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water-god19 · 6 months

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So this is it…we’ve finished x-force. All issues done. All story lines done and all interest done. So why do I still feel like nothing happen? Was time wasted? Was it really all for nothing…

Fair warning I do ramble on for quite a long time, but it’s for good reason! Anyways…let’s begin.

Chapter 1: A Promising Start/ First Impressions

When I first stumbled into the new era of the X-men I was originally very skeptical. For someone who doesn’t have any comic book knowledge outside of a few DC and Spider man comics from the early 2000s I was expected to be lost. But then after reading a little of the new era, made by Johnathan Hickman, I was truly intrigued in what I was seeing. Sure I had questions…many of which I wouldn’t get the answers to unless I read spin off comics of the new era. Despite that I was beyond HOOKED!

When I first saw this I immediately thought back to deadpool 2 and what they did with X-Force. Now not everything as memorable in that incarnation of the team you still had colossus, deadpool, and domino. 2 of which was seen here and the last one would come a little later. Outside of that I knew a lot of these characters already:

Beast

Wolverine

Colossus

Jean Grey

Deadpool

Domino

I’ve seen all this characters at some point in my life to give the X-force branding of comics a try, and thankfully I did. Sure, I didn’t understand a lot of the context behind why certain characters acted a certain ways but I could appreciate how rare those moments were. Most of the time if I just kept reading the issues I’d understand what was going on, especially in relation to the newer characters.

Kid Omega

Omega Red

Sage

X-23

Black Tom (I think that’s his name).

The dialogue between both the old and newer characters, to me, really sold me on this new era. It got me invested with what could happen to these characters. On the side note, I don’t really see many people talking about this, but the art style of these characters are VERY COOL!!! It looked fun and expressive! I’ll show examples of why I love the art so much throughout this. It really says a lot about what your gonna read, for better or for worse.

If it wasn’t obvious at this point, I clearly haven’t read comics or even x-men comics for years. So when you hear my opinions just remember that my knowledge on certain things are fairly limited in most aspects. I. Don’t. Know. Everything. Yet I’m still enjoying what I’m reading so far, with or without connections to the past. To me that only enriched everything, not the pinnacle of my interest in this initially. Anyway…let’s continue

Chapter 2: Enjoying the concept material

In my opinion, the first couple of arcs with x-force seemed like they had promise. They had a lot of interesting stuff going on. Take this for example.

Colossus, a mutant that everyone has heard of and it known for his heroism snaps the neck of this random mutant…THAT RAISES HUGE FRICKING QUESTIONS OF YOU ASK ME! Like why is he killing people? What’s the importance of this character to him? Based on how this is drawn it looks as if he struggled to kill her even though his face doesn’t portray that, the veins on his muscles do. Speaking of the art colossus looks more cold and distant being in his metal form…and every time I saw him before he never gave me that impression. It was always more light hearted rage fulled or disappointed dad (thanks Deadpool 2), but never cold murder. a more underrated question, HOW OLD IS COLOSSUS?! I mean he has a fricken beard now…didn’t know he could grow one.

Or…what about this!

Why does Jean look so…classic and basic in her design? Compared to Wolverine and Hank she doesn’t look like she belongs there. Even though she’s going through Omega Red’s mind she seems to be the odd one out. Speak of designs why does Hank got mad scientist energy now? Wolverine…more understandable since I’m pretty sure this guys a villain. Although this looks more painful than any super hero interrogation I’ve ever seen before. This doesn’t even look like interrogation, this looks like torture.

What really caught my eye in all this was the moral ambiguity at play here. Reading early x-force a lot of that was present, and as some one who loves seeing situations within the grey area this satisfied me greatly. Look at this conversation between beast and Jean.

Now I’ll address this later, but look at the points they make. Normally the X-Men are depicted as people who want coexistence between humans and mutants, yet here Jean weights the two evils and says lying is for humans not mutants. She views that as the bones honest path for x-force than what beast did.

Although beast, surpassingly, does have a point. A lie would only suffocate the process needed to save their nation. They already have enemies who would want nothing more than to harm them, so what’s the point in letting them strategize when he can just kill then now? Why should let billions die in the future when we can kill one person now and save billions?

Do the end’s justify the means…that’s for you to decide.

As for me though I’m picking up so many mixed signals here from beast on this one. Look his eyes, their blackened, this is mostly for evil, corrupted, shady, malevolent intent. Yet there’s a sense of honesty when beast confesses his mindset here. It’s almost as if he himself doesn’t enjoy the ruthless calculus of war at affect here. He hates himself for it. He wishes he could be on Jean side and yet after experiencing so much pain and damage he doesn’t see the point in being hesitant with those who want to hurt you. For him the line was drawn when they even had a thought of hurting Krakoa. Even Jean, who has her back turned towards him, seems to be getting what he’s saying. In some way she gets it. But she doesn’t want to get it, she doesn’t want to understand his reasoning but she does.

First time I read this I was stunned! Like all this was just one panel?! Wow! I really hope this continues onward. I would love to see every character get this much depth in them!

I could go on here for ages about this stuff, but if you really read x-force this is kinda what it’s about. At least until we get towards the end…which is where I started to realize the issues in all this beauty.

Chapter 3: Problems in paradise

Remember when I talk about how much I adored the concepts of what I was seeing? How much I loved what the art brought to the table so subtlety? Well…look at this.

Do you see anything wrong with it? Probably not. And honestly I didn’t either when first viewing this.

Just colossus suspiciously murdering someone. Initially I didn’t think much of this because I thought, “hasn’t he killed before? Why put such emphasis on this one?” But look back x-men history the writers and artist always illustrate the emotional distress of colossus murdering any one. He has never taken any pleasure in doing it, and he hardly does it. So when he does do it you gotta ask, “what did that person do to deserve that response from him?”

Anyway we’re getting side tracked here. Next photo.

Do you see a problem here? Again probably nothing. Art looks great, nothing outstanding but nothing terrible either.

On to the last photo.

Did you spot the issue? No? Well, just look at the number on the top left and right side of the photos. Do you see it now? I’ll explain. The first time we see colossus arc really begin is in the 24 issue of the comic. The next time we see it is in issue number 39. The very end of the arc is issue number 46. You could argue that his arc spanned several issues in between them…I wished it played out like that. The reason why I chose these 3 photos is due to them being the only time we see the colossus arc take center stage. Now you probably asking, ‘okay so if his arc wasn’t taking center stage then what was?’

This is what was taking place:

Change in X-Force leadership

The quiet council putting colossus as a member.

Beast going rogue and wolverine in pursuit of him

Kid omega disappearing in a fight after a corrupted Cerebro goes on the loose.

Kid Omega coming back, not really a kid anymore, but he has x-force follow to the future to deal with beast.

Beast and wolverine have a massive fight.

The build up to the Fall of Next before it was officially dubbed so. And so much more.

All of this was happening alongside the colossus subplot, it’s a boring waiting game. For someone reading this for the first time it felt like watching an amazing episode air for the first time only to wait a week or two later for the next episode. (Disney plus)…

But it wasn’t a week or two long it was YEARS! Years for a plot that could have being unraveled by some common sense by professor x only for it to never happen, despite them being in the same room with each other so many times! You literally see him on the quiet council every single day and get you don’t ask how he’s doing? Especially after seeing his behavior towards his own teammates?!

To his lover at one point?!

Thematically this works…but for the viewer this feels scattered and rushed. Hell the photo on top isn’t even from X-Force it’s from Immortal X-Men! Why is his arc being stretched like this, only to have no impact on x-force directly? I get it, if we spread out colossus influence it will show the readers how big of a problem this really is. The ripple effects of you will. But when the ripple effects don’t lead anywhere for a long time, constantly put to the sidelines by other major events, and then given a mediocre finale it doesn’t increase the impact it lessens it.

Not to mention the conclusion of this arc is simply colossus killing his brother which is earned don’t get me wrong, I loved that. His brother deserved death. But the very second we see colossus again it’s with x-force as if nothing happened. I don’t even remember if we had a conversation or a look into colossus psyche after everything happened. It’s just straight to the Fall of X which is already happening by issue number 43.

This doesn’t even stop at colossus though, domino has that same issue. Being skinned alive, tortured by an forgettable villain, and having it all be undone by a res set button called resurrection just feels wrong. Makes it seem pointless…

The true tragedy by far isn’t even those characters…it’s by the series main stars of the show.

Chapter 4: Beast Agenda Finale/Shattering my expectations

So Wolverine vs Beast. Again, another great concept from X-forces writers and editors. And another disappointment. Why? Because every time we get close to the conclusion to their huge fight beast manages to slip away. This one…this one got me the most upset. I remember waiting around for ages to see the conclusion of this arc, this cover art didn’t help.

Yet, despite the lies this cover baited you with we don’t even get close to the finale of the beast saga. He runs away, and the only thing that does die in this issue is just beast many clones. Boring, and useless.

But you want to know what really left a nasty scar on me during this arc. The characterization.

Was gonna show an example but I reached the picture limit…didn’t even know there was one.

Anyway, what I mean is characters don’t talk naturally. It’s always it either drive forward the conflict or to build up the conflict. There’s rarely any moments we’re characters just talk about what’s going on in their lives. It’s just moment to moment action. Feels lifeless.

Going back to beast, after reading what people think of this version of beast…I see where your coming from I truly do, but I love this version of beast. He’s actually the incarnation that got me interested in every other version of the character because his actions had context and if you had the context it would enrich the actions of this character. It wasn’t required but you were rewarded for doing so. Despite his very obvious flaws he has a point in a some of what he does. Or at least there’s an external reason that tragic on why he feels the need to do this. As explained with the Jean and Hank conversation I’d like to think the reason why Hank is fighting so hard for this country is because everyone saw what happened to Genosha! No one wants their homes to be destroyed by those who hate them the most. Not even that but it shows how broken Hank truly is from everything…that’s depressing yet intriguing to read.

And I wished this version of the character was treated with the same respect as the other incarnations and not given a shitty finale. A finale that completely reboots his character and pretty much states to the readers that we as the writers are done with this character and all that hyped up facade was worth nothing…no redemption and no future. It just hurts…and as I go back into the past to see better conclusions for this character I fear this version of the character could fall future and future down the rabbit hole.

This is why I hate reboots.

Last thing I want to say on this character is the art. What. The F@$&. Happened.

Beast (Prime), as he is referred to now, looks the exact same as the one in the past. For anyone thematic reason this could have, all I get from this is laziness. From an artist and thematic lens’s they should be different. If they had made them both different it would hit home how time has really change these characters. But since they look the same I guess that nuance also doesn’t mean anything. The art used to be diverse and fun while also being serious and dark. Now it’s just flare and boring not to mention lifeless. It’s just another pointless experiment for a pointless finale.

Anyway, thanks for reading this very long post, took me about 4 hours to finish this. Had a lot to say obviously 😂. Hope this gets you to understand how I feel about this whole thing, anyways thanks for reading and take care! Oh and if you want a better deep dive into the personality of both beast go to @positivelybeastly he does a wonderful job on that front.

#hank mccoy #x-men #x force #x men comics #art #potential #Colossus #krakoa era #johnathan hickman

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paperlicense687 · 2 years

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Random little chat between my characters that exist in the same universe.

Why? Because I was bored and a crosser sounded fun.

“Do you not have any self preservation? Like even a little?” Charlotte asked the group of smalls in front of her. Quill looked at Jonathan with a slight glare.

Jonathan looked at Charlotte, smirked, and then proceeded to yell yeet as he jumped off the table. Danial, having just walked in the room, nearly had a heart attack as he ran to try and catch the tiny menace before he hit the ground.

Even worse though, the group of smalls simply watched. Charlotte watched with horror as none of them could do anything, and everyone else looked shocked that he actually followed through with the challenge.

Thankfully Danial caught Jonathan, landing on his knees and nearly hitting the table, but they were both fine. He brought the small to his chest so he couldn’t do anything else stupid, and then sighed.

“One of you, explain.” Danial said, clearly mad. Everyone tensed, minus Quill who was staring at Jonathan with an annoyed glare.

“The idiot jumped, it’s pretty obvious.” Iris said, covering up her previous fear with annoyance.

“Why did he jump?” Danial asked. His question was met with silence, then Danial looked directly at Quill. The borrower child let out a small groan.

“We challenged each other to see who could get off the table the fastest, since most of us have hooks and we were bored.”

“Snitch!” Nutmeg whisper shouted. Quill ignored nutmeg and continued.

“Jonathan said he could climb down without a rope, we did try to tell him to stop, but he just jumped down for the table leg anyway.” Quill finished.

“I was almost there!” Jonathan shouted from Danial’s hand.

“No you weren’t! If Danial hadn’t caught you, you would have broken your legs or worse you-! Just be thankful you got very lucky.” Charlotte said loudly, scolding Jonathan.

She then turned her attention to Iris, the small group’s only adult who was supposed to be looking after them. Charlotte glared at her with disdain. Iris did not meet her gaze.

“Ok, leaving you all on the table was a bad idea, I see that now. Holly and Roy are still exploring this… house, but we haven’t seen anyone else yet so I guess you guy’s can explore now too.” Danial said.

“Really? Does that mean Jonathan isn’t in trouble?” Quill asked. “No, he is still in trouble.” Danial answered.

“Dang it.” Jonathan whined.

End for now.

#g/t #giant/tiny #my writing #random writing #oc: nutmeg #oc: quill #oc: jonathan #oc: iris #oc: charlotte #oc: daniel #Holly and Roy were mentioned but I’m not gonna put them in the tags #I’m not proofreading this sooo

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halothenthehorns · 9 months

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Chapter 12: I SET MYSELF ON FIRE

"Yeah, I don't recommend that Percy," Jason told him in concern when Thalia read the new chapter. "There are better ways to impress Annabeth. Even if the water heals you, just, why?"

"Thanks Jason, I'm sure I'll take that recommendation into account in the future," Percy said in exasperation, nobody failing to miss he hadn't denied the accusation.

"He's a pyro at heart, remember," Alex chuckled. "He's clearly just taking his passion to a new level, I respect that."

"Hopefully not to much," Thalia muttered. There were still lives that would never be the same from this instance of Percy's powers.

I thought we'd lost the spider until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. We made a few turns, backtracked a few times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door.

"Tyson, once again the unsung hero of this quest," Will chuckled.

"It's not very unsung as you guys constantly point it out," but Percy was laughing right along with him.

The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Ȇta inscribed in the middle.

"I'm already wondering if he thinks automatic windows are the best thing in modern technology or if he's going to be a grumpy old man who thinks science peaked with the crank," Magnus admitted.

"He's a god, I wouldn't be surprised if it's both," Alex grinned. "Voice activated hand crank."

"Ah, yes, the obvious solution," Magnus sighed.

We all looked at each other.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.

"No," I admitted.

"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.

Nico couldn't help an uneasy frown for Tyson being so enthusiastic about this. He'd already been let down by one hero already, it seemed inevitable it was about to happen again. Did anybody live up to your dreams?

As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of us followed, not quite as anxious.

"Well if you were as anxious as a mechanical spider or a cyclops than I'd be worried," Jason snorted.

The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger,

"Robot zoo," Magnus sighed in resignation. "If that's the way of the future, I'm very sorry for this planet."

"I can see its pro's and con's," Will admitted, though his camp still had scorch marks on the hill from those mechanical bulls, so they wouldn't be endorsing the project personally.

"There weren't golden, acid spitting llamas, so he can't be that creative?" Percy shrugged while Thalia groaned as usual at this dumbasses mouth. She just knew Hephaestus was going to show up one day and decide to kill Percy retroactively now.

and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames.

"Do you get to close to that?" Magnus asked uneasily. It was never a good thing when the chapter title started to early, it left the rest feeling even more unpredictable.

"I did not try to pet the chariot that was on fire," Percy said with confidence. Magnus didn't feel all that reassured anyways.

Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls.

Each had its own outline on a Peg-Board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

"The first example we've had that ADHD thing comes from the godly side of the family," Alex chuckled in surprise, he'd go nuts if anybody moved his meticulous materials around.

"You clearly haven't been on the receiving end of trying to have a full conversation with one," Will reminded in exhaustion. "We do good to hold their attention for a sentence," he needlessly reminded while Percy sighed in agreement. The longest conversation he'd had with gods usually meant something disastrous was coming, and even then the topic kept swinging from what to do to how to kill him.

Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby gray pants and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace.

Jason took a deep breath to brace himself to meet another god more one on one. He'd have thought the last winter council hearing them all in once place would have been it, the last big hurdle of this, but Percy hadn't really focused on them individually, which was usually what made his head hurt more. The details, how strange they seemed to how he felt they should be. Vulcan, his mind offered with ease. God of the forge, how bad could it be?

The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

"Well, well," a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. "What have we here?"

"At least he didn't smite you the moment you stepped in," Magnus offered with a hopeful thumbs up like Percy had already won. Gods did he hope it was that easy.

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. I'd seen Hephaestus once before, briefly on Olympus, so I thought I was prepared, but his appearance made me gulp.

I guess he'd cleaned up when I saw him on Olympus, or used magic to make his form seem a little less hideous. Here in his own workshop, he apparently didn't care how he looked. He wore a jumpsuit smeared with oil and grime. Hephaestus was embroidered over the chest pocket.

"I'm assuming you just guessed that," Thalia scoffed. "You couldn't spell Hephaestus on your life."

"Guilty," Percy nodded.

His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers then die out. His hands were the size of catcher's mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill. He disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together.

"That just sounds like an average homeless person," Alex said, clearly with no clue why Percy seemed so intimidated.

"What homeless people have you met?" Percy asked blankly.

"The kind that seem vaguely out of place and with strange, unique skills," Alex shrugged.

It seemed no stranger to Percy than anything else that had ever come out of Alex's mouth, so Percy let it go, but Magnus was riveted. It was one of those moments he wished he could ask everyone to pause to talk to him more, see if he'd just spent time around homeless people for his art or had first hand experience...but Thalia only gave a smile of understanding and kept reading, and Magnus didn't want to call attention to what experience he might have with it.

"There," he muttered to himself. "Much better."

The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.

"Naw," Will smiled in surprise. Nico smiled at his smile. Only Will would be happy the machine seemed happy with its upgrade.

Hephaestus glowered up at us. "I didn't make you, did I?"

Thalia made a very disgruntled kind of noise a god wouldn't know the answer to that because they never visited their kids enough to know the difference.

"Uh," Annabeth said, "no, sir."

"Good," the god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship."

"Hey," Percy said with indignant blankness. He thought his mom and dad did alright...and how dare anyone call Annabeth shoddy?!

He studied Annabeth and me. "Half-bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

"I'm very concerned he doesn't, know the difference..." but Magnus trailed off in horror as Perdix's creepy idea came back to mind. Automaton people and AI take overs may very well happen someday if a god couldn't tell the difference...

"We've met, sir," I told him.

"Have we?" the god asked absently.

"Well he didn't vote to kill you," Nico recalled. "Apparently that wasn't a hard choice for him, so, win?"

"Sure, I'll take it," Percy shrugged.

I got the feeling he didn't care one way or the other. He was just trying to figure out how my jaw worked, whether it was a hinge or a lever or what. "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now."

"There's looking on the bright side," Will agreed cheerfully.

"I'm worried what apocalyptic thing is going to happen if Percy walks away from this without angering a god," Jason admitted.

Thalia laughed without humor. Oh boy was that not an answer she wanted in vivid detail.

He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good.

All seven of them laughed with surprised affection. Apparently just having a cyclops around was going to put Hephaestus in a good mood. Nobody even needed to say it this time, Tyson, the unsung hero of this quest!

What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

"Uh..." said Tyson, staring in wonder at the god.

"Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed.

"Actions speak louder than words?" Will snorted in surprise.

"I feel like Vulcan isn't the most verbose god in general," Jason shrugged. He probably spent a lot of time in silence and focusing.

"So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."

"Like, it's holding the cosmos together, or, you can't get a project out of your mind?" Alex tried to clarify.

"I assume both are equally important to him," Thalia shrugged.

"Sir," Annabeth said hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought—"

"Daedalus?" the god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!"

His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed.

"Where's the stop watch!" Percy cried in relief. "We've achieved normalcy again, and this time it was Annabeth!"

"Losing your touch Perce?" Jason snorted.

"Sharing is caring," Percy chuckled.

"Uh, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said.

"Humph. You're wasting your time." He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room.

"I can't decide if that easily distractable thing is good or not," Alex admitted. "It saved you from getting disintegrated, but also, I've lived the problem of having to many projects you want to work on and wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"We'll call it a win, win," Percy shrugged.

Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

"Keep, it," Will said in a no-nonsense kind of voice. "You need a pet mascot, and since you didn't keep the poodle, I vote the bird!"

"You don't even have to feed it apparently, and they are great," Thalia cheerfully agreed.

"Grover might want it as a midnight snack, shouldn't risk it," Percy said, only vaguely serious.

Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, but I thought I saw a kinder twinkle in his eyes. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."

Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One."

Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"

Magnus sighed and wondered when he'd stop being surprised at gods plucking random knowledge out of the universe.

"Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us."

"And that bothered you."

"Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em.

Thalia sighed at the words that fell out of her mouth. She could see how easy it would be to think that, she'd come stunningly close to being that way herself when she awoke. Finding out Luke had betrayed her hit so hard, she'd jumped at the opportunity to enroll in a mortal school, escape Camp and Chiron and everyone except Annabeth. Then she'd lost her too.

Percy, the annoying brat he was, made it really hard to stick to that solo plan. She would have gone on that quest possibly loathing Zoe and never flinching at what happened to Bianca if she'd kept her distance to long.

Being with the Hunter's helped keep her grounded away from that reality she now spoke of in a god she could still sympathize with for never being what her parent would want.

Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face."

Magnus spluttered like he had something stuck in his throat, Will was tempted to give him the heimlich maneuver.

"And you don't even want to know how she got pregnant with him in some myths," Thalia agreed with that reaction.

"I wonder how often he uses that as an excuse to skip meetings," Percy said. "Mom pitched me off the mountain last time I was there, I get to skip for the next millennia."

"It is one of those things nobody should blame him for not getting over," Nico agreed.

