#its okay now me and my brothers are in an emergency buddy meeting writing an email to my schools admins LMAO i hate my dads step family

[cloneboywonder]

my brother on the verge of a complete stress induced psychotic breakdown

[pascalpanic]

Alpha Beta Charlie- A Frankie Morales Story

Summary: Frankie is a lonely man with a big heart. His life changes when a new girl comes into his life.

W/C: 4.1k

Warnings: This one is a little heavy. Lots of language, talk of poor mental health (Frankie has depression and anxiety), Frankie’s recovering from a coke addiction, alcohol is prevalent here, harm to animals, lots of talk of blood and injuries.

A/N: This story is different than I normally write. There’s no reader in the story, this is just a story about Frankie Morales and a moment in his life. Please note that this is darker as it centers around an injured animal. Be warned of that. P.S. some of my friends might see ur names in here :) thank u to all of my friends who helped me pick Charlie’s name, and to @ilikechocolatemilkh who helped me create this whole story!

Frankie Morales is a kindhearted man. Anyone who meets him knows it instantly. He’s got a wonderful laugh that’s warm and inviting, and it’s often on display to anyone who chats with him for more than a few seconds. He’s caring, it’s clear, with big brown eyes that radiate compassion. 

His friends would describe him more as an idiot. Frankie, who they call Catfish from their days in the military, insists that they’re the idiots. He’s the voice of reason in their group, making the rational decisions and de-escalating fights within their group. 

That’s not to say Frankie is entirely sunshine and rainbows. He’s now several months sober from a long and grueling addiction to cocaine. It ruined him: it took away his pilot’s license, his everything in life. Flying helicopters was Frankie’s passion, but he’s recovering. He’s on the right track.

He had a girlfriend, who became his fiancée, and left him not long after he returned home from a dangerous mission in South America. It didn’t matter anyway; her child, who Frankie had dedicated all of his heart to before the birth, was revealed to be another man’s. As much as she resented him for taking the mission, he resented her for cheating and lying and holding the information back.

So now Frankie lives on his own. He resides out in a more rural town, not far from where Benny has his weekly fights and Will (also known as Ironhead) works with young military recruits. It’s been a couple of months, and it’s hard to be alone. Santiago pops into town once or twice a month, and it’s always the highlight of Frankie’s very being. His best friend brings light and laughter into his life. When he leaves again, Frankie’s small home feels massive and quiet.

He plays lots of CDs. He has bluetooth speakers all around the home and blasts his favorite songs. He’s learned how to cook and clean and has even learned how to bake a decent, basic version of a nice loaf of bread. He works as a mechanic at a shop in his small town’s center, working the odd hours that no one else wants, the hours where others want to be home with their families.

He’d considered different options to make the house more home-like, more welcoming. He tried his hand at gardening, only to find that he had the opposite of a green thumb. He painted the walls a warmer color, then painted them again. He was currently considering changing the colors for the third time. He’d burn candles that he thought smelled nice. He’d hung up a few photos of him and his friends, or his family. Nothing really worked.

A typical night for Frankie held one of two patterns:

-Night A: Frankie gets home from the shop at about 7:30, hands covered in grease and smelling of burnt motor oil. He gets in the shower and cleans up, then either ends up at Benny’s arena to cheer him on, or at the bar with both Miller brothers.

-Night B: Frankie gets home at the same time. He showers to clean himself, simply because he hates leaving smudges over his home. He cooks a nice dinner or orders takeout. He eats it on the couch and watches a new Netflix series. He gets sad and feels alone and drinks a beer, then a few more, to drown the sensation. He goes to bed early and calls into the shop to see if any of the morning shift workers want to go home early, because he can come in an hour or two before his shift. He claims it’s for the overtime pay. It’s really to avoid the loneliness.

Frankie likes patterns. He likes routine. It’s soothing. Maybe it’s a remnant of his military days, where not a second would pass without having a title affixed to the very second he was living in. Predictability made the hurt easier.

Tonight was an A Night. Frankie and the Miller brothers sat at the bar of McCreary’s and talked about everything and nothing at once. Will talked about the new girl he was seeing. Benny made lewd comments. Frankie smacked his arm and ordered another round for the other two, then nursed one beer for the entire night.

Winters were the worst for Catfish. He lived in the South, where snow was uncommon, but the dreary February weather stole whatever energy he could muster up and sent it up to join the gray masses that hung in the sky, yet never shed their raindrops. It gets dark early, another thing Frankie hates. It reminds him of the look on Tom’s face when he died. Of the way his bachelor home never made sounds unless he created them. Of the way the craving for one more hit of that devious white powder felt, the way it scrambled his brain until he thought it was the only thing that could take it away. 

This A Night, which also happened to be an especially chilly Tuesday, Frankie drove home from the bar at 12:21. The backroads that lead from the suburbs out to the rolling hills are dark, with a rare streetlight or two illuminating a fork in the road that led to a house. The radio droned on, some old Waylon Jennings song that was threatening to send Frankie into a fit of rage and smash a fist into his dashboard. He turned off the radio instead.

Another car drove the opposite way, far in the distance. He could see the lights approaching, then dim slightly. Frankie turned off his brights, instead allowing the road to be illuminated just by his front headlights. He turns up the heat in his truck as a shiver runs down his spine.

Something is running across the road. Frankie can see it now. It’s far from him, but visible in the other car’s light. He slams on his brakes, his body jerking forward.

The other car doesn’t slow.

He slams his horn several times, for whatever is in the road and the other driver.

The thing doesn’t move.

The car doesn’t slow.

The car and the creature- oh fuck, it’s an animal- collide.

Everything that happens next is too quick. The car stops for a moment. Frankie whips the truck into park and turns on his hazards.

The other car stops for a moment. Frankie can just make out a silhouette inside. He gets out of his truck, eyes wide and frantic. He runs to the animal’s side.

The car drives off.

Dust swirls across the road as the car’s tail lights fade into the distance. Leaving just Frankie and his truck and the mangled mess of fur and blood.

“Fucker!” Frankie screams after the car. “You fuckin’ bastard! You didn’t even check, you motherfucker!”

He gets closer and realizes it’s a dog. Its fur is white and brown and so painstakingly red with its own blood, and it whimpers and cries and Frankie realizes the poor fucking thing is still alive. Whether it’s his caretaking or his military instincts that kick in, Frankie isn’t sure, but before he knows it he’s ripping off his jacket and picking up the poor poor baby, oh you little angel, he coos to it, wrapping it in the denim and setting it in his passenger seat.

It’s still whimpering and crying, and Frankie gets in the driver’s seat and grabs his phone. “Nearest 24-hour pet hospital,” he shouts into it, hands shaking. He doesn’t realize either reaction is happening. It gets the words wrong. “No, fuck,” he groans, shifting the truck into drive and whipping a U-turn. He types in the words as he starts to speed back in the direction of the town. He knows he shouldn’t text and drive and normally he doesn’t, but he’s a fucking former military helicopter pilot, he rationalizes with himself, he can handle this. He finds the directions and types them in and tears start dripping from his eyes.

“Hang in there, buddy, hey,” he says and rubs the poor dog’s big ears as they drive. “It’s gonna be 30 minutes. Think you can hang on for me?” he asks it, not expecting a response. He wants to check the dog’s sex but now is certainly not the time, not while he’s doing 85 in a 60 zone and the dog’s blood is seeping into his denim jacket and his passenger seat.

The tears are flowing freely from his eyes now, his heart breaking. He can feel the animal’s shallow breaths as he drives, and he sobs to himself. “Hang on, buddy. It’s gonna be okay, I gotcha. I’m Frankie,” he introduces himself to the dog, “and I’m gonna take real good care of you. You’re gonna be alright and we’re gonna get you fixed up and back to your owners.”

The drive takes 24 minutes when Frankie is flying down the backroads. Fuck if a cop sees him. Fuck blowing a tire. That can be cared for later, when there’s not a dying creature next to him. A steady murmur of ‘it’s okay’ spills from Frankie’s lips. He’s not sure if he’s saying it to the dog or himself. One hand firmly grips the steering wheel and the other never leaves the animal’s body. He comforts the poor creature, murmuring more reassurances the closer they get. 

“Please hang in there for me, cariño,” Frankie whimpers, chewing his bleeding lip. “I gotcha. It’s all gonna be alright, bud.”

When he sees the hospital, he drives a little faster. He pulls into the emergency room area and parks in front of the door, turning on his hazards and running inside. There are a few veterinary nurses inside and they greet him, but their looks turn to fear when they see the denim-wrapped animal. “Please, please, Idon’tknowthisisn’tmydogitwasahitandrunandIpickeditup-”

“It’s alright, sir, come with us. Please breathe and tell us again,” a kind woman tells him with a hand on his arm, rushing him and the dog back. Frankie calms down after a moment and explains what happened. “It’s not my dog, I don’t know whose dog this is, you gotta check it for a chip-” he rambles.

“It’s alright, sir,” the nurse tells him kindly and takes the dog from his arms. Frankie clutches after it and a new woman pushes his arms down. “We’re going to take it back and operate on it. Would you please wait here for us? We’ll come give you updates as we get them,” she tells him, gesturing to the waiting room. He nods. “And is this your dog’s first time here?” She asks.

The tears come back, choking his throat as water falls steadily from his eyes. “It’s not even my fuckin’ dog, man,” he whimpers, worrying his lip between his teeth again.

The woman is still kind. “I see. Please, sit, Mr….”

“Morales,” he manages out.

She nods. “Mr. Morales. I understand you’re worried. Please just wait in here for us and we’ll bring you information when we have it.” He nods softly, grabbing a tissue from the front desk. He wipes his eyes and nose. “My truck is parked right outside, it’s in the way, I’ll go park it somewhere else,” he tells her.

“That’s perfectly fine, sir. You can even leave and come back if you’d like.” He shakes his head. “I’ll be right back,” he tells her and walk-jogs outside, getting in his car and bringing it around to park.

-

Frankie enters the emergency room again and sits in a chair. He worries and worries for hours, texting his group chat with the Millers and Santiago. He gives them a play-by-play, but only Santiago responds. He sits awake for another hour, nervously wringing his ball cap.

The dog must be alive, or at least be able to save, he rationalizes with himself. After a while, the worry fades and he falls asleep. Two hours later, no other patients around to disrupt him, he’s woken by the nurse who took the dog back. “Mr. Morales?” She calls out gently.

He jumps awake. “Yeah, yeah, that’s me.” He sits up from his slumped state, readjusting the cap from where it had been resting over his eyes.

The nurse smiles softly at him and sits in a chair across the waiting room from him. “The dog is safe now. We had to amputate her front left leg, and she had a lot of stitches, but she’s stable and looks like she’ll do well.” He lets out a sigh and her smile becomes more genuine. “You told us she isn’t yours?”

She. The dog is a girl. Of course she is, Frankie smiles a little. The smile falls as he remembers the fact again. “No, no. It was a hit and run. I saw it happen, the other guy took off, it wasn’t me who hit her, I’m-”

“Mr. Morales.”

“Right. No, she’s not mine.”

The nurse nods and writes that down. “Well, we scanned her several times. She has no chip, no identifiers at all. Our options now are to send her to some rescue or kennel of some sort, or you can take her home with you.”

His heart breaks at the image of the sweet dog in the front seat of his car going somewhere without daily love and affection. “She’ll come with me,” he answers before he can rationally think about it.

“Wonderful,” she nods, marking that down as well. “She’s looped up now on some drugs. We’ll let her sleep them off for a bit and then she’s all yours. We do have some procedures we’ll need you to follow, for caring for the wound and such. But after that, it should be all good. You’re free to head out now. We can call you when she wakes up.”

Frankie nods. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be great.” He looks down at his watch and notices how early in the morning it is. “Thanks,” he tells her with a genuine smile, taking off his cap and running his hands through his hair before replacing it.

- From that moment on, Frankie was enamored with the dog. He called in from work when the shop opened bright and early at 6:00 A.M. 

“Hey Carol. It’s Morales.”

“You can stop asking if you can come in early, Frank. Just do it,” the woman chuckles on the other line. A loud slurp is audible- it’s the coffee she’s always drinking, the dark sludgy shit that she brews in the break room that Frankie can’t stand but she absolutely adores.

“No, uh. Actually, I was calling in to see if someone else could cover for me today.” He explains the whole story to her, wringing his cap between his hands. “So. I was kind of hoping I could take the day to look for the dog’s owners and care for her.”

There’s a beat of silence over the phone. “Of course, Frankie,” the older woman says kindly. “You got a real big heart, kid. Real big. That’s awful kind.”

He smiles a little. “Just doing what I can. Thanks, Carol.”

