#if you listen closely you can hear me and tai scream internally

[rayandgay]

It's because I got to know you.

[good-rwbyaus]

Uncle Crow AU - mod lilac - [ Prologue - 2 out of 2 ] [ prev ]

Description: A month after Summer’s death, Yang is determined to look for her mother and takes a curious Ruby with her through the reputably safe forests of Patch. Meanwhile, Qrow chooses to check in first with Ozpin instead of visiting the girls first. As a result, a near miss turns into a true disaster.

But he can make this right.

He failed to save his teammate. He won’t fail her family.

Characters: Qrow, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Ozpin, Taiyang

Trigger Warning: Suicide

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

“The surgery went well, but...” the doctor trailed off as he stared into the eyes of a worried, desperate father. His mouth flopped open and closed like a goldfish.

Ah shit. Who let the amateur in here? Qrow’s lips thinned into a line, pulling out his flask and taking a sip to stop himself from saying something acerbic. 

“But what? You said it went well,” Taiyang stood up to his full height and loomed over the other man, hands shaking, “Didn’t you say it went well?” His eyes gleamed feverishly, making the doctor gulp audibly, “There shouldn’t be anything wrong then, right?” 

“Well yeah, the surgery did. But...”

“Hey, let’s take it outside,” Qrow interrupted. “Yang’s trying to sleep.”

He’d rather have the eventual explosion happen outside rather than inside his niece’s room where she could see it all. This wasn’t going to end well; he could already see the growing storm brewing inside his friend. It’s why one doesn’t pussyfoot around Hunters. He patted his back clandestinely to make sure Harbinger was there before taking the lead to go outside, followed by two anxious men. 

The door slid open, letting the three of them into the hallway. Several doctors meandered about including a pair of senior-looking doctors that he saw with Ruby earlier. They tried to make themselves scarce. Those fuckers. No wonder the doctor in front of them seemed like a joke, probably a medical intern delivering bad news to a Hunter for the first time.

“Doctor. Just. Tell me about my daughter. Please. I need to know if she’s gonna be alright,” Taiyang spoke out, “If the surgery went well, it had to be alright, right?”

“Yeah, the surgery went alright, b-b-but...” the doctor continued on, trying to find the words. 

Qrow slammed his fist into a wall, interrupting the young doctor’s stuttering. 

“Just spit it out already,” Qrow interrupted, “You’re speaking in circles. Lemme guess, you never did grief counseling for Hunters before, and your seniors just shoved this onto you without warning. We understand. Just give us the bad news straight. And if we don’t have any questions, you can leave.”

The doctor swallowed his saliva and glanced briefly at the tense blond Hunter beside him who was staring at him with the focus of a laser. 

“I-I...” he took a deep breath, “We removed the bleeding part of her kidney and repaired her injured abdominal aorta. Even though her Aura accelerated her blood production, her injured aorta meant she couldn’t get adequate perfusion to her organs. Most of her organs are already showing signs of failure.” He stood back, seeing the blond’s fists grip tightly together. “E-e-even on a heart-lung machine, we don’t expect her to survive the week, maybe not even 48 hours. I-I...I’m sorry.”

Ruby... Qrow shut his eyes, gritting his teeth upon hearing the news. He knew it was bad, but he didn’t know it was tha-

“I...I...No. Ruby,” Taiyang opened and closed his mouth, his gaze unfocused as he repeated his words over and over. “No. No. You’re...”

“You’re lying! The surgery went well, you said!” Taiyang snapped out, face red like a bull as he made a grab for the doctor. “My kid’s going to be okay! You can’t say th-”

“Tai! Tai! Urg-” Qrow lunged forward as soon as his friend did, wrapping him in his arms from behind and taking an elbow to his gut for the trouble. “Tai!”

“No! Qrow! He’s lying!” Taiyang roared, alarming the rest of the hall as he tried to throw Qrow off of him. “She’s gonna be okay! I’m gonna make him tell the truth! She’ll be-” 

“Tai. Urg- You know he’s- telling the truth,” Qrow strained to keep his bearhug on the stronger man, even amidst the elbows and headbutts.

“No! Don’t believe him, Qrow! No! Not her too! Not her too!” His Aura started to flare; he was about to lose his grip on the man.

“Taiyang Xiao Long! If you continue on like this, I’ll be forced to pull out Harbinger. You know this!” Qrow choked out, bitter tears falling from his face. “Your daughter deserves to have her father by her side in her final moments, not rotting in a detention cell somewhere!” 

Those words made his friend completely halt his struggles. Instead, he just blankly stared at the ground and then collapsed onto his knees. Qrow moved to his friend’s front and took a knee, hands placed on the other man’s shoulders to keep him steady. 

“Tai. Just breat-”

“It’s not fair, Qrow. For Yang. For Ruby.”

Qrow inhaled sharply upon seeing his friend’s face.

Taiyang was crying.  

He’d never seen the other man cry before. Even after all the friends they lost. Even after Raven left him to be a single father without a word. He never shed a tear or indulged in self-pity. Only after Summer died and the funeral had did he see the cracks in his carefree composure, the days where he looked like a dead man walking, but he still never shed a tear. His eyes might’ve looked dead, but they held a spark - a promise to continue living for his daughters. 

He couldn’t see that spark anymore.

“I understand if it’s me, Qrow. But why do they get the short stick? They’re just kids,” the man cried into his shoulder, “They don’t deserve having their moms leave them such a young age. Don’t deserve a father who can’t keep things together. A man who can’t even protect his family.”

“Tai. Listen to m-”

“I don’t deserve them. My decisions only hurt them. I’m a horrible dad. My kids wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my mouth,” the blond blubbered out through his sobs. “Maybe if I weren’t here...”

“Tai. Shut up. Don’t speak lik-

“No. Qrow! Maybe if I were dead, they could have had a chance to live with a real father. Experience a family that’s complete and whole,” Taiyang yelled and punched the ground, a sizable crater appearing on the floor. “A family who wouldn’t bring them misery because their dad’s an utter failure!” 

The man’s words turned into incoherent blubbering as he continued on, nerves already taut and energy drained from the recent death of his wife. His tears stained both their vests damp. 

By the time Taiyang calmed down, the blond had passed out on the floor, muttering words that vaguely sounded like self-blame.  

Qrow meanwhile had to wipe the tears from his own eyes. It pained him to hear his friend like that. Pained him to hear that the small family he admired was about to shatter like a pane of glass. 

He knew very well that if Ruby didn’t survive this, it would destroy her dad completely. 

It was then Qrow noticed the security hunters lingering about, having been called in by the disturbance. He waved a hand to bring their leader over.

“Hey. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Qrow asked her and her team, “I’m going to have a talk with Ozpin, alright?”

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

Beep. Beep.

Seeing such a lively child now covered with tubes and wires made him want to scream about the injustice of it all. Sure, he and Raven had gotten the short end of the stick in life, having to steal and plunder to survive as kids. But he recognized that it shouldn’t be that way. 

Kids deserved to live like kids before being thrust out into the cruel world of Remnant. Where not even a Kingdom is perfectly safe against the ravages of the Grimm and their Master. 

A truth that his niece had to learn early, a truth that she might not survive learning. The doctor’s prognosis was grim - not being able to survive 48 hours was probably an overestimate as doctors were wont to do. Ruby might not even survive the night.

Taiyang knew this too. They were experienced Hunters after all, but it was completely different when it happened to family. 

The hospital knew this too. It’s why when it came to Hunters, only indirectly related friends could bring in their weapons inside, just so they can subdue a Hunter who went crazy like Taiyang almost did. That doctor probably would’ve not survived the encounter had Taiyang got ahold of him - people who didn’t have Aura couldn’t deal with the forces that Hunters could casually exert.

“I know what you’re going to ask, Qrow,” the silver-haired man carefully watching him finally spoke. Sitting on his lap was his cane. The man looked a bit peaked, the signs of Aura overuse being apparent.

But if there was a miracle that could save Ruby, it was Ozpin. A living legend. 

“Then Oz. Can you?” 

“I can’t do what you want me to do,” Ozpin shook his head despondently, “I can’t save her.”

Qrow gritted his teeth.

“Can’t or won’t?”

The man grimaced painfully at his words.

“Can’t. It already took nearly everything I had left to help her survive the surgery.”

“Bullshit!” Qrow yelled, stomping on the floor. “You created the Maidens. Gave Raven and I the power to transform into animals. Don’t tell me you can’t save one little girl who didn’t deserve to end up in this stupid war.”

“I-”

“Oz! If you’re holding out on Tai and I, I won’t forgive you,” he growled out leaning forward, hands pressed on the table, “He’s already lost so much. Losing Ruby will kill him. He’s already going off the deep end. You know what he told him?”

“I told you I can’t hel-.”

“That he was a failure. That he was better off dead. So that his girls could liv-”

"Qrow. I swear that I’m not lying to you, “ Ozpin said determinedly. He leaned forward in his seat before sighing. “You’re grossly overestimating what remains of my power. Magic for me is not like Aura where it comes back after a period of rest.”

“It’s like taking away puzzle pieces from a whole. Magic that’s given is lost until it’s reclaimed,” the man explained, “When I created the Maidens originally, my intention was to give them superior means to fight against the Grimm, and it took nearly all my magic to forge their powers. When the Maidens lived out their lives, that power should’ve returned to me.”

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair before exhaling wistfully. “Instead, I underestimated the symbolic act of sealing my magic in a cycle, particularly the cycle of Seasons. The magic never returned to me but continued to remain in that cycle, resulting in our current situation. Four Maidens always existing with the new ones chosen by the last woman in their memory.”

