#if it were a side street i would be less worried because then yeah probs just an outdoor kitty

[boyslugs]

i am SO annoyed at my city rn... there is no way to report that you've found a lost pet after business hours unless it's injured, and even the non-emergency police line goes to voicemail. i had to leave a cat that was WAY too friendly to just be a stray on the street, because it had no collar, no visible ear tattoo, but like. the fact that it let me pick it up to check its ears for tattoos without getting mad at me? that's someone's pet! i made a pending post in the local group of the neighborhood i'm staying in about it, but because i'm catsitting i can't bring some random cat back overnight until the spca line opens again. i'm so worried about it but i really can't do anything with no identifying information and no injury. i could get up early tomorrow to go see if i can find it during daylight and hopefully report it to the spca properly, but the chances of it still being in this area are slim because cats wander, especially at night as rodents come out. i still might anyways, but man. i hate that there's no after-hours non-emergency lines for cases like this.

[valwentinefics]

I loved your Edward Cullen piece! I feel that that he would have a constant sexual urge brimming underneath and you accurately portrayed it boiling over. May i request another piece on how the MC and Esward met?

A/N: Sorry this took a bit, writers block + still being in school was tough but I managed, even If i’m not all that happy with the result! Prob will do a part 2 sorry the dialogue is awkward. I imagined like a scenario like the cannon universe where edward is into her but also scared of harming her but hes also just a teen boy with his first crush, both Y/n and edward arent sure how to act with it.

Tw: Being scared to walk alone at night?? Idk just put that just in case!! 

The midnight wind blew through Y/n’s hair, a chill running up her spine not just from the cold, but with every set of glowing headlights that passed her by. Y/n was never one to walk around at night, the fear of what may lurk had been pushed upon her since she was a child, and now as she wandered the dim streets her chest felt so tight with fear she wasn’t sure if she could breathe.  Y/n wished she had accepted Dr. Cullens offer of a ride home, but she didn’t want to inconvenience the man and instead lied about taking a taxi. Her and Dr. Cullen had become close over the past few weeks that she had been volunteering at the hospital, hoping to gain experience when she applied to universities to be a doctor. The two were inseparable there, Y/n watching with wide eyes and bated breath whatever the doctor did, and Carlisle carefully walking her through step by step the process of what he was doing. 

She pulled her sweater tighter around her body as she rounded the corner into an alleyway her e/c coloured eyes darting around. She could see her breath as she tried to calm her breathing, but that was proved futile when she stepped on a can, the loud crunch startling a scream out of her. “Get it together Y/n.” She muttered, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, trying to regain composure as she heard distant voices approaching. Her hand, stiff from cold, dug into her pocket, grabbing her keys and sticking them through the paces between her fingers. Feeling a little better, Y/n continued her walk.

Y/n had to admit, despite her terror, the night time in forks was beautiful. The way the streets were illuminated by the passing headlights of cars, and the occasional coloured lights of stores reflected through the puddles that seemed to forever be there in the rainy city had the ability to take her breath away despite how small they were. The awe of the neon painted town distracted her from the silent footsteps coming behind her.

“Y/n?” Spoke a familiar voice. She spun around at the sound of her name, her grip on her keys tightened, only to loosen a bit when she recognized the man in front of her. Edward Cullen. “It’s late, why are you out here alone? You must be cold.” Y/n hadn't talked to the Cullen boy before, or really any Cullen other than Carlisle. At school the Cullen kids seemed like an untouchable group, but seeing him now, soaking wet, she felt as if he wasn't so high above the rest as everyone thought.

“I-I’m fine. Just a little chilly.” She lied, feeling the chill seep past the wet sweater she wore and into her body. The Cullen boy seemed to notice it was a lie, taking off his jacket and placing it over her shoulders in a fluid movement. “But won’t you get--”

“I don’t get cold easily.” Edward cut off her question, “Besides, my car is nearby. It’ll be warm in there.”

“No no it’s fine I’ll just take a cab.” Y/n said quickly, though the feeling of being in a warm car filled her thoughts she didn’t want to inconvenience anyone and much preferred to do things on her own despite her empty wallet disagreeing.

“It’ll be no inconvenience, besides It’ll save you money.” He replied as if he read her mind. Y/n opened her mouth to come up with a reason to not go with him but all that came out was a sneeze.

“See, you’re already catching a cold. Lets go.” Edward put his hand on the small of her back and began to lead Y/n to a Volvo parked on the side of the road. Y/n felt bad for bothering him but she could feel herself getting sicker with every sniffle, and her body was ice cold. She really wished she had initially accepted Dr. Cullen’s offer for a ride, fear dawning on her as she realized she would have to call in sick. If Edward noticed how she was feeling, he didn’t show it, staying silent as he ushered her into the car and passed her a blanket he had stored inside.

The car ride was quiet, the air between the two thick and awkward as they both figured out what to say. Y/n wished she could read minds, know what he was thinking. She hoped he wouldn’t tell Dr.Cullen about the meeting between the two, not wanting to appear like she rejected his car ride for any reason other than her own stupid independence. Y/n was about to say something, a question about how he found the weather, anything to make the ride less awkward, when he pulled up to her house. Quick pleasantries were exchanged between the two and Y/n headed inside, only realizing she had Edwards' coat once he had pulled away.

For the next few days the Cullen's were no shows at school. Y/n had the coat stashed in her locker to give to him, and yet she couldn’t find him. It drove Y/n insane. Every day she would walk into the cafeteria ready to finally get rid of this coat whose presence was weighing heavy on her subconscious, only to face disappointment when he wasn’t there. She knew a jacket wasn’t all that important in the long term, but it smelled so much like Edward’s car and reminded her of him and his stupidly attractive face, Y/n wanted to rid herself of it before her budding crush blossomed into a full blown one. It took a few days for Y/n to muster up the courage to talk to Dr.Cullen about it. Worries filled the back of her mind that he would think her to be stupid or weird, but as the were cleaning up for the night Y/n decided to bite the bullet.

Y/n sprayed the sharp smelling sanitizer on the table, wiping it down with a cloth and repeating on the next, her lips pursed as she thought of how to bring up the situation to the doctor across the room from her, who was busy looking over papers. Luckily the blonde seemed to notice first, standing up from his seat and walking over.

“Y/n, what’s on your mind?” He asked casually yet looking at her with the look of concern only a father could give.

“Well a while ago, when you offered me a ride home because my car was in the shop and I said no and I would take a taxi, I actually decided to walk home because I didn’t want to bother you and then I ran into your son Edward and he gave me a ride home, but then I forgot to give it back to him, so could you?” Y/n asked, her words spilling out of her mouth quickly, glad she could finally get the situation off her chest.

Carlisle chuckled, grabbing a sticky note and writing on it, handing it to Y/n. “I have got to stay late but here’s my address. You can go give him it now or later.” 

Y/n nodded, giddy with the excitement of finally getting away from the burden of having to return the coat. “You’ll be fine here without me?” she asked cautiously before she got too excited.

Carlisle nodded. “Yes, go give my son his coat. And tell him he needs to wear it more often.”

The Cullen’s house was beautiful at night. A mansion buried in the woods, it seemed so serene. Y/n wished she lived there so she could gaze out of the many lit up windows and into the forest. But there was no time for daydreaming about the lush scenery, Y/n was on a mission. She held the grey fabric tightly as she stepped out of the car, nervously approaching the door. She hadn’t heard of anyone going to the Cullen’s house, was she the first from her school? She was nervous as she approached the door, about to knock when the door opened, revealing a small teen with a dark pixie cut. Was it Alexa Cullen? Y/n wasn’t too sure on their names.

“Edward, a cute girl is here for you!” The girl, possibly named Alexa, shouted into the house. “You are here for Edward right?”

“Uh, yeah…” Y/n said awkwardly, looking to the ground and tightening her grasp on the jacket, looking at the pavement that was illuminated by the open door. After a few moments of silence the light disappeared and she looked up, her eyes meeting Edward’s piercing amber ones that seemed to know her deepest secrets.

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds at it” the girl chimed, closing the door and locking Edward outside.

“Sorry about my sister Alice, she’s a little…odd” Edward trailed off, looking to the side. Y/n was glad to know the name of the girl before, but also happy to just look at Edward, as creepy as it sounded. He looked perfect as always, hardly a strawberry blonde hair out of place, and those that were just made him look more perfect. Y/n could feel herself falling hard. Ever since the night he helped her out he seemed irresistible.

“It’s fine…” Y/n replied, the two sitting in silence for a while before Y/n remembered her task. “Oh here, I came to bring you your coat. So, uh, yeah..” She pressed the balled up grey coat into his hands. “Carlisle said you need to wear it more.”

Edward let out a chuckle. “I guess I’ll have to…” he stared at the grey fabric as if it would tell him what to say next.

“So I’ll go then?” Y/n said, though it sounded like a question. She didn’t want to bother him more than needed and began so walk away, pausing only when she heard his voice.

“Wait, before you go. Dinner, Friday, at eight? To make up for the effort you put in giving me my jacket back.” Y/n felt butterflies fly through her stomach, wondering if he possibly liked her back.

“Dinner… sounds good…” Y/n blushed with a smile to the ground, waiting for him to go back inside before giddily running back to her car. “I got a date with Edward Cullen!” She sang to herself as she pulled out of the driveway, oblivious to her crush smiling inside the house at her thoughts.

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Peace | Damian Wayne

Pairing: Older!Damian Wayne x Female!Plus Size Reader

Characters: Damian Wayne, Reader, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain (mentioned), Bruce Wayne (mentioned), Alfred Pennyworth (mentioned)

Word Count: 7k

Request: i have this idea but im not a good writer so i want to request for you to do it: ps reader is dating tim and lately sex isnt great so he invites one of his brothers (the closest in age so probs damian) to have sex with her but she doesnt know and damian doesnt know she doesnt know and when he finds out hes embarrassed and all of that? fluffy ending with damian.

Warnings: angst, mentions of sex, suggestive themes, lying, mentions of hypothermia, brief talk about consent, self-doubt, fluff.

A/N: I got a little carried away with this... I hope you all like it, Damian is one of my favorite characters in general so it was great being able to write for him.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎

Cursing under your breath, you fixed your scarf as you waited to be received. The snow under your boots too out of ordinarily dense— Alfred always demanded the entrance to be free of snow. Upon making that observation you grew worried, the only occasions Alfred didn’t pay mind to those details where when an emergency was occurring and by the tone of the call you got minutes earlier, you couldn’t assume things were going.

They pulled the door open and left it that way so you’d walk yourself inside. Never a positive indication. You recognized the steps walking away from you like Jason’s, his presence in the manor so rare that you hurried in. Catching up with Jason was always hard, his strides were big and the fact that you were freezing didn’t help your situation at all.

Jason held the door to a sitting room open for you, looking at you with sympathy, bordering in pity; Tim had obviously told him you weren’t dating anymore. You thanked him, scanning the place to try to asses why had you been summoned. Swallowing your spit at the sight of Stephanie just beside Tim, you cleared your throat to not interrupt whatever they were doing.

You weren’t stupid, there was something between them. Although it hurt, you had nothing against either of them— it relieved you to know Tim had been honest and loyal throughout your relationship and if his happiness was with Steph, so be it.

Your ex-boyfriend pointed to one of the unoccupied cushioned armchairs, next to the one Jason had just sat on. You took your seat, your eyes dancing from Tim to Steph, to Jason. Tim sighed, “we need your help.” He sounded tired, more than usual, worried.

Nodding, you moved a hand to prompt him to explain what was going on. Tim looked down, Jason shifted beside you. “What’s wrong?” you asked, your nerves spiking up.

“Damian disappeared,” Tim explained. You turned to Jason, hoping he’d give you more telling, but he avoided looking at you.

“And how can I help? Is Bruce informed? And Dick?”

“Yes, he’s fine, but he doesn’t want to talk to us— not even with Alfred. He will talk to you.” Tim removed his hair from his forehead, sighing again— a sign you knew well, one of nervousness— “at least I hope.”

“So you know where he is?”

Tim nodded. Jason’s exasperated sigh didn’t go unnoticed by you. Before you could ask, the oldest of the two brothers spoke, “tell her, Tim.”

Tim picked his mug, mumbling something inaudible on the lip of it and taking a long gulp. You felt yourself starting to tense up, many occasions you had seen your ex-boyfriend do that and it always led to a clash.

He put the drink down on the table, “Remember the last time we had sex?”

How could you forget? You had assumed your relationship was getting better after a bad month. He had been so attentive that night, so passionate— his lips hadn’t left an inch of your body untouched, he had shown to have listened to what you had suggested weeks prior and blindfolded you, Tim had shown you a side of him you didn’t think to exist. He hadn’t been too extreme but he had definitely been rougher than ever, tying your hands and eating you out quite harshly even though he usually avoided giving you oral sex. Now you saw it as a passionate goodbye, it saddened you because it had been the best sexual experience you ever had but it was what it was.

“Yeah,” you rasped, uncomfortable by speaking about it in front of other people. “Why?”

“I– promise me you won’t get mad.”

Stephanie shook her head which made you realize you would definitely get mad. Scenarios crossed your mind, had he recorded you without your consent? Did he have an STD and didn’t tell you at the time? Did you have an STD you didn’t know about and passed it to him?

“What did you do?”

Tim licked his lips. “It wasn’t me. I should’ve told you, but I didn’t know how... it was Damian, I t—“

“You did what?!” you blurted a yell.

He lifted a hand to prevent you from interrupting so he could finish justifying himself. You shook your head, standing up. Your nerves were eating you alive, Damian Wayne had seen you naked and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it!

“Why the fuck did you do that, Timothy?”

He watched you, trying to find the words that would make you less mad. “I didn’t know what else to do! You were upset and... look, I knew Damian liked you so I told him you wanted to try new stuff.”

“You didn’t ask me...” you trailed off, feeling everyone staring at you. Embarrassment was an understatement, your ex-boyfriend was telling you he made his brother have sex with you without your consent and from what you gathered the entire family knew. Snatching your purse, you stormed off the room. You ignored their calls for you to get back in the same way Tim had ignored your opinions and wishes.

On the way to your apartment, you couldn’t help but wonder what else had he lied about, which things hadn’t been real. It was a nightmare, now doubting the best romantic memories you had to even be real. Everything reminded you about your relationship with Tim, the elevator where you had shared your first passionate kiss, that centerpiece on the coffee table he bought for you when he went out of the country for a business trip, the couch and how many times you cuddled there...

You didn’t wish to enter your bedroom even though it hadn’t been difficult to do it when he moved out. You had been so understanding, somewhat naive, you didn’t question him further on when he said the relationship wasn’t working. It hurt, but your consolation had been his honesty, one you now knew to have been false.

You laid down on the couch, facing the ceiling. What a way to spend a Friday evening, in anguish for an ex. Letting it affect you pissed you off, but you were human after all and he had betrayed your trust. As you continued to think about it, the situation turned worse.

From Tim’s family, you were the closest to Damian and Cass. Everyone was nice and kind, even Bruce whom you had found intimidating the first few times you interacted with, but Cass and Damian were special in their own peculiar ways. You had been told you were lucky to have met Damian as a grownup, he had even agreed although you were never given a proper explanation, and it had taken you a few tries to find things to have in common with Cassandra but when you got there your friendship with her became one of the highlights of your life.

Now you wouldn’t be able to look at your friends in the face. Maybe Cass wouldn’t judge you, but Damian had every right to do it. He had seen every inch of your body, touched it with both his hands and mouth, he had been inside you— and it had been the best night of your life.

Buzzing startled you, the vibration of your cellphone against the wooden table annoying you to no end. Extending your arm, you declined the call without looking at the screen. The device buzzed again, now in your hand; reading the caller’s name, you pondered on your options— you could turn the cellphone off and risk Dick breaking into your apartment or pick up. A hard decision, you didn’t want to talk about anything with anyone.

Deciding to get it over with, you picked up at the last ringing. “Hey, Dick.”

“(N/N)!” you could hear the relief in his voice, “Jay told me you left the manor very upset.”

“Yeah... what do you need?”

Dick exhaled very loudly, making you wince, “it’s Dami... he doesn’t want to talk with anyone. Jon tried, Alfred tried, Cass tried, I tried...”

“I can’t help you.” You didn’t feel ready to face him, you weren’t even sure you were ready to process what had happened. “Give him space, Dick, he needs it.”

“I’m worried. He never shuts himself off so drastically...”

Yeah, you knew. “I’ll text him.”

“He didn’t take his phone. But you know in which safe house he is.”

❖︎・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎

Crazy, you were fucking crazy for going out in the middle of the night. It was freezing outside, the fog from the cold and sleet making it harder for you to see in the dark. The Wayne family would be responsible for your death, you were sure, good thing Bruce was rich so he could at least pay for your funeral.

You fixed the hood of your jacket, sleet tapping against the material as you continued your walk. Your hands were numb, the gloves not really warming them up. Driving hadn’t been an option, it was too dangerous and your eyes were too tired from crying.

The streets got darker as you approached your destination, your harsh breathing getting louder. The smoke coming out of your mouth because of the cold was the only indicator of life around you, your steps having to be slower in order for you to not trip only another reminder that you could’ve been under your warm covers. You continued complaining, inwardly, with your nerves about to burst until you recognized the front of the property.

Punching the code at the gates had been harder than you anticipated, with your fingers nearly rigid. The front lawn was in perfect condition as it always did, but the lights were off. You walked up the front steps out of memory like Cass had taught you to do. Lifting your fist, you let it linger on the air for a few seconds, unsure.

It was the right thing to do, you were freezing and going back would mean definitely dying from hypothermia, and yet you weren’t ready. It terrified you more than being kidnapped which had always been so plausible in a city as dangerous as Gotham and with the acquaintances you had. Facing it meant closing a cycle, and closing the cycle would mean having to start again...

Resigned, you knocked twice, made a pause, then knocked twice again. You couldn’t hear any sound coming from inside, but that didn’t mean much. The door cracked open, an annoyed sigh greeting you as a green eye peeked from inside. Damian swung the door open and took you by the wrist, pulling you in with ease.

The entrance was locked as soon as you were inside, his fingers still around your wrist as with his other hand he made sure every lock was on.

“What were you thinking?” Damian snapped. “It’s freezing outside!”

You snatched your wrist off his grip, dying to get your backpack off your shoulders. “I was worried about you.”

“You could’ve died.”

“I couldn’t sleep! I was worried, Damian.” He hated when you repeated things, you shouldn’t have done it at that moment when he was so annoyed but you were annoyed too, and tired, and cold, and worried, and confused, and scared.

“I heard you the first time. Why didn’t you at least drive here?”

“You would’ve scolded me for driving under this weather.”

He took a proper look at you. Damian was good at reading you, your body language, the tone of your voice. There were four persons he knew like the back of his hand: Bruce, Talia, Dick, and you. “You’ve been crying...” it wasn’t a question, nor a prompt to explain yourself. He made the observation, tore his eyes away from you and stepped back.

You were sure he knew by now Tim had told you. There wasn’t any other reason why Damian would suddenly be so tense, not with you. You knew him very well yourself, not to the point he did with you but that came with the training you had never even imagined could exist. There were things, however, Damian didn’t pay attention to about himself that you did— his inclination toward sweet and savory desserts, for example, or the way he hid behind his clothes when anxious, the changes in his voice when in presence of an animal, how his eyes sparkled when he spoke about medicine.

“What did he say?”

“Who?”

“You know damn well who.”

Damian didn’t like losing time, you should’ve also remembered that. “Just what happened that night,” you mumbled, his jaw setting when you didn’t elaborate on it.

“Did you appear here to tell me you hate me?” he surprised you by asking.

You couldn’t help but frown, no matter how frustrating it could be to him. Damian would always tell you frowning didn’t suit you. “Why would I hate you? You didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know either,” he refuted. “That’s not how consent works.”

“I’m aware that’s not how consent works!”

“Then?” Damian pressed, standing perfectly straight. “Why don’t you hate me?”

“Why do you want me to hate you?!” you squealed. You could only imagine that it would be better for him if you hated him so the topic wasn’t touched upon ever again, but you could never hate Damian.

He lifted his arms in exasperation, “because I should’ve asked you at that moment! I shouldn’t have listened to Drake! I shouldn’t have let m—“ he stopped himself abruptly, right hand flying toward his forehead. He rubbed his face, huffing through his nose.

“What? You shouldn’t have let what?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me,” you encouraged him, “it can’t be worse than my ex-boyfriend implying to me in front of his new girlfriend that instead of straight-up telling me he didn’t want me anymore he convinced my close friend to fuck me.” Oh, wow. It sounded worse when you said it out loud— it didn’t even sound real, it couldn’t be, it shouldn’t.

Damian stood there, silently avoiding you. His eyes were solely focused on the wall in front of him, face neutral. How much time passed wasn’t relevant, you were too lost in thought to realize or care. He wouldn’t say anything, and you wouldn’t press on the subject anymore when you had been humiliated so badly. Going there was a mistake, worrying was a mistake, telling him anything had been a mistake. Just like he thought he should’ve done things differently, you were sure you shouldn’t have risked confrontation. Perhaps what annoyed you the most was that he seemed to want you away from him as you had predicted he would, and it hurt way more than what Tim had done.

You hunched down to pick up your backpack, dropping it again when he cleared his throat. “I didn’t require convincing.”

Believing to have understood his words wrong, you stared up at him through your lashes. Tim’s words came to you, ”I knew Damian liked you.” When he said it you had assumed he meant Damian liked you as a friend but not that Damian Wayne liked you. It didn’t sound bad, just highly unrealistic.

He didn’t repeat himself nor furthered his comment, he just stared back. The yellow tones in his green eyes got more prominent the longer you stared, looking like sunlight warming the prettiest forest you’d ever seen. You straightened your back as you shifted on your feet, not sure of what to say.

“Why didn’t you—“

“Say anything?” he interrupted you. You nodded. Damian shrugged, eyes again diverting from your face, “Drake always gets what I want, I wasn’t even surprised.”

You hated the way he said it, so upset his amalgamated accent turned thicker. You were at loss of words, you had never seen him that way— not because you didn’t think he was handsome but because he was Damian Wayne, your close friend, a guy way out of your league.

“I wish you had said something, but I understand.”

Damian lifted both eyebrows. “Would it have changed anything?”

“I don’t know,” you told him honestly. It was so easy to be truthful with him, so freeing.

“You looked happy.”

Tim understood many things without needing an explanation. His body was different from his friend’s and family’s so he never judged yours, he’d remind you there was nothing wrong with being the way you were so often that you had started to believe it. You could put up with the nights of worry and the fights that came with his carelessness because you felt loved and accepted and wanted to give him just that. Tim had been great up until that early afternoon.

And Tim wasn’t Damian. Tim didn’t have time to put up with your rants, he was a detective by day and vigilante by night. Tim couldn’t be there every time you needed company after a bad day, Tim in his sleep-deprived state forgot important dates and details. You had always admired the way Damian’s brain worked, how efficient he was, but you had never stopped to ask him how was he able to do that; it hadn’t even crossed your mind that he could be doing a sacrifice because he cared about you.

“I was.”

Silence filled the living room. Damian had his back against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest, your fingers brushed the strap of your backpack as you wiggled them to keep them from cramping. He had the ability to bend everything over his will, his mood could change yours in seconds, his stance stirred rooms. You felt the temperature dropping, not sure if it was physical or metaphorical, and wondered if it wouldn’t be better to leave.

You didn’t want to leave. Everyone would call you crazy, but Damian’s presence had always been comforting. His silence, his bluntness— you were scared of losing that, how clearer he made things when you were confused, how much you learned from him. Things would never go back to normal, your friend liked you for some reason and you didn’t know what to think about it, he had seen you naked without you even being aware, and it seemed like he hadn’t hated what he saw. But leaving was the best option. You were confused, overall scared, and Damian couldn’t be of comfort at that moment— he shouldn’t.

Zipping up your jacket, you let out a sigh. “Just go home, man. Your family is worried.”

His low hum caught your attention. Expecting him to say something else would’ve been losing your time, Damian wasn’t a fan of being told what to do. However, he snatched his coat from the hanger and slid it on. Damian took his car keys and wiggled them, wordlessly telling you he’d drive you.

You tried to protest, using the fact that it was past 7:00 AM already. Damian wasn’t having it, it was still cold outside. You were desperate to get home already, you needed time with yourself and the sooner you got it the better.

The silence between you two not being uncomfortable throughout the ride was astounding. It felt colder in the car than back at the safe house, probably because the sleet hadn’t ceased but mostly because you were on edge. He didn’t attempt to talk nor to do anything else then drive really, he looked calm as always, so collected it unnerved you. You considered for a moment that he had simply told you what he did out of pity then discarded the thought because Damian wasn’t like that.

In any other situation, you would’ve found curious how deeply you knew him, but it was starting to scare you. One thing was being aware of what your friend liked or disliked but not even self-sabotaging your thoughts because you knew them that well was in the highest level of knowledge about someone. It meant you thought about him more often than you had ever cared to admit, more than you had ever realized.

You had so much to ponder on, to worry about. How long would it take to close the cycle of your relationship with Tim when now you weren’t sure if it had been honest or not? Would your friendship with Damian be ruined by what happened plus his attraction toward you? Were you attracted to him?

In the apartment, the silence was different, deafening. The place felt bigger than it was, bigger than it had felt when you left in the middle of the night. Unfolding the blanket you always kept on the couch, you wrapped it around your body and curled up with your head on the arm of the furniture. You also turned the tv on, hoping the noise would help you get some sleep.

Nothing helped, your mind wasn’t letting you rest. It insisted on replaying Damian’s unwavering tone when he said he hadn’t needed convincing. You probably wouldn’t have needed convincing either if Tim had asked you to fuck his brother, but it felt... wrong. Saying you had internalized your attraction toward Damian to protect yourself was an understatement, the potential rejection was scary but it wasn’t in the top five of the things you feared in relation to him— and that only proved you actually liked him back.

Conflicted was putting it lightly. If someone would’ve asked you the morning before if you had feelings for Damian Wayne you would’ve laughed, now you couldn’t take the idea off your mind. Processing it all would require time, the comfort he gave you, the confidence, seemingly the pleasure— you were seeing him in another light, and the worst part of it was that you weren’t startled by it.

Finding natural to be attracted to someone you had never seen that way before wasn’t how you expected your week to start.

You assumed Damian had eventually gotten back to the manor, your phone hadn’t buzzed too much throughout the weekend apart from a few messages in your friend’s group text. A nice contrast with your mind which was reeling from Friday and your newfound passion.

Was it just passion? You didn’t know, you weren’t sure of wanting to. Damian had started to consume all your thoughts and feelings, your dreams too— the anger you had felt from finding out Tim hadn’t been the one to pleasure you that night had dissipated by the second morning you woke up soaking wet due to a dream. It obviously had more to do with your libido than with anything else, but the new perspective was better.

Seeing it that way made you feel dirty. If you closed your eyes and let your mind wander back to that night you now could see Damian hovering over you, the greenest eyes you had ever seen staring into your soul with dilated pupils— you could picture the smirk you had felt against your skin as he nipped on your thigh. He was driving you crazy without knowing it, but him knowing terrified you.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎ ・・・・・❖︎

Taking alone time for yourself was the best decision you could’ve taken. You didn’t find all the answers nor closure regarding Tim and you felt really lonely, but you decided to focus on what you could— it gave you perspective, about Damian, about your interpersonal relationships in general, what you wanted, what you enjoyed.

Damian hadn’t contacted you. It would’ve bothered you if you weren’t so familiar with him. He wouldn’t call until you showed signs of wanting to talk, he was too busy to beg— and even if he wasn’t, Damian Wayne never begged.

When ready, you texted your group chat with Damian and Cass as nothing had happened. Both texted you individually about very different topics as they always did, it was something you thoroughly enjoyed about them.

Damian’s answers were quicker than usual, yours shorter. You didn’t want things to be awkward between you two, but you didn’t really know what to say; or if you should say anything about what had happened.

What if not speaking about it was for the best? You liked him, the realization of it scared you to no end, and he liked you back. He fucking liked you back, why or how only he knew, but the fact that he did felt good yet it mingled with guilt. He was Tim’s brother, and although your ex-boyfriend hadn’t had consideration toward you, you felt bad.

Damian took over your thoughts, as you did house chores, as you worked, as you went out with your other friends... now you missed him in a way you had never missed anyone. His annoyed sighs, his tutting, his interesting topics of conversation, how funny he could get to be, his handsome face, his silky voice...

And so you texted him, asking if he was busy. He didn’t reply, at least not in the next five minutes. You turned the device off, not wanting to continue hopefully staring at it. Some would say it was childish, but you genuinely weren’t in the headspace to be rejected.

Pounding on the front door took you out of the tv show you were watching. Untangling yourself from the fuzzy blanket, you dragged your feet against the floor.

Damian slid past you as soon as you swung the door open, his steps more silent than ever as he analyzed the living room. His eyes stopped on the pile of folded clothes next to the couch for a prolonged moment before he continued what he had been doing.

You locked the door, estranged by his actions. “Are you looking for something?” you asked, the crack of your voice caused by how little you had used it that day making you wince, he’d surely realize.

He glared at you from behind the arch of the kitchen. “I thought you were in danger.” Before you could say something, he spoke again, “what happened to your phone?”

“Nothing.” You picked the cellphone from the center table and turned it on to show him.

Damian inhaled deeply, clearly keeping himself from snapping at you. He walked back to the living room, shaking his head once or twice while mumbling something in Arabic, and leaning against the wall just next to the window from where he could take a peek of the mostly white snowy street.

You went through your phone to avoid the tension between you two. The second worst idea you had that day, the first being texting him. You had multiple texts from him, a few from Dick, missing calls from the entire family. In your attempts to not get your heart broken you didn’t stop to think how it would seem to Damian if you suddenly stopped responding after asking if he was busy.

“Why are your clothes in the living room?” his inquiry bounced against the window glass.

You stayed quiet, he’d surely get the hint you didn’t want to talk about that.

He did get the hint, he also ignored it. The least you could do, in his mind, was answer his questions after worrying so bad. “(Y/N)?”

Lying to Damian was so hard you didn’t even try it. “I’m not using my closet anymore,” you explained, looking for the remote to turn the TV off in order to have an excuse to not look at him.

In contrast, he focused on you. You were now folding the blanket to keep your hands busy, fixing the pillows on the couch so it would look in the same fashion it always did.

“You’re not sleeping in your room.” Damian wasn’t sure if it came off as a question or an observation but it was the latter.

You shook your head, inwardly, and uselessly, begging he’d drop the topic at that. You were ashamed to accept what happened was affecting you, and even more ashamed by the fact that it was affecting you in ways you never expected. His silence was worse than being alone, there he was with his arms crossed once again, jaw clenched, and attention out of the window. You considered turning the TV back on just to feel less uncomfortable, less exposed.

Connecting the dots wouldn’t be hard for anyone aware of the situation. You should’ve said something, explain it didn’t have to do with him— not negatively at least— but you were too nervous, almost on edge which was getting too frequent for your liking.

Willing him to say something, you focused on him as if the intensity of your gaze would make a difference. He was already watching you like a hawk, analyzing every twitch. Damian uncrossed his arms, his palms slapping against his thighs as he pushed himself off the wall. “I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” you assured him. Masking how surprised you were by his apology had been hard, probably pointless when he knew you so well.

“It’s no excuse.”

“Damian, please.” Your voice got smaller, the last word coming as a mere whisper. Speaking about it terrified you, he was right and you wished it wasn’t the case— you had tried to ignore the fact that he hadn’t given you his consent either and you didn’t have a way to know if he had enjoyed himself. The longer you thought about it, the dirtier you felt.

You were angry at yourself for not having known better, at Tim for not being honest... but you weren’t mad at Damian. Should you have been when he was almost as unaware as you? Wanting to be sure, to at least have some closure, you asked, “when did he tell you the truth?”

“The night before he told you.”

“Why do you feel so bad about it, then?”

He sighed shakily, dropping his head forward. He hoped that if he stared long enough the floor would open and swallow him, it would be way better than having you hear the truth. “I can’t stop thinking about it,” he explained, eyes on the same spot they had been for the past couple of minutes. He heard your breath hitching, the swallow of your spit. Damian braced himself to be slapped when he heard the thud of the blanket being dropped on the cushioned arm of the couch.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“What?” Damian’s gaze snapped upward, completely lost as to why you could be apologizing.

You clarified what you meant, “I’m sorry you had to see... me.”

“You idiot! I don’t mean it in a bad way.” Damian hated how insecure you could be, he knew it to be natural in an environment where people believe their personal standards to be the norm but it was horrible to see. He had tried his best to make you understand there was nothing shameful about your body but it seemed like he had failed. “It’s not...” he groaned, straightening his posture. There went nothing. “I feel guilty because I get turned on thinking about it.”

Oh. Well, at least you weren’t the only one who thought about it constantly. The days consequent to that night hadn’t been easy, the break up had come too soon and the only thing you had as consolation was that night. The fact that you had touched yourself while thinking about Damian without knowing was weird, it felt intrusive and at the same time thrilling— adding it to the fact that then you had wet dreams about it wasn’t a good look. Or yes, who knew at that point? Surely not you.

“For what it’s worth, me too.” Your face was burning up as the words left your lips. Your sex life wasn’t something you talked about with Damian, and when you did it with Cass you spared her the details because she didn’t like hearing about Tim in that way.

“But you didn’t know it was me,” he reminded you, and himself.

You made a face, “I don’t really care that much... it sounds bad but I don’t. It was my first orgasm in months.”

Damian stepped closer, naturally towering over you. You gazed up, trying to make sense as to what he was doing. “Am I reading this wrong?” he inquired in a whisper, fingers flexing to stop himself from touching you.

“No.”

He cupped your face with a hand, his freezing cold fingers making you shudder. He leaned in slowly, leisurely, his breath hit your skin and his nose brushed yours but he still didn’t kiss you— not yet. Arm snaking around your waist, he licked his lips. You couldn’t take it anymore and closed the gap, moving your lips against his as your hands rested firmly on his shoulders to not lose balance.

Kissing Damian was an experience, there wasn’t any other way to call it. He wasn’t in a hurry, his tongue had just tickled your mouth open but he hadn’t made a move to deepen the kiss. The heat from his body didn’t feel human, it transferred to your insides— it made butterflies swarm around in your stomach. For someone who hadn’t known they were attracted to their closest friend, your body was reacting as if you had been longing for that moment your entire life. You felt like floating, with his arms around your waist and neck respectively and his tongue tickling yours.

You didn’t want to part from him, oxygen was getting scarce and you found yourself thinking you’d rather die than stop kissing him. He found a good middle ground, recovering his breath with his right cheek against your left one. Inhaling your perfume in the process, he tightened his arms to have your body completely flush on his.

You moved your head to face him, finding the most peaceful semblance you had ever seen on him. Damian waited for your move, or your words, his eyes dancing all over your face. He had never had you so close, not properly, he hadn’t thought it would be possible to find more details to like about you but there he was, in awe of your beauty.

Tentatively, you kissed him again. He kissed back immediately, this once around not taking his time at all. You whined on his mouth, making him grunt. You caressed his thick hair, fingers burying between the dark locks as you pulled him impossibly closer. Damian pushed your body backward, your calves hitting the edge of the couch as he sucked your bottom lip between his.

You brought him down with you, his first reaction being to place his open palm on the back of your head so you wouldn’t hurt yourself as you tried not to giggle. He huffed a laugh himself, pecking your lips before dragging his own down to your jaw.

As he kissed your neck, he asked, “what do you want, Amira?”

Your attempts of getting out of bed failed the next morning, Damian pulled you closer as soon as he felt you move. You didn’t have any other option than placing your head on his hard chest, your index finger mindlessly tracing patterns against his dark olive skin. The tips of his fingers ghosted your back up and down, his steady breathing threatening to lull you back to sleep.

“I have to go to work.”

He hummed in answer yet gave no signal of wanting to let you go. If it was up to you, you would stay there with him for the entire day, in the little bubble you two had created the night before and would probably burst once you had to talk about it.

It didn’t feel like a mistake which should have surprised you, actually, you couldn’t think about a better decision you had taken in your life. Dramatic, sure, but no less true.

“Just call in sick,” he grumbled, properly tucking both your bodies into the covers. You could feel the ripple of his muscles as he did it, with just one hand as with his other arm he kept you in place.

You huffed a laugh, “I’ve only called in sick once.”

“An even stronger reason to do it now.”

“Don’t you have to go to work too?”

Damian snorted, moving his head to stare at you. You did the same when you heard and felt him shuffle. “Will you stay if I say no?”

As much as you dreaded the idea of leaving for work and not seeing his handsome face, you also dreaded the idea of having to see him go.

Damian seemed to have read your mind and interpret your silence, he brushed your cold cheek with his knuckles. His steady breathing quickened a little bit, you wouldn’t have been aware of it if your head hadn’t been resting on him. “Will you avoid me again if I let you get up?”

You shuffled just enough to face him, both your hands flat on his chest. “It wasn’t personal against you.”

“It felt like it.”

“I needed time, that’s all.”

“For what?”

You took a sharp intake of air, swallowing your excess of saliva as you exhaled. “Think, meditate... however you want to call it.”

“Is that why you don’t want to use your bedroom?”

“We’re literally in my bedroom.”

He rolled his eyes, “that doesn’t mean you want to use it.”

You stared down at your hands, the natural light of the morning making Damian’s skin glow under them. “It’s strange.”

“Why?”

“I think—“ you stopped for a moment to consider your phrasing, there wasn’t any other way of saying it and getting the point across than being direct. “At first it was because of what happened that night.” You felt him tense up, your fingers immediately rubbing circles over his skin in attempts of soothing him. “But then, after I tried to convince you to go back to the manor... it just doesn’t feel the same knowing things between us won’t be like they were before because it something that happened here.” You could’ve had articulated it better, but you didn’t want to mention Tim.

“Do you want that?” Upon seeing the confusion in your face he reformulated the question, “do you want us to be like we were before?”

”You don’t?”

He shook his head in answer. “Why would I?”

“Because I’m your best friend?”

“That’s Jon.”

You lifted your fingers to playfully slap them against his chest, “don’t be sassy with me.”

“I don’t like you the way I tolerate him.”

”isn’t it weird?” you mumbled the question.

Damian pursed his lips, looking up in thought. You took your time to stare at him some more, your fingers itching to trace his facial structure. “Because of Drake?”

“Your entire family,” you clarified, wishing you could avoid the topic altogether.

“I honestly don’t care.” You only hummed. His eyelashes fluttered as he dropped his gaze, his hand back to caressing your face. “What do you think?”

“I think,” you said through a sigh, “that I’m calling in sick.”

He smirked, withdrawing his arms to allow you movement. You shivered due to the change of temperature as soon as your legs swung from the bed, a pair of panties and a t-shirt were the only clothing covering you; you hadn’t really needed more than that and the duvet to sleep warmly, Damian’s body was extremely hot— literally, in both aesthetics and temperature.

Damian granted himself the pleasure of staring at your body as you stood just in front of him while making the phone call, the bouncing of your left leg, the slight tilt of your head, your shifty eyes while listening to whatever your interlocutor was saying. The longer he stared the stronger the urge of pulling you back into bed got. The phone call hadn’t even been lengthy, he was being a brat, but it wasn’t as if he cared.

He sat up near the edge of the bed, his feet flat on the floor without any effort thanks to his height. You thanked your boss, your eyebrows furrowing when you realized Damian had changed positions. Your eyes diverted down to his torso at the same time the line clicked.

Putting your cellphone down on the bedside table, you asked, “do you want something for breakfast?”

He opened his legs for you to stand between them, hands ready to be placed on your sides the second you complied. Out of instinct, you wrapped your arms around his neck, his hot breath giving you goosebumps as it hit your neck.

Lightly brushing your face as he ever so slightly turned his, he spoke with his lips against your jaw, “Are you on the menu?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe, then.”

Damian ignored the way you rolled your eyes and continued trailing kisses over your jaw and chin. You gripped his hair so he’d face you, leaning down to kiss him when he did so. His arms snaked your hips as he kissed back, opening his mouth a little bit more than you which gave you some type of advantage.

“I really like you,” you finally said out loud, mouth still hovering over his.

You felt him smile. It prompted you to put some distance between your faces in order to take the sight in. He didn’t smile often, you weren’t sure as to why but you had theories— that didn’t matter, what did was that he had gifted you an honest smile, one that showed his dimples and brightened his eyes.

The urge to cup his face overcame you, your hands slowly slid toward his jaw and as they abandoned his hair— Damian nuzzled against your left one. Your thumbs caressed his cheek softly, his inhaling and exhaling making the small hairs on your arms stand up and fall down at the rhythm of his breathing.

You hadn’t felt so much peace in a long time, it might have been the pride flowing through you at the fact that he wasn’t very open with people— much less when it came to emotions— but you let yourself entertain the idea that the real reason behind it was how easy it had always been to be yourself around him.

It only hit you when he locked his eyes with yours that you were making him feel the same way. No amount of self-sabotaging or teasing from his family could take that away from you.

[snarkwrites]

11 | gangsta; sweetpea

Notes:

SO.. I uhh... Got super into writing this recently. I just really liked where it was heading after part 7. Yes. Yes, I realize that literally no one asked for more of this but.. I wrote it. Might as well share it.

I warn in advance, yet again. There’s not quite as much going on in this chapter as the previous one but there is still A LOT. And Dave kind of makes an indirect appearance. Via text.

This is the final part  I have already written and waiting to go. I know, I know.. Literally no one asked for this. But you’re getting it anyway. Catch you guys with more of this fic that literally nobody has asked for in a few days, probs. 

Warnings:

loosely canon compliant - this is the biggest warning, so if you’re into things that follow exact canon plot you are… definitely not going to like this. angst & slow burn, heavy sexual tensionstarting now, actually - this is just so everyone who started reading this thinking the smut would transpire in a hurry knows that apparently, it is not. violence / swearing & fighting, possible underage drinking and other shenanigans- look.. it’s high school. shit happens. also apparently, my ofc Alyssa uses the word fuck like all the time?…eventual sexual content / a virgin original character- this one is self explanatory. yes, i plan to write a smutty chapter in this at some point. when? i don’t rightly know. it’s got a while before we get there. revenge porn / grooming behaviors + an older boyfriend that Alyssa had in Chicago and moved to Riverdale to get away from are hinted at here. And this chapter might not be the only one in which we hear about Dave Novak. - I put this here so it doesn’t trigger anybody. I tried to be very very very vague when I wrote out things.. But if you can’t handle it, I understand trust me... This is not going to be a huge part of the fic, no worries. It will have a small arc, but then it’ll be resolved.

Pairing:

Andrews!Sibling OFC, Alyssa x Sweet Pea

Other Parts:

[ one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten -  soundtrack ]

Other Stuff:

[ faq - tag list doc ]

Tagging:

@brithedemonspawn​ is the only person on my Riverdale tag list. If you’d like to be tagged for this story by all means.. Please let me know. Please, I beg. It’d make me super duper happy!!!

                                                        ELEVEN.

We all seemed to have the same idea. We wound up down at the quarry at the same time. Cheryl and I emerged with Kevin from the path leading away from Riverdale High to find Toni and Sweet Pea were already sitting on the bank, staring out at the water.

Cheryl took a seat beside Toni, leaning against her side with an arm around her. I sat down between Sweet Pea and Kevin. Kevin’s eyes darted around the area. “So this is what the quarry looks like in daylight.”

“Mhm.” I mumbled. Not really caring about any potential awkwardness as I found myself leaning against Sweet Pea’s side. Gazing out at the water. Sweet Pea slipped an arm around my shoulder but I didn’t notice it until a little later when his hand squeezed my upper arm just as I started to cry a little.

People had been somber and quiet all through the day. Weatherbee announced the death on the intercom with morning announcements and while you had some Bulldogs who were a lot less hesitant to openly say good riddance, you had quite a few people who were just saddened that everything played out the way it did and resulted in Fangs death.

“Midge shouldn’t have been with us that night. I can’t stop thinking that whatever the Hood saw that night gave him the impression that Midge was down here doing something she wasn’t.” Kevin sighed, shaking his head sadly. By now, he’d told Cheryl and I the whole story.

Midge had been posing as a date for both Kevin and Fangs. Helping them slip off to be together now and then. It explained why the weeks leading up to Fangs death, we saw a fair bit less.

“You guys meeting didn’t have anything to do with what happened.” Sweet Pea mused aloud, glancing at Kevin. 

Kevin eyed him warily. The entire walk down to the quarry, he’d been worried that coming down with us wasn’t a good idea, that Toni and Sweet Pea might not welcome him being there, but we explained that he and Fangs weren’t exactly a deep secret among the four of us. “I tried to tell Dad to let him go out the back of the station entirely, but Minetta intervened. Insisted that he went out the front or the side.”

“Because Minetta’s a fucking prick who only wanted to make sure his stupid half assed attempt at ‘justice’ got put on the news at 8.” Toni muttered. Reaching out to give Kevin’s shoulder a squeeze. Kevin took a shaky breath or two and nodded.

“I just can’t stop feeling like somehow, if one thing happened just a little differently.”

“Me too.” the rest of us muttered in unison before we all fell silent again. The late afternoon sun sank lower in the sky. Toni stood, pulling Cheryl off the ground. “We need to be getting back to the campground… Getting ready for the last practice of the play... Kevin, if you wanna walk with us…”

Kevin nodded, pulling himself off the ground. Glancing back at Sweet Pea and I. I called out to the three of them that I’d see them later. 

This left Sweet Pea and I down on the bank alone.

And for about ten minutes, neither of us really said anything.

The chill started to take over the air and I hugged myself a little. Wishing I’d worn more than the thin black and white striped long sleeve top I was wearing with my favorite jeans. Sweet Pea must have seen me doing it, because he moved to sit behind me. One of his legs on either side of my body as his arms wrapped around me and he propped his chin on my shoulder. “Better, Cherry?”

I nodded. Keeping quiet. Thinking about everything that had happened lately. I leaned myself back against Sweet Pea before I even realized I’d done it. He gave a quiet growl. His arms squeezing me just a little. Putting me even closer to him.

“None of this feels real. It feels like a nightmare.” I mumbled after a few seconds of heavy silence. Sweet Pea muttered a quiet “Yeah.” in agreement.

I turned around to face him, my legs settling over his upper thighs. He pulled me onto his lap completely. Raising his hands so that they rested on either side of my face. His thumb rolling over my cheeks. I’d apparently started crying a little and hadn’t noticed.

“You need to get home. Hood’s back, remember? C’mon, I’ll walk ya, Cherry.”

I nodded. Pulling myself off his lap and holding out my hand. He grabbed hold and lazily pulled himself up from the grass and nearly fell into me. We started up the trail and through the trees and I reached down, grabbing hold of his hand. Clearing my throat as I gazed up at him.

“Please don’t go after anybody or anything. You saw the huge fight that almost happened in the parking lot this morning. I don’t want anything to happen to you too, okay?” I muttered the words softly, giving him what I hoped was my best begging look.

“I promised I’d wait until Jugs did or didn’t find something. I keep my promises, Cherry.”

I nodded. Giving his hand another squeeze.

My dad’s house was in view again and I raised a brow at the sign in the front yard.

Andrews for Mayor.

“What the hell?” I muttered, nodding to the sign.

Sweet Pea eyed it, shrugging.

“It’d be better than Hermione Lodge.”

“I know, but..” I trailed off, shaking my head. We paused under the street light just as it came on overhead. We stood there awkwardly for a minute or two and then he stepped closer. Pulling me into a hug. Squeezing a little.

“Get inside, Cherry.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. Gazing up at him as the hug broke. “Let me know when you make it back to the camp.”

He gave me the thumbs up and started to walk in the direction of the campground FP had them all staying at for the time being. I wandered up onto the porch, leaning against the front door to pull myself together a little before stepping into the house.

Just in time to find Veronica and Archie sitting at the table with posters and signs spread out all over. And to hear my dad talking to my mom on the phone. My mom, of course, was telling my dad how running for Mayor may not be the best idea. But my dad was insisting that with everything that had happened as of late, somebody had to actually try to do something.

I wandered over to the table, flopping into a seat. Veronica reached out, pulling a dried leaf out of my hair.

“Did you hear the news?” she smiled at me.

“Dad’s running for mayor?” I questioned. My dad smiled. Held out his phone so my mom could say hi to me. 

“Are you just getting home?” my mom asked, giving me one of her looks as she did.

“I went to the quarry after school with some friends.” I answered her.

“I heard what happened, sweetie. If you need to talk, you know you can call me, right?” my mom eyed me in concern. I nodded as I pulled myself out of the dining chair and made my way over to the stove to fix myself a plate of spaghetti.

After a few more minutes, my father ended the call, coming to sit down across the table from me. “Well? What do you think, tiny?”

“Honestly? I think this is a good thing. A very good thing. If anybody can fix all the crap that’s wrong with Riverdale, I think it’s you.” I smiled at my dad. Veronica spoke up, voicing her agreement.

After my dad went upstairs to take a shower, my brother spoke up.

“All the stuff with Hiram is behind me. I can’t believe I thought I’d be able to pull off what I was trying.”

Veronica gave his hand a squeeze and spoke up, gazing at me. “Your brother finally realized what I’ve been trying to point out to him about my father all along. And then I found out new things and… I have to do something.”

“Do I want to know?” I asked, twisting spaghetti around my fork and taking a bite. Veronica shook her head and muttered quietly, “I wish I didn’t know. That’s all I want to say right now. I’m still trying to get my head around it all.”

I nodded. Dropping the subject.

“Where’d you get the shiner, Archie?” I nodded to his black eye. He shrugged it off, chuckling. “Chuck ran his mouth at practice. I shut him up.”

“Oh shit.. Tell me he wasn’t stupid enough to try his crap with Veronica again?”

“Nope. He just ran his mouth.”

I laughed quietly, shaking my head. Putting my bowl into the sink and making my way up the stairs, into my room. Flopping across my bed right as my phone went off twice.

[ tall broody and handsome ] I made it, cherry. Jughead thinks he might’ve found something out too. Going to meet him now. I’ll let you know.

I texted back quickly.

[ cherry ] thank you for letting me know.

I hesitated because I wanted to type out that I didn’t know what I’d do if something happened to him too, and after staring at the entered words, I erased them, going with the simple thank you.

Then texting him again.

[ cherry ] that was fast. Be careful. You’ve got your switchblade and another person with you, right?

The next text had my skin crawling and everything I’d eaten that day crawling up my throat.

[773 - 589 - 7956] guess who?

[ 773- 589 - 7956 ] i bet you think it was real cute.. Turning over all that stuff to help them lock me up. i know it was you, scarlet. 

[ 773 - 589 - 7956 ] you owe me, scarlet. And i intend to collect.

I threw my phone down and crawled up to the top of my bed. Putting my knees to my chin and my arms around my knees. Taking long deep breaths but that didn’t help me at all.

He wasn’t supposed to get out. How had he gotten out?

My stomach churned. I knew I needed to tell someone, but at the same time, I didn’t want to, either.

I got myself into this mess. I needed to get myself out. One way or another.

Besides, I tried to convince  myself, there’s no way he’ll come to Riverdale. 

XXX

Sweet Pea got to the place he’d agreed to meet Jughead just in time to see the end result of the fight.

Well, it wasn’t so much a fight as it was a one sided ass kicking. He managed to get his hands on some of the Ghoulies sent by Penny Peabody to find Jughead and get even, but Jughead was laying there on the ground. Badly beaten. Unconscious.

He picked him up and carried him to the hospital. Calling FP on his way there. Explaining what he’d seen and what he thought happened. FP showed up at the hospital with Toni and a few of the other Serpents about fifteen minutes later, just as the doctor was coming out to tell Sweet Pea that Jughead was awake.

FP went in first.

And outside in the waiting room, Sweet Pea found himself thinking about the one thing that Jughead had managed to say before he slipped into unconsciousness. A Bulldog hadn’t fired the shot that killed his best friend.

Midge’s mother had done it. In a fit of grief. The cops weren’t pressing the issue. And Sweet Pea felt conflicted, because on the one hand, he understood that it was grief. On the other hand, he wanted some kind of revenge. Closure.

Because he’d just lost his best friend. The only person he had left that he considered true family. Fangs had been like a brother to him.

His mom had mentioned that he had a half brother once, but that they’d never know each other. Fangs felt more like family to him than any of his blood relations did at this point, because Fangs was always there.

XXX

Inside the hospital room, FP explained what he’d done to keep Fangs safe until the heat was off. Jughead listened and when his father finished, he spoke up quietly. “We have to at least let Sweet Pea know. The guy was his family. Fangs was the only family Pea really had.”

FP mulled it over, nodding. “I’ll talk to him when I go back out into the waiting room. You find anything you were lookin for about who fired the shot?”

“Midge’s mom. She turned herself in this afternoon. They’re not going to do anything to her, I don’t think.”

Betty rushed into the room and FP made his way out, letting the two be together alone. Once he was back in the waiting room, he spotted Sweet Pea sitting sprawled in one of the flimsy chairs. He walked over and sat down beside him.

“Fangs ain’t dead, kid. I had to get him the hell away from here because there were very real threats made.”

Sweet Pea eyed him, a brow raised.

“What the fuck do you mean Fangs isn’t dead?”

“We protect our own, kid. Fangs was being threatened. I got him out of town.”

“Toni and I were mourning our best friend. Does that mean shit to you?” Sweet Pea took a deep breath to keep himself calm. FP nodded. Sighing as he muttered that he understood. And then he explained that as soon as things cooled off between the North and the South side, he’d be sending for him to come back.

“I want to see him. If you’re not full of shit.” Sweet Pea insisted.

“Perfect. You can make the supply run out to where I have him stashed. Better get going, kid. I want you back in time to make class tomorrow. We clear?” 

Sweet Pea nodded, standing. FP gave him a key to the RV he was staying in currently, told him where to find the supplies he’d need to give Fangs. He gave him a wad of cash to give to Fangs and then a few smaller bills. Smirking as he mused aloud, “Keep it, kid.”

Sweet Pea nodded, even though he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt taking money from the guy. And then, he set off to run the supplies to Fangs.

[keichanz]

Shadows

i stayed up past my bedtime to finish this lmao whoops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

drama? in my inuyasha family au? it’s more likely than you think l;ajdfoiajdf 

*maniacal cackling*

Spooktober Day 24: Shadows

so when are we gonna tell em?

Parked on the street in front of Izayoi’s school, Inuyasha whiled away the time on his phone while he waited for his daughter to emerge from the building. He’d gotten out of work early enough that he’d had time to go home and change before driving the short trip to pick her up from school. Usually Kagome drove both of them home since it made more sense; Tai would either walk to her classroom after his lessons or she’d go to him, and usually Izayoi waited outside for her mom to pick her up.

This time he figured he’d save her the trouble since he had the time anyway, and he always loved the look of pleased surprise on his babygirl’s face when she spotted his truck waiting outside for her. A daddy’s girl through and through, Inuyasha wasn’t ashamed to admit that part of the reason he’d wanted to pick her up himself was to selfishly spend time together, just the two of them, even if it was only ten minutes on the way home.

His phone chimed with a new text and Inuyasha tapped the notification to open it up.

Mmm I think it’s best to wait until after Iz’s birthday. Don’t wanna steal her thunder.

steal her thunder? she’d probs think it’s the best bday gift ever kagome

She’s turning 13 Inuyasha. That’s sort of a big deal and it wouldn’t be fair.

kagoooomeeeeeeeeeee

After her birthday, Inuyasha. You can wait a few more days can’t you? <3

Chuckling, Inuyasha sent a brief “love you wench” and put his phone away with a sigh before glancing out the window toward the school. It was just before 3 pm, so Iz should be coming out any time now—

Inuyasha froze, sat up straight in his seat, and then leaned forward amber eyes narrowed dangerously. His lip curled and a low growl rumbled in his throat as his hand clenched tightly on the steering wheel, claws digging into the black leather, but he didn’t notice.

Some punk was chatting up his babygirl and standing way too fucking close. Inuyasha was out of the truck and storming toward them before he even realized what he was doing, murder on his face and golden eyes boring a hole through the punk’s head that dared flirt with his daughter. She was too good, too pure for the likes of him, for anybody, and he’d be damn sure to let the little asswipe know that in no uncertain terms.

“...And the skirt is going to be layered brown lace with some white ruffles—ugh, I’m sorry, this would be a lot easier if I had a phone so I can just show you a picture. Sorry I don’t have one yet.”

Izayoi blushed and gave an awkward smile, embarrassed that she lacked something most kids her age already had. Heck, even Rin had a phone. Granted, she was a year older, but she’d gotten it months before she turned thirteen. If it weren’t for her overprotective father and worrywart of a mother, she’d probably have one by now. Or at least she liked to think so.

Ugh, her life sucked.

Raiden smiled. “Nah, it’s cool,” he assured with a one-shouldered shrug, blue-green eyes warm as gave a lazy grin. “Mine was a gift for my fifteenth birthday so I haven’t had it long. Couple months, tops.”

He shrugged and laughed and oh well would ya look at that, her life suddenly sucked a lot less. Who knew a one Raiden Mashimo was the solution to a sucky life?

“That’s awesome!” she gushed, perhaps a bit too excitedly, and Izayoi flushed again before clearing her throat and saying much more calmly, “I’m hoping I’ll get one for my birthday too in a few days. I feel so left out, you know?”

She shrugged helplessly and smiled and gosh darn it he was just so freakin’ good-looking.

Raiden visibly perked up, his head tilting a little to the side as he queried, “Your birthday’s soon?”

Dear god why was she blushing again? “Um, y-yeah. Next week, actually. Monday.”

The dark-haired teenager grinned. “Wicked. And I have an idea now: how about after school, we can go the Halloween store and you can help me pick out my costume to match yours? Then afterward, if-if you want to, that is, we can maybe...I dunno, go somewhere and get some celebratory hot chocolate, or somethin’.”

Raiden offered a shy smile and rubbed the back of his neck. Izayoi wanted to gape because it was the first time she’d ever seen him anything other than his usual confident, easy-going self and she found this shy, sweet side of him made her heart race in her chest as butterflies erupted in her belly.

“Oh,” she breathed, her eyes widening as she realized what that meant. A smile slowly bloomed across her face and she bit down on her lip, fighting against the urge to hop around in excitement like an idiot. A date! He’d asked her out on a date!

“I—I mean,” he continued, wincing a little as pink dusted the bridge of his nose and cheeks. “If you’re doing something with your family or whatever I completely understand, we can do it the next day or—”

“No!” Izayoi hurriedly interjected, waving her hands and shaking her head vigorously. At his startled look, she blushed and elaborated, “Er, I mean no, I don’t have anything planned, and yes I’d love to go with you.”

Visibly relieved, Raiden’s lazy grin reappeared and he nodded. “O-okay. Good. Cool. I mean—” He coughed and tried again. “Sounds like a plan. So should I wait for you or—uh...”

Raiden’s eyes suddenly went very wide as his gaze shifted behind her and Izayoi frowned.

“Raiden? Are you ok—”

The deep, dangerous growl that reverberated from behind her was very familiar and the sound, filled with lethal warning, had the bottom dropping out of her stomach and her heart jumping up into her throat. She stiffened and sucked in a sharp breath, ears pinning into her silver hair as horror seized her every thought.

No, she thought, even as she watched Raiden take a tentative step backward, noting how he kept shooting her nervous glances. Belatedly Izayoi noticed the shadow that had fallen over her and never before had she wanted so much to crawl under a rock and die. No, no, no, no nononononooooo...

Despite his obvious trepidation, however, Raiden – bless his heart – swallowed his nervousness and offered a wavering smile.

“A-ah, um, M-Mister Taisho,” the younger dog demon began, recovering from the initial shock of the imposing and slightly frightening figure the half-demon made. He cleared his throat and though still clearly nervous, he dipped into a shallow bow of respect.

Izayoi wanted to give him a big kiss for standing his ground and not running away. She knew from personal experience how intimidating her stupid dad could be sometimes and she knew he was purposely laying it on thick right now in an attempt to scare Raiden away. She knew she liked him for a reason and she may have just fallen a little harder for him right then.

“It’s…nice to meet you, sir,” Raiden said a little haltingly, however not once did he look away from the half-demon’s intimidating glare. “Uh, my name is Raiden Mashimo. I…go to school with Izayoi.”

When Inuyasha did nothing but continue to glower fiercely at him, arms crossed with a light scowl on his face, Raiden faltered slightly and glanced at Izayoi. She could do nothing but offer a trembling, apologetic smile, face burning in embarrassment while her eyes begged him to forgive her. If Raiden never talked to her again after this, she was never going to forgive her stupid overbearing father.

Raiden returned he smile, though it came across as more of a grimace, and swallowed thickly before focusing his attention back on her silent father. Inuyasha’s jaw tightened but he said nothing.

“We were just, uh, talking about our costumes. For the party. At…your house?”

Inwardly Raiden winced and wanted to kick himself. Oh yeah. Real smooth, idiot.

That finally received a response and the half-demon narrowed his eyes before growling, “Costumes?”

Encouraged, Raiden seemed to breathe a little easier as he nodded eagerly. “Yeah! I mean even though she lives there, we decided we’re gonna go together and, y’know, match up our cost—”

“I don’t think so,” Inuyasha cut him off, his tone cold and his stare hard.

Raiden balked and blinked in surprise. “What—”

“He means okay,” Izayoi hastily interjected in a voice unusually high pitched, her eyes wide and imploring as the stared at the boy in front of her. “Don’t worry, he’s just—”

“I mean,” Inuyasha snapped, shooting his daughter a sharp look to quell any further interruptions while simultaneously demanding her obedience, “that you’re not going anywhere with my daughter and you sure as hell ain’t gonna ‘match costumes.’ I can’t stop you from coming obviously, but I catch you anywhere near her and I will personally escort you off my property.”

Izayoi whimpered and smashed a hand over her mouth as her eyes brimmed with tears.

Raiden gaped incredulously as the half-demon finished with, “We clear, whelp?”

Dropping his gaze to the girl before him, Raiden stared into amber eyes glistening with unshed tears and easily read the desperate plea for him to forgive her for her father’s unfair behavior. She removed her hand and mouthed “I’m so sorry” over and over, shaking her head, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Nodding once to her, hoping that she understood that he did not blame her at all, Raiden steeled himself and focused his attention back on her father, carefully schooling his expression.

“Understood, sir,” he murmured, gave another short bow, then meeting Izayoi’s teary gaze with an apologetic wince, Raiden turned and walked away, hands in his pockets and posture stiff as a board.

Inuyasha snorted as he watched the kid go, more or less satisfied with how that exchanged had gone. Granted, he’d looked more confused than truly intimidated as that had been what he’d been aiming for, but whatever. Didn’t matter as long as he got the message that his precious babygirl was off limits.

“Least this one seems to have more brains than the wolf’s brat,” he commented before dismissing the boy and heading for the truck. “Let’s go, Iz, it’s cold out and you forgot your jacket again.”

When he didn’t hear light footfalls following after him, Inuyasha paused and looked over his shoulder with a frown. Izayoi hadn’t moved, still standing there staring in the direction that little punk had wandered off to. It appeared she hadn’t even heard him ears completely immobile and face blank.

His frown deepened. “Izayoi,” he called. “Let’s go. Your mom’s probably wondering where we are by now and I’ll have ten missed calls and thirty-seven texts on my phone.”

Once more he went ignored and Inuyasha sighed impatiently. She couldn’t be that hung up on some kid, could she? He opened his mouth to demand she get her butt in gear, unafraid to stalk over and carry her if he had to, but then the salty scent of tears drifted over to him on the breeze and Inuyasha faltered. What the—was she...was she crying? What the hell—

“Iz?” he asked, turning around and crossing the distance between them. “What’s wro—”

“How could you?” Izayoi suddenly hissed and the amount of venom in her voice had Inuyasha stopping in his tracks.

Inuyasha studied her silently for a moment, trying to figure out why she was so upset, but when nothing came to him he shook his head and asked carefully, “How could I wh—”

“How could you?!” his daughter shrieked this time, whirling around to pin him with a fierce, baleful glare it momentarily took Inuyasha aback. Tears were running unchecked down her face, her hands were clenched into tight fists, and her ears were flattened against her head.

Recovering quickly and unwilling to let his child get away with such a show of temper, especially to him, Inuyasha pinned her with a glare of his own and bared his fangs as a warning growl echoed in his throat.

“Watch your tone, pup—”

“No,” Izayoi snapped, glowering at him even more fiercely as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you just—I can’t even—ugh!”

With a wordless cry of fury, the young hanyou growled her aggravation before abruptly spinning on her heel and storming away, back stiff with anger and teeth clenched so tight her jaw ached. She tried to ignore the hallow ache in her chest, tried to swallow the sob of despair that welled up in her throat and fought to escape past her lips as her stomach clenched painfully. She felt cold all over and was vaguely aware that she was shaking, but none of that mattered.

Her mental anguish far outweighed anything that she might have been feeling on the physical plane because Izayoi was positive now that Raiden would never talk to her again and it was all her stupid dad’s fault.

“Hey!” Inuyasha called after her, but she ignored him. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going? Get in the truck, Izayoi. I’m taking you home and we can discuss this—”

“I’m walking,” Izayoi spat back at him without stopping or even looking at him. Like hell she was going to voluntarily be in the same space as him right now. She was too angry, too hurt; she couldn’t even look at him without wanting to break down and weep. Just thinking about it had another sob catching in her throat but she bit it back, pressing her lips together as her eyes burned with more tears.

“The hell you are,” her father snapped and stomped after her. “Quit the attitude and get in the truck, Izayoi. Now.”

Izayoi ignored him and kept walking, a little faster this time.

Cursing a blue streak, Inuyasha stopped, crossed his arms, and barked, “Truck now or you’re grounded.”

His daughter stopped. Straightened her shoulders. Then whirled around to pin him with a withering glare so intense, if looks could kill he’d be six feet under by now.