“Keep me posted, Catfish.” The woman hangs up.

Frankie’s in more comfortable clothes now. He didn’t sleep at all once he got home, waiting for the hospital’s call. He distracts himself, cooking a breakfast he only picks at, watching his new series halfheartedly on the couch.

The animal hospital calls him again at 7:30. He gets off the couch immediately and into the truck. There’s a bit of blood on the passenger seat, from where the dog wasn’t immediately covered by his jacket. It’s not a worry, though, he thinks to himself. He’ll get some stain remover and maybe a new and nicer jacket. 

When he arrives, they usher him back to a check-up room. The dog is lying down but she wags her tail at Frankie, looking up at him with big brown eyes that could rival his own. “Hey, sweet thing,” he calls softly, and the dog stands and walks over to him. It’s pained, that much is clear, but she’s already adjusting to walking with one less limb. She rests her head on Frankie’s lap and he scratches her ears gently. 

Some paperwork is filled out and Frankie leads the dog out to his truck with the leash and collar the hospital provided. He lifts her into the passenger seat and she snuggles in. The scent is familiar to her. 

Frankie drives her to a pet store nearby, smiling over at her. She looks at ease with him, relaxed and trusting. Of course she is. This is the man who saved her. 

He helps her down once they arrive and leads her inside. Her walking is pained, he can tell. “Aw, honey,” he frowns. There are carts right inside; Frankie sees the immediate solution. He scoops her up and sets her in a cart. Her tongue hangs out happily as they go through the store. “We’re gonna get you all kinds of fun stuff, huh?” He asks, scratching her head. 

Frankie spares no expense for the dog. As they cross through the store, the cart fills: bags of food and treats, a new leash, and a pink collar decorated with donuts “because you’re such a sweetie, right cutie?”, doggie bags, and food and water dishes. Finally they reach the toy aisle. “Do you wanna pick your own toy?”

He picks her up and sets her down on the ground, unclipping her leash to allow her to explore the toy aisle. She meanders, sniffing toys here and there, even considering one big bone. A few moments later, she comes tottering back to the cart with a toy in her mouth. It’s a big plush hedgehog.  Frankie grins. “Aw, that’s a good one! Good choice, cutie.” He kisses her head as he puts her back in the cart. 

They check out and drive home, and Frankie allows her to wander inside. “Welcome home. At least for now. I suppose I should put an ad out for you online.” 

The dog doesn’t respond, just wanders around the house, sniffing the furniture warily and looking back at Frankie. Asking if he’s coming. He smiles and leads her to the couch, sitting down on it. “I know they say you shouldn’t let dogs on the furniture, but I think you and I can share.” She jumps up and Frankie praises her, giving her a smooch and earning a big lick in return. “Oh, pretty girl, I think you’ll like it here,” he coos to her. She snuggles into his side with a sigh and Frankie sighs too. 

Over the next few days, he posts ads for her, but no one responds. He reaches out to people from the area he was driving in, but no one responds. After Day 4 of searching, there’s no response and he allows himself to sigh in relief. “You’re mine now, baby girl,” he coos to the dog, who’s happily panting and grinning. 

During the first week, Frankie tries out different names for her. None of them seem to stick. He wonders if she ever even had a name before. Ada, Lucille, Thea, Sunny, Miki, Zulu, Fox, Pancake. None of them work right for her personality. 

It’s not until late one night when Frankie’s coke cravings decide upon a name for her. 

It’s 2:24 in the morning and Frankie is quaking like a leaf. The dog is cuddled up into his side on the bed. Wherever he goes around the house, she follows. He’s biting his lip so hard it’s drawing blood. Normally when he’s this anxious, when he yearns to call his dealer, he rides it out by balling his fists so tight his knuckles turn white. But his dog seems to notice. 

She rests her chin on his hip, wagging her tail against the mattress with a steady thump. She whines quietly. She knows. 

Frankie’s at least momentarily distracted. “Hey, beautiful, what’s wrong?” He asks her, scratching his head and rolling over to pet her. He’s still desperate but the focus shifts from the sensation of one last hit to the feeling of her soft fur beneath his fingers. She sighs happily and snuggles into Frankie’s side, and he starts to cry. 

No one has ever needed him. Not his plants: they’re succulents. He deals with them once every other week. Not his former fiancée. She didn’t need him, just liked him for his money and his dick late at night. Not his friends. They had other friends to go to. No, this dog needs him, and it makes his heart feel like it’s going to burst. 

Sitting up, Frankie turns on the television. He hits a random button to choose a channel, and Princess and the Frog comes on. He chuckles a little. “How about Tiana?” He asks his dog and scratches her ears. She doesn’t react. 

It’s near the beginning of the movie. The relaxing music soothes him as the movie starts. The dog lies with her head on his thigh, happily receiving scratchies from her new father. Her head perks up when she hears a shrill noise from the television: Tiana’s best friend in her puffy pink dress. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay baby. It’s just Charlotte.”

Charlotte. Her ears perk up and she looks at him. “Charlotte?” He asks again, and she looks at him in confusion. “Do you like that one? How about Lottie?” No response. “Or Charlie?”

The dog pounces on him with her one front paw and licks his face. Frankie laughs happily scratching her sides. “Is that your name, pretty girl? Is your name Charlie?”

The answer, it seems, is yes.

It’s funny, Frankie thinks. Charlie is the third letter of the military alphabet, after Alpha and Beta.

Before Delta.

She would be, he realizes. She’s more important to him than his Delta Squadron guys. More important to him than the terrible things he did in the military. She comes before Delta.

And that’s how Charlie got her name. 

-

The guys finally came over to Frankie’s house on Night 9 of owning Charlie. 

All of the men are dog lovers, and Charlie takes to Benny quickly. He gives her her favorite kind of scratches: one hand behind the ear, one hand on the tummy. “Yeah, that’s a good tripod,” he teases her as he snuggles her. 

“Hey man, cut it out,” Frankie frowns and smacks his arm. “She’s insecure about it! Be nice.”

Santiago laughs. “Hey, you know what, Fish? This isn’t what I meant when I said that you should get a girl, but I’ll take it. Especially when she’s such a sweetie- oh hi, beautiful,” he coos as Charlie hops his way and licks his face. 

Frankie shakes his head. “Isn’t she a cutie?” He laughs happily as he watches his dog. “I tried posting ads for her, but no one answered. She’s such a sweetheart, potty trained and everything. I can’t believe I got so lucky.”

Benny grins. “And all because we asked you to get a beer and you caved and said yes.”

“What the hell do you mean caved, Ben? I get beers with you two fuckers three times a week,” he laughs and shakes his head. 

He’s been home alone with her all week, but he hasn’t felt as anxious as he normally does. Her companionship is all he needs, the way she snuggles up tight against him, the way her meal schedule motivates him to eat more. He has a purpose now. 

After the initial excitement, Charlie finds her place sitting at her dad’s feet, panting happily and looking around the room. “She fits in well,” Will nods and leans over as he scratches her head. “She’s the newest member of our group, I suppose.”

“She’s much less work than Fish. Maybe we replace him with her,” Santiago teases and Frankie flips him off, chuckling softly. 

This was a pattern that came to be known as the newly named C Night in Frankie’s head. These are the nights where they order a pizza or takeout and hang out in Frankie’s living room with Charlie. She’s the entertainer of the group, giving the men each some individual snuggles and wandering around the room. She’s funny, flopping onto her back at a human’s feet so that she can get tummy rubs, spending an absurd amount of time sniffing one specific spot on one man’s jeans. They all adore her. 

Life improves for Frankie when he has Charlie. He works shorter hours, spends time brushing her fur. He sleeps at better hours and cares for himself better as a result of caring for her. 

He takes her on a jog every morning. At first, he was nervous to do it. It’s been a long time since he’s been able to pass those Special Ops fitness tests. The thing that encourages him most is that Charlie is just the same speed as him. She runs along happily on three legs at the perfect pace for Frankie to match. 

Frankie lovingly refers to her as his copilot. She loves riding in the passenger seat of his truck, letting the wind from the open windows run through her fur. She gets excited when she hears the word truck and demands that Frankie snuggle her when they’re on a long drive. She even fell asleep on his lap once, with her face resting in the curve of the steering wheel.

Charlie is Frankie’s baby, and Frankie is her favorite human. The two of them are each other’s soulmates, Frankie thinks. His baby girl, his fluffy baby, his cuddlebug. His girl. His one true love is his dog, his Charlie. 

-

taglist:

@remmysbounty @mishasminion360 @softly-sad @blo0dangel @luxurybeskar @binarydanvvers @sleep-tight1 @apascalrascal

[criminaly-supernatural]

Can I get a Mafia au with Leo? 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Leo mafia au

Leo x g/n reader

Mutants are a regular occurrence in this story so, you know, people are used to seeing them around.

I know there isn't much about the mafia side of things in this one but I got carried away and now I'm definitely going to be writing multiple of these, so there will be more mob stuff in future chapters.

Summary: how you meet leo

Warnings: sleazebags, mild harrasent

To you it was just another normal Saturday in New York city. When you awoke that morning you did everything as you normally would. You got up and grogily made your way towards the bathroom for a morning shower.

Once out of the shower you got dressed, made yourself a cup of ( your favorite beverage) and left for work.

You worked as a waiter/waitress in Brooklyn at a small mom and pop style restaurant. You knew that it was right in the middle of mob territory but you didn't care very much because they paid well.

You usually didn't work on weekends, but your co-worker John was unable to come in due to a last minute emergency and you agreed to cover his shift.

The first two hours of the shift were uneventful, the restaurant wasn't too busy and you had just finished serving a lovely elderly couple, who tipped you generously.

As you continued waiting the tables a group of tall mutant turtles came in and sat down in your section.

The first thing you noticed was their stature, they all towered over everyone, as all but one of them were probably over 6 feet tall. They were all muscle; you thought about how they definitely did quite a bit of working out.

The next thing you noticed was how they were dressed. They all wore nice expensive looking suits that looked as if they had been tailored to fit them perfectly. Each one of them had a different colored tie.

The shortest of the four wore an orange tie and a cheeky smile upon his face. He had his tie undone and looked like the most approachable of the group.

One of the taller turtles, who wore a purple tie, was wearing a pair of glasses that you could only describe as fitting. His eyes were glued to his phone while he listened to the others talk. With the glasses he looked smart, but you wouldn't be able to confirm this until you talked to him.

The turtle with the most muscle wore a red tie and was intimidating to say the least. If you looked up the word masculinity in a dictionary you would find his picture next to it. He had an annoyed look on his face as he listened to the one with the orange tie talk about something.

The last of the group you would definitely say was the handsomest of the group. He wore a blue tie and was built well. You noticed that he was not joining the others at the table, instead he had walked towards your bosses office. You thought on this briefly before moving on and continuing to take the orders of your current customers.

After a couple minutes the tall, handsome turtle in blue emerged from your bosses office with your boss not far behind. The turtle went and joined his companions as your bossed walked in your direction.

Suddenly your boss pulled you to the side. " (y/n), your covering John's shift today right?". "Yes, I am", you responded, "why do you ask?". Then your boss responded, "You see that table over there," they said while nodding in the direction of the table that the four terrapins were sat at, "they are extremely important people and they are dangerous, so be careful and don't mess anything up. You hear me!" Your boss said.

"Dangerous? What do you mean by that? Who are they?" You asked curiously. Your boss looked at you with an exasperated expression upon their face, "Who they are isn't important," they say with a shake of their head, "all you need to know is that you shouldn't mess anything up and that you should be careful," Your boss tells you, "Now go take their orders before they get tired of waiting." And with that you made your way towards their table, only a little nervous about taking their orders. If your boss said someone was important then they were important.

"Hello," you said with a smile, "my name is (y/n) and ill be your server today," You said. As you looked up at the four of them you were only startled for a moment when you met the piercing blue gaze of the turtle in blue. Quick to recover you continued, "What would you like to drink today?"

The one in orange was quick to reply, "I'd certainly like a tall glass of water like you, angel cakes." He said with a wink. The others just rolled their eyes, obviously used to his flirting. You just giggled and responded, "I,m sorry, im not on the menu." You said with a blush.

They all looked a little surprised at this. The big on had a devilish smirk on his face, the one with the glasses stopped looking at his phone for a moment and laughed, while the tall one in blue had a small smile grace his features. The orange one just laughed as he continued with his order, "I'll just have an orange soda, angel cakes." He said. You then turned to look at the others awaiting their drink orders.

