#if things don't get better in about a week screw everything i swear i'm cutting my whole ear off

[tis-the-marmot]

Listen I've had my finger amputated I've had my nose septum cut and straightened I've gone through several surgeries in the past but to this day this fucking ear infection might be THE most atrocious pain I've ever experienced, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy

[fireskarr]

Living World Season 1: changes and unused dialogue for Mai Trin

I saw a very long post cross my dash recently, about changes to the 2022 Return to Season 1 compared with the original 2013 release, plus a late addition that briefly touches on one thing that's been bothering me ever since I encountered it:

The complete revision of Mai Trin's dialogue in Season 1

Fortunately, I have been spending the past few weeks poking around in the game, the Wiki, and the game files themselves to put together a comprehensive list and comparison of all the changes to Mai's spoken dialogue.

Including audio comparisons!

And a lot of bonus unused dialogue!

(very long post, so it's under the cut!)

Back in 2013, Mai Trin was voiced by Rachel Robinson (also the old voice of Rox), but in EoD she's voiced by Kelly Hu. For the return of Season 1, all of Mai's season 1 story dialogue was re-recorded with the new VA. And I don't think this has happened to any other character that has had a VA update?

I've listed everything here in story order. For audio tracks featuring both VAs, the old one is first, followed by the new. Includes transcript below each audio file.

Ceremony & Acrimony: comparison of dialogue between Mai and Kiel after the effigy explodes

-- Old dialogue -- Mai Trin: Lionguard, what can I do? I have some skill at healing. Inspector Ellen Kiel: See if you can help the charr cultural rep. He's injured and not moving. Mai Trin: I'll do what I can.

-- New dialogue -- Citizen: Who needs assistance? Inspector Ellen Kiel: See if you can help the charr cultural rep. He's injured and not moving. Citizen: I'll do what I can.

Hard Boiled: comparison of dialogue between Mai, Jory, and Kiel during the investigation

-- Old dialogue -- Mai Trin: I beg your pardon. Marjory Delaqua: Don't fret. you'll come to no harm unless you had a hand in what happened. Hm, she's glowing. Marjory Delaqua: All right, lady. You better start talkin' Mai Trin: What? I...I swear. I had nothing to do with that tragedy. I'm an upstanding citizen. Investigator Ellen Kiel: Wait. Could she have gotten it from the dead charr that glowed? She attempted to revive him. Mai Trin: Yes, yes. That must be it. I was only trying to help.

-- New dialogue -- Citizen/Mai Trin: You must be kidding. Marjory Delaqua: Don't fret. you'll come to no harm unless you had a hand in what happened. Hm, she's glowing. Marjory Delaqua: All right, lady. You better start talkin'. Citizen/Mai Trin: Are you accusing me? Investigator Ellen Kiel: Wait. Could she have gotten it from the dead charr that glowed? She attempted to revive him. Citizen/Mai Trin: The detective would know that too, if she paid better attention to her crime scene.

No More Secrets: comparison of dialogue when Kiel tries to arrest Mai.

--Old Dialogue-- Investigator Ellen Kiel: Mai Trin, you're under arrest, by Lionguard authority. You will present yourself- Mai Trin: If it weren't for that detective and her cronies, you'd never have known it was me. Mai Trin: (laugh) My plan was to open a seat on the council so I could fill it. Now, it's to punish you all for spoiling my first one. Mai Trin: Come out, my clockwork crew! Let's show them what it feels like to be impaled on the sharp tip of misfortune.

-- New dialogue -- Mai Trin: Marjory Delaqua. I'll remember that. Investigator Ellen Kiel: Mai Trin, you're under arrest, by Lionguard authority. You will present yourself- Mai Trin: So much for discretion. Mai Trin: Crew! It's time to earn your pay.

Aetherblade Retreat: comparison of dialogue between Mai and Horrik before the final fight

-- Old dialogue -- Mai Trin: This has all gone to crud. Scarlet's gonna have my noggin for screwing this up. Champion First Mate Horrik: What now, Captain? It'll take cannonballs to get out of here alive. Mai Trin: Either way, I'm dead. So let's wind our springs and ride this escapement to the end. Champion First Mate Horrik: You got it. I'll undock the airships. Mai Trin: You and your brothers give good battle, old friend. Now, let's dig in before they show. I'll raise the gangplanks.

-- New dialogue -- Mai Trin: Scarlet's gonna have my skull. Champion First Mate Horrik: What now, Captain? It'll take cannonballs to get out of here alive. Mai Trin: I'm dead either way. Might as well strap in for a decent fight. Champion First Mate Horrik: You got it. I'll undock the airships. Mai Trin: I'll raise the gangplanks.

Aetherblade Retreat: comparison of Mai's boss encounter dialogue during and after the fight

Mai Trin: This is what your curiosity gets you. (old v new) Mai Trin: Horrik! Unleash the cannons. (old v new) Mai Trin: No more half-measures. All hands on deck! (old v new) Mai Trin: Enough! You've won. Give me quarter and I'll tell you everything. / Enough! You've won. Next time just ask a little nicer. (old v new)

Interlude:

Between the original release of Sky Pirates and Edge of the Mists, Mai could be spoken with in her cell in Fort Marriner. This part wasn't brought back for the re-release, but the Wiki still has the dialogue:

Edge of the Mists: The Juncture

A hologram of Mai appears every half minute or so, saying one of several lines at random. The GW2 Wiki seems to have only a few of these documented.

-- Old dialogue -- Captain Mai Trin: Aetherblades, muster up! Scarlet wants this whole region conquered and ready for her when she returns. Captain Mai Trin: Aetherblades, muster up! We can't claim this territory if we don't control it. Move out and start conquering. Captain Mai Trin: Until Scarlet arrives, this is our new base of operations. I want Aetherblades controlling each and every sector. Captain Mai Trin: Until further notice, this is our new base of operations. I want Aetherblades controlling each and every sector. Captain Mai Trin: Scarlet wants this space and so do I. Even if she never comes back, I plan to be here for a good long while. Captain Mai Trin: Dig in and get comfortable Aetherblades. I plan for us to be here for a good long while. Captain Mai Trin: I'm not just a pirate captain anymore. Until Scarlet comes back, I'm the governor too. Captain Mai Trin: I'm not just a pirate captain anymore. Around here, I'm the governor too. Captain Mai Trin: Scarlet's planning something big and controlling this area is essential to it. Move out and start pacifying the locals.

(I don't have audio for the new lines here, Gw2Browser won't load these specific updated lines for some reason and I don't have time to sit around in EotM. I'll just trust the Wiki on this one, but there's probably a few extra undocumented lines to go here.)

-- New dialogue -- Captain Mai Trin: Dig in and get comfortable Aetherblades. We're gonna be here for a while. Captain Mai Trin: Don't let your guard down. Captain Mai Trin: We won't let Scarlet down. Captain Mai Trin: Eyes up Aetherblades.

~~ Unused lines ~~

I was first made aware of these in a post made about a year ago by Reddit user e-scrape-artist, and I decided to poke around in the files myself. Turns out there's a huge amount of unused dialogue in the game, from multiple characters across the whole season.

These first few sound a lot like NPC interaction dialogues. Except this is Mai Trin, so it's possibly a different scenario where we originally meet her character before it was scrapped?

Mai Trin: The sky’s the limit. Mai Trin: I’m in the shipping business. Mai Trin: Ah, the smell of the sea and the sky. Mai Trin: You have my attention. Mai Trin: Lion’s Arch is just the beginning for me.

What's more interesting than unused lines?

Unused lines that get re-recorded with a new VA and still don't get used.

Some of these are found alongside the previous unused lines, while the others are bundled in with the Aetherblade Retreat boss encounter lines. Maybe the extra combat lines are intended to play but they never triggered due to a bug or something?

Mai Trin: Ready the ship. We’ve outstayed our welcome. (old v new) Mai Trin: You just had to tamper with the plan didn’t you? (old v new) Mai Trin: Come on out, I’ll make it quick. (old v new) Mai Trin: To your captain's side! (old v new) Mai Trin: Fresh meat gang! Slice them to pieces! (old v new) Mai Trin: Dead like that councillor, serves you right. / Dead. Just like that councillor. (old v new) Mai Trin: I’m wound down. You got me. (old v new)

But wait, there's more!

What's more interesting than re-recording unused lines?

Re-recording unused lines for content that was never implemented in the first place.

Wait, what?

Sooo...when I was looking for Mai's EotM lines in the game files, I stumbled across something pretty significant. There's several hundred lines involving various Aetherblade characters in Edge of the Mists plus two Lionguard officers and apparently Vorpp too?

A lot of it seem to be event dialogue; for collection events, escorts, orders to attack/defend keeps and towers. But anyone who's spent time in EotM knows that none of the events involve Aetherblades, just generic NPCs with barely any voiced lines.

EDIT: According to @konig-varorson there were some open-world portal events involving Aetherblades and Lionguard during the initial release, so those lines were in the game at some point. But the lines spoken by the Aetherblades and Mai Trin inside the Mists appears to be completely unused? I plan to do more research into this.

Were the Aetherblades originally planned to have a bigger role in the events there? I dunno. But some of the lines are pretty interesting.

67 of these lines are spoken by Mai (not including the Juncture lines) and here's just under half of them.

Mai Trin: I knew prison couldn't hold me. Mai Trin: It's good to have a gang again. Mai Trin: This place is ripe for the picking. Mai Trin: I worked hard for this place, don't lose it. Mai Trin: I knew you were a bilge rat. Mai Trin: See that? That'll be mine one day. Mai Trin: I have a job that needs doing and I need volunteers. Good pay, plenty of violence. Mai Trin: An impressive haul. This should be plenty. For now. Mai Trin: Follow me, I need your help with this. Mai Trin: Stay close to me. I don't have time for stragglers. Mai Trin: You have your instructions, go to it. Make me proud. Mai Trin: I'm going to find out who screwed this up and slit their skin off. Mai Trin: Wrap it up, we have work elsewhere. Mai Trin: This is what I like to see. Mai Trin: Listen, I don't wanna lose this place. Protect it. Now. Mai Trin: You have my...thanks. Mai Trin: Take care of yourself. Don't get robbed or anything. Mai Trin: You look like warmed over flotsam. Mai Trin: Yes. (laugh) Oh my, yes. Mai Trin: Do you have what it takes to be my first mate? ;) Mai Trin: Do better. I'm not going back to prison. Mai Trin: Your captain is pleased. Mai Trin: Let's move. This place isn't gonna rob itself. Mai Trin (hologram): I want that tower. Kill everyone inside. Mai Trin (hologram): No-one takes this tower from us. No-one. Mai Trin (hologram): Your captain wants that keep. Mai Trin (hologram): We have intruders. Show them what Aetherblades can do. Mai Trin (hologram): Rattle the gates. Let them know Captain Mai is here. Mai Trin (hologram): Crack the walls, I smell riches inside. Mai Trin (hologram): Sea or sky, I can sail anywhere.

Six of the unused lines were re-recorded with the new VA:

Mai Trin: Dispose of the bodies. (old v new) Mai Trin: Ugh, get me up. (old v new) Mai Trin: We're overwhelmed, pull back! (old v new) Mai Trin: Come over here and protect your captain. / Protect your captain! (old v new) Mai Trin: Cut them down, no quarter. (old v new) Mai Trin: C'mere, I won't bite. (old v new)

Little side note: I think Mai's EotM-based lines sound a little different compared to the Sky Pirates chapter, like the old VA is slightly leaning into her Rox voice in some areas?