Will sighed at how casual they all made this horrible act sound. They, himself included, were definitely to desensitized to violence. Hadn't Hera just proved she wasn't that bad? And yet...this wasn't a great myth no matter who had done it. The outcome was still the same.

"But I thought Zeus did that to you," I said.

"That doesn't make that better," Magnus groaned. He didn't know why he was so shocked, it was more than common to find other homeless kids kicked out because they weren't the ideal child.

Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable.

"Mother likes telling that version of the story," he grumbled. "Makes her seem more likeable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and...well, I don't fit the image, do I?"

He pulled a feather from the falcon's back, and the whole automaton fell apart.

Nico rubbed his fingers together, imagining the cold hard metal feather there. Like a string to be cut by the Fates, it fascinated him deeply how one action could tear someone's whole world apart. A simple mortal bullet could end someone's life, an entire bird created by a god could become useless by yanking out a feather, a demigod could drastically change the course of the world by saying the right thing at the right time. Time seemed decorated with more butterflies than skeletons.

"Believe me, young Cyclops," Hephaestus said, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."

It seemed like a pretty lonely way to live.

Alex scraped his teeth against his lip and fought the urge to hug his jacket against himself. Nobody was calling him out, it was just words out of Thalia's mouth.

He still felt oddly exposed for a moment, when he normally thrived being the center of attention at all times.

Plus, I didn't exactly trust the work of Hephaestus.

Seven collective snorts of amusement circled the room, easily breaking the building tension. At least nobody would ever disagree with that in here.

One time in Denver, his mechanical spiders had almost killed Annabeth and me.

Jason still opened his mouth, his eyes still glittering with challenge and an annoying correction on his lips about how it was Percy and Annabeth's insane plans that had really been their near undoing. Percy reached behind Thalia and smacked him in the ear before he could get started and Thalia was reading loudly over them before that could escalate before Percy could even finish.

And last year, it had been a defective Talos statue that cost Bianca her life—another one of Hephaestus's little projects.

Nobody had needed that reminder as Nico still winced like a cold sharp wind cutting through everything in here.

He focused on me and narrowed his eyes, as if he were reading my thoughts.

"Is nobody going to mention Bad Cow number Two?" Alex asked in mock concern. "Because I sure as hell haven't forgotten that wonderful creature."

"Glad I'm not the only one keeping track his inventions have popped up in every book," Jason agreed with interest.

"Hopefully for the last time," Percy scowled, they'd yet done him any good, and he didn't much like the idea of an endless sea of reject projects constantly messing up every one of his quests.

"Oh, this one doesn't like me," he mused. "No worries, I'm used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

"We told you," I said. "We need to find Daedalus. There's this guy, Luke, and he's working for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade our camp. If we don't get to Daedalus first—"

"And I told you, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."

"Apparently neither will Hephaestus," Will muttered, clearly personally offended. He'd just been informed Cabin 9 was under certain threat from Krono's forces, and Beckendorf's dad had no reaction? Nyssa could have vanished and her dad probably would have just gone back to his Corolla?

Nico felt the quiet distaste pouring off of Will and quickly looked over, instantly wondering what he'd done wrong, only to see the hurt as he looked at the book. Will was always so instantly looking for the good in everything, clearly this particular gods outlook wasn't sitting well with him. He wanted to do something for him, he just didn't know what.

"Why not?"

Hephaestus shrugged. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us...the way we learn not to trust people is more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That's an expensive favor."

"I am all for this idea!" Alex said with a disturbing bug eyed look as if all the riches in the world had just been offered to him. "Is he really saying you can just pop into his place and ask for a pottery wheel and he'll just hand one over like that!"

"Don't get greedy, but basically," Thalia shrugged. Hephaestus was well known in myth for not being one of the more petty gods, but instead much more down to earth and likely to help.

"You know where he is, then," Annabeth pressed.

"It isn't wise to go looking, girl."

"My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom."

"Curiosity also killed the cat," Percy muttered, an annoying feeling nagging at his mind that had Annabeth's voice in it, distorted and unclear. He felt sure all of a sudden, he would have bet Riptide he'd said that around Annabeth at some point and she'd told him something about that phrase, like a funfact he'd probably be remembering right now if not for this curse. It was a very unpleasent feeling that made him wish he could hurry up and scrub these book straight into his brain already.

"It's a wonder you two never killed each other," Thalia rolled her eyes.

Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "Who's your mother, then?"

"I really like him though," Magnus chuckled awkwardly as Alex still seemed to be counting up his riches. "First god who doesn't seem to give a crap about your parentage or anything. Can't blame this god for distancing from the world I guess since he hasn't much to do in it."

Will sighed, he still didn't really feel like he agreed. His children out in the world should make him want to associate, but the majority of children of Hephaestus were a lot like their dad. Off in their own little world, private, generally untrusting and hard to open up to. Hephaestus's indifferent attitude about camp still bothered him greatly, but it was no different than the rest of the Olympians. He would care, in the moment he truly heard his children's prayers, Will was sure of it.

"Athena."

"Figures." He sighed. "Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledged never to marry.

"And here I was just thinking they'd make a great power couple," Alex came back to himself finally, probably just putting a pin on his device to take over the world the god would probably make for him so long as it didn't involve Daedalus.

"Hephaestus agreed," Will muttered cross-eyed, but he hoped that was one story exaggerated.

All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done."

"Name it," Annabeth said.

"Got to admire this girls moxie," Jason chuckled.

"Yeah," Percy agreed dreamily, probably making up his own idea what the word moxie meant.

"No," Nico muttered. That girl was going to get Percy killed one of these days by blindly agreeing to help a god without knowing the full deal.

Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like a huge bellows stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!"

Magnus sucked in air slowly through his teeth. "Is it?"

"Goes to show how much Hephaestus gets out now a days," Thalia chuckled. She'd never spent much time around the forge god and she found him quite refreshing. As blunt and welcoming as Artemis seemed.

He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was either a huge window or a big-screen TV, I couldn't tell which.

"Since every one of you are banned from using the remote, I guess that's a mystery we'll never know," Alex snorted.

"Annabeth cheats," Percy huffed.

We were looking at a gray mountain ringed in forests. It must've been a volcano, because smoke rose from its crest.

Jason raised his hands to start slow clapping Percy's brilliant deduction of recognizing that. Percy reached in front of Thalia this time to smack at him before she used the book to smack his arm and get him to stop.

"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

"What happened, it went dormant and so it's not as fun when it's not deadly?" Magnus frowned with all the sarcasm.

"Not quite," Thalia said with a strained smile.

"That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

Percy gasped as he felt a fire starting to tingle in his toes and fingers. A hot, burning feeling that felt like it was fixing to race through every vein, muscle, and bone of his body the second he wasn't paying attention...

"Does he just instinctively recognize every natural land mark?" Jason snorted in surprise. "If I showed him a picture of the Rocky Mountains, would he still know exactly where it was taken on the planet?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Percy shrugged, trying to laugh his moment off. He knew he didn't fool them, most of them were frowning at him and some were giving weary looks to the walls already. Thalia watched him steadily for a few beats before giving him a secretive smile that looked as old and sad as the gods. It was not comforting.

"You've been there?" I asked.

"Looking for...you know, Pan."

"Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?"

"Leader of the quest, actual perceptive questions to keep the ball rolling," Will reminded in exasperation.

"I bet she's just as distracted as I was wondering how the heck the toilet in that place worked," Percy sniffed, "she's just better at hiding it."

Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous.

"You know it's bad when a god's saying it's dangerous," Magnus groaned his idea was extinguished. "No, no, he's saying it's his favorite because a monster lives under it!"

"You said it Magnus, not me," but Percy's eyes were troubled as he looked at the floor. Something of that name, this story, it tugged painfully on the edge of his mind to be remembered. The fiery feeling was already slowly creeping up his palms and the soles of his shoes, he kept watching his skin intently to make sure he wasn't covered in gasoline or something.

There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

"What do you want us to do?" I said, "Fight him?"

Thalia couldn't even read that with a straight face. She stopped and started with a kind of horror like somebody asked her to start chewing on her bow. "The fact that the idea even crossed your mind, let alone you said it out loud," she groaned.

"Well what else was I supposed to assume from what he was talking about? He wanted us to find him a new volcano with another monster in it?" Percy rolled his eyes, as unphased as ever.

Hephaestus snorted. "That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him.

Percy's brain started fritzing like somebody was playing on the drums in there. He shivered and felt hot and cold all at once. That. That was not a good feeling...and yet despite the instant sickness...his lips tingled too. What the heck?!

But lately I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something...ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon."

"You want us to find out who it is," I said.

"Aye," Hephaestus said.

"At least it sounds like a doable task," Magnus still managed to say without any hope. "You don't have to fight anybody to progress."

"Percy just will because that's the choice he makes every day," Alex nodded with a hint of pride.

"Yeah, that just went without saying," Magnus sighed.

"Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."

"Glad you noticed," I muttered.

"I feel like it swings back and forth," Jason agreed with Percy's displeased expression. "They think us a step above puny mortals when they need something and think us fearsome enough to topple their mountain when we need something," he had a displeased look on his own face by the end of how uncomfortable thinking about all this always made him.

"Who needs consistency," Percy mock agreed.

"Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."

Percy sighed that they were already having to leave when he hadn't even gotten the chance to see what was up with that cool table walking around and what it could have inside. He could have spent hours in there poking at stuff, even if he knew he probably would have exploded something and possibly lost Hephaestus's favor.

"All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"

Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed at her feet.

"My creation will show you the way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

"He does not need to remind us of that," Will assured, hoping Tyson would never mistake him for a bad cow.

"Automatons are much less durable than skeletons," Nico said casually. "If we're comparing armies."

"We are not," Percy groaned with automatic dread.

We were doing okay until we hit the tree roots.

"Was Grover playing Hilary Duff on his pipes again?" Alex snickered.

"And here my first thought was the earth was going to come alive and try to kill them next," Magnus admitted.

The spider raced along and we were keeping up, but then we spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.

"Is he going to start kissing the tree roots?" Jason sighed. "I know he misses nature, but I really don't want to hear it from Juniper if he starts macking with tree roots."

"He's only a tree hugger, he keeps the PDA to himself," Percy said with relief.

"What is it?" I said.

He didn't move. He stared openmouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."

"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."

"What way?" I asked. "You mean...to Pan?"

Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"

"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."

"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"

"He is quite confident Demeter isn't down there causing chaos with corn," Thalia frowned, and she knew it all worked out.

"His instincts have gotten him this far," Percy said with instant confidence in him, even as his worry grew for what the heck they were going to do about these two problems side by side...

Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and we'd lose it.

"I'm sure Annabeth would agree that leash thing is sounding better and better," Jason said.

"With a spider silk handle and attachable backpack option so I could be Spiderman," Percy happily agreed.

"I bet she'd scream and hit you with a newspaper if you even tried to dress up as him for Halloween, let alone that," Thalia scoffed.

"We'll come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't," Annabeth said. "The forges!"

Grover looked at her sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"

It wasn't the entire reason he'd come on this quest, Will knew Grover would always accompany Percy wherever he needed him, but this was a very driving factor for him. His dream was on its last threads, those roots were his salvation.

This was Annabeth's quest though, and Grover and Tyson splitting off right here had indirectly led to her stumbling back into camp in a zombie esque' state. More distraught than even the kids who thought this was going to be their last week on earth while setting up battle stations. Will sighed at this no win situation that still somehow worked out for all. The Fates were truly a mystery nobody could understand, even with hindsight.

She looked desperate, like she didn't understand at all. The spider was almost out of sight. But I thought about my conversation with Grover last night, and I knew what we had to do.

"We'll split up," I said.

Percy had felt like the maze was ripping him to shreds. He couldn't leave Annabeth to do this on her own, but he couldn't leave Grover in this horrible maze either! This was a truly evil place, making him choose between his best friend and Annabeth!

"No!" Annabeth said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone."

Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I—I will go with him."

I couldn't believe I was hearing this. "Tyson, are you sure?"

"He's already spent a summer in a cyclops forge, how much worse could this be?" Magnus tried to say with real hope like he meant that.

"He's already had his hopes and dreams crushed by Braries so this can't be any worse," Alex said in the same tone.

"Your helpful advice is the limit," Percy groaned. He felt selfish for not thinking of that himself, that Tyson should stay with him because that was his little brother. That didn't mean he should expect the big guy to follow him forever, same as Grover. He trusted them to know what they were doing.

The big guy nodded. "Goat boy needs help.

"Maybe he'll even learn his name along the way and find some good, all natural allergy medicine," Will sounded like he really meant that.

"Some day, somebody's going to shove you into this labyrinth because you won't stop babbling about finding world peace in there," Nico rolled his eyes, his tone heavily implying he'd be the one to do it.

"And when I come out with a cure for cancer I'll still accredit that person," Will said saintly.

We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

Jason grinned at Tyson's view of the world. Sometimes it was nice to step back and see it in black and white. Who you trusted and what was real, rather than constantly questioning who knew what and why you didn't know.

Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just...have to."

I didn't blame him. This was his life's goal. If he didn't find Pan on this journey, the council would never give him another chance.

"I hope you're right," I said.

"I know I am." I'd never heard him sound so confident about anything, except maybe that cheese enchiladas were better than chicken enchiladas.

"And that was all the way back when I first met him," Percy felt old, all of a sudden. He didn't even know how old he was, but he knew it was older than that young twelve year old with no clue why Mr. Brunner thought Kronos eating his kids was important to his life. Nancy Bobofit wouldn't scare this Grover anymore, though he'd probably still eat those ketchup and peanut butter sandwiches.

"Be careful," I told him. Then I looked at Tyson. He gulped back a sob and gave me a hug that just about squeezed my eyes out of their sockets.

Percy sighed, his arms dangling at his side, his head tipped back to the ceiling like he was playing dead. No matter how painful it was, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged by his brother like that, and now he didn't even know when or if he'd see him again! Moments like this made him want to skip to the end of all this already and know the real last time he'd been around Tyson.

Then he and Grover disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness.

"This is bad," Annabeth said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."

"We'll see them again," I said, trying to sound confident. "Now come on. The spider is getting away!"

"The only time Annabeth would ever agree that's a bad thing," Thalia snorted.

It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot.

"You're going into an active volcano, I'd be more concerned if it got cold," Magnus rolled his eyes.

"I'm just hoping it's not a sentient volcano out to get me," Percy sighed, and it hurt Magnus's brain quite a lot Percy might not even be entirely joking.

The stone walls glowed. The air felt as if we were walking through an oven. The tunnel sloped down and I could hear a loud roar, like a river of metal. The spider skittered along, with Annabeth right behind.

Thalia still chuckled to herself at the odd mental image she had trouble picturing from a girl who'd once created a whole strategy to collect every spider into one central location and launch them into the sun. There had been blueprints.

"Hey, wait up," I called to her.

She glanced back at me. "Yeah?"

"Something Hephaestus said back there...about Athena."

"She swore never to marry," Annabeth said. "Like Artemis and Hestia. She's one of the maiden goddesses."

Jason made a loud noise of appreciation. He'd been struggling to articulate his problems with Minerva... Athena...Annabeth since the beginning and finally somebody said it out loud!

I blinked. I'd never heard that about Athena before. "But then—"

"How come she has demigod children?"

I nodded. I was probably blushing, but hopefully it was so hot anyway that Annabeth didn't notice.

"We seriously need an unbiased third party here," Alex groaned before giving an exaggerated snap to his fingers like the idea just occurred to him, "like Tyson!"

"If I could summon people here at whim, this place would be overcrowded," Percy reminded. His mom and Annabeth, Grover, Rachel would be awesome to have back, perhaps Gabe to insure his death, Chiron certainly for some advice, maybe Bianca if he could...the list went on of people he longed to see outside of this place.

"Percy, you know how Athena was born?"

"She sprung from the head of Zeus in full battle armor or something."

"Or something," Magnus sighed. "Yeah, the details in that actually true story don't matter, or something."

"C+," Percy reminded, "I got the important details."

"Like the fact you forgot she was a maiden goddess," Jason muttered, which seemed kind of significant to him.

"Have you tried to study that family tree?" Percy reminded in pain. "Because I've actively tried to forget what branches go where since learning it really happened!"

"Exactly. She wasn't born in the normal way. She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's purely intellectual, the way she loved Odysseus in the old stories. It's a meeting of minds. She would tell you that's the purest kind of love."

"So your dad and Athena...so you weren't..."

"I was a brain child," Annabeth said. "Literally. Children of Athena are sprung from the divine thoughts of our mother and the mortal ingenuity of our father.

"Did she get full battle armor too?" Jason asked with bemusement.

"If so, her dad didn't keep it," Thalia rolled her eyes at what she clearly perceived as a stupid, if playful question.

"Hopefully she didn't come with a handkerchief," Will muttered. That was a weird story Malcom had almost stabbed a kid over asking one time.

We are supposed to be a gift, a blessing from Athena on the men she favors."

"But—"

"Percy, the spider's getting away. Do you really want me to explain the exact details of how I was born?"

"Um...no. That's okay."

"Thank the gods," Will sighed. "She's being tolerant, her siblings have been known to strangle kids if they get too intrusive with those questions. Never ask an Athena kid if they have a belly button."

"Note to self," Magnus promised, while Alex looked like he was already compiling a mental list of what he could and couldn't get away with asking.

She smirked. "I thought not." And she ran ahead. I followed, but I wasn't sure I would ever look at Annabeth the same way again. I decided some things were better left as mysteries.

"Might have to agree with you on that one," Jason begrudgingly said. He'd like to know more, but the idea still gave him a splitting headache even with the most minor of explanations, so he was willing to let it go too.

The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, we emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium. Our spider escort stopped and curled into a ball.

"Don't tempt me," Magnus muttered, visions of lava threatening to chase his cousin around the chamber already dancing in his mind.

We had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. We stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and the largest anvil I'd ever seen—a block of iron the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform—several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

Alex's twitching fingers already looked likely to go for his garrote at any moment. Or he just really wanted to get his hands on whatever was being built in a volcano. Both seemed likely.

"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," I said.

Annabeth picked up the metal spider and slipped it into her pocket. "I can. Wait here."

"Hold it!" I said, but before I could argue, she put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.

"I can name fifteen ways this is a bad thing and only be getting started," Jason groaned.

"Annabeth just got done freaking out because Tyson and Grover split off," Nico agreed. "Did the master planer put any thought into doing this?"

"I guess she was just really anxious to get this job done and report back," Will sighed. He couldn't hold a hint of snark to her, considering he was the only one who knew the state she'd come back in from this mission.

I didn't dare call after her, but I didn't like the idea of her approaching the forge on her own.

The water was already frothing around them as if to prove this point. Thalia read as calmly as ever, but there was something in it that wasn't as soothing as usual. Her tight voice left something to be desired Percy immediately picked up on, that just inflated his growing sense of dread for once rather than dulling it. Not all was going to be well with this.

If those things out there could sense a god coming, would Annabeth be safe?

I looked back at the Labyrinth tunnel. I missed Grover and Tyson already.

Finally I decided I couldn't stay put.

"Oh, we all knew that was coming," Thalia groaned. She wished that she could smack Percy already. Annabeth had recounted this to her in as few words as possible, she barely knew what to expect herself.

I crept along the outer rim of the lava lake, hoping I could get a better angle to see what was happening in the middle.

The heat was horrible.

"Do you dehydrate faster than normal people?" Alex inquired. "Do you shrivel up like a sponge if you don't drink enough water to long?"

"Gee Alex, I've never thought about it," Percy chuckled. He couldn't deny he was a bit curious now though to know.

Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to this.

"I will still take the active volcano with a literal monster sleeping under before the winter wonderland of a shitstorm that place was," Jason gagged in disgust and waved his hand about his nose.

In no time I was drenched with sweat. My eyes stung from the smoke. I moved along, trying to keep away from the edge, until I found my way blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind they use in mine shafts.

"Ten bucks says Percy gets in that and crashes a new ride," Will chuckled.

"Nobody in here is foolish enough to make that bet," Thalia scoffed.

I lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal. I was about to squeeze my way around it when I heard voices from up ahead, probably from a side tunnel.

"Bring it in?" one asked.

"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."

"These monsters are having a movie day in there?" Magnus laughed in surprise. "Truly diabolical things going on. I bet they just invented a better popcorn machine than Hephaestus could and this is all just a big misunderstanding."

"Yeah Magnus, let's, hope," Thalia sighed.

I panicked. I didn't have time to back up. There was nowhere to hide except...the cart. I scrambled inside and pulled the tarp over me, hoping no one had seen me. I curled my fingers around Riptide, just in case I had to fight.

Thalia took an uneasy breath in the lingering silence. Everybody was on edge now. Wondering how Percy was going to get out of this, wondering where Annabeth was and how she was faring, wondering if this whole quest was going to be massively put on hold while somebody had to track down some life saving nectar and ambrosia for whatever hellish thing was about to happen. It was her fault for dragging out every period, and Thalia knew it. Percy and Annabeth had come out of this alive, but she'd never wanted details of how close that had come to not being true, and she read with dread in every following word.

The cart lurched forward.

"Oi," a gruff voice said. "Thing weighs a ton."

"I keep telling you to lay off those burgers and pizza Percy," Jason snatched at that low hanging fruit.

Percy brushed the gray strands of hair out of his eyes and shrugged, "I'm sure those monsters should take a turn holding the sky for something."

"It's celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?"

I got pulled along. We turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls I guessed we had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. Hopefully I was not about to be dumped into a smelting pot.

"And here I already had a name picked out for your statue of glory and everything," Alex heaved a tragic sigh. "I bet Chiron would have paid a huge commission to have it placed on the top of his hill too."

"Pass," Percy scoffed.

If they started to tip me over, I'd have to fight my way out quick. I heard lots of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human—somewhere between a seal's bark and a dog's growl. There were other sounds too—like an old fashioned film projector and a tinny voice narrating.

"If Annabeth finally got her obedience school kickstarted, I have questions about the funding," Magnus said with a nervous laugh.

"Just set it in the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings, please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterward."

The voices quieted down, and I could hear the film.

As a young sea demon matures, the narrator said, changes happen in the monster's body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters.

"Oh do not get me started on sex ed classes," Alex yelped in outrage.