"I'll have a coffee, black," the one in glasses said, not looking up from his mobile device. "And ill have a glass a Dr.pepper." The big one with the red tie stated in a thick Brooklyn accent. Then you turned to the last one looking at him, patiently awaiting his order. "I'll have an ice raspberry tea this evening, miss/mr. (y/n)" he stated in a sweet tone. "Okay, ill be back with those in a moment." Then you walked away to go get their drinks.

When you returned the four of them seemed engrossed in a conversation, so much so that it took them a minute to realize that you were there. Once they did realise that you are there they quickly stopped talking. You dropped of there drinks and politely told them that you would be back in a bit to take their orders.

A couple minutes later you returned to their table. "What would you all like to eat today?" While you had expected them all to give you individual orders for meals, this did not happen. Instead the one in blue said, "We'd like the biggest sized pizza you've got, please." So you wrote that down and went to give their order to the chef.

After you had gotten them their pizza and dropped it off at their table you moved on to a table of men who had just come in, who weren't seated too far from the colossal terrapins.

"What can I get for you gentlemen today?" You said. "Oh, If you wouldn't mind I'd love to have some of you. What do you say, baby?" One of them said with a sleazy smile while trying to grab at your thigh under the table. Unlike the light flirting you had received from the orange turtle, this man's flirting seemed sinister and was unwelcome. In response to him you swatted his had away and stated as politely as you could, "No thank you, im not interested. I meant what would you like to eat and drink."

"Oh don't be like that baby." The same man said as he continued to try and harass you, his friend snickering at your obvious discomfort. "Please stop sir, im not interested." But no matter what he wouldn't let up.

All of a sudden a fist came into view and the man had been grabbed by the shirt and lifted into the air by the turtle in blue. "They said no pal," he said with a menacing growl, " you're gonna apologize to this nice server here and then your going to leave understand?" The man, too scared to reply, quickly nodded his head in agreement. Then he was let down, as soon as his feet touched the ground he murmered a quick apology and made his way towards the exit, followed by his buddies.

You were breathing heavily from the shock of how quickly everything happened but you turned to the tall terrapin and gave thanks, "Oh my gosh thank you so much... um, sir, i-" the turtle cut you off " Leonardo." He said, "Uh, what?" You questioned. "My name, its leonardo." He stated. "Well then, thank you very much Leonardo for standing up for me, a total stranger, like that."

He smiled at your apology, a real smile and you couldn't help but think about how you wanted to see him smile all the time. " No thanks is nessesary, I just don't like seeing scum bags like that trying to take advantage of a beautiful/handsome thing like you." He said suavely. You blushed at his complement, some how his smile got bigger.

Then you were walking back over to his table with him. " Thank you again." You said. He just shook his head at that, while sitting back down. His companions seemed shocked at the events that had just transpired. "Oh, (y/n), these are my brothers; Michelangelo, Donnetello, and Raphael" he said motioning towards them each while saying their names. They only looked shocked for a brief moment before it seemed like something clicked in all their minds simultaneously. " Hello again, its nice to meet you all officially." They all nodded in return.

Leonardo then pulled out his wallet to pay for the food. "No, I cant let you do that," you told him. " What! Why not?" He said while giving you a quizitorial face. "Because you stood up for me, as my thanks, your meal in on the house." You said while smiling at him.

"Does that mean I can order more food?" Michelangelo said. His answer came from his brothers in a chorus of, " Mikey!"

"Very well," Leonardo said, "but in return for the free food, you have to give me your number. Only if you want to of course." He added. You smiled at him and said, " thats not how its supposed to work, im supposed to be thanking you!" You said in exasperation, "but i suppose I could give you my number." He smile at your response.

So you wrote down your number and gave it to him. And with that they left and you continued your shift, all the while thinking about Leonardo and his smile. Wondering when you would see him next.

[anotherbeingsworld]

Cheerleader

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Casey Valentine)

Book: Open Heart

Word Count: 1142

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Characters belong to Pixelberry. 

Warnings: None. 

Tags: @maria-soederberg ; @choicessa ; @bitchloveskcbaseball ; @storyofmychoices ; @n-wahz ; @mrsbhandari ; @annekebbphotography ; @princess-geek

LINK TO MY MASTERLIST 

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Bryce feels himself stare at the figure in front of him, as they sat quietly having a Hawaii dinner courtesy of Bryce himself. The way her eyes shine, her smile often makes his heart flutter and the beautiful heart she had causing a smile to appear on his face out of nowhere. Casey raised her eyebrows at him, as a small smile curled on her face.

“Penny for your thoughts, Bryce?” She asked as she took a bite from her dish.

Bryce went quiet, all of those moments with her starts to play in his mind. Through all of it, she had stood by him.

‘I can’t do it Cas, I am not good enough to do this. What if I killed him, what if…” Bryce was cut off as Casey pulled him into her embrace.

Bryce felt tears started to fall as he leans towards her embrace, letting all the pain flow down his back in her arms.

“Bryce Lahela, you are an amazing surgeon. You can do this, you had single-handedly led a cataract surgery without Dr. Tanaka. You saved a life that day Bryce. You saved a kid who is living healthy in this world because of you. He hugs you after he was discharged, to show you that you are amazing at what you do. You are made for this Bryce; I believe in you.” Casey finishes as she places her hand over his heart.

The memory faded once more as another emerge, it was the one from Keiki’s arrival at his apartment. The first time he opened up to her, about his past. His family, his background, and his sister.

“You can tell me anything.” Casey's voice rang as both of them took a seat on his couch after he suddenly went off from the music festival.

“My family, they did bad stuff in the past. My parents were property tycoons who became white-collar criminals…”

Before he could continue, Casey felt her eyes went wide...

“Your family are The Lahela’s… I have read about them in high school.”

Bryce nodded slowly, as he hides his face into his hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What is it to tell, my life has been hell at home. People hated me for what my parents did, and if you know… it would change the way you see me. Most people do, as they heard the name ‘Lahela’, most people decide to head for the hills.” Bryce lets out a sigh after.

It was silence before Casey decides to speak up, as she turns herself facing him. Her hands are cupping his cheek, as his eyes soften from the sudden movement.

“Bryce, I would love you even if you are a janitor. You are not your parents, you are the Bryce that I fell in love with. The Bryce Lahela, that would always pull me into deep hugs, gives me flirtatious winks in the hallway and the person with a huge heart. I am still here am I, and this is where I plan to be for the rest of my life. With you.” He smiles as soon as she is done.

“How the heck did I get so lucky?”

His consciousness decides to play one more memory. It was the day where Bryce is making his first appearance for a medical talk show along with Dr. Harper Emery and Dr. Ramsey himself.

Bryce is adjusting his tie for what it feels like the million times, as a way to ease his nerves.

‘It’s just an appearance buddy, you can do this.’ Bryce thought to himself as his tie finally decides to give up on him. He lets out a groan in frustration as a figure walks towards him.

Casey lets out a laugh, as she saw the hopeless look on his face.

“You really need some help there,” Casey said as she took the tie from him. She faces him, as she started to tie it for him.

“How did you know how to do this?” His eyebrow raised at her with a questionable look on his face that makes her laugh.

“I have a brother Bryce, I used to be the one who ties his ties. Either that or I love to play dress-up when I was little.” She said as she straightens the tie over his collar.

Bryce nods in understanding as she finally is done tying it.

“Done, it looks good as new.” Casey took a step back admiring her own handiwork, as Bryce posed in front of the mirror. He turns to her and places his arms around her waist. The look on his face displayed an amount of fear, as he tried to hide it with his signature smirk which ended up failing.

“Your eyes are saying something different Bryce, you okay?”

“I guess, I am just nervous. I will be speaking on national television Cas, this is nothing compared to all the surgeries I had done. And, with Dr. Ramsey there. It gets much scarier.” Bryce explains as they stood in each other's arms.

“Where is the confident Bryce? Come out will ya!” Casey yells as a couple of workers look at her weirdly.

“Ha ha ha, I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the whole world Cas.”

“You are going to do great Bryce if Ethan’s gonna bark at you. He will have to go through me first!” Casey said as he lets out a laugh.

“I am serious Bryce, you are going to knock it out of the park. You were born to shine as you said, don’t cover up your greatness. Today is your chance to show the world; your greatness. I will be sitting in front seat cheering for you. Just be yourself, and it will be okay. Trust me.” Casey ends with a kiss on his lips.

“I trust you.” He replies as they part their ways as the interview is starting. And, he ended up being amazing as always whilst stealing all the hearts that he can.

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He was brought back to reality as the memory around him fades, his brown eyes meeting hers. She looked at him with a worried expression,

“You okay Bryce? You seem to be spacing out for the past 5 minutes.”

Bryce smiles as he takes her hands into his, and kissed both of them.

“I just love you so much.”

Casey smiled at his words,

“I love you too, now c’mon let us finish this before the movie starts!”

Bryce nods as he started to clear his plate, his eyes fall at her. Somehow, at this moment he felt very lucky to have someone like her in his life. She was his cheerleader, cheering for him from the sides during his dark days and all the victories as well. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

THE END

A/N: Hi!! I am back with a new fic, and its a fluffy one! I have another one coming tomorrow, so get ready! And, this piece is kinda inspired by the little moments that I kinda find it adorable, and its shows how great that someone is always there to support you through it all and i can somehow envision that in Bryce and MC’s relationship! I hope all of you liked it and enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it! Heads up to my cheerleader @bitchloveskcbaseball, i adore you! And, a shoutout to @maria-soederberg for all your help! Check out their stories too!!  ❤ Don’t forget to like and reblog and comment if you want to be added to my tag list!! Thank you so much for reading it! I hope you all have a wonderful day ahead of you. 💖💖

[mrs-hollandstan]

Hey again! Can I get an imagine where Tom sends the reader to London for the week to spend time with him. But she starts giving her attention to his brothers, parents, and even Tessa instead of him. They get into a little argument and Tom’s parents intervene which makes him storm off. So on her last day there, she surprises him with a date from the help of his family and they both apologize. Which ends in a kiss and her saying that she booked another week. I love your writing! Thanks again! :)

So this is a long boi and I decided to headcanon. 😋

So Tom was super giddy because this was the first time you were meeting his dad and youngest brother

His mom and the twins had been to America a few times and you’d met the three of them, but never his dad or Paddy

“Awe babe, you’re gonna love them.”

He’s holding your hand the whole flight cause he’s cute

Even when he’s asleep

So you land, and the both of you are jetlagged

And the first night’s pretty calm

You’re exhausted and his family makes dinner to show you what a real English meal is and you’re in love with all of them

You can see yourself being a permanent part of the family

So there’s playful banter between you and the twins curse they’re like… four

And Tom loves it cause his girl is loved by his family

And the next morning, he wakes to an empty bed and you in the kitchen with his mom making breakfast

Totally fine, of course the two of you would get together, you’re girls in a testosterone house

And then you’re helping Paddy with some arts and craft thing in his room

Sure, Paddy is the youngest and he likes you, great, this is one of the reasons you came here

Then you join the twins in wrestling in the backyard and the three of you end up laying on a trampoline they have and you’re all giggling and Tom’s feelin a little left out, but he’s fine

You’ve said all of three words to him all day

He kinda misses you and his heart breaks a little

But of course you don’t know this

Next its helping his dad grill steaks and tinfoil wrapped vegetables and loaded potatoes and this shit is bomb

His dad is the sweetest and loves to crack jokes and is asking questions about your life

He already feels like a sort of father figure which is real cool

Tom’s a little irritated and Nikki can sense something is off so he tells him to come help you guys

But when he makes it outside, you both kinda brush him off

“We’ve got it. Your girl is a great grill buddy.”

Tom just silently agrees and takes his place on the couch again, a little defeated

You eat and you talk to him then and he’s starting to feel better

But afterwards when you decide that, during the movie the family decided to watch, you were gonna abandon him with a blanket on the couch to lay on the floor with Tessa, he’s at his breaking point

He flips and storms off, leaving the six of you confused

You just look around the room and they all shrug

So you get up and follow and he’s in his room on his bed with his phone in his hand

“Ya okay babes? Got an emergency call?”

“Nope. Come to figure out what my deal is but you’re God damn oblivious.”

He’s F U M I N G and it radiates and as much as you know you shouldn’t poke the bear, you go for it

“Why am I oblivious?”

He just scoffs and shakes his head

“Because I bring you out here to meet Paddy and my dad and hang out with my family and you completely just abandon me.”

You just cross your arms

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.”

By now you’re pissed because you’re getting along with his family and he’s jealous and pissed over it

“Wow, didn’t know I was dating a child.”

“Would you rather not be fucking dating me?”

“Don’t yell at me. I’m enjoying your family.”

“Yeah and just completely abandoning me. Just fo back downstairs.”

“I’m trying to resolve this.”

“No you’re not! Get the fuck out of my room.”