Anyway, I think that's all I have on Mai Trin's dialogue changes. Did I miss anything? I know there's some text lines I didn't include, but I was focusing on the voiced lines. Do you prefer Mai's old VA or the new one?

If anyone's interested in other unused/undocumented lines, I plan to post some unused Horrik and Canach lines I found, as well as the other Aetherblades in the Mists.

But now I think I need a nap

[aleksa-sims]

RL Simself-Story (18+)

⚠️CW: breakup, addiction ⚠️

Under the cut I only briefly tell, how this one day/morning went, when Daniel decided to leave me. 😞😢

Previous/ Next

Start

Daniel came home very late that day/night and I was mad at him. He couldn’t sleep, which he never really did the last days anyway. He often just sat there awake at night, watching me sleep. Still, this time something was different. Daniel looked totally devastated.

I was so worried. I knew it had to be something really serious. He could barely talk. I thought he was gonna...... cry or something. I swear, he looked deeply sad and kind of.... shocked? I’ve never seen Daniel like that.

Me: Daniel?... What’s wrong? Please tell me what’s bothering you.

Daniel: I-.. I can't. I don't wanna hurt you..... And...I can’t take it with you... but I don’t want to leave you. Ily sm. You did nothing wrong... I-... I did something really bad. But like I said, I can't tell you. It might hurt you. It's serious and... also dangerous. I screwed up, I ruined everything with it. 😞

Me: Please, tell me. I just want to help you! You can trust me, I won’t get mad. We're married, we can fix it. I'll do my best, okay...no matter what you did, Ily.😟

Daniel: You don't understand. I just can’t tell you!! I want it, but..ugh. However, I just have to..... forget and repress it somehow. But it’s all really hard for me. I-.... I can't handle it rn... Maybe I should.... stay away from you. 😞

Me: I see you’ve been torturing yourself for days for something that’s getting worse. But I won’t let us lose each other. Please baby. You need me & I you.... I don't care what you did. Come, lay with me & hug me. 🙁

Daniel: I'm so sorry. I just want to protect you.

Me: It's ok, D. I'm there. You don’t have to tell me. I don’t want to put any more pressure & stress on you. Soon you'll get better and we'll talk.

Daniel: I hope you can forgive me someday.

Me: 😟😟...... 😢

A few hours later I had to get up. Daniel said he'll stay at home. He wasn’t well and I wish I hadn’t gone to work that day. But he fell asleep. I was gonna talk to him later, after work. Maybe he’ll get better after he’s slept and rested?... Anyway, I took Daniel’s phone before I left. I checked his messages. I thought maybe I could find out? What he meant? What he did? I thought it had something to do with Tina. I noticed a strange text between him and Domnick. It was about that night in the club. Daniel texted Domnick, that he couldn't forget what Tina said to him. I got kind of mad.... And the way Daniel spoke to me tonight, it sounded like he had a guilty conscience towards me. He said he made a mistake and didn’t want to hurt me. He just wanted to forget this thing and protect me. My guess was that he wanted to protect me from Tina, because she acted like a crazy stalker and also harmed Irena. I mean what else could it be??

But ugh, I was so wrong! Why he left, he will tell me months later. Anyway, it has nothing to do with Tina, it was about that damn drug he and I were hooked on. And yes, I get why he didn't tell me.🤦‍♀️It was BAD!... Still, UGH! I wish he’d confided in me.

When I came home in the afternoon after work, Daniel was gone. He just texted me that he was sorry but he couldn’t stay with me. I shouldn’t call him or look for him, he will call me one day. But first he's to finde out, what's right for him. 🤨 Of course I called him, but Daniel’s phone was off and he also said goodbye to his sister. He told her the same thing he told me. However she couldn't stop him. I think if Daniel hadn’t suffered from that mental disorder, he would have decided otherwise.

He left on March 3rd. Now 2 weeks have passed without a sign from him. The more days and weeks passed, the more I believed that he really left me because of Tina.

Previous/ Next

Start

[scorpio-marionette]

A Conversation about Feet

Am I writing this because I saw one of our mutuals post about the cleanliness of fictional characters' feet?

Yes, yes I am.

Do I feel awkward or ashamed to be talking about said fictional feet?

No, no I do not.

Aren't feet weird and gross?

To some, but not all.

That's why this cold open is going to serve as your

Trigger Warning: Feet below the cut

@avastrasposts this one is for you, love 👍🏼

In this conversation I'm going to first rank and then explain the cleanliness of each man's feet. I'm first going to cover the basics, and by that I mean the most well known of the Pascal Punks (my nod to artist Rickie Yagawa)

Frankie - Average

The military doesn't leave you with much time to take extensive care of one's self, and civilian life doesn't provide much instruction as to how. The most Frankie does is trim his nails as needed, maybe soak them in some hot water with Epsom salt for when they start to hurt, and lotion to prevent cracking.

Dave - Above Average

This is a man with a guilty pleasure for pedicures. You see, after marrying his wife and conceiving their first child, Carol constantly needed a foot massage for her aching feet. Dave, being the loving husband he is, decided that a spa day would be great for her. He had intended for it to be a little getaway for her but she requested his presence. One of the treatments happened to be a pedicure. At first he was apprehensive about someone touching his feet, but after feeling so much better from the accompanying massage and soak he loved it. Now, it's his zen time after a particularly difficult mission so that he can properly compartmentalize his trauma.

Marcus P - Above Average

Surely you must know that Special Agent Pike is a stickler for good self care. You should be eating right, exercising, and generally giving your body what it needs. It's how you stay in the game. It's also how you get into weird fads about skin care. Dry, cracking skin on your feet? Use this weird thing that oddly looks like a cheese grater. It'll be fine! Yeah, no. Marcus has tried just about everything to take care of his feet, what with the amount of walking he does. And while he knows he isn't always going to be chasing the bad guys, he does want to be able to keep up with any little ones he'll have down the line. So Marcus is the who finds the best lotions and soaks for your feet.

Javier - Average

After years chasing down drug lords and returning home to work on the ranch, Peña has learned the hard way that if you don't take care of your feet you're screwed (and not in the preferred way). But he's not irredeemable. After the first shot of pain through his foot, Chucho showed his son how to care for cracked heels using aloe vera to heal and Epsom salt baths for the pain later. Now the bottle of lotion in his room is used for what it was originally intended for.

Max L - Below Average (due to circumstances)

Having grown up in a less than supportive environment, Max is going to develop some issues later down the road due to poor care and shoes while growing up. While he's going to try his hardest to keep it clean and presentable, even going as far as painting his toe nails to look more natural, he's still going to face problems. Some will be fixable, others will be permanent, but for the sake of everyone I won't go into too much detail as to what he could get.

Dieter - Above Average

This trash panda will whine and moan and fight you every inch if you tell him that he has to get out of his hole (take that term as you will) to go to his appointment at the nail salon for his regular pedicure. He'll complain and pout and swear up and down that he doesn't want to go. "Why do I even have these appointments?! It's not like anyone is looking at them! I should cancel these appointments!" And then the second he's there and in the chair - gone. Out like a light. Best sleep he's gotten in weeks that isn't drug induced. It is the most peaceful and relaxed you could or would ever see him.

Din - Terrible

Given Din's life style I don't think he has much time for general self care, let alone specifically foot care. His feet probably reek with how little air time they get. If they're not already deformed they're going to be if he doesn't take his shoes off more often. And don't get me started on sweat accumulation. 🤢

Marcus M - Above Average (Girl Dad for the win)

Being a parent is hard. Being a single parent is even harder. But being a super parent that just so happens to be single is super hard! You've got to save the world AND figure out how to explain that random bleeding your daughter is experiencing is totally normal. Luckily for Moreno, his daughter is growing up fantastic and even teaching her dad a few tricks. With Missy insisting on fact checking every fad the internet throws at her (as her father would want because we don't take things at face value in this house), she's rooted out the fakes and misconceptions, leaving only the most realistic treatments. What's great is that doing them together double as bonding time when he's tied up with work.

Ezra - Disgusting (Sorry)

Sir, how long have you been on that planet? No no, how long have you been in that suit? You know what? I don't want to know. Don't tell me, I'll just puke.

Jack - Average/Below Average

This man is a man's man, a man don't get pedicures. That's the thing you take your girl to, not yourself. Hell, Jack doesn't even use lotion on the rest of his body. What makes you think he uses it one his feet? He showers like everybody else. He deals with the pain when it hurts. He does the bare minimum and that's it.

Javi - Immaculate

One time, when Javi was a teenager, he won a trip to LA where he would get a "Hollywood Make Over". The sweepstakes was intended for girls though they still left it open for anyone, but you can imagine that some were surprised to see a boy show up excited for a facial. Javi was of course hoping to run into Nicolas Cage, but while he didn't meet his hero he did learn the power of the pumice stone. Swimming in chlorinated water and the Mediterranean can dry out your skin. Being able to buff away the dryness safely is a must have, and with the money Javi has access to you know he isn't getting the cheap lava rock.

Joel - Below Average (potentially getting worse)

The world has ended. The fugus is among us. Ain't nobody got time to leisurely soak their feet. Joel knows this, he ain't happy about it, but he's made peace with it. He does what he can with what he's got. Trading for what he doesn't. Aloe is good for your feet, but the material aloe infused socks are made of don't last like others do. So with some help from Frank, he learned how to "infuse" aloe into his regular socks to help during long activities (like crossing the country for a kid you just met).

Max P - Immaculate

I'd like to think that if you're the undead you don't suffer the same issues as the living do. You don't age. You don't change. However that would mean you're invulnerable. And then that would mean you could never die. That's not true as we've seen [insert reference gif of Max exploding here]. Be who knows? Perhaps it's the trivial things in life that immortals have no qualms with. And if you don't sweat you won't stink up your feet.

Pero - Disgusting (Not Sorry)

He's gone months without shaving. I think he'll go the same amount of time if it means saving gold. And yet I would also like to think that should this man not only live long enough to find a woman to love, but a woman willing to marry him, the first thing that woman would insist on is a bath. Even if she has to shove him into the river to get her point across. She'd make home made soap with dried fruit and flowers. Anything to get him (and especially his feet) to smell better. She'd even toss his old leathers and shoes if they smelled terrible.

Oberyn - for modern times? Average. For Westeros? Above Average.

Our beloved prince has been everywhere feasible while also trying everything possible in those places. And you can bet that for every conquest our prince has had, he's learned an equal number of life hacks. For example, in the brothels of the North then women are famed for their persistently soft skin. A trade secret made during the last winter. Oberyn managed to get secret out of one of his companions for the evening and uses it himself to keep him too condition for his lovers. Of course, Oberyn also has a fine collection of scented oils from all over Essos as well.

[criminalminds4days]

Family Matters |  Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

Hello my beautiful souls!!

I hope this of you who celebrate Christmas had and amazing time, and those if you who don't had a great Friday!

I had a really chill holiday, and although I was supposed to be home and that didn't happen, I'm still glad I had a good time. I got a watch for Christmas and I'm obsessed!!