“The last useful bits of magic I had left were given to you and your sister,” he sighed, suddenly looking older and tired, “What remains is just a droplet of what used to be an ocean. Useful for maybe a barrier or two but not much else,” His eyes left him and towards the small girl covered in too many tubes and lines. The machine beat unsteadily as if her heart was a flickering flame on the verge of going out. 

The room became silent once more. “You...you never explained that part to me.”

“Would it have made any difference if you knew?" Ozpin sighed, “Besides you put that spark of magic to use better than I ever could. Your sister too back when she believed in our cause.” 

An uncomfortable silence rose between them. Raven was an awkward topic on many levels. 

“So there’s nothing you can do?” Qrow switched the topic to matters more important than his wayward sister. 

“Maybe if it was before I - No. There’s nothing I can do now,” Ozpin shook his head despondently. 

“Damn it!” Qrow slammed his fist into the table, eyes red and head bowed in frustration. 

#######################################

“We would’ve named you godfather, but I always thought Uncle Qrow has such a nice ring to it, no?” a white-cloaked woman - Summer - chuckled, holding a young infant in her arms. 

“What are you talking about? Godfather Qrow sounds so stately and honora-”

“Yeah, neither of which are you,” Taiyang laughed.  

“You’re right, fuc-”

Smack. 

“Ow, Summer!?”

Qrow held the back of his head in pain, Summer’s hand hovered behind him.

“No cussing in front of my kid,” Summer frowned with a glare before gazing tenderly at the baby in her arms...   

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

“Hey. That bird’s kinda weird. It’s just been watching us play outside for hours now,” a five-year old Yang remarked as she laid on the dirt tired, head extended back to stare at the crow on the fence.

“Maybe it’s friendly?” Taiyang grinned, looking at where his daughter was looking at. “Here, give him this.” The man handed his daughter something he couldn’t quite see, even with his superior bird version.

Tilting his head to the side, Qrow watched as his niece approached his small roosting spot on the fence, hand clenched around whatever his friend handed her.

“Hey, Mister Crow,” Yang toothily smiled, “These are really good. Do you want some?”

With dawning horror, Qrow watched as his niece revealed a bright red cherry tomato, and he was about to pretend to just be another bird and fly away before catching Taiyang’s lips silently moving from further away.

“This is your niece giving you your filial respects,” Taiyang mouthed threateningly, eyes mirthful, “If you hurt her by flying away, I’m going to make you cry.” 

Grudgingly he picked the tomato up from the girl’s hand with his beak and chomped on the gross sour-sweet vegetable-fruit thing. It took a colossal effort on his part to keep the disgusting thing down.

“Haha. He’s eating it!” Yang squealed happily, turning back to her dad in delight.  

But he supposed seeing the innocent laughter from his niece made the torture of his tastebuds worth it.

“Dad, he likes it! Gimme more!”

!!!!!!!

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

“And and one day I’m gonna learn to fly, and maybe if I fly high enough, I’ll see Mom!” a young Ruby declared loudly to the night sky, “And I’ll bring her back to see Dad and Yang again.” 

“I’m sure you will, sis,” Yang quietly sniffed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m sure.”

In front of them was their father kneeling in front of a grave covered in snow, crying bitterly while trying to assure that his deceased wife that they’ll be alright.

All the while none of them noticed an accidental spectator intruding upon their private moment. 

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

A smaller grave now lied next to the taller one. A small statue of an angel was erected on top of it. White snow gently blanketed the forest.

In front of the graves was a figure covered entirely by the fallen snow, bits of blond hair sticking out from the white. He kneeled lifelessly in front of the pair of gravestones, muttering repeatedly about his failures. Yang tugged tearfully at the blond man, scared and worried, while staring at the smaller grave with guilt in her eyes.

“Dad, the funeral’s already over. You’re scaring me. You have to go home. Please. Let’s go home,” Yang begged, hands tightly gripping on her father’s arm as if he would suddenly disappear.

It’s been an hour since the funeral ended. Taiyang hasn’t moved from the spot. Hasn’t noticed his daughter started getting the reddish glow that could only be the start of frostbite. 

Having watched this gone on for long enough, he stepped forward from the treeline and transformed back to his human form, ending his silent vigil. He patted Yang gently on the head as he walked past and forcefully lifting Taiyang up by his armpit while looking at him straight in the eye.

And seeing nothing but emptiness inside. 

“You have to keep yourself together, man,” he remarked worriedly, “If not for yourself, for your daughter.”

He received no response.

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

A trio of graves can now be seen on the cliffside, illuminated by the moon and stars above. A blond girl was sitting down with her hands around her knees, sobbing and mumbling.  

“I didn’t meant for any of this to happen,” Yang whispered, “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I just wanted to find my other mom.”

“I never meant to hurt Ruby. She’s my sister. My good younger sis who didn’t deserve what happened to her,” she continued to talk to the graves, “Is that why you left me? Because you couldn’t live knowing you had a daughter who murdered her sister?”

“I swear I didn’t mean it.”

“If I could trade my life for everyone’s, I would. So please. Please come back,” Yang begged, “I don’t mind if I disappear...as long as you all come back. Please.”

It was at that moment he found his niece, having noticed the open window in her room. 

“Yang...” he spoke, causing the girl’s head to turn towards him. 

The girl’s violet hues stared straight into his eyes.

With the same empty expression as her father after Ruby’s funeral. 

#############################

He stumbled onto the wall, his hand pressing onto his temple as a result from the vivid images he saw in his mind. Disoriented, he felt the world spin for another couple of moments before everything returned to normal. 

Him inside a ICU room with his dying niece and a worried Ozpin. 

What the hell wa-

“Qrow? Qrow? Are you alright?” Ozpin questioned concernedly, hands on his armrest and already half-way standing.

Qrow held up his hand up to indicate he was okay.  

Was that what people called a vision or just a product of an overactive imagination? Did it matter? He didn’t really believe in prophecy or fate, but he could see the events he witnessed coming to pass. Taiyang barely survived emotionally after Summer’s death - if Ruby died too, he’d probably give up entirely. And when that man decided on something, there was nothing anyone can do to stop him.

The best they could do would be to put him under twenty-four hour surveillance under a controlled environment, because a Hunter determined to kill himself will find a way. And ultimately, it would still leave their family broken - and Yang without a father - both father and daughter blaming themselves for the events of today, even though no one could’ve expected something like this to happen. 

It was inevitable.

No.

He wouldn’t let that come to pass. This was not just simply the family of a friend. This was his family. His nieces. His brother-in-arms. A mother-in-heaven who was relying on him to protect her daughters. 

He clenched his fists together. There had to be something he could do. Something.

...Something. 

He calmly looked over at the girl in the ICU bed before taking out the flask from his vest. He gave it a look before taking one long sip of the bitter, burning drink. 

“You shouldn’t drink in the hospital,” good old Oz said mostly reflexively, though both of them knew he’d do it anyway. 

He took another long swig before emptying out the flask. It might be the last he’ll have for a long while. 

“Hey, Oz. Tell it to me straight. If you didn’t give Raven and I our powers, would you’ve been able to save Ruby?”

“You shouldn’t dwell on something you can’t predi-”

“Oz. Just tell me.”

“...Maybe,” Ozpin admitted, “I can’t say with cert-” 

He held a hand up to interrupt Ozpin and then smiled.

“It’s okay,” Qrow said in relief, “I can bet on a maybe.” 

A flash of metal emerged from behind him as he drew Harbinger. His weapon’s barrel rested against the underside of his chin. 

“Qrow! What are you doing? Have you gone cra-”

“I’ve always been crazy, Oz, but I’ve always known what I’m doing. If I die, the magic you imbued into me returns to you, right? And then you can save Ruby.”

“That’s why you’re doing this?! I can’t guarantee that’ll work. And even then I only said maybe, Qrow!” Ozpin agitatedly said, having stood up. He could already see Ozpin’s panicked eyes calculating and looking for openings, measuring the distance and angles he’ll need to safely disarm him. “You’re insane.”

“Never thought I could make you lose your composure on my behalf,” Qrow said with a smile. He really found a good man to follow, “but like I said, I can bet on a maybe. I won’t let Taiyang’s family fall apart. I’m their uncle Qrow.”

“Just put down the gun, Qrow,” Ozpin said anxiously, “We can talk about other optio-”

“Oz, as much as you like to play things close to the chest, you’re a bad liar,” Qrow rebuked, “I won’t blame you if you can’t save my niece after this. I’m happy for this chance. Just... don’t tell Tai.”

“Qrow. You can’t do this. It mig-”

His finger began applying pressure to the trigger. 

In that moment, he realized where where he was. In the heart of the hospital. Inside an ICU room. With only Oz as company. His eyes gazed apologetically at his boss, his mentor, his friend.  

“Sorry for making you clean up another one of my messes.”

“Qrow!” Ozpin lunged forward. 

Bang.

[noctisfishing]

The Last One Wins | 03

01 | 02 | 03 | 04

Notes: This chapter is mainly why I’ve included the warning for minor Kizuna spoilers. And, not really a spoiler, but I made sure I got the name of Koushiro’s company correct in this. We have Kou/Izzy to thank for everything that happens in this chapter. <3

Hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 3: The Admission of Defeat

It took a few weeks for Matt to get used to living in space. Even after a few years of intensive training, he found it interesting to get a grasp on the absence of gravity, and being used to being suspended midair.