"Oh gods, make it stop, please," Nico looked one self-motivating word away from covering his ears and sprinting from the room.

Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher—I guess it must have been a teacher—told the younglings to be quiet, and the film continued. I didn't understand most of it, and I didn't dare look.

"Percy, this might be why you have some issues in class. You never participate. You totally could have raised your hand," Thalia told him with all the mock cheerfulness of a bubbly teacher.

"I don't even want to know what Artemis's videos go over for girls who are stuck without puberty," Percy shivered.

Will raised his hand and began speaking without being called on, "oooh, oh, my dad offered to do one for her! He said he'd wear a dress and everything."

"Will, no," Thalia groaned in horror, swiftly reading loudly before anything else could be said on the subject and easily ignoring the following laughter.

The film kept talking about growth spurts and acne problems caused by working in the forges, and proper flipper hygiene, and finally it was over.

"Are we about to get dolphin monsters?" Magnus asked blankly. "Orcas that swim through lava? Street sharks?"

"I would readily believe any of the above," Alex agreed enthusiastically.

"Now, younglings," the instructor said, "what is the proper name of our kind?"

"Sea demons!" one of them barked.

"No. Anyone else?"

"Telekhines!" another monster growled.

"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" several shouted.

"Yes, yes, but why?"

"Zeus is evil!" one monster said. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Awww, this is kind of cute," Percy admitted to himself, even as he clutched his pen tighter than ever. "I feel kind of bad, Tyson probably missed out on his nap time and primary classes with finger paints."

"I don't think this is the kind of class you're going to want to enroll your brother in," Thalia said with a sad smile.

The uneasy feeling in Percy continued to rise. He wasn't thrilled with the fact that he instinctively agreed.

"Indeed," the instructor said. "After we made so many of the gods' finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one.

Percy twisted the cap of Riptide around, his stomach sinking lower every word. They were monsters, they were probably lying...but his own sword had a pretty bad history with Zoe and Hercules. He should probably know how his dad got his symbol, and yet right now was strangely glad he could lie to himself and think it wasn't from a bunch of monsters that Zeus threw away.

And of course—we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes.

"Fumbling," Magnus huffed. "Like, I get they're pissed if all this is true, but no need to be mean to the Cyclopes while they're at it."

"A classic misdirect," Alex scowled. "Making others sound worse than they really are."

That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!"

I clutched my pen-sword. These snarling things had created Poseidon's trident? What were they talking about? I'd never even heard of a telekhine.

"Percy, you've probably never heard of a ficus, I'm not sure you're the basis on how common a greek monster is," Jason sighed.

"Why would I know my moms fica score?" Percy frowned.

"And so, younglings," the instructor continued, "who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" they shouted.

"Oh dang, now they're going to die whether they deserve it or not," Alex sighed.

"Percy will probably go easy on them, I don't think he'll attack kiddo monsters," Magnus offered.

"Well I can't go to soft on them, it'll set a bad example for future interactions," Percy looked plenty troubled though about what was about to happen. They just weren't sure which part of this mess that was about.

"And when you grow to be big telekhines, will you make weapons for the army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. Now, we've brought in some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you are."

There was a rush of movement and excited voices coming toward the cart.

"That was probably going to be the highlight of their day until they find what's underneath that tarp," Will sighed.

"I hope they at least had lunch before this class, then at least this is the second best part," Percy shrugged.

I got ready to uncap Riptide. The tarp was thrown back. I jumped up, my bronze sword springing to life in my hands, and found myself facing a bunch of...dogs.

Well, their faces were dogs, anyway, with black snouts, brown eyes, and pointy ears. Their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper, half foot, and humanlike hands with sharp claws. If you blended together a kid, a Doberman pinscher, and a sea lion, you'd get something like what I was looking at.

"Sounds neat," Alex readily admitted.

"They weren't the worst monsters I'd ever seen," Percy's frown was still tugging at the corner of his mouth. This wasn't a victory he was proud of as the image flashed to mind of one of these things in a cop uniform knocking on a door, and some Doberman-sea lion thing in an apron opening the door with blue cookies in the oven.

"A demigod!" one snarled.

"Eat it!" yelled another.

"That's a terrible idea," Magnus scoffed, "Percy would give those things digestion. He's got to much of the ocean in him."

"Um?" Percy asked, not sure how to take that.

"You're salty and you scare people," Magnus shrugged without regret.

"Yeah, okay," Percy nodded.

But that's as far as they got before I slashed a wide arc with Riptide and vaporized the entire front row of monsters.

"And that is why I never sit in the splash zone," Thalia nodded wisely.

"Back off!" I yelled at the rest, trying to sound fierce. Behind them stood their instructor—a six-foot-tall telekhine with Doberman fangs snarling at me. I did my best to stare him down.

"New lesson, class," I announced. "Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don't BACK OFF!"

To my surprise, it worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them. My fear factor wasn't going to last long.

"Some days it feels like my only talent is being stress," Percy huffed. He'd bet somebody else would have taken out that whole room of monsters without blinking.

"Don't you mean stressed?" Magnus asked.

"No," Percy said.

I jumped out of the cart, yelled, "CLASS DISMISSED!" and ran for the exit.

"Bet you anything that teacher yells, I dismiss you, not the bell, or that demigod," Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I think they'll be thanking me, I'm giving them a free field trip. PE they want to participate in," Percy tried to sound like his usual upbeat self again, but it got harder the longer this dragged on.

The monsters charged after me, barking and growling. I hoped they couldn't run very fast with those stubby little legs and flippers, but they waddled along pretty well. Thank the gods there was a door in the tunnel leading out to the main cavern. I slammed it shut and turned the wheel handle to lock it, but I doubted it would keep them long.

I didn't know what to do. Annabeth was out here somewhere, invisible.

Our chance for a subtle reconnaissance mission had been blown.

"To be fair, that was a lost cause the second you and volcano were put in the same sentence," Jason offered to Percy's ever growing frown. "That's like putting you in a candy store, how did you think this was going to go?"

Percy tried to think of a moment when was the last time he'd been the least bit subtle, and couldn't.

I ran toward the platform at the center of the lava lake.

"Annabeth!" I yelled.

"You know Percy," Alex began oh so casually, a clear warning sign that meant danger was coming. "One of these days I'm going to be in a life or death situation, and you know what's going to come out of my mouth? Annabeth. Your constant instinct to yell to her for help is going to rub off on me and get me killed."

"That sounds like a personal problem Alex," Percy shrugged, clearly not seeing the downside of how ever calling out for her would be a bad thing.

"Shhh!" an invisible hand clamped over my mouth and wrestled me down behind a big bronze cauldron. "You want to get us killed?"

"An honest question considering how often you two tempt that," Thalia agreed.

I found her head and took off her Yankees cap. She shimmered into existence in front of me, scowling, her face streaked with ash and grime. "Percy, what is your problem?"

"In alphabetical order, or in current causation order?" Jason grinned.

"I will find a way to tear up your laminated notes," Percy scowled.

"We're going to have company!" I explained quickly about the monster orientation class. Her eyes widened.

"So that's what they are," she said. "Telekhines. I should've known. And they're making...Well, look."

We peeked over the cauldron. In the center of the platform stood four sea demons, but these were fully grown, at least eight feet tall. Their black skin glistened in the firelight as they worked, sparks flying as they took turns hammering on a long piece of glowing hot metal.

"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals."

"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"Percy always gets to go on the best tours," Jason sighed. "I'm pretty confident I've never gotten to see the process of a new godly weapon being made."

"I'd offer you a front row seat to the next one, but I can't guarantee the results," Percy said.

Jason blanched at the idea of being forced to sit through a video over puberty to get this treat and wasn't so sure it was worth it anymore, meanwhile Magnus was to busy with his bubbling concern why blood was being mentioned to balk at either of them for once.

"What is that?" I whispered.

Annabeth shook her head. "They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder—"

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," I said. "And they...they said they made my father's trident."

"The telekhines betrayed the gods," Annabeth said. "They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what, exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus."

"With Kronos."

Which didn't feel like a stellar reason for banishment to the darkest part of anything, considering they'd all heard more than one instance already of an unjust cycle going on in the Olympian system. Still, if it was a choice between Percy and Annabeth getting out of there alive or some monsters that would regenerate, nobody was exactly rooting for the telekhines to win here.

She nodded. "We have to get out—"

No sooner had she said that than the door to the classroom exploded and young telekhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge.

"How all kids burst out of school to escape," Percy nodded fairly, "let's hope they don't have the senses of a blood hound to back it up," he finished with a groan.

"Put your cap back on," I said. "Get out!"

"What?" Annabeth shrieked. "No! I'm not leaving you."

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider—maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus.

"I was vaguely alright with the whole you two splitting up and meeting back at the entrance part," Magnus admitted. "But what is this you expect her to go back in the maze and entirely leave you to fend for yourself part? That is the craziest thing in a long line of crazy I've heard down here Percy."

"If you wouldn't let Grover go off by himself, what makes you think it's a good idea?" Alex agreed, his voice as challenging as ever.

Percy didn't really answer. He'd only seen an army of monsters in front of him and a way for Annabeth to get out in his mind same as if Annabeth herself had been here to chastise him for trying to 'save her.' He'd do it again in a heartbeat so long as she made it out of this alive...

You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed!"

"I'll be fine.

That not so funny chapter title nagged at the edge of their mind this would not be so. They certainly didn't think Percy was going to set himself on fire and run around as a distraction and be 'fine' right away at any rate.

Besides, we've got no choice."

"There's always a choice," Jason said stubbornly. Maybe not a good choice, but a choice Percy and Annabeth were making by splitting up like this. A choice for the quest to succeed before anything else. One he couldn't find in himself to argue with...and that bothered him as much as this choices outcome of Percy getting hurt.

Annabeth glared at me like she was going to punch me. And then she did something that surprised me even more.

"Agreed you were right?" Alex asked in true disbelief.

She kissed me.

Thalia had of course heard this in abundance before, but she was the only one, so she still respectfully stopped as Will began choking on a laugh and Alex looked on in admiration.

"Yeah, that's pretty surprising, all things considered," Magnus agreed casually with the turn of events while Percy sat there like a gaping fish.

This wasn't right. This wasn't the kiss from his memory, where she'd smiled and leaned in and there had been a mist of bubbles around, her swirling blonde curls floating like an angel.

This memory was the opposite. There had been fear and anger in her gray eyes like a storm breweing, soot on her face. Her cap dangling from one hand likely to fall any second, her hair a tangled mess from all their time running.

He touched his lips and was suddenly all to convinced this was all a very delusional dream if he couldn't even remember the actual first time Annabeth had kissed him...but then again, who cared?! Annabeth had kissed him!?

"Well, I don't think we're getting a coherent thought out of him for a while," Jason shrugged without surprise.

Nico searched for the jealousy in himself at so blatantly hearing this. He studied Percy's lips, letting himself try for the first time to imagine kissing him, and it oddly didn't hold that much appeal.

He still wanted to, Percy was a good enough looking guy, still funny and wicked good with that sword, who wouldn't admire him? It just wasn't as much of a forbidden craving, no longer tied into the grief of his sister. Knowing more realistically who Percy was, he at least didn't regret his blabbing secret, the rejection didn't make him feel like a freak of nature looking back so much as just finally saying it out loud had released it all at once. It was an interesting feeling of relief, acknowledging that to himself.

Will's spluttering laughter had died off rather quickly as well. As much as he had enjoyed the brief idea of everyone at camp losing their minds with their own laughter these two had in fact kissed long before they'd thrown them in the lake, the momentary satisfaction wasn't worth the following memory Will actually had of Annabeth stumbling out of this maze with an indescribable look.

Thalia hummed in agreement and moved on. Percy and Annabeth's crush had been a mystery to no one after all, this had just been like a confirmation sentence as bland as Sally making cookies would be at this point.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." She put on her hat and vanished.

"This girl is the worst," Alex sighed. "Who kisses you right before you're about to die and then just takes off like that?"

"Umm, uhh," Percy tried to stammer something, but wasn't quite there yet. Alex looked disappointed, he'd been sure that would rouse a response out of Percy.

I probably would've sat there for the rest of the day, staring at the lava and trying to remember what my name was, but the sea demons jarred me back to reality.

"Demons are just inconsiderate that way," Nico agreed nonchalantly.

"I, uh," Percy kept prodding at his lip like he wasn't entirely convinced it was still attached to him. His memory was fritzing and glomming onto this moment, mixing lava and water together until he might as well be as unhelpful as an idiot rock.

"There!" one yelled. The entire class of telekhines charged across the bridge toward me. I ran for the middle of the platform, surprising the four elder sea demons so much they dropped the red-hot blade. It was about six feet long and curved like a crescent moon. I'd seen a lot of terrifying things, but this unfinished whatever-it-was scared me worse.

"Every weapon has its advantages and disadvantages?" Jason couldn't make that sound like a good thing though, they all fidgeted uncomfortably at where this was inevitably headed. Percy was going to dive off that platform into the magma, wasn't he?

The elder demons got over their surprise quickly. There were four ramps leading off the platform, and before I could dash in any direction, each of them had covered an exit.

The tallest one snarled. "What do we have here? A son of Poseidon?"

"Yes," another growled. "I can smell the sea in his blood."

Percy finally shook himself to pay full attention to what was going on. He was about to die. If anything had to drag him away from his moment with Annabeth, this would have to do.

He gave his armpit a theatrical sniff and rolled his eyes. "I really don't know why monsters always say that, I don't actually bathe with bath salts."

"We never get to pick what we inherit from our parents," Thalia shrugged.

I raised Riptide. My heart was pounding.

"Strike down one of us, demigod," the third demon said, "and the rest of us shall tear you to shreds. Your father betrayed us. He took our gift and said nothing as we were cast into the pit. We will see him sliced to pieces. He and all the other Olympians."

I wished I had a plan. I wished I hadn't been lying to Annabeth. I'd wanted her to get out safely, and I hoped she'd been sensible enough to do it.

Magnus imagined her doubling back and stabbing Percy once she rescued him from this stupid situation when she realized he lied. He just as easily imagined her trusting Percy and going back to that Labyrinth, waiting for him until he rushed past her on fire or something equally insane.

But now it was dawning on me that this might be the place I would die. No prophecies for me. I would get overrun in the heart of a volcano by a pack of dog-faced sea-lion people. The young telekhines were at the platform now, too, snarling and waiting to see how their four elders would deal with me.

Thalia's voice was pained. She might as well have been describing the moment on that hill, her last glimpse of Luke carrying Annabeth away as a pack of monsters descended on her. Percy had lived through this experience one to many times for her to even consider envying him for it, he somehow knew the desperate relief in life of it all deeper than her.

I felt something burning against the side of my leg. The ice whistle in my pocket was getting colder. If I ever needed help, now was the time. But I hesitated. I didn't trust Quintus's gift.

"Even if you did summon a demon dog to attack you, the surprise could have been enough to distract them all from a large potential enemy," Jason said anxiously, clearly in favor of any help regardless of the outcome.

"And then have dog-faced sea-lion people and a tank missile with canines trying to kill him when they all realized they were on the same side," Magnus reminded with dread. Not to mention anything that happened to Percy was going to inevitably happen to Annabeth very, very soon when they reconnected.

Before I could make up my mind, the tallest telekhine said, "Let us see how strong he is. Let us see how long it takes him to burn!"

"Jason, if you get your stopwatch out, I will stab you," Percy sighed.

Jason hastily tucked his hands behind his back and whistled innocently. It didn't hide the gleam of curiosity in his eyes to know how this would affect Percy as statistics and numbers ran in his head at the boiling point of water.

He scooped some lava out of the nearest furnace. It set his fingers ablaze, but this didn't seem to bother him at all. The other elder telekhines did the same. The first one threw a glop of molten rock at me and set my pants on fire.

"You didn't even set yourself on fire," Alex looked betrayed. "That's the last time I ever take those stupid chapter titles at word."

"I think I'm more grateful I was never desperate enough before to try that," Percy admitted in relief, he'd never been a fan of those from the beginning.

Two more splattered across my chest. I dropped my sword in sheer terror and swatted at my clothes. Fire was engulfing me. Strangely, it felt only warm at first, but it was getting hotter by the instant.

Percy touched his chest with such a painful tightening of his gut, his body remembering the feeling a little to vividly as his mind stared blankly down at himself to make sure he wasn't wearing smoldering ashes and his underwear wasn't showing.

Will chewed on his lip with nerves. He hated hearing Percy in shock and pain, he hated he knew the outcome of this was no cakewalk off the platform. The smiles dimming around him as the others seemed to finally realize Percy wasn't going to just slash his sword and fix this problem was becoming more apparent by the word, and the uncomfortable silence was only going to be the beginning as the water began heating up around them.

"Your father's nature protects you," one said. "Makes you hard to burn. But not impossible, youngling. Not impossible."

They threw more lava at me, and I remember screaming. My whole body was on fire. The pain was worse than anything I'd ever felt. I was being consumed. I crumpled to the metal floor and heard the sea demon children howling in delight.

Percy wanted to take the book away from Thalia now, she sounded so blue, as if those really had been his last moments. He studied his shaking hands though and didn't think he'd have been able to get through it, she'd have snatched it away and smacked him for trying anyways. His throat hurt with the echo of remembered strain, Riptide lay in pen form at his feet as his fingers tried to curl up and then fought even that.

Annabeth had kissed him, the world had been perfect for one moment painted in shades of blue and purple from the heat, and then the greatest pain he'd ever felt had shortly followed and he didn't even know how he'd survived this one.

Was it to late to close the book and believe the lies his mom had once told him?

Then I remembered the voice of the river naiad at the ranch: The water is within me.

I needed the sea. I felt a tugging sensation in my gut, but I had nothing around to help me. Not a faucet or a river. Not even a petrified seashell this time. And besides, the last time I'd unleashed my power at the stables, there'd been that scary moment when it had almost gotten away from me.

I had no choice. I called to the sea. I reached inside myself and remembered the waves and the currents, the endless power of the ocean.

And I let it loose in one horrible scream.

Afterward, I could never describe what happened. An explosion, a tidal wave, a whirlwind of power simultaneously catching me up and blasting me downward into the lava. Fire and water collided, superheated steam, and I shot upward from the heart of the volcano in a huge explosion, just one piece of flotsam thrown free by a million pounds of pressure. The last thing I remember before losing conscious was flying, flying so high Zeus would never have forgiven me, and then beginning to fall, smoke and fire and water streaming from me. I was a comet hurtling toward the earth.

Thalia didn't realize she was panting for breath until Magnus called in concern, "Percy? Are you trying to summon another volcano?"

Everybody was flushed red with how hot it was getting in here. Percy finally gasped and closed his eyes in concentration, the temperature bottoming out so fast it only caused them all to shiver.

She didn't know how long she'd been holding her breath as she forced herself to finish every painful word. She was grateful Annabeth wasn't here for this, in painful detail of his final moments he somehow managed to recite now engraved in her brain. Calypso's island was no Elysium, he had come back from there...

Nico cleared his throat softly, and Thalia jolted. She realized she wasn't trapped in that tree, her final moments playing over and over in her head like a dream. Percy wasn't dead, though as she morbidly looked around at the son of Hades she wondered what thoughts he might share about this island where lost souls landed as she finally forced herself to her feet. Her boots scraped the ground, and she seemed oddly reluctant to hand over the book.

How could it get worse, they all wondered in horror. Even Will didn't understand this odd detachment she had on her face of why she seemed more worried yet about Percy waking up than his potential death from moments ago.

None of them knew how it felt to be taken from a paradise of endless nothing. Letting go of a dream that you could believe you didn't have to wake up from. In that tree, she'd died, but she'd spent that time in her soul believing they were safe.

Some days she woke up still wishing to be in that tree. She wasn't looking forward to hearing of Percy's similar wish on Ogygia.

#pjo #percy Jackson #Thalia Grace #Jason Grace #nico di angelo #will solace #alex fierro #Magnus Chase #HDYSG

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toraleistripe · 1 year

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Okay, so I finished Jigsaw. But it's also occurred to me that I never made a post actually talking about Saw 3D as a whole, I just kinda lost my shit and spammed my dash for a while there 😅😅 So I'll be talking about Saw 3D first and then I'll make a separate post talking about Jigsaw. This, uh, this got kinda long, so brace yourself if you actually read this. Also I sorta lose my MIND once again near the end of this post 😅

SO BARELY ONE MINUTE IN, THEY DECIDE TO SHOW LAWRENCE GORDON

NOT THAT I LOST MY SHIT OR ANYTHING FKJGSLJDSLK

Nah, but I ABSOLUTELY lost my shit as soon as I saw him ngl. I was SO excited to FINALLY see what happened to him.

But they cut away from that pretty quick to show a Jigsaw trap set up in a public space. That was a BALLSY move, man, just setting it up where people walking by can see that. It kind of astounded me that more people weren't losing their shit over what they were seeing. I mean, yeah, it showed people looking concerned, but I would've been screaming my head off if I saw something like that in person. And from what I could tell, only ONE person used their phone to try to call for help?? That's fucked up. To be fair though, maybe more people were on their phones and I just missed it.

So Hoffman DID in fact survive the reverse bear trap. I thought maybe he could survive if he got immediate medical attention. But nah, man decided to just stitch his jaw back together himself. Okay then. Pretty boss move if I do say so myself, that was badass.

I wasn't really surprised when Jill went to turn Hoffman in. I kinda felt bad for her, she was clearly afraid he was going to come after her.

I was suspicious of Bobby's story right away when he was on that talk show, he just seemed so fake to me. When he showed his 'scars' at the meeting, bruh those didn't look that bad at all 😂 Not exactly the sort of wound I'd expect from a real Jigsaw survivor.

AND THEN HE SHOWED UP AND I LOST MY SHIT AGAIN FKGKSDJKSJD

Just seeing Lawrence for that one scene, just knowing he was ALIVE was amazing, holy cow, I was SO happy to see him!! He's been my favorite Saw character since day one, in case that wasn't obvious enough, and it drove me nuts that the movies kept name dropping him, but we never actually saw what happened to him. BOY DID THIS MOVIE CHANGE THAT!!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Turns out I was right about Bobby being a fraud! I don't get why you'd want fame and notoriety from THAT though, I mean, falsely claiming to be the survivor of a Jigsaw 'game' seems like you're kinda asking to be kidnapped and stuck in an actual Jigsaw game, y'know. And look what freaking happened. I felt bad for Joyce though, that woman SO did not deserve to be there.

