peter, he always finds a way to stick with MJ. At this point it seems like he’s just outright avoiding you, and it hurts.

Were you being that awkward at breakfast this morning? Or does he just like MJ that much?

Either way, you aren’t happy with him.

When you arrive back at the compound, Peter, Ned, and MJ all rush to the movie room, arguing about what movie to watch. You trail behind, telling them that you have to go up to your room really quick and that you’ll be back in a minute. Honestly, you’re not sure if any of them heard you, but you rush upstairs, just needing to be alone.

As soon as you reach your room, the feelings you’ve been bottling up all day immediately rush out. In a matter of seconds, you are a mess of tears and sobs, all of the pent-up sadness and anger flowing out.

“What seems to be the problem Miss. Stark? You seem to be in distress,” you are suddenly startled by FRIDAY.

“Oh, it’s nothing, FRIDAY, I’ve just had a hard day.”

“Would you care to talk about it? Unfortunately I do not have the capacity to comfort you emotionally, as I am merely an artificial intelligence system, but it is scientifically proven that vocalizing your feelings can help with the coping process.”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“Of course, Miss. Stark. I am programmed to keep secrets very well.”

“Okay, well, I like Peter. Like a lot. But he doesn’t like me back. And he’s been ignoring me all day for MJ and I’m so mad at him because today was supposed to be our day. And he fucking ruined it,” you rant, still sobbing.

“I am deeply sorry about that Miss. Stark. Would you like me to alert someone for you to talk to? Miss. Romanoff or Miss. Maximoff perhaps?”

“No FRIDAY, it’s fine. Thanks though.”

You feel so stupid, talking to some smart computer system about your problems instead of an actual person, but it did feel good finally letting your feelings out in words.

However, as the tears started to subside, the sadness slowly turned into anger. You thought about today’s events, how Peter had purposefully ignored you for MJ on what was supposed to be a day with just the two of you. You had put so much effort into today, planning out each little thing, and you were so excited about it. You wish you could just go back to this morning and tell Peter not to invite Ned and MJ, or honestly, just forget about the plan entirely. It’s not like Peter would have cared.

Suddenly, you hear a knock at your door.

“Hey, it’s uh, it’s Peter.”

Of course.

“I just wanted to check on you. It’s been like half an hour, are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, Peter. I’m fine. I just don’t feel great. Probably the food or something. Just go back to Ned and MJ and watch the movie. I’m just gonna stay up here and rest.”

“Oh, I, um. I already told them to leave. I just noticed that you seemed kind of off today, and I didn’t want them to like, interfere or anything.”

So now he was being nice.

“Do you want me to come in? Maybe we can snuggle and watch a movie together. I know how much you like snuggles when you aren’t feeling well.”

You wanted so badly to say yes, to let him cuddle with you and engulf you in his warm embrace. But your mind (and your heart) trails back to today’s events, how he still likes MJ, and how he’s only checking up on you because “you seem off.”

“No, Peter. I just need some rest. Maybe another time.”

“Oh, um, okay then. Feel better Y/N.”