Him yelling brings his parents in and he’s going red in the face

“What’s goin on in here?” Dom quizzes, trying to diffuse the situation

“Nothing. She’s leaving.”

“Tom.” Nikki wants to scold him but she can see you’re pissed too

“Well what happened?”

“He’s pissed because he brought me here to meet Dom and Paddy, which I did, and I’m hanging out with you guys and I’m not paying every single second of my time to him.”

When you cross your arms, Tom clenches his jaw

“She hasn’t said shit to me all day. She’s been playing with the boys and all over you guys and I’m just back burner.”

“I’m sorry that I love your family like my own Tom!”

The boys have come in at this point and they watch until you start screaming at Tom to drag you out

He can still hear you yelling over the three of them and Nikki’s disappointed in her oldest

“She’s trying. It’s better than her not liking us at all.”

She leaves the room to help the boys contain you and Dom sits at the end of the bed

“I get where you’re coming from, but she’s the sweetest thing ever and she’s trying extremely hard and she’s accomplishing all of it. She’s amazing.”

After a few moments of silence, Dom gets up and leaves, closing the door behind him

Each of the boys offer their bed, but you sleep on the floor of Paddy’s room cause he’s the sweetest

And when Tom wakes up the next morning, he can smell breakfast

He just honestly, doesn’t wanna face you

He feels dumb

But he trudges downstairs and is weirded our by the fact he doesn’t hear anything but cooking bacon

And he only finds you in the kitchen

“Are they out back?”

You turn, a little startled at his surprising presence

“No, they went out to get food. I told them to give me like two hours… so you and I could talk and eat and have a little date thing.”

He’s embarrassed to be honest

He should be the one doing this for you

But you gesture to the set table and brush bacon onto his plate before serving him eggs benedict and sitting across from him with your own food

He gives a sympathetic smile

“Look-”

“Don’t… I’m not mad. I just-”

“No, I was a dick. I wanna apologize. I’m glad you’re bonding with each of my family members. I love that. I just… I’ve never been sort of… ignored by you like that before.”

“And I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry too Tom. I should have seen that you were upset.”

“I was being petty.”

“But you weren’t.”

The both of you are seeing both sides

“Well I love you and I’m sorry. I should have never acted like that. It was childish of me.”

You nod, just giving in

“I love you, and I forgive you.”

He smiles and you eat and he asks you where you ended up after the fight

“Paddy’s floor.”

“W H A T ? !”

You just giggle at the shocked look

“They all offered but… I was fine. I didn’t wanna impede.”

He just clicks his tongue and feels even more remorseful

After breakfast though, the two of you end up on the couch, finishing up the movie you guys were watching last night

You drape your legs over his and he holds your hand and you lay your head over his shoulder and you’re both cute

And Tom loves you and he feels like an absolute asshole for what he did to you

But you get it and you feel bad too

So you guys just cuddle

And kiss each other

And love on each other

And its then that you tell him you extended the trip

And he’s super excited because he wants to show you around

And that night, the BOTH of you help his dad grill and you guys eat on the patio

[submerged-tmnt]

Introductions

Submerged AU rising from the dead because @rhi-draws-things needed some good good content of Casey and the boys.

(Refresher: gist of the AU is that the Kraang accidentally flooded the earth prior to canon and made it unusable for terraforming. Now NYC is mostly underwater, everyone lives on boats, and most days are spent peacefully diving/fishing or getting up to regular teen shenanigans.)

AU Karai ref. AO3 version.

Casey hefts the bucket of fish bones, balancing it on his hip so he can unlatch the door and push it open. The cool nighttime air gusts inside as he steps out, and Casey walks away from his home towards the other end of the dockway. The buoyant path linking all the surrounding houseboats rises and falls subtly under his bare feet, the ocean calm tonight.

Casey hums as he reaches the edge, holding the bucket out and tipping it to spill the bones into the dark water. Except something suddenly surfaces right where he’s aiming the bucket.

“Casey!” exclaims Leo, and Casey yanks the heavy bucket back just in time that he avoids dumping fish gunk on his friend. Unfortunately, the bucket is heavy and his luck isn’t having it tonight. His grip on the slimy plastic slips and fish bones spill onto the dockway.

“Uh oh,” says Mikey, joining Leo in poking his head out of the water. Donnie and Raph emerge as well, clear eyelids blinking away the saltwater in their eyes.

“Guys- c’mon!” Casey says, shaking a skeleton off his foot in disgust. “What the hell, I’m gonna have to clean that all up!”

“Sorry,” Leo apologizes sincerely, “but you were the closest person and we really need help.”

Casey forgets the fish bones for a moment, coming back to the edge and kneeling down. “What’s up?” he asks, a bit worried despite his casual tone. Then he frowns, seeing the dockway lights shining on cuts and bruises the brothers have. “Hey, you guys look a little rough. Something happen?”

“We, uh… well,” Leo starts, looking sheepish. “It’s a bit complicated.”

The water underneath the dockway suddenly rises, making Casey wobble a little. “How so?” he asks, steadying himself with a hand.

“It’s not complicated,” Raph interjects before Leo can continue. He’s got a serious shiner and an annoyed scowl. “We got basically spent the whole day getting beat up by a snake.”

“Wh- a snake? Like, a mutant one?”

“The fuck other kind of snake could do this to us?”

“Jesus,” Casey says. “That’s pretty kickass, I guess. If no one got hurt, right?”

“We’re fine,” Mikey assures him, giving a bright smile with a split lip. “Just sore and hungry.”

“Are you here for food? ‘cause we got some leftovers inside,” Casey says, jerking a thumb at his family’s restaurant houseboat behind him. The dockway rises and falls sharply again, which is getting kind of annoying and worrying. Maybe there’s a storm on the way? The clouds are wrong, though…

“Food would be good,” Mikey sighs longingly. “I’m starving.”

“Pen and paper is needed first, though,” Donnie says seriously.

“Uh, why?”

“Our friend needs it so she can tell us her name,” Leo explains, which doesn’t explain much at all.

Casey raises his eyebrows in interest anyway. “You guys make a new friend before or after the snake fight?” he asks, smile quirking his lips. The brothers could use more friends, seeing as they’re only willing to interact with Casey and April, and neither of them has managed to convince the four turtles to show themselves to the population of New York. Their phobia of people is a stubborn one.

“After!” Mikey cheers. He grabs Leo in a side hug, splashing Casey’s knees. “Leo sweet-talked her into it.”

“I didn’t s- sweet-talk her, jeez,” Leo says in a mumble. His brothers chuckle and elbow him, teasing their teal scaled sibling.

“So, where’s this lady of yours?” Casey asks gamely, grinning at Leo’s embarrassment. The dockway surges underneath him again, forcing Casey to steady himself with both hands and triggering a weird feeling in the back of his head. A shivery ‘something is wrong’ feeling.

“She came with us,” Donnie says, as the water around him and his brothers churns. And as he delivers that calm statement, something big rises out of the water right behind them.

Casey gapes for a moment at the giant fucking snake his friends have brought to his doorstep. Then it opens its mouth and hisses viciously and Casey yelps, scrambling backwards from the edge of the dockway.

“Ah, it’s okay!” Mikey calls out. “We told her you’re our friend! That’s just how she talks. Kinda.”

The giant sea snake makes another hiss, followed by a sound that seems like it wants to be an actual word, but can’t fully form into one. Casey’s lifetime of being taught to fear a sea snake’s bite is rearing its head, causing sweat to bead his brow and his heart to race.

“You shitting me?” he asks, staring at the snake mutant. It- she stares right back, luminous green eyes pining him with a gaze that’s got just an edge of feral. Kinda like the ones the brothers sometimes have.

“If only,” Raph grumbles, leaning on the dockway with his elbows. “This’d be a lot simpler if it were just a prank.”

“I second that,” Donnie says with a longsuffering sigh.

“Um, Casey? I know it’s a lot,” Leo speaks up, “but could you skip being shocked and just go get a pen and paper? We’d- well, she’d like it if we could call her by her actual name, instead’ve just saying ‘you’ or ‘Miss Snake’.”

The snake mutant, though she still looks pissed off, bobs her head once in agreement. Casey runs a hand through his loose hair, feeling its long strands tangling after a hot and sweaty day.

“Uh, sure,” he says, shaking off his shock about the whole situation. “I’ll. Just go get those…”

The brothers are sitting on the dockway when Casey comes back, legs folded and scales glistening with seawater. Their usual weapons are present, but- Donnie’s spear has been broken at the tip, Raph is definitely down a couple knives, Mikey is missing his fishing net, and Leo seems to have lost one of his swords. Plus, with them out of the water, Casey can see the full extent of the injuries they garnered fighting with the snake mutant looming over them all.

Of course, the snake herself looks a tad banged up, too. Looks like the damage was all very mutual, until things got worked out.

“Okay,” Casey announces, sitting down next to his friends. “I hope you guys use my dad’s notebook wisely, ‘cause paper isn’t cheap.”

“We just need one page,” Leo assures him, taking the pad and pen. He turns his head, looking up at the serpent with jaws big enough she could swallow a small child whole. Leo smiles at said serpent. “Alright, like Donnie explained, I’m going to go through the alphabet letter by letter. Hiss, or, do whatever you want to whenever I hit a letter of your name in order. Ready?”

The snake mutant huffs impatiently.

“I figured,” Leo chuckles. He clears his throat, touching the pen to a blank page of the tiny notebook. “A, B, C, D …”

It goes on like that until Leo hits K, and the snake mutant hisses loudly. Casey’s arms have goosebumps and his heart is skipping all over the place, and it’s kind of great. She’s wickedly scary, teeth designed for piercing, a deadly bite to boot, and a long sinuous body that’s powerful enough to shake the dockway as she gets excited over the first letter of her name- god damn. There aren’t many mutants around this size or strength. Casey would not (totally would) want to be the guy caught in the water with Miss Snake or whoever she is.

(He would probably die trying to take her on, but fuck. What a way to go, battling a giant seas serpent.)

“K?” Leo is saying excitedly. The snake mutant bobs her head yes. He writes the letter down hastily, and keeps on going with the alphabet for the next one.

Five letters later, and the snake shakes her head vehemently as Leo tries to start again. Leo looks confused for a moment, then lights up with a smile. “Oh! Is that it? Is this your name?”

The snake bobs her head.

Casey then ends up shoving slickly wet limbs out of the way so he can see the notebook, too. Leo gets squished by all four observers crowding in, little growling clicks coming from the back of his throat with his irritation.

“God, guys, I was gonna read it out!” Leo snaps, elbowing everyone he can reach. Casey is shoved away, just like the rest of the brothers, but not before he sees what Leo has written in tight, painstakingly careful boxy letters.

Karai

“Karai,” Leo says aloud, still smiling at the snake leaning over them all. “That’s a really cool sounding name. It’s nice to meet you, Karai.”

“Hey, Karai!” Mikey tacks on, as Raph mutters a, “Hi, again,” and Donnie adds politely clipped, “Hello.”

“Sup,” Casey says, waving a hand. Karai regards them all with her wide green eyes, examining them for something, and then huffs.

She makes a softer hiss than any of the ones she’s made before, followed by something that’s nearly a word. Casey is pretty sure it’s supposed to be a hello. He grins.

So cool. Four quirky turtles who are weirdo recluses, and now a giant deadly sea snake. Casey’s friend group hasn’t ever been this colorful before, even with April and Irma as buddies.

“So, hey, Dee?” Casey asks, catching the attention of the least occupied brother, while the other three are focused on Karai. “How’d you all meet anyway?”

“Oh yeah, I don’t think we got a chance to tell you or April.” Donnie crosses his arm, letting out a resigned sigh. “We interrupted a deal between pirates, mostly on accident, since we were tracking a shipment of mutagen. It was supposed to be an in and out operation, but SOME PEOPLE-” he says loudly, shooting a look at Raph, “-can’t be damn well bothered to remember common manners!”

“We live in a tunnel system!” Raph protests snappishly. “How was I supposed to learn that shutting doors is what’s polite when we don’t have fucking doors?”

“It didn’t even matter if it was polite, you left the door wide open, which was unusual for a tightly knit band of pirates who always kept that door shut, which in turn alerted them to our presence and ruined the whole plan!”

“Shut up! Leo already bitched at me, you can’t, too!”

“So where’s Karai factor into all this?” Casey asks in a bemused voice, because Raph and Donnie are literally just hissing at each other now and that’s always hilarious. Donnie snaps something clicky and sharp and definitely turtle-speak for something or other at Raph. one last parting shot, then smooths his metaphorical ruffled feathers, clearing his throat.