ONCE AGAIN, THEY MADE A TRAP THAT INVOLVED EYEBALLS AND I DID NOT LIKE IT, COULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THAT SHIT 😭😭 I couldn't watch the scene where the guy glued to the car seat tore his own flesh off either, UGH, couldn't look at that, no siree.

The scene where Bobby pulled out his own teeth was pretty tough to get through too ngl. But I did kind of feel for him, he clearly loved his wife and was trying his hardest to save her. Had a hard time watching him pierce those hooks though his body too. Anything to do with eyeballs or flesh getting pierced/torn, BLEH, that's so hard for me to stomach 🤢

Hoffman gaining entry into police station in a body bag was a power move, Mark Hoffman is easily one of the most impressive characters I've ever seen in a movie, he just figures out such crazy, even creative ways to do shit.

And after Hoffman kills Jill and everyone else at the police station, after he blows up his workshop and gets ready to bail, thinking he really got off scott free, THEN SHIT GETS REAL, Y'ALL, LET ME TELL YA FKGKSJD

So when Hoffman first got jumped by the three people in pig masks, I immediately wondered who tf they were.

AND THEN

THE THIRD GUY TOOK OFF HIS MASK

AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE LAWRENCE MOTHERFUCKING GORDON

Y'ALL

I ONCE AGAIN LOST👏MY👏FUCKING👏SHIT

I WAS SHOOK

I SAT HERE IN SHOCK, BRUH

AND TO FIND OUT THAT JOHN LET HIM LIVE, THAT LAWRENCE BECAME JOHN'S APPRENTICE FKGJSKDJSKDJK

THAT HE HELPED JOHN WITH ALL THE GAMES THAT TOOK PLACE AFTER HIS OWN FKGJLSKDLSKDDKHGJHDFK

I COULD NOT EVEN FKGJSLJDSJFDJVBJSH

IT TOOK SIX MOVIES TO FIND OUT LAWRENCE GORDON'S FATE

AND I WAS SHOOKETH

THAT FINAL SCENE IN THE BATHROOM WHERE IT ALL STARTED

LAWRENCE LEAVING HOFFMAN CHAINED UP THERE

TAKING THE HACKSAW AWAY FROM HIM

"I DON'T THINK SO" 😏

UM, SIR, THAT MOMENT HAS NO BUSINESS BEING AS HOT AS IT IS, THE FUCK 😭😭

SO YEAH, SAW 3D KINDA FUCKED ME UP IN THE BEST WAY FKJGKJSDFDKJKSDJ

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It HURT to see Adam's corpse at the end ngl that was tough ;_; So I guess we're never gonna see Mark Hoffman ever again, WOW, what a way to go. Pure nightmare fuel right there, being chained up in a pitch black room with nothing but rotting corpses around you fkjgkdjsd he thought he was so slick, but by the end, he got straight up fucked.

AND I'M GONNA END THIS BY SAYING IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE LAWRENCE AGAIN, I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE HIM AND KNOW THAT HE SURVIVED LIKE A BOSS 😭😭😭😭

#Julia's thoughts #Saw 3D #Saw: The Final Chapter

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chatter-ensconce · 2 years

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I was having a mental breakdown about how men don’t want a relationship with me and only want to have sex with me and I was about to delete tinder. I was literally spiraling but then I opened tinder and someone offered to take me to sushi and said “let me treat you” and it saved me from a massive meltdown.

There are signs when a guy wants to sleep with you like for example, one guy’s tinder pf was blank - those are usually the ones who want to hook up. I swiped on him to give him the benefit of the doubt and he’s Asian. But his main questions were “what are you doing this weekend,” and “where do you live,” and “what’s your number,” these are not questions to get to know me, they’re questions for his convenience.

Also he said “let’s hang out.” Like Wtf does that mean. There’s no set date, set plan, set activity. I asked him to be specific and he said “casual fun” and then I went off on him. I mean I really tore him a new one.

But other guys aren’t so obvious. One guy put on his bio “looking for monogamy” and he shared a common interest of horror movies so I swiped right. But then he was like “what are you looking for on this app?” 80% of the time a guy asks this - they want to hook up. I said “a relationship but I’m about to give up.” And he said “I’m looking for friends first that leads to a long term relationship” ……

….

Immediately it pissed me off because I had to ask him what he meant by friends and clarify that I don’t do fwb. And sure enough he said “yeah I’m looking for friends with benefits are you okay with that?” And it pissed me off cuz his whole profile is so misleading and not only that but I literally just told him in previous message that I don’t do fwb. Also see my previous tumblr post rant about guys getting creative with alternative, less-vulgar ways to ask for hook ups, but they’re still saying the same thing.

After that I updated my bio to say “please don’t ask for FWB, it ruins my day and raises my testosterone levels to have to tell someone off”

And literally AFTER I updated my bio, one guy messaged me and said “oh so you’re an attorney AND you want to be a Dj?” Then proceeded to inform me that he’s looking for fwb and asked if I was down. This enraged me because he clearly read my bio since he mentioned me being an attorney and wanting to be a DJ. So he read all that but somehow skipped the disclaimer about me not wanting a fwb?? Like if you clearly read it, then why would you still ask?

It was at this point that my heart rate went up and I began to spiral.

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pretendfan · 2 years

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{Roommates} NINE

(A\N This chapter has all the things you’re used to: idiots in love, plans not working, friends not helping, mutual pining, fluff and flirting…hope you enjoy🖤this was so off plan and so long if it sucks let me know)

(Pairing)

Adrian Chase x Female reader

(Summary)

Desperately in need of a roommate, your co-worker knows a guy, but why did it have to be Adrian? The guy both annoyed and frustrated the hell out of you getting under your skin from the very moment that you had meet him.

But this was only temporary there was no need to complicate things by really getting to know one another or even worse catch feels along the way. Sure it had been a while for both of you but hooking up with your roommate was a terrible idea…wasn’t it?

(Words)

10,096

(Warnings)

Mentions of ex, mentions of throwing up, drunk Adrian, mutual pining is strong, idiots in love, caring Adrian….lots of flirting, 18+ ONLY

{NINE}

Gliding the pad of his thumb over the warm condensation pooling down his now empty bottle of beer, Adrian starts to peel off the sticker which isn’t as satisfying as he hoped it would be frustrated beyond belief that he was here at this bar with Scott, when instead he should’ve been back at the apartment with you.

According to his friend, Adrian had been moping around waiting for you to appear after your shift at Karma coffee like an idiot, but he didn’t notice having pretty much felt this same way ever since he had made you breakfast waffles all those weeks ago and heard you laugh for the first time.

Only since then these feelings he couldn’t quite grasp had intensified, causing him to make things a million times worse by kissing you and now he had to act as if that hadn’t happened, he was literally aching for you it was so fucking pathetic.

All he knew was that he wanted you, in the most animalistic of ways which kept him wide awake late at night, with thoughts of you occupying his head like a song stuck on repeat.

Clearly alcohol wasn’t going to help neither Adrian’s mood or his libido right now either, but here he was spiralling, whilst waiting for Scott to make a reappearance from the busy bar with his drink.

Briefly considering messaging you Adrian stops himself because he knows once he started he wouldn’t be able to stop, he didn’t want to freak you out anymore even though the last time he had done something impulsively you had responded in kind.

Wishing he could taste you on his mouth again Adrian licks his bottom lip then pulling off his wire framed glasses, he rubs both palms of his hands across his face completely over tonight already despite barely being here an hour.

Opening his eyes again Adrian replaces his glasses in time to see Scott finally coming back over to the table, only he wasn’t alone having put his wingman skills into play which makes Adrian smile briefly.

A distraction was well needed in these dire times that held Adrian hostage, all from his own idiotic mistakes of course but regardless of that he was merely a dude, a dude with obvious needs.

“Took you long enough!” Adrian smiled at Scott even though his focus was on the two women beside him instead .

“Look who I met!?” Scott winks at Adrian who tries his hardest to plaster a smile on his face because he needed this right now.

“Come join us!” Adrian declares pulling out the seat next to him which the redhead beside Scott takes with a confident smile on her face.

“This is Lola.” Scott begins motioning to the tall blonde next to him then pointing at the redhead he adds with a wink “And this is Gwen.”

“Adrian.” Nods Adrian who then instantly feels like an idiot so he takes a long gulp of beer noticing Gwen’s blue eyes watching him closely.

“So, what brings you guys to the bar this evening?” Gwen asks with a smile, it’s nice but it pales in comparison to his roommates which makes him shake his head at the absurdity of where his thoughts were going, again.

“Just out to have some fun!” Scott winks at Gwen whilst she rolls her eyes back at Adrian who smirks happily seeing how she had sense not to fall for his friends idiotic comments, unlike him.

Adrian watches as Lola leans into Scott to talk into his left ear, making the guy look like all his Christmases have come at once, causing Adrian to grab his beer again in frustration.

“What is up with your friend?” Gwen questions with a small giggle at the end.

“Too many things to mention-“

“So, what’s your deal then?” Gwen cuts off Adrian with a super valid question, just one that he cannot pinpoint the answer to.

“My deal?” Adrian asks whilst pulling a confused face in the redheads direction.

“Like, what makes Adrian tick? Also how the hell do you not have a girlfriend you are adorable!” Gwen tells him placing a hand on Adrian’s knee which instantly makes him feel awkward, if only he had his Vigilante mask on then he would be making a killing, in flirty one liners.

“Er, thanks I guess I am kind of adorable in certain lights plus I have so many likes-“

“So you are single then right?” Gwen asks her blue eyes staring into his and Adrian feels, absolutely nothing which shoots the awkwardness factor up to an eye watering eleven.

“It’s complicated-“

“Dude!” Scott cuts off Adrian with a warning look that he doesn’t see but of course Gwen does.

“What does that mean?” Gwen asks folding her arms across her chest with both her eyebrows raised expecting a quick answer.

“It means I like someone but they are my roommate and I’m temporarily living there so I don’t want to make a move and ruin everything-“

“Dude, just give it a rest!” Scott groans making Lola smirk at him clearly she was smitten with his friend for some unknown reason, seeing how this hardly ever happened in real life.

“No, now I’m really interested!“ Gwen exclaims making Scott curse and Adrian nod then take another long drink of his beer trying not to burp once he was done.

“If he starts talking about his roommate then Adrian won’t stop it’s why I bought him-“

“So you’re trying to stop him get with someone by throwing me into whatever he is dealing with right now? Uncool dude!” Gwen admonishes Scott who scoffs back unceremoniously.

“Yeah, uncool!” Adrian yells at Scott pointing a finger at him which makes Gwen smirk back with a grin.

“Either way it’s a shame you are so cute and pretty hot, how does your roommate-“

“That’s why things are complicated.” Adrian pouts looking down at the table ignoring the look he just knows that Scott is giving him.

“What did you do?” Lola asks then backtracks when she sees the look that Adrian gives her in return.

“I’ve done nothing-“

“Exactly!” Cuts in Scotts triumphantly then he quickly adds “This guy used to be able to close but since moving in with Y/N he’s become a total idiot.”

“This is too cute!” Squeals Gwen excitedly sitting up a little taller on her seat as she states “I love stories like this, I need to know everything perhaps I can help?”

“There is no helping Adrian, the dude is beyond help.” Scott jokes with a laugh whilst Adrian flips him off then focuses his attention back on Gwen.

“Why do you even care? I thought we were-“

“Sure, I like you! But if you already have someone else occupying your thoughts what’s the point, plus I love hearing cute stories.”

“I’m gonna be sick.” Scott groans making Lola giggle at him even though he wasn’t funny, at all it was confusing to say the least how the blonde even liked his friend, still.

“How do you know you even like me? It isn’t that easy right-“

“Oh Adrian!” Gwen giggles at Adrian who feels his cheeks and the tips of his ear heat up from the look she is rewarding him.

“Let’s go back to the bar.” Lola nudges Scott who is standing up seconds later ready to be alone with the hot blonde.

“He’s hopeless!” Scott informs Gwen as if Adrian wasn’t even here but he was too busy finishing off his beer to even care.

“So, let’s hear it then what’s so complicated about liking your roommate?” Gwen asks cocking her head to one side waiting for Adrian to reply.

“Do you want the short or long version.” Adrian scoffs with a humourless laugh.

“Long version baby, tell me everything!” Gwen winks at Adrian who shakes his head in confusion.

“Ok, but if you get bored I will-“

“No way dude! I live for this shit and it isn’t as if there are any other cute guys here at the bar.” Gwen states with a smirk noticing the pink streaks of colour reappear on his face again.

More drinks get ordered via table service because neither Adrian or Gwen wanted to move so he starts to tell the story of you and him, probably going into far too much detail but noticing how the redhead was listening to his every word, he cannot help but tell Gwen absolutely everything.

How at the beginning you both argued all the time, literally avoided each other until Adrian had noticed the calls that upset you at night so he made you waffles, and that broke the ice between the pair of you leading to moments that he still obsessed about, even now.

“So what are you doing here exactly?“ Gwen asks in exasperation once Adrian had finally finished his story and she had stopped waving her hand over her face.

“Like right this second-“

“No! I mean why are you here at the bar when you should be back at the apartment because you need to tell your roommate how you feel!” Gwen cheers excitedly making Adrian shake his head.

“It won’t work-“

“What you need!” Cuts in Gwen with a smile as she adds “ Is some liquid courage that I am more then happy to provide for you!”

“You mean get wasted-“

“Not totally bombed but just enough to confidently tell Y/N how you feel, it’s the least you can do for yourself just get it out there!” Gwen exclaims whilst clapping her hands excitedly.

“That might just work!” Adrian nods in agreement three beers deep into the night already after a dinner of microwave noodles, which he knew was a bad idea but it seemed his life was full of those right now.

“It will! From what you’ve said your roommate has it as bad as you.” Nods Gwen confidently despite fancying Adrian on sight she knew she was doing something good by giving him some sound advice.

“But what if it doesn’t work-“

“We need shots!” Shouts Gwen which perks up Adrian because what if the redhead was right, and tonight was the night to make a declaration because the rules needed changing.

From here on out things get a little hazy for Adrian whilst he continues to plan and chat with Gwen, until he is shoved off his chair to go forth and meet his destiny.

Ending up on this knees on the floor Adrian realises two things, one that he was quite drunk and secondly he couldn’t see Scott anywhere he had left him high and dry.

“Let’s get you a cab.” Gwen helps up Adrian then tells him “ You need to make a move tonight and the rest will fall into place!”

“Either that or I will fall and break my face.” Jokes Adrian with a laugh realising that he was being funny for once at the right time it was quite an achievement, one he would probably forget about tomorrow morning.

“Let’s hope not dude, it’s one of your best features.” Winks Gwen with a smirk when she notices Adrian gawping at her with his mouth opened wide.

“You’ve been too good to me tonight, whoever you end up-“

“Dude, I’m after a hook up not the one!” Gwen starts with a laugh but then states “You are a good guy let’s hope your roommate will finally see that.”

“You think I’m a good guy?!” Adrian asks now standing back up feeling both very confused by the floor coming towards him and your statement.

“I know it! Go get her stud.” Gwen winks walking out clumsily with Adrian next to her perhaps shots weren’t that great an idea.

In a cab with vague directions aimed back at the apartment Adrian sinks low into the fake leather seat, eyes closed whilst he tried to recover the confidence he had felt back at the bar.

The self assuredness that had hit him right between the eyes when Gwen had told him to go back to the apartment and make his move, the thought makes him break out in a sweat how was he supposed to do this whilst clearly drunk.

Yet Adrian knew deep down that he had to because drunken logic kinda ruled his brain, so he definitely owed it to Gwen who had told him he could do this, so fuck it he was gonna make this happen!

Lounging on the couch in the pj’s that you had hoped Adrian would see you wearing, you sigh to yourself grabbing another handful of Skittles from the bowl beside you picking out the best ones with your right hand, clearly this was going to be the highlight of your evening.

It was getting late, you had work early tomorrow opening which was exciting, clearly you should have gone to bed ages ago it wasn’t as if you were waiting to see your roommate or anything, yeah right.

Switching off the TV as some old Judge Judy re-run played in the background you finish eating your candy then decide it was time you gave up pining over Adrian because this was exactly what you were doing, it was ridiculous.

You almost wished that Lara would come round and hit both yours and Adrian’s head together like she had suggested, then perhaps things would make more sense hell something could finally happen between you two, maybe.

A sudden knock at the door makes you jump as your eyes widen, what if that was your ex and he wanted to talk like right this second?

Not ready for this you get up from the couch almost knocking over the bowl of Skittles, but ignoring them you find yourself marching confidently over to the front door, despite your hands shaking nobody else but you could see you were scared right now.

Another hard knock followed by a muffled bump against the door has you stepping back, but a very loud yet familiar voice on the other side has you scrambling for the metal door handle.

“Adrian!?” You exclaim seeing him looking back round at the door looking shocked to see you, even more so when you wrap your arms around his middle to hug him.

“What’s wrong-“

“I’m just really happy to see you!“ You cry happily from somewhere round his waist letting go as you feel Adrian pat you on the head awkwardly.

“I’m-I’m.” Begins Adrian readjusting his glasses so he could focus on you properly but currently there are at least three of you in front of him and he wanted to talk to the right one.

“Will the real Y/N please stand up.” Adrian chuckles to himself misquoting the Slim Shady song that he would now have stuck in his head for weeks on end.

“Adrian, are you drunk!?” You laugh noticing your roommate shyly look at his feet then back at you with a cute pink tint across his cheeks.

“I- I need, need to talk to you.” Adrian stumbles over his words then pulls a nasty face as he tastes the last shot he had repeating on him, the acidic taste burning at the back of his throat.

“Are you-“

“Fuck, I’m gonna be sick!” Yells Adrian holding a hand over his mouth as he rushes past you at breakneck speed to the bathroom.

Closing the front door you briefly smile to yourself totally glad that it was Adrian at the door but then you feel bad that he clearly had too much to drink tonight, so you head to the bathroom wanting to check on your roommate but he has the door closed.

“Adrian are you ok?” You knock gently on the door but there is no answer so you push it open, seeing your roommate with his head facing the toilet bowl.

“I’m so sorry!” Adrian groans dropping to his knees on the hard tiled floor which makes you walk over and crouch down beside him.

“What are you apologising to me for?” You ask Adrian placing a hand flat on his back which makes him whine so you quickly move it away.

“I wanted to talk to you but now I’m throwing up you don’t have to be here-“

“I want to.” You cut him off with a smile then add “ I want to help you we’ve all been here.”

“I’m never drinking-“ Adrian begins but whatever else he was about to say gets lost in the toilet with the rest of the alcohol he had drunk.

“It’s ok.” You soothe replacing your hand on his back, palm flat as you rub soothing circles flushing the toilet for him whilst his head remained near the bowl.

“Ugh, this is all Scott’s fault!” Adrian groans then adds “Gwen told me to get confident by drinking but now all my confidence has escaped me.”

“Who is Gwen?” You ask then instantly regret it because you didn’t want to know who Adrian had clearly been on a date with tonight, probably no thanks to Scott.

“I met her through Scott she helped me come back here to see you.” Adrian looks up with a watery smile at you stating “I missed you tonight.”

“I was right here-“

“That’s where I should’ve been.” Adrian groans finally sitting his head up from the toilet bowl wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Do you want me to run you a shower?” You ask Adrian who silently nods so you get up from your arched position to switch it on whilst your roommate looked sleepy.

“Thanks.” Adrian smiles sweetly at you then asks “ Can you stay with me incase I fall asleep in the shower?”

“Of course I can even scrub your back for you if you want.” You tell Adrian with a smile which makes him close his eyes but there is a cheeky grin on his face.

“Does that offer extend to the morning when I would definitely appreciate it more.” Adrian asks with a hopefulness in his voice and a puppy dog look in his eyes as he reopens them that floors you.

“One time deal I’m afraid.” You shrug whilst he rolls his eyes then tells you that he will be fine by himself then.

“I can wait outside?” You ask him and he silently nods so you walk out of the bathroom wondering what the hell had caused Adrian to get so drunk.

So much for being his best confident self, Adrian sighs unable to comprehend the fact that he had throwing up in front of you, so much for being cool he was such a loser and would always be one.

The high he had achieved earlier through various shots that he would never touch ever again was now gone, instead Adrian felt like an idiot having told Gwen so much about you and still he was unable to close.

Standing under a cold shower matches his mood as he hurriedly washes himself, wanting to get rid of signs of tonight, ready to pass out somewhere soon even right here in the bath would do right now.

Feeling empty Adrian couldn’t believe how tonight had gone down, this was the last time he would listen to Scott anytime soon, now he had to go and face you but first he needed to get dressed.

Noticing Adrian walking to his room you make a point of looking away and not staring at his bare chest and strong arms, well you did try but a glimpse was enough to make you bite your bottom lip, but you do scold yourself because now really wasn’t the time.

Worried that Adrian wouldn’t make a reappearance, he is in his bedroom for twenty four painful minutes, until he reappears whilst you try and fail to hide the smile from your face.

“You have such a pretty smile.” Adrian tells you not for the first time but it still makes you blush a little as he walks over in an old green tee shirt and grey fitted boxers.

“I weren’t sure if you were even going to come back-“

“Did you miss me?” Adrian questions with a smile as he takes a seat next to you on the couch, making you smell lime and mint as he settled down.

“Why did you get so drunk? When you got home you said you had something to tell me.” You ask Adrian who suddenly looks caught out but you give him a moment to see if he would lie or come clean with whatever was clearly bugging him.

“Oh it was nothing important-“

“Did it have something to do with whoever Gwen is?” You ask in a poorly concealed jealous voice that Adrian picks up on when he glances in your direction.

“I just met her tonight, I had wanted to talk to you about-“

“What is it?” You ask Adrian with concern.

“Nothing, it really isn’t important right now let’s just forget about it.” Adrian begins hurriedly then sitting closer to you he starts chatting about some woman named Lola who Scott has met tonight.