Before taking off, Matt and his fellow crew members were surprised to find out that they would be the first group to test out video conferencing capabilities in the International Space Station. All five agencies, including JAXA and NASA, had been working with Izumi Corporation for implementation by the time the next crew arrived at the station. Matt wouldn't have thought that Izzy would reveal that it had been a top secret project even to him, but it was nice to chat with a friendly face occasionally while they were both on the job.

Matt had gotten along with the group of crew members with him, but he always looked forward to his weekly video calls with Sora. He had to hand it to Izzy - six months without being able to see the love of his life, and otherwise communicating minimally through email and video recordings would have been a very lonely time.

There was one particular call a few months in space that Matt had been both looking forward to and dreading at the same time.

It was always a joy for him to see Sora's eyes light up the moment her face appeared on screen and she realized he was looking at her on his side of the atmosphere.

"Hey, Sora," Matt said with a smile. He was dressed down to a casual cotton shirt and jeans since it was his day off.

"Well, if it isn't the 'space man'!" Tai said from the top corner of the screen.

"Matt?!" Mimi's face appeared. "Oh, look at you!"

"Hey, guys!" Matt replied as the whole gang of faces, including his brother, his friends, and their respective spouses, of which the female counterparts had enlarged bellies at various stages of their pregnancies. He had known that Yolei's baby had the earliest due date, thereby making Ken win the Takari Bet, but there had been other news that he had been waiting to tell everyone until that moment.

Izzy was there, too, giving a friendly wave, and even Joe had shown up; he usually made a rare appearance since he was so busy.

But Matt was amused at how Sora managed to convince every one of their friends to gather together this time around.

"Sora must've given you a convincing reason to show up today," Matt said with a chuckle.

"Why wouldn't we be here?" Davis chimed in, seeming to squeeze in between Tai and Izzy. "We wanted to talk to Mr. Cool Guy In Space!"

"It is pretty neat to see how normal it can look up there," Iori observed.

"Aside from that pen floating by his head," added Kari.

Matt looked to Sora who had been smiling but keeping her lips tight. He flashed a knowing smile.

"Sora, why don't you tell them what's really happening?"

"What?"

Every head turned to Sora, and her smile grew from ear to ear.

"Everyone," she began, after taking a deep breath. "I'm finally ready to tell you - I'm pregnant!"

The cheers erupted on Sora's end of the call. Mimi was the first to leap toward Sora to hug her. Matt laughed as he watched Tai, Davis, and TK cheering in excitement.

Matt was relieved that it was out in the open. He was the first to find out about a month into being in the International Space Station, when he and Sora cried with joy together over video chat. Seeing her glowing smile as she hugged all of her friends urged him to break into tears once again.

"I... guess I'm having... a kid last then...eh... Matt?" Tai said, putting his arm around Sora after they exchanged a hug.

Matt hoped that his glare pierced through Tai all the way from space. He knew that Tai's dragged out question was to emphasize his smug acknowledgment of achievement. Matt had known all along that he wasn't going to win the Takari Bet. He had already mentally accepted defeat; the only thing he dreaded was the moment that Tai discovered his inevitable victory.

Besides that, Sora still hadn't known about their competition, and Matt wasn't about to let Tai tell her about it now.

But Sora raised her brow as she looked at Tai's smirk.

"I wouldn't be surprised, given that you're a kid in a grown man's body," Sora replied.

Matt couldn't have been happier to see the change of Tai's expression.

"Hey, I got married, didn't I? That makes me a grown up."

"Yeah," said Matt. "She still married a kid."

"Matt's right," Tai's wife said in the background.

Sora and Matt began to laugh as Tai was at a loss on how to respond next. He and his own wife - he loved how they made a great team against Tai.

Their laughter was cut short, however, when they heard an odd groan from off camera.

"Whoa, honey, you alright?" Davis asked as he and the others turned to the direction where the sound came from. Sora and Tai disappeared and Davis followed quickly. TK appeared on camera next.

"TK, what's going on?" Matt asked.

But Davis' loud announcement answered for him: "We've gotta go. Her water just broke!"

Davis' words were of cheer, and Matt swore he heard some mischievous cackling. Although no one else said anything, Matt knew why. The due date for Davis' baby was set for after Yolei's baby. At that moment, Yolei screamed as she jumped up out of her chair.

"No!" she cried, and everyone fell silent as they looked at her. "...way!" she added.

"Don't start this now, Yolei," Matt heard Ken say as he grabbed her shoulders and walked toward the door where everyone else was headed. Ken had put his brave face on, knowing how this affected the Takari Bet. He also seemed to show a slight tinge of annoyance, but Matt could only empathize with the other man who also had to admit defeat.

Then Kari appeared on screen, and Sora popped in next to TK soon after. "Hey hon," Sora said. "Looks like the party's over. We're all heading to the hospital soon."

"Okay, then," said Matt. "Love you."

"Love you!" Sora said before disappearing again. "TK, turn off the camera?"

"Hai, Onee-san!" said TK.

"Aren't you both going, too?" Matt asked TK and Kari next to him, who grinned with giddiness.

"In a bit." TK then shared a glance with Kari before looking at the camera and lowering his voice. "Listen, when you get back, do you think you could spare some yen?"

Knowing this was referring to Ken's loss, Matt responded with, "You can make 5000 yen easily, TK."

"It's 25,000," Kari replied.

Matt grimaced. "That's still money you can make, but you really put that much money for your bets?"

"I bet the 5K on Ken being first.. And you know me and Kari, we go all in for our big bros."

Matt rolled his eyes as TK smiled with his tongue sticking out.

"Sora said to turn off the camera."

"You love me, right?"

"We'll talk later, TK. Bye, Kari."

Matt ignored the air smooches that TK and Kari scrunched their lips together side by side as Matt pushed to end the call.

~*~*~*~*~*~

About a month before Matt was set to return to Japan, Sora sent a message for him to get in touch with her as soon as he could. It had become the norm for them to have weekly video chats, so having a call in the middle of the week was out of the ordinary for him.

In fact, Matt was worried about why she wanted to talk to him so soon. He wondered if something went wrong back on Earth; maybe, if she found out some news about the baby.

When her face appeared on the video call screen, he couldn't read her expression.

"Hey, love," she said. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"No, not at all, Sora," Matt replied, trying to hide his anxiety as he waited for her reason.

"There's someone I want you to see."

Someone? His eyes immediately moved to her stomach, where he saw that she was still carrying their first born inside of her belly.

Sora laughed as she recognized where he was looking. "I knew you'd assume it was the baby. We've still got a ways to go."

Matt had to laugh in relief. He expected to be at her side the moment their child was born and he wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"Okay, then, who is this someone?" he asked.

That was when Sora moved to the side from the camera and Matt drew in a long breath of surprise.

A familiar face appeared and drew closer to the screen, her bright blue eyes blinking and her beak seeming to touch the screen from the other side. Her pink feathers nearly covered the whole screen.

"Matt! Sora? Can he see me?"

"You don't have to stand so close to it, Biyomon," said Sora, giggling.

Matt was at a loss for words.

"Do you remember how Izzy said he would find a way to bring our Digimon back to us?" Sora asked Matt. "He found a way, Matt. He did it."

Matt's eyes began to sting with tears while he saw Sora wipe her eyes with the back of her hands. He remembered the very moment his own Digimon partner was gone, and those times afterward when he cradled Sora in his arms as she cried about losing hers.

"And now Sora has a Digi-Egg in her tummy!" Biyomon chirped.

"Is that what you told her?" Matt asked Sora, laughing as he wiped his tears away.

"I promise to help take care of your daughter in any way that I can!"

"Before you ask, Matt," Sora added. "She's not the only one who wants to help."

Matt couldn't believe his eyes with what happened next. Sora and Biyomon turned to look off camera, and Sora spoke a name that, even as he'd hoped, Matt didn't think he would hear again.

"Gabumon, why are you so far away?" Biyomon asked.

"Sora said not to stand so close to the camera," Gabumon said with a pout.

"Come over here, so that Matt can see you!" Sora said.

As soon as the blue furried Digimon appeared on screen, he blinked and he smiled cheerfully.

"It's so good to see you, Matt," he said.

"Gabumon…"

Matt couldn't stop crying. He wondered if he was crying as hard as he did when Gabumon disappeared before his very eyes. His tears blurred his vision, and he might have been convinced that Gabumon would disappear as soon as the tears washed the unbelievable sight away.

"Gabumon, are you real?" Matt had to ask.

"As real as the Digi-Egg inside of Sora!" Gabumon said with a grin.

"She told you that, too."

Matt was laughing now with his tears streaming down. That moment was enough to believe that Gabumon was real, and so was Biyomon, and the fact that only Izzy would find the miracle to bring the Digimon partners back. He couldn't wait to return home to hold Sora, and to hug Gabumon, two figures of his life that made him feel whole.

[5hfanfiction]

Like The Air That I Breathe

CH 4

She’s 12 when she learns about sex-ed in her health class. She’s sitting in the back of the class; the lights of the class are turned off and there’s a video on sexually transmitted diseases and infections playing from the projector in the front of the class. Every now and then occasional comments of “ewes” and “gross” comes from the girls and snickers and lude comments coming from the guys. She begins to doze off until she hears the girl beside her, Veronica, nudges her playfully and whispers, “Thank God I’m gay.” She’s pointing towards an awful descriptive picture of a man with Gonorrhea of the mouth. And it makes sense now, the girl she always sees Vero sitting with in the cafeteria with the long blue hair, they’re not just friends. Ashley, is Vero’s girlfriend.