Anyway, I also wanted to let you guys know I'll be posting the story on Wattpad, and thanks to @meowiemari I also have a cover. I have attached it below! My wattpad user is @criminalminds4days so feel free to follow and read along!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's one of my favorites. 💙💙

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog

*************************************************

(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

It had been a little over three months since her absolute wrecking of the family retreat. She had managed to get her mom to get past it, and though she had promised to apologize to the rest of her aunts and uncles, she had not gotten around (well, more like she didn't think it was necessary, they probably had already forgotten, and she did actually mean every word she said).

Her team and she had evaded more danger than possible in the last couple of weeks, and she had a feeling today she would not be returning to her bed to sleep. She also had to figure out what she wanted to get Spencer for his birthday. She was so excited to celebrate with him that she wanted to spill her idea of a surprise birthday party to him, but she needed to remain strong. She just hoped he would like it, and that she could find something to give him. She knew him so much better now and had so many things that he would like, but she wanted this gift to be unique, something that reminded him of her. Not that she wanted him thinking about her all the time because that would be weird, but maybe once in a while?

A knock on her door made her get out of her head. She walked to see Tyler Hemingway standing on the other side.

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"I just-" He looked at the floor, nervous. "I was just hoping we could talk."

"We can talk right here, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to say I am sorry, for what happened."

"What exactly? That you humiliated me in front of my family, or that your wife called me and my boyfriend liars."

"All of it, I should have known better."

"Yes, you should have." She debated whether to say something else but decided against it. "I honestly don't understand where this is coming from, it was two years ago."

"I know, and I am also sorry it has taken me so long to say anything. I just didn't know how to approach the situation, and what we had was so special, I wish I hadn't ruined it."

She had waited to hear those words for so long that how wrong what she did, didn't occur to her until the damage had been done. Even if her feelings for the man in front of her were not the same as they were two years ago, those words were enough to make her become less hostile towards him. She let Tyler in, forgetting Spencer was waiting for her to pick him up in about twenty minutes.

"Spencer? Why are you late?"

"Because she didn't pick me up like she was supposed to. I assumed she may be running a little late, so I waited and then I called her, but it went straight to voicemail." He responded to Emily.

"That is so not like her, should we be worried?"

"I don't know, but I already am, maybe we should go see if she's home or something."

The elevator doors opened once again as Spencer and Emily were preparing themselves to raid her house in order to find her. She stepped out, a look of immense guilt present as her eyes landed on the brunette. He did not seem upset, more like relieved she was there. Emily dropped her jacket and embraced her, a huge weight lifting off her shoulders after seeing her. When she was released from the woman's hug, she directed her eyes back to him.

"I am so sorry; I was on my way-" before she could explain Aaron Hotchner told them to join the rest of the team at the round table to discuss the next case.

"This one is a bad one," JJ said as she read through the file. "These people are killing families. Not even the children are spared."

"Yeah, and it's only getting worse." Said Penelope as she shared the pictures of the crime scenes. She wished she could concentrate but Spencer kept glancing at her with worry. He knew something wasn't right, but she didn't know how to explain it without sounding like she was digging herself in a bigger hole.

She avoided him on the jet, as she pretended to be asleep and then engaged in a very interesting conversation with JJ about diapers and toddlers. As much as she loved the blonde, she sometimes didn't appreciate learning all these baby facts, it took the wishes to have children away faster than anything else.

She was now in a black SUV, with Spencer in the back seat and Emily driving. She sat in the front seat as they drove towards the hospital. One of the girls had been spared and they were hoping to talk to her about the unsubs.

"So, why were you late this morning?" Emily questioned, "You left Cinderella over there without his carriage."

"Yeah, I know. I am so sorry Spencer."

"It's okay, I just got worried."

"I know, and I am so sorry." She took a deep breath, preparing to explain to them why she had been delayed. "I just got some unexpected company this morning."

"Was it Anna?"

"No, she has been radio silent for these past couple of months, I'm assuming she is building a bulletproof alibi for when she decides to murder me."

"Is there something I should know about?" Emily asked as she stole glances at her.

"Spencer and I went to my family retreat a couple of months ago and when we were there I may or may not have basically told my aunts and uncles to go fuck themselves."

"You explicitly told them to do so." Spencer clarified.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because they all sucked. Emily if you would have been there, you would have done the same." Spencer responded. "But going back to the main topic, who came to your apartment today? Was it your mom?"

"We need to have a conversation about this whole family retreat thing!" The woman behind the steering wheel complained.

"I will tell you all about it tonight." She assured her. "And no, Spence, it wasn't my mom, it was someone a little closer to Anna."

"Her mom?"

"No, Tyler."

There was no response to that, Spencer looked like he didn't know exactly what he was feeling, while Emily seemed like she had returned to watch her favorite show only to find out she missed a whole season, and she had no idea what happened to the storyline she was following.

"Who's Tyler?"

"Anna's husband." She clarified, "he came to apologize for everything, and to say that he didn't think what Anna did was okay."

Reid scoffed, "and you believe him?"

"He seemed very genuine about it."

"Unbelievable."

"I am so lost right now."

"Spencer, are you upset about this?"

"Me? Why should I? It's not like I pretended to be your boyfriend to prevent him from making you feel any worse than he had already, and you ended up right back at where you started."

"Are you implying I slept with him?"

"I never said that."

"Well then what are you saying? Because need I remind you, he is a married man. I would never do something like that." She crossed her arms, becoming defensive of the situation. "He simply wanted to talk, so I listened. It was a conversation, and it's just going to be a dinner. Nothing more."

"Oh, so you're going on a date with him too?"

"It's not a date! Did I not mention he was married?! To another woman!"

"Being with someone else has never stopped him before."

"What is happening right now?" Emily asked, to no one in particular.

"Seriously Spencer?"

"Did I lie?"

"Why are you so worked up about this? It doesn't even concern you."

"I am upset, because even after he told you in front of all your family that he was in love with your cousin and married her, breaking your heart, he says, 'I'm sorry' and suddenly he's back on the top of your priority list." He spits out, his emotions running high.

"This man did what now?" Both looked at Prentiss as if remembering she was there all along.

"I can't believe you just said that! I confided in you."

"And I trusted you."

"It was one day! I forgot to pick you up one day and suddenly I am the worst person on this planet, really?"

"Are you seriously so oblivious to think this is about some stupid ride?"

"Guys,"

"No? Then what is this about? Is this about me making you look bad or something?"

"No, it's about the fact that after all we've been through and the fact that I have done all I can to help you and be there for you I am still less important than Tyler fucking Hemingway."

"Guys,"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys,"

"It doesn't even matter anymore, enjoy your dinner." He undid his seat belt. "Why didn't you tell me we were here Emily?"

"I have been trying."

"Let's go then." He said as he exited the SUV marching up to the hospital entrance.

"What is his problem?" She asked Emily, still heated by the discussion.

"Well,-"

Before Prentiss could respond she was cut off. "I mean, yes, this guy broke my heart but that doesn't mean I have to hold a grudge forever, right? I might as well move past it, don't you think?"

"If you ask me-"

"And it was one conversation, and we're going out to dinner to finish it, there is nothing wrong with that. I don't know why he got so worked up about it, do you?"

"Yeah-"

"You know what, screw Spencer, if he wants to be a jerk for no fucking reason, let him do it. I am not going to lose sleep over it, nor am I gonna give him explanations. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"I think-"

"Yeah, you're right Emily, when Reid decides to get his shit together he can talk to me, in the meantime, we need to find out who these unsubs are before they hurt anyone else." She undid her seatbelt and opened the door, Emily still sitting there, trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, sure." She followed suit and they both entered the hospital. Spencer was speaking to the girl's nurse as they approached, he didn't make any comments, but he also didn't acknowledge her, nor invite her into the conversation as he did to Emily. He was acting professional and doing his job, but his stance and emotions were very clear by the lack of interactions between them unless it was absolutely necessary.

As soon as Emily entered the room to interview the victim, the silence that engulfed them made her heart tighten. Spencer and she had gone past this already, they were friends, there was never a silent moment between them, and now all of that seemed to vanish in the air, all because of her decision to let Tyler Hemingway apologize.

She chose to ignore the situation until further notice. Emily was right, Spencer was being a dramatic prick and she was just gonna give him the time to realize that he was wrong. So when she got to bed, grateful for a bit of peace knowing one of the killers had been identified and was going to be caught soon, the last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Emily about the topic this same one had told her to not think about.

"I didn't say to just ignore it. As a matter of fact, I didn't get one sentence out during the whole drive to the hospital."

"That can't be true."

"Oh, but it was. Now I know how Reid felt when Gideon left." She fixed her shirt and continued, "well, regardless, what happened between you and Tyler, and what exactly does Dr. Genius know?"

"Spence knows pretty much everything, it kind of came with the territory." She recounted the story and this time she didn't leave any detail out, well, almost didn't leave any detail out.

Emily learned about Anna and their rivalry, Tyler and him choosing her cousin over her, the only thing she never even brought up was her dad. Only Spencer knew about it and she wanted to keep it that way. She finally landed on the weekend in question and the words she had shared with her cousin. Though that wasn't exactly what Prentiss found worrisome.

"You and Reid kissed?! Like on the lips?!" She screamed.

"Yeah, it was just so they would stop bugging us. It's not even the first time we kissed, so why is it a big deal?"

"Wait, you've kissed him before that day?"

"Yeah, at my cousin's wedding."

"Holy shit! I was not expecting that. My OTP is getting all these moments that will eventually lead to the ship sailing and I didn't even know about them!"

"Have you started talking another language by accident or something? I don't understand anything of what you just said."

"Don't worry about it. On a scale of one to ten, how good of a kisser is he?"

"Eleven." She responded immediately, "but that has nothing to do with this whole situation."

"It definitely does! Now it makes sense, Reid thinks you still have feelings for your ex, and he's jealous. He probably doesn't even know it, and he's probably trying to understand why he is so upset with you. Oh my god, he's jealous!"

"Emily, he's not jealous. Spence and I are not dating, we pretended to be a couple." She explained, thinking the woman hadn't understood her.

"Yeah, I know that, but I also know that any fake dating movie or book has always reached a point where the two main characters become unconsciously aware of their feelings. This is it! THIS IS IT!" She shook her and laughed, then suddenly came to a stop. "Oh my god, I am the best friend. I am definitely the friend that gives some wise advice that makes it click in your brain, let me think," she looked around the room as if inspiration would pop out of the bed. "I got it: get your shit together and marry Spencer." She stood and walked out the door, before fully closing it she spoke again, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk some sense into our little genius. Love you, hope I am invited to the wedding!"

Though after the break in the case they had found themselves relieved and on their way back, the nagging feeling she called Emily Prentiss kept insisting that both doctors were actually in love and that all they needed to do was kiss and become a couple. It was so constant that even when she wasn't around she could hear her echo. Like right then when she was trying to brush her hair and mentally prepare herself for whatever this dinner with Tyler was going to bring. Though she and Spencer had not yelled or continued to argue, there was nothing else left of their friendship, at least that's what it seemed like. It was as if the past months were a dream and they were just back to being coworkers, and that feeling was burning her up inside. She did not realize how important he had become in her life until he wasn't a part of it anymore.

"You look great," Tyler said as she entered the restaurant.

"Thanks, Spence helped me pick out this shirt when we went to the mall a couple of weeks ago. He said blue always looked good on me."

"That's great." The man responded, clearly uncomfortable. "So, I know you had to leave for work the other day, but I was hoping now we could talk more about what happened between us."

"Yes, of course."