“Sounds like you had fun.” You nod at him trying to hide a yawn even though you were really tired you wanted another opening to ask about Gwen, because you liked tormenting yourself clearly.

“I didn’t” Adrian begins with a groan but then adds with a cute smile “Because you wasn’t there but now I’m here and this rocks.”

“I think we should hang out more, I kind of missed you tonight-“

“You did?” Adrian cuts you off with a wide smile that makes you instantly blush under his gaze.

“Well sure, I’m still waiting for us to have that sleepover soon.” You remind him with a smirk that makes him arch as single eyebrow and look hot as fuck somehow whilst doing it.

“Can I lay my head on your lap?” Adrian asks and you nod with a smile as he yawns himself then places the back of his head on one of your thighs with a sigh.

“Does that feel better?” You ask him hand instinctively going to his head where you gently thread it through his soft hair hearing him groan gently which only encourages you to do it again.

Adrian remains silent as you play with his hair there is so much he wants to tell you, but right this second he is trying to ignore the very obvious tent in his boxers that he hoped you wouldn’t notice.

Your hands feel so good brushing his hair and softly scratching his scalp that he can’t help but imagine them elsewhere, over his body the thought makes him groan again, causing you to shift a little which for some reason makes him smile.

This wasn’t exactly how he had planned on ending tonight but Adrian feels so relaxed laying his head on your lap, he closes his eyes and falls asleep right there dreaming of how better things could have ended.

You smile to yourself when you hear Adrian’s quiet breathing signalling he was asleep, looking down you see how handsome he looks which makes your heart flip but you tell yourself off because clearly he had already met someone whoever Gwen was, so he couldn’t make it any more obvious that he wasn’t interested.

Sure you both flirted so easily it was part of your dynamic, everything you did it was done platonically which you could do but right now you didn’t want to think about it, so you close your eyes and fall asleep with your hand cradling Adrian’s head.

Waking up with a start the first thing you realise is that Adrian is gone, not feeling his head on your thigh which had felt so comforting, he had instead placed one of his hoodies over you which was a poor substitute.

Looking up you notice his bedroom door was closed, then seconds later you jump out of your skin when your alarm on your phone goes off to signal you had to get up for work, the thought instantly puts you in a bad mood.

How long had you been asleep with Adrian’s head on your lap? You wish you could’ve taken a picture to remember the moment even though the image of him is pretty clear in your mind, of course.

Work is chaotic because orders come into the store wrong and Conor yells at you like it is entirely your fault, causing you to bite your tongue otherwise you would end up with a warning or even worse no job.

This is pretty much a benchmark of how the rest of the morning plays out, progressively getting worse especially when you see Scott walking in whistling the whole way which even makes Phoebe give him a funny look.

“Morning, everyone!“ Scott cheers whilst you wait for the seconds to pass until the barista says something idiotic in your direction.

“Have fun last night?” Scott winks at you eight seconds later, probably a new record if you kept track of those kind of things.

“What do you mean-“

“Did you actually see Adrian last night?” Scott questions with a grin that makes you want to glare at him but you won’t be giving him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to you.

“Yes, I did he came home drunk-“

“Oh really? Was he by himself.” Cuts in Scott with a question that momentarily makes you pause for thought but a cough brings you back into the coffee shop.

“He was alone but he did want to talk to me about some woman named Gwen.” You explain with a shrug trying not to act as if that kind of hurt when he kept talking about some redhead he had met at the bar.

“No, you got it completely wrong!?” Scott laughs loudly which instantly makes you fold your arms across your chest initiating defensive mode.

“Excuse me-“

“I mean!” Cuts in Scott hastily holding both his hands up in front of him as he adds “Adrian was talking about you to Gwen like all evening, well until I had left with Lola.”

“He talked about me?” You asked in confusion which only caused to make Scott roll his eyes.

“Yes he was gonna tell you-“ Scott stops talking suddenly which makes you widen your eyes at him in annoyance.

“Tell me what?” You snap in obvious frustration.

“Well, it isn’t my place to say and Adrian would kill me.” Scott gives you a weak grin that causes you to scoff and carry on with your work, even though thoughts of your roommate occupied your mind.

Avoiding Scott who kept holding his hands up apologetically at you, you just wanted to get this shift done and go back to the apartment, back to bed where you could hide.

“Why don’t you ask Adrian?” Scott asks when he catches you just before you could make a break to your car.

“Ask him what?” You question sarcastically which makes Scott shake his head at you like you were a lost cause.

“Oh god! You two just need to bone-“

“Hey!” You cut off Scott who gives you a sheepish look back despite deep down you knew he was right, just hook up with Adrian and move on.

Easy….

Spending the whole day alone in the apartment, Adrian was feeling pretty sorry for himself and bored beyond belief all because he wasn’t working until tonight when he put on his costume and became Vigilante.

Obviously having the place to himself had been fun for a little while, but then boredom and settled in and for a brief time he was horny so he jerked off until that wasn’t fun anymore and that was his day pretty much.

Not entirely sure what had happened last night pieces had replayed in his mind, meeting Gwen the redhead who didn’t compare to you, not that anyone but him was obviously comparing because Adrian had it so bad, it ached.

Wait, Adrian had felt that ache last night hell he had even told Gwen he recalls then it hits him why he had drunk so much, for courage to tell you how he felt because he had spoken to the redhead all night about you…how embarrassing.

Shit! What had he said to you last night Adrian could not remember just that he had puked and you had looked after him, he had used the memory of you stroking his hair earlier because it had been so hot.

But that didn’t matter right now he had more pressing issues of whether he had annoyed you last night at any point, but Adrian was sure that if he had you wouldn’t of let him fall asleep on your thigh.

Adrian had wanted nothing more than to kiss your soft thighs last night, moving to the inside to spread your legs and glide his tongue over your skin until-the fantasy stops there when he hears his phone having to get up from the couch to find it.

“What do you want.” Adrian grumbles at Scott once he had located his phone on one of the kitchen stools, where else would it be.

“Hungover are we?” Asks Scott with a chuckle.

“I’m never going out to a bar with you again, what the hell happened last night?” Adrian groans wondering if his idiotic friend could fill in some gaps for him.

“Not you as well!” Scott cries down the phone then elaborates “Your roommates been asking me question about last night and now you, fuck you two are so clueless!”

“Y/N’s been talking about me?” Adrian asks hopefully which causes Scott to laugh once again.

“I told your roomie to go talk to you because Ive already said I was getting bored by all this and now I just don’t care.” Scott announces in a bored voice.

“Thanks.” Adrian scoffs then states “If I hadn’t of gotten so wasted last night things would have ended a lot differently.”

“That wasn’t my fault, by the way I went home last night with Lola-“

“By the way you suck at being a wingman!” Cuts in Adrian in frustration.

“You could have gone home with Gwen and ended this dry spell, both your right hand and dick would’ve thanked you for it.” Scott states clearly making sense but Adrian was never one to do the right thing in the right order.

“It isn’t just about sex-“

“Wait, do you actually like Y/N?” Scott talks over you with a shocked voice, unless he was being sarcastic he could never tell sometimes.

“Of course I fucking do but now she thinks

I’ve met someone which I have, well did but she totally doesn’t count I want Y/N.” Groans Adrian how had this all managed to get even more complicated.

“Well you know what you need to do you idiot.” Scott laughs then adds “ Make it up to your roommate I bet even you could figure out how.”

“I’m not gonna pounce on her when she gets home dude-“

“I thought it wasn’t just about fucking?” Scott giggles lamely.

“Dude, fuck-“

Before Adrian can tell his friend where to go Scott decides to hang up on him which finishes his mood off because now Adrian was completely pissed off.

Make things up to you? How could Adrian do that he wondered realising that firstly cleaning the bathroom would help, because of last night and then maybe he could make food for you and himself.

Blasting out one of his playlists which had a cornucopia of different genres and artists but maybe a little too much Taylor Swift, even though Adrian didn’t see a problem with this, he got to work cleaning and tidying the apartment.

Sure it was his job as well to ensure the apartment stayed tidy and such, so this wasn’t part of the making up he just wanted to impress you with a tidy apartment, after he would head out to grab some stuff for dinner hopefully you didn’t already have plans.

With the apartment block in sight you feel the tension reappearing in your shoulders, the thought of seeing Adrian was putting you on edge even though you really wanted to see his goofy smile right now.

Walking through the front door finally you find yourself smiling when you spot Adrian in the kitchen, he was cooking and it smelled absolutely delicious, looking round you spot your roommate smiling back at you.

“Just in time for dinner come join me.” Adrian asks you easily even though deep down he is nervous you will say no to him.

“Sure, just let me change first.” You nod back with a smile that lights up Adrian’s face making you look away shyly.

Changing your top for a grey cropped one you go to check your reflection in the mirror behind your bedroom door, telling yourself off for even caring but you did want to look a little presentable in front of Adrian, which was telling.

Back in the kitchen you sit opposite Adrian who joins you at the kitchen island, the food looks delicious and you can’t help but grin to yourself.

“I could get used to this.” You nod then groan when you take a bite of chicken fajita noticing how Adrian looks away from you but his ears are tinged red which makes you smile to yourself.

“Oh yeah? Well this is just to say sorry for last night so they are apology fajita’s.” Adrian tells you with a smile that showcases his dimples.

“So we’ve had truce waffles and now apology fajita’s what’s next?” You question with a laugh which makes Adrian’s face light up.

“I love your laugh.” Adrian smiles then realising what he had just said he backtracks “ I mean it’s a cute laugh.”

“Thanks.” You tell him sweetly then add in a teasing voice “ These fajita’s are worth it they make up for last night and anything else you will do wrong in the future.”

“I will probably do so many things wrong.” Adrian states looking down at his food lost in thought.

“We all get things wrong!” You tell him with an encouraging smile “ I’ve had the morning from hell but now I’m here with you and-“

“What?” Adrian asks looking up at you after you had suddenly stopped talking looking adorable with a blush colouring your cheeks.

“It’s just nice to hang out with you that’s all.” You continue slowly then add “ But thanks for cooking it was so good!”

“No problemo!” Adrian declares with a smile the pair of you once again just smiling at the other like an idiot both lost in a million and one thoughts between you.

“I saw Scott at work today.” You begin stating the obvious because of course you would so you explain “ He told me who Gwen was the woman you kept talking about last night.”

“Scott tried to set me up, but do you actually want to know what I spoke to the Gwen about all evening?” Adrian asks honestly smiling when you nod back.

“You.” Adrian tells you with a nervous smile aimed in your direction which makes you grin back because this just confirms what Scott had told you earlier.

“Fed up with me-“

“I could never be fed up with you!” Adrian cuts you off enthusiastically as he adds “ I like being around here and of course with you.”

“Like I told you last night, you should have stayed home and hung out with me-“

“You mean like spend more time together?” Adrian asks with a wide grin.

“Sure.” You nod back cheeks going red whilst you wished you could stop yourself doing that so easily in front of your roommate.

Adrian wants to comment again about how pretty you look when you blush but doesn’t want you to think he just liked you for your looks, you were funny and smart too a wining combo if ever he saw one.

Recalling Gwen’s wise words in his head like she was the Yoda to his Luke, Adrian thought it was about time he found his confidence and put it into good use.

“We could watch a movie and see where it leads?” Adrian asks cockily his question landing flat whilst his confidence disappears with a click of his fingers.

“What the movie?” You joke back knowing full well what your roomie meant but grin when Adrian rewards you with a confused look on his face.

“No, I meant us finally being alone-“

“Adrian, do you want to have sex with me?” You ask him in a faux shocked voice which makes your roommate almost fall back off his stool.

“What, no? I mean sure if you, this feels like a trap-

“Obviously I’m just teasing you, Adrian.” You tell him in a sexy voice complete with wink that has him gawping back, mouth wide open.

“Ha! Of course! I better go clear the table-“

“Let me help.” You tell him getting up from the stool as you work in silence together making you wonder if you had broken Adrian, the thought makes you grin.

Adrian goes out like planned later that night as Vigilante, hearing you in your room he races out full of conflict but ready to meet some criminals, he needed to shut off his mind and quick.

Seeing how right now and back at the table earlier he would have easily kissed you again, but Adrian didn’t just want it to be about sex between you two he knew you were worth more than just a quick hook up.

Yet in his line of work both as a busboy and a anti hero Adrian couldn’t get too close despite that being exactly what he wanted, like you had suggested earlier spending more time together, the idea made him very happy.

Calling Lara as soon as your break was due, right down to the second you walked outside the front of the store already calling your friend before you even took a large sip of your cold brew drink.

It was a sunny Friday and the days were staring to get warmer with summer soon to appear but you had far more pressing matters that needed your best friends help.

“Hello stranger!” Lara calls like it’s been years since you had spoken to her and not literally days.

“Can we go out somewhere tomorrow night?” You ask Lara because you needed a night out desperately, only you wouldn’t drink too much and end up like Adrian you just wanted to let off some steam.

“Of course, I’m down for that!” Lara cheers excitedly then adds “Will your lover boy be joining us?”

“Of course not-“

“I can finally meet Adrian tomorrow! Oh shit, I can finally meet the guy who is driving you mad perhaps I could even help push-“

“No! You won’t!” You exclaim loudly causing a couple walking past you to stop and look at you weirdly

“Either way I get to meet him-“

“Very briefly you can but don’t embarrass me, say hi and then we leave to go to the bar!” You state firmly but then you get an idea so ask “Maybe I could meet you there instead.”

“No chance I want to meet the guy who has been driving you mad for the past few months and you’ve still failed to jump his bones.” Lara snorts with a laugh.

“It’s complicated-“

“It really isn’t! You remember the birds and the bees right?” Lara giggles when she hears you curse under your breath but clearly she hears you.

“Sure, of course I want to hook up with the guy.” You state in a low voice in case someone heard you as you quickly explain “ But I don’t want it to just be like one quick fumble I want more.”

“Holy shit you have a crush on the guy?” Lara practically screams down the phone making you almost drop the damn thing.

“Let’s not label this I-“

“You have a fully fledged crush on your roommate my god it’s worse than I thought it was!” Lara states either to you or herself you wasn’t sure but she is babbling out loud.

“It isn’t like that! Either way what is wrong with a crush it’s harmless.” You decide even though your feelings right now didn’t fit into that category at all but you wasn’t going to tell Lara that right this second.

“This is so cute! Now I definitely need to meet Adrian and find out his true intentions with you.” Laughs Lara as she puts on a flirty voice which makes you regret calling your friend.

“Ok, I’m cancelling-“

“No! I will behave I promise, ok I will try really hard but you have to let me at least meet the dude.” Lara announces trying to negotiate badly which makes you laugh.

“You can meet him for a whole two minutes and then we are hitting the bar.” You relent hearing your friend cheer excitedly in return.

“Why do you want to go to the bar so suddenly? Wait, are you trying to make Adrian jealous or something?” Lara asks with a short giggle.

“No, I just want to do something on a Saturday night and can you just forget what I said about-“

“Having a huge crush on your roommate? That’s a negative I’m going to remember it forever more.” Lara states with obvious glee that makes you clench your jaw in annoyance.

“I’m already regretting this-“

“Why? Tomorrow will be so much fun!” Lara declares and you hope that she is right because you needed some of that injected into your veins right now.

“Let’s hope-“

“Whilst I still have you.” Begins Lara with a laugh in her voice as she then states “ I told you so.”

“Told me what?” You question completely confused by the direction the conversation was going in.

“I said this back at the speed dating night I would say I told you so when you confessed your love for-“

“Woah! No one said love!” You yell in a squeaky voice almost dropping your beloved drink in the process.

“Ok your in crush then, or would it be lust seeing-“

“I need to go but you have to swear to me you will behave yourself tomorrow night!” You tell Lara firmly really hoping she would understand how serious you were being right now.

“Of course I will! I can even help nudge you in the right-“

“No! That’s the opposite of what I want.” You explain to Lara with a groan which turns into annoyance when you hear her laugh.

“Oh! Lover boy must really be something to have you in a mess like this I cannot wait to meet him!” Lara cries happily then you end the call with an uneasy feeling in your stomach.

Adrian cannot believe his eyes when he spots you standing in your bedroom, door opened wide looking around for something so you don’t notice the look he is giving you.

Wearing a blue sundress that hugs your curves and sits just above your knee, Adrian openly stares at you wishing he didn’t have work so he could look at you all night on that outfit.

“Looking good roomie!” Adrian states making you look up quickly from your bedroom floor to see him standing by your door with a wide grin on his face.

“Thanks, I wasn’t sure-“

“You look like an actual babe! Not that you don’t always look-“

“Thanks. Adrian.” You cut him off before he spirals noticing the pink on his cheeks which makes you smile.

“Going somewhere-“

Before Adrian can finish his sentence there is a loud knock at the door, which makes him look behind him to scowl at the door, why were they always being interrupted all the time?

“That’s for me!” You yell making Adrian look back at you to see you brush past him, his body tensing up when he feels your bare arm rub against his which makes him shudder.

Watching as you open the front door Adrian grins when he recognises the tall blonde from the coffee shop, but your roommate obscures you from seeing anything else so you look away.

Obviously curious Adrian carries on getting ready for work for his evening shift at Fennel’s tonight, eyes glancing towards the front door where you were still talking to your friend outside.

“Why are we standing out here?” Lara questions catching you off guard which makes your friend smirk back happily.

“Just wanted to warn you that if you embarrass me-“

“Me? Embarrass you, never!” Lara laughs with obvious glee which makes you roll your eyes.

“Can we just go to the bar?” You beg Lara but she shakes her head, then pushes past you walking back into the apartment.

“Holy shit!” Lara exclaims making you look past her to see Adrian shirtless, a cocky grin on his face whilst your friend is giving you a wide eyed look.

“Ok, let’s go-“

“Hey, I’m Adrian.” Adrian informs Lara who smiles knowingly at you then grins back at your roommate who pulls on his dark burgundy shirt in front of you both.

“Lara, I’ve seen you before at the coffee shop right?” Lara asks with a smile blatantly checking out Adrian who looks far from embarrassed whilst you felt your cheeks heating up already.

“I remember! Are you both out tonight?” Adrian asks glancing in your direction as you give him an awkward smile back.

“Just a couple of bars, I’ll be sure to look after her for you.” Lara winks at Adrian who looks caught out placing a hand round the back of his neck.

“Cut it out.” You tell Lara giving her a pointed look when she grins back at you.

“What? I’m just letting Adrian know-“

“I’m actually on the way out, so I will see you later roomie and great meeting you Lara.” Adrian states with a nod in your direction and a wink aimed at Lara who watches your roommate leave the apartment.

You shake your head glancing at Lara who looks seconds away from bursting with excitement, so you make a carry on motion with your hand for her to get it over with.

“What the hell?! He is so hot how-“

“Now can you see my problem?” You ask Lara with a sigh whilst your friend shakes her head.

“What problem? You should have totally climbed the dude by now and I saw the look he gave you.” Lara smiled excitedly as you grabbed your purse and phone from the couch.

“It’s complicated-“

“Like fuck it is! Sure he isn’t my type exactly but I could make exceptions the dude has muscles on-“

“You’re drooling.” You tell Lara sarcastically making her give you a fake laugh in return.

“No wonder you’re grumpy and horny all the time-“

“I am not!” You begin then quickly add with another sigh “Ok, maybe I am some of the time.”

“I think we need to talk-“

“No! I just want to have a drink and talk about anything other than my roommate and how hot he is, or how cute his dimples are or anything like that.” You snap clearly beyond the point of needing a drink right now.

“This is amazing!” Lara cheers noticing the look on your face because you clearly didn’t agree.

“It’s terrible.” You announce loudly then add “ I have a stupid crush on my roommate and-“

“Ok, your freaking out! Let’s get out of here grab a drink and have a talk.” Lara tells you in a soothing voice.

“Why aren’t you teasing me-“

“I’m still thinking about Adrian’s muscles you need to give me a little while longer.” Lara fans her face causing you to roll your eyes and head out the front door again.

Finally at the first bar of the evening it is already packed and you have to both stand at the bar waiting to be served and in hope of a table becoming free.

“So, did you really not peek a look at Adrian in the shower?” Questions Lara into your ear making you give her a dark look in return.

“Only when he had a towel on-“

“I bet he looked so good.” Lara nods happily making you follow suit because of course he did.

“The image has stayed in my mind ever since.” You wink at Lara who laughs back.

“I’m sure it has! But why settle for just the image when the guy is actually in the next room?“ Lara asks in a teasing voice that makes you groan.

“It’s-“

“If you say it’s complicated, I’m going to literally scream.” States Lara raising both of her eyebrows as she rewards you with a stern look.

Luckily before you could start to unpick why you hadn’t made a move yet, Lara is served and you decide to glance around the bar in the vague hope of finding somewhere, to sit and have this conversation.

Lara silently hands you a beer and you accept taking a long drink until you notice a guy across the other side of the bar watching you, not in the mood you look away catching the excited smile that your best friend gives you.

“So, why haven’t you-“

“Can we not talk about this right now?” You ask with a groan but you curse when you spot Lara shaking her head.

“I felt total vibes between you two!” Lara exclaims which makes you laugh.

“You met the guy for like two minutes-“

“As you had discussed.” Cuts in Lara flippantly.

“So how could you notice something between us? I swear the easiest thing to do is just move on from this-“

“Or you make a move? I would bet good money on Adrian reciprocating if you set the pace and started things off.” Lara giggles at you clearly noticing the hot red covering your cheeks.

“I don’t want to mess-“

“You have it so bad! It’s fucking adorable.” Lara cuts you off with yet another laugh.

“Can we stop talking about Adrian now?” You ask giving Lara your best pissed off look which only seems to encourage the giggles from within her.

“Ok, let’s go meet some guys you can practice talking to, then you can try them with lover boy later?” Lara asks with a happy smile whilst you roll your eyes.

“I know how to fucking flirt-“

“It’s closing that’s the problem then.” Lara nods with a sudden pensive look on her face.

“Since my ex, it’s been hard my confidence has been knocked I’m so off my game-“

“First of all fuck your ex!“ Lara shouts causing several people close by to cheer in response which makes you smile as she adds “ Plus you are the perfect package, Adrian would be an idiot to ignore your advances.”