Lauren’s never actually heard anyone say that out loud before, “I’m gay” … She’s seen it on TV of course, but she never actually thought she would hear someone claim to be it, in front of her. Of course, people call each other gay all the time but, usually as a joke or to make fun of someone- Dinah’s one of them, her parents don’t speak of it, and she knows Camila hates it… Now, she doesn’t realize that maybe that’s what she’s needed, for someone around her to just say it, to make it feel okay for her. She’s always seen it as wrong for a girl to love another girl, and a boy to love another boy, despite what Mani tells her. But, today, Lauren realizes that maybe she shouldn’t care, she thinks love should be love. In her 12 years of living she realizes maybe all love is okay.

Lauren can’t help but grimace, “I’m pretty sure you can get that too.” She turns her head away from the screen.

“Probably.” Veronica shrugs, “guys are still disgusting, and I just felt like saying "I’m gay”.“ She winks and Lauren giggles with her.

She decides she’s just going to do what feels right to her from now on. So, she kisses Lucy more. So much more… because she likes kissing Lucy. Because Vero made it okay for her to kiss Lucy. Because she likes the feeling of being wanted, of Lucy’s soft lips, of the secrete affair they have going on behind their friend’s and family’s backs, sneaking kisses when no one is watching, and whispering innuendos back and forth when no one is paying attention. It’s fun. So, when Lucy asks Lauren to be her girlfriend she doesn’t understand why she can’t bring herself to say yes. Vero made it okay, right? So, why does it still feel wrong? She likes being friends with Lucy, she likes kissing Lucy, and she likes Lucy. She’s internally freaking out and she doesn’t want to say something wrong. She doesn’t want to hurt her so she asks for time, which Lucy willingly gives to her.

She begins to avoid her Colombian friend after that. Making up excuses during lunch, saying she needs to make up tests that she’s missed because of soccer games, or she "has homework questions”. In the class that they share, Lauren arrives first, sits in her seat, takes out a book or her notes, and submerges herself in the material so that when the other girl walks in and takes her seat beside her she wouldn’t bother her. She would look up, smile, then go right back to her book or notes. When class finished, she was the first out of the class heading to hide in the closest restroom.

This goes on for a few weeks and Lauren notices that Lucy gives up on trying to get her attention. It goes on for too long that Lauren begins to feel alone, she has no more friends. She’s abandoned Keana and Alexa when she started avoiding Lucy, but they were Lucy’s friends first so she passes that off by thinking they would’ve left her anyways. Normani is still upset with her and she spends all her free time with Dinah and Camila. So, Lauren finds herself going to school, going to practice, and coming home. She starts avoiding everyone all together and she can tell by the way her parents look at her that they know something is wrong but when they ask she just brushes them off walking upstairs to her room. Listening to music through her headphones until her mom calls her for dinner.

“How was school today, baby girl?” Her dad says to her. Lauren shrugs her shoulders and continues to push the food around her plate.

“I haven’t seen Normani around lately, or Lucy. How are they?” Her mom asks, she stopped asking about Dinah and Camila a while ago and just assumed with the grade difference they just grew apart. Lauren rolls her eyes at her plate. She doesn’t want to talk about them. To be honest, she has no idea how they are doing.

She shrugs her shoulders again, “Fine, I guess.” She mumbles.

“Did something happen? Are you guys fighting?” Chris joins in and Lauren’s head glares at him.

“Mind your business, no one was talking to you.” She snaps.

“Lauren that is no way to speak to your brother.” And she decides really doesn’t want to hear her dad scold her so she gets up and heads to her room.

She ignores her parents yelling for her to come back downstairs and locks her door behind her before crawling into bed. Just stares up at her ceiling in the dark, feeling empty, until sleep finds her. She dreams about nothing. She wakes up feeling better the next morning. It’s almost 10am on her alarm clock so she just decides not to go school, her parents are both at work so she can’t get yelled at. She’s making her way down to the kitchen for food when she hears noise in the living room. It sounds like crying. She peaks her head around the corner cautiously because no one is supposed to be home and she’s kind of scared. But she’s confused to why she sees her mom’s back, and to why her mom is crying.

“¿Qué pasó, Mamí?”

“Lauren,” Her mom jumps, she watches as her mom wipes away her tears and takes in a few breaths, “sweetie, I thought you were in school.”

“I woke up late.” She responds making her way to sit on the couch. “Why are you crying?” She puts her hand on her mom’s shoulder, for support.

“Oh, honey, you don’t need to worry about me, right now. Your father is on his way home with your brother and sister we will explain then. Right now, you must be hungry, here let me make you some breakfast.” Her mom says standing up quickly and heading to the kitchen. Lauren follows slowly, wondering why her Papí was on his way home from, why he picked up Taylor and Chris from school so early, why her Mamí was home from work crying.

“Wait, Ma? Why is Papí coming home with Chis and Tay?” She says when she enters the kitchen. She doesn’t expect her mom to cry harder but that’s the response she gets.

“It’s going to be okay.” Her mom mumbles, placing bacon on a skillet. Lauren doesn’t say anything else, she doesn’t want to make it worse.

She eats her bacon and cereal in silence, eyes wide watching her mom cry as she does the dishes. Her dad comes home just as she’s putting her dishes in the sink and he sends Chris and Taylor up to their rooms to put their stuff away. She watches her mom fall into his arms crying. She’s crying and trying to speak but it comes out in rambles of Spanish and English and hiccups. Lauren can barely make out what’s being said but she’s hearing words like “falleció” and “stroke” and she can’t take it anymore. She’s so confused. Her heart is pounding and she’s looking back and forth at her parents faces. Her fathers red cheeks, her mother’s wet one’s.

She doesn’t even realize the tears falling down her face when she yells out “What is going on?” Everyone becomes silent. Chris and Taylor are by her side now, looking just as confused and worried as she is.

“Lauren,” her Papí chokes out. He looks like he’s going to start crying too. As if, he has news he doesn’t want to share with them, especially her. And Lauren has an idea, she knows someone’s died, she just wants to know who.

“Tu abuelita-”

“No” she interrupts him her voice breaking as she shakes her head. He nods in return, his eyes looking painfully sorry, she can’t look at them anymore. “No,” she say’s stronger. She was close to her grandmother. They all were, but it was different with Lauren. Her grandmother didn’t judge her, there were no expectations, she was free to be Lauren. Her grandmother knew her better than anyone in her family, and Lauren loved her so much.

“She’s gone baby girl.” He nods.

“You’re lying.” She tries to glare at her parents but she can hardly see because the tears are just pouring out now. She can hear Chris and Taylor crying beside her. “Stop lying to me!” She cries out, voice breaking.

“Oh, honey” her mom says reaching her arms out to her. Lauren tries to back away, failing and tripping into the wall behind her.

“Don’t touch me!” She screams, “You’re not funny. This isn’t funny, Mamí” She cries, her mom’s arms are around her now, holding her tight. She doesn’t have the energy to push her away. “I still need her, mama.” She whimpers.

“I know, baby girl. I’m so sorry. I know.”

They spend the next hour in that corner, her mom holding her on the floor while her dad holds her siblings on the couch. They sit there until Lauren cries herself to sleep and she wakes up hours later tucked into her bed. It’s dark when she wakes up and she’s hungry but she doesn’t want to leave her room. She reaches over on her night stand to grab her phone and sees that she has a few text messages. 2 from Normani, 1 from Keana, 1 from Lucy and 1 from Camila. She wasn’t expecting the last one, she didn’t even know Camila had a phone let alone her number.

She reads the messages leaving each and every girl on read:

*Hey, you okay? I didn’t see you in school today. -Manibear

*I hope you’re okay… I wanted to talk to you, I miss you, Lo. -Manibear

*Did something happen between u and Luce? You both have been acting strnge. -KeKes

*We need to talk, I know you’ve been avoiding me. -LucyV

*Hey, Lauren. This is Camila. I got your number from Mani, just in case you’re wondering. I know you’ve been extremely busy these past few months and Dinah and I happen to have really bad timing with asking you to hang out with us, heh. But, I really miss you and I want to hang out with you… Yeah, so here’s my number so if you ever have time or want someone to talk to you can “hit me up” (Dinah’s been teaching me slang). P.S. I need someone who will laugh at my jokes again. -CameelaaCabeyoo

That last texts makes her want to cry even more, so she turns her phone off and forces herself to go back to sleep so she doesn’t have to feel bad for ignoring her best friends or wish for her abuelita to still be alive.

She doesn’t go to school the next couple of days. Her parents don’t make her; they call the school to get it excused. She only leaves her room to shower and eat. Spending the rest of her days glumly awaiting the funeral coming up by.sleeping away her sadness and ignoring everyone.

She’s woken up to someone softly whispering her name and blinding light that hurts her eyes. They’re already sensitive so it doesn’t help that they are sore from all the crying that she’s been doing.

“What are you doing here?” She mumbles turning her head into her pillow, blocking the sun.

“Your mom called my mom.” Normani said moving closer to sit down on the side of Laurens bed.

“You could’ve called me, Lauren.” Lauren rolls her eyes into her pillow, of course her mom would call one of her friends. She’s not ungrateful, she just doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Did you tell anyone else?” She responds, her voice dry and hoarse. She shakes her head no. “Good.” She turns back into her pillow.

“How are you feeling?” Normani puts her hand on Laurens back.