“She was the leader of the pirates looking to purchase the mutagen,” Donnie says. Casey raises one eyebrow and glances up at Karai.

Snake mouths aren’t really meant for scowling, but Karai is somehow pulling the sullen look off anyway.

“And in the chaos of you being discovered,” Casey says, filling in all the gaps, “Karai got a dose of mutagen?”

Karai flashes her mouthful of sharp teeth, hissing balefully. She turns and dives into the ocean, black and white body vanishing into the depths. Leo winces and then sighs.

“Try not to talk about it too much,” Leo says, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s only been a mutant for a few days and she’s still adjusting. We only just got her to calm down and listen about how we didn’t drop that canister.”

“It was just the guy I punched,” Mikey says, shrugging. “He totally wiped out and then the canister went rolling all over the place and people kept kicking it, which was majorly stupid, wow, and it ended up getting shattered right on Karai. Total accident, totally not our fault.”

A wave abruptly crashes down all them all, courtesy of the tail smacking against the surface of the water. Casey spits out seawater and curses, trying to sort out his now soaking hair, which is sticking everywhere and making it feel impossible.

Raph wipes his face off, flicking the water away. “An accident, yes. Don’t mean she’s gonna forgive us for interrupting her black market shopping spree just yet.”

“At least she’s not trying to kill us anymore?” Leo says with a weakly light tone, to which his brother roll their eyes. Casey drags a strand of hair off his face and flicks it backwards, huffing with a grin.

Never a dull moment with the brothers. Casey can’t wait until April gets a load of this new misadventure. It has teeth, a pissy attitude, and is apparently pirate related, too.

Casey definitely wants in. But first.

“Okay, great talk everyone, fun sharing session,” Casey says, standing up, hands on his hips. “Now who wants the good broom and who wants the shitty broom? Because you’re definitely helping clean up the garbage you made me drop, plus since you just ruined my dad’s notebook.”

The brothers groan, but mumble agreements to the return of a favor. The water by the dockway swells with a long dark shape moving underneath it, not straying too far, but unwilling to surface right now. Casey takes the dripping notebook from Leo to set out to dry inside, and heads in to get the brooms as well. Practically whistling, despite the fact that he’s dripping wet.

[chobit92]

Small World: Joseph/OC Part 17

Joseph and John reel following the attack on Lillith...The police start asking questions and John continues to struggle with his feelings...

Warning: Mentions of sexual assault.

(John sits holding Lillith’s hand. The doctors have given her a brain scan and have said that there is no brain damage which considering the state of her face is nothing short of a miracle. The doctor suspects she has a concussion though. She woke up a little while ago for a minute or two but didn’t really say much. The door opens and two men in suits enter the room.). Man: Mr...Duncan? John: Yes? Man: Detective Lawson and my partner Detective Hayes. (John says nothing.). Joseph: Joseph Seed. I’m Johns brother. Lawson: Sorry to be meeting under these circumstances. John: Have you any evidence of what happened to my wife? Lawson: Where were you this afternoon Mr Duncan? (John fixes the detective with his lawyer stare.). John: Why does it matter where I was? Lawson: It’s just a question. John: I was out. Lawson: Can anyone confirm your whereabouts? Joseph: Yes. I can. He has been with me all day. We returned to Johns apartment to find police everywhere. Lawson: I see. John: Do you even know anything at all? Lawson: We know that your neighbour across the way...Evelyn is very nosy. John: Yes she is. Lawson: Well this is good for us. She heard a commotion coming from your apartment at around 4pm. She opened her door and saw two men wearing masks leaving your apartment. She’s the one that phoned in the report. When the police arrived they apprehended a man inside your apartment. John: You’ve made an arrest? Lawson: Yes. We haven’t caught his accomplices yet but it’s only a matter of time. John: Why? Why did he break into my apartment and do this to her? Lawson: Do you know someone called Kyle Newton? (John looks up.). John: Yes. He was a client of mine. I received a phone call from him this morning. Lawson: What was the nature of that call? John: He wasn’t happy that he had been given five years in prison and he blamed me for it. Lawson: You didn’t report this to the police? John: What for? It was a phone call made by a man in prison. He was angry. What would you have done about it? He didn’t technically break the law. He only made a phone call. You wouldn’t have done anything. I know the law you know. Lawson: The man that we have arrested is Travis Newton. Kyle’s brother. I understand that you were Kyle’s attorney? John: I was. I got him the best deal that I could under the circumstances. Lawson: We think that he got his brother and two friends to pay you a visit. We’ll be questioning him of course. John: If you already knew this having read the file and interviewed his brother what do you need me for? Lawson: This is just routine questioning as you will well know Mr Duncan. Hayes: You have quite the reputation Mr Duncan. John: Yes. I do. (John looks at detective Hayes in a way that tells Joseph he already knows the man. Hayes looks away from him. Just then a woman enters the room.). Lawson: Ah. This is our forensic investigator Miss Woods. She will be collecting evidence from your wife. John: Evidence? Hayes: You’re a lawyer Mr Duncan. You know we can’t just stand up in a court of law and accuse somebody of a crime. We need to have evidence to back up our accusations. Right now as awful as it sounds your wife is evidence of what happened. Her injuries are evidence. I know this must be hard- John: Do you? Woods: Oh poor baby. (She leans over Lillith as she pulls on some gloves before tenderly touching her head.). Woods: We gonna find out who did this to you sweetheart. (Woods then opens her kit and starts taking things out of it. John sees the Sexual Assault evidence kit and feels sick. Joseph sees it as well and takes Johns hand squeezing it. Woods then looks at Lawson and Hayes.). Wood: Gentlemen if you don’t mind we’d like some privacy here. (Lawson and Hayes leave the room and Woods closes the blinds. She then looks at Joseph and John.). Woods: I’ll need you to leave too. (Joseph stands up.). John: What? No. I...Can’t leave her. Woods: I’m sorry sir. But I have to insist. Joseph: John... (He squeezes Johns shoulder as John slowly stands up. They then leave the room. The two detectives watch them from down the hall. John leans against the wall.). John: They...They’re looking for evidence of sexual assault. I... (John covers his face. Joseph pulls him close to him.). Joseph: They need to collect all sorts of evidence John. It doesn’t mean that she was- John: Raped? First she suffers a miscarriage and now...This. The thought of someone else...The thought of someone forcing her...I’m the only man she’s ever been with. Joseph: We don’t know if that’s what has happened. We can only pray that it hasn’t. Lillith is going to need you John. She is going to need us. You have to be strong brother. (A little while later Miss Woods emerges from the hospital room carrying her kit and a large brown evidence bag. She smiles at John.). Woods: You can go back in now. (She then walks over to the detectives and whispers something to them. Joseph and John go back into the hospital room. The detectives follow.). John: Haven’t you got all you need now? Go and hassle Kyle Newton and his buddies! Lawson: Mr Duncan...I know this is hard- John: Your wife been attacked has she? Did you have to collect a rape kit from her too? Lawson: No sir. (There is silence.). John: Are you going to tell me what you’ve found or do I have to just sit here and hope? Lawson: She had skin under her fingernails. Travis Newton doesn’t appear to have any wounds besides the black eye and split lip so...She must have scratched one of the other attackers. Hopefully their DNA will be in the system. (There is a pause.). John: He has a black eye and split lip? Hayes: Yes. He says your wife did it. Seems she put up a hell of a fight. John: She’s always been a little spitfire. (John smiles slightly and squeezes Lillith’s hand.). Lawson: When was the last time you had sex with your wife? John: Why are you asking me that? Oh God you think she was raped don’t you? You found something. Lawson: There was sign of recent sexual activity but Miss Woods couldn’t tell if it was consensual or not. When Mrs Duncan wakes up we will be able to ask her. (John shudders out a breath and looks at the floor.). John: No. Wait...We um...We had sex this morning. So...It doesn’t mean that she was... Lawson: I see. Did you use a condom? John: What? Lawson: The lab will try and get the results of the rape kit back to us as soon as possible. If semen is present we need to identify whether it is yours or someone else’s. (John wipes the tears from his eyes and sniffs.). John: I...I didn’t use a condom no. Lawson: I see. We’ll need a sample of your DNA Mr Duncan. For elimination purposes. John: My DNA? So you can put it in your little system and- Lawson: Are you refusing? I would have thought you would do whatever it took to find out happened to your wife? John: Fine. Joseph: It’s okay John. (He rubs Johns shoulder.). Lawson: Right. Hayes can you get Miss Woods back in here? (Hayes leaves the room and returns with Miss Woods. She puts some gloves on and takes out a cotton swab before going over to John. He opens his mouth and she puts the swab inside. Any other time John would have flirted with the woman. Making a comment about sticking something in his mouth. But he doesn’t feel like it right now. She puts the swab back in its packet and writes on it before turning to Joseph.). Woods: I’ll need a sample from you as well sir. John: Why? Are we suspects? Do you think that I did this to my wife?! Woods: Nobody thinks you did anything honey. This is just procedure I’m afraid. I need to collect DNA evidence for elimination purposes. Fingerprints too. Your apartment is a mess. It’s also evidence. The attackers might have left their prints and DNA behind. We need to be able to separate yours from theirs. Joseph: It’s fine. (Woods takes out another swab and Joseph opens his mouth. Once she is done she takes their fingerprints. John hates that it turns his fingers black. It’s gonna take ages for it to come off and it makes him look like a common criminal. He then reminds himself that he works with criminals all the time and gets them off. Now his job has made him a target for some thug. He looks back at Lillith lying there all bloodied and bruised. He realises it could have been him. It should have been him.).

[yoonia]

petals 009#: diaper trouble

#009 - When Daddy forgot the diapers

➽ Character/Genre/words: Min Yoongi x occasional OC | Parenthood!au, Fluff |  2,250 words

➽ a/n: based on my Baby Min headcanons

"Did you get everything? You're writing them down, aren't you?"

Yoongi hums as he writes down the list that his wife had just given him by the phone on one of the papers he had found on his desk. "I have them, I'm writing them down now. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, I don't think so," she answers after contemplating for a while. "Is it really okay though? I know you're busy today, I can just go out with the baby or leave the baby at my parents if it's going to take some time."

Yoongi listens to his wife speaking on the phone while he compiled the scattered notes which he had been working on in his studio, placing the scribbled down shopping list his wife had just given on the top right after he is done with it. "It's okay, really. I will pass by the supermarket on my way there anyway, so I can grab the things you need quickly before the meeting. I won't be finished until later, so as long as you're okay waiting for me to return then it's going to be fine."

He listens to his wife repeating the instructions, adding another reminder of, "Don't forget the diapers," before they bid goodbyes. Of course, also not forgetting to say "I love you" while blowing air kisses on the phone―which Yoongi returns secretly without caring that his cheeks might be blushing as he is doing it since he is perfectly hidden inside his studio anyway―right before ending the phone call. Someone comes knocking on the door just as he puts his phone away with his manager's voice calling for him to quickly make his leave. So Yoongi immediately puts the papers and notes into his bag in a rush and runs out to head out to his production meeting right away.

It's around an hour drive to where the meeting is held, and he doesn't forget to make the quick stop at the supermarket just like he promised. The only problem he is having right now is finding the shopping list.

"Where the fuck is it?" he curses while he rummages the contents of his bag, flipping through the papers and notes yet the shopping list seems nowhere to be found. He spends the next five minutes or more to try and find them, only giving up when he realizes that he would be wasting his time doing so, and he can't be late for the meeting. He tries to recall the list in his head when he steps out of the car, repeating everything by whispering them out to himself as he makes his way into the supermarket. The thought of calling his wife to ask her to repeat all the list again comes into mind as he walks through the alleyways, yet he also remembers that the reason why she couldn't go and do this herself is that both she and the baby are still recovering from being sick the past week.

"Nah, I got this," he tells himself when he is sure that he remembers everything, refusing to disturb his wife when he can tell that she is probably resting with the baby already, and starts on his way to find everything he needs.

He goes for the food supplies first, grabbing some oatmeals and cereals before heading to the daily care station. He takes his time grabbing some of the basic needs for him and his wife before he finally makes his way to the baby station. Yoongi feels proud of himself by this moment, knowing that he has managed to get most of the things he knows his wife wanted him to get.

Until he finds the baby supplies corridor, and that's when he feels lost. "Baby oil and talc, right?" he asks himself, reaching for the said items to add to his cart before pushing it forward. "Okay, what else?" he looks around, finding some other stuff he knows his baby needs, but there is something missing in the back of his mind.

Yoongi reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone to make a quick call to his wife to make sure, just in time for it to ring for an incoming call. "Namjoon? What is it?" he speaks to his device moments after he receives the call.

"Where are you? Are you here yet?"