“I just want to hang out with him first-“

“Yeah, that’s how it starts then you fool around and the fun really begins!” Lara winks at you cheekily biting the tip of her tongue which catches the attention of the guy next to her.

“Sign me up!” The guy jokes which actually makes you smile and that’s how you got to meet Cal and his friend whose name you can’t remember right now.

Cal was here with his friend, they had a table and two spare seats with your names on so after ordering more drinks courtesy of your new friend you all head over to sit down.

Awkward introductions aside, Lara starts talking to Cal’s friend Alex whilst you take the seat next to the friendly blonde from the bar.

Taking a long sip of beer you decide this will be your last one not wanting to get too drunk tonight and make an idiot of yourself in front of Adrian, the very thought makes you shudder.

“So, what’s a gorgeous girl like you doing in a place like this?” Cal asks making you widen your eyes as you burst out laughing from the terrible line he had just fed you.

“That was-“

“Just an ice breaker! You looked so lost in thought so I decided to cheer you up and hey it worked.” Cal cuts you off explaining easily which makes you shake your head but continue to smile regardless.

“It did, I needed that thanks!” You wink at Cal lifting up your beer again ignoring the look that Lara gives you obviously bored already by Alex who was currently glued to his phone.

“So, I couldn’t help but overhear at the bar you were having some guy trouble?” Cal asks with a smile which makes Lara choke on her drink all the while you feel your cheeks going red.

“It’s complicated-“

“How so?” Cal questions after taking a drink he places it down at the table and asks “Look tell me if I’m overstepping but if this guy is messing you around you need to ditch him.”

“No, it’s nothing like that!” You begin with a nervous laugh followed by a sigh as you then explain” He’s my roommate and I’m not sure if he feels the same way or I’m just overthinking.”

“Dream fantasy right there living with a sexy roommate!” Cal laughs with a wink that makes you roll your eyes “ But seriously if he hasn’t made any moves yet-“

“Oh but Cal, he has!” Lara cuts into your conversation with glee making you narrow your eyes at her but she ignores you.

“So he’s left it in your capable hands to make the next move then?” Cal questions with an arched eyebrow making you nod back shyly.

“See! I told you, I said the same thing!” Lara cheers at Cal who smirks back in her direction.

“Am I going to need another drink for where this conversation is leading to?” You ask with a grin looking from Lara to Cal who were having some kind of staring match across the table from each other.

“No, don’t get drunk!” Cal informs you finally looking away from your friend to state “You need to be in control and safe if you plan on hooking up tonight.”

“I didn’t say anything about-“

“Tell me about this roommate, I kinda feel like an overprotective brother right now I want to know the details does this guy have moves?” Cal asks and you notice the look of wonder on Lara’s eyes, it makes you smirk to yourself.

“Adrian has moves alright!” Lara winks at you which makes Cal nod both of them looking at you expectantly.

“Ok, fine.” You sigh then give Cal the bridged version of events leading up to right now because you didn’t want to tell this guy everything, you had just met him after all.

“I think you know what you want to do.” Cal tells you with a wide smile adding “ That whole time you spoke about Adrian you had such a cute smile on your face, it was adorable.”

“It was wasn’t it?!” Lara coos at you with a smirk on her face.

“Ok, now I’m gonna be sick.” You joke then state “ I think I deserve another drink after that.”

“But what if-“

“I know my body, I know when I can stop drinking and who even says I will make a move tonight it’s my choice.” You announce firmly slamming your hand on the table.

“Let’s get more drinks then!“ Cheers Lara jumping up from her seat pulling Cal up out of his who happily lets her as the walk off to the bar together.

“It’s that easy is it?” You mutter to yourself looking back to see Alex finally look up from his phone offering you a weird look.

Silently he gets up and leaves you alone at the table with your thoughts which of course start and finish with Adrian, so you grab your phone and decide to message him at work.

Adrian wouldn’t probably reply anyway so you leave your thumb poised over the messenger app debating whether to message him or not, you weren’t even supposed to be thinking about him but here you were.

Instead you switch from messenger to the camera app, deciding to take a quick picture and send it to Adrian, in case he had forgotten what you looked like or something.

“Cocktail time!” Lara cheers placing something pink in front of you causing you to drop your phone back into your purse.

Thankfully talk of your roommate ceases whilst you enjoy the daiquiri which was very sweet making you relax a little watching Lara and Cal flirt easily.

Meanwhile Adrian stops in the middle of the restaurant floor, when he hears his phone beep in his trouser pocket,using one hand to grab it he sees you have sent him a message pressing the notification to see your gorgeous smile on his screen.

Smiling widely to himself Adrian saves the picture to his phone then looking up in case anyone was watching him, he replaces his phone back in his pocket then carries on working but he can’t stop grinning to himself.

You spend the rest of the evening chatting and having fun feeling you inhibitions escape you after a couple more cocktails have you grinning and feeling so happy, even though Adrian hadn’t replied to your picture but he had seen it.

Not exactly drunk but your thoughts were currently being fuelled by alcohol, everything pointing back to you showing Adrian how you felt, no words needed.

Of course you had pretty much been horny for your roommate since you had seen him appear from the shower that time, only difference was that it wasn’t just about how he looked.

Adrian was funny, clever and always knew what to say to make you laugh whilst he grinned down at you with his dimples on show.

“You ok there?” Lara asks with a smirk noticing you lost in your own thoughts.

“I need to go see Adrian.” You announce getting up from your seat feeling a little light headed but you could deal with it.

“Well the bar is closing now so we best go.” Lara winks at you as you notice her taking Cal’s hand so you follow behind them until you reach outside.

“Cab?” You ask at the same time Cal says to Lara with a grin.

“Your place or mine?”

“Now that’s a bad line!” You joke with a laugh.

“Yeah, but it works.” Lara smiles then tells Cal in a low voice “ Lets go back to mine.”

Sharing a cab with Lara and Cal puts a slight dampener on things what with them making out and asking you questions about Adrian in between, so awkward.

“Are you going to put Adrian out of his misery and hook-“

“Adrian sounds like a good dude!”

“Please stop talking to me.” You groan making Lara wink at you whilst she continues to make out with Cal wishing you were anywhere but here.

“Have fun!” Cal shouts out the cab window finally back at the apartment you rush to head inside excited at the idea of seeing your roommate.

Adrian should have got undressed from his annoying work uniform by now the nylon of his shirt causing him to itch but he didn’t want to move, in case he missed you.

Seeing how you had looked after him when he was drunk, Adrian wanted to be here incase you came back in a similar state he wanted to make sure that you were ok, unless you weren’t even coming home at all.

Deciding to end the night with some beer Scott had left in the fridge, Adrian welcomed the warm buzz that envelopes him blaming the alcohol but he knew otherwise, the cause of this electric need surging through him.

Checking his phone Adrian notes it’s been three minutes since he had last looked at the time, groaning to himself because he was so tired but the need to see you outweighed that by a long shot.

All Adrian wanted was to see your face, hopefully alone but he didn’t mind if you were with Lara just not with a guy that would probably finish him off.

Balling a hand into a fist at the very idea of you not being alone, Adrian had succeeded in annoying himself sure you were your own person but he wanted you all to himself, he was kinda greedy like that.

Adrian would give anything to have you in his arms right now, the tension between you both was truly suffocating and he knew exactly how to remedy that but you kinda needed to be here with him.

{TAGLIST} comment to join❤️

@angiekurosaki @joelsgun @aprilfire18 @likeficsinthewnd @druigss @tiannamortis @dazzledamazon @uncle-eggy

#adrian chase x female reader #vigilante x female reader #roommates fic #adrian chase fan fics #fluff and heart eyes #slow burn to eventual smut #next chapter #adrian chase #vigilante #peacemaker #freddie stroma #adrian chase is a babe #enjoy #part one of the series

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moonshineboyz · 3 years

Text

[17:40]

Pairing: volleyball player!Juyeon × volleyball player! fem reader

Genre: Smut, enemies with benefits

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: swearing, unprotected sex, rough/hate (?) sex, usage of the word slut, mentions of choking and spanking, lowkey public sex, brief fingering

a/n: i know juyeon is not holding a volleyball but let's just pretend. i got this idea from listening to lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off by panic! at the disco 🤠 i'm not sure if i like the ending but,,, (@annyeongffs enjoy bb)

masterlist ♡

“Okay guys, let’s wrap up for today. Both teams did great!” The coach called and everyone got out of their positions, stretching out the tense muscles and walking out of court. “Nuh uh, minus you two Juyeon and Y/N.” He called again making you stop in your tracks. “You’re gonna take the volleyballs and net to the equipment room and pump up the basketballs. That’s what you get for arguing and swearing at each other every five minutes even during practice.”

You cursed under your breath sending a death glare towards Juyeon, who just looked at you expressionless. ‘Stupid son of a bitch.’

The coach left the court with the remaining of your team mates that waved at you from afar. You waved back and went to collect the scattered balls letting the boy get the net, since he was taller.

“If you weren’t so annoying, I could be going to my dorm right now.” He said when you walked past him on your way to the equipment room. You thought in giving a rude reply but bit your tongue not to curse back at him, already feeling your blood boil. “I'm talking to you.” You turned on your heel to face him.

“What do you mean? It’s your fault! You were throwing the ball too far for me to catch it in time!” You snarled.

“Isn’t it the whole point? Make the ball touch the floor on your adversary's side? I think you're just complaining because you're not that good of a player." Juyeon had just finished getting the net out of the first pole and glared at you with a raised brow. He really was getting under your skin.

"For your information, I'm the second best in the female team. I just can't deal with bullshit coming from a jerk like you."

Fuming, you turned your back again, walking away to fight back the temptation of throwing one of the balls in your arms directly at his annoying handsome face. Juyeon knew exactly how to get on your nerves and you couldn't stand having to be in the same room with him for too long without getting annoyed or bickering.

You were looking into the lockers searching for a second air pump, since there wasn't any other way and you had to pump up the balls, the best option was to you two do it separately so you could go home as soon as possible. While you were at it Juyeon entered the equipment room bringing the net and you quickly thought of a way to get yourself out of that situation.

"Here, the air pump." You handed him the object, to which he accepted but kept looking at you puzzled. "I didn't find another one, so, you do it."

"And what you're gonna do?"

"Go home!? What else do you expect me to do? Blow out the balls like they're balloons?" Your eyes rolled at how he scoffed at you, arms crossing in front of your body.

"I mean, I know something else you'd like to blow." A cheeky grin grew on his lips and past scenes of his dick on your mouth flashed through your mind.

“Shut the fuck up, will you? You’re so fucking annoying.” You raised your voice taking the boy aback for a moment, your jaw clenched and brows furrowed. “I can’t even stand looking at y-"

The words died at your throat as Juyeon dropped the air pump to grab your jaw firmly, pushing you up against the nearest wall. He was close, his tall figure towering over yours as he looked down at you with dark eyes.

“If you want to yell at me so bad, then I'll give you a reason to do so.” He muttered through gritted teeth and you could feel he was getting mad as well.

“Fuck you.” You scoffed trying to masquerade the fact that your heart was beating fast.

“Oh, you just did on semi-finals night, darling.” Juyeon let go of your face to brush his knuckles against the skin of your cheek, trailing south till it reached the side of your neck. You wished you didn’t shiver at the light touch, making it obvious to him that you enjoyed it. “Speaking of which, where have you been these past weeks? Were you too busy with that asshole from the basketball team?”

You didn’t even notice when you started to hold your breath but you were already feeling intoxicated by the low tone of his voice, knowing exactly what he was implying. His longs fingers wrapping around your throat not helping at all, and you thanked the sound of your racing heart wasn’t audible.

“Why? Jealous much?” It took everything in you to let that out in a disinterested voice, sticking to an attitude not to let him win in any circumstance.

“C'mon, doll, you know I'd never date you; this is just for the fun. You’re just someone to hook up with.” He took a step closer, few inches away to press his body against yours. His skin was still glistening from the after practice sweat and you could almost say he looked hot, even though your mouth told otherwise.

“And that’s all you can get after all. You’re good in bed but you’re as charming as a rock. No surprise you’re single.” Juyeon quirked a brow, his eyes dark as ever.

“Aw, you’re not attracted to me? Yeah, keep lying to yourself, darling. This is the most fun you can have besides taking your clothes off, isn’t it?” His breath fanned at your lips as the grip on your throat tightened, making him chuckle when a small moan dared to scape you. “Gosh, I really missed your pretty little pussy swallowing my dick and you screaming my name.”

You hated Juyeon to the moon and back with your whole being. He was arrogant, full of himself and egocentric, but what you hated the most was the fact that he knew how to touch you and make you feel things in a way you’d never experienced before, and you’d never admit that out loud. You'd never admit to his face how you also missed him pounding into you while you hooked up with other guys.

It was hard to recall when or even how you two started having this type of relationship, an 'enemies with benefits' kind you could say, because you clearly weren’t friends at all. You would pay not to have to spend the practice time looking at his face, and Juyeon would rather die than bumping into you in the hallways.

But both couldn’t deny the sexual tension, and maybe that’s what led you to it, or maybe that was only a tactic to release stress, and you just happened to be there for each other. What’s a better way to calm your nerves than fucking your enemy? The sex was great after all and you couldn’t name any other boy who has ever made you cum so hard. Perhaps the hate towards each other really did add fuel to the fire and made things more interesting, competing who could make the other orgasm the fastest.

"I hate you so much." You said trying not to moan again when Juyeon pressed his torso against yours, sneaking his knee between your thighs, to which you rolled your hips grinding down on it.

"It's reciprocal, I just like to fuck you dumb." His hands went to your waist, grabbing hard and pulling you more into him. You were already melting at the tip of his fingers and didn't think twice before crashing your lips together and tugged at his hair with force as he moved his leg to cause more friction on your core. His big hands roaming all over your body roughly and squeezing your ass. A hiss came out of Juyeon's lips when you scratched his back underneath the shirt, sure to leave red marks. "Don't start a game you know you're gonna lose."

Juyeon pulled you by the wrist to the old desk to careless bend you over it. You couldn't lie saying you didn't like how everything was rough with him, it made a shiver run down your spine every time he kissed you hard and pulled your hair as you cursed at him digging your nails into his skin. He never cared about whether or not he was leaving bruises on your hips, neck and inner thighs, but neither did you. You secretly enjoyed admiring them later in the mirror.

“Here? Really?”

“It’s not like we haven’t done this before. Plus, everyone left, you can scream all you want.” A hand came down hard on your right ass cheek making you yelp. Another smack on the left side and you winced in pain arching your back. “You look good in the team's uniform, but look even better when I'm filling you up.”

He massaged your ass before harshly pulling your tight shorts down to your ankles and you stepped out of them, feeling his hands travel up your legs and holding your hips to press his hard on on your clothed core. You sighed grinding against him, your mind already getting hazy.

The boy brought you up to leave hungry kisses down your neck and bit on the curvature. Your breath hitched when his short nails raked the skin of your belly and you let your head rest on his shoulder, closing your eyes lost in the sensations. “Now tell me, is it still me that makes you sweat? Did you think of me when you were in bed with them?” He growled in your ear biting your lobe, making you grind harder.

“Not even for a second, didn’t even cross my mind.” Lucky you your mouth worked faster than your body so you didn’t dumbly nod agreeing with him. “You’re good but not the best.” You weren’t even ashamed in lying.

Juyeon let out a dark chuckle and grabbed your throat while the other hand squeezed one of your breasts. “We both know I've got a hotter touch, a better fuck than any guy you’ll ever meet. Or else you wouldn’t be coming back begging for my cock whenever you feel horny.”

“You wish.”

“Then why are you still here?” He teased licking your neck and smirked when you shuddered.

“Didn’t you say you missed my pussy? Then fuck me already.” You huffed impatient to which his only answer was to rub circles in your clit over your damp underwear. Juyeon pushed you back to bend over the desk, quickly and roughly pulling your panties down that you’d had stumbled if you were standing straight. “You’re gonna rip my panties, you asshole.”

He scoffed, slapping you once again. “You didn’t complain the other times I did.” His hand palmed himself through the shorts while the other went to your core, fingers playing with your wet folds. You whimpered when he slid one digit inside and added a second right after already moving, making your back arch. “Think I need to remind you that you’re just a fuck toy, not some porcelain doll. They must’ve treated you so nicely, but you like it rough, don’t you?”

Juyeon removed his fingers from you and pulled his own shorts down just enough to free his member and teased your slit with the tip, making you bite your lip in anticipation. Your breath got cut short when he gripped your waist and pushed in in one quick thrust, his cock disappearing into your warmth and your pussy clenched at the feeling of every inch of him stretching you open.

He didn't give you time to even take a deep breath and started moving in a fast pace, grabbing your hips with force. You could feel your whole body getting hot, sweat starting to form on your temples, skin prickling. "How someone so annoying like you have a pussy so good?" He groaned giving a hard, sharp thrust making you gasp and lifted your right leg to put over the desk. You were there so open for him; bent over that he could do anything. And you enjoyed every part of it.

Breathy moans were leaving your lips mixing with obscene wet sounds from your dripping cunt and his hips slamming yours recklessly now, going deeper and deeper inside you. Juyeon was holding you so strong and digging his nails in your skin that you were sure it'd leave bruises. "F-fuck, Juyeon!" You screamed out when he pulled almost all of his length out just to pushed it back in with a quick motion. He smirked to himself and kept repeating it, just to see you writhe and lose your mind.

His hand pulled your ponytail to which you winced but couldn't contain a moan. Your knuckles were turning white holding onto the desk for dear life as Juyeon completely rammed into you. "Not so talkative right now, huh?" He grabbed both your arms, pinning them behind your back with his own hands. "Look at you clenching so desperately. Gonna cum on my cock like a good slut?" His voice was low, watching your whole body shake as you approached your high, loud and breathy sounds escaping your lips.

You came crying out his name, shaking violently and trying to roll your hips back to get more of him. Juyeon pulled out slowly, feeling your walls fluttering and you whimpered at the emptiness. Even though you were sensitive, Juyeon's dick was so good that it never failed to make you want more and more.

A last sigh left you before you got pushed to your knees facing his cock. "Now be the good little slut and you are and put this mouth to a better use."

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rebelrayne · 2 years

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Youcef was never into Najuma: a persuasive essay

Here to explain why I think Youcef was a big ass player, he was never into Najuma and only thought of Najuma as his ticket to win the season. Under the cut because it really is an essay. This is all mostly on assumption you are coupled with a male LI for most of the season up until 41. @mingkittish HERE'S MY HOMEWORK.

no but really this is more a reflection on youcef than it is najuma. I honestly, truly think youcef is a player.

Obviously he lays it on very thick on the hot tub date but we so easily forget one thing: Bruno and Youcef didn’t pick which girls were going on the date; the public picked who would be going. So already, Youcef knows these are the two fan fave girls. If he hooks one of them, he’s set. But why Najuma and not MC?

Great question. MC has two men interested in her already. She has James and she has Bruno, who is on the date with Youcef. Now sure, Youcef is totally fine with a little competition but he wants to win the game so why go the route of competing for MC’s attention when he knows Najuma is in a rocky couple and it’s already one-sided? Not to mention Najuma falls for his smooth lines straight away and is completely dumbfounded when he speaks. It’s a no brainer. He’ll go for her, he’ll charm the hell out of her and she’ll be fawning over him.

But yes, there is also the fact that MC can tell Youcef, “Why don’t you pick me?” And Youcef has the opportunity to switch, he could definitely go for MC right then and there because it would be apparent she likes him, but he doesn’t go for her. This does not mean he likes Najuma though. Remember how he likes some competition? Hazeem is standing right there. Do you think he’s giving up the opportunity to best another man? No. No way. Also, Najuma is already practically drooling over Youcef. He’s there to win. And remember, MC might be switching at this recoupling: does he want to go safe route and try to get Najuma on his side? Or does he want to play the tough game and try to keep MC? Remember he is trying to win here.

So then let’s remember that the group meal happens. You can choose to give him a massage, or choose not to. Obviously if you choose to, the next day at kiss or miss makes sense but even if you don’t do the massage, the man kisses MC first. Now yes, I know, the other LIs don’t kiss their partner first if coupled with MC (Bruno kisses Angie) and obviously that’s lazy writing but the narrator says the boys play it safe at first and kiss their own partners. But... Youcef didn’t? Nope. That man kissed MC. Know why? Yep, you guessed it, he isn’t really that into Najuma. He’s into MC. If you did the massage, he might be seeing that physical compatibility (see what I did there?) but if you didn’t, the man just likes her. It’s obvious there. Then Najuma pitched a fit that no one has come to kiss her so he does. He only does it because she says something about no one kissing her to MC. He’s got to keep up with what he’s showing so he kisses her but again, Najuma girl, he’s just not that into you.

Okay but then Juliet and Valentina come in. Juliet picks him for a date and obviously, he’s excited. Yeah, no kidding. He’s not really into Najuma, guys. He’s established now, she’s just his fall back plan and he knows guys outnumber girls. He knows he’s safe. It’s Najuma who needs to worry, not him. And he chats up Valentina. The man is not worried. Do you think he even cared that Najuma told him not to pick her? He probably shrugged it off and said, “Fine by me.” If you’re with Najuma at that point, then he’s excited because he’s single (obviously) but further solidifies that he’s not that interested in her honestly.

Guess what happens next? Tom comes in. Tom is clearly into MC, even if he doesn’t go on a date with her. And guess who Youcef hates? TOM. Gosh I wonder why??? He’s not even after Najuma! Why hate Tom? Oh, that’s right: HES INTO MC AND NOT NAJUMA. He's constantly rolling his eyes at everything Tom does, everything he says. Tom is an endgame LI and he's just canon into MC always, no matter what. Arguably, he is the most smitten by her because he says 'I love you first' and hey, remember, Youcef doesn't mind competition but how do you think he likes another man coming in that also likes MC? I mean, fine, he's there to win so he gets over it.

Oh but let's talk zipper scene, folks. OMG. If you're coupled with Bruno, Youcef is the LI who shows up at the zipper scene. He finally starts to show that he's actually a pretty sweet guy and he loves his mom. We start to see his vulnerability and we have the option to ask him what type of women he likes. He side eyes MC, clearly interested in why she's asking but also responds in a way that lets her know: I might be interested in you, too. In the compliment off, he does have unique dialogue. If you notice, the woman he describes he likes? Well, he describes MC the exact same way.