“How do I look?” She turns back to face the girl, a tear escaping her emeralds. Normani doesn’t say anything else, just crawls in bed next to her best friend and hugs her tight.

“It’s Friday, right?” Lauren asks into Mani’s shoulder. The other girl chuckles before replying yes. Lauren’s missed her. She still misses her; she misses the relationship they had. The relationship they all had.

“My abuelita’s dead.” She whispers. Normani hums, “and you were mad at me. And I was avoiding Lucy and Kekes and Alexa. And then Camila texted me, and I shut my phone off forever..” The older girl nods her head, allowing Lauren to get whatever it was off her chest. “I’m so sorry Mani, I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was using you. I didn’t mean to be such an awful friend these past few weeks.” And Laurens crying again so Normani thinks it’s time to speak up. She lifts her friends face up so that she’s looking at her.

“Hey, hey. Now, I’m not going to lie to you and say that I wasn’t upset – but I wasn’t mad, if that makes sense.” Lauren shakes her head, “look Lo, we all care about you. We love you, and it was upsetting that you were having me lie to DJ and Mila because you were afraid to confront your emotions. And to top it off, these past few weeks, you did, sort of ditch the rest of us for Lucy… And then you ditched her.. which she’s pissed about.”

“I don’t wanna talk about that yet,” Lauren groans.

“But… My point is, you can’t push me away. I’m always going to be here for you. Friends forever, babe, don’t forget it.” Normani begins stroking Laurens hair as her tears finally stop flowing pass her red cheeks. “Remember when we were in fourth grade and my grandpa passed away?” Lauren nods, “You told me to always remember that just because he isn’t here anymore doesn’t mean he’s dead. Remember? You said he’s alive, and he’s happier than ever, watching over me and my family and flying with the angels… Well, you’re abuelita is with my granddaddy now. And they’re going to be happy together, okay?”

“Why are you the best person ever? Can you sleepover?” Lauren pouts

“Hold on.” Normani laughs before pulling out her phone, “Can you like, repeat that on camera. please, so I can prove to Dinah what I’ve been trying to convince her for years, now.” And for the first time in weeks, as Lauren can remember, she laughs. A genuine, heartfelt laugh, with a smile that reaches her eyes.

“I can’t sleep over, I have dance in a little, my mom’s downstairs…” Lauren groans and the other girl hesitates before continuing, “but if you want, you can come to my house tonight… But Dinah and Camila are going to be there also.”

“I don’t think I can do it… I miss them.” She sighs, “but, Mani… I can’t be around her without feeling something for her that she will never feel back.

Normani sighs and nods her head, just hugging her friend tighter. "I think you’re too young to have all of this drama in your life.” She chuckles at the green-eyed girls scowl, “but your feelings are valid. Always remember that.”

She’s tired of being alone. She’s laid in bed all day, for the past few days, without speaking to anyone until Normani came by earlier that day. Letting out a frustrated groan she slips out of bed and decides to shower and pack a bag for Mani’s house. She slips her socked feet into her black Nikes and makes her way downstairs. Her parents both eyes widen when they see her round the corner to the kitchen, and her mom stops doing the dishes and smiles at her softly before asking if she’s hungry. Lauren nods her head and allows her mom to make her something to eat before asking one of them to drive her to Normani’s.

She stands at the door, bag over one arm, awkwardly when the door pops open.

“Lo? You changed your mind?” The older girl questions her eyes wide and voice slightly lower than usual, she looked around the door confused but Normani’s body blocking the entrance. She’s in a pair of black soffe shorts and a loose pink Hollister top that fell off her right shoulder. “I didn’t tell the other girls you were coming, or what happened…” She explains. Lauren smiles shyly, she opens her mouth to reply when suddenly the door swings open wide revealing an upset Dinah and a shy looking Camila.

“Dinah!” Mani yells.

“Don’t you Dinah me Norma! This girl’s got some explainin to do!” She glares at Lauren making the now shorter girl wish she hadn’t come.

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t make eye contact with the taller girl, instead she was staring into the pools of chocolate staring back at her. They looked confused, disappointed, but not hateful. Not like Dinah’s. She blinks before turning her head away to look at Normani’s stern but knowing face, “I’m Really-

"You’re sorry!?” Dinah yells in disbelief, “You ignore us for almost a whole year, Lauren, and you’re sorry?” Lauren opens her mouth again, at a loss for words. “What you’re too cool to hang out with us now? Got your cool new 7th grade friends now, you can’t hang out with us?”

“I’m so-

"No, don’t be sorry, go hang out with Lucy.” Dinah scoffs going to close the door, Normani’s hand stops it.

“Dinah stop.”

“You even missed Mila’s birthday the other day!” A tear streamed down Laurens cheek and Normani’s had enough.

“Dinah stop!” Normani yells, “do not come at Lauren when you don’t understand anything.” she points her finger at the youngest and Dinah backs up in fear. “Her grandma just died, DJ.” She says softer, more pained. One thing Lauren notices hasn’t changed since she’s left their group. Camila is just standing in the back staring wide eyed at the confrontation.

“It’s fine, I deserve it.” Lauren clears her throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you guys, and I’m really sorry I missed your birthday Camila.”

The younger Latina shakes her head, obviously still shocked at the new of the other girl’s dead grandma by the look in her wide eyes, “It’s fine” she chokes out. Normani pushes a guilty looking Dinah out of the way and ushers Lauren inside.

“We have Pineapple Pizza. Want some?” Camila smiles cheerfully, trying to make it less awkward.

“Mila chose it.” Dinah mumbles, and Normani rolls her eyes nudging Dinah’s elbow. “What?” Dinah hisses.

“Apologize.” Mani mumbles. Dinah mumbles something under her breath, while Lauren watches the whole exchange. She watches as Camila bites into a slice pizza and runs into the kitchen, returning with a can of coke in her hand. The younger girl spots Lauren looking at her and lifts the drink up towards her, face full of food, as to ask if Lauren wants one too. She shakes her head no. She feels foreign, she used to be a part of this group, friends with all three of these girls and now she feels like she’s the outsider. Well, it’s her fault. She’s brought back to reality with Normani hissing “now” to Dinah making the other girl roll her eyes and spit out a lousy sorry. But Lauren will take it, she deserved Dinah lashing out at her.

“It’s fine, Dinah, I deserved some of that.” The younger girl scoffs.

“Just to be clear, I’m only sorry about coming at you for missing Chancho’s birthday. You have no excuse for all the other times.” She turns around, “Oh, and I’m sorry about your grandma, Ralph, she was always kind to me.”

After that she knows the night will be okay. No matter how much the green-eyed girl hates that nickname, in that moment, she thinks she can be satisfied with it. And Lauren just nods, because that’s all she can do. Dinah is right.

She sets her bag down in Normani’s room and comes back out plopping herself down on the floor next to Camila and the Pizza, because who can say no to pizza- even if it’s covered with the world’s worst toppings. Normani put a movie on to shut Dinah up so the younger was laying on the couch staring intently at the TV screen while the eldest was talking to her mom in the kitchen. So, it was just her, the pizza, and Camila. And in the distance, Dinah and her movie.

“I’m really sorry Camz.” The older girl whispered.

“Don’t worry about it, Laur. We’ve missed you, that’s all. And you know Dinah.” Camila smiled, taking Laurens hand in hers. Lauren smiled back at the girl.

“I heard you were dating Austin.” Lauren fakes a smirk, even though it’s a touchy subject.

“He’s an ass.” Dinah scoffs a little too loudly.

“Dinah Jane, don’t make me tell your mother about the foul language you’re using in my house again. ”

“I’m sorry, Mama Drea, it just slipped out!” Dinah yells back. Camila and Lauren laugh.

“Austin, was a jerk.” Camila rephrased.

“Yeah, he only wanted Mila because of a bet, can you believe him? Chancho found out and she was in tears for days.” Lauren felt bad, one of the main reasons she distanced herself from the other girl was because of her relationship with the boy. Aside from the fact that it hurt whenever Camila would talk about the boy, she couldn’t stand the kid. She hasn’t liked him ever since the day he pulled Camila’s pigtails on her first day of school a long time ago and she doesn’t understand why Camila liked him at all in the first place. Or why Dinah encouraged it.

“Cheech, stop.” Camila pleaded with the Polynesian.

“You should’ve let me give him a poly beat down.” Dinah mumbled.

“You would’ve lost. He’s a boy.”

“So, I wrestle my cousins all the time, and they’re way bigger than Dorito boy. Plus, I could’ve just kicked him in the shin and ran, have you seen how strong my legs are?” Lauren quirked her brow at the younger girl’s remark. “I should run track.”

“I could get him back for you, Camzi.” She smirked looking deep into the chocolate eyes. The other girl laughs at the memory that resurfaced at the thought of Lauren ‘getting him back’ and the older girl can’t help but be enamored by the beauty in the sound of Camila’s laugh. The beauty in Camila, and it hurts her for a second because she realizes once again she can’t have Camila, she accepts the fact that she’ll just have to settle for friends. That’s better than nothing, right? She decides to change the subject before she can get caught staring, “How’s the little munchkin?” And Camila’s face lights up again as she fills Lauren in on all things Sofi.

“You’re a dancer, not a runner.” Normani said adding input to the conversation they just had two minutes ago as she walks back into the room with a large bowl of popcorn, “Guy’s we have to be quiet my mom’s going to bed.”

“Actually, I’m a singer, ManiPoo.” Dinah boasted “and so, I bet I could beat Jade in a race, I heard she was the fastest on the team.”