At this point, you don’t know what else to do but fight fire with fire. If Peter wanted to ignore you all day, then that’s exactly what you would do to him. You don’t care how nice he’s being, Today just pushed you to the edge. The combination of your one-sided crush on Peter, and him being a dick all day leads you only to one thing. Silence.

~~~~~~~~

Taglist: add yourself to my taglist here!

All: @pxkajesus @hollanddolanfangirl @roseke @agentsofparker @lifeasjazzz @damnrancidchicken @loopyolivia @iwannabekilledtwice @rafehogwarts @non-eexistent @rosiexx8 @nearlydanger9 @realityisabitch07 @midgardassassins @jbreenr @cap-marvxl @ellesmythe @deepestcolorgiantopera @that-one-person @clandestine-nerd @nevertrustapanda16 @ohabbyoh @rxmanxff @bubbleskz @quinn-spn58 @baby-pogue @strangebouquetqueen @aayaissaa @thatforgottenangel @pjmjams @tiredstudenttrinity @isabella-bby @i-will-take-care-of--you

Peter Parker: @blizzardbabe

Series: @t-hollanderr @pure-ghost @allycat449-blog

[cocobutnochanel]

Dream Boy | 18+

Genre: angst, romance, drama, smut

Main Characters: Oh Sehun x Reader (oc: female)

Summary: On a trip abroad, you meet someone familiar and strange at the same time. What started as a dreamy summer fling contains a sick and twisted turn.

Warnings: pregnancy, spying, obsession, stalking, violence, aggression, harassment, profanity, sex scenes, mature themes, yandere!Sehun, obsessed!Sehun

Kink List: unprotected sex, creampie, body worship

Word Count: 9.8k+ words

You pack your bags as Chanyeol sits on your living room, staring at you the whole time. He heard the news about your boyfriend dumping you for no reason. News travel fast in Seoul, for sure.

“Yeol, I said I’m fine.” You huff once again to your best friend. He was overprotective since you were children and seeing your puffy eyes made him worry even more. “I knew he wasn’t right for you.” He muttered under his breath, getting angry for the umpteenth time today.

You just roll your eyes at him and continue folding your clothes. You were going to Philippines for summer. Your boss, Yixing, thought it’d be nice to bring you and the whole office with him to Palawan after you do some work in Manila.

“Pack your own bags now. You know Baek will give you shit if you’re late for tomorrow.” You try to get him out of your apartment by using his boyfriend as an argument but he doesn’t even budge. Baekhyun was also your best friend and thankfully, the news of Minseok dumping you hasn’t reached him yet. You know he’d react worse than Chanyeol himself.

Speaking of the devil, Baekhyun bursts inside your apartment. You roll your eyes for the hundredth time today. This couple really had no plan on leaving you alone.

“Y/N! What the hell did Minseok do to you?” Baekhyun got on his knees to level his eyes with yours as he asked you this. He caresses your face and gives you a sorrowful look. “Baek, I’m fine. Can you bring Chanyeol with you when you leave?” You ask him, trying to drive the two out of your apartment.

You see Baekhyun stand and pull Chanyeol out from your couch. You sigh when you thought they were finally leaving but Baekhyun’s words made you jump. “Yeobo, let’s go to that fucking bastard. My hands are itching to beat him up!” Baekhyun growled as Chanyeol nodded at him, agreeing to what his boyfriend said.

You quickly get on your feet and block them from going through your door. Baekhyun glares at you but you only cross your arms across your chest. “Nobody is beating anybody, Baekhyun.” You narrow your eyes at him.

“He deserves it.” Chanyeol tried to argue but you narrow your eyes at him too. “Couples break up, Yeol. Not everyone has a relationship like yours and Baek. Now, stay. I’m not going to send you guys away if you promise me you won’t hurt Minseok.” You point at the two scowling faces in front of you.

“Fine.” Baekhyun retreated. “I don’t know what that cat face got up your ass. You’re still defending him after he dumped you for no fucking reason.” He walks to the kitchen, anger still in his eyes. You sigh again at how your besties are acting. This would be worse if you were complete. Thankfully, Kyungsoo wasn’t around.

“Yeol, can you please calm Baek down? Before he does anything stupid.” You plead Chanyeol with puppy eyes. He turns around and follows his boyfriend into your kitchen.

You finally have stopped the two from hurting Minseok and you resume packing your bags while they cook dinner. God, imagine if Soo was here. If he was, he’d rub salt into the wound, making you cry even more and fuelling Baekhyun’s anger too.

Your bestfriends were chaotic. Your bunch was odd: it had Chanyeol who was a 6’1 giant who acted like a puppy to everyone, a short-tempered feisty Baekhyun who looks twelve, Kyungsoo was the mean and judgmental bitch who gave constant backhanded compliments at gatherings and you were the barely five foot tiny girl who daydreams way too much. But nonetheless, you were happy you have them. Going on a trip with them while working with them was a dream come true ever since you were a kid.

“Dinner’s ready, Y/N!” You hear Baekhyun call out as soon as you have finished packing your bags. You head to your apartment’s dining room and start eating dinner with the two. They send you pitiful glances but you ignore it. You finish it immediately and head to bed. Eventually, the two left and went to their own apartment.

You cried yourself again to sleep despite you telling yourself you have to sleep early. The thought of Minseok’s stoic face ending things with you after a year was enough to make you sob overnight. He meant a lot to you. You spent a whole year with this man you fell in love with. Yet he had to break up with you without even telling you why the hell he’d do that.

Soon, you drift off to sleep. Your thoughts now replaced by drowsiness. Once again, you dream about finding love on an island like how they do in Love Island. It was your favorite show ever since.

You wake up to the sound of your alarm going off. You groan and turn it off. You get up and get ready for the airport before Baekhyun arrives in your apartment. He’s very fussy about time.

After getting ready, you, Chanyeol, Baek and Kyungsoo gather at your apartment and got one cab to drive to the airport. Your eyes were puffy again and Baek can’t help but hold your hand throughout the ride. Kyungsoo just kept glancing at you through the rearview mirror. The three of them have always been overprotective, this wasn’t anything new to you. Only Soo was more subtle about it.

You arrive at the airport and meet with your other officemates. The process was much shorter than expected as everyone chattered about the trip. Before you even noticed, the plane was already boarding and you were now off to Manila.

The days in Manila went by so fast. You assisted Yixing as much as you could during the office meetings with this Filipino company that were partnering with Yixing’s company. You were so occupied and busy that you didn’t notice it was done already. It was time to go to Palawan for your vacation now.

You ride another airplane. It was a series of Chanyeol muttering complains about the economy’s seats being tiny, Baekhyun snoring the whole trip and Kyungsoo judging the other passengers. Travelling with your besties was fun but they were draining as hell.

The hotel you were staying in Palawan was beautiful. It made you feel like you were on those dating TV shows you bingewatch. Chanyeol and Baek shared a room while you and Kyungsoo had separated ones. Soo hates sharing his privacy and people touching his things.

The beach was nothing like the ones you see back in your city. The sand here was fine and white. The waves were unafraid and the ocean was a beautiful teal. You finally forgot about Minseok for a moment.

“Mabuhay!” A tanned tall man welcomed you and your officemates. “I’m Jongin, the owner of the resort. Yixing and I are very good friends. I’m more than happy to accommodate all of you here.” He greeted us joyfully, his eyes glinting with happiness.

“Yum.” You hear Kyungsoo comment beside you while staring at Jongin who was in a floral polo with the first three buttons open. You scrunch your nose at the thought of Kyungsoo crushing on someone. “Soo, try to keep your pants on.” Baekhyun gave him a disgusted look.

Kyungsoo smirked in response. “Tell him that, he might have a hard time keeping his hands off me.” He sends a flirty gaze to the tanned man who was now looking at him adoringly. Jongin looked like he couldn’t even break a plate. What the hell was Kyungsoo saying even?

Another tall man in the hotel’s uniform comes to your sight. He was as tall as Jongin but his facial features were sharper. He didn’t look kind at all despite having a jaw-dropping handsome face. He somehow resembled prince Eric but with solid black eyes and stoic expression. His pale complexion made him look even more unfriendly.

“Hi.” The sharp man breathed out, giving a shy smile. Your feel your heart skip and your mouth part. When you thought he was unfriendly, you were totally wrong. He was as innocent as the tanned man now that he’s upclose.

“Can I have your bags?” You snapped out of your thoughts when you hear his deep voice again. You hand him your luggage as he puts them on the rack he has with him. “I’m Sehun, by the way. Your personal bellboy.” He gives you a friendly grin. He waited for this for so long, this must be perfect, he thinks to himself.

He leads you to an elevator with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol following you. His eyes stayed glue on you as a shy playful smile graces his beautiful face. You get inside the lift with a funny feeling in your stomach as he punches your hotel keycard on the elevator sensor to bring you on your floor.

Sehun looks awfully familiar to you, you can’t keep your eyes off him. You feel like you met him somewhere but you couldn’t exactly say when and how. He feels your gaze whilst on the elevator and gives a tiny laugh. Oddly, that makes your heart flutter. He was handsome and his shy smiles made it worse for you.

“Looks like someone found a summer beau.” Kyungsoo eyed you with his judging demeanor. You notice Baek shooting him daggers and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes at the two. “Shut it, Soo.” Baekhyun hissed when the elevator doors opened and we all got out.

Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo got in their respective rooms. Sehun was now left all alone with you because your room was at the end of the hall. He stops at your room door and opens it for you.

“Thank you, Sehun.” You smile at him as he pushes the rack inside your room. He puts your bags on the cabinet provided and shows you the food available inside the mini fridge. Your eyes scanned the numerous banana milk inside. That’s weird, you silently thought. These type of drinks aren’t usually available in other countries. Also, it was unusual to have it available in a hotel fridge.

You snapped out of your thoughts as soon as you realize he was still with you. You got your wallet out and was about to give him a tip but he cut you off immediately. “No, ma’am. We’re not allowed to receive tips.” He formally said, shaking his head.

You look at him with a pout. In his head, he couldn’t believe you were doing this in front of him. “However..” He starts talking which makes you look at him in the eye. “You can thank me by letting me show you around Coron. Palawan is really beautiful.” He gives you another warm but shy smile.

“Isn’t that another favor?” You can’t help but laugh. He blushes at the sound of your giggle. He thinks it’s the most beautiful sound ever and he missed it. He missed seeing you this happy. “Maybe it’s me asking you out on a date.” He teases you, making you blush successfully.

“Okay..” You can’t help but gush at the fact that you found someone this charming in the middle of this paradise. Life couldn’t get any better for you. He walks to your desk and writes a note there.

“Here. Text me.” He hands you a tiny piece of paper. “I will.” You smile again, your cheeks feeling sore from the happiness you’re having right now. “See you soon, ma’am.” He bows his head and motions to exit but he whips his head around when he heard you speak.

“Stop calling me ma’am, Sehun. I’m Y/N.” His eyes light up at you saying your name. He knew what your name was but the idea of you giving it to him willingly was something that made him truly happy. He couldn’t thank the gods enough for this.

He mutters something incoherent and heads out of your room. You finally take off your travel clothes and change into your pajamas. You know you would just rest and sleep all day. You were tired from work and the plane ride. Before you went to bed, you text Soo to have room service with you for dinner later. You also text Sehun to save your number.

A few hours later, you wake up, feeling much better. You open your phone to see Kyungsoo’s text saying he was going out with the hotel owner. You roll your eyes at the manwhore. Sehun also messaged you that he already saved your number. You order room service and have your dinner while watching cartoons.

Soon, you were sleepy once again. You just decide to be up early tomorrow to make up for lost time today.

‘Sehun, can you take me out tom?’ You sheepishly giggled while typing this and sending it to him. ‘My honor, milady.’ He teased, earning another smile from you.

He was tall, handsome and charming. You knew you completely forgot about Minseok now that Sehun was occupying your mind. You tend to move on real fast and daydream about other guys almost immediately.

You go to sleep with a smile on your face, thinking about the tall bellboy who looks like a model.

The next morning, sunlight peeks through your curtains and you slightly squint your eyes at that. You woke up earlier than you expected. You texted Sehun a good morning and like you, he was up already too. You get in the shower and get ready for your day. Finally, you were getting out of your hotel room and exploring the beautiful island.

You put on a yellow sundress with a black string bikini beneath. It complemented your olive skin but you plan on returning with a tan. You text Sehun before heading out of your room and going to the hotel’s breakfast buffet.

You see Kyungsoo together with Jongin. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were also in the same table. Baek beckoned you to come over. With a smile, you sit down beside Baek.

“Good morning.” You chirped a little too happily that Soo notices. “Get a plate and help yourself, Y/N.” Jongin said, smiling at me. I return his smile but you catch Sehun’s silhoutte by the hotel’s doors. He was wearing a white dress shirt and khaki shorts. The first three buttons were open, exposing his chest with a hanging pair of sunglasses. How he looked without his uniform took your breath away.

Soo’s eyes darted between the tall man and now you. “That’s why you’re such in a good mood.” Kyungsoo sneered in his usual judging tone. “Can you try going for a day without sticking your nose in everyone’s business?” Baekhyun glared at him. You ignored their usual bicker and called Sehun to your table.

You greet him with a smile and introduced him to your friends. “Everyone, this is Sehun.” They all gave their hellos except for Soo who was still being snarky. “This is Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to introduce you to your boss.” You chuckle, referring to Jongin. Sehun greeted them back as if he didn’t know who they were already. You notice Jongin avoid Sehun’s gaze. You knew there was tension going on but you shrugged it off. Maybe workplace complications, you thought.

You pull out the vacant chair beside you but Sehun refuses it. “I’m sorry but I have to take Y/N with me. We’ll have breakfast somewhere else.” He sternly said. That surprised you because Sehun didn’t tell you anything about what will happen today but you let him take the lead. You liked men with surprises.

You stood up, picking up your beach bag with you. “Let’s go?” Sehun said, holding you by the wrist. You blush at the gesture but you hear Kyungsoo say something again. “Day one and he’s trying to get Y/N alone.” He sneered for the second time today. This time, you turn around to narrow your eyes at him. He raised an eyebrow at you, challenging you.

“Cut it out, Soo.” It was Baekhyun who scolded your friend as you walked away with Sehun. He brings you to the shore of the resort. He leads you to a white boat docked by the shore and assists you as you enter. The sea breeze whips at your hair and you smile at the feeling of the sun against your skin.

He single-handedly manned the boat’s engine as it started to move. You look around the beautiful scenery. “Where are we going?” You wonder, getting your camera out of your bag. “Island hopping.” He briefly answered, still busy manning the boat.

You take a few photos of here and there but after a few seconds, the boat stops in the middle of the ocean. You look around and see a yacht docked. You questioned what was happening as he led you inside the yacht. It was obvious that whoever owned this, he must be filthy rich.

The interior of the yacht was similar to Sehun’s khaki pants. It was adorned with gold decorations too. There were attendants walking around and assisting you as you got inside. What the hell was happening?

“Good morning, ma’am, sir.” The attendant greeted, bowing to you and Sehun. Your eyes finally widened as it started to make sense. “You own this?” You ask Sehun as your eyes surveyed the beautiful and luxurious private yacht. “I rented it out from a friend.” His gaze was averted to the tiny boat you were riding earlier. You see his attendant squirm in unease as he left you two alone by the yacht’s entrance.

He holds your hand and leads you inside. His hand was like a large glove as it intertwined between your fingers. You smile to yourself at the warmth of his palms. You see a dining table set by the yacht’s terrace. You could see the beautiful waters of Coron, Palawan as it glinted under the bright sun. This seemed like a dream. To be here, to be with a man who was holding your hand.

He lets you sit across him as food began to be served by the attendants. A variety of seafood were on your table but your favorite, lobster, caught your eye the most.

“Oh my god! A whole lobster and even a risotto with it.” Your mouth watered at the sight. “This is my favorite!” You squealed like a little girl. Sehun’s eyes glow with adoration as you smile at the food in front of you. “I know.” You hear him say in a very faint voice.

“What?” You ask him, still unsure of what you heard. How could he know that lobster was your favorite? “Nothing. Let’s eat.” He said nonchalantly. He started putting food on your plate. You begin eating like what he said and he smiles at you like you put the stars in the sky.

After having breakfast, he lets you enjoy the rest of the morning on the bow of the yacht. You take off your sundress, letting your body soak under the sun. Your eyes find Sehun who was standing behind you. He couldn’t get any luckier, he thought. You were so beautiful and standing this near to him made him feel like he was on the clouds.

You lay down beside him and let yourself get the tan you deserve. You doze off for a few minutes and wake up to Sehun’s nudging.

“I hate to wake you up but we’ve arrived.” He offers a hand to let you sit up. You gladly took it. The scenery in front of you was too beautiful, words could never suffice. The rock formations surrounding the waters made you feel like you were in a movie. It was surreal.

Sehun starts to unbutton his dress shirt and you see his six pack abs peeking through. You try to keep your eyes off his amazing body but it was too hard to resist. His broad shoulders, tall built, rock-hard abs and chest made it seem like he walked out of a Disney princess movie. His pale skin under the sun glowed and his long black hair was now pushed back.

He dives into the water first, jumping from the top of the yacht. You snap out of your daydreaming about him and jump right in too.

You shivered at the contact of your skin with the water. “Cold.” You bit your lip, hugging yourself. Abruptly, Sehun swam to you. His face up close, glistening with seawater made your heart pound faster. “We can do something about that.” He smiles at you, putting his arms around you. You lean against his chest and he smiles to himself. He honestly couldn’t stop thinking how lucky he was right now and how he would do anything to have this forever, to have you forever.

You look up to him, interrupting his thoughts. “Is there something wrong?” He asks. Before you could think for yourself, you find your lips smashing against his. He was stunned at first but after a few moments, he reciprocated the kiss you were giving him. Damn, he thought, he would kill just to have another taste of your lips.

You break off the kiss and you see the amazement in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t usually kiss on first dates but this is too beautiful. I want to thank you for showing me this.” You explained as his left hand caressed your cheek. “Anything for you, Y/N. Anything.” He said with so much intensity in his gaze.

You smiled at his sincerity right now. You couldn’t help but notice the adoration in his eyes always. He helps you get back up on the yacht as you both have your lunch by the yacht’s terrace in your bikini and him shirtless.

Your afternoon was spent basking in the sun by the yacht’s bow. It was filled with passionate kisses that only Sehun could ignite that hunger and fire inside you. You have never felt so alive in your life and it was all thanks to Sehun. He was perfect, this was perfect.

Sunset came and Sehun’s bare skin under the pink skies was beyond perfection. You ate your dinner while staying where you were for the whole afternoon. He couldn’t help but think all his efforts paid off as you joyfully sat there with him. It was all he could ask for. You were all he could ask for.

After having dinner, he offers you a towel and brings you your beach bag. You wash up in one of the cabins of the yacht while he supervised the manning of the yacht.

You changed into a sleeveless white dress that took his breath away. He couldn’t move or blink as you stood there, your tanned skin standing out against the beautiful dress you were in. Seeing you in a long white dress made him think of his wedding with you. Soon, he thought to himself.

You finally arrive back at your hotel’s shore. He walks you to your hotel room and carries your bag for you.

You arrive at your door and you were kind of upset that today have ended but nonetheless, grateful for this man in front of you. “Thank you for today, Sehun. It was magical.” You get on your tiptoes and place a chaste kiss on his soft lips. He responded with the same rawness and even held your face while doing it.

He breaks off the kiss and you could see the look of amazement on his face. This man adored you and you loved it. Nobody has looked at you like this nor made you feel alive like he did. It would be too early to assume but you couldn’t deny that falling for this real-life prince charming wasn’t hard at all. He made it too easy.

“Good night.” He places a kiss on your forehead. He opens your door for you and hands you the bouquet of flowers he got for you tonight. It was very sweet of him. He even got your favorite flowers which were red salvia. He got everything right on the first date, it still amazes you how he’s so perfect.

You close your door behind you with an overjoyed smile. It felt like you were on the clouds and you were sure he felt the same. Your phone beeped in your hand and you see a text from Baek saying to have dinner with them.

You reply with a ‘Maybe tomorrow, Baek. Too tired for today goodnight xx’. You change into much comfortable pajamas and sleep with a smile on your face.

You woke up next to your phone beeping. You rub your eyes lightly and check your messages. It was Sehun.

‘Hey, you up? Can I take you out on a date again? :)’

You could only imagine that smile and that fact made you so giddy. You reply with a yes and take a shower. You change into another comfortable sundress. Sehun said he’d take you around town this time. You didn’t bother putting on a bikini and went downstairs instead.

Kyungsoo was with Jongin by the reception. They were flirting with each other and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at my friend. “Good morning to you too, lover girl.” Soo greeted you with a jeer after seeing you roll his eyes at you. “Sehun has been waiting for you outside.” Jongin said and you said your goodbyes to them.

You see him stand tall by the hotel’s doors in a blue button up shirt and denim pants. You look down on your dress and see that your outfits were acidentally matching. Your heart skipped a beat at that. Still, you couldn’t believe he was this perfect.

“Good morning.” He greeted you with a kiss on the cheek. You blush at the gesture and greet him back. “So where are we going?” You ask him as you started to stroll towards the parking lot. “Let’s get to my Vespa first.” You eyes light up at what he said.

Was today going to be another one of your dream dates? You only talked about these things when you were younger with Baekhyun. Both of you fantasized of having a partner who took you out to perfect dates. The Vespa ride around a beachtown was one.

He helped you up on his blue scooter that matched both of your outfits. You blush again. He wears a helmet on your head, your faces were so so close once again.

He rides the bike himself and starts to drive into town. Woahs and wows came out of your mouth as you gaze upon the beautiful beachtown.

“If I grow old and want to retire, I want to rest here.” You say aloud, your voice full of awe. Sehun looks at you through the side mirror and smile to himself. He was very fond of you and seeing you loving the island made his heart flutter. “Then you know where to find me.” He grins and that earns a giggle from you.

You stop at a tiny cafe that was all-wooden. He guides you inside, his fingers intertwined with yours.

The owner greets him with a bright smile. “Sehun! You’re here! What do you want to get?” The old lady chirps. Even women that age love him, you thought.

“Tapsilog for me, bacon and eggs for the lady. Please let the bacon be honey-cured and the eggs cooked over well. Hot americano too for two.” He gives some Philippine peso money to the woman and leads you to a table by the corner. You’re surprised he knows exactly how you want your bacon and eggs.

Your order arrives and you smile giddily. The smell of breakfast food makes you excited. “Ugh, my favorite! How do you know my favorites? You’re so perfect.” You ask him. His eyes were alarmed for a moment that if you weren’t paying attention, you could’ve missed it. “I just do.” He smiles at you, now in a calm voice, and starts digging in.

You finish your breakfast and Sehun shows you around the antique shops and old churches. He also gives you a chance to see the peaceful parks and the lively market.

“Palawan really is beautiful.” You say, marvelling at the Malbato Chapel’s structure. “Not as beautiful as you.” He whispers, surprising you. He takes your face in between his hands and kisses you in front of the altar. You weren’t a Catholic but you could swear this made your heart burst.

Kissing me in front of a church? Exactly what would make my knees buckle as my hands went to his hair, playing with his dark locks. He ends the kiss with one hard press and leads you back on the scooter again.

He shows you the best souvenir shop in the town, he said. You buy presents and souvenirs for your friends and your family back in Seoul. “That’s really beautiful.” He comments as you hold the shiny shell keychain for Kyungsoo. “I know it’s for Soo. He loves things that shine.” You smile at the keychain but Sehun frowns at that.

He couldn’t help but spite that little guy. He was judgmental and he was ruining his plans. His perfect plans.

You pay for the things you got and Sehun decides to let you go back to the hotel to bond with your friends. You’ve barely seen them in the three days you were here. He also had the night shift for the hotel. You knew Baek and Yeol would be upset if you didn’t spend time with them.

Sehun walks you back to your hotel room and gives you one last kiss for that day. You change into something more comfortable and knock on Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s room. They gladly let you in as the three of you eat room service for lunch.

The day went by idly as you stayed in the hotel. Kyungsoo came for dinner and invited you to a local festival next week. Of course, you said yes to that.

You return to your room by 10 in the evening and you couldn’t help but feel strange. There was something off while you got in the shower. You tried to look around and noticed a little spot behind the sink.

You bent to see what that tiny black dot was. You touched it and realized it was a camera. You just touched its lens. You fall on your butt, you were scared for your life. Who would put a camera on you? You shriek and immediately wore your bath robe. You ran to Kyungsoo’s room which was the nearest.

“Soo!” You pounded on his door, tears welling up in your eyes. He opened it after a few seconds, immediately noticing terror in your eyes. Jongin peeked from his door. “Soo, there’s a camera inside my bathroom! I-I don’t know what I should do!” You were hysterical and crying.

Kyungsoo visibly became angrier as he looked at Jongin now. “What?! What the fuck?!” He growled at Jongin who has eyes as wide as saucers now. He got out of his room and knocked on Baek and Chanyeol’s room.

They opened immediately but was surprised to see you crying beside a fuming Kyungsoo. “Y/N’s room has fucking cameras. Jongin, what the hell is this?!” He looked at the man angrily but Jongin could only look at the floor guiltily.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Chanyeol pulled you into his arms, trying to rub your back. Your sobs softened but Baekhyun wasn’t one to calm down. He was raging mad. He took Jongin by his collar. “What the hell is the meaning of this?” He bellowed.

“I-I don’t know. It must be the employees. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Jongin continuously apologized. Kyungsoo stomped his way onto your room to find those cameras.

Chanyeol was still trying to calm you down as you were walking back to your room. Kyungsoo rummaged the whole bedroom but he couldn’t see a single camera.

“There’s no camera, Y/N. Were you sure?” He asked, looking at you with so much concern. “Do you think Y/N would lie about things like these?” Baekhyun answered him angrily.

“Whoever installed those, knew that Y/N found out about it so they quickly disposed it.” Baek spoke again, discerning the whole situation. “Soo, can you get my phone? I want to call Sehun.” At the mention of Sehun’s name, Jongin’s eyes widened with horror but you couldn’t point out what it was. Still, you went on and looked for the only person who could provide you comfort now.

Kyungsoo returned with your phone in his hand. You dialed Sehun’s number and he answered on the first ring immediately. “S-Sehun..” You try to calm your crying voice.

“You okay? What’s wrong?” He was lying through his teeth but you were too emotional to think about that. “S-Someone had cameras installed in my room. I-I don’t know anymore.” You bit your lip nervously.

“I’ll be there in a minute.” You dry your tears up as soon as he ended the call. A few moments later, you see Sehun entering in his bellboy uniform. You run to him and wrap your arms around him. You didn’t know how or why but he made you feel safe. His face was stoic. He wasn’t angry like Baekhyun or worried like Jongin but still, he cared for you. That made you feel better.

Sehun and Jongin’s gaze meet. Sehun had a frightening glint in his eyes while Jongin remained stern. “I will investigate my employees about this. I’m so sorry.” You hear Jongin’s voice. You could only nod against Sehun’s chest.

“It’s okay now. Shhh.” He pats your back, slowly silencing your sobs. “Thanks for being here.” You whisper when he finally sees your face. “You’re safe now. It’s okay.” He might’ve said this but still, going back inside to your hotel room frightened you. 

“It’s okay. You should get some rest.” Baek tried to talk to you but you could only shake your head in response. ”I’m scared, Baek. What if someone’s still watching me?” Your voice was shaky as you fiddled with your fingers nervously and it broke your friends’ hearts to see you like this. You were innocent and soft to them. You never deserved anything like this.

“You can sleep at my house for the mean time if that’ll make you feel safer. Just until Jongin finds the culprit.” Sehun suddenly spoke. Jongin was startled at the man’s suggestion but then before you could even see Jongin’s horrified expression, you already said yes to Sehun. He definitely made you feel better.

“Okay, enough now. Let’s go.” Sehun gets into another stare-down with Jongin but you were too emotional to even bother. You cuddle up to the tall man as both of you walked away from your worried friends.

Arriving at his home, it was unusually large. It had a lot of rooms but then Sehun said he lived alone. Despite the number of rooms present, you wanted to sleep beside him so you ask him that. Fortunately, he agreed.

You drift off to sleep in his large t-shirt, cuddling the large man who have helped you tonight. For the first time since earlier, you felt safe. You were grateful you had him despite the shit you were going through. Sehun couldn’t help but feel anger as his plans might get ruined. But you staying in his home might be better than what he had for you.

Days went by idly. You stayed in Sehun’s home and he was there with you the whole time. He never left you alone despite you refusing to go out, still afraid and traumatized. Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol brought your things from the hotel and visited you from time to time. When they weren’t around, you watched movies with Sehun and played board games until you two were bored. One night, he prepared a dinner date for you two.

You gasp at the beatifully decorated backyard. There was a dining set for two in the middle of it and it was surrounded with fairy lights and candles.

“You are so full of surprises.” You smile, kissing Sehun on his lips. “I just want you to have everything you want.” He returned the kiss and gave you a toothy grin afterwards. This was all unexpected but it went his way, Sehun thought once again.

You sit down across him and start eating the lobster he cooked for you. “This is our fifth day together here. Isn’t Jongin looking for you?” He looked alarmed at the mention of Jongin’s name yet it was only present for a few seconds. Confidence took over once again as he answered your questions. 

“He told me to take a leave and watch after you. It’s what your friends wanted.” He smiles, taking a bite of his own food. Behind that smile, he grits his teeth, still angry at Jongin. You could only nod at what he said. 

After finishing your food, he goes back inside the house and returns with a wine bottle in his hand. “Sauvignon blanc. You sure know my favorites.” Your eyes light up at the sight of your favorite wine. He’s so perfect he even gets the tiniest details like this right. He grins at what you said. 

He finishes this ‘dinner date’ with him carrying you to his room. You may have slept here recently but this was the first time you notice the hunger in his lips. 

He opens the door to his room and sets you on the bed. You kiss him with the same intensity as he did. He slowly took off the satin slip dress you had on for dinner. His eyes scan your body with so much admiration. He slowly unhooked the lace bra you had on as his other hand roamed your body with an intoxicating touch.

You moan when you feel the warmth of his palm on your breasts. He tore off the kiss you shared as he hooked his fingers around your lace panty and took it off.

He lets you stand, offering a hand. For sure, you looked bewildered at what he was trying to do. “Let me worship you like the goddess that you are.” His husky voice sent chills down your spine as he whispered this while kissing your hand.

He lets you stand on the bed as he kneeled in front of you. He starts kissing your foot and up your leg. You were barely keeping your balance as he showered you with kisses, swirling his tongue on your bare skin from time to time. 

His mouth was now on your inner thigh and you couldn’t recognize your own voice as you moaned out his name. “S-Sehun! Ah!” You say when his lips touched your wet femininity.

He was sending you over the edge and he knew because you felt his smirk against your pussy. 

He flicks his tongue across your lips, making you gasp for air. You arch your back when you felt his soft lips against your lips down there. “Jesus Christ, Sehun.” You breath out in ecstasy.

You feel his palms now caressing your thighs as he ate you out. You were delirious the moment he inserted his tongue deep inside you. God, that mouth. That mouth is just as perfect and good as this man.

You feel yourself on the edge as you reach for his hair, locking them in your fingers. “Sehun!” You screamed his name as a wave of release came upon you. Your thighs trembled as something gushed out of you. “Beautiful.” He said as he witnessed you come. He placed one last kiss on your pussy and now proceeded up your stomach.

You could never have enough. This man was a drug and you knew it. You pulled him up to your face as his lips met yours once again. You feel his member twitch on your stomach. You quickly reached for it and positioned it between your legs.

“Are you sure about this, Y/N?” His eyes were so dark with lust and his voice was raspy. You could only move your hips against his as a response to his question.

He slowly entered you. It felt like he was tearing up your walls. He was that large. Despite the pain you were feeling, you still moved your hips at your own accord.

Sehun’s eyes widened at your action. He couldn’t believe he was inside you and you were moving yourself. This wasn’t a dream or imagination. This was real. You were his.

He thrusted into you so suddenly, tears formed in the corners of your eyes. “I’m sorry.” His voice was surprised at the sight of you crying.

“Do it, Sehun. I need you.” The moment he heard you begging, he did as he was told. He rocked you back and forth, making you moan. The way you clenched around him made him groan too.

Soon, you found each other releasing at the same time. He came inside you and that was the first time you did it with someone you knew for days only and without protection at that.

After that satisfying intercourse, he led you to his bathroom and washed you himself. You were grateful that he was gentle, understanding and caring. He took care of you and he wanted to be with you. It was weird to feel something like this for someone you only met for a week.

Both of you finish showering and change into pajamas. You both go to bed and rest for the night. Tomorrow was the day Kyungsoo invited you for the festival and you decided to go. You felt safe as long as Sehun was around and he promised to go with you tomorrow.

You cuddle into the man beside you and sleep dreamlessly.

The smell of bacon and eggs frying woke you up. You took a shower before heading downstairs. You changed into one of the dresses you brought with you.

You climb downstairs and see a shirtless Sehun by the stove, cooking your breakfast. How lucky could I get? “Good morning.” You hum, wrapping your arms against his waist. He smiles at how sweet you are first thing in the morning.

“Breakfast is served.” He puts the bacons and eggs on a plate and turns around to kiss you. “Mmmh.” You moan against his lips.

He stopped kissing you and picked up the plate so he can place it on the dining table. You both eat in peace and afterwards, Sehun climbs upstairs to change into something more presentable.

Oddly, your eyes darted to that empty room below the stairs. You’ve never seen Sehun get in there. You’ve never been there yourself either. You were about to stand and see it yourself but Sehun got to you first, all prepared and dressed for the day.

“Let’s go.” He beckons you to come to his side and he puts his arm around you as you get out of his house.

The two of you drive off to the local park that was celebrating the fiesta. There was food, activities and dances everywhere. You even went horseback-riding with them. It was so lively, you’ve never seen anything like it in the city.

You spent the whole day with your friends and it made you happy. You couldn’t have done any of this if it wasn’t for Sehun. If you found out about the cameras and he wasn’t around, you would’ve ran back to your city.

“Are we going to the party?” Soo asked Jongin when he finally joined us by the sundown dance. There was a weird tension going on between the Sehun and Jongin.

“Of course.” Jongin smiled tightly, still uncomfortable with the presence of Sehun. Sehun was now standing taller, his authoritative stance taking over. You didn’t know what was going on between the employee and his boss but you knew you didn’t want to get in between of it so you choose to stay by Sehun’s side all day.

We walked to the party Soo was referring to. It was held at a resort nearby and there would be free drinks.

You didn’t really party hard despite being a city girl but still, you wanted to drink tonight. You just wanted to forget all the bad memories you obtained here and focus on Sehun and your friends only.

You enter the resort and the EDM music was blasting through the speakers while people in their bikinis and beachwear partied in the middle of it all.

Baekhyun, the drinker of the group, brought different types of drinks for us. He knew what we wanted. Jack Daniels for Yeol, a cosmo for Soo, mojito for him and pink vodka lemonade for you. He brought local beer for Sehun and Jongin since he didn’t know what they wanted.

You quickly finished the glass Baek brought you. Sehun was just sitting down at the bar, watching you from behind.

“Trynna get drunk?” Soo asked, dancing a little with the cosmopolitan between his fingers. “No. More like trying to forget the trauma.” You roll your eyes at your friend drunkishly.

He giggled at what you said and gave you a hug. “It’s okay, boo-boo. Nobody would ever try to hurt you. I’d kick them in the balls before they could.” He booped your nose. He was tipsy too, you could tell. You only laughed at what he did. Soon, Baek joined you and pulled the two of you to the dancefloor while bringing drinks.

You danced with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as the three tall men stayed by the bar.

You felt your world get dizzy as you down your umpteenth glass for tonight. Your gaze was hazy and for sure, tonight was going to be blurry. But you didn’t really care. You only wanted to get drunk.

“Soo..” You lazily called him with half-opened eyes. He laughed at how drunk you and him were. “You’re drunk!” He pointed out way too loud. You shook your head aggressively which made you dizzy. You lost your balance but before you fell to the sandy floor, Sehun caught you.

“I’m taking her home.” Sehun announced when he saw you collapse in his arms. He carries you out of the resort and drives back to his house.

You were at the door of his house when you felt like throwing up. You quickly ran inside and to the common bathroom on the first floor. You faced down on the toilet as you spilled your guts down there. Now, you regretted drinking. “Y/N, stay where you are. I will get clothes.” Sehun called out to you as he ran upstairs.

After puking, you finally felt better and kind of sobered up. You wanted to go upstairs to follow Sehun but instead, you fell to the floor by the room below the stairs. The door creaks open and your curiosity gets the better of you.

You get up on your feet and slowly inched towards the unvisited room. You turn the lights on. At first, you thought you were having hallucinations but then it dawned on you. You sobered up the moment you realized what they were.

The wall was filled with hundreds of photos of you.

You getting lunch with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun at work. You smiling with your parents in your ancestral home in Jeju Island. You sleeping on your hotel bed in Jongin’s hotel. You getting off the cab in Manila. You walking home with Chanyeol from uni. You receiving your college diploma. You applying for the job at Yixing’s company. You having a date with Jongdae, one of your past exes. You crying inside your apartment the day Minseok broke up with you.

You tumble to the floor, your hand on your mouth. How was this happening? He knew me? What the hell?

You inch closer and see banana milk boxes on the shelves and there were monitors on top of it. There were also framed photos of you with dates on Minseok from his point of view. You notice a phone was connected to one of the monitors. What is this? Your mind couldn’t absorb all the information presented to you.

“Do you like it?” Sehun’s deep voice scared you. You were terrified with his presence yet you wanted to ask. What was the reason for this? “What the hell is this, Sehun?” Fear now settling in your soul.

“You don’t remember me?” He sounded broken when he asked me this. You tried to recall if you met him somewhere else but you couldn’t. “It wasn’t Sehun. I was named Heesun and I was fat.” You still couldn’t understand what he was saying but he looked heartbroken when you tried to recall again. But then you suddenly remembered now.

Bingo.

The kid with huge eyeglasses who sat behind Chanyeol in trigo when we were in middle school. This was why he was familiar to you the first time you saw him. “Y-You’re Heesun?” You ask him in disbelief. He only nodded like a puppy. He was the kid you gave banana milk to because he was bullied. You hated banana milk and your mom always put one in your bag. To get rid of it and to cheer up Heesun, you gave it to him everyday.

Everyday until he suddenly disappeared in eighth grade. 

“What happened to you?” Despite being afraid, you cared for him. You couldn’t deny that. “I was sent to child services when my mother died and I was left with my abusive father.” Your hands immediately went to your mouth. You felt sorry for him but then you knew he didn’t need that. He suffered in school, suffered even more at home. 

“I didn’t want to leave because you were the only person who was nice to me but I had to.” He sadly said, a weak smile on his lips. Now, it made sense. The banana milk in my hotel fridge, him being awfully familiar. “I only found you again when I was in college and since then, I followed you around.” You didn’t know how to react.

“You could’ve talked to me instead of doing... this.” You breathe out, trying your best not to offend the man. “I was shy. I simply couldn’t. But back then, I always heard you and your friend Byun Baekhyun talk about your dream guy but none of your boyfriends were like that. I hired one but it looked like he wasn’t any good too.” Hired? What the hell is this man talking about?

“I hired Minseok.” Tears now fall down your face. Surprise, anger and pain entered your system. What you had with Minseok wasn’t real? He was hired?

“But I can love you, Y/N. You saw me for the past few days. I can give you what you deserve.” He tried to persuade you but you had no idea what to say. Your eye caught a specific photo behind the door. You squint your eyes at the image of you naked.

It was you bending down and catching the camera below the sink in your hotel room.

Your eyes widen in horror. It was him. Of course, it was him. He can be Sehun, Heesun or whoever the fuck he was but he terrifies you more than anyone had. Someone was watching you your whole fucking life. You were showering! You were naked! What was he thinking?

The phone that was connected to the monitor suddenly rang. It was Baek’s number. You look at him as if you were asking how he got Baek’s number but when you hear your own phone ring inside your pocket, you knew he wiretapped you. He could hear your calls, see your texts and view the photos you had. The realization made your head hurt.

Before you could think, you ran out of the house and picked up Baek’s call. “Y/N! You left without saying!” He greets you but you weren’t in the mood to small talk. “Baek, hear me out.” You were crying and he was suddenly silent from the other line.

You kept on running away, unaware of where you were going. “Baek, someone’s listening to this call. Please find me and get help.” Before you could end the call, you heard Sehun’s voice enter the conversation. He must’ve answered the call from his connected phone. 

“Wherever you are, Y/N. I will find you. I found you once, I’ll do it again. I should’ve tied you down when I could.” He said coldly and the call ended. A chill runs down your spine. You manage to run impossibly fast. It was the adrenaline and fear doing it.

You finally see a car approaching. You wave, asking for help. The owner opens the car door and you were surprised to see Jongin.

“Jongin, I really really need help please-“ You tried to beg but he quickly pulled you inside the front seat. “I know, get in.” He hisses.

He drives away at 100 km/h. “Did he do anything to you?” He asks, his eyes still on the road. You only shake your head while sobbing.

“Fuck, I knew he’d do this. I fucking knew it.” He smacks the steering wheel while he speeds down the road. You were surprised at what he said.

“What do you mean, Jongin?” You ask him with so much fear in your system. “He’s my best friend. Yixing’s too. He manipulated Xing to hire you and now threatened to kill me if I didn’t force your company to stay at my hotel. He manipulated everything, Y/N. Even the company that partnered with Yixing’s, he owned that corporation.” You gasped at what he said.

Sehun was capable of this? The sweet man who you thought was ‘perfect’? The bullied kid whose face lit up whenever you gave him banana milk? He was capable of such things?

“Trust me, I couldn’t believe it too at first. I mean, he was my best friend. I thought he was joking when he kept on saying that he’d make you fall for him. And he’d make it happen perfectly because you were precious.” He shook his head angrily, shuddering at the exact words of a complete maniac.

You finally arrive at the entrance of Jongin’s hotel and see your friends waiting by the door.

You immediately run to them. Baekhyun was worried sick, he kept asking you questions. Chanyeol was silent but he hugged you and tried to keep you company. Kyungsoo was angry and shouting at Jongin. “Soo, he’s just a victim too. He didn’t do anything bad.” You try to persuade your furious best friend.

The police quickly came and followed Jongin’s instructions. Kyungsoo found a way to book a flight exactly on that moment just so you’d be away from that dangerous man.

Jongin was driving the four of you to the airport and he was panicking. He knew how Sehun could get when it was about you. He was crazy when it came to you.

You arrived at the airport and you left with Chanyeol and Baek as Kyungsoo kissed Jongin for the last time.

Your heart ached for your friend but then, all they were thinking of was your protection and safety. They loved you so much they’d give up a summer romance and a romantic get-away proposal. You knew Chanyeol was supposed to propose to Baek at the end of the trip but he lost that chance after what happened to you.

The plane boarded, your eyes still wet with tears. You were broken for yours and Minseok’s fraud relationship, broken for who Heesun became and broken for your friends who had to leave.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered to Chanyeol when you got in the plane. “Don’t be. You never wanted any of this to happen. It’s okay, we’ll be okay.” He reassured you for the umpteenth time today and that made you break into tears once again. You wonder what the hell did you do in your past life to deserve amazing friends like them.

Finally, you arrive back in Seoul, your original city. Your heart longed for Sehun despite what he has done for you. You couldn’t deny that you fell for him. It wasn’t hard at all, you recall your own thoughts. But thinking of him also meant the fear of him returning too. You had to forget about what you had and get therapy.

After a month or so, your life was peaceful once again. You resigned from Yixing’s company. Baek and Yeol got engaged. Soo was in a loving long-distanced relationship with Jongin.

You were with your best friends right now at the tuxedo store. You were the maid of honor while Soo was the best man for Yeol and Baek’s wedding. It was your job as a best friend to be there for Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

“Here. I think this one looks better.” You hand a black velvet suit to Baek. Soo cringes at my choice. “Why are you here even?” He jokes at you, with a disgusted face. You only chuckle at his reaction. He never changes.

The couple finally chooses what they’ll wear. You, Baek, Yeol and Soo head to the restaurant you loved since college. The Japanese shabu-shabu.

“Hmmm.” Baek hums as we enter the restaurant that was just across the street of the tuxedo shop. It smelled good at first but then your insides churned at the smell of raw fish.

Chanyeol glances at you worriedly. “Are you okay?” Baekhyun asks when you hold your mouth and run for the bathroom.

You puked your guts out in a public restroom. You were kind of dizzy and your head ached. You were feeling just fine earlier. You groan as you wipe your mouth with tissue. Was it something you ate yesterday? You try to recall the food you had.

You walk back to your friends who are now sitting on a table by the door. They look at you with so much worry in their eyes. They even got more protective than they originally were. “Hey, are you okay?” Baekhyun holds your arm in place. “Just an upset stomach, I guess.” You sat down beside Soo who was now eyeing you suspiciously.

“We eat the same thing all the time, Y/N, you know we share the food at your apartment. And my stomach is pretty okay.” Soo comments, earning a questioning stare from Baekhyun. “Maybe you should get it checked.” Chanyeol suggests, breaking off whatever Baek and Soo was thinking.

“I’ll go with her after lunch.” Kyungsoo said with finality despite your uncertainty regarding his decision. Maybe it’s just an upset stomach. There was no need to go to a hospital yet you were too tired to argue.

You eat your lunch with your friends as you discuss the upcoming wedding. You couldn’t help but be excited for the two. You’ve known them for so long and you know they deserve to be happy with each other. You can only imagine the kids Baek and Yeol would have. You’d be the best aunt, you assume.

After eating, you part ways with Chanyeol and Baek because they still had a shift for today while Kyungsoo took the whole afternoon off with you so you could get checked. He drives you to the hospital nearby and asks for his usual doctor.

He logs in with the nurse while you wait beside him. The nurse said to wait for a specific Dr. Kim Junmyeon to get us.

After a few moments, an angelic-faced man in a lab coat enters the lobby. “Dr. Kim!” Kyungsoo greeted the doctor who was in the lobby. “Kyungsoo, long time no see. Are you getting checked?” Soo shook his head at the doctor’s question.

“Actually, my friend is.” You smile at Dr. Kim when Soo gestures you. He nods at you, acknowledging your presence. “Follow me, miss. I know Kyungsoo chose me so he could listen on what I’ll say to you.” He smiled at you. You roll your eyes at your overprotective friend.

We enter his office. Kyungsoo said he was good with everything. Soo has done several general check-ups with him and he was pretty effective in finding out whatever you had. He was that discerning. You sat down in front of him while Kyungsoo just stood by the door. Dr. Kim was asking you questions about your stomach.

“I only started vomiting since the beginning of this week. Happens in the morning usually.” You say while Dr. Kim’s face looks like he’s deep into thinking.

“I’m thinking of a possibility but before we assume, take this with you. There’s a bathroom behind me.” He hands you a plastic cup. “Pee on this.” He advised professionally.

You go inside the bathroom behind him and do as you were told. You get out after finishing it, handing the cup to his now gloved hand. He receives the cup and calls in a nurse. After that, he was still patting your stomach and asking about other symptoms.

A few minutes passed, the nurse returned. Your heart beat against your chest as Dr. Kim examined the result that the nurse brought. You look at Kyungsoo and he assures you with a smile, even though he was unsure himself.

“Ms. Y/N, have you had sexual activity lately?” You blush at the question but still, you answer honestly. “No. The last time was when I went abroad with my friends.” You try to smile but it came out awkward especially when Kyungsoo was listening and was now back to judging you with his eyes.

He plops the paper down on his desk and looks at you straight in the eye. “Well, you are 5 weeks pregnant. Congratulations! I will tell the nurses to give you the vitamins you need and to remind you to come back on your eighth week.” Dr. Kim happily announced but you couldn’t bring yourself to be happy. You sat there, mouth agape and eyes weak.

“Oh shit.” You hear Kyungsoo curse behind you. Then, it hit you. You were going to be a mother? But how? You barely recovered from that trauma. You had to cut off Yixing and the company. You had to go to therapy for a month. How were you supposed to be a mother?

Silence was broken when the nurse called out Dr. Kim for another patient. He bowed at you and Soo, handing you all the vitamins a pregnant woman should get. He also gave you some advice regarding being in your first trimester.

After, you walk out the office with Kyungsoo. Your shoulders slumped and your knees wobbly.

Tears started racing down your face as Kyungsoo, hugged you as you reached the hospital’s entrance. “Soo, how could this happen?” Your voice was weak and faint, like your knees. “It’s okay, Y/N. It’s all going to be okay. We’ll be fine. The baby will be fine.” He pats your head and hugs you even tighter.

You couldn’t picture out yourself with a baby. You barely got better from the trauma. You barely survived. How could this happen? There wasn’t even a father figure present for this kid. You were afraid of the million possibilities you may face.

“Let’s get you home, okay? Stay here while I go get the car.” Kyungsoo breaks away from your hug and now walks to the parking lot. You look up at the sky as your hand goes over your stomach. You wondered aloud, hoping someone would understand. “Baby, what would I do with you?” You ask the child in your womb who was also clueless. You wanted to cry but then it’d stress the baby out. You didn’t want that. You may be unsure of everything but you know you will never hurt the child inside you. He or she was going to be a little you. Or a little Heesun. You couldn’t afford but want to love the kid.

You feel someone watching you. You immediately turn around just to see the man that has invaded your nightmares and stirred fear in you. The man who haunted you everywhere you went for the past month. The man who was supposed to be perfect. The father of this child. Sehun. How could he be here? The police arrested him, right? Horror once again enters your system as you fear your life and the life of the unborn child inside you. Hearing his voice and seeing his face brought back the terror he planted in your heart. Tears started streaming down your face now.

“I just happen to know I’d be an amazing father.”

[dirtyoatmeall]

Bokuto’s Cool Sister (Tsukishima Kei x Reader)

A/N: Here is an actual fic! I have a list of shit to write I’m slowly working through, next will either be more head canons or a one shot. I’m re-watching AOT rn to get caught up with the new season so sorry about being absent! Luv u guys a lot

Pairing: Tsukishima x Bokuto sibling reader (No pronouns or gendered language used toward reader, not referred to as sister just used for title purposes), Bokuto x Akaashi, Kenma x Kuroo

Word Count: 2k! (longest ever!)

Warnings: Mentions of underage drinking (everyone at least 20), mentions of secs