She didn't really understand how she had gotten to the point of having an actual conversation with the man sitting across from her, because she had been angry at him for so long, that it never occurred to her as a possibility. He had once again apologized and given her a tale of how he had let his emotions guide him without realizing he could hurt others, and while that didn't excuse his actions, she still accepted his apology, choosing instead to move on from their current limbo. They had quickly changed the conversation, like if two old friends had reconnected after so long. Tyler was a great friend when he wanted to be, he was pleasant company, to say the least.

"And the other day, Spence was trying to learn to play the piano, and I told him there was no way he could learn in a week. So what did he do? He-"

"Stop, just stop!" He interrupted her, and she furrowed her eyebrows confused. "I have been sitting here for an hour listening to you talk about your stupid boyfriend and his IQ of 187." He rubbed his hands through his face and tried to calm down. "Was this the plan all along? You heard me tell you that I wished I hadn't ruined our relationship and decided playing with me was perfect revenge? Accepting dinner only to humiliate me by ignoring me and choosing to talk about that Spencer guy? Is he in on it or something?"

Oh. My. God.

Reid was right, this man was not looking to mend old friendships or start a new chapter, he was looking for a mistress. 

"You, are the worst type of jerk I have ever met. I actually believed you wanted to be friends, to turn the page but all you wanted was to get in my pants." She stood, grabbing her drink and spilling it over him. "I hope I never see you again. Go fuck yourself Tyler." She walked, but before she exited the restaurant she returned and gave him a fake smile, "and also, Thank you for humiliating me in front of my family, you showed me how little you were and that I could do so much better. Say, an FBI agent with an IQ of 187." Once again she turned and this time she didn't even bother looking back.

The drive to her apartment was long, mostly because she didn't drive there, but to Spencer Reid's home. She felt her palms sweat, she hated admitting she was wrong, but she hated not having Spencer around much more than a bruised ego. She knocked on the door and Spencer opened, he looked confused, but as soon as he registered her in he simply raised an eyebrow and changed his confused demeanor to a completely neutral.

"I came to tell you that you were right. He just wanted to get in pants." There was no response, and she fiddled with her hands. "I actually thought he wanted to apologize, and I think part of me just wanted to believe that for the first time I was not being used, that people actually cared about what I felt."

"There are people that care about you, they are just not the wants you wanted to."

"No, they are! I thought I needed the people who wronged me to fix it, to show me that I was worth the trouble when in reality all I needed was for me to understand that I was. And I just needed a reminder that the people that care about me are the ones that should matter the most." A trace of a smile formed on his lips. "I am so sorry about how I acted, and I am sorry I left you here waiting for me. Spencer Reid, you are my best friend and you come before any other jerk out there. I need you to know that this time in which I didn't have you with me was miserable. I missed you so much I spent the whole dinner with Tyler talking about you."

"You did?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, I did. I missed you, and I hope we never fight again, I don't know what I would do without your friendship."

"I missed you too." She bit her lip, and he smiled. "Wanna come in and watch TV?"

"I would love that."

"That's good to hear, I am trying to get Spence here to watch Dance Moms with me but he refuses, maybe if there is two of us, he'll change his mind." A voice inside his apartment spoke. He opened the door to reveal Emily Prentiss wearing Pjs with The Hunger Games symbols on them. "May I say, you look hot. Blue suits you."

"So I've been told."

"Are you sure you can handle being in that close all night though? Maybe Spencer can lend you one of his shirts." She said, winking at them.

"Has she been drinking?"

"It's her third bottle of wine."

"We need to cut her off."

"Yeah, we do." He smiled at her, "She's right though, if you want to borrow something more comfortable let me know."

"Careful Spencer Reid, I might take you up on that."

"Awwww, YOU TWO ARE ADORABLE!" The woman screamed. "Just get married already!"

The pair laughed and made their way to the sofa, she closed the door behind her and sat down, feeling whole for the first time this week. Emily and Spencer were the best friends a girl could ask for, and she couldn't think of a better way to spend the rest of her night than watching trash TV with the two of them as they laughed and joked.

It was home. 

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Dangerous Love (Pt. 09 of 13)

Pairing: Bruce Wayne (Batman) X Harley Quinn's sister!Reader

Word count: 3K

Summary: You're Harley Quinn's sister, Havoc, one of the many villain's of Gotham. But you've been caught, and has been tortured constantly for an year in Belle Reve. But when your think your life can't be anything else than the nightmare you find yourself into, Bruce Wayne, the Batman, takes you in for a project. He has a program to rehabilitate villains, and you're his lab rat. But soon enough confusing feelings start getting in the way. You know falling for Bruce is stupid. But can you keep your heart under control?

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{Justice League - DC Masterlist}

×

Some Dreams Become True

Two man hold you, one on each arm, walking you through the rocky path of the Wayne House. They're just making sure you can walk. When you see Bruce, tears fill your eyes. You want to run, but you don't think you can. He's nervous, hands clenched into fists, a hard expression on his face, eyes on the man holding you.

When you're climbing the few steps to his front the door, feeling Bruce's eyes on you, the man holding your right arm let go, and you use the last bit of strength to turn around, hitting him in the chest with the heavy metal handcuffs.

He lets out a groan, falling down. The other man is quick to respond, pushing you violently to the floor. You feel a sting on your leg, hurting on the already injured skin.

“Get your hands off her!” Bruce yells, stepping forward and placing a punch on the man's jaw. Everyone backs up, hands raised, straight back into the trucks. “(Y/N).” He comes to help you up, and you're thankful for having his arms to sustain your weight.

You pull him with you as you move to get inside, out of those men's sight. When you're in, he pushes the door closed, and you just can't help it, you fall into his arms, hiding your face on his chest. “They beat me.” It comes out as a whisper, a low cry. “In the truck, just now, they... They said you'd think I got them from the mission but I didn't.”

Felling vulnerable isn't your thing. But you spent so much time playing as the tough one, it has a hint of freedom to accept that you're breakable, human. And with Bruce... You feel you can be fragile... You don't have to hide it.

“I'll have them fired.” He says, his chest vibrating with the anger in his voice. “I swear to God I'll–” He stops suddenly when your legs fail and, if it wasn't for him, you'd fall. Bruce picks you up bridal style, and, since you can't look at him right now, you hide your face in the crook of his neck. “Let's get you cleaned up, ok?”

Nodding, you feel as he carries you upstairs, to the room you missed so much. Bruce sits you down on the bed, carefully taking off your shoes. “Do you need help? In the shower?” He speaks low, not sure if he should say it.

“No, I think I can stand up for a while...”

“I'll be right here the whole time, so if you fall or need anything, just call me, ok?”

Nodding, you give him a small smile. Bruce takes some clothes and puts them in the bathroom for you before taking you there. When he leaves, you get inside the box, opening the warm water and taking everything you'll need and laying it on the floor around you. Slowly, and trying not to moan from the pain, you take your clothes off and start washing away the dust and blood. You wish you could wash away the bruises too, but that only time can provide.

It hurts, but you have to wash your hair too. You take so long that Bruce asks if you're alright a few times, and starts making some questions, just so he can make sure you're well. You step out of the shower, dry yourself and your hair before dressing up. As soon as you open the door, Bruce comes, picking you up again and taking you to the bed.

Then, he starts attending to all the wounds, no matter how small. Your heart is a confusion of feelings, and the butterflies give you no rest. After a little more than two weeks, you're finally back in the place where you feel safe. With the man who has been unbelievably gentle. He asks permission to lift your shirt and that's when he sees the four inches of stitches on your left side, just below the ribs.

“What was that?”

“One of the terrorists cut me. The soldiers wanted to heat up a knife and just burn it, but Floyd... Deadshot... Made them call the doctor to stitch it up.” Your voice is low, and you flinch a little when he touches the wound.

“Sorry.”

It takes almost an hour until he stops, gathering all the medical stuff he used before giving you two painkillers. You don't know what to say, you're completely lost. During the mission, you had more than enough time to think about how you'd feel to be back here, but now it's different. It's real... And you have to apologize for what you did before you left.

“Bruce... Before I left I... I kissed you and I shouldn't, I- I was so scared and I didn't want to go so I had an impulse. I'm sorry.” Your heart is beating fast now, so you look down at your hands.

“Why did you kiss me? Tell me the truth.” Bruce moves closer, his hand coming to your cheek. You can't help but close your eyes and sigh, melting into his touch.

How is it possible that he doesn't know how you feel yet? You're sure you failed to hide it under his sharp eyes. “I... I really wanted to kiss you because it's- it's a sign of affection, right?”

“A kiss on the cheek is a sign of affection. On the lips... It means a completely different kind of affection.” His fingers trail the outline of your jaw, your chin...

“I know, I... I just...”

“On the times you thought I was a dream, you said you could fall in love with me. Do you remember what I said back?”

“What?” How does he know... “Was that... Was that real? Did you really came here and...” You don't know what to think. Why would Bruce do such a thing? Not only bother to come but to stay and hold you... Why did he hold you like that? “But- but you–” You stop talking because Bruce leans closer, closer than he ever was. You feel his lips brushing on yours, so softly that it makes you wonder if this might be a dream all over again. But the pain is very real, so this must be too. “What are you doing?” You question him, struggling to control yourself, to stand still.

“I'm trying to explain how I feel about you without using words.”

Before you can say anything, you feel his lips on yours, fully this time. It takes no time until you react, your arms around his neck as you move your lips at his pace, trying to move closer. But a sting on your side makes you jump, and Bruce starts pulling away.

“What was–” Screw your beat-up body. Right now, you couldn't care less. You pull him close once again, not wanting the kiss to be so brief. You waited for a hell of a long time for this, and you won't let a wound ruin it.

You're happy when he gives in to the kiss, and his lips are so soft, so warm... Imagining it didn't get anywhere close to the real thing. There's a small cut on your bottom lip, and it burns a little, but you don't care. This could last forever.

“(Y/N)–” He breaks apart again, but you push yourself forward, chasing his lips, groaning a little when your body complains. You use his shoulders to sustain some of your weight, pulling him into the kiss again. It probably comes out as too needy, but overthinking won't do any good now. Bruce kissed you. He kissed you. Against all odds, against every possibility, Bruce might like you. So you want to have it, to taste his kiss for as long as you can before trying to understand what's going on.

“(Y/N), slow down.” He tells you when you pull away to breathe. “Slow down.”

“Sorry,” you mutter, foreheads touching. Bruce helps you sit back down, resting your back on the headboard, and fixing the pillows around. “What- What was that about, Bruce?”

“Doesn't it make things clear?”

“I know, I just... I need you to say it because I keep thinking that I'm a criminal and it's been a while since I've been trying not to have feelings for you because we're on different sides and... The dreams that weren't dreams happened, the birthday party, all the rest but I... I'll be forever telling myself I'm misreading the signs if you don't tell me...” It comes out all confusing, and you feel pathetic.

“I tried so hard not to fall for you.” He begins, moving the hair away from your face. “That's why I disappeared a while after you got here. My feelings started confusing me so I thought it would be better to call out the project. But I couldn't. Your beauty was the first thing that caught my eyes but after that... Everything you are, it just got me. You got me.”

Biting back a smile, you look down at your hands. “So... I'm the first criminal of Gotham who actually got the Batman.” Such a bad joke.

But a low giggle makes you raise your head and stare at him. “I guess we can say that. But you're not a criminal anymore.”