"No, I'm making a quick stop. Why? Is everyone there already?" he asks his buddy while he keeps on walking with his shopping cart and his eyes scanning the racks.

"Not yet, but the new producer called and told me that he is almost here. How much longer will you get here?"

Yoongi curses as he looks down at his watch, realizing by now how much time have passed since he got here. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Wait for me," he says in a rush, putting his phone away after ending the call. He glances around one last time before deciding that he has gotten everything he needs, reaching to grab a small box of baby snacks before he makes his way to the cashier.

"Are you on your way home yet?"

Yoongi gives out a quick wave at his friends and the producers he just had a meeting with while he walks out of the building, making his way to his car with his phone placed on his ear. "The meeting just ended, I'm heading straight home now," he answers to the phone while sliding his free hand into his coat pocket to retrieve his keys.

"Oh, good," he hears his wife letting out a relieved sigh. "I miscalculated the diapers we have at home. I thought we still have at least one, but it turns out that I had used the last one today. Which means we might be needing the new one soon. You don't have to rush, though. The baby is still asleep so we don't have to worry about changing yet. You have the diapers, don't you?"

Yoongi stands still beside his car, his hand that is holding the key stops mid-air when his wife's words struck him. He can feel the blood in his body running chill when it dawns him.

The diapers.

"Yoongi?"

"Uh, yes― of course, I got them, don't worry," he chuckles, clearing his throat immediately to hold his voice from cracking. "I'm on my way now, wait for me at home, okay?"

He jumps into his car immediately as the phone call is cut off, rushing to the grocery bags and starts rummaging its contents. He can feel his skin growing paler when he can't find the item he needs.

He had forgotten the diapers.

"She is going to fucking kill me," he curses, hitting his head on the steering wheel. He goes silent for a brief moment before an idea comes into his head.

Yoongi sits straight in the driver's seat as he makes another phone call, his eyes are locked on the time showing on his watch as he waits for the call to come through. The other end of the call only answers at the fourth dial tone.

"Jin? I need your help."

Jin is already standing in his doorway when Yoongi parks his car in the driveway of his home. His toddler daughter is standing next to him, clinging to his long legs while holding her storybook on her side and with a huge smile on her face as she spots her favourite uncle coming.

"Uncle Yoongi!!" she calls out to him as he steps out of the car, earning both men to smile fondly at the small girl.

"Somi, why are you still awake?" Yoongi greets the child first, messing up her hair before looking at her father who is staring at him with squinted eyes.

"I was reading her a story when you called," he said while placing his hand on the child's shoulder. "She's been bugging her baby brother so I had to get her away from him to let him sleep."

Yoongi lets out a chuckle. "Well, sorry to interrupt your story time," he said.

"It’s alright," Jin only shrugs as he hands a pack of diapers to Yoongi. "The pack is already opened but it's actually a fresh one. My wife only took one for an emergency we had this morning. We still have some supplies so you don't have to worry about anything."

"Thanks, Jin," Yoongi sighs, taking the diapers in his hand with relief. "Sorry for troubling you this late at night."

"No problem," Jin smiles at him, before giving him a teasing wink. "Good luck on dodging your wife."

"Oh, right on time," Yoongi's wife greets the man as he walks past the front door. "The baby just woke up and I think it's time to change the diaper," she grins before giving her husband a soft kiss to welcome him home.

"Hmmm―" Yoongi leans down to return the affection he is missing so much, deepening the kiss with a soft sigh escaping him and a smile creeping on his lips. "How are you feeling?" he asks her as he pulls away.

"I'm feeling good, actually. Still a bit lethargic but I think that's what I get from sleeping all day," she chuckles. "Where is it? Let me put the groceries and change the baby's diaper so you can rest."

"Actually―" he stops her from reaching into the grocery bags in his hands. "Why don't you just sit tight and let me do all the work. I'll put away the groceries and change the diapers for you."

He watches his wife pouting her lips and nearly feels guilty for lying to her. "But I'm bored," she complains at him. "I have been doing nothing but resting and playing with the dumpling all day. Besides, aren't you tired?"

Yoongi shakes his head and kisses his wife's temple to convince her to let him go. "I am, but I miss the baby too. Let me do it, please?"

She finally nods after a moment and gives another offer. "Then I'll prepare some food and beer for you while you tend the baby, okay?"

"Sure," he sighs, trying to hold back from showing how relieved he is for being able to get away. He makes his way straight into the bedroom where the baby is after leaving the bags filled with food and other supplies in the living room, making sure that he is carrying the bag containing the baby supplies and the diaper―yes, the one he got from Jin earlier―with him, and away from his wife's sight.

The baby is wide awake when he enters the room, cooing lightly with their eyes staring at the hanging toys circling above them and their hands waving around. 

"Hey there, Min dumpling," he greets the baby softly, as he looks over at the crib. Now that he has a better look at his baby, he can see the frown appearing on his baby, quite possibly a result of wearing a dirty diaper for too long. Thankfully, only moments later, their face lights up at the sight of their father, allowing a huge smile to take over Yoongi's face immediately out of relief. He reaches for the baby and carries them to the changing pad, while softly humming at the angel in his hands, "Are we ready to change? Looks like someone has filled up the nasty diaper, huh?"

The baby only laughs at him, of course, their eyes seem to widen at their father's deep voice, enjoying the soft hum as if he is cooing them to sleep. He lays the baby on the pad as he reaches for the diaper, glancing out the doorway to make sure that he won't get caught of grabbing an already opened pack of diaper by his wife before turning back to face the baby. Yet for some reason, he still feels like getting caught by the way his little child is now staring at him with squinted eyes.

"What? Don't judge me," he scoffs lightly. "Daddy is a busy man, okay? He forgets things sometimes."

He acts as if the baby understands him, and with the way the child mumbles with a deep frown on their face as if they are responding to him, scolding him for lying to their mother, he feels like he is being judged by his little one. "I'm sorry, I'll make sure to get you a new one first thing in the morning. Meanwhile, we'll just use what your uncle Jin gave us, okay?"

Yoongi starts changing his baby's diaper, tending the child gently as if he is already well-trained on the task. The child keeps mumbling as he does the task, earning the man to continue cooing with assuring words until the child's face grows brighter.

"There you go," he says as he is done changing them into their fresh new diaper. "Feeling better and refreshed already, aren't we?"

He chuckles when the child starts giggling in glee as he lifts them into his hold. "Promise me one thing, okay?" he asks his child before they head back to their mother in the kitchen, "Please don't tell Mom."

The baby goes still for a brief moment, glancing back at their father before letting out a loud giggle as if they are agreeing to his plea.

MINISERIES | PETALS

Disclaimer: All works are written by myself. Any copyright infringement, reposting on any other social media or website, and any act of plagiarism will be dealt with legal action

[syao]

[Aoharu x Kikanjuu] Dear Goemon-san

Summary: [Midori x Tachibana]. The story of how a tech-challenged pediatrician inevitably fell in love with a young woman who earned his elusive interest, told through postcards and notes.

"I wanna see you soon, Tachibana-san!" Fujimoto Takatora looked nothing like his fear-striking alias on the battlefield at the moment. Tears and snot mixed freely on his face as The Assault Destroyer clasped the small, calloused hands of Tachibana Hotaru. He was unmindful of the airport crowd that streamed past them, some doing double-takes at the scene he was making. "B-But I know I can't wish that. You'll only come home if Papa-san doesn't get better so… so…"

The petite sixteen-year-old offered him a warm smile in return. "No matter how long it takes, we will meet each other again… and duel!"

"You're overreacting, idiot." Tossing her dark hair in boredom, Ichi Akabane looked unimpressed as usual. "You can just message her online or something. In fact, you can even do it in half a day or so."

"B-But…"

Tachibana nodded gratefully as she pressed a few keys on her mobile phone. "Absolutely! Here, let's all exchange numbers and Twitter handles—"

"Nope," the raven-haired woman was quick to retreat from the group, her ponytail bobbing along. "Any act of friendship grosses me out."

"Sorry, Tachibana-san!" The towering white-haired doctor pressed his hands together in apology. "I have her info if you want. I'm just not sure if it's updated though because she always changes her account details whenever she learns that I peeked through the personnel records for them."

"A-Ah, no, it's okay!" She beamed as she watched the nurse's diminutive figure disappear into the crowd. "Tachibana is really glad that she came to see me off, though."

Her phone's Bluetooth notification beeped.

"That's mine." Hosokawa Haruka informed her somberly, glancing up from his own device. "And that's my Nii-san's," he added when another beep sounded. "And that's his vital statistics. And his likes and dislikes. And his candid photos from my private offline collection," he identified as a series of beeps rapidly sounded off. "Make sure to remember Nii-san with all that— he will be very happy if he knows you won't forget him."

A sweatdrop formed on her head. "Y-You know, Haruka-san, Tachibana wouldn't have forgotten Haruki-san even if you didn't go through the trouble of sending all these. He is, after all..." She beamed at him. "... an important comrade of mine."

To her puzzlement, the male's brows furrowed in a displeased fashion. "A comrade? Just a comrade? Are you sure you can't see him as anything else?"

"E-Eh?"

"Maybe I should send you some more provocative pictures of him to make sure…"

"Now, now, Haruka." A grinning figure emerged from the back to tap the man's shoulder. "Stop pimping your elder brother and leave him with some amount of dignity after this."

"Midori-san!" Hotaru raised a palm to greet him. "Thank you for seeing Tachibana off as well."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He grinned at her fondly as he handed her a gift-wrapped box. "Our farewell gift."

"T-Thank you." Her eyebrow cocked up suspiciously. "This wouldn't happen to be something that'll set off the TSA alarm when Tachibana gets to America, right?"

"You are wary of me. Good girl," he nodded approvingly at her. "But no, I'm afraid it's just a little token of gratitude from Hoshihiro— ah, you're unwrapping it already right in front of your gift-givers! Your eagerness warms my heart like so, young lady."

"If Tachibana will be caught by the airport cops, Tachibana wants to know as early as now how she can explain it to Mother— oh!" Her verdant eyes shook when she saw the familiar white naval hat that everyone in the Team Hoshihiro wore during TCG battles.

"We all think the world of you, Tachibana-san," explained Fujimoto as the girl ran her fingers appreciatively over the peaked cap fabric. "And we would have gladly stolen you away from your team if only you were less attached to them."

"But then again, that almost-naive loyalty of yours is what makes the person you are now," added Haruka quietly.

"And we'll always think of you as our honorary member, the best one we never had." With the trademark gentleness of his ward's most beloved pediatrician, Midori placed the cap carefully on her crown. "Safe travels, Tachibana-kun. We wish your father a speedy recovery."

She blinked, then grinned warmly at everyone. "Thank you, Hoshihiro!"

"Oh, by the way…" Midori stepped closer to her and crouched down till his lips aligned with her right ear. "Won't you be asking for my contact details, Tachibana-kun?"

"H-Huh?" Her hand shot up to cover her ear protectively.

"If you don't write to me, I'll get a bit lonely," he continued huskily, enjoying her reaction to his ministrations.

Her sigh of exasperation rang out clearly. "You don't even know how to text, Midori-san."

Touche. "Oh well, I'll have to settle for this then." And before she could react, he pulled the brim of her cap down until it covered the entire half of her face.

Then with the smooth soundless movement minimally expected of an airsoft elite, he bent down and planted a light kiss on the visor, just right above the small tip of her nose.

"W-What, what?" Hearing the collective gasps around her, Hotaru pulled up the cap from her eyes in panic, but only saw the doctor's grinning face. To her embarrassment, she felt heat rush to her cheeks. "W-What did you guys do now? Midori-san?"

Instead of responding, he gave her a slight nudge towards the gates. "You'll be late for your flight."

"F-Fujimoto-san!" Hotaru shifted her eyes towards her biggest ally among the group. The latter still seemed surprised, but he had recovered enough to nod at her reassuringly.

"Tricking Tachibana even till the very last moment. Really, you guys." She offered them a final wave before heading for the concourse.

"You're declaring a war against me and Nii-san, huh," muttered Haruka, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Midori let out a laugh. "What a hot-tempered otouto! This old man was merely giving his favorite protégé a proper send-off."

"You're the reason predators in the society continue to exist. Scum."'

"It's been awhile since I've last felt this truly despised outside the battlefield. Good times."

Meanwhile, Fujimoto sadly glanced back at the crowd where he was sure Ichi was, certainly watching like a silent hawk. You definitely saw it, too, didn't you, Ichi?

It was the briefest of moments, but he swore he saw it sometime before that farewell prank kiss.

Reluctance.