Kiss or Miss 23: "I like someone who lets her personality shine through. Someone who knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it, who has brains and courage. Bold in fashion, bold in life, smart in chat. That's what gets me going."

Compliment Off 24: "MC, I think you're very perceptive and smart, but you don't use it to make others feel inferior. And I appreciate that you're honest. You're always up for a good time, but you know when to stop. Basically, you're a classy lady and I respect you."

Tell me that doesn't sound like the woman he describes he likes. It does.

Okay so disaster recouple. Anyone want to discuss how Youcef picked Najuma (because you know, he had so many choices) and then the man literally pushes her away when she tries to make out with him the next day? Yeah. NOT INTO HER. If he was, don't you think he'd have reciprocated that???

We skip all the way to episode 30 now because Youcef is kind of MIA during this time after the disaster recouple. Poor guy ends up with Najuma again when clearly he doesn't even want to kiss her. He asks Juliet for advice to which Najuma asks why "they" would need it. Girl, he didn't want to KISS YOU???? At this point, it's clear that he's questioning himself and knows, hey I need some help sorting this out. This is the turning point. This is when he realizes: It's been MC all along, it really, really has been. Especially if you say, "It's because he's so handsome!" Because, NOTICE ME SENPAI.

ANYWAY. The next day is the talent show and if you walk into the kitchen sexily (I literally hate how Fusebox uses this word sm), he stops and stares at MC. He also goes outside and meets her and Tom/Bruno/James on the loungers. Yeah, cause he likes her and he's trying to feel it. He's following her around! Not following Najuma now, is he? Nope. Hasn't been with her all day. He don't her, y'all.

The next recouple is a boys one and that night, yep, it's the fight. Stay on his side, his mouth twitches into a small smile. He doesn't want to fight about Najuma, he doesn't want to be with her. In fact, he doesn't even like her in the slightest even as a friend. He could have just walked away but instead, he continuously tells her it's fine, they're fine and he just wants to talk in private. It's not that concerning to him at all.

In conclusion, he does not couple with her. Because why the hell would he? He didn't like her that much to begin with, the girl he actually likes is already happy with someone else but whatever, he'll leave Najuma single and pick whoever else is available just to not deal with her. Did you ever notice that he only chooses her at one of the three boy recouples? ONE. He never picks her otherwise. She's always the one picking him. He picks other women because lol, you guessed it, HE ISN'T INTO HER.

I think I've proven my point. This late in the game, he wants to be with MC. He has liked her the entire time but I think he's realized one thing: what you want isn't always the same as what you need.

#LITG #litg theories #litg conspiracy!#litg youcef #litg i have too much time on my hands rn #litg season four #litg s4 #litg bombshell

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soulmate-game · 3 years

Text

Harley’s Plea for Help: Chapter 2

Chapter 1

“How long do you think it’s gonna take before she decides to sneak out?” Nightwing asked over his comms, lazily leaning against the balcony railing in front of him with his head resting on one hand.

“Dude, I started sneaking out almost twenty minutes ago,” a girl’s voice made Nightwing squeak and turn around, to reveal a teenage girl leaning against the door that led to the balcony he was on. “I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by doing unnecessarily showy gymnastics down from my hotel room’s balcony, no matter how much fun that would be, so I just snuck out one of the hotel’s back exits. Then I looked up to admire the moon and saw you here, staking out what is clearly my suite, and decided to come pay you a visit.”

“How long have you been there? And how did you even get behind me? I hope you didn’t break and enter, that’s an actual lived-in apartment behind us right now,” Nightwing asked, turning around to analyze the daughter of Harley Quinn for the first time in person.

She looked just like in her pictures, of course. Jet black hair like her father’s, except it seemed to have a bluish shine in the light. And her eyes were definitely Harley’s— thank goodness for that —vibrant blue and clearly analyzing him with the same amount of intensity as his did her. He had to bite back a chuckle. In a turn of complete irony, she really did look like a Wayne kid. Fit all of Bruce’s usual criteria to be adopted. But she was tiny, even smaller than Harley’s lithe form. He, Bruce, and Tim were of the hypothesis that the exposure both her parents had to Ace Chemical’s vats of acid likely had an effect on her DNA that stunted her growth. Perhaps there were other effects that they wouldn’t be able to figure out until they got to know her better, too, though it was clear that her skin was a likely one. It wasn’t unnaturally pale like her parent’s after their acid dips but it was paler than normal for sure, just a shade or two shy of being paper white.

And he could see, now, what Harley meant when she referred to Marinette as a powerhouse. It wasn’t very noticeable in pictures, but up close Dick could see the carefully honed muscle of an acrobat curling over her otherwise slim build. Combined with the knowledge that Marinette had been taught at least some serious self defense from a young age, he could see how such a tiny package could be a remarkable threat when necessary.

Marinette grimaced as the other Batfam, who were all nearby staking out her room from different angles, dropped onto the large balcony with them.

“Uh, well. I didn’t break and enter, I rather not get off to a criminal-ly start on my first night in Gotham, you know? But I realized that even though I was able to figure out the exact room you were staking me out from, I realized as soon as I got into the first floor of the building that I had no idea how to actually get to you. So I just climbed the stairs all the way to the roof and scaled my way down to this balcony, and pretended I’ve been here for a while when really I was barely able to hear you ask when I was gonna sneak out. I’m still out of breath, actually,” she put a hand on her chest and sure enough her breathing was still slightly fast. But not enough to be worrying or even all that noticeable. Yet another piece of evidence to show that she was a very active individual and had resistance built up to physical activity.

“Yup,” Robin groused grumpily, crossing his arms. “With all that rambling, you couldn’t be anyone else’s child but Quinzel’s.”

Marinette’s face immediately flushed pink all the way to her ears. “I’m sorry! I’ve been trying so hard to quit that habit, too!” She grumbled a bit to herself, putting her face in her hands. They all chuckled at the display. Red Hood ambled over, draping his arm over her shoulders (he nearly had to bend in half to do it, the height difference was that bad).

“As adorable as your freak out is, why’d you even come up here anyway? There’s no way you’d scale down a ten-story building just to say hello.”

She let out a heavy sigh at that, slowly peeling her face out of her hands. “Yeah, I recognized you guys right away. And honestly, as much as Momma Harley would be super proud of me for managing to give an entire group of vigilantes the slip, she’d also ground me for life if she found out that I saw you guys and still snuck away even though she probably swallowed her pride and asked you guys to babysit me, right? Self preservation. Contrary to popular belief, I do actually have some.”

“Wait,” Red Robin held up a hand, brows clearly furrowed under his cowl. “You expected her to ask for our help?”

“Well,” she made a so-so motion with her hand. “I didn’t think of it beforehand, but it all clicked once I saw Nightwing. I know how much my mom is worried about me, especially since you-know-who broke out a few days ago. She is more than worried enough to ask you guys for help. Even if she does complain about you guys, a lot actually, she also has made it clear that she trusts you guys with the stuff that actually matters.

“‘You know who’?” Batman repeated, arms crossed. If Marinette squinted, she thought there might have been a grin on his lips. “Is that how you always refer to him?”

“What else am I gonna call him?” she asked, face going deadpan. “Sperm donor? Source of a large amount of my self doubt and depreciation? The prime reason I haven’t been able to see my mom in person more often over the years? Oh, I know! How about I just always refer to him as ‘that bastard I wanna punch,’? That sounds good!” she rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Only one person in this world has the right to be considered my father in any capacity, and it sure as hell isn’t him. Genetics notwithstanding.”

Red Hood straight up guffawed at that, landing several rough pats on her back that made the girl stumble a bit. “Yep, I like this one! But as fun as it would be to see you give that jackass a mean left hook, it’s better if he never finds out who you are or knows that you’re here,” the vigilante’s voice got dark and serious very quickly. “He doesn’t forget people he finds interesting easily, and if he ever finds out about the connection you have to him, he’ll be a constant threat in your life.”

“I know,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “And if this conversation was happening two years ago, I’d say that my mom’s concerns aren’t unfounded. That I am too easily emotionally compromised and despite my deep seated issues and hatred for that man, I couldn’t guarantee he would be unable to get to me.”

Batman straightened up, as did all of his sons around him. None of them had missed the ‘if’ there. Batman’s voice went from charmingly deep to it’s usual gruff grumble. “What changed in two years?”

They all watched as Marinette gulped, taking a deep breath as she stalled for time, looking out at the view on the balcony before seeming to steel herself and return her gaze to Batman’s. When she did, it was suddenly full of iron will.

“I didn’t lie when I told Mom that I came to visit her— but that isn’t the whole truth, either. If I just wanted to visit her in Gotham, I would have waited until I was eighteen like we agreed. But I can’t wait, Paris can’t keep going on like this. I entered that contest because it was the fastest way to see you. I didn’t know if I would win, but… I had to take the chance. There was no way I’d be able to get to Gotham behind my mom’s back otherwise.”

“What are you talking about?” Robin hissed, stepping up to his father’s side. “Paris has been silent. If anything were happening, we would have heard about it by now.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Marinette corrected, never losing that ironclad look in her eyes. “Because a combination of magic and politics is keeping it quiet. No news about Paris’ situation is able to leave the city limits. Magic makes any non-native who leaves Paris think that everything they experienced was just a crazy dream. Natives won’t forget, but politics has all of us under very strict NDAs if we leave city boundaries, and all of our local news and social media is blocked from being accessed by anyone outside the city. But, I figured a little breaking of the rules wouldn’t exactly put a stain on my family’s reputation or anything, so,” she dug in her pocket and pulled out a thumb drive, holding it up for all of them to see. She swallowed again, but never stopped her eye contact with Batman. She held out the thumb drive.

“I came to Gotham to ask for your help. This sped things up, I didn’t expect to see you on my first night here, but two years in Hawkmoth’s Paris has really taught me how to roll with the punches. This,” she shook the thumb drive. “Holds videos of every fight since HawkMoth first showed up. It has all the information I’ve gathered over two years, tracks his movements and lists all his targets and— everything. But I’m not a detective, I’m a designer. I make clothes, I spar on the weekends, I am not good at getting evidence to prove that someone is a magic-abusing villain holding an entire city hostage.”

“We’re gonna need some details, Little Q,” Red Hood finally removes his arm from around her shoulders, instead crossing his arms and looking down at her sternly. “If your city has a villain holding it hostage, is anyone fighting him? And if you do have someone fighting him, why don’t you need our help, or why didn’t they call the Justice League? The JLE should be in Paris, right?”

Marinette snorted, face scrunching up in obvious distaste. “I’ll have to answer those a little out of order. First; the JLE was kicked out of Paris. They moved their headquarters to Italy about five years ago, I’m just surprised they apparently kept that secret from you,” she gestured to all of them, who indeed seemed very caught off guard by that tidbit. But Marinette just sighed and continued. “Though that’s a good thing, actually. We do have heroes, it started out as just a pair but it’s grown into a small team out of necessity. They didn’t call the Justice League because the last thing we need is any powered heroes coming in and making it worse— your league doesn’t have the best reputation for letting newer heroes take the lead even on their home turf, you know,” she pointed out, which made Batman shift a bit guiltily. He knew the JL was often a bit… heavy handed in their methods.

“What makes the situation so bad that you don’t want to bring experienced heroes into it?” Red Robin cut in, sounding as if the whole situation was a puzzle he was determined to sort out. Which, really, was exactly what Marinette had been counting on. She shot him a finger gun, grinning.

“That’s exactly the point! Hawkmoth uses a magical artifact, like I said— but this artifact can brainwash anybody who experiences even the slightest negative emotion. Sadness, anger, fear— anything negative. And it gives them powers, but puts them largely under his influence,” her expression twisted again, this time into a wry little grimace. “I guess you can say that my momma’s psychiatry background has secretly come in handy a lot over these past two years. And Hawkmoth is exactly why I try to tell Momma Harley to stop visiting me— I have worked my butt off to keep her from finding out about his attacks or getting Akumatized. Every time she shows up it gives me a heart attack!”

“Akumatized?”

Marinette waved a hand dismissively. “It’s the term used for when someone is turned into a super powered villain because of HawkMoth. The brainwashing— really it’s more similar to a straight up corruption. The person usually lacks their usual moral compass, and just seeks to soothe whatever set off their negative emotion in the first place. Usually, that means they seek a bloody revenge. And if someone who already has extensive training or extremely strong powers gets Akumatized, guess what?” She made jazz hands even though her face was deadpan. “Extra powers, or amplified ones, for the metas or superheroes who are Akumatized. And imagine what someone with, say, Batman’s level of experience could do if he had powers and no moral compass,” the silence that followed her words was deafening. She just nodded, knowing she had gotten her point across. “I’ve been working my butt off to stay positive, because if I’m Akumatized…” her shoulders fell, and she had to swallow a lump in her throat. “... I have no idea what I’d turn into, but if you take into consideration both my training and my family history… it’s really best if we never find out what kind of magic-powered supervillain I’d make.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Nightwing said after another long moment of silence for that to all sink in. He gestured at her with an open palm. “You’ve been dealing with a terrorist for two years who targets emotional vulnerability, you apparently have never been corrupted by this magic at least to present day, but your mother still worries about you being very emotionally fragile. And your heroes are not detectives, which is clearly what you need or you wouldn’t have asked us for our help.”

Marinette nodded. “I used to be very impressionable. At the start of all this, I was a huge people-pleaser. I got attached to new people in a matter of minutes. My mom always said I reminded her too much of herself— but two years of fighting off a guy trying to get into my head—“

“Wait,” Batman nearly barked, taking a step forward. “He’s been targeting you? You specifically?”

Marinette nodded grimly, mouth a straight line. “Not from the beginning, but this past year it’s been painfully obvious. He might be able to sense the strength of people’s emotions, and unfortunately I don’t exactly experience my emotions very… gently. All of my emotions tend to the much more intense side of the spectrum. If that’s true, then he might know that any negative emotion I feel will make an extremely strong Akuma. Either that, or he’s going by process of elimination. All of my friends, except for one, have been Akumatized already. So has my Papan and my grandmother. But it’s obvious when he’s targeting someone, I’ve felt him try to override my will on several occasions. But I can’t just repress all of my negative emotions forever, so consider us working against the clock right now. That thumb drive has all the details you need about our heroes, how exactly Hawkmoth’s powers work, and so on.”

“Do your heroes know you’re asking for our help?” Red Robin asked, gaze burning a figurative hole through Marinette’s face. “Better yet, if this drive has as much information as you say it does, how did you get it?”

Marinette handed the drive over to Batman, who finally took it and tucked it in his belt as she answered.

“Momma Harley might have a lot to say about your detective skills, but you are all still strangers to me. So consider this a test of your abilities— I expect that you will all go to extreme lengths to verify all of the information I gave you anyway. After all, I’m still the daughter of your most hated enemy. Right?” She met each of their gazes, one by one, with a challenging one of her own. “You’ll just have to figure out my connection to the heroes on your own. And how I got the information, too. It shouldn’t be too hard for the so-called world’s greatest detectives. And maybe this can double as a trust exercise. I fully expect you guys to scour through every inch of my past, and dig up everything you can on me. I encourage you to try to find everything you can, so that hopefully you can decide to trust me on your own once you have all the details laid out in front of you. By the way, for your own sanity? I’d start with reading about all of our heroes’ powers and abilities before you watch any footage of past attacks.”

Red hood rocked back on his heels, trading glances with the other vigilantes before they all shared a nod. Apparently having decided their course of action, Red Hood leaned down and hoisted Marinette up into a princess carry. All traces of her previous iron will melted away in favor of the high pitched squeal of surprise she gave, and once more she became an overly flustered teenager.

“Alright, little cutie. Let’s get you to your mom’s place before she and her crazy plant lady fiancé come hunting us down.”

“I can walk! I can freerun on my own! Mon dieu please let me down! Eeeeek!” She squealed again as Robin slapped a domino mask over her eyes and Red Hood wasted no time jumping over the balcony railing with her still in his arms. The fact that they were lowered down by a wire wrapped around Hood’s waist didn’t seem to take away any of the fright that came with a sudden drop over an eighth-story balcony.

Part 1

@emotionalsupportginger @alysrose-starchild @emistar0 @kibastray @justanotherfanficlovinbitch @alyssadeliv @blackroserelina @blackstarlight-co @readingalldaysleepingallnight @maanae @aespades @jaybird-and-co @fleursroses @probably-a-hologram @misterpianoman (didn’t work sorry)

#dc x mlb #dc x miraculous #maribat #bio!dad au #Bio!mom Harley Quinn #Bio!Dad joker #mlb x dc #ml x dc #Harley’s Plea for Help #platonic brucinette #platonic jasonette #platonic Harley Quinn x Marinette

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yoonpobs · 3 years

Text

bad boy good thing xiii.

pairing: jeon jungkook x oc

genre: angst, smut, fluff, miscommunication (we hate her lol), pining

warnings: smut, jungkook is really an asshole, the angst hurts a lot tbh, unhealthy relationships (?)

words: 5, 635

summary: a series of drabbles where you're confused and jungkook's confusing

a/n:

hello friends!!! here is the next update :D i hope you enjoy the read! it's been a v long week for me so it's nice to just unwind hehe. thank you for the support & love you all!!!!

“Are you going to just … stare at me?” Jungkook clears his throat as his eyes dart anywhere but forward. It was less uncomfortable that way.

The two people in front of him don’t flatter him with an immediate response, instead; they stare him down harder until Jungkook can quite literally feel the stare of their eyes burning a hole into his forehead. He nearly shrinks into his seat, but he manages to pull a somewhat neutral expression even if he was on the verge of a meltdown.

“Maybe.” Jimin retorts snappishly.

Jungkook knew Jimin would be the pettier one between the two, but again; it’s not unwarranted. So he sucks it up like a big boy and nods his head slowly in understanding.

However, Taehyung was a different situation. His blank face was already intimidating as it is and Jungkook’s known him ever since the two of them were in middle school. More often than not people mistook him for cold and disinterested, whereas he usually just got lost in his thoughts.

But it’s obvious when Taehyung doesn’t like someone. He doesn’t put up a front to pretend that things are dandy and that he vibes with you. No, Taehyung’s blank face returns and it’s tenfold. But Jungkook knew it wasn’t just that, that resulted in the permanent vacant expression etched onto his expression—it’s paired with the fact that Jungkook’s an idiot and this is his punishment.

Jungkook knows better that Taehyung isn’t the type to take things head-on (like Jimin), but rather allow people to ruminate in their thoughts as he stares you down with a gaze so intense that it feels like he’s unpacking every single stray thought that passes by your mind. Jungkook is aware, but he’s never had to be on the receiving end of it.

“Are we going to, uh, order?” Jungkook asks, hands gripping the menu tightly.

Taehyung still stares, and Jimin narrows his eyes at the younger boy.

“You know ____ hasn’t arrived yet, right?” His tone is accusatory and Jungkook feels himself pale.

“I didn’t mean—okay,” He sighs in defeat, “We’ll wait.”

Jimin eyes him carefully before opting to skim through the menu. Jungkook knows it’s a front to not have to engage with him since they’ve frequented the same diner more than enough times for the waiters and waitresses to know their orders by heart. It’s been a while since they came here, and Jungkook knows that he’s partly to blame.

It sucks, sitting here in silence when he remembers that the three of them, you aside—used to engage in stupid banter and talked about the most random things like college boys do. They were his best friends, Jungkook grew up with them and he distinctly remembers always getting into trouble with the two boys until their parents only sighed every time they saw them returning home with guilty expressions ridden on their faces.

Now the banter is replaced with tense silence, but it doesn’t feel like it’s over. Jungkook hopes, at least.

Before Jungkook can say something else, he feels someone slip into the empty seat next to him.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late.” Your voice is sweet and cheerful, and it’s nice to hear you like this again.

Jungkook looks up and sees you smiling at everyone, oblivious to the strained mood of the table before you came.

“Don’t apologise,” Taehyung says for the first time, offering you a small smile, “We were waiting for you, weren’t we?”

Jungkook stiffens, fully aware that it was directed to him. He wanted to lamely interject and say that it wasn’t what he meant, but he knew that Jimi would give him more shit for that anyway.

“You didn’t have to!” You exclaim.

Jungkook feels somewhat satisfied at the scowl that plagues Jimin’s expression, but it’s quickly covered with a beaming smile in your direction as he calls over a waiter.

“We know our orders, right?” Jimin asks.

You nod, smiling brightly; clearly excited to be here again.

And Jungkook feels nice, too. It’s nice being here, with the three of you—even if Jimin and Taehyung were still giving him the cold shoulder it was much better than pretending like everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t.

“It’s nice to be back,” You smile to yourself after the four of you order, and Jungkook can only agree.

Maybe it wasn’t so nice, after all.

Because the entire time, Jimin and Taehyung were dead-set on making Jungkook feel the guilt of his actions tenfold when they pick apart at every word he offers into the conversation.

“Have we not been here for that long? Even the interiors changed a little.”

“I don’t know, Jungkook. Who’s fault is that?” Jimin says off-handedly, unbothered to even cast him a glance.

“Wait, really? There’s a forum coming up?”

“Didn’t we all know? _____ is the one who organised it.” Surprisingly, this came from Taehyung.

“I’m stuffed.”

“With bullshit—?”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Your voice is loud enough to silence the entire table and even causes a few other patrons to turn their heads in the direction of your table.

Jimin is blinking at you with wide eyes, as Taehyung only gapes at the decibel of your voice that he’s never heard from you before. Jungkook only presses himself against his seat, and subtly inches away from you.

But you turn your head towards him and shoot him a glare so venomous that he stiffens in position.

“Don’t you dare shift away from me, Jeon.” You warn threateningly.

Jungkook swallows, too stunned to move.

Then, you turn to face the two unblinking men.

“And you two,” You narrow your eyes at them menacingly, “I told you that I’d deal with this on my own so why are you the ones holding grudges?”

Jimin opens his mouth to respond, but Taehyung is nudging him with his elbows to shut up.