“No Dinah, your mom can sing, not you.” Normani laughs.

“Watch you’re gonna here me sing one day, and you’re gonna love it, pendeja.” Lauren chokes on soda as Camila busts out laughing obviously proud of the one out of hundreds of Spanish words she could get to stick in Dinah’s mind.

So, she’s 12 when she decides everything is going to be okay. She may have lost her grandma but she gained a guardian angel. A beautiful, strong guardian angel that’s going to watch over her and protect her and love her. She may not have the love of her life, but she does, she has her in all the ways that she needs her right now. Her friendship is more important than anything, and that night, as she looks around at her sleeping friends, at Normani with her legs sprawled out over the youngest girl, who’s mouth was wide open and snoring in Camila’s face, who looked peaceful but out cold- she decides she’ll do whatever she can to keep that.

Then she remembers she’s still gotta talk to Lucy… She’ll do that next week.

———————————————————————————————————————

Sooo…. this took unneccesarily long for me to update. Please forgive me, I’m an athlete, a reader, not a writer.. It’s exceptionally hard for my scrambled thoughts to actually form and become coherent. But I am trying, hopefully I will grow.

[ruffsficstuffplace]

The Keeper of the Grove (Part 69)

Qrow noticed the beam, pushed Ruby out of the car before he and Taiyang jumped out themselves, just barely avoiding getting incinerated along with it.

The flaming, falling wreck kept on going, headed straight for the others still on the floor, Yang, Blake, and Weiss unable to run for exhaustion or their injuries.

Winter rocketed through the air, stopping the wreck with a tractor beam before she threw it away to a deserted area of the park. Then, she zoomed over their heads, taking Pyrrha and Weiss along with her while leaving the others behind.

Qrow, Taiyang, and Ruby rolled on the ground, and hauled ass to the others, Taiyang stomping his feet and raising up walls of rock, dirt, and concrete behind them. The Queensguard reacted by destroying them almost as fast as they went up, with magnetically-accelerated bullets, energy blasts, and high-explosives.

Cinder screamed and flied up into the air, started blasting fireballs, blinding beams of superheated light, and making magma erupt all over Goldleaf Park to give both the surviving Heralds and Council forces cover to get the hell out of there as the Queensguard pulled back.

Weiss looked around as Winter sent her and Pyrrha zooming across Candela, suspended just in front of her in bubbles of energy.

The streets were deserted but for the peacekeepers and AFA roaming around in squad vans and tanks, thundering through the forgotten booths and stalls, helping tourists and citizens still trapped, and warding off looters and other criminals trying to take advantage of the chaos.

She frantically turned back to Winter, her face hidden underneath her helmet. “Winter, is that you?!”

“Snow Queen to Castle: both VIPs secured, en-route to Marhalika Avenue, and need extraction ASAP!” Winter barked. “I don’t know what the hell else these Tangos are capable of, and I don’t intend to find out!”

Then, she spared a glance at Weiss, and said, “Yes, yes it is, Weiss!” She smiled underneath her helmet. “We’ll get you both back someplace safe, somewhere where we can undo whatever the hell it is those people have done to you….”

Weiss tried to beat at her armour, found herself turning round and round inside her bubble. “Take me back! Take me back! Those people are my friends!”

“Mine too!” Pyrrha cried.

Under the helmet, Winter’s eyes widened. “Sweet Shepherd, it’s even worse than I thought...” she muttered as she made a hard bank to the right, Pyrrha and Weiss’ internal organs spared from the laws of physics with the help of the fields.

“You’ve got it all wrong, sis!” Weiss screamed. “They’re not the bad guys! They were trying to help us get away!”

“I second that!” Pyrrha cried.

“You mean take you two back to wherever they’re holding you hostage and brainwashing you!” Winter cried as she sped up, straight to Maharlika Avenue. “I got your message from Kajiki, Weiss—I’ve got a pretty good idea of how badly they’ve screwed up your head!”

“I meant every single word of it!” Weiss screeched, her voice getting hoarse from the strain. “I’m not going back! The Valley is my home now, and if you’ll just listen to me, we can go back there together!”

“What the hell are they doing to you back there?!”

“Everything I told you! Feeding me! Keeping me safe! Giving me things to pass the time with! I’m on parole now, actually, and now I work on a farm… and… well… I’ve even fallen in love with Ruby!”

Pyrrha blushed. “… I have too but with Penny instead, so I would really appreciate it if you please turn us around, and back to them, if it’s not too much trouble...!”

Winter looked at the both of them in turn as she began to fly down to Maharlika Avenue, and to a waiting jet with well-armed guards waiting. She gave Pyhrra to them, before she set Weiss down on her feet, and gently put her armoured hands on her shoulders.

“Weiss, as soon as things quiet down, we are having that talk about Stockholm Syndrome again, okay...?”

Suddenly, their comms crackled with Ironwood’s voice: “All units in Maharlika Aventue: MOVE OUT! I repeat: MOVE OUT!”

“What’s wrong, sir?!” Winter asked.

“Tango coming in hot on your position, and she’s bringing serious firepower!”

She frowned. “What the hell do they have, sir?!”

“JUST MOVE! And if you have to engage, you’re authorized to use every single thing you’ve got!”

They all looked up to the sky as a missile rocketed up to their position, before it stopped, revealing itself to be Cinder, her entire body not covered in flames so much as made of them. They all stared as she raised her hands, and meteors began to rain down from the sky.

“RUN!” Winter cried as she blasted off towards her.

“WINTER, NO!” Weiss cried as soldiers hauled her and Pyrrha off.

The meteors crashed into the street, leaving molten craters in the ground, destroying gigantic chunks of the faces and sides of the buildings around them, turning the jet into twisted wreckage as the whole place began to burn.

Winter and Cinder clashed, dashing and weaved through the air, trading bursts of energy, fireballs, missiles, jets of flame, lasers of pure concentrated magic and superheated light, the flames around them growing ever hotter and larger as their surroundings began to collapse and crumble.

“How the hell are you flying and fighting like this?!” Winter cried as she fired a lance of energy at Cinder

“With the same magitech you’re using!” Cinder cried as she dodged it.

“That’s impossible!” Winter cried as she readied seven more of them. “My Mk. IV’s the only one of its kind in Avalon!” she yelled as she fired them all at once.

Cinder destroyed them with a giant wall of flame, before she rushed through the smoke and fire, tackling Winter and pinning her to the side of a building. “In the human territories, at least...” she growled, before she raised a hand of pure fire with molten magma claws.

The temperature alarms in Winter’s suit were going insane, she could feel Cinder’s heat begin to melt her armour, blister her vulnerable skin underneath. She scowled at her as Cinder pulled her hand back, prepared to plunge it into her.

Suddenly, she screamed in agony.

Winter watched as ice exploded over Cinder’s body before it almost instantly turned to steam. More and more blasts began to land on her, coming in at a steady, rhythmic pace, like a squad were firing two sniper rifles as quickly as they possibly could, one after the other.

Back down on the ground and in the nearest safe intersection, Ruby continued to fire her scythe’s farslinger, Blake feeding it a constant stream of every medium they had on them, Taiyang holding the barrel steady and keeping them from flying off from the recoil.

Beside them, Pyrrha did the same with Penny holding her energy lance steady, and Weiss’ gloved hand on the receiver feeding it a constant supply of her unsealed magic. Some distance away, Yang and Qrow loaded the last of the unconscious or severely injured AFA soldiers into an unmarked van from the Plushie Palace.

“Sorry, boys, girls, and NB’s: nothing personal,” Qrow said as he and Yang grabbed the doors.

“Trust us: you’re going to hear about the reports tomorrow morning and think to yourself, ‘Man, I am so glad I got the shit beat out of me, or else I would have been right in the thick of that shit!’” she added before they slammed them shut.

The van took to the skies and away from the scene as news teams, Queensguard, and AFA started to rush in all around Maharlika Avenue, erecting energy barriers, keeping their distance, and watching with long-range optics as they tried to figure out exactly how the hell they were supposed to engage Cinder and the others without getting killed.

All the while, the group continued to fire elemental bolts at Cinder.

From what little Winter could see of herfrom her darkened optics, she was writhing in agony desperately trying to drive her flaming claw into Winter, stopped only by the constant rain of ice, electricity, fire, and metal.

Finally, she could take no more, screaming in pain and frustration as she flew off, her body turning back to normal as she fell to the ground…

… And just in time, too, as Ruby had completely run out of mediums, and Weiss’ once full mana bar was finally dipping dangerously close to empty.

Winter pushed off from the crater she was stuck in, reactivating her wings and blasting through the burning street to the only safe haven in sight—ironically and unfortunately, where one of the very, very, very few things she was terrified of was standing with her companions.

“Will someone please tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW?!” Winter screamed as she landed between Weiss and Ruby, frantically looking back and forth at them in turn.

“We’ll explain back at the Valley!” Weiss replied as they began to holster their weapons and pull out several air teleporation charms for all of them.

Winter blinked. “I’m sorry, you don’t mean the Viridian Valley, where the Keeper over there lives, right…? This is some other ‘Valley’ elsewhere in Avalon, right?!”

Weiss was about to reply, before they all saw a giant fireball heading straight for them.

Winter blasted forward and put up an energy barrier in front them.

Standing in the remnants of the broken and molten street in front of them, Cinder just sent another fireball, and another, and another, a constant rain of explosions erupting in front of Winter, her shield barely keeping it from the others.