It was an alien notion to think of in terms of the Midori-san he knew who had painstakingly maintained the barrier between utility and attachment in all of his relationships for years. He was someone who could let go even of a soul he had once saved from darkness.

That you made him feel that way even for a moment… The kind-hearted doctor shook his head in awe. You're even more amazing than I thought, Tachibana-san.

"Look, Papa! The statue's so big!" A young girl in pigtails eagerly pointed to the postcard stuck on the corkboard. "Is it Kami-sama?"

"Young lady, that is the Statue of Liberty in America." Somewhere in the middle of looking at the travel postcards Midori Nagamasa had conveniently placed across his desk, the child barely noticed the vaccine injection that he had quietly made. He didn't even have to summon Fujimon to take on his usual role and distract his little patient.

"Why do you have Liberty-san's picture, Sensei?" asked the girl, eyes widening in curiosity.

He glanced up quickly at her to smile before resuming his scribbles on his doctor's pad. "My friend sent it to me. She lives there right now."

"Do you miss her?"

Before he could respond, the child's father guffawed. "Of course not, Baby! Sensei has many pretty nurses and mommy friends who come to his office! Ne, Sensei?" He winked at him conspiratorially, as if they were close buddies.

Garbage.

He paused from writing long enough to smile brightly at him. "Indeed. Let's especially not forget your lovely wife who visits me from time to time, begging me desperately for a Sildenafil prescription."

It was then that Ichi, with her too conveniently impeccable timing, entered the room with an airmail envelope.

"Sensei, a letter came in for you." She eyed the colorful postcards littering the board in quiet disdain before meeting his gaze.

"Thank you, Ichi. You can place it on my desk."

"Yes, Midori-sensei." She immediately did as told.

"Do I still have patients waiting outside?"

"None. Your next appointment is after lunch."

"Perfect." He smiled pleasantly at her. "I will be taking my lunch break."

Whether conversing with the nurses or taunting a target in a no-freeze arena, Ichi knew that the good doctor wore basically the same genial expression on his face. She wouldn't have felt offended at such fact if only her devoted attention to him did not reveal a grand exception to this rule— and that was his young penpal from America. The fondness he had solely for her was undeniable.

"Please excuse me." She bowed at him and his patients before heading to the door. She's been away for a year, but he hasn't lost his interest in her yet. With much more force than usual, she flipped the "The Doctor is In" sign on the door and reveled in its surprising loud thud.

What sorcery does she hold over him, really?

.

.

.

Dear Goemon-san…

Nearly all her letters started in a similar fashion, save for her very first mail. He could still vividly recall his pleasant surprise when Fujimon handed him the postcard of the NYC skyscape a month after Tachibana Hotaru had left the country.

Granted that it bore merely a generic stream of pleasantries, he was glad that she still chose to indulge an old fogey like him and wrote to him after all.

So as his way of expressing his gratitude, he wrote her back using the return address of her dormitory, along with a little care package.

Her reply came in sooner than expected, delivered to him by his trusty Fujimon. And this time, instead of a polite "Dear Midori-san", what he got was this:

Dear Goemon-san,

Thank you for your package. However, a female student has no use for a wall calendar of half-naked AV idols who can't hold guns properly to save their lives. Tachibana has promptly shredded it and tossed it in with this week's trash.

Hope you and Team Hoshihiro are well.

Signed,

Tachibana

He had spent that afternoon in a strangely good mood that even his patients had taken notice of it. That very evening, he wrote her back.

Dear Tachibana-kun,

I am relieved to hear that you still recall the proper gun grip. I also agree with your assessments and have forwarded your concern to the entertainment group handling these irresponsible campaign models. As a medical professional working in the pediatrics field, I agree that the children of Japan deserve better gun education than this.

Do you still get an opportunity to play survival games there? It pains me to imagine a bunch of unworthy creatures of mediocrity becoming on the receiving end of your glorious bloodlust.

My team is doing well. We have won a million yen for the nth time, so I have elected to fill my bed with bills that I can roll around on when I am feeling rather uninspired. It would have filled the hole in my heart if only I've been bestowed with one in the first place.

Hope you are adjusting well to your new life in the States.

Signed,

Your Fellow Advocate for the Proper Demonstration of Gun Holding Among Sexy Idols

P.S.

Why am I suddenly christened Goemon-san?

It didn't take a month to hear back from her again. Turning over the postcard showing the landmark 19th-century Brooklyn Bridge, he read her hastily scribbled note.

Dear Goemon-san,

Thank you for enlightening Tachibana as to why an invitation from an entertainment group to watch the next year's shoot of their "Guns x Babes 2018 Artbook Collection" came in the mail.

Tachibana must also confess to asking Matsuoka-san about your home address so Tachibana can provide that information instead for their "Guns x Boys 2017" calendar + artbook bundle offer.

Between spending time with Dad, a part-time job, and schooling, Tachibana is hardly able to find time to play survival games. Tachibana does watch war game clips online during the commute, and that helped tide things over for the time being. Nonetheless, thank you for asking.

Signed,

Tachibana

P.S. Tachibana talked to Fujimoto-san about it, and he agreed that it is best to minimize references to you as much as possible.

That gave him an idea as to why she did it, which was confirmed by Fujimon when he asked the next afternoon.

"She has to use an alias so the hospital staff won't gossip about a fully adult physician exchanging non-academic notes with a high school student overseas… or so Tachibana-san says."

A child twelve years his junior knew more than him regarding the conventional boundaries he was expected to set. But more importantly, he appreciated that she, with her naive blazing sense of justice, resorted to this silly act in kind consideration of his request that she write him, too.

That night, he wrote her back.

Dear Tachibana-kun,

I look forward to receiving that literature you so thoughtfully ordered for me. I can't wait to peruse through them and see how well they can challenge my current limits of taste and preferences. You alone can be so considerate to such extent of my circumstances— whether it be this or everything else.

Thank you. I am honored to accept the name of the gun you first bought (under my auspice, of course. I have excellent taste, don't you think?)

I have enclosed videotapes of my Matsune and his friends playing in the outdoor field. I can send you more if you want— I have an enviable network I can tap on anytime to do my bidding.

Signed,

A Future Fan of the Guns x Boys Franchise

A week after he received the artbook and wall calendar, he heard back from his benefactress.

At the back of a lit-up New York City nightscape postcard, she had written:

Dear Goemon-san,

Please don't send Tachibana any more photos or videos of everyone back home. It's difficult as it is. Tachibana will only miss everyone more.

Signed,

Tachibana

Despite himself, he felt anxious at the almost-curt length of the message. Excusing himself from the rest of his shift, he hurried to the postal office the same day to send a priority mail to her.

Dear Tachibana-kun,

When not on the battlefield, I endeavor to go against the little, excited voice in my head and refrain from causing anyone pain. If I caused you such with my previous mail, you have my utmost apology. I went too far with that one, I believe.

Write me back?

Signed,

Your Foolish Old Man Penpal from Japan

He quietly waited with bated breath for her response. It came in two weeks after, via a postcard showing a beautiful fountain and statue amidst the greenery. However, it was inside a bigger envelope, which had a slightly longer letter with it.

Dear Goemon-san,

This is the Angel of the Waters. It is situated in the Bethesda Terrace in the Central Park. A city guide said that an angel was said to have blessed the water and healed the sick, like it did for the cholera-stricken city many centuries ago.

Tachibana learned that Bethsheda's word origin can either mean a place of shame or a place of grace. It reminds Tachibana of you. You are both an angel of healing in the hospital and an angel of shaming in the battlefield. Tachibana accepts both faces because they both belong to a good friend. If you go over the line at either end, Tachibana will fight to bring you back.

What Tachibana is trying to say is… thank you, apology accepted, and Tachibana looks forward to receiving a new mail from Goemon-san.

Signed,

Tachibana

Only then could he let out a huge sigh of relief. For what, he did not endeavor to determine. All that mattered to him was that their flimsy connection— whatever it was— had not been severed.

He went on to pen his response, in what inevitably would be one of the many more letters they would exchange over the year and the months beyond.

.

.

.

Nagamasa Midori deftly opened the US-postmarked envelope with a paper knife. To his surprise, inch photo slipped down the table. It was a photo of Tachibana Hotaru together with a couple that he assumed to be her parents due to the unmistakable resemblance.

Ah, so this is how the young lady would look like had she been blessed with more calm and finesse. 

Despite the bony, devastated tautness the advanced stage of his disease brought to him, the Tachibana patriarch's inner peace blossomed through. He knew first-hand the therapeutic impact having one's family close among even the illest of his patients.

The mother, on the other hand, was a rock of stability and principled righteousness. He had no question anymore as to where Tachibana-kun derived her convictions from.

And speaking of Tachibana…

She had grown out her hair, huh? Wild tufts of light golden tresses escaped from her slipshod attempt at a low ponytail, but he found them all endearingly true to the young lady's quirky personality. The months had also lent a touch of curves on all the right places, and he mused that the next time she competed in the TGC, she wouldn't get away with her disguise as easily as she could before.

After spending a few more moments appreciating the photo, he reluctantly let go of it to read the accompanying note.

Dear Goemon-san,

Tachibana is not a fan of taking pictures, but since Mama and Papa insisted on one, things ended up with you holding one of the copies Tachibana made.

Papa is having trouble sleeping lately and he has lost a lot of weight. But Tachibana knows Papa is fighting to stay here with us. As a physician, if there's any other advice you can share to make sure Tachibana cares for Papa well, please let Tachibana know.

Signed,

Tachibana

P.S. Tachibana will get you a proper postcard the next time she goes sightseeing in the city. Tachibana really misses Japan.

The doctor picked up the photo once more, gazing thoughtfully at it. Then carefully he picked it up and tucked it in his wallet, along with a few choice possessions he had that held great value to him.

He then exited the clinic and headed for the nearby tourist shop.

.

.

.

Dear Tachibana-kun,

Your father has done very well. But things will only become more difficult from this point on. Just stay by his side. No matter how scary or bleak things can be, don't waver your eyes away from his…

Tachibana Hotaru sank on the grass-carpeted ground that enveloped the cemetery, sobbing and unable to continue reading the postcard anymore. Her mother had left right after handing her a priority mail from Japan.

Even without looking, she knew her mother's face bore the stony impassiveness concealing the grief in the widow's heart. The woman responded to the death of her childhood love with a steely determination to be their daughter's rock no matter what it takes.

It took a few minutes before the insistent sound of her ringing phone registered in her ears. Taking a few shaky breaths, she struggled to calm herself as she answered the call. "T-Tachibana here."

"Tachibana-kun?"

A wave of surprise shook her to the core. Rubbing her eyes quickly, she called out, "M-Midori-san?"

She heard him pause uncertainly, and then, "My postcard didn't make it in time, I suppose?"

"T-The postcard is beautiful," she replied, a tad too quickly. Then with a defeated sigh, she continued, "P-Papa would have loved it."

"I'm sorry, Tachibana-kun."

The uncharacteristic concern in his voice choked her up. "T-Thank you. He passed away three nights ago."

"I see. It must have been hard."

She shut her eyes tight, involuntarily recalling her father, who was in pain all day and night but was blessed to go when he was peacefully asleep. "Tachibana… Tachibana didn't waver from him… "

His silence told her to go on. So she did.

"It was frightening every time Tachibana thinks that Papa is surrounded by all these medicines and doctors but no one can do a thing for him… it was frightening to feel so helpless for the first time in life," Heartbroken sobs threatened to snatch her voice away but she soldiered on. "T-Tachibana... Tachibana did her best to not look away…"

"Good girl." His voice was silky smooth and soothing. Peculiarly, there was a complete absence of the usual mockery in his tone."You did well, Tachibana-kun." No words felt like a better balm to her broken soul than hearing his words of quiet support and pride.

She wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her palm. "Tachibana and Midori-san had the same idea in the end, huh?"

"Loss is a universal human experience," he replied solemnly. "But it makes me happy that you think that way, Tachibana-kun."

"Thank you for calling, Midori-san." Only then did she recall to check her screen. "Is this a long-distance phone call?"

"I had Matsune share your phone number," he explained swiftly. "Looking at your father in the photo you sent, I felt I had to get in touch with you sooner."

"M-Matsuoka-san gave it to you?" She was aware of how her teammates and friends at Toy Gun-Gun can become extremely protective of her.

"Yes, but his four-eyed buddy made sure to threaten the very fabric of my existence before giving in. Needless to say, I was thrilled beyond words."

"No doubt you were, Midori-san." She clasped the phone close to her ears, suddenly recalling how the doctor had spoken to her that day at the airport. "You should go. It must be late at night where you are right now. Plus, calls like this can get expensive."

"Don't look down on a grown-up's finances, young lady."