“That's not what they think.” You tilt your head towards the door.

You're still speaking when Bruce stands up and walks to the other side of the bed. You watch as he takes his shoes off, pulls the blanket away, and sits beside you. “Come here.” He says, and you move as carefully as you can. Bruce puts an arm around your shoulders, and you rest your back on his chest. You don't know why he's doing this, but who are you to argue. It feels good to be held by him. “It's this ok?”

“Yes,” you mutter, closing your eyes. “Being... Being away from you was the worst part of the Suicide Squad, but... It was also a constant reminder of who I am. Or who I was. Havoc.”

“Tell me how you felt.” He asks.

“Therapy session?”

“No. I just want to know everything about you. And help as much as I can.” Softly, he caresses your hair.

You don't want to go back there, but you did wish you had Bruce there to tell him everything that confused you. That made you feel bad. “You know what Havoc means, right? Great destruction, devastation. Something or someone who causes ruin and damage. And I used to be so proud of it.”

“Who gave you this name?”

“A newspaper used the word to describe me in an article about my very first assault to a bank. The place was wrecked.” You speak low, and despite the fact that you hate to remember what you did in the past, there's a good feeling, of pure bliss to be like this with Bruce. His arms are the best place in the world, and your sore body can rest. “And I did that because I wanted to, just for... Fun.”

“Sometimes I get the feeling that your idea of fun was influenced by your sister.”

“Well, my life was terrible until I started hanging out with her so yes... I guess I allowed that world to shape me.”

“Do you still think about returning to your old life?” You feel the expectation on his voice, and also a little bit of vulnerability. Bruce is scared that he likes someone who may still slide back into the crime life.

“On my birthday, before going downstairs I was thinking about it.” You turn around slowly, just enough to look into his eyes. “And I was going to ask you for help.” You smile when he caresses your cheek. “I'm sure now that I don't want to go back... I had money, cars, jewels, but those were only things. You... You showed me things aren't enough. So I made the decision to try. To really try. But I don't know what to do. I supposed to be graduated by now, and have a job, you know... To have started my own life, but... I have nothing.”

“If you want to study I'll pay for your college.”

“I can't let you do that.” Biting back a moan, you turn your body towards him, so you're laying your head on his chest. “It's expensive and... It would be weird.”

“You have to let me take care of you. Not only when you're injured.” He rests his chin on the top of your head, and you close your eyes. “So I'll pay for your college. Then help you find a good job.”

“Hm...” You mumble because you're so tired that you can feel yourself drifting off to sleep. “Will you be here when I wake up?” You manage to ask.

“I'll try, but Batman needs to be on the streets tonight.” He answers in an apologetic tone.

“That's alright, Batman. I understand.”

“Now try to rest, sweetheart.”

“I love it when you call me that.” Whispering, you smile to feel his chest vibrating when he giggles.

And for the first time in a long, long time, you drift off to sleep peacefully, feeling safe and sound, in the arms of someone you truly care about, and who also cares about you.

Your dreams aren't bad. Not as bad as they used to. But yet, you're awake in the middle of the night, completely alone. As you check the clock, 3 a.m., you imagine what Batman is doing right now...

Your body feels numb from the painkillers, so that makes you more secure to stand up and walk around. You do what you usually do, standing in by the window looking down. But then you remember you can go there now. That Bruce doesn't lock the door anymore. Smiling to yourself, you go to the bathroom to wash your face before going to the garden, just to shake the sleep away. The girl in the mirror looks so different from the one you used to see a couple of months ago... Her eyes are different, softer, not desperate, and full of uncertainty. How is it possible that a person can change so much in such a little time? Despite the bruises, your skin does look better, and so does your hair.

Your hair...

The dark roots look bad, and the faded lilac color suddenly seems too odd. In a rush, you search for the box dye Bruce got you. The hair is the only thing that remains of your past. The bruises will heal with time, but it's your job to fix the hair.

You know what to do, so you have no trouble avoiding a mess. Maybe this is something superficial, silly even. But you meant what you said to Bruce, you do want a different life, a restart. You dyed your hair lilac because you wanted to look wild and crazy, like the Joker or Harley. Now you don't need to look like someone else, you feel secure enough to just look like yourself.

You use all three boxes, so you'll be sure to have nice coverage. You're scared now, afraid of how you'll look. When your hair is completely dry, you brush it, moving to stand before the mirror, eyes closed.

Taking a deep breath, you open up your eyes. You're smiling even before you notice, and there are some tears in your eyes. Bruce chose the right color because it merges perfectly with the natural color. Running a hand through your hair, you pull it over your shoulders. You're mesmerized by how it looks. You can't wait to show Bruce so you decide to check if he's back already.

Leaving the room, you walk through the house, calling him. But after a while, it's clear he's not here yet.

“Miss Quinzel?” Alfred calls, and you turn to look at him. “Do you need anything?” He raises his eyebrows at you. “That's a nice change, Miss Quinzel.”

“Thank you, Alfred. I was just checking if Bruce was back already.”

“Master Bruce just got back. He's at the... Cave.”

“Cave?”

“Follow me, please.”

Alfred guides you through the place, to an office in the back of the house. Then, he moves closer to a clock on the wall, and before you can ask what's he's doing, he pushes it to reveal a hole in the wall. “You can go in, Miss Quinzel, he's down there. Careful with the stairs.”

“Ok.” The stairs are dark, so you squint your eyes to try and see better. They take you to a huge, open area. It's a cave indeed, but it looks like another building underground. You'd never guess this was under the house. “Bruce?” You call him, your voice echoing through the place.

There's a whole lab here and a complete hospital room. On the far left, a gym, with more types of equipments than a normal gym would have.

“I'm here.” Bruce comes from behind a wall, wet hair, still buttoning up his shirt. “How did you get in here?”

“I- I'm sorry. Alfred brought me here, through a hole behind a clock. I didn't know I couldn't–”

“Hey, it's alright.” He walks your way, and his face lights up when he gets closer, and a smile comes to his lips. “You look beautiful.” Bruce takes a strand of hair in his fingers before bringing them to caress your cheek.

“I just dyed it and... I wanted you to see it because I really liked it.”

“That's what matters.” Bruce bends down, and you close your eyes to receive the kiss.

You tiptoe when you feel his lips on yours, surrendering into the kiss and wrapping your arms around his neck. You still can't believe this is real, that Bruce actually wants to kiss you. You can't help but wonder what this is. What's this means... You know how a relationship works. A person can be either single, dating, engaged, or married. Sometimes it's complicated, and maybe that's the best you can get with Bruce. These thoughts make you pull away, breaking the kiss without even noticing.

“Something wrong?” Bruce asks, looking a little confused.

“No, I was just... Thinking... It was nothing.”

“(Y/N), we're supposed, to be honest with each other, remember? If you're not ok with me kissing you like that you just have to say and–”

“No!” You burst out, shaking your head slightly. “Please, that's not it.” The thought of not kissing Bruce is just absurd, unbearable even, that you just cut him off, keeping him close by holding the collar of his shirt. “That's not it but I... I can't tell you.”

“It's about me, then.” He affirms. “The last time you didn't want to tell me something it was about you dreaming of me.” Bruce places a soft, delicate kiss on your lips. “Tell me what's bothering you. Please.”

Taking a deep breath, you step away, turning your back at him. It's easier if you're not looking into his eyes. “My mind is always working, you know. I'm always thinking and... I was just wondering what this is. What we're doing, what we... What we are, you and I.”

“What do you think we are?”

“I wouldn't be asking if I knew, Bruce.” You sound defeated, shy.

“Tell me what you want, then.”

“I can't. Haven't you noticed that this is crazy? Dangerous, even. You're a hero and I'm a villain. And I do want to try and change my position in this but... It's still complicated and I don't want us to be complicated. I'm tired of complicated things.” Bruce moves closer as you speak, so you hide your face in his chest.

“Do you want us to be together? Officially?”

“It's not about what I want, it's about–”

“I want us to be together.” He interrupts, strong arms embracing you. “Now I need to know if you want the same. It's not about me or about you, it's about both of us.”

Be brave, just say it. You just have to say it. “I want to be with you... Like... I want us to have, Uhm... A relationship status? Is it how people call it?”

He giggles, pulling away just enough to raise you face his index finger. His eyes are gentle, calming, and you realize you don't have to be so desperately nervous around him. That you trust him more than you ever thought you could trust anyone. “Do you want to be my girlfriend, (Y/N)?”

Biting your lip to hold back a smile, you nod. The smile comes anyways, but you push yourself forward, tiptoeing to kiss him. This is insane. This is... Real. You thought you'd die in that prison, or in any other, or maybe on an alley after you lost a fight... But this is so much better.

You're still kissing when a beep starts. Rolling your eyes, you pull away and step down, looking at the source of the noise. “Come.” Bruce takes your hand and guides you through the cave, to a high tech computer with six huge screens, a table full of buttons, and a chair. On the screen in the middle, you see what looks like a call. Bruce moves closer to the table and presses a button, and five people appear on the screen. You know them from the news. They're the other superheroes, so you step away just before Bruce connects, so they won't see you.

“Bruce. We have a problem.” The woman says, Wonder Woman. “An alien spaceship is hovering over Washington.”

“They haven't made contact yet, but the ship has several weapons, which I imagine they will use.” It's Superman who speaks this time.

“I never liked that Independence Day movie.” A younger boy mutters, but nobody seems to pay much attention.

“Is anybody in Washington?” Bruce asks.

“Just Clark and I. But the rest is coming too. And we need you.” Wonder Woman answers.

“Alright.” He looks down for a moment before looking at you. “I'll be there.” He says before hanging up.

He seems to be a little sad, but you don't mind that he has to go. It's his job, to protect Gotham and the world. Smiling, you walk over him, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Go get them, Batman. I'll be waiting for you.”

×

@fionanovasleftnut @glitterypinkkitty @mybabyboytony @chipster-21 @agustdpeach @yaakimoon2 @chloe-skywalker

[bethhxrmon]

do flowers exist at night? -chapter seven

Chapter Seven: Hands Clean

Pairing: Steve Harrington x OC

Chapter Summary: After the initial shock of the events surrounding Halloween and the days after, Steve and Annie both start to realize they may be wrong about how to cope. Their friendship also manages to strengthen in the process

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of trauma, might be filler but I call it the beginnings of pining soooo

A/N: Hope you guys really liked this chapter because I thought it was a decent break from all that angst I lumped on pretty early into the fic. It would be fantastic if you guys could let me know your thoughts, I live for it! Anyways, you can find all the other chapters here!

~*~*~*~

Admittedly, Steve could have handled himself alone in the house long enough for Annie to go to school. However, when she pretended to be both her mom and his, he didn't stop her. Not until he was okay enough to drive.

How school would work was a question both of them asked. Steve's bruises were faded enough for Annie to try and cover them up with makeup. That was what she used almost too much of on the cut on her cheek. Sure, she could hide it with her hair, she already did that, but it wasn't enough for her. Nothing was really enough.

Being near Steve wasn't enough to stop her from reliving everything in her head. Besides, she eventually had to go back to her own house. It was safe and she was sure that Steve could use some alone time. Though, she couldn't stand the quiet of her house.

None of that stopped Steve from picking her up on a chilly Wednesday in November. Frost crunched under her boots instead of leaves. It was clear that nothing was going to stop time from passing. She wished it would pause just so she could catch up, but she wasn't sure that would be enough either.