“I hope you’ve got a plan, because I can’t keep this up forever!” she cried as she looked at her helmet’s HUD, noted the flashing red warning sign of her suit’s power supply.

“We’ll think of something!” Ruby cried. She turned back to the others. “Does anyone have anything?”

“ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW?!” Winter yelled.

They ignored her and started thinking. Then, Taiyang snapped his fingers, sparks flying from his still metallic fingers. “I got it! Penny, Weiss: give me as much juice as you can possibly spare!”

“The hell are you planning, Tai?!” Qrow snapped.

Taiyang grinned. “Same thing we did for episode 38 of Rune Rangers: Guardians of the Grove!”

Qrow groaned. “You took seventeen takes to get that right!”

“That just means I have a lot of practice!”

Without much choice, Penny and Weiss grabbed either of Taiyang’s hands and began the transfer.

Winter’s energy barrier began to flicker, Cinder made a giant fireball and threw it at her.

Boom.

The shield and Winter’s power core gave out, she rocketed past them and to one of the barriers further up the street; her fellow Queensguard rushed out to catch her and brought her back behind the wall.

“WINTER!” Weiss screamed.

She let go of Taiyang’s hand and tried to run after her, before Yang grabbed her and pulled her back.

“FOCUS!” she yelled. “We’re ALL fucked if we don’t stop her!”

Weiss screamed in frustration, before she put her hand back onto Taiyang’s

Cinder panted for breath, shivering and aching from the bolts still ravaging her system. Penny and Weiss fell into Pyrrha and Ruby’s arms, exhausted from the transfer.  Taiyang ran up, his ironbark arms now glowing golden.

Cinder let out a harsh, strained laugh. “The hell do you think you’re going to do, soft-skin?!” she barked.

“Why don’t you find out?” Taiyang called out, making the “come at me” gesture.

Cinder sucked in a deep breath, and let out a roar of pure rage as she sent a giant fireball at Taiyang.

He grinned as he snatched it out of mid-air, spinning around from the momentum before he sent it flying back at Cinder.

Her eyes widened.

Boom.

Cinder staggered back, surprised.

Taiyang laughed. “Tsunami-Fist, baby! It’s a hell of a technique. Come on, give me all you’ve got, see what happens!”

Cinder growled, her ears pulling back as she began to circle a hand in the air, little flickers of light winking in front of her.

Taiyang’s smile disappeared. “Uh… you’re not casting more fireballs, are you...?”

Cinder chuckled as a halo of light appeared in front of her.

“No.”

Everyone had to shield their eyes as a blinding, searing beam of light erupted from Cinder’s hands. Taiyang braced himself, his arms reflecting it away from him and the others. Aircraft began to take evasive maneuvers as he started to get pushed back from the sheer power, the laser veering all around searing the faces of the buildings and the scorching the air around it.

He stomped his feet into the ground, burying himself into the street for support. “Does anyone have anything else?!” he asked through gritted teeth. “Preferably a better idea than what I had!”

They all wracked their heads, their expressions growing more and more desperate as Cinder kept on intensifying the beam, Taiyang struggled to reflect it.

And suddenly, Weiss had an idea. “Can Taiyang use the Tsunami-Fist to absorb Cinder’s power then into Ruby’s farslinger like a conduit?!” she asked.

“Theoretically, he could, but blocking Cinder’s beam is taking all of his concentration!” Penny replied. “We’ll need someone to do it for him!”

“Can I do it?” Weiss asked.

Penny frowned. “All that energy going through your body at once will likely kill you… unless you can distribute the excess energy among the rest of us.”

Qrow nodded as he stepped up. “How do we do that?”

“I’ll put my hands on Weiss’ body, and you all hold onto me in turn. Brace yourselves—this is likely going to be extremely painful!”

“Beats getting finding out what a well-done steak feels like!” Yang cried. “I’m game!”

“Count me in!” Pyrrha called out.

<Me too!> Blake said.

“Let’s do this!” Ruby yelled as she rushed forward beside Taiyang, planted the head of her scythe back in the ground.

“Do you really think this is going to work?!” Cinder snapped.

“We’re going to find out!” Weiss called out as they all got into position.

She put her gauntlet hand on Taiyang’s back, and pointed Myrtenaster’s tip into Ruby’s farslinger. Penny grabbed her waist, the others held onto hers, and on the count of three, Taiyang began to absorb the full force of the laser, and Weiss siphoned it out of him.

It hurt.

Like every single inch of Weiss’ body, her very being was being incinerated. Cinder’s magic ravaged her system, chaotic, uncontrollable, a force of pure, absolute destruction; she almost let go of Taiyang, gave up before she burned to ashes, when she felt something:

Penny’s healing magic pouring into her and keeping her together and redirected the brunt of the damage to the others; sweat poured down their skin, their knees shook and buckled, their knuckles were ghostly white as they just kept holding on, refusing to let go, refusing to let Cinder win.

It still hurt, but now, Weiss could focus just long enough to transform the white-hot light into freezing-cold ice, then send it straight into Ruby’s farslinger.

And then, when they could all take no more, she pulled the trigger.

A giant beam of freezing cold water shot out from Ruby’s scythe, the air around it turning to frost, the molten and scorched ground turning to ice, Cinder’s eyes widening as she saw it coming just a little too late.

The farslinger attachment exploded in a cloud of icy blue magic.

Everyone but Ruby collapsed to the ground and on top of each other, overwhelmed and exhausted.

Cinder was trapped in a giant iceberg, her horrified expression clear for all too see under the several inches thick layer of pure, crystal clear ice surrounding her.

Ruby fished out all of their teleportation charms from their pockets, activated them all at once as a twister of green magic swirled all around them.

All of Avalon watched as they literally vanished into thin air.

[silenceandpatiencepining]

memories with TS songs

Today I’m thinking about how many memories I have with Taylor songs and imaging how there are even more coming just waiting to happen.

I was in sixth grade when Taylor’s first album came out and I used to steal my older sister’s hot pink iPod nano so I could listen to Taylor on the bus drives to and from school. It’d be me sitting alone, slouched on the seat with my knees propped up, staring out the window daydreaming while listening to Our Song. Or thinking about Teardrops On My Guitar and changing the lyrics to “teardrops on my violin” bc I was an orchestra kid with massive crushes on people who always looked past me.

Every time I had a falling out with someone or a friend that was going through a breakup, Picture to Burn was there with me. On more than one occasion my sister or I brought the small kitchen pot and a lighter to our bathroom and turned on the blower so we could literally burn pictures or notes or letters without starting a fire.

I’m Only Me When I’m With You has been the longtime anthem of me falling in love with my best friends over and over, and them not feeling the same way.

The summer after Fearless came out, I was absolutely obsessed with the album. I was away from home for a month or so and I would listen to it on repeat. Sometimes I’d g-chat (bc it was the newest feature on my new gmail account) with my cousin and we’d watch the You Belong With Me music video at the same time and gush about it.

Fearless was really That Album—so many iconic bops. Hey Stephen was my first favorite on that album. The Best Day made me want to cry and hug my parents and I still think that if I ever get married, that’s gonna have to be my father daughter dance song. I still scream sing the bridge of Tell Me Why every time it comes on. Fearless is the song that got me and still gets me gassed up to shoot my shot (archer pun not intended). Fifteen. White Horse. You’re Not Sorry. BREATHE. Forever & Always became my sign-off salutation and it’s still one I use. The Way I Loved You! I didn’t have the deluxe version of the album (bc I didn’t know there was one) but damn. I still stan fearless.

Speak Now was definitely the album my sister loved the most. It’s a lyrical masterpiece. I don’t know if I’m remembering this right but when Mine dropped with the music video there was this story circulating that it dropped early because Taylor and her team found out that it had leaked while they were on a flight or something crazy so they released as soon as they landed, ahead of the original date. And I remember watching that video and being so in love with all the pictures hanging on strings in the forest. I have so many memories of me playing Speak Now from my CD player and jumping around singing and dancing to my favorites songs or lying on the carpet like a dramatic bitch for the slow ones, especially Dear John. I’m pretty sure the only way I listened to Dear John was lying on the floor in the puddle of tears (imagined and real).

Red came out when I was in high school and everyone was so shook when it dropped bc we were like yooooo is Taylor experimenting with dubstep (back when dubstep had its little hay day). 2012 was such a weird year. It gave us Kony 2012 and apocalypse theories. But mostly, Red is the album that was the soundtrack to my last years of high school. It was sitting in the passenger seat with the music up and windows down, on long drive to the country or to get milkshakes and slushees. It was me falling in love with my best guy friend again, him choosing to date my best girl friend, and then him breaking both of our hearts. It was forbidden moments with him knowing he was dating my best friend. It was me singing “don’t look at me you got a girl at home and everybody knows that” and then being a fucking hypocrit bc all our friends would be over hanging out and we’d be snuggled up, never holding hands or kissing but always being a little too close.

Red was the first concert I got to see Taylor. A relative got me tickets for my birthday. I wore my cowboy boots and favorite hi-low dress and curled my hair. And every drive I took that year, after every pool party, after every movie date with the boy, every last adventure before my friends went off to college, every late night at a friends house was awash in Red.

1989 is the soundtrack of my first years of college. It was me feeling left behind and awkward, and turning that into a fresh start in a new city and trying to shake off negativity. I remember when the Shake It Off video came out and I literally screamed and laughed and cried tears of happiness bc I felt so seen. Loving to dance even though I wasn’t the best at it. I remember late nights walking around campus in the dark in the winter listening to Welcome to New York and letting that feeling of endless possibilities and new beginnings wash over me. I remember countless times I zoned out standing in the shower thinking about Clean. I remember feeling like 1989 sounded like such a mixtape (in the best way—it captured such a specific set of feelings).