She managed a small chuckle at his playfully cocky reprimand. "Well, maybe a one-time overcharge on the phone bill should be fine, even for an adult who spends a fortune on his toy guns."

"Ah."

Her forehead creased at the odd sound she heard from the other end of the line. "Midori-san?"

"I was thinking… if you're still seeking revenge against me on your friends' behalf, the best way is to attack my wallet."

"H-Huh?"

He spoke hurriedly— which was quite unusual for the calm, easy going king of the survival game scene in Japan. "What I meant is… you can keep accepting these expensive international long distance calls from me so I will be left with little budget to live on."

She scratched her cheek. "Midori-san, as you once told Tachibana in your clinic, people must separate their lives on the battlefield and in real life. Tachibana does not wish anything else for Midori-san anymore except for him to be well always."

To her surprise, he let out a sigh of resignation. "You're one tough customer, you know that, Tachibana-kun?"

"I-I don't understand…" She must have been utterly confused that she inadvertently slipped out of referencing herself from an outsider's perspective.

"Well, I don't mind. The prize is worth the chase." His tone sounded final as he spoke, as if he himself had realized something and had come to peace with that epiphany. "Get some rest, Tachibana-kun. Your father will want you and your mother to be well, at any cost."

"Thank you, Midori-san."

"I'll call you again."

For some reason she couldn't fathom, his earnest-sounding promise made her heart skip a beat. "Suit yourself. But if you do, you should hook up with a phone subscription so you can get discounts."

He let out a hearty laugh. "This is the first time that I've spoken with a woman who ended the calls with budget tips instead of erotic plans for the evening."

"Well, Tachibana cannot be compared to women like them because you see all of us differently."

"Indeed," he agreed smilingly. "My lady is incomparable to anyone else."

.

.

.

"It has been two years, huh, Midori-sensei?"

"Hmm?" Nagamasa Midori carefully dabbed the corners of his mouth with a lunch napkin and offered his attention to his trusted nurse and combat sniper, Akabane Ichi. Beside her, Takatora Fujimoto and Hosokawa Haruka paused from their respective meals and turned to her as well.

"Since that girl left."

He smiled pleasantly. "Ara, has it been that long?"

"You had to buy a bigger board to accommodate all those postcards," chimed in Haruka.

"You've racked up quite the bill monthly on Skype and online airsoft equipment deliveries," added Fujimon, bless his helpful little heart. He made a silent note to deal with his subordinate's talkativeness later on.

"Interesting," remarked his nurse. "You haven't participated in the TGC for the past two years."

He shrugged. "What can I say? After competing against Tachibana-kun, pretty much no other player can excite me enough to play."

Ichi sighed. "If she's your yardstick, then I'd say you'll have to hang up the laces of your training shoes. No one else will come close to beating her in your scale."

"I suppose." His phone rang, mercifully saving him from his team's pointed interrogation. One look at his phone screen and a genuinely fond smile broke on his face. "Excuse me." He hurriedly got up the table.

The trio watched their departing leader with looks of wonder and exasperation.

"It's her." Haruka bit on his muffin soundlessly, venting his ire on the pastry. "That disgusting expression on his face says it all."

"He's always had a soft spot for Tachibana-san," gushed Fujimoto, a happy nostalgic tone in his voice. "From the start, I've seen how hard he subconsciously tried to show her his gentle side. Usually, he wouldn't have been moved to do that for anyone. But she has always been different from the rest of us."

I know that. Ichi glumly chewed on her sandwich. The only person to draw out a tapestry of emotions that otherwise she wouldn't have known had existed in him— it couldn't be anyone but her. And despite herself, she couldn't deny her gratitude to Tachibana Hotaru for bringing out that beautiful side of the man she had loved one-sidedly for so long.

"Cheer up, Ichi!" The ash-haired doctor beamed at her sympathetically. "Yukimura-san says you have ample assets that men and women can easily fall in love with— AAARGH! GRAAAAAK! HARUKA-SAN HELPPPP!"

Haruka carefully slid away from the brutal slaughter happening beside him. He was too busy finding a suitable match for his brother in the dating app to bother himself with trivial matters such as the life and death situation of a co-worker.

.

.

.

"Tachibana is so sorry for disturbing you at work, Midori-san. Were you with a patient?" asked Tachibana Hotaru nervously as she leaned back against her bed's headboard. Behind her, the neon lights twinkled sharply against the velvety darkness of the midnight.

"Not at all. I was having a meal over a little inquisition." He leaned back against the endlessly white hallway outside the lunchroom.

"An inquisition, huh? About what?"

"About a topic I hold dear."

"Torture?"

He let out a loud entertained laughter. "Heavens, have I made quite an impression on you, huh?" Still chuckling, he asked, "So to whom do I owe this honor of being called on by my lady?" She found that he had long stopped calling her 'young lady', perhaps in recognition of the fact that time does move even for the likes of her.

"Tachibana… uhm, Tachibana has just been informed by the school that she's graduating with honors so… well, Tachibana wanted you to be among the first to know." She clasped the phone closer to her ear, wondering if she was acting too conceited, calling an accomplished physician like him in the middle of the day to brag about her school feats. She imagined the corners of his mouth twisting sadistically as he mouthed off a few choice shades on her. She only knew too well how capable he was of that.

But to her utter relief, he sounded nothing else but genuinely delighted. "Congratulations, sweetheart! That is excellent news!"

She silently castigated herself for getting beside herself upon hearing his word of endearment. "T-Thank you, Midori-san. After graduation, Tachibana plans to visit Japan for a month in order to prepare to go to a university there. Mama has reclaimed our old home from our relatives, so it should be okay."

"Ah, so you're coming home. Finally."

The words sounded so sweet coming from a man she least expected them to come from. "Y-Yes. We can finally test all that airsoft equipment you've been dumping at our house."

"As a matter of fact, they are yours, my lady."

Her hackles rose. "NO WAY! Tachibana refuses to accept them unless you let her win it by gun testing just like before!"

"Fine, fine." He sounded like a doting father indulging his favorite princess. At that thought, a feeling of disappointment surged through her. But just as quickly, she shook her head vehemently, as if clearing away these unreasonable feelings.

"B-Besides, d-does Midori-san…" She gulped inwardly, wondering if she had the guts to continue her question.

"Hmm?" He sounded lighthearted, and she could almost imagine him grinning innocently before him as his brain cooked up a dozen ways to skin her alive. "I've just been through an interrogation, so one more question from my lady will not bother me terribly."

Er, good? She bit her lower lip. "Does Midori-san… treat all his female friends this way?"

"Ahh," she heard him say, and she could practically see a light bulb popping over the man's head. "You sound interested, Tachibana-kun!" he drawled in a honeyed tone, making her blush from the roots of her hair to the tip of her toes.

"M-Midori-san!" Her face felt positively hot at that moment. "T-Tachibana just doesn't want you to be misunderstood by other girls. Y-You can be someone's friend without spending an inordinate amount of money!"

"So friends don't spend money on their friends?"

She clutched her phone tightly. "O-Of course!"

"So if I'm spending money on you, what does that make you then?"

She felt her heart pound. "Uhm… s-someone taking advantage of you?"

To her surprise, he let out a now familiar resigned sigh.

"I-Is Tachibana wrong?" she asked nervously.

"No, my lady. Like many others, you have won me over with your noble sense of justice. Or at least mellowed me to some point." He let out a low, husky chuckle. It sent excited shivers throughout her body, especially with the phone pressed so close to her ear. "I guess I'll just have to keep on trying until you finally understand."

"U-Understand what?"

"In any case, I will see you soon, my Tachibana-kun," he promised meaningfully.

.

.

.

Tachibana Hotaru did not expect him to keep his promise so soon.

Standing some distance away from the graduation venue was Midori Nagamasa himself, donning a dark coat over a pair of equally dark trousers and a maroon dress shirt. He was holding a bouquet of assorted carnations.

Beside her, she felt her mother stiffen. Tachibana Kane had not been introduced to this older, bespectacled man yet. Her motherly instinct told her though that this man's presence was not good news for her.

"Good evening, Tachibana-kun, Tachibana-san." The male bowed politely before them before offering the flowers to the younger woman. "Congratulations to the graduate."

Despite her bewilderment, she went ahead and took the flowers from his waiting hands. "T-Thank you, Midori-san. But why are you here?"

"I promised I'll meet you soon, did I not?" He flashed her a grin innocently.

"B-But…"

He bowed once more to the matriarch. "My name is Midori Nagamasa. Your daughter and I have played together in the TGC a few years ago."

The woman eyed him suspiciously— one of the rare times that a woman did not immediately become smitten with him. Truly, the Tachibana women are most formidable beings, he thought with a grin. According to Matsune and his buddies, Tachibana Kane's sadistic tendencies matched his point-for-point.

"So you live in Japan," the woman said slowly, gauging his worth all the while. "But you are here in New York because you are interested in my daughter, is that right?"

He pushed the bridge of his glasses back up his nose. "That is accurate, Tachibana-san."

The younger Tachibana exhaled sharply, not expecting his words.

Kane, on the other hand, scowled in utter displeasure. "And how old are you? Twenty-five? Twenty-seven?"

"I've turned thirty this month, Tachibana-san."

Both women's eyes widened at how deceitful a handsome man's appearance could be.

"My daughter has just turned eighteen," she hissed, recovering from shock. "Do you intend to take away her future because of your selfish desire—"

"M-Mama!" Hotaru stepped forward between the two. "M-Midori-san likes to kid around, d-don't you, Midori-san?" She grinned forcibly at him, begging for his cooperation.

He smiled brightly back at her. "I was Tachibana-kun's first kiss. It happened in a—"

"GRAH! She slapped her bouquet-holding hands over his mouth to stop him, but felt herself do a double take when she realized that after two long years, he was finally right in front of her— in the flesh. And she was touching his skin once more.

In response, the man clasped both her hands and planted a gentle kiss on her fingers. The momentary contact nearly set her whole body on fire.

M-Midori-san! To do this in front of my mother… From the corner of her eye, she stealthily glanced at her mother and braced herself for the latter's reaction.

Watching them warily. Kane stepped back with a shrug. "From the looks of it, 30-year-old-san, my daughter seems to be quite taken with you, too." She started to walk away, waving a hand. "I have reservations in the nearby restaurant at 8. I'll see you both there."

"Thank you, Mama!" It was the doctor who spoke with utmost cheerfulness.

"Midori-san!" She forcefully snatched back her hands away from his. "Seriously! There should be a limit to your pranks, you know!" she cried as she lowered her heels to the ground. Yet despite her high heels, the man was still impossibly taller than her. Even with the gap of two years, she had a long way to go before she could catch up with this nettlesome man. "Mama might misunderstand."

"So your mother is faster on the uptake than you?" he asked softly, caressing her cheek with his hand. It was not the first time he had done it, but it was the first time that this gesture had caused her heartbeat to race this abnormally fast.

"You… you can't expect Tachibana to believe that you… you…" She struggled to piece together her thoughts as his face slowly lowered towards hers.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he murmured, his breath fanning her face. She could see the tiniest teasing twitch on the corner of his mouth.

"... you like me?" she managed to ask before their lips could touch. She unwittingly shut her eyes tight, not daring to look at his expression should he announce that it was all a joke she gamely played along with.

Instead, she felt a momentary silky whisper in her ear.

The voice of the man who handpicked her H&K G3SAS High Cycle after becoming the first one to figure out who she was.

The man who mentored her unconventionally through a mix of harshness in the battlefield and gentleness in real life.

The man who praised her for giving her partner weapon a cool name.

The man who received her first kiss.

The man she drew strength from as she tried to come out to her friends one more time.

The man who Fujimon said collected all her postcards and lit up whenever they came in the mail.

His voice spoke to her softly. Sincerely.

"Like you? I am in love with you, Tachibana Hotaru."

Her eyelids fluttered open in surprise, but they closed just as quickly because he was done with speaking. His mouth finally, hungrily claimed hers in sweet longing and desire.

.

.

.

Matsuoka Masamune threw his phone down on the couch in disgust. "Ugh. The moment Midori-san first learns how to send a chat message, he sends THIS." He was referring to the photo of the doctor giddily embracing their blushing little Hotaru who was garbed in her graduation gown.

He turned to his bespectacled best friend peering down at his phone with an equally dark expression. "He sent you the same thing, didn't he, Yukki?"

"Yep." The erotic manga author inspected the chat window. "Us and all his four hundred contacts including the hospital staff, his patients, and everyone in the TGC."

Masamune crossed his arms over his chest. "You think he made a noob mistake? He had never learned to use apps till now."

"Nah. That guy's definitely rubbing it to our faces. That bastard."

THE END