Going back to school gave Annie the same twisted feeling in her gut as her first day. Maybe they found someone else to poke fun at or to joke with. She didn't have anything to defend herself with. Her switchblade was somewhere in the Byers’ house, but she hadn't asked anyone where it went.

"You ready?" Steve asked, looking at her.

Annie took a deep breath and nodded, "It's just school."

They both knew it was more than that. After a few days of hanging out, it became pretty clear when Annie decided to put on a front. Her back would straighten up a little bit too much and she would appear to tense up all over. It wasn't something Steve pointed out, and Annie assumed that he, of all people, would understand.

She could only imagine what seeing Nancy with another guy would be like for him. Though, a part of her wished that a broken heart was all she had to walk into. Seeing Billy was a reality she knew that she would just have to face. However, she tried to avoid it.

Since Steve was feeling better, she knew that she couldn't convince him to stay back. And maybe doing this with a friend would be easier for her. She wiped sweaty palms on her jeans before getting out of Steve's car.

It was going to be okay. That was what she kept telling herself on a loop. Just eight hours, seven if she took out lunch, and then she could go right back home. She could lose herself in a book or maybe try to catch up on some sleep she could never get enough of.

People stopped staring at Steve, and Annie wished that being shorter than him meant that she was safe too. Except it didn't. Nothing changed. There were stares boring into her as she walked to her first class. She didn't bother with her locker. That was something which obviously hadn't changed. Giving other students the satisfaction of walking up to it every day was the last thing she wanted to do.

There was a rumor going on about how Billy slept with her. It wasn't followed nearly as closely as everything with Steve a few days ago. Still, all of that led her to looking forward to lunch.

Sitting in the cafeteria was not an option. The first day back, they both sat in his car. They tried a few more places. By the end of the week, they were sitting in the auditorium. There was something about eating on a stage that calmed Annie a little and Steve was just glad it was empty.

"So what's going on there?" he asked, nodding at her copy of War and Peace.

Annie looked up at him, "Well... how do I explain this... there's this Pierre guy, and he kinda tied a bear to someone."

"What?!"

"In his defense, he was drunk?" she offered, laughing a bit.

Steve shook his head, "Didn't realize books like that were so interesting."

"You're kidding!"

"Every time I try the words don't really make sense or I get distracted by something else."

She nodded, "I get it. I mean, I'm sure you had a lot of other stuff going on."

"Not really. Come on, you lived in Seattle and New York. That's gotta be way more interesting. No wonder you didn't wanna talk to anyone," he chuckled.

"I didn't avoid everyone because I was trying to be pretentious. I gave up. There's a difference."

"What? How? You... you seemed pretty okay."

Annie sighed, "Well, you should've figured out I'm a fair actress by now. It wasn't like I had a say in whether or not I moved. I had to go with my mom or my dad, and well, my mom was the only decent option."

"Well, you can't say you don't have any friends now," Steve said, nudging her a bit.

Annie smiled a bit, "You've got me there."

"Could you read that part, though? With the bear?" he asked, "It just sounds like you're screwing with me."

She nodded, "Gladly, and I can tell you that I'm not screwing with you."

As Annie read the passage out loud, she couldn't help getting into it. Not wanting any of the details to seem boring, she tried her hardest to make all the characters sound different. Not that she would have needed to do that to keep Steve's attention. He looked at her so intently as she read. Of course, it wasn't anything she noticed since she was too caught up in what she was doing.

Lunch was the only real time Annie and Steve got a break from the school. Though, the only people who really cared about what they did were Tommy, Carol, and Billy. The perfect trio to constantly leave Annie feeling like she was going to vomit. 

Annie had to stop carrying her books around in her hands. That was something she learned when her copy of War and Peace got snatched from her hands. Tommy didn't have the strength to rip apart the hardcover book, but she didn't want to take any chances either.

"So is it true you fucked Hargrove?" Tommy asked, cornering her in the hall when she was a bit slow to get out of the school.

"No, I think that was you," she said, trying to think of a quick getaway.

Steve sauntered up to both of them, "What's going on here?"

"Nothing, just having a chat with your psychobitch slut of a girlfriend," Tommy replied.

Steve nodded, "Right, I think you're done having a chat."

"No, I'm pretty sure I was just getting started," Tommy insisted, starting to get closer to Steve.

Annie was quick to move away from Tommy and grab Steve by the wrist, "You know what? I think we're done here."

She led Steve out of the school, promptly letting go of his jacket. Something told her that wouldn't be the last time they had to deal with something like that. It was the weekend again, though, and Annie was relieved that she hadn't completely fallen apart while at school. Getting through a full week sounded like it was out of the question.

However, that wasn't on either of their minds when they were sitting in Steve's room again that Saturday. She looked through his closet and sighed.

"Is it that bad?" Steve asked, sprawled across the bed.

Annie tossed a shirt to the side, "I just didn't know anyone could own this many polos. How were you so popular again?"

"Hey! It's because I'm good with the ladies, duh," he said, "What're we listening to right now?"

She found yet another polo and turned to face him, "West Side Story, the most heartbreaking musical I've ever heard in my life."

"I don't get it."

"Well it'd make more sense if we watched it. They're meant to be watched, but I don't have it and Family Video had it rented out already," she tossed aside the eighth polo, "I don’t get why you have so many polos."

He shrugged, "My mom told me they looked good on me and Nancy never minded."

"Well... I don't mind it, just... have you ever thought about what you like?"

"A little? No one really asks me, though."

Annie sat on the edge of the bed, "Do you like having all those polos?"

"Not really... I don't care, though. Same thing with the room," he shook his head, "Do you even know what you like?"

She thought a moment before speaking, "It took a while, but yeah. I don't have anything in my closet that I don't like."

That was a lie. What she wore that night with the demodogs was something she hated now. A part of her wanted to burn it, but she used to love that flannel. But now, it reminded her of everything so much. Mainly what happened with Billy. Shouldn't she have gotten over that by now? She didn't talk to anyone about it after she broke down that one time. A part of her wasn't sure if Steve even remembered.

As helpful as he had been that night and the day after, she knew he wasn't at his best. It was a relief that he was, for the most part, okay in the first place. 

"How do you do that?"

She shrugged, "You try different stuff until you find what you like. And you'll know when you like something, trust me."

They stayed in silence for a little while, just listening as "America" played in the background. By all rights, Annie should have just been at her house. Her mom would be home tomorrow, but until then she didn't want to be alone in her house if she could help it. Though, she tried to stay the night at her own house.

Never mind how it had barely been a week and the only thing keeping her from losing it was that her cat would curl up in the middle of her bed with her. She didn't know how to go about talking about it. Though, if he wasn't going to comment on how she probably wasn't sleeping or eating much, then that was fine by her.

"So... what did happen with your parents, anyway?" he asked, "I mean, I get the cheating part, but my parents are still together and my dad’s not much better."

Annie stayed quiet for a few minutes as she tried to think about how to explain herself, "They tried making it work. We moved across the country so that could happen. My dad got a guy for a TA and everything. Still, they kept fighting and they wouldn't stop, and I was getting sick of it. I'm sure the neighbors were too, and I tried to get their attention. The only way I could do that was by talking about hurling myself off the roof of the apartment building."

"Shit... did you um... were you-"

"I didn't mean it, I was just frustrated," she said, thinking that was true, "But they agreed to go to family counseling. It just brought up all the problems my parents had and taught me that I was way more screwed up than I thought. We only went twice before my parents decided on the divorce."

Steve sat up, "That sounds awful."

"Yeah, it kinda was at the time... but my mom's doing the best she can and I appreciate that," she let out a long sigh.

He shook his head, "You shouldn't have had to do all that just for them to listen, though."

"Tell me about it."

"Hey, I know I'm not perfect, but you can talk to me about this stuff. Not that you have to tell me anything unless you really want to, but I just know that not talking about it ended up hurting Nancy a lot," he looked at his hands.

She nodded, "I know- but did it occur to you that I don't wanna talk about it? It's already bad enough just thinking about everything, talking about it? Forget it."

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't know what you're normally like since we kinda met a couple days before everything went to shit but," he sighed, thinking of the right words, "But you don't seem right."

"And maybe I'm not, but that's not your problem. That's mine. Let me deal with that on my own time. It's a lot easier to just make fun of how preppy you are."

"Hey!" he tossed a pillow at her.

Annie laughed, feeling the pillow hit her side, "What? I'm right!"

Really, talking about anything else was easier. It wasn't that she wanted to make Steve worry about her, but she couldn't help reacting to everything the way she did. Besides, Annie knew that he wasn't reacting the best to it either. Though, there was a lot more than just demodogs that he had to go through. Losing the girl he still seemed to love had to take a lot out of him.

On the outside, it probably looked like she simply stuck around out of pity or for some form of social protection. Maybe there was some truth in that, but she genuinely thought that Steve was fun to hang out with. He was funny and kinder than he gave himself credit for. Obviously there was a part of her that knew if she didn't stick around with at least someone, she would end up being more of a victim to ridicule than she already was.

All of that pissed her off more than she cared to admit. A part of her really did wish Billy Hargrove were dead. The way he would look at her made her want to run to the bathroom and throw up for hours. What if she had actually tried to cut his throat? No, they would be in a bigger mess than they were already. There was no need to add murder to the mix.

She wanted him dead in almost the same way she wanted her dad dead when she found out he was cheating on her mom. It wasn't something she actually wanted to happen. Death was so final yet uncertain. Saying that she wished that she wanted someone to still be alive but never come near her in any way, shape, or form was a bit long-winded and less catchy. That was more accurate to what she wanted.

"I know you don't like it when people touch you," Steve said, changing the subject back.

Annie shrugged, "Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, but... but you're really specific with it. I don't need to know why, I just need to know what you're okay with. We're friends, I need you to at least explain that."

"Um... I mean, I don't know totally, it depends," she paused, "Like, being snuck up on? That's a huge no-go, obviously. I mean, it's not that I hate touch or anything, I just- I prefer to be the one touching someone else. Or if it's, like, one of the kids, that I have a way to get out of it easily. It's mostly with people I'm uncomfortable with. Like you, at first, but it just- it depends, I'm not sure how else to tell you."

He nodded, "That's fine, I just don't wanna end up hurting you on accident or, like, one of the kids or something."

"Well, since you asked me something super personal... do you think you're getting over Nancy at all?" she asked, moving so she was criss-cross on the bed.

Steve frowned, "I guess? Seeing her and Jonathan together sucks a bit less every day. It's only been a week, though. And I'm not dumb, I know she's liked him for a while. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. After what I did last year when I saw them sitting together, I didn't wanna be the asshole jumping to conclusions again. I thought if she didn't love me that she would say it when she was sober. I put in so much effort for her and she didn't even care."

Neither of them brought up how obvious it was that Nancy and Jonathan probably did something when they were off getting some Murray Bauman guy to help them. Annie wasn't going to say anything if Steve wasn't. A part of her thought he knew, but she didn't want to hurt him even more if he hadn't put it together.

"You know she didn't leave you because you were a shitty boyfriend, right?"

"Now that's bullshit."

Annie tossed the pillow in her lap right at Steve's face, "No, you're gonna listen to me. The only one who's bullshit here is Nancy. If she didn't love you, then she should've said so. You were obviously a great boyfriend. You went to her dead best friend's parents' house when you didn't even know them. And you let her go, if you were a shitty boyfriend, you wouldn't have done any of those things."