Reputation. Where do I even start. I think up until Rep, my love for Taylor Swift and her music was such an internal part of me, but EVERYONE was talking once the singles started coming out and it was when I finally found myself getting defensive over Taylor. I remember literally screaming the first time I watched the LWYMMD music video. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. When the lyric video for CIWYW came out, my best friend and I were staying at this hotel while she was visiting me and I cried and all I could say was that I was just so happy that Taylor found someone to love her whole. reputation was quite literally the only thing I really listened to for MONTHS. I was obsessed with the album. I would have died for that album.

I initially didn’t think I would get a chance to see her on tour because the tickets were soooo expensive but I ended up getting a surprisingly cheap floor seat just 3 days before I saw her in Foxborough night 1. That entire performance blew my mind. I was 5 rows back from the B stage which ended up being the perfect place cause Tay was soooo close while performing Shake It Off (one of my all time faves) and the surprise acoustic song was 22, which made me literally melt because I had just turned 22. I actually danced so hard during SIO that I twisted my ankle and fell back onto my seat during the concert—almost everybody that was seated around me had moved up by that point to get closer while Tay was on the B stage, but my ✌️social anxiety ✌️ was not about that life. I think I lost my voice from singing. And definitely was shooketh to the core when Hayley Kiyoko came on stage. Truly unforgettable.

This era has been such a whirlwind and I cannot wait for the memories it will bring and the lyrics that will destroy me. If Taylor talks at all more explicitly about dealing with family illness or sexuality/identity or the monumental effort it takes to really love yourself, just know that it will probably end me.

ANYWAY I love you @taylorswift

Your music has been the soundtrack to so many parts of my life. I know there are countless fans out there with stories like mine, or even more powerful ones and I just want to share how much your craft and dedication to your fans means to every single one of us whether or not we meet you. In these last couple weeks before the album is released, I hope you see and hear SO MUCH positivity and no more of the drama.

Lol if anyone, if a single one of you actually reads this 1) wow thanks 2) please reblog with some of your #TS song memories or times when #Taylor Swift was there with me AND USE THE TAGS so we can share these awesome memories with each other

[sufferblr]

this is just a diary entry of my day w my love ok lmao 

Finally, after months and months of ditching each other last-minute, we got to meet on the second day of a promising new year. (So glad 2016 died)

When I got to the meetup location, I passed by a 7-eleven and bought two packs of chocolate milk and hid it in my handbag, because it’s the thing between us. Ever since that day you said you liked this brand of chocolate milk, I bought you a packet every (rare) time we meet, for old time’s sake. It really brings memories from MCS back. 

I picked you up at Exit B at the station and we ran into each others arm with a giant fluffy hug! “You smell really nice!” you said. “Yeahh I got this for Christmas!” “You got smelling nice for Christmas?” you joked. I said, “What??I got this perfume!!!” We laughed. Note: Victoria’s Secret: Bombshell. 10/10 will wear again. 

So we, being our spontaneous selves, strolled around Tai Wai for food. Tai Wai is truly my favourite place in the world - I only have good memories in it, and it is full of friendly people and just the perfect place for bonding experiences, no matter it’s with family, friends or crushes. We strolled down the street full of comfortably half-full restaurants and got way too immersed in our conversation. God, we haven’t seen each other for nearly half a year. How did I even survive in those days? Our conversations are simply natural and easy. It is so easy for us to keep talking, and even the dead air moments are comfortable - there is no such thing as an awkward silence between us. Knowing she is next to me is already so fucking enough. 

We went to the end of the vertical street and went back a bit, to eat in this neat little place with red chairs and red tables. They actually let us go upstairs instead of the ground floor because it was full, and wow I am glad about going upstairs. There are way less people and more space, so that we can talk and laugh as loudly as we like. We talked about my new year’s eve, which I got so fucking drunk and couldn’t tell Sharon and Aaron apart; the receptionist that asked me if im okay because I walk all slouched and with a grin fixed on my face; also, my drunk text to you that says “i locw you <3 <3 <3″. Then you told me about your drunk stories - well, technically it wasn’t you being drunk, cus you are such a good drinker. You told me about taking care of your friend Connor, who said “I’m not drunk” while lying on a bed full of his own puke. You are such a mom friend! 

I knew you were broke af this Christmas, so i pondered on making this dinner my treat, but you said that I can pay for dessert instead. Fair enough. We left the place and walked along the entire few blocks of Tai Wai Village. Despite living here forever, I never dared to stroll around like this, especially at night. You make me feel so adventurous and brave, baby. We talked about your wild af life in LPC after MCS, of fake ids and underage drinking and all that. I wish I could join you over there. 

We couldn’t find any good new places for dessert, so I suggested the one CCY told me about before, Summer Ice something. We were two blocks away from the place and suddenly, you took my hand. (i am internally screaming). You started to run and I did too, and god that was so liberating! I haven’t ran like a child for so long. We giggled and stumbled and stopped after a really short run, because we are so bad at sports. “I’m bad at the... you know, leg things!” you said. Our hands are still locked, and we walked by this creepy abandoned kindergarten. “Serial killers live here.” You said. “Naughty children gets sent here” I said. You then suggested we get really drunk one day and break in, to which I replied, “LPC is really getting into you, THAT IS SO WHITE.” We laughed. “But have you ever lived if you don’t do white things??!” Oh my god, this girl! Where are our conservative Good Chinese Girl characteristics, really?! 

We were lucky enough to get the big spacious couple seat in Summer Ice (I’m still fangirling over our luck to get THAT SEAT among so many others!) and ordered chocolate & banana waffles, and this peach drink. (A strawberry drink arrived instead, but eh. It’s good anyway.) 

This time, I asked you to take a picture. I was aware of how often I forget to take pictures when going out with important people in my life. This time, I didn’t. You took a pic of the waffles and a selfie of us. Both of us slayyyy! We talked and talked and talked and you fed me some sorbet on the drink. I screamed internally and ate it. Now I know you don’t mind me doing that either, I did that too, a good several times afterwards. You ate them off my spoon like the good date you are! (aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!) Both of us were too full for dessert actually, but we ate them anyway. By the end of this meal, we caught up with each other’s lives in the last 6 months, and I also found out more about your relationships. I’m so so so relieved that your ‘abusive’ recent ex never hit you, but was just manipulative. I hate to admit it but I got quite angry when you posted “I got out of a shitty abusive relationship” on your private instagram yesterday - I’m not sure what I’d do about that but it’s probably something snakey if your ex-bf ever hit you. Turns out he was just manipulative - phew! Also good to know that my girl is a fierce bitch at heart that ain’t afraid of breaking up with manipulative boys. That’s the girl I love! 

Your twin brother called you and told you to get back at 10:30 for Sherlock, so we finished up and left. We were holding hands again. The street lights gave us this very distinct shadow, and that’s when we put our arms around each other and held our body and cheeks close, just to watch our shadow do the same. She said, look at us, we should be this one big human together (or sth like that, i dont remember the exact wordings). I felt so content, this is so wholesome! 

I walked you back to your minibus station with the excuse of “my bus has a schedule, yours don’t”, but really, I just wanted to spend more time with you, be it 20 minutes or 2 minutes more. We stood at the station in comfortable silence, chatted about your teachers at LPC a little, then the minibus came. 

You gave me a good warm hug again, and complimented my fluffy cardigan. I’d love it a whole new way now. I suddenly remembered something - the chocolate milk. “Wait, I got something for you!” I said and pulled it out of my handbag (which you once complimented a couple years ago - I picked this out deliberately). You giggled again and I clearly remember what you looked like that exact moment, eyes closing into this pretty pretty line and shoulders scrunched a little, and your back arching slightly backwards, as if you couldn’t contain the happiness thrown at you! You were smiling so big and I was so happy that I can make you smile like that. Again, so wholesome. “I love you,” I said again as I went for another hug, which was returned generously. “I love you too.” She replied, and she boarded the minibus. “Bye!” I said. As I walked back to my shuttle bus station to go home. 

On the way from your station to my station, I turned back at least 4 times, hoping to see you wave at me, or perhaps just look at me and smile. I’d mouth to you, “I love you”, but damn my eyesight. I couldn’t see that far, and the inside of the minibus was so damn dark. Still, I stole a few glances at the minibus again. Only after it drove away did I finally stop turning back. 

As always, I need a song to remember this by. I chose Gale Song by The Lumineers, because I don’t listen to it often so it’s a clean state to collect memories and it’s the song I was listening to when i was waiting for you at Exit B - it had come on shuffle. I listened to the lyrics, only to find out it was a love song. 

This loneliness won't last for long I wasn't there to take his place I was ten thousand miles away

So when you hear my voice And when you say my name May it never give you pain

'Cause I don't wanna go But it's time to leave You'll be on my mind, my destiny

And I won't fight in vain I'll love you just the same I couldn't know what's in your mind But I saw the pictures You're looking fine

Gale Song - The Lumineers

Tell me, baby, how are we not lovers? Would we be together if you never left MCS? Probably. But we’re graduating in a few months, could we be together then? You said you wanted to leave Hong Kong. 

And most of all, do you love me back? Because I love you more than words could ever say. From June 2015 to 2nd January 2017, you are in my head every moment. 

And here, I've made a decision: When we graduate, I’ll ask you to be my girlfriend.