“I expected better from you!” You cry, “What are you guys, five? Or is that how many brain cells you have combined?” You scowl. They’re still blinking at you when you continue to fume. “No. I’m pretty sure it’s less than that because at the rate you’re acting I’m beginning to think that this fork better conversational skills than the three of you.” You hold up your utensil for good measure and the boys can only blink at you.

The last part is directed to everyone, and Jungkook can only listen to you rant as he presses himself against his seat.

“I just wanted to hang out like usual.” You flutter your eyes shut in annoyance, “I asked for one day—one day!” You exclaim, “Just to be with you guys because we haven’t done that in forever. And you couldn’t push aside whatever hostility you have towards Jungkook for this?”

You sound so disappointed, and your voice subdues out into a whisper when you glance at the table. Jimin and Taehyung had the decency to look guilty and apologetic when they realise that you were actually serious about it. Because rarely have you ever blown up, if not—ever.

“_____, we’re sorry—” Jimin begins.

“Are you?” You snap irritatedly, “I told you that I didn’t want to make things complicated and here you guys are—doing exactly that. I resolved whatever I had to with Jungkook, and let’s not pretend like he was the only one at fault here. The two of you are opening a closed book and it’s unnecessary. I just wanted to hang out with you guys and laugh about our balding lecturers, is that so much to ask for?”

“I think—” Jungkook begins, feeling slightly more confident to speak up after you’ve somewhat defended him, but the way you snap your head to him to send him a blazing look shut him up immediately.

“And don’t think you’re off the hook either,” You seethe, “Jimin and Taehyung have every right to be mad but they don’t have the right to ruin the atmosphere of our hangout right now. That doesn’t change the fact that you messed up.”

Your words are sharp, and his eyes widen when you scold him. It oddly feels like the three men were being lectured by a parent, and it’s not far off because you’ve always been the level headed one amongst the four of you anyway.

“I’m sorry, ____.” Jimin offers apologetically, but your ears are flushed for obvious reasons before you mutter an excuse to head to the bathroom.

When you storm off, the three men stare at each other unblinking for a few seconds before Taehyung breaks the silence.

“Listen,” He sighs, “Clearly, Jimin and I are pissed.”

Jungkook’s eye twitches, that’s an understatement.

“But, we have a right to be—like she said,” Taehyung continues. Jungkook doesn’t argue there, “But we care about her as much as you do, and we don’t want her to feel any more disappointed than what she had to feel for the past month. So we’ll drop it.”

“Why are you speaking on behalf of the both of you because I’m pretty sure hyung is staring at me like I’ve murdered ten kittens,” Jungkook mumbles under his breath, off-put by Jimin’s unwavering glare.

“He’s not far off.” Jimin retorts, then he sighs, relaxing his features ever so slightly to look at Jungkook with an expression much softer than what he’s received so far. “I’m disappointed in you, and I probably will be for a very long time. But … you’re still my best friend, and even if I feel like knocking you into every available surface I’m willing to push that desire aside if it means we can make ____ happy.”

Jungkook blinks.

“I …” He croaks, “I’m sorry, to the both of you. I messed up and … I really regret it.”

Taehyung offers a small smile, “You don’t have to apologise to us. It’s ___—”

“Yeah, I know.” He clears his throat. “But the two of you are my friends too and you’ve done nothing but guide me even if I acted like it annoyed me most of the times; I really appreciated the things you told me, even if I blatantly went against it.”

Jimin purses his lips, staring hard at the boy.

“I want us to be okay too, as much as I patched things up with her; you guys are my best friends as well,” Jungkook says softly.

“If ____ forgives you then …” Jimin mutters, though Jungkook can tell it comes from a good place. “I guess I can work with that.”

It’s something, Jungkook thinks.

But then you’re still not back and the three men look at each other in worry.

“I’ll go get her,” Jungkook declares, but before he can push himself up—Taehyung is stopping him with a hand and a cock of his head.

“I’ll do it.”

And when he leaves to get you, Jungkook and Jimin are left in a mini stare off, the awkward atmosphere still tense enough. Not until Jimin gestures to his face.

“Your cheek …”

Jungkook sighs.

“You know there are people who need to pee too, right?” Taehyung hums outside the cubicle. He’s sure you’re in there because he spots your sneakers through the slit, and he’s lucky enough he can because he wasn’t sure how else he’d explain him leaning outside a stall while he talks to it.

You stay silent, dabbing at your eyes with the tissue you brought in. You feel a little stupid for crying about it but you hated the atmosphere out there. It was weird and awkward and the four of you never had moments like that. You always had things to talk about or even just to laugh at each other. The silence and glares were suffocating, and you couldn’t help but feel like it was all your fault.

“I’m going to piss on the floor if you don’t open the door.” Taehyung threatens in a bored tone.

You sniff, loud enough for him to hear as you roll your eyes at his ultimatum.

“Don’t think I won’t do it, _____.” He warns, and you hear fabric rustling that has your eyes widening.

“Don’t pee on the damn floor!” You hiss.

“Then open the door.” Taehyung retorts smartly.

You scowl, glancing into the mirror one last time to ensure that your eyes weren’t as red as you hoped they to be. It comes to no avail because your eyes are puffy enough to tell him that you’ve been crying, and you knew that you couldn’t lie your way through it.

“I’m giving you five more seconds,” He calls, “Five … four … three … two—I’m about to piss—!”

You unlock the door and pull it open, and greet Taehyung with a vehement glare of your own as he smiles down at you, but only for a bit until he notices the puffiness of your eyes and the pout of your lips.

“You know it’s kind of depressing if you lock yourself up in the cubicle of a diner to cry.” He says softly, arms reaching out to bring you into an embrace.

You don’t fight him, even if you don’t make an effort to hug him back. You were sulking.

“Well that’s what happens when your best friends are acting like assholes.” You snap back in a sniffle.

He sighs, patting your head gently as he forces your arm around his waist; shooting you a stern glare that you roll your eyes at.

“You know we’re looking out for you.” He chides gently, and you feel very much like a petulant child when you huff at his response.

“I just wanted to hang out with you guys without things being weird.” You mumble against his chest.

“I know.” He hums.

“But you had to make it weird.” You complain. “What are you? A social justice warrior? I told you I could deal with it on my own.”

Taehyung chuckles, squeezing you a little tighter as you scowl into his shirt. You knew you were being a little dramatic but you didn’t want the dynamics of the group to shift just because of the situation you got yourself in with Jungkook. Even if you were in love with him and he was … in love with you. Your friendship with the three of them meant the absolute world to you.

“I’m sorry,” He apologises, pulling away slightly to look at you with sincere eyes.

You look away and sulk.

He sighs, knowing that it would be much harder to get you to feel better than just an apology.

“Look, I’ll lay it off and I’ll make sure Jimin doesn’t overstep either. Promise.” He offers with a smile.

You look at him with tentative eyes as you raise a brow at him.

“Isn’t Jimin with Kook right now?”

Taehyung opens his mouths, then closes, before he wraps an arm around your shoulder to tug you closer into his grasp.

“After this. I make no promises that Jimin hasn’t caused bodily harm on Jungkook in the meantime.” He says.

You snort, picturing Jungkook cowering or at least avoiding Jimin’s eyes now that they were alone. You knew that the bruise on Jungkook’s cheek was Jimin’s doing, and while you already talked his ear off for that, you appreciated the gesture. Even if it did look like it hurt like a bitch.

“I just want things to go back to normal.” You mumble, fiddling with your thumbs.

Taehyung nods his head and sighs.

“It will. We’re okay. You’re okay. We’ll be okay.” He comforts you with a soothing tone.

You nibble on your lips, “I guess …”

Taehyung stops in his tracks as he was about to bring you back out when you mumble those words so softly he nearly misses them.

“You guess …? Is there something—?”

“I just,” You sigh, “Jungkook and I spoke and we … cleared things up. But it’s still … it still sucks.” You finish lamely.

Taehyung gives you a sad smile before turning you around so that he can grab onto your shoulders.

“What he said doesn’t define you. And I know for a fact that he’s beating himself up over it. It sucks because he’s your best friend and he was the one that said those things to you. But none of that is true because you’re the most interesting, smart and best girl I know.” He smiles at you, even when you flush and look away.

“Stop …” You whine, avoiding his gaze and you hear him chuckle.

“Jungkook’s dumb. He’s our friend, but he’s dumb.” Taehyung snickers.

You roll your eyes but a smile teases the corner of your lips.

“It’s not just that …” You mumble softly, pink dusting your cheeks. “I told him that I was in love with him.”

At this, Taehyung quite literally chokes on his breath.

“You—what?!”

You scowl, “God, you don’t have to be so loud.” You thwack his chest and even as he winces he still has a stupefied expression on his face.

“You … love … what?” He blinks, “What the hell did I miss? Does anyone else know? When did this happen?”

You huff, “Look, that isn’t … important. Not now, at least. I told him that I needed time to sort things out myself and … yeah.” You murmur softly.

You know Taehyung wants to press further, but he doesn’t do that because your demeanour says to drop it. He sighs, pulling you into his embrace once more before he gives you an easy smile.

“Take all the time you need, okay?” He reassures you softly, and somehow it does feel a little better.

“Were the extra ten laps really necessary?” Jungkook pants, hands falling onto his knees just as he completes the last God forsaken round.

“I don’t know. Were they?” Namjoon hums, opting to skim over Jungkook’s hunched figure with a shrug.

“You’re holding a grudge on me,” Jungkook says in a tone of disbelief.

Namjoon shoots the younger boy an unimpressed look.

“Am I?” He returns, and Jungkook already feels the incoming headache approaching.

“Look, I get Jimin and Tae because the two would literally die for her … but you?” Jungkook exasperates.

Namjoon sighs, clicking the pen in his grasp before shoving it into his back pockets. By no means was Namjoon unnecessarily intimidating, because besides the fact that he towered over most people and frequented the gym as his second home; he was a decent guy and great company.

That, and he never imposed his authority as the captain of the football team onto any of the footballers, or his peers, which made him all the more approachable and likeable. Jungkook had nothing against him, but after finding out that he too had feelings for you; he’s bound to view the older boy differently.

“Jungkook, I already told you—you’re my friend and I like you.” He deadpans, “But you’re also an idiot so you’ll pay for being one. It’s really that simple.”

Jungkook narrows his eyes, “And this has nothing to do with your feelings for her?”

Namjoon snorts, waving him off as the rest of the footballers come pooling out of the changing rooms.

“I think you’re projecting a little,” He snickers and ignores the look of disbelief that covers Jungkook’s face when the footballers start gathering around the two.

“He made you run an extra lap?” Jimin snickers.

Namjoon hears this and smiles, “Ten.” He corrects.

Taehyung lets out a low whistle before patting his sullen-looking younger friend on the back while he scowls. Jungkook couldn’t say anything because he’s aware enough to know that his mouth was the one thing that got him into most of the trouble he’s ever got himself into. So he swallows his pride and wipes his sweat, even pretends to smile tightly at Jeonghan when he asks why.

The practice is brutal, well; for Jungkook at least.

Jungkook knew that Namjoon was a strict but reasonable person by nature; and to a certain extent, petty. The only reason he knew was because of his feelings for you and that irked him. But he didn’t know how far Namjoon was willing to go just to prove a point, to you or to Jungkook; he wasn’t quite sure.

But Jungkook’s pride gets the better of him when he waves off concerned stares from the rest of his members. Even Jimin looked mildly worried when Jungkook was required to do an extra circuit or two just because his form looked ‘off’.

Jungkook’s form hadn’t looked off since high school.

And that’s how you find him, splayed out on the ground as he pants for air and stares up at the sky as if he was waiting for God to pick him up.

“Why are you on the ground?” He hears you before he sees you.

And when he opens his eyes, it’s like he’s seeing an angel. He’s half-convinced that he’s died and gone to heaven because your confused face is peering down at him from above.

“I think I’m dead.” He wheezes.

You roll your eyes, immediately squatting next to him before you shuffle through your bag to take something out.

Jungkook can’t even be bothered to ask what it was, but only when you press the object against his forehead and he feels the cool touch of a cold bottle; he ironically melts into the feeling.

“Here.” You thrust the bottle to him.

“God I lo—” Jungkook’s out of it, but not that out of it to let it slip.

You seem to notice, and your ears flush at the near slip-up. Jungkook clears his throat before attempting to sit up, head spinning at the suddenness of his actions.

“Thank you,” He rectifies his mistake immediately, offering you a meek smile.

The sheepish smile you return him with is enough. And he misses you even if you’re right in front of him; because things had been off for so long and having you back … even if you weren’t his, felt better than ever.

But Jungkook’s never pined for anyone else besides you, and it’s tiring. Yet, when you smile at him it feels like it’s worth it.

“Are you checking up on the corpse?” A voice interrupts Jungkook’s dazed expression when he stares at you for a second too long.

He turns his head and sees the cause of the numbness in his legs.

Namjoon is all smiles when he jogs over, Jimin and Taehyung following closely behind as they snicker at the interaction.

“You didn’t have to be so mean.” You pout up at the taller man, standing up as you only reach the height of his shoulders. It would’ve been cute to Jungkook if Namjoon didn’t look so taken with you.

“Someone’s gotta take care of things for you,” He jokes, ruffling your hair.

Things have been going better enough for people to poke fun at Jungkook, and even if he flushes at any mention of what happened—he knows that he’s got to deal with the consequences.

He didn’t know that the extra touchiness from Namjoon’s end was one of them.

“Never thought I’d see the day the great Jeon fall.” Jimin snorts.

You raise an eyebrow.

“What?” He shrugs, “He’s always telling us hyungs that he could one-up all of us with his eyes closed.”

Taehyung nods while Namjoon only chuckles at the statement.

“Not saying that you deserve it but you deserve it, man.” Taehyung laments.

Jungkook scowls from where he sits on the grass, but you’re nice as always when you reach a hand out for him to grab.

He stares at it, struck again by your kindness. And when he looks up the evening sunset flares behind you and you looked like a painting in a museum.

“Wow.” Jungkook blurts.

He didn’t mean to, and everyone caught on his stupefied expression.

“All right,” Namjoon rolls his eyes, tugging Jungkook up himself as the younger boy scowls at the moment being ruined. “Up, loverboy.”

You huff, turning on your heels to hide the way your cheeks had turned red when you noticed Jungkook’s gaze lingering longer than it should.

Taehyung and Jimin shoot each other a look, one that goes missing from you and the two other men. In fact, Jungkook shoots Namjoon a glare that he blissfully ignores in spite of trailing behind you, taking advantage of the fact that Jungkook’s legs are too wobbly to catch up.

“What the—?”

“Hurry up, Jeon. Yena’s waiting and you know how she gets when people are late!” Namjoon calls over his shoulder, before offering you a dimpled grin and grabbing your bag to alleviate the strain on your shoulder.

Jungkook knows that things are better and he’s damn grateful he’s able to be around you without watching over his words anymore. But the childish and immature side of him turns green when he sees the shy smile you return Namjoon.

He knows, that you feel the same way. But somehow his mind overthinks it and asks: what if?

“You look constipated,” Taehyung mumbles off-handedly, clasping a hand to his back when Jungkook stays rooted in position.

“Deserved,” Jimin says.

Jungkook scowls, dejectedly following close by as the five of you walk out of the field.

“That was absolutely uncomfortable.” Yena declares the moment she steps foot into your apartment.

You scowl.

“It wasn’t that bad …” You mumble.

Yena flops herself onto your couch and raises an eyebrow as if to say really.

“Listen I know you and Jeon exchanged vows and a dowry the other day but Namjoon is definitely a close contender. I swear I saw him whipping out a pen mid-meal to write you a love poem.”

You groan, flopping face forward as you stuff your scream into your cushion.

“Why me?” You cry.

You can feel Yena rolling her eyes behind you.

“Oh boo-hoo, your life is so hard. Two hot beefy men are in love with you, wow—things must be so difficult. Would you like a free pass in a therapy session?” She mocks pouts at you when you lift your head to glare up at her.

“They are not …” You remember what Jungkook said and you clear your throat, “… Namjoon isn’t …”

Yena scoffs.

“Well he’s definitely breaking ten different traffic laws to get there.” She retorts.

You slump back into your couch as you stare up at the ceiling.

“I thought things would get better.”

Yena shuffles until she’s settled comfortably next to you, “Are things … not?” She asks carefully.

You sigh, fiddling with the edge of your cushion.

“They are, don’t get me wrong.” You say softly, “It’s just that … I know Joon has feelings for me, and I know … I mean Jungkook is Jungkook,” You explain lamely and Yena awaits your continuation patiently. “I’m not stupid. I’m pretty sure they’re both aware of their feelings, and Jimin and Taehyung are just the bystanders witnessing shit hit the fan. And I’m … well, I’m there.”

“You mean you’re the main character.” She interjects.

You scowl, chucking the cushion at her as she dodges with a cackle.

“Things are better but they’re still weird.” You mumble.

Yena sighs, nodding understandingly as she pats your head softly.

“But you said you needed time, right? To figure things out on your own?” She asks.

You nod your head.

“Yeah,” You breathe, “I do. I mean, I know what I feel and I’ve felt this way for a long time. The only person I’ve ever … loved … is Jungkook. But I don’t know if that’s a byproduct of proximity and familiarity or because he was the only person that I’ve ever … you know.” You gesture your hands ambiguously but Yena gets the point.

“I understand.” She nods, “But things won’t be easy, not at first at least. It’s weird, I know. Going from your best friend to a potential lover, a stranger to a man who’s willing to put his star quarterback on the line and two best friends who are well—they’ve always been overbearing but they’re there.” She ends with a roll of her eyes.

Your face crumbles, “Why are things so complicated?” You cry, leaning onto her shoulder as she sighs and rubs a finger over your shoulder.

“You’ve got all the time in the world. You don’t owe anyone anything, remember that okay?” She hums softly.

“Just because you stare at them long enough doesn’t mean you suddenly get telepathic abilities.” Jimin snorts.

It’s been fifteen minutes since Jungkook’s stepped into the library, courtesy of Jimin who wanted to study for an upcoming test with him. It’s a step towards mending their friendship, and Jungkook is immensely grateful; so he didn’t think twice before responding to Jimin that he’d be their stat.

But he remembers that Jimin is cunning, not maliciously, but very impertinently. He was smart and sly all at once, and while he didn’t explicitly state anything—the timing seemed all too perfect for it to be purely a coincidence.

“Not staring,” Jungkook mutters.

Yet, his eyes remain trained on your figure.

Jungkook’s always had issues with envy, ever since he was younger. If someone made the cut before he did, he’d internally curse them out in his head and work ten times as hard out of spite. It’s somewhat toxic, but it allowed him to outdo himself every single time he felt that familiar green eyes emotion. He’s also no stranger to jealousy, and he’s remembered feeling the very same feeling he’s feeling now multiple times throughout his life, all for similar reasons.

You.

It wasn’t just because you were great at everything you did, excelling in your academics and extra-curricular, making students and superiors around you impressed with your work ethic. You were never ordinary; in fact, all you did in your life was outdo yourself in every single aspect and Jungkook always admired and envied that. It always made him feel like you were in two different worlds, where Jungkook had to work twice as hard compared to anyone else to achieve peak efficiency while you seemed to breeze by the things that you did.

Even when the two of you were in high school, he’d always fantasise what it would be like to be with you, to kiss you and to hold your hand or call you his. But he’s never thought you’d ever see him that way because all you’ve ever alluded to was him being nothing but a friend, a younger boy who had the stars in his eyes. If only you knew that it was a reflection of your face.

And the feeling is all too familiar, even when he first came to college and remembered seeing you interact with different guys that all seemed like they were taken with you. How could they not be? You were soft, sweet, kind and understanding—never the type to impose yourself or make others feel uncomfortable. You were a perfect combination of soft and relentless, the mixture of your best qualities and it seemed like Jungkook wasn’t the only person who saw that.

And he knew, he knew that you’d never lie to him, explicitly at least, or about things that mattered. So he doesn’t count your feelings, but it’s frustrating to have you right there but not at all. Especially when he recognises the look on Namjoon’s face intimately when he looks at you, bodies pressed adjacently in a booth in the library.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Jungkook scowls.

Jimin blinks innocently at his friend before a cheeky smile appears on his face, his hands pausing in between the sheets of his textbook.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He feigns innocence.

Jungkook rolls his eyes, further slumping in his chair before he forces himself to tear his wandering eyes away from you.

“What a way to rekindle a friendship …” He mutters dryly.

Jimin stares at Jungkook pointedly, “Hey, the library is open to all students. Don’t go pointing fingers at me.”

“Jimin, I literally suggested we head to an overnight cafe and you said if I wanted to fix us then I had to listen to you,” Jungkook says dryly, “And I quote—or else.”

“Okay, maybe I may have been projecting a little—”

“Jimin …” He groans.

“But look, it’s not the end of the world so don’t go ahead and get your panties in a twist, all right?” Jimin snorts, “Just 'cause she’s over there with Mr Beefy doesn’t mean you’re out of the race. Let’s just say you’re sporting a broken foot.”

Jungkook only responds with a bland look.

“That doesn’t—”

“—and a dislocated knee. Maybe a torn hamstring?” Jimin ponders like the details actually mattered. “Yeah, a pulled hamstring. A torn ACL too for a kick. And you know who’s fault all of that was?”

Jungkook sighs, “Yes, Jimin, I know. It’s me—”

“No. It’s me. Because I’m planning on dragging this out as far as I can even if you and she made amends. You fucked with someone I cared about and this is how I hold you accountable. I’m going to draw out every lone interaction she shares with Joon and make you watch it like the porn you consume in an unhealthy amount. I’ll make it so that all you’ll see when you close your eyes is the way hyung looks at her and how you can’t do anything but watch.”

Jimin says all of that in one go and with an unblinking stare. If Jimin was looking for a reaction, he definitely got one because Jungkook is gawking at him with a disturbed expression at how utterly menacing he looks.

“You’re fucking terrifying,” He exhales.

“And you’re a little shit,” Jimin returns with a huff. His eyes dart behind Jungkook for a second before his smile is expression is replaced with an evil grin, “Oh, look at that. He’s brushing her hair back—how cute.” He coos.

Jungkook groans, sinking into his chair when Jimin snickers.

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