"That's nice, but I called her a slut and I didn't even really like her much at first."

"If all that bothered her, she could have stayed broken up with you after everything a year ago," she pointed out, "You made up for all that. Not everyone does, and you obviously love her."

They both sat there, not saying anything. Instead, they both just let the music play in the background. Annie knew that she didn't have feelings for Steve. For all the bad luck she had with guys, they were too good of friends for her to mess that up. Because of that, she couldn't let him get over Nancy on his own. And she knew that for as moody as Steve would get at times, he would have told her if he didn't want her around.

Taglist (lmk if you wanna be on it!): @dungeons-and-demodogs​ @nxncywheeler​ @ilovebucketbarnes​

[alwayschoosechocolate]

One-night stands and one-shot chances (Part iv)

University AU

Pairing: Jin x reader

Who says sex has to mean anything? Who says you can’t just screw around without all the heartache? Who says only guys get this privilege? What happens when the biggest playboy on campus suddenly meets his match and gets a taste of his own medicine?

Genre: casual sex, mentions of sex, bestfriend!Hoseok, onenightstand!Jin

Wordcount: 2000

Masterpost with the other parts of the story can be found here (x)

Tag list: @esplosionedicoloriintesta @jeonjunggoodgod @rjsmochii @spookidema @pariz-lover @mymochimchimmy @friedclamtoadbanana @cloudyelizabeth @livesmileandstaystrong

A/N: Tumblr has been fucking with me and deleted parts of this update so many times.. I lost count of how many times I rewrote it, and I feel like parts of it never really got back again. I'm only on my phone these days, so I have no idea, how long it is either, but I feel like it's rather short unfortunately - sorry! I'll make up for it in the next update!

The whispers heard from two rows behind you were only getting louder, and it had reached a point that made even Jimin send them a sour look.

Your focus, however, was solely on the professor in front of the board and the notes you were scribbling down. Rumors and bitchy comments were nothing new to you. Being part of the royalty on campus, as Hoseok and his mates were called because of the small spire on the house, came with a lot of attention, and being Hoseoks best friend had made you an honorary member as well.

"I swear to God, if they make any more comments about your hair, I will pull theirs out," Jimin mumbled under his breath, making you raise an eyebrow at him.

"Jimin, just leave it. If the best they've got is comments about my hair" - you shrugged your shoulders - "let them have their fun."

"Can't you please just talk back one time? I don't want them to think they can treat our friends like this."

Jimin was fidgeting in his seat and his voice had reached a whiny tone, but the reason for his demeanor was anything but cute. He wanted to fight back. He hated people for not respecting his friends, and he knew Hoseok wouldn't have hesitated to clap back at the girls. However, you hated people fighting your battles, and even though Hoseok did it all the time, it always resulted in arguments between the two of you. The rest of the guys had learned not to challenge you on this.

"Not yet, Jimin," you hummed, eyes still on the papers in front of you. Mumbling under his breath, he leaned back in his seat with crossed arms, settling for absorbing their voices, so he would know, which girls to add to his non-shag list. No way, he was sleeping with them, when they treated his friend like that, he thought with a huff.

"I don't get why she doesn't have any self-respect. She must really have some issues," one of them whispered a bit too loudly, definitely wanting you to hear her. "I mean, can't she see that she is ruining her life?"

"That's rich," you snorted loudly, finally turning around in your seat and putting a hand on Jimins shoulder in the process, keeping him from jumping at the girl. "Coming from you." You locked eyes with the girl in charge of most of the comments and sent her a sinister smile. "When is your due date again?”

Hearing Jimin snicker at your comment fueled you on further and the missing response from the girl only added to it.

"Your daughter must really be looking forward to getting a younger sister," you cooed in feigned interest. "I just feel bad, they don't get to have that idyllic family life you always talked about. But then again, family is what you make it, with the people you chose to have in it, right? Who am I to tell you, how to live your life?"

Sending her one last icy look, you turned back to the board, still hearing the girls whispering, but for a completely different reason this time. Everyone knew her on campus. She had made it her mission to spread the word of God on campus, which involved celibacy, no alcohol and for some reason also no sea food. Funny thing is, she didn’t see the double moral in herself being pregnant with a second child from a different guy. Instead, she had made it her life mission to preach about how sex ruins both body and mind, ruining you for the future. And Y/N was her favorite target.

-

"You're alright?", Jimin asked, as they walked to the café for their free period. It was drizzling a bit, covering the campus in a grey curtain, leaving you and Jimin alone, as everyone scrambled to get out of the rain.

"Of course. It's nothing new."

Throwing an arm around Jimins waist, leaning on him, as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. You walked a bit in silence.

"Come on, I'll buy you a coffee," he smiled, pulling you into the warm café.

You bought your drinks and Jimin even bought you a muffin as well, and you found a table in the back, where you could lay out your books on the table to talk about some assignment, you had to hand in next week.

"Btw," Jimin interrupted you in the middle of a sentence. "Did you hear anything back about the job yet?"

"No, not yet," you mused, with a small smile. "But I'm sure they just have a lot of applicants to get through."

As true as that might be, it had also been two weeks since they were supposed to get back to you. Knowing that you weren't going home between semesters, you had always opted for working or doing internships, and this year one of the professors on campus was working on a big project and needed help. Not only was it a great way of earning some money and experience, the professors field of study was exactly what you wanted to go into yourself. It couldn’t be more perfect actually!

That is, if you got it.

You hadn't told anyone about it - not even Hoseok. A thought, that still made you a bit uncomfortable, since you normally shared everything. Jimin only knew, because your application had gotten mixed up with some notes, you shared with him.

"I'm sure, you'll get it," Jimin offered with a sweet smile and a warm hand on your arm. "They would be stupid not to take you in."

"I don't know," you smiled at him. "You've been getting better grades than me lately. Maybe you should apply, Jiminie?"

He snorted out a laugh, falling on to the table while he giggled.

"Yeah, right. Me, in a lab coat all summer? No, thank you."

Joining in his laughter, it took af few seconds for the both of you to calm down.

"Besides," he added, eyes turning sincere again. "The only reason, I get good grades is because of your help."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes at him, trying to pull your arm away from his grasp, but he only tightened his grip, making you look up into his smiling eyes.

"It's true, Y/N." His voice had gotten lower, and you felt your breath hitch at the close proximity of his face. "I couldn’t have made it through this last semester without you."

Letting yourself be hypnotized by his sweet words and demeanor, you suddenly realized who you were sitting across from.

"Aish, Jimin," you exclaimed in annoyance with an awkward laugh, snapping out of the trance. "Stop flirting with me! I already promised, we would work together on the year end project."

"Right," Jimin smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "The year end project."

You had already turned back to your books and started suggesting topics for the upcoming assignments, when you got interrupted.

“You know, I’m not normally into the whole drowned-rat-look,” a sly voice commented, making both you and Jimin look up to see Jin walking towards you with a cocky smile. “But you really make it work, cupcake.”

Rolling your eyes at both his presence and words, you kept your gaze trained on the books on the table.

“Normally, I’m not into cocky guys with a nice body,” you retorted in a flat voice without missing a beat. “And you are no exception.”

“Ah, you think, I have a good body, doll?”, Jin cooed, as he dragged an extra chair to the table, making himself comfortable.

“Yeah, it does a perfect job of covering up all that sexism and…” – pausing to send him a confused look, you cocked your head at him – “Oh, I’m sorry. What are your other traits again?”

Hearing Jimins laughter fill the air, you sent Jin a cold smile, getting an annoyed look back.

“Damn. That’s cold, baby.” Jins voice was strained, trying to keep the tone light, but you easily picked up on the shadow of hurt looming in his eyes.

“But not uncalled for,” you reminded him, gathering your stuff and saying goodbye to Jimin, before walking out into the rain again.

Asshole. Thinking he could just go back to joking around again, after calling you a whore. Huffing a bit in anger, you walked towards the library to study there instead.

“Y/N!”

Groaning at the sound of his voice, you just kept walking.

“Hey. Wait up!”, Jin shouted, putting a hand on your shoulder, when he reached you.

Whipping around in annoyance, you saw him stumble half a step back in surprise at your sudden movement.

“What, Jin? What do you want?” Your voice was anything but welcoming, and if he had taken just two seconds to think about what he was about to do, he should have known better.

Oh well.

“I wanted to talk to a pretty lady, and you just happen to fit that bill,” he grinned at you, making you roll your eyes.

"Oh, lucky me! I get to be your designated whore of the day," you exclaimed in feigned excitement.

"What? No, that's..."

"Cut to the case, Seokjin. I'm not in the mood today." Crossing your arms in front over your chest, you sent him an impatient look.

"Well, erm." He coughed awkwardly, searching for the words. "I just wanted to apologize. You know, for calling you..."

"A whore," you stated, giving an evil smirk, when you saw him visibly tense at the sound of it.

"Yeah, that." He mustered every ounze of sincerity he could before continuing. "I'm sorry, I did that. It was uncalled for."

His eyes searched yours to see if you accepted the apology, but was hurriedly cast down by the sound of you clicking your tongue.

"Yeah, it was uncalled for. So why did you?" Curiousity taking over, you still wanted to know why, despite the anger.

Seokjin awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to come up with an explanation. Dammit! He shouldn't feel this uncomfortable in front of you. Get it together, Jin!

He was at a loss, so he did what he knew always worked. Or used to work at least.

Straightning up a bit, he sent you a shameless grin.

"You're just so hot, doll! I don't like the idea of other men seeing that body," he winked at you, reaching for your hand.

The second, the words left his mouth, he knew he was screwed. And if his own intuition was enough, he was about to find out.

"Oh, I see!", you cooed at him, smiling sinisterly, when you saw his frightned expression at your tone. "You think, because I slept with you once, you own me."

Jin looked like he had just been pushed out of a cliff, and was now frantically searching for somewhere to hold on.

"What? No, that's not..."

His comicly widened eyes and pouting lips made him look almost too innocent.

Almost.

"Shh," you shushed, reaching up to cup his cheek. "Let me tell you something." Tightning you grasp on his jaw, you saw his eyes widen in surprise. "I am not someone for you to stick your dick in like a flagpole. You do not have, or will ever have, any claim on me. Got it?"

Your stern eyes bore into his startled ones. Despite the height difference, you had no problem displaying your position. It made Jin feel powerless, and he really didn't like being in that position. It made his blood boil, and his brain go into overdrive.

"I don't need to claim you," he spat out, venom suddenly present in his voice. "You've been with so many that you're basically public property by now."

Feeling his own blood run cold at his words, he pushed your hand off his face, looking at your shocked features defiantly.

"You should feel lucky that I even payed you any attention after getting my share," he stated with an annoyed huff, before turning around and basically speedwalking away from you, heart thumbing in his chest.

Oh, he was so screwed..

// Part v //

[irepookie]

Wake up Call, Infinity Ch.3

Summary: QUEEN AU WHERE ROGER (ROWAN)IS A19 YEAR OLD SINGLE DAD TRYING TO FIND A PLACE IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC

WARNINGS: iNTENSE FLUFF AND SOME SWEARING

Chapter 3: Row has to start stepping out of the bubble him and his daughter have been living in while in the safety of the hospital, and break the news to his best friends. 