~~~

You groaned as you neared the door to your apartment, seeing that the door was not cracked open a little for you to nudge open like you had asked your brother to do as you pulled into the complex. You remember him vaguely mentioning friends coming over, and you can hear music faintly coming from the apartment, but he always checks his phone, especially when you're coming from the store. 

You try to balance the milk on your knee to open the door, and just as you think you have it, the door doesn’t budge. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Your brother never locks the doors, why would he now? His car is in the parking lot and you can hear noise inside, so he’s home. Instead of putting groceries on the ground and fishing your keys out of your purse like a normal person, you make the decision to kick the door, not very hard, but hard enough to be heard in the apartment. 

“Kou! Why is the door locked? Will you come open it for me, I have groceries!” You can hear your brother tumbling towards the door, apologies flying out of his mouth a mile a minute. The door swings open, revealing your brother, grimace on his face. “Sorry! I totally forgot you were at the store, I think ‘Kaashi might’ve locked it.” You sighed, not being able to stay mad at your brother’s friend. 

You walk in, jerking your head in the general direction of the parking lot, “I have some more in my car, can you go grab it?” He nods, grabbing his key ring and jogging out. Both of you had the spare key to each other’s cars, which turned out to be more convenient then you originally thought. 

You move toward the kitchen, yelling out a greeting to your brother’s boyfriend. “Akaashi! Next time you come over to fuck my brother let me know before so I can have my keys out, or just leave the door unlocked and go in his room!” You had a joking, yet scolding tone of voice, imagining his flustered state at your words. What you did not expect, was a hyena-like laugh to come from the direction of the living room. You were almost positive your brother said Akaashi was here. 

You place the groceries on the counter and make your way to the living room, freezing in the doorway. Akaashi was there, but so were 3 other people. Akaashi was red, shaking his head that was resting in his palms. There was someone playing on a gaming console on the couch who had their legs thrown over the lap of the laughing one, and one on the other couch, tall and blonde, who looked weirdly familiar, who had a faint smirk on their face. You grimace, you didn’t realize your brother had actual friends over, he usually just meant Akaashi or the occasionally Hinata. “Oops sorry ‘Kaashi, didn't know Kou was having other people over.”

He lifted his head, face still slightly flushed and smiled. “It’s fine (Y/N)-san, do you need help with the groceries?” You shook your head, pointing behind you in the direction of the kitchen, where you could hear your brother rummaging around. “Nah, I made Koutaro get the rest. If you guys are staying for dinner let me know and I’ll make something instead of making him go to the food truck for me. By the way, who are the rest of you? I literally thought Kou was lying about having friends.” 

The blonde one snorted, you narrowed your eyes slightly, he looked so familiar, you just couldn’t quite place it. The one playing the console seemed familiar too, you think you might’ve seen him on Twitter. The only one you didn’t recognize was the first to speak. “I’m Kuroo Tetsuro, we all played volleyball together in high school, I’m surprised he hasn’t talked about us before.” 

You nod in understanding, “Oh so that’s where. I’m sure he has, I just probably wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. I mean you guys seem kinda familiar, more the other two than you, were you like benched a lot?” The quiet one next to him looks up to see his reaction and snorts at the disbelief on Kuroo’s face. “Yeah, Kuro wasn’t very good.” The half blonde says, giggling softly as Kuroo gasps and yells at him. “Kenma!” He turns to you, “I was the captain and a very good player actually.” You laugh as Kenma behind him makes a face that says ‘That’s what you think.’ Before Kuroo could whine some more, Akaashi speaks.

“Kenma-san is a YouTuber, which is probably where you’ve seen him. He and Kuroo-san played for Nekoma, I’m surprised you didn’t remember them from that, you remembered Lev-san.” Kenma actually laughs at that, and Kuroo is pouting as Akaashi continues, a cheeky smile on his face that told you he purposefully sprinkled that last little tidbit in. 

“Tsukishima-san, aren’t you a museum-studies major?” The blonde on the loveseat across from the other three nods, and you snap your fingers, finally realizing where you know him from. “Oh, that makes sense! I think we’ve had a class or two together. I’m an archaeology major.” Tsukishima’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but before he could speak, your brother finally comes in from the kitchen.

“(Y/NNNNN), I put everything away, we were going to go to Onigiri Miya tonight, wanna come?” You nod and swat at his had when he ruffles your hair before plopping down to his boyfriend. You go to leave your brother and his friends, taking one last glance at Tsukishima, who seemed to have the same idea, he averted his eyes the moment yours met, and you smirked to yourself on the way to the kitchen to re-put away the groceries. You loved your brother, but he definitely did not know where to put things, your thought validified as you pull the eggs from the pantry, switching it with the instant ramen packets in the fridge. Good thing he was a great volleyball player. ` Later that night, you join the boys for dinner at Onigiri Miya. You take two separate cars, you driving your brother and Akaashi and Kuroo driving Kenma and Tsukishima. Kuroo made a joke about racing there, which you took as a personal challenge, much to the dismay of Akaashi. You would’ve won too, but you had to pull over to kick Koutaro in the backseat for playing Nickelback. He buys your food as an apology, and Kuroo’s food because he won (you venomed him later for your share of food, which he promptly venomed back to you with angry faces in the description.). The 6 of you sat in a corner booth, you were sandwiched between Akaashi and Tsukkishima with Kuroo between your brother and Kenma on the other side.

The table was loud with jokes, laughing, and yelling as everyone ate their meals. You snuck drinks of ‘Akaashi’s’ margarita when the waitress wasn’t looking (You were 20 and Akaashi submits to peer pressure from you easily). “(Y/N), are you not 21 yet?” Kuroo asked as he watched you nudge the drink toward Akaashi as the waitress talked to the other table. You turned to Kuroo, cheeks just barely flushed. “Hm? Oh no I’m not, I’m two years younger than you guys, I turn 21 in a few months.” 

Kuroo hummed in understanding and got a suspiciously mischievous look on his face. “Oh, you’re the same age as Tsukkishima, and you guys have similar majors, how interesting” Your eyebrows furrow and you snort. “So do over a thousand other people Kuroo, its not a super niche subject.” You turn to Tsukkishima and continue, “Hm I didn’t realize we were in the same year, I thought you were older, must be your grumpy grandpa like disposition.” Akaashi explained what disposition meant to your brother and Kuroo snickered before he was shut down by Kenma, who has been doing an excellent job of roasting Kuroo at every chance he gets. “You laugh like everyone doesn’t call you old man behind your back.” 

You laughed for the umpth time that night, Tsukishima watching you, he could really see the sibling resemblance when you laughed. You throw your head back and laugh loudly, from your gut much like your brother. Tsukishima looks away from you, catching Kuroos eye in the process, the blonde rolls his eyes at the smirk on Kuroos face. Out of the 5 of them, he was the only one not in a relationship and Kuroo has been trying to set him up since Bokuto and Akaashi finally got together at Akaashi’s graduation. 

Tsukishima looks at you again, watching you take a sip of the margarita, and subsequently watches it almost come out of your nose as you laugh at something Akaashi said to Bokuto, clutching the former's shoulder, hand over your nose. There was no doubt that you were pretty, and you did have similar interests. His thoughts were interrupted by you turning to him, knee-knocking against his thigh. “Have you taken Anth 267?” He nods “I took it last quarter.” He replies and watches you sigh in relief. “Oh thank god, I’m having trouble meeting her insane essay expectations. I usually have ‘Kaashi read through mine but would it be ok if I sent them to you? Or at least bounced topics off you?” When he agrees you smile, unlocking your phone and sliding it towards him, a new contact open. “Oh great, here, why don’t you put your number in?” As he fills it out, his eyes involuntarily flit to the text message appearing at the top of your screen. From: That Sunny Bitch

Ew you think Tsukki’s hot? He’s a good volleyball player but he was a meanie in high school 😝

He held back the urge to smirk. That must be Hinata based on the name. He quickly finished the contact and gave your phone back before giving his to you, and you quickly typed in your contact info, as well as snapping a quick contact photo. It was super close to your face with your tongue out, a good tell of your personality. You give his phone back and the two of you talk more about school and classes before everyone gets ready to leave. 

Your brother stands up first, and you take advantage of his large frame and chug the rest of the margarita down, smiling big at Akaashi who chastises you about drinking it so fast. You all wave to Osamu as you leave, and before Tsukishima can get to Kuroo’s car, he turns to the group, smirking. “I've got to run Kenma by our apartment to grab his charger, we’ll meet you guys.” You nod, handing your keys to Akaashi and turn to Tsukishima. “You can sit in the back with me Tsukishima!” Though you might be promoted to passenger if Bokuto makes bad music choices again.” You glare at your brother as you finish the sentence, and he whines about how his taste ‘isn’t that bad!’ 

The car ride back to your apartment is short, and you spend it chatting with Tsukki, as you’re now allowed to call him, and you spend the rest of the night with the boys, playing games and watching movies until early morning. Kuroo and Kenma leave first, and Kenma made your night when he looked you in the eye and said goodbye. Tsukki left about an hour later, his roommate picked him up. Akaashi ended up staying over, and you were glad your bedroom was on the other side of the apartment from your brother’s. You fell into bed content with the day, happy you were able to meet your brother’s friends.

You awoke mid-day, and you browsed your notifications before dropping your phone on your bed when you read one text message, heat spreading over your cheeks. You definitely do not remember changing his contact name.

From: Hot classmate Tsukki

Hey, how about we go over your essay over some coffee tonight?

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is emerging as the chief obstacle to quick passage of President Biden's $2.25 trillion infrastructure package that Democrats want to move through Congress sooner rather than later. Manchin is ramping up discussions with Republicans about what a scaled-down infrastructure package should look like, and some GOP senators are even optimistic that the moderate Democrat can be persuaded to block efforts to raise the corporate tax rate.

That means Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will likely have to wait for the negotiations to reach some kind of conclusion before moving ahead with the budget reconciliation process, as Manchin is expected to be the critical 50th Democratic vote needed to avoid a GOP filibuster. Senate Republicans proposed a $568 billion infrastructure counteroffer last week. Now, bipartisan talks on a compromise proposal between $600 billion and $1 trillion are just getting started.

Manchin wants time for the talks to build momentum. "For the sake of our country, we have to show we can work in a bipartisan way," he said Monday evening. "I don't know what the rush is. Stay here a little bit, work a little bit," he advised colleagues. But Democrats are getting nervous about an extended timeline and worry that splitting Biden's infrastructure agenda into two or three pieces of legislation might mean that a substantial part of it gets left behind. "I'm the most anxious member of the Democratic caucus. I want to get it done and done quickly," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Monday when asked how long Democrats are willing to wait on bipartisan infrastructure talks.

Manchin said over the weekend that he wants to focus on "conventional infrastructure" such as roads, bridges, water projects and expanded broadband internet, and he proposed splitting off about $400 billion in funding for home- and community-based caregivers for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as billions of dollars for child care. While Manchin said such priorities are "needed," he added that doesn't want to lump too many of them in a broad bill because he thinks it would be tougher to sell to the public. His remarks dealt a blow to other Senate Democrats who want to pass as large a package as possible and who called the $568 billion Republican proposal "totally inadequate" and a "slap in the face."

Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, on Monday said he does not support splitting up Biden's $2.25 trillion infrastructure package into two pieces. "Time is not on our side. We have so many things to do," he said. "Immigration, policing. All of these things are critical elements and we don't have a lot of time on the calendar. The sooner the better to keep everything together and move it in a package that works," he added of Biden's proposal.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he wants to move as quickly as possible, warning that past efforts to negotiate with Republicans, such as on the Affordable Care Act in 2009, ended up wasting time. "We have learned that lesson in the past. I think we should have our ears open, we should listen to any great ideas, any good ideas that Republicans have. But obviously it cannot be an endless process. It has to move very quickly," he said Monday. Sanders balked at Manchin's suggestion of segmenting out the home- and community-based care portions of the package. Manchin, however, is praising the $568 billion framework put together by fellow West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) as "a good start." The blueprint is focused on roads, bridges, transit systems, rail, water infrastructure and airports.

Democrats are also nervous about Manchin's opposition to Biden's proposal to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, saying a 25 percent rate is more reasonable. He met last week with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a staunch ally of former President Trump, to explore ways to fund a compromise infrastructure package without relying heavily on tax increases. "Watch Joe Manchin. Joe's going to be a key player here," Graham told Fox News Sunday. "I think there's a sweet spot on infrastructure where we can find pay-fors that won't hurt the economy. If you raise taxes, you're going to destroy jobs," Graham said.

Many Democrats are skeptical of efforts to pursue GOP proposals. "Take a deep breath and face reality. If we're going to do something big and bold and build the 21st century economy, we're not going to do it with what [Republicans] have suggested: user fees and tolls," Durbin said Monday.

Manchin has urged Schumer and his other Democratic colleagues not to use the budget reconciliation process to pass Biden's agenda, an approach that would shut out Republicans and allow for a simple majority vote in the 50-50 Senate. "I simply do not believe budget reconciliation should replace regular order in the Senate. How is that good for the future of the nation?" he wrote in a Washington Post op-ed this month. Manchin disagrees that he's a roadblock to Biden's agenda. "I'm not a roadblock at all. The best politics is good government," he told CNN's "State of the Union" over the weekend. He also reiterated his opposition to changing the Senate's filibuster rule to curtail GOP power to block Biden's priorities, such as police reform and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. "I'm not going to be a part of blowing up this Senate of ours or basically this democracy of ours," he said Sunday.

Senate Democratic sources say they expect the bipartisan infrastructure talks to fizzle and Manchin to vote with them to pass a $2 trillion-plus infrastructure package under budget reconciliation. They argue that West Virginia, which had a 5.9 percent unemployment rate in March and a 14.9 percent poverty rate by last measure, needs its share of the $2.25 trillion plan as much as any state. "He's still trying to find his way as the new most important 'big man on campus,' but I think he'll have a very hard time standing up to the pressure of the administration. I think he'll find his way back home," said a Senate Democratic aide, referring to Manchin's power in an evenly split Senate where Democrats cannot afford a single defection. The aide predicted that if Manchin winds up derailing or excessively delaying Biden's infrastructure package, the backlash from within the party will be swift and damaging. "The more he plays that game, I think the more the pushback becomes significant and starts having legs to it," the aide added.

While Manchin is coming under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to support passing Biden's full package without splitting it up, his reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker is also at stake. During the negotiation of Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, Manchin played a central role in narrowing the number of Americans eligible for $1,400 stimulus checks by helping to craft a deal to phase out the direct checks for people earning $80,000 or more, instead of the $99,000 cutoff favored by House Democrats. He was also instrumental in shrinking the federal unemployment benefits in that bill from $400 a week to $300 a week and limiting the tax deductibility of unemployment benefits collected in 2020.

Despite Manchin's efforts to address the concerns of GOP colleagues who said the rescue plan needed to be more narrowly targeted, not a single Republican in either chamber voted for the package. If Manchin drags out consideration of the infrastructure package for weeks or months without securing any GOP votes for whatever bill finally gets passed, some Democrats say his reputation as a dealmaker will suffer severely. "That's what's at risk for him. He's going to have to put up or shut up," said the Democratic aide.

A second Senate Democratic aide, however, said Manchin represents a broader group of centrist Democrats who would like to rack up a significant bipartisan accomplishment with Republican votes before trying to move other elements of Biden's agenda under reconciliation. "There are other Democrats who agree with him, but they don't need to go out there and say it and take shit from the left," the aide said. The aide also said the GOP counteroffer unveiled last week "is a lot better" than the $618 billion COVID-19 relief package a group of 10 moderate Republicans floated to Biden earlier in the year. Democrats quickly dismissed the GOP's counteroffer on coronavirus relief and passed Biden's $1.9 trillion plan by a party-line vote. The source predicted that even if Manchin fails to bring about a bipartisan infrastructure deal, he'll remain a powerbroker for the rest of the 117th Congress. "He's still going to be a guy trying to negotiate big bipartisan deals," the aide said.

[rainydayhogwartsimagines]

It’s me again lol thank you for the first one. I was wondering if you could do another fic w Fred with a admirer makes him a kandi bracelet, if you don’t know what that is then you can skip but thank you for considering- ❤️

I dead ass forgot the name of Kandi bracelets! But I totally know what these are I've got like six of these bad boys in a box somewhere

Fred was curious about this whole situation. He was finding bracelets... Everywhere. The weirdest part was he knew they were meant for him. Little phrases only he could understand would be left on these things, along with the fact they'd be left in places only he would go to. He wouldn't wear all of them. No. He'd simply keep them in a box but he would wear the newest one he could find the next one in hopes of it's maker seeing it and commenting on it. He was curious to know who knew him this well. And why he didn't seem to know them. He sighed, finding the latest one resting on a table in the library. He knew there was no point in asking if anyone had seen it's maker. Whoever you were you were otherwise well known and had everyone in on this, or you were practically invisible to people. He asked many times in open areas if anyone had seen you all with the same answer: Nope. You sat down next to him and rose a brow. "Still getting these from them?" You asked. "Yep." Fred said taking off the last one and sticking in his pocket. "still no luck in finding them hmm?" You asked. "I don't get it. How are they able to leave them in places beforehand without being seen." Fred asked. "I'm not sure." You shrugged. "What's the newest one even say?" You asked. "I solemnly swear that I am... Up to no good-- this person knows about the marauders map." He said. "That's limiting it to a very slim amount of people then." You pointed out. "I feel like Sherlock every time I look at these." Fred said curiously. You choked on air hearing that reference. "How in the world do you know Sherlock Holmes?" You asked. "I read it after you asked me to 'read at least one muggle book so I don't sound crazy' Y/n." Fred chuckled. "You read?" You gaped. "I know. Shocking. Don't tell anyone or else my reputation might be ruined." He said sarcastically making you smile. You turned back to your book and Fred smiled. He loved seeing that beautiful smile on your face, it was like he was seeing it for the first time everytime he saw it. You could feel him staring and hid behind your strands of hair but he tucked them behind your ear and you blushed crimson. Fred smiled even more and you sighed. "I can't study if you keep distracting me Fred." You whined. "Yes I am a fun distraction though." He said. "Midterms Fred. Midterms." You said making him sigh and rest his head on his arms. He soon fell asleep and you looked at the bracelet on his arm.

He wore them. All the time. It pleased you to see he did want to meet the maker. But would he still want them if it was you? You were the listener of the group, usually listening to everyone's problems but never saying your own. Fred was the only one though who actually listened to you. He would notice your tired stares and ask what was wrong. You'd give him a half ass answer but then he'd ask you to "elaborate on that please" and you'd wind up telling him. You and him would have little moments yes. But you've seen him do this with plenty of other girls. You didn't want a "fling" you wanted something more, something impactful. Fred liked you of course though unbeknownst to you. A part of him was hoping you'd drop a hint that it was you behind these bracelets. But so far... Nothing. The next day came and another clue was left by a spot in the staircase he and George would hang out at. "Oh, your secret admirer left a present again." George yawned as he sat. Fred lifted it and rose a brow. "Sherlocking time. Find me." Fred read looking up. George leaned up. "Think we'll meet the maker?" He asked. "Sounds like that's what they're trying to get me to do." Fred agreed. You stopped and noticed the boys. "Left you another bracelet?" You asked, motioning to the new one. "Yeah, they said 'find me'." Fred said. You rose a brow. "So are you going to go off looking?" You asked. "In a moment. I'm going to nap first. Long day. Long. Long. Day." He yawned. You chuckled and walked past. You knew he'd do that.

You knew this boy all to well. You started leaving them along his route, but only in places you'd knew he'd have to sit or stand in a specific spot to see. You were a clever little thing you. It was a wonder you weren't in Ravenclaw. Fred soon woke up from his name and leaned up, seeing the glint of a metallic bead. "...The chase has begun." Fred noted as he got up. George yawned and blinked a few times to see his brother finding another one. "Where you go to be alone." So... The lake? Fred started walking and George trailed after him. "Where are you going?" George asked. "They left another clue." Fred said. It took him a bit but he finally made it to the lake, looking around the area just to come up empty handed. Where was this damn thing? He sighed and sat on a rock before seeing a blue bead. You sneaky little shit. He walked over to the small plant it was on and found it. "Clever. Find the plant name." Was inscribed on the beads. "Now how the hell am I going to do that?" Fred grumbled. Luna rose a brow. "What do you have there?" She asked, her voice light and soft as she spoke. "Oh. A bracelet. Someone's been leaving these for me." He admitted. "Like a scavenger hunt?" Luna asked. "Yes, exactly. But now I'm reaching a dead end." Fred grumbled. "What's it say?" Luna asked. "Find the plant name." He muttered. "Oh... Have you checked in a book?" Luna asked. Fred facepalmed. "That's so obvious. Thank you Lovegood." Fred said making her chuckle as he ran past. He found you in the library reading and he tapped you. "Hmm?" You asked turning to him. "Do you know where I might be able to find a book on plants?" Fred asked. "Well that's a lot of books Fred. Can you narrow this down?" You asked. "Plants that grow near lakes?" He guessed. "...Hmm..." You got up and walked into a aisle before picking up six different books. "What's this for anyways? Finally doing homework?" You asked. "Aha. Funny." Fred said making you laugh and shake your head.

He smiled as he sat down flipping through pages. It wasn't until he read the fifth book he finally found the next bracelet, squished between it's pages. You rose a brow. "Whoever this is, they are thorough as fuck." Fred muttered. "Where you met me." Was inscribed. "Well that's where this dies out." Fred groaned. "Fred, we already know this person knows about the Marauder's map. So that's like four people." You said. "Shit. You're right." He nodded making you roll your eyes. Then Fred paused. "Wait... Three people know about the map." He said. "Hmm?" You asked. "Only three. Not four." Fred said. "Harry, Fred. And Angelina knows too. George had a slip up in front of her." You said. "...Shit." Fred groaned. "Process of elimination. We know it's not George." Fred muttered to himself. You snorted. "You're beginning to actually sound like Sherlock now." You laughed. "Shh. I'm thinking." Fred said with a tone that was joking. You bit back a snort and you shook your head. "Where did me and you meet?" Fred asked. "Uhm... Courtyard. I think?" You recalled. "Right! It was in the winter!" He nodded. "Where did I meet Angelina?" He asked. "Uhm... Also... The courtyard." You said. "Shit. You're right. Gotta be thorough." Fred said before leaving. Luna sat down in front of you. "Stuck around and told him didn't you?" You asked her. "I'm surprised his first conclusion wasn't a book." Luna giggled silently. You smiled and Angelina sat down next to you. "Alright, so who's directing him to the next one?" Angelina asked. "Uhm... I thought you were." Luna said softly. "We gotta keep this inconclusive, he'll catch on that's Luna's in on this if we give her the next spot again." You said. "Hmm. Alright I'll do it." Angelina said with a smirk. "Confuse him just a little bit. I swear making that boy read was both a blessing and a curse, he's gained deductive reasoning." You snorted making her laugh. Sure enough there was a confused Fred, trying to recall exactly where he met you. "Is it Angelina?" He asked before Angelina walked over to a confused Fred. "What are you doing?" Angelina asked. "I'm looking for a clue. And coming up with nothing-- where did I meet you two?" Fred asked Angelina. "we were sitting." She muttered before sitting on the bench pretending to ponder. Fred rose a brow and then sat next to her before noticing the next clue. It was under another bench across. Jesus this person knew how to hide things at an angle. He gripped the bracelet and read it "Where you go to think" so... The astronomy tower. He groaned and began walking and Angelina nearly snorted watching him gripe the entire way there. Six other bracelets were found, all of them being in obscure places before he finally found one. "Look for the listener." He rose a brow. What the fuck did that mean? He walked back to the great hall and everyone was sitting around. "Where have you been?" George asked. "Looking for these things." He sighed. "Hit another dead end?" You asked. "Yeah. 'look for the listener.' what does that even..." Then it hit him. You. The answer was you. "Fred? You look like the Bloody Baron just passed through you, are you alright?" Angelina asked. "The listener in our group is Y/n." Fred said looking at you. George and Angelina looked at you and you smirked. "Surprise." You said, taking off the last bracelet. "Found me." Was inscribed on the beads. He chuckled and shook his head. "You're thorough." He said. "I didn't think you actually read Sherlock Holmes... That caught me off guard." You chuckled. Fred got up and extended his hand. "Come on." He said.

"Where are we--" "we need to talk." He said and you took his hand with a confused look. "Fred if you're upset then I'm really sorry I just thought that it was fun and--" "I'm not upset, that was fucking brilliant." He chuckled. "...It was?" You asked. "You need to organize a group event or something because honest to God that was AMAZING." Fred said making you chuckle. "I had help." You said softly. "From who-- Angelina and Luna!" He gasped making you giggle. Fred smiled and shook his head. "Christ woman, you're going to make me fall harder for you if you keep this up." Fred said making your eyes widened. "You... You actually--" "Yes! Y/n I was hoping this was you! God I knew you were smart but you're giving the actual Sherlock Holmes a run for his money Princess!" He said making you smiled. "A...are you sure that you... I mean... I..." You shuffled. "I like you Y/n... And if you'll let me I'd like to be your boyfriend." He said. You smiled and took out the actual last bracelet. "Mischief Managed." He smiled at it and put it on your wrist. "I'll wear the other one. That way we're a set." He said with a smile. Your face must've been as red as the Gryffindor house colors as Fred kissed you. You smiled and chuckled. He took your hand and went back into the great hall, arm wrapped around you. "It worked!" Luna smiled, now sitting with Angelina. "We've got ourselves a trickster amongst the group." George teased. You smiled and Fred kissed the side of your head. "How'd you even know where to put half of these though?" Fred asked about the bracelets.

"elementary my dear Watson"

[chironshorseass]

29 and 30 fluff for perachel or percabeth? Hehe I like both ships don’t @ me. Love your writing btw!

I kinda managed to do both...kinda lol. This was fun to do :) Sorry in advance for the bad puns.

writing prompts

“Detention? Again?”

“Look, I can explain.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes and sat back on her bed, too tired to stand up and listen to what Percy had to say, most likely.

“Sure you can.”

They’d been Iris Messaging for a few minutes now. Percy, exhausted from a day of school and homework, had taken the first chance off to fish out a drachma from his drawer and call one of the people he’d missed most since the summer.

It had slipped his mind that New York and San Francisco had different time zones. But luckily, Annabeth was still awake. He’d found her in her bedroom, curls pulled into a messy bun and eyebrows scrunched up in concentration as she read some textbook, still studying for the exam she’d talked about a week ago.

Despite her initial complaints about Percy interrupting her, he knew that she didn’t mind.

“So?” she asked, bringing him back to the present.

She pulled her legs under her and stared at him expectantly.

He blinked. “Huh?”

She raised an eyebrow, and Percy thought—in the back of his mind—that she looked unfairly pretty. At night, with the fairy lights illuminating her hair and her face, like an angel.

“Why’d you get detention?”

“Oh. That.”

“Yes, Seaweed Brain. That.”

“Uhm…” Percy scratched the back of his neck. “It’s kind of a funny story, I um…”

“Spit it out.”

Now that he thought about it, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything at all. Maybe he should’ve thought this through, to avoid any arguments. Or confrontations. Or another cold shoulder. They weren’t as awkward now that the school year had started, but the mention of her always put Annabeth on edge, anyway.

“You see, I was with, uh...Rachel.”

He paused, noticing the way she gripped her textbook tighter, slightly wrinkling the pages.

Why did I think this was a good idea? Stupid.

“I was with Rachel, and she sort of, um...” he laughed nervously, already cringing. “Made a bet?”

Technically, he’d made the bet. But that wasn’t important for Annabeth to know.

/

Chemistry, in Percy’s opinion, was the most boring class Goode had to offer. Useless. Irrelevant.

Confusing, most of all.

At least he was partners with Rachel. It was one of the few classes they had together. They sat at the very back, so they were rarely noticed anyway, mostly spending the forty five minutes of lectures about chemical equations doing little drawing games on their notebooks and playing hangman. Percy lost most of the time.

The teacher wasn’t that great, either. Most of the school knew her as Mrs. Jones. She was a short lady in her late sixties with thin, badly dyed hair who had a concerning addiction to gum—so to Percy and Rachel—she was known as Mrs. Gum-Gum. She turned to the board for some explanation that Percy had completely lost interest on since the first five minutes of class. Rachel let out a low moan, hands on her forehead.

“Kill me now,” she muttered.

“Sorry, I can’t. My sword doesn’t work on you.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, leaning backwards and tilting his chair. “I know.”

She hit him in the shin. “You’re going to fall one of these days, and the class will never let you forget it.”

“Eh,” Percy shrugged. “At least they’d get a laugh and you wouldn’t be so bored.”

Her green eyes twinkled with humor like she’d just remembered something. She snorted. “Okay. So this one time, a girl was doing the same thing as you, leaning back and all—and she like, fell. It was hilarious, because she just lay there, with her feet in the air.”

“Rachel Dare,” Gum-Gum called, narrowed eyes cast on them. She kind of sounded like a wounded hyena, in his humble opinion. “I sure hope you and Mr. Jackson are discussing the worksheet that I gave out.”

Rachel nodded and threw her a thumbs up, while Percy held a fist to his mouth to stop the smile forming on his face. Gum-Gum left her alone and went back to her lecture.

The class kept its monotone routine of worksheets and notes, so as a distraction, Rachel grabbed his arm and popped the lids off her sharpies, drawing little figurines. She was on his second tattoo when an idea came to him.

“Hey, Rach?” he whispered, making sure the teacher was facing the board.

“Hmm.”

“We should play truth or dare.”

She grabbed the green marker and spread the ink from side to side across his skin. “Mmm...No.”

“Come on,” he whined. “I’m bored.”

“Yeah, but we’ve done truth or dare so many times now. It’s gotten old. Besides, you’re such a pussy.”

“Am not.”

“Yes, you are. Remember that time I dared you to eat the gum from under the seat?”

Percy made a face. “That was so fucking gross. Nobody in their right mind would’ve done that. Maybe Mrs. Gum-Gum, but I am not on her level.”

“I figured, after you blatantly refused. And then there’s the time when I dared you to kiss Mary Andrews. On the cheek. And you couldn’t do it.”

“Oh my gods, I can’t just kiss girls. That’s leading them on.”

She exhaled, long and deep and stared at him as if he were a lost cause. “Okay. Whatever.”

She went back to drawing on his arm.

“If anyone’s the pussy right now,” he whispered. “It’s you.”

“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that. You just wish you were as marginally cool as me.”

“Um...Then why won’t you play truth or dare?”

“Like I said: bo-ring.” She leaned closer to his arm, creating tiny details with the thinner side of the sharpie. “And don’t tell me I don’t do the dares, ‘cause I do. My last name’s Dare, after all. It would be a complete dishonor.”

“How long have you waited to say that?”

“Oh, you don’t wanna know. Now hold still. You’d look good with tattoos, by the way.”

He sighed. Okay, fine. She had a point, he wasn’t that great at doing “cool” stuff, likely because he was traumatized by the getting-kicked-out-of-schools thing he had going for him. You know, maybe it was that.

As Percy watched her work with her sharpies, he realized: maybe there was a way to prove to her that he could do daring stuff. A once in a lifetime thing. And in the process, he could make her smile.

“Fine,” he said. “If you don’t wanna do something, then let’s make a bet.”

“Depends on what you want to bet on, but go on.”

“How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

The read-head stopped creating the swirly lines of the little wave she’d been working on, making his skin tingle from the loss of the pointy marker. She lifted her freckled face, watching him with raised eyebrows.

“Nah, you don’t have the guts.”

“Psh. ‘Course I do. I’m Percy Jackson.”

“Ohhh! Percy Jackson. I’m Rachel Dare, nice to meet you.” She lifted her hand like she wanted Percy to shake it.

He slapped it away. “Shut up. I can totally do it.”

“Do you not care about getting in trouble with dear ol’ Gum-Gum?”

“I’ll make it seem like an accident.”

“Nothing you do seems like an accident to teachers.”

“Good point. Still be worth it, though.” He lowered his voice even further. “Besides, I gotta prove to you that I can do cool stuff.”

Rachel snorted. “Now I could literally ask you to do drugs and you’d do it, apparently. Peer pressure is a dangerous thing, my dude.”

He grinned. “And I want your money. You’re like, rich, Dare.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Jackson.”

“No problem.”

Gum-Gum shot them an admonishing look, and they pretended to do their work.

“So,” she said after a few seconds passed. “How much money?”

“I knew you could work with me.”

“Ugh, I’m getting second thoughts from your dramatism.”

“You love it.”

They held gazes, green on green. Rachel narrowed hers and sighed. 

“Again, how much money?”

Percy shrugged. “You decide.”

“Fine.” She flipped some of her fiery curls over her shoulder. “I’m betting on a hundred bucks.”

He whistled under his breath. “Damn. You want me to do it that badly?”

“I do want to see everyone’s reaction to Percy Jackson losing his shit.” He shoved her, but she continued. “Especially Gum-Gum’s. But I know we’re getting in trouble, so we might as well go all out. What? It’s true! But at least you’d get your money.”

Percy shook his head. He’d probably regret this later.

Then he thought, what would Annabeth think?

But he couldn't dwell too much on that. At least it would be funny.

“We need to clear the desk, though.”

“Duh.”

So they worked, as quietly and discreetly as they could. When they’d finished, Percy turned to Rachel and nodded. She put a hand against her mouth to muffle her laughter.

On the third count, he flipped the desk. The table crashed with a resonating bang.

Rachel leaned backwards and let out a sound of surprise, probably because she’d half speculated that he wouldn’t pull through with it in the first place.

Immediately, everyone craned their heads to the back of the room. Some jumped at the sound. Others gasped or snickered, especially at the sight of Mrs. Gum-Gum. She yelped and dropped her marker, slapping a hand to her chest and retreating a few steps as if she were about to go into cardiac arrest.

“Percy Jackson!”

He winced a bit, but all in all, he thought he was keeping a straight face. But then he caught onto Rachel’s expression, arms crossed. He doubted they’d get off freely, just as she’d said.

/

As they shouldered their backpacks, heading for room 1345—detention—Rachel slipped her hand in the pocket of her paint-splattered uniform skirt.

“I didn’t know I had the money with me, but it seems as though he fates are in your favor, Jackson,” she said, taking the dollar bills from her pocket and handing them to him. They both knew all too well that she didn’t care for it. Daddy issues, he recalled.

Percy raised his eyebrow. “Thanks, Rach. Now, I can finally buy a new skateboard.”

“Nice to know that this was worth it.”

“Especially since now you have to do something...daring.”

She tapped her index finger to her temple mockingly. “Oh, I see. That’s why you wanted to do that bet. So then we could be on even ground.”

“Do you agree, Dare?”

“My gods, you’re so corny. But sure. Though let's not get ourselves a detention pass the next time, hmm? I feel bad for you. How many have you gotten this semester?” She clicked her tongue. “What will your mom say?”

1343, 1344 ... 1345. This was the place. Through the window, he could see many of the students already settling in, giving the teacher the strip of paper that he and Rachel had in their pockets.

He exhaled. “I don’t want to think about Mom just yet. But honestly, I don’t mind detention. And I don’t think she would, either. Better than getting kicked out.”

“Mmhmm. And I don’t really mind spending some more quality time with you. Even if we get in trouble, I kinda think you’re nice to be around, Jackson.” She smiled and held her arm out for him to pass. For some reason, that comment made his chest feel warm and fuzzy. “Gentlemen first.”

“Isn’t it ladies first?”

“Chivalry is dead. Now go on.” She nodded towards the door. “I like being fashionably late.”

“And you say I’m the dramatic one,” he grumbled.

[not-from-the-absence-of-violence]

On assumptions, understanding, belonging and love.

Moments in Martin's journey understanding other people and finally himself.

or

Martin's journey in understanding, accepting and loving his asexuality.

a/n: some quick notes: Jon is sex repulsed, Martin is somewhere between neutral and favorable. While Tim and Sasha dont exactlty say they are aro they are! Jon is non-binary and uses he/they pronouns and i desperatly wanted to explore that but this is already twice as long than intended-

also while I am (half) Bolivian and speak spanish I am not at all fluent in Tamil so if there is any mistakes lmk! hope you all enjoy!

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

Sasha had convinced them to go get drinks together, as it had been a rather stressful couple of weeks since Martin came back from the siege of his apartment by Jane Prentiss.

Sleeping in the archives was not exactly helping the situation for Martin, or Jon for that matter.

So they decided to go to a pub and try to force a sense of normality everyone really needed.

Martin was having a great time, with the relative calm and safety he hadn’t had in a while, even Jon had something like a smile playing on his lips as Tim told a story from one of his university mates that had accidentally thrown his roommate's engagement ring down a drain. 

Martin zoned out for a bit, enjoying the pleasant buzz of the alcohol and his friends laughter and Jon’s animated movements that indicated that he was talking about something he actually found interesting.

 Jon was apparently telling his own story with some relation to engagement, something about a girl at a wedding that had acted strangely, Martin caught something about “purposely spilling wine on her dress”, which Martin agreed was quite wierd. 

“She was totally trying to woo you, Jon.” Sasha said as Jon got to the bit where they had to help her find some clean towels in a storage closet. 

 “I assumed she was just having a rather hard time,” Jon said, seemingly only now thinking of the implications of spilling wine on your dress and then faking needing help, to be fair to Jon that was a very weird tactic to pull and Martin would not have put two and two together either.

“Well what did you do in that closet then?” Tim asked with an incredibly over the top suggestive look. 

Jon pulled a face then, Martin thought it looked rather endearing really with his nose all scrunched up and his eyes narrowed, but he was clearly uneasy. 

“I don’t- I don’t really do… that sort of thing.”

Martin snapped back in the moment, feeling a weird but familiar anxiety in his stomach as the conversation lulled. He felt rather protective for a moment, instinctively knowing this seemed important. This turned out to be rather unnecessary, as Tim spoke up again quickly.

“Oh,” He and then, earnestly, ”I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Jon.” 

And then Jon smiled, properly, like he didn’t often and waved his hand dismissively but pleased.

“Thank you, well it's not like you could have known that, but anyway as I was saying-” 

 It was but a moment, but it stuck with Martin for a bit, mulling it over and not really understanding his own reaction.

 Eventually Martin settled back into the pleasant buzz, enjoying his friends chatter and Jon’s over exaggerated hand gestures.

-

It was an uncharacteristically slow day in the archives, not a worm in sight and Martin had only a bit of boring research to do for a very clearly fake statement.

Martin usually tried to be nice about it but this one featured a guy named “Richard Dickson” and was entirely about a fever dream someone had about a haunted accordion, he had listened to the recording that Jon had emailed him and it sounded like even he was having a very hard time trying not to laugh at it.

“Who comes up with this stuff?” Sasha said as she handed him back the statement. “Sure, I know we are being attacked by a worm woman but I really hope we can draw the line at haunted accordions that play spooky renditions of High School Musical and a prophetic dream guy called Dick Dickson.”

She was laughing too and Martin thought that she looked better than she had in awhile, it was nice, seeing her like this. 

“Well at least I won’t have to stay extra time for the research of this one, I would go home early but.” he shrugged and gestured in a you know the whole staying here cause of a worm woman situation, she gave him a sympathetic look.

“Well I am leaving early, got a very fun evening planned.” she said with a wink.

She had looked really rather excited and somewhat giddy all day, Martin realized. 

“Oh,” Martin said, “Who is the lucky person then?”

Sasha looked at him puzzled for a few seconds, slowly blinking at him, then the penny dropped.

“What? Oh no, I mean- Tim I guess, we usually have a sort of movie night every once in a while, this one is extra special though, because I found this book about the categorisation of demons, it’s partially in latin? Tim said he would help me look into it. ”

Martin felt his face heat up, feeling the urge to profusely apologize, Sasha continued however:

“It’s not like that though,” she said with a rather annoyed look, and then somewhat softer, “I am not really a dating kind of person, you know?”

Martin wasn’t sure he fully understood what she meant, but that was fine and she was clearly still very excited, so he relaxed.

“Sorry, shouldn’t have assumed, I do hope it’s not one of those books Jon goes on about, they aren't exactly...friendly.”

Her eyes lit up once again.

“Oh it's definitely not a Leitner! I do look out for that sort of thing, the interesting thing about the book is though-”

And she went on for a bit, the moment somewhat unimportant in a way but it still churned in Martin’s mind. 

-

Things with Sasha...shifted after the Jane Prentiss attack, everyone had different ways to cope with trauma of course, Martin knew that.

Maybe that was the thing really, while Tim, Jon and Martin himself were having a hard time processing (even if Tim and Jon refused to properly acknowledge it) Sasha seemed fine, a few weeks of being shaken maybe and she was now back to her regular old self. 

She even had a new boyfriend, Martin had no idea why that irked him so much.

He’d said as much to Tim, who was sitting next to him while both slacked off from their jobs on the stairs to the back courtyard of the institute (why there even was a courtyard was one of the great mysteries of this place).

Tim looked uncharacteristically solemn, seldom did he let his walls down like this. 

“I thought I was in love with her you know,” he said rather suddenly, “I mean we’ve been friends for years now and there was- is no one I would rather spend time with, so I mean if not her then- then who?”

He sighed and Martin made comforting noise, trying not to break whatever spell had made Tim genuinely speak about his feelings. 

“I mean I figured out I wasn’t in love with her before this whole...thing, we talked about it, I think? Some stuff is hazy. Just- I shouldn’t be jealous you know? She is allowed to have a boyfriend.”

“Your feelings are valid no matter what they are.” Martin said seriously.

Tim sighed and leaned into Martin, who enveloped him in his arms.

“Sure, doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck though.” 

And well there wasn’t much Martin could say about that.

After a bit of comfortable hugging silence Tim spoke up.

“Maybe her boyfriend is a vampire though, I totally get to be jealous about a vampire.”

“Tim don’t say that.” he said, trying to hide a smile. 

“What?” Tim said, pretending to be serious, “Everything is possible Martin, worm women and all that, I could obviously not compete with a vampire and their sexy glittering skin.”

Martin shook his head, not able to contain his laughter anymore.

“Can’t believe you are exposing yourself as someone who watched Twilight.” he said.

Tim smiled wickedly up at him from where he was still half cuddled into him.

“The fact that you got that reference exposes you in turn,” he said, sticking his tongue out, “Check mate.”

“Touché.” 

Then Tim stood up and said: 

“Well, Time to go back to our trans containment zone.”

“The fact that we just happen to be trans and were transferred to the archives is a coincidence.”

To that Tim only answered: “Trans-ferred Martin, can’t you see? You cannot call that a coincidence.” winked and back in through the door he went. 

Martin let out an exaggerated long suffering sigh.

Back inside they walked to their respective desks.

“Well lets hope work gets lets shit.” Tim said. “That’s such a low bar, and yet.”

“Paciencia y fé.” Martin said, which was in his repertoire of spanish phrases that just didn’t pack the same punch in english along with “ya pasara” and “digamos que si”.

Tim shrugged.

“Don’t think whatever grandmother made up that phrase could have imagined it being applied to our situation.”

“And yet we still have to hope for it to get better don’t we, see it works.”

Tim flashed him one last smile as he sat at his desk and Martin went to put on the kettle.

-

Martin had assumed Jon’s I-don’t-do-that-sort-of-thing included dating as well and it hadn’t bothered him really, he enjoyed clinging to his crush to Jon like a small steady comfort, even if he knew it wasn’t actually going to amount to anything, there was no harm in day dreaming after all and Martin was perfectly capable of caring about him as a friend too, it was harmless.

Of course the fact that he now knew Jon had been staying at his ex-girlfriends place and the fact that Jon might actually date people didn’t really change anything.

At least that is what Martin tried to tell himself as he shakily poured two cups of tea and mustered the courage to walk to Jon’s office. 

And he was at least a little right, even if Jon dated people, even if Jon would return his feelings (which Martin really did not let himself dwell on), these were particularly unfavourable circumstances to start a relationship, there was the matter that neither of them was able to string together a conversation, because the mundane ones sounded so inane and hollow and the important ones required being genuine and vulnerable and they might just be somewhat allergic to that. 

And there was the matter of the impending apocalypse they had to stop.

Martin knocked on the door and he heard a soft: “Come in, Martin.” from the other side of the door. 

The office was a mess as always and Jon looked like he hadn’t slept in a week and had aged about ten years in the last few months. 

But Martin’s breath caught in his throat anyway because, as was usual for Jon now, he also looked just a little more...comfortable, as you could anyway. They were wearing a hoodie with cats on it that was just slightly too big and a long flowy patterned skirt. 

Jon clearly caught martin staring because he ran his hand through his hair a bit self-consciously and said: “I know it goes against dress code, but I think you get a pass after you get kidnapped by an evil circus.” 

“Oh I mean, you look nice, I mean it looks nice on you. I didn’t mean to uhm, stare?”

“It was- I was just joking.”

“Oh.” 

They just stared at each other, painful silence falling over them. 

Jon broke the silence clearing their throat.

“So... you brought tea?” They said.

“Yeah, it's for you.” Martin said and immediately cringed because who else would he have brought Jon’s favorite chai exactly the way he always takes it.

Jon smiled though, reaching out to take the cup from him. Their hands brushed just a little and Martin's brain briefly shut down and he realised that maybe he should admit to himself he was really hopeless and too far gone.

That is though, how he ended up stupidly staring at Jon’s hands and how he spotted the shiny black ring on the middle finger of his right hand. 

“Thats a nice ring, don’t think I have ever seen you wear jewelry before.” 

That seemed to snap the tension out of the moment a little, Jon looked down at the ring and smiled a little.

“It's an ace ring,” they said, “I used to wear it a lot a while back, not sure why I fell out of the habit, but now I guess I think I am allowed whatever small comfort I can get.”

They were looking at the ring and then at Martin. 

Martin wanted to freeze the image right there, at the small not quite guilty smile Jon had as he looked up at him, at the feeling that things were OK, good even just for a bit.

Then something fell off Jon's desk and they both startled, flinching at the sudden loud noise. 

All the worry and tension flooded back into the room immediately.

“Right.” Jon said. “Did you need anything else?” 

Martin wasn’t sure how to even answer that.

So he just shook his head and started to leave.

Just before he was about to turn around Jon called his name, Martin turned around to face Jon that seemed to be fighting for the words he wanted to say.

“Yes, Jon?”

“Thank you.”

Martin smiled a sad smile.

“Anytime.”

-

It’t not that Martin had never heard the word asexual before, or that he didn’t know Jon was ace, he’d just never dwelled much on the actual meaning of it.

He had however never heard of ace rings before and he gave it a google for curiosity's sake. 

A black ring usually wore on the right middle finger to indicate the wearer is asexual (“ace”). 

It seemed nice to Martin, small token of your connection to a community, of course his curiosity did not end there, he had assumed previously Jon didn’t do relationships at all, and if he did, what did asexual mean then?

He found out rather quickly that asexuality was about sexual attraction, and aromantic was another thing all together, he also found out that asexuality didn’t mean a person couldn't have a libido, or like sex.

And maybe he just stood there staring at his laptop screen for a while knowing that sexual attraction had never really made sense to him, maybe it felt like something clicked.

And so knowing he definitely did not have the time or the emotional energy to deal with it he quickly closed his laptop, he had an apocalypse to stop and a boss to dispose of after all.

-

Martin was trying very hard to read Hija de la fortuna by Isabel Allende, every other sentence he sighed and grabbed his phone to look up a word the meaning of which he didn’t know.

It was frustrating, he once had been almost fluid in spanish as a child, but then his dad had left and his mother wasn’t able to and didn’t want to maintain his fluency. He hadn’t exactly had time or money for classes either and so now he attempted to regain some of it by watching movies and reading books.

It was not just the language of course that made it hard, Martin was so entirely full of worry. It was rare he got to spend a day in his flat these days, usually cooped up in the Institute hiding from something, or at the side of Jon's hospital bed talking to him, reading to him on occasion.

The anxiety, the fear, the pain, it had festered into Martin, the tiniest sounds made him jump and even when he got tiny little moments in which he wanted to, needed to, rest he still felt like a watched prey animal, or the full force of grief threatening to crush him.

Today he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, nothing remarkable had happened in a handful of days and it made him uneasy, he was waiting for Melanie to call him about a new attack, he was waiting for Peter to summon him with a weird cryptic request. 

And you would think that with all this other worry he wouldn’t be fretting about his sexuality.

But apparently there was plenty of anxiety to go around for all the areas in his life and he just couldn’t get that moment, months ago now, out of his head.

He sighed at set the book aside, grabbing his phone and opening google.

He felt like he was 14 again asking his mother what gay meant and getting only a nasty look in return, or 17 and anxiously looking for a book about being trans in the library. 

It was silly to look it up and read articles about how to know you were ace, because he already knew somewhere, but he desperately needed the confirmation.

The third or so blog post he opened was about a woman in her 50’s that had recently figured out she was ace.

Its freeing  the article read it’s freeing to be who you are and to understand yourself better, even if you aren’t sure, its OK, it will be OK.

Martin was only crying a little, he laid down his phone and stared at the wall.

He thought about how he had never quite fit, he wasn’t quite english, not with the people asking him where he had come from or asking his mother as a child where she had gotten him from. He wasn’t Bolivian either, he had never been there, his spanish was limited, he could only cook about three and a half recipes that the internet had taught him.

He had never been a woman and he would never fit what society thought of as a man. And what that exactly meant for his relationships.

He never understood other people, but he never thought he was bad enough to seek help for it.

Sexual attraction was vague and he didn’t get it, but in the few relationships he had had in the past he hadn’t minded sex, he enjoyed watching a nice movie together just as much but there was a nicety to it, especially taking care of someone else, having them unravel infront of you. And he had found it weird that he didn’t want anything back, that he felt uncomfortable sometimes.

He imagined he meant he was wrong, like with everything else Martin Blackwood also couldn’t do that right. 

But maybe there was something here, in Martins corner of human experience, in the small stack of books about Bolivia that he read, in the trans pin on his backpack and patches he sewed onto his clothes, in calling himself gay man even if that didn’t cover the nuances because it felt good, in the chew necklace that hung around his neck because it eased his anxiety.

Just like all of those things, Martin was ace, he wasn’t wrong or broken he was just different and there were all those other people who were different too and it was nice. 

And Martin was crying because of the overwhelming sense of belonging, and because he finally understood Tim when he had once asked “But what does romance even mean, Martin?” and he would never get to tell him, because this is yet another thing he and Jon could have talked about if the world had been kinder to them, this is something he could be talking about to Jon if he wasn’t in a coma.

But even in these miserable circumstances Martin made sense to himself a little more and no one could take that away from him.

-

The past week in the safehouse had been a whirlwind of emotions, but both Jon and Martin were trying, trying hard to heal, to learn how to feel safe again, to love each other.

For all that trying they hadn’t talked about it much, it was hard still, but Martin was quietly holding on to the hope that they would get there.

Today had been quiet, with the biggest setback being that Jon had found it hard to find all the ingredients for the sambar he wanted to make for dinner. 

“I know it won't be like my Pāṭṭi (பாட்டி) taught me, but you would think they would at least have coconut.”

Martin found their grumpiness adorable, reveled in the mundaneness of this worry. And he hadn’t been able to contain his laughter when they finally had found coconut and Jon had held it up triumphantly.

The food had been delicious and now they sat on the couch, it was hard Martin craved touch so dearly but it was like stepping into hot water after standing on ice for a while and Jon flinched so often, not used to not being hurt and sometimes Martin’s unnaturally cold skin brought up unpleasant memories. 

They could have wallowed in guit and yearning, but they were both stubborn, and so even if it took a while and millions of slow movements and asking if something was OK they managed. 

So it was that Jon had his legs draped over Martin's lap, enough to bring comfort, not too much as to be overwhelming, and their hands were lightly on top of eachother.

Jon seemed pensive, but not worried, Martin shot him a questioning glance.

“We went at this in such a sideward way,” Jon said, “I mean we live together now but we haven’t really...talked about it. We never- we never asked?”

There was a beat of silence where Martin just looked at Jon and then a smile spread over Martin's face.

“Jonathan Sims do you want to ask me out?”

Jon averted their gaze in a way that meant even though Martin couldn’t see it they were definitely blushing.

Martin just couldn’t contain his delighted laughter.

“Must you laugh at me,” Jon said, faking offence, he was also smiling now.

A bit of seriousness returned to his voice as he spoke up again.

“I don’t care that we have done it all backwards Martin,” they said, “But, I love you.”

And as he said that Martin stared at him, mouth agape and his heart thundering in his chest, he lost his ability in any language. Jon said it firmly and securely and Martin really didn’t know what he was supposed to do with all the feelings he had, Jon continued however. 

“And we don’t have to do anything but it just feels like we are dancing around several conver- Martin? Are you alright?”

It was only then Martin realised he was crying and he could only ask:

“You love me?” 

Not because he didn’t know, but because sometimes you just need the confirmation.

Jon squeezed his hand gently.

“Of course I do.”

Martin wanted so badly to answer him, to reproach but he couldn’t, not yet, instead he blurted.

“May I kiss you?”

Jon smiled, a tad nervously.

“That's sort of what I wanted to talk about,” they said, “boundaries?”

Martin understood the necessity of such conversations he really did, but it did not mean he was going to enjoy them.

It did come as a surprise however that Jon suddenly got very nervous and said.

“I mean- I just- I am ace, Martin.”

Martin cokced his head in confusion and said:

“Yeah, I know.”

Jon mirrored his confused look.

“You do?” and then more sour, “You listened to the tape?”

And fine Martin admitted to himself, maybe they should talk more.

“No? You told me, like ages ago.”

Jon laughed, relieved, happy.

“Sorry,” he said, “Ironically my memory is foggy. It has been a rough couple of...years.”

Martin hummed something of affirmation, because he also knew this seemed like a nice moment to come out, and he felt the very familiar anxiety in his belly. Idiotic anxiety because Jon was also ace and there were no stakes in this situation at all. 

Maybe it was just the fact that he had never said it aloud.

Martin heard himself speak:

“I think I am too,” and he could hear how stupidly nervous he sounded, “ace, I mean.”

There was a vague ringing in his ear and if he had been in the position to he might have just run out of the room, apparently facing down unknowable monsters didn’t make coming out easier.

His fear was cut down by the fact that Jon was absolutely beaming at him.

“That's great!” they said, “I mean not that I would have minded if- but it is nice to have someone understand, that's all.”

It was, it was amazing to have Jon here smiling up at him holding his hand and understanding him.

“It really is,” Martin said, then gently bringing the back of Jon’s hand to his cheek and leaning into it, “Doesn’t mean we don’t have to talk boundaries though.” 

Jon smiled at the small gesture and then said serious:

“I don’t want to have sex, ever.” 

Martin knew it sounded like people had tried to debate them on it before and it made his chest ache.

“I know,” he answered and then because honesty was key, “I am not adverse to it, but obviously if you don’t want to, we won’t, ever.”

Jon sat up a bit then, lifting his hand from Martins and gently cupping his cheek. Martin's pulse quickened, his hand moving almost automatically to Jon’s arm.

“How do you feel about kissing?” he asked.

“It's nice,” Jon said, smiling a bit cheekily leaning forward,  “So long as it isn’t tongue kissing that is.”

Martin leaned forward until their breaths mingled at their lips where all but touching.

“May I kiss you then?” He asked, breathless.

Jon could only nod and they both leaned forward the last inch.

Time must have stopped for a bit as they kissed, gentle and full of a thousand promises. 

They both moved away from the kiss gently, they were both tearing up a little, Martin felt so much so strongly and he pulled away from Jon completely.

“Just need a moment.” he said and smiled at Jon's reassuringly if a bit shaky. 

“Take all the time you need,” Jon said and then softer, “Anything you need.”

And Martin was sure he had never loved anyone more. 

-

On the fourth day of their third week in Scotland Jon had gone to run some errands in town and had come back with an incredibly nervous air about him they were sitting across from Martin at the table twirling their hair and checking his pocket every once in a while.

It was making Martin incredibly antsy and by the third time Jon had looked like he wanted to say something only to then go back to the crossword he was definitely making no progress on Martin had had enough.

“Sol mio,” Martin said, very much enjoying Jon’s wide eyed flustered he always got when Martin called him pet names. “Will you please tell me what is wrong.”

Jon looked at him sheepishly.

“There is not something wrong, per se.”

Martin gave him a look.

Jon sighed and stood up, grabbing a small box from his pocket. 

“Nothing is wrong I just… bought something for you beloved.”

Martin very nearly had a heart attack when Jon opened the box and there was a ring inside. Upon closer inspection it was a beautiful black ring and Martin understood. 

There was silence as Martin could do no more but stare at the ring and then at Jon.

“I see how a ring might come over as a gift now,” Jon rambled nervously, “it is not like that- I mean that is something we will have to talk about. I was afraid it would be too much? It is engraved too and I just hope I didn’t-”

Martin cut him off: “Jon let me see it properly.” 

Jon handed him the ring.

Martin lifted the ring out of the box and saw the engraving on it.

 நான் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன். I love you. Te amo.

Martin promptly sat down again, it was so sappy, just a tad ridiculous and stupidly cute. It hurt in his chest and tears stung in his eyes.

“How did you know I wanted one?” he asked, because he didn't know what else to say.

Jon rubbed the back of his neck self consciously and said:

“You were talking a few days ago, about how you would like something like a- like a token, to remind you and I thought an ace ring might be nice.” 

They lifted their right hand.

“We match now.” 

Martin silently moved to put the ring on, it fit perfectly. He ran his fingers over the tiny groves of the words on it. 

An anchor. 

A small reminder that he belonged, here in the world, here with Jon. 

Martin stood up and gently enveloped Jon in a hug.

“Thank you,” he murmured into Jons hair as he placed a small kiss on top of their crown. “It’s perfect.”

[teenwolffanclub-me]

Season 1, Episode 7: Night School (Part Two)

Hey there beautiful reader! If you’re new here, this is a series I’m writing where each chapter is an episode from the first season of Teen Wolf. If you’ve been here before, hey! I missed you! Previous and future chapters are linked at the end of each part if you want to catch up.

Pairing: Stiles x Psychic! Reader (eventually)

Notes: Okay, this one is a lot too. I may have gotten a bit carried away, but so much happens in this episode! And it’s my favorite!

P.S. Jackson manages to be more suspect than the alpha, Allison needs a chill pill ASAP, and Derek is wanted for murder

                                                    ———————

“Why did you come? What are you doing here?”

Scott rushed the words out the second he laid eyes on Allison. She looked between the three of us, her gaze pausing over my underdressed state, before staring at him in bewilderment.

“Because you asked me to...” She held up her phone as proof, pointing to a text that was very much from him telling her to come here.

Scott’s eyes widened in shock and he snatched the phone out of her hands. She reeled back, surprised.

“I didn’t send this.” His voice was hard as he scrolled through their messages.

“What? What’s going on? Who sent it then?” Her eyes continued flickering between us, searching for answers.

The phone stated ringing in Scott’s hands and she took it back quickly. She glanced at the caller I.D, huffed out a breath of relief, and put it up to her ear.

“Where are you?” She immediately demanded.

Just then, Lydia and Jackson came striding through the lobby doors. They both seemed annoyed to be here, but at least Jackson didn’t look like he was actively dying anymore.

“Finally.” Lydia sighed, raising her eyebrows at us expectantly. “Can we go now?”

Before any of us could respond, there was a loud thud in the ceiling above us. The tiles started creaking as slow footsteps stomped around. We all froze. My heart instantly began racing again at the thought of the alpha so close.

“Run!” Scott yelled at the same moment it came crashing to the floor beside us.

He grabbed Allison’s hand and they took off, the rest of us not far behind. The alpha growled and barked as it chased us down the hall, which was honestly surprising. I never imagined werewolves barking.

I struggled to steady my breathing as we made our way down the hall and into the cafeteria. Scott slammed the doors before locking the deadbolts into the floor. Instantly, everyone started freaking out.

“Help me get these in front of the doors!” Scott was trying to use a table to baracade us inside.

“What was that? Scott? What was that?” Allison shrieked, tugging her hands through her hair.

“Was it in the ceiling?” Lydia added, throwing her arms up in confusion.

“Wait. Not in here.” I heard Stiles mutter, and I wasn’t sure if he was even talking to us or just himself.

“The chairs! Stack the chairs!” Scott was rushing around frantically, not even bothering to check if anyone was actually listening to him.

“Guys, can we just wait a second? You guys, listen to me!” Stiles raised his voice, annoyed that he was being ignored.

Jackson, Lydia, and Allison sprang forward and started grabbing anything they could to add weight to the table. I just wrapped my arms around myself and watched, worried about the level of noise they were all making.

“Guys? Stiles talking. Can we hang on one second please? Hello!” I jumped in surprise at his unexpected shout, and turned my attention his way.

Everyone else whipped around to face him expectantly, ditching their effort at the doors.

“Okay. Nice work. Really beautiful job, everyone. Now...what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?” He gestured toward the aforementioned windows with a jerk of his arms.

I cringed, knowing he had a point. The alpha was in the school with us now, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way. It had already proven its intelligence by trapping us with the dumpsters. I wasn’t about to make the mistake of underestimating it again.

“Can somebody please explain to me what’s going on here? Because I am totally freaking out and I would like to know why.” Allison’s voice shook as she tried desperately to fight back tears. She tugged at Scott’s arm and called his name when he avoided her pleading eyes.

Alright. Come on. This is when you tell her.

He pulled himself free and stalked over to a nearby table before letting his elbows rest on it and pinching the bridge of his nose. Allison threw her hands up in exasperation and her gaze moved to me in question. I gave her a one shouldered shrug, not knowing what else to do.

How the hell would we get out of this without telling them everything? A few moments of tense silence passed and I huffed in frustration. If he wasn’t going to do it, I would. I was beyond done with the secrets and the lies. I opened my mouth, about to spill the beans, when Stiles interrupted me.

“Somebody killed the janitor.” He sent me a pointed look and took a few steps toward where Allison, Lydia, and Jackson stood in a line.

I clenched my jaw and tightened the sides of his jacket around my torso. They were going to find out eventually. It would be much better if it came directly from the source.

“What?” Lydia looked terrified by that news, her emerald eyes widening in horror.

“Yeah. He’s dead.” He confirmed with a surprising lack of emotion, glancing around the room to gauge everyone’s reaction. I blame his weird fascination with his dad’s line of work. He’d seen way too much even before the supernatural was involved.

I’d somehow almost forgotten that had happened, and the reminder brought the seriousness of our situation crashing back down onto me. Someone was dead because of the alpha. And now we were stuck, bound to be next any minute.

“What’s he talking about?” Allison forced out a pained laugh and looked to Scott. “Is this a joke?”

“Wha—who killed him?” Jackson spoke up for the first time, not sounding completely convinced.

“No, no, no, no.” Lydia’s eyes welled with tears as she started breathing erratically. “This was supposed to be over. The—the mountain lion...”

“Don’t you get it?” Jackson interrupted harshly. “There was no mountain lion.”

“Who was it? What does he want? What’s happening?” Allison demanded, her voice hard.

I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, feeling like we were quickly losing control of this situation. Keeping them in the dark was making things so much worse right now.

“Scott!” She snapped when he didn’t respond, and he finally spun around to face us.

“I-I don’t know. I just—if we go out there, he’s gonna kill us.” His voice wavered on the lie and he barely raised his eyes from the floor.

“Kill us?” Lydia asked pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest with a pop of her hip.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Leave it to her to think she’d be exempt from a psychotic murderer.

“Who? Who is it?” Allison was nearing a complete panic attack at this point.

I was ready to end this whole thing and face the stupid consequences later, when he finally spoke up. He shook his head and pinched his eyes shut tightly with a sigh.

“It’s Derek.” He muttered, avoiding both mine and Stiles’ stunned expressions. “Derek Hale.”

What the hell was he doing? Derek is dead. And, not to meantion, pretty much the only person we know for sure isn’t the alpha. He must’ve lost his damn mind.

“Derek killed the janitor...?” Jackson narrowed his eyes at Scott skeptically.

Yeah, you’re onto something buddy. Maybe for the first time ever.

“Yes. He killed them. All of them.” He rushed the words out, still refusing to look at anyone.

My jaw clenched tightly. Why couldn’t we just tell them the truth? Would it really be that bad? They were already majorly freaked out. Might as well hit them with the supernatural shit too.

“But the mountain lion...” Lydia tried to reason.

“No. It’s been Derek the whole time. Starting with his own sister—”

“And the bus driver?” Allison was visibily calmer now that she had an answer, but her voice still shook with fear.

“And the guy at the video store. He’s in here with us, and—and if we don’t get out now...”

He finally raised his gaze to look around the room. His eyes were shining with several intense emotions including fear, anxiety, and guilt. He should feel bad. He just threw a dead man under the bus, and lied to his girlfriend in the process. It wasn’t going to end well on either account.

He let out a heavy sigh and carefully considered his next words before speaking. “He’s gonna kill us too.”

A moment of silence passed before Jackson scoffed in annoyance. “Call the cops.”

I had to agree that it seemed like the most logical choice at this point. I’m not sure what they’d be able to do, but they at least had more resources than any of us.

“No.” Stiles said immediately, shaking his head for good measure.

“What do you mean, no?” Jackson furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.

“I mean no. What, do you wanna hear it in Spanish? No.” Stiles threw his hands down to his sides in frustration. “Look, Derek killed three people. We don’t know what he’s armed with.”

For some reason, his willingness to go along with Scott’s lie really bothered me. He was by far the most loyal person I’d ever met, so it wasn’t surprising, but it still didn’t sit well with me. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish the truth with them, and that made me nervous.

“Your dad is armed with an entire sheriff’s department. Call him!” Jackson raised his voice, his anger spiking at Stiles’ apparent hesitation to do anything helpful.

He had a point. I knew the last thing Stiles wanted to do was involve his dad in any of this stuff, but there came a time when we needed adults to step in. I’d say this was one of those moments.

“I’m calling.” Lydia pulled out her phone and began pacing away from their bickering.

“No! Lydia. Would you just hold on a second?” Stiles moved toward her, one arm outstretched, until Jackson stepped between them and shoved him away harshly.

“Hey!” Scott rushed to Stiles side, who just narrowed his eyes angrily.

Oh, God. The last thing we needed right now was a fight. They shouldn’t even be arguing about this, either. I didn’t care what it was, we just needed to do something—anything—to try and get out of here safely.

“Yes, we’re at Beacon Hills High School. We’re trapped and we need you to—but...” Lydia lowered her phone from her ear slowly in disbelief. “She hung up on me.”

“The police hung up on you?” Confusion seeped through my voice as I stepped toward her. Why would they do that?

Her eyes snapped up to mine, her bottom lip quivering. “She said they got a tip saying that there would be prank calls about the high school. She said if I called again, she’d trace the call and have me arrested.”

“Okay, so call again!” Allison cried from behind her, growing frantic again.

“No, they won’t trace a cell.” Stiles mumbled. “They’ll send a car to your house before anyone comes here.”

Once again, I was surprised at his level of knowledge about police procedures. Just how much had his dad let him in on?

“What the—what is this? Why does Derek want to kill us? Why is he killing anyone?” A stray tear escaped Allison’s eyes as they jumped around the room, hoping anyone could answer her questions.

They were all valid, and I felt terrible that she was so freaked out. Although, I had a feeling that knowing a werewolf was actually the one chasing us wouldn’t help to put her mind at ease. I wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth. What’s the worst that could happen, anyway?

“Why is everyone looking at me like that?” Scott asked upon noticing that all the attention was on him.

“Is he the one that sent her the text?” Lydia rushed the words out quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

“I don’t know.” Scott muttered through clenched teeth.

I wasn’t sure why they thought he’d have all the answers. I mean, he did have some kind of connection to the alpha, but they didn’t know that. To them, he should be as clueless as the rest of us.

“Was he the one that called the police?” Allison threw her hands up in exasperation as she desperately tried to piece any of this together.

“I don’t know!” Scott snapped, the sudden anger in his face immediately disappearing as he saw the way Allison recoiled from him.

Okay, this conversation was going nowhere, and fast. I grabbed ahold of Scott’s elbow and dragged him across the room as Lydia wrapped a comforting arm around Allison. Tensions were incredibly high right now, and everyone needed to chill the fuck out and stop fighting if we wanted to survive this.

“Okay, first of all.” I whispered with a raise of my eyebrows as Stiles quickly joined us. “Throwing Derek under the bus? Nice one.”

“I-I didn’t know what to say. I had to say something!” He tugged a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his breathing. “And if he’s dead, it doesn’t matter, right? Except if he’s not. Oh, God. I totally just bit her head off.”

He tried to sneak a glance at Allison over my shoulder but stopped when Stiles clasped a hand on his bicep. “And she’ll totally get over it. Bigger issues at hand right now. Like how do we get out of here alive?”

“But we are alive.” I cut in, voicing something that had been bothering me this whole time. “It could’ve killed us already. It’s like it’s...cornering us or something.”

“So, what? It wants to eat us all at the same time?” I glowered at Stiles for suggesting that ridiculous theory and he shrugged.

“No!” Scott whispered harshly. “Derek said it wants revenge.”

“Against who?” I couldn’t help but wonder which one of us could’ve somehow wronged the thing this badly.

“Okay, assheads!” I jumped as Jackson suddenly yelled and strode toward us with a scowl. “New plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. We good with that?”

God, what was his problem with Sheriff Stilinski? He’d made so many comments about him recently. At this point, it was getting weird. Everyone looked to be in agreement, though, which wasn’t good for Stiles.

“He’s right.” Scott said, surprising both of us. “Tell him the truth if you have to. Just...call him.”

“I’m not watching my dad get eaten alive.” He insisted harshly with a twitch of his eyes.

“At this point, the alternative is that we get eaten alive.” I hissed, annoyed with all of this back and forth. We just needed to do something.

“Alright, give me the phone—” Jackson lunged forward, ready to call the sheriff himself.

I let out a yelp as Stiles reared back before landing a punch square on his jaw. Allison immediately rushed to his side as he fell to the floor, clutching his face. Scott put a hand on Stiles’ chest to hold him back, but he looked pretty satisfied with the damage he’d done.

I didn’t miss the way Jackson smirked to himself, seemingly getting exactly what he wanted. I realized at that moment that he’d been trying to provoke Stiles to this breaking point the whole night, and he’d finally succeeded. But why?

I’d never seen Stiles so much as kill a bug, let alone punch someone in the face. His dad was a really sore subject, apparently. He huffed out an irritated breath and begrudgingly yanked his phone from his pocket. Our gazes locked as the call went to his dad’s voicemail, his honey eyes shining with fear as he left a hasty message. 

We all jumped as the cafeteria doors started rattling violently. Allison and Lydia ran over to where we stood, hiding behind Scott and Jackson. My eyes grew wide as I watched the large bolts bending in the floor from the force the alpha was using to try and get in. 

“The kitchen.” Stiles pocketed his phone and strode over to my side. “The door in the kitchen leads to the stairwell.”

“Which only goes up.” I reminded him, my attention still locked on the doors. They wouldn't be able to hold back for much longer. 

“Up is better than here.” 

With that, we all took off running again. We stumbled up the stairs and into a random unlocked classroom, falling silent as we waited to see if the alpha had followed. Allison stood with her back against the wall just beside the door, Lydia and Jackson huddled close in front of her. Me and the guys stood on the other side of the doorway. 

I tried to steady my breathing as I watched the hallway closely through the small window in the door. Scott leaned toward it, trying to listen for footsteps, until Stiles fisted his jacket and jerked him back. A shadow moved across the glass, everyone visibly relaxing once it was gone. 

“Jackson.” Scott whispered. “How many can you fit in your car?”

“Five, if someone squeezes on someone’s lap.” He breathed, bracing his hands against the table behind him. 

“Five?” Allison snapped incredulously. “I barely fit in the back.”

“It doesn't matter.” I shook my head solemnly. “There’s no way we’re getting out without drawing attention.”

Now that we were on the second floor, our chances of escape had dwindled to almost none. There were no exits up here. We couldn't jump from any windows without getting seriously hurt. There really weren't many options. 

“What about this?” Scott suddenly jogged toward a door in the corner of the room, and we all followed. “This leads to the roof. We can go down the fire escape to the parking lot in, like, seconds.”

“That’s a deadbolt.” Stiles snarked and pointed to the spot that held the door firmly locked.

I rolled my eyes at his attitude. Scott was only trying to help. Now was not the time for his signature sarcasm. 

“The janitor has a key.” Scott looked hopeful at the realization. 

“You mean his body has it.” I corrected, my stomach twisting painfully at the memory that someone had died right in front of us tonight.

So much had happened since then. I hadn't even begun to process it. 

“I can get it. I can find him by scent, from the blood.” He leaned toward us as his voice dropped on the last sentence. 

“Well, gee. That sounds like an incredibly terrible idea. What else ya got?” Stiles quipped. 

I had to agree. While using the fire escape was probably our only hope at this point, going out there with the alpha was not a smart move. According to Derek, Scott is the one it wants. What’s to say it wouldn't just kill or take him on sight?

“I’m getting the key.” He insisted, his face tightening with determination. 

He pushed past us, heading straight for the door, until Allison stepped in his way. “Are you serious?” Her eyes welled with fresh tears and she looked up at him desperately. 

“It’s the best plan.” He tried to reassure her, but she just shook her head in disbelief. 

I mean, it was a dumb plan. But Scott could handle himself. He’s a werewolf. Someone had to do something already. I was about to go out there myself if we didn’t get a move on. 

“You can’t go out there unarmed.” She tried to reason with him, but his mind was already made up.

He looked around before pulling out a flimsy pointer finger on a stick. I tried my best to hold in a snort at the thought of him defending himself with that. Everyone just stared at him, and he shrugged. 

“It’s better than nothing.” 

“There’s gotta be something else.” Stiles said hopefully.

It was obvious that he didn’t want Scott going out there, either. I wouldn't say I was thrilled about it, but I knew that someone was going to have to make a sacrifice to get us out. He was the most obvious choice, plus he was willing. Who were we to stop him?

“There is.” Lydia glanced toward a cabinet filled with chemicals in various sized beakers behind me. I hadn't even realized we were in one of the chemistry labs. “In there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail.” 

“Well, we don't have a key for that either.” I pointed out, turning around to inspect it. It didn’t exactly solve our problem. 

Jackson rolled his eyes with a huff and reluctantly stepped toward the glass case. With a scowl, he used his elbow to easily smash it to pieces. 

Well, there’s one way to do it. 

                                                 ————————

It had been nearly ten minutes, and there were no signs of Scott or the alpha. The five of us had barely spoken, simultaneously processing this insane situation and being too afraid to make any noise. The air between us was thick with tension. 

Allison had gone into full freak out mode when Scott left. She’d tearfully begged him not to leave, but he obviously didn’t listen. I understood her fear for his safety, but she had to know that it was our only hope. I had every bit of confidence in him. He would be able to get us out of this. 

Suddenly, an earthshattering growl echoed through the school. The floors beneath our feet shook with the sheer volume of it. Lydia winced and covered her ears as if the sound pained her. I glanced at Stiles, silently asking whether Scott could make that kind of sound. I’d heard him howl earlier, and it had been impressive, but it was nowhere near whatever the hell that was. 

I staggered back a step as Jackson unexpectedly fell onto his knees in front of me with a groan. He scratched at the back of his neck and began breathing heavily. Lydia and I grabbed each of his arms and hauled him back onto his feet as he continued wincing and moaning. He shoved us away, and I stumbled over my own feet. 

“Don’t. I’m fine.” He turned to face us, still rubbing at the spot where I knew Derek’s claws had dug into his skin not long ago. “Seriously, I’m okay.”

“That didn’t even look remotely okay.” I huffed, concerned. 

I mean, what the hell was that?

“Hey, what’s on the back of your neck?” Stiles peered over Jackson’s shoulder and stretched an arm out toward him.  

He swatted it away and avoided all of our eyes. There was no way that was normal. Why would he react that way to the alpha’s growl? It didn’t make any sense. 

“Well? It’s been there for days and you won’t tell me what happened.” Lydia crossed her arms skeptically. Clearly, it had been bothering her. 

“As if you actually care.” He barked harshly, and she looked away, tears glistening in her eyes. 

I was just about to lay into him for how not cool talking to her like that was, when police sirens sounded from outside. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and ran toward the windows, before looking down to confirm that help was actually here. 

For the first time tonight, I felt myself relax. We were going to be okay. 

                                                  ————————

I pulled the sides of Stiles’ jacket tighter around myself, shivering against the frigid night air. My eyes were locked on him and Scott as they talked to the Sheriff. He was called away, and they continued whispering nervously. I would’ve preferred to be right there, listening, but Stiles said he’d drive me home. So here I stood, leaning against his Jeep. Waiting. Freezing to death. 

I let my eyes follow them as they walked over toward an ambulance that Scott’s boss was sitting inside of. I had to admit, his mysterious disappearance—and subsequent revival—was insanely suspicious. I wasn't entirely convinced that he was the alpha, but he wasn't exactly in the clear, either. 

After briefly talking to him, Scott and Stiles went their separate ways. Scott joined Allison, who had already told Lydia and I that she was going to break up with him. She was doubting pretty much everything about him after tonight, and I couldn't really blame her. He was keeping a huge part of himself secret, and it was pretty obvious at this point. I didn’t envy him having to figure a way out of that one.

“You could've gotten in.” I jumped at the sound of Stiles’ voice next to me, but forced myself to relax as he popped open the passenger door for me. 

I climbed inside, buckling my seatbelt just as he slid into the seat beside me. My house was only a few minutes away, and I already felt my anxiety rising at the thought of sleeping there by myself after everything that had just happened. Mom was working the night shift again. 

My fingers began trembling in my lap as the weight of tonight’s events came crashing down onto my shoulders. 

I felt Stiles’ eyes on me, but kept my head down. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. It wasn't technically a lie. I was still breathing, and that counted for something. “I’m just not really looking forward to being home alone tonight.”

I felt heat crawl up my neck as I continued to avoid his curious gaze. I don't know what had compelled me to admit that. There was no reason for me to share that with him. I’d be fine. 

I finally looked at him as the car jerked to the left so quickly I nearly fell out of my seat. 

“What are you doing?” I balanced myself on the dashboard as we made a full 180 degree turn. 

“You’re staying over.” He’d said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

I gaped at him, shocked that he would even suggest it. The last time we did that... “Stiles—”

“It’s okay.” He interrupted hastily, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel. “My dad won’t care.”

“Stiles...” I let myself trail off that time, not sure what I wanted to say. 

I didn’t want to be alone, and the last time we slept in the same bed, I’d had the best night of sleep since moving. It wasn't a bad idea per se, but...I don't even know. It was Stiles. And he made me nervous. 

“Look. It’s really for my benefit. I mean, that was terrifying.” He let out a sigh, trying to make that sound believable. 

“Nice try.” I scoffed, shifting back in my seat now that we were driving straight again. “You’re so not afraid of anything.”

He glanced at me briefly. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s true?” I finally looked at him again, studying the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. I took a moment to admire the view I had of his profile. The yellow lighting of the street lamps outside beautifully highlighted the freckles that dotted his skin, and pulled out the natural orangey tint of his eyes. 

“You’ve had all this supernatural stuff thrown on you, and you’ve just accepted it like it’s no big deal. You’re always jumping at the chance to help, even though you’re human, and you’re usually the one who figures things out first. None of that strikes me as someone who’s easily scared.”

He looked at me with a small smile, his eyes trailing over my face appreciatively, and I felt my own lips tugging upward in return. 

About ten minutes later, I was following him into his bedroom. It was much cleaner than I expected. It was small, nothing more than a bed with a plaid comforter—of course—a couple of bedside tables with a small lamp, and a desk. He shut the door behind us, and we stood there for a moment awkwardly. 

I wasn't sure if I should sit on his bed or the plush chair in front of the desk. He was still by the entrance, one hand on the doorknob while the other rubbed at the back of his head. I made my choice and walked over to the bed.

I plopped down, tucking one of my legs beneath myself while the other dangled off the edge of his mattress. I let my toes brush against the cool hardwood floors as I watched him consider his options. 

After some hesitation, he moved to join me on the bed. He sat about a foot away, and I was simultaneously disappointed and grateful for that little bit of distance between us. He played with his fingers in his lap and avoided my eyes. 

“We could’ve died tonight.” I breathed, mostly wanting to break the silence but also just beginning to process everything. 

He looked up at me tenderly and reached a tentative hand forward to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But we didn’t.”

“Don’t you find that weird?” My skin erupted with heat as he let the tips of his fingers linger on my neck. “I mean, the alpha had so many opportunities to kill us and it just...didn’t. It was almost like it was playing with us or something.”  

I could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes as he studied me for a moment. He parted his lips, and it looked like he was going to say something before thinking better of it. “We should get some sleep.”

“Or...we could do something else.” I rushed the words out before I could let any doubt creep in. His gaze quickly flickered to my mouth as I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. 

“Something else?” His voice was barely above a whisper as his eyes moved back to mine.  

“It’s just...” I swallowed, trying to gain the courage to say what had been swirling around in the back of my mind all night. “Our first kiss was at school. While being chased by a psychotic werewolf...”

“Yeah.” He breathed, chuckling quietly. “That’s not really how I imagined it.”

I blinked a few times, only just then noticing that we’d been moving closer together this whole time. “We could try again?”

There were only a few inches separating us now. Stiles’ eyelashes fluttered as he leaned forward and connected our lips gently. He tilted his head, slanting his mouth against mine, and I couldn’t help but arch into him as my eyes slid shut. The kiss was timid, just a bunch of barely there caresses as we slowly got more comfortable with each other.

We both pulled away fractionally, our noses still barely touching. I let out a shuddering breath as my anxiety slowly melted away. This was really happening.

“Was that better?” He murmured against me, his warm breath fanning my skin.

“Much.” My hands found the sides of his face and I pulled him back to me, locking our lips together again.

My mouth parted against his as one of his arms snuck around my back to bring me into his chest. His hands trembled against me and I felt my lips tug upward into a small smile, reassured that he was nervous too. I let my fingers trail toward the back of his head and tugged him impossibly closer. 

A soft gasp escaped me as one of his hands squeezed at my hip before dragging me on top of him. With my legs on either side of his, I suddenly realized how quickly this was moving and pulled away. My eyes fluttered open just in time to see Stiles pout with a hum of disapproval. He leaned forward to capture my lips again, but froze at the sound of his door being thrown open.  

“Oh, dear God. Son, really?” 

I scrambled off of him as my eyes landed on his father. He was still wearing his uniform, so he must’ve just gotten back. I smoothed down my clothes and crossed my legs, trying to make myself look more presentable.

“Um. It’s not—uh...what it looks like?” I cringed at that sorry attempt at defusing the situation, and cleared my throat. 

“Mr. Stilinski.” I greeted, hoping the twitch of my lips looked more like a smile than a pained grimace. 

His eyes narrowed at me before moving to Stiles, who was stiff as a board beside me. “Call me Sheriff. And get to bed.”

With that, he was gone just as suddenly as he’d appeared. I let out a sigh, deflating with exhaustion. I had been through way too much for one day. We shared a quick glance before Stiles turned off the lights.

We crawled beneath his comforter and followed his dad—I mean, the Sheriff’s—advice. Once again, I quickly fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Episode 7, Part One          Episode 8

[actualbird]

nobody asked but here are my personal top five pat gill videos | a 2.1k word long post where i rank and review pat gill’s videos for just way too long.

Right around the tail end of April, 2020, I fell into the rabbit hole of my current obsession; Polygon Dot Com Video Content. As a consequence of this was being introduced to the phenomenon of Pat Gill. A dire consequence of that consequence was me slowly, deeply, irrevocably, finding myself attracted to this marionette of a man. So, I enjoy his content and I think he’s hot and that combined with the fact that some of my friends bully me over that latter fact has inspired me to do this: rank my personal favorite Pat Gill videos in a post that’s entirely too long.

Before I get straight into the rankings, I need to explain my process. 

First, I needed to narrow my scope. Polygon has a lot of videos. Polygon has a lot of videos with Pat Gill in them. If I didn’t narrow my scope, I would either go bonkers yonkers or have a list that would be kilometric in length and thus miss the entire point of ranking altogether. So, for my sanity, I am excluding any videos that are a part of a Polygon video series. This means no Overboard, no Gill and Gilbert, no Video Game Theatre, etc. If I included these, I would cry. I do not want to cry over Polygon Dot Com Video Producer Pat Gill.

Second, I need a criteria. If I just ranked videos with no system, I would find myself endlessly rearranging my list based on whatever thought comes out on top in my mind at the given moment. I am a disorganized person, so I need rules. I have decided that I will rank Pat Gill videos using the EEEH criteria. 

Entertainment. Do I smile, watching the video? Do I chortle? Am I filled with the embarrassing urge to show this video to my sister and derive glee from her laughing at the exact same moment I laughed? Entertainment is key.

Education. Did I come out of this video knowing something I originally did not know? More importantly, was I engaged in the learning process? I come from a family of teachers, so I have high standards when it comes to education. If I am to learn, I must learn well.

Exaltation. This is a bit of an oddball criteria, but it is important to me. The word “exalted” is defined as “elevated in rank, character, or status.” This criteria refers to how good it is at exalting, elevating, pulling me out of a depressive episode. That is to say I’ve been in a depressive episode for the past month and whether or not the video made me stop crying and brush my teeth is essential. Polygon video content has been integral to my serotonin production lately, and thus the video’s ability of acting as an audiovisual antidepressant for me factors into the rankings.

[BONUS POINTS] Hotness. How Hot Is Pat Gill In It? I felt bad, morally, ranking videos based on how good looking I thought Pat Gill was in it---because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that, and people don’t exist to be beautiful, they just are, and I agree---so I’m relegating this criteria as a bonus point. Standard is 0, because he’s always hot in my mind, but he gets plus points if he is exemplary in the hotness department.

The maximum score for each of these criteria is 5 points, making the perfect score a 15, but because of the bonus points, a 20 is, hypothetically, possible. 

With that out of the way, let me dive right into it. 

5. The fastest interview ever with Ben Schwartz from Sonic the Hedgehog

Entertainment: 5 Education: 2 Exaltation: 2 Hotness: +2 Total Score: 11

Pat Gill is a good interviewer, he’s engaging and fun and keeps the interview interesting, but this interview is particularly special because it seems that, and let me quote Youtube user AudreyN who left a comment on this video stating “ben schwartz consumed all seven chaos emeralds prior to this interview.” Pat Gill and Ben Schwartz’s dynamic is amazing, and by “dynamic” I do mean “Ben Schwartz absolutely just fucking dunking on Pat Gill for 14 entire minutes.” and it is glorious.

For Entertainment this scores a solid 5. Quite honestly the funniest interview I’ve ever watched in my entire life. Just the sheer beauty in the exchange [Pat] “You would use Sonic’s power to gaslight me?” [Ben] “Just you.” In terms of Education, I guess I did learn a bunch of things about the Sonic movie that I didn’t know before, but the avenue by which it was portrayed in was not exactly the most engaging, more like I was absorbing it via watching two experts discuss on a webinar. I would have given just 1 point to Education but I made it 2 because of the wonderful knowledge that Pat Gill can draw a pretty good Sonic in a few seconds. When it comes to Exaltation, I must admit that while this video got quite a few laughs out of me, it didn’t make me want to get out of bed and take a shower. 

BONUS: Pat is +2 hot in it. His short hair makes him look very handsome. He’s a spiffy boy, in this video. Very, very good.  

4. Pat Will Not Tweet at Nintendo This Week Because He is Resting at Home — PLEASE RETWEET, Episode 12 

Entertainment: 5 Education: 0 Exaltation: 5 Hotness: +1 Total Score: 11

I know I’m breaking a rule I set for myself a few paragraphs earlier by including an episode of Please Retweet, which counts as a video series, but this is my post and I can do whatever I want. More importantly, this video is so fucking funny to me, it feels like it would be a crime not to put it in this list. 

Solid 5 out of 5 for entertainment. Pat Gill, alone in his apartment, drinking six cans of what I think is beer silently while the intro music plays. That scene in itself should win an Oscar. Sadly, a solid 0 for Education, because I learn nothing in this video except for the fact that Pat Gill is the type of person to put out a coaster and then just completely not use it. I quantify things as educational if I can maybe answer a trivia question with them, and unfortunately, this fact does not pass that test. In terms of Exaltation, seeing Pat Gill lie down on the floor next to his cat made me get out of bed to do the same with my dog, and with myself thusly out of my bed cocoon of sadness, I was able to actually complete tasks on the day I watched this video. Perfect 5.

BONUS: Pat is +1 hot in this because there’s something very beautiful about him being a little bit miserable. However, I do miss his beard when I watch this video. It is one of my favorite things about him, and it is not present here.

3. Pat and Simone Play Human: Fall Flat

Entertainment: 5 Education: 1 Exaltation: 5 Hotness: 0 Total Score: 11

I very much enjoy Polygon’s gameplay streams. I often play them in the background while I’m doing other stuff like doodling or origami, but this stream is special. It is special because of the moment at 24:00 when Pat Gill, in game, swings a stereo into a glass window, shattering it, while saying, “Actually, y’know what? Let’s talk about trauma.” and then proceeds to tell a horrible and embarrassing story from his childhood where he had to do a rap about Ancient Egypt. 

5 points for Entertainment. This is partly because of Pat’s tragic childhood story about the Egypt Rap (and, segue just to point out 33:22 the incredible moment where you can hear Pat’s feral panic when Simone finds the lyrics to the Egypt Rap) but also because Pat and Simone just talking to each other is so deeply entertaining to me in a very comfy way. I’m starved for human interaction, in this quarantime, okay. Let me enjoy listening to other people have conversations while playing video games. Education scores a 1 because, again, nothing in this video will let me answer a trivia question, however it does get 1 point and not a 0 because the Egypt Rap’s lyrics are in the comments and I did end up learning stuff about Ancient Egypt that I didn’t know. A perfect 5 for Exaltation because this video showed me that talking about trauma can actually be cathartic, given that you’re trashing a video game living room at the same time, and I think that message of not bottling up your experiences really helped me, in these trying times.

BONUS: Pat Gill is not visible for the entirety of this episode, so he scores the standard 0. I’m sure he was hot. We just couldn’t see him.  

2. Why Bloodborne and Muppets are the same thing

Entertainment: 4 Education: 4 Exaltation: 3 Hotness: +2 Total Score: 12

Ah yes, one of Pat’s “x is y because of z” videos. He’s made a number of these and they’re all very good but this one is my favorite among them and earns a spot on this list because 1) I think puppets are cool and 2) I fucking love monsters. 

This video scores a 4 on Entertainment, just shy of perfect, because as funny as it is, it also gives me the vibe like I am being lectured by a professor who’s just a little bit off the shits. And we all know that lectures are supposed to be taken seriously. Which brings us to Education, which also scores a 4. I learned a lot in this video! Watching Pat Gill explain to me that children’s puppets and these horrifying viddy game monsters use the same character principles in different ways is not only very educational but is also explained in a streamline and easy to understand manner that I WISH some of the shitty professors at my old university could emulate. As for Exaltation, while this video did give me enough energy to have a meal, I did eventually end up back in bed for the night at 8pm crying myself to sleep, thinking “I’m like the slime scholar. Used to be a scholar. Now they’re slime.” 

BONUS: Pat Gill is +2 hot here. He’s rockin that basic ass monochromatic aesthetic and I love his look dearly. 

1. Preparing for Big Boy Season in Red Dead Redemption 2 

Entertainment: 5 Education: 3 Exaltation: 5 Hotness: +3 Total Score: 16

Here we are. My favorite non video series Pat Gill video. The video where Pat Gill tries to make Red Dead Redemption 2 protagonist, Arthur Morgan, large. 

Perfect fucking 5 for Entertainment, which I’m sure many may find odd. Afterall, this video is told in a serious investigative tone reminiscent of Vox’s videos on current issues. But that’s the glory of it. The complete and utter ‘playing it straight and serious’ for a ridiculous issue in a video game. It is high tier comedy in a subtle, understated way that sings to my comedy loving heart in a melody so lovely, so wonderful, that it urged me to give this video 5 points for Entertainment. It scores 3 on Education, because I have never played Red Dead Redemption 2, nor will I ever, but now I know things about it. The information was also relayed to me in a very interesting style, via something like a crime procedural, and thus it was engaging for me to absorb all this new knowledge. Exaltation scores a perfect 5 because of this video’s beautiful end about existential smallness. No joke, but hearing Pat Gill say “Our bigness isn’t measured in pounds, but in the impact we have on the people with whom we shared the world.” deadass made me want to talk to my friends again after conversationally isolating myself for 3 days. Preparing for Big Boy Season has a special place in my heart. And there it will stay.

BONUS: Pat Gill is not visible for most of the video but he does appear for like 15 seconds in the middle of it, and guess what. He’s hot. +3 hotness. Good beardage, good hair, all in all, good Pat Gill. 

So there you have it. My five favorite Pat Gill videos. If you read this whole thing, holy shit. You’re welcome, I guess.

[softbiker]

Steve Rogers Oneshot

Warnings: talk about body image/dysmorphia, past ED’s, veganism (idk if that’s a warning???)

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: This is...very self-indulgent. But oh well. A continuation of the Agent 14 series, in which Steve finds another diet he wants to try and he needs some help getting started. As always, let me know what you think! 

Sam finds him one afternoon, staring into the glow of the open fridge, in full superhero stance with his feet planted wide. Nothing abnormal about super soldiers looking for a snack; those boys can really put it away. But this one looks like he’s conducting an interview with the refrigerator contents - in his hand is a small notepad, a worn down pencil stub poised over it, and Sam can see little scribbles and tally marks covering the page.

“Uh…Steve?”

“Hm?” Steve doesn’t turn around, but Sam can see his deep-set frown in profile, harsh refrigerator light illuminating his lowered brows.

“What’re you doing, man?” Sam takes a couple steps closer and peers around those massive shoulders into the offending appliance. “That your grocery list?”

Steve finally looks up, blinking. Absently, he taps the end of his pencil against his chin.

“No, not a grocery list,” he frowns. “I’m just…taking stock, I guess.”

“We do inventory of the fridge now?” Sam sidesteps him, reaching for the orange juice. He still drinks straight from the carton and Barnes can just kiss his sweet ass.

Steve ignores him, sparing only an eye roll in response.

“Don’t worry about it,” he sighs, in a way only Steve Rogers can sigh about groceries. “Just got an idea, that’s all.”

Sam sips his orange juice as he watches him leave the room, more worried by that phrase than anything else Steve could’ve said.

**********

“I’m sorry - you want us to what?”

Steve crosses his arms and gives Clint his most authoritative frown.

“I’d like us to try a plant-based diet,” he repeats, looking at the faces scattered around the common room. This little “family meeting” didn’t warrant using the conference rooms on the upper floors; he had let everyone get cozy after dinner, helped dig through the couch cushions for the remote, and then made his little announcement.

“That means vegan, right?” Natasha says from her armchair, eyes on her phone in her lap. She’d started googling as soon as he proposed this little challenge.

“Woah, woah - hold up,” Sam raises a hand, sitting forward on the couch. “I know you’re not asking me to quit eating meat, Rogers.”

“And dairy,” Steve confirms.

“Eggs, too,” Wanda adds helpfully.

“No meat?” 41’s fingers curl into her baggy bacon-print PJ pants. Her lower lip wobbles. “No-no ice cream?” She looks to Clint, who immediately folds his hand over hers.

“There are plenty of plant-based alternatives-” Steve starts, his tone soothing.

“Is this because of that documentary you watched?” Bucky grumbles. He’s leaning on the back of the couch, eyes narrowed at his long-time friend. “What was the name…the one about the athletes who don’t eat meat…”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Steve glares back at him. “There’s plenty of evidence to suggest it gives them an edge in athletic performance, so why not-”

“Oh my god, Steve, we’re literally a team of superheroes,” Sam groans. “Earth’s mightiest heroes, and all that jazz. We’re already mighty! We don’t need this! I don’t need this!”

“That so?” Steve raises an eyebrow. One hand digging into his pocket, he produces the little notebook he was scribbling in a couple days before. “I’ve been making some notes-”

“Oh boy, here we go,” Clint mutters.

“In our fridge, the percentage of animal products is a little over 60% - that’s crazy high, guys.” Steve licks his lips, glancing at the skeptical faces around the room as he flips a page in his notebook. “Not only that, but as a whole, our consumption of takeout and highly processed foods has really gone up lately; the team ate a total of 23 meals from fast food restaurants in the last 2 weeks.”

“You’re monitoring our food, Rogers?” Natasha is looking at him now, though he almost wishes she weren’t. Her undivided attention is not for the faint of heart. Steve musters himself and pushes ahead.

“Look - let’s just try it, give it our best shot and then, in a month-”

“A month?” 41 cries, clutching Clint’s hand. “A whole month? But…but what about Bite?”

Oh. He’d forgotten. Sam and 41’s cherished food festival, held every July - a whole park full of food trucks, unlimited samples, live music. One of their photos from last year’s Bite was proudly displayed on the door of the fridge: 41 and Sam each chowing down on a massive bacon cheeseburger - a cheeseburger with Krispy Kreme donuts as the buns.

“Well…” he hesitates

“No. Uh-uh. No way.” Sam folds his arms across his chest and sinks back into the couch cushions. “There is no way you’re making us miss the best event of the year for another one of your health kicks.”

“Sam-”

“Besides! You and Tin Man can eat as much pizza as you want and still outrun a car,” Sam huffs.   “No reason to make the rest of us suffer through another one of your diets. Not to mention that I’m not interested in just eating salad and broccoli…that’s depressing.”

Shoulders falling, Steve sighs and drops his notebook in his lap.

“Okay, well. Sam has spoken,” he says, quirking an eyebrow. “Anyone else?”

“Mm, I’m with Sam on this one,” Bucky shrugs, unbothered by Steve’s answering look of betrayal. “Sorry, pal, I guess I just don’t see the point…and besides, we had to go hungry for half our childhood. I’m not gonna live on rations now.”

Steve folds his hands in his lap, staring down at his knuckles with what looks for all the world like a pout. Maybe he should’ve made the team watch the documentary first…that would’ve gotten them excited. Hell, even he was inspired - after all, if a non-enhanced guy could train to carry over a thousand pounds, surely there was some kind of benefit to this lifestyle.

“Alright, how about this,” he pulls his last card, his last idea. “If I can make a meal that will convince you vegan food is actually good, would you agree to try it for a little while?”

Sam and 41 turn towards each other; he raises an eyebrow, she responds with a shrug.

“We can accept these terms,” Sam agrees. “But you’re really gonna have to wow us.”

“Yeah,” 41 nods, settling in next to Clint. “Bring out the big guns.”

From his place behind the couch, Bucky’s shoulders quake with silent laughter.

“You really played yourself on this one, pal,” he chuckles, shaking his head. Reaching across the cushions, he gives 41 a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, squirt. Your ice cream isn’t going anywhere - I’ve known Steve for a long, long time…” He smirks at a now exasperated Steve.

“…and Steve Rogers can’t cook for shit.”

**********

Steve Rogers, in fact, cannot cook for shit. But he’ll be damned if that will stop him from trying.

He’s swiping through recipes and grocery lists on his Stark pad, wondering if baking his own bread would be as easy as it seemed, when the text comes through.

Hey soldier. I heard you were going on a diet. That true?

Steve snorts and chews his lip, thumbs hovering as he thinks over his reply.

Yeah, it’s about time I got in better shape.

Feeling a bit silly, he watches the little dots in the text bubble as she types back a reply, and tries not to feel too pleased with himself at the cluster of laughing emojis she sent.

Well, listen. I’ve been vegan for a while, actually, so if you need any help I’m here!

An eager leap in his heart, and his thumbs fly over the keyboard once more.

Oh, really? In that case…I’m not sure if I can really handle cooking by myself. I have a terrible track record in the kitchen.

Another laughing emoji. They didn’t teach you that in the army?

Shockingly no.

Someone (Wanda? Peter?) may have told him something about double texting, but he can’t help himself as he quickly follows up his text with another.

Anyways, I’m desperate. And the team is desperate for me to not burn down the tower, haha. Can you help a guy out?

Waiting for a reply, his knee bounces under his desk and he clicks the pen in his hand over and over, hardly hearing the annoying little noise as his thumb reflexively twitches on the button. When her response buzzes on his screen, he almost flinches.

Tell you what. Today is my day off, and I needed groceries anyway. Trader Joe’s in an hour?

**********                                                                                                   

“What on earth are those?” Steve stares incredulously at the basket. “And why are they…not orange?”

“They’re called Hawaiian sweet potatoes and they just grow that way,” 14 laughs as she reaches for a display of squash next to the potatoes.

“That’s not a sweet potato - I know what a sweet potato looks like,” Steve says, obstinate brows crowding together. Shaking her head, 14 just turns away from the squash towards the avocados on the opposite side of the produce aisle.

“Oh boy, you’re gonna learn a lot being vegan…” she sighs. She squeezes a couple of avocados, testing ripeness and feeling the size before she chooses two and adds them to one of her produce bags. With a satisfied nod, she settles her hands on her hips. “Okay, next on the list: tahini.”

Looking at the cart, Steve can’t tell what his dinner is going to be.

“Tahini? What are we gonna do with that?” He wonders what it is, too, but doesn’t ask.

“Eat it, Rogers.” Smirking over her shoulder, she grabs the front of the cart and pulls him along towards the condiments aisle. “What on earth would you do without me?”

“Die a carnivore, I guess,” he shrugs.

“Hm. Tragic.”

 **********                                                                                                  

“It’s practically foolproof - all you have to do is cook this, roast the sweet potatoes, and then we’re gonna throw it all in together.”

“Never underestimate my ability to totally ruin a meal.” Steve says, stirring the quinoa. An adorable scrunch wrinkles his nose as he turns to where she’s dicing the avocados. “Ask Bucky. Even army rations taste better than my cooking.”

“You must be very confident in yourself to admit that,” she smiles back. Cheeks warm, he turns back to the pan with a shrug.

Silence stretches between them for a few moments, the quiet of shared work - from the other room, they can hear the TV playing, occasional laughs from Sam and 41 as they catch up on episodes of Brooklyn 99. Outside the windows, the summer sun sinks steadily lower, golden hour glow illuminating the skyline and filtering into the kitchen. She’s barefooted, chipped blue polish on her toes, and her feet pad lightly across the tile floor as she moves her bowl of avocado chunks over to the island. The little sound makes his heart hungry.

“So,” he clears his throat. “How long have you been, uh, plant-based?”

“Hmm. I guess about 6 months or so?” She taps her fingers absently against the marble countertop as she thinks. “Yeah, that sounds right.”

“Wow. Why did you start?”

“Someone dared me,” she winks at him. “No, but really. A friend challenged me to do it with her for a month…and then I realized I felt great and didn’t miss the animal products so much.” She shrugs. “I had more energy, I felt stronger, my skin looked amazing - trust me, after a week, you’ll practically be glowing.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder with a melodramatic flair, rolling her eyes to the ceiling, a playful smile dimpling her cheeks.

He laughs with her, shaking his head. “Oh, thank god. My skin is a nightmare.” His sarcasm sparks her laugh again, and it inflates his chest even more. He feels light, easy, weightless as the dust motes floating through a sunbeam between them.

Her giggles die down when her phone timer buzzes, signaling her to check the roasting potatoes in the oven. Sidestepping him, she leans down carefully in front of the open door, waves of heat assaulting them both as she pokes and prods the vegetables with a spatula. “Perfect,” she closes the oven door with a satisfied nod. “Just a few more minutes. And it looks like that’s almost done, too.” She gestures to his pan and hands him a lid to cover it. “You can go ahead and turn the burner off - the water has cooked out, so we’ll just need to let it sit.”

With the rest of their ingredients prepped and waiting in a neat row on the island, they slide onto a pair of barstools as 14 sets another short timer on her phone. Steve takes a sip from his beer, leaning an elbow on the counter as he turns to face her.

“Have you always liked to cook?” he asks. In his mind, there are a million questions - they roll over each other, constantly trying to push their way out of his mouth, his overwhelming curiosity wishing he could crack open her shell through sheer force of will. Instead, he drums his fingers against the counter, picks at the label on his beer bottle, scratches his beard, and waits for her to speak.

“Oh, no, not at all,” she laughs at the question. She’s not facing him, but she smiles, fingers lightly tracing the stem of her wine glass. “Actually I used to hate it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Surprised?”

Steve is surprised - her kitchen confidence certainly impressed him. Not once has she consulted a recipe, or googled how long to roast potatoes in the oven, how to make lemon tahini sauce. Things that would’ve left him completely stumped and likely going hungry.

“A little. You really seem to know your way around a kitchen, that’s all.”

“Well…” she takes a deep breath, and he can see the shape of it forming in her mind: whatever it is she’s about to tell him, whatever she’s preparing to say - it matters. With a fortifying gulp of wine, she knots her fingers together and forges ahead. “I used to have a lot of…um, body image issues, you know? Super critical of myself, low self esteem…it got pretty bad for a while.” She doesn’t elaborate, because he doesn’t need to know and how could she even begin to tell it? Too many cups of coffee and too few meals, the feeling of a toothbrush in the back of her throat. It hurts her now, the memory of that girl who thought that making herself less would somehow make her enough. She reaches for the wine again. Steve stays quiet, his eyes watchful and soft. It hurts him, too.

“Yeah?” he murmurs.

“Yeah.” Glancing at him, she licks her bottom lip, before turning her eyes back down to her hands. “Anyway - cooking helped me learn how to actually take care of myself.” A half-hearted little shrug, a self-conscious smile. “That’s really all there is to it.”

He nods, holding her gaze, his eyes flicking back and forth between her own. Her shoulders curl where she sits a little hunched at the stool, bare feet tucked up on a bar that ran between the legs of the stool, one knee bouncing rapidly. A minute ticks by, then two, the kitchen gone quiet and warm, hazy with the smell of a good meal.

“You know, a long time ago, before I was…this-” He gestures to himself, his big shoulders and tree trunk thighs, the massive everything of him. “- before the serum, well, I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures. Or a documentary,” he smirks, a little rueful. “I was less than half the size I am now - short, skinny, no matter how much I ate my ribs stuck out. Buck used to try to help me train, doing pushups or learning how to box, but I was still so weak. A strong breeze could’ve knocked me over, probably - plus, I had asthma, and I was always getting sick with one thing or another…honestly, it’s a miracle I didn’t die before the army got me.”

It coaxes a mirroring smile from her, one elbow propped on the island. She shuffles on top of the stool, turning to face him fully.

“I thought…I don’t know, I thought I’d feel…different. Better, once I was stronger.” He shakes his head, chuckling at himself. “But it was more like…I was just in the wrong body. I kept bumping into things, hitting my head on doorframes; I took up more space than I thought I should.” Letting go of his beer, he spreads his hands in front of him, turning them over alternately and staring at the broad palms, the strong fingers, crisscrossed with veins and scars. “Drove myself crazy trying to sketch. I kept breaking my charcoal, snapping pencils…it was like trying to draw with another person’s hands.”

“Did you get used to it?” she asks. The hand not occupied with her wine glass reaches out to gently take hold of his wrist. A delicate thumb drags across his pulse, and she looks down at the lines of his palms, still uncalloused and pink. Her hand cradles his large one as she brings her eyes up to his own.

“More or less,” he shrugs. “Sometimes I still pass a mirror and do a double take.” More often than he would admit, in fact. He thinks of all the mornings he comes home from a brutal run - double marathons, barely sweating - and sees himself getting into his shower, a god he doesn’t recognize staring back at him.

She nods. She understands.

“Taking care of yourself helps. I think - it never quite goes away, but…” her smile is sweet. Hopeful. “The little things. They help.”

Turning his wrist, he grasps her hand with his own. Her skin is soft and warm; smaller fingers slide between his thick ones. Once, a long time ago, their hands would have been the same size.

Just as he opens his mouth to speak, her phone buzzes, vibrating against the counter and startling them both. As she withdraws her hand, she grins up at him.

“You hungry, Rogers?”

“Starving.”

**********

They take their bowls into the living room, joining Sam and 41 on the couch. Steve does his best with the chopsticks at first, but he still hasn’t gotten used to it. In the name of efficiency, he switches to a fork so that he can shovel the food into his mouth faster.

“Woah - what is that?” Sam leans over to get a better look. He sniffs the air. “Damn, it smells amazing.”

“It’s called a Buddha bowl,” 14 says, politely covering her mouth to conceal the sweet potatoes she’s still chewing. With her fork, she strategically arranges the next bite, collecting a little bit of everything: quinoa, potatoes, tahini sauce, avocado, greens. “Because it’s pure bliss,” she adds, before neatly shoving the next forkful into her mouth.

Steve hums in agreement, his own cheeks stuffed full. His bowl is half empty already. Peaking around 14’s shoulder, Agent 41 licks her lips and makes eye contact with Sam.

“I mean…maybe, we could try making some?” she shrugs her shoulders. “With a little Yum Yum sauce, too, I bet that would be good…” Sam is already nodding in agreement, pulling out his phone to look up a recipe.

“Don’t worry,” 14 smiles, patting her friend’s thigh. “I made plenty for everyone.”

As the other two scramble up from the couch and into the kitchen, she catches Steve’s eye and winks.

[yet-another-fan-girl9]

Different Worlds (5)

Summary: You’re the youngest Winchester, a girl who needs to show her big brothers that she doesn’t need help. Then one day, on a totally normal vampire hunt that you had all under control, three meddling Avengers come barging in.

Warnings: language, violence, canon divergence, slow burn, me making stuff up

Word Count: 2001

~*~

Chapter 5: Answers and Headaches

The Winchesters led the Avengers to a large, run-down building that was secluded in the woods. Bucky looked at Steve, then back at the building. If this was a trap, they could take them. The two Winchesters didn’t have any magic… that he knew of. 

“We’re home!” (Y/N) shouted as she opened a door to reveal a large, open room. The inside was much nicer than the outside.

She went down the metal staircase first, followed by her brother and the strange man in the trench coat. The Avengers went down after them, one by one. Tony had collapsed his nanotech suit, but Bucky saw that he kept one of his repulsors on his hand. 

A tall man with shaggy brown hair walked out of the next room. His already annoyed expression became darker when he noticed Bucky and the rest of the Avengers. The next person to greet them was a young man with dark brown hair. His expression was similar to the first man’s, but when he saw the superheroes, his expression brightened. Then the red-haired book thief walked in next. Her large smile grew larger when she saw the large group of people. 

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked when he noticed their expressions. 

“We,” the tall man forced a smile, “have a guest.”

“A guest that isn’t the superhero group behind us?” (Y/N) clarified. 

Then a dark-haired man in a black suit swaggered in to join everyone. The redhead, Bucky thought he heard (Y/N) call her Rowena, smiled even wider. 

“Hello, Squirrel,” the man said to Dean in a British accent. Then he turned to (Y/N). “Do I have a nickname for you, dear? Rabbit? Do you like carrots?”

“Crowley,” Dean growled. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Came to visit my mummy.” Crowley gestured to Rowena. Bucky’s mind really couldn’t keep up with all this. “I caught wind that she had a very special book.”

“Can we just put everything on pause,” Steve interrupted, “and catch us up to speed?”

The rest of the Avengers mumbled their agreement. 

“Everyone into the library,” (Y/N) ordered.

Everyone walked into the next room and found a seat at one of the tables. The Avengers on one side, (Y/N) and her gang on the other. 

“First, introductions,” Tony spoke up. “You know who we are.”

“Meh,” (Y/N) shrugged. “I don’t follow your shitty reality TV show lives.”

The billionaire opened his mouth in offense but Bucky smiled at her. She smiled back and then quickly looked away. Was she blushing?

“I’m Captain America but you can call me Steve Rogers,” Steve began. “This is my friend Bucky Barnes, he was the Winter Soldier, and my other friend Sam Wilson. He’s the Falcon.” He introduced the rest of the present Avengers, pointing at them when he said their name and superhero alias. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Uh, I’m (Y/N) Winchester.” She gave a small wave. “My brothers: Sam and Dean. That’s Castiel, we call him Cas, Jack, and Rowena. Then there’s Crowley.”

“And that was actually Lucifer back there? The Devil? Satan?” the Avengers’ Sam asked. The Winchesters, Cas, and Jack nodded in confirmation. 

“So what the fuck even happened at the cafe?” Clint raised his hand like he was in school. 

“Lucifer escaped,” Cas explained in a low voice. “We used the Magicae Libro and Rowena as bait to trap him again.”

“The ‘Magicae Libro?’” Nat asked. “The Magic Book? Very creative.”

“They didn’t need to be creative when it was the only one,” (Y/N) pointed out. Bucky saw Cas narrow his eyes at her.

“The Magicae Libro is the world’s first spellbook,” said Cas. “Written by witches who were guided by Lucifer.”

“Goddamned witches are a thing too?” Bucky thought about all the supernatural entities he had learned about in the past month: vampires, ghosts, Satan, and now witches? What else was there?

“Yes, ‘goddamned witches’ are a thing,” the Scottish woman said in a slightly harsh tone. “I’m a witch. One of the most powerful, I would say.”

“So who took the Devil?” Tony put everyone back on track. 

“Some angels.” (Y/N) shrugged like it was no big deal. 

“Angels?” multiple Avengers exclaimed.

“Yes, we exist,” Cas answered in prediction to the questions heading his way. 

“You’re an angel?” Steve’s eyes were wide with awe. 

“So Lucifer and angels exist,” Wanda began, “does that mean God and demons exist too?”

“Yes.” (Y/N)’s side of the table answered simultaneously. 

“Are you sure?”

“Considering I am literally the King of Hell,” Crowley said proudly as his eyes turned blood-red, “I am very sure.”

“And God?” 

“Chuck can go suck a dick, honestly,” (Y/N) blurted out. 

“Chuck?”

“My grandfather went by the pen name ‘Chuck Shurley’ for a while,” Jack explained. “He still insists to be called ‘Chuck.’”

“Grandfather?” Clint raises his eyebrows. 

“God has a fucking pen name?”

“Grandfather!?”

“Why does ‘Chuck Shurley’ sound familiar?” Nat tapped her finger on the table as she tried to remember. 

“Grandfather!?”

“He wrote a shit ton of books based on our lives,” Dean shook his head. “He called it ‘Supernatural.’”

“Grandfather!?”

Wanda sucked in a breath and looked at Nat. “I think we read one of the books during a girl’s night.”

“GRANDFATHER!?” Clint was shouting now. 

“My father is Lucifer. I’m a Nephilim,” Jack unhelpfully explained. Bucky swore that every time they tried to explain something, more questions would arise. 

“Please explain,” Tony groaned and rubbed his head.

“A Nephilim is—”

“I know what a Nephilim is. How is your father the fucking Devil?”

“My mother was Kelly Kline,” the young man said before he was interrupted again.

“Wasn’t she President Rooney’s aide?” Steve asked.

“Yes. My father briefly possessed the President of the United States.” Jack was only met with silence as the Avengers tried to wrap their head around the very large info dump. Bucky could see (Y/N) trying to hide a smirk. “He got my mother pregnant. She died giving birth to me.”

“I thought she only died in 2017?”

“This kiddo is only seven years old.” (Y/N) placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder. 

“I need a break.” Tony placed his head on the table. 

“I’ll get some beers,” Dean offered and left the room. 

~*~

You walked over to Bucky with your beer in hand. He gave you a charming smile as you sat down in the chair that was just recently vacated by Steve.

“How are you doing?” you asked.

“Fine, I guess.” Bucky studied your face and you could feel your face warm up. “Are you some supernatural being too?”

“Nope. I’m nothing special.”

“I think you’re very special.”

“Even my brothers are more special than me,” you sighed.

“I think you’re greatly underestimating your value, doll.”

Your heart fluttered at the nickname. You usually hated talking about yourself but Bucky’s compliments were nice. Very nice.

“S-so do you think this is below your paygrade?”

“Sweetheart,” you blushed at the second nickname, “I think this is above my paygrade. It’s above all of our paygrades.”

“You guys deal with this stuff a lot?” Steve joined the conversation.

“Yeah, I guess.” You shrugged. “Sometimes we just go on small hunts. Some monsters would be killing people and hunters go get rid of them. For some reason, it’s always me and my brothers who have to deal with the Apocalypse or the random angel who wants to be God.”

“The Apocalypse happened?”

“We stopped the Apocalypse from happening.”

“When?”

“Way before you guys formed,” your Sam said. “Like in 2009.”

“I had just become Iron Man,” Tony shook his head, “and you guys stopped the Apocalypse?”

“Sometimes I miss the Apocalypse,” you confess. “Simpler times.”

“Definitely simpler than the fucking leviathans,” Dean agreed.

“Oh, Chuck. I hated the leviathans.”

“Let’s skip over the fact that you miss the fucking Apocalypse and move on to ‘What is a leviathan?’” Avenger Sam asked.

“We accidentally opened a portal to Purgatory in 2012 and a bunch of shapeshifting leviathans escaped.”

“Have you heard of Dick Roman?” You looked around the room at each member of the Avengers. Tony, Natasha, and Clint nodded. “He was the leviathan leader.”

“You said they were shapeshifters,” Bucky said slowly. “Did they impersonate you three and go on a killing spree?”

“Yep!” You beamed at him. You don’t know why, but it felt like a weight lifted off your chest when Bucky knew you weren’t actually a serial killer.

“You face monsters and it seems that all odds are against you,” Natasha pointed out. “You guys must be good at your jobs if you’re still alive.”

“Oh, no,” Dean corrected. You smiled. Their reaction was going to be hilarious. “All of us here have died before. Multiple times.”

The Avengers looked like fish, opening and closing their mouths as they processed the information.

“How?” Bucky looked at you with furrowed eyebrows.

“Sammy was stabbed and I made a deal with a demon to bring him back,” Dean started. “Because of the deal, I was dragged to hell until Cas dragged my ass back out. Then there was the whole Mark of Cain thing when I became a demon.”

“The good times,” Crowley sighed as he reminisced.

“I was stuck in a time loop once where Dean died every day.” Your Sam shuddered at the memory.

“Remember when those two hunters killed you ‘cause you started the Apocalypse?” You smirk. You had missed that fateful night as you were off hunting somewhere else.

“Raphael made me explode. Then Lucifer exploded me. Then I imploded because of the leviathans. Then I was stabbed by some lady. Then Lucifer killed me again.”

“God smote me.” Jack frowned.

“Lucifer killed me twice,” Rowena said simply as she looked at her nails.

“I had to die to become a demon.”

“I was smote… smited… smoted,” you gave up and continued, “by Gadreel, an angel, when he possessed Sammy. Then I was mauled by a werewolf.” You wrinkled your nose at the memory. Honestly, you didn’t know which one was worse but you ended up in Hell both times. That was literally a pain in the ass.

“You guys really know how to throw a party,” Tony snarked.

“I don’t see how that’s a party,” Natasha responded.

“I understood that reference!” Steve said with a smile on his face.

“I don’t understand that reference.” Cas looked around, confused.

You sighed and changed the topic, “Do you have any more questions?”

“Well, yes,” Avenger Sam said. “But I don’t think I have the mental capacity for any of the answers.

“That’s for sure,” you heard Bucky say. You let out a snort and Avenger Sam glared at both of you.

“Then it’s time for you all to leave,” Dean announced. “Thanks for stopping by and drinking our beer, but now we have to get back to work.”

“Yes,” Steve agreed and stood up. “We have some work to do as well.”

The Avengers made their way back into the map room and up the metal staircase. They said goodbye one by one and left the bunker until only Bucky was left.

“I hope I’ll see you again,” you said and held out your hand.

“I hope so too.” He took your hand with both of his. How did you not notice his left hand, and possibly arm, was metal? “I want to learn more about you and your work.”

“You know where I live now. See you ‘round, Bucky.”

He smiled, dropped your hand, and gave you one last wave before he left. You knew you had a stupid smile on your face, but for once you let yourself be happy. You stood there for a minute before Rowena broke the silence.

“I thought they’d never leave!” she exclaimed. “I just wanted to play with the Magicae Libro.” A moment of silence. “Where is the Magicae Libro?”

“Where’s Crowley?” Jack asked and you all looked around the library.

“Aw, fuck!”

~*~

~*~

~*~

~*~

~*~

Tag List (strike though means tag didn’t work):

@grav3dollie-666 @broco8​ 

[willow-salix]

This should be titled "Gordon being a little shit for the entire chapter" here it is.

"What are you two arguing about now?" Jeff asked as he walked in to find John and Selene surrounded by papers and Selene in the process of crossing something off a list.

"Guest list," Scott supplied.

"Obviously John has barely anyone to invite," Gordon continued.

"I resent that," John muttered but couldn't actually deny it.

"They want to keep it small so are whittling names off as best they can," Virgil finished. "Well, she is, he's trying to add names to his side."

"Comments from the peanut gallery are not needed," Selene huffed, tossing a ball of scrap paper at his head. "So, Troy has to be there at the reception," Gordon groaned but she plowed on, "but it's just close family and friends at the actual ceremony, we're agreed on that much."

"Yes."

"Troy can bring George if he wants, and only one date, not two, I'm not having a cat fight go down."

"Agreed."

"Let me see," Gordon demanded, snatching the list. "Maybe I can think of someone to add to John's."

"I don't need your help, thank you, I'm fully aware of my own friends." He reached for the list but Gordon moved it out of the way.

"Boring, boring, Conrad is cool, boring, Ned, boring, mega boring, Ridley?" he eyes grew wide as he glanced at his brother. "You're inviting Ridley?"

"Uh oh," Scott whispered to Virgil, moving aside out of firing range. "Incoming."

"What's wrong with Ridley?" John wanted to know.

Virgil, Gordon and Scott's eyes slid towards Selene who was busily scrolling through her phone to see who she had missed. She felt their stares and looked up.

"What? Did I miss something?"

"You've seen the list, right?" Gordon asked.

"Of course I have."

"And you're OK with Ridley coming?"

"Ridley? Sure, why not?"

"Really?" Scott looked shocked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Selene looked a little worried now. "Is she a secret mass murderer that I don't know about?"

"No," John snorted. "Of course not."

She shrugged. "Then I've got no problem, just don't let her…I don't know, dance with the punch bowl on her head."

"Out of everything, a dancing punch bowl is what you went with?" Virgil laughed.

"My brain is a bit busy right now, don't judge me, Muscles."

"But it's Ridley," Alan argued, catching the tail end of the conversation as he came in.

"So what? She's his friend, they talk at least once a week. Men are allowed to have female friends you know."

"So you don't care that she and John were almost a thing?" Alan continued innocently, not seeing the warning glare from John.

"We weren't a thing, she's my friend."

"Oh come on, you were totally into her, why else would you almost get yourself killed and Five smushed to save her life?" Gordon laughed.

"Because that's what we do, we save lives. And I wasn't in to her, we we-"

"You what now?" Selene's eyes narrowed dangerously, her mind catching up with her ears.

"We weren't a thing," John promised her hurriedly, but guilt and a promise to never lie to her had him amending his statement. "Barely a thing, not even a half thing," he continued to ramble. "One kiss, maybe a tiny bit of flirting…" he trailed off.

"Now look what you've done!" Virgil, glared at Gordon who shrugged, totally unrepentant.

"It would have come up at some point." He caused situations, he poked the bear, he stirred the pot, that was his main purpose in life. They all knew it, there was no denying it.

"Explain," Selene continued to glare at John.

"Think carefully, Son," Jeff warned from his desk where he was sitting, observing, watching the world burn as was his style, they didn't want him butting in, then he'd sit and watch…and probably laugh.

"There's nothing to explain," John assured her. "We got on well, we are still good friends as you know, I think she might have wanted more but it didn't work out that way. The GDF changed her position, she was based elsewhere and I realised that I wasn't that bothered by it."

"Not that," she huffed, brushing his confession aside as if it were an annoying bug. "I meant the whole almost getting yourself killed. Explain."

"Oh that, it was nothing. There was a comet about to hit earth and Global one was in the way and would have been hit too, I called Ridley and told her to evacuate and get clear. I had to use Five to tow the ship out of the way."

"That's nothing? You had to tow her ship, like a recovery vehicle and you say it's nothing? What are you now, International tow trucks? Why risk Five?"

"She didn't give me much of a choice, she didn't evacuate with her crew and I had to go get her. Save her, save her ship, that was the deal she gave me, I couldn't leave her there to die."

"So, let me get this straight," her voice had taken on a dangerous tone that even Scott wouldn't argue with. "Some space hussy flutters her eyelashes and basically blackmails you and you go running, putting yourself in danger because she's too dumb to do as she's told and get her arse out of the danger zone?"

John paused for a second, debating how to answer, when she put it that way it did sound bad. Ridley had been reprimanded and demoted because of it but he'd not thought much more of it, they put themselves in danger every week. "Yes?" he hedged, not wanting to argue with her but also not knowing how not to either.

"Dumbass," she yelled, smacking at his shoulder with a pad she'd grabbed off the table. "Never do that again or I'll kill you myself!"

"Ow! No hitting!"

"You deserve it! You almost got yourself killed!"

Gordon started to laugh, he couldn't help it.

"This is all your fault," John glared at his brother, fending off another whap of the pad.

"So you don't care about the fact that they were almost a thing?" Gordon confirmed, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Gordon, please shut up," John sighed, why did his family delight in making everything ten times harder for him?

"Who is he marrying?" Selene demanded to know, not looking at Gordon as she tried to dodge John's hands to reach him with the pad.

"You," John answered, grabbing the pad and plucking it from her hand, which he took in his own, lacing their fingers. "Which is why we are having this very awkward conversation and you are resorting to violence. Well, that and my soon to be dead brother."

"Exactly. The past is the past, people have history, if you wanted to be with her you would be," she shrugged, extracting her hand from his.

"But I'm warning you now, you even dare to so much as think about doing anything that stupid again and I will not be responsible for my actions." She snatched the list off Gordon. "She's going on the table with my annoying cousins as punishment." She made a note on the list looking up with a challenging glare, daring John to argue, to see everyone staring at her again.

"Why do you all keep looking at me like I'm an alien?"

"They're just jealous," John grinned, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer, thankful the awkwardness was over. Honestly, he hadn't known how she would react, most women would have kicked off big time. But he should have known better, she wasn't like most women, she knew they talked, she'd never had a problem with any of his friends, she knew he'd been with others before her and it had never been an issue.

"I'm still mad at you," she warned him, batting at his arm. "Get off!"

"Nope," he tightened his grip, leaning closer to risk stealing a kiss. He didn't get far as she blocked his lips with her hand.

"I said piss off!" she giggled, trying and failing to stay mad at him.

"No, you didn't," Virgil laughed.

"You're a weird woman, Sel," Scott laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but you love me really," she grinned, giving up the fight and allowing John to drag her closer still.

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder and sighed contentedly. This was how it should be, no jealousy, no stress between them other than wedding worries and definitely no secrets. Now he just had to find a way to tell her that he'd invited Ridley to her bachelorette party too. That was a job for another day, he wasn't that dumb to push his luck that much.