Unmoved, Inuyasha stared back evenly, not giving an inch, however the slight narrowing of his eyes, a not so subtle warning, suggested she would do well to heed his demand and promptly.

Izayoi glared murderously at him for another minute, no doubt pissed off that he’d used such an unfair threat, then finally did ass he was told and stalked toward the vehicle still sitting on the street.

Inuyasha waited until she was inside with the door shut, not putting it passed her to bolt at the last second, before following suit, jogging the rest of the way just in case she decided to get smart and lock him out. Thankfully she did and when he slid behind the wheel she refused to look at him, arms folded tightly across her chests as she glowered out the window.

She was still shaking and Inuyasha turned up the heat before pulling away and making a U-turn to head home.

“You gonna tell me what the hell all that was or you gonna keep being pissy?” he asked her, flicking a glance at his silent daughter through the review before looking straight again.

Izayoi tightened her jaw but otherwise did not respond, remaining in stony silence.

Inuyasha sighed and hung a right. He hated fighting with her, but sometimes it was the only way to solve the problem at hand. How fortuitous to be blessed with a daughter with a temper that matched his own?

And by fortuitous be meant annoying as fuck.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re so mad about,” Inuyasha growled as he turned onto their street a few minutes later, “but this attitude needs to stop, right now, because if you think I’m gonna let you talk to your mother like you did with me, you got another think comin’, kiddo.”

Izayoi scoffed loudly and grabbed her backpack, getting ready to open the door and bolt the instant they pulled into the driveway. Another wave of tears pricked the back of her eyes and she bit down hard to stifle the whimper that threatened to escape. Her chest ached, her throat tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

Glancing at her in the review, Inuyasha frowned but didn’t say anything more since they were just about home anyway. Predictably Kagome’s SUV was already parked in front of the garage and he pulled in next to it, hoping that the brief car ride had cooled her temper somewhat like it had his.

He hadn’t even put the truck in park before Izayoi opened the door and darted out so fast she didn’t even bother to close the door behind her. Inuyasha cursed and hurriedly shifted into park before cutting the engine and hastily following after her, not wanting to spare the extra second to close her door but he did.

Kagome was in the kitchen fixing up an after school snack for her daughter while Tai watched cartoons in the other room when the side door suddenly slammed open and the hanyou in question came tearing through it.

“Iz—” she tried but her daughter didn’t even spare her a glance and Kagome heard what sounded like a muffled sob as Izayoi tore past her and ran toward the stairs, not even bothering to take them one at a time and instead using her hanyou strength to launch herself to the top in two leaps. Seconds later another slam reverberated throughput the house as she closed herself in her room.

“Izayoi!” her husband barked a second later right before he came crashing through the door and Kagome blinked.

“Oh, dear,” she whispered and putting down the peanut butter covered butter knife, Kagome hurriedly moved to intercept the obviously ticked off hanyou intent on following their daughter.

“Dammit—” Inuyasha hissed, scowling as he stormed after his rebellious offspring, but small hands were suddenly pressed against his chest, stopping his warpath, and he turned his glower on his wife.

“Outta the way, Kagome, I need to—”

“No,” Kagome said firmly, her tone brooking no room for argument. “Not like this, you aren’t. I have no idea what happened, but you need to sit down and cool your temper before you go talking to her because you’ll just end up making it worse.”

He snapped his jaw shut and glared at her, offended.

She shrugged because it was true; she knew first hand how her daughter and husband’s arguments could be like because she was often in the middle of them.

“Go sit, drink some cider,” Kagome told him, firmly but gently as she reached up to fondly tweak his ear. “Let me talk to her first, okay? Sometime tells me you’re the last person she wants to see right now, anyway.”

And it was if those words took the wind right out of his sails because Inuyasha deflated, ears lowering as he closed his eyes, shoulders slumping. Dammit, she was right, as usual; his daughter could be just as headstrong as him, and if he went to her now, they’d just end up in another shouting match, getting nowhere fast.

Kagome’s hand on his cheek prompted him to open his eyes to find her smiling gently at him, her caramel colored eyes warm with understanding and his throat tightened as a whine threatened to escape.

“Let me talk to her,” she repeated and leaned up to kiss his jaw. “It’ll be fine, love. Just give it some time. I’ll be back soon.”

With that she patted his cheek and headed for the stairs to get the story from their clearly distraught daughter.

Inuyasha took a steadying breath, pinched his nose, and wandered into the living room to see to their five-year-old. He could hear little sounds of distress coming from him, no doubt wondering what was just happened, and he couldn’t bear to have both of his children upset.

At least this one didn’t want to tear his face off, Inuyasha sourly mused as he hefted Tai into his arms where he immediately burrowed into him and then sank down onto the couch to wait.

He hated waiting.

Mercifully it wasn’t long at all before he heard the sound of a door being closed and light footsteps coming down the stairs a few seconds later. Reclined on the couch with Tai napping against him, Inuyasha’s ears perked up and he turned his head as Kagome entered the living room. Her small smile was encouraging, but he didn’t let his hopes get too high; it was entirely possible Izayoi still didn’t want to talk to him. He didn’t know if it was because she was female, nearly a teenager, or just because she had his blood in her veins, but when his daughter held a grudge, she held a grudge.

Kagome settled beside him and smiled down at their napping son, smoothing back his hair. She was silent as she gathered her thoughts, trying to find a way to explain as best as she can without upsetting him again because she knew he wasn’t gong to like what she had to say.

“Well, she told me what happened,” she remarked with a sigh. “And I know you’re not going to like this, but you shouldn’t have done that.”

Her husband set his jaw and looked away, glaring at the TV that at the moment had brightly colored cartoon characters on it.

Kagome shook her head, unsurprised at his reaction. “She really likes this boy, Inuyasha. And you embarrassed her by putting on your ‘I’m-so-intimidating’ act and pretty much forbidding her from going near him and vice versa. And threatening to escort him off the property if he gest too close? Inuyasha...”

Said hanyou scowled and refused to comment.

Kagome dropped her gaze to Tai’s sleeping face and tenderly smoothed back his bangs, remembering when her little girl was this small and she was still able to pick her up. She couldn’t believe she was going to be a teenager in just a few short days. How time flies...

“She’s too good for him,” Inuyasha suddenly grumbled, a slight pout of his face. “She’s...she’s innocent, too young to be thinking about boys.”

Kagome smiled. Now she understood.

“Inuyasha,” she began softly, moving her hand to cradle her husband’s jaw and adding gentle pressure to get him to meet her eyes. “Whether you like it or not, she’s going to be thirteen in just a few short days. She’s going to start being more independent, more outspoken and rebellious, and yes, she’s going to start dating, too.”

Inuyasha flinched and looked about ready to argue, but Kagome spoke up before he could get a word in edgewise.

“I know it’s a little hard to accept, but she’s not going to be your little girl forever, Inuyasha.”  

He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes with a wince, the words painful to hear however true they were.

Kagome smiled sadly and continued, “You can’t be her constant shadow, protecting her from everything and essentially stunting her growth. She needs room to grow, to make a few mistakes and learn from them, to become a lovely young woman with a good head on her shoulders. She’s not stupid, Inuyasha, you and I both know that. She’s fully capable of taking care of herself, or do I need to remind you of Daisuke?”

Inuyasha blinked and then a slow grin curved his mouth upward, recalling how she’d broken the brat’s nose for being too forward. Heh. She could take care of herself, couldn’t she?

Kagome suddenly sighed and stood up, leaning down to take Tai from his arms and cradle him against her shoulder; he remained fast asleep.

“I don’t think she’s ready to talk yet,” she said, casting a glance at the ceiling. “Let her come to you, alright? I know you want to fix this, but you won’t get anywhere if only one of you are willing to mend the bridge.”

Sighing in defeat, Inuyasha nodded and thrust a hand through his hair. She was right. Again, goddammit.

Slim fingers caught his ear and rubbed the soft flesh soothingly. Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered before warm lips pressed against his cheek. “Just give it time.”

With one last warm smile, Kagome left, probably to take Tai up to his room to have the rest of his nap in peace.

Inuyasha watched her go and withheld a whine.

Fuck, he really hated waiting.

It was just after 9 pm when Inuyasha padded down the carpeted hallway to her room, steaming cup of hot cocoa in his hand and hopeful mindset. Izayoi had only come out of her room to eat dinner and shower before retreating from whence she came. Though she still wouldn’t look at him – or even acknowledge him, really – his daughter was no longing glaring death at him so he would call that an improvement.

Maybe it still wasn’t the right time, but he couldn’t wait anymore. He’d done nothing but think about what happened and now he wanted to reconcile with his little girl. He wanted to feel one of her hugs, wanted her to smile at him again, and he desperately wanted to hear her say “I love you, daddy.”

Even if his efforts were wasted, he at least wanted to try.

Stopping before her door, Inuyasha took a breath and knocked.

“Iz?” he called out softly, confident she could hear him through the heavy wood. “Can we, uh, talk?”

Nothing.

Ears lowering, he tried again. “I brought you some hot cocoa. The way you like it, with the marshmallows and whipped cream.”

More silence. Not even a rustle of clothing, though he did hear the gentle whistling of the wind outside.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door. “Please, babygirl. I just wanna talk. Can you let me in?”

Still nothing, and Inuyasha frowned. “Iz?”

Taking a chance, he turned the knob and cracked open the door enough to peer inside. He wasn’t expecting it to be dark inside his daughter’s room and instantly concerned, he opened the door the rest of the way. When he didn’t see her right away the beginnings of panic started to set in and he whipped his head around, amber eyes searching the shadows of the room for his daughter, and he was just about ready to bellow her name when a he felt crisp wind on his face and something fluttering in his peripheral.

Inuyasha snapped his head toward the window—and relaxed, the breath whooshing but of his lungs as realization dawned.

Heaving a sigh as his ears drooped low – it looked like he wouldn’t be getting that talk tonight – Inuyasha ambled over to the open window where the curtains were gently swaying in the breeze and set the mug of hot cocoa down on the nightstand beside the window.

Hidden within the shadows of the large oak tree in their backyard, Inuyasha caught a flash of silver and gold as Izayoi pretended she hadn’t noticed him at her window and the older half-demon tried very hard to ignore the ache in his chest as he left his daughter’s bedroom without a word.

[purplesurveys]

630

SEVEN DEADLY SINS

Sin 1: Lust 1. Who was the last person you checked out? Did they check you out too? Surprise surprise, it’s my girlfriend. Yeah she did - I think I’d start worrying if she didn’t, lmao.

2. Who was the last person you desired, but they didn’t feel the same? Gab, at one point. Other than her, I haven’t desired anybody else; but I was on the ‘didn’t feel the same’ side at least once, back when Mike used to like me.

3. Ever cheated on a significant other? If so, have you learned from it? No, I’ve never cheated.

4. Do you watch porn? Yes. I’d have phases where I’d view it 2-3 times a week, then I’d completely stop for months – kinda like how everyone plays The Sims lol. I don’t know why it works like that for me.

5. Do you masturbate? Sometimes.

6. Best physical features on your preferred sex? I don’t have a preferred sex, and my favored features differ per person.

7. Who are some celebrities that you think are totally hot? Kristen Stewart, if you don’t me already haha. Also Eugene Lee Yang from the Try Guys, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Aniston.

8. Did you ever lust after a best friend’s significant other? How did it turn out? Mmm nope, I never found myself attracted to Hans in any way. The fact that he has always been associated with Angela ever since high school also helps.

9. When was the last time you had sex? Like a week before Christmas, I think.

10. Ever pursued someone, even though they were taken? No, that’s a little awful.

Sin 2: Gluttony 1. When did you last eat at a restaurant? What restaurant was it? Last Monday – Gab and I went to Yabu to catch dinner. We had been entertaining my mom’s guests and their kid all day and thought we couldn’t leave the house cos it’s a bit impolite, but I had such a craving that I ended up asking permission if we can go to Yabu by 8:30 even though the mall closed by 9 lol. I realize I talk about Yabu an awful lot on here so for those who wanna know, it’s this local Japanese place that serves theeeee best katsu.

2. When did you last have fast food? Where did you get it? I don’t actually remember. If I’m not wrong, it was around two or three weeks ago, and we had KFC delivered to our house because we were too lazy to cook or go out. I had the Zinger Steak, which I hope they never phase out because it’s insanely good.

3. What was the biggest meal you had all day? I haven’t eaten yet, and it’s only 10:51 AM. 

4. Do you have too many clothes? How often do you go shopping? I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelmingly many, but I definitely own more clothes than the pieces I’d usually wear, and that’s because I don’t like throwing old stuff out just in case I’d need them in the future (definitely got my great-grandma’s hoarding tendencies). I go shopping once in a few months, which in itself is pretty seldom, but that’s because when I go shopping I usually already buy a shit-ton of new clothes, enough for me to be able to mix and match to come up with new outfits for the next few weeks.

5. What’s something you have a LOT of? Black clothing. I’ve made an effort to get more colored tops, but the blacks still overpower.

6. Do you eat a lot? I’m very takaw-tingin, which is a Filipino term used when you get a crapload of food either because you’re hungry or because you’re confident you can finish it – or both – then you never do. Takaw means greedy or glutton, tingin roughly means sight, so it literally means that you just kinda want to get everything because it looks like a lot. So to answer the question, I always feel like I can eat a lot, but at the end of the day I just end up with stomachaches and I never learn.

7. What was the last thing you splurged (spent a lot of money) on? If a bunch of stuff counts, then I splurged on Christmas presents for various people that I all bought in one go – I got massage oils, a garlic press, a frisbee, Marikina sandals, lipstick, and Instax film. If you’re talking about a single thing that I had to drop a ton of money on, it was for my dog’s blood test and some arthritis meds that the vet recommended.

8. What do you spend most of your money on (besides bills and anything necessary like that)? I only ever spend on necessities like gas, clothes, and food, honestly. Other than that... I spend on (and this is very seldom) whatever hobby I’m into at the moment. At one point I spent on slime because I got interested in them, and before that – and y’all know about this – I spent my Christmas savings on adult coloring books and pencils.

9. Last time you ate candy? What was it? A week or two ago; I had a Crunch bar.

10. Last thing you ate too much of? Eggs, I think. My mom makes it for breakfast so I have it almost every day.

Sin 3: Greed 1. Do you share things? How often? Yeah I can be pretty generous with my stuff. I know I’d appreciate it when other people lend me their belongings, so I try to do the same. I once lent my phone to Rita for over an hour just because she wanted to play Mario Kart, and I also lent a book that’s really important to me to an online friend I barely knew; it was with him for like two years, lol.

2. Someone asks you for a piece of your cookie. You break it in half, but the pieces aren’t equal. Who gets the bigger piece? Usually it would be me; but if the person who asked for it was Gab, or if that particular person likes the cookie I have, then they get the bigger piece.

3. When you see change on the ground, do you pick it up? Only if it’s a 10-peso coin, because I’m greedily picky like that lmao. Other people might need a peso or a 5-peso coin more, so I leave it be.

4. How often do you lend money to people? I don’t, and that’s one thing I wouldn’t tend to lend. My parents just give me allowance and it’s usually enough for necessities and for treating myself once or twice a week, so I wouldn’t be able to have some left for others. Besides, that’s my parents’ money and it would be pretty fuckin’ unfair to them if I just give it away to others lmao.

5. Do you loooove money? I hate what it’s done to society, how it’s divided the rich and the poor, and how the people with the most money also tend to be the most selfish coughcoughBILLIONAIREScoughcough. But I love spending for my own, hah.

6. If someone offers to pay for you, do you decline or readily accept? Oh no no no. Decline all the way. If they keep insisting then I’ll probably give in because it’s the polite thing to do, but if I can, I’ll keep declining.

7. Which of your friends is the wealthiest? Rita. Her grandpa is a former senator and she lives in literally the swankiest neighborhood in Metro Manila; I was a bit intimidated when she invited us to her place for the first time lol. She’s the simplest person I know, too; and that’s my favorite kind of rich.

8. Would you take a high-paying job that you didn’t really like just for the money and benefits? That’s definitely what I plan to do, lmao. At least this is how I know myself now: I have enough money to buy whatever I want, and I’m a happy camper. That may change in a few months or within the next year and I may eventually wanna search for a passion – but for now, it’s the mindset I’m going with when I go job-hunting soon. If I survived four years of college with a very burnt-out, emptied passion for journalism that I thought I had, I could probs do the same in the workplace.

9. Ever stole from anyone? What about stole from a store? What happened? I unknowingly stole a box of crayons from a store back when security equipment wasn’t that rigid yet lmao. I realized I ‘stole’ it because I had it in my hands and not in a paper bag when I walked out, so I immediately went back to pay for it. I’ve never stolen anything from anyone.

10. Do you ever have enough money? I don’t think anyone ever feels this way. Ever heard of billionaires?

Sin 4: Sloth 1. Last thing you procrastinated on? Washing the dishes last night.

2. When you’re at a strip mall and the next store you want to go to is at the other side, do you drive over there instead of take a short walk? It depends how far “the other side” is. <-- Yep pretty much. If it’s literally on the other side of a street, then obviously I’d go walk. But in places like my school which is super big and where ‘other side’ could mean 2 km away, a drive would be more convenient.

3. What’s a typical day off of school and/or work like for you? I’d normally spend the day lazing around on the couch with my dog beside me and lurking around social media.

4. What’s one talent you have that you don’t really work on, even though you have the ability to be good at it? Public speaking, or debating.

5. How many hours of television do you watch a day? I keep Friends as a background noise on Netflix nearly all day because I hate when it gets too quiet around me. As for watching on an actual television, I haven’t used one in years.

6. What about the amount of time you spend on the internet a day? The internet takes up my entire day it’s crazy lol. I kinda need it for everything now.

7. How many hours of sleep do you get a day? Do you sleep in late? It’s always different. I can go anywhere between 3 and 10 hours of sleep. I don’t sleep in often, though.

8. Do you drive to places that are less than three blocks away? I don’t know how big blocks are supposed to be since we don’t use that system here. But yes, I usually drive even though Point A to Point B is very much walkable hahaha. My friends make fun of me a lot for it but I don’t care, at least I don’t get to my destination all sweaty and smelling like the sun.

9. When was the last time you exercised? November, on my last PE class.

10. Ever copied and pasted your homework from a website on the internet? I never did this. My schools always emphasized the consequences of plagiarism so as someone who always stuck by the rules, I always made sure I at least paraphrased the content I see on the internet.

Sin 5: Wrath 1. If you could kill one person and get away with it, would you do it? I know it’s pretty dark to come from such a place, but I’ve always thought death is an easy way out for people who’ve done awful things. I could answer this question with a name of a corrupt politician, rapists, or animal abusers, but tbh they don’t deserve the sweet escape of death, even if it were from murder.

2. Is there anyone you honestly and truly can say that you hate? Anybody who has hurt cats and dogs.

3. Is there anyone you want revenge on, whether you want to get them back big-time or just play a little prank on them for hurting your feelings? Like I said, I’d daydream about getting revenge just to satiate my desire for it, but I think it’s pretty childish and downright cartoonish to actually go through with it. I’ve only ever seen people getting petty revenge in movies, but it seems a bit stupid in real life.

4. Are you fighting with any friends right now? Why? No. The most that’s happened was me kinda scolding Andrew for not letting me know beforehand that he submitted our thesis proposal to our prof through VIBER, which is incredibly unprofessional and I definitely let him know what I thought about it. I didn’t fight with him though.

5. Last time you were really angry? What happened? The aforementioned thesis prof letting me know we’re missing a part of our thesis on the last day for profs to submit their grades. That meant that however early we submitted a revision, she wouldn’t have been able to give it a mark anyway. That definitely pissed me off, especially considering that she was silent for two weeks and didn’t give back any comments which made us think we were good to go.

6. When you’re angry, what do you do to calm yourself down? I watch Friends or any one of my favorite YouTubers so I can have some relief. Other times, I’d force myself to sleep.

7. “Hate is just the fear of loving someone.” true or false? No. That makes no sense to me.

8. What’s the best revenge you ever got on someone? Never done this before.

9. Was there any hard feelings after your last break-up? On whose end was it on? There were definitely hard feelings in the beginning because she executed the breakup so poorly and I thought I didn’t deserve any of the treatment I was getting, and I was also mad that I wasted my time for that long only for her to break up with me in the end.

10. Ever been cheated on? How did that make you feel? No.

Sin 6: Envy 1. Is there anyone you’re jealous of? Name a person and tell us why. Envious is the better word, and I feel this way towards anybody who live with both parents. My dad’s worked overseas all my life, and as grateful as I am for his sacrifices, having a dad at home is more foreign sensation to me than the idea of having a dad who’s gone for 4-6 months a year.

2. List three physical features some other people have that you’re envious of (no need to get specific and name people; you can just say something like “brown eyes” or “having perfect eyebrows”). Straight teeth, fixed eyebrows, legs that don’t need much shaving.

3. List three personality features that other people have that you’re envious of. Confidence, independence... is privilege a personality trait lol?

4. Are you a jealous significant other? I can be. I don’t make a big deal about being jealous as much as I did two or three years ago anymore though.

5. Could you date someone who was really jealous? Gab can be a little jealous but for the most part it’s endearing because it’s never turned into abuse.

6. What celebrity’s looks do you envy the most? Audrey Hepburn.

7. Do you think anyone is envious of you? In your opinion, what characteristics (physical and mental) do you possess that you think someone might be envious of? Being in a long-term relationship, definitely. A lot of people my age want significant others so bad, and I know this because a good chunk of them post the same wish over and over on social media lol.

8. What are a few things you wish you were good at? Drawing, playing an instrument, dancing ballet, changing a car tire, COOKING.

9. Did you ever date someone, break up, and then see them dating someone very attractive a few days later? Were you jealous of that person? This has never happened to me.

10. When looking at a love interest’s exes, do you often find yourself jealous of their good-looking exes? I haven’t had to do this, because I was Gab’s first. I wouldn’t want to fixate on exes if I were in a different situation, though.

Sin 7: Pride 1. What’s something you brag about a lot (be honest–we all brag sometimes)? My school is easy bragging rights. Everybody wants to be in UP.

2. What physical features do you take the most pride in? My body figure in general. Also my fingers, legs, and jawline.

3. Are you satisfied with what you have? Yeah but as the above questions have made it clear, I can always use more money lol.

4. Be honest… when someone is telling you something, do you often change the subject so it’s about you and your accomplishments instead? NEVER. That’s one of the worst things anyone can do. I feel like I used to do this when I was younger, then it just hit me one day about how tasteless it can be so ever since then I’ve let other people hype themselves up and be excited about accomplishments or new things in their life as much as they want with me, as long as they aren’t being so conceited.

5. Do you like talking about your achievements? If I’m in a group and we started sharing our achievements then yeah I’d join in. But I wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t already being brought up. It’s better to let the accomplishments speak for themselves.

6. Do your parents tend to brag about how well you came out? My mom is definitely more ~braggier than my dad, but she’s never come off as an asshole about it. If she was, I’d pull her aside.

7. Do you strive to be better than others? Do you think competing with others is healthy? I keep a mindset of competing with others, but I keep it internal.

8. What do you do better than most people? See the little details. I’m always surprised at how most of the people I work with just look at the big picture – like how they don’t pay attention to the red squiggle under misspelled words on a group paper (or if they do see it, they don’t do anything about it), or how they don’t seem to care about proper spacing on a Powerpoint and proceed to just dump a bunch of text on one slide. Now this is something I can brag about too, cos a lot of people are just so not detail-oriented lol.

9. Do you believe in taking pride in things you can’t control (ex. being proud of your heritage, being proud of your skin color, being proud of your natural artistic ability)? I don’t see why that’s an issue.

10. Who are you competing with right now (it could be anything–classmates for a grade, co-workers for a position, other girl for a guy, etc.)? There’s no particular person, but like I said, I’m always in this perpetual mindset of wanting to compete with others just so I’m more motivated to perform well and get things done.

[brokenhayatim]

the projectionist

[now playing: the projectionist & north by sleeping at last]

this has been a long time coming but i couldn’t put my words to paper screen.

when hands are tied and clocks are ticking an audience convinced: we’re leaning in  holding our breath again

i can’t wait to go back to my place. i used to say that a lot, not out of spite or rudeness but because i genuinely couldn’t wait to be back to my own calm. its hit me now how i’ll no longer have that. and i wish i could feel finally sad or even say i’m still overwhelmed and confused, but it’s this sense of somber longing i guess. longing to keep something so good and somber at the reality that i just..won’t have that soon. i began calling this place home years ago and not because of the state (please, i would’ve anywhere but this state if not for the people i’ve met here) but because it’s my home. i more than just studied here, i built a fresh start, a life here. and i feel like i won’t have that again. is this what people feel like when they move out of their home of like 14 years that they raised 4 children and adopted 3 dogs in. it’s more tough than i thought, you know. every lease i’ve signed (shaking bc commitment may i add) i’ve always know i would be here the next, even though not in the same place and living with the same people, i’d still be here. i get emotional and nostalgic thinking of my former places every time i move, and i still think back to my first. i remember moments so vividly and what the apartment looked like from every square inch. but this is different. i moved an entire state away, essentially to be alone, and i love it. i love that i don’t depend on people for the simple things and less for the difficult things. i love that i have a routine. i like that i come home and i’m alone (roommates, i know, but it’s different). i go to the grocery store alone, i’ve learned the way and i’ve walked. i like that i could walk to target and walgreens, because i’ve learned the way. i like that i don’t have to depend on driving especially, i take a few ubers but even then, i’m comfortable doing that. something new york asiya would never have been. i go for mri’s alone. i walk to uni alone and back (except when i take the bus bc gurl i would sweat). i go the airport and fly alone, something i’ve loved. don’t get me wrong i love my siblings and miss them dearly but that’s what visits are for, and we have those every few months. no one has also came to visit me except my sister twice, and would i really want them too..i don’t know. **to expand on that first time at a later date** but now my brain is like ‘come. see the life i’ve made for myself. i want to show you all i’ve built’.

we'll tell our stories on these walls. every year, measure how tall and just like a work of art we'll tell our stories on these walls

i’m not ready for so many unknowns. where will i live soon? how many jobs will i have to apply for and which ones? even simplest things like where will i do my laundry? i’ve babbled about this but i’m so incredibly grateful for the apartments that i’ve had with amenities. my sisters are always shocked to know how i live at such a small price, but student housing [chef’s kiss]. but things like central ac and in home laundry, i’ve never thought of that, but new york i’ll have to. i’ll probs have to buy my room ac and walk for laundry if i live in the city. i can’t imagine i’d get a graphic design job or something similar anywhere near where i live, so the city i shall be. how far will i have to go to the store? what may happen on the way? i’ve sometimes worried about walking to the store here, mostly when they have kidnappers on the loose, but i always feel more safe than not. i walk 20/30 mins to target and walgreens on foot on the side of the main road and i’ve taken public transportation too. story on that, i told my first roommate how to get to the store from the bus and she was terrified so i went with her and she was like ...i can’t do this alone, i’ll just call a car. would new york asiya have done that too? probably not. because florida me is more independent (idk if bold or courageous is the word) and probs just a little crazy. ubers also are way more expensive in new york, just to add on that. i’ve taken the subway and train alone in new york and have walked blocks alone around nyu and parks. i know new york well, where i live and a bit of the city, but it’s not the same. my dream would be like keeping what i have here and copy and pasting it into the state of new york. i’ve always been and felt like a new yorker here, not once a floridian. i definitely don’t even do that school pride thing, some people actually never knew where i went to college. new york is also home for me, but it’s like my baby home. sometimes i think i was genuinely crazy coming here alone and not even knowing anything about the state nor ever seeing the university. but it was the best thing. i’m always depressed, yes, and i hate people, yes. but despite all of me being a constant emotional tragedy, i really love what i have here. it’s my own. i’ve become that person that tells you directions or tells you where to get what where. and now i’ll have to go back to someone that has to ask 89 questions and gets lost 14 times. ah, but if only i was rich and i could have it all. 

so we’re leaving,  we’re leaving our shadows behind us now we’re leaving, we’re leaving it all behind for now

i can’t wait to go back to my place. i’ll no longer have a home to run off to for months when i don’t feel right. i’ve actually booked flights earlier than i and my family planned/expected just to jet sometimes. i always come back with my suitcase(s) and feel at home walking into my place. i know, inshallah, i’ll have that again in new york or wherever i am, but i HATE CHANGE. its such a big shift that i’m like..can we do baby steps?? i haven’t even been avoiding it for months, i’ve genuinely forgotten until like march when i had to decide on graduation stuff. and now i’ve opened my suitcase and feel like i’m doing my my clothes wrong by putting them in a suitcase to travel a state away and not a few streets. my 3 apartments have essentially been in between two streets, you see one, turn right and drive down, there’s another, turn left and then another left, drive down the road and there’s my current one, which is about two minutes from the first if you drive up a little down. it’s legit a square..but irrelevant. i know i can always come back to visit, but it won’t be the same. my social interaction meter already runs out in like 24 hours as it is then i need to come back home, imagine if i have to stay at someone’s house for like 3 days, lord. i don’t really know if it’s leaving that’s unsettling or going back knowing i won’t be fully alone from people that know me. 

(not so) tangent I: i always daydreamed of traveling to another state and getting a place there. my friend is thinking of coming from germany to practice dentistry here and we could find a place together. i know moving half way across the world for someone seems like a terrible idea, and i’ve lowkey done that coming here between states, but almost seven years of adoring each other’s existence makes you mushy and a little crazy. i feel like i’ll be awkward living with friends bc i’m such a loner, but who knows. the only thing getting her through these months of her final year in dentistry school is this idea and we’ve said inshallah every other week basically so inshallah, if it’s best for us. wild also that i knew her before she even started uni, way before she started dentistry school, like damn i hadn’t realized it’s been that long. 

ACTUAL tangent part II: late 2020/2021 was gonna be my planned travel year. rose was gonna have her dentistry school graduation in february so i was gonna go with more bouquets than my hands could hold. but before that i really wanted to see noor in like late december/january (shoutout to her getting her license i will never not be proud. am i smiling right now typing this? yes). i would find a way to not die in one of those taxis for this surprise, wait outside in the rain (if the sky allows) and play a neighbourhood song outside her window with my iphone that would get water damage and die, then i would sing it (i memorized the lyrics on the flight over, duh). point is, i wanted to see her first and also in one of the least hottest months bc although i would die for her, i’m not going out from heat stroke. thank you miss covid-19, i must postpone that to 2041. i would say i could move to dubai, but i love wearing black and not like..oh yeah..dying. with germany, (ironically enough where my cousin and i were gonna go, me for uni) i can barely speak english let alone learn another language. i wouldn’t subject anyone to murica so alternative options are encouraged. anyways, it’s like the virus knew i was an absolute loser. and it’s as if i have a bug to just keep hopping on planes to avoid having to deal with myself for more than twelve minutes. additional tangent, sometimes i think about how i’ve known noor for five years and like four of those years, we’ve spoken like every day..like how the hell do we do this??? we’ve exhausted every topic humanly possible and still find something new. imagine if we met and it was just [crickets] jhfghfg. i would say we share a braincell and she has it, but i feel like she has five at least. i always have the same tangent topic that literally should just be it’s own solo post..ANYWAYS. 

let the years we're here be kind, be kind let our hearts, like doors, open wide, open wide settle our bones like wood over time, over time

i’m gonna continue this later bc the tangent sent my mind in a whole different direction ,, what are thoughts

[breakfastisntincluded]

€37

Welp! Now that we've seen all there is to see in Pisa it's time to go to Florence, and y'all, y'all y'all y'all, I was SOOOOO FECKIN PUMPED for Florence and it did not disappoint. Oh no. It did not. You see folx, in searching the web to find out which churches were used for some scenes in the third season of hit NBC sitcom "Hannibal And His Friends", we stumbled upon the website "fangirlquest" and specifically an article detailing exactly where all of these different scenes in the show take place along with delightful delightful, masterful shots of their excellent screen framing and ah 🙏🏽 My peeps 🙏🏽 This humble website was our guide to Florence 🙏🏽 So we got ready in the morning, had a cheeky breakfast in the hostel cafe again, and went on down to the train station which is just five minutes down the road from it (I'm tellin y'all, I picked a goooooood hostel 👌🏾👌🏾) and we went on over to the platform and in the vending machine on the platform they had a lil snack stick of parmeggiano reggiano??? And you know we already stocked up on snacks yesterday.... But life is for the living and it was €1 so you know I bought it! And they had some salty cheese snack fried pieces of cheese 100% cheese snack too??? So you know I bought it! And for Kate we got a chocolate I think? And dangit that was good as well! Kewl! One of the stops on our list was platform 3 at the stazione di santa maria novella which just so happens to be the main train station in Florence, and we pulled in at platform three, so straight away we went around there and ticked that one off 👌🏾 Now kids, I had once again booked us a sweet pad in Florence: nice looking, friendly air b n b lady, convenient to the city, convenient to public transport. And the friendly air b n b lady had given us helpful instructions for getting to the house via bus. Unfortunately, I knew the bus went from the train station but I could not figure out where at the train station the stop was. So it ended up taking us over two hours to get to the house which was only 25 minutes from the station if you walked because we couldn't figure it out 😜 We were waiting at the wrong stop and we couldn't find the right stop and the ticket machine took my money and gave me no tickets so I had to go to the ticket man and then we finally found and got on the bus and we missed the stop so we had to walk back and it was a whooooole palava but actually it wasn't too bad because Florence is just dang nice and dangit we were at a train station some of our fave television stars have visited and ain't nothin gonna put a damper on that high! 😧 😬🙅🏻😎 Hek! So we fiiiiinally made it in and the lady was like still relatively friendly but like obviously annoyed which in a way I understand because yeah we were much later than we were supposed to arrive and for a silly reason but we had also been communicating with her the whole time so I did feel bad for taking up her afternoon and stuff but I dunno she seemed less annoyed that we had wasted her time or something and more just like annoyed because we were stupid for not figuring out the bus or something, which is not something I would ever judge someone or punish for and not something I expect other people I consider nice to do either. So yeah. It was fine it was just a little awkward 😬 But at any rate, we got in, and we got to work with our map she had given us and our websites and we made plans of when to go see which things. I was thinking there was no way we would be able to fit everything in because there was so much to do and we only had one full day and two half days (-3 hours faffing too by this point), but boy was I wrong! :) We set out from the house walking towards the Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte Santa Trinita and we visited those goddamn bridges and I fecking died because kids, mads mother decking mikkelsen walked all over that bridge and holy shit now we have too 🙏🏽 But we left that zone after not too long because damn if there was gonna be a zone for someone to target for something in Florence it's probs that ol bridge 😬😥 We walked from the Ponte Santa Trinita through a square where a really good string + accordion group was playing outside a church and for some reason a couple in their wedding gad were dancing and a whole crowd of people were either watching them or the band or both?? Weird! But cool! We watched to! Nice! We walked down the street past all these fancy ass shops with terrifying security people in the doorways who didn't move and we thought they were mannequins but they weren't and it was terrifying 👌🏾, until we got to the Piazza della Republica which is sooooooo pretty there's a square and a big gate thingy and the merry go round that Gillian Anderson 🙏🏽 walks past and dang 🙏🏽 so good 🙏🏽 We walked around the corner and there was the Catedrale di santa maria novella that Gillian Anderson 🙏🏽 also walks past 🙏🏽 which is ENORMOUS and amazing because it's green and white and pink and stripey which is just not a colour scheme I would have ever expected for a cathedral?? We tried to go in but it was closed for the day inside so we did not. We walked all around and there were lots of artist people doing art but around the back there was one art boy all by himself with these bright orange and purple colours and he was of course my favourite and I wanted to buy a picture from him but I thought maybe it was silly and Kato knew I just wanted to buy things from him because I felt bad for him all alone there and that was a fairly accurate assessment and so I didn't buy anything and we kept on our way. This had all been incredibly fun and extraordinarily pleasant and chill and that was in no small way due to the fact that Kate was navigating and found a very good seamless job of it and I wasn't worried about or concerned with where we were going in the slightest, which was a nice feeling :) We walked along and ended up where the Palazzo Medici Ricardi should have been and had the exact same problem as the people who wrote the guide to "Hannibal's Florence" in that Google maps took us to the wrong side of it so we wandered up and down the street for some time and even went into some shops seeing if they led into it and couldn't figure it out before we walked around the other side of it and eventually found the entrance :P It was. Amazing. Holy shit. We went in there and just it's places from the show and it's places my boy 🙏🏽🙌🏾 has been and it's just holy shit dog they went there and then we went there too. Holy shit. *dies* Also the building and the gardens were amazing and there was a really cool art instillation in the middle of the courtyard and a cool art exhibition on loan from Hong Kong there and it was awesome in the house because there was just like no one else there??? We just basically walked around and had a chill ass time and no one else got in our way or bothered us?! Sick 👌🏾 We had walked past an Asian fusion restaurant on the way to the palazzo so we walked up the road a bit more and looked at a square that was up there and checked out a few of the Italian food restaurants that were there but none of them were calling out to us and we were feeling p sick of pizza and pasta by that point so we went back to the Asian fusion restaurant and it was INSAAAAANNNEEEE we had 'to stay' bubble tea that was just in mason jars and not sealed on top and we had amaaaazing fried rice and fried cauliflower with egg and dumplings and some other shit I dunno but it was all baller and hell yeah Kate chose so well and and it was excellent 🙏🏽 So we started walking back and we went via the piazza della Republica because we hadn't gone on the merry go round in the day because Kate said it would be prettier at night and I agreed so then I made her go on it with me and in protest she sat on a silly carriage one right on the ground that didn't even move 😛 It was weird though it just sort of started and then stopped and some more people got on but there was no announcement to get off so we just... Stayed on for a second turn!!!! Shhhhhhhhhhhh 😉🙃😘😏 And then it was even weirder because the marriage people from earlier in the square were there by the merry go round posing for more photos with their photographer? Surely those clothes stink by now?! Go back home to rest you busy bees!!!!!!! And we did that and then we kept walking and it was sort of drizzling and starting to rain and Kate started to see these flashes in the distance which she was getting increasingly excited about and I couldn't see them but then I did and then we were walking over the Ponte Vecchio and it was properly raining and we had absolutely no jackets or coats or umbrellas of any kind despite the fact that I had two yellow rain coats and a yellow umbrella in my suitcase at the house and in fact the air b n b lady had told us when we arrived that they were having a drought and hadn't had rain in months, so just overall we were underprepared mentally and physically but it was very cool and it was Italy and Kate loves storms so Kate wanted to go to the Piazalle Michaelangelo which is up the top of a hill in a park and somewhere Jack goes on the show, so we set off in the rain and the Lightning to go there and watch the storm. It was quite a way and it was pouring with rain and we had to go up a hill and then we got to the park and had to go up allllll these stone stairs in the rain and there were like a few people coming down the stairs but hardly any people and then we finally made it to the top and it was incredible. There was no one else there, there were two people left in the cafe and the waiters were bringing the outdoor tables back inside, and the man at the drink cart was still there but there was absolutely no one else in the plaza and you could see the whole city spread out in the rain and it was just the most excellent thing and yeah 🙏🏽 Feck it was glorious 🙏🏽 And it was absolutely freezing so we left pretty promptly and started the long walk back to the house 😱 People kept looking at us from food establishment doorsteps like 'don't you wanna come inside' and we were like nope and a few street-selling-stuff dudes tried to sell us umbrellas but our skin was already soaked through to the skin so we were like nope we're being dramatic and we finally finally made it there and walked up the big steep hill to the house and it was so exhausting that walk back and so so cold but hey neither of us got sick and it was a hella rad and dramatic time and I think it was well worth it and once again Kate's determination to enjoy storms paid off prayhands prayhands 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