John- Rick

Fred-Len

Bri- Terry

Rog- Rowan

When Row had hung up on Len mid sentence, the boys had been confused. Then again, he was at his mom's house and they had heard her infamous shout of <<ROWAN EUGENE QUEEN>> that always preceded an argument, so they let it go. But then he didn't turn up to rehearsal, or called back for the rest of the afternoon. Or the following afternoon. Or for rest of the week. And that was unlike him. He always called back. (Well, most of his former one night stands would disagree with this). Let's just say he always called his band mates back. Sometimes drunk, at 4 AM, Thus leaving  a wakeful Terry with 2 hours to spare nothing to do but to start revising for whatever exam he had ahead.

So, when they didn't know of him, they went directly to the village's police station, to see if he was locked up, and if not, to report him missing.

"What if we ask Gina?" Rick suggested

"I'd rather check the morgue first, thanks" Len said.

"Well, what else can we do? Huh?"

"Audition new drummers"

"Seriously boys. Let's go."

They knocked on Row's childhood home. Gina opened, with messy hair, a dressing gown and slippers

"Oh, hello boys. He ain't here" she took a drag of the 4th cigarette she had smoked that day despite it only being 8:30 AM.

"Where is he?"

"He isn't at home?"

"We've checked and there's no track of him. We haven't seen him in 7 days"

She sighed "in the hospital, I think. If he hasn't left already"

"Hospital?" All three said simultaneously

"What happened?!" Len added

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

She smiled, mockingly "Wow, father of the year isn't so sure after all"

"What?"

She laughed bitterly. If he hadn't told his best friends yet, it maybe meant he was reconsidering the whole thing. Maybe common sense had hit him after the first stinky nappy.

"You know what? Come in."

"Oh we were actually in a rush..."

"You wanna find him or not? Come in, I don't bite

"Alright" all three musicians entered somewhat awkwardly in the house where so many sleep overs had taken place, back in the day.

She led them to the kitchen, where the phone was, and dialed.

Callie was the closest to the phone "Row? Yes, I'll get him"

She made her way to the room where the Prune had been moved in the previous evening, due to her favourable evolution and the need of free incubators.

She grinned at the scene: the 6 day old infant was dozing against her dad's bare chest, supported by his hands -which seemed huge in comparison to her small figure-. His eyes were closed, but Callie could tell he was awake as his left hand was stroking her head. It was adorable, and they seemed at such peace -poor Row had spent his first whole night on night watch and was exhausted-.

"Row" she called softly

He opened his big blue eyes in acknowledgement.

"You have a call"

"A call? From who?" He whispered back, before looking down at the baby to make sure she was asleep

"Didn't say. But she was kind of irritated"

"Oh, that's mom then" he smiled sarcastically, but didn't move a bit.

"You aren't gonna get on the phone?"

"I don't know. She doesn't deserve our attention does she?" He cooed

"How bad can it be?"

"You don't wanna see my bad side. And I don't ever want her to see it either"

Callie smiled "Go. I'll stay with her"

He groaned in annoyance. He was so comfortable, and he didn't want to get up.

"C'mere darling" he mumbled, detaching his daughter from his lap and carefully lying her on the cot

He exited the room and walked to the phone "What?"

"Row! Where are you?" The three voices of his best friends greeted him from the other side

"Oh, hi guys I... How did you get this number?"

"We're calling you from your mum's. She says you're in hospital" Terry's soft voice said worriedly

"You've gone fucking AWOL! Where are you man? We're worried as hell" Len scolded

"Oh yeah, hehe been..."he scratched the back of his head "been pretty busy" He glanced in the direction of his daughter's room, where he saw Callie readjusting the yellow teddy bear he had bought her the second day.

"Busy? With what?" Rick inquired

"It's... It's a long story."

"Well we've got time"

"Shouldn't you be in uni?" Row said in hopes they'd have to run into class

"It's Sunday, Row!"

"Oh is it?" He had lost track of time, honestly

"C'mon! Spit it"

He sighed "Alright, huh..." He tried to think of where to start. He couldn't really think much tho; his brain was pudge at that moment. "I met a girl in..." He counted nine months back from February "June?" No wait Piper was premature so it could be July or... Then it hit him. "No, remember that afternoon when we set up that Live Aid session in your parents backyard, Len?"

The boys nodded. July 13th. How could they forget? It had been dubbed the best Summer Party of 1985 in town. The four of them had tried to get tickets, but they couldn't even afford a ticket to London in the first place. And so, They watched the whole show with four TV screens around the yard instead, and the whole village had joined them, arguing on which performance had been the best.

Of course, all four members of Symbols agreed that it had been Queen.

"But they signed up late" someone said 

 "Yea, they came late to the party" another agreed. 

"So what? They rocked the party! You just say that because you like U2 better"

 "Like you prefer Queen!" 

 "But we've got a point! Regardless of how much we like them, they were, objectively, the best performance" /

"Objectively? Bullshit!" Anne Williams snapped "They played the same shit they always play! And Bono was a true gentleman, helping that girl who was getting crashed by the crowd."

 "Yea, I'm sure Freddie wouldn't have given a shit, so full of himself and his teeth up his~" /

Dennis Phelps couldn't finish his sentence as a  someone tossed him a Converse, which hit his head. A young woman, with Bowie-like orange dyed haircut approached, with  a bare left foot and the matching shoe on the other 

 "You know nothing about putting up a good show then. Also, you mess with Freddie Mercury again and next time the shoe will be stuck up your ass" she told Dennis, retrieving the item "I mean, it's clear who I'm rooting for but Queen really did what had to be done. Geldof told them all to play the hits, because that's precisely why they're hits: they work. Other artists, like your boyfriend Bono and his band played new material, as if this was their concert. And it's not. Even though they signed up on time and whatever. They took a risk, crowd didn't know the song, they lost interest. But Queen had common sense: they played the hits, the anthems, and people connected with them. And it's not about Freddie or him hypnotizing Wembley. It's having some common sense. And not even you two knew the lyrics of U2s new song. So shut the hell up"

Row had liked her instantly. That's a girl who knows the stuff.

They exchanged a smile, a wink and a complicit nod

"We must join our forces to help out our friends under pressure, don't we?" She said

"Oh yes, Bowie girl." Terry remembered

"Yep."

"So what's with her?" Rick said

"Well, that.. she..." He cut himself off when a cry echoed in Pip's room "Gotta go, guys. I'll call you back"

"No! Row!" Len said, but the line went dead

"Shit"

"What happened?" Gina, who had watched the scene from the door frame, -and was about to finish her 6th cigar in a row,- asked

"He rambled about that Live Aid day, and a girl he met there"

"Did he say her name?"

"No. He had to go suddenly. It's all weird"

"Yea, well... Life is weird, boys"

"I don't understand. What's going on? Can't you tell us, Mrs. Queen?"

"Oh no. No. It's not my story to tell. Nor my business. I tried my best, but that stubborn bastard didn't listen. I'm sorry" she said

"But is he okay?" Len asked, concerned

Gina grinned, at how despite it all, the four boys would stick up with each other to the end of the world "Yes. He's fine."

"Row, are you okay?" Callie said, as the drummer wordlessly took the bundle from her

"Yes, yes. Why wouldn't I be?" He said, sitting with the fussy baby

"You're a bit pale"

"Oh I... Nothing. Just... I'm nervous honestly. Because we're about get discharged and I'm gonna be alone with her and I'll have to dad around all by myself and... And everyone will know..."

"Know what?"

"About her"

"And is that a problem?" Callie crossed her arms

"No, I mean... No, of course not. But everyone will ask questions and judge me and... I'm worried I will end up believing them more and fuck it all up"

"Believing what?"

"They'll start telling me it's a mistake, that I'm gonna screw everything up and that I won't be able to be a good dad and I'm afraid it will become true"

"So you're saying that how people think of you is gonna affect the way you... How you called it? Dad around?"

He nodded "Well, answer me these, will you? Have you, in this moment or at any point during these seven days, thought you are making a mistake?"

He looked at the tiny bundle and shook his head.

"Are you willing to always do your best for the shake of Piper?"

He nodded, noticing he was unconsciously rocking her back and forth.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Look I haven't exactly been a role model in... Well anything. One thing my mom's proud of is that I'm not into drugs. Everyone who has a daughter in the block hates me. So how am I supposed to raise one?"

"Exactly how you've been doing the last six days"

"Yes but I have you guys. And the medics, and the equipment. But there I'll be all alone"

"You will never be alone. You have the friends you've told me about. And your mum...Maybe the little darling is gassy"

"Oh stop about my mum" he carefully changed the Prune to an upright position and began to rub circles on her back without even hesitation. Wow he was actually getting a hold on the burping stuff.

"Yes. Your mum will eventually come to terms with the lil'raisin. I'm sure." She said, whist handing him a muslin to place on the baby's range of accuracy

"Oh you don't know her"

"I know she's a mum. Your mum and mother's rarely ever turn their backs on their children for good"

Row looked at the baby, then raised an eyebrow at Callie

"I said it's rare. There are obviously exceptions" she said "And believe me you're better off. Also, she did call. That's gotta Mean  something"

"I didn't speak with her. Just the band. They were at her place, yeah but... I don't know. I'm not gonna beg on my fucking knees..." He was interrupted by a burp I his ear. Damn, that was a big one. He'd need 2 beers to produce such a loud one.

"Easy, tiger." He laughed "Goddamn it, where did that come from, huh? You're unbelievable" he praised, while getting the muslin out his shoulder and handing it to Callie

"And a neat one too. 10/10." She chuckled

"Atta girl. That's my lil'raisin. Yeah, good girl" he cooed, bringing her to face him, before she started fussing and he nested her again on his chest "Aw, don't cry honey. Please. You're alright. C'mon" he begged. She settled down quickly, and he sighed in relief.

"The point is, that here is like... I feel safe, you know? It's like another world. Another life. And now I have to fit her in my every day, and be in charge and stuff, and... I'm not sure I'm ready"

"Parents are never ready to take them home. Not even those who had 9 months of preparation, and parenting classes, and a nicely decorated and supplied nursery. No one feels ready. But nerves are good. Nerves mean that you care. Worrying and doubting about your ability to be the dad your child needs is precisely what's gonna make you raise your game. Just one last question: are you 100% that you love that lil one with all your heart?"

He looked at his daughter, who had gone back to sleep with the rambling of his voice, as his hand still caressed head and grinned "Hell yeah" Otherwise, how could he explain the way his chest seemed to be holding two hearts whenever she was in his arms? Or how, when he had to leave for the night it felt as though both those hearts were ripped away from him? Or how else could he have turned this goddamn sappy? Yep. That was the proof.

"Then that's all the two of you will ever need. She won't care if you two are rich or live in a cardboard box, or if she wasn't in your initial plans, or that she doesn't have a mom. As long as you love her and make her feel like it."

He nodded, and rested his lips on her soft scalp.

"Right, I Gotta get to another patient. Call'em back."

He stood up, this time taking his Prune along, and went to the corridor where the phone was. Making sure her head was safely cradled along with the rest of her small body on his left arm, he tucked the phone between the right shoulder and neck and dialed their shared place's number

Rick picked up "Yes?"

"I'm a dad" he said simply, and waited for his reaction. 

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I’ll post the picture separately in order to preserve my goddamn sanity cause Tumblr is being a pain in the arse!!!!!

How do you guys do it? Am I the only one who needs 5 bloody tries to